ã€ŠHellbound With Youã€‹


 Excerp

    Excerpts

    VOLUME 1 [MAIN STORY] - STATUS: COMPLETED

    A story of a terminally ill girl and a heartless man. ____

    VOLUME 2 [SPIN-OFF] - STATUS: COMPLETED

    A story of a vampire prince and a feisty and rich human girl. ____

    VOLUME 3 [SPIN-OFF] - STATUS: COMPLETED

    A story of an ancient witch''s unrequited love. ____

    VOLUME 4 [SPIN-OFF] - STATUS: ONGOING

    A story of a ghost and a vampire prince.

    #enemies-to-lovers ____

    Synopsis

    Sheltered and innocent Abigail is terminally ill. She knows she will die soon so before she dies, she wants to fulfill her one and only wish - to fall in love. She wants to experience loving someone romantically. But under one strange condition- she wants a man who will not fall in love with her because she doesn''t want him to suffer when she''s gone. She met Alexander Qinn, the coldhearted and mysterious man. He warns her from the start that he doesn''t do love and that he is dangerous. But that made him the perfect man for Abigail. He was exactly the kind of man she was looking for.

    Alexander will teach the innocent Abigail about his kind of pleasure while Abigail will show him the joy of doing simple things in life. Theirpletely different worlds collide, Abi''s illness and the mysteries about Alexander will slowly be revealed. Can Abigail handle his own kind of hell? Can Alexander handle her light?

    Excerpt #1

    He handed her an egg-shaped, pink vibrator and then returned to his spot.

    The girl blinked again as she examined, with deep curiosity, the pink egg-shaped thing in her hand.

    "Don''t make me wait. Put it inside," the man ordered and Abi swallowed.

    Abi had no idea whatsoever as to what this thing was. She had never seen anything like this before. She wanted to ask him what this thing was and what he meant by ''put it inside'' but the man was so serious, she was afraid she''d fail the test if she showed him that she didn''t even know what this was.

    "Is this clean?" was what she asked instead and the man half-smiled.

    "It. Is. Very. Clean." He stressed out every word.

    Still unsure about what to do, Abi hesitantly looked at him and then in the next second, she put it inside her mouth.

    Excerpt #2

    "All you have to do is follow three rules, Abigail¡­" He started and Abigail held her breathe in anticipation. She was a little nervous. "First, you will be home before or during twilight. Anyter than that and you''ll be punished. Understand?"

    Abi blinked. She didn''t expect that this was actually his first rule.

    "I understood¡­ I just thought that my curfew is pretty early." She trailed off but Alexander just looked at her with eyes silently saying the words ''my house, my rules''.

    "Second, while you''re in this house, you will listen to no one but me. Only do what I ask you to do. Understand?" Abi nodded again. "Andst, but not the least ¨C"

    "I won''t ask or demand for your love. Got it." Abi took the words out of his mouth and Alexander eyes glittered with something she couldn''t fathom, as a smile curved on his face.

    Excerpt #3

    Before she knew it, they were inside the house. He put her down in the middle of therge living room. She looked up at him with a million questions in her eyes.

    Then, before she could open her mouth to ask,

    "Close your eyes, Abigail," he ordered.

    "Huh? Why?"

    "Just close your eyes and don''t open it until you hear my signal."

    Abi could onlyply. Seconds ticked by and her mind was running around like a headless chicken, trying to figure out what he was up to! The next moment, Abi heard the fire rm siren roar loudly inside the mansion. Her eyes opened wide but before she could move, water began to sprinkle from above.

    "You wanted rain, right?" he smirked and Abi''s mouth dropped. What on Earth just happened? What did he just do? Well, he did what she thought was impossible. He made it rain¡­ inside the house!

    Wee to my 4th webnovel. ?

    KazzenlX

 Chapter 1 Take me there

    <h4>Chapter 1 Take me there</h4>

    "Mr. Qin, I really love you!!!" a woman''s voice echoed in the dimly lit, cold concrete underground garage, startling Abigail that her phone almost fell from her hand.

    She was just on her way towards her parked car but who would have thought that she would witness a confession in this dark, cold ce?

    "What did you say?" Abigail heard a cold, husky and deep voice and she flinched even though she was not the one the man was talking to. Perhaps, she reacted like that because the man sounded so damn intimidating. His tone even seemed heartlessly cold. What seemed like a romantic confession, sounded more like a misunderstanding!

    "I said I love you," Abigail heard the woman''s voice again, "I love you so much! I already fell for you the first time I saw you." The woman sounded very emotional.

    Abigail held her breath waiting for his response, but only silence followed. She wanted to peek but she thought it was not the right thing to do. She waited until finally, she heard the man''s reply.

    "Is that all?" was all he responded causing Abigail to gasp in disbelief.

    ''Wah¡­ he''s so cruel.''

    "W-what?" the woman sounded like she was utterly shocked.

    "Tell me, what do you want?"

    "I¡­ I''ve been in love with you since the beginning. I''ve been your girl for two months now but you have never said anything about how you feel about me. Mr. Qin, I¡­ all I want is¡­ I just want you to love me back."

    Abigail could tell from the voice of thedy that she was at the verge of breaking down, and yet, the man''s voice didn''t soften even a little bit after hearing her. Instead, he sounded even more menacing as he responded to her.

    "We''re done," he said nonchntly without a care in the world. There was simply no trace of warmth in his voice at all.

    "W-w-what?"

    "I won''t repeat myself."

    "W-why? Mr. Qin, what a-are you saying? This is not¡­ The contract I signed clearly stated that I would be your girl for three months! It''s only been two months, but now you''re saying we''re over? What do you mean by ¨C"

    "Miss Song¡­ didn''t you properly read the contract?" the man''s tone became even colder, almost harsh. "Cheng,e over and read the condition she didn''t read."

    Abigail was shocked to her bones hearing their shocking conversation, "A contract? Oh goodness, what are they saying?"

    She could tell that the situation was getting worse so she really wanted to leave now but if she moved now, they would see her. Without a choice, she could only stay hidden and listen even if she didn''t want to.

    "Miss Song, here is one of the two conditions from that contract you signed." Another man started talking. "The contracted girlfriend can demand anything except for one thing; love or affection. Once the contracted girlfriend demands to be loved in return, the contract will automatically be null and void."

    Abi was so shocked she couldn''t stop herself from taking a peek at them. She just couldn''t believe what was happening. She couldn''t believe that something so outrageous as this was happening in real life. This was absolute madness to someone like her.

    When she saw the girl, her hands flew to her own mouth. ''Isn''t that Ina Song? The famous actress?!''

    She couldn''t believe her eyes. Why would a beautiful woman like her beg for a man''s love? More importantly, their rtionship was contractual?! This beautiful diva, Ina Song, was some ruthless man''s contracted girlfriend?!! The entertainment world would be shaken if they found out about this!!!

    Abigail''s widened eyes then shifted to the man but she couldn''t see his face because he had his back to her.

    "I warned you long ago. I don''t do love and never will. And you of all people should already be well aware of how I deal with anyone who breaks any conditions in the contract." The man said and Abigail shivered as she watched Ina Song fall to her knees. The almighty goddess that every male creature out there praised now looked like all her blood was being drained all at once as she heard him. Then just like that, she was dragged away by a bulky man in ck towards another car. When the car where Ina Song boarded was gone, Abigail finally came back to her senses and quickly hid herself again.

    However...

    "Come out. I know you''re there. NOW!" The man ordered and she was so shocked that she just froze for a long while. She knew he was talking to her and she knew that he was a man who didn''t want to repeat himself so holding her breath, she finally stepped out.

    "Come over," the manmanded and Abigail slowly lifted her face. She was incredibly nervous. She couldn''t remember if anyone ever made her feel this scared and nervous before in her entire life.

    As soon as their eyes met, Abigail almost gaped. The man before her was just so damn good looking - no, good looking was actually a huge understatement. She was sure that he was a hundred times more handsome than any celebrity she had ever seen in her life. He was tall. His inky dark hair looked like it wasbed by his fingers and swept back away from his face. He had a strong, defined and masculine jawline - it was perfection in her eyes. He just looked too good to be true. She was utterly impressed, and she had never been impressed by a man''s beauty like this before. How could a mortal man look this stunning? No wonder such a beautiful woman like Ina Song begged for his love!

    But this stunning creature, was ring down at her. His eyes were hostile, making her want to shrink to the floor and disappear. The way he looked at her was definitely the definition of the phrase, if looks could kill.

    "Who are you? A paparazzi?" Abigail flinched back from the resentment in his voice. His ice cold eyes glimmered with a dangerous light and it chilled her more than the freezing temperature. She couldn''t help but think that this man was definitely the perfect example of the inhumanly beautiful demon king she often times read in fictional books.

    After swallowing her own saliva, Abigail forced herself to respond to him.

    "No, I''m not." She shook her head but the man''s eyes narrowed and then, he moved his feet, walking closer to her.

    Every step he took felt like a ticking time bomb to her but surprisingly, she was able to hold her ground despite her knees shaking a little. She was surprised.

    When the man stopped just less than a meter before her, she couldn''t help but bite her bottom lip. The man was scrutinizing her, looking at her like she was some prey. She knew with one look into those eyes that ''dangerous'' was an understatement to describe him.

    "Littlemb¡­ did u hear everything?" he asked, his gaze seemed deadlier than the sharpest dagger. He was definitely ring at her like he wanted to kill her. She had never seen eyes as beautiful as his but also as deadly cold as his. He had such killer eyes that could pierce through anyone''s soul.

    "I''m sorry, I¡­ I didn''t mean to ¨C" Abigail managed to answer when the man suddenly raised his hand towards her neck. She flinched in fear as she shut her eyes, thinking that the man was going to strangle her.

    But that didn''t happen. Slowly, Abigail opened her eyes.

    He did not say a word. He was solely focused on her bright yellow knitted scarf. For some reason, the daggers and the ancient ciers in his eyes seemed to have been washed away and was suddenly reced with an odd, calm nkness.

    She looked down and when she saw his fingers fiddling with the edge of her knitted scarf, Abigail simply froze again, her heartbeat beating so erratically as if a hammer was inside her chest.

    "Yellow¡­" he murmured to himself as he dropped his hand and then the look in his eyes changed again. He didn''t look harsh and cold anymore as he did moments ago. "Go home," he said and just like that, he turned to leave.

    Abigail exhaled as she watched him moving away from her. She should''ve been running away now that the demon finally let her go unscathed but she just stood there, unmoving, her gaze watching his retreating perfect and graceful figure.

    Closing her fists tightly that her knuckles turned white, she suddenly called out.

    "Wait, mister, please wait!"

    The chauffer had already opened the door for him to enter. Her voice echoed in the cold garage and he looked over to her.

    "What?" he replied without turning to look at her.

    Fearlessly, Abigail began walking towards him. She was suddenly high on adrenalin and she felt brave. Her knees had stopped trembling and the fear in her eyes was reced with something else ¨C resolve.

    "Was everything you said true? That you do not do love?" she asked as she stood less than a meter behind him. "Are you really sure you won''t fall for anyone?"

    The man finally turned to look at her. His dark gray eyes assessed her with disbelief and then, interest.

    "From what I understand, you''re willing to make someone your girlfriend as long as she won''t demand for your love, right?" she asked again.

    Silence reigned between them for a moment. The man stared at her through his narrowed eyes. He seemed astonished as if he was looking at a certain unbelievable creature.

    "Why are you asking?" his lips now curved up in a wicked, amused smile but his tone was still obviously disbelieving.

    "I''m just curious. Is it true?" she answered. She was unbelievably calm.

    "So what if it was, and what if it''s not?"

    Abigail pressed her lips tight. "If it''s true, how can you be so sure? Do you really believe that you will never fall for anyone? Ever?"

    What she got as a response was a low chuckle. The man looked like a devil when heughed. Hisughter didn''t reach his eyes, but somehow, he seemed a bit amused? She wasn''t sure. His expressions were just too tricky for her to figure out.

    "Yellow, tell me. What exactly are you trying to say?" he fiddled with the edge of her scarf again, his thin lips still curved up to a dangerous and mischievous smile.

    "I¡­ I''m just saying that I don''t think you''ll be an exception. Maybe you just haven''t met that special someone who has an axe to force your heart open."

    "Little Yellow, are you saying you want to try me?"

    Looking at his eyes, Abigail fell silent for a moment before she nodded her answer. Her eyes were decisive.

    Heughed.

    Creasing her brows, Abigail tried to show him how serious she was but when she said she was serious, her intensity seemed to have only made the man more amused.

    After he stoppedughing, the man spoke. "Are you perhaps thinking that you could eventually make me fall in love? Too bad, Yellow... Countless women already tried that and besides¡­ I don''t think you are capable of that." His eyes traveled from her head down to her toes.

    "And you heard me correctly, I don''t do love. Never. So don''t waste your brain cells thinking about it." his voice was smoldering, despite the smile on his face.

    But Abigail was unfazed. "How about you try me? I promise, I will not demand for you to love me back." She promised, even raising her hand like a girl scout, causing the man tough again.

    "Yellow, you''re such a brave little girl." His smile faded and a hard edge crept into his voice.

    "Please stop calling me Yellow! My name is Abigail. And I''m not a little girl! I''m about to turn twenty-two."

    The man''s expression abruptly shifted once again and he chuckled. Hisugh seemed to have some sort of magic as it lingered in her ears. Hisughter was unexpectedly so pleasing.

    "Indeed, you are one brave little girl, Yellow. Do you know who I am?"

    "No."

    "And yet, you''re still here blindly offering yourself?"

    She nodded and the man now smirked evilly. He stared at her from her head to toe for the second time as he licked his sexy lips and then he stepped forward. His long, graceful finger lifted her chin.

    "Littlemb, let me tell you this. You''re standing before the gates of hell right now. Doing this means ruining your life. Are you ready to step down to hell with me?" his eyes zed. A warning was burning within it and Abigail knew he was more than serious and that the danger was real.

    His intensity made her shudder slightly but his warning wasn''t enough to make her give in. She had never been this brave - or crazy- in her life. She was already imagining lots of things in her head. The possible oue of this madness she was trying to throw herself into, of course terrified her but¡­ every time she thought about her future, was there anything scarier to her at this point? Wasn''t she looking for something like this? For a man like this?

    As the silence dragged on, the man''s lips curved up into a triumphant, mocking smile and his handnded on her head. He ruffled her hair and leaned in on her.

    "Hell is not a good ce, at least for a littlemb like you. I''m sure you''re aware of that. Now run away while this demon king is still being nice and calm." He whispered.

    And then, he turned to leave, so casually, as if nothing just happened. But after three steps, the girl stopped him again.

    "The hell you''re talking about..." she mumbled, "I¡­ I''d like to see it for myself¡­ Take me there."

 Chapter 2 Crazy

    <h4>Chapter 2 Crazy</h4>

    Abigail knew she sounded like a mad woman.

    "You''re crazy, Abi," a whisper in her head told her but the oddest thing was that she didn''t feel it. She was totally sane andpletely clearheaded.

    This was the most daring thing she had ever done in her life and the most terrifying, too. Yet, she was calmer than ever; more certain about this than anything else.

    The man directed a gaze of disbelief at her. His eyes pierced through her as if he was trying to pry into her soul, but when he saw the unwavering look in her eyes, he shook his head.

    He failed to understand this little fragile creature before him. Everyone yearned for heaven, yet this girl wished to experience hell? He was simply stupefied. This little girl might be the most intriguing person he''d ever met.

    "Yellow, what''s your name?" he finally asked.

    "Abi¡­ Abigail Chen."

    "Abigail¡­" he echoed her name as he fiddled her yellow scarf again. Her name on his lips sounded so nice.

    He seemed to be thinking about something as he looked into her eyes again before a wicked, devastating smile appeared on his glorious face.

    "Sorry but¡­" he started as his gaze once again traveled from her head down to her to toes. "I''m not interested in unattractive girls."

    Hisment, and that yful smirk on his face aggravated her. She was usually unaffected by these kinds of judgmentalments that boys and girls often threw at her. She simply didn''t care what they said about her looks but why was it that this man''sment riled her up this much?

    "Just you wait! I will prove to you how attractive I can be!" Abigail was quick to retort. She didn''t even know how she managed to speak like this. She was used to not giving any attention to what other people said. She wouldn''t even bother justifying herself so what she was saying right now was actually a shock even to herself. She didn''t know she was capable of speaking this way, until now.

    But then, the man''s response was another fascinating chuckle.

    "Yellow, you really are unbelievable." He said before his expression abruptly shifted again. The corner of his lips turned down in disapproval. "But I''m serious. I''m not into little girls."

    "Ina Song is just two years older than me." She argued, not backing down.

    "Miss Song is¡­ a mature, sexy woman. And you''re¡­" He raised an eyebrow. "Even though you''re two years younger than her, you look like a granny."

    Abigail was getting more and more aggravated. No one ever made her feel like this before. The way she dressed up today was, as always, purposely unfashionable. Her hair was braided in pigtails; she was wearing fake thick eyesses and her winter coat was boring and unfashionably thick and long. She knew she looked really unappealing at the moment. After all, this was the appearance she was aiming for today ¨C for her to look so damned unattractive that no man would bother to look at her.

    "I purposely dressed like this today." She hissed, bravely. If only she knew that she would meet this man at the end of the day, she would''ve at least made herself a little more presentable.

    "Oh... really?"

    "I will show you."

    The man snickered, shaking his head. He was looking at her with wonder and disbelief and for a moment, there was a strange and dangerous glimmer in his eyes as he stared at her. But it abruptly disappeared as his handnded on her head.

    "Go home, Yellow. It''ste." He smiled and entered his car.

    "Wait!" she called out but the man only waved at her before the car left, leaving her astounded and unexpectedly upset.

    Abigail was incredibly frustrated. She was pouting, her brows were pulled together as she entered her car. She couldn''t understand why that rude man had this unnerving effect on her. Was it because he rejected and mocked her appearance? But she was truly used to this kind of thing. Something like that definitely shouldn''t frustrate her to this extent. More importantly, her heart was still pounding. The man was long gone, and yet, she was still nervous?! What was going on? Could it be that this nervousness was the aftershock of her bravery? That was the only sensible reason she could think of.

    Shaking her head to clear her mind, Abigail just started the engine when someone knocked on the car''s window.

    A man was standing there, smiling at her. The man was wearing a ck leather jacket and he was also unbelievably pleasing to the eyes. Was there something wrong with this ce? Why do overly good looking men keep popping out of nowhere?!

    Abigail didn''t dare roll down her window. What her eyes looked for first were the locations of the CCTV''s. When she spotted one right above her car, she rxed a little but she was still hesitant.

    "You''re so damn outrageous Abigail! You didn''t fear offering yourself to that scary stranger but now you''re afraid to open your window to this pleasant looking one?!" she mumbled to herself, shaking her head, as though she was now convinced that she was crazy.

    The man knocked again, shing his pleasant smile, as if he was using his beauty to lure her out.

    ''I have something to give you.'' She read his lips.

    Heaving a sigh, she finally rolled down the car''s window.

    "Hello, Miss¡­" he grinned, shing his white teeth. He was truly another out of this world beauty. Although, to her, that ruthless man still beat him good when shepared their looks.

    "What is it? Do you need something?" she asked politely. The man leaned in on her and gave her a piece of paper.

    "If you want to meet that man again, just contact me and I''ll tell you where to find him," he said, smiling kindly at her. He had a pleasant atmosphere about him that made one not feel that he had any ulterior motives. He looked like the kind of man that would easily entice people with just his sweet smile. Still, Abigail had a hunch that this one was dangerous, too.

    "That man?" Abigail creased her brows, trying to confirm, even though she already knew, who he was talking about.

    "Mm. That cold man who told you that you''re unattractive." He grinned and Abigail blinked at him. Her frustration somehow came back.

    "You know him?" she finally asked and the man nodded.

    "He''s my friend."

    "W-why would you want me to meet him?"

    "Because you want to show him that his judgement is wrong. So let''s just say, I''m helping you prove your point." He grinned again, looking as though he was encouraging her.

    Abigail was even more confused but before she could say anything more, he spoke again.

    "You don''t want to? Did you already change your mind?" he asked, seemingly disappointed.

    But the moment he began retracting his hand, Abigail took the piece of paper he was holding out to her.

    The man smiled in satisfaction before he moved away. "Bye bye, Miss Yellow! See you!" he waved and then before she knew it, he disappeared from her sight, leaving her blinking in confusion and curiosity as she stared at the note in her hand.

 Chapter 3 Reason

    <h4>Chapter 3 Reason</h4>

    As she left the city, Abigail''s mind began to wander.

    She was already twenty-two and still never had a boyfriend. She grew up within a peaceful, loving family and she had grown up into a really good girl. Some evenpared her to an untainted snow, well-mannered and pure, but most mocked her, calling her, Miss goody-two-shoes or little Miss Priss.

    As she was growing up, Abigail had gotten used to other people mocking her but her grandparents always encouraged and advised her to not let the water around her enter her ship, otherwise, she would drown. She had been raised to keep a positive mindset and she herself decided that there was no way she would let those kinds of people drown her.

    She had a reason for why she had never had a boyfriend in her twenty-two years of existence. When she was seventeen, she realized that she had developed a trauma ¨C she was afraid of having someone fall in love with her.

    Abigail had witnessed just how much her father suffered day by day, even years after her mother died. It was unbearable for her to even watch him. Her father loved her mother so much that even after nearly two decades her death, she still saw her dad crying at night, looking at his wife''s photo. She had seen just how painful it was to lose someone you loved through her father ¨C it was nothing but torture. She even once heard her father saying that he didn''t feel alive anymore since that day her mother died. She knew that her father was only holding on because of her.

    Years after her mother''s death, Abigail was diagnosed with the same illness that killed her mother. It appeared that she inherited the illness from her and since then, she''d been battling with it. She was only seventeen that time and she knew that just like her mother, she only had 5 more years to live.

    That was why she always rejected the boys who showed any interest in her. There were a few of them but her fear would always be triggered especially when someone confessed to her. All she could say to them was ''sorry''. Due to that, Abigail avoided boys as much as she could. She even purposely dressed quite unfashionably in order to be less attractive.

    However, as years passed by, Abigail started to question herself. ''Will I die just like this?''

    The desires that she had been suppressing all this time were getting out of control. She had been dreaming of wanting to experience how it would feel like to love someone. She wanted to know how it would feel to have butterflies in one''s stomach, and how it would feel to kiss and embrace that person you loved with all your heart, romantically. She had read many webnovels and she couldn''t help but wish she could at least experience this so called love before she died. That was her only wish ¨C to fall in love, to find someone she could fall in love with.

    But she was torn. She was afraid and worried sick. She didn''t want to leave someone behind to suffer when she was gone. She didn''t want anyone to experience the loss and pain her father was going through until now.

    For years, she''d been thinking about it and she thought she had already epted her fate but now that her due date was getting closer, the desire in her heart only kept on getting stronger. So she decided to be brave and try her best to make her wishe true with the little time she had left.

    The only way she could think of to fulfill her wish was ¨C to find a man whom she could fall in love with but would never fall in love with her. She had heard and read stories about one sided love. She heard and read that that kind of love was excruciatingly painful but¡­ she still wanted it. If this was the only way for her to experience falling in love, she would be willing to throw herself in it, even if it meant being hurt. She thought that she could handle the pain of loving someone who didn''t love her back more, than dying without knowing what love felt like at all. Perhaps, she was thinking about the quote she once read when she was eighteen that said, ''It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all''.

    Abigail once anonymously shared her situation online and asked about what to do. Her thread garnered lots of attention and different contradicting reactions urred.

    "Since you don''t want someone to fall in love with you, then why don''t you go and pick a random bad guy? I mean, there are a lot of jerks and heartless idiots out there who only know how to break hearts." Was one of the advice she wanted to try. But what if that supposedly heartless someone would fall for her in the end?

    Abigail still had a year left.

    She was doing fine for now. The people around her, except her family didn''t even know that she was sick. But her mother was like this back then, too. Abigail somehow knew that her health would start to worsen in the fifth year ¨C this year. She could even foresee that she might have to start going back and forth from the hospital in the next month or two. She was aware that she didn''t have much time left.

 Chapter 4 The one

    <h4>Chapter 4 The one</h4>

    Everything that just happened right then started reying in her mind and she couldn''t believe herself. She actually did something so outrageous like that? It was simply unbelievable. Now that she pondered about it, she couldn''t fathom where she got her bravery from to approach him, much more offer herself to a stranger as mysterious and dangerous as him. Was she really that desperate?

    Abigail was aware that what she did was pure madness but¡­ deep in her heart, she didn''t regret it and the fact that that man rejected her unexpectedly motivated her. She thought that he really was the man she had been looking for. A heartless man who didn''t fall for anyone. She didn''t know why but she believed him when he said he didn''t do love and never would. Maybe it was because she could see the truth in his eyes. She didn''t know why but she just felt that the man had an icy heart that would never, ever melt.

    But was it possible for her to fall in love with such a man? she wondered. Would it possible for her to love a man who was cold so cold that he might even scare her poor heart away? She didn''t know but, like Eve, she wanted to taste the forbidden fruit even though she knew it might bring her pain. Besides, didn''t they say that ''love builds up'' and ''love is blind''?

    At this point, she thought that there was really no reason for her to even tell herself to be careful anymore. There was no point for her to chicken out anymore because she was going to die soon and if she wanted her wish toe true, she had to do it NOW. She just knew that this was herst chance.

    ¡­

    When she arrived home, her family was waiting for her in the living room, watching their favorite TV show.

    They then had another pleasant and peaceful dinner before Abigail finally went in her room.

    After taking a shower, shey in her bed. She had been thinking about that man all night, even when she was in the shower. Strangely, she couldn''t stop. Was it because he rejected her? Probably not. Maybe, it was because of his ever so striking appearance? The probability was high.

    Abigail couldn''t help but think that he wasn''t real as she remembered every feature of his face very clearly in her head. She then lifted the note that pleasant man in ck jacket gave her and stared at it for a long while.

    As shey there, her eyes finally drifted close. The next thing she knew the sun was already streaming through her windows.

    She rose and did her usual routine; arranged her bed, helped her grandmother prepare their breakfast, and after eating together, she got ready for work, kissed her family goodbye before she drove back to the city.

    After Abigail graduated from college, she volunteered to work at the Morning Sun orphanage. Her family co-founded that orphanage and she had be a part time volunteer since high school. Her job was mainly assisting the teachers during ss time. She was assigned to read books to the kids on the weekdays, except Fridays, and she loved what she was doing. She had grown to care very much about the children and she treated them as her family. She was truly happy extending any help for as long as she was able.

    It was Monday so the kids that hadn''t seen her for three days were excited to see her. They embraced her one by one in the hall way as soon as they saw her.

    "Miss Abi! We missed you." the youngest in the bunch, Betty, kissed her in her cheek.

    "I missed you too, darling. Now, let''s get inside. Your teacher ising."

    Abigail assisted Mrs. Jang, the kids'' teacher, the whole day. She read the story of "The little prince" this time and when the ss was over, Abigail headed to a coffee shop near the orphanage.

    She had sent Kelly, her friend, a messagest night that she wanted to talk to her about something so they nned to meet at this shop ¨C their favorite meeting ce since college.

    "How are you? You were pretty drunkst night." Abigail was looking at Kelly with a raised brow.

    "Do I look that bad?"

    "Yep."

    "Don''t lie, Abi. I made sure that my eye bags are perfectly covered!" she huffed and Abigail could only chuckle. Her friend Kelly Yang was insanely rich. She didn''t really know why the two of them, who were worlds apart from each other had be the best of friends.

    Kelly during college was definitely envied by many. She was pretty, super rich and had lots of suitors. However, she was alone at school. Only boys who wanted to hit on her approached her and thedies avoided her like the gue. When Abigail began talking to her and they eventually became close, the students started calling her Kelly''s maid. She couldn''t me them. She did look like a maidpared to the fashionable and sophisticated Kelly. But Abigail didn''t really care. She knew that Kelly was a good person and she was her friend no matter what anyone said.

    Back then, Kelly was the one who kept being enraged every time people mocked Abigail. She even insisted on dressing her up - god only knew how many times she had begged her - but Abigail refused her again and again until the girl eventually gave up.

    "So? What''s the agenda? I''m really curious, you know? You calling me out like this is soooo rare." Kelly sipped on her drink as she looked at her friend with narrowed eyes.

    Letting out a deep sigh, Abigail pressed her lips tightly before she looked at her friend.

    "I have found a man." Abigail said and Kelly choked. "Careful, Kelly!"

    "Cough, cough¡­ what did you say? Y-you? You found a man? You?!" Kelly looked like she just heard something so damn unbelievable.

    "Calm down. Don''t be too loud."

    "Oh my god, Abi, how can I be calm right now?! You¡­ my ever so innocent Abi finally found a man you like?!"

    "Well, I still can''t say if I like him but... he''s the man I''ve been looking for and¡­ he''s the one I want."

 Chapter 5 I want him

    <h4>Chapter 5 I want him</h4>

    "Wow, this is unbelievable. Who is he? Who is this man that caught my dearest Abi''s eyes? Huh?" Kelly was so excited.

    "Actually, I failed to get his name. All I know is that his surname is Qin." Abigail''s response made Kelly pout but she was quick to bounce back to being excited and asked her about how and where she saw him.

    Abigail told her that she saw the man in the garage of Kelly''s apartment buildingst night. But of course, she didn''t say anything about the drama she saw and the outrageous thing she did.

    "That man is¡­ he is super handsome. I wonder if he''s some kind of celebrity. But I don''t think he''s one or I would know about him."

    "Wow, now I''m dying with curiosity. This is the first time you praised a man''s looks, you know?"

    "Oh, is that so?"

    "Hello¡­ you really haven''t cared about men before, Abi! You don''t even look at them! Okay, so? What are you gonna do about this super handsome, Mr. Qin?"

    Kelly''s brow lifted again. She was so damn intrigued and she looked like she was very much more animated than Abigail about this.

    Abigail looked down at her hand wrapped around the lemonade bottle. She looked like she was considering something vital in her head while her friend was impatiently waiting for her.

    "I¡­" Abigail started as she looked up to her friend, looking serious. "I want him to be my boyfriend."

    For a while, Kelly gaped at her. It seemed like she was shocked. But the moment she recovered, a huge, bright smile curved up on her face.

    "Okay! That''s my girl! You''re finally hearing my advice. My innocent bun finally learned to be daring!"

    Kelly was happy and for some reason, proud, like a happy mother who had just witnessed her child finally learning to walk on her own for the first time.

    "Kelly, I want to impress him so I want to ask you to ¨C"

    "Darling¡­ leave it to me. I promise to dress you up and turn you into the most stunning woman on Earth!"

    After their talk, Abigail told Kelly that she would contact her once she decided to meet him. Kelly offered to help her get him but Abigail simply told her that she had to learn how to do it herself which of course, made her friend beam happily again.

    "Okay, just call me if you need help, okay? And about your outfit, don''t even worry about it. I will make sure that handsome man will fall in love with you at first sight," was all Kelly promised before the two of them parted.

    Abigail couldn''t tell her friend that she was not trying to make him fall for her at all. She also didn''t say anything negative about the man. She didn''t tell her that he was heartless and cold. She didn''t tell her that he told her he didn''t like her. And most of all, she didn''t tell her that the man was dangerous because Abigail knew that if Kelly found out what kind of man she chose, she would surely go against it. Kelly had always been protective of her so she could already foresee her reaction if she found out about the strange and mysterious man she had chosen.

    It was already dark when she arrived home. Her family waited for her again before they all ate dinner together.

    Once in her room, Abigail took the piece of paper out from her drawer. She stared at the number and typed it on her phone.

 Chapter 6 Oh my god

    <h4>Chapter 6 Oh my god</h4>

    Abigail saved the number as Mr. ck Leather Jacket on her contact list.

    She wanted to send him a message but she didn''t know what to even ask. Should she shamelessly ask for the man''s address? No, no, that would be too creepy! Then how would she meet him?

    Before she knew it, Abigail drifted to sleep without even aplishing her goal for the night. In the end, she didn''t send Mr. ck Leather Jacket a single message.

    The next morning, Abigail woke up early as always. After eating breakfast with her family, she then drove to work.

    She spent a pleasant morning with the kids at the orphanage that day. As always, she felt, at the very least, recharged and filled with energy. Perhaps being with the happy and innocent little kids throughout the day filled her heart with pure happiness.

    When she left the orphanage, Abigail boarded in her car and headed towards home. She wanted to go home early today. Even though she had forgotten about her n of sending Mr. ck Leather a message, that man, that mystifying, outrageously gorgeous Mr. Qin''s face still popped asionally in her head. Strangely, she couldn''tpletely take him off her mind despite being busy the entire day.

    When she drove back home, ice had already covered the roads so she drove slowly. Their house was located outside the city so she had to travel an hour from the orphanage to their house. Her grandparents were old and they wanted a quiet ce to live, away from the rumbling noise of the city, that was why they chose to live in this somewhat secluded ce.

    The road home was pretty empty at this time. Since their house was located near a protected national park, the road back home would travel across a forested area. In fact, the entire ce was surrounded by thick, green trees.

    The icy road was definitely dangerous but Abigail was already used to it and she was always a careful driver. Her car was pretty slow despite the road being almost empty.

    As she turned into the straight road in the middle of a forested area, Abigail elerated a little when, out of the blue, she saw a deer run across the road in front of her. She immediately stepped on the brake pedal but it looked like she might have reacted toote. She was sure she was going to hit it.

    However, before she knew it, her tires squealed as she swerved and thankfully, she avoided hitting the deer, barely. But then, in the next second, she heard a loud deafening thud. Her car crashed into something ¨C into another car.

    The car she hit screeched towards the right and it hit the tree by the roadside. Abigail''s car finally halted and thanks to her seatbelt, she was safe. She didn''t even get a scratch.

    Abigail breathed deeply. Her heart was racing and she even felt her hands trembling. She forced herself to calm down. What came first in her mind was the person in the other car so she immediately looked for the other car and when she saw that it had hit a tree, her heart pounded in nervousness. Oh my god! Are they okay?

    She didn''t waste a moment and stepped out of her car. She frantically rushed towards the ck car, praying that everyone on board was safe.

    As she approached the car, the car''s door opened. A man around his 50''s came out and he didn''t seem to be hurt. Thank god!

    He looked very formal in his ck suit, almost looking like those butlers in television dramas.

    "Are you okay? I''m so sorry¡­ I was trying to avoid hitting the deer and this happened." Abigail was panicking as she apologized. She knew this was trouble but what else could she do?

    The old man just sighed, creasing his brows upon seeing the damaged car. Abi somehow calmed down upon seeing that the old man seemed carefree and not worried at all. She then followed his line of sight and as soon as she saw what kind of car it was, Abigail''s jaw dropped.

    The car before her was a handsome ck Lamborghini. Oh my god!

    Abigail almost felt like her blood drained out of her. Where would she get the money to pay for the damage to this kind of luxurious car? Why did it have to be a car like this? Why?

    Without answering her, the old man walked around the car and opened the door to the back passenger seat.

    "Sir, what are we gonna do about this? The car is pretty damaged." He said and Abigail quickly followed the old man.

    When she saw that man''s figure in the back seat, who was being addressed by the old man as ''sir'', Abigail knew that he was the owner. "I''m so sorry. I was trying to avoid hitting a deer so¡­"

    Suddenly, Abigail trailed off as soon as she saw the man''s face.

    "M-mr Qin?" she was utterly shocked. Of all people, why was it him? What was this gorgeous creature doing here of all ces?

 Chapter 7 Nex

    <h4>Chapter 7 Nex</h4>

    The man in the back passenger seat, who waszily leaning his head on the headrest with his eyes closed, finally moved upon hearing her voice. He opened his eyes and turned to look at her.

    "Yellow¡­" he mumbled upon seeing her. He stepped out and when he saw the awful damage to his car, the manzily leaned on the car''s door, crossing his arms on his chest as he looked at her. He was wearing a long ck coat and he was simply breathtaking. His ck wardrobe and ink ck hair and the ck Lamborghini behind him caused his skin to look even paler. He was simply out of this world that anyone would think of him as someone that only existed in dreams. His features were unlike anything that could havee from the human world.

    Abigail didn''t wear her thick eyesses that day, nor did she braid her hair but her clothes were, as usual, unttering and she didn''t wear any makeup at all.

    "U-uhm¡­ M-mr. Qin! I''m so sorry!" she bowed at him. "I tried to ¨C"

    "Avoid hitting the deer." He took the words out of her mouth. His voice was as deep and pleasant to the ears as she remembered.

    "Yes, that''s right. I wasn''t speeding, please believe me."

    "If I say that I believe you, do you think that solves the problem?"

    "Uhm¡­ I¡­ h-how much do you think the cost will be to repair the damage to your car?" she swallowed while the man just smirked, looking so amused as she watched her fidgeting due to her nervousness.

    "Mr. Wang, how much do you think this will cost to fix?

    "This damage might cost a hundred thousand dors." The old man replied and Abigail felt like her blood instantly dried up. She was so shocked she couldn''t speak for a long while. Where the hell would she get such a huge amount of money?

    Abigail was still stunned when the man chuckled. He moved closer to her, his eyes on her yellow scarf again. "Why are you always wearing yellow scarves?" he suddenly asked.

    Abi finally snapped and immediately answered him. "Because I only have yellow scarves at home."

    "Oh, that''s amusing." The corner of his lips were up and he looked at her as if she was an amusingedy show. "You love the color yellow, huh?"

    "I like all colors. My mother just loved the sight of yellow scarves on me so she made a lot of it."

    "Hmm¡­ indeed, your mother is right. A bright yellow scarf suits you."

    Abigail didn''t know why but her heart skipped a beat. She liked that he didn''t mock her for it, or told her she looked like a sunflower like everyone else. But wait¡­ are they really going to talk about her yellow scarf in this situation?!

    "Uhm¡­ Mr. Qin, about the damage to your car¡­ I... I¡­" Abi was stammering. She really didn''t know what to do with this. She didn''t have any money to pay for it and there was no way she would let her family find out about this or else her father might copse.

    As she struggled to think what she should say, she heard him chuckle again. What''s wrong with him? Was there something funny about this situation?!

    Abigail looked at him with a confused face when the man leaned in on her.

    "You really are amusing, Miss Chen. You didn''t look this pale and troubled when you offered yourself to me. I think your sense of danger is pretty messed up, littlemb." He said, showing her his breathtaking, wicked smirk again.

    Somehow, what he said seemed to have some truth to it. She was acting like this was far scarier than what she did that night. But to her, this was scarier because she could go to jail for this! She only had a year left in this world so how could she ept spending what remained of her life in jail?! Or paying for a debt by having to work her ass off?!

    Now that he made her remember that night in this troublesome situation, something popped in Abi''s head.

    She moved closer to him and looked up at him with her big, clear eyes. "Mr. Qin, do you pay your contracted girlfriends?" she asked innocently but firmly. She was so damn serious and extremely determined as she looked at him.

    The man raised a brow upon seeing the intensity in her eyes. "And why are you asking?"

    Abigail fell silent for a moment. When she opened her mouth to answer, someone beat her and spoke first.

    "You already know what she''s trying to say. I don''t understand why you''re refusing such an offer from a cutedy like her," that someone butted in and when Abi turned to look at the source of the voice, she saw Mr. ck Leather standing on the other side of the ck car. He was resting his chin on his palm as he watched them. It appeared that he too was inside the car.

    The moment Abi met his eyes, the man smiled. "Hello, Miss Chen. Actually, you''re right. Hepensates his contracted girlfriends¡­ by a LOT." He grinned and Abigail immediately returned her gaze to the man right in front of her.

    For a moment, she saw him throwing deathly res towards Mr. ck Leather but it immediately disappeared, like it was just an illusion, the moment he stared back at her.

    "Mr. Qin, I want to be your next contracted girlfriend." She dered. Her voice was as decisive as ever. There was no hesitation in her eyes at all.

 Chapter 8 Ill show you

    <h4>Chapter 8 I''ll show you</h4>

    A smirk carved on the man''s face the moment he heard her. He lifted her chin with his cool finger as he spoke. "So that you can pay for the damage to my car?" he asked, his voice sounded dangerous again, chilly even.

    "That is¡­ an extra benefit. This was an ident caused by me and I don''t have the money to pay you. And¡­ and I really don''t want to go to jail."

    "So, if I tell you that I forgive you and you don''t need to pay for anything, you won''t offer yourself again like this?"

    Abigail was surprised but she was quick to realize that this was just a ''what if'' scenario he was describing. Could he be testing her resolve? Abigail tried to search for something in his eyes, trying to see if he was serious or just kidding but she couldn''t fathom anything from those eyes of his. It was just impossible to decipher his expressions that all she could rely on was her gut feelings. She didn''t know why but she just felt like there was both interest and disapprovaling from him as he spoke to her.

    "If you forgive me, I''d really really appreciate it. But I''d still want to be your girlfriend." Abigail didn''t falter and still insisted on what she wanted.

    The man was speechless for a while. To him, this girl was simply intriguing. There were countless girls who wanted him but once he turned them down, and sent them away, they just left him alone like they were scared little bunnies. He knew they were scared. All of the girls in his life had always been fearful of him even though they tried to deny it. He could just sense the fear at the bottom of their hearts, and yet, this girl was¡­ he wondered how long her fearlessness wouldst if he¡­

    "Tell me, littlemb, why do you want to be my girlfriend that badly?" he asked, his eyes probing.

    "Why? Why can''t I?" she shrugged innocently. "Tell me, Mr. Qin, why are you resisting me that badly?"

    "Pfft! Hahaha, niceeback, Miss Chen." The man behind the car was grinning widely as he butted in, watching them with great interest.

    But the two were so focused on each other that they didn''t even seem to hear the third wheel''s voice across them.

    "I don''t understand why you are refusing to try me, Mr. Qin. I am not an actress like Miss Song but I know I don''t look that badpared to her." Abigail bravely said. She was speaking to him so confidently even though deep within her, she was the one being surprised by herself the most. Perhaps, the almost outrageous praises she was always receiving from her family and Kelly about how beautiful she was was boosting her confidence? She didn''t know. She really had no idea that she could even talk like this. Since meeting this man, she just kept on doing things she had never done before.

    At that moment, the man just stared at her, his eyes unreadable as he continued to gaze with probing intensity into her eyes and then a soft, enchanting chuckle left his mouth. She kept her eyes on him and noted that hisughter didn''t reach his eyes.

    He leaned in on her, not breaking their eye contact. His enchanting face loomed closer, so close that his breath drifted over her face, leaving her dumbstruck.

    "Abigail Chen¡­" he uttered herplete name. "You''re right¡­ I remember when you said you''ll show me how attractive you can be. I might as well give you a chance to at least prove yourself." He smirked wickedly. His fingers yed with her yellow scarf again before he leaned away. No matter how she tried, she just couldn''t read anything from him at all; his wicked smirks, his enchanting chuckles, his beautiful icy eyes ¨C they were not giving anything away, not even a tiny glimpse of his thoughts.

    Somehow, Abigail managed to react immediately, not letting his spell bind her heart and mindpletely.

    "Mm. I''ll show you." she said, her chin was up confidently, showing him all her intensity and determination, causing the man to chuckle again.

    "Okay, you go back in your car now, daredevil littlemb or you''ll cause another ident by leaving your car in the middle of the road like that." He finally released her from the force of his gaze as he looked at Abi''s car.

    "Oops!" she gasped and she quickly moved like nothing had just happened. She was reacting normally again but before she opened her car door, she paused and looked back.

    "Uhm wait, how about¡­" Abigail trailed off. It was because the luxurious car was already back on the road. It appeared that the car was still working, with Mr. ck leather jacket behind the wheel this time .

    "Are you sure your car can manage to send you home?" she said and Mr. ck Leather jacket half-smiled at her.

    "Don''t worry, Miss, this car is tough." he said loudly and Abigail could only blink.

    She then returned her gaze towards Mr. Qin and when she saw that he had begun walking towards the ck Lamborghini, Abigail ran after him. "Wait, please give me your number." She said, pinching a little portion of his coat and tugging it.

    The man didn''t turn to look at her but he lifted his hand, silently asking for her phone.

    Abigail quickly gave her phone to him and in a short while, he gave it back, still not turning to look at her face. Abigail stared at his number and dialed it.

    The man quietly brought out his phone and showed her its screen.

    "I''ll send you a message of where and when," he uttered and then, he left.

 Chapter 9 Leave her shell

    <h4>Chapter 9 Leave her shell</h4>

    Abigail was unable to sleep that night. Her mind waspletely upied by that man. The reason why she didn''t send a message to Mr. Leather Jacket days ago was because Abi was because Abi made a bet to herself. That bet was that if she was to see that Mr. Qin again, she would think of it as the world giving her its blessing and granting her what she wished for the most. She told herself that if their paths crossed again without her actively seeking him out, she would never let him go so easily again, nor would she hesitate nor hold back in trying to get what she wanted. She would then think of him as the man that fate was offering to her.

    So now that it actually happened, and the fact that it happened in just a matter of days from when shest saw him, Abigail''s determination skyrocketed more than ever. She was going to do this. There was no more turning back!

    That night, Abigail couldn''t sleep. She was excited to call Kelly but she had to wait for the man''s message first. She had to know when they would meet again so Abi could prepare for it. However, as time went by, there was not a single ''ding'' from her phone to indicate that she had received a message and she started to feel unsettled. She started typing on her phone, intending to send him a message, but it was harder than she thought. She didn''t know how to even start that conversation. She had never done anything like this before. Boys were usually the ones who always called or texted her first. Should she call him? What should she say? Should she ask?

    Abigail spent an hour just rolling on her bed, holding her phone tightly and ncing at it every other second, trying to make a decision. She now realized that even such a little thing like this wasn''t easy at all. Now that she thought about it, did those boys who messaged her act like this as well? Abi shook her head and then she rose and leaned on her sky-blue headboard.

    She tried to recall the first messages from those boys and her eyes narrowed. She finally realized that almost all of them started with a simple ''Hi!''. Abigail rested her chin on her finger, like a detective trying to piece together some important clues, and then she started to type the word ''Hi''.

    Unfortunately, she couldn''t send it. She personally thought that this particr word was a little boring, a little too in. Would he even reply if she just sent this singr word? But what else could she say aside from this? Should she ask if he was already sleeping? Abigail sighed in frustration. She knew she was overthinking this whole damned thing but even knowing that didn''t help her at all. It appeared that talking to him in person was a hundred times better than trying to send him a message on the phone. It was as if she was more scared of the phone than the person and that was just way too messed up.

    In the end, Abi simply sent him a goodnight emoji ¨C a white fluffy cat yawning as it fell asleep on a fluffy white pillow.

    And then, she followed suit and fell into a dreamless sleep.

    When she opened her eyes the next morning, the first thing she did was immediately look for her phone. She took a deep breath and when she saw that she received a message from him, her heart raced in nervousness. God Abi! Why are you getting nervous so early in the morning?!

    [Mr. Mysterious Qin: I''ll send someone to pick you up on Saturday evening. Send me a message beforehand if you change your mind.]

    Abigail''s shoulders dropped as she sighed. It seemed like he was still nning to give her enough time to change her mind. He even seemed so confident that she would! ''Too bad, Mr. Qin, but thisdy here has decided and I''m not changing my mind anymore¡­''

    ¡­

    Days went by and atst, Saturday finally arrived.

    Abigail had told her family that she would be sleeping over at Kelly''s house that night. Her family knew Kelly well since Kelly had been around their ce a few times for sleepovers in the past so they have had plenty of time to get to know her. They knew that she was the daughter of a wealthy family and that she was Abi''s good friend. But even though they knew Kelly well, her family were still constantly worried about her, so to make them rx, Abi called Kelly over to speak with them.

    After some stern reminders about alcohol and drugs and boys, they finally let them go.

    "Sigh¡­ your family is¡­ how should I put this?" Kelly started as she drove her car towards the city. "I really like your family. I''m jealous that you have such a caring family, Abi, but they''re so over protective of you. You''re already twenty-two! I just think that it is about time for them to stop treating you like you''re still sixteen. I understand they''re quite worrywarts but I personally think they shouldn''t be that strict towards you anymore."

    Kelly''s brows were pulled together as she exined. She knew that Abi''s family were just showing their concern for her but she sometimes thought that they didn''t really give Abi the freedom to do what she wanted. However, she was also sure that part of it was Abi''s fault, too. She was too good and obedient. She was always home at the exact time she told them she would, she never went out with boys, she never lied to them and she definitely wouldn''t ever go against them. Kelly even wondered if Abi had anything she desired at all because all this time, she lived her life like a perfect vessel who did not seem to want anything for herself. It seemed like she was content as long as she could make her family happy. She was the definition of a perfect, filial daughter.

    This was why Kelly was very surprised to find out what Abi had actually nned on doing today. She was a little hesitant to help her because she hadn''t even seen this Mr. Qin guy, but Kelly thought that this was the time for her to support her friend. Abi finally decided to leave her shell, so she must set aside her worries for now and just support her as much as she could.

    "It''s okay. I know that they just want to make sure that nothing bad happens to me. Even though they sound strict, I know that, deep down, they may actually want me to go out more." Abigail just grinned at her friend and Kelly could only shrug.

    "Oh well. Now that I think about it, if I were in their shoes, I might be the same, especially when my beloved, well-behaved Abi suddenly decides to sleep over at her friend''s house for the first time ever in her life!"

    "Haha, I honestly don''t see anything weird with that, though."

    "Gosh! You have no idea, Abi. I''m telling you! Wait¡­ don''t distract me. You still haven''t answered my questions! Now tell me, this is just the first date, right?" Kelly finally began the interrogation.

    dly, Abi was already fully prepared for this so she answered her right away.

    "He said we will be attending a party held by his friend. He said I''ll be his partner."

    "After the party, you will have your first date, right?"

    "Yes."

    "And after the date, well¡­ you know what might happen next, right?"

    "Well, of course¡­ I have a fairly good idea of what could happen next. I read a bunch of romance novels."

    "But you''ve never read smuts, Abi. Ah, I kind of regret not giving you those R-18 novels to read. You were so innocent that I didn''t rmend any of the R-18 novels to you. Sigh¡­"

    Abigail simply blinked at what Kelly was saying. She felt like she understood what her friend was trying to say but she clearly couldn''t get the connection between the first date and R-18 novels. Abi didn''t want to make her friend worry so she didn''t ask her to borate. Besides, she would just show Kelly that she knew what she was doing.

    "I''ll be fine, Kelly. Now you''re being like my family as well, you know?" Abi grinned at her and her friend could only sigh.

 Chapter 10 Lucky bastard

    <h4>Chapter 10 Lucky bastard</h4>

    Inside Kelly''s luxurious apartment.

    The two girls were taking their time with all the preparations. Abigail was quite overwhelmed with all the things Kelly was doing to her body but she couldn''t protest orin. She did ask for help, after all.

    It was past noon when they suddenly received a package. Abi was the recipient but there was no name on the box to say who it was from. The only thing on it was an address, which - they found out after looking it up on the inte - was the address of the most luxurious designer store in the city.

    Abi had sent Mr. Qin Kelly''s address when he asked where he was picking her up from, so she already knew that he was the one who sent this package to her.

    They carefully opened the box and when they lifted the cover off, Abi and Kelly could not help but gasp at the sight. Inside the big boxy an exquisite evening dress, glittering from the silver and blue sequins that covered it. Abi gently lifted it out of the box and held it out in front of her, its shiny, silver sequins reflecting in her eyes, making them look like they were sparkling. The off-the-shoulder, v-neck, mermaid gown felt so luxurious to the touch that she couldn''t help but run her fingers over it. She then carefully hung it up in Kelly''s wardrobe, away from the mess in the room. When Abi went back to the room, Kelly was holding up a matching silver and blue mask, a velvet box and high heels!

    "Oh gosh! That dress is definitely a designer piece! And these jewels and shoes, oh my god! Who''s this big fish you actually found, huh? Abi? I can already tell that this man is far richer than me!"

    "Oh," was all Abi replied. She didn''t understand why he bothered to send her clothes. Maybe he didn''t want to get embarrassed by her so he sent these to make sure? That man¡­

    "Abi, I just know that the party you''re going to attend won''t be a normal one. I mean, these clothes are meant for high ss parties and with a masquerade mask too! I''m not going to lie. I''m pretty worried about you¡­ are you sure you want to do this?" Kelly held her shoulders firmly as she tried to gauge her friend''s reaction. She looked as if she would start discouraging Abi, or even try to stop her, if she saw a single hint of hesitation in her eyes.

    But Abigail''s decision was already deeply rooted and Kelly couldn''t see any fear nor doubt nor hesitation in her friend''s eyes at all, so Kelly immediately gave up. She had never seen such decisiveness in Abi''s eyes before. She even looked as though this was a ''now or never'' situation for her.

    "Okay, then¡­ Abi, let''s begin!." Kelly finally rxed as she started to create some magic.

    ¡­

    It was already past seven in the evening when the masterpiece waspleted.

    "Oh god, Abigail-sama!!! Look at how gorgeous you are! You are now the most gorgeousdy on the that I have ever seen with my own two eyes!" Kelly''s non stop praises, as she circled her again and again, was making Abi feel her invisible sweat drops falling. But she understood her reaction because even she was shocked the moment she saw herself in the mirror. She never thought that a beautiful dress and enough grooming could transform someone to this extent. She almost couldn''t believe that the girl in the mirror was her.

    "Thank you so much, Kelly. I really can''t thank you enough for this." Abi said and Kelly waved her hands at her.

    "Nah¡­ This is all you and the dress, okay? I didn''t even put that much makeup on you. I just fixed your hair and dressed you up in that gorgeous dress and that was all it took to unearth your natural beauty. Ugh! I''m so jealous of this Mr. Qin. He''s way too lucky, that damn bastard!"

    "Haha, hey, don''t talk like that. I bet you won''t be able to say that when you see him."

    "No, no, no¡­ I still believe that he''s a lucky bastard no matter how handsome he is! Oh Abi, i bet that hose people who mocked you before might kill themselves if they see you right now. You look like a superstar, or a fairy princess, or a young queen!!"

    With that, it was time for her to go.

    Kelly apanied her to the entrance. She was getting a little nervous about letting this gorgeous friend of hers go with someone she had never even met but her Abi was a grown updy now. Besides, she promised to call her once she was there.

    A limited edition, ck Lamborghini stopped before them and Kelly was again stunned. This was the car of her dreams, after all, which she failed to buy because the other, more rich and powerful people got there first.

    A man stepped out and Kelly''s eyes immediately narrowed. When Abi stepped towards him, Kelly suddenly pulled her back.

    "W-wait, Abi. Don''t tell me that man is the Mr. Qin you''re talking about?" she asked with wide eyes, pointing her forefinger towards Mr. ck Leather.

    Abi blinked at her as she shook her head. "No, he''s Mr. Qin''s friend. He''s the one whom he sent to pick me up."

    Kelly looked so stunned. She leaned in on Abi and whispered in her ear. "Abi¡­ that man is¡­ that man is a prince! And he was sent to pick you up?! Just who the hell is your Mr. Qin tomand a prince to pick you up?" Kelly was obviously flustered and judging from her reaction, she was not kidding at all.

    "Prince? You mean, prince of the entertainment industry or business world or something?"

    "No! He''s a real deal, Abi! That man is a real prince!"

    Abi creased his forehead and was about to ask her for more detail when their attention was pulled towards the man as he called her.

    "Miss Chen?" he asked and when Abi nodded, the man spaced out for a moment as he stared at her.

    "Oh¡­ I almost didn''t recognize you." He uttered as he smiled. "Shall we go now, Miss?"

    Abi turned towards the still dumbstruck Kelly. "Kelly, I''m going now. I''ll call you, okay." she said and began walking towards the car when Kelly finally snapped.

    "Wait, uhm¡­" Kelly looked at Mr. ck Leather. "You are Prince Kai, right?" she asked and Mr. ck Leather jacket was surprised. He even looked around immediately to see if someone heard her. When he saw that there was no one around, he smiled at Kelly. It was obvious that he didn''t expect for someone to recognize him.

    "You''re Miss Chen''s friend? Don''t worry about her, she''ll be in good hand," the man said and without answering Kelly''s question, he boarded the car.

    Kelly was left standing out front,pletely stunned, just gaping at the disappearing car. This was too damn outrageously unexpected.

 Chapter 11 May I have this dance?

    <h4>Chapter 11 May I have this dance?</h4>

    At a certain seven-star hotel.

    Arge, magnificent ballroom had been meticulously set up for what seemed to be a very important and very high ss event. The chandeliers that dangled from the ceiling provided little sparkles of light from one end of the room to the other, giving the room a feeling of being under a bright, starry night sky. Many round tables were dotted around the room, decorated tastefully with a red and gold motif, colours of which represented wealth, prosperity and good fortune.

    This masquerade ball certainly was a disy of wealth and prosperity, from the crystal champagne sses and silver and gold cutlery to the stunning paintings and decorations on the walls. But that wasn''t what caught one''s eye! Inside the ballroom were groups of people, each wearing millions of dors worth of clothing, jewelry and other essories. The women''s jewelry - their earrings, nes, bracelets, tiaras, rings - altogether shone brighter than the lights inside the room. Anyone who caught a glimpse inside the room immediately knew that this was a gathering of the most influential, rich and powerful people. And of course, this being a masquerade ball, each person, man and woman, wore a mask which covered a part of or all of their face, adding even more mystery to the already mysterious identities of the people inside.

    Walking inside with her hand on Mr. ck Leather Jacket''s arm, this was the scene that Abi was presented with and her eyes became as wide as saucers as her jaw dropped in awe. She had never seen so much extravagance in her life! The tables, the decorations, the people! Oh My God! No wonder Mr. Qin sent her the dress and jewelry and shoes. He definitely didn''t want to be embarrassed by her at this important affair. She was also now extremely grateful that she had asked Kelly to help her dress up tonight, otherwise, she would have felt very out of ce; not that she didn''t already do so.

    She knew that the rich threw parties all the time. Kelly had told her stories of the parties that she had had to attend and she imagined what they would be like in her mind but this¡­ this exceeded her expectations to no end. She never could have imagined such a luxurious affair. She thought parties like this only existed in the fictional books she had read.

    She snapped out of her awestruck daze when Mr. ck Leather jacket guided her towards the champagne fountain. He took a ss and gave it to her before taking one for himself.

    "Thank you," she said, taking a small sip.

    "For the nerves," he replied as a smirk formed on his face.

    She was about to look for a certain handsome creature when she felt a strong presence behind her. Her skin tingled and she immediately knew that she didn''t need to look for him anymore. Large, smooth handsnded on her shoulders as he leaned in to whisper in her ear.

    "May I have this dance?" His deep, sexy, masculine voice sent shivers down her spine and before she could react, Mr. Qin had already taken her drink and ced it back down on the table. He took her hand and guided her towards the dance floor, where a few other couples were also dancing.

    He took one of her hands and smoothly ced it on his lower back and held the other one in his hand. He then slipped his arm behind her and pulled her close to him, leaving no gap between their bodies. Abi''s brain had stopped functioning at this point and all she could do was follow his lead.

    She was d that her grandfather taught her how to dance back when she was a teenager but she never would have thought that she would have to use it on a night like this and with a person like him. She never thought that it would feel like this - exhrating, intense, magical and so much more. She wondered if Cindere felt this way when she danced with her prince for the very first time.

    Her heart was beating so loudly but strangely, she didn''t feel tense. She was dancing with him so smoothly, just following his lead and she knew she shouldn''t be amazed but she was. He was just so good at this. The way he touched her, the way he led her, the timing of his every movement were all perfectly in time with the music. He was extremely graceful that even she could tell that his movements could only be formed from constant training from a young age. Not only that, she was sure that it could also be from the constant attendance with other noble people of simr backgrounds at events like this. He was noticeably graceful in his movements and adding to it a slight hint of arrogance that was probably drilled into him from birth, she could not think of anyone else who drew everyone''s attention without trying, not even the most amazing and sessful actors in the world couldpare. He was simply magnificent.

    Now that she was this close to him, Abi finally had the chance to study his face.

    His nose, his lips, his jaw and every contour of his face was just... perfect. There was no other word to describe it. Even though he was wearing a mask, she could still see his grayish eyes through them and they were simply spell-binding. She felt like if she ventured close enough, his eyes would pull her in like quicksand, where there was no escape, and she felt like that was what was happening to her right then.

    "Penny for your thoughts?" the man finally spoke, startling her from her reverie.

    Abi somehow quickly regained herposure as she responded, "I didn''t expect that you would bring me to a party like this."

    "Don''t you like it?"

    "I wouldn''t say that, but¡­ This is my first time attending a party like this so I feel a little overwhelmed," she confessed and he gave her a soft enchanting smile, shing a set of perfect, ultra-white teeth. If only his eyes would smile as well.

    "You find the party overwhelming, but not me?" He taunted, seemingly quite amused before his mood shifted yet again. "Tell me about yourself," he added, now serious.

    "I am an only child and I''m currently living with my grandparents and my father."

    "Are you a student?" Surprisingly, he didn''t ask about her mother. Everyone else she said that to, would usually follow up with ''how about your mother?'' but this man surprisingly didn''t. This was perhaps a very good thing because until now, Abi was still unable tofortably talk about her mother.

    "No, I graduatedst year."

    "What course?"

    "Music."

    "What do you do now? Create music?"

    "No. My family runs an orphanage so I am currently helping there for now. I assist the teachers, read stories to the kids and teach music lessons as well." Abi didn''t know why he wanted to know these trivial things about her and she couldn''t fathom his interest at all, but he continued to stare at her with those prating eyes, as if her normal life''s story was somehow interesting. She knew it was far from interesting. She really didn''t have anything worth telling him, now that she thought about it. Her life was utterly normal and peaceful, so peaceful that most people would think it was boring. She could not think of a single interesting thing to tell him because nothing interesting happened to her before he showed up in her life.

    So before the man could ask again, Abi was quick to beat him this time and asked him a question first. "Mr. Qin, what''s your full name?"

 Chapter 12 Opposite effec

    <h4>Chapter 12 Opposite effec</h4>

    "Mr. Qin, what''s your full name?"

    As her voice died down, the music also stopped, indicating that their dance was over. She didn''t want to leave the dance floor yet, without hearing the answer to her question, but the man had already pulled her off with him.

    He brought her towards a huge staircase and they both went up the stairs. He then led her along a corridor and they didn''t stop until they went through a big set of doors which led out to an open air garden. The garden was a beautiful sight to behold. The flowers were in full bloom, an assortment of different types and colours, and the petals seemed to be glowing from the moonlight. But that wasn''t all. The view from where they stood was magnificent. The lights of the skyscrapers and the lights of the city below were spread out in front of them like a bright painted canvas.

    The man walked towards the railing and leaned on it, facing her. She finally realized that the man was wearing a vintage, ssic ck suit. She had been so focused on his face until then that she didn''t even notice his clothes. As she looked at him standing there, she couldn''t help but gape at him. His clothes looked like they were made for him. His ck jacket hugged his broad shoulders perfectly and showed off his well-built physique. He had the look of an immortal god who came down to Earth just to show these measly humans what perfection looked like.

    When he removed his mask, he looked at her with those same probing eyes.

    Abigail followed suit and lifted her hands to remove her mask as well. Because her silver and blue mask covered her face from her forehead to her cheekbones, no one had seen her face yet, except for Mr. ck Leather jacket.

    She slowly pulled it off and looked at him as she put it down, her chin up in the air, as if daring him to reject her this time. The man was silent, his eyes glued on her face but his expression didn''t give anything away.

    Under the moonlight, Abi waltzed towards him. The silver stones on her dress sparkled, her eyes glimmered and she looked like a goddess - alluring, mystifying and simply beautiful.

    The man looked like he couldn''t tear his eyes off of her.

    With her head up, Abi stood right before him and said, "Mr. Qin, you still haven''t answered my question."

    "I''ll tell you once you pass the test."

    "I still didn''t pass the test?" Abi was shocked. She thought that she had at least attracted him. She was pretty sure because he still hadn''t moved his gaze away from her. What did this mean? Did this mean that her observation was wrong and he still found her unattractive?

    Abigail was speechless. She didn''t know how to react or what to think.

    The man watched her expression and the corner of his lips lifted up before he moved and leaned in on her. He bent close to her until his lips were about to touch her ear.

    "Indeed, you''ve proven yourself well. You certainly exceeded my expectations," he whispered. His breath touched her skin, electrocuting her nerves, that she almost forgot to breathe. His voice seemed to have some sort of magic as it lingered in her ear.

    But the fact that she was wrong in thinking that he was still not attracted to her was enough to awaken Abi''s dumbstruck nerves. However, the smile that was about to appear on her face faded as soon as she heard what he said next.

    "But not yet, you still haven''t passed the test," he said and Abi immediately looked at him with widened eyes.

    "Ehh? What do you mean?"

    "There''s still onest test that you need to pass."

    "Onest test?"

    He nodded, his eyes searching hers carefully.

    Abi heaved a long sigh before she looked at him again. "Okay, tell me what it is, then." She said, looking intent and determined.

    Her seemingly unwavering decisiveness made him narrow his eyes. "Are you sure?"

    "Yes."

    For a moment, the man didn''t move, nor did he make a sound, upon hearing her firm one-word answer but in the next second, he dragged her towards an elevator and brought her to the hotel''s highest floor. He was silent and Abi couldn''t help but feel her heart starting to race wildly.

    They both then entered a presidential suite which screamed of luxury. Long, thick, velvet curtains hung from the walls and covered the windows, preventing all light from prating through. Therge lounge area was dotted with expensive furniture, tables and chairs and lounge suites. There was a bar at one end, filled with expensive bottles of alcohol and the bedroom was on the other end.

    The man stopped after taking a step inside and Abi closed the door behind her. He then turned to look at her.

    He extended his arms and leaned on the door with her jailed between them. He stared at her and then he dangled the keycard in front of her face.

    "I''ll put this here," he said as he ced the keycard on the table right next to the door. "You are free to leave once you change your mind," he added, smiling wickedly again.

    Abi fought the urge to gulp. He was at it again, taunting her to change her mind. Somehow, every time he did this, it only resulted in making Abi be even more determined. She knew that he was trying to make her change her mind but what he was doing strangely had the opposite effect on her.

    She didn''t talk back this time. She was already here. No matter what challenges he put in front of her, from here on out, she would no longer change her mind.

    Seeing that the girl didn''t even falter, the man lifted his hand and touched her cheek.

    "Are you scared?" he whispered and the girl was quick to answer "No", causing the man to chuckle. He gazed down at her onest time before he took her hand and dragged her towards the bedroom.

 Chapter 13 The first step

    <h4>Chapter 13 The first step</h4>

    The bedroom was enormous, decorated in a masculine tone of gray and ck. It was dimly lit - mood lighting, she supposed - and Abi found herself standing a few feet away from arge king sized bed.

    Abigail knew exactly what could happen the instant they entered this suite. She wasn''t going to lie to herself. Deep within her, she still wished that this man would be like the male leads she had read in her favorite romantic novels ¨C a gentleman, sweet, dotting and respectful, a man who wouldn''t do this thing without love for his partner.

    However, she knew right from the start that he was not that type of man. He clearly showed her and even told her the very first time they met, that he didn''t do love and never would. In short, he might only wanted a girlfriend forpany or for his sexual needs. He made it clear enough from the very beginning that this was what she could expect and he warned her, not once but many times, to stay away. Yet, here she was, willingly following him to the depths of hell, despite the thudding of her pulse, because she believed that this was the man she had been looking for, the answer to her wish, a man that she could fall in love with but one who wouldn''t love her back.

    She knew he wasn''t the type of man who would wait until they were in love with each other before doing this so she already mentally prepared herself. But now that it was actually happening, she couldn''t help but slightly waver. This wasn''t as easy as she thought. She didn''t know doing this took a lot of courage. She wondered why her ssmates in high school who she overheard talking about having sex made it sound like it was so easy. Somehow, she began to see them as super brave individuals becausepared to them, she, a 22 year old adult, was struggling.

    Quietly letting out a deep breath, Abi re-assessed her resolve but in the end, her decision didn''t change. She already bravely asked him to bring her to his hell despite him telling her it was not a good ce. This was her choice and she wouldmit to it because she just got the feeling that this was thest chance she would ever get, that if she didn''t take this chance, she would die without fulfilling her one and only wish.

    When the man moved towards the bedside table, Abi closed her eyes for a while, barely hearing his footsteps muffled by the soft, thick carpet. The moment she opened her eyes again, intense emotions overflowed within them, indicating her steely resolve to go through with this.

    She stood there and quietly watched him as he removed his watch and ced it on top of the table. Her eyes followed him as he walked over to the other side of the room, removed his jacket and hung it on the back of a chair. She observed him carefully and she couldn''t help but gape at how inhumanly graceful his movements were; so graceful it was hypnotic.

    After removing his necktie, he nonchntly walked back towards the bed and promptly made himselffortable. He was sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard, with one leg straight and the other folded up, so his knee was up in the air with his wrist resting on top of it. He gazed at her sexily as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt with his other hand, stopping only once he reached the button that would expose his chest.

    The view of him sitting there, in the middle of a vast bed, was just jaw dropping. She felt like she needed to rub her eyes and pinch her cheeks just to make sure she wasn''t imagining things, but even she knew that her imagination could nevere up with a scene like this one. His eyes were smoldering with all the sexiness in the world without him even trying, which caused Abi''s heart to pound even harder. She could not take her eyes off him; no, she didn''t want to take her eyes off him and miss out on this spectacr image. He was undoubtedly the sexiest man she''d ever met - not that she had met many men in her lifetime, but that was beside the point. The point was no man could everpare to him.

    They both quietly stared at each other for a long while. She saw his eyes deliberately travel from her head down to her toes and then back again. His expression was still unreadable but she could at least feel the intensity from his eyes as he looked at her, giving her confidence that maybe this man really did find her attractive.

    It wasn''t because Abi didn''t have enough confidence in herself - she knew that she looked beautiful, especially that night - but this man right before her was on a whole other level - almost godlike. She wouldn''t me him if he turned around and told her that she barely passed his standards. She even truly believed that none of the girls in this country, including her, were good-looking enough to even stand next to him.

    As Abigail was busy thinking about just how high his standards might be, the man on the bed continued to survey her. This time, his gaze felt like a ck waterfall that gently caressed its way down Abi''s neck, along her corbones, down the valley of her cleavage, and stopped just above her tiny waist.

    And then, finally, he opened his mouth and spoke.

    "Strip," hemanded. His voice wasn''t harsh nor cold but he sounded so authoritative as he uttered that single word, like he was used to giving orders and just expected them to be done without question.

    Abi was shocked, so shocked that she immediately fell into a daze. She knew what was going to happen the moment she entered this suite but she never expected him to ask her to strip by herself. Weren''t they supposed to kiss first and then help each other undress while they were lost in each other''s kisses? That was how it always happened in books and movies.

    Abigail thought that she prepared herself enough for what was about toe but this was too unexpected. This was not a scenario that she had envisaged and she was suddenly faced with a dilemma she hadn''t even considered. She didn''t know where to even start!

    Her silence and the shock on her face, of course, didn''t escape the man''s notice.

    "You can''t do it?" His eyes narrowed. "This is just the first step of thest test, Miss Chen."

    Abigail subconsciously swallowed. She was shocked but surprisingly, she didn''t feel scared. She looked at him in the eyes and although she still wasn''t able to decipher anything from it, somehow, she felt like this man would never hurt her. Even though she had only met him a few times, deep down she felt that she would be safe with him and it was definitely a mystery to her. She was only freaking out because she had absolutely no idea how to do this. She had never ever done anything like this before but she was now twenty two years old and it was about time she experienced what it would be like to be a woman in a man''s arms.

    "The first step?"

    "Just the first step."

    "I can do it," she dered. Her voice was a little louder, as if she was trying to give herself some encouragement, before she finally moved. She reached her arm out behind her and easily found the zip. There was shyness and hesitation in her movements as if she was a little unsure of herself. She then pulled the zip slowly downwards, feeling her dress loosen up the moment she did so. She instinctively caught the front of her dress with her other hand and held it up. Once she finished unzipping her dress, she straightened up and her arms were crossed over her chest, holding the dress in ce and preventing it from falling off. She looked up and he lifted an eyebrow when he met her eyes, as if he was asking a silent question. However, he saw that her gaze was steady and she didn''t look away from him. It was obvious that her resolve was as solid as a rock.

    She took a deep breath and closed her eyes before carefully moving her arms away and letting the dress fall gracefully around her feet.

    Abigail still had her eyes closed so she didn''t notice his Adam''s apple bob up and down the moment her dress fell on the floor. He was staring at Abi with bewilderment as she stood there, blushing, with her arms crossed over her again, covering her chest.

    After watching her for a long while, the man spoke again. "Pleasure yourself."

    "Hmm?" Abigail blinked three times. She looked like he had just spoken to her in a differentnguage.

    Her reaction made the man''s eyes slightly narrow again.

    "Fine." He sighed as he reached out towards the top drawer of the bedside table and took out something pink from inside it.

    He handed her an egg-shaped, pink vibrator and then returned to his spot.

    The girl blinked again as she examined, with deep curiosity, the pink egg-shaped thing in her hand.

    "Don''t make me wait. Put it inside," the man ordered and Abi swallowed.

    Abi had no idea whatsoever as to what this thing was. She had never seen anything like this before. She wanted to ask him what this thing was and what he meant by ''put it inside'' but the man was so serious, she was afraid she''d fail the test if she showed him that she didn''t even know what this was.

    "Is this clean?" was what she asked instead and the man half-smiled.

    "It. Is. Very. Clean." He stressed out every word.

    Still unsure about what to do, Abi hesitantly looked at him and then in the next second, she put it inside her mouth.

 Chapter 14 Exception

    <h4>Chapter 14 Exception</h4>

    The man waspletely stunned for a moment and his jaw actually fell from his astonishment. He just could not believe that she did that! The face that was so indecipherable just a moment ago, now expressed an emotion that Abi did not expect. It was obvious he found what she did utterly shocking.

    His reaction made Abi immediately realize that what she did was not what she was supposed to do with that thing and she hastily spat it out of her mouth into her palm. She was panicking a little and blushing even harder. She bit her bottom lip and her eyes wandered around as she tried topose herself.

    "You¡­ have you never seen this thing before?" the man asked and Abi quickly shook her head. She heard him let out a quiet sigh and his expression was back to its unreadable state.

    "Come over here," hemanded again and Abi meekly walked towards him, her face as red as a ripened tomato. As she got closer to him, her heartbeat sped up and it drummed loudly in her ears.

    "Give it to me." Anothermand was given to her as he lifted his hand towards her and Abi ced the pink thing on his palm. He put it on top of the bedside table and held his hand out towards her again. She ced her hand on his and then he pulled her towards the bed, indicating for her to hop on it. She climbed on, one leg after the other, and knelt before him.

    Abi bit her lips to control her breathing. She was so nervous that her hands were shaking slightly but she didn''t despise this overwhelming feeling. Surprisingly, she was filled with anticipation instead. She felt like she was now pushing open the door to this unknown world, a world she had been wishing to see for a while now. This was definitely the most thrilling thing she had ever done in her life, if not the most daring too.

    She looked at the man who still held her hand captive and patiently waited for his next instructions. However, to her surprise, he pulled her hand closer to his face where the tip of his nose slightly grazed her knuckles. He then softly ced a kiss on them before opening up her fingers. Abi watched him as he slowly opened his mouth and ced her finger inside it. He then closed and sucked on it, ran his tongue along it as he slowly drew it out again.

    Abi gasped in both surprise and pleasure. The unexpected action caused her body to react in ways it had never done before. She was overwhelmed by all the new sensations she was experiencing at that moment that she nearly missed his next words.

    He released her hand and said, "use your hand then," as he gazed up at her through his long thickshes. There was a hint of amusement in his eyes as he saw her reaction to his teasing but there was also a hint of something else, something dark and dangerous.

    However, Abigail was too much in a daze to notice and she was also distracted by what he just said. She just blinked again as she froze before him. Use my hand? For what?

    "Touch yourself," he added and Abi''s brows knotted in confusion. She thought that he was going to do something more - a kiss on the lips, embrace her so that they would be closer to each other - but ''touch yourself'' was what he came up with? She thought that this was a two person deal but all he was doing was ordering her around and making her do things by herself. What was going on?

    "Abigail, are you trying to test my patience?" The man smiled wickedly when Abi didn''t move, causing her to snap back to the present. Unsure of what he was wanting, she awkwardly lifted her arms, crossed it and hugged herself, touching her own shoulders down to her elbow.

    "Like this?" she asked, innocently.

    The man finally snapped. What was this woman doing? Was she actually trying to test his patience, because if she was, she was doing a hell of a job in making sure she seeded. His patience was definitely running out pretty damned quickly!

    "Uhm¡­ please don''t make me guess. Touch myself? Sure, but where? Can you please just be specific?" she asked, somewhat frustrated herself, but her expression was serious.

    "You¡­" He lifted his hand and touched her chin. He shed his wicked killer smile again as if he just realized something interesting. "Oh, so you want me to say it, huh? Okay, since you impressed me with how beautiful you were tonight, I''ll grant your request," he muttered sexily as he traced her jaw with his finger. "Touch your sex."

    Abigail was shocked. Her face immediately burned red. She swallowed her own saliva as she looked down at him. ''Oh. So that''s what he meant¡­'' She suddenly felt shy again. She was utterly shocked but she thought that this might be normal so in the next moment, she squared her shoulders and took a deep breath, then she ced her hand over her t, toned stomach.

    Her hand then slowly traveled downwards over her t abdomen and over her sexy, ck,cy underwear. The man leaned back to get a better view of her. The girl''s hand went down some more and atst her finger found her sex and touched it through hercy underwear, as he asked. He waited in anticipation but the girl didn''t move her hand again.

    He looked up at her.

    "What are you doing?"

    "I-I touched it."

    ". . ." The man was again rendered speechless but he calmly closed his eyes before he spoke again.

    "Move your hand," he ordered and Abi quickly moved her hand away from her sex.

    "What are you doing?"

    "I moved my hand," she said, looking at him with an innocent expression.

    His jaw just dropped and not for the first time that night.

    ???????????????

    To my dear readers,

    I know that our ML''s actions are very ufortable to some of u. I did say beforehand that this story will be much more daring and different from all my other books. As an author, i''d like to dare and try something new and challenge myself and go for a journey i never tried before.

    So I''d like to ask you guys to give this book a chance and read further before u decide dropping it or not. I know you guys already know my style, that there will always be a reason behind everything that happens, and why the leads are like that and everything.

    Also, i''d like to tell you that this book is my entry for the theme "SWEET LOVE". With that alone, i know you guys already know what to expect in the near future ^_~. I''m not going to spoil anything so i hope you will follow Abi''s journey till the end.

    Last one, i know you already saw that this book is r-18 but i still want to remind everyone. ^^

    Thank u and please know that i will always do my very best and give everything i got to make this story worthy of your time, love and support.

    Sincerely,

    ~Kazzen

 Chapter 15 Dont tell me...

    <h4>Chapter 15 Don''t tell me...</h4>

    [WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS.]

    He tried several times to say something but nothing came out. Finally, he snapped. He inhaled sharply, his eyes darkening.

    "Miss Chen¡­ don''t test my patience."

    "H-huh? I''m just doing what you told me to do!"

    They stared at each other. The man could now see that this girl seemed to be really clueless about all this but he didn''t want to believe it. She was freaking 22 years old, not some 16-year-old high school student! He found it very hard to believe that a twenty-year-old woman like her seemed utterly clueless and ignorant about sex. If she told him that he had never pleasured herself or used any sex toys, he might be able to believe that, but there was no way she hadn''t watched or read or heard about these things in her twenty-two years of existence! Moreover, she was the one bravely went through with this!

    Unless¡­ Was she trying to be coy? He had met plenty of girls before who acted all coy like this but this girl was on a whole other level. Her level was way above everyone else who ever tried acting all innocent with him; she definitely surpassed them all, even the award winning actresses. No one ever made him this speechless before but what was even more unbelievable was that he truly felt that she wasn''t trying to be coy at all, that she was indeed just too pure and innocent.

    At that moment, he was torn between what he felt and what he believed. Unfortunately, thetter argument won. There was just no way she would be this bold if she was still pure.

    He suddenly moved, drawing his body close to hers. His crisp breath drifted over her face gradually as the man''s handsome, enchanting face loomed closer to hers, a wry smile on his face. He took her hand, yanked her towards him and shended on his hard, muscled chest. The moment he touched her, she felt an electric shock run through her. The hair on her arms stood up and she felt a tingle start from her fingertips go all the way to her toes. Her skin felt more sensitive to the touch. In the next second, she felt him ce a hand over her head and he caressed her hair gently, like he was petting a littlemb.

    "So you want me to be the one to touch you, huh? What a sly littlemb you are," he smirked, as he whispered in her ear. "I don''t like defiant little girls but¡­ since you''re so beautiful tonight, I''ll make an exception."

    She shivered as his breath touched the sensitive skin on her neck. His deep, sexy voice also may have had something to do with it. She never would have thought that thebination of just his breath and voice could make her body react like that.

    She waited for him to make a move and she didn''t have to wait for long. He rolled her over onto her back so that he was now half on top of her, with an arm cradling her head. His other hand roamed over her body, from her shoulders to her thighs, feeling her smooth and delicate curves.

    Just as she was getting used to the feeling of his smooth hands touching her bare skin, he suddenly kissed her neck, that sensitive spot just below her ear, and her brain malfunctioned. Her skin had be sensitive to his touch and everything felt so intensified that she didn''t know what was happening anymore. What was this?

    Abigail tried to feel everything that he was doing to her but everything just felt so good that she couldn''t help but react. She was losing herself to her instincts and desire and there was no mistake about it - she didn''t dislike it.

    He kissed her neck, licked and sucked on it and she moaned with pleasure. Her hand went to his head and her fingers tangled through his hair.

    Hearing her moan made the man smile inwardly but he didn''t stop. Instead, he moved his mouth from her nape down to her corbone, towards her twin peaks. They were still covered by a sexy, ck,cy bra but these couldn''t hide her erect nipples. Moving down to his next targets, he freed his arm from under her head and both hands then covered these perfect little mountains. He gave them a little squeeze before he brushed his thumbs over them in a flicking action.

    Abi could not think anymore and just bit her lip to stop another moan from escaping. Her hands gripped the sheets tightly as she arched her back. Her reactions were so uninhibited that he was starting to feel really ufortable down there.

    Strangely, this was such a damned turn on for him. He usually liked assertive girls because from his vast experience, no girl could give him a hard on by just standing naked before him. All the girls he took to his bed were the ones who made the effort turn him on. Anyone who failed to do so would not pass his test and yet, this girl had actually made him initiate things this time? The strangest thing was that he was so damn turned on even though she didn''t even really do anything at all! In fact, she did the opposite of what he wanted her to do! So why was it that he just couldn''t stop himself? For the first time ever, he felt impatient and his desire was starting to take control. This was not like him at all!

    After giving some attention to her perfect breasts, he set his sights lower down. He slipped his hand from her breast, over her abdomen and stopped when it met the edge of her underwear. He slipped a finger just under the stic.

    And then, without more warning, his hand snuck underneath hercy underwear and touched her most private part. Abi jolted, her eyes flew wide open and her legs closed instantly, trapping his hand between her legs.

    Her reaction made the man''s brows knot.

    "Don''t tell me¡­ nobody has touched you here before?" He asked in a husky voice that turned her guts into mush.

    She squirmed ufortably as she shook her head, causing the man''s eyes to darken as he froze there, looking at her in disbelief.

 Chapter 16 Experience

    <h4>Chapter 16 Experience</h4>

    His hazy mind was instantly cleared of his animalistic desires.

    "You¡­" he could not say anything else. He didn''t know what to say to her. "You''re still a virgin?" he asked, clear disbelief evident in his tone.

    He knew it! In the back of his mind, he knew that she must still be a virgin. He had avoided looking at her face once he started touching her because he felt like he was doing something wrong, but he ignored this feeling and convinced himself he was wrong because of how she responded to his touch. The way her body moved, the way she moaned, and the way he felt just by touching her, distracted him so much that he chose to believe these signs instead.

    When the girl nodded, his ck pupils narrowed and a fleeting emotion shed in them but he blinked and they were back to normal, as if it was an illusion.

    He breathed deeply as he closed his eyes looking as though he was counting to ten. When he opened his eyes again, he seemed angry, even though his face was again, undecipherable. She just felt it.

    Abi was shocked. Did she fail the test?

    "Tell me¡­ why are you still untouched?"

    She blinked. She really didn''t know how to answer him, so she said the most logical thing she could think of.

    "Because I''ve never had a boyfriend before."

    "Why?"

    "I wasn''t interested in anyone. I don''t know¡­ I haven''t really thought about it." She knew that was a bit of a half truth. She knew exactly why she had never had a boyfriend, but there was no way she was going to tell him!

    "Don''t tell me you have never been kissed either."

    She blinked. She just sat there in silence as she looked around the room.

    The man shook his head in disbelief upon realizing the answer behind her silence. He ran his hands through his hair. He sensed that she might have not been with a man before but¡­ to not even have been kissed at all before that night was unbelievable! This was why he just couldn''t shrug away the possibility that he might have been wrong in thinking she was pure and innocent - because it was very hard for him to believe that someone could still be a virgin at 22 in this day and age! Did this woman want to be a nun at some point and then change her mind about it or something? How did she even get mixed up with someone like him?

    He got up and dressed himself.

    "Get dressed." He ordered and the still stunned Abi helped herself up, covering herself with a sheet.

    "I¡­ I¡­ wait¡­ Did I pass the test?"

    "No, you failed," he said, running a hand through his hair again.

    Abigail was so shocked she couldn''t speak for a while.

    "W-why? Is it because I really didn''t attract you at all?" she asked and the man could tell right then that this girl was actually so disarmingly unaware of her beauty. She just had no idea at all but he wasn''t going to tell her that. Instead, he brought his attention back to the current issue.

    "I don''t do virgins," he replied instead and Abi was again dumbstruck. "Get dressed now. I''ll send you back home," he added and Abigail started to panic. How could this be? How could she not have passed his test? She could still feel her skin throbbing from where he had kissed and touched her. Her heart was still beating uncontrobly and her body was still flushed red from his advances. After all of that, she still failed the test?

    Abigail shook her head. "No. I''m not going home. Not until I pass your test and be your girlfriend." She was so damn sure and determined that the man could only pinch the skin between his brows in frustration. This girl¡­ this littlemb was driving him insane!

    "I told you. I don''t do virgins. I don''t like inexperience girls. You failed the test," he repeated, but the girl just red at him, showing no sign of giving up anytime soon.

    At that moment, Abi didn''t know why, but she just felt that if she gave up on him now, she might never ever see him again. He just gave off that feeling that he was going to disappear from her life after this and the thought of it made her clutch the nket beneath her hands, hard.

    "Okay, so if I return as a woman of experience, I will pass the test, right? Is that what you''re saying?"

    The man was speechless.

    "What did you say?"

    "That''s what you want, isn''t it? Then I''m going to go out there and get some of this so called experience¡­ until there won''t be any reason for you to turn me away."

    The man was dumbfounded and he didn''t know why, but there was suddenly an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

 Chapter 17 Bravery or stupidity?

    <h4>Chapter 17 Bravery or stupidity?</h4>

    "Abigail¡­" he uttered her name. The lust in his eyes waspletely gone and he was as calm as still water again. His eyes looked at her with a seemingly steely decision ¨C a decision to send this girl away, as far away from himself as possible.

    Since the night he first saw her, he already sensed that she was probably a nice, gentle and good girl; she just gave off such a vibe. He noticed it in the way she spoke and her mannerisms from their interactions, that she possibly lived a sheltered life. He would even have bet that she was raised to have good values and grew up into a decent and kind person because of it. He could just tell because this girl''s eyes were so clear and pure that he could see right through it into her soul. Unlike his, her eyes spoke of life, they weren''t dead, and it was as if they were unable to hide any secrets at all. His first impression of her was that she was like a untouched river, clear and pure but also vigorous. But then, she suddenly told him she wanted to experience hell, even offering herself to him despite his warnings. What made her do it, bravery or stupidity? He didn''t know, but her actions just kept on contradicting this judgement of her that he decided to believe that he might be wrong this time, even believing that she was just acting coy to try and get close to him like so many other women had previously done.

    So now that he finally proved that she wasn''t acting coy at all, he became angry both at himself and at her. A girl like her belonged to afortable, peaceful and bright ce; he couldn''t possibly drag her into his tortured world - his hell.

    "I am not the man for you," he whispered with a stern expression on his face and before Abi could even process what he said, the man picked up her dress and gave it to her. "Get dressed. I''ll wait for you in the garden," he added and just like that, he left, leaving Abi alone in the vast room.

    Abigail looked at the crumpled dress in her hands, unable toprehend what just happened. The words ''I am not the man for you'' echoed in her head and she didn''t know why but it stung her hard. She really had failed. She tried so hard to do what he wanted, to prove herself to him, but in the end, it seemed she really wasn''t good enough.

    So this was how it felt to be rejected¡­ this stinging feeling in her heart; she didn''t know that it felt like this.

    Abigail had always been the one to rebuff her would-be admirers. She had never been on the receiving end of rejection before maybe because no one had ever sparked her interest. She had not met anybody who was able to evoke that desire in her, to want to be with them. No one had ever made her behave this fearlessly, until she met this mysterious Mr. Qin.

    She clearly heard him - he didn''t want her, which was supposed to be a good thing in the first ce.

    As she quietly put on her dress, Abi''s thoughts were in chaos. She had clearly told him that she woulde back once she gained more experience so that she could pass his test, but the rejection that followed crashed her resolve, hard. She was caught so off guard with all these unfamiliar feelings and new experiences that she didn''t know how to even cope. Abi almost felt like crying. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes but she wouldn''t let them. She closed her eyes and pushed back her tears as she took deep, steadying breaths to calm her mind and her heart. Once she felt more in control of herself, she walked to the door and left the room.

    When she reached the garden and saw him standing there, facing the dark sky, Abi bit her lips. ''No, Abi! Get ahold of yourself!'' she inwardly berated herself.

    The man noticed her presence and immediately walked towards her. He led her silently down the stairs and out the building until they reached the car that Mr. ck Leather Jacket drove to fetch her. They both sat inside the car; she, on the passenger seat and he, on the driver''s seat. Still, no one spoke a single word. The atmosphere in the car was gloomy and dreadful and she wasn''t sure what to do or say to make it better, while he just concentrated on the road and didn''t seem to care.

    After some minutes, the car finally stopped in front of Kelly''s apartment. The car sat idling but Abi didn''t move to climb out of the car.

    "Miss Chen," he finally broke the silence and Abi looked at him with a determined look on her face.

    "Mr. Qin, what''s your name?" she asked and the man''s brows slightly creased. "I''m not going to climb out of your car until you tell me," she threatened and the man''s lips curved up slightly. His smile was the same as that first night they met. This was the first time that night that he gave her that wickedly cold smile. He looked like he was trying to scare her away again.

    "Miss Chen, I don''t see any reason why you still want to know my name but okay, I will indulge you onest time. I might as well introduce myself before we part." he said, making it seem as though this would be thest time she would ever see him. She could feel that he was only telling her as some sort of parting gift. "Alexander Qin," he said and Abi''s gaze at him deepened.

    "Alexander Qin," she echoed under her breath.

    "It''ste," he sighed and she knew that he wanted her to leave.

    Unwillingly, Abi opened the door. She nced at him one more time before she stepped out of the car. She closed the door but she was still holding onto the door handle. Then suddenly, she ran around and knocked on the driver seat window.

    As the window rolled down, Abi signaled him to move close to her because she wanted to whisper something to him. The man did what she wanted, with a deadpan expression.

    Out of nowhere, a kissnded on his cheek, causing his expression to change. His eyes widened for a split second before he turned and looked at her.

    Abi just smiled at him. "Goodnight Alex, see you again soon," she said before she ran away.

 Chapter 18 A good experience

    <h4>Chapter 18 A good experience</h4>

    Abigail didn''t turn around to look at him again. She walked straight inside the building, seemingly unaffected, but on the inside, her heart was still unable to calm down. However, by the time she stood outside Kelly''s door, Abi looked like the tears she tried so hard to hold in, were about to burst out.

    When Kelly opened the door and saw her expression, worry carved on her face and she immediately went to hug her friend. Abi felt herself calm down a little when she felt Kelly''s arms around her, like a protective nket.

    "What happened?" Kelly asked as she led her friend to the couch. "Did that Mr. Qin do something bad to you? Tell me! What did that bastard do to you?!" Kelly was angered. It was because this was the first time she saw her Abi look like this. Her innocent little Abi, who always shone brightly like a happy sun now looked like a sad and hurt little puppy. Oh, my precious Abi!

    "What happened? Did your gorgeous Mr. Qin do something inappropriate to you? Did he scare you?" Kelly asked again, sitting beside her and holding her hand.

    "He rejected me," Abi uttered, looking utterly depressed.

    Kelly, on the other hand, almost puked blood. ''Goddammit! Who does that bastard think he is to reject her precious Abi! Is that man blind?!! Damn right, he is! Or maybe, he''s gay!! Yes! He is definitely gay!'' Kelly raged inwardly.

    Kelly suddenly had the urge to go out and find a guy outside and beat him up hard. She needed to do something to vent her anger or she wouldn''t be able to calm down. She was angry - angry at that bastard and at herself. How could she have let anyone hurt her Abi within just a few hours, and on her very first attempt to leave her shell, too?! She shouldn''t have let her go. She shouldn''t have trusted a na?ve girl''s choice of men!

    "I''m so sorry, Abi. Don''t be too upset. There are plenty of other nice guys out there who know how to appreciate a woman. Think about that while I quickly pop downstairs to buy us a drink, okay?" Kelly tried to sound calm and collected but she was still fuming on the inside as she walked out of the apartment and headed towards the elevator.

    She looked around to see if there was a guy out there but she didn''t see anyone.

    "Guhh!!!" she angrily growled as the elevator doors opened. She walked in and to her delight, a man was inside, standing quietly in the corner. He was tall and lean, wearing a white hoodie and his dark chocte hair covered his eyes. He was also wearing a surgical mask.

    He looked a little suspicious but Kelly just smirked at the sight of him.

    "Hey dude, do you want to make some easy money?" she suddenly asked and the man looked at her, surprised. "Let me beat you up and I''ll give you as much money as you want," she added, moving closer to him.

    The man blinked but didn''t reply.

    "Okay, how about this? Fight with me. I will still pay you for any damage I cause. Don''t worry, I''m not going to hit you hard. It will just be a little beating," she grinned and the man in the hoodie finally lifted his face. Her face was now fierce and mocking, purposely mocking the man to fight her.

    The man looked like he smirked behind his mask as he shook his head in obvious disbelief. Kelly had obviously done this before from the way she was acting. She had beaten countless men since she was 18 years old, including a few of the bastards who dared to stalk her gorgeous Abi.

    Kelly had a tendency to vent her anger physically but this only started after the night of her debut. For some reason after that day, every time she got extremely angry, she would want to vent her anger by beating someone up, preferably good looking men. She had trained regrly ever since she was a small child because she was the daughter of a rich family. This was something her parents made sure she did so that she could protect herself in case of any kidnapping attempts, so she had exceptional fighting skills to begin with. This was why she still hadn''t met a guy who managed to defeat her. Most of the men she asked like this willingly let her beat them, maybe for the sake of money or they just didn''t want to fight a girl. She also met some men who agreed because they thought that they could eventually turn the tables on her and make her regret it and some just willingly let her beat them obviously because of her looks and status.

    Of course, Kelly had some limits. She wouldn''t hit their faces unless the man chose to properly fight her and she alwayspensated them nicely with money, so there had been no trouble about her uncanny behavior to date. She knew she was being unreasonable but she couldn''t stop. This was the only way for her to pacify her anger.

    "Dude, don''t you want to? Are you scared of me?" she taunted him, hoping to get a reaction, even performing the iconic kabedon on him. "Don''t worry, it''ll only hurt a little. You''re a man, after all." She whispered. "C''mon, say yes now."

    The man''s eyes glimmered in both amusement and disbelief as he looked at her through his hair.

    "Okay," he said, and Kelly rejoiced. It seemed like this man was pretty much the same as those other guys who became curious or maybe thought that she was a little crazy, but still wanted to see if she was for real or just flirting. ''So this man is the same as them, huh? Good,'' she thought, because she couldn''t hold it in anymore.

    "You''re not going to fight back?" she asked and the man shook his head.

    A smile carved on Kelly''s face. "Okay, here we go," she said and like a tigress, she attacked him with the same intensity as her frustrations.

    When the elevator doors opened, the man was already leaning by the wall, his hands on his abdomen as he panted and winced in pain.

    Kelly, on the other hand, just gave him a check and with a quick ''Thank you'', she left the man without a backwards nce.

    The man in the white hoodie watched her until the elevator closed again. He straightened up and fixed his clothes and stared at the check in his hand. His eyes zed before a soft chuckle left his mouth. He only agreed because he didn''t want her to pester him more than this. He couldn''t afford to be recognized after all. But she was actually a hooligan and she beat him up for real. Damn! What a girl! Was she a gangster?!

    The man in the white hoodieughed again. He was so damn amused. Who would''ve thought that he, of all people, would be beaten up by a girl inside an elevator?!

    Once the man left the building, he went straight towards the ck Lamborghini waiting for him on the other side of the road.

    He entered the car and removed his mask.

    "She''s safe, Alex. She''s not with a man. She''s with her friend and you don''t have to worry, she''s with an interesting hooligan girl. I believe she''s a capable female bodyguard." He mused and the man in the passenger seat nced at him.

    "And you let the hooligan girl beat you?"

    "Well, it was a good experience, for me and for her, haha. She just beat a prince and gave him a cheque for five thousand dors. Haha. That was indeed unexpected!" He didn''t stopughing until he looked at the silent, moody creature next to him.

    ". . ."

    "Sigh¡­ Okay, let''s go. I don''t really understand why you let the littlemb go. It''s not like you at all."

    "Silence!"

    "Sigh¡­"

 Chapter 19 Strange

    <h4>Chapter 19 Strange</h4>

    Kelly returned to her apartment looking revitalized.

    She poured Abi some of the juice she bought and plonked herself down on the couch right next to her.

    "Kelly, what should I do to gain more experience?" Abi asked and Kelly almost choked on her drink.

    "Uhm¡­ experience in what?"

    "Experience in¡­ se¡­ in everything. About the things I don''t have any clue about. Like the things that lovers do or any normal things that a girl in my age do?"

    Kelly cleared her throat. "Abi, what has brought this on? Tell me. What did that man do to you? What exactly happened."

    Abi hesitantly answered. "We danced and it was wonderful. I felt like we were floating on air. It was an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life."

    "And then?"

    "And then, he took me to his open air garden with an amazing view of the city. It was breathtaking."

    "And then?"

    "And then, when he found out that I was a virgin, he said he wasn''t the one for me."

    Kelly was speechless. What kind of man turns away a beautiful woman just because she was a virgin? Didn''t he see what kind of treasure he had in front of him? Most men would have taken advantage¡­ She inwardly gasped as her eyes widened as a revtion came to her.

    Maybe¡­ just maybe, he did see the treasure in front of him and that was why he rejected her?

    Oh man¡­ did she just get angry and beat a man because of this misunderstanding?! That Mr. Qin may not be a bastard after all! It sounded like when he found out that Abi was pure and innocent, he sent her away because he didn''t want to taint her!

    Facepalming herself, Kelly faced her friend, her face now serious.

    "So? Are you not going to see him again?" she asked, curious.

    Abi fell silent for a while. "I don''t want to give up on him, yet. I think he''s the one, Kelly," she said. ''The one I can love without him falling for me¡­'' she thought.

    "Okay, I got it. So what are you nning to do now?" Kelly asked.

    Before Abi could answer her, a call interrupted them. It was a video call from Kelly''s cousin.

    "What?" Kelly said impatiently while the girl on the phone was almost yelling, trying to be heard over the loud, roaring music in the background. Abi saw that the girl was in a dark, chaotic ce with different coloured lights shing across the room.

    "Kelly! Where are you? Why aren''t you here yet?"

    "Didn''t you read my message? I told you I''m noting tonight."

    "Huh? Geeezz¡­ You''re totally missing out on all the fun here tonight!"

    "Yeah, yeah. I cane another night. Bye bye."

    When the call ended, Kelly sighed and looked at Abi to continue their conversation.

    However, Abi became curious.

    "Where is she?"

    "In a bar."

    "That''s the ce that you said wasn''t for someone like me?"

    "Oh, well, yes."

    "Kelly, I''d like to go there."

    "Cough, cough. Why?"

    "I just want to go there. I feel like I''m too ignorant about a lot of things. I want to see what the world is like and to go outside myfort zone."

    ". . . but Abi, it''s not a nice ce for you."

    "Please¡­" Abi looked at her with big, round, pleading eyes and Kelly gave up. She could not say no to that face.

    "Sigh. Okay, fine."

    ¡­

    On their bed...

    Abi suddenly remembered what Kelly said before she left with Mr. ck Leather Jacket.

    "Kelly¡­ You said that that man who fetched me is a prince."

    "Oh yes. You know about Country G, right?"

    "That secluded kingdom in the south¡­"

    "Mm. When I was eighteen, my father brought me there with him. It is a nice, rich country. I heard it only has less than a million people living there. My father said that the royal family of Country G is one of the richest monarchs in the world but they remain very lowkey. The monarchs have full control over country G. The country prospers under them and the citizens of Country G love them but we don''t hear much about them at all. Country G is a very private country, most especially their royal family. The media don''te near them because of that. Their king and queen are the only ones who show their face to the public. No one has seen the princes'' faces, unless you work in the pce, which is why the world only knows the princes'' names. But when I was in country G, I saw that man and I heard one of hispanions call him Prince Kai. I couldn''t confirm it but he resembled the king and he had such an aura. I could never forget such a good looking face¡­ Anyway, I believe that that man is none other than Prince Kai. But then, how the hell did a prince be someone''s chauffeur?!"

    "Could it be that you''re wrong, Kelly? Maybe he''s just his doppleganger?"

    "Ugh! That''s not possible. I trust my memory."

    "What if that person who called him prince was just bluffing?"

    "¡­ Argh! I don''t know. But¡­ but¡­ ah, never mind. Anyway, what''s Mr. Qin''s name again? I''m curious about such an ultra rich being.

    "Alexander."

    "Alexander, huh? Alexander Qin. Hmm¡­ why can''t I recall any big fish with that name? I know all the big fishes in this country but his name doesn''t ring a bell¡­ this is strange¡­"

    Kelly grabbed herptop and browsed on the web, searching for an Alexander Qin. She even asked some people but her brows knotted when she came up with nothing.

    "This is strange; I can''t find anything about him. There''s no way that someone that rich¡­ don''t tell me he''s rted to some underground syndicate or something? But even underground bosses are widely known.

    "Abi, are you sure that''s his name?"

    She nodded.

    "Hmm¡­ that''s weird. I''ll see if my dad knows anything about him."

 Chapter 20 Lost angel

    <h4>Chapter 20 Lost angel</h4>

    The next night, Kelly brought Abi to a bar, as promised. Kelly was a party girl so she was well acquainted with what went on inside these bars. She was reluctant to take Abi but the girl insisted, so there they were, in a dark, smoky bar, about to join the crowd of people who were there mostly looking to have a good time.

    They walked through the corridor, their shoes sticking to the ground with every step - the remnants of alcohol spilled on the floor from the night before. As they waded their way through the sticky path, Kelly couldn''t help but ask her friend again. "Abi, are you sure about this?"

    "Yes." Abi''s response was quick and to the point. There was no hesitation.

    Kelly sighed. She had never seen her friend be this stubborn before! "Make sure to stay beside me inside the bar, okay?" she could only warn.

    "Okay."

    The corridor opened into arge double storey area. The ce was already quite crowded with about the same amount of women as there were men. Most of the people were leaning over the bar, which was situated on the left side of the room, trying to catch the bartender''s attention to purchase some much needed alcohol.

    Abi''s first impression of a bar was that it was quite dirty, but after a few drinks in them, people probably wouldn''t care too much about hygiene, she guessed. She looked around and saw that the ce attracted all sorts of different people. There were some wild looking people, with lots of piercings and tattoos, but then she looked up to the second storey and that seemed to be filled with more mature guests in business suits.

    "Come here, Abi. It''s too crowded down here. I''m afraid some bastard will grope you," said Kelly, as she grabbed Abi''s wrist.

    Kelly had looked around and determined that the ground floor was too crowded for her to protect Abi. The second storey looked less chaotic than the ground floor, so she dragged Abi through the crowded dance floor and up the stairs.

    Abi could only follow her best friend''s lead.

    The upstairs area was definitely quieter with people mostly minding their own business or looking down at the chaos on the ground floor with interest. Abi felt that these people who were watching the goings on the ground floor were looking for their next prey and she couldn''t help the slight shiver of repulsion that came over her.

    Kelly found a quiet corner for them to sit in and it looked clean as well - a rare find indeed. She walked over to the bar - yes, there was another bar on that level - and bought them a couple of drinks.

    Unbeknownst to both of them, there was a certain male sitting in his own secluded corner, who immediately recognized Abi. He took his cellphone from his pocket and started to dial a number.

    The receiver picked up after just three rings.

    "What is it?" the person on the other end of the phone sounded impatient.

    "It looks like a littlemb just walked into the wolves'' den," he cryptically said knowing full well the other person on the line would know exactly what he was talking about. He hung up straight away not bothering with farewells and continued to nurse his drink, all the while, keeping an eye on the littlemb and her hooligan friend.

    Meanwhile, at the corner booth, Kelly was giving her friend some advice.

    "Abi, you''re not used to this ce so I think for now, why don''t you just observe first, okay? If you don''t like being here, just tell me and we can go, alright?"

    "Okay, don''t mind me, Kelly. Go and I''ll watch from here."

    Kelly ventured out into the crowd and made her way to the bar to buy them some drinks. The bar was full of people and there was a huge line, unfortunately, so Kelly would have to wait a while to get their drinks. While she waited, she nced in Abi''s direction and was relieved that she followed her advice and just observed. She turned her attention back to the bar menu and thought about which drink Abi might like and if she should get some nibbles too, so she didn''t see a waiter approach Abi and give her a drink.

    Abi, not knowing how things worked, thought that Kelly must have asked him to give her the drink, so she took it without question. She sipped at it and she threw a disgusted look at the drink bottle. ''Really? This is what people like to drink?'' she thought.

    On the other corner of the bar, Alexander sat down next to the caller and his eyes immediately picked her out from the crowd. He saw that Abi was by herself, that a waiter had given her a drink and that she took a sip of that drink. It was obvious to him that this was her first time in a bar by the way she was looking around the ce. And it was also tantly obvious that that was the first time she tasted alcohol by the disgusted look on her face after she took a sip.

    In his mind, she was like a lost angel who had mistakenly walked into the realm of devils. She looked so innocent and vulnerable that he was sure that it wouldn''t be long before she attracted some sleazy, worthless trash of a man who would look at her as easy prey.

    In the next second, his prediction came true. A man in an expensive suit walked up to her table and started speaking to her. His beady eyes looked her up and down and he could practically see the drool falling from the corner of the man''s lips.

    The moment he saw the man extend his hand towards Abi, Alex aura zed with hellfire!

 Chapter 21 Unlike Alexander Qin

    <h4>Chapter 21 Unlike Alexander Qin</h4>

    The man who approached Abi looked confident and authoritative. His suit, the expensive looking watch and shiny, well polished shoes all screamed that he was probably quite a rich manpared to the men Abi saw inside this bar so far. Most of the men on the second level were also wearing suits but there was something about this man that stood out from the crowd. Maybe it was the perfect cut of his jacket or the expensive diamond cufflinks by his wrists or his perfect hairstyle which looked like a whole tub of gel had been used to hold it in ce. Or maybe it was the confident, arrogant air about him which seemed to be something that rich, entitled men naturally gave out.

    Her observation was proven true when the man gave her a business card and she saw the words CEO written on it. Taking her eptance of his business card as a positive sign, he sat down on the seat next to her and started a generic but polite conversation with her. She studied him carefully. His eyes weren''t cold as ice, unlike Alexander Qin''s. When he smiled, it looked like it reached his eyes; he didn''t smile wickedly at her, unlike Alexander Qin. His words were polite and well mannered; he didn''t threaten her, unlike Alexander Qin.

    Why was she even thinking of that guy right now?! Why was sheparing this man to him? That was unfair to this man in front of her.

    She then smiled back at this smiling CEO before her and made polite conversation. This was what she came here for after all, right? To be less ignorant about things and to get more experience? He looked harmless enough, even nice, so why did she feelpletely different from how she felt when she was with Alexander Qin?

    He spoke politely but for some reason, Abi felt a little ufortable. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as if it sensed danger. She shivered, but not from the cold, and when he tried to touch her hand, she couldn''t help but want to pull her hand away from him. There was something in the way he looked at her, like he had some hidden agenda that she felt wasn''t quite right, even though he tried to act pleasant and interested in her¡­ unlike Alexander Qin.

    Abigail quietly sighed as that man''s name popped in her head again, she took another sip of her bitter drink and winced from the terrible taste. She thought she was probably overthinking things because of how things ended upst night.

    So she persevered and pushed all thought of Alexander Qin to the back of her mind along with the strange feeling she had. She looked up at the man again, as she pretended to have heard the words he just said.

    It seemed that the man noticed that she seemed to wince everytime she took a sip of her drink so he suggested that she try a different one. A waiter instantly hovered near them the moment the man clicked his fingers, showing her the difference in how people treated the extremely richpared to the normal people in this ce. He was also probably a regr customer and the owner looked like he made sure this man was kept happy by giving his own personal waiter when he entered the premises.

    He said something to the waiter and the waiter immediately left to do his bidding. A few minutester, she saw the waiter walk back towards their table with 4 different drinks in fancy shaped sses and he carefully set these down on the table. The man beside her then gave the waiter a generous tip to make him promptly go away.

    "Here, try these. They taste much better than that drink you''ve got there," he said, persuasively. "This is a mojito, a cosmopolitan, an apple martini and a long ind iced tea." He first pointed to the drink that had lime and mint in it, then to the pinky red one, then the green one and then the one that looked like its name, the tea.

    Abi was hesitant at first, but she decided to try it out, because this was exactly what she came here for, to gather experience, and this fitted with her goal. She took a sip of the pinky red one because it looked pretty and, surprisingly, the man was right. Compared to the drink that she thought Kelly had bought for her, this drink was much better! Curious to find out what the others tasted like, she also took a sip of each of them and found that they all tasted as good as each other, but she liked the pinky red one the best. So she took that drink and started sipping through it as the conversation went on. She had now gained some knowledge of some girly drinks that were on offer at bars and not all of them were disgusting like the first drink she had.

    She seemed to rx slightly after finishing the first cocktail and then she moved to the next. The man smirked as he saw her reaction to the first drink she just finished. Her face was flushed and her eyes were starting to ze over. She also seemed to be having some trouble forming her thoughts and her words were bing a little slurred. ''She''s quite a lightweight! This is going just as nned,'' was the thought that came with that smirk.

    As she sipped her second cocktail, the apple martini, a thought popped into the slightly drunk Abi''s head. ''I have to tell Kelly about these drinks! These are so good! She needs to try them, too!''

    As her friend''s name rang through her head, Abi looked up, her eyes zooming at where Kelly had stood a while ago but to her surprise, she couldn''t see her friend anymore. She frowned as she looked around.

    Where on Earth had Kelly gone off to?

 Chapter 22 The show

    <h4>Chapter 22 The show</h4>

    Meanwhile, at the other end of the bar, Kelly had been ambushed by a gentleman, also wearing expensive suit. She didn''t know that they were actually that CEO''s men and they approached her to distract her and keep her away from Abi.

    She had been standing in the line to the bar, waiting for her turn and checking on Abi every now and again, when she saw this man cut the line in front of her.

    "Hey! We''ve all been waiting our turn here, so get to the back of the line!" She was fired up. How dare this man just cut the line and then act as if he didn''t do anything wrong!

    Her fists were opening and closing, as if itching to hit something. "Hey, buddy, you should move now before your nose gets broken." She threatened when the man just ignored her, as if he didn''t hear anything at all.

    Kelly''s anger was starting to kick in.

    She really wanted to teach this man a lesson!

    "Oho, what a brave little miss we have here," the man said and Kelly rolled her eyes. She didn''t want to be angry in this ce, she didn''t want to rage at this moment, solely because her Abi was here and she couldn''t possibly create trouble here when her little angel was watching. If she was by herself, she would easily be able to sneak away even if the bar turned into a battlefield but her Abi was here! There was no way she would let her see this reality on her very first outing!

    Kelly hated announcing to the world who she was. She was the daughter of one of the country''s most prominent families but when she went out, she didn''t like being treated as someone who was privileged. She liked going out normally and being treated normally so she was used to having to wait her turn in a line and other things that normal people would have to do. She knew that one day, she wouldn''t be able to do these things anymore once her family forced her to work at thepany, so she took her time and spent it the way she wanted to; that was the deal she and her parents agreed on after all.

    Kelly breathed deeply, trying her best to calm herself. It was really hard for her to do it but the thought of Abi miraculously helped her lower her skyrocketing blood pressure.

    She was about to nce at her Abi again to check on her when suddenly, another bastard appeared before her. This bastard purposely spilled his drink on her! She knew he did because he had an annoying smirk on his face instead of an apologetic one. Kelly finally snapped! Why was there no end to the amount of bastards lurking around this ce tonight?

    The anger she was trying so hard to keep at bay burst out like an erupting volcano and she immediately grabbed the bastard''s cor with such force that the man''s eyes widened in surprise. She looked at him with furious eyes and if looks could kill, he would have already dropped dead on the ground.

    Another man came and surrounded her as she pulled the man''s necktie, trying to choke him. It seemed these guys were the bastard''s friends.

    "What a brave and strong, little girl. Can you choke me too, baby girl?" another one asked and all other thought, except to beat these guys until they begged her for mercy, was pushed aside as Kelly lost it. ''Bastards! I''ll choke you all to death!!''

    "Sure¡­ how about we go outside?" Kelly smiled like a little demoness as she dragged the one she was choking, out behind her. She was consumed with her anger. She knew that she was past the point of being able to calm herself down anymore, unless she beat these damned bastards to pulp.

    The men wereughing as they followed behind her, looking at each other like this was going to be a piece of cake. There were three of them, including the one she dragged by the neck tie.

    Once they were outside, Kelly pushed the necktie man away from her and looked at each of the men who now had her surrounded. There was necktie man, long hair man and denim jacket man. From the bunch of them, long hair man and necktie man seemed to be the fittest looking ones, so she faced towards these two, her back on denim jacket man, and waited for someone to make the first move.

    As expected, denim jacket man was the first to pounce, thinking that he had the advantage as she had her back to him, but he was sorely mistaken. A quick but strong back kick to his stomach sent him flying backwards and spurred the other two into action.

    Necktie man from her left was the first to get to her, throwing a punch towards her head. She caught his wrist with her left hand as she dodged to the right and she then threw a small uppercut whichnded on his stomach. Her right hand grabbed his punching arm and she used his momentum to flip him onto his back. The mannded with a heavy thud on the ground and she threw a few quick punches to his face for good measure.

    She turned to her right and put both arms up in front of her to protect her head as a punchnded on her arm. She didn''t feel anything. Her angerbined with adrenalin did a great job in numbing the pain.

    Unfortunately for long hair man, he left himself open after hitting her and she took advantage of it. She leapt up from her half squatting position and threw a series of punches to his stomach and face, making him stagger backwards from her onught. He tried to defend himself but she didn''t let him. In the end, she knocked him out with a right hook.

    She turned around and saw demin jacket maning at her and she ducked, avoiding the sloppy punch that he threw her way. Kelly quickly straightened up and threw a hard kick into the man''s groin area and when it connected, he toppled over in pain. She then went and gave him the same ''loving'' treatment as his buddies until her arms started to get heavy.

    Kelly stopped, looked around and was satisfied.

    ----

    A man in a ck leather jacket stood in the shadows of the dark alley and silently watched the show. He was amused and impressed as he watched her. He had seen her leave the bar with those three trained bodyguards and he thought that he could at least act like a hero saving the damsel in distress. But the result only made himugh.

    This girl was fierce and he absolutely liked that.

 Chapter 23 Damn ignoran

    <h4>Chapter 23 Damn ignoran</h4>

    Back in the corner booth, the man was speaking to Abi.

    "Are you looking for someone?" he asked.

    Abi nodded. "Mm. I can''t see my friend anywhere. She was just there, in the line, waiting to buy a drink, but she''s not there anymore." Abi pointed to where shest saw Kelly as she kept looking around. Worry was also starting to carve on her face.

    "Do you want me to apany you and look for her?" The man politely asked and Abi blinked because her fuzzy mind seemed to remember Kelly''s instructions; that she was to stay here and wait.

    "Maybe she went to the restroom. It''s quite dangerous for girls to go to the restroom alone," the man continued.

    "Dangerous?"

    "Some drunk men have been known to assault girls there if one is not careful."

    Abi''s eyes circled in shock and her heart began to beat wildly. She started to worry about her friend. She tried to call Kelly but to her dismay, Kelly''s cell phone vibrated in the bag next to her. It seemed she didn''t take her phone with her. Abi looked around the bar again and still found no trace of her friend.

    Taking advantage of her worry, the CEO guy stood up and offered his hand to her. "Come. I''ll help you look for her," the man said and Abi looked at him with some hesitation but in the end, her worry about Kelly won the battle.

    "Okay," she said and stood up without epting his hand.

    "Follow me." He smiled and Abi nodded. Her eyes were scanning the faces in the crowd so she didn''t see the glint in his eyes as he led her to the women''s restroom.

    Abi''s worry over her friend sobered her up a little and when she saw the restroom, she didn''t hesitate to go in and see if Kelly was in there.

    The women''s restroom was dimly lit but, Abi didn''t worry about all that and immediately called out. "Kelly? Are you in here?"

    There was no answer. Some of the cubicle doors seemed to be shut but she pushed each cubicle door open to make sure. Unfortunately, no one was in the bathroom but her.

    She started to feel very anxious but was unaware of the danger that was looming before her.

    "Miss Chen, did you find her?" the man outside yelled through the door.

    "No¡­ There''s no one in here," she answered back as she opened the restroom door to leave.

    Suddenly, the man stepped forward, blocking her way out as he entered the restroom. Then he pushed her inside one of the cubicles and locked it behind him.

    "Mister, what are you doing ¨C" Abi tried to ask, still unsure of what just happened.

    "Miss Chen, you''re so damn beautiful¡­" he said. His voice was husky and his eyes glimmered with nothing but lust.

    Abi froze in fear as she suddenly realised the situation she was in. Her body started to shake and her palms started to sweat as her body reacted to her fear.

    She couldn''t deny that she was a little scared when Alexander Qin dragged her inside his bedroom but back then, she had been a willing participant. What she was feeling right now was a different kind of fear, the fear of being overpowered by someone stronger than her, the fear where her control and choices were taken away, the fear of being at the mercy of some unknown stranger. She was scared to death.

    "P-please let me go. I don''t want this," she pleaded.

    He pushed her to the wall, roughly, and a small cry was torn from her lips.

    "Do you think I''ll let you go?" he smirked. The calm and polite man had turned into a predator.

    She flinched when she saw him lick his lips, as if he was about to devour something delicious. He hadn''t even touched her yet but she already felt so disgusted. She felt the hair on her body stand up as she tried to push him away from her. She balled her hands into fists and beat them on his chest but it looked like it didn''t affect him at all. He just held her by the shoulders with no intention of letting her go.

    She should''ve listened to Kelly! She was warned that this was not a nice ce for someone like her. Earlier, she saw a few people kissing passionately in their little corners, even as far as groping each other in such a public ce but she never once thought about something like this to happen.

    She thought she coulde here and easily get some of this so-called experience but it turns out it wasn''t that easy at all. She thought she was brave and daring, but look at her now. Where was all that bravery and determination now?

    What on earth was she thinking? That she could just walk into a ce like this and find the much needed experience she was seeking because that''s what she wanted? Her head was stuffed full of rainbows and unicorns from all the romance movies and books she read that she did not even think that this type of thing could happen.

    She really was so damn ignorant.

    Abi had never known such helplessness until now. She was so terrified that her entire body started to tremble.

    "It''s okay, baby¡­ don''t be afraid. I promise to make you feel good," the man whispered as his grip on her shoulders tightened.

    The moment he moved his face closer to her, Abi screamed.

 Chapter 24 A little taste of hell

    <h4>Chapter 24 A little taste of hell</h4>

    "Argh!!! Let me go!!! Alex! Help me!"

    Abigail didn''t know why that man''s name was the one that came out of her mouth when it should have been Kelly''s! Why would she call out for him when she knew he wouldn''t hear her?!

    "Kelly!!!! Help me!!!"

    The man reacted and was just about to cover her mouth when he heard a loud bang behind him! The man turned around and was about to yell at whoever was making all the ruckus to get lost because he was busy, but the words were stuck in his throat. His eyes nearly bulged out of their socket because the locked cubicle door behind him was no longer there! It looked as if the door was ripped from its hinges and thrown away to the other end of the bathroom.

    "W-wha-" Before he could finish his words, he was suddenly yanked backwards and he felt himself being mmed on the cold, hard wall. The man was dazed and his eyes lost focus as his head hit the wall with a hard thud. He felt something warm and sticky start rolling down the back of his head and his hazy mind correctly deduced that that was his blood dripping down to the floor.

    "Bastard! Don''t you know who I a¨C."

    He looked up as he said those words but arge fist smashed into his face, preventing him from finishing his words. He heard bones crack - the sound of his nose being broken - and he made a small, pitiful, whimpering noise, like the downtrodden mongrel, as his hands flew to his face to try and stop the blood that gushed out from it. His eyes were blurry and he could only see a silhouette of a man bearing down on him.

    Then he felt arge, strong hand grab his neck as he was lifted up on the wall. He scratched at the man''s arm that held him but it was futile. The man''s arms were as solid as steel, effortlessly immobilizing him, as if he was just some ant in his grasp.

    "Did you touch her?" the man asked, his voice filled with restrained, murderous rage. The voice sounded like a call of death that his survival instincts immediately kicked in. He felt the bloodlusting from this person and he knew that whoever this was would definitely not hesitate to kill him right then and there, without batting an eye. He knew that this was someone he shouldn''t mess with.

    "N-no¡­" he choked out. "Y-you came befor-"

    The man''s grip tightened, stopping his words but he persevered. He didn''t want to die! "J-j-ust her shoulders. I-I-I didn''t¡­ j-j-ust her shoulders¡­"

    Alex loosened his grip and the man dropped into a slump on the ground, heaving for air. Without a word, he turned to look at the girl behind him standing there, frozen, as her eyes looked back at him.

    He could see a mixture of emotions in them - fear, shock, confusion - and he tore his gaze away from them as he quickly searched her body for any bruises or scratches which would indicate that she had been physically hurt. His eyes were cold, almost menacing as he looked at her. His bloodlust didn''t diminish despite seeing that she wasn''t hurt. Instead, it intensified.

    He looked at the man who was slumped on the floor, covered in blood, and Alexander''s red hot fury turned into cold, ck rage. He had turned into a dark, dangerous and calcting being.

    Alexander grabbed the man by the cor and made him kneel on the floor in front of him. The man had his hands on the floor before him, trying not to fall over. Without skipping a beat, Alex put his foot on both his hands - the hands that touched her - and he stood down on them, as if he was trying to break them so that he wouldn''t be able to use them ever again.

    The man''s loud, harrowing scream echoed in the restroom. It was so deafening that Abi closed her eyes and covered her ears. She opened them again only to see Alexnd another punch on the man''s face, rendering him unconscious, lying in a growing pool of his own blood.

    A deep silence, akin to that moment when a raging super typhoon finally passed by, reigned in the room.

    Alexander then looked over to her once again and slowly walked towards her. His face was still a mask of rage and bloodlust and she couldn''t help but look away from him, her heart beating wildly. Her emotions were a mess.

    When he was close enough to her, he leaned in and whispered in her ear, his voice cold and emotionless.

    "Abigail¡­ this is just a little taste of hell. I told you¡­ You can''t handle it."

    ****

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 Chapter 25 Zombied

    <h4>Chapter 25 Zombied</h4>

    Abi shivered as her shoulders started to shake. His ice cold voice woke her up from her frozen shock and her body started to react.

    Everything happened so fast that she couldn''t process what was happening. One second, she was inside a locked cubicle with that man and he was about to¡­ to¡­

    She started to breathe quickly as her heart pounded loudly in her ears, but her brain pushed through in processing the situation.

    He was about to¡­ but then the door disappeared and the man disappeared. She had closed her eyes as the man closed in on her and in the next second, she just felt air swoosh through her face and the man was gone. She was shocked but then relief flooded her entire body. The man was gone! She was safe now. He was gone¡­

    She didn''t even think about what had happened to that man or where he had disappeared to, only that he was finally gone.

    But in the next second, she heard a loud thud on the other end of the restroom, which brought her out of her dazed state. With unsteady legs, she forced herself to move, to leave this cursed cubicle and flee. She was free now and she needed to run away from this ce as fast as she could. That was what her brain was telling her to do. RUN! Get away from here, NOW!

    With one shaky leg after another, holding on to the wash basin, she managed to take a few steps towards the door. She took a few more steps and stopped the moment she saw that man, being held up by his neck, with his blood staining the wall behind his head.

    At that moment, she didn''t feel anything. She didn''t feel angry at him, or sorry for him, or any other emotion towards him. She waspletely numb. She stared at the man with nk eyes and an expressionless face.

    After a while, she turned away, intending to leave, but she was stopped in her tracks again, this time from a different type of shock. She hadn''t paid attention to the man who was choking her attacker. She didn''t really care who it was, but when he turned around to look at her with those cold, cold eyes, she froze. ''A-A-lex? W-what was he¡­''

    She felt shocked and confused and a whole lot of other emotions as she stared at him. Her brain stopped functioning again as one thought ran through her mind like a broken record - ''Alex is here and he saved me from that man.''

    She felt like she turned into a zombie with only one focus - to eat brains - but in her case it was that Alex was the one who saved her.

    The next thing she saw was Alex standing on the man''s hands and the man screamed in pain. She couldn''t take it! She closed her eyes and covered her ears, to block it all out. No, she didn''t want to listen to his screams!

    When she had opened her eyes again, she saw that Alex had punched the screaming man in the face and then, the screaming stopped.

    She just stared at the bloody mess on the floor, her mind nk and empty of any thought, until he whispered those words in that icy cold voice of his.

    She snapped out of her zombied state and she felt her body start to tremble.

    The fear and terror she just experienced finally bubbled up to the surface. She couldn''t hold it in anymore. The adrenalin had stopped pumping and her brain started working again andbined with the violent scene she had just seen, Abi''s heart trembled down to its deepest core.

    Abi had never experienced anything like this in her whole existence. Ever since she was a little girl, her family never watched violent movies. She was raised ever so properly that she even looked at the tags of books or movies before reading or watching it. Her family only ever watched general patronage movies and shows and so that was what she did as well. She only read ssic books, sweet romance books and sometimes, heartbreaking books. She was that girl who hid her face if she saw any violence or R18 acts on TV by ident.

    She was horrified at what could have happened to her that night. She finally realised the gravity of the situation she got herself into and she covered her mouth with her hands, as if to stifle the screams that were about toe out. Her face was filled with terror and her tears started to fall uncontrobly as her shoulders shook.

    Alexander saw the horror written all over her face and he turned away as he thought that the girl was now definitely too scared to even look at him. ''Good! She should be scared!'' he thought heartlessly.

    He moved to leave her be, but before he could even take a step, he felt her frail arms wrap around his waist as she hugged him from behind. He felt her head settle on his back and his shirt dampen from her hot tears. He could also feel her whole body trembling from the shock of this experience.

    Alexander''s eyes turned wide at the unexpected turn of events. He had deliberately shown her the kind of violence he was capable of, the kind of hell he lived in, so why? Why was this littlemb still¡­ she should be terrified of him! She should be running as far away from him as she could! That was what any normal, sane person would do.

    Alex ran his fingers through his hair, and in the next moment, his deadly aura dissipated. He felt himself slowly rx as the rage and murderous intent from his body was expelled from it. He closed his eyes to gather his thoughts before he took a deep, quiet breath.

    He turned around to face her just in time to catch her before she fell to the floor.

    It seemed that she had fainted.

 Chapter 26 No words lef

    <h4>Chapter 26 No words lef</h4>

    Back in the alley, Kelly stood there panting, as the three men around her groaned in pain, crawling like they''ve been disabled.

    Kelly pped her hands together, as if she was trying to remove the dirt from her hands. The anger in her eyes slowly dissipated and she became calmer. The little tigress had slowly returned to a bratty youngdy.

    Kai, who was still there in the shadows, leaning on the wall, smiled widely. He almost wanted to p his hands and praise her but he didn''t want to be seen by her, so he remained quiet.

    The girl then started to move. She stretched her arms and cracked her neck as she started walking away.

    Kai also sighed and turned around to leave when suddenly, he heard a small yelpe from her.

    Kai''s head snapped back towards where she was a moment ago and to his surprise, the girl wasn''t there anymore. He looked at the men on the floor and they were all still there so they couldn''t have done anything to her.

    So where the hell did she go?

    Kai hastily ran towards the spot where hest saw her. He looked around but he couldn''t see her anywhere! Hooligan¡­ where did you go?

    "Ugh!! Damn it!! Damn it!!" an echoey voice cursed.

    His eyes looked at where the voice wasing from and when he saw why she seemed to have disappeared, his jaw just fell.

    The hooligan actually fell into a hole?! This was unbelievable. She was so cool and badass a moment ago - she might even be the coolest girl he had ever seen - but she actually fell into a hole¡­ Way to go, Hooligan! I have no words left to describe you¡­ Kai just shook his head in disbelief.

    Kai squatted down and looked down the open hole in the alley. It appeared that some trouble maker removed the hole''s cover so that some idiot or drunkard would fall victim to it.

    "Aishh! Stupid hole!!!" The girl seemed to be in pain but Kai could tell that she was trying to get up and climb up. She didn''t yell for help which he found very strange. He knew that the first word girls would normally scream out if they ever got into any kind of situation, was the word help. But she didn''t. She just cursed and struggled to help herself.

    Shaking his head, Kai switched on his shlight and once he saw her, he wasn''t even surprised anymore. She was already standing up and was about to climb up.

    Kai extended his hand.

    "Come, take my hand and let me help you," he said and Kelly hesitated for a moment. She recognized that voice but she thought she might be mistaken because why would that person be here? Anyway, she didn''t want to waste time to ponder the whys and hows while she was still literally holed up.

    After epting his hand, the man effortlessly pulled her up. "Thank you," she said without looking up as she fixed her dress. She then tried to stand and walk but she couldn''t. It seemed she may have sprained, and possibly broken, her left ankle. She winced in pain every time she put pressure on her left foot but she was determined to go because she had to return to get Abi!

    She had left Abi by herself for too long and who knew what might have happened to her during this time. She was really worried and she cursed herself for being careless and sumbing to her anger.

    "Your ankle¡­" Her attention was drawn away from her thoughts to the man who helped her out of the hole and the moment she looked up, her eyes almost bulged out. It was him! What was this person doing here?

    "P-p-prince Kai? What are you doing here?" she stammered in surprise.

    Some unknown emotion shed in the man''s eyes the moment she called him prince. "Don''t call me that. I''m not a prince."

    "Don''t lie. I know who you are," she insisted and the man sighed. "I saw you in country ¨C"

    "I think you should go to the hospital or you might never be able to wear heels again." He cut through her words and when she looked down and saw her very swollen ankle, her eyes widened.

    "Wait a moment," he said and then he turned around and just left.

    Kelly tried to walk but the pain was excruciating. She had never been injured to this extent in her life! She breathed in and out deeply, trying to make the pain go away. Just as she forced herself to move despite the pain, a man on a ck bike halted before her. It was the prince. He looked so majestic and hot that Kelly almost drooled as she spaced out. The bike, the ck leather jacket, his face; thebination of all three things was a sight for sore eyes. She wondered how people didn''t stare at him everywhere he went, like how she was staring at him right now.

    She snapped out of her daze when he put the helmet over her head.

    "Wait¡­ I can''t go to the hospital. I must go back and get Abi out of the bar first," she said as she tried to remove the helmet. But Kai just put his hand on her head, keeping the helmet in ce.

    "Don''t worry. Alex is with her."

    "Huh? Alex¡­ Alexander Qin is with her?!"

    "Mn. He will take care of her so worry about yourself for now, Miss Hooligan."

    "Who the hell did you just call a hooligan?! Ouch!!"

    Kai went up to her and put her arm around his shoulders as he slid an arm around her waist and helped her get on the bike. She had no choice but to follow. She knew she wouldn''t be able to walk to the bar in her current state. Besides, if Alexander Qin was with Abi, she was sure that nothing bad would happen to her.

    "Wait¡­ can I borrow your phone? I want to call her first."

 Chapter 27 Damned prince

    <h4>Chapter 27 Damned prince</h4>

    Kelly called Abi''s phone multiple times but no one answered. She started to worry that something bad might have happened to her friend as she frantically dialed her number once again.

    dly, the call was finally received after another three rings.

    "Hello? Abi? Are you alright? Where are you right now? Are you by yourself? Why didn''t you answer your phone for ages?" Kelly immediately rattled her questions like a mother hen, when to her surprise, it wasn''t Abi who responded. Her first thought was that something bad did happen to Abi, otherwise why would a random guy answer her phone?! Her brain stopped working and just jumped to the worst possible conclusions because it was flooded with thoughts of guilt and worry and panic!

    "She''s with me." The voice was deep and pleasant, definitely masculine. But all he said was that Abi was with him! Who the hell was this guy? He better not have hurt her Abi! She hadpletely forgotten, in her panic, that the person on the other end might have been Mr. Qin.

    "Hey, bastard, where''s Abi? Why are you answering her phone? Let me talk to her, right now! You have better not have hurt her or I swear I will rip your arms right out of their sockets and feed them to the wolves!" Kelly ranted like a madwoman, but she was so worried that she couldn''t help it.

    She yelled so loudly on the phone that Alex held it away from his ear at arm''s length. When the yelling stopped, he held it back to his ear and spoke calmly. "This is Alexander Qin¡­ and you can try but I think you will be quite unsessful," he rebutted against herment about tearing his arms apart, as confident and arrogant as ever. "I''m bringing her over to you. Where are you now?" he continued.

    Before Kelly could answer, Kai snatched the phone from her.

    "Alex, I''m going to take Miss Hooligan to the hospital¡­ Nope. She hurt herself¡­ It''s pretty bad, I think she broke her ankle¡­ She said she''s happy to leave her friend with you ¨C"

    "What are¡­ OUCH!!"

    "She''s nearly dying from the pain now, Alex. We''re leaving now. Bye."

    Kai then slipped his cellphone back into his pocket and without another word, he lifted Kelly up effortlessly and put her cute little bottom back on the bike. He then put her helmet back on, hopped on the bike, grabbed Kelly''s arms and wrapped them around his waist before he finally elerated away.

    The man rode the bike so damn fast that even Kelly, the fierce hooligan, was scared to her bones. She just barely managed to hang on to his waist and she shuddered to think what other injuries she might have gotten had she not been able to hold on!

    "Hey! What are you doing¡­ Are you really going to bring me to the hospital?! You might as well bring me to a funeral home if you''re going to keep this speed up, you damned prince!!" Kelly started yelling and thankfully, it seemed like her words somehow worked.

    The damned prince slowed down, but this time his speed was so damned slow that she could almost see a bloody turtle overtaking them!

    Oh god! This man was definitely not a prince charming!! Argh! Was he trying to annoy me or something?!

    Time ticked by but he kept the same slow pace. He didn''t elerate at all! Kelly was inwardly fuming by this time.

    "Hey, what do you think you''re doing? A damned turtle is overtaking you, look!" Sheined and then she pointed a finger towards an imaginary turtle that was overtaking them on thene beside them. "I can probably hobble my way to the hospital faster that this!"

    Shaking his head, the man finally spoke.

    "Miss Hooligan, if that is your wish, I can let you off here and you can ''hobble'' your way to the hospital from here," his elegant voice taunted her. Kelly looked around and she realized they were on the highway and it was dark and there was nobody else around because it was veryte at night.

    "No." She was quick to take back her words. She tried to suppress her annoyance because despite what she said, she was in pain and she knew she needed this man''s help right now. So she restrained herself, with a lot of effort, or she might end up being abandoned here. Who knew how this prince''s brain worked? "How about you let me drive?" She tried a different tactic instead.

    "With your injury? Oh sure, go right ahead," his voice was full of sarcasm.

    "I can handle it," she insisted and the man just chuckled.

    He sighed and finally elerated. This time, his speed wasn''t as fast as a damned rocketship, thank goodness!

    This man¡­ was definitely just trying her patience!

    ¡­

    At the bar, Alexander put Abi''s phone back in her bag and carried Abi along with the girls'' belongings to his car. No one paid him any attention as he left, as if this happened all the time in the club, as if they were invisible.

    He put her in the back seat so that he could lie her down on her side. He put her bag, and a jacket on top of it, under her head so she had something to lie on. He then checked that she was still breathing. Her breathing had be steady and even. It seemed like she had fallen asleep and he was sure that it was because of the cocktails she had drunk.

    Alexander Qin now faced a dilemma. He knew where that Kelly girl lived and he was sure that he would find the key in one of the bags but¡­ that girl was going to the hospital and he didn''t know how long that would take. Would this littlemb be ok if he dropped her off there by herself?

    Left without much choice, Alex sighed. He nced at the sleepingmb for a long while before he started the engine and drove away.

 Chapter 28 Jellyfish

    <h4>Chapter 28 Jellyfish</h4>

    After some time, Abigail finally woke up and found that she was lying inside a car. Her head throbbed in pain, her mouth was dry and her vision was a bit blurry. She blinked a few more times to get a clearer picture of her situation and she began to remember the things that happened before she passed out.

    She felt her hands tremble a little from the memory, but when she saw the silhouette of that perfect figure sitting on the driver''s seat, her increasing panic and elerating heartbeat slowed down.

    The man was leaning his head on the headrest with his eyes closed. She would never get used to seeing the perfection of his face. He was like a jellyfish, beautifully emitting its own light under the dark ocean, but if you touched it¡­ you''d be poisoned. And Abigail had the strongest desire to touch this beautiful, mysterious jellyfish, even knowing that it might lead to certain death.

    As Abigail stared at him, she slowly recovered from her lightheadedness. It was outrageous but she momentarily forgot that horrific experience just by staring at him.

    Suddenly, the man spoke but his eyes were still closed. "Miss Chen¡­ I hope you already learned your lesson. Never attempt this again. I''m telling you one more time; someone like you doesn''t belong in my world. You belong in your own peaceful paradise," he said, still not throwing her a nce.

    She could hear in his voice the tant warning and she clenched her fists tightly. She felt like there was something caught in her throat and the words he said before she passed out echoed in her head. ''I told you¡­ you can''t handle it¡­''

    Abigail felt the urge to cry.

    She didn''t understand¡­ all she wanted was to fall in love. All she wanted was to experience saying those three words - ''I love you'' - to the man she loved, and to know how that would feel. Was that really too much to ask? That was all she wanted, her only wish¡­ so why can''t things just go smoothly as she wished?!

    Should she really give up now? Should she really just burrow herself back into her rabbit hole like a scared little bunny and go back to living that safe, uninteresting, loveless little life that she had been? Should she just sit still and just wait for the day when she finally leaves this world?

    Just the thought of it made Abi''s heart break. She had been a good girl for twenty-two years. Was it really wrong for her to desire this? She had never asked for anything else. She never cursed God and got angry at him, nor did she ask why, of all people in the world, she had to be the one who got sick. She epted everything and only wished for one thing¡­

    But it seemed like that single wish of hers was like a balloon on a fragile string that was being forcefully pulled from her grasp no matter how much she tried to hold onto it. She could see it slowly fly away from her and it didn''t feel right. It was more painful than the pain she felt when Alexander rejected her. She knew in her heart that she didn''t want to give up because she just felt that she would regret it. She didn''t have the luxury for another lifetime or second chances and she was well aware that her time was running out.

    "Go home and stay there, Abigail. That''s where you belong. You''ve seen the outside world and there is nothing good out there," he added and Abi looked away.

    "You''re right. The world is not always a nice ce¡­ it can be scary¡­" she trailed off. Her voice was weak, almost a whisper. Sadness and pain could be heard in her voice. "But I don''t agree with you that there''s nothing good out there."

    Alexander furrowed upon hearing her words. He finally looked at her as he opened his mouth to speak. However, when he saw her eyes glimmering with tears that were threatening to fall, he was forced to hold back.

    "Alexander¡­" she called out his name in a really sweet yet sad tone. "Why did youe and save me?"

    What followed Abi''s question was a deafening silence.

    What happened tonight rocked her world. It was terrifying. She never wanted to experience anything like that ever again. She finally understood why this man believed since the beginning that she couldn''t handle it. Her actions and reactions tonight proved it even if she started to deny it now.

    However, this man came and saved her. No matter what she said, no matter what she thought and no matter what she saw, this man came and saved her. This single act from him was enough for her to persevere and try to catch the balloon again. She decided to try again, onest time. If she couldn''t get him to agree tonight, then she would stop, once and for all. She would ept that this was probably her fate.

    "I think that there is something good out there¡­" she lifted her hand and gently poked the man''s cheek. "You."

    Alexander''s lips parted in disbelief. He caught her wrist and held it as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

    "Abigail, you don''t know what you''re saying," he said and then, out of nowhere, he moved closer to her. His eyes zed again with ice cold fire as his fingers traced her jaw. "Didn''t you see how much more dangerous I am than that man? I have and can still do far, far worse things than that. I have done things you can''t even imagine, Abigail¡­ Believe that!"

    "But you saved me."

    "I did that out of impulse."

    She ignored his words. Even if he was just being impulsive, he still saved her. And really? Out of impulse? Didn''t he just acknowledge the fact that he had some good in him?

    "I believe that I''ll be fine out there, as long as I''m with you."

    Alexander leaned back, now pinching the skin between his brows.

    "You don''t get it! I''m the one who''s much more dangerous for you, Abigail." He looked at her again. His eyes were still cold and filled with urgent, dangerous, warnings. "If you be my girlfriend¡­ I might ruin you¡­ In fact, I know I would. You don''t know what I am capable of doing to you."

    Abigail swallowed.

    "Why don''t we try it then? How about you give me a month? If I really can''t handle it, I will run away from you on my own."

    Alexander let out an enchanting but chillingugh. He was speechless. He could see that light in her eyes again, that light that was blinding for someone like him, that light that he knew he could probably never kill no matter what he said or did.

    "Tell me, why me?"

    "Because you''re the most handsome man I have ever seen?"

    He twitched, obviously not pleased. "There are tons of fish in the sea, Abigail. You''re only saying that because you''ve never jumped into the ocean! I just happened to unknowingly jump out of the water right in front of you."

    "I have seen my share of fish but you''re right, you were the first one to jump out of the water and the first one I truly noticed. You''re also the only one that has ever sparked something in me. I-I¡­ can''t exin it. I just have this feeling that we¡­ that I¡­"

    ¡­ will never find another man like you again for the rest of my life.

 Chapter 29 Gutsy little lamb

    <h4>Chapter 29 Gutsy littlemb</h4>

    Alexander''s grip on the steering wheel tightened. A calcting look shed across his cold, intimidating eyes before another chuckle filled with disbelief escaped his lips.

    "What a gutsy littlemb¡­" He said out loud, then sighed as he lifted his hand and ran his elegantly long fingers through his hair.

    "One month, huh¡­?" he leaned in on her and cupped her small face again. "Abigail Chen, are you sure about this one month? Are you sure you don''t want to start with small steps like a day or a week first?" The crooked and yful smile, that he showed her many times the night they first met, was now carved on his face.

    "I am very sure!" Abigail didn''t hesitate. Her emotions were not easily hidden on her innocent face so Alex couldn''t even question her resolve, because he could see that she had already decided to do this. As he scanned her face, he saw a certain something that radiated from within her that rendered him speechless for a split second.

    He averted his gaze to avoid her soulful, bright eyes and looked out the window when suddenly, his eyes slightly narrowed and it glimmered with something Abi couldn''tprehend. Abi followed his gaze but she saw no one at the spot he was looking at, but then again, it was pitch dark outside. She returned her gaze to him just to see that his eyes had returned to normal, as if what she noticed a moment ago was just in her imagination. This jellyfish was emitting some new mysterious illuminations again¡­

    "Fine. Do what you want." Before she knew it, he finally gave in.

    Abi gasped upon hearing him. This was totally unexpected. After rejecting her so fiercely before, he finally caved in. ''What?! Really? I heard him right, right? I didn''t imagine that, right?'' were the thoughts that ran through her head.

    Like a child who finally caught her escaped balloon again, Abi beamed and her eyes shone joyfully.

    Alexander looked away; there were some lingering regrets in his eyes but he blinked them away. He had said it; given his word to her and that was that. He jumped out of the water and she caught him, or at least, he let himself be caught by her.

    "Don''te crying to me afterwards¡­" he murmured as if he was more than certain that this girl would.

    "I won''t." Abi raised her hand like a girl scout stating the preamble and Alex smirked as hezily rested his head on his palm. The jellyfish seemed to be tired now from relentlessly swimming away from this persistent, vigorous and hell-bent little chaser.

    "Uhm¡­ where''s the contract? I want to sign it now." Abi''s big eyes questioned him. She even seemed excited, something that rendered him speechless once again.

    "Littlemb, why do I feel like you''re treating this as an exciting field trip or something?"

    "That''s not it. I''m just afraid you''ll change your mind."

    He twitched. "So you actually do know that you can''t trust people so easily, huh?"

    "I just learned it a while ago at that bar. I can''t trust any man''s words so easily like that." She shuddered when she remembered that man again but the sound of Alex''s fascinating chuckle rang in her ears and it pulled her thoughts away from that terrifying experience.

    "Sigh¡­ littlemb... I really don''t know how you survived in this world this long and not been broken yet." He looked somewhat amazed. This jellyfish had changed again. He was nothing like the man who appeared and saved her not that long ago.

    Abigail ignored his words again. She instead held out her palm before him, silently asking for the contract.

    Alexander stared at her palm. "Abigail, actually¡­ I think what you need to sign isn''t a contract."

    Abigail blinked.

    "I think¡­ it should be a waiver." He yfully smiled again and she was mesmerised. Alexander scowling and growling at her was quite outrageously pleasing to the eyes but his smiling face was just an out of this world type of incredible. She wondered how would he look if his smile reaches those ice cold eyes of his. "But we''re not going to talk about that now. I''ll give you time toe to terms with yourself onest time. You''re still under the influence of alcohol, after all, littlemb," he continued.

    "But¡­"

    "Shh¡­ don''t worry, I already gave you my word."

    Abi wanted to insist. She didn''t want to waste any more time, but she needed to restrain herself or he might get suspicious if she acted even more desperate than this.

    "F-fine," she bit her lips.

    He brought out his phone and typed something in it and then, Abi heard her phone beep.

    "That''s my address," he said, his eyes probing again as he stared at her.

    "I cane here once I''m prepared right?"

    He nodded and Abi stared back at him, showing him that she was already more than prepared.

    "Onest thing for you to know, Abigail¡­" his voice switched yet again to a serious and firm tone that left no room for any doubt or any other possibility. He was suddenly more authoritative than his aura already suggested, causing Abi to swallow in anticipation.

    "I require my girlfriend to live with me in my house. So make sure to think about this properly, understand?"

 Chapter 30 Something good

    <h4>Chapter 30 Something good</h4>

    Abigail gulped at his serious words.

    "Live with you?" she echoed, her eyes slightly circled in shock.

    "You heard me," he replied, as a wry smile yed on his face again. "Afraid now?"

    He waited for her reaction but¡­

    "R-really? So we''ll be like newlyweds?" was all she blurted out, even looking quite amazed while Alexander was again rendered speechless.

    What he said definitely made Abi pause, but she thought that the more time they spent together, the better the chances of her falling for him, right? So she thought that maybe, that might not be such a bad thing?

    While Abi moved to put her phone away into her bag and noticed that there was another bag under it.

    "Ahh¡­ Kelly!!" She immediately shrieked as her mind was triggered by the reminder. As she started to panic, Alex informed her of her friend''s whereabouts.

    "Don''t worry about her. She''s currently at the hospital."

    What he said made her panic even more! What? Why was Kelly at the hospital? What happened to her? How did he know she was at the hospital? So many questions ran through her head and she didn''t know where to start. Alex saw her immobile figure and sighed.

    "Stop panicking. She''s with my friend. I''ll drive you there now so sit back and put your seatbelt on." He spoke calmly, his voice rippling like ocean waves and it cooled her panic.

    He started the engine and smoothly wound his way to the hospital. Abi was quiet but her mind was running a marathon. ''What could have happened to Kelly that she ended up at the hospital? How badly was she hurt? Did someone do something to her? I hope it''s nothing too serious¡­'' and with those thoughts, her mind brought her back to the bar with that man and she prayed with all her might that the same thing hadn''t happened to her friend. No! Kelly was stronger than that. She wouldn''t fall for such tricks. There had to be another reason.

    The moment Alex parked up by the hospital entrance, Abi opened the door and scrambled out of the car. She noticed that he didn''t move.

    "Are you noting?"

    "No."

    "Oh. Okay. Well, thank you for the ride. I''ll see you soon," she said before hurriedly going inside the big building. She didn''t think twice about leaving him this time because he already promised her and he even gave her his home address. Besides, her friend was more important right now.

    Abi found herself in the hustle and bustle of the hospital emergency department and her head almost spun. There were so many people running around that she didn''t know where to start. She looked at the long line at the reception desk, intending to ask for information about Kelly but that would take too long.

    So she looked around to see if she could see any sign of her friend. In the next moment, she saw a familiar face! Not wasting another second, she beelined her way to him and was about to ask him where her friend was when she heard her name being called out.

    "Abi!"

    Abi turned to the direction of the voice and she saw her friend on the bed, with one foot wrapped up in bandages.

    "Kelly!!" she cried.

    Completely forgetting about Mr. ck Leather Jacket, she ran to her friend and gave her a careful hug. She felt so relieved to see that her friend was ok, apart from the obvious leg injury.

    "What happened?!" Abi asked.

    "I fell down a hole, haha." Kelly looked a bit embarrassed but sheughed it off - well, it was pretty funny.

    Abi''s face turned nk. "Huh? Fell¡­ down a hole?"

    "Yeah, I know. Silly, right?"

    Abi looked at her friend doubtfully. "How much did you have to drink?! And what were you doing outside?"

    "Wha¡­? Ahem. I didn''t have anything to drink cos I didn''t make it to the bar! I just, uh, went outside for a bit to, uh, get some fresh air! Then I fell down a hole and luckily, Leather Jacket over there was around and helped me out. But enough about me! What about you? Are you okay? Nothing happened at the bar while I was gone, right?"

    "Something did happen but Alexander Qin came and saved me." Abi said sinctly. She saw Kelly''s expression and sighed before she started to recount what had happened.

    Kelly''s expression darkened as she listened to Abi''s story. She couldn''t believe that this happened to her friend. She was so angry at that man for putting Abi through that! Argh!!! If that man wasn''t already beaten to pulp, she would have raced to him and done it herself - broken ankle and all! What a piece of sh*t, a**hole!

    But, she wasn''t just angry at that guy. She also scolded herself for forgetting to tell her friend those basic rules before they went inside the bar, for letting those men distract her and for leaving her alone to fend for herself. She felt so horrible at failing her friend and not being able to protect her that she beat herself up for it.

    Abi saw her friend''s anguished expression andforted her. "It''s okay, Kelly. I wasn''t hurt. Alex saved me. I''m fine."

    Kelly felt even worse to see her friendforting her when it should be the other way around, so Kelly manned up and pushed her self-deprecating thoughts aside and focused on Abi.

    "I''m sorry, Abi. I shouldn''t have left you. Are you sure you''re okay?"

    Abi nodded. It was true. She was okay. She knew that nothing bad would happen to her as long as Alex was around. His presence shielded her from being drowned by those negative thoughts and emotions that had threatened to overwhelm her. She felt calm and settled when he was around so yes, she was okay.

    Kelly nodded as if she heard Abi''s thoughts. It seemed like there was at least something good that came out of this - Abi had found her hero, her dark knight.

    "Wait¡­ where did that guy go?" Kelly suddenly asked.

    "Who?"

    "That damned pri¡­"

    ---

    In the meantime, Kai had walked out of the hospital when Abi and Kelly were talking and headed straight towards the ck car parked not too far away.

    Kai jumped into the passenger seat and hounded Alex.

    "So? Did you be the hero tonight, aye?" he grinned but Alex''s face remained serious, more serious than ever, that Kai immediately felt that something was off.

    "What is it?"

    "Kai, go and deal with those lurkers¡­ I don''t want a bloodbath tonight," hezily ordered and Kai immediately followed Alex''s line of sight. The moment he saw what Alex was talking about, Kai''s eyes zed dangerously.

    ¡ö¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡ö

    don''t forget to vote every day for this story ^^

 Chapter 31 Decision

    <h4>Chapter 31 Decision</h4>

    Kelly was soon discharged that night.

    Mr. ck leather jacket was nowhere to be found so Kelly called someone from the Yang residence to pick her up. Unfortunately, her mother also came the instant she heard that her daughter was hospitalized and she insisted on taking the girl home to watch her closely until her ankle was healed.

    Kelly and her mother spent a long time arguing over the matter but in the end, Kelly''s mother won.

    With that, Mrs. Yang arranged a chauffeur to send Abi back home. Just like Kelly, Mrs. Yang adored Abi and the madam already knew the kind of girl Abi was, so she made sure that she would be sent back home safely. She even asked one of her femalepanions to go with her along with the driver.

    "I''lle visit you soon, Kelly," Abi said as she held her friend''s hand.

    "Mn, call me once you''re home, okay? And don''t even dare to do anything or go anywhere without telling me, understand?" she nagged and Abi just nodded. She carefully hugged her friend before they finally parted.

    During the trip home, Abigail rested her head on the car window as her gaze focused on the darkness outside. Everything that happened that night started ying in her mind. There was so much for her mind to process! She thought about it the entire trip home and still found everything overwhelming.

    When she finally reached her house, she thanked the chauffeur and thedy bodyguard, and watched the car leave. Abi didn''t go straight inside. She stood out there and just stared at the house.

    As always, it was peaceful; so peaceful that it soothed her heart just by looking at it. This was her home, the ce Alex said she belonged. Just byparing the gentle, peaceful and soothing atmosphere at home, she couldn''t help but think that her world really was different from what was out there.

    She knew that she was blessed with having a loving and peaceful family. She knew she was blessed to have a home like this, a home that protected her heart and smiles, a home that loved her. However, she had always felt this void in her heart. It wasn''t that she didn''t like the peace - in fact, she loved it and was thankful for it - she just wanted to feel more, to experience more even if she ended up getting hurt.

    Abigail breathed deeply and finally entered her house.

    Her father was still awake. He was there again, sitting by the window, looking at the moon - perhaps, thinking about histe wife again.

    Abigail walked closer to him.

    "Dad," she started.

    "Hmm? I thought you were going to sleep over at Kelly''s."

    "I came home to speak with you."

    Andrew Chen, her father, was surprised. His daughter wasn''t outspoken and he knew that she would only talk to him privately like this when she wanted something or to ask for his permission. He also knew that his daughter rarely asked for anything. In fact, thest time she spoke to him to ask for something was back when she was seventeen.

    "Dad, I¡­ I want to move out," she said and her father looked at her in surprise.

    "Abi¡­ what do you mean you want to move out?"

    "I have decided to live with Kelly for a bit. I will still go to work ande back here on the weekends."

    "Abi, you''re sick."

    "I''m still perfectly fine, Dad. And I will be fine. I''ll only be away for a month."

    "Abi¡­"

    "Please, Dad. I want to experience life in the city, visit some beautiful ces and go explore. I might not be able to go out anymore after this so¡­ please let me go, Dad. Don''t worry, I''lle back home safely."

    Her father couldn''t say anymore when he heard her say that she might not be able to go out anymore. He knew what was ahead of her and it was painful to think about it. His daughter was still so young. She was such a nice and sweet girl. She never caused any trouble for the family. She was that girl old people adored so much because she was always shining and smiling brightly despite everything, but Andrew knew that she was lonely, being here all alone. She was still just a girl and he knew she wanted to experience things outside her sheltered life, just like other girls her age.

    The truth was, Andrew was waiting for his daughter to do this. He knew the risks but he understood. Life was unpredictable. No one knew when someone''s time was up that was why hepletely understood Abi''s decision. As a father, he also wanted Abi to go and do whatever she wanted now because he knew she may never get to do them at all.

    "Okay, but I have to remind you not to do anything dangerous, okay? Promise me, Abi."

    Abi was surprised. She had prepared herself to persuade her father but he actually agreed quite quickly!

    "I promise, Dad," Abi raised her hand to show him her determination.

    In her room, Abi didn''t waste another moment and she started packing her things. While she was grabbing things to put into her luggage, she found and picked up a small notebook. She opened it with a smile carved on her face.

    ''List of things I want to do'' was written on the notebook''s front page.

    She put it inside her bag, finished her packing and eventually drifted off to sleep.

    ¡­

    Not far from the house, a ck car stayed there the entire night and only left at daybreak.

 Chapter 32 Let me be selfish

    <h4>Chapter 32 Let me be selfish</h4>

    Abi woke up bright and early, feeling full of life as she got ready for the day. After she said her goodbyes to her family, she headed out to visit Kelly.

    She had been to the Yang residence quite a few times and the servants already were familiar with her so she was immediately brought to Kelly''s room.

    "How''s your ankle?"

    "It''s fine. I''m recovering fast, Abi. Mom''s just exaggerating."

    "I see. That''s great. Uhm¡­ Kelly, I have something to tell you¡­" Abi said hesitantly as she looked down on the floor instead of meeting Kelly''s eyes.

    Kelly creased her brows.

    "Hmm? What is it?"

    "I''m¡­ I''m going to live with Alexander Qin."

    Kelly choked.

    "W-what?! What the hell, Abi! What are you saying?"

    "I''m sorry for telling you just now."

    "Abi, look¡­ why¡­ why? Why do you need to live with him?!"

    "Alex requires his girlfriends to live with him."

    "Oh my god!! What nonsense is that?! Did he mistake dating as marriage?!"

    "Kelly¡­ I know it''s outrageous. I know why you''re worried. But this is my choice. I am going to live with him for a month."

    Kelly was speechless. She didn''t know what to say. She knew Abi never joked about these things and she knew her friend was deadly serious and determined from the sound of her voice. But no matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn''tprehend why. She held Abi''s hands and knelt before her, with worry clearly written on her face.

    "Abi, listen to me. I don''t know why you suddenly decided this but this is too sudden. D-did Alexander Qin do something to force you?"

    Abi shook her head and then her face became severe. Abi knew she had no choice now but to tell her friend about her illness. She had hidden this from her for years because she didn''t want her friend to look at her with pity, like everyone else. She wanted Kelly to treat her just the same and she didn''t want her friend to worry about her. But now, she had no choice but to tell her.

    "Kelly¡­ I''m sorry that I hid this from you for many years. I¡­ I tried many times to tell you but I was a coward. I''ve been a coward until I met Alexander Qin. When I met him, I suddenly became daring. It was as if I became braver since that night I encountered him. I was afraid to tell you because I don''t want you to worry about me. And I didn''t want you to treat me differently once you found out about my condition."

    "Abi¡­ what are you saying? What condition?"

    "Kelly¡­ I''m sick. I was diagnosed with the same illness that killed my mother. And¡­ and my time is running out."

    "Abi¡­ you''re lying. H-how could that be? You''re healthy and¡­" she bit her lips. She suddenly remembered all those times when Abi had to go and visit the hospital. This was a total bombshell being dropped on herp right then.

    "I''m sorry for hiding this from you, Kelly¡­ please forgive me."

    Kelly was silent for a while and she felt like the sky was falling down. Kelly''s tears started to fall like rain. She couldn''t believe that her friend had kept this life changing news from her! She was in turmoil. She didn''t know how to feel or react at the thought that she could be losing her best friend soon. She was utterly devastated. Why? Why did it have to be Abi? There are so many bad people out there. Why did it have to be her? This nice angel? Was it really true that¡­ that nice people were always the first to¡­

    After a while, Kelly was able to calm down. She was still hurt that Abi didn''t tell her earlier but knowing the kind of girl her friend was, she knew that her reason was pure and she was just thinking about her.

    "So this is why you''re suddenly determined to experience the things you never experienced before?"

    Abi nodded and Kelly felt like crying again. Abi was the nicest girl she had ever met. She was that dazzling girl who shone like the sun and could infect everyone around her with her enthusiasm and kindness. And yet, this girl was actually sick and running out of time? Kelly couldn''t help but smile bitterly.

    "And¡­ because you want to experience everything, you agreed with everything that Alexander Qin said?"

    "The truth is, Alexander kept refusing me. He tried to scare me away many times, telling me that he wasn''t the one for me but¡­ Kelly, he''s the only man I have ever wanted. I want to experience how it feels to fall in love. That is my only wish before I¡­ I know I sound crazy but this is my choice, Kelly. Don''t worry, I know Alexander won''t hurt me¡­ physically."

    "You know you''ll get hurt¡­ emotionally?"

    "Mm¡­ I at least know that falling in love isn''t just sunshine and unicorns. But I still want to experience it," she smiled and Kelly felt her heart clench. What should she do for this girl? She knew she could only do one thing ¨C support her.

    "Fine¡­ so I presume you told your family that you''ll be living with me for a month?"

    She nodded.

    "Sigh¡­ I don''t know what to feel right now, Abi. You''re messing with my emotions."

    "I know. I''m sorry¡­"

    "So? When will you go to Alexander Qin''s?"

    "Now."

    Kelly choked. "Abi!" she wailed.

    "I''m sorry. I don''t want to waste any more of the little time I have left."

    Kelly was speechless.

    "I''m sorry. Please let me be selfish and unreasonable just for a month, okay?"

    Kelly could only bite her lips. No one ever made her so emotional like this. It was painful but she knew this girl had been suffering so much for many years.

    "Fine¡­ you know I can''t resist you. You just have to promise me one thing. Please make sure to take care of yourself, okay?"

    "I will, don''t worry. I''ll call you lots and actually, I still would go to work and am nning on going back home on weekends."

    "As you should!"

    "Mm. I''lle visit you in the morning before I go to work."

    "Oh, my Abi¡­ I¡­ just take care, that''s all I can say."

    "I will. But can you do me another favor? Can you please not tell anyone about me being sick? I don''t want anyone else to know, okay? Promise me."

    Kelly agreed and after a long hugging and coaxing session, the two finally parted.

    Of course, the first thing Kelly did once the taxi left was to call the damned prince to make sure that Alexander Qin was not going to harm her best friend while she lived in his house.

 Chapter 33 Really unbelievable

    <h4>Chapter 33 Really unbelievable</h4>

    Abigail looked out the window as a taxi cab stopped in front of a huge mansion. Her jaw immediately dropped as soon as she saw it. She didn''t know what to call it, but a house it was not! It was way bigger than that! It was so huge that Abi thought her whole vige could actually fit in there.

    She slowly walked towards it as she looked around. The garden in the spacious front yard wasn''t that colorful; it was quite simple and the design looked like it was purposely made that way not to attract people''s attention.

    As she walked closer to the entrance, Abi felt that the huge house wasn''t as simple as it looked outside. Now that she was closer, she noticed the exquisite white marble steps to the front door, which dwarfed her, and slowly took it all in. She could now see that everything, from the walls to the window to the ss, all looked like a magnificent work of art. ''What on Earth would the inside look like?!''

    After pressing the bell, Abi held her breath as she stood by the bronze and ss double door as it creaked open.

    An old man in a butler suit stood before her with a smile. The butler had been told by his master when he came home this dawn that ady named Abigail Chen might arrive in the mansion in the future. But thedy actually came just hours afterwards? His master shouldn''t have used the word future¡­ it should beter, sigh.

    "Good morning, Miss. Are you Miss Abigail Chen?" he immediately greeted and Abi nodded.

    "Please follow me," he then said and the moment she stepped inside, she was awed. She never thought that the interior would actually look like this.

    The white, marble floor beneath her feet that seemed to stretch out for miles and the enormous, beautiful chandelier that weed her dangled elegantly from the high ceiling. The hallway hadrge and beautiful molded panels which looked very expensive but tasteful.

    As she walked through, she also saw small receiving rooms that must have been rooms where people waited when they came to visit. She was sure that this interior was definitely like those small ancient chateaus, the kind of dwelling one expected to see in Europe. She could even bet that this house might be built in the 1800''s or possibly even earlier than that.

    As the butler led her further inside, the hallway opened up to arger space, with arge staircase in the center of it. The white marble steps, the bronze handrails on either side as it swept grandly towards the upper floor, made Abi gape. She even started envisioning men in tailcoats and women in evening gowns walking up and down those stairs.

    But it didn''t stop there. There was another gigantic chandelier of an incredibly vast scale, far prettier and breathtaking than the first one she saw. There was also a gigantic firece on one side with exquisite marble mantles and mirrored panels.

    Abigail had never seen extravagance like this. The party that Alexander took her too didn''t evenpare to the scale of this ce! It was likeparing a mouse to an elephant. This ce was built with money and prestige and the fact that everything was still in a magnificent state, despite its age, was testimony to how rich Alexander Qin was. Just imagine the cost of maintaining everything in this ce!

    She had read about ces like this but she thought that these ces didn''t exist anymore in this millenia. She felt like she was suddenly transported back to hundreds of years ago.

    She was utterly impressed. She thought she would only see a ce as beautiful as this in her imagination.

    "Please wait here, Miss Chen. I''ll tell the master that you''re here." The butler led her to a sofa and Abi quietly sat there. She was still looking around with great curiosity. ''Why is Alexander Qin living in a ce like this? How many of them were living here? Did his entire n live here?''

    Abigail thought about what Kelly had told her; that Alexander Qin was ultra-rich and ultra-mysterious. It seemed she was right. She couldn''t even imagine what was on the next two floors. This ce was absolutely fit for royalty. But for some reason, Abi felt an odd, eerie sensation the moment she entered the house.

    Time passed and Abi finally heard some noiseing from the grand staircase.

    And then, Alex appeared. He was wearing dark toned trousers and a simple white shirt. His dark hair was tousled and he obviously looked like he just woke up and had rushed down to see her.

    His eyes were wide open, obviously in shocked surprise, as he looked down at her.

    Abi''s heart raced wildly the instant she saw him. He wasn''t wearing a tailcoat or a suit but he was still so breathtaking as always, so breathtaking that Abi thought that she would believe him if he told her he wasn''t human but a god of some description. He had this aura about him that made him so incredibly mesmerizing that she was afraid he would pop out and disappear from Earth to whatever heaven he came from.

    The man''s shoulders dropped as he ran his fingers through his hair before putting his hands inside his pockets. He walked elegantly towards her.

    "Abigail¡­ you''re really unbelievable, do you know that?" he said as he approached her. He looked like he couldn''t believe that she was there. It was obvious he never expected her toe the very next day!

    She told him justst night that she would think about it and she actually showed up at his house in less than 24 hours?! He was damn speechless. That was some damned fast thinking on her behalf!

    "Did you even take the time to think about all the things I said to youst night? Are you in such a rush? Huh? Abigail?"

    "I-I did think about it and I''m not in a rush. It''s just that¡­ today is the first day of the month."

    ". . ."

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 34 Elegance and grandeur

    <h4>Chapter 34 Elegance and grandeur</h4>

    Alexander moved closer to her, so close that their noses were almost touching. Abi tried her best not to close her eyes or look away. She didn''t want him to think she was scared and she was sure he was only doing it to try and get a reaction from her. She wouldn''t give him the satisfaction of looking away.

    "So what if it''s the first day of the month, huh, Abigail?" he asked, looking down deeply into her eyes.

    "I-It''s easier to count the days. Toplete the month," she blurted out, a little dazed and Alexughed. His pleasantughter echoed inside the luxurious ce.

    But then, he sighed.

    "Littlemb¡­ I really have no words left for you." He was both amused and frustrated at the same time. Only she could give him such a childish answer like that and get away with it.

    She looked around therge room and noticed that it was very quiet. "Are your family not home?" she asked innocently and Alexander lifted her chin with his finger.

    "I live alone, Abigail," he said, suddenly bing serious. "But it looks like this house now wees its new guest."

    Abigail''s eyes turned wide. W-what? He lived alone in this massive house?!

    "A-alone?!" She looked at him with shock and disbelief.

    "Oh, well, the butler is here and maids as well. They do count as people living here, too, I guess¡­" he smiled wryly and Abi didn''t know how to react.

    Alexander''s eyes then fell on her luggage and he took another deep breath.

    "You didn''t run away from your house, did you?"

    She shook her head. "I talked to my dad properlyst night."

    "But I bet that you didn''t tell him the whole truth, did you?"

    Abi pressed her lips tightly, causing Alex''s lips to curve up again.

    "Let me see¡­ You told him that you''re going to stay with that friend of yours, right?" he said and Abigail flushed. This man, she realized, was not only dangerous because of his physical capabilities, he was dangerous because he seemed to also see through her like a ss window.

    "Well, well, well. This good littlemb actually told an untruth to her family. What a gutsy littlemb," he murmured.

    "Didn''t you sleep wellst night?" she asked innocently as she looked at his face, and sessfully diverted his attention from her actions to his.

    Alexander bent forward that their foreheads almost touched.

    "I just got home, Abigail. Actually, right now, I very much want to punish you for disturbing my sleep." He smirked yfully. "But I''ll let you off the hook for now," he added as he straightened up and called out a name.

    "Charles," he said and the butler immediately appeared as if he was in the corridor this whole time, just waiting for his name to be called.

    "Yes, master."

    "I''ll leave her to you," Alex ordered before he looked at Abi again and whispered in her ear.

    "I''ll go to sleep first, Abigail. You rest, too. We''ll talkter."

    She shivered as she felt his warm breath touch her ear and she swallowed subconsciously. Before she could say ''Rest well or Goodnight'', he was gone.

    As she watched his back as he walked up the stairs, the butler coughed and drew her attention. He then introduced himself to her.

    "My name is Charles Ning, but you can call me Charles. Nice to meet you Miss Chen."

    "Nice to meet you, too, Mr-, I mean, Charles."

    "Come with me please. I will show you to your room," he said respectfully. "Don''t worry about your luggage, I''ll send a maid to bring it up."

    The butler led her towards the grand staircase which led to the second floor.

    As expected, it was even more breathtaking than the ground floor. What she saw was anotherrge, and fancy open space. Velvet curtains were tied back to let the sunshine through the windows and she saw antique looking, brass candbras which hung on the walls in between the windows. They each held three candles and she wondered if those candles had ever been lit. As soon as she saw this area, she immediately thought that if it were back in time, this room would be where grand balls were held like the ones she once saw on television when she watched a documentary about how royalty lived a century ago.

    She could also see two doors on the far wall and wondered where they led to. She imagined that these would perhaps be the rooms where the men went to y cards or drink or talk business while their wives gossiped in the main ballroom - at least that was what she deduced from watching that documentary.

    Abigail was speechless. There were no words in the Englishnguage that could describe this ce. It was definitely a ''one had to see to appreciate it'' type scenario. Again, Abi was curious beyond belief. Why was Alexander living in a ce like this? And why was he living by himself?! She was getting more and more curious by the minute.

    They continued up the stairs and up the third floor. Again, she was met with arge open area in the middle, but this was smaller than the second floor. It seemed to be the lounge area as there were couches and coffee tables neatly arranged by the big window overlooking the garden area. This seemed to be where the living quarters were located because she saw doors on either side, which she presumed, led to the bedrooms.

    Charles stopped in front of tall, heavy looking double doors and pushed it open. The room she walked into was so beautiful and weing and Abigail had never seen this kind of grandeur and elegance before.

    But then again, as she looked around at the cavernous room that was in front of her, she didn''t know why but even with all this beauty and disy of elegance and grandeur, she felt a little sad.

    She could tell since the moment she stepped inside this house that this was a whole different life and what she wondered about the most was if Alexander Qin had been happy living in this huge and majestic ce.

 Chapter 35 Within 31 days

    <h4>Chapter 35 Within 31 days</h4>

    "If you wish to make some changes, all you have to do is say the word, Miss Chen," the butler said and Abi quickly shook her head.

    "No, everything is absolutely beautiful. Thank you."

    "I''m d you like it, Miss."

    As Abigail stood there looking around the vast room, a room as big as her whole house! Straight in front was a lounge area with some lounge chairs and a coffee table. To the right of that was a tall floor to ceiling bookshelf which covered the right wall. Each shelf was filled to the brim with all kinds of books! To the left of the lounge area, she saw a massive four poster canopy bed dressed with light yellow, chiffon curtains hanging from them. They were pulled to the side and tied to the post which showed the bed that was inside it. It looked like a king size bed that had nkets and duvets covered in sheets of a floral yellow design. The pillows were inside matching pillowcases. It looked so soft and Abi had the sudden urge to climb on it and jump around like a little kid.

    Further to the right, she saw a couple of doors which she presumed would probably be the bathroom and closet but she didn''t investigate those. There would be plenty of time to do thatter on.

    As she looked around, she noticed that her luggage was already in the room! She looked at the butler in surprise. She didn''t see anyone pass them by as they were climbing up the grand staircase so howe her luggage was already here?!

    The butler seemed to have understood the questions and surprise in her eyes and he smiled.

    "I forgot to tell you, Miss, but there is an elevator. If you get tired of using the stairs, you can always use it."

    Whoa!! This house even had an elevator?

    Abi''s mouth could only form an ''O'' before she nodded at him.

    "Well then, Miss. You have a rest now, too. You must be tired. Please just call me if you need anything." He smiled politely before he slightly bowed to her and headed towards the door.

    Abi followed him to the door and as the old butler stepped out, he spoke as he pointed to the next room.

    "Miss Chen, that''s the master''s bedroom," he said. The doors of the room he pointed out were even bigger than hers! It was the biggest of all the rooms inside this house and it was located in the center. If this was a pce, his room would be the King''s! She was d that at least, it was easy to tell which room was his so she wouldn''t just wander off into it by ident.

    When the old man was gone, Abi just stood there, staring at the huge door of Alexander Qin''s room. She was somehow surprised that he actually gave her her own room. She really didn''t understand what went on his mind at all. He kept on trying to scare her ever since the very start so she had already thought of every possible scenario that was waiting for her in his house but what was waiting for her was actually this?

    While she was in the taxi cab, she kept thinking about his words and how he told her that he lived in a hellish world. She had imagined all kinds of things, from the kind of house he had and the kinds of people who were around him and that he might be living in a cold, dark, chaotic and dangerous ce. However, to her surprise, this was where she ended up, which was the furthest thing from her imagination as it could be. In fact, it was theplete opposite of what she had imagined! This ce could be called a paradise.

    Abigail shook her head as she entered her room. She knew this was too good to be true. She knew there had to be some reasons why Alexander Qin kept telling her that he was dangerous but right now Abi wanted to believe that everything was alright.

    Looking around again, Abigail couldn''t help but think of how many girlfriends Alexander Qin had brought here before her. Why did he need his girlfriends to live with him? What was that all about? Alexander Qin, who was he and what was he hiding?

    Too many questions flooded in Abi''s head but she decided to stop thinking about those matters. She didn''te here just to gather more questions and bug herself about them. She came here today because of her limited timeframe. Yes, this was the first day of their one-month deal, and she wasn''t going to waste the very first day just asking questions that might never be answered.

    Sitting on the bed, Abi brought out her small notebook. She had listed a number of things she wanted to do with him within 31 days.

    She was smiling as she read the lists in her mind. These were like the daily wishes she wanted to experience and surprisingly, she didn''t find it hard to imagine doing all these things with Alexander Qin.

    However, how would she make him agree to do all these things with her? That was the dilemma she was currently having.

    Remembering his ice cold gazes and the smirk on his lips, Abigail couldn''t help but heave a long sigh. She could already tell that this won''t be easy but after a moment, she lifted her hand and her fighting spirit zed in her eyes again. She was going to do this! Hell or high water - bring it on!

 Chapter 36 She didnt have i

    <h4>Chapter 36 She didn''t have i</h4>

    Abi grabbed her luggage and unpacked her things. She opened one of the doors to the far left and was right when she thought that it was a wardrobe. However, what she hadn''t expected when she turned the lights on, to see a humongous room! It was the size of her lounge back at home! One wall was covered with lots of square shelves - for shoes, she presumed - and another wall with rectangr shelves for bags and other essories? There was a big ind table in the middle with plenty of drawers on either side and the mirror and there was a rectangr mirror situated in the middle. This made her think that this was probably where women kept their hair and makeup essories. The other two walls hadrge rectangr shelves built for hanging dresses and jackets and scarves and all sorts of different clothing and there were drawers galore! It almost felt like it could be a small clothing and essories store if the shelves were filled with clothes and shoes and belts and hats and such. This was beyond crazy! Imagine if all those empty spaces were actually filled up with clothes! Who could afford that luxury? This then made her wonder if Alexander''s closet looked the same, without the makeup area and if his one was filled to the brim with clothes.

    She opened her luggage and started to put away her things and was dismayed by the fact that it didn''t even take up a meter of the shelves. Never mind! She wasn''t going to be staying here long, anyway.

    After unpacking her things, she grabbed her phone and gave Kelly a call to give her an update.

    Kelly picked up on the third ring. "Abi! Are you okay? How are things?"

    "Hi Kelly. Yeah, I am totally fine and things are, uh, a bit overwhelming to be honest¡­" Abi said honestly.

    "Oh? Howe?"

    "Well, first off, his house is not even a house, it''s like a mansion but better?"

    "Can I have a look Abi?"

    Abigail hesitated since she and Alexander still didn''t talk about this ¨C if she was allowed to do this. But in the end, she agreed because she didn''t want her friend to worry if she refuse.

    "Whoah! Oh my god, that''s HUGE!" Kelly yelled and as Abi continued showing her the room. Kelly started to worry. She knew that Alexander Qin was ultra, mega rich but this was a whole other level of rich and she knew what rich looked like, after all, her family was pretty well off as well. She somehow felt like when someone was as rich as this guy, he could very well get away with everything. After all, with moneyes power and if you had a lot of money, you also had a lot of power.

    "This ce is just¡­ out of this world." Abi mumbled after she finished showing Kelly the room.

    "Exactly! Are you sure you''re not in Europe?!"

    "Kelly, you know I''m not."

    "Ugh, that Alexander Qin, Who the hell is he? Abi¡­ just remember that you don''t have to do everything he asks of you. If it doesn''t feel right orfortable, don''t do it, okay? You have the right to say no and he can''t force you to do anything against your will. If he tries, juste back, you understand?" Kelly ran on like a worried mother hen but she couldn''t help it. This was her innocent best friend that was taking some pretty big leaps and she just wanted her to be safe. Who knew what Alexander Qin was capable of? She just wanted to remind her friend that she had the right to refuse anything at all that she didn''t want to do!

    "Kelly, I''m really okay. I promise I won''t do anything that I am not willing with. You don''t have to worry so much. It''s only for one month and I promise I will leave if things don''t work out."

    Somehow, Kelly was relieved. She knew that once Abi promised something, she would keep it so her words brought some relief to her mind. In the end, she rooted for her friend. She even ended up advising Abi to make the most of it and follow her heart and most of all, to enjoy the new experiences. This made Abi smile and made her feel relieved as well. Kelly''s words helped her feel morefortable with this whole thing knowing that she had her friend''s support and blessing.

    Once the call had ended, Abiid down on the fluffy,fortable bed. She stared at the ceiling and repeated Kelly''s words of encouragement to herself before she stood up and walked towards the bookshelves.

    As she looked at the books, Abi''s brows started to knot. The first time she entered, she had a feeling that no one seemed to have settled in here for not just a while but a very long period of time. She had shrugged the feeling away but now that she flipped through some books, she started to believe her gut instincts. These books were obviously hundred-year-old ssics but the strangest thing was that no one seemed to have opened them for a very long time. It wasn''t like they were dusty or covered in cobwebs - they were very well maintained - but the book cover and pages stuck to each other the way they would do if they hadn''t been opened for some time. Could it be that Alexander Qin''s past girlfriends never once bothered to open the books? That was the only thing she could think of and she thought that it was such a waste that they ignored these treasures. In saying that, judging from hisst girlfriend, she didn''t really seem like the bookworm type so maybe his other past girlfriends were the same.

    She ran her fingers softly along the spine of the books and sighed with great longing. If only she had the time, she would have loved to read all of these. But sadly, she didn''t have it; the luxury of time.

    As she was lost in her thoughts, Abi''s stomach suddenly growled. She looked at the clock and saw that it was already lunchtime. She was about to leave her room to go find something to eat when a maid knocked on her door.

    "Good day, Miss. I''m here to let you know that lunch is ready." A polite woman around her early thirties bowed at her. She was wearing a maid''s outfit and she was quite good looking.

    Abi couldn''t help but remember the romance stories she had read where the maids were often bullying or scheming or hating on the female leads that their masters brought home. That thought made Abi a little wary but the maid acted politely and respectfully and gave her no reason to be, so without anymore thought to that, she merrily went downstairs to tame her hungry tummy.

 Chapter 37 Three rules

    <h4>Chapter 37 Three rules</h4>

    Abigail was brought to another enormous hall which was the dining hall. This room was also enormous but she was starting to get used to that. What she wasn''t expecting was a long dining table that could sit about 20 people on each side. The table was made of wood, sealed and varnished, and had shiny bronze candbras with thin long candles, ced at meter long intervals. On the roof, there was another chandelier hanging from the rooftop. There was a golden chair at the head of the table and then rows of them on either side of the table.

    She walked towards the other end of the table where the tes and dishes wereid out waiting for her. She took to the right of the golden chair in the middle, which obviously Alexander''s, because this was where her te wasid out. As soon as she sat down, Charles, the butler, appeared beside her.

    She finally realized that everyone in this house, except Alexander Qin, was actually nice to her and she felt like they treated her like she was a princess, which made Abi feel a little ufortable.

    She looked at the extravagant tes of food on the table which looked so delicious as if they had been made by highly talented Michelin chefs, and wondered who else wasing. She looked around the table and saw that the table was only set for one. What? All of this just for one person?

    "The master''s still asleep and we can''t make you wait for him, so please enjoy your meal, Miss," Charles, the butler, suddenly said and after he finished speaking, all the maids as well as Charles, all stepped to the side, quietly waiting for her.

    Abi wasn''t so ignorant that she didn''t realise how things worked around here. She had at least watched and read about this kind of lifestyle but now that she was sitting there, actually experiencing it, she felt a little awkward and utterly sad. All of these luxuries didn''t feel like a luxury at all when you were eating by yourself with no one to share it with. This really was a very different lifepared to hers where, even though their food wasn''t fancy or plentiful, they were content and happy because they had each other.

    Was Alexander Qin always eating alone like this? Could this be the reason why he asked his girlfriends to live with him? Was he lonely?

    Abigail tried her best to eat as much as she could to show some respect to the cook. It was delicious, yes, but she found it hard to enjoy it, perhaps because she was used to her family happily eating together happily. She definitely wasn''t used to eating by herself and she definitely wasn''t used to having people watch her eat. She finished her meal quickly and thanked Charles and the maids for the meal before she headed out of the dining room.

    As she walked into the corridor, Abi decided to roam around the house to familiarize herself with it. It really was a beautiful house. Wherever she went, whatever room she ended up in, she would stare in awe at the design and at the furniture and the paintings and decor on the walls.

    Abi then found herself in the empty ballroom and what caught her eye was the grand piano in its lonely corner of the room, with only the sunshine keeping itpany. Although it was clean and shiny, Abi somehow could tell that it hadn''t been used for a very long time. She walked towards it, drawn to its lonely soul and wondered why such a beautiful thing had been left by itself for so long and her thoughts were drawn back to the man who lived here.

    It was already about four in the afternoon and Alexander Qin''s shadow was nowhere to be seen. Was he still asleep? Abi was a bit puzzled. She really couldn''t imagine that godly creature being such a sleeping log. ''Or,'' she thought, ''he might really be exhausted or sleep deprived.''

    Her fingers were lightly caressing the piano''s keys when she felt a gaze on her. She turned around and there he was. Alexander was standing by the pir, leaning there, looking like a model. He had changed his clothes and his hair was a little damp.

    "Littlemb is interested in pianos?" he asked and Abi gaped at him for a moment as he approached her.

    "Yes, I like pianos."

    "Do you want to y?" he asked, curious.

    "I''d love to, but¡­"

    "But?"

    "Shouldn''t we talk about the contract first?" Abi was not beating around the bush.

    "Oh, gutsy littlemb," heughed as he bent and touched her cheek. "I think I should train you about patience."

    Abi subconsciously gulped because of the way he looked at her. He just seemed like he was thinking about something she couldn''t even imagine.

    "No, it''s not because I''m impatient. I just think that that should be the first thing we should talk about. I want to know what I am allowed or not allowed to do as your girlfriend," she exined, looking as serious as ever.

    Alexander found her way of thinking quite amusing. It seemed like this girl was all about doing things ever so properly.

    "There''s no need for you to sign a contract, Abigail."

    "Why?"

    "Because¡­ I think you''re too na?ve to plot against me. Those contracts were just for formalities, in case things turned¡­ sour." He said with a serious tone and yful smirk as he tilted his face and his dark grey eyes downward to look at her.

    "All you have to do is follow three rules, Abigail¡­" He started and Abigail held her breathe in anticipation. She was a little nervous. "First, you will be home before or during twilight. Anyter than that and you''ll be punished. Understand?"

    Abi blinked. She didn''t expect that this was actually his first rule.

    "I understood¡­ I just thought that my curfew is pretty early." She trailed off but Alexander just looked at her with eyes silently saying the words ''my house, my rules''.

    "Second, while you''re in this house, you will listen to no one but me. Only do what I ask you to do. Understand?" Abi nodded again. "Andst, but not the least ¨C"

    "I won''t ask or demand for your love. Got it." Abi took the words out of his mouth and Alexander eyes glittered with something she couldn''t fathom, as a smile curved on his face.

    "If you abide by those three rules, then, we''ll be fine, Abigail¡­" he trailed off as he cupped her face again. A glorious, chilling hue popped against his long dark,shes as he stared at her. "If not¡­"

 Chapter 38 Like ice and fire

    <h4>Chapter 38 Like ice and fire</h4>

    "If not¡­ you already know what will happen, right?" Alexander''s expression changed again and he was now looking at her like he was challenging her.

    But Abigail stood her ground and stared back into his cold, icy eyes. "Yes."

    "Good girl." He smiled, seemingly amused again.

    "I-is that all?" Abi meekly asked, and when he answered a firm and solid as a cold stone "Yes," Abi was relieved but somehow, a little doubtful. This was really unexpected.

    Noticing the disbelief in her eyes, that crooked and yful smile curved on Alexander''s face.

    "Why? Would you prefer more?" he asked and Abigail quickly shook her head.

    "No, no, of course not. Your rules¡­ I understand them very clearly¡­ I have noints."

    "Good."

    "But I just have some questions."

    "Ask."

    "Uhm¡­ What are the things I should do during my stay here? You said I should only do the things you want me to do¡­ but what are those?"

    "Good question. Come here, Abigail." Alexander was already sitting gracefully on the piano chair as he spoke. Abigail pressed her lips tight and slowly moved closer to him. Once she stood right before him, Alexander turned her around so that she was now facing away from him, ced his hands on Abi''s waist and pulled her towards him, making her sit on hisp.

    "Of course, you will fulfill your duty as my girlfriend," he whispered and that warm breath that caressed the crook of her neck along with thatnguid, enchanting voice by her ear, left Abi dumbstruck.

    "C-can you tell me, specifically? This is my first time in a rtionship so I''d like to be prepared ¨C"

    "Shhh¡­ Don''t worry about that, Abigail. I''ve already put a n together on how to teach you everything you need to know. I will raise you into a good girlfriend."

    "O-okay."

    "That is if¡­ you can handle my training and won''t run away screaming."

    She couldn''t see his face but she knew he was wearing that dangerous smile of his again.

    "I''m not going to run away." She persevered and she heard him chuckle.

    "Well, we shall see about that. Any more questions?"

    Abigail tried to turn to look at his face but the man didn''t let her. "Don''t move, just ask," he ordered and Abi slightly shuddered again. Alexander Qin was like both winter and summer, like ice and fire. He switched from both without any warning. He would either ze like a roaring fire, burning her or appear out of nowhere like a blizzard, freezing her. He was too unpredictable and she could find no apparent reason for why he kept changing. At that moment, he was simply cold. His voice, his eyes, his smile and chuckles, everything about him was breathtakingly beautiful but he was just¡­ too cold.

    Despite that, Abigail didn''t want to get burned or just let herself get frozen to death by him. She had to deal with him, learn how to handle him, and get used to him or else things would always go his way. She would try to love this beautiful ice king but she would do it her way. She didn''t want to just get swept away into the dark ocean without a paddle in her hands.

    "Since the only thing I can''t ask for is for you to love me, that means I can ask for any other requests, right?" she said and she felt him be still under her.

    When he finally moved, he turned her around and made her face him. He gazed up at her with his probing and yful eyes while a smile yed at the corner of his lips.

    "It depends on the request. And¡­ Abigail¡­ if it isn''t money you''re asking for, I will have you work hard for every request you make."

    Abigail didn''t know why but from the way he said those words, she felt like he would make it extra hard for her. It was as if he was telling her that it won''t be easy to request anything from him.

    "Work? Okay, I got it," she replied enthusiastically and Alex smirked.

    "Are you going to ask me to do my girlfriend duty tonight?"

    "No, not yet Abigail. Why? Are you that eager to get on with it?"

    "That''s not it. I just thought that since you weren''t nning to do anything tonight then, would it be okay for me to ask for a request now?" she asked and Alex let out augh.

    "You just got here Abigail¡­ and you''re already asking for a request? What a brave littlemb."

    "But I¡­ I have listed the things I want to do with you within the thirty-one days. I have to do one thing on my list to achieve my daily quota," she exined in an utterly enthusiastic voice, like a child reporting her father about the list of things she had to aplish during her one month vacation.

 Chapter 39 First reques

    <h4>Chapter 39 First reques</h4>

    Abigail had aimed to at least do one of the things she had listed every day, because if not, she would not be able toplete her list. She knew she had to at least wait to familiarize herself with him but if she wanted to finish the list she must do at least one everyday in these 31 days.

    Alexander was utterly speechless. He couldn''t believe this girl at all. Was she really not fearful of him at all? How could she be like this? She actually made a list? A daily goal? And he was involved in her quest for experience and knowledge? Was she only using him toplete these things on her list? Was that why she wanted to be his girlfriend so badly? Alexander could only smile in disbelief.

    But for some reason, he also felt curious. What were these things on her list? Could it be that this littlemb was much more daring than he thought?

    "Fine, but I can''t guarantee whether I will agree to it or not. Now tell me."

    Abigail stared deeply into Alexander''s eyes before she opened her mouth.

    "y a video game with me," she said and what greeted her after her words was just utter silence.

    ". . ."

    Alexander was dumbstruck. He looked at her with a quizzical expression because he couldn''t tell from looking at her whether she was serious or not. When she didn''t jump out and follow her statement with an "I''m joking! haha", he saw that she was more than serious and he smiled at her smugly. He couldn''t believe that this girl''s first ever request would be something like this. What the hell was this littlemb thinking?! This girl was just utterly unfathomable in his eyes.

    "What? Are you a gamer?" was all Alexander said. His eyes remained fixated on her, as if he was still dissecting every little expression she made.

    "No, but I want to experience ying a game with my boyfriend. I think it looks fun so it made it to the list as one of the things I''d like to experience," she exined. From all the things on the list she had, she chose this because apart from being one of the easiest, she thought that this was the perfect way for her to get familiar andfortable around him. She thought that it would definitely help her to at least loosen up her stiff nerves around him. Plus, it was the truth. She included this on her list because she really found this quite romantic. ying a game with one''s boyfriend was such a romantic gesture, since she always swooned everytime this scene appeared on tv or in the books she was reading.

    "Oh right! I need to work hard to make you agree, don''t I?" Abi snapped before Alexander could speak. "Ah, do you want a massage?" she asked and without waiting for his response, she hastily moved to stand behind him and started massaging Alexander''s shoulders.

    Alexander was speechless. He really could notprehend what went through this woman''s brain. She was like an alien! What was the use of trying to decipher her when she made no logical sense!

    As he was internally moaning about her, the fact that she was massaging him, that she was touching his body finally registered in his mind. Her touch was firm and fluid and he actually felt his muscles rxing under her ministrations.

    "C''mon, it''s an easy request. Just y a game with me. If you agree, I''ll massage your back too!" She urged enthusiastically.

    Although her massaging skills weren''t bad and even admitted to himself that he quite liked it, a solid "No," was still his answer.

    Abi stopped the moment she heard his answer. She knew this wasn''t going to be easy. She knew that Alexander Qin wasn''t the type of man who would easily mellow down and agree to her requests just like that. What should she do to melt this ancient cier?

    "Don''t stop," he suddenly ordered, causing Abi to snap back to present. She was thinking about how to persuade him but this man was not even giving her enough time to think.

    Abi still didn''t move her hands. She could just feel that he had that damned smirk on his face again.

    "You dare to disobey me? Huh? Littlemb?"

    "I only need to obey you when I''m doing my duty as a girlfriend," Abigail blurted out without thinking and she instantly bit her lips after she said it.

    "Abigail, this is one of my girlfriend''s duties." The man looked sideways at her. His voice was domineering but Abigail didn''t even flinch and immediately retorted.

    "Mr. Qin. I, at least, know that giving a massage is the job of a massage therapist, not the job of a girlfriend." She blurted this out so confidently as if she was stating a certain universal truth, causing Alexander tough a soft enchantingugh. `This littlemb¡­''

 Chapter 40 Bargain

    <h4>Chapter 40 Bargain</h4>

    "I''m not going to continue unless you agree to my request." She pouted and Alexander narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so against it? Is it because you suck at games? Don''t worry, I''ll teach you," she added, as she started urging him and coaxing him. She even encouraged him like she suddenly became a department store''s sales clerk.

    "I promise, it''ll be fun. And¡­ as a reward, you will get a fine massage from me. This is like a buy one take one sale. You''re getting a bargain!"

    Alexander was bewildered. He couldn''t believe she was already acting like this. Not even a day had passed yet and she was already treating him this way. She was already being this persistent, even treating him without a tiny bit of fear at all. All the girls he had met had never acted this way around him. They all knew he was dangerous; a man they couldn''t afford to mess with or joke with or even dare to disobey. All of those girls beforehand had always acted like they were around a king but this girl, this littlemb¡­ why was acting she like this?

    He was sure that she knew it and felt it. Everyone who got close to him always felt it - the immense coldness and utter darkness that acted like an invisible shield around his body. He knew she could feel it, just like everyone else, and yet, she still acted like this; like a child who kept trying to touch a dangerous wolf without any care about the dirt and disease that pulsated within its body, as if she didn''t care if she ended up being beaten to death.

    Because of Alexander''s silence, Abi tilted her head down to look at his face when suddenly, Charles walked into the room.

    "Excuse me, Miss Abi," the butler said and Abi stepped aside as the man whispered in Alex''s ear.

    The air around Alexander immediately became heavy, causing Abi to deduce that whatever the butler said wasn''t good news to him.

    He looked at Abigail with a pretty serious gaze.

    "Abigail, go back to your room first. Don''te out until I say so." His twisted smile had long left his lips.

    "Huh? But you still didn''t ¨C"

    At that moment, a merciless chill was suddenly emitted from those intense eyes, intimidating and locking her down on the spot.

    The look onlysted a second, but it chilled her so much that the hairs on her arms stood up. Abi flinched and just froze there.

    Alexander stood majestically before her as he cupped her face. "We''ll y after this. Now go," he said.

    Abi wanted to celebrate but she didn''t, not when he agreed to her request looking this emotionless. She wondered, ''why was he so cold?'' Would those ciers in his eyes really never melt?

    Abigail looked down as soon as his eyes released her and she obediently nodded at him. "Okay."

    Inside her room, Abigail couldn''t stop herself from thinking hard. She didn''t want to be gloomy. He had agreed so she should be delighted, right? But so many questions ran through her head. Why did he ask her to stay in her room? Was he trying to hide her from someone? Or was he hiding something from her?

    These questions continued revolving around her head, relentlessly like the sr system, for a long time. She tried to distract herself by preparing everything they were going to need for when they yed. When that was done, she fixed her bed, browsed through a few books that she found interesting, re-read the items on her list and listened to some music.

    Before she knew it, three hours had passed. It was already dark outside but Alexander still hadn''te. She wondered what was going on and curiosity got the better of her. Abi went to her window which overlooked the vast front yard. She saw four ck cars, which were obviously very expensive looking and she figured whoever his visitors were, they were loaded. She could see that these cars were those types of cars that the country''s president would use during a parade.

    She stood there for a long time until she saw a few people start toe out. The men in ck, who were standing by the cars, finally moved.

 Chapter 41 Show me

    <h4>Chapter 41 Show me</h4>

    Abigail craned her neck to get a better view. She waited in anticipation to get a glimpse of who these people were. Maybe she might even recognise some of them. Her head was almost touching the ss on the window as she looked towards the entrance. She was thankful that this house had a very good lighting system.

    A few seconds ticked by before she finally saw a woman dressed in a beautiful evening gown walk out. Abigail just gaped at her. She couldn''t see her face but she could tell from her silhouette that she may be slightly older, perhaps around her forties, yet still breathtakingly beautiful. She had that figure and aura of grace and elegance as well as authority that reminded Abi of the images of queens in many fantasy movies she had watched. Abi wondered who she was. If only she would look up so she could see her face!

    Abigail stared at her as the woman walked towards the car where a man in a ck suit held the door open for her.

    Abi bit her lips as she thought that she would not be able to see her face but then, the woman suddenly halted. Abi didn''t know why but her heart elerated. She just knew that the woman was going to turn around and look up towards her.

    Holding her breath, Abi didn''t want to blink as she didn''t want to miss this chance. However, the moment the woman was about to turn around and look at her, a pair ofrge hands covered her eyes and pulled her away from the window.

    Abi instantly knew it was Alex.

    "Alex! You''re here! I see that your visitors are just leaving¡­" Abigail uttered the moment he removed his hand from her eyes.

    "Unwanted visitors," he stressed and Abi swallowed at the displeasure in his eyes. As she stared at him in that moment, she saw that his eyes seemed to swirl with many secrets but he held them locked inside a treasure chest so beautiful you wouldn''t dare to open it for fear of what you might find within.

    It just looked as if he had a secret she wouldn''t enjoy hearing about. But if she could, she would still want to know it. She didn''t know why but she didn''t only seem to be fascinated by the lights that this jellyfish was emitting, she was also curious about the poison he carried. And maybe it was outrageous of her but she was not scared, and even willing, to unravel whatever mysteries he was hiding.

    ¡­

    Trying to elevate the mood, Abigail spoke cheerfully. "Are we going to y now? I''ve already prepared everything." She looked up at him and smiled, her eyes shining with excitement.

    "No. We''re not going to y."

    "But you said we were going to y!" She pouted like a spoiled little child who got told no.

    "That was a joke," a rueful grin finally curved on his face but Abi just puffed her cheeks. She had been waiting for a whole three hours, patiently waiting for him toe and even prepared everything to make it easy for him but he just turned around and said he was joking?!

    "No, you already agreed!" She protested but the man just chucked again.

    Tilting his head, he smirked evilly at her. "Were you expecting me to be a chivalrous person, huh, Abigail? I am that type of creature who spouts out jokes and whenever he wants to. I''m certain that you already expected that."

    Abigail was speechless. Here he was again, emitting a coldness that was like frozen ice. She really couldn''t read any of his expressions so his thoughts were closed off to her. What should she do to make him agree to her request? If she failed tonight on such a simple request, it would be a devastating loss for her because it meant that going forward, she may not seed in ticking off anything from her list at all! However, if she seeded in persuading him to do this, then it might not be hard for her to make him agree to her next requests.

    "Tell me, what should I do to make you agree to my request?" Abi asked and Alex smiled.

    Without a word, he climbed on her bed and made himselffortable. He sat there and leaned against her bed''s white headboard. He stared deeply at her as his sexy deep voice rang in her ears.

    "Come, littlemb. I''ll agree to your request if you show me how hardworking you are. Make me feel good."

 Chapter 42 Foreplay

    <h4>Chapter 42 Forey</h4>

    Abigail slowly walked towards the bed and climbed on it, her eyes locked onto his.

    She knelt on the bed, at his feet while Alex leaned on the headboard.

    "If I can make you feel good, will you y a game with me?" she asked, gazing at him with serious and determined eyes.

    "Hmm¡­ you heard me, Abigail."

    "And you''re serious this time, right? This isn''t another one of your jokes?"

    Alexander smiled, knowingly.

    "That''s the right attitude, littlemb. Confirm the details. Make sure of things first, don''t just believe any man''s words so easily," he said, staring back at her intensely. "Rest assured¡­ I''m not kidding this time."

    Abigail let out a deep breath before she finally moved again. She inched a little closer to him but then she stopped, as if a thought just popped in her head.

    "What signs should I look for to know if you''re feeling good?" she asked again, causing Alex''s brows to arch. "You did say I should make sure I confirm the details."

    Another smirk left Alexander''s lips. This girl was simply interesting. She never ceased to surprise him with every little thing she did and said.

    "Good question, Abigail¡­ but are you sure you want signs, and not just a word from me?" he asked, smugly.

    "Since you have the tendency to joke around, you might im that it''s a joketer on so I think I want physical signs. Just to be sure."

    "But Abigail, physical signs could be faked as well. Are you confident enough that you can make my body react?"

    Abigail pressed her lips tightly and stared at him before she nodded confidently. She remembered her grandmother''s words when she was teaching her how to perform a rxing massage, saying that this massage would make anyone feel good. She believed her grandmother and she herself had experienced how nice it felt, so she was certain she could make him feel good.

    "Yes."

    "Okay, how about this? If you make my body react even a little, then you win," he challenged her and Abi swallowed before she nodded.

    "Okay! Please remove your shirt so we can start," she said as she stretched her hands but Alex chuckled again.

    "Abigail, that''s not nice. You should undress me, don''t you think? Think of it as forey."

    "Forey?"

    "Yes, forey."

    Abigail tilted her head. She was trying to remember where she heard that word before.

    Alexander, of course, noticed that she seemed to be brainstorming and he shook his head in amusement.

    "Abigail, forey is an alien''snguage. Do you want me to trante it for you?"

    "You''re joking again. I, at least, have heard of that word. I think it means action or behavior that precedes an event."

    Alexander chuckled. "Did you read it in the dictionary?"

    "No, I just once asked my teacher what that word meant back when I was in grade school because I overheard some people in the park saying it."

    "So you didn''t check it in the dictionary. Your teacher omitted the most important meaning of it, though," he smiled, seductively. "Do you want to know?"

    Abigail blinked at him and then her head snapped towards the dictionary on the shelves.

    "You won''t find that word in that old dictionary, Abigail. The first known use of the word forey is in the 1920''s after all," he exined, looking amused.

    Abigail returned her gaze towards him. She looked amazed.

    "Okay, listen littlemb. Fore is short for before and y means just that - except the game is for adults. Basically, forey is sexual actions that people do to each other before having sex," he said with a straight face and Abi blushed.

    "B-but, we are not going to have s-sex. I''m just going to massage you," she replied, a little flustered, and Alex just shed his mischievous smile again.

    "Well, you can treat this as part of your training. Now,e undress me, Abigail," he sexily muttered. The way he looked at her at that moment was as if he was a forest spirit luring her with his bright, shimmering eyes.

    Abigail was immediately lured out and she finally moved, as if she was hypnotized.

    She shuffled closer to him so that she could reach the buttons of his shirt. However, before she could start unbuttoning them, Alex stopped her.

    "That''s not the right way, littlemb¡­" he whispered. "Do it while straddling me."

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

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 Chapter 43 Black dragon

    <h4>Chapter 43 ck dragon</h4>

    Abigail turned red again but she still did what he said. She sat up on her knees, lifted a leg over his torso and ced it on the other side so that she was straddling him, as instructed.

    "Good," he said, smiling in satisfaction.

    Abi looked at the top button on his shirt. Her expression was still peaceful, so peaceful that it made Alex''s eyes squinted. She was about to unbutton them when Alexander stopped her again.

    "Look me in the eyes, Abigail. Unbutton them without breaking your gaze from mine," he uttered and Abigail just innocently nodded.

    "Okay."

    Abigail looked up and the moment she met his intense gaze, she suddenly felt something strange. She felt like he was looking deep into her soul, as if he was searching if there were any dark hidden secrets while she just became lost in his. His eyes were like a ck hole, sucking her in without warning, without mercy and without a way out.

    She gazed at him more intently, trying to see as deep as she could, but she could only graze at the surface of who this man was. She felt mesmerized, hypnotized as she swallowed in a subconscious gesture. Her breathing became less even and her mouth became dry and the heat from his body slowly crept into her as if she was slowly sinking into a boiling hot bath.

    Feeling like she had no control of her body, she felt herself lean forward as she ran her hands from his chest up towards his neck, blindly looking for that top button of his shirt. When she found it, she slowly unbuttoned it, trailed her fingers down to the next and unbuttoned that one and then the next and the next one after that, all without looking away from him.

    "You''re a fast learner, littlemb," he shed a satisfied smile, almost as if he was proud of her excellent work.

    His words broke the spell he cast on her and she finally tore her gaze away from his. Unfortunately, her eyes went down to check her handiwork and was met by a sight that was just as mesmerising and alluring.

    Abigail subconsciously swallowed as she gazed at this perfect creature. She flushed as she slid her hands over his smooth shoulders and down along his arms to fully remove his shirt. She then got up and moved from on top of him and asked him to lie down on his front.

    Alexander just smiled and obediently did as she said.

    But the moment his bare back was exposed to her, Abi gasped with what she saw. There was a tattoo on his back. The tattoo covered most of his back and it was in the image of a ck dragon. Its head started from Alexander''s right shoulder and its body wound its way down his back, ending with its tail on his lower back. The details were amazing and very well defined, almost as if it could jump into life at any moment. It''s cold and piercing eyes looked out towards the world, as if it was guarding its master back and it looked menacing as if it would show no mercy to whoever was caught in its sharp ws. Its sharp teeth were bared, a signal to everyone else to keep away and its scales were as ck as midnight, a symbol of the darkness of the world it lived in.

    She was dumbstruck. The dragon was breathtaking. It was undoubtedly a work of art, as eye catching and beautiful as its master but she didn''t know why looking at it made her heart feel sad. The dragon looked like it reeked with nothing but immense power and darkness. Its eyes were as cold and terrifying as Alexander''s but for some strange reason that Abi couldn''t quite put her finger on, something made her feel like she wanted to touch it and embrace it, the same way she felt with Alexander.

    "Stop staring, littlemb. Or did my tattoo scare you?" he asked in a mocking tone.

    To his surprise, the girl reached out and touched his back, hesitantly traced the dragon and caressed it as if she was trying to tame it. Alexander was speechless. He obviously didn''t expect this reaction from her.

    "D-did this hurt when they drew this little guy on your back?" she asked and Alexander''s body became stiff as a rock.

    After some moment, he smiled.

    "You''re talking as if it''s alive, Abigail. Don''t you know that girls usually get scared of it?"

    "Why? I guess looking at it, it does feel like it''s gonna eat me alive. It does look scary but¡­ I''m not scared¡­ Because, I think, this guy here looks just the same as you."

    Strangely, Alexander didn''t respond anymore. He fell quiet for a long while and his silence made Abi a little anxious. What happened? Did she say something wrong?

    "I¡­ I''m going to start now," she said to change the topic and finally, the man spoke again.

    "You better. I''m almost reaching my limit here waiting for you to start."

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

    We''re getting closer to our goal ^^

    Keep voting!!?

 Chapter 44 Bulging

    <h4>Chapter 44 Bulging</h4>

    Abi then started the massage. She straddled him again and sat on his lower back to get better leverage while giving the massage. She started on his shoulders, moulding and kneading in a circr motion, and worked her way down to his lower back. She used her thumbs to put more pressure in areas that needed it. She put her back into it, giving it everything she had but as time went by, a frown started to form on her face.

    She did everything she was taught and more but she didn''t get even a little response, not even a twitch!

    She thought back to how her body reacted when her grandmother massaged her back and she remembered herself letting out a groan or moan and her skin became hot and rxed.

    But Alexander was like a lifeless mannequin. He didn''t even utter an ''ouch'' when she purposely pressed a painful spot. He didn''t even flinch. There was no reaction at all.

    Abi was starting to feel demotivated. She was already sweating from her hard work but there was no way she would give up! She didn''t believe that he was not feeling good at all. Could it be that he was trying to suppress his reactions? Or did she miss it? Or could it be that men have different and subtle ways of feeling good?

    Now that she thought about it, Abi realized that she had never massaged a man before and she didn''t really know how men would react when they felt good.

    "Uhm¡­ I just need to go to the bathroom for a moment," Abi excused herself and grabbed her phone before dashing to the bathroom.

    Once she was inside, she quickly browsed the inte.

    [How to know if a man is feeling good?]

    After reading some answers, Abi quickly put the phone away and jumped back on the bed next to him.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, I''d like to massage your front as well," she said as she blushed.

    Alex smirked at her but he didn''t waste a moment and quickly flipped over andid on his back, showing her his perfectly hard and defined abs like delicious choctes.

    He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek.

    "What a bold littlemb. I''m notining, though," he smiled sexily.

    "C-can you close your eyes? They''re a little bit distracting¡­"

    "Sure."

    She was d that he agreed. After he closed his eyes, Abi''s eyes fell on his groin. She swallowed before she started massaging him again.

    She started from his shoulders and moved downwards exactly like she did on his back just a moment ago, except this time, she didn''t straddle him. She kept going, massaging all his perfect muscles, all the while ncing at his groin every minute or so.

    Her hands worked their way towards his hard abs and massaged it thoroughly before moving towards his lower abdomen. She massaged around there and was about to reach his v line when¡­

    Abigail suddenly stopped.

    "Yey!! I won!!" she suddenly dered happily, like a child who won a race.

    Alexander rose, frowning at her. He made sure that he wouldn''t show any reaction, even if her massage felt extremely good. Actually, he never felt this rxed for a long long time which was why he was going to agree to her request, even if she technically failed. She deserved a reward for a job well done and he was just ying it all cool because he wanted it tost longer.

    "Abigail, who told you to stop?" he asked and Abi faced him with a triumphant look on her face. "Who said you won? I didn''t ¨C"

    "Don''t lie, Alex. I know you felt good. Look, it''s bulging..." she eximed as she pointed at his groin.

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

    Wahh!! We''re 1k votes away from our goal!!

    I better go and prepare the mass release now ^^

    Keep Voting!!!

 Chapter 45 Little monster

    <h4>Chapter 45 Little monster</h4>

    A while ago, the first answer Abi had read on the web was:

    [Pretty easy, just look at his groin, if you see a bulge there, then he definitely feels good or even feels really good.]

    She didn''t have time to read anymore than that so she didn''t look any further.

    Thankfully, the thing she had read was actually telling the truth. She could now see the bulge she was waiting for!

    Alexander on the other hand, was speechless as his eyes fell on his bulge. He seemed a little surprised. No, he was very surprised. He didn''t even realize that he was actually hard. He, of all people, actually got hard just because of this girl''s massage.

    ''Littlemb, you sure are dangerous¡­'' he muttered in his head before he finally looked at her. This silly girl¡­

    She was still smiling triumphantly but what caught his eye the most was her glistening from her sweat. Her hair was stuck on her face, sweat ran down her neck, and her big wide eyes¡­ for some reason, they were damn so seductive, just looking at her made him even harder.

    The next moment, he yanked her and made her kneel again, with him between her legs. She subconsciously sat down on him but the moment she felt his bulge on her, she suddenly sat up on her knees again.

    "My littlemb¡­ you made me lie down facing you so you could see the moment my little monster woke up, huh?" he said with a mischievous and sexy smirk on his lips.

    Abigail flushed. "L-little monster? W-why would you call it t-that?" she was flustered. ''And¡­ it doesn''t look so little at all!'' she thought.

    Her reaction made Alexander smile even wider. He just loved to tease this innocent, littlemb. Watching her reactions towards him was like watching fireworks blow up in the night sky. He knew that they would be spectacr but he didn''t know what colours and shapes would pop out next and the anticipation of what woulde next was the best part.

    He moved closer and whispered in her ear. "Do you want to see it?" he asked sexily and Abi felt her blood rush to her face. She didn''t know how many more times she could blush within a space of a day! This certainly had beaten whatever measly record she had in the past. In fact, she had never blushed like this until she met this Alexander Qin!

    She covered her face with her palms and shook her head. "N-no, I don''t want to see it."

    A low and enchanting chuckle echoed inside the room.

    "Ah, Abigail, what should I do with you?" he asked, his face brimming with amusement. He found it extremely entertaining just watching her and he couldn''t help but want to see more. "You don''t want to see it, huh? I think you should start familiarizing yourself with it now, though. So it won''t scare you when the timees."

    He smiled and Abi gulped. "Look what you''ve done, Abigail. The little monster got angry because you woke it up from its sleep."

    Abi looked at it and the bulge seemed to be even bigger. She even saw it move and her eyes widened.

    "I-it moved?" she asked, surprised as she looked at Alex.

    Alexanderughed again.

    "Mm. It moved. Take responsibility, littlemb, and tame the little monster or else it won''t calm down. It might even go berserk."

    "Y-your joke is not funny."

    "Nope, it''s not a joke Abigail," he looked totally serious and then without warning, he moved her and made her sit beside him.

    "Touch it, Abigail," he whispered in her. "We can''t y the game unless this little monster calms down."

    Abigail froze as her thoughts ran wild. W-what? How did things get to this point?! One moment she was celebrating because she had achieved her goal, and the next moment, this happened. She didn''t know what to do. What should she do?

    As she thought about it, Abigail was surprised in that she didn''t feel repulsed or scared. She didn''t feel any negative emotions at the thought. She guessed that maybe giving him a massage just before helped with it. She had straddled him, touched him and she didn''t feel like it was a bad experience at all. Maybe having control over the situation helped as well. Alex justy still and didn''t do anything at all so she felt quite safe. Although to be fair, she didn''t intend for things to turn in this direction but as she thought about it all, she felt a bit calmer.

    However, she did feel some apprehension as she had obviously not done anything like this before. She had no idea what to do!

    "Don''t be scared, Abigail. Don''t worry, it won''t bite," he uttered and Abi swallowed as she slowly moved her hand towards his bulge.

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

    Yey! We''re close!!

    Mass release ising!

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 Chapter 46 So... what?

    <h4>Chapter 46 So... what?</h4>

    [WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS.]

    Abigail''s hand reached out towards it but halted right before she was about to touch the little monster through his pants. She could feel her heartbeat getting wilder, as if there were horses having a bloody race inside her veins.

    Biting her lips, she slowly turned and looked at Alex.

    "Abigail, I told you. Don''t make the little monster wait or you''ll regret it," the man said. There was a yful smile on his face but the intensity in his eyes was giving her a real warning that the little monster might really go berserk if she kept dying things.

    "I- I''ll do it," She then replied and she returned her gaze towards his bulge.

    Alexander waited in anticipation as her hand inched closer to his member. She was so damn slow that Alexander felt like he was going to lose it at any second. But truth be told, he never once thought that that pace was slow when the other girls did this to him. He didn''t understand why he was feeling like this towards this littlemb alone. What was so different about her that she had this strange and unnerving effect on him?

    Finally, Abigail''s forefinger touched it - or more like poked it - and as if she just touched a certain unknown creature inside a box, she flinched and pulled her hand away at lightning speed. Her expression looked like she just touched something dangerous as her eyes snapped back to Alexander''s face.

    Alex let out a deep sigh of surrender as he bit his lips hard.

    He took her hand and put it on his cheek, gazing at her with his signature intense gaze, as his fingers crawled and covered the back of her hand.

    "Littlemb¡­ the little monster is really not a good guy once it goes berserk. So I think I better help you out in taming him," he whispered in a hypnotic voice before he intertwined his fingers with hers.

    And then, he slowly moved her hand towards his groin.

    The next moment, Abi''s hand finallynded on it. She was still spellbound by Alex''s intense gaze, so her mind only vaguely registered that her hand was on a long, solid object.

    She was only startled back into the present when she felt something move from under her hand and she immediately looked down to see what it was. Her eyes slowly widened as she realised that her hand was on top of his¡­

    For the nth time that day, her face turned beet red and she squeezed her eyes closed. She didn''t know if that was a good idea because now, all she could concentrate on was her hand and his ''feel good'' telltale.

    The material of his pants felt a little rough in her palm and her hand started to feel very warm from the heating from both on top and below it. Her whole body was as still as a statue but in the next second, she felt it move again, as if it twitched. She bit her lip and then she slowly wrapped her fingers around him, through his pants.

    Abi gasped because she finally realized how thick it was. She couldn''t wrap her hand all the way around it because of his pants, but she thought that her hand might have been too small to wrap around it even without this hindrance.

    "I-it''s so¡­ so¡­ b-b¡­" she stammered, flushing hard.

    "So¡­ what?" he teased and Abi subconsciously attempted to move her hand away. Unfortunately, Alex''s hand was holding her hand in ce so she couldn''t even let go of the little, no, big monster.

    "Abigail, I should warn you. If you pull away, the little monster will get displeased and he will be an even bigger monster if you do that," he added as he cupped her face with his free hand. "Come, let''s continue."

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

    Yey!! we finally reached our goal!!

    thank you for voting!!

    Please keep voting for this book ^^

    Also, please consider leavingments in each chapter and leave a review as well. Your votes andments are my fuel to keep writing so keep theming ^^

    ~? kazzen

 Chapter 47 Over

    <h4>Chapter 47 Over</h4>

    [WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS.]

    Before Abigail could say anything, the man pressed her hand on the big monster again.

    Abi was in a state of shock and bewilderment but surprisingly, she also became curious. This was the first time she had ever touched a man''s member and as her fingers wrapped around him, that curiosity undoubtedly increased.

    "I know this is your first time touching a co¡­ a little monster, so why don''t you help yourself and familiarize yourself with it? I know you''re curious Abigail¡­ this will be an important part of your quest for knowledge after all." He encouraged her although deep inside, he was quite surprise because he actually stopped himself from talking dirty just now. Why did he stop? Was he being guilty or something about tainting this pure littlemb? No, he must have just restrained himself. He thought that he''d only fluster her even more if he also starts talking dirty. There were still plenty of days for that, he thought.

    While Alex was reasoning with himself, Abigail swallowed. She was utterly nervous but utterly curious at the same time. He was right, she had to familiarize herself with this or else she would never calm down. Actually, she was d that he was at least giving her time to adjust and feed her anxiety and curiosity.

    As if she was about to jump onto an unknown adventure realm, Abigail took a deep breath and then, an intense concentration zed in her eyes.

    Finally, she started moving. She used her forefinger and thumb to squeeze the hidden monster, curious to see if it was really as hard as a rock or maybe it had some soft bits as well. As she squeezed it, she felt it react to her touch, so, as if she was conducting an experiment, she squeezed it again to see if it would do the same thing again. To her surprise, it did!

    Feeling braver, she used two fingers this time and she got the same reaction again. She then moved along his shaft, stopping and squeezing him with her forefinger and thumb every now and again, like a child who found a new toy to y with.

    After she got tired of that, she took her forefinger and she ced it on the tip of this hidden monster and then, as if she was drawing a line, moved her finger from the tip towards the other end, curious to know where it started and where it ended. Afterwards, she walked her fingers from the end of his hard little monster back to the tip. She noticed that when she touched the tip of this big monster, it would always jump out at her, every single time. She poked the tip of his arousal once, twice, three times and then once more before she was finally satisfied that his reaction wasn''t a one-off reaction.

    Alex had taken his hand off of hers when he saw her start to interact with his very excited little monster. At first, he felt quite gratified to see that she had taken the initiative to explore this part of his body but as time went by, and as she continued to explore, he felt like he was being tortured. He tried to be patient and he tried very hard to let her get familiar with him but this really was testing his patience to the core!

    Everything she did extracted an involuntary reaction from him. As hard as he tried to keep his body still, he just couldn''t! All he could do was prevent the groan that crept up to his throat and threatened toe out at her every touch.

    He thought that this would be a good practice run, something to ease her into the more intimate rtions that were bound to happen sooner orter within the next 30 days but instead, he just felt like he ended up torturing himself. This wasn''t how it was supposed to go! But then again, nothing ever went to n when this littlemb was involved.

    Abi, who was still unaware of the torture she was putting him through, continued to explore. This time, she wrapped her hand around it and tried to push it to the left, wondering if it would spring back to the middle on its own.

    She never got to know the answer because It was at this point that Alexander finally intervened. He could not take it anymore. He felt like his big little monster was about to burst like a damned water balloon, so he held her hand to stop what she was doing.

    "Abigail," he uttered, his voice sounding a little pained. "The time for ying is over," he added.

 Chapter 48 Directly?

    <h4>Chapter 48 Directly?</h4>

    [WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS.]

    She turned to look at him and what she saw made her gasp. She was utterly shocked. The man who hadin there, silent and unmoving, all this time, the man who always seemed to be in control, seemed like he was struggling, and quite badly too. She saw the beads of sweat that lined his forehead, saw a few drops make its way down from his neck to his smooth, perfectly chiseled chest and his chest also glistened with ayer of sweat. He looked so damn sexy that Abi couldn''t help but stare.

    "Hmm? Why are you looking at me like that, Abigail?" he asked mischievously and Abigail still couldn''t seem to get over this dreamy vision and continued to just gape at him.

    dly, the man waited until she finally snapped out of it.

    "Abigail, are you paying attention?" he asked as he ced her hand back on him.

    Before Abigail could say anything, the man slowly moved her hand up and down his big little monster. He continued to guide her, wrapping his hand over hers so that her hand wrapped over his member and sheplied. She watched as their hands moved up and down and concentration was etched on her face, as if she was mentally putting this information away somewhere in her memory bankbelled ''How to calm Alex''s little monster'' so that she could pull it out when required.

    As his pace continued to increase, she looked back at him and she didn''t know how to feel when she saw him close his eyes in pleasure and bite his lips sexily.

    She started to feel funny, like there was a fire that started at the bottom of her belly that spread throughout her body. It wasn''t an unfamiliar feeling and as she thought about it, she figured out why. This was the feeling she got when Alex had touched her body intimately. She didn''t know that looking at him while he was being pleasured could make her react this way.

    Abigail felt overwhelmed. She fell in a daze watching him. She never imagined that he could look like this. Was this how she looked when Alexander did that to her that night? She felt her throat dry up like she was in a desert.

    She kept looking at him. She couldn''t avert her eyes away from his face, from his expressions. Why? Was it really okay to watch him like this? And why does it¡­ why does it¡­ why does it feel this good?

    Their pace increased even more and a few more momentster, Alex exploded in pleasure.

    She watched him gasp for air after that and felt the little, no, big monster turn soft and she was surprised.

    Alexander opened his eyes and saw Abigail''s gaze on him. A smile curved on his gorgeous face and he even licked his lips sexily - though he probably didn''t know it would look so damned sexy. He meant to tell her that she did a good job just now but Abigail spoke first.

    "I-it''s little!" she eximed with a slight hint of wonder and Alexander gaped at her for a moment before he chuckled.

    "A tip for you, Abigail. You should never use the word ''little'' to describe a man''s appendage. You might give them aplex," Alexander said, with some amusement.

    But then, something unexpected happened. Abigail started moving her hand on her own. Curiosity had taken over her again and she deliberately squeezed it.

    Alexander was utterly speechless. This girl¡­ this little¡­ He didn''t even know what to say!

    "Ah! It''s big again!" she eximed, shocked and amazed as she immediately pulled her hand away.

    Alexander gritted his teeth and in the next second, he yanked her and pinned her down on the bed. This littlemb¡­ how could she do this to him? How could she make him act like this?

    "Abigail, you''re unbelievable," he said, his eyes suddenly intense again.

    The girl blinked in confusion.

    "You finally made it fall asleep and yet you poked it awake in the next second? What were you thinking? Do you actually want more, huh, Abigail?"

    Abigail was confused. She couldn''t understand what he was saying at all.

    "Oh well, the night is still young and I think you''ve adjusted enough¡­ now, what should we do next?" he asked her as he caressed her cheek with his free hand. "Do you want to touch it directly now?" he asked again, and the dazed Abi finally opened her mouth.

    "Di-directly?"

    "Mm. Directly. Without clothes covering it, Abigail," he exined and as expected, the girl froze in shock.

    Her reaction made Alex chuckle and he caressed her face again.

    "I didn''t n on tiring your little hand on the very first day of your stay here with me, but, this is your fault, littlemb. You should take responsibility for your actions. You are going to have to tame the monster again."

 Chapter 49 NOTE TO READERS

    <h4>Chapter 49 NOTE TO READERS</h4>

    @@I know you guys already saw the tag but i would like to tell you again, just in case you missed it, that this novel is R-18.

    Please don''t read if you are notfortable with mature contents.

    If you don''t like the flow of the story, feel free to stop reading and please refrain from leaving rudements.

    Thank you.

    ~Kazzen

    @@

 Chapter 50 Its not little

    <h4>Chapter 50 It''s not little</h4>

    Alexander then moved his hand and the moment he slipped his hand under his trousers, Abi suddenly covered her face and closed her eyes.

    "There''s no use in hiding now, littlemb. You have to tame the monster you awakened and lull him back to sleep," he said. "It''s out, Abigail, you can now look at it," he teased but the girl determinedly shook her head.

    Amused, Alex moved his hands to her wrists to remove her hands from her face when suddenly, Abigail''s stomach roared. "Groooooooowl."

    "No, I won''t! I think I''m not ready to see it yet, Alex! T-t-there''s still tomorrow for that, right? Or all the other days after tomorrow!" she protested, not even hearing the call of her very own little monster, although her little monster didn''t desire pleasure; it desired food.

    Hearing those sounds she didn''t even seem to hear herself, made Alex calm down. It seemed his little monster voluntarily fell asleep, which surprised Alex himself. So this girl could even control his desire that way? He was bewildered.

    "Okay, I got it. Since you did a really good job, I might as well grant you another request," he said.

    Abi was about to rise and open her eyes to leave the bed but she halted midway.

    "R-really?"

    "Yes, open your eyes now, Abigail."

    "D-did you hide the big monster already?" she asked, sounding doubtful and Alexander let out a pleasantugh. Hisughter this time was different. She could feel that it seemed lighter or maybe hisughter this time just didn''t have any malice like he always had when heughed?

    "Abigail, the big monster is perfectly hidden now, trust me. I''m not going to joke around with you anymore tonight as your reward for working hard," he said and finally, Abigail listened to him and opened her eyes.

    She was relieved to find that he had indeed put the big monster away. When she opened her eyes, he was already sitting on the edge of the bed, putting on his shirt and buttoning it up.

    He looked at her and spoke while he continued buttoning his shirt. "Did you even notice that your very own little monster had been screaming for a while now?" Alexander said and Abigail straightened up, a slight frown on her forehead.

    "H-huh? What are you saying? I don''t have a little monster!" she argued, feeling a tad frantic and flustered. She had to forcefully stop herself from looking down just to make sure she didn''t have a little monster. T-this bad man!

    As if he heard her cursing him, Alex just smirked then he stood up and bent over her.

    His lovely face hovered over hers. "You do have one, Abigail. It''s right¡­" He stopped as he pointed a finger towards¡­

    "Here," he continued as he pointed at her bellybutton.

    Abigail looked down in confusion, but the moment her stomach growled again, she finally realized what he was saying.

    "I''ll just go get changed. I''ll be back in a moment and then we can go get something to eat," he straightened up and left her room.

    In the dining hall,

    Abi tried to forget the things that happened in her room but she kept on being distracted.

    "Abigail, eat." Alexander pulled her from her train of thought and Abi shook her head.

    It was so obvious to Alex that she was trying to set aside the thoughts in her mind. He wanted to tell her that she must not do that, because they were important experiences for her, but he refrained. He didn''t want her to get overloaded, after all. He could see that her experience tonight may have been a little too much for her. He maybe should''ve restrained a little, considering the type of person this littlemb was but¡­

    Alexander quietly stared at her. This girl was still an enigma to him. He finally confirmed his first impression of her that night they first met; that she was someone dangerous, at least for someone like him, and she was actually very different from what he had expected. His expectations weren''t even close!

    "Why are you not eating? You should eat, too," said Abigail when she noticed that he hadn''t touched his food at all.

    "Don''t worry about me. The monster in my stomach is well fed so he''s behaving quite well. Worry about your little monster, instead. You should feed her well to make her calm down. Who knows what she''ll do if you upset her? She might go berserk," The handsome manzily said, resting his head on his palm.

    Abigail blushed. Why did he have to use the words ''little monster'' for this? Just as she nearly forgot about what happened in that room, he easily brought it back to her mind.

    "Please don''t call my stomach that. First off, it''s not little! It can devour a whole cake on its own!" she said snottily and Alexander just chuckled.

    He enjoyed watching her little expressions when the butler moved towards him and whispered something in his ear again, much like earlier today.

    Abigail was busy trying to eat her food when she suddenly felt a chill run down her back. She looked at him and he looked like he heard some bad news again. Did he have more unwanted visitors again? Abi thought and it seemed like she was right.

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

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 Chapter 51 Infamous

    <h4>Chapter 51 Infamous</h4>

    "Abigail,e over here," Alexander suddenly ordered. His expression had be quite intimidating. The fire had switched to a cier again.

    "Quickly, Abigail," he said, sounding impatient and Abi swallowed as she stood up and walked closer to him.

    Alexander held her hand and made her sit on hisp.

    Abigail was confused. She thought he was going to send her back to her room again.

    "Continue eating," he ordered and Abi looked at him, with a confused frown on her face.

    "Listen to me and do what I say, littlemb. Or, do you want me to feed you?" he smirked and Abi pressed her lips into a thin line. Feeding each other was actually on her list but she didn''t like to do that this way; not when he was in his Antarctic state, not when he was being like this.

    "I-I''ll eat," she replied. She picked up his cutlery and started eating off his te.

    Their position was a little awkward. Abi never ate this way before, sitting on someone''sp, except when she was a child.

    This felt different and her heartbeat was not being calm at all.

    A few momentster, Abigail heard footsteps finallying closer and she raised her face to see who it was.

    Abigail''s mouth dropped the instant she saw who was walking towards them because she actually recognised this man. In fact, this person was so famous there was no way she wouldn''t recognize him. W-why was this person here?

    This person was the infamous multinational CEO who even ranked first on the list of men girls wanted to marry. This person had graced too many famous magazines, not only because of his wealth and power but also because of his looks. Truth be told, Abi once thought that this man, hands down owned the crown of the handsomest creature on earth before she met Alexander Qin. Wait, wasn''t this man also a Qin? Could it be that they were rted?

    The man caught Abi''s eye and the two stared at each for a while until Alexander pinched Abi''s cheek.

    "What did I tell you, my dear Abigail? Don''t get distracted by some annoying fly and just eat," he said. Did this man just call that person a fly? How could he call such a person of that caliber, a fly?

    Once the man reached them, Abigail couldn''t help but look up again. He had such a strong presence that no one would be able to ignore and like Alexander, he exuded a simr kind of coldness as well. Although his eyes, she thought, weren''t as cold as Alexander''s.

    "So, you''re Alex''s new girlfriend," the man stated the obvious, looking straight at her.

    Abi was about to stand up to greet him but Alex''s firm arm over her legs stopped her from doing so. Abi turned to Alex with creased brows, as if telling him that she didn''t want to be rude.

    "No need to greet him, Abigail," Alexanderzily said and before Abi could say a word, she heard the man pull a chair to the left of the head of the table where she and Alexander sat, opposite where she sat a while ago.

    "So? Why are you here, huh, Zeke?" Alexander didn''t beat around the bush. The way Alex talked to him surprised Abi. This man, named Ezekiel Qin, was after all not just a simple CEO. Abi had heard a lot about him because of Kelly. Kelly didn''t like Ezekiel Qin. She could tell because she had heard Kelly say that this person was another man from hell. She said that he was trying to dominate the business world and he was the tyrant king that every businessman was wary about. That was why Kelly''s lips always twitched every time other girls expressed their love for him, always saying the words ''heh, wait until you see who that person really is. He''s a demon in disguise, you fools!''

    "I have some business to take care of in this city, Alex," was all he replied. A te of food was ced before him and then he picked up his cutlery to eat. He didn''t seem bothered at all by Alexander''s cold attitude towards him and seemed to be rxed.

    Abi just blinked. This man was definitely on the top of the food chain to the outside world but why did it seem like Alexander actually stood above him on that food chain? Was it because he was here as a guest? Or could it be that Alex was his older brother? However, as she looked closely at both of them, Alexander seemed to be a little younger than Ezekiel Qin''s in terms of looks.

    "Whye here, then? You have hotels everywhere, Zeke." Alexander was just being his usual cold self, almost as if he didn''t know how to be polite at all.

    "Of course it''s because I like this ce the most in this city."

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

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 Chapter 52 27

    <h4>Chapter 52 27</h4>

    Alexander let out a sigh while Ezekiel just nonchntly continued eating. The atmosphere then shifted a little, like there was some invisible friction between these two men and Abi couldn''t help but feel tensed. It didn''t seem to be the kind of friction between sworn enemies but it was still damn heavy for her. It appeared that Kelly''s words about Ezekiel Qin added to tension she was feeling as well. But then, again, she could tell that Alexander could be far scarier sometimes, although, to her, Alexander was not scary at all.

    While Abigail was busy with her own thoughts, Ezekiel Qin spoke again.

    "Why are you cradling her like that? What is she, your daughter?" he asked monotonously and Alexander smirked.

    "Zeke, let me just tell you now that visitors are not wee here within this month," Alexander smugly said and the man paused for a moment. This person''s movements and manners, she noticed, were also elegantly graceful.

    He looked up and met Alexander''s gaze. "You''re really going to kick out your family? You always stay at my house every time you return to ¨C"

    "Well, the third floor is now off limits. If you want to stay here, the receiving rooms are the only ones that are avable to you," Alexander cut him off as he smirked, sounding like he was certain that Ezekiel would never agree to use those receiving rooms.

    However, to Alexander''s surprise, the man actually agreed.

    "The receiving rooms, huh¡­ those rooms aren''t that bad," he replied and then he suddenly clicked his fingers. A man instantly approached him and he immediately told the man to prepare the receiving room near the grand staircase. The man quickly nodded to indicate that he had understood the instructions that were being thrown at him.

    Alexander and Abi were speechless. Abi couldn''t believe that this man actually agreed to use the room on the ground floor. He just seemed like the type of man who would always want the highest spot, whether it was power or physical space. But he actually agreed? He could go and stay in the most luxurious hotel''s most expensive suite, so why was he doing this?

    As they both watched the man instructing his men about his room, Abigail turned to Alex and whispered in his ear.

    "Alex, is he your older brother?" Abigail asked, her eyes filled with curiosity as she questioned him. She didn''t even notice that their position was very intimate as she whispered in his ears while she sat on hisp.

    "You think I''m that man''s younger brother?" Alexander didn''t seem to mind their intimate position either, as he echoed her words before he let out a loudugh.

    "So he''s your younger brother?!" She was surprised. Abi knew that Ezekiel Qin was already 30 years old. If Alex was Ezekiel''s older brother, then that would mean that Alex would be over 30 years old, right? But Alexander didn''t look like he was over 30 at all. If Abi based his age on his looks, she guessed that he would be around 27 or 28.

    Alexander beamed at her, as if confirming her guess but it only made Abi more confused. Now that she thought about it, she still didn''t ask him how old he was.

    "H-how old are you?" she finally asked.

    "27," he smirked and Abi bit her lips in frustration. This man was ying with her again.

    "You said you weren''t going to joke around with me tonight!" she argued and the man chuckled.

    "Yeah, I did say that. And I''m not joking, Abigail," his smile finally faded, as he looked at her.

    "But Ezekiel Qin is 30 years old and yet you said..." Abigail couldn''t continue her words. It was because she realized that the man never confirmed that he was Ezekiel''s older brother. This man''s expression was truly beyond tricky.

    Puffing her cheeks, Abigail averted her gaze and Alexander just stared at her, amused.

    "He''s not my brother, Abigail¡­ just a close kin, I guess you could say," Hezily exined and Abi blinked at him. So Ezekiel Qin was just his kin¡­

    "I see." She sounded satisfied as she turned her head to look at Ezekiel Qin, who was still spouting out orders to the man.

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

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 Chapter 53 Badly

    <h4>Chapter 53 Badly</h4>

    Abigail was trying topare their distinct features when suddenly, Alexander pulled her attention back to him.

    "Stop staring at him, Littlemb. It makes me want to punish you when you do that," he said, smiling ruefully. Abi didn''t flinch at his words this time, maybe because she thought he was just joking again.

    "P-punish me? But you said you''d only punish me if I broke those three main rules," she thoughtlessly replied.

    Alexander''s lips curved up and he cupped her small face. "Abigail, I never said that I would only punish you for breaking just those three main rules. You just assumed that on your own. It would do you well to remember that, okay?" he smiled and Abi gulped. "Actually, I could punish you if I think you are behaving badly."

    "B-badly?"

    "Mm. Badly."

    "Like how?"

    "Like what you did just now."

    Abi creased her brows. It was obvious that she couldn''t figure out how she had behaved badly so she recounted her actions in thest minute.

    "Looking at that guy is bad?" Her eyes widened at the realisation.

    "Yes Abigail. It''s bad for you to stare at him like that, or any other man. You should only stare at your boyfriend, understand?"

    Abigail gaped at him.

    After blinking at him three times, she finally opened her mouth again. "Alex, are you jealous?" she asked and Alex silently stared at her for a while. She tried deciphering the look in his eyes but unfortunately, as usual, he gave nothing away.

    "So what if I am? What if I''m not?" he said as a dangerously beautiful smile carved on his face. "Listen," he uttered as she pulled her closer, "I''m not the type of man who ys with the things that other men have. I simply want my possession for myself alone, whether it''s your gaze or your smiles, those are all mine. Do you understand, Abigail?"

    Before Abi could process what he just said, Alexander suddenly let go of her.

    "Now get up and go upstairs."

    Once again, he was sending her away. His order made Abi a little sad but she was at least relieved that he didn''t send her away right before Ezekiel Qin came. She felt d that he had let her know something about him even though she felt like he didn''t want her to interact or to even look at his guests or kin. Abigail found it puzzling but then again, she could only listen to him and leave as he said.

    "O-okay. But we''re still going to y a game, right?"

    "Yes, I haven''t forgotten. I''ll be up shortly."

    "Okay, I''ll wait in my room then." She waited for his reassurance and when the man nodded with a serious gaze, Abi smiled at him and slightly bowed towards Ezekiel Qin when their gaze briefly met, before she climbed up the stairs.

    The moment Abi was gone, the atmosphere on the ground floor became even heavier.

    Ezekiel also returned to his seat.

    "Zeke, give up whatever it is you''re aiming for." There was a serious warning in Alex''s voice and a threat in his eyes as he red at Ezekiel. However, the man didn''t say a word back. It was as if the man didn''t mind the warning or the threat. He looked like whatever he was aiming for; he would go for it even if Alexander tried to stop him.

    ¡­

    Time passed and Abigail sat in her room, waiting in front of the TV. She had already set up everything and the only thing missing was her boyfriend.

    Just as she was about to text him, Alex finally arrived.

    Her head snapped towards the door the moment she heard it creak open. Her face immediately beamed as if she was a little kid waiting for Santa to appear on Christmas eve.

    "You''re finally here!" she eximed as she stood.

    Abi held his hand and led him towards the sofa. They both sat on the nkets she prepared on the floor and handed him his game controller.

    "You know how to use this, right?" she asked and Alexzily rested his face on his palm, looking at her.

    "You think I''m stupid, huh, Littlemb?" he raised a brow and looked at her nkly.

    Abigail shook her head. "No, I didn''t mean it like that. It''s just that¡­ y-you don''t look like the type who would y video games," she bit her lips and Alex smirked.

    "So, you knew that all along and yet you still asked for this of all things¡­" he twitched his lips smugly while Abi''s eyes wandered around.

    "Well¡­ I thought it''d be a good pastime for you," she meekly exined and then her expression brightened again, ignoring Alex''s bored expression. "Don''t worry, this is going to be fun," she smiled and Alex sighed before he threw back his head and cracked his head.

    "Fine. Let''s start now then, Littlemb."

    "O-okay." Abi quickly pressed something on the remote control. She was extremely excited.

    When the TV lit up, a certain childish game theme song echoed in the room and when the game showed up on the screen, Alexander fell speechless.

    The game was Super Mario Bros.

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

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 Chapter 54 Save me!

    <h4>Chapter 54 Save me!</h4>

    As the main page showed up on the screen, Alex looked at Abi with astonishment. This was the game she wanted to y? Why was she so excited about it?

    He felt like he wanted to facepalm himself. But then, again, what the hell was he expecting with this littlemb? He couldn''t believe that he was going to y something like this. Suddenly, he wanted to leave but when he looked at the excited girl beside him, he closed his eyes and leaned on the sofa, looking like he was trying to convince himself to bear with it for now.

    Abigail on the other hand was very, very excited.

    "Here we go. Get ready, Alex!" she eximed and then, the game started. Abi tried to get used to controlling her character using the buttons on the controller. She pressed each button to find out what each one did and in no time at all, she was controlling her character like a pro - well, not really, but to her, it felt like it.

    Alexzily yed, with a deadpan expression. He was obviously bored.

    After just five minutes of staring at the moving characters on the screen, Alexander looked like he was done. He turned towards Abigail to tell her that they were going to y for only ten more minutes but the instant he saw her face, he got a little distracted. It was because he found her expressions amusing and before he knew it, he could no longer concentrate on the game at all. He was distracted by her as he watched all the different expressions that went through her face. He could tell that she was very much enjoying herself, from the wide smiles and the bright stars in her eyes.

    He watched as her little tongue adorably poked out from the corner of her mouth out when she was concentrating very hard, watched how her body tilted to the left or right depending on what direction she wanted her character to go towards and watched how her body jumped, as if she was the character itself.

    "Hey, pay attention!" she ordered. He was brought back to the present and his lips curled up because of her bossy words.

    "I am," he replied, still looking at her.

    She didn''t take her eyes off the screen because she was trying hard not to die. "Then why do you keep falling down the same hole?"

    "Because it is such a pretty hole to die in¡­" he teased.

    "W-we''re not going to stop until we save the princess, okay?" she suddenly dered, causing Alex to gape at her. He knew that with her skill, there was no way they would finish the game anytime soon.

    At that point, Abi fell down a hole too, despite her intense concentration and she grunted in a somewhat frustrated fashion.

    "What are you doing? You actually dered to save the princess when you keep performing suicides like that?"

    "T-the hole was sucking me in. It might be a ck hole!" She pursed her lips like a kid who was about to cry, causing Alex to shake his head in amusement and disbelief.

    "We have to save the princess, Alex, or I will feel guilty and won''t be able to sleep if we can''t save her," she cried without tears as she yanked Alex''s arms. "The princess will haunt my dreams if we don''t save her. Please, let''s work together, okay?" she begged, even blinking her big eyes as she gazed at him. T-this girl¡­

    In the end, Alexander couldn''t make himself ignore her pleas and he finally gave in.

    "Fine," he sighed and Abi''s eyes twinkled. Alex finally concentrated on the game. He did give her his word, after all, that they would y a video game, so he should honor that promise and y properly.

    Once Alex got serious, they blitz through the levels but it was already near midnight when they finally reached thest castle. Abi had started to slow down and her enthusiasm had waned a bit during thest few levels but her energy came back once they entered the final stage. Alex could tell that she was tired. He could see it in her eyes, and yet this girl didn''t want to stop and insisted on saving the princess first. Alex didn''t even realize that he was enjoying the game a little. Well, his amusement in seeing some small gaming quirks in her, especially her little tongue poking out cutely, made himugh inwardly during the game.

    With her tongue poking out and her controller held close to her chest, they maneuvered their way to the end. Just before they defeated Bowser, Princess Peach called out "Mario, save me!" from her cage and then in the next second, she was free!

    Abi turned to Alex excitedly as she jumped in ce. "We did it, Alex! We beat him! Mario saved her!"

    "It was us who saved her though." Alex smugly said but Abi didn''t seem to hear him.

    She just looked back at the screen, put her controller down and stretched as she yawned. It seemed that dreand was starting to call for her. "Mario, save me¡­" she murmured, as she rubbed her eyes sleepily, remembering Princess Peach''s words.

    "Alex, save me..." were thest words that came out of her lips before her body slumped down. She would have hit the ground but Alex caught her in his arms just as she was about to hit the ground.

    He stared at her sleeping face in his arms for a long while before he carried her and tucked her on the bed.

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

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 Chapter 55 Skip a bea

    <h4>Chapter 55 Skip a bea</h4>

    The next day.

    The sunlight was already streaming through the curtains,nding on Abi''s eyelids. She creased her brows and rolled on the bed as her eyes adjusted to the brightness of the sunshine pouring through.

    She thought that she was sleeping on her bed so she raised her hand and reached out for her rm clock. When her hand didn''t feel that bedside table where she always put her rm clock on, Abi forced her eyes open and what appeared before her was an empty space and the bedside table was still about a handspan away. ''Who moved my bedside table so far away?'' she thought groggily as shey back down on the soft bed. Then she looked up at the ceiling and said out loud, in a bewildered whisper, "this doesn''t look like my room."

    Abigail abruptly sat up and looked around and she was right; this was not the room she grew up in! Realization then finally dawned to her; that she was in a room inside Alexander''s house. She pinched her cheeks and a soft ouch escaped her mouth. It appeared that she wasn''t dreaming. That was right, this was not a dream.

    Everything that happened the day before andst night shed in her mind - the mansion, the maids and butler, the elevator and the visitors. As she remembered it all, disbelief flooded her eyes. She still found it a little hard to believe; that she was actually here doing this, finally fulfilling her wish. Shey back down on the bed with her arms spread wide and she tried to take it all in as her mind drifted back to the gaming session fromst night.

    She made a mental note to tick that off her wishlist as she thought back to them ying the game together in this very room. She also remembered Alexander''s bored, yet amused, face as he yed the game with her which caused a smile to form on her face.

    The moment she thought about Alexander, she immediately sprang up and out of the bed and dashed to the bathroom to get ready for the day. When she was done, she fixed her bed before leaving her room with a huge smile on her face. She was eager to see Alexander and greet him good morning.

    Abi skipped towards therge doors to his room like the happiest little kid in town. She was about to knock on his door but she hesitated.

    What if he was still sleeping?

    Maybe I shouldn''t disturb him¡­

    But the sun was already out!

    Abi''s head was tilted slightly in contemtion until she decided against knocking on the door, thinking that Alex might already be downstairs anyway. Besides, she really didn''t want to get punished this early in the morning for waking him up.

    She descended therge staircase and looked around but the majestic living room was empty. She walked towards the dining hall and the people who weed her were only the butler and the maids. They all greeted her good morning and she greeted them back.

    Her eyes looked at therge, long table and her spirit became a little gloomy. It looked like she was going to eat alone again this time.

    The butler was quick to notice that she was looking for someone so he immediately told her that the master had left the house early this morning with their guest, Ezekiel Qin.

    As Abi ate her breakfast, her mind was full of questions about Alexander Qin. She wondered if Alexander had a job and if he did, what that was. Was he like Ezekiel Qin? Was he really an underground king like Kelly''s theory?

    Curious, Abi decided to ask the butler for information once she finished her meal, which she devoured quickly.

    "Mr- Uhm, Charles¡­ Does Alex work? If so, do you know what he does?" she asked him once the maids left the dining hall, but as expected, the butler didn''t give anything away and simply apologized to her.

    "He does work, Miss, but I''m sorry, I am not in a position to talk about the master''s work." He even bowed apologetically which made Abi feel a little ufortable. She quickly forced a smile and stopped the old man from apologizing.

    "No need to apologize. I understand, truly," she said and thankfully, the old man''s expression went back to normal.

    "Did Alex leave a message?" she asked again to divert the topic to something else.

    Surprisingly, the butler nodded.

    "Miss Chen, the master only asked me to remind you about your curfew. He said you should be back noter than twilight," he told her and Abi thanked him. This was still bugging her. Why did he give her such an early curfew? Did he think that she was a little child who was not meant to be roaming around anymore during that time?

    "Miss Chen, are you going out today?"

    "Yes. I have work to do, too," she smiled and the butler told her that he would get a chauffeur to bring her to her destination.

    "No, it''s okay. I''ll just call a taxi," she politely insisted and dly, the butler agreed.

    As the old man excused himself, Abi watched his retreating back. Abi didn''t know why but she found it safer to ask and talk to older people, maybe because she was used to it with her grandparents. As she thought about her grandparents, Abi''s eyes widened in shock! That''s right¡­ her grandparents! Her father! How could she forget about them?!

    Abi suddenly missed them. She couldn''t believe that the first person she thought about and looked for the very moment she woke up was not her family, but Alexander Qin! This was totally out of character for her. Usually, she would wake up and think about what to make for breakfast for her dad and grandparents but this morning, those thoughts weren''t there at all!

    Her hand slowly moved to her chest when she realized that Alexander Qin had started to upy her thoughts¡­ a lot! For a moment, at the thought of Alex, she felt her heart skip a beat. What was that? Was she nervous? What was this feeling?

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

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 Chapter 56 Which?

    <h4>Chapter 56 Which?</h4>

    Abigail''s eyes widened as a thought passed through her head. W-was she already starting to fall for him? T-this soon? T-that fast? It was only the second day!

    Suddenly, Abi felt torn and a little confused, but in the end, she shook her head and decided that that couldn''t be right. She thought that she was probably quite infatuated but surely she wasn''t in love yet. She still had time to figure everything out and she didn''t want to assume so early, even though this made her feel really excited.

    She couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed by this foreign feeling but she didn''t want to overthink this. She would just focus on doing the things on her wishlist, for now.

    ¡­

    Abi left the mansion when the taxi got there and she headed to the orphanage. She was happily greeted by the children at the school as always and she enjoyed spending the day with them.

    She also called her dad and grandparents during lunch and told them she was doing fine. Her family was, as always, supportive of her and she was very thankful that she had such a caring and loving family.

    When the sses were over, Abi headed to Kelly''s ce and she called Kelly to let her know that they were on the way over. Abi was apanied by all the children from the orphanage on a school bus.

    The two talked for a while but the conversation was mainly Kelly trying to make Abi tell her everything. The two were like they were participating in some talk show, with Kelly as the annoying interviewer and Abi as the shy and soft spoken interviewee.

    By the time the bus arrived outside Kelly''s apartment, Kelly was already outside so she jumped into the bus straightaway. They were headed towards the venue where the fundraising event they had organised would be held in three weeks'' time. This fundraising event was something they had done every year for thest 3 years to raise funds for the orphanage.

    They arrived outside a music theater. This was their venue as their target audience were the older individuals. They nned to put on a show of ssic ys, to revive the old times. The aim was to entertain the older individuals and take them back to the old days; for them to reminisce about their younger days. The ys were loved by many grandmas and grandpas and they looked forward to it every year. Lately, some of the younger generation, especially couples, also started to get attracted by the concept of the ys, saying that they felt that it was nice to see the things people did in the olden times that the new generation had never seen.

    What made her ys special was that all the children from the orphanage would be performing in them. She acted as the y director, as well as the soothing piano apaniment for the whole show. She practised with the children every day leading up to the event, working long and hard with them. Abi was happy to do all this, knowing that she wasn''t only helping to raise money for the orphanage but also putting a smile on other people''s faces. Abi and Kelly spent a couple of hours nning and practising with the kids, telling them where to stand, what to do and what their next cues would be. When they were finished, they all packed inside the school bus again and went on their way to drop Kelly off at her apartment.

    During the ride back, Kelly insisted on being the one to send her back to Alexander''s house. Abi was a bit worried. She knew when her friend became curious, nothing would stop her from barging in and satisfying that curiosity so she was understandably a bit reluctant to have Kelly drive her back. dly, one of the other teachers asked for her help at the orphanage when they got back and Abi was relieved to have an excuse. In the end, Kelly relented but she looked like she wasn''t going to take no for an answer the next time.

    It looked like she would have to remember to ask Alexander if he was ok with her bringing Kelly to his house to see the ce.

    ¡­

    On her way back to Alexander''s house, Abi brought out her little notebook. She skimmed the list and she smiled when she saw that one of them was finally marked with a tick.

    She was happy that she managed to coax Alexander and made him y with her, even finishing the game with her. It was a lot of fun, definitely an experience she would never want to forget.

    As she stared outside the taxi''s window, Abi started to ponder what item to do next from her list because she had to do one thing on her to-do list by the end of the day.

    The sun was just setting when she finally arrived at the house, just scraping by within her curfew.

    Of course, what she immediately looked for once she entered the huge door was Alexander. Her eyesnded on him, sitting on the couch like a bored but brutally beautiful king, right next to the gigantic firece. He didn''t seem to be thinking deeply about something or anything at all. It was as if he was just too bored about life that all he could do was stare at the fire just to waste time.

    Regardless of his expression, Abi smiled widely. She finally got to see him for the first time that day!

    "I''m back," Abi said and the man nced at her.

    "I thought you would actually break the rule today. Too bad¡­ here I was, thinking about what punishment I would give you," he smiled, a smile that looked like the devil was plotting someone''s downfall.

    Abi ignored him and she moved towards him. She was thinking about what a girlfriend should do once she met her boyfriend again after a long hard day at work. Thinking about the ssic movies and books she read, she could think of two things - a peck on the cheek or a hug.

    Which was better?

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

    Dear readers,

    I just want to announce that this book is now contracted. Hence, i will be locking the chapters soon because this author needs to earn for a living as well. I hope you will still support this book even when it goes premium.

    The gift button is now also opened. ^^

    Don''t stop voting! I hope we can reach our 5k powerstones goal for the mass release ^^

    ~Kazzenlx

 Chapter 57 Made of ice

    <h4>Chapter 57 Made of ice</h4>

    Still trying to decide, Abi stood before him, staring hard at him and then, suddenly, she threw herself at him and hugged him.

    Alexander''s eyes slightly widened. He never expected this littlemb to throw herself at him uponing back. Abi was actually surprised as well. She was nning to kiss him but she ended up hugging him, instead. Maybe it was because she was a bit tired.

    "T-this is what a good girlfriend does when they see their boyfriend when they get home, right?" she mumbled and Alex finally snapped. He looked away and rested his chin on his palm.

    "Well¡­ I''m surprised you at least know how to be sweet, littlemb," he replied. He was about to give her more information on what else a good girlfriend did but Abi spoke first.

    "You''re warm, Alex," she suddenly uttered and it looked like she surprised the man again. Alex didn''t see those wordsing. He was speechless.

    Three seconds passed before his expression returned to normal.

    "What? Were you expecting my body to be cold as ice?" he asked with a smirk on his face and Abi nodded without hesitation.

    "That''s right. You can''t me me! You are so cold towards me almost all the time that I sometimes thought you were made of ice."

    Aughter echoed inside the living room. "Littlemb¡­ did you know that you are the first girl to actually bravely tell me that right before my very face?" he was both amused and bewildered.

    "I''m the first?" she pulled away, curious. "Really?"

    When Alex nodded, Abigail''s expression changed into something Alex never expected.

    "That''s strange."

    "What is strange about that? Huh, Abigail?"

    "You are supposed to have a lot of past girlfriends. And now you''re telling me, not one of them ever told you that you are cold? Alex, it seems like my first impression of you was wrong after all, because it seems like you didn''t really have as many past girlfriends as I thought."

    Alexander was once again rendered speechless. He had no words to say at all. This girl¡­ this littlemb¡­ how could she think like this?

    He couldn''t help but bite his lips. He had never met anyone who dared to talk to him like this, to the point that he, of all people, couldn''t even say a word back. She was just¡­ What the hell was with this girl?

    The man pinched the skin between his brows while Abi just rested her head on his chest again. It was only the second day but she was already like a pet who had immediately grown attached to its master who gave her food and shelter.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex," she called his name as she moved away again and stared at his eyes. Her hands were still on his waist.

    "What?" The man arched his brow.

    "I have a request again." she said with an expectant look in her face and a crooked smile curved on Alex''s face. Did this girle here and act this sweetly to pacify him before asking for her request? Not bad, littlemb¡­

    "What kind of silly request are you trying to ask of me now, huh?" he lifted her chin with his elegantly long finger.

    Abi swallowed. She met his probing gaze and ignored his evil smirk.

    "Can we climb to the roof?"

    ". . ."

    A sound of a flying noisy crow could almost be heard because of the sudden deafening silence between them. The two of them stood still as if they were frozen in time and just stared at each other.

    Alex was speechless, while Abi was holding her breath for his reply.

    After another few seconds, the man finally opened his mouth.

    "No," was yet again, his solid answer. He really couldn''t believe this girl at all. He predicted that it was something silly but shepletely leapt to another dimension of silliness. No, this couldn''t even be called silly, it was simply outrageous. "Go and rest, Abigail. I have important things to do tonight." He rejected her outright.

    "B-but, Alex, I ¨C"

    Suddenly, Alex put his finger on her lips and stopped her. She knew he wouldn''t give in so easily. She would have to persuade him again.

    However, before she could remove his hand from her lips, she noticed that Alex''s gaze was no longer fixed on her. He was looking past her and she felt Alexander''s aura turn unbelievably dark and cold again.

    Abi instantly thought that he had unwanted visitors again so she turned and followed his gaze. She was right. There were two men already standing by the door.

    She was expecting these guests to be like the other ones from yesterday, intimidating and powerful, but to her surprise, the guest today looked pleasant, unlike the serious and cold Ezekiel Qin.

    The man by the door was another beautiful creature. He was tall and lean and he had the look of an innocent man. He even smiled brightly as soon as Abi''s eyes met his. She wondered if he was a celebrity from somewhere and then wondered if Alexander was actually only acquainted with beautiful people. She found this thought to be quite silly but seeing these people - from Mr. ck leather jacket to Mr. Ezekiel Qin and then to this man - she couldn''t help but think that way.

    Suddenly, Abi turned to Alex.

    "I didn''t stare at him. It was just a little look," she said in haste as she shook her head, circling her big, brown eyes.

    Her unexpected actions and words immediately dissolved the deadly daggers in his eyes and he suddenlyughed. Abi blinked, wondering if she had said something funny.

    She watched himugh. He looked even more outrageous when he wasughing, although she still couldn''t tell if this was his genuineugh. At that moment, Abi thought that she would never get tired watching this manugh like this.

    But then, as always, the unpredictable jellyfish changed colors when she least expected it. He suddenly stoppedughing and his face became serious in a matter of millisecond. She wished that he would have let her see it a little longer.

    His eyes shed past her before he spoke.

    "Go upstairs now, Abigail. I have business to deal with."

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

    From today onwards this book''s update schedule will be at 18:00(GMT+8)

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 Chapter 58 The Miss is...

    <h4>Chapter 58 The Miss is...</h4>

    Abi bit her lips and looked down on the floor, like a disappointed child who was told to go to her room when things were just getting interesting. But she obeyed nheless, as she knew the drill by now, even after just living there for a day. She knew that when Alex was like that, she would get nowhere even if she pleaded and until her voice ran out.

    So she walked towards the elevator and pressed the button. She hadn''t used the elevator before but she figured now was good a time as any. She looked up and saw that the walls of the elevator were made of ss. It made a soft ''ding'' just before the doors opened and she stepped inside, pressing the level 3 button. As the elevator went up, she looked down to see that the floor was also made of ss, which made her heart leap out from her chest. However, she reasoned that if it could bear Alex''s weight, then she would be okay and her heart calmed down again.

    Instead of going straight to her room, she roamed around the third floor like a lonely ghost. She sat down in themunal lounge area, staring outside through therge ss windows for a bit and when she got bored of that, she decided to walk out to the balcony to get a better view of the sunset. She was fascinated by all the shades of purple and orange and pink that were painted on the sky as the sun made its way down the horizon. It was just so beautiful. She sighed. That was such a pretty picture that she was a little sad that she couldn''t share it with him.

    She tore her gaze from the horizon and explored therge balcony. It went from one side of the house to the other. Once again, it was a picture perfect area, with the railings intricately carved into golden patterns of vines. The floor was also made of white marble with the same patterns as the floor inside the house. She could see a round table and a few chairs around it, as if people sometimes had their tea and biscuits out there. The setting was again immacte despite being outside and being at the mercy of the elements. She went towards the table and chairs and was about to take a seat when her eyes caught sight of adder that went up all the way to the roof.

    ¡­

    Back in the living room.

    "Please stop ring at me like that, Alex. You let Zeke stay here so why are you sending me away?" the man was whining. "You''re not being fair at all! T^T"

    "Stop acting or I''ll break your ribs right now," Alexander coldly replied and the man''s shoulders immediately dropped. He sighed and with just those words, his expression changed and he became serious.

    "Look, I think you need me here, Alex. You need someone to watch him."

    "Kai''s already here, Xavier."

    "You think that just Kai watching him is enough? Have you forgotten what Zeke is capable of? He would do everything to¡­" the man trailed off as his eyes fell towards the door.

    Ezekiel Qin had arrived and Kai was with him.

    "Yo!" the man named Xavier smiled at them as he stood and approached them. He went straight towards Kai intending to drape his arm around him.

    However, Kai didn''t even give him a chance and he quickly dodge him.

    Xavier puffed his cheeks. "Tch! This brother of mine is still so stingy. We used to be inseparable when we were children. Howe you''re so distant with me now? You''re no fun at all!" he started whining again.

    "Shut up," was all Kai said and once again, the man''s shoulder dropped and sighed before his face turned serious.

    The three walked towards the firece and sat across Alex.

    Alex looked at them with displeasure while they didn''t seem to be bothered at all. A deep silence settled in every nook and cranny of the ground floor. No one spoke until Kai finally broke the silence.

    "Alex, I suggest that you let Xavier stay here with us," Kai said and Ezekiel Qin''s lips curved up in a silent smirk.

    Ezekiel didn''t say a thing but Kai seemed to have understood the meaning behind his smirk.

    "You''re too troublesome for me to handle, Zeke," Kai told him and Xavier agreed enthusiastically.

    "Right, right. I agree!!"

    As Kai and Xavier continued trying to convince Alex, Ezekiel Qin left them and went to his room.

    At that moment, Charles, the butler, suddenly appeared by the doorway. He was very reluctant to interrupt the group of men as they seemed to be talking about something quite serious but he had no choice. This involved thedy guest of the house, after all.

    "Ahem¡­," Charles cleared his throat, earning him a curious nce from the two guests, and a cold gust of wind from his master. He continued despite the frigid coldness in his bones. "Master, the miss is¡­"

    "What?" Alex''s tone was crisp and abrupt, as if he had no time for this interruption.

    "Please, follow me, Miss Chen is¡­"

    Alex curbed the annoyance that rose up because his loyal servant knew not to interrupt unless it was of utmost importance. Most importantly, he started to feel uneasy when he mentioned Abigail while wearing such a grave look in his face. When Alex got up and walked in haste, Xavier and Kai looked at each other before they also followed Alex. The lines on Alexander''s forehead were getting deeper as the butler led him out the back door.

    In no time, they were finally in the backyard. The butler then looked back towards the house and looked up.

    Alex followed the direction of his gaze with curiosity but the instant he saw what the butler wanted him to see, he gaped in utter disbelief.

    His littlemb was slowly climbing up to the roof!

    "Abigail¡­" he uttered with his jaws clenched.

    Alexander''s face then turned unbelievably dark. ''What the hell are you doing up there?!''

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

    We''re 3000k votes away from our goal!!

    Keep voting guys, for the sake of mass release *grin*

 Chapter 59 Damn hard

    <h4>Chapter 59 Damn hard</h4>

    Back on thedder, Abigail slowly climbed up towards the roof. She was slightly shaking from both fear and the cold. It was slightly scary for her so she didn''t dare look down as she kept climbing up, higher and higher, with a nket draped over one shoulder. After a few more steps, she was finally on the rooftop. Luckily for her, the day had been a sunny one so the roof was dry. It would have been very dangerous if it was covered with moisture or rain.

    As she straightened up, a wide smile curved on her lips. This was something she had never dared to do before but was something that she thought would be an awesome experience. However, her grandparents and her father were too much of a worrywart and she was afraid that they would have a heart attack if she climbed on their roof, so she never dared.

    She didn''t know that standing on the roof felt this refreshing. She felt the cool breeze of the air brush her face and she took a deep breath, rewarding her lungs with fresh, unpolluted air. She looked around and she could so far ahead in all directions. She even got the better view of the sunset and the twilight sky. She felt like she was on top of the world!

    Standing up on the rooftop, Abi felt free and she subconsciously spread her arms out in response to that feeling.

    However, to her surprise, at that moment, someone suddenly grabbed her from behind.

    "Abigail¡­ What the hell are you trying to do? Huh?" Abi shivered because of the coldness in his voice. No, it wasn''t cool indifference he emitted; it was anger. For an instant, she felt a genuine fear of him, raising the hair on her arms.

    She swallowed hard and forced herself to calm down. She slowly turned and looked at him but she quickly realised that that might have been a big mistake. As soon as she saw his darkened face and the fury in his eyes, her spine instantly turned rigid and she froze. She felt her throat dry up and she felt her heart want to leave her chest for fear of what wasing next.

    This was the first time he was this angry towards her. She bit her lips to stop it from trembling before she managed to answer.

    "I¡­ I¡­ I am working hard, Alex," she stammered.

    "Huh?"

    "You said I should work hard for you to approve my request, right?"

    ". . ."

    "P-please don''t be angry at me," she pleaded like a terrified, little drenched puppy. But then, despite her fear, her arms flew around him as she hugged him tightly.

    Alexander didn''t know how to react. He didn''t understand this girl at all. She was clearly scared of him to her bones and yet she was¡­ she was¡­

    Before Alex knew it, his anger had already disappeared. He didn''t even know why he was not angry anymore. This girl¡­ this little daredevil needed a good scolding! He must punish her for doing something crazy like this! He needed to stay as scary as the devil to show her the gravity of her actions, and yet¡­ he didn''t even know what killed his anger so suddenly.

    Alex let out a deep sigh. He ran his fingers through his hair before his eyes zed again. But it was no longer with fury; his eyes glimmered with something else.

    His hand moved to her nape and he made her look at him.

    "Abigail¡­ do you want to die?" he asked. Abi saw that he was no longer angry at her but his question made Abi feel like something strangled her. And then, a secondter, tears suddenly fell from her eyes.

    Alexander was stunned. He didn''t see thising. Why the hell was she crying now?!

    "No¡­ I don''t want to die, Alex," she uttered as she began to sob. No, she didn''t want to die. She wanted to live longer. She wanted to experience a lot more things in life. She wanted to grow old too. She didn''t want to leave her family, her friend, Kelly, and the kids in the orphanage. She also wanted more time to be with this man before her; to get to know everything about him, to experience a lot more things with him and to love him with all her heart. She wanted to live.

    As Abi silently cried before him, Alexander didn''t know what to do or say. He had seen and made countless girls cry before but for some reason, he hated seeing this littlemb cry like this. He really hated it.

    "Stop crying, Abigail," was all he said. His voice was still cold but his eyes never left her face and he didn''t know why, but he felt damn angry again, although this time, he didn''t seem to be angry at her anymore.

    "You were the one who climbed up here on your own and now you''re crying?" he gritted his teeth to control his voice.

    "I-it''s because¡­ you''re scaring me," she replied, wiping her tears. She had let out the wave of pain she suddenly felt so she felt better now.

    "Abigail, I''m not trying to scare you. I''m angry because¡­ why the hell are you doing this? Do you think you can still live if you fall from up here, huh, Abigail? Why risk your life for something that silly?" he narrowed his eyes.

    "I''m not risking my life. I''m being very careful! And¡­ this is not silly, okay? You were the one who told me to work hard. You told me to show you!" she argued. She began to hup but her eyes suddenly looked fiercely determined, causing Alex to close his eyes in frustration.

    Alexander shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair again.

    He then grabbed her chin with his thumb and pulled her face closer to him.

    "Listen littlemb. Let me be clear about this. I forbid this kind of crazy stunts. No matter what your reason, never do anything like this again! Anything that I think is dangerous is forbidden. Do you understand?" he firmly told her with a burning intensity in his eyes forcing Abi to swallow. "I''m warning you, if you do something dangerous like this again, I''ll punish you¡­ damn hard... You hear me?"

 Chapter 60 In exchange

    <h4>Chapter 60 In exchange</h4>

    Abigail knew that his threat wasn''t a joke. She could see it in his eyes and feel it deep within her bones. She admitted that she may have gone a little overboard this time. No matter what she said and no matter how she justified it to herself, Alex was right. This was pretty risky. A simple mistake on her part could have killed her - a slight misstep, a small trip over a roof tile and she would have fallen to her death. She shivered at the thought because she thought of none of these things when she decided to climb up thedder onto the roof. All she thought about was not looking down to see how high up she was from the ground. She didn''t know why but when he rejected her, she felt like being stubborn all of a sudden, as if she had no other thought except toplete another one of her tasks. It was as if something was pushing her to keep going and take the risk.

    She didn''t do this out of a whim. She had decided to do this to show him that she was more than serious about her requests and that they were not just trivial ythings to her. She wanted to show him that she was willing to do anything to fulfill her wish. She wanted to show him how determined and serious she was.

    She honestly didn''t want to experience the punishment he was talking about. She didn''t know what it was but she felt goosebumps when he said it. Even though she didn''t know what kind of punishment he might inflict upon her, she was afraid she might not be able to handle it. Who knew what kind of terrible punishments his cold heart would think of? So Abi immediately thought of something that might turn things around for her.

    She meekly stretched her hand and tugged his shirt as she looked down.

    "Alex¡­ I promise not to do anything risky again if¡­ if you promise to grant me one request a day. I will still work hard for it¡­ I just want you to promise me that you will grant me a request daily. Please¡­" she cupped her hands in a pleading way and looked at him with puppy dog eyes.

    Alexander''s jaw dropped. He couldn''t believe that despite his stern and serious warning and threat, this girl still dared to negotiate with him. Why was this littlemb not scared of him at all? It was as if his words only had a small impact on her.

    "Please Alex. You said I can request anything aside from your love, right? Please, just one request a day," she continued pleading. "In exchange, I will work hard to be a good girlfriend. I will do anything for you."

    At that moment, Abi thought of the scene fromst night and a daring idea popped into her head as she thought of something that she might be able to do to please Alex. That was the only thing so far that she knew could make him feel really good and as she had never seen him look so pleased as he didst night. Her eyes fell to his groin. She could see a certain bulge, though it was nowhere near the size of bulge fromst night. Ifst night''s bulge was Mt. Everest, then, this bulge might be just a small hill. However, it was still a bulge. Thinking that the little monster might need some help to be tamed, Abi thought she had something she could use to bargain with him.

    "If you promise me to grant me a request a day. Uhm¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I can tame your big¡­ uhm¡­ little monster daily as well in exchange," she said and Alex''s lips parted in utter surprise.

    He threw back his head and stared at the sky for a moment as he inhaled sharply. What nonsense was this littlemb spouting out now?

    "I¡­ I can tame him two¡­ uhm¡­ three times daily for one request, if you want," she continued negotiating and Alex seemed to struggle within himself.

    He just couldn''t believe the audacity of this girl! If he didn''t know she was inexperienced, he would have thought she was trying to seduce him right then and there and he would have pounced on her! But he knew that wasn''t the case. She was saying these very seductive words in a very non-seductive way to make him agree to her request but his body didn''t care. It reacted to her words as if she had talked dirty to him.

    He closed his eyes and pinched the skin between his brows. He was having trouble controlling his body''s reactions and he wanted to think about her request but his body was screaming at him to agree.

    "Three times? You barely managed to do it twice, Abigail," he muttered. It seemed his body had done all the thinking for him.

    "Yes, three times! I think I could even do it four times once my hands and wrists get used to it."

    Alexanderughed. He cupped her face and whispered in his ear. "Abigail, are you sure about this? Four times a day¡­?" a devilish smile curved on his lips.

    She swallowed because of the look in his eyes but she persisted. If this was the only way to get him to agree to her request, then she was going to do it. She had to make sure toplete her list before her time was up!

    "I''m sure!" she said decisively and she even emphasised her words with a short nod of her head, showing her extreme determination.

    Alex''s smile turned even sexier but a dangerous kind of sexy. A glint of excitement shed in his eyes.

    "Okay, I agree to your terms but let me make this absolutely clear to you now, Abigail. I wouldn''t want you to just use your hands for all those times," he mischievously smiled.

    Abigail creased her brows. "Not use my hands? What else is there for me to use?" she asked curiously but before Alex could say a word, "Okay, I will work harder!" she dered. She thought that it didn''t really matter what else she would need to use because even if he told her to use wooden spoons, she would definitely try to do her best!

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

    Abi: Please give this book some love and vote for it. ^^

 Chapter 61 So little lamb-ish

    <h4>Chapter 61 So littlemb-ish</h4>

    Alexander was dumbfounded.

    He insinuated and thought she would at least have some idea but obviously not and she even dered that she would work hard without finding out the details! This littlemb¡­ she already forgot the very first piece of advice he gave her. Silly, silly girl¡­ He just hoped she wouldn''t back out of their deal, especially when he thought about all the things he wanted to do with her.

    "Littlemb, watch what you say."

    "I¡­ I''m serious. I can do that. If you give me time intervals to rest my hand, I''m sure I can do it."

    Alexander''sughter roared.

    "You are overestimating yourself. Your hands almost couldn''t even move the second time you tried to."

    "You will never know unless you try Alex." She gulped, looking serious.

    Abi was about to speak again when his fingernded on her luscious lips.

    "Enough." He stopped her. Alexander didn''t want her to say anything more about this. "Fine. Don''t you regret thister, Abigail."

    Upon hearing his approval, Abi''s eyes shone and she hugged him with a smile. "Thank you!" she even eximed, causing Alex to bite his lips.

    The girl then pulled away from him and carefully moved three steps away before she carefully spread the white nket on the roof while Alexander just stood there with his hands in his pockets, watching her with his head a little bit tilted.

    Once she was done, Abigail carefully sat on it and looked up at Alex.

    "Come here," she said as she patted the spot right next to her.

    Alex wordlessly moved and sat next to her. Abi smiled brightly. Her smile was more beautiful than the amazing sunset over the horizon.

    "So? What are we gonna do next? y mobile games?" hezily asked as he leaned back, using his palm to support his body, stretching out one of his legs and bent the other one.

    "Nope," Abi said. Her smile still didn''t fade. He wondered why she was smiling. Why was she looking so happy and excited? Was there something exciting this littlemb nned to do?

    "Pleasey down," she requested and Alex narrowed his eyes but he still did as she asked.

    He raised one arm over his head and made it his pillow.

    Abi watched his every move and stared at him once he settled in his position, still smiling. Alexander was puzzled. He was somewhat anticipating what this girl would do next. He thought she might be thinking about doing something exciting since she looked really fired up. For some reason, his anticipation increased at the thought. He licked his lips as he looked at her, waiting for some exciting action.

    When Abi moved, Alex stared intently into her eyes. Soon after, she bent closer to him, and that single move made Alex smile within him. It looked like this littlemb was indeed doing her best¡­ and she was actually a little bolder than he thought.

    At that moment, Alexander waited for her kiss tond on his lips. His gaze became intense. He was filled with anticipation. As she inched closer, he finally realized that he hadn''t actually kissed her yet. He wondered how those delicious-looking, innocent lips would taste.

    However, to his shocked surprise, the kiss didn''te. The girl actually didn''t bend over because she wanted to kiss him, she bent over because she wanted to lie down next to him. She settled her head on his chest, over the arm that was spread out, while Alex fell utterly speechless yet again.

    He couldn''t believe this at all.

    Alexander wanted tough at his mistaken assumptions. To him, what happened was something unbelievable. Why the hell was he even expecting that from this littlemb of his?! He should''ve known, more than anyone else, what this littlemb was capable of doing, or isn''t.

    While Alexander was busy with his very own internal dilemma, Abigail let out a long sigh of relief.

    "So this is how it feels," she suddenly mumbled, pulling Alex''s thoughts back to reality. "It feels really nice lying up here, right?" She smiled as she nced up at him before her gaze looked up at the fading colors in the sky.

    Alexander didn''t say a word. It was because he saw her eyes twinkling like there were a million stars sparkling inside them.

    "I always wanted to experience this, to know what it would feel like," she confessed, looking up at the sky as she reached her hand up to it as if she could touch it.

    Alex was forced to look at the sky as well. When was thest time he ever gazed up the sky like this?

    "It''s beautiful. It feels so nice," she muttered again.

    When she realized that Alex hadn''t said another word since hey down on the nket, she looked up to him. "Right?" she asked him.

    Alex finally nced at her and for some reason, she saw something in his eyes. It wasn''t coldness, nor darkness, nor the usual dangerous as hell look; it was different. She didn''t know what it was but for some reason, seeing that look in his eyes at that moment made her want to extend her hand and touch his face and embrace him. It was a very strange feeling.

    But then, before Abi could move, that look in his eyes abruptly disappeared. It returned to normal in a blink of an eye and the jellyfish abruptly changed the color it was emitting again.

    "Ten minutes are almost up, Abigail. Shouldn''t you do what you were nning to do here now?" he said, arching his brow slightly.

    But Abi just blinked at him innocently. "No, I don''t have anything more to do."

    Alex creased his brows.

    "Don''t tell me you climbed up here just to ¨C"

    "Mm. All I wanted was to experience gazing up at the night sky while lying on the roof with my boyfriend."

    Alexander gaped at her. Was she serious? She climbed all the way up to the roof, putting herself in danger, just for this? He closed his eyes as if trying to understand how her brain worked but he failed. It was as if his brain was throwing out error messages at him when he tried. But then again, he thought that doing this kind of thing was exactly just so littlemb-ish!

    He let out a quiet sigh and decided to just stay put with this peculiar little thing beside him.

    "Do you think we will see a shooting star?" she asked again after a long while of silence. The sky was already dark and stars were starting to appear, one after another.

    Alex didn''t answer.

    "Hey, are you already sleepy?" she pulled her body up to look at his face. To her surprise, the man''s eyes were wide open and he didn''t look sleepy at all.

    "Littlemb, don''t you think it would be better if we do something exciting up here rather than just lying here like this and waiting for shooting stars toe?"

    There was a yful smirk on his face causing Abi to blink again.

 Chapter 62 Wish

    <h4>Chapter 62 Wish</h4>

    Abi looked at him as if he had grown a second head.

    "Do something exciting? What is more exciting than watching the sky from up here?" she asked. She thought that this was already pretty damn exciting. She couldn''t think of anything better than this. Climbing up the roof, lying in your boyfriend''s arms and watching the lovely colorful shades of the sky as they slowly fade to grey ¨C this was a dreame true for her, the epitome of the roof experience. But then she thought about it and figured that this was probably not as exciting an experience for someone like him, who had probably seen plenty of the world, as it was for her.

    Alexander''s smirk became even more distinct and he had a devilish look in his eyes.

    He suddenly pulled his body up and twisted around so that in the next moment, he was lying half on top of her. His eyes were shining with mischief as he gazed down at her.

    "There''s definitely something much more exciting, Abigail," he sexily uttered as his glorious face hovered over her face. His thumb suddenlynded on her lips and he gently caressed them without averting his gaze from her. The intensity in his eyes made Abi''s throat run dry. "Doing naughty things up here, out in the open can be very¡­ very exciting," he whispered and Abi''s face became red.

    "N-naughty things?"

    He nodded. "The naughty things adults do usually in bed at night, Abigail," he rified mischievously, causing Abi''s lips to part in shock.

    She was speechless. Was he thinking about those things all this time and was that why he was not responding at all? She couldn''t believe him! How could he still think about those things when the view up here was this spectacr? He didn''t know how to appreciate the beauty of nature at all!

    "Like for example ¨C" Before Alex could finish his sentence, Abi''s palm flew over his mouth, stopping him from saying anything else.

    "Alex, t-that''s not nice. We can''t do something like that here," she scolded and Alex''s face beamed in amusement. A littlemb was actually scolding him¡­

    He grabbed her wrist and peeled it away from his mouth.

    "Why not? Are you shy? Don''t worry, Abigail, we are in the best ce right now and no one will see us from here," he assured her but Abi became even redder.

    "What are you saying¡­ the moon and stars are up there, watching us right now! A-and it''s too dangerous to be doing n-naughty things up here!" she covered her face with her palms as if she wanted to shrink and disappear.

    ". . ."

    Before any reaction could register on the man''s face, Abi peeked through her fingers to look at him when suddenly...

    "Ahhh!!!" she yelled excitedly as her eyes turned into huge circles. Her arms suddenly wrapped around his neck as she pulled him down to move his head out of the way just to have a better view of what she just saw.

    "I''m going to make a wish, Alex!!" she eximed and before Alex knew it, the girl let go of him and slipped away from under him, and stood up.

    She closed her eyes and cupped her hands together as the wind blew, gently lifting her hair so that it looked like they were floating behind her.

    When she opened her eyes again, she looked at Alexander with a smile. The man was already lying back on his spot, looking back at her with a look of wonder and bewilderment as he gazed up at her.

    Abigail was so happy.

    "Alex, you make a wish too!" She urged excitedly, but the man just closed his eyes as if to avoid seeing her face.

    "I don''t wish, Abigail," he mumbled but Abi''s expression didn''t change.

    "Okay, I''ll make another for you then, Alex," she said and the man abruptly opened his eyes. When he looked at her again, she was already facing the horizon, with her hands cupped together, and her eyes closed while her long silky hair was dancing gracefully with the wind.

    Alexander fell silent watching her.

    When she was done, she looked down at him and smiled before she spread her arms out and looked up at the sky. Alex just continued watching her. He seemed curious about what she wished for him but he didn''t ask. An indifferent look just shed in his eyes as he watched her.

    But suddenly, an unexpected strong gust of wind blew by. Abi was caught off-guard and her body wobbled from the force. She tried to regain her bnce but it was useless. The wind had pushed her body backwards so unexpectedly that all she could do was il her arms round trying not to fall down. Alex saw what had happened and he instantly moved, as fast as lightning, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close to him into the safety of his embrace.

    "The girl who was actually brave enough to bargain with the devil was about to be defeated by the wind so easily¡­ I can''t believe you, Abigail!"

    "I¡­ I''m not that weak. I just wasn''t expecting it to blow so strong at that moment," she told him. Her heartbeat was drumming in her ears and her breathing became a bit shallow. For a second there she had thought she might have been done for! Luckily for her, her boyfriend had quick reflexes.

    "Yeah, yeah. We''re going," he said sinctly.

    "Can we stay for another hour?" Even though she had a scary experience just now, she didn''t want this experience to end yet. She wanted to imprint this magical feeling of being on top of the world with Alex by her side.

    "Do you want me to let go and drop you from here, huh, Abigail?" he yfully asked and Abi''s arms suddenly wrapped around his neck as tightly as she could, as if she was clinging on for dear life.

    Alex had his answer and her reaction made himugh.

    "Good girl, that''s what I thought," he said before he carried her towards thedder.

 Chapter 63 Little frui

    <h4>Chapter 63 Little frui</h4>

    Alex ced her down by the end of thedder.

    He turned to her and said, "I''ll go down first. Make sure you hold on to thedder so the wind doesn''t blow you away again," he almost sounded worried about her but he was wearing a mischievous smile again as he said those words.

    He quickly made his way down and the moment his feetnded on solid ground, he looked up and motioned for her to follow.

    Abi swallowed. It was easy when she climbed up but looking down now, she felt a little scared. Thankfully, seeing Alex down there calmed her heart.

    She then ced her feet on the first rung and Alex immediately noticed her feet were slightly shaking. He twitched as he became alert. This girl was simply unbelievable. How could she talk so tough and all that when she was trembling over something like this?

    As Abi carefully climbed down, Alex didn''t realise it but he had been holding his breath the entire time he watched her and only let it out when she was finally at arms reach.

    Abi jumped down to the verandah and pped her hands together and beamed in satisfaction. ''One more thing to tick off the list!'' she celebrated inwardly.

    They headed back to the dining hall where dinner was alreadyid out on the table. She was surprised to see Mr. ck Leather Jacket sitting there, casually chatting with Alex''stest visitor.

    "Alex! What took you so long? Were you exercising or something?" Xavier said as he saw the two enter the room.? He apanied his statement with a couple of winks, clearly indicating what kind of ''exercise'' he was referring to.

    Kai nudged Xavier like a big brother does when their younger brother was being naughty and he went up to Abi and finally introduced himself.

    "Hello, Abigail. My name is Skyler, but you can call me Kai for short." He paused and looked at the guy next to him and introduced him also. "This guy here is Xavier¡­ You can call him Zee or you can just ignore him, that''s fine too," he said with a quick smile and a twinkle in his eye.

    "Hi Kai. I finally found out what your real name is! I''ve been calling you Mr. ck Leather jacket this whole time," she confessed with a shy smile.

    The moment she smiled at Kai, she felt a chilling from behind her. She immediately turned to Alex and made puppy dog eyes at him and tried to distract him. "Alex, I''m hungry¡­ Can we eat?" Her stomach grumbled right on cue and the frozen iceberg melted a little.

    Without a word, Alex strode towards the table and sat down and waited for everyone else to take their seat.

    Abi was relieved that Alex didn''t ask her to sit on hisp again. Was it because Ezekiel Qin was not around? She noticed that the table was only set for four people - one for Alex at the head of the table, one to his right and two to his left. Maybe Ezekiel Qin wasn''t back yet.

    Xavier walked towards the seat on the right so Abi and Kai took the seats to the left but before they could seat themselves, Alex looked at Xavier with cold daggers in his eyes.

    Xavier knew that look but his expression clearly said he had no idea what he did to earn that look. The words, ''what did I do wrong?'' shed in his eyes.

    Xavier racked his brain but could not solve the puzzle at all! Luckily a savior arrived. Charles the butler, walked towards Xavier and whispered in his ear. "Mr. Xavier, I believe that seat is reserved for Miss Abigail."

    His eyes became as round as a full moon as realization finally dawned on him. He immediately flew to the other side of the table and stood next to Abigail. "I''m sorry, Abigail. I didn''t mean to take your seat."

    Abigail, who had no idea what was happening, just stared at him. ''Huh? My seat? I don''t have my own seat¡­ What was he talking about?'' She looked at Charles, then Alex and at Xavier as he motioned for her to take the seat on Alex''s right hand side.

    She was so confused but she did as he asked because, one, she didn''t want to upset anyone and two, she wanted to tame her grumbling stomach.

    As she took her seat, the other two did also.

    Dinner wasfortable and lively as the two men across her bantered back and forth, with Kai getting the better of Xavier most of the time. Alex sat quietly like he was away on a different different, while Abi ate her fill while observing Alex''s visitors.

    Abi tried to drag her meal out for as long as she could because she knew what wasing. She was going to be sent back to her room while all the men talked about their ''secret squirrel man business'' - that she now referred to as.

    As expected, after she finished her meal, the order came. "Go upstairs and wait for me in your room," he said and she just sighed in resignation.

    Before Alex or Abi could say anything else, Xavier butted in in surprise.

    "She has her own room? You''re not sleeping in the same bed?!" he was surprised. "Why?"

    Alex wanted to re at Xavier and tell him it was none of his business but Abi also looked at him, as if she, too, was curious about the reason. She too was quite surprised and wondered why she got given a separate room when she first arrived at the house. She fully thought that when he said that he needed his girlfriend to live with him, that he would expect her to sleep in the same room as him. So yes, she was definitely curious as to why he didn''t.

    "Because this little fruit is still unripe¡­" he exined as he put his big hand on her head and rubbed it. "I don''t eat unripe fruits," he added as he smiled at Abi.

 Chapter 64 Vulnerable

    <h4>Chapter 64 Vulnerable</h4>

    Abi didn''t know how to feel after hearing his exnation.

    "A-An unripe fruit? Hey! Who are yo ¨C"

    "Shh¡­ go upstairs now." He cut her off and the jellyfish turned from emitting a warm glow into emitting a cold, chilly gloom. Abi knew that she shouldn''t push it anymore but at that point, she didn''t care. She was too agitated at beingpared to a fruit - and an unripe one at that!

    Abi puffed her cheeks and left but not before she red at him, letting him know that she was not happy to bepared to an unripe inanimate object!

    Luckily for her, she was already halfway up the stairs - yes, she took the stairs so that she could stomp on his imaginary face every step of the way - when Xavier spoke again.

    "Oh, so you''re waiting until she''s ripe and sweet, eh?" Xavier snickered and a cold st of wind hit his face, so cold that he actually shivered. He then threw his hands up in surrender, mimicking the action of zipping his mouth and throwing away the key.

    ¡­

    Back in Abi''s room, she stomped her way to the bathroom and filled up the bath with very warm water. She needed to rx and there was nothing like a bubble bath to release the tension from her body. She put some bubble solution in the tub and it filled up with light fluffy bubbles in no time. Once it was filled, she slipped inside the tub and she felt better instantly.

    She let her mind drift and it yed back the scene of them up on the roof like a movie. She closed her eyes and she smiled. It really was a magical moment for more than one reason. The second being that she actually got him to agree to her request. She felt that it was an almost impossible task but she was d she persevered. She knew that there was a price to pay, but was there anything in the world that came without a price?

    As she thought about the starry night sky, the shooting star and her wishes, her mood changed for the better. She deliberately didn''t think about him describing her as an unripe fruit because she knew it would just work her up. She thought about him and the two items on her list that she has nowpleted. Two memories that she never wanted to forget. As she thought about it, thirty one items and thirty one days would make thirty one wonderful memories to take with her to the next world. She was sure that once this month was over, and her heart and mind were filled with all the wonderful memories, she wouldn''t want for anything more.

    After the water began to cool down, she dried herself up, put on a bathrobe and headed out to the bedside table. She opened the drawer that stored her little book and opened it up. She uncapped her pen and drew another big tick next to the note that said ''Gaze up at the night sky from a rooftop with my boyfriend''.

    She then drew out another notebook - more like a diary - and started to write down the details of her experiences from the night before and that night. She wanted to record every little detail so that when her memory started to fade, she could read what she had written in this book and relive those experiences like it happened just yesterday.

    Once she finished with that, she got dressed into her pajamas andid in bed as she waited patiently for Alex to arrive. After watching the second hand go around five times, she decided that doing nothing wasn''t a good n, so she went and found a book to keep her mind upied.

    She picked a ssic, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. This book was one of her favourites. She brought it back to the bed to read and became immersed in it soon after.

    ---

    The hour hand on the clock went around three more times before Alex finally went upstairs. He wondered what kind of mood he would find her in as he pictured her face when she left the dining room earlier. Would she still be angry at him or would she have mellowed down by now? He stopped at the top of the stairs for a second, before he headed straight towards her door.

    He opened the door and walked in without even bothering to knock. He entered as if her room was his.

    The moment his eyes found her, the corner of his mouth tilted up a little. She was lying on the bed with the nket sprawled messily around her and there was an open book lying on her chest. She looked like she had fallen asleep reading a book waiting for him.

    He walked over to her and stood there gazing down at her peaceful sleeping face. Her face looked harmless, as always. She looked so damn vulnerable that Alex bit his lip as he watched her.

    The next moment, he sat on the bedside, picked up the open book from her chest and ced it on top of the bedside table before he returned his gaze to her face.

    His eyes then fell on her hair which was scattered on her white pillow and reached out his hand and picked strands of it. He just fiddled with her hair, as he looked to be thinking about somethingplicated.

    After he got tired of ying with her smooth hair and listening to her even breathing, Alex''s eyes shifted to her long eyshes and he reached out again to touch it.

    "Even though you''re still just an unripe little fruit¡­" he suddenly mumbled as his finger crawled down to her cheekbone and then to her soft and alluring, pink lips.

    He stayed there for a little while longer before he finally strode towards the door. He turned the lights off before closing the door behind him.

 Chapter 65 I dont like exercising

    <h4>Chapter 65 I don''t like exercising</h4>

    The sky was still a little dark when Abi woke up. She blinked and stared at the ceiling. She remembered that she had been reading a book while waiting for Alex. Wait¡­ she fell asleep?!

    Shocked, Abi suddenly rose. ''Wahh! I fell asleep!!''

    She looked around but he didn''t seem to be in the room. Was he still downstairs?'' she wondered. Or had hee and left because she was asleep? What time was it now?

    Abi crawled out of her bed and grabbed her phone. Upon looking at the time, her big eyes became even bigger. Oh no! It was already morning?

    After facepalming herself, Abigail buried her face on the pillow. She was done for. Would Alex punish her for this? But¡­ but this was his fault! He was the one who took too long and he should''ve woken her up when he had the chance! But then, she was to me too for not keeping herself awake!

    Abigail was pretty worried that Alex would punish her forst night so she thought that she might go out and take a walk to clear her mind and prepare herself for the day. She quickly changed out of her pajamas and headed for the door. It was still quite early and she thought that Alex was probably still asleep so even though he probably couldn''t hear anything, she still tiptoed out the door and very carefully closed it behind her.

    However, to her surprise, the moment she turned towards the stairs, she saw some movement to her left and her eyesnded on Alex. He looked as if he was just about to enter his room.

    Abi was confused. She looked at his clothes and his hair and they told her that he didn''t seem to have just woken up. Was he just about to go inside? Where did hee from? ''No, don''t overthink Abigail! He might have just left his room and forgot something,'' she reasoned to herself before she walked towards him with a bright smile.

    "Good morning, Alex," she greeted.

    "Why are you up so early?" he replied, wearing a little indifferent expression.

    "Uhm that¡­st night¡­ I fell asleep. Why didn''t you wake me up?"

    "Because I could see that your energy was already depleted. How could I wake up a hibernating little fruit? I don''t have any use for a limped and exhausted littlemb," he smirked. Ah¡­ this man was at it again. She couldn''t believe that he was greeting her so early in the morning with those words.

    As Abi approached him, Alex pulled closed the door he just opened. It was as if he didn''t want her to peek inside it, causing Abi''s brows to crease for a second.

    He faced her and held her chin.

    "Now that I think about it, you''re too frail, Abigail. You should exercise more to build up your immunity and stamina," he suggested and Abi''s gaze looked everywhere but at him. E-exercise?

    Abi was a little worried. She didn''t really like exercising. The only exercise she did was walking.

    "Okay, it''s still early so we can go for a short exercise," he said. He then looked at what she was wearing and he instructed her. "Go get changed into more appropriate sports wear," he suddenly said, even holding her shoulders and turning her around to face the other way, towards her room.

    "Move quickly little fruit or, do you want me to be the one to peel your ¨C"

    "No, I can do it on my own!" she immediately protested and thus, just like that, Abi dashed towards her room and mmed her door a little harder than normal, causing the man to just smile in amusement.

    However, after he stared at her door for a while, his smile slowly faded as he faced his room and opened it.

    ¡­

    As the sky slowly changed from shades of ck to brighter shades of blue, two people could be seen outside the huge house heading towards the empty street.

    Alexander was walking right beside Abi and if anyone saw them, those people would think they were one of those couples who exercised together. But if one were to observe them close enough, the two actually didn''t seem like a couple taking a sweet walk together; It almost looked like Alex was out walking hiszy pet.

    "Walk faster, Abigail! Jog!" he ordered as he nonchntly walked with his long legs. His hands were in his pockets and he didn''t even need to jog to keep up with her. Actually, it was she who needed to jog to keep up with him! He was just walking casually, cool as a prickly cucumber, as always.

    "Little fruit, it hasn''t even been five minutes yet." He halted and looked at the already panting littlemb trailing behind him.

    "I don''t like exercising, Alex," sheined.

    "You have to like it, Abigail. How can you tame my little brother four times daily when you''re this weak?" he asked as he leaned in on her. "This is one of my ways of raising a good girlfriend. You will forever be an unripe little fruit if you don''t exercise. This is one of the ways to make you ripen up a little quicker."

    "Please stop referring to me as a fruit! I''m not a fruit or amb!" she argued but Alexander just chuckled at the look on her face.

    "Sure. I''ll stop calling you those names once you graduate from being an unripe fruit and a na?ve littlemb," he countered and Abi could only bite her lips and started jogging again.

    After another five minutes, the littlemb suddenly clung onto Alex.

    "Alex, let''s rest please¡­" she begged in between breaths. Her lungs felt like they were burning but all Alex could see was the glistening sweat falling from her face down to her neck.

    "What a little weakling. One more minute, Little fruit."

    "You''re like a strict coach!" she cried but she still let go of him and continued running as he said.

    She looked ahead and when she saw a bench, she excitedly ran towards it and sat there before the minute was up!

    Alexander could only sigh as he saw her sprint towards the bench and sit down. He gave her the water bottle he was holding. "Why do you look like you just participated in a marathon? Now I''m starting to doubt your stamina, Abigail. There''s no way a weak little fruit like you could do it twice, let alone four times a day! I think our deal is ¨C"

    Before Alex could even finish what he was going to say, Abi cut him off. "You already promised! Our deal is already settled," she immediately retorted, panting. "You can''t take back your words anymore, Alex."

    Alex mmed his palms on the bench behind her, wearing his killer smirk as his face hovered over hers. Then, his eyes seemed to caress her wet lips, which was moist from the water he just gave her.

    "I really think that these lips of yours need to be disciplined. Because if not, I am worried that these lips of yours will be the end of you," he warned, both seriousness and mischief ying in his eyes.

    His intense gaze swept through her lips as his face moved closer and Abi''s heart began to thump even wilder. W-was he going to kiss her?

 Chapter 66 Third reques

    <h4>Chapter 66 Third reques</h4>

    Abi''s heart, which was already working overtime from the jogging episode, beat even faster. She didn''t know how it was possible for it to do so but it did. She suddenly fell into a slight panic, and before she knew it, her hand flew over his lips again, covering his mouth just before his lips could reach hers.

    Alexander''s eyes narrowed with displeasure. The man seemed annoyed as he moved his hands to hold her wrist. As he peeled off her palm from his face, the flustered Abi spoke.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, c-can we do this in a more special way?" she asked, her red, sweaty face had be even more red.

    "Littlemb, what the hell are you trying to say?"

    "Uhm, well¡­ it''s just that I¡­ I want my f-first kiss to be memorable."

    "First kiss¡­? Nobody''s ever kissed you before?" Alexander gaped at her. "Ever?"

    She nodded and Alexander sexily bit his lips. This unripe little fruit¡­ howe she was still¡­

    Alexander couldn''t help but wonder where this girl hid herself all these years to be this¡­ this¡­ He couldn''t even find the right words to describe her anymore. Innocent was too weak a word to use.

    While Alex was filled with bewilderment as he looked at her, Abi abruptly stood up. If Alex didn''t react fast enough, her little head would have hit his chin. This fruit!!

    "Ah!" she suddenly looked like she remembered something important. "I''m going to tell you my request for today!" She beamed with excitement, even holding the man''s arms as she looked up at him. "My third request is... Kiss me under the rain, Alex. I want my first kiss to be in a romantic setting like that." Her eyes twinkled again while the man was yet again, rendered speechless.

    "Abigail¡­ are you serious? Under the rain?" He suddenly looked up and saw an ocean of blue above them with not a single cloud in the sky. It definitely didn''t look like it was going to rain that day. This girl was asking for the impossible!

    "Why wait for rain¡­" suddenly, Alex cut off his own sentence. It appeared that he realized that arguing with this little fruit would only make him fall into another damn hole of speechlessness so he decided not to question her silly request anymore. He thought that this was the best choice in dealing with this creature or else he might even be mute from just three days with her!

    After some time, a knowing smile then curved on his lips as he grabbed her chin with his thumb. "You finally uttered an exciting request, littlemb. A romantic setting for your first kiss, huh¡­ Sure thing, Abigail," he agreed. "You still owe me four taming sessions from yesterday plus four today so I think I better fulfill your request now so that it won''t get in the way tonight," his eyes glimmered with excitement and amusement.

    Abi silently swallowed her own saliva. That''s right, she didn''t fulfill her taming task yesterday. That meant she''d have to do it eight times today? Is that even possible? Could that little big monster really be that energetic? Wouldn''t she wear it out by then?

    The little na?ve Abi was actually worrying about the little big monster. Her face burned red and she started to feel a little worried, worried for the little big monster. Surely it would get tired and want to sleep after two or three times, right? She could only wish. Wait¡­ did he say he was going to fulfill her request right now? But it was still early! What about the rain?

    "Come, littlemb. Let''s go back. I heard from Charles that you have work," he said and Abi stood up and walked beside him.

    "Yes, I have work. I''m working as an assistant teacher at the orphanage," she told him as she smiled.

    "You look like you enjoy your job."

    "Yep. It''s amazing. I''d like to invite you to see the kids when you''re free," she happily said and Alex paused for a moment. He didn''t look at her or give her an answer.

    "How about you? What do you do, Alex?" she asked curiously, craning her head ahead to look at his face.

    Alex nced at her as they continued walking forward.

    "I''m currently unemployed Abigail," he replied and Abi puffed her cheeks.

    "Please be serious!"

    "Hmm¡­ ah, I think I have a part time job right now. I''m babysitting a littlemb. No, that''s not quite right. I''m raising a girlfriend. I''m also looking for a way to quickly ripen an unripe little fruit. Yeah, those are my part time jobs right now," he spouted with a straight face, causing Abi to finally snap and stand before him to block his path. She was pouting at him, silently telling him to be serious because she wasn''t going to move if he didn''t take her seriously.

    Alexander smirked at her before hisrge palm suddenlynded on her head. The next moment, his eyes became serious.

    "It''s better if you don''t know, Abigail," he told her. "It''s for your own sake."

    Abi saw that strange look in his eyes again for a fleeting moment before it disappeared. She didn''t know why but she felt something tug at her heart. She knew that this man wouldn''t easily reveal anything. She even already thought that she might never find out anything about who he really was during her stay here with him.

    "Okay, it''s time for you to go and get yourself ready for work, Abigail," he said and Abi finally realized that they were now in front of his house.

    She shook her head and switched gears. She thought that she mustn''t let this affect her this much and encouraged herself by telling herself she''d only been there three days. She still had time so she must not let this disappoint her.

    As they both walked towards the entrance, Abi was curious and puzzled. She thought that he''s going to fulfill her request. But well, there was no way it was going to rain this morning, that was certain.

    "Are you going to shower this morning?" he suddenly asked and Abi blinked. Huh? Why was he asking that?

    She looked at him in question but the man just smiled meaningfully at her as he halted, waiting for her response.

    "Of course, I am," Abi finally answered and the man moved again.

    "Good. Come on, then," he said and all of a sudden, he carried her like a princess.

    Abi''s eyes widened. "What are you ¨C"

    "I''m going to fulfill your request like you asked, Abigail," he smiled meaningfully and Abi gaped at him.

    How? Was he the God of rain or something?

 Chapter 67 First Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 67 First Kiss</h4>

    Before she knew it, they were inside the house. He put the confused littlemb down in the middle of therge living room. She looked up at him with a million questions in her eyes.

    Then, before she could open her mouth to ask,

    "Close your eyes, Abigail," he ordered.

    "Huh? Why?"

    "Just close your eyes and don''t open it until you hear my signal."

    Abi could onlyply.

    Seconds ticked by and her mind was running around like a headless chicken, trying to figure out what he was up to!

    The next moment, Abi heard the fire rm siren roar loudly inside the mansion. Her eyes opened wide but before she could move, water began to sprinkle from above.

    "You wanted rain, right?" he smirked and Abi''s mouth dropped. What on Earth just happened? What did he just do?

    Well, he did what she thought was impossible. He made it rain¡­ inside the house!

    She felt like she was suddenly transported to a wonderful and magical fantasynd. The light from therge chandelier hanging from the fourth floor was still lit, emitting a bewitching twinkle of lights over the droplets of water flowing down, creating small, colorful rainbows around them. It was magical, as if a rainbow fairy had arrived to sprinkle them with some of her magic. This picturesque setting was better than her wildest dreams.

    She had imagined how she wanted her first kiss to be like and they were all so terribly romantic and cliche, with her and the man chasing each other outside with rain falling softly all around them. The man would then catch her, look her deeply in the eyes before the man would swoop in for her very first kiss.

    She subconsciously lifted her hand and opened her palm as the droplets fell all around them, with her eyes wide with awe and her mouth still agape from the shock. But then she closed her eyes and lifted her face up to the roof with arms wide open, embracing the feeling of the water pouring over them. She twirled around in a circle, her hair spraying droplets of water like a whirlpool around her. When she stopped, she raised her face to look at Alex and felt like her heart was about to explode.

    She could see him moving closer to her. His hair was wet, his clothes drenched and what was even more amazing was that she did not see his usual devilish smirk. His eyes were serious, still cold but devastatingly more beautiful than ever. He was like a dark angel who just emerged from the ground under the rain. This was too much. Everything was too much for Abi; she couldn''t even hear anything but her pounding heart. This definitely felt like a dream. It was like everything else faded to the background and she could only focus on him.

    Once he stood right before her, the corner of the man''s lips began to slowly lift up.

    "I''m not patient enough to wait for the rain toe, so here we are. I personally think that this is romantic enough. What do you think?" he asked but the dazed Abi took a long while to respond.

    "It''s¡­" she didn''t even know what the right word was to describe this scene. It was spectacr, surprising, one of a kind, magical, amazing - all the things she wanted this experience to be.

    Alex smiled. He could see that she was dumbstruck. ''Good. I finally made her speechless for once! I would hate for her to think that she had a boring, cliche boyfriend,'' he thought. He was d that he seemed to have exceeded her expectations.

    He reached out and cupped her face with his hand as he gently wiped away the water from her cheek with his thumb. He looked at her in the eyes and he saw that they were filled with a mixture of emotions. He saw anticipation, excitement, longing, wonder and something else that he couldn''t quite describe.

    He slowly moved his face closer to hers and gently tucked her hair behind her ear at the same time. As she saw him getting closer, Abi''s heart started pounding so hard she was afraid it would leap out of her chest. She held her breath and subconsciously closed her eyes as all her focus shifted to her lips. This was it; her first ever kiss.

    A second passed by and then she felt it; the pressure of his soft lips on hers and the world suddenly ceased to exist. It was just her and him at that moment in time, nothing else and no one else.

    His kiss was soft and undemanding and it blew her mind, but the moment he kissed the droplets from her lips, her knees grew weak from the pleasure and she felt as if her heart was going to explode. She never imagined that just kissing someone could be this intense. She felt overwhelmed from all these new emotions she was feeling.

    The two of them stood there, unaware and uncaring of anyone and anything else around them. Water ran down from their forehead to their faces to where their lips met - a cool contrast to the heat of their embrace - and they didn''t move for a long time.

    That was until Alex pushed his lips onto hers with a bit more pressure and the wave that went through Abi intoxicated her. Her head swam in a daze and she felt like she was going to faint. It was that intense and she didn''t know how she was still conscious.

    Alex took a peek of her face and he was mesmerised. He didn''t kiss her the way he usually kissed other women. For a long, long time since he could remember, he would usually kiss rough and hard because he didn''t kiss out of love but lust. That was his way.? So right then, he really didn''t know why he kissed this little fruit so tenderly.

    But then, he concluded that the taste of her innocent lips must have made him subconsciously hold back. After all, this little fruit was still unripe. He could only caress her gently for now and be patient.

 Chapter 68 Drenched

    <h4>Chapter 68 Drenched</h4>

    Once their lips parted, Alex was surprised at the look on her face. She was so red and breathless. Her dazed expression, as she slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him, made him freeze for a moment.

    He admitted that she tasted better than he imagined, despite her being just an unripe little fruit, despite her just standing there like a soft mannequin and despite the fact that she didn''t even move a single muscle to respond to his kiss apart from just having her lips apart in a subconscious manner. Her innocent lips were still the sweetest ones he had ever tasted.

    Alexander was once again amazed at how strange this littlemb made him feel. He thought that she was such a rare type of fruit ¨C might even be the only fruit of its kind; something he never knew existed or tasted before.

    His thumb moved to the soft and tender lips he just kissed and he rubbed them gently. He suddenly had the urge to suck them but he didn''t want to give her another shock at this moment, not when she was already this dumbstruck just from that slow and shallow kiss. ''Be d, little fruit. I''m a little satisfied with how sweet you smell and how unique you taste so I''m being very, very considerate right now¡­''

    But then, as he continued to gaze at her wet face and her dazed but mesmerizingly beautiful eyes, Alexander wondered if this littlemb was satisfied. She still had not said anything but he was curious about whether he was able to satisfy her expectations. Did this measure up to her imagination? Was this how she wanted her first kiss to go? Did it meet her expectations?

    Alexander began to move his face closer to her face again but the water suddenly stopped falling.

    "Oh, it looks like the rain stopped," he said as he looked up and Abigail finally returned to reality.

    As Alex let go of her, Abi touched her own lips as her face started to fill with wonder and disbelief as she continued gazing up at him.

    Alexander was amused with her expression and the corners of his lips curved up. However, before he could say a word, the sound of something smashing to the ground attracted his attention.

    He looked at the source of the sound and saw that one of the maids had dropped an expensive antique vase. However, Alexander didn''t even crease his brows or get upset at the incident. It was because his eyes didn''t just see that his butler and maids we''re all drenched, his eyes also finally caught sight of the two guests who were standing by the door with their hair and clothes also dripping with water as if they had jumped into ake with clothes on.

    The men who were still in their pajamas all just stood there, looking at the couple in utter disbelief.

    However, one of them had remained as cool as ever. Ezekiel Qin was the only one who was not drenched. He was standing by the firece, coolly holding a ck umbre, as he watched the scene with a nk expression.

    All Alexander did upon realizing the situation was clear his throat. He nonchntly looked at the littlemb before him and began to order her.

    "Littlemb, your request has been granted. Now go upstairs and take a proper bath," he told her and Abi finally moved her head around.

    Once she spotted drenched people looking at the two of them in utter shock, Abi felt like her face began to ze and before she knew it,

    "Okay," she replied as she dashed towards the grand staircase.

    Alexander watched the littlemb ascending the stairs without turning back and a yful smile curved on his lips.

    The dumbstruck people finally moved. The butler signaled the maids to move and start the clean-up.

    Oh god, they felt like a super typhoon just flooded the entire house! This will take some time to clean up! Everything was drenched with water just like that¡­''Master, you''re too much¡­ T^T You should''ve at least warned us.''

    "Alex, you¡­ What the hell, man? Some warning would have been appreciated!" Xavier was the first to burst out. "I can''t believe you of all people would actually do something as crazy as this! I understand you are doing this for your princess but you should''ve at least warned us of this impending typhoon. Look at us!" heined and Alex just raised a brow at him.

    "Crazy? I don''t think so. It would be crazier to wait for the rain. Besides, you guys should be thankful, you got a shower without doing anything."

    ". . ."

    "And don''t me me, you two were just slowpokes. Look at Zeke," he smirked at them and when the two looked at Zeke, Xavier burst out again.

    "Alex, how could you warn Zeke, but not us?! There''s no way he could have prepared his umbre if you didn''t!"

    "Why would I bother informing him?"

    "Stop lying! And Zeke, close your damned umbre already, will you?!"

    Alexander and Ezekiel ignored Xavier. Alex just started walking towards the stairs while Ezekiel just gave the umbre to one of his men.

    The moment Alex put his foot on the first step, he heard Xavier''s words. "Kai, did you see how he kissed her? You''ve seen how Alex usually kisses girls, right? Why did he give her such a simple kiss?"

    Alexander halted and looked at Xavier who was obviously talking loud enough for Alex to hear him.

    "Xavier, have you ever tasted fruit that was forced open before its time? I don''t want to force my little fruit open like that because if I do, she''ll end up tasting bad," he smirked and he nonchntly ascended the stairs.

    Xavier: ". . ."

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

    Please spare this book some votes. If we reach our 5000powerstones goal, i will give a mass release. ^^

    So keep voting.

    Also, please consider leaving a review orments.

    P.s. Second chap will be updated a littleter today.

 Chapter 69 Little Betty

    <h4>Chapter 69 Little Betty</h4>

    Abigail sprinted into her room and shut it behind her. She leaned on it for a while with a dazed expression, as if her thoughts were a million miles away from her body.

    The scene that happened just moments ago kept reying in her head like a movie. To her, it was much more overwhelming than any movie she ever watched and anything she had ever imagined.

    She remembered how his lips felt when it firstnded on hers and her heart just wouldn''t stop trying to jump from inside her chest, as if it was currently ying a game of jump ropes.

    Touching her lips, Abi mumbled.

    "So that''s how a kiss feels."

    She thought that it was truly so wonderful and magical.

    She immediately ran to the bedside table and took out her wishlist notebook. She only just noticed that her room was actually still dry when her hair dripped water on top of the bedside table. When she saw that, she then looked around her room in shocked surprise. She thought that the whole mansion would have been drenched but maybe the sprinklers only activated on the floor that the fire rm was triggered on.

    Pulling her attention back to what she was doing, she opened her notebook and she couldn''t stop smiling as she marked off the third item off her list. She briefly thought that she should do something to thank Alex for the surprise. Her first kiss was very much better than what she had ever dreamed of.? She then took out her other diary and started frantically writing down her first kiss experience before she forgot even the tiniest detail.

    She spent a good time on that before heading to the shower to get ready for work. There was a dreamy look and a wide smile on her face the entire time and her heart was still thumping wildly the whole time. She had to take a few deep breaths and forcefully stop herself from picturing it over and over again before her heart finally calmed down.

    Once she settled down her heartbeat, she left her room and headed downstairs. As she walked down the staircase, the scene slowly came into view. Her mouth dropped and her eyes gradually widened at the mess! The room was like a scene from the movie, Jumanji, where the house was suddenly flooded, though everything was still in their right ces, just drenched. She saw the maids working hard to dry off the furniture and she felt guilty.

    She apologized and picked up a mop and started to help with the clean up but the servants politely asked her to stop, saying she was an honored guest and it would put their household to shame if they let her do such a thing. She felt that the maids prided themselves on their work from what they said and so she reluctantly let the mop go.

    Charles saw her and immediately came to get her and led her into the dining hall which was surprisingly already cleaned up and dried out. The table was only set for one and she ate her breakfast alone. She was told that the master and the guests had already left, something that surprised Abi again. ''What, already?''

    Once she finished her breakfast, she then left the house and went straight to the orphanage.

    When she got there, she looked at her schedule for the day and saw that there was an appointment to go to the hospital with one of the children at the orphanage that afternoon. Little Betty had some sort of heart disease and Abi had volunteered to apany the little girl to the hospital for her weekly checkups.

    Abi obviously had a soft spot in her heart for her because she understood the little girl''s situation. She was still so young, just seven years old, and she was already suffering. Abi felt her heart break a little for the poor child who was dealt such a hand in life.

    ¡­

    In the hospital.

    Abi waited anxiously. Each time they came here, she would hope for the best oue but time and time again, she was met with disappointment. When the doctor walked towards her, shaking his head, Abi felt the disappointment settle within her yet again. Their conclusion was the same. The little girl''s only option to survive was a heart transnt and unfortunately, that was something the orphanage could never afford. Even if they did manage to get enough money, there were no guarantees that there would be a suitable donor. In short, it was hopeless. Unfortunately, the little girl had the same fate as her, and just like her, her time was about to end sooner than they would have wanted.

    This sweet Little Betty, this cute, kind hearted, beautiful little girl was going to die soon as well. This world was indeed very unfair. Just what did this little girl do to deserve such a fate?! She started to feel angry at the cruel and heartless world they lived in. Why? Why did it have to be like this?

    After they left the hospital, Abi called the orphanage to tell them that she was going to take the little girl out somewhere. Abi wanted to do something for her.

    "Do you have somewhere you want to go?" Abi asked her as she knelt before her.

    "Hmm¡­ I want ice cream!" she said so innocently and enthusiastically that Abi nearly cried for this brave little girl. Instead, she smiled at her brightly and pinched the little girl''s cheek yfully.

    "Got it darling. Let''s go on a hunt for the most delicious ice cream today!"

    "Yey!"

    They drove around until Abi found arge ice cream store. They went inside and Abi bought Little Betty the biggest scoop of ice cream she could. Abi was so focused on making the girl happy that she had forgotten about everything else. She just wanted to fulfill any wishes this girl had, simr to how Alex was helping her fulfill her own list of wishes.

 Chapter 70 Cotton candy

    <h4>Chapter 70 Cotton candy</h4>

    "Did you like the ice cream?"

    "Yep, they''re super delicious! Thank you, Abi," Her smile was so bright and Abi couldn''t help but squeeze the super cute little girl in her arms.

    "I''m d. Was there anywhere else you wanna go or something else you want to do?"

    "I think I''d like to have a date with you at the park," she said cutely.

    "Is that all? Are you sure?" Abi prompted her.

    "Mn," the little girl said with a nod.

    Abi could only shake her head at the girl''s simple request. She wondered if Little Betty had anyrger dreams as she took the girl''s hand and headed towards the park.

    Abi was pulled back to the present when the little girl started talking about this book that the caretaker at the orphanage read to herst night. The story was of Little Red Riding Hood. The little girl kept up her monologue in between licking the melting ice cream in her hand until they found a park bench.

    "Abi, thank you for staying with me today. I''m so happy. I''m not sad that I have no parents. I''m happy as long as I have you." She then hugged Abi tightly and Abi embraced her back.

    Little Betty was such a sweet, precious girl. Ever since Abi found out about Little Betty''s condition, she wished that a miracle would happen so that this little girl could at least be saved, even though it seemed like miracles didn''t really exist anymore - there was no miracle for her mother, after all and she knew that there would be no miracle for her either. Still, she wished for it because maybe, just maybe, a miracle would happen for little Betty.

    As she hugged the little girl, Abi saw a cotton candy booth across the road. She pulled away from their embrace and asked the little girl.

    "Do you want some cotton candy?"

    The little girl was a foodie like her so of course, she nodded enthusiastically. Abi looked around and saw that there weren''t many people around the park so she decided that it was safe for Little Betty to stay on the bench. She didn''t like to exhaust Little Betty, especially with her condition. Besides, the booth was not too far away. She would be back in no time.

    "Stay here, okay? Wait for me and don''t move while I go buy the cotton candy," Abi told her. Once the girl nodded and made a promise to wait for her on the bench, Abi finally stood up and walked towards the candy booth.

    Abi kept checking on the little girl as she reached the candy booth and saw that the little girl was also looking at her as she sat on the bench with her little legs swinging in and out. Abi gave her a little wave and she received a wave back.

    The sky was starting to change color, from yellow to a reddish hue, indicating that it was almost twilight, but Abi, who was now busy with the vendor, still didn''t take note of the time.

    Once the pink cotton candy was in her hand, Abi smiled at the little girl who was still patiently waiting on the bench as she walked towards the pedestrianne.

    However, she took just three steps when suddenly, a fast car whipped past her, barely missing her.

    It didn''t hit her but Abi fell backwards like a leaf being blown away by a strong wind. She, along with the cotton candy, fell on the ground as the car that came out of nowhere, screeched away from the scene.

    "Oh god! What the hell''s wrong with that driver?!!" People who saw what happened started cursing the driver of that car who didn''t even bother to stop, while some olddies walked towards her and helped her up.

    "Are you alright?" they asked and Abi finally snapped from the shock. Her heart was still thumping hard from the adrenalin rush as what happened finally registered in her brain. It all happened so fast! One second she was smiling, walking towards the little girl with cotton candy in her hands and in the next moment, she was on her backside from a near miss car ident! She saw the cotton candy covered with dust on the ground and her head snapped towards the bench where she left Little Betty.

    When she saw that Betty was already running towards her, she forced a smile towards the olddies and brushed the dirt away from her backside.

    "I''m fine. Thank you so much." She thanked them with a smile as Betty finally reached her.

    "Abi! Are you okay?!" she asked, worried as she clung on her leg.

    Abi immediately bent down and hugged the girl. Making this girl worry was thest thing she wanted to do.

    "I''m fine, baby. I actually avoided the car, aren''t I great? Haha" She grinned at the worried little girl to let her see that she was okay. She could see the little girl''s chest moving in and out rapidly as if she was about to have a panic attack, so Abi immediately coaxed her to calm her down. "This big sis of yours can avoid even the fastest car. Look, I''m not even hurt," she continued and she let the girl examine her. When Little Betty saw that she had no wounds, her face started to rx and her breathing began to slow down, causing Abi to heave a long sigh of relief.

    "Ah oh, the candy¡­ I''ll go buy you another one!" Abi immediately focused her attention towards the candy. The little girl looked at it and bit her little lips before she turned to Abi.

    "It''s okay, Abi. I don''t want cotton candy anymore," she said as she caressed Abi''s face as if she was trying to coax her big sister instead, causing Abi to chuckle.

    "Aww¡­ you''re the sweetest. Sweeter than any cotton candy." Abi smiled and hugged her and as she did so, she felt her heartbeat stabilize so she finally stood up.

 Chapter 71 Special

    <h4>Chapter 71 Special</h4>

    "Okay. We should probably head back before it gets too dark, shouldn''t we?" she said and when the girl nodded, Abi called a cab.

    She was about to tell the driver to bring them to the orphanage when her eyes fell on the digital clock on the cab''s dashboard.

    Her eyes immediately widened. Oh no! Her curfew!!!

    Alex''s cold and stern voice saying that he will punish her began ying in her ears and Abi began to panic. It was only her third day and she was already going to break one of his rules!!

    Panicking, Abi immediately told the driver a different address, the address to Alex''s house.

    She called the orphanage during the taxi ride home and told them that she was going to be dropping Betty off a littlete. Of course, the people at the orphanage didn''t mind at all since Abi had been known to even bring little Betty over to her house during some weekends.

    ¡­

    Finally, the car stopped in front of the huge house, keenly aware that darkness had started to set in. She waste. She bit her lips hard and she couldn''t help but feel nervous as she approached the house.

    Once the two entered the door, Abi''s eyes immediately flew towards the firece. Alexander was right there, sitting like a bored king as always. His fingers were moving, tapping on the couch''s arm, as if he was counting the movement of the clock''s second hand.

    Abi was afraid that the man would emit his deadly aura again without warning so she whispered to Little Betty to stay by the door and wait for her.

    The little girl nodded and Abi finally walked silently towards the man whose back was facing her.

    When Abi was just about to reach him, she saw his fingers be still and then his cold, deep voice rang in her ears.

    "You''rete, Abigail," were the words that weed her. He didn''t even turn to look at her, as Abi expected. She suddenly felt chills the instant his words rang inside the big hall, but she didn''t halt in her tracks. She continued walking towards him until she was right before him.

    Alex raised his cold eyes and gazed up to her. The jellyfish was incredibly freezing. His intense gaze was reeking with cold darkness, showing his extreme displeasure.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, I¡­ I have someone with me right now so c-can you scold meter? She has a weak heart so I don''t want her to get scared. Please?" she pleaded, cupping her hands together, forcing Alex to close his eyes. This girl¡­ didn''t she feel anything? How could she still speak to him like this when he was already in this state? Did this littlemb really not have any fear in her at all?

    Alexander''s urge to punish her intensified. However, Abi misread his gesture. She thought that the man had given in so she quickly called Betty toe over.

    The little girl stood right next to her, clinging onto Abi as if she was her lifeline, and took a quick peek at Alex.

    "A-alex¡­ this is Betty," Abi tried to distract him and the man finally looked down and saw something clinging on his littlemb''s legs.

    He creased his brows as he looked at the small little thing blinking at him and Alex''s coldness somehow dissipated a little.

    "Betty? Say hi to Alex," she encouraged the little girl and Betty blinked before she looked at him.

    She then slightly bowed at Alex as she spoke. "Hello, Mr. Alex. I''m Betty, nice to meet you." She smiled and Alex just quietly stared at the little girl for a while before he moved and faced her.

    "Nice to meet you too, Little Betty," he said and Abi''s tensed shoulders finally rxed.

    "Are you Abi''s friend?" she asked, slightly tilting her head and Alex''s lips finally curved up.

    "What do you think?"

    "I think¡­ you might be a new friend because this is the first time I have seen you. I know all of Abi''s friends," the little girl said proudly.

    Alexander chuckled as he leaned back. "Her new friend, huh? Well, your observation isn''t wrong Little Betty, but¡­" he leaned forward towards her again. "Are you sure I''m only her new friend?"

    "Alex, uhm¡­" Abi tried to intervene but...

    "Let her answer first, Abigail," Alex told her as his gaze remained locked onto the little girl.

    Little Betty looked up to Abi before she answered the man.

    "You are new but I think you are also a special friend," she replied and Abi''s eyes widened as she looked down at the little girl.

    "Why would you say that?" Alexander seemed intrigued.

    "Because, I think you are the first male friend Abi has. Abi doesn''t have boy friends, only girls. So that''s why I think you are special," she answered and Alexander smiled. He looked satisfied and it seemed like he liked Little Betty for that.

    "Good girl," was all he said and he finally looked at Abi.

    "Alex, can I return her to the orphanage first? I will exin to you once I''m back."

    "Why return her? Didn''t you get the permission to take her with you?"

    "Of course I did."

    "Then it''s fine. Let her stay here for the night. It''s already dark out, Abigail."

    "But¡­"

    "No buts. I won''t permit you to go out," he said with an absolute no nonsense tone and Abi knew that she wouldn''t be able to persuade him anymore.

    Without a choice Abi called the orphanage and thankfully, they agreed.

    The two girls then went upstairs to clean up and get changed. As they walked up the staircase, Little Betty looked at Abi with wide eyes!

    "Wahh!! Abi, is this a castle? I feel like I''m inside a real castle!" Betty was extremely excited.

    Abi let Little Betty go first and she went after she finished helping the little girl put on a fresh set of clothes. Luckily for Abi, she had with her a spare set of clothes for Little Betty as she always carried spares with her whenever she went out with any of the children, just in case so this wasn''t an issue. ''Great forward thinking, Abi!'' she mentally patted herself on the back.

    Once they were ready, they headed back downstairs.

 Chapter 72 A book, a pillow, and a blanke

    <h4>Chapter 72: A book, a pillow, and a nket</h4>

    The moment they entered the dining room, three pairs of eyes greeted them and one didn''t even bother to look up, as if he couldn''t care less. Of course, the boisterous one was the first to say something.

    "Oh, we have a new member in the family?! So cute! What''s your name?" Xavier asked.

    "My name is Betty. Nice to meet you all." Betty introduced herself and smiled at Xavier.

    "I''m Xavier, baby girl and this guy here is Kai." Xavier beamed at her while Kai gave her a small, kind smile.

    Betty''s eyes surveyed the two men for a while before her gaze fell on Ezekiel Qin. She then turned and walked towards him and poked him gently on his leg to grab his attention.

    "Uncle, what''s your name?"

    The man silently raised his eyes and looked at the girl before him.

    "Hey, don''t ignore ady''s question." Alex''s voice was mocking.

    "Ezekiel" was all he said before he looked down again, as if he was an unwilling participant.

    Dinner seemed to beid out and ready for them already so they all took their ces around the table and started to eat the always scrumptious meal made by the kitchen staff.

    Betty couldn''t believe the amount of food that wasid out on the table. ''Holy moly! I have never seen this much food in my life! YUUUUUMMMMM!!!'' was the thought that ran through her head. She was used to the food from the orphanage and while it wasn''t fancy like this, it was certainly nutritious and still yummy. But the little foodie certainly wasn''t going to let this opportunity pass by her!

    Abi saw the millions of stars in the girl''s eyes and she couldn''t help but chuckle as she ced a heaped spoonful of food on Little Betty''s te. She definitely understood what she was feeling. This was, after all, how she also felt when she first got here. Knowing how much of a foodie this little girl was, she made sure to give her at least a small portion of every dish so that she could have a taste of all of the dishes, much to Little Betty''s delight.

    Dinner was much more lively than usual, with Xavier and Kai asking Little Betty a lot of questions, as if they had never spent time with a little child before, and Little Betty answered them all with her cheerful, bubbly, little voice surrounding them like a warm nket.

    Once they were finished with their meal, Abi and Little Betty patted their food babies with satisfaction. They looked at each other and as if some secretmunication passed between them, they bothughed out loud while the men looked at them with curiosity. Abi just shook her head and offered no exnation.

    After some time, they all rose and headed to therge living room. Alex and Abi sat next to each other on thergest couch while Little Betty, Xavier and Kai sat on the couch across them. Zeke, ever the outsider, sat on the furthest single chair from the rest.

    "Do you have any toys or games here?" Little Betty piped up.

    The two men immediately looked at Alex, as if they were about to ask him this question, but then they looked at each other and shook their head. ''What were they thinking? Of course he wouldn''t have any kids toys or games in this house.''

    "Sorry, Betty, but we don''t have toys or games," Xavier said sadly.

    "Oh ok... Do you have any paper? We could y rubbish ball. Do you know how to y rubbish ball?" Little Betty asked the two men, who just looked very confused.

    "Rubbish ball? What kind of game is that?" Xavier asked.

    "It''s when you crumple pieces of paper into a ball and try to shoot them inside the rubbish bin!" Little Betty exined.

    "Oh. That sounds like fun!" Xavier said while Kai just nodded. The two then went in search of paper and a rubbish bin. It didn''t take them long to find the items needed for the game and so within minutes, the quiet house became very noisy as the three of them yed their game. There were shrieks and ps and hoorays as it went on and Abi, who could never just sit and watch while kids yed games, got up to join them.

    Alex and Zeke stayed where they were as they looked on with boredom written on their faces. They definitely did not have any intention of joining in.

    After some time, the game finally slowed down. It seemed like everyone was finally starting to run out of gas.

    "Abigail,e over," Alex ordered and Abi immediately walked towards him. He pulled her beside him and whispered in her ear.

    "It''s time for your punishment, Abigail." he uttered and Abi swallowed. She thought that Alex would let her go tonight.

    "But... Alex, B-betty is here."

    "She looks like she is ready to go to sleep," he simply said. As Abi looked at the little girl who was rubbing her eyes and yawning, she knew he was right. "I''m sure one of the boys can handle putting her to bed," he then continued.

    "O-okay," she agreed but Abi worriedly tugged Alex''s shirt. "Alex, she needs someone to read a book to her for her to go to sleep," Abi said.

    "Charles, get me a book, a pillow and a nket," he ordered and after a while, Charles came back holding a pillow, a nket and an old book of Grimm''s fairy tales.

    Alex took the book and walked towards the little girl. He squatted before her and said, "Little Betty, Abigail and I have an important matter to settle so one of these three will put to bed, okay?" Alex told her and the little girl looked at Abi before she just nodded.

    He then showed the book to her. "Little Betty, you can choose one person to read this book to you," he told her and Little Betty just blinked. "Who will you choose?"

 Chapter 73 Classroom rules

    <h4>Chapter 73 ssroom rules</h4>

    Little Betty looked at Kai and Xavier. Xavier was miming at her to choose him but Betty''s gaze just passed through him until her eyes fell on the lone man sitting at the far end of the room. She pointed her finger towards Ezekiel Qin, surprising everyone except Alex. Even Ezekiel himself was a little taken aback, although his face remained nk.

    "Nice choice, Little Betty," Alex seemed satisfied with her choice. He looked at Zeke with a taunting smile and before Abi could protest, Alex was already walking towards Zeke. He held Betty''s hand in one hand and the book with the other. Once they stood before the quiet Zeke, Alex looked down at him with a smile on his face. He bent down and put the book on Zeke''sp, almost with a flourish, before he straightened up. "Take care of Little Betty for a while, Zeke."

    Without even waiting for the man''s response, Alex patted the girl''s head as he asked Charles to give Zeke the nket and the pillow. Little Betty smiled and voluntarily jumped on the space next to Zeke. She took the pillow and positioned it as close to Zeke as possible and she quietly settled down as she stared at the man, waiting expectantly for him to start reading to her.

    Alexander smiled at the girl''s behavior before he looked at Zeke with a mischievous yet stern look in his eyes. "I''ll leave her to you then, Zeke. Start reading to her now because it''s already quitete," he said before turning to walk away.

    He walked straight towards Abi and grabbed her wrist, dragging her up the stairs. Abi kept looking back at the duo as she was still a bit worried.

    "Alex, are you sure? I think it might be better if we leave her with Kai," she said and Alex halted on the stairs.

    "Stop worrying, little fruit. Trust me, Zeke is the best choice for babysitting her. I don''t actually trust those two that much. They''ll make her cry or treat her like a doll. She won''t be able to sleep early if she''s with them."

    "But¡­"

    "Shh¡­ look at her. She likes Zeke. Don''t worry, Zeke will never harm even a single strand of her hair," he said and Abi just blinked. Alex''s absolute trust in Zeke was not something she expected, especially regarding this matter.

    Abi looked at Betty and when she saw that the girl was smiling as she looked up at the cold man. She looked around and saw the butler and maids were also standing by so she felt at ease.

    However, her ease onlysted for a minute because as soon as the two arrived on the third floor, Abi''s heart began to thump. She began to feel nervous.

    Was he really going to punish her?

    Abi''s steps began to slow. She walked like a turtle while Alex just walked elegantly in front of her, like always, as she followed behind him. When the man finally stopped in front of her room, Abi was a few steps behind him.

    He nced at her before he pushed her room''s door open and entered like it was his own.

    Abigail took a deep breath, not once but thrice, before she entered. Alex was already sitting on her bed, loosening his neck tie and unbuttoning the first two buttons of his shirt. He was doing that in an outrageously, devastatingly sexy and alluring way. His eyes smoldered as he looked at her as he moved gracefully like a magnificent beast.

    "Come over, Abigail," he ordered and his deep voice made Abi swallow as she moved slowly towards him.

    "Uhm Alex, I can exin. I¡­" before Abi could continue, Alexander pulled her close. Hisrge hand easily gripped both of her hands while his free hand grabbed her chin.

    "Rules are rules, Abigail. You broke one of the rules so you''ll need to be punished. No excuses," he whispered and Abi felt chills run down her spine. "I have to teach you a lesson, Abigail. I can see you''re not taking my simple rules seriously. Did you think I was going to just let it go because this was your first offense? If that''s what you think, then you''re wrong, littlemb. I''ll have to show you now or else you will think that my rules are nothing but words of bluff."

    The words that resonated in her ears sent small shivers through her body. Abigail swallowed again.

    "A-are you going to hurt me?" she asked and her lips trembled a little.

    Alexander''s lips twisted to a faint smile before it abruptly faded. His eyes zed with ice cold fire, so deadly and dangerous, but at the same time filled with something different that Abi couldn''t fathom.

    "Do you want me to hurt you?" he asked and Abi''s throat dried up.

    "No, Alex." She shook her head. Her voice was barely a whisper. The littlemb finally showed a little hint of fear.

    "Are you scared?" he asked again as his vivid eyes pierced hers. Nheless, Abi looked at him back straight on; her gaze was even deeper than ever.

    "A little," she replied and Alex''s eyes squinted.

    "A little, huh¡­ But you''re already expecting me to hurt you, right?"

    She nodded. "A little."

    "What do you mean by a little, huh, Abigail?"

    "I think your punishment will hurt me a little."

    A throaty chuckle left Alex''s lips as he grabbed her chin and rubbed her lips gently, not taking his eyes off hers even for a second.

    "Tell me, what kind of punishment were you expecting?" he asked and a short silence followed.

    Abi straightened her tensed shoulders, took one deep breath before she calmly opened her lips and told him what was running through her mind.

    "That¡­ you will have me stand there facing the wall for a long time, or, have me run ap or two or three outside, or, lock me in my room for a couple of hours, or, have me write pages and pages of an apology letter, or, have me go clean the backyard¡­"

    Alexander''s smirk had long faded since she uttered her first phrase. This girl¡­ was she trying to distract him? Did she think that his rules were some kind of ssroom rules and now he became a teacher in her eyes?

    Despite being rendered speechless once again because of another weird surprise in the middle of this situation, Alexander didn''t let this na?ve little fruit take the better of him.

    "Abigail, how about spanking? Did that evere to your mind?" his voice was damn deep and alluring, like the voice of a devil in disguise, luring people to their demise.

    "Spanking?"

 Chapter 74 What happened?

    <h4>Chapter 74 What happened?</h4>

    Abigail''s eyes widened a little. She was shocked but the reason behind her surprise was actually because she didn''t expect Alex to say that word.

    "Alex, I''m already an adult. I''m not a child that needs to be spanked," she argued. She looked like she couldn''t believe him.

    "What if I told you that adults could be spanked too?"

    His words made Abi''s jaw instantly fall.

    "R-really?" she gasped, looking at him with disbelief. Alex sexily nodded at her and waited in anticipation for her next reaction.

    However, Abigail suddenly pressed her lips tightly as if she was trying very hard not to grin. Well, now that she thought about it, adults could also be spanked. She never saw it happen before her eyes but what came into her imagination was theedy movie she watched before where an old man was being yfully pped on his butt by his wife because he was fooling around. Imagining an adult being pped on the butt was aedic scene to her.

    Alexander was speechless. He didn''t know why the girl was suddenly looking like she was enjoying a private joke.

    "What''s so funny, Abigail?" he asked, as his eyes narrowed and Abi cleared her throat before seriously staring back at him.

    "I just imagined a couple spanking each other and I found it amusing. I watched a movie where one grandma ps her husband''s butt and then he covers them up and runs away from her like he was running on hot coals," she told him and Alexander lost it.

    He couldn''t believe this. No matter how serious the situation was, how could this girl just turn everything around like this? From the moment she was alone with him, she should have been at his mercy, knowing that she was about to get punished. She was supposed to step back in fear upon hearing the word ''spanking'' and yet, here she was, smiling so innocently as if this wasn''t a serious matter. Even more annoying was the fact that she was even telling him about aedy show she watched, saying that spanking was amusing. Was this the way her survival instincts were wired? It if was, then she had evolved to a higher level because it did a he good job killing the vibes!

    "C-could it be that you''re nning to spank me? I-is that my punishment?" her eyes looked at him with surprise. She even looked relieved. "If that''s so, please go ahead," she said, thinking that it would be like the funny scenes in the movies. The old grandma didn''t seem to smack the grandpa that hard so of course she didn''t mind being spanked like that. So she positioned herself in front of him, sideways and even bent down a little to give him ess to her cute little behind.

    Alexander couldn''t help but pinch the skin between his brows. This was utterly different. This was not even close to the ideal punishment scenario. She was supposed to be begging him not to spank her, and yet, here she was, suddenly offering herself like this. How the hell could he even¡­ could he even¡­

    Alexander had never been in a situation like this before. This girl was a whole different species of the human race and he couldn''t figure how to handle her. She was just so¡­

    Now his mind was also messed up. He didn''t know why but he suddenly thought of a little poor literal fluffymb being spanked by him.

    This was simply outrageous and ridiculously over the top. She exuded such a kind of innocence and purity that made anyone desire to take advantage of her vulnerabilities and weaknesses, but she wasn''t actually as easy as that. She had her very own strange and weird way of fighting back against the predators that want to eat her. And she was doing that so smoothly, almost without even trying.

    This girl was just bing more and more unbelievable by the day and it never ceased to render him speechless.

    Alexander could only curse inwardly and in the next second, he suddenly yanked her and pinned her down on the bed. He finally realized that this girl wasn''t someone he could treat the way he treated others. He couldn''t even make himself imagine spanking this littlemb anymore.

    "Abigail, I''m not going to spank you like those old damned movies with old grandmas and grandpas. That wasn''t the kind of¡­" he stopped mid sentence, almost groaning in frustration. His mood had be cold again. This man was so quick to change his colours, it was hard to keep up with him.

    "Never mind that. I''ve prepared an interesting punishment for you," he then smiled wickedly. "Don''t worry, littlemb. I will make sure that you won''t feel any pain. I will make sure you will regret breaking my rules and that you will never want to do it again. I will make you beg me to punish you more," he whispered as his breath caressed her face.

    Abi was so confused with the words he was saying. She did not understand what he was saying at all. It was like he was suddenly talking in a differentnguage she didn''t understand. Why on Earth would she want to beg for more punishment? That just didn''t make any sense!

    She could see the look in his eyes had changed yet again. He had be a dangerous beast. He always looked dangerous but this time, Abi felt really nervous with him being like this. Her heart wouldn''t stop beating like crazy even as she tried to convince herself that everything was just fine.

    Alex took her hand and kissed her finger before he moved both her hands above her head.

    He was about to kiss her when he noticed her wince the moment he intertwined his hand on hers.

    "Abigail¡­ I haven''t even started yet and you already look like you''re in pain?" he whispered and he was about to continue when the girl''s face twisted the moment he squeezed her hands tighter.

    His eyes narrowed and when he looked at her hand, he saw the scratches.

    The lust in his eyes slowly dimmed and was reced by dark coldness.

    "What happened? Where and how did you get these scratches?"

 Chapter 75 A cat and a mouse

    <h4>Chapter 75 A cat and a mouse</h4>

    Meanwhile in the living room on the ground floor, Little Betty was still wide awake. She was lying there, waiting patiently for Uncle Zeke to start reading to her.

    Not only did Ezekiel not start reading the book to the little girl, he also ignored her as if she wasn''t there. He just kept scanning the book that Alex gave him without a word. He didn''t know why this girl had picked him to read her a bedtime story when the other two were obviously more willing. He didn''t understand why this little girl wasn''t scared of him when children always hid behind their mothers at the sight of him. Was this kid the same as that fearless Abigail girl?

    "Uncle, uncle, why are you not talking to me?"

    "Uncle, you don''t like talking don''t you?"

    "Can you read the story out loud so I can hear?"

    "Uncle, please?"

    Little Betty continued talking until Ezekiel Qin''s hand that was flipping the pages finally halted.

    "Stop calling me, uncle. I''m not your uncle," he told her, his voice a little chilly.

    "Then, what should I call you?" she innocently asked. "Big brother?"

    "I''m not your brother."

    "Then, shall I call you Zeke, too?" she smiled and the man silently let out a sigh. He didn''t have any tolerance for this kind of thing. He knew that Alex did this on purpose. That man just wanted to torture him.

    "Sleep, kid. You''re not a baby to still be lulled to sleep by a bedtime story," he said nkly and Little Betty''s face became gloomy.

    She didn''t speak anymore as sheid there next to him.

    Zeke nced at her again when the girl didn''t move or make sound, thinking that she finally fell asleep but to his surprise, the girl''s eyes were still wide open.

    She was staring at the ceiling and blinking asionally.

    Seeing that there was no sign of her going to sleep, Ezekiel pressed his temples and opened the book again.

    "I will only read this once, kid. Listen carefully and sleep," he suddenly said and the girl looked up at him with big round, excited eyes.

    The man then started, "Once upon a time, a princess¡­" he trailed off. For some reason, he couldn''t continue. His expressionless face seemed to have hardened in frustration. However, he still remained calm.

    The girl looked at him with anticipation, waiting for what wasing next even though the man''s voice was so painfully lifeless and toneless.

    "A cat and mouse decide to live together and buy a pot of fat to get them through the winter. They decide to keep the pot under an altar at the church and to only use it if necessary. The cat makes up a story and says she''s bing a godmother in order to secretly visit the church, so she asks the mouse to stay and watch their ce. The cates home and eventually bes the godmother two more times. Each time, the mouse asks the name of the godchildren and the cats responses are top off, half done, and all-gone. The mouse doesn''t catch on until they go to the church and sees the empty pot. The cat turns and eats the mouse. The end."

    Ezekiel closed the book and looked at the girl but the girl''s lips were parted and her big eyes were still wide open.

    "Why aren''t you asleep yet?" he frowned.

    "Uncle¡­ I mean Mr. Zeke, that''s not nice. You just summarized the story." She rose and took the book in his hand. "You should do it like this, okay?"

    She started reading the story so skillfully and it suddenly looked like Little Betty was the one lulling the big man to sleep.

    The man pressed his temples once again like an old man with the world''s burden on his shoulders and took the book from her hand.

    "Fine, I''ll read it like that so sleep now," hemanded and the girl at least listened to him. However, before sheid down she took the book and opened it to the page titled ''Cindere''.

    Ezekiel then started reading but he was nowhere near the same level as little girl''s skills.? His storytelling skill was, in fact, not even on the scale and could even be considered as being below zero. But despite his monotone and bored voice, Betty still slowly fell asleep.

    ¡­

    Back in Abi''s room, the atmosphere had be below freezing as the cold statue waited for Abi''s reply.

    "Ah, t-this is nothing. I just tripped on the sidewalk." Technically, Abi told him the truth because she did trip on the sidewalk but she knew full well that a half truth was still a lie. She was not trying to hide what had happened but for some reason she didn''t know why but she didn''t want to mention that a car almost hit her.

    But of course, the cold statue saw it because she was very, very bad at lying. Her face gave her straight away so he just said curtly, "You just tripped, huh?" his voice was cold as steel.

    Alex''s eyes squinted at her. He then got up and grabbed the first aid kit. He sat down next to her and started cleaning her wounds.

    Abi was surprised as she looked at him. She didn''t expect him to act this way. It almost looked like the beastly man was suddenly tamed as soon as she saw her scratches. This cold man being like this towards her made Abi''s heart flutter. She couldn''t believe that just a moment ago, this was the same man who looked like he was going to eat her alive.; the same man who was just about to punish her.

    However, just as when Abi was thinking that the ice was starting to melt, Alex suddenly pressed on her wound using the cotton ball he was holding.

    "Ouch!" she winced. "Alex, it hurts," she pleaded but the man didn''t release the pressure.

    "Abigail, are you really not going to tell me the truth?" he asked and Abi''s eyes widened. She looked at him and she was surprised at the darkness lurking in his eyes.

 Chapter 76 Somewhere

    <h4>Chapter 76 Somewhere</h4>

    He pressed on her scratches a little harder as Abi gaped at him and she winced again.

    "Ahh¡­ Alex, stop! I''ll tell you..." She finally gave in and the man let go.

    "Good," he said before he lifted her hand and gently blew on the wound as if he was trying to soothe the pain he inflicted. Abigail was speechless. This jellyfish was truly unpredictable. Why was he like this? "Now speak, little fruit," his tone was extremely demanding.

    With a sigh, she told him the truth; that she was about to cross the road when a random fast car drove past so close to her that it nearly hit her. She fell down and that was how she got the scratches.

    Abi saw his jaws clench and something shed in his eyes, so quick that Abi almost missed it. He looked down and focused his attention on her palm.

    "I-I am fine, though. These scratches are nothing," she immediately tried to reassure him, but the man continued his interrogation without looking at her face.

    "What about the driver? Did you see his face?" His voice was emotionless, as if he was a detective trying to get information from the victim.

    Abi found his way of questioning strange to her. She also didn''t understand why he was asking so seriously but his overbearing aura was forcing her to cooperate with him.

    "He didn''t stop and it happened so fast I didn''t get a look at his face."

    "You didn''t see the te number?"

    She shook her head. "I didn''t see it but I think the car looks the same as that ck car in the garage."

    Alex fell silent after that, as if he had found his answer or as if he had finished taking all the necessary information. Still, there was something in his silence that made Abi feel like he was hiding something about this matter.

    "Why were you trying to hide it from me?" he asked again after a long while of silence.

    "I wasn''t trying to hide it. I just thought that this wasn''t something important that you needed to know," she replied and Alex paused. He looked at her with a sharp gaze before he grabbed her chin.

    "Listen carefully, littlemb. While you are here living with me, I am the one responsible for you, you understand? From today onwards, while you are staying in my house, don''t hide this kind of thing from me, you get it?"

    Abi blinked at him and eventually nodded.

    He finished tending to her wounds and he put the first aid kit back. "Sleep now, Abigail. You now owe me 12 sessions and one punishment. That is your debt currently, little fruit. You need to heal these hands of yours quickly or else¡­" he grabbed her chin and stared into her eyes with an aura of both danger and mischief. "Or else, I can''t guarantee if this little fragile body of yours will be able to handle it if you keep umting debts you can''t pay."

    He walked towards the door and before he left, he said, "I''ll go get the kid."

    ¡­

    Downstairs.

    Alexander saw that the girl was already asleep next to Zeke.

    Alex walked towards the couch and as he drew closer, he gave Zeke one long, hard stare. It was as if there were many unspoken words conveyed with that one look.

    Without a word, he took the girl and brought him upstairs. Abigail was still awake when Alex entered her room with little Betty in his arms.

    Heid the little girl beside Abi before he left without a word.

    "Goodnight, Alex," Abi said and the man halted for a moment, before he closed the door.

    Abi let out a sigh and finally closed her eyes. Her thoughts were full of Alex and his ever changing moods until she finally fell asleep.

    She began to dream. In her dream, a certain mischievous demon was tickling her ear. She kept pushing the bully demon''s hand away but he was persistent. He even started to tease her cheeks, poking them as if he was picking a fight. The demon in her dream looked like Alex. Suddenly, Abi smelled something sweet hovering over her face so she bit the air as she imagined chomping on the delicious food before her.

    At that moment, Abi woke up and to her surprise, she felt something fleshy between her teeth. Her eyes widened as she saw Alex''s face, looking at her in disbelief. Was she still dreaming?

    She slowly unmped her teeth from Alex''s hand and she finally noticed that it was already dawn.

    "G-good morning, Alex," she greeted and she tried to rise up. The man finally moved to give her room as he looked at the hand she just bit and he chuckled noisily as he shook his head.

    "Littlemb, I really don''t know what kind of creature you are anymore," he said and Abi blinked at him. "You even bite during your sleep, huh? Do you eat people too while you''re asleep?" he asked meaningfully, but of course, the littlemb took his words literally.

    "No, I don''t!" she immediately argued and Alex finallyughed.

    "Ahh¡­ never mind that. Get up and get changed. It''s time for you to exercise. I''ll wait for you outside. Make it quick," he said and he left without even waiting for her response.

    Without a choice, Abi quickly changed into exercising clothes. Little Betty was still asleep and Abi knew she wouldn''t wake up for another hour or so, so she left her on the bed.

    Outside on the road, Abi was bent over, hand on top of her knees, panting and sweating from the exercise. The man was as unforgiving as he was the day before, acting like her strict coach. While she rested on that same bench from yesterday, Alex suddenly told her something she never expected to hear from him.

    "Don''t stay here tonight, Abigail," he said with all seriousness and Abi looked at him with confusion. "Go home for now ande back tomorrow."

    "Why?" she asked, still surprised and confused.

    "Because I''m not going to be home tonight. I''m going somewhere."

    "Can''t I stay here and wait?"

    "No, Abigail. I won''t allow you to stay here when I''m not around."

    Abi''s brows creased and she was about to say something but the man put his finger over her mouth and stopped her from speaking.

    "Ah, it might also be better if I fetch you from your work tomorrow, now that I think about it," he said before he stood up. "Let''s go back. That kid might be looking for you now."

    Alex was about to take a step when Abi tugged his shirt. "Wait, Alex. Uhm, are you leaving soon?"

    "Yes. I will drop you two at the orphanage on my way out."

    "So you won''t be able to fulfill my request today," she said sadly. "Wait! That means this will be your debt to me, right?"

    ". . ."

 Chapter 77 Awkward

    <h4>Chapter 77 Awkward</h4>

    Alex was stunned. He couldn''t believe that this girl turned around and used his own words against him. He just looked at her with disbelief written on his face while she looked up expectantly at him. Her eyes were full of so much hope that the stern words that he was about to say became stuck in his throat.

    "You should be grateful that I am giving you time to heal your wounds," was all he said. He didn''t deny nor did he agree, leaving it open for interpretation. So Abi, being the hopeful, innocent person that she was, looked on the bright side and inwardly celebrated that he didn''t deny her words.

    "Okay," she said cheerfully as she hopped up. She did her exercise routine on the way back home. She felt a little bit energised after that conversation but as they got closer to the mansion, Abi started to feel sad and her heart felt heavy, as if it was being weighed down by a ton of bricks. Abi didn''t know why but she suddenly felt incredibly sad.

    ---

    Meanwhile, back in the mansion.

    Betty woke up to find herself alone in the room. She blinked and looked around as she remembered that she was sleeping in the magical castle that Abi was living in. She slowly got up and called out Abi''s name but she got no response. She wondered where Abi was so she got off the bed and headed towards the door. She left the room and headed down the stairs, still calling out Abi''s name.

    Luckily, Charles heard her and found the little girl before she became lost in the huge mansion. He told her that Abi had gone out to exercise and led the little girl to the dining hall instead so that she could eat breakfast.

    She followed the nice old grandpa to the dining hall and her eyes immediately lit up when she saw Mr. Zeke sitting at the table. She quickly gave him a big wave as she ran towards him.

    "Mr. Zeke! Good morning, Mr. Zeke," she greeted as she dragged back the massive chair next to him so that she could climb up on it.

    Once she was on it, she faced Zeke and started asking him questions.

    "Are you having breakfast, Mr. Zeke? What are you eating? Is it yummy? Can I have some too?" Little Betty looked at Zeke with enthusiasm but Zeke didn''t utter a word. It seemed like he had tuned her out. Little Betty''s face fell a bit when she got no reaction from Mr. Zeke so she turned her attention to breakfast.

    Little Betty then tried to reach for the food but she was too small to reach anything on the big table. She nced at him as her little hand tugged his sleeve softly to try and get his attention and it worked. Zeke finally looked at the little girl before him.

    Without wasting the opportunity, she quickly asked him, "Mr. Zeke, can you please put a pancake on my te? I can''t reach it¡­"

    She then stretched out her hands to show him that her arms were nowhere near long enough to reach the food on the table. In fact, they barely made it past the teid out in front of her, even though she was sitting on her knees.

    Sighing like he was having to do a tedious chore, Zeke reached out for a pancake and ced it on her te.

    "Thank you, Mr. Zeke." Little Betty then picked up her cutlery and started to eat the pancake but it seemed that she ate too fast and choked a little on a piece. She started coughing hard and Zeke immediately looked up to see the choking child in front of him. He immediately patted her on the back and then poured out a ss of water for her.

    His heartbeat elerated as a slight sense of panic washed over him, mainly at the thought of having to exin to Alex if something happened to the child while he was around, but there might also be a slight hint of worry for this little girl who didn''t seem to want to run away in fear of him.

    "Here, drink this," he told her as he held out the ss of water to her. Little Betty took it and gulped the whole ss of water down in one go.

    Once Little Betty put the ss down, the blockage was gone and she could breathe again. However, in the next second, big fat tears started rolling down her cheeks and she leapt into Zeke''s arms. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as she sobbed and sobbed. That experience was terrifying for the little girl.

    Zeke sat frozen on his chair, his arms hanging in mid air, as if he was unsure of what to do with them. The girl''s sobs were loud in his ear and he felt his shirt getting wet from her tears but he didn''t know what to do to calm her down. He had never spent time with any children before let alone crying ones!

    What was he supposed to do?! His eyes met Charles'' gaze and Charles mimed to Zeke to hug the child and pat her back gently. Zeke followed his actions without thinking about it. He wrapped his arms around the child and patted her back. This action, although it looked very awkward to whoever was watching, seemed to have worked because Little Betty''s sobs slowed and quieted down. After another minute, she hadpletely stopped crying.

    This was the scene that greeted Abi and Alex when they finally got back to the mansion. Abi''s eyes were wide with shock while Alex''s expression was again filled with mischief as he smirked at Zeke with a taunting smile. Alex didn''t stay around and he headed up to shower and change while Abi walked towards the little girl and took her from Zeke''s arms. He dly let Abi take the little girl before he too, immediately left the scene, as if he was a robber that was about to be caught on the scene by the cops.

 Chapter 78 A different kind of happiness

    <h4>Chapter 78 A different kind of happiness</h4>

    Alex, Abigail and Little Betty were all sitting in Alex''s car, with Abi in the passenger seat and Little Betty in the back seat, as they headed towards the orphanage.

    Little Betty had told Abi what happened during breakfast and Abi was d that the little girl was alright. She felt bad for leaving her alone that morning and promised herself that she wouldn''t do that again.

    The car ride wasn''t as silent as Alex would have liked because little Betty regaled them with this story and that story during the whole trip. Abi was attentive to her but she was also aware that these would be thest moments she would get to spend with Alex before he left.

    She kept ncing at the man but she also knew that she couldn''t disturb him while driving.

    Finally, they arrived at the orphanage. Abi watched Betty enter the gate before she turned and looked at Alex. She was standing by the car''s window, looking down at him.

    "Take care, Alex," she said as she reluctantly raised her hand to wave him goodbye.

    Alexander smiled seeing her meek actions and he gestured at her to move her face closer.

    "Littlemb, what should a good girlfriend do when her boyfriend is about to leave?" he asked softly and Abi blinked.

    There was only one answer that appeared in her mind. And thus, the next moment, shended a soft, sweet kiss on his cheek.

    Alex stared at her quietly for a few seconds as soon as she pulled away. He looked like he wanted to say something but he changed his mind.

    "Never mind¡­ I''ll teach you more about this once I return," he told her and his eyes became serious. "Don''t do anything stupid while I''m away, okay, little fruit?" he added and without waiting for her response, he elerated and left.

    ¡­

    Abi faced her day as usual. She was doing fine and she enjoyed the children''s y that morning. However, she couldn''t stop thinking about Alex. The thought that she was not going to see him at the end of the day made her feel a little depressed. She already wanted him toe back.

    "So? How far did you two go as of now?" Kelly started her interrogation. The two were sitting in their favorite caf¨¦ because Kelly hade to the orphanage a while ago to see her and of course, to chit chat with her about her life with that Mr. Qin guy.

    "He kissed me," she replied, blushing while Kelly''s mouth dropped.

    "Ohh¡­ he kissed you. Okay, and?"

    "And it was so wonderful, Kelly. He gave me a magical first kiss."

    Kelly was confused.

    "Wait, Abi¡­ what I''m asking is... You guys already went further than kissing, right?"

    Abi blinked at her and just seeing that look made Kelly feel like bumping her head on the table.

    "Like?" she even asked and Kelly lost it.

    "Like s-sex, Abi!" She blurted out with some frustration and dly, no one heard her.

    Abi''s face immediately burned red. Kelly had already subtly warned her about this on the day she decided to live in Alex''s house but she couldn''t believe that her friend was asking her this.

    "Ahem¡­ have you two already gone that far?" Kelly whispered but to her shocked surprise, Abi shook her head.

    "You haven''t? A-abi, are you sure?" Kelly looked like she couldn''t believe it.

    "I am sure, Kelly. Uhm, can we not talk about that? I wanna tell you about my first kiss, Kelly." She beamed and before Kelly could recover from the shocking news - that they actually still haven''t done the deed despite living together - Abi started narrating her magical experience, with a smile as blinding as the sun.

    "H-he did that?!!! That man? Inside the house?!!" Kelly eximed.

    "Yes."

    When Abi confirmed it, Kelly looked like she was a nt that suddenly withered. Her head fell and bumped on the table. She couldn''t believe it. She knew that her friend wasn''t lying but, she couldn''t believe that there was still men like that Mr. Qin out there in this world. How could he be so romantic?!

    "Ahh¡­ my poor single heart!! T^T" Kelly could only cry without tears. "I''m so happy for you! I think you found the right guy. I apologize for thinking that he''s a demon. It looks like he is far from the cold hearted man I envisioned. You''re so lucky, Abi. I think the heavens gave you that guy to make you happy."

    Kelly hugged her friend tightly. She felt a little jealous because Abi just experienced something that only seemed to happen in movies, but she was genuinely happy for her. No one in this world deserved that kind of experience but this innocent and lovely girl. She deserved all the goodness that this world could offer.

    "Thank you, Kelly." Abi felt a little bit emotional about Kelly''s reaction. She knew that Kelly was a true friend who cared about her and wanted to see her happy so Abi was very thankful to have such a great friend by her side.

    "So, are you going back home tonight?" Kelly asked and Abi nodded.

    "Mm. I miss my dad and my grandma and grandpa," she answered with a smile.

    The two stayed at the cafe for a while longer and chatted about other things before Kelly sent Abi back home.

    Her family was overjoyed that Abi came back prior to the day that she told them. They missed their princess and now that she was here, everyone was happy.

    Abi was also very happy to be back because she really missed them a lot.

    They enjoyed their dinner and after that, as Abi was washing the dishes, her grandmother came and talked to her while helping her dry the tes.

    "You look lovely, Abigail. I can tell that you''re enjoying your life in the city," her grandma told her and Abi looked at her in surprise.

    "Honey, did you find someone you like?" she asked again and Abi didn''t know but her heart suddenly elerated. She even blushed as Alex''s face immediately appeared in her head.

    Looking at her with loving eyes, her grandmother smiled.

    "I can see it in your eyes, my girl. You were always a happy child but I can see a different kind of happiness in your eyes now." She caressed Abi''s back and Abi became speechless. She couldn''t believe that her grandmother saw right through her just like that.

    "It''s okay¡­ I know you''ve always been scared, that''s why I''m happy to see you enjoying yourself. If it makes you happy, then, don''t hesitate and go for it. Remove the shackles around your heart, and don''t hold back. There''s no need to be scared. Face the world and live the way you want, okay?" her grandmother said and Abi instantly felt emotional.

    She hugged her dear grandmother and she felt her immense support. It was as if she had sent her some fighting spirit and bravery and strength to keep going and Abi was so thankful for having a grandmother like her.

    "Thank you, grandma. I love you." she whispered and they both smiled at each other.

 Chapter 79 Danger

    <h4>Chapter 79 Danger</h4>

    It was a pleasant morning when Abi woke up. She spent the remaining time with her family and had a happy breakfast with them.

    Her dad drove her back to the orphanage. On the drive there, the father and daughter talked about Abi''s life in the city until they reached their destination. Her father didn''t stop encouraging her, telling her to live her life happily before he left.

    Abi stood there, waving to her dad as she watched her father''s car disappear from her eyes.

    She let out a sigh and smiled before she entered the building and went to work.

    The day was lively and joyful as always inside the orphanage. The kids and the people inside were all like her family as well and she always felt good working with them.

    She was d that it was busy that day to keep her mind somewhat upied because she couldn''t stop thinking about Alex. She already lost some sleepst night because of him and now that she was at work, she couldn''t believe that his face was still distracting her, until in the end, she found herself waiting for twilight toe.

    The day was busy and yet she felt like it was dragging on. Indeed, it was true that time slowed down like a wounded turtle when waiting for something toe but flew fast like a bird when you weren''t.

    Finally, twilight came. Abi stepped out of the building and looked at the mini children''s park in front. Her eyes were drawn to the empty swing and she silently walked towards it. She sat on it and swung a little, just letting her body sway lightly.

    Abi was thinking about Alex again. She had tried to call Alexst night but for some reason, he was out of reach. Kai was also the same. She couldn''t help but feel uneasy. The thoughts, ''what if he will note back?'', ''what if he will not appear before her anymore?'' flooded her mind but she couldn''t help it.

    For the first time, Abi was extremely bothered with the fact that she really didn''t know anything about Alex. All she knew was that he was rted to the tycoon, Ezekiel Qin. Everyone knew that Ezekiel Qin was a self-made man. She also read a magazine saying that he was an orphan. Knowing this made Abi feel confused when Alex told her that Ezekiel was his close kin. But then, she shrugged those thoughts away because at the time, she thought that it was fine for Alex not to tell her anything.

    But she was wrong. She wasn''t fine with it at all. She wanted to know more about him. Who were his family? Where were they? Was he living in that huge mansion for a long time now or did he just decide to live in ittely?

    Abigail couldn''t help but feel scared. She was scared that one day, Alex would just disappear like an enchanting phantom she just met in her dreams.

    Abi let out a deep sigh and looked up at the sky.

    She missed Alex so badly. It was only about 34 hours since shest saw him and she already felt like weeks had passed by. She wasn''t waiting for her time to end anymore. She was no longer thinking about the opportunities that life had taken from her. Her mind and heart were now only thinking about a particr someone, and waiting for that someone toe back. She realized that her life had really changed.

    At that moment, while Abi was lost in her thoughts, she suddenly felt a chilling from behind her. She was initially excited because she thought that Alex was finally here but after a second, she realised that this wasn''t the same feeling she felt when Alex became cold towards her. This was different. It reeked with danger, malice and bloodlust that caused Abi''s body to immediately react.

    Her heart elerated as she started to force herself to turn around. She knew that someone was behind her and she felt to her bones that she was in grave danger. She could feel it. She tried to convince herself that it was just her imagination and that maybe, it was just a ghost - she was terrified of ghosts.

    She swallowed and her mind prepared for her to scream, however, her throat suddenly dried up like a well in the desert. This menacing aura that someone behind her was emitting was too strong for her to handle that her body had surrendered before she realized it.

    She gripped the swing''s chains as she tried to force her body to move. She knew she couldn''t run at this rate. And thus, she decided to turn and look behind her.

    But before she could move her head, someone''s voice made her freeze in ce.

    "Don''t move, Abigail." The voice said and Abi''s eyes widened. Her eyes darted to the source of the voice which came from in front of her and what she saw shocked her.

    "A-alex¡­" She thought she had called out his name but no sound came out of her lips. Alex was there, standing a few steps away in front of her. When did he get here?

    The man wasn''t looking at her, however. His eyes zeroed in on something or someone behind her. But seeing him felt like she just saw her moon in the darkness. Her frozen body began to melt and she knew that she would be able to move now.

    Just as Abi was about to move to run towards him, Alex stopped her again.

    "I told you. Don''t move," hemanded, his voice hard and stern. She saw his eyes burning with danger, locking her down in ce.

    Abi swallowed as she finally realized that this situation was more dangerous than she thought. She remembered Alex''s expression when he saved her that night in that bar but that expression paled inparison to this. His face was so much calmer this time but there was a burning hell in his eyes. It was so frightening that Abi didn''t even realize that she had held her breath for a long time just looking at his eyes.

    "Close your eyes, Abigail," were the next words she heard.? The man didn''t even nce at her. "Now! And don''t open them until I say so."

    Abi was forced to close her eyes and then in the next second, a cold wind blew past her as noises began to ring in her ears.

 Chapter 80 Daredevil

    <h4>Chapter 80 Daredevil</h4>

    Abi sat as still as a statue as she listened hard to what was happening behind her. She heard a crack as something - maybe a fist? - made strong contact into someone''s face. She had heard bones crack before, when Alex had stood on that man''s hand at the bar and this sounded akin to that. Secondster, she could hear more bones cracking, thumps and thuds. The murderous auras that came from behind her were extreme. She had never felt such incredibly dark and killing intent in her life!

    Abi''s heart began to pump wildly as ever because she could that the fight going on behind her was very dangerous. There were so many soundsing from behind her but she couldn''t make sense of them anymore and just as she was about to cover her ears, everything fell silent.

    "A-alex? Are you alright? I am opening my eyes," she said when she couldn''t bear it anymore. She was worried to death about him and she desperately wanted to know if Alex was alright. She knew that he wasn''t weak - in fact she had seen how dangerous he was when he took down that man in the bar - but still, she couldn''t help but feel worried.

    "Alex!" she called out again and when she heard no response, she turned around but before she could open her eyes, a pair ofrge hands covered her eyes.

    "What a disobedient littlemb." She heard Alex''s voice and she knew that he was the one holding her.

    "W-what''s going on?" she asked but the man didn''t respond.

    After half a minute, Alex finally removed his hands from her eyes. Abi looked at him and then looked behind him. There was no one around.

    "Where is¡­" she looked at him in confusion and with a million questions in her eyes. His glimmering eyes and his long ck coat made him look like the most beautiful viin. Her eyes surveyed him and he didn''t have any injuries at all, not even dirt on his clothes.

    The man just ran his fingers through his hair as he let out a sigh.

    "Ah. He ran away," he replied. His expression was back to his usualid back look as if nothing had happened at all.

    "H-he?"

    "Mm. Your stalker."

    "My stalker? I don''t have a stalker," she argued. She had been working here for years now and she never experienced being stalked before - this was because Kelly had dealt with them all before she found out - but even then, this was the first time she had ever felt that kind of chilling feeling where she felt someone truly had murderous intentions towards.

    "You do¡­ but I just beat him so he escaped," he insisted nonchntly. Abi looked at him with suspicion but the man suddenly carried her and put her inside a car before he walked around and sat in the driver''s seat.

    He started the engine and looked at Abi.

    "What, you''re not happy that I am back?" he asked, shing that mischievous yet enchanting smile that Abi had missed so much.

    Abi was forced to return her attention to him.

    She knelt on the passenger seat and faced towards him. She rested her hands on his shoulders as she looked deeply into his eyes. That hellish look was gone, leaving no trace that it was ever there.

    "I am¡­ I thought you weren''t going toe," she told him as she bit her lip. "Thank you for saving me," she added and she hugged him.

    Alex''s mischievous smirk faded. For some reason, what she said made him look like he wasn''t pleased, as if he didn''t like that she had thanked him because he didn''t deserve it.

    But then, his mood was quick to change again.

    "What? Did you think that I died or something?" he asked smugly and Abi''s eyes widened.

    She looked at him with wide eyes, and then, the next moment, her lips trembled.

    "I¡­ I never¡­ I would never think like that¡­ I would never think that you''re¡­ that you''re¡­" she stammered and then tears began to fall from her eyes.

    Alexander was speechless. He didn''t get this girl. Why was she suddenly tearing up?

    "Ugh¡­ I can''t believe this." He ran his fingers through his hair as he looked at the crying littlemb that was ring at him. "My girlfriend isn''t just a na?ve littlemb and an unripe little fruit. She''s also a crybaby." He shook his head, although he didn''t look mad or frustrated. He cupped her little face and rubbed her tears away with his thumb.

    "How did a creature like you even end up with someone like me?" he asked and Abi puffed her cheeks. "Sigh¡­ stop crying now ¨C"

    "It''s because you''re saying such awful things. Why would you think that I would think that way?!" she argued like a wronged little kid.

    Alex''s mouth hung open. "So you''re actually crying not because of what happened but because of what I said? You''re so unbelievable, Abigail. I have no words left for you."

    "Please don''t say things like that again!"

    "Hey, that was a joke, okay? I know that a littlemb like you won''t even think about it. I know that you would probably even want to give a proper burial for the dead mosquitoes so¡­ ah, what am I saying?" He shook his head and pinched the skin between his brows.

    "Take your seat, Abigail, and put on your seatbelt," he then said and the girl did as she was told.

    The next moment, he elerated the car and the car flew like a bullet.

    Alex was waiting for her to scream or beg him to slow down but it didn''te. He looked at her and to his surprise, the girl''s mouth even formed an ''O'' as if she couldn''t believe what was going on. In fact, she looked thrilled!

    He shook his head again. This was the same girl who just cried over a joke a while ago. The same girl¡­ this little fruit¡­

    All the girls Alex drove in his car like this cried and screamed and some even got traumatised and never wanted to ride with him again but this littlemb¡­ how could she be so brave and so weak at the same time? What was she?

    Alex elerated even more to gauge her reaction but the girl didn''t show even a slight hint of fear. She was really a daredevil, he was sure of it now.

    The car then stopped in the middle of a beautiful bridge overlooking the city''s skyline.

    He looked at Abi and took her hand.

    "Did your scratches finally heal?" he asked and Abi nodded.

    "Yes."

    Alex inspected her hand and was d to see that it was indeed better. He then looked at her with the sexiest, most seductive look in his eyes and that damned gorgeous and irresistible smirk on his lips and said, "Good. Because I''m going to make you pay your debts tonight."

 Chapter 81 Small tip

    <h4>Chapter 81 Small tip</h4>

    Alex suddenly pulled her and made her sit on hisp, positioning her knees so that she straddled him. Abi felt her pulse quicken as she looked down at his oh-so-gorgeous face.

    He grabbed her chin and stared at her lips.

    "I hope you''re ready, Abigail," he told her and Abi subconsciously swallowed. His deep, coal ck eyes lured her in again like a ck hole but Abi persisted and broke away from the force of his stare.

    "How about my request? I will ask you to pay your debt as well," she rebutted and just like that, his rhythm broke. A throaty chuckle left his lips as he looked at her with amusement.

    "Not bad, littlemb. So? What''s your silly request this time?" he arched his gorgeous brow and Abi blinked at him.

    "I¡­ I will tell you once we''re home," she answered and the man''s smirk slowly faded. His face became calm as he caressed her lips with his thumb.

    "Littlemb¡­" he uttered, without looking into her eyes. "What should a good girlfriend do when her boyfriend returns home after a trip away?" he asked, still lightly caressing her lower lip. She couldn''t see the usual mischief in his eyes this time.

    Abi stared at him for a long while. She remembered how she kept missing him since yesterday and seeing his face now and being able to hold him made her feel like the void in her life had been fulfilled. She couldn''t exin it but when he was gone, she couldn''t stop looking for him.

    Abi''s eyes were suddenly filled with mixed emotions as she stared at him. The next moment, she moved andnded a kiss on his cheek. It was only a peck but it was filled with so much emotion that Alex felt his body freeze for a moment.

    When she pulled away, she ced her hands on his cheeks and made him look up at her.

    "I missed you, Alex," she uttered and then she hugged him. Her voice was incredibly raw and filled with something the man never expected.

    Alexander was speechless. He didn''t know why but he was affected by those words, by that look in her eyes and by the simple peck she gave him. How did every little ordinary thing she did just be this extraordinary? Alex took a while to snap out of the spell she casted on him.

    He struggled to put on his usual smirk. "Abigail¡­ you''re stingy¡­ you actually just gave me a peck? A good girlfriend usually gives more than just a peck, you know?" he whispered in her ear and Abi pulled away.

    "More?"

    He nodded sexily. "Mm. Like a kiss¡­ right here." He took her hand and ced her finger on his lips.

    Abi felt like a spark just flew the instant she touched his lips. These were the lips that she kissed that day. The thought of him asking her to give him a kiss on his lips made her heart skip a beat.

    She never thought that Alex would ask her to kiss him because she thought that since he already knew that she had never kissed a man before, he would be the one to always initiate it. But then Abi thought that Alex might be doing his ''raising a good girlfriend'' part time job that he was talking about. She didn''t like the sound of it but she wanted to try. She had experienced how to be kissed so now it was time for her to be the one to kiss.

    Abi suddenly looked like a huge challenge had been put before her. She took a deep breath before an intense determination began to ze in her eyes and Alex felt like he wanted tough.

    "Hey, why do you look like you''re about to go to war?" he chuckled and Abi''s brows creased.

    "Please, don''t distract me," she told him with a serious tone and Alex bit his lips.

    "Wait¡­" he made a time out gesture, as if he had be a referee on the basketball court. "Ahem¡­" he cleared his throat. "Little fruit, you can''t kiss someone with that look or your partner will run for his life."

    "But you can''t run away when I''m on top of you. And why are you saying ''someone''? Do you want me to kiss someone else?"

    ". . ."

    Alexander''s smirk once again faded.

    "No, Abigail. That was only a small tip for the future," he told her. His eyes suddenly turned cold and he cursed himself. Why the hell was this riling him up. He was the one who started this!!

    "I''m not going to kiss any other man in my life Alex, just you," she dered before she closed her eyes and started to gather the resolve and preparation that Alex broke just a while ago. She was so focused on her new task that she didn''t even realize how thatst sentence of hers impacted him.

    Alex''s body became as still as stone when he heard her. His expressions were unreadable but he looked like a certain kind of lightning had struck him hard. However, one couldn''t even tell if he was happy or sad at hearing those words.

    He didn''t say a thing and just quietly stared at her, until the littlemb spoke.

    "I''m ready," she said, more for herself than for him, and the man looked like he snapped out of his own thoughts.

    She held his face, cupping his cheeks with both of her palms before she moved her face and stopped midway. She took a deep breath again and stared in his eyes.

    Abi was nervous, so nervous that Alex could hear her loud, loud heartbeat. Her face was grave and not romantic at all as she frowned from her deep concentration. It would at least be nice if she looked like an assertive girl but her expression was truly out of the norm. She was giving off the intense determination of a warrior, or a young queen that was about to lead an army to go and fight a long drawn out battle.

    For goodness'' sake¡­ this littlemb was too much!!

 Chapter 82 Ca

    <h4>Chapter 82 Ca</h4>

    Alex wanted to stay put and let her be. He wanted to watch what she was about to do but he couldn''t take it anymore. He couldn''t keep a straight face when she was like this! He was afraid that at this rate, he would forget that her aim was to kiss him and not to maim him.

    And thus, the great Alexander could only raise his white g.

    "Wait, littlemb. You''re doing it absolutely wrong. I don''t want to tell you this but you don''t look like you want to kiss me at all. You look like you want to chop off my head!"

    "No, I don''t! I''m really trying my best to kiss you," she immediately argued. She was so damn serious that Alex burst and hisugher roared inside the car.

    Heughed so hard that Abi just fell speechless and gaped at him. She felt a little bit miffed that he wasughing at her when she was trying so hard to do as he asked! What was so funny?

    She looked at him and was about to tell him to stopughing at her but before she knew it, she was right there, feasting at the sound of hisughter and that pleasant look on his face. He really was like the most breathtaking view in the world when he wasughing like this.

    When the man noticed her watching him, he cleared his throat and stoppedughing.

    "Sigh¡­ don''t look at me like that, little fruit. This is purely your fault," he told her and Abi frowned at him. "I mean¡­ you''re too serious."

    Alex seemed to be struggling on how to even start exining it to her. He paused for a while before he held her chin again.

    "Look here, don''t overthink it, littlemb. In fact, it is even better if you stop thinking and just go for it. Do you get what I''m trying to say?"

    She nodded.

    "Okay," she said and she held his face again.

    "You can close your eyes if you want," he told her. He looked like he was very much enjoying this.

    "That''s a great idea! But you should be the one to close your eyes, I think. I need to be able to see so that I don''t miss and kiss your nose instead," she threw his words back at him. She also thought that this might stop himughing at her.

    The man had noeback as her words made sense so heplied and closed his eyes. The smirk on his lips was still present though, as if he was stillughing at her inwardly.

    Abi closed her eyes as she released a deep sigh and shook out her hands and stretched her neck, as if she was warming up for a boxing match. ''Okay, Abi. You can do this!'' She encouraged herself.

    She opened her eyes and cupped his cheeks again but she was instantly distracted by his extremely handsome features. Instead of focusing on kissing him, she just stared at his face instead, as if she was memorising every single feature of his delicious face; his long eyshes that curled slightly were gently resting on top of his cheek, his long, straight nose that was so perfect that she couldn''t help but run her finger from between his brows down to the tip of his nose and finally, those full, red and very seductive lips that were sexily smirking at her at that moment. She trailed her fingers over his lips and then she bent down closer to his face until her lips finally grazed his.

    When Abi ran her finger down his nose, Alex wondered what the girl was up to but he didn''t move. He just let her be and waited patiently, knowing that she would eventually get there. The moment her finger trailed over his lips, he subconsciously held his breath because he somehow knew that the time was near. He wasn''t disappointed because in the next second, her lips finallynded on his.

    He stayed still, eagerly anticipating her next move, but as time ticked by, the girl didn''t do anything else. It was as if the moment their lips touched, she became a statue.

    When Alex couldn''t take it anymore, he opened his eyes and spoke against her lips.

    "Abigail, use your tongue," he told her. Abi pulled away a little and looked at him in the eyes.

    "Learn to lick," he added and Abi''s brows pulled together for a moment and then she nodded.

    "Okay. Close your eyes again," she ordered him and once again, the manplied.

    This time, she didn''t hesitate and moved her face closer to his with a bit more confidence. In the next second, Abi licked his lips like a kitten licking milk off a bowl.

    Alex: ". . ."

    She licked him again and Alex could almost hear her saying ''meow''. Damn it!!

    "Abigail, are you a cat?" he asked as he looked at her with disbelief. "Sigh¡­ I think I should demote this littlemb of mine into a little cat. You''re not improving at all, little fruit!"

    Abi was saddened. She was doing her best and yet this was the response that she got?

    "W-why don''t you teach me, then?" she puffed her cheeks. She just copied the way he first kissed her. He didn''t lick her then but now he was asking her to lick him? How was she supposed to know that that wasn''t what she was supposed to do?

    "You didn''t lick me when you kissed me, and now you''re asking me to do it. You should''ve shown me how to do it first!" she puffed her cheeks.

    But then, a mischievous grin left Alex lips.

    "I don''t want to. Why should I?" he said and Abi was just speechless.

    Alex was actually telling the truth. He didn''t want to teach her, at least not yet. He didn''t want her to learn these things too fast. He wanted to savor all her innocence for as long as he could restrain himself. Actually, deep inside him, he wanted this girl to stay as innocent as possible, but he knew something like that was impossible. Sooner orter, even if he decided not to taint her, someone else would and that was something he could never let happen. Because this little fruit was his. Only he would be allowed to take all of her.

    "You said you would work hard, little fruit, so learn it yourself."

    She took his advice and thus, she started to explore.

 Chapter 83 Series

    <h4>Chapter 83 Series</h4>

    Abi ced her hand over Alex''s eyes and forced them to close.

    "Okay. I will learn for myself but in return, you have to stay very still and not stop me orugh at me, promise?" she said as her hand still covered his eyes. She felt him nod his head so she removed her hand from his face, making sure his eyes stayed closed.

    Abi looked like she was thinking hard about what to do next. If licking him like that wasn''t what he was looking for, then what other kind was there? Her gaze fell on his lips and she frowned. Was she supposed to kiss him first and then lick his lips? She couldn''t quite picture it in her mind so she leaned forward to do a practise run.

    She ced her lips softly on his and then opened her mouth to let her tongue out so that she could lick his lips but surprisingly, his mouth opened as well so her tongue didn''t get his lips, it went inside his mouth instead! Shocked, Abi immediately retreated and released her lips from his. She was about to tell him off for cheating but then she stopped. Wait, was that what he wanted? For me to lick the inside of his mouth? Really? Why on Earth would people do that?

    She wanted to test this theory so again, she nted her lips on his and opened her mouth slightly again. Her heartbeat was wreaking havoc inside her heart but she was determined so she poked her tongue out into his mouth but it didn''t touch anything. It seemed it wasn''t long enough so she tilted her head and pushed her lips harder onto his so she could reach¡­ what exactly was she trying to reach?

    She was about to pull back again when she felt something touch her tongue. What was that?! She poked her tongue out again and she felt it again and realised that it was his tongue ying tag with hers. Her eyes widened.

    Abigail retreated once again, causing Alex, who was left out hanging in anticipation, to break the silence.

    "Don''t stop, little fruit. Continue what you''re doing," he encouraged and Abi snapped out of her daze. She dove in again and when her tongue touched his, Abi felt like she was electrified.

    She was still not used to this. Just kissing his lips already made her mind feel like it was covered with mystic mists, intoxicating her and making her mind fall in a daze. This was something that she thought she would never get used to. This feeling was just so incredibly good that she couldn''t focus her thoughts towards anything else but Alex and his soft, warm lips.

    When the littlemb still didn''t move, Alex finally opened his eyes and when he saw that his little fruit was dazed, his face softened and a smile curved on his lips. He realized that his body was being impatient again despite him deciding that he didn''t want her to ripen too soon. He should''ve known that using her tongue was such a huge leap for this little noob.

    "Sigh¡­ it looks like it''s still too early for me to be asking you to use your tongue. Come, littlemb. Kiss me again but just use your lips for now and learn to kiss properly," he said, grabbing her chin and pulling her closer.

    Abi finally snapped out of her daze and she swallowed.

    "Just use my lips? Like the kiss you gave me?"

    "Hmm¡­ that kiss was¡­ well¡­ that was the basic of all kisses. What I want you to do is upgrade it."

    Abi blinked at him. She was staring at him like a student so eager to learn, a student who was so thirsty for knowledge.

    Alex just couldn''t stop getting amused with every expression she showed him. This girl was truly beyond words to describe to him. Even though he knew that she would eventually learn naturally if he kissed her more, he just had this internal pleasure of wanting her to learn this way; in this amusing, interesting and cute way.

    Clearing his throat, Alex tried to maintain his straight face. "Okay, start by moving your lips, do it like you''re giving me a series of pecks on my lips, but do it harder this time," he told her, like a good teacher.

    Alex was surprised at how patient he was towards her but he also knew that he was enjoying this, much more than he ever imagined.

    "Okay."

    Abi, his good student, nodded and once he saw her close her eyes as she moved closer, Alex just stared at her pretty face, patiently waiting.

    The moment her lipsnded on his, Alex closed his eyes and savored the feeling of her soft, sweet and innocent lips on his and then, the girl started doing what he told her. She pressed her lips on his, a little harder than before, and then she puckered her lips harder, before pulling away from him again.

    Alex smiled within him. This littlemb was truly a fast learner. He was about to think of how he wouldpliment her but what the little fruit did next made him take back thepliment he had just thought.

    It was because Abigail started pulling away and then kissing him and then pulling away again, as if she was suddenly ying a game of push and pull.

    Once again, the man wanted tough. Surprisingly, he wasn''t frustrated at all.

    "Wait," he stopped her again. "You''re doing it wrong."

    "B-but you said to give you a series of pecks, only harder. That''s what I was doing!" she moaned, looking at him, wondering what she had done wrong this time.

    The man chuckled sexily. "Yeah, I did say that. But listen, littlemb. You must maintain lip contact between and during each drawn out peck. Got it?"

    Abi''s lips formed an ''O''.

    "Also, draw each peck out tost longer. Don''t go too fast."

    Abi nodded. She didn''t know that kissing had a lot of rules as well.

    She stared into his eyes. She looked like she was now getting lost in his gaze. Alex could see that her warrior, serious look was gone. She now looked sheepish and vulnerable, as if all she wanted to do at that moment was kiss him.

    That was the expression that he had been looking for all along.

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

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 Chapter 84 Touch me

    <h4>Chapter 84 Touch me</h4>

    Alex smiled inwardly seeing her expression, but then, again, the littlemb did something unexpected. She suddenly licked her lips and she did it in the sexiest way Alex could ever imagine. No, in fact, he never imagined that this littlemb would look so damn tempting doing that!

    Alex was dumbstruck. He was so damned aroused by her licking her lips!

    The moment Abi kissed him once again, doing a great job applying what he taught her, Alex lost it.

    Alex couldn''t stop himself and he kissed her back. He didn''t French kiss her but his kisses were hard and full of need, that Abi was left breathless once their lips parted.

    She looked overwhelmed with Alex''s sudden intensity.

    The next moment, before Abi could start processing what had happened, the man captured her lips again. She felt like she was flying. She was kissing him back as if his lips were just something she could never get tired of. Even if he was not giving her enough time to breathe, she still wanted the kiss to never end.

    Alex''s kiss waspletely different from the first kiss he gave her. These kisses weren''t full of tenderness, these were passionate, demanding and wild.

    When their lips parted, Abi was heaving hard and her breaths mingled with his. Alex''s eyes were glimmering with a mesmerizing yet dangerous light.

    "Alex¡­ something''s p-poking me." Abi''s dazed face turned so red as she told him.

    She was trying to move her body up to avoid it but Alex was pinning her down so she didn''t have a choice but to tell him, hoping that he would let go of her waist.

    However¡­

    "Mm. I''m damn hard, Abigail. I was nning to go home first but look what you did, you woke him up again," he whispered. "Your fault¡­"

    Abi''s eyes turned wide. T-the little monster¡­

    "H-huh? M-my fault?" she stammered, extremely embarrassed.

    "Why did you lick your lips like that? Huh? Abigail?" he asked, but he looked like he wasn''t looking for an answer as he kissed her again, hard.

    And then, his lips began to trail downwards.

    Abi shivered when his lips reached her nape.

    "A-alex, w-were outside." She forced herself to speak because her mind was about to explode from the tingling sensation on her neck caused by his onught. She didn''t know how much longer she could keep her sanity in ce when Alex was driving her crazy with what he was doing.

    "Don''t worry, no one will see us. The windows are tinted," he mumbled against her skin before he sucked and licked her skin some more which caused Abi to lose her mind entirely.

    The man''s hand then moved and the sound of his nking belt vaguely echoed in Abi''s ear, causing her already fast heartbeat to elerate even more.

    "Abigail, touch it," he uttered, his voice huskier than ever before. His skin was starting to glisten with sweat. His need in his eyes intensified. "Come."

    He held her hand and led it down and in the second, Abi''s hand was cupping it.

    Abi was suddenly brought out of her dazed state. She was about to pull her hand back but Alex held it captive. He held her there for a while until he was sure that she was over the initial shock. All this time, he held her gaze, peering into her eyes to get an idea of her reaction. Once he was satisfied that she was okay, he slowly lifted her hand off of him and ced her finger into his wet, warm mouth. He slowly closed over it and started sucking it, slowly, as if he was savouring the taste, as he gazed at her intensely, causing Abi''s lips to part in shock. Her eyes were wide as a wave of shocking pleasure went through her body from him sucking on her finger.

    "Touch me Abigail," he said before he let her hand go.

    Abigail was so stunned that her mind froze but her body reacted very differently. Still looking deeply into Alex''s deep, ck eyes, her hand slowly moved down on their own ord and found the not so little monster. She cupped him and he groaned from the pleasure. However, that wasn''t enough this time around. This time, he wanted a little bit more.

    "Abi, touch me without the clothes¡­" he sounded like he was almost begging her.

    Abi swallowed and in the next moment, he pulled his underwear out of the way and released himself from its safety and then, he made her held him, without any pieces of clothing in between.

    Abi''s heart was beating out of control as she curled her fingers around him. Abi didn''t move for a minute or so as she tried to get used to this feeling. This was the first time she had ever touched a man''s private part with skin on skin contact.

    She felt a little scared and uncertain but she shook all those feelings away and tried to remember the lesson he had given her on that first night. Once she remembered the lesson, she felt a little bit calmer.

    Alex was hard as a rock and Abi holding him like that didn''t help at all. He felt like all the blood had rushed down to that area and it was starting to hurt - a pleasant sort of pain. He didn''t expect her to just hold him like that for what seemed like hours! He thought that she would do something straight away but that wasn''t the case at all. He did his best to not be impatient, to give her time but the thin thread he was holding onto was about to break. Every second that went by felt like an eternity and it took all his self restraint to not put his hand over hers and move her hand for her. But, even in this state, Alex was determined for Abi to do it by herself this time. He already showed her what to do thest time so she should already know what she needed to do. But damn! The suspense was killing him!

    He closed his eyes like he was praying for a miracle when finally, Abi moved.

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

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 Chapter 85 Safe

    <h4>Chapter 85 Safe</h4>

    Abi felt extremely shy so she closed her eyes and she looked back on that first lesson she received. She started to slowly move her hand, up and down. She heard Alex suck his breath in as her hand started moving and she immediately rxed, knowing that she was doing okay judging from his reaction. She kept her eyes closed as she moved and after about a minute, she started to increase her pace.

    Her hand tightened a little over him as she moved faster and faster. By this time, Alex had also closed his eyes from the intensity of her touch. For some reason, he was extremely aroused by her. He had never felt like this before when he was with other women. It always took him a while to get hard previously and even longer to get to the end but at this moment, he felt the feeling build up within him after just a few minutes!

    Abi didn''t stop but kept the rhythm going faster and faster. Her arm started to ache but she persisted. She felt him pulsating under her hand and he was groaning more and more so she thought that he must be getting close. She kept going, up and down, faster and faster.

    Alex was getting closer and closer to the finish line. His breaths became shallow and sweat started to cover his body and then after a few more seconds, his little monster erupted in her hands.

    However, Abi didn''t stop moving. She still had her eyes closed and she felt something warm and liquidynd on her hand but she still kept going because she didn''t feel him be little again. She knew that when the little monster became small, that was when it was tamed, but the little monster stayed big, so she thought that he still hadn''t finished.

    Alex was stilling down from his climax but in no time, he felt himself harden again as Abi continued her assault. He was at a loss for words. He didn''t know why she kept going but the words he was about to say were overridden by the groan that came out instead.

    Again, in what seemed like no time at all, he was hard as a rock and eager to explode again.

    Abi''s arm however was starting to be sore and her pace soon started to slow down to a stop. She opened her eyes and looked at him, a look of defeat in her eyes. Her arm was very sore and she didn''t know if she could keep going. She thought that she was going to fail because she couldn''t tame the little monster but little did she know that she already had!

    Noticing the look in Abi''s eyes, Alex covered her hand with his and he helped her. He knew that her arm would be sore by now but she had already awakened the beast again so it needed to be tamed once more.

    He helped Abi move her hand up and down like she had been doing and half a minuteter, he exploded again!

    He stopped moving his hand and kept Abi''s hand in ce so that she wouldn''t start another volcanic eruption.

    They were both breathing hard and the car was extremely foggy inside from the heating from their bodies. Alex took a few deep breaths as his eyes became calm again. Gone was the wild, roguish look as it was reced with satisfaction and pleasure.

    Abi watched him as he slowly calmed down.

    He looked at her; his eyes were back to normal. Abi didn''t look down. Even if she had touched the little monster, she still couldn''t make herself look at it.

    They stared at each other for a while before Alex finally let go of her hand.

    Abi slowly retracted her hand and got curious with the wet stuff that covered her hand. She subconsciously stared at it and her big eyes blinked. Her eyes filled with wonder. She was so dazed that before she knew it, she was already sitting on the passenger''s seat.

    "Stop staring at it, Abigail," he finally spoke and Abi''s head snapped at him. His little monster was already hidden.

    "Come," he held her arm and Abi blinked as she let him pull her back on hisp, although, this time, he didn''t make her straddle him. He then took her hand and carefully wiped it with his handkerchief.

    "Are you alright?" he asked and Abi blinked at him before she nodded. "What about your arm?" He added and Abi stared at her hand.

    "My arm is tired," she told him, honestly, and Alex smiled.

    "Do you finally understand the gravity of your words? That was only two times Abigail," Alex said when suddenly, Abi''s eyes widened in shock.

    "What? I did it two times?!" she eximed, looking like she couldn''t believe it. "B-but it only went back to little once."

    Alex fell speechless. So this was why she didn''t stop the first time. This little fruit¡­

    He didn''t know what to even say. He couldn''t imagine himself exining something like this to anyone.

    "Little fruit, I don''t want to exin anything in words. I better show it to you for you to understand," he told her as he nibbled the skin on her nape. "You did a good job so I''d like to reward you."

    His voice became husky again and Abi''s heart began to beat wildly as he started trailing his nose on the hollow of her neck.

    "R-reward?"

    "Mm. I''ll make sure to make you feel good, Abigail." His eyes started to close and he moved in like he was about to kiss her. However, Abi covered his lips. She was afraid that the little monster would wake up again if they kissed some more!

    Alex''s brows knitted as he peeled her hand away from his mouth.

    "You don''t want the reward?" he asked, his face looking like he couldn''t believe that a certain little fruit refused him.

    "Let''s go home, Alex. Uhm¡­ my hand is still tired so we can''t awaken the little monster again. I know that I promised four times but, I said that there should be time intervals, right?" she exined.

    Alex threw back his head and chuckled.

    "Little fruit¡­ I think you are safe from the little monster for now." heughed before his face became serious.

    He grabbed her chin and pulled her closer to his face.

    "Listen, I only lost control because of you licking your lips like¡­" he trailed off as he sighed. His thumb caressed her lips as he gazed intently at her. "So I have to remind you Abigail, if you don''t want me to go crazy, don''t lick your lips like that ever again, unless you''re ready for the consequences. Got it?"

 Chapter 86 Together

    <h4>Chapter 86 Together</h4>

    Alex and Abi arrived back at the mansion. The sky was already dark and it was starting to get cool. They walked inside into the lounge area and Abi was expecting to see the other three guests but surprisingly, they were nowhere to be found.

    "Where are they?" she asked as she looked at Alex.

    Alex just shrugged, indicating that he had no idea where the three men were.

    Abi was going to ask something more but she was distracted by the mouth watering aromaing from the dining hall. She followed the smell and almost floated towards the dining hall where all the yummy food wasid out.

    Abi was famished as she had used up quite a bit of energy from¡­ well, taming the little monster, so she was nearly drooling by the time she sat down at the table. Shepletely forgot about Alex for a minute until she saw him walk in and sit on his seat.

    Once he sat down, Abi started piling up the food on her te and started to dig in while Alex merely watched her with an inexplicable expression on his face.

    As the pile on her te decreased, Alex saw more room on her te so he took bits of cut up fruit and ced on her te like a nice master patiently feeding his pet.

    "Eat more fruit, littlemb," he told her. "You''ll need lots of good nutrients in order to be stronger."

    Abi looked at him like an obedient littlemb and just nodded because her mouth was too full for her to speak.

    After the meal, Abi leaned back as if that would make room in her tummy. She was so stuffed that she didn''t know if she would be able to get up from her seat!

    Alex rested his headzily on his knuckles as he continued staring at her. When Abi finally noticed him staring, she stared back at him. "Alex, why are you staring at me like that?" she tilted her head slightly as she asked. "Is there something on my face?" She blinked her big round eyes as she touched her face.

    "Hmm¡­ No, I''m just imagining how you would look if you became chubby," he rubbed his chin with his thumb. "I guess¡­ you could look like a cute, round white bun¡­Maybe as round as white watermelon?"

    Abi puffed her cheeks. How could this man say these things to ady? White watermelons?!

    Before Abi could retort, the man suddenlyughed, as if he just got so amused by his very own internal joke. His pleasant chuckle echoed inside the hall and Abi fell in a daze for a moment, before she huffed.

    "I''m not going to be fat!" she told him and Alex''sughter slowly died down.

    He still looked quite entertained as he held her wrist.

    "Well, look at this wrist, Abigail. It''s so small. It''s like a twig that could be snapped in mere seconds. It''s no wonder it couldn''t evenst for two rounds." His tongue clicked. "You need to eat more, Abigail," he muttered and Abi pulled her hand away from him.

    "These wrists will get stronger soon. Just you wait!" she retorted as she closed her hand into a fist and waved it in front of his face like an old grandma telling off some naughty brats.

    Alex chuckled again.

    "Come here, Abigail," he pulled her and made her sit on hisp.

    He took a deep breath as he rested his chin on her shoulder de, causing Abi to feel her skin tingle at that exact spot.

    "P-please, don''t." She suddenly tried to get away from him but Alex didn''t let go.

    "Behave, littlemb."

    "B-but¡­ you''re sniffing me." She blushed, utterly embarrassed.

    "So what if I''m sniffing you?"

    "I¡­ I haven''t taken a shower yet and I also got sweaty t-taming your little monster a while ago."

    Alex let out a throaty chuckle before he sighed and nibbled on her skin.

    "Listen littlemb. I like the smell of your sweat, too," he whispered sexily in her ear and Abi''s heart almost jumped out from its cage.

    "P-please, don''t lie! There''s no way you would like smelling my sweat!" she protested as she struggled to get away.

    "Ahh¡­ what a naughty, littlemb. Fine," he said.

    Abi thought that he would let her go but in the next second, he stood up and carried her like a princess as he walked towards the living room and then towards the grand staircase.

    "Alex, I can walk. You don''t need to carry me," she told him but the man ignored her. She felt like she may have weighed a few kilos more from the dinner she just devoured but the man didn''t seem to struggle with her weight, even though there were so many steps from the bottom to the third floor. She wondered, not for the first time, if Alex ever used the elevator in this house or if it was just there for show.

    They finally reached her room and he wasn''t even heaving! She couldn''t believe it! Every time she walked up the stairs, she would already be heaving just after the halfway mark. She would usually take deep breaths to get as much oxygen inside her lungs but this man''s breath was as steady as the second hand on clock - just steadily moving at perfect second intervals. This man was a machine! No wonder she couldn''t keep up with him. He was like the ultra iron man with lots of stamina!

    Inside the room, Abi thought that he would put her down on the bed but to her surprise, the man went straight towards the bathroom.

    Abi''s eyes started to widen. What was he up to?!

    "Uhm¡­ Alex¡­"

    But before she could tell him what she wanted to say, Alex put her down under the shower. Abi looked at him with a confused expression.

    "Let''s shower together," he told her and Abi froze.

 Chapter 87 Next time

    <h4>Chapter 87 Next time</h4>

    "W-what are you saying!" Abi eximed. Her face was so red.

    "Why are you so flustered? We''ve already seen each other, little fruit. There''s no need to be shy," he smirked yfully as he rubbed her chin. "I feel sticky as well due to your assault so I need a shower too," he continued.

    He smiled at her, that oh-so-devastatingly gorgeous smirk that froze her mind.

    And then, before Abi could even say anything more, the man started undressing himself. He started with his tie, loosening it up and then pulling it over his head and throwing it on the floor. Next was his shirt as his hands deftly unbuttoned it from top to bottom, slowly revealing his toned, yummy chest and then his rock hard abs. He then pulled his shirt open and as he shrugged it off, Abi saw his muscles move as they tensed during his movements. The food on the dinner table paled inparison to the feast that wasid out before her eyes at that moment.

    Abi could no longer find her tongue. She was utterly speechless and shocked and dazed. It was true that this man had already seen every part of her but she had not seen much of his body apart from his upper body, so showering together felt a little too much for Abi to handle!

    Seeing her look like her soul was leaving her body, Alex leaned in on her and squeezed her nose a little.

    "I''m not asking you to getpletely naked, little fruit. If you''re notfortable, you can wear your underwear," he teased and Abi somehow registered some of his words.

    "C''mon, undress, littlemb. If you help me wash my back, I''ll consider it as one taming session," he added and Abi finally snapped out of her dazed state.

    "Really?" she asked and Alex nodded seriously. His delicious torso was already in full view and he had now moved onto undoing his belt when Abi suddenly held his hands to stop him.

    Alex smiled with what she did, as a certain naughty thought passed through his head.

    "Hmm?? Do you want to be the one to undress me, littlemb?" he asked and Abi frantically shook her head.

    "No! I just¡­ don''t take off all your clothes!" she eximed and Alex chuckled again. This little fruit was simply amusing.

    "Okay, but in one condition, littlemb¡­ you get half undressed, too," he negotiated and Abi swallowed before she finally let go of his hand.

    "F-fine," she agreed and turned around as she started unbuttoning her shirt.

    "Little fruit, did you forget that you undressed before me that night?? Why are you turning around now?" he teased and Abi blushed again.

    She remembered that night and she slightly shivered at the thought of it. She was extremely brave that night that she herself almost couldn''t believe where she had gathered all that courage from. Maybe it was because at that time, Alex was still just a stranger to her?

    Now that Alex was not just some stranger to her, Abi was more conscious of herself. She was not fearful but shy and self-conscious.

    "I''m done," she then said and slowly turned around just to see Alex, who was leaning on the marble wall, with only his boxers on. His body was just too perfect., like a sculpture, intricately woven by the gods.

    Abi''s throat ran dry as she looked at him but the same was true for the man.

    He couldn''t take his eyes off of her.

    Her curves were beautiful and everything about her reeked with innocence and purity that it was so damned blinding.

    Alex had seen a lot of sexy bodies in his time but they were nothingpared to how much he was attracted to this girl''s delicate body. She was like soft tofu that was making him salivate in a very strange way, despite the fact that there were cute pink ribbons on her underwear.

    "Abigail, do you love the beach?" he suddenly asked. His eyes had stopped roaming around her body and he now looked intently into her eyes.

    "Hmm. Yes," she replied, not knowing why he suddenly asked that.

    Alex''s brows knotted a little as he moved closer to her. "So, you have worn bikinis outside, huh?" he muttered as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

    Abi frowned at him. "No. I never wear bikinis outside or inside. I don''t own any," she innocently told him and the lines on Alex''s forehead disappeared.

    "You mean¡­ you''ve never worn revealing clothes when going to the beach?" he asked, sounding intrigued as he smelled her hair.

    "I do wear short pants and a crop top," she answered and Alex''splexion seemed to have brightened.

    "So, I''m the first to see your body, huh?" He sounded pleased and Abi''s face turned red again.

    Alex looked at her with pride before he suddenly mmed his hands on the wall, trapping her between his arms.

    And then, abruptly, the lukewarm water started falling on them.

    "I''d like to see you in a bikini next time, Abigail," he grinned and Abi looked away, shyly. Abi felt like she had turned into a red lobster as her whole body blushed from his words.

    "Come, it''s time for you to wash my back," Alex suddenly said, making Abi look at him again.

    He had turned around so his back was facing her and she watched, mesmerised, as the water slid down his body. She gulped as she took the soap and held it under the water and then she rubbed them in her hands until it foamed.

    She hesitated for a second, as if she was gathering up her courage to touch him, before she ced her foamy hands on his broad shoulders and started washing him clean.

    She rubbed her hands all over his shoulders and his back and she traced the outline of the ck dragon subconsciously. His body was so smooth and hard like marble but so warm to the touch.

    Alex closed his eyes the moment she touched his shoulders. Her warm, smooth hands felt so soft against his skin and he felt like he wouldn''t ever get enough of her touch. He was savoring her hands roaming all over his body when suddenly, he felt a different sensation on his back. It seemed that Abi had used her fingernails to scratch his back from where the dragon''s body started all the way to its tail, as if she was scratching the dragon''s back.

    Alex''s eyes snapped open at the sensation. He never imagined that this littlemb would try to make friends with the ck dragon like this.

    Alex suddenly turned around to see her pour shampoo out into her hand. He held her hand and all of a sudden, he made her put the shampoo on his hair.

    "Wash my hair, Abigail," he smiled as he took her hand. "Come," he said and he led her to the bathtub.

 Chapter 88 Still a little frui

    <h4>Chapter 88 Still a little frui</h4>

    Alex climbed into the tub and helped Abi step inside. The bathroom was quiterge with golden taps and it even had steps going up to it and steps going into the bath. Alex sat Abi down on the second step and he made himselffortable on the bottom step, sitting between Abi''s legs.

    Abi felt embarrassed at first at their intimate position but as time ticked by, she forgot all about that as she started ying with his hair. The shampoo hadthered up and made heaps of fluffy foam on his head. She began to y with the fluffy foam, creating mountains and pyramids on top of his head and even going as far as ying with his hair, making them stand up in spikes.

    Before she knew it, she was smiling.

    "You look like you''re enjoying yourself."

    He threw his head back and looked at her, causing Abi to jolt.

    "Do you want to bathe me everyday from now on?" he asked, mischievously as Abi''s lips parted in disbelief.

    Abi felt her heartbeat thundered in her ears the moment Alex looked up. His glorious eyes were glimmering with those oh-so-alluring lights as he rested his head on her leg.

    She shook her head, blushing hard and Alex''s deep chuckle echoed inside the bathroom.

    "Are you sure? What if I make this equivalent to one taming session," he teased, looking mischievous again. His words made the blushing littlemb immediately look at him with interest because, well, she finally realized that taming his little monster wasn''t easy at all. Washing his hair like this was way easier!

    "I''m in!" she abruptly let go of his head and raised her hand. "I''ll bathe you like this every day," she dered and Alex''s chuckles became even louder.

    He lifted his hand and rubbed Abi''s chin. "Good girl. Now, do your best and satisfy me with your handy work," He smiled at her again and Abi immediately went to work.

    Abi started massaging his scalp, using her fingers and fingernails like how the hairdressers she went to did it. She knew that getting a head massage felt so good too so she immediately did it for Alex, hoping to satisfy him so that he wouldn''t change his mind.

    After rinsing his hair, the man finally stood up.

    He went and stood under the shower again and Abi looked away thinking that the man would finally wash his body and leave.

    However, the next moment¡­

    "Abigail," he called out and Abi was forced to turn to look at him.

    "Hmm?"

    "Don''t just stand there. Continue with the deal¡­ or, do you want us to stay here longer?"

    Abi swallowed. She was shocked. She didn''t expect that the man wanted her to wash his body too.

    A little flustered, Abi took the soft luxurious body scrub he was holding out to her.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex¡­"

    "Hmm? What? Have you changed your mind?" he arched his brow. His voice was still as sexy as ever.

    "No. It''s just that¡­ I''m surprised that you''re not embarrassed."

    "Embarrassed? Why would I be embarrassed?"

    "Well, you''re an adult and you''re a-asking me to wash your body."

    Alex was speechless. He finally realized that this scene was only sexy for him and not to this littlemb. While his mind was filled with dirty thoughts, this girl might only be thinking about every silly innocent thing even at this very moment. This little fruit just didn''t have any idea at all. It looked like he had to show her first to make her see how bathing could be steamy and sensual.

    However, before he could move to take away the scrub from her hand, Abi had started scrubbing his body, starting from his neck.

    "Tell me if I''m pressing too hard, okay?" she asked and then she continued. She was doing it like she was washing a certain lifeless statue or her little pet dog.

    Alex felt like his veins were starting to pop. This little fruit just didn''t know how to do things sexily at all!

    Once Abi moved to his arms, Alex had finally had enough.

    "You''re doing it wrong, littlemb," he uttered and then he stopped her hand in its tracks. He took the body scrub from her hand and yanked her into his arms with her back against his chest.

    "Let me teach you how to do it properly, okay?" he whispered in her ear, huskily, and then his hand started working its way on her skin. He started from around her neck and moved downwards, moving the scrub gently in circr strokes as if he was massaging her, damn sensually.

    Abi felt tingling sensations on her skin. She was shocked. This wasn''t normal bathing at all.

    "Uhm¡­ A-alex, I¡­" she wanted him to stop because she felt her knees had gotten weak.

    "Hmm?" he mumbled, his hands now moving down her abdomen. "Do you feel good?" he whispered in her ear, his lips touching her earlobe.

    Abi felt strange. Her skin was bing very sensitive with every gentle scrub he made. Her face became redder.

    And then, he knelt down. He started washing her legs up to her thighs and Abi subconsciously stepped back, with the back of her hand covering her lips.

    Alex looked up and saw her expression. The littlemb had turned utterly sexy. Seeing that dreamy look on her face made Alex smile in satisfaction.

    He then continued his sensual assault. He wished that she was naked but he thought that this was fine for now. He was the one, after all, who said that he couldn''t force his little fruit to ripen up.

    "A-alex¡­ I''m fine now. It''s done now," she told him. She was embarrassed and extremely shy. "I already know what to do so let me do it now," she said. He knew she was trying to escape.

    Alex stood and hugged her.

    "Shh¡­ I''m not done with your back yet," he whispered and he rubbed her back as Abi buried her face on his chest.

    Once the man was done, the water from the shower started cascading over them.

    "Did you enjoy it?" he sounded like he was teasing but his eyes were serious.

    Abi didn''t know what to say and she meekly nodded.

    "L-let me do it to you now," Her eyes wandered around but Alex just smiled.

    "Nope, we''re done here, Abigail. You might catch a cold if we stay here any longer. You''re still a little fruit, after all. I can''t let you be submerged under water for too long or you might rot."

    He grinned at her as he stepped away. The bathroom was huge so there was plenty of space. The man went and scrubbed himself normally while Abi quickly turned away and rinsed herself.

    In no time, she headed towards the towel rack, grabbed a towel and dried herself before dashing out of the bathroom, not giving a single nce towards the man inside.

 Chapter 89 13 debts

    <h4>Chapter 89 13 debts</h4>

    Once Alex stepped out, the girl was wearing her robe, drying her hair with a hair dryer.

    Alex moved towards her, his hair was still dripping wet. He was half naked with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

    Suddenly, Alex took the hair dryer away from her hand and then, out of the blue, he kissed her neck, causing Abi to freeze.

    "You said that you''re going to be going back home during the weekends, right?" he asked, his lips still on her skin. Abi didn''t know why but Alex seemed a little strange tonight. She couldn''t help but imagine him as a pet that had been parted from his owner for a long time and now that they were together again, all he wanted was to cuddle, touch and kiss his owner every single second.

    But then, she was fully aware that Alex wasn''t a pet. He was a beast. A magnificently beautiful beast!

    Abi nodded. "Mm. I did say that."

    "Tomorrow is Saturday¡­" he stated, still nibbling on her skin.

    Abi was so distracted with what he was doing but the next words he said immediately woke her up as if ice had been poured to the fire that Alex was fanning within her body.

    "I''ll be away again. I''ll be away for a week this time," he uttered and Abi''s body stiffened.

    Alex pulled away and looked into her eyes.

    "W-where are you going?" she stammered as their eyes met.

    "Somewhere, Abigail. I have work to do" was all he said. Abi realized that she was na?ve to think that she could make him stay right here beside her in all these thirty-one days. She had forgotten that this man wasn''t like her. He had all the time in the world, unlike her.

    He had to work too and of course he had his business to take care of - whatever it was that he did - and she couldn''t possibly tie him down to stay with her everyday.

    This realization made Abi''s heart feel like it was being squeezed tight so hard. How was she going to fulfill her wishes at this rate? Seven days was too long for her. How would she spend those days without him? She had just experienced how it felt to miss him and wait for him for one day and it was awful. Now, he was going to be gone for seven days. When he came back, she''d only have 19 days left.

    "Are you sad?" Alex''s voice rang in her ears but she couldn''t respond. Sad? Sad was an understatement. What she was feeling at that moment was worse than sadness. She wanted him not to go. Could she stop him? Could she ask him to stay?

    Suddenly, the girl wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her embrace, as if she was silently chaining him with her two fragile arms, as if she didn''t want to let go of him, no matter what happened.

    Alex was surprised with what his littlemb did. His brows knitted and he was about to speak but the girl spoke first.

    "Alex¡­ can Ie?" she asked. Her voice cracked.

    Alex stayed still for a moment before the decisive words came out of his mouth. "No, Abigail. You can''t." he answered and Abi felt like tearing up.

    "Why?" her voice was now barely a whisper.

    Alex finally moved and he attempted to pull away to look at her face but the girl didn''t let go. Her actions at this moment were making him feel strange. He predicted that she might not be happy with him leaving but why did he feel like there was something off with her?

    He didn''t force himself away from her and just answered.

    "Because it''s a dangerous ce, especially for a little fruit like you."

    "I''ll be fine, Alex. I ¨C"

    "Shh¡­ When I say no, it means no," he told her and Abi''s moment of despair made her let go of him.

    Seeing the look in her eyes at that moment made Alex squint his eyes. He didn''t think that she would act like this when she heard the news.

    "If¡­ if you leave, h-how about my daily requests?" she forced herself to speak and Alex chuckled. So this littlemb was this sad because of her silly requests. This girl¡­

    Alex didn''t know why but he started coaxing her.

    "If you''re worried about your requests, then don''t be. You can ask me all the requests you want me to fulfill during those days, once I''m back. I can grant all your requests in just one day or two, Abigail, so that''s not a problem," he told her, grabbing her chin. "As long as your request won''t be as outrageous as going to Antarctica or climbing Mt. Everest with me, I can fulfill seven wishes in a day," he continued and the heartbroken littlemb''s eyes became a little better.

    "R-really? You''re not kidding, right?" was all she asked. His suggestion wasn''t bad at all. umting the requests and doing it all at once was actually not a bad idea. She could monopolize him for one or two whole days instead of just a few hours every night!

    "I''m serious, Abigail. Ah, I still have to collect your remaining debts, too. As of now, you have sixteen sessions of debt from me. Wait, it''s 13 now and since I am the one who is leaving, I''m not going to ask for sessions during those seven days."

    Abi blinked at him.

    "Do you think you can pay for the 13 debts tonight?" he asked and Abi''s eyes slowly turned wide.

    There''s no way she could do that. 13 times throughout the night? She might die!

    "I can''t Alex¡­ how about you collect the debts, too, once you''re back?"

    "Fine, I''ll collect in one go as well, shall I?" He grinned like a devil and Abi was about to heave a sigh of relief when Alex suddenly pinned her down.

    "Okay¡­ Well, I think we should lessen your debt one more time tonight, Abigail," he whispered and before she knew it, he was kissing her neck again.

 Chapter 90 See you

    <h4>Chapter 90 See you</h4>

    It was already dawn when Abi opened her eyes.

    Memories fromst night shed in her head and her face turned as red as a cooked lobster. She remembered that Alex made her tame his little big monster once morest night, while he kissed and licked her neck. She didn''t know how she managed it but somehow, her arms found the strength to carry on. Some time after that, she didn''t know how but she fell asleep as well once the little monster fell back to its slumber.

    Thinking about it, Abi felt like her stamina was really starting to decrease. She used to be able to pull an all-nighter just a month ago but now, it seemed like she couldn''t anymore. Maybe it was because she didn''t sleep properly the night before, because she stayed wide awake thinking about Alex or it could be because she was exhausted from taming the little big monster three timesst night.

    Abi looked around as she stretched her arms out. The sun was starting to paint the sky with some breathtakingly beautiful hues, causing Abi to smile from seeing such a great view in the morning. However, her smile soon faded because she finally remembered that Alex was going to leave today.

    The thought of it made Abi quickly rise and leave her bed. She was suddenly worried that the man had already left. Still in her pajamas, Abi stormed out of her room and once she stood in front of the huge door of Alex''s room, she breathed deeply before she finally knocked on it.

    However, nobody wasing out or responding.

    Thinking that the man was already awake, Abi ran back to her room and got changed before she went downstairs. As she descended the grand staircase, her brows creased when she couldn''t see him in the living room. She went straight towards the dining hall but the man wasn''t there either.

    Abi looked for the butler but he was also nowhere to be seen.

    A little confused, Abi decided to walk towards the entrance and dly, the man was there on the step, sitting like the boss that he was and he seemed like he was waiting for her.

    "Good morning," Abi immediately greeted as she walked towards him with a big smile on her face. She was relieved and happy that he hadn''t left yet.

    "The sleeping fruit finally awakened, huh?" He smiled and then, without further ado, Alex apanied her on her daily exercise routine, telling her that she needed to continue this while he was away.

    Abi tried to slow the pace of the exercises so that she could spend more time with him but Alex was as strict as ever. He kept pushing her to go faster and in the end, she could only do as she was told. Her n failed miserably.

    In what seemed like no time at all, she finished the exercise routine and she was in her room getting ready to head out. Before she knew it, she was sitting in the passenger seat of Alex''s car as he drove her to work.

    Abi was silent during their trip to the orphanage. It was because her heart was heavy and she suddenly found it hard to speak. She kept trying to sneak a nce at him as if she wanted to say something, but nothing woulde out. She didn''t know what to say.

    "Little fruit, what are you thinking about?" Abi''s senses returned to the present upon hearing the man''s words.

    She didn''t even notice that they were already in front of the orphanage.

    "I''m thinking about¡­" she trailed off before the rest of that sentence came out. She meant to say ''I''m thinking about how much I''m going to miss you'' but "I''m thinking about where you are going," was what she said out loud.

    Alex looked like he wasn''t pleased.

    "Come here," he said. "Stop thinking about boring things and just kiss me before I go," he demanded as he pulled her on top of him, making her straddle him again.

    "Quickly, Abigail."

    Abi then kissed him with that tongueless kiss she learned from him yesterday. Abi''s kiss was packed with the intensity of what she was feeling as she held onto his neck tightly.

    Alex also responded. The kiss was quite intense and it took all of Alex''s self restraint not to capture the inside of her mouth.

    Once their lips parted, Alex moved back with a sexy smile on his face. "My little fruit is really such a fast learner," he said, proudly. "When I''m back, I''ll teach you more."

    And then, he let go of her.

    "Uhm... Alex, can I call you? I couldn''t contact you yesterday when you''re away¡­"

    "There''s no need to contact me, Abigail."

    "Why?"

    "Hmm... because I will be turning my phone off once I arrive there."

    "Why?"

    Instead of answering her, Alex suddenly captured her lips again.

    "Stop asking, littlemb, and take your escape now before you awaken the sleeping monster," he told her as he smiled mischievously, and Abi felt her face ze. Why was this man being like this again? He wasn''t being fair at all!

    Abi was forced to nce at his groin before she hastily climbed out of the car. She really was afraid that his monster would really wake up because she couldn''t possibly tame it here, not at this ce!

    Alex lowered the window and he waved at her.

    "See you in a week, little fruit," he said with his wave and Abi unwillingly waved her hand as well.

    "Take care, Alex," she uttered and stood there watching as the car disappeared from her sight.

    ...

    Over the next few days, Abi buried herself in her job. She went back to live home during this time and she spent the days like she always had, as if she was brought back in time before Alexander Qin arrived in her life. She kept herself busy with doing tasks for the fundraiser and spending time with her family. The days seemed normal but to her, they could never be the same again because of Alexander Qin.

    On one of the days, she decided to go and visit the doctor for a check up. The tests showed that her condition was still stable which was a big relief in Abi''s mind. However, she also knew that her condition could deteriorate as suddenly as a lightning strike. She only hoped that it wouldn''t happen before the 31 days were up.

 Chapter 91 Hidden Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 91 Hidden Kingdom</h4>

    Soon after, Wednesday came.

    It was finally the fifth day. Two more days and Alex would be back!

    Abi was missing Alex so bad and it was getting worse by the day. She hadn''t had any contact from him at all; not a single text or a call. Abi might have started to wonder if she had just made him up in her head if it wasn''t for the utter sadness in her heart, telling her that he was not just a figment of her imagination because her feelings were very real.

    Thankfully, on that day, Kelly suddenly barged into the orphanage, waving an envelope in the air as she ran towards Abi, as if to save her from another painful day.

    "Abi! Good news! I got an invitation from Country V''s royal family! They''re going to have a ball! They invited dad and I but dad suddenly had a very important matter he had to deal with right now so he regretfully gave the invitation to me. And so, here I am, inviting you!" Kelly excitedly told her. The girl knew that Abi had been dreaming to see Country V.

    Hearing her, Abi was overjoyed. She saw the photos Kelly had taken when she had travelled before to Country V - the so-called hidden kingdom in the south - and she had been so envious. Since then, Country V had be her dream ce and she had been wishing to see it for herself one day before her time was up. She didn''t include this on her wishlist with Alex because she thought that a request like that was a little too over the top.

    This news served two purposes for Abi. She would finally get to see the beautiful country she had been dreaming to see and it would serve as a very good distraction to keep her mind from missing Alexander Qin.

    "We''re going to stay there for just two days. Are you in?"

    "Of course! Thank you for inviting me, Kelly!"

    "Hehehe, well, I am excited to show you the delicious candymen in that kingdom; not that anyone out there could beat your Mr. Qin''s beauty, though. Never mind¡­e, let''s go get your things. Our flight is early so you have to sleep at my house tonight."

    ¡­

    Finally, the day of their trip arrived. Abi was extremely excited as she read up on some facts about the Country.

    Country V''s government was an absolute monarchy. It was famously known as the Hidden Kingdom of the south because of its secluded location. This kingdom had also never been colonized throughout its whole history because of the same reason; its strategic location made it impossible to be invaded.

    The country''sndscape ranged from lush subtropical ins in the south to sub-alpine mountains in the north. Thend consisted mostly of steep and high mountains crisscrossed by awork of swift rivers that formed deep valleys. The northern region of the Kingdom consisted of an arc of alpine shrubbery and meadows reaching up the ciated mountain peaks with extremely cold temperatures, while the southern region had a more moderate climate and was covered by heavy savannah grass, dense, mixed jungles with freshwater springs and mountain rivers, fed by melting snow. Seventy percent of terrain was coated by a majestic forest, while nine percent was pressed beneath ciers.

    Once Abi and Kelly got off the ne, Abi breathed in the fresh air and she immediately felt something was different about this ce. It was like there was magic in the air.

    She couldn''t exin it but she just felt like this was no ordinary ce. The scenery was just picture perfect but at the same, she felt like it was a kingdom shrouded in mystery. Abi may not have travelled to many ces, but she felt like this ce was one of a kind, like she would not find a ce like this anywhere else in the world.

    The Kingdom was aplex blend of the ancient and modern worlds which made it endlessly fascinating.

    As they travelled to their hotel, Kelly told Abi about some other facts that she knew about the Kingdom. She said that the kingdom was first ruled by a member of the Reign family. The Reign royal family was the official, undisputed and absolute ruler of the Kingdom since the beginning of the country''s history.

    Kelly''s father was a good friend of the Kingdom''s current King so he had told Kelly a lot about the country. ording to her father, the Reign dynasty''s sessors have reigned over this country from when they settled here to the present day and the country had actually the lowest poverty rate in the world. But the strange thing was that billionaires in the country were rtively few and most people seemed to be all equal in financial status, which Abi thought was a great thing.

    "Well, this ce is kinda fascinating and intriguing," Kelly said as soon as they entered their hotel room.

    "I totally agree. This ce just has a very different vibe. It is just so absolutely beautiful, simply breathtaking, Kelly. I wonder why this ce isn''t as famous as other countries. I also noticed there are only a few tourists around."

    "It''s because this Kingdom isn''t into tourism, Abi. As I mentioned before, they are quite private so it''s hard to get in here without an invitation. This country is one of the hardest ces to visit in the world. The process of visiting here is reportedly hard, unnecessarilyplicated, slow and very expensive, so tourists feel discouraged toe here."

    "Oh¡­ that''s strange. It''s like they don''t want to earn from the tourism industry, or they don''t like the tourist influx? I can''t me them though. If I lived here, I wouldn''t want tourists roaming around and potentially ruining thendscape and the natural untouched beauty of this ce by their presence."

    "Mn. Maybe that''s why they are very strict. I don''t really know. Like I told you, this country isn''t like any other country. Now, let''s stop talking about that and let''s go out and enjoy the view and the food here is great, too! Abi, let''s go!"

 Chapter 92 Frozen in time

    <h4>Chapter 92 Frozen in time</h4>

    Abi and Kelly roamed around the Kingdom''s capital that day. They visited a lot of ces and ate different varieties of food. The ce was very pleasant and just lovely and clean - the cleanest city Abi had ever been to. There were no towering skyscrapers and no heavy traffic, no pollution nor chaos. Trees that were lined on either side on every road and highway were blooming that day and it just looked majestically awe-inspiring.

    The ce was just filled with beautiful people and beautiful things.

    The two best friends had taken countless photos of each other as they continued their joyful tour until night finally came.

    Abi and Kelly went back to their hotel early because their whole day escapade tired them out.

    Abi was also happy because she didn''t feel much of the loneliness from missing Alex that day. She felt like their adventure had soothed her heart so for the first time since shest saw him, she slept soundly that night.

    Before they knew it, the sun was already shining brightly up in the sky when they woke up.

    The ball that they had to attend was not until 6pm that night so they had plenty of time to spare. The two girls went shopping for the most gorgeous dresses they could find and then found matching shoes. After that, they spent the rest of the day getting massages, manicures, pedicures and getting their hair and makeup done closer to the time.

    A lot of preparation had gone into their persons for this asion which was why, even though this country was known for having the most beautiful people in the world, Abi and Kelly fitted right in.

    Once the girls were finally dressed up, they headed out of the hotel.

    The trip towards the pce was unexpectedly long. Kelly told Abi that they were heading to the country''s pce, the ce where the King and his family resided so Abi was excited and she was anticipating to see such a dreamy ce.

    However, once the pce came into her view, Abi''s mouth hung open like a little kid who was on their way to Disnend and just had caught their first glimpse of the magical ce. Her expectations drastically failed inparison to the beauty she saw at that moment.

    Abi was in awe as she looked at the pce which sat on a rugged hill, overlooking the city. The colossal six storey structure in the shape of two huge cuboids were connected in a t angle and covered by two adjacent high gable roofs. The sight of the snow covered mountains behind the pce, the tall pine trees that surrounded it and the lights could be seen through the windows made Abi feel like she had walked into a closet and walked out into the Land of Narnia. The pce looked like it was frozen in time.

    The location almost felt sacred because of its history. Kelly said that this pce had stood on that same hill for centuries, it was said that the royal family buried their ancestors under that hill. Abi just couldn''t take her eyes off it!

    Abi and Kelly entered the pceplex through the symmetrical gatehouse nked by two stair towers. They drove down the passage through the gatehouse which led them directly into the vast courtyard. There were guards everywhere and the security was extremely tight but because of the invitation that Kelly was holding, the girls easily entered the ce.

    When the girls alighted from the car, their eyes roamed around to take everything in. The entire pce was sprinkled with numerous decorative chimneys and ornamental turrets, the court front with colourful frescos while the court-side gable was crowned with a ck-coloured dragon.

    Seeing those ck colored dragons immediately reminded Abi about Alex''s tattoo. She felt kind of strange seeing it but she quickly shrugged the thoughts from her head, thinking that it was just coincidence.

    The girls were then brought to the massive ballroom, located on the eastern, court-side wing of the pce; a ce designed for court festivities.

    The grand ball was held to celebrate the King''s birthday and the magnificent and luxurious massive ballroom was already packed with many people dressed in their finest. This event was held every year and every single year, almost all of the invited guests turned up because it was a rare chance for them to see the royal family of this country and also to talk business with them.

    It was exactly six in the evening when the two absolutely stunning girls entered the ballroom. All eyes turned to look at them, causing Kelly to smile inwardly. Although she knew that most of these eyes were drawn by Abi''s beauty, she was still overjoyed because her friend had easily outshone these beautiful natives just by dressing up.

    However, Abi didn''t care and didn''t even pay much attention to the looks she was getting because she was too amazed by the scene before them.

    The ballroom was just breathtaking. The two walls along the rectangr room had big, beautiful windows beneath arches at 2 meter intervals. Golden chandeliers, with 24 candles on each one, hung from the roof on either side of the room as well as through the middle of the room. But the creme de creme of the room was its ceiling. The big arched ceiling that joined the two walls together had many pictures that looked to have been painted up there, akin to Michael Angelo''s painting of the Sistine Chapel. If one wanted to know what life was like back in the renaissance, they would only need to go to this room and look up to be instantly transported back in time.

    Abi could not take her eyes off the intricate disy until Kelly pulled her back to the present by taking her arm and walking towards a different spot to stay in which was near the open terrace overlooking a beautifulke from afar. They stayed there for a bit to enjoy the out of this world view.

    The sun was already gone and the sky had started to be grey, but the breathtaking view inside and outside the pce only became even more blindingly beautiful.

 Chapter 93 Delicate and Dainty

    <h4>Chapter 93 Delicate and Dainty</h4>

    "Ahh¡­ It''s so beautiful! It would''ve been perfect if we had our boyfriends beside us right now." Kelly sighed as she leaned on the railing. "Oops, I forgot that I actually don''t have a boyfriend. Should I go and pick up one of those gorgeous guys?"

    Kelly continued bbering but she received no replies.

    "Hey Abi, what ¨C"

    Kelly turned to her right and was surprised. It was because the girl she was talking to was no longer beside her. She looked around the crowded room but she couldn''t see any sign of her friend.

    "Abi?" she called out softly, her eyes still roaming around.

    "God, where did she go?" Kelly started to worry. She knew what Abi was like. She had brought her to parties like this before and she had always stayed right beside Kelly the entire time. She even dragged Kelly along if she wanted to go to the restroom, so having her suddenly disappear like this made Kelly feel slightly uneasy.

    What if some bad guy fell in love with her gorgeous Abi in one nce and decided to kidnap her?

    Kelly was starting to worry a bit. She kept calling Abi''s phone but there was no answer.

    When Kelly still couldn''t find her anywhere inside the ballroom, she checked the restroom but still nothing. Out of options, she decided to approach the guards that were standing just outside the ce.

    Kelly frantically walked towards the entrance but before she could reach the guards, she identally bumped into someone.

    "Ugh! What the ¨C" Kelly was about to curse but the instant she saw the face of the man whom she bumped into, her words got stuck in her throat. Kelly started to have pink bubbles float around her face as she gazed up at the man who was holding her.

    "Miss Hooligan?" the gorgeous man said and Kelly immediately snapped out of her bubbly daze the moment she heard the words that left his mouth.

    "Hoo.li.gan? Who are you calling hooligan?" Her veins started to pop. She couldn''t believe that this pretty prince called her gorgeous self that damn name again!? She was dressed up as a realdy today and she wasn''t bragging but she knew she was at least good looking. Maybe not as beautiful as Abi but she at least beat most of the girls in this pce when it came to the beauty department! And yet¡­ how could he still call her hooligan the moment he saw her?

    "Well, you still haven''t introduced yourself to me," he replied simply. His pretty face looked like he didn''t even know what was wrong with calling her that. "What are you doing here, anyway?" he added as he let go of her.

    This damn prince! But Kelly, whose hands were clinging onto his neck, didn''t let go.

    "Actually, I came here to find you, pretty boy." She gave him a little sexy wink as she licked her lips while gazing up at him and Kai seemed to have felt goosebumps as his eyes widened. "The first time I saw you, I decided to pursue you," she continued, now talking like a professional flirt, even biting her lips like she was drooling over some delicious food.

    Kai''s lips voluntarily parted. It was obvious that he was shocked at the girl''s attitude and the words she was spouting.

    Kelly chuckled seeing his expression. Could it be that this guy had never been caught by perverted creatures out there? Oho, could it be that this pretty boy was still a virgin?

    As Kelly''s mind started to get naughty, the man seemed to have finally woken from his shock and in the next second, he forcefully unsped the girl''s hands from around his neck and he started to run away. He hastily walked away from her as if he was trying his very best to get away from an annoying woman who suddenly wanted to be his sugar mommy.

    "Wait! Please wait!" Kelly chased him. The man didn''t enter the ballroom. He instead headed to another hallway heading to another part of the pce.

    Kelly finally remembered about Abi - she couldn''t believe she was so easily distracted by that damn prince - and she ran after the man as fast as she could. When the distance between them kept increasing despite her running as fast as she could with heels on, Kelly kicked away her damn heels and her speed immediately skyrocketed.

    In no time, Kelly crashed into him from behind and her hands instantly wrapped around the man''s waist.

    "Caught you! Hehe," sheughed as she panted.

    Kai jolted and felt goosebumps again especially when he heard her chuckle like a pervert. What the hell is with this girl? He never thought that this hooligan also had this side!!

    "Let go, hooligan! I don''t know you. If you keep chasing me, I''ll ask the guards to throw you out," the man threatened.

    "Ohh¡­ are you scared of a dainty and delicate woman like me, prince?" her voice became extremely sweet and she looked up at him with her big round puppy dog eyes that sent shivers down the man''s spine again. Did this girl have some kind of mental illness? She was so cool and badass thest time he saw her but now...!

    Kai attempted to peel her off from him but the girl''s grip was super strong. Dainty? Delicate? Pfft! She was clearly a hooligan with super strength. No matter what he did, he couldn''t peel her off without having to use brute force.

    "Let go now if you don''t want to get hurt!" the man threatened again.

    "Ohh¡­ such a pretty boy threatening me is cute," she replied and Kai finally lost it.

    "Guards!" he called out and Kelly''s eyes widened.

    "No, no, no. Don''t call them. I''m chasing you because I want to ask for help!" Kelly turned frantic once she saw the guardsing after just one call from the damned prince.

    "Get this girl out of here," he ordered and Kelly clung on him harder.

    However¡­

    "I''m sorry. Please listen. My friend Abi is missing! I need your help!" she begged.

 Chapter 94 Missing

    <h4>Chapter 94 Missing</h4>

    The guards were about to touch Kelly to pull her away from Kai when the man stopped them with one smooth gesture.

    "What? Abi? You mean, Abigail Chen is here?" Kai asked her, his voice suddenly bing serious and his face looked like he was dumbstruck.

    "Yes. She was with me but just minutes after we entered the ballroom, she suddenly disappeared. She''s not answering my calls and I can''t find her anywhere! She doesn''t usually leave my side at parties like this... Please help me look for her."

    Kai''s face became grave when he heard her. He suddenly gripped Kelly''s shoulders as he spoke.

    "Why did you bring her here?!" He was obviously angered and acting as though bringing Abi here was a disaster.

    What was going on?! Why was he acting like this? What was so wrong with her bringing her friend to this ce?

    "Huh? Why can''t I bring her here?" Kelly, who was all confused by the man''s unexpected outburst asked him in both curiosity and worry.

    But the man didn''t answer her. He simply shook his head before he ran his fingers through his hair.

    "This is bad¡­" he mumbled, causing Kelly''s heart to beat wildly.

    "What do you mean ¨C"

    "Where did youst see her?" he cut her off.

    "In the ballroom."

    Kai held her hand as he led her back to the ballroom.

    "Are you sure you looked for her carefully? Could she have gone to the restroom? Have you checked there?"

    "I looked around the ballroom for minutes and also checked the restroom but there was no sign of her."

    Once they entered the ballroom, the two started scanning the crowd again, looking for her but the result was the same. If she was in there, Kelly would have been able to detect her straight away because of the unique colour of her dress but Abi was nowhere to be found.

    "Damn, she''s not here!" Kai cursed. His reaction was making Kelly feel like something really bad had happened to her best friend and she started to panic.

    Before she could speak, Kai pulled her with him again and they headed back to that hallway Kai had run through a while ago. Kai dragged her along as he ran as if someone was chasing after them. Thankfully Kelly had removed her high heels otherwise she wouldn''t have been able to keep up with him! They turned around a corner and then they climbed up two flights of stairs. Kelly didn''t have time to admire the magnificent surroundings as they sped past.

    Luckily Kelly was so fit that even a marathon wouldn''t be that hard for her, so their little dash didn''t exhaust her.

    They entered a huge chamber which appeared to be the study room.

    Kai still didn''t let go of Kelly''s hand as they walked inside the study room and then through to the open doors leading to another verandah.

    A man was sitting nonchntly on the edge, almost looking like a grim reaper waiting for the next soul that he would collect.

    The wind blew his ck coat and his dark-as-midnight hair danced under its caress. Kelly gaped at the sight of him. He was just so breathtaking but his breathtaking appearance didn''t outshine the darkness and coldness he was emitting. Kelly couldn''t help but imagine that he might be the reincarnation of the god of ughter or something! How could he be so beautiful yet scary at the same time? He was not even giving her a moment to enjoy his sight because she already felt like she was inside a horror movie. This pretty boy next to her holding onto her hand was the only thing that was stopping her from dashing away and running for her life.

    "Alex!" Kai called out and the man, who was still gazing into the darkness like he could see miles ahead of him, finally nced at them. Kelly voluntarily hid behind Kai once their eyes met for a moment. ''Gahh! He''s soo scary! Is this guy Satan''s son or something? Abi, I wanna go home now. Where are you? And why was this man sitting there? Is he not afraid of falling and dying?!

    "What?" Alex simply said.

    "Alex¡­" Kai hesitated. "Abigail is¡­"

    As expected, the moment Kai mentioned that name, the calmke started to form ripples.

    He turned and looked at Kai impatiently with squinted eyes.

    "She''s here," Kai finally said and Alex''s dark aura zed even more. His eyes were immediately covered with icy mes.

    "Where is she? Why didn''t you bring her here with her friend?" His voice was as hard as a rock and as cold as an ancient cier as his gaze fell on the girl hiding behind Kai. He knew that the girl was his little fruit''s friend.

    But Kelly was terrified. She had never been terrified to this extent in her life. She subconsciously clenched Kai''s hand and as hard as she tried, she just couldn''t speak. Was this the same Alexander Qin Abi was dating? Was this the same man who made it rain inside the house just to kiss Abi?!

    Kelly was shocked. She couldn''t help but want to worship Abi for actually being with this man. Maybe it was true that only angels could stand right next to devils without dying from fear.

    Noticing Kelly''s fear, Kai stood before her,pletely hiding her behind him before he looked up at Alex''s menacing eyes.

    "Alex¡­ she''s missing," he told him and as expected, the man zed with an even more intense darkness, as if hell''s doors had just been opened.

    Kelly subconsciously flinched and immediately tugged Kai''s shirt when she heard Alex jump down to the floor.

    "She said that she went missing just a few minutes after they entered the ball room."

    Alex''s jaws clenched.

    "Gather everyone and tell them all to look for her," Alex ordered as he stormed out of the door like a devil who was now ready to go and create chaos and destruction.

 Chapter 95 Search

    <h4>Chapter 95 Search</h4>

    Kai let out a sigh of relief once Alex left.

    "Are you okay?" he asked the still mute Kelly who was hiding behind him.

    "Y-yeah," she replied. Kai turned around to see that she had started sweating, despite the cold wind. He knew that Alex scared the hell out of her.

    "Don''t worry. We''ll find her. Stay here and wait ¨C"

    "No, I''ming with you." Kelly clung onto the man''s arm tightly as she looked at him with an expression that said she wouldn''t let go. "I want to go and look for Abi, too. Please."

    Kai saw a mixture of worry and determination on Miss Hooligan''s face, so in the end, Kai could only give in.

    They finally left the study and joined the search outside the ballroom, along with the many guards who were also searching for Abi inside the pce. No one inside the ballroom knew what was going on outside apart from the people that were secretly searching for Abi inside the ballroom. The royal family, who also knew nothing at this time, kept the guests entertained with dinner and dancing and speeches and because Kelly and Abi didn''t know anyone else at the party, they weren''t missed by any of the guests.

    The pce was huge but the guards seemed to be able to go through the whole ce in a matter of hours to search for Abi. As time passed, Kelly didn''t hear any good news and her worry increased. No matter where they looked, they just couldn''t seem to find her anywhere.

    After some time, the guards looked through the security footage. They found no footage of Kelly nor Abi at the verandah where they were standing so they couldn''t tell if Abi had walked off by herself or if someone had taken her. They did find that there were three cars that left the pce after the girl''s disappearance.

    "She might have been kidnapped, Alex," Kai said while Alex remained silent. "I''ll have the troops search for her outside the pce."

    "Have them track those cars," Alex finally spoke and Kai left him, along with Kelly.

    Alexander stood there by the main gate, his face hard as stone, as his fingers curled into tight fists. He stared outside the huge pce gate and looked at the lights of the vast city with eyes covered in danger and pure darkness.

    However, instead of going after those three cars, he stayed right where he was. He slowly turned and gazed up at the old majestic castle towering before him and his eyes squinted.

    "Abigail¡­" he muttered before his feet moved forward towards the pce entrance.

    ¡­

    By this point, the ball had already ended. It actually ended an hour earlier because the news had reached the King''s ear. Of course, they didn''t let any of the guests find out about the missing person. They simply reasoned out that the king wanted the party to end a little early because he was tired. Of course, all the guests knew how old the king was so theypletely understood and left early, as requested.

    The King and Queen were inside the throne room when Alexander barged in.

    Looking like a viin, Alex stood there, looking very calm. However, the royal family, who knew what Alexander was like more than anyone else, felt tensed when they saw him look like that. They knew that he was like an unpredictable volcano that could erupt without any warning and once he erupted, he would be unstoppable. There was no telling the extent of damage he would cause.

    "Alexander, is there something wrong?" the King spoke. King Livius Reign was already quite old but he still held himself with the dignity of a powerful andmanding king. His wife, Queen Leah, who was only a few years younger than the king, still looked younger than her age. She was elegantly beautiful even with most of her hair already gray.

    Alexander didn''t answer him and just smiled as he scanned all the faces of the royal family, as if he was looking for something, a clue maybe, from their expressions. Apart from the King and Queen, the four princesses, still dressed in their finery, were also in the room as well as some high officials. None of the princes were present in the throne room.

    The queen then approached Alex carefully.

    "Alex, is this about the missing girl?" her voice was sincere and filled with concern as she spoke to Alex.

    Again, the man didn''t answer. His eyes squinted as he continued to search each person''s face, almost as if he was trying to read their mind through their eyes.

    And then¡­

    "Bring her out," he suddenly said but his tone was still quite calm.

    "Alexander, what are you saying?" The old King finally lost his patience and his voice thundered inside the hall.

    Alex smirked,pletely unfazed by the King''s tone.

    "Don''t test my patience. Where is she?" he again asked. His voice was melodic and his lips curved up into a sardonic smile which didn''t reach his eyes. Though his expression looked pleasant, the temperature in the room suddenly dropped to below freezing and everybody felt themselves tense up involuntarily.

    "Alex, I heard that the guards are chasing some cars that left the pce after the girl disappeared. Shouldn''t you be out there searching for her rather than looking for her here and asking us? You already searched the entire pce, right?? The guards already said she''s not here."

    One of the princesses, the second to the youngest one, named Mira, was the one who spoke.

    The tall, elegant, beautiful and youthful princess talked with a confidence that could only be gained from being born as a royal. However, her confidence soon faded once Alexander set his eyes on her.

    The princess held her breath as Alex stepped towards her, locking her with the intensity of his gaze. Those calm and dangerous eyes of his never moved from her face as he walked closer to her, his dark cold aura zing with the fires of hell.

    ¡õ¡õ¡õ

    Dear readers,

    I just want to vent out my frustration as the author of this book. Please don''t call me greedy and curse me because I locked my chapters too early and even put privilege chapters. To all the readers who think I''m just into money, please leave this book and leave me alone. You guys don''t have any idea how hard I work just for this book. I''m telling you again, I have a full time job. Writing is just my part time job. I write after my work, during breaks, holidays and weekends. I always wonder why I am working this hard. Honestly, I don''t earn that much. This book is not even in top 10 to give me a decent earning. The reason why I locked early is because I have an editor to pay. I am paying an editor for this book because I want to give better reading experience for all of you. As I''ve said, I have full time work. I don''t even have time to edit my chapters and I don''t want to publish unedited chapters like what I did to all my other books. I love this book so I want it to at least be perfect.

    I know that I have real readers who understand me and love me and appreciate my hard work from the bottom of their hearts. I love you all, you guys are the reason why I''m still writing.

    As for the readers who only know how toin and demotivate and degrade people, please leave. I don''t need you and your money. Keep your money and read it or you write your own book. I am not born in this world to entertain people like you. I only want readers who appreciate my hardwork here. That''s all, thank you.

    Love,

    Kazzen lx

 Chapter 96 Enough

    <h4>Chapter 96 Enough</h4>

    The princess subconsciously stepped back as Alex continued walking closer to her, ring into her eyes like he was piercing through her soul. The danger in his eyes turned uncontroble and she instantly felt as if he was almost going to do something brutal.

    But before Alexander could reach her, the Queen suddenly stood between them.

    "Alex, please calm down," Queen Leah urged, her face filled with worry.

    However, Alex just let out a menacingugh.

    "Hahaha. Calm down? How could I calm down when my littlemb is nowhere to be found?" he asked. He still looked rtively calm but everyone knew that the volcano would soon erupt if they didn''t do anything. They had to find this girl or else something worse than their worst nightmare might happen.

    "Alex, we will help you look for her." The queen did her best to coax him but Alexander was a solid, unwavering cier that no fire could melt.

    "Oh, help me, huh? Of course you should¡­" he told her before his gaze flew back to the princess. "Now, step back. I have business with your daughter," he coldly and heartlessly said, causing the queen to feel terrified.

    She looked at Princess Mira with millions of questions in her eyes. She knew that Alex was targeting the princess but what could her daughter have done to earn this treatment?

    "Alex, wait please. What do you mean ¨C"

    Before the queen couldplete her statement, Alex already walked past her towards Princess Mira. However, before he could reach the princess, the king finally moved and stood between Alex and his daughter.

    "Alexander¡­" King Livius pulled Princess Mira behind him and stood before Alex, his expression now looking very grave.

    "King Livius, step aside. This has nothing to do with you," Alex uttered as his eyes zed coldly at the man.

    The queen was about to approach them again because she was afraid that a fight might explode between the two but the King stopped her with his next words.

    "Leah, stop! Do not interfere anymore," the king said without averting his gaze away from Alex. Vignce and intense alertness were flooding in his eyes.

    "Move, King Livius." Alexander''s patience had long reached its limit and the warning in his voice this time was tinged with the highest form of danger.

    "Alexander, you think my daughter is the one behind that girl''s disappearance, right? Let me handle her so stay put," the King calmly said. Gone was the man who let out that loud, thundering sound earlier as he became incredibly calm and careful.

    The king could not let Alexander start a fight in this ce with all his family here. He knew that if a fight broke out, that would be disastrous. This problem needed to be solved as fast as possible. They needed to find that girl very quickly or Alex might really do something even worse than what he imagined.

    Without waiting for Alex''s reaction, the king turned towards the princess, grabbed her by the shoulders and he cornered her by the wall.

    "Mira, where is she?" the king immediately asked the girl.

    He looked at the girl''s expression and he knew right then why Alex had targeted her. Mira may have hid her intentions very well and managed to fool everyone with the innocent and noble look on her face but there was no way she could fool him nor Alex. Her words and expressions were enough for him to deduce that she was hiding something so of course, Alex would pick up immediately on that. He knew that Alex wasn''t wrong and that this daughter of his had something to do with the girl''s disappearance. There was also one more incriminating thing that he knew about this daughter of his and that was the fact that Mira had been in love with Alex for a very long time.

    Even though the princess wasn''t the only one who may have wanted to be with Alex, this daughter of his was the only one who would be foolish enough to do something like this right under Alex''s nose! She was the only one who would act rashly like this, not thinking about the consequences of her actions. There was no one he could suspect but her.

    The King''s jaws clenched hard as he red at his foolish daughter. "Mira, if you still want to live, spit it out," he threatened. "Now!" he demanded but the girl just shook her head.

    "I don''t know anything! Father, please believe me! I was with Mother the entire time, how could I kidnap someone?" the princess started tearing up.

    "That''s right, Livius, Alex. Mira was with me the entire time. Stop suspecting her like that!" The queen stepped in.

    "Father, what evidence do you have to suspect that I am the one behind this? Please, I never did anything wrong! I don''t know what you are talking about!"

    "Livius, listen to your daughter. She''s telling the truth," Queen Leah urged her husband but the man was unswerving in his certainty about Alex''s usation. He hated to be like this towards his daughter but he knew Alex well and he had never been wrong about things like this.

    Ignoring his wife''s plea, the King returned his gaze to his daughter.

    "Mira, I''m only going to ask you onest time. Where is the girl?! This is yourst chance to save yourself. If you cross Alexander, you will regret it," the king said in a stern and threatening tone. He was extremely worried for his daughter but he needed to let her know the gravity of the situation because he knew what Alex was capable of.

    "Father, how could you not believe your own daughter?" she uttered in disbelief.

    "Because I know that Alex is right," was all he replied.

    The girl gritted her teeth and shook her head, denying her involvement in any of this. The queen forced her way between them and held her daughter.

    "Stop this now, Livius! I am not going to let you treat my daughter like this!" The queen was now angry but more than that, she was extremely worried. They were bing so emotional that they didn''t notice Alex''s disappearance.

    "Enough with this nonsense!" Alex''s words boomed in the great hall as he walked back inside. He was dragging a dead soldier''s body with his hand and when he reached the trio, he dropped it on the floor, right before the princess.

 Chapter 97 Disastrous

    <h4>Chapter 97 Disastrous</h4>

    An hour ago, while everyone was searching the pce, the first thing Alex fixed his eyes on were the royal guards. He knew that if he wanted to get any clues, he must investigate every single one of them. These royal guards were the only ones who were able to move around the pce freely without question and without garnering much attention. The people who were behind Abigail''s disappearance would almost certainly use the soldiers to do the dirty job or at least be in league with a few of them to be able to escape unnoticed.

    During the search, Alex''s keen senses noticed a faint scent from one of the soldiers which was unusual. When Abigail was with Alex, he noticed that the girl wasn''t fond of perfume so he couldn''t tell if the scent he smelled was from Abigail. However, the scent was feminine and that scent was enough of a clue for Alex to interrogate that soldier because it was strange for any soldier to have a scent like that.

    Alex immediately took the soldier aside to ask him a few questions. Alex was expecting him to tell tales such as he had a secret meeting with his lover or some such thing but before Alex could even say a word, the soldier killed himself by biting and swallowing a poison pill. This act was one of the things that the kingdom had kept in ce from the ancient times to prevent them from spilling any secrets or ssified information about the royal family if they were suddenly captured and tortured.

    So, the fact that the soldier did this the moment he was about to question him was enough answer for Alex. This kind of loyalty would only be reserved for the members of the royal family. These royal guards had absolute loyalty to their masters, so if one did this kind of thing, Alex was certain that the one he was working with was a member of the royal family. These soldiers wouldn''t willingly die just for anyone.

    "Princess¡­ This is the soldier you worked with, right? Now don''t waste any more of my time or else¡­" Alexander left the sentence hanging because his intentions were very clear as his gaze locked onto the princess''s eyes. Princess Mira knew that he was very serious. She knew that he wouldn''t hesitate to kill her, like he did to her guard.

    The princess'' lips began to tremble in fear. She knew that Alexander wasn''t someone she could mess with. In fact, nobody would dare to mess with him, not even her father, who was King of this kingdom. However, she never thought that that woman would bring out this kind of reaction out of Alex.

    She thought that her n was wless and that nobody would be able to get any evidence incriminating her, even if they suspected her. Unfortunately, she didn''t count on Alex''s reaction. This was far more extreme than what she had seen before that even her parents couldn''t do anything. Fear ran through her entire body and she knew what she had to do.

    Before she knew it, she fell down on the floor as she clung to her mother as if her strength suddenly left her. Her reaction made everyone finally understand that she indeed knew something even if she may not be the mastermind of the whole thing.

    "She¡­ she''s in the underground dungeon," she finally whispered.

    Everyone was utterly shocked. Alex''s eyes darkened as if the faint light of life in them had entirely disappeared.

    Everyone knew that that dungeon was the most dangerous ce in the pce. In ancient times, the dungeon was where they left the traitors and enemies to let them rot inside. The dark dungeon was arge maze filled with many traps that would cut and or maim or wound at every turn and this was a ce where no one ever escaped from. Worse yet, many rodents and poisonous insects also made their home in the darkness as they waited for their next meal. It was created to torture anyone who entered it before eventually dying at a dead end, because there was no way out.

    Even the king looked like he was about to pass out when he heard her. Everybody was silent as they all started to realize how grave this situation was. The first thing the king did was look at Alex with intense alertness.

    He saw how Alex looked like he had turned to a lifeless vessel and immediately knew how dire the situation was. This was extremely disastrous! When was thest time Alexander had ever looked like this? If that girl was dead¡­ what would this man do?

    "Come." Alex''s voice had gone beyond terrifying. He sounded like he was ready to ughter an entire n.

    He grabbed the princess by the arm and dragged her out of the throne room while everyone just watched in horror.

    "Mother¡­ Father... Please, save me!" the princess yelled but everyone just stood there frozen, even the queen.

    The King ran his fingers through his hair. This was it. The worst case scenario. The possibility of that girl still being alive at this point was zero. Nobody had evere out of that ce alive since it was first built.

    They couldn''t believe that their esteemed princess had such a dark heart to n on executing someone. Even the king never expected this. When did his daughter be this heartless?

    "Livius! Please save your daughter! You''re the King! Do something!"

    King Livius looked at his wife''s distraught face and he himself felt a deep despair for his daughter. He was a king, but he was getting old and he was not the same strong man he was when he was younger. His daughter had done the unforgivable and she had to face the consequences of her actions. He had never felt so powerless in his life.? In the end, he looked away without answering his wife and headed out of the hall to go after Alexander. Everyone finally snapped out of their shock and instantly followed him.

    The tunnel towards the dungeon was dark and long. The princess continued begging Alex but the man didn''t seem to hear her. He almost looked like the walking dead, devoid of any human emotion.

    Once they stopped inside an ancient cave-like chamber, Alex dropped her on the floor, near the well-like hole covered with metal bars and chains.

    "Open it," he ordered and the princess crawled in fear as she quickly unlocked the chains and moved the metal cover off it.

    Once it was open, Alex took the chains and he chained the princess in a way that was impossible for anyone to unlock her.

    Alexander red down at her, a look that was enough to kill all her hopes of survival, because that one nce told her that if he didn''t find Abigail alive, she would die an even more painful death than what Abigail would have gone through.

    The next moment, as the King and others entered the chamber, Alex jumped down the hole.

 Chapter 98 I watched her fall

    <h4>Chapter 98 I watched her fall</h4>

    By the time the king and the others reached the dungeon''s entrance, Alex was already gone. They heard noisesing from the hole as they approached it. King Livius gritted his teeth as he looked down the seemingly endless abyss.

    "Abigail¡­" he heard Alex''s voice echo as he called out for Abi.

    On the edge of the room by the wall, the princess started begging for her life.

    "Mother, Father, save me¡­ Alex¡­ he''s going to kill me!"

    The queen ran to her daughter and she started weeping as she approached her chained child.

    "Oh my god, Mira, what have you done?" The queen was extremely distraught. The royal family had done their best not to anger Alex and to stay on good terms with him all these years and yet, in an instant, all their hard work was burnt to ashes because this child of hers did this.

    Everyone was worried and terrified and shocked. They couldn''t believe that Alexander didn''t even hesitate to jump inside that abyss for that girl. Who was that girl that made Alex act like he was willing to search even the depths of hell just for her?

    Even King Livius finally realized the extent of what Alex would be willing to do for that girl. Alexander was no longer the same. He wasn''t the same Alex who wouldn''t bat an eye even if his so-called lover at the time got killed identally or not. He wasn''t the same man who would let all the royal family''s every ridiculous action slide like he didn''t care. He wasn''t the same man who swore he wouldn''t im the life of any of the royal family no matter what happened. He had changed for that woman and what was even more ridiculous was that he had only been with her for a few days!

    Looking at the chains around Mira''s body, the Queen had already given up trying to save her. These chains were so thick and strong that it would take at least a few days to cut through it. It only had one key and that was down in the dungeon with Alex right now. She knew that Alex would never let her live if he was to find that girl was dead in that dungeon. All of them knew it. What was worse was that all of them were certain that the girl was already dead. There was no escaping that dungeon. Even if she stayed put and didn''t trigger any of the hidden traps, all the poisonous creatures would''ve already gotten her or forced her to ran towards the traps. All of them knew that, and that was why the queen started to weep.

    King Livius'' expression was serious as he sighed. No matter how he thought about it, the only way for Alexander to calm down after this was for Mira to pay using her own life. What could he do? How could he calm Alex down without him hurting his daughter?

    Could he use force? No, that was futile.

    Could he use reason? Alexander was beyond reasoning with. This was an entirely new Alexander that they were facing and where they might have been able to talk to Alex if he was his old self, this Alex would not be willing to hear them out.

    He loved his daughter but love won''t be able to save her from her fate. The only way to save her was if that girl was found alive.

    "Father, please save me! That''s right! Brother Zeke! Please call brother toe and save me! Please! He''s the only one who can help me now!" Mira continued pleading as tears rolled down her face. Gone was the arrogant, self-assured demeanor as her body crouched down on the ground. She trembled as her fear settled deep in her bones. She knew she was done for. She shouldn''t have done it. She now regretted doing what she did but it was toote for regrets. There was no way she would get out of this unscathed, if death wasn''t waiting for her already.

    "Livius, that''s right, Ezekiel could do something!" Queen Leah begged in between her sobs. "Livius! We ¨C"

    "Leah!" King Livius'' voice turned unbelievably cold. He too was now on edge. "That woman¡­ that woman is the only person Alex had ever cared about like this. I have never seen him act this way about anyone before. This isn''t a simple issue and you know that!" His deep voice echoed inside the darkness. "Please don''t forget who Alex is and what he''s capable of doing. Having Zeke and Alexander end up fighting against each other is thest thing we ever want to happen!"

    King Livius'' words made the queen kneel down as her mind reminded her about something and those thoughts crushed all her hopes.

    Time passed by and Alex finally came out. His body was covered in scratches, cuts and wounds and blood flowed down his skin like small rivers.

    He looked like the devil emerging from the depths of hell as his eyes burned red with killing intent. However, at that moment, there was also a glint of hope in his eyes.

    "She''s not inside," he said and everyone was shocked. Even the good as dead princess returned to life. "Where is she?"

    Alex''s deadly gaze fell on the girl as he mercilessly pinched her chin.

    "A-alex¡­ I watched her fall in the hole. There''s no way that she''s not inside," the princess said, haltingly between sobs.

    "Mira, please tell the truth," the queen urged.

    "I am telling the truth! She really fell inside. The dungeon only has one key. It isn''t possible that someone else could have opened it to save her. Me and that guard both left after we locked the door!" she exined as she cried. "You saw the chains and the cover still on there when we got here. It''s impossible for the girl toe out. It''s impossible that she''s not in there."

    The queen turned towards Alex.

    "Alex, are you sure she''s not there?" she asked but Alex was so angry that it was now bing out of control.

    He unlocked the chains around the princess and everyone was surprised, as they all thought that Alex was letting her go because the girl wasn''t inside.

    However¡­

    The next thing he did made everyone''s eyes widen in horror.

    Alexander suddenly lifted the princess up and held her over the hole.

    "Go look for her yourself then," he said coldly, his eyes and heart devoid of any emotions, as if he had be a demon. Before the girl could even react, he flung her down into the dungeon as if he was throwing trash away into a rubbish bin, and a deafening scream echoed throughout the room.

 Chapter 99 The only choice

    <h4>Chapter 99 The only choice</h4>

    Hours ago¡­

    Abi gasped as she woke up on a dusty floor in a very cold and dark room, or at least that was what she thought.

    Thest thing she remembered was having a conversation with Kelly before she was suddenly pulled behind a thick curtain near the veranda before she suddenly lost consciousness.

    When Abi gained consciousness again, she thought that she was having a nightmare. The entire room was dark and even though her eyes were open, she could see nothing. Everything was pitch ck that she couldn''t even see her own hands!

    Abi started to panic. Her breath became shallow and her heart sped up in fear. Where was she? Where was Kelly? What was going on? How was she going to get out of here?! Abi forced herself to calm down and think. She needed a clear mind to be able to get out of here.

    She put her hands down on the ground as she tried to get up and found that she was lying on bare ground - not tiles or wood or concrete - just in dirt. Was she inside a cave or something? She crawled until she hit a wall. She ran her hands along the wall and noticed that they were made of bricks which meant that this ce was somehow built by men.

    As the thought crossed her mind, Abi started to think that she may be in a dungeon under the pce. That was very possible because of the man-made wall built out of bricks. This wasn''t a natural thing so she couldn''t be in some cave. Dungeon seemed more usible considering the fact that she was just inside a pce before she woke up in this ce.

    "H-hello?" Abi said out loud and when she heard her echo, this gave her more evidence that she might really be inside a dungeon.

    Abi started to tremble despite her resolve to keep calm. Was this real? Was she really inside a dungeon?

    Abi prayed and hoped that this was just a dream, a nightmare she could escape from if she just woke up.

    Forcing herself to think that this was just a nightmare, Abi slowly stood up. She kept her hand on the wall as she took a few steps forward. However, she had only taken half a dozen steps when, on thest step, she heard the sound of metal hitting against metal. Abi jumped backwards as soon as she heard it but not before she felt something sharp cut her thigh.

    "Ahh!" she yelped and she felt something warm flowing down her leg soon after. She knew that the liquid flowing down her leg was her own blood.

    Abi was terrified and her knees began to weaken. She had a hunch that if she walked any further, she might die. Who knew what else was out there! Abi stood frozen as she pressed her back to the wall, close to where she woke up from, and tears began to fall from her eyes.

    Why? Why was this happening to her? What was going on? Why was she here?

    As she stood there, feeling the pain from her wound, she realized this was real. She wasn''t dreaming.

    "Hello?!" Abi forced herself to shout.

    "Can anyone hear me? Help!!" she yelled again and again but no one answered; only her echo answered her desperate calls.

    Was she going to die here? Was this the end?

    Abi shook her head to desperately rid herself of those thoughts. She didn''t want to die yet, not in a ce like this. She hadn''t said goodbye to her family, Kelly or Alex. Her wishes were still unfulfilled. She still had so many things left to do, to experience. How did things end up like this? What was she doing in this ce?

    Abi didn''t know why but in that moment of despair, Alex''s words suddenly rang in her head.

    ''This is just a little taste of hell, Abigail. I told you, you can''t handle it.''

    As those words echoed in her head, Abi felt her heart tear apart. She remembered Alex''s face so clearly in her mind when he warned her and a realization dawned on her. Did this incident have something to do with Alex?

    As she thought about it, she couldn''t help but think that this incident might be rted to him. The ck dragons in the courtyard looked very simr to the dragon tattoo on his back. She also had a strange feeling of deja vu the instant she set foot in this country. This feeling reminded her of the cold aura that surrounded Alex like a shield. Of course she had shrugged it off at the start as just her imagination running wild but she couldn''t shake this feeling now, especially the moment she saw those ck dragons.

    She didn''t know how this ce was connected to Alex. She really was clueless when it came to him. All she knew was that if this was the hell Alex was talking about, could she really allow herself to crumble down now? Could she really not handle this? Could she afford to do nothing but wait and die here? Was this the end? Was she really na?ve in thinking that she could handle the hell Alex was talking about?

    Abi''s tears stopped falling.

    "No, I can''t die here. This hell, I can handle this! I will get out of here!" she told herself.

    She would not be a helpless littlemb just meekly walking towards the ughterhouse. She was going to fight this and get out of here! If this was a part of Alex''s hell, Abi was determined to face this head on and live. No matter what the result, no matter what was waiting for her, she would fight. That was the only choice she had left.

    After all, she was the one who jumped into his life. She had to show him that she could handle being part of his world.

 Chapter 100 Finding new hope

    <h4>Chapter 100 Finding new hope</h4>

    Abi took a few deep breaths to clear away the fog of negativity from her mind.

    Not many people knew this about her but Abi actually had an exceptional sense of hearing. She had discovered when she was just a young child that she was able to hear things that other people couldn''t. When she was at school, she would listen to the teacher but then at some point, she would hear sounds of animals running around in the forest and when she concentrated enough, she was able to follow the path of the animal as it ran along in the woods.

    This was how she was able to narrowly avoid those sharp metal things that cut her thigh, because she heard the sound of them being triggered so she was able to jump out of the way. She had never really tried to hone this gift because she never needed to but in this situation, she was thankful that she at least had something she could use to her advantage. She knew that if she concentrated enough, she would be able to hear the slightest unusual noises and doing that, she might be able to find a way out of here.

    So Abi closed her eyes and focused her senses on her heart until the only thing she could hear was her heartbeat and the sound of her quiet breaths. After a few more minutes, Abi was in that state of meditation and that was when she started to act.

    She ripped a small strip of cloth from her dress and wrapped it around her wounded thigh to act as a tourniquet. She then bent down to pick up a handful of small stones from the ground to use as a guide and got up again before she threw a small stone right next to her foot and listened to the sound it made. It released a solid thump. That sound meant safety. It meant that there was nothing under it except for rocks and dirt.

    Abi threw another small stone in front of her and heard the sound of rock hitting metal. It seemed that whatever had cut her was on the ground in front of her, blocking her path. The next thing she did was throw a stone as far and as hard as she could in front of her to determine if that was a pathway or a dead end. The stone hit a wall with a thud not too far away from her so she did the same thing again, throwing a stone to her left and then behind her.

    The stone didn''t hit anything to her left so she decided that that was the way to go. She turned to the left and threw stones in front of her before she followed it.

    She had taken about twenty steps before she heard a different sound to the safe thud. It seemed to be the sound of an arrow being released from a bow and Abi immediately jumped back, causing her to yelp in pain as she twisted her ankle on the same leg that was wounded. In the next second, she felt the wind on her face as the arrow rushed out in front of her before hitting a wall with a loud crack.

    Abi''s heart elerated! She gulped as fear and shock took over for a minute or two before she calmed herself down again. Abi was very afraid. She knew just how perilous this situation was so she couldn''t afford to slip up!

    She bent down and grabbed another handful of stones and continued to limp on.

    Abi had no idea how long she had been walking for or how far away she was from where she started but she kept going, using the stones like a walking stick, feeling out what could be in front of her. She continued on, limping her way through the dark dungeon going to who knew where. But she was lucky because throughout that time, she only triggered 2 more traps, which she sessfully avoided. It seemed to her that some of the traps had already been set off before.

    Abi grew tired and her hopes began to dwindle as time passed. She leaned on a wall from fatigue and slid down to the ground. She didn''t know how much longer she could concentrate like that. It took a lot of mental energy to constantly be on alert and to constantly be listening for every little sound. She was mentally exhausted. She had never had to concentrate this much before and Abi''s stamina just wasn''t up to it. Abi tried to shake the fatigue from her body but it didn''t work. She hadn''t eaten anything since lunch and all her energy had been used up.

    Abi let her body rx and in the next second, she felt thick, warm liquid run down from her nose. From the texture and smell, Abi knew it was blood. She wiped it away using her arm and briefly wondered if this had triggered her illness.

    As Abi sat in the darkness, her ears pricked at a very faint sound, one that didn''t seem to bemon in the dungeon. This sound had a melodic ring to it. Abi thought her mind was ying tricks with her but once she concentrated again, the sound became more solid. It wasn''t in her imagination!

    Abi immediately got up. She knew that sound needed an avenue to travel and it travelled faster on solid material than in air so she pressed her ear to the ground and tried to find where it wasing from. It seemed to being from ahead of her.

    Finding new hope, she immediately picked up more stone and with more energy, she went through her process again. After a few minutes, she was stopped by a big wall in front of her. ''No!'' she cried inwardly. She fell into a depression. The sound wasing from straight ahead but she couldn''t go any further. This was it.

    Suddenly, she cried out in frustration and threw the rest of the stones hard on the ground. She clenched her hands into tight fists and started hitting the wall in front of her. Rage and frustration and helplessness filled her soul and she released it on the wall in front of her.

    But then, in the next second, she heard a loud, grinding noise and immediately went on alert. What was that? It sounded like something massive was moving somewhere to her right, akin to arge, old gate being opened after years of not being in use. It went on for a few seconds until it stopped and everything became silent again.

    Abi picked up another stone and threw it to her right, expecting the stone to hit a wall, and when it didn''t Abi was shocked! There was a wall there a few seconds ago! Did a wall really just move by itself?

    Not stopping to think about it, she immediately worked her way towards the new path.

 Chapter 101 At las

    <h4>Chapter 101 Ats</h4>

    Abi felt the difference the moment she entered the newly opened path. The ground didn''t feel like the same dirt ground as the dungeon. It felt cold and smooth, the same as the marble floor in Alex''s house.? But that wasn''t what gave Abi hope. It was the melodic music that seemed to being from inside the room. This was the melody that she had been following!

    Abi winced in pain as she limped further in. Once she was a few steps away from the entrance, she heard a rumbling noise. She could only deduce from the sound that the door was closing.

    Once the noise stopped, the dark tunnel became quiet again. However, Abi felt that the oxygen was much better in the ce where she was now,pared to the damp, earthy smell of the dungeon. A light of hope emerged in Abi''s heart. There was still hope for her! Maybe she would be able to leave this ce alive and she would get to see Alex again.

    Determined, Abi continued limping in the dark, her heart filled with hope. She focused all her attention to the sound and followed it through the twists and turns of this dark tunnel.

    As Abi hobbled further inside the tunnel, the sound became more defined and she realised that it was music. Someone was ying a flute! Abi thought that whoever was ying that flute must be her guardian angel.

    Abi''s tears started to flow as she followed the sound, hoping it would lead to life.

    ---

    Back at the dungeon''s entrance.

    "Alex, please¡­ have mercy. You promised us that you would never im the life of any member of the Royal family. Please, let Mira go¡­ we can imprison her and punish her, just please¡­ let her live," the queen frantically begged for her daughter''s life.

    However, the cier didn''t even bat an eye.

    "That lover of yours¡­ you have only just been with her for a few days. She''s only amoner! My daughter is royal blood. That girl''s life can''t bepared to Mira''s life."

    What the queen said was the truth in the ears of everyone who was present. They all thought that whoever the girl was, her life could never hold a candlepared to the princess''s life. They had already heard about Alex''s new lover. They were also aware that Alexander was fond of her and that he even made her live in his house, protecting her from any harm. But knowing Alexander, they all believed that that girl would still end up like all the other girls in his life in the end. They all believed that Alexander was just not capable of loving anyone.

    But then, Alexander''s sardonicugh echoed upon hearing the queen''s words. The man''s already deadly gaze intensified far beyond redemption as he looked at the queen. This was the first time Alexander ever looked at the queen this coldly.

    "Just amoner, huh?" He stoppedughing before he looked at everyone with absolute danger and real threat in his eyes. "Listen to me very carefully¡­ If I can''t find her before the sun rises¡­ If I can''t find her by then¡­ alive¡­" for the first time, they heard a desperate emotion in his voice, "I will destroy the house of Reign until there is nothing left but ashes."

    As everyone froze in fear, Alexander left the dungeon, taking the only key with him. This was it, the disaster. They couldn''t believe that a woman would make Alexander dere such a terrifying thing but there was no doubt in everyone''s mind that Alex was more than serious.

    "Sire, I truly think we should call Prince Ezekiel toe now. This matter is extremely urgent!" one of the court officials present at the scene urged and the helpless King simply nodded. If there was anyone they could depend on at this point, it was Ezekiel, but, unfortunately, the prince wasn''t in the country right now. Would he make it back in time?

    ¡­

    In the pce underground, Abigail was starting to lose her strength.

    It had been hours but the end of the tunnel seemed to be unreachable. She was slow because of the darkness and her throat had dried up. She wanted water so badly.

    She had long stopped thinking and all she did was continue hobbling along in the dark. Her mind had gone hazy. She was exhausted. She felt like her body had gone numb.

    The flute was still ying. Although she felt like the sound was getting a little louder in her ear, she could tell that the source was still far.

    How much longer would it take for her to reach the end? Could she reach the end before she passed out?

    ¡­

    Atst, dawn came.

    Kai and Kelly were already back. The cars that leftst night had nothing to do about Abi''s disappearance and the girl was nowhere to be found outside the pce.

    Everyone in the pce was extremely tense.

    They were all gathered in the throne room. Nobody went to sleep that night. They couldn''t believe that a singlemoner girl would be able to rock the entire house of Reign just like that.

    As the sky started to lighten, the dread in everyone''s heart was getting out of control.

    At that moment, someone entered and whispered something to the king''s ear. The crown prince, Ezekiel, was reportedly nowhere to be found outside the country.

    The King felt like fainting. This was the time they needed his son the most. How could he disappear at this crucial moment? Wait¡­ could it be that he was already in the country?

    King Livius knew that his son, Ezekiel, was another peculiar man like Alexander. He was the type of man who wouldn''t even appear on his father''s birthday. Despite being like that, the king believed that his son already knew what was happening. The only question was, why had he not shown himself yet? His family was in great trouble!

    While the King was trying to figure out what to do, someone entered the throne room again. When they saw who it was, the King and the rest looked like they had seen hope itself. It was because the man who entered was Ezekiel''s most trusted right hand man.

    However, to everyone''s surprise, the man didn''t walk towards the king. Instead he walked towards Alexander, who had just kicked the west door open with a bang as he entered the throne room as if he was some ruthless invader.

    Zeke''s right hand man didn''t flinch at Alexander''s presence as he approached him.

    Alex, on the other hand, immediatelyid his eyes towards the man who was reaching out a note as he slightly bowed to him.

    Alexander didn''t waste a moment and took the note.

    The moment he read it, time seemed to have stood still and like a lightning strike, Alexander disappeared from the room, leaving everyone dumbstruck.

    Was this crisis finally solved? Was the girl already found?!

    But, was she alive?

 Chapter 102 Awake

    <h4>Chapter 102 Awake</h4>

    In no time, Alexander arrived at the foot of the hill.

    The ce was forested and steep, but Alex found the exact spot written on the note in no time at all, as if he didn''t need to even have to search for it.

    The moment he stood there, Alex''s zing eyes fell towards the man who was nonchntly ying the flute as he sat on the grass with his left knee folded, while he leaned against a wall right next to an old wooden door that was already decaying.

    "Zeke." Alex squinted his eyes as he red down at him. However, Zeke simply looked up at him, unfazed, as he continued ying the flute, as coolly as ever.

    Alex was about to approach the man when suddenly, his eyes were drawn towards the old door beside him.

    With just that, Alex finally realized the reason why Zeke was here and why he was ying. He remembered that thest time he heard Zeke y a flute was back when he was a teenager when they were ying in the castle and had gotten lost. So seeing him ying now was strange and could only mean one thing ¨C that there was a secret passage inside that dungeon that led to this exit that only Ezekiel knew about.

    Alex rushed towards the door when suddenly, the door moved as he heard a sounding from the inside.

    However, before Alex could reach it, the door fell forward, halting him in his tracks, barely missing him.

    His gaze flew towards the entrance and his eyes widened as he saw someone holding onto the door frame.

    "A-abigail¡­" he uttered as the music stopped.

    Abigail was blinded by the light so her head was turned towards her right as if to hide from the bright light. She was trembling. Her mind was no longer working. She didn''t know if the brightness that flooded her eyes meant that she finally got outside or if she had actually died and had gone to heaven.

    She noticed that the music had stopped. What did that mean? Was it over? She forced her eyes to open but then darkness slowly swallowed her whole before she could even lift her eyelids open.

    "Abigail!" Alex called out as he caught her in his arms. He immediately looked for a pulse and he was utterly relieved when he felt her heart still beating and that she was still breathing. Alex felt like the spirit of life that had left his body entirely when he saw her copse, had now returned.

    At that moment, he didn''t even realize that he was hugging her so tightly.

    "Easy, Alex¡­ or you''ll end up squeezing her to death," Zeke said, nonchntly, as he stood up, causing Alex to finally realize what he was doing.

    "It looks like your littlemb is not as fragile as you think, Alex," Zeke added before he moved towards him and patted his shoulder.

    Because Alex was holding Abi in his arms, Zeke swiftly managed to take the dungeon''s key from him.

    "I''ll let Mira go. You can punish her all you want, but I can''t just allow you to im her life."

    "That is not your decision to make, Zeke," replied Alex as he stood up, carrying Abi in his arms as carefully as if he was holding a newborn baby.

    "Abigail is alive, Alex. No need to spill anymore blood. Besides, if you execute Mira because of her, I''m afraid you''ll just be digging Abigail''s grave. Or, were you thinking of taking all her freedom and chaining her right next to you forever to be able to keep her safe?"

    Alexander didn''t respond to Zeke''s words. The murderous look in his eyes, that started to waver upon the sight of his littlemb, slowly faded and returned to its usual coldness as he disappeared from Zeke''s sight.

    ¡­

    Somewhere in Old city, Country V''s capital¡­

    It was a little dark when Abi opened her eyes again. Her entire body ached and she hadn''t even moved yet! Her eyes slowly adjusted and wandered around as her brows knitted together.

    Where was she? This wasn''t her room. This was not her room at Alex''s house either.

    Abi moved and immediately winced because of the pain from the cut on her left leg.

    As she continued to move, a deep voice made her pause. "You''re awake," the voice said and Abi''s head immediately turned towards her right, to the source of the voice.

    "Alex¡­ you''re back!" her voice was barely a whisper. She realized that her throat hurt a little when she spoke. However, she couldn''t think about the pain upon seeing Alex being right there next to her bed.

    She felt like it had been a really long time since shest saw him. She missed him so much that she wanted to cry.

    Abi immediately reached out and held his arm, as she attempted to rise so she could hug him, when Alex gently pinned her down.

    "Stay put. You''re injured." His voice sounded hoarse as if he was struggling to keep his voice gentle.

    "Injured?" Howe?" She said as she winced. Her voice was noting out normally. She felt as though she hadn''t drunk any water for many days. "Water, please," she asked.

    Alex poured water into the ss and then looked at her. Abi was waiting for him to help her up but to her surprise, the man didn''t. Instead, he drank it himself!

    Abi''s lips parted as she blinked at him in confusion. However, before she couldin, the man bent down and his lips crashed on hers. Her lips were already parted so he easily pried it open.

    The next second, Abi felt the liquid flow from his mouth to hers, and then down her throat.

    Abi felt like all her sleeping cells had been jolted awake by a lightning bolt. W-what did he just do?

    Her face turned as red as a cooked lobster as she looked at him, dumbstruck.

    But the man simply drank more water from the ss and kissed her again, making her drink the water from his mouth.

 Chapter 103 Quiet rage

    <h4>Chapter 103 Quiet rage</h4>

    Abigail''s face was burning red. Her throat was finally better now after the third time Alex made her drink water from his mouth. He didn''t even give her a chance to decline him.

    "Want more?" he asked, causing Abi to frantically shake her head.

    "I¡­ I''m fine now, Alex," she told him as she covered her lips with the back of her hand. "I¡­ I can drink on my own. Y-you don''t have to do that," she stammered.

    For Abi, what he did was extremely embarrassing and she felt like she''d end up being choked to death instead if he continued doing that. She thought that this man had no idea how his actions were affecting her. No matter how much she told herself that he was only doing that to help her, her heart couldn''t take it. She was afraid she might totally forget to breathe or swallow the water if he did that again.

    "What. You don''t like my method?" he asked, his fingers were already on her chin and his thumb wiping her wet lips.

    "T-that''s not it."

    "So you like it but you''re embarrassed?" he bent down and stared deep into her eyes. "Answer me, Abigail," his sweet breath touched her face.

    Before Abi knew it she said the word "yes". This man was too much. How could she say no when he was asking her this way?

    "Good girl," he replied. At that moment, Abi finally realized that there seemed to be something off with this man since she woke up. He didn''t smirk or smile mischievously at her. She noticed that he always did that even in serious moments but now, he actually didn''t smirk or smile even once. Also, why did his eyes look like they were colder than ever yet felt warmer than before? Did something happen during the seven days that he was away¡­?

    Suddenly, the memories finally started flooding into Abi''s head. That''s right, she and Kelly had attended the ball and then¡­ she was¡­

    Abi''s eyes slowly widened in both shock and horror the moment she remembered everything that happened to her. The darkness, the pain, the fear, the seemingly endless dungeon and the music¡­ everything appeared in her head so clearly.

    It was as if she just remembered a horrifying nightmare! Her hands suddenly clenched, clutching tightly on to Alex''s shirt and her reddened face instantly became pale.

    The next moment, her arms flew towards Alex''s neck as they wrapped around him and pulled him down towards her. Abi hugged him as tight as she could as if she wanted to fix him permanently into her embrace.

    "A-alex¡­ I am not dreaming, right?" she asked. Her voice filled with doubt and fear.

    "You''re not, Abigail." Alex assured her.

    "I¡­ that¡­ that dungeon¡­ I was¡­"

    "Mn¡­ you made it out of that ce on your own," he replied. His hand moved towards her head and he gently patted her hair infort. "You''re amazing, Abigail."

    With just those words, Abi''s trembling lips and hand calmed down. The panic in her heart started to subside and her grip on him loosened up.

    Alex moved and looked at her dumbstruck face.

    "Everybody said no one had ever escaped from that ce since it was built, but my na?ve littlemb actually made it out. I think I can''t underestimate you from now on." He pinched her cheek as Abi looked at him in disbelief.

    Abi couldn''t speak for a while as she simply stared at him until Alex pulled himself up and sat up.

    "You have to eat now," he said and without waiting for her response, the man carried her carefully in his arms. "I only have one servant here and she''s pretty old. She can''t even climb the stairs anymore so I have no choice but take you downstairs," he added as he walked out of the room.

    Abi now noticed that this room where she was seemed even older than her room in her house.

    Wait¡­ where were they? Were they inside that pce?

    "Ah¡­ Alex, where''s Kelly?!" Abi finally remembered her friend.

    "Don''t worry about her. Kai''s looking after her. She''s back at the hotel where you two were staying at."

    "Does she know that I am here?"

    "Yes. I told her I am taking you with me. You will stay with me until you get a little better and then we will go back home. She and Kai will fly back tonight."

    "She''s alright, right?"

    "Yes. Nothing happened to her."

    As Alex carried her down the stairs, Abi realized that they were not inside a pce. It seemed like they were inside a much older but a little smaller version of his house back home. The house was not as extravagant as the mansion. Instead of being made of marble, it was made from bricks, like the old castles, but it was still well in a very good condition, considering it looked about centuries old.

    "Where are we?"

    "My house."

    Abi was surprised. So he had a house here, too. Could it be that his family was here? But the house was even quieter than his house back home!

    Abi wanted to ask more questions but for some reason, she felt Alex''s mood was a little strange. He was answering her questions without beating around the bush, almost as if he was answering an interview, straightforwardly.

    He wasn''t like this before. He used to tease her and smirk at her like a devil but now, he seemed to be suppressing something. She even noticed that he seemed to have to make an effort to control his voice. What''s going on? Was this just her imagination?

    "Careful with your leg," he told her as he put her down and helped her to her seat. The table in the dining room looked even more ancient than anything she had ever seen.

    "Eat," he ordered, as he scooped a spoonful of soup to feed her.

    "I can do it my-"

    Abi couldn''t continue what she wanted to say because of the sudden chill she felt from him. She finally realized what was wrong. This man was extremely angry and he had been trying very hard to suppress it or hide it from her. It was as if he was quietly raging.

    Gazing at his serious face, Abi obediently opened her mouth and ate the food. The quietly sat there, with Alexander feeding her nonstop while Abi just obediently ate every morsel of food he gave her. Well, she was starving and needed to get back her strength so she had noints.

    Once Abi''s somewhat awkward, serious and quiet yet fulfilling meal was over, she gazed intensely at the man before she asked.

    "Alex¡­ are you angry?"

 Chapter 104 Please stay

    <h4>Chapter 104 Please stay</h4>

    Alexander, who was pouring her a ss of water, paused as soon as he heard her.

    His gaze fell on her and then his unnatural calmness finally swayed. He put the ss of water before her, not averting his eyes off her.

    "So what if I am? What are you gonna do about it? Huh? Abigail?" For the first time that day, his lips curved up.

    Abi''s lips opened but no words came out from it. She moved and was about to stand up when Alex''s cold and stern voice halted her.

    "Don''t you dare move. You hurt your leg." His voice was as cold as steel. He wasn''t suppressing his anger anymore now that Abi had found out about it. His eyes were filled with cold fury.

    "Are you angry with me?" Abi forced herself to ask. She couldn''t help but feel intimidated by the immense coldness in his eyes.

    At that moment, Abi saw his jaws clench and then he closed his eyes.

    "I don''t know," he muttered. "Even though you''re here, alive and kicking, I''m still furious!" He ran his fingers through his hair as he threw back his head and stared up at the ceiling. "I thought I would calm down once you woke up but¡­ I guess¡­ I am really not capable of forgiving after all. Killing that conniving princess might be the only way for me to calm down," he mumbled, causing Abi to stand suddenly.

    Alexander moved like a lightning towards her and held her waist. "You¡­ are you trying to fuel my rage? I told you to stay put!" His calm fa?ade finally broke apartpletely. His voice was loud and unrestrained but Abi wasn''t concerned about his rage even though she felt chills run down her spine.

    "P-princess? W-why would you want to kill her?" she stammered. What princess? Was he talking about the princess in this country?

    "Because she was the one who kidnapped you and threw you in that dungeon, Abigail," he replied as his eyes burned with anger.

    "Why¡­ why did she do that to me?" Again, Abi didn''t even flinch at the dangerous look in his eyes.

    "Because she wants you dead."

    Abi felt like her throat ran dry again. Why did that princess kidnap her?

    "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

    Alexander''s eyes scorched from under his beautifulshes. "You did nothing wrong, Abigail. You just happen to be my..."

    "I just happen to be your¡­?" she pressed, trying her very best to ignore the chills she was feeling as she stared at him.

    Alex pressed his lips together into a hard line. And then, all of a sudden, he bent down and carried her, startling Abi by this sudden movement.

    "You need to rest now," was the exnation he gave for his actions and Abi understood that this man was at it again, hiding things from her as usual.

    She really, really wanted to know why a princess would do that to her but she suppressed herself from asking further. Alex was still angry. She was afraid that she would aggravate him further if she pressed to know the truth right now. Maybe¡­ she would ask him again once his mood was better.

    They were both quiet again as they climbed up two flights of stairs.

    Once they reached the third floor, she realized that there was only one room on the floor.

    "Alex, where''s your room?" she asked, breaking the silence.

    "This is my room, Abigail," he replied as he put her down on the bed.

    ''No wonder this room smelled like him,'' was the thought that came to her head.

    She looked around and realized how empty it was. There were no decorations or even books inside. It was a very in and spacious room with almost nothing inside it. As she looked around, she couldn''t exin why, but she suddenly felt cold. She realized what a cold, lonely and empty vibe this room gave off.

    "You don''t like it here?" Alex''s voice rang and her head snapped towards him. She quickly shrugged off the feeling and thoughts in her head and told herself that it was probably because Alex had moved out from this ce a long time ago and had abandoned this room for a long time.

    "No, I like it here. It''s just that¡­ I''m surprised you let me inside your room. You never showed me your room back home," She apanied her words with a quick smile.

    However, Alex simply paused for a long while before he pinned her down on the bed, ignoring her words again.

    "Sleep," he told her as he pulled the nket up to her neck, almost as if he wanted to cover her whole.

    Abi pursed her lips. She thought that she would at least get an answer to why he hadn''t let her see his room back home but it looked like that was not a topic she could bring up at this time either. Was this man really not going to reveal anything to her at all?

    "Sleep. Don''t even think about going out because the door will be locked. I''ll be back as soon as possible," he added and Abi saw his eyes glisten with something extremely dangerous as he nced through the doorway.

    Abi immediately thought about what he said a while ago. Was he going to that princess and¡­

    Suddenly, Abi''s arms wrapped around Alex''s waist before he could turn to leave. "Alex¡­ please don''t leave. Please stay with me?" she begged. Was she really not able to calm him down at all? Did he really need to go and k¡­ harm someone for him to calm down?

    "Abigail, I can''t stay with you like this," Alex''s cold voice echoed inside the room but Abigail was persistent.

    "I will try my best to calm you down. There must be some way. Just¡­ please don''t go."

    "No, you have to rest." The cier wasn''t giving in at all. "I will at least let her live. Maybe it''s just because her punishment wasn''t fitting enough. I might calm down once I torture her enough with my own two hands."

 Chapter 105 Like a dying man

    <h4>Chapter 105 Like a dying man</h4>

    Alex was really burning with rage. This man in front of her at the moment wasn''t the same Alex who easily switched moods in a blink of an eye. She could see the furnace of rage he couldn''t contain.

    Abi slightly shivered but she still didn''t let go.

    "Now, let go, Abigail."

    She shook her head on his chest.

    "You don''t need to do something like that anymore, Alex. I am fine, look! It''s only a small cut on my leg but other than that, I am fine. I''m sure she already regrets what she did, so there''s no need for you to do anything."

    "Abigail, could it be that you''re stopping me because you don''t want me to do something horrible?" He squinted his eyes as he red down at her. He held her face as he rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "Listen, little Lamb, I have already told you before. I''m not an angel like you. I am horrible creature to begin with, doing horrible things are just ¨C"

    "No. You''re not horrible, Alex." Abi cut through his words. Her eyes didn''t waver as she gazed up at him.

    What she said made Alex stare down at her in disbelief. And then, finally, that devilish smile curved on his face. He slowly shook his head, looking up the ceiling and made an angry noise under his breath before he looked at her again. If this littlemb only knew, she wouldn''t be so quick to deny his words. He knew what he was and nothing would ever change that, but this silly girl¡­ this silly girl was too naive for her own good.

    Alex''s expression now seemed to be torn or pained or wary; she didn''t know if what she was seeing was the real emotion he was feeling. He was almost impossible to read even at times like this when he was struggling to control himself.

    "Abigail¡­ if you knew who I really am, you would run away from me, screaming in fear," he told her, his voice now serious, as if he was sure of it.

    "No, you''re wrong, Alex! I wouldn''t!" Abi didn''t even hesitate to tell him that. She didn''t know anything about him. She didn''t know what he did or what he was capable of doing. She believed him when he told her that he was dangerous but she didn''t feel that she was in danger when she was with him. Sure, she felt scared sometimes, but that was only because his aura was very overpowering and something that she was not used to. She knew deep in her heart that he would never hurt her so knowing that, whatever happened and no matter who he was, she would never run away from him, screaming in fear. In fact, she was certain that she would be screaming in pain instead when it''s finally time for her to walk away from him.

    "Please, don''t go. I just don''t want you to leave me again. I am finally with you again after one long week, so please, don''t leave me alone here." Abi''s grip on him tightened. She didn''t even notice that her forehead was pressing against his belt. "Can''t you just stay with me? I can help you calm down."

    "And how would you do that? Huh? Abigail?"

    Abi actually had no idea at all. She really didn''t know how to coax an angry Alex to calm down. This was the first time she had witnessed him being this angry.

    She heard him take a deep breath and when he touched her hand, Abi began to panic, thinking that the man was going to pull her hand away and leave.

    Without thinking about it, she wrapped her arms suddenly around his neck and pulled his face down closer to hers and smacked her lips onto his. She kissed him with everything she had, putting in the new lessons she had learnt into effect as she poured all her emotion into it. ''I missed you. I need you. Stay. Don''t go. Please,'' were the words she wanted to convey to him through her kiss so she kissed him passionately.

    Alex froze. He was caughtpletely off guard, never expecting his littlemb to do something like this. His lips didn''t move because he was in a daze but after a second, he felt her breath enter his body and he felt its warmth run through his body, as if it was expelling all the cold, dark anger from his bones. He felt as if her kiss brought the sun back into his dark universe and all thoughts of revenge and torture slowly dispersed like dark clouds evaporating into nothingness.

    After a few more moments, his lips finally moved and he kissed her back with more force than he had done before, reveling in the taste of her lips. He kissed her like a dying man drinking from the fountain of life. He was so lost in their kiss that he didn''t notice the tears rolling down Abi''s cheeks until theynded on his face. What? Why was she crying?

    Abi also didn''t realise that tears had started falling down her face. She didn''t know why she was crying either. Maybe the traumatic experience she just recently escaped from had finally caught up to her. Maybe she just suddenly realised that she was lucky to have gotten out of that ce alive and that she was very lucky to be there, at that moment, kissing this man who she thought she would never see again. Her tears kept flowing, non stop, like a never ending river and she couldn''t stop it.

    When she couldn''t breathe from crying and kissing him at the same time, Abi pulled away from Alex and looked up at him with her tearstained face. Her face was just so expressive that he could read all the different emotions that ran through them. Alex cupped her cheeks with both hands and he wiped away all her tears.

    "Shhh, don''t cry, Abigail," he said softly and before she knew it, he had bent down and ced his lips on her closed eyes, kissing away her tears.

    When he moved away, Abi looked up at him with all the seriousness she could muster and she said, "I didn''t know if I would ever see you again and I¡­ Can I ask you to stay here with me, please? I just want you to hold me so that I know this isn''t a dream. Please, Alex?"

 Chapter 106 Guardian angel?

    <h4>Chapter 106 Guardian angel?</h4>

    Before Alex knew it, he was already on the bed, lying next to her. Her arm was wrapped around his waist as shey on her side, with her injured leg on top of him, pinning him down well and truly.

    Alex stared up the ceiling as he thought about what just happened. This littlemb actually tamed him just like that. She even made him lie next to her like this, almost as if she had turned him into her obedient pillow! What was going on? When did he be this considerate towards this little fruit? When did a kiss start to affect him like this?

    Alex thought hard about this. He looked back on his reactions since the moment he found out that she was missing and he surprised himself. For the first time, he experienced how it felt to be desperate, to not be in control, almost going insane from his rage. He experienced the kind of emotions he thought he never possessed. All of these feelings werepletely new to him.

    A quiet sigh left Alex''s lips as he lifted his arm and ced it on his forehead. He didn''t think that these emotions were awakened by his littlemb but that she had somehow ced them inside him without him knowing it. The worst thing was that these new emotions were dangerous to have, at least for someone like him.

    "Alex¡­" Abi''s voice pulled him back from his thoughts and the man immediately turned to look at her.

    His brows abruptly knotted in displeasure. "You''re still awake? I told you to ¨C"

    "But I just woke up not long ago!" she cut through his words, pursing her lips. "I will sleep once my body needs it. Besides¡­ I''m afraid you''ll ditch me once I close my eyes."

    "I won''t leave you, Abigail." He enunciated every word. His mood shifted again. His gentle voice and expressions disappeared and the usual moody Alex returned.

    "Were you the one ying that flute?" she asked when he looked away from her and stared up at the ceiling again.

    "No, it wasn''t me," he answered. For some reason, there was an undercurrent in his voice that she couldn''tprehend.

    "I see¡­ If not for that person, I think I never would have found my way out ¨C"

    "How did you manage to evade those traps?" he cut her off this time. He sounded like he didn''t like what she just said.

    "I used stones. I threw them in the dark and listened to the sound they made to avoid the traps. And then¡­ I heard that melodic sound. I followed it and that''s how I identally found the secret passage."

    "You heard the sound while you were still inside the dungeon?" Alex was surprised. The part of the dungeon where the traps wereid down was far away from that exit where Zeke yed the flute. How could she hear it?

    "Mm. My hearing is my superpower. I can hear things that most people can''t." She smiled at him, like she was boasting about her gifted talent. "Hmm¡­ if it wasn''t you, then who was it? Ah, could that person be my guardian angel?!"

    Alexander suddenly emitted an ice cold aura before he red at her.

    He cupped her face and moved his face close to hers. "He''s not your guardian angel, little fruit," he said, sternly and unhappily. "Instead of just ying that damned flute, he should''ve just entered from that exit and opened that damn secret door to save you! That punk, I really want to skin him alive."

    Alex gritted his teeth. He couldn''t understand why Zeke didn''t just go in to get her instead of just ying the flute but then again, Alex couldn''t deny the fact that Zeke still saved Abigail, not him, so he really couldn''tin when he himself could do nothing.

    But what he did confused Alex. Alex knew what Zeke wanted but he contradicted everything with his actions and did theplete opposite of what Alex expected him to do.

    "Now sleep, little fruit." Alex put his palm over her eyes to force her to close them. However, once again, he didn''t expect what the littlemb did next.

    She stretched out her hand and touched his face. "Alex, thank you for being there when I came out."

    She smiled sincerely at him and Alex slowly removed his hand from her eyes.

    "You knew I was there?" he asked, surprised.

    "Mm. I heard you call out my name. I knew you were looking for me. I thought that you were waiting for me outside the entire time so I didn''t give up until the end." Her face beamed even brighter but Alex''s face seemed to have stiffened.

    "Abigail¡­ you know that this happened to you because of me, right?" he said. His voice became cold again. Since he found her, Alex thought that this littlemb''s attitude towards him would change from now on. He even thought that she would be traumatized and would finally quit once she woke up. But she didn''t. She was right there, lying on his bed, smiling at him and thanking him.

    "I know. But you were also the reason I got out of there. I didn''t give up because I wanted to prove to you that I could handle the hell you spoke of," she said seriously.

    Then in the next second, she looked up at him with her big round eyes, blinked a few times before she asked, "Didn''t I do well?" in a tone akin to a little child showing their parents that they could ride a bike without training wheels for the first time and looking for their praise.

    Alex looked at her expression with incredulous eyes. Was this little fruit actually asking to be given a pat on the head for a job well done? Before he could say or do anything, she spoke again.

    "But what I still don''t know is why. Was it because... they don''t like me? Are you this country''s crown prince?" she asked, her big eyes looking expectant as she waited for his reply.

 Chapter 107 It will never be me

    <h4>Chapter 107 It will never be me</h4>

    Her questions and expressions made Alex smirk. "What makes you think that I am?"

    "Well¡­ for you to be able to punish that princess, like you said you did, you would have to be someone as powerful as the royal family, if not more, right? But why did they do that? Was it because they don''t want you to marry amoner like me?" Abi exined her thoughts to him.

    She had read a few fictional romance novels about the love between royals andmoners and how the royal family would always try and break them up because themoner wasn''t a suitable match.

    However, her theory wasughed at by Alex. Was she wrong?

    "Crown prince, huh?" he muttered once he stoppedughing. He looked at Abi with a yful smirk as he caressed her cheek with his thumb. "Rest assured, littlemb. I''m not a crown prince or part of the royal family. And I am not nning to marry anyone, Abigail."

    "But you would eventually marry in the future, right?"

    Alex''s hand on her face paused and for some reason, Abi felt like all the lights in his eyes disappeared for a moment as he murmured.

    "The future¡­ I don''t have a future, Abigail¡­" he said and Abi''s eyes widened.

    "W-what do you mean you don''t have a future?!" Abi suddenly panicked. She felt her heartbeat turn chaotic as she moved her body to rise.

    However, Alex was quick to pin her down again. "Abigail, how many times do I have to tell you to stay put?" he scolded her but Abi was unfazed.

    "It''s because you''re saying such things again!" She suddenly became emotional and Alex had no idea why. "Saying you don''t have a future¡­ only people who are dying say things like that! Are you dying?!"

    Alex was speechless. Why did this girl keep getting riled up by unnecessary things like this?

    "Littlemb, do I look like I''m dying?" he asked as he pointed to his own face. His expression was filled with disbelief.

    "No, but¡­" Abi replied after staring at him for a long while.

    "What I''m saying is¡­ I don''t have that kind of future, Abigail. Marrying someone¡­ that''s absolutely not for me," he told her. He sounded like he had made up his mind a long time ago and that there was no changing his mind about it.

    Somehow, even though Abi''s expression finally changed and she had at least calmed down, for some reason, hisst sentence pierced like a needle through her heart.

    "W-why? Why don''t you want to marry? Is it because you don''t want children? Or is it because you just can''t see yourself settling down with one person? Or is it because you don''t believe in marriage?" Abi stared deeply into his eyes as she spoke.

    "As for me I¡­ That is definitely something I would like to experience¡­ I want to wear that white wedding dress, walk down the aisle towards my soon-to-be husband and say those vows. To dance and celebrate and to live happily ever after with them," she told him and Alex''s lips parted.

    He was at a loss for words.

    The truth was that getting married was supposed to be one of Abi''s wishes. This was something that had been on her mind for a long while now. What normal girl out there didn''t dream of their wedding day? But she knew that that was too much for her to ask. She knew there was no way Alex or anyone else would agree to it, so she crossed it off her list.

    Abi felt a little tensed as the silence dragged on. Maybe she shouldn''t have brought this topic up. She knew she sounded crazy. She had only been with this man a little more than two weeks and bringing something up like this would surely scare any sane man away. But she was only telling the truth. Getting married was something every woman dreamed of and this was next in line below her ultimate wish but she knew that was simply impossible.

    After a minute or so, as expected, Alex chuckled noisily as he shook his head. He probably thought that she had gone mad.

    However, a secondter, his eyes turned serious.

    "Tell me, Abigail¡­ why are you saying all this?" he asked. His eyes were brooding and Abi''s heart skipped a beat when she realized that Alex might be starting to be suspicious.

    "Uhm¡­ well¡­ this is¡­ because you said you''d never marry. How can you say that when you haven''t even tried it? What if we get married and be a married couple for the rest of the month? Maybe after our trial marriage, you might change your mind and decide to marry someone for real and have a family in the future." Abi bit her lips.

    She didn''t know what she was saying anymore. She just didn''t want him to suspect anything. But herst sentence was like a sharp knife being pierced through her heart. The thought of him marrying someone else someday hurt her, so damn bad.

    Alex threw back his head as he let out a throaty chuckle before he looked at her again, shaking his head. "Littlemb, do you have any idea how ridiculous you are bing by the day? I can''t believe you are actually thinking about something like this."

    "I don''t see anything wrong with wanting to experience it," she defended herself.

    "Abigail¡­ you''ll get married properly one day. There''s no need for you to rush like this."

    "If¡­ I do get married one day¡­ you''re saying that my groom won''t be you?"

    "Yes. It will never be me, Abigail," he answered and Abi almost felt like she was being strangled.

    That was right, she almost forgot what Alex told her the first time they met. That he didn''t do love and that was exactly the reason why she chose him. "I told you, that''s not for someone like me."

    "Is it because you don''t want to settle down ormit to anyone?"

    Abi saw Alex''s eyes glimmered with something she couldn''tprehend.

 Chapter 108 Little fruity lamb

    <h4>Chapter 108 Little fruitymb</h4>

    Her question seemed to have stirred something inside him.

    "Yes, you''re right, Abigail. It''s simply because I don''t want to settle down ormit to anyone," he said as the corner of his lips curved up.

    However, to Abi, his words were unconvincing. He was lying and for the first time since she had known him, she was certain about the things she saw in his eyes. She could tell that there were untold reasons why, and she wondered what it could be. Whatever it was must be something big because not wanting to get married was a big decision in itself.

    "So, are you saying you will say no even if I ask you to marry me?" She knew that marriage wasn''t something to be taken lightly but¡­ it would be nice if she could marry this man before her time was up. Deep within her, she knew that he would be the only man she would ever want to be with, even if he didn''t love her. But after seeing Alex''s disbelieving reaction, Abi''s little hope slowly died down. Maybe it was better this way.

    She knew that her wish was just impossible and she knew she shouldn''t be more selfish than she was already being. Even if Alex was the man she wanted to marry, she couldn''t possibly force him to marry her just to leave him afterward. She could never do that. She thought that Alex deserved to marry someone he loved in a proper and serious way one day, not the trial marriage she was talking about.

    At that moment, before Alex could even say a thing, Abi suddenly grinned. Then suddenly, she cupped her cheeks with her hands as she blinked at him with puppy dog eyes and pouted like a spoiled little girl. "Are you saying that you can resist this cute little creature''s charm?" she asked in a cute and yful way, referring to herself.

    She then turned up the cuteness level by 200% as she rubbed her head on his chest like a little kitten and looked up at him. "How about now? Will you still reject me if I asked you to marry me?" she asked yfully and then she cleared her throat. "Ahem¡­ Alexander Qin, will you marry me, your little fruitymb?" She said these words in a way that clearly told him she was just ying around.

    She was trying to lift the mood to make him think that her words about a trial marriage were nothing serious.

    Fortunately, what she did seemed to have immediately worked. Alex fell in a daze before he let his body fall back on the bed as if he was finally done with her quirks.

    "Tch¡­ I can''t believe that a little fruit is actually trying to drive me insane!" The man bit his lips as he shook his head as if he couldn''t believe that he just gave up the championship game midway because some little fruit annoyingly fell and hit his head. And what did she just say? Little fruitymb?

    For the first time, the man looked frustrated as heughed and shake his head. But somehow, at that moment, Abi thought that he looked a little¡­ cute. She never thought that this oh-so-cold and scary Alexander Qin was capable of reacting like this!!

    Wanting to see that expression again, Abi was about to mischievously tease him with those words again when to her surprise, Alex pinned her down again using his strong arms.

    "Stop messing around now and sleep!" His tone became serious again so Abi could only pout and stay put.

    "Okay, but you have to promise me not to leave, okay?"

    "I told you, I will not leave."

    Abi closed her eyes and after some time, the littlemb fell asleep. Alex turned and looked at her face. His cold eyes immediately softened as he lightly touched her cheeks and then her lips.

    "Marriage, huh?" he mumbled and then his eyes grew dim before he looked away and covered his eyes with the back of his hand. He couldn''t believe that he just imagined her in a white wedding dress and he actually felt like he wanted to see it in reality.

    ...

    Meanwhile at The Grand Pce¡­

    In a secluded prison at the top most part of the northern tower, Princess Mira was gripping the metal bars as she looked at her brother, Ezekiel.

    That prison wasn''t as gruesome as the underground dungeon but it was still a prison cell. This ce was where members of the royal family would be held if theymitted an unforgivable crime. ording to the kingdom''s history, a queen who oncemitted treason against the king at the time was imprisoned in this ce for many years until she died. This ce was not a nice ce at all and that was why everyone was shocked when Ezekiel put his sister there.

    "Brother... how could you be this cruel to me? That girl is alive! I didn''t kill her! And yet, you''re locking me up in this horrid ce?!"

    "Mira, you should be grateful. You know what you did was unforgivable. If Alex had his way, your head would be dangling outside for the crows to feast out of. This is the only way. If he thinks that I didn''t punish you enough, he wille after you. I have to do this to save your life, so shut your mouth and bear the consequences of your actions. You didn''t use your brain so you have to pay for your own stupidity," he said coldly before he turned away.

    The King and queen as well as the other princesses were present to send Mira off because they would never see her again, unless Ezekiel pardoned her.

    Before Ezekiel left through the door, he halted and spoke onest time. "This will serve as an example for everyone. If you want to mess with Alex, get ready for the consequences. What I''m saying is... If you don''t want bloodshed, don''t even think about taking that girl''s life. Leave this matter to me so don''t ever do anything like this again because if there is a next time, I''m not going to save anyone from his wrath."

 Chapter 109 No matter wha

    <h4>Chapter 109 No matter wha</h4>

    Abi and Alex boarded a private jet to head back home so Abi enjoyed an even more beautiful view of Country V.

    The sun was still high in the sky when theynded.

    When they reached Alex''s mansion, Abi was surprised to see that Kelly was already there, waiting for her with Kai.

    The two embraced each other the moment Abi got out of the car. Kelly had been worried about her best friend but it seemed like Alex was quite trustworthy. Her dearest Abi looked really revitalized. In fact, herplexion was better than before they went to Country V, even though she was still injured.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, can I take Kelly to my room?" Abi whispered to Alex and fortunately, the man didn''t hesitate to agree. Well, Kelly was already there so there was no point trying to hide anything from her anymore.

    As expected, Kelly''s eyes were wide as saucers once they stepped foot inside. However, the main reason why Abi wanted to speak with Kelly was to ask her about the things that happened while she was missing. The two headed to the elevator as Kelly supported Abi as she walked. Little did Abi know that Kelly was also there to ask her what happened to her.

    "Okay, I''ll speak first." Kelly started. "Honestly, I don''t quite know what happened. I mean, it was so chaotic while we were looking for you. You may not believe me, Abi, but the entire force of Country V in that city moved just to find you. It was almost as if the king was the one that was kidnapped!" Kelly''s eyes were wide with awe as she recounted the story. "Tell me, just who is Alexander Qin? That man was also very scary at the time. He looked like a demon who was ready to burn the entire pce if you had not been found!"

    Abi was surprised. What? An entire government force in the city looked for her?! Abi couldn''t believe it.

    "Kelly, are you sure? Maybe, those people who looked for me were just Alex''s men," Abi reasoned out. Alex told her that he wasn''t a royal so there was no way he could mobilize this city''s force!

    "Abigail. When have I ever lied to you? I saw it with my own two eyes, okay? All the royal guards also searched for you," she argued.

    "I''m sorry, Kelly. I didn''t mean it that way. It''s just that I am also confused because Alex told me that he wasn''t royalty," Abi confessed and Kelly pressed her temples. Now that was a shock. Kelly had been thinking that he was the mysterious crown prince but if he was not¡­ then who the hell was he to mobilize this country''s force just to look for his woman?! Even the pretty prince was being ordered around by him like he was his personal knight!

    Kelly was getting a headache.

    "Kelly¡­ I''m sorry for the trouble. Alex said that the one who kidnapped me was one of the princesses. I still don''t know the reason why she would do that to me. Alex said that I was down there because of him so I can only think that maybe she wanted to be Alex''s lover so she needed to get rid of me first. Alex told me that it was better if I didn''t know, that it was better for me not to know anything about him." Abi looked down. "But¡­ I will try to ask him again in the future."

    Kelly was in disbelief but Abi smiled, looking willful so Kelly could only sigh. She couldn''t get anything out from that damned prince so she already predicted that Abi wouldn''t know anything either. That night proved that Alexander Qin might be someone even greater than she could imagine. She saw how the soldiers and even the royal guards obeyed his every word even though he was clearly not the king. Could it be that he was actually the real king of that country and that the Reign family were just his stand ins?

    She had thought hard about this possibility but Abi just mentioned that he said he wasn''t royalty at all. However, she couldn''t logically think of any other reason why he seemed to have more power than the royal family. There were too many questions and they had none of the answers. The only thing she was sure of was that Alexander Qin might be a shady creature; the shadiest man she had ever known.

    "Okay, I understand but¡­ Abi¡­ are you sure about this? I mean, I just can''t stop worrying about you. You know that you might not be safe if you stay, right? Just because you have the title of being his girlfriend¡­ people have started trying to hurt you. What if that car that nearly got youst week also had something to do with your boyfriend?"

    Abi''s eyes slightly widened before she shook her head.

    "That¡­ that was just an ident," she said but then she also remembered the stalker that Alex had beaten the other day. However, she just couldn''t believe it. Why would theye after her? What would they get from her? The clich¨¦ plot she always read in novels was that the enemy was supposed to kidnap her and use that against Alex. But they didn''t do that. Why did it feel like they wanted her dead instead without Alex knowing? She asked herself as she shuddered when she remembered the murderous intent of that stalker.

    However, Abi was not going to crumble in fear.

    "Don''t worry, Kelly. Alex will protect me," she said firmly. Even if her life was in danger, she knew that Alex would protect her, no matter what.

    "Sigh¡­ okay, fine, but please be careful, okay? You can''t afford to get hurt again. You''re lucky that Alex didn''t bring you to the hospital and just called a doctor to see you since you only passed out due to exhaustion."

    "Mm. I will be very careful."

 Chapter 110 Eleven

    <h4>Chapter 110 Eleven</h4>

    It was almost sunset when Abi sent Kelly off because Kelly''s parents called her toe over to their house.

    Once Abi returned inside the house, she walked towards Alex, who was sitting by the firece.

    She sat right next to him and leaned her head on his shoulder.

    "Alex, you ended up not fulfilling any wishes of mine for eleven days," she told him when suddenly, he gently pulled her head down and made her lie down on him, using hisp as her pillow. Abi smiled and she dly positioned herself as she looked up at him.

    The man stared down into her eyes.

    "Eleven requests aren''t that hard to fulfill. What are your requests? Tell me and we can start but I will be choosing which request I will fulfill first because you are still injured. Who knows, you might ask me to help you fish for tuna in the Pacific Ocean," he sternly told her with a straight face and Abi''s mouth parted before she burst out and chuckled.

    "Fishing for tuna? That sounds fun." She grinned and it was Alex''s turn to be speechless. At that moment, Abi immediately took advantage of his silence and she cupped her hands and blinked cutely at him, wanting to tease him again. "Alex, will you marry me?" she suddenly added and the already speechless man seemed to havepletely lost his tongue.

    He simply stared at her in disbelief before he bit his lips and pinch the skin between his brows.

    Abi felt like smiling at seeing his reaction. She really found this cold cier a little cute when he was like this.

    However, the feast didn''tst for more than a few seconds because the man suddenly pinched her cheeks. "Little fruit, stop messing around or I will not fulfill any of your wishes today," he threatened and Abi could only purse her lips and obey.

    "Okay, okay¡­ I''ll tell you now."

    Abigail was silent for a while. She hadn''t scanned her wishlist for days now but they were still clear in her memory. She saw her list as if it was right in front of her with only three ticks next to the three items that had been fulfilled. So now that Alex was going to fulfill eleven of those as he promised, she was very excited.

    The excitement in her heart was overflowing that she totally forgot about the fact that she was injured.

    "Okay, number 1," she said as she gestured number 1 with her pinky finger. "I want to yser tag with you."

    Alex''s lips parted again in disbelief. Laser tag? What the hell! That was something that had never, ever, crossed his mind!

    "Rejected¡­ next," he replied and Abi pursed her lips. But then, the girl immediately switched gears.

    "Ride a tandem bicycle with me." She said and Alex closed his eyes.

    "Abigail¡­ why are these things even on your list?"

    "What''s wrong with them? They look quite fun and romantic and something that couples do."

    "Rejected. Next."

    Abi was about toin but she stopped herself. After all, she couldn''t afford to make him grumpy because then he might renege on his offer.

    "Let''s watch the sunset and sunrise in one day."

    "Approved. Next."

    Finally, one had been approved. Abi''s face immediately brightened as soon as he agreed.

    "Let''s visit a haunted house," was the next request and Alex felt his mouth open and shut as he stared down at her. However, no words came out of it. It was obvious he was utterly speechless again by her requests.

    But then, after a short while, he agreed and Abi celebrated again. Nine more.

    "Next."

    "Let''s go canoeing," she said excitedly and Alex''s brows knotted together.

    "Canoeing¡­"

    "Mm. That''s something that could be fun right?" she eximed excitedly as she started to imagine a beautiful scenario of the two of them in a boat together, cuddling as they floated on top of a clear blueke.

    Alex seemed to have thought about it for a while before he agreed again. That''s three!

    "Next."

    "Let''s go to the zoo, Alex."

    "The zoo, huh¡­" he repeated as he leaned his head on his palm. He definitely looked like a dad listening to his daughter''s favourite things to do and ces to visit. But then, he could only approve. At least, she was not asking for them to go and hunt a crocodile''s eggs or anything like that. "Approved. Next."

    "I want a horseback ride on the beach." She grinned at him and Alex pressed his temples. Horseback ride¡­ this girl¡­

    Alex had been expecting more feminine requests like requesting for a romantic and luxurious date, expensive jewelry set as a gift, some public disys of affection, and other things like that but this littlemb of his was really living up to her name. Her requests were so random. Visiting a haunted house, then ake, then a zoo, and now on a beach. They were all outdoor activities and that was only four of her eleven requests. Was she doing this on purpose to make him eat his words that fulfilling eleven wishes in one go was easy?

    "Approved, next."

    Time ticked by and only two more requests were finally left.

    Alex was rubbing his temple at that point. He didn''t look too excited by any of these requests at all but a promise was a promise.

    "Littlemb," he now said, instead of the usual "approved" and "next" that he was saying, almost as if he had be a parrot. He rubbed her cheeks with the back of his hand. "All those nine requests are all for the outdoors. Don''t you have a request that we could do indoors? We have plenty of time tonight."

    Abi blinked at him. Now that she thought about it, Alex was right.

    "I have. Okay, my tenth request is¡­ hmm¡­ let''s cuddle by the fire," she said and Alex raised his brow. For once, she requested something that interested him.

    "Sure. And thest?"

    "Will you m---y me?" she spouted out again but she mumbled the word ''marry'' so that it was almost unrecognizable. Teasing him sure was fun. She never imagined that she would be able to tease him like this.

    When she felt him stiffened again, she blinked up at him with innocent eyes and asked cheekily, "what? What''s with this reaction? I asked, will you read to me? What did you think I said?"

    Alex was sure he heard her ask him to marry her again, especially when she looked up at him with those big innocent eyes. This cheeky littlemb was really trying to drive him insane!

    "Will I read to you? Hmmm, what kind of book?" He yed along with her because he mentally noted that he would get her back for her cheekiness.

    "Ohh¡­ hmm¡­ we should choose which book we want the other to read us. For me, I''d like you to read me a chapter of one of my favorite books," she animatedly told him, her eyes even sparkling in excitement. "How about you? What do you want me to read for you?" she innocently asked him, looking expectant.

    However, the man seemed to have something naughty in his mind as his lips simply curved up. "I don''t know the title so¡­ I''ll just get the book and give it to youter," he answered, causing Abi to look at him with confusion. Howe he didn''t know the title? She was sure he would ask her to read his favorite book! Hmm, maybe that''s not the case at all. Now she became extremely curious as to what that book was.

    Abi was about to ask but she refrained since she thought that maybe the man might have wanted to surprise her.

 Chapter 111 Worlds apar

    <h4>Chapter 111 Worlds apar</h4>

    After dinner, the two went up to their room to shower and change. After Abi walked out of the shower, she headed into her walk-in wardrobe and took her new pajamas out. She ced it on the bed as she smiled widely to herself.? She giggled in anticipation at Alex''s reaction to it.

    On the day she and Kelly had gone shopping, she had seen this in one of the shops and she just couldn''t resist buying it the moment she saw it.

    Abi came out of her room dressed in her new pajamas. She thought that Alex may already be waiting for her by the firece so she didn''t bother knocking on the door to Alex''s mysterious room.

    She descended the grand staircase and realized that the house felt really quiet as if there was no one inside the house but her and Alex. It seemed like Kai wasn''t back yet either. She tiptoed towards the firece, thinking to surprise Alex but he was nowhere to be found. When she arrived by the firece, she was the one who was surprised instead and her lips formed a big ''o''.

    It seemed that Alex had got everything ready. There was a veryrge, thick, soft, and warm looking rug ced in front of the fire with rose petals sprinkled all over the white rug. She saw two small pillows on the rug as well as a warm looking nket which was folded up nicely at the foot of the rug. There were also mini lit candles scattered on the floor by the fire and Abi of them like scattered stars in the sky. On one side of the firece, there was a small table with an array of fruits and a couple of sses of water.

    When Abi saw the soft and beautifully romantic set up, stars lit up in her eyes as she happily dove into the soft rug.

    "Wow! It feels so soft!" she eximed as she rolled on it like an animated littlemb.

    However, because the littlemb was in her own world, enjoying the bliss of running her cheeks along the ultra-soft rug and pillows, she didn''t notice the presence of the stern lion who had entered the room.

    Alex stopped midway into the room when he had a clear view of the rolling pin on the rug because he finally saw what she was wearing. It took him a little while to process his thoughts before the corner of his lips lifted in a sardonic smile.

    "Stop rolling around, littlemb. Be careful of your leg!" Abi immediately sat up, the hood of her pajamas falling over her head and covered half her face, as if she just heard a policeman, yelling at her to freeze.

    She forgot about her wound again. But could he me her? This setting was so fluffy and warm, it was impossible not to enjoy it!

    When Abi turned in his direction, Alex couldn''t even fin his voice for a few seconds. This was because he finally saw the full effect of her pajamas.

    "What on earth are you wearing?!" he finally managed to say.

    "My new pajamas!" she said excitedly as she pushed the hood back from her head. "I saw it when I was out shopping and had to buy it. Do you like it?" she asked with wide eyes looking up at him with great expectation.

    He just gaped at her. This woman actually dared to buy a littlemb onesie! He was speechless!

    "Well, since you kept calling me littlemb, I figured I''d grant your wish and dress up like one," Abi reasoned out when he said nothing, but then, she froze.

    It was because she finally realised that Alex was wearing a long, sexy, gray robe as he stood there, staring down at her. His hair was still a little damp and the effect was just so mesmerizing. For some reason, he gave out a strange vibe wearing those, a vibe that made Abi''s heart race uncontrobly just by seeing him.

    Their outfits were like, well... worlds apart.

    "Alex, why are you still wearing your robe?" she asked as she blinked at him.

    Her question, of course, made the man smirk sexily.

    "What''s wrong with me wearing a robe? Would you rather prefer if I was naked?" he asked and Abi''s lips parted in disbelief. "Okay, if that''s what my littlemb wants," he teased and he began to untie his robe.

    "Ah, no! Don''t!" she yelled as she pulled her hood over her eyes, causing Alex to chuckle. ''This littlemb¡­ this should be the time for her to swallow as she gazes at me, dazed, watching and waiting for me to undress¡­'' heined in his mind.

    "Sigh¡­ you can look again, little fruit" he said and Abi slowly pushed her hood back, thinking that the man was only teasing her just then.

    However, what she saw the moment she looked up again was his smooth, hard, chiseled abs. He had actually removed his robe!

    Abi blushed and she hid her face with her palms but she did that only after a few seconds of being mesmerized by his perfectly sculpted upper body.

    Alex let out a throaty chuckle before he covered the goods with the robe again and sat next to her.

    "Okay, shall we start, little miss storyteller?" he asked. His face softened as his lips curved into a beautiful but mischievous smile and he ran the back of his hand slowly over her cheek.

    Abi immediately snapped out of her daze because of the warmth from his touch. She looked at him and when she saw that he donned his robe again, she quickly switched gears and looked at him like she was already very ready.

    This was it! One of her favorite wishes on her wishlist was now going to happen. Having her boyfriend read a book to her was such a dreamy experience that she could only imagine before. But now, it was really going to happen so she couldn''t stop her excitement from showing.

    Silently beaming in excitement, Abi then sat and positioned herself, facing him. "Should I start?" she asked and Alex tilted his head.

    "Hmm¡­ Nope, I''ll go first, I think," he replied, causing Abi to blink at him in surprise. She thought that he would do this unwillingly but he actually volunteered to go first? This was a massive surprise!

    Seeing the shocked surprise on her face, Alex''s lips curved up in an even more mischievous but sexy smile.

    He slowly moved and whispered in her ear. "Well, I''m afraid something might happen if you read my choice of book to me so first¡­ I better start us off."

    Abi frowned. "Huh? Something might happen?" she looked at him with intense curiosity.

    "Hmm¡­ I mean, you might end up exhausted after your turn that you wouldn''t even get to hear my story anymore."

    "Exhausted?" Abi was now confused. Storytelling sure was exhausting if you did it for a whole day but they agreed that they were just going to read a chapter each. Wait¡­ could it be that he was going to ask her to act out the story? Or was he kidding again?

    Abi shook her head. She decided not to think about his tricky words and just agree with him. After all, she was truly excited to hear him read aloud to her with that sexy voice.

    "Okay, sure. Here you go then." Abi grinned brightly and then, she moved and brought out a book titled, ''The Last Shooting Star''.

 Chapter 112 The last chapter

    <h4>112 Thest chapter</h4>

    Abi opened the book and gave the book to him.

    "You''re going to read me thest chapter," Abi told him and Alex raised a brow. ''Why thest chapter? Shouldn''t it be chapter one first?''

    "Do you like endings more than beginnings?" he asked as he held the book in one hand before he looked at its cover. The cover wasn''t as girly as he thought. And he was surprised to see that the book was from a male''s point of view. Did she consider him when she chose this book? Looks like it.

    "Hmm¡­ I wouldn''t say that. I like all the parts of the book but to me, the ending part of that book is my favourite chapter."

    She smiled as she stared at the book like it was a priceless treasure. Alex realized that this book seemed to be something really special to her. He wondered what kind of story this was. When she told him that she was going to ask him to read a chapter from her favourite book, Alex thought that Abi was talking about that book she was reading the other day. But it turned out he was wrong. Could it be that this was a fantasy book?

    "Okay, you will start here." She moved and pointed to a paragraph on the book before she looked at him. "I want to lie on yourp again, please," she pleaded, slowly blinking at him with those big round eyes of hers.

    Alex didn''t say a word but he stretched out one leg silently.

    Abi beamed and she immediately ced her head on hisp.

    "Okay, I''m ready. Please start," she told him excitedly and Alex nced down at her. He saw how bright her eyes were and he couldn''t help but feel speechless again. Alex was always wondering why every simple little thing like this always excited her to this extent. To him, she was truly someone fascinatingly intriguing.

    Resting his hand, which was holding the book, on top of his folded knee, Alex finally focused his gaze on the page she pointed to a while ago.

    And then, he started reading.

    ""The moment Iid eyes on her, my life changed forever¡­"" he started. His voice as he read was somewhat different to Abi''s ear. It wasn''t that cold but she couldn''t call it warm either. He was reading out loud as if he was reading a newspaper article on the movements of the stock market - in an emotionless monologue.

    However, Abi didn''t mind. His voice had always been pleasing to her ears, like a deep and soothing baritone. This was more than she had expected. She was just so incredibly happy at that moment.

    ""I fell in love with her, so deeply in love, that I was tormented by it. I knew we wouldn''t have long together but none of those things mattered to her. All she cared about was loving me. She didn''t run away when she found out that I wasn''t going to be in this world in the near future. That was the extent of her love. So, I gave in and I asked her to be my wife¡­""

    As Alex continued reading, Abi''s smile slowly faded as she listened to that part of the chapter. She started to feel emotional and tears started to pool in the corners of her eyes but she fought it hard and smiled again. Even though she had read this book many times, Abi felt like this time around, it hit her so much harder. She truly loved the characters in this book, especially the male lead, Zero, a man who was a product of a certain experiment and was created to live a short life. The feeling of wanting to be with the person he loved, not thinking too much about the future and just doing the things that the heart wanted, despite the little time Zero had left, that was exactly how she felt. She didn''t want to think about the future. She just wanted to just do whatever her heart wanted with the little time she had left¡­ she just wanted to¡­

    At that moment, a realization dawned on Abi and she suddenly clenched her fists tightly.

    Alex paused and looked at her. "What? You don''t like the way I read?" he asked and Abi jolted back to the present. She blinked away the tears, unclenched her fists, and looked up at him. When she saw the lines on his forehead, Abi quickly cleared her throat.

    "Ahem¡­ actually, your voice seems a little different than usual. It was so nice that I was lost in thought listening to you." She grinned and Alex nced at the book for a while before looking at her again.

    "What do you mean, different?"

    "I mean, your voice sounds even more pleasing when you''re reading. Now, please continue," she told him, still smiling, and Alex just stared at her for a moment before he finally returned his focus to the book.

    ""When I saw Hina walk down the aisle, my heart nearly stopped beating. She was so beautiful and in that moment, I couldn''t wait to call her my wife, to be the man that she wanted me to be, to fill her life with so many amazing memories of our life together, no matter how short it might be.""

    For some reason, Alex took a short pause.

    Abi looked up at him with questions in her eyes but the man''s expression remained the same. However, the look in his eyes visibly changed. For a moment, she saw his pupils dted. Abi blinked and and frowned a little but before she could speak, Alex continued again.

    ""Just as my dearest Hina wished, at sunset at a secluded garden with just less than a hundred guests, our hearts and souls were merged into one. We became husband and wife.""

    Alex paused again. This time, a little longer.

    "Alex?" Abi called out softly and the man nced down at her.

 Chapter 113 Miracles can happen

    <h4>Chapter 113 Miracles can happen</h4>

    Upon hearing Abi call his name, Alex seemed to have been pulled out from his deep thoughts. His gaze snapped towards Abi and he cleared his throat, almost as if he too was hiding something at that moment.

    "I don''t understand why these characters are doing this," he then told her in his normal tone and expression. "Do you?" he asked, his eyes seemed to be burning with something strange as he asked that. There was no way Abi could tell what that unfathomable gaze of his was saying so she could only think that it might be some intense interest.

    "Mmm¡­ I do¡­ I think I do. If I try to put myself in the character''s shoes, I would also do the same," she answered honestly and certainly, causing Alex to crease his brows.

    "Why would you do that?" Alex''s face was serious and his gaze became even deeper as he stared at her. His gaze was probing and Abi felt like he might have found her words a little suspicious. That thought scared Abi. She had thought about this possibility when she picked this book and particrly the chapter. She knew there was a risk that Alex might pick up on something but even then, she still chose this book. This book meant a lot to her and that was the reason why she put this activity on her wishlist and that particr chapter especially had an important ce in her heart. She wanted to hear it from Alex''s mouth because she thought that even if her wish of getting married would never be fulfilled, listening to the story of Zero''s and Hina''s experiences from Alex''s mouth would be enough for her.

    Alex didn''t know how much Abi was struggling to control her emotions as she answered him. "Because¡­ if I only had a little time left, I would want to experience life to the fullest with the person I love most in the world." She managed to keep her cool and answered him normally. "Wouldn''t you? In fact, if you agree to marry me, I also will marry you no matter what," Abi replied before she suddenly looked at him with twinkling eyes as a huge grin formed on her face. "Alex, will you mar ¨C"

    The man immediately looked like a vein would soon pop on his forehead as he cut her off. "If you want me to finish this¡­"

    Before Alex could evenplete his sentence, Abi acted like she zipped her lips then threw away the key.

    Seeing that the man''s expression changed back to normal, Abi secretly sighed in relief. That was good. It seemed that he didn''t suspect a thing.

    As Alex continued reading, Abi slowly got better control of her emotions and she stayed still like a well-behaved child. She closed her eyes and her face now looked peaceful as she listened to him, imagining the story clearly in her head, imagining herself and Alex in ce of the characters.

    The story became even more emotional as it went on. Abi never opened her eyes again as she let herself get lost in the words of the story and Alex''s voice. As Alex continued reading, she imagined the scenes in her mind and Abi felt her heart start to clench from the pain.? She felt what Hina was feeling at that moment and it was bittersweet.

    ""After we said our vows, we were pronounced as husband and wife. I kissed Hina softly in front of all our friends and family who bore witness to the moment I promised to give her my love and everything I have, in sickness and in health, and I''d never felt so good about anything¡­"" Alex trailed off.

    For the third time, he took a pause. He nced at the girl on hisp and when he saw how peaceful her face was with her eyes closed, Alex didn''t know why but he ced his hand between Abi''s neck and chest.

    Abi felt his hand and she too lifted hers and ced it on top of his without opening her eyes.

    It was then that Alex realized what he had done. He was surprised but he immediately returned his gaze towards the book and began reading. For some reason, he kind of wanted to know what woulde next, which was again something surprising for him. He never cared about things like this before. It didn''t even catch a tiny bit of his attention. And yet, here he was¡­

    Before he knew it, he actually truly wanted to read until the end to see what kind of words were waiting on thest page.

    ""Our first dance as man and wife was certainly a memorable one, but not for the reason I would have liked. At that time, my illness was triggered and I nearly copsed on the ground. I was d that my best man caught me in time. I saw the worry in my bride''s eyes and in that moment, my heart felt like it had been stabbed a thousand times¡­ The thought that I would be leaving her alone in this world surfaced again.""

    Once again, Alex paused for a moment after that paragraph because he felt Abi''s grip on his, tighten. He nced at her face but the girl''s eyes were still closed, giving him no clues to what she was thinking.

    He could see that she was acting a little strange, but knowing how innocent and pure this littlemb of his was, he thought that she might be feeling quite emotional and might even be feeling the pain of the characters. He knew that this littlemb of his was just that type of person.

    ""When I look back on that day, I don''t think about our first dance. The first thing thates to mind is the picture of my bride, dressed in her beautiful wedding dress with that beautiful smile on her face¡­""

    At that moment, Alex looked like something finally dawned on him and his gaze suddenly snapped to Abi''s face. There was a strange intensity in his eyes as he uttered the rest of the paragraph without averting his gaze away from her. ""That day was the most wonderful moment of my life."

    Finally, he read the veryst sentence. ""Every time I look at her face now, I am reminded of that beautiful line I read from her favourite book saying ¨C""

    But before Alex could state the rest of the sentence, he paused because he suddenly felt Abi''s hand on his cheek. Her eyes were already open and she was smiling as she caressed his cheek, her eyes glimmering with the tears that were threatening to fall.

    ""I now believe, by the way, that miracles can happen,*"" she continued the rest of the line as a tear fell from her eyes.

 Chapter 114 Tomorrow

    <h4>Chapter 114 Tomorrow</h4>

    Alex''s eyes slowly widened when he saw her suddenly tearing up as she uttered those words in what he thought was the most emotional voice he had ever heard from her.

    He couldn''t exin it but those words, that look in her eyes, that tear and her voice at that moment made him feel like something shattered inside him, almost as if an intense quake had just shaken his world.

    Abi on the other hand, froze the moment she realized what she was doing. She finally noticed the moisture in her eyes and the tear that was making its way down her cheek.

    Seeing Alex''s widened eyes as he looked at her, Abi felt her heart jump and she quickly rubbed her hand across her cheek, wiping that lone tear away.

    "Sorry¡­ I don''t often cry reading sad books but, this still makes me tear up, no matter how many times I have read it," Abi tried her best to act normally, making it look like she was like this just because of the story. "It''s beautiful, right?" She did her best to show him a smile.

    But the man remained silent. His eyes never left her face.

    Abi''s worry intensified when Alex didn''t say a thing so she quickly helped herself up and faced him. "Okay, it''s my turn now." She stretched out her hand, asking for the book that she would read to him.

    However, Alex just closed the book he had just read and stared at its cover.

    "So? Did that Zero die?" he suddenly asked, causing Abi to blink at him, surprised. She didn''t expect him to show any interest in it.

    It took her awhile before she could give him an answer. "Uhm¡­ actually, I don''t know. The author of the book didn''t really confirm it. I guess she may have wanted us to fill in the nks as we saw fit. But judging from thatst line, maybe a miracle happened to him and they found a cure," she exined with a hopeful voice.

    He stared at her as he put the book away.

    "Well¡­ miracles always happen in fictional worlds," he mumbled and Abi looked down. Even though he was right and she knew that well, she still felt pained. If only a miracle would happen to her too¡­

    "Tell me, why did you choose that book for me to read?" was the next question that Alex asked and Abi immediately felt her throat run dry. She froze and was unable to look up. Did he suspect her now? ''No, that was impossible. Rx Abi, he might only be asking because he was truly curious. Don''t worry, you can still deal with this!''

    Fortunately, Abi managed to control herself and listened to her mind. She moved and sc,ratched her head as she slowly looked up and met his probing gaze.

    "Well¡­ I¡­ I wanted to¡­" she was stammering. "Because I kind of want to show you how wonderful this story was and¡­ how wonderful weddings are." She sped up as she nced up at his face, apprehensively. She wanted to show him how wonderful Zero had felt to marry the person he chose to be with, and that even though life wasn''t how they would have liked, they still made the decision to live it together, as husband and wife.

    Alex frowned at her but the next moment, he threw his head back and stared at the ceiling, speechless.

    Seeing his reaction, Abi took advantage of it and she moved with her knees closer to him. Her hands on his shoulders as she stared down at his heartbreakingly gorgeous face.

    And then, suddenly, she spoke oh-so-seriously, "Alexander Qin, do you take Abigail Chen to be yourwful wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse?" she asked, and Alex almost choked. "Ah, I so want to hear that from the priest''s lips as he weds us."

    Abi cupped her hands together and blinked at the already gaping Alex.

    However, she couldn''t see his reaction because the man abruptly reached out, held her waist and pulled him close to him. The next second, they were lying on the fluffy rug, with Alex spooning her.

    Abi was taken aback. This intimate position made her heart beat like a drum as she felt his warm body press against her.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, isn''t it my turn to read to you now? Where is your book?" she asked. She tried to move so she could see his face but the man didn''t let her.

    "That¡­ we''ll do it tomorrow night when you''re not in this outfit of yours," he answered and Abi frowned.

    "Huh? What''s wrong with my outfit? You really don''t like it?"

    "It''s not that. It''s just that this fluffy outfit of yours tonight doesn''t match the theme of the book you''re going to read. Tomorrow, I''ll be the one to choose what you''ll wear."

    Abi couldn''t see his face so she couldn''t tell what kind of expression he was showing but he didn''t seem to be smirking behind her so even though she was still confused on why her outfit even mattered when all she would be doing was reading a book, she agreed anyway. "O-okay."

    "Good girl," he whispered. His arm around her waist pulled her even closer to him. "Is this the kind of cuddling you''re talking about? Or should we do more than this?"

    Alex stared at her side profile as he asked but as expected, the girl shook her head and told him this was enough.

    Silence then enveloped therge living room with both of them staring at the burning mes, as if each their thoughts were far away in outer space.

    ¡­

    It was midnight when Alex opened his eyes again. He felt someone''s presence but because he was still spooning the little white fluffymb, he couldn''t turn around to see who it was. He slowly and carefully tried to lift his hand but to his surprise, the littlemb was actually holding on to it tightly.

    Letting out a sigh, Alex silently and slowly rose without pulling his arm away from her. In the end, he sat there in an awkward position as he looked at the three guys standing there, looking at him. Two of the men were looking at him with wide surprised eyes, while one of them was expressionless.

    "Ale ¨C" One of them called out but he immediately mped his mouth because of the sudden chilling gaze Alex threw at him as soon as he spoke.

 Chapter 115 Sunrise

    <h4>Chapter 115 Sunrise</h4>

    Moments ago, Kai, Xavier, and Ezekiel arrived at Alex''s house at exactly midnight. They were expecting to see Alex sitting by the firece, as usual, since his littlemb would already be asleep by then.

    But to their shocked surprise, Alex was indeed right there by the firece but¡­ he was spooning a little white, fluffy, pin-like matter as hey on the soft rug which had even been romantically sprinkled with rose petals. ''What the f*ck! Bloody hell!'' were the first words that ran through Xavier''s head and he even almost blurted it out because he was so surprised!

    Xavier and Kai were staring in disbelief. They never thought that one day, they would see the great Alexander Qin in this state! What the hell happened while they were not around?! Did some evil creature possess him? But who would dare possess a demon like him?!

    They were rooted to the floor with nothing but disbelief in their eyes.

    When they saw him move, their shock elevated because Alex was acting strange again. He was moving so damn slow and it seemed like he was having trouble trying to pull his hand away from that white fluffy pin¡­ or¡­ wait¡­ was that amb?

    Xavier couldn''t take it anymore and called out Alex''s name, however, what he got was a cold, sharp re. What the hell did he do?!

    It was then that the fluffy white thing suddenly moved. When it turned and hugged Alex''s hand, they finally saw it was a human and it was none other than his littlemb!

    Xavier wanted to p his forehead. What the hell! Did Alex make her wear a littlemb''s costume?!

    Seeing that they just interrupted their intimate moment, the three guys slowly dispersed, with Ezekiel being the first to leave and go to his room.

    ¡­

    The next day, Abi woke up in her room. Her eyes slowly fluttered open as the events fromst night drifted into her consciousness and a big smile formed on her face. She was so happy and the first thing she did was to pick her notebook and cross out the two wishes that were fulfilledst night.

    But then, in the next moment, she freaked out. Wait¡­ what time was it now?! Alex was supposed to fulfill her other wishes today!

    As Abi frantically crawled out of the bed, she was startled when she saw Alex leaning against the door frame. He was like a perfect tall and lean statue standing there with folded arms.

    "Good morning, Alex!" she greeted him and as always, he didn''t greet her back.

    He instead walked towards her and then he single handedly lifted her up, princess style, onesie and all.

    "Alex¡­ c-can I go watch my face first?" she asked him and the man paused. He looked at her face and raised a brow.

    "Don''t bother. That hardened drool on your face looks cute," he said and then he started walking again as Abi gaped at him in disbelief. She quickly rubbed her face but there was no trace of drool on her face at all.

    "Alex, you, liar! I don''t have any drool on my face!" she argued but the man just smirked at her.

    "Mn, I lied, little fruit." He smirked at her.

    Abi couldn''t help but rub her face again. "Is it gone?" she asked, embarrassed, and the man chuckled. There was actually no drool on her face but because she felt embarrassed, she believed the lie and this man wasn''t going to let a good opportunity go to waste.

    "So, you believe me even though you said I''m a liar. What a silly, little fruit," he told her but what he did next was lift her up even higher so he could whisper in her ear.

    "Want me to help you with it?"

    Abi could only nod and she raised her face up to him so that he would be able to reach it. But when she thought about it, his hands were full so how...

    Before she finished the thought, the man suddenly licked the corner of her lips down to her chin. Abi jolted and her face burned red.

    "Done," he simply said and Abi scolded at him.

    "What are you doing?!"

    "Helping you."

    "What kind of help is that?"

    "The kind of help that good boyfriends give to their girlfriends." He sexily smiled and Abi could only bury her face on her palm. "You should be thanking me, littlemb."

    Abi was about to retort but the man finally put her down. Abi removed her hand from her face and was surprised to see that they were already standing on the mansion''s grandest and highest veranda. Abi had never been on this particr verandah before because therge doors were always closed.

    However, she almost freaked out because the man actually made her sit on top of the railing, with her feet dangling on air.

    Abi would''ve been frantically clinging on to him but she immediately felt his strong arms wrap around her waist, securing her. Just with that, her fear immediately subsided because to her, his arms were the most secure rope that could ever hold her.

    "Alex¡­ what are we doing he ¨C" Abi couldn''t continue her questions because at that very moment, sunlight started to peek over the horizon, painting the gray sky with breathtaking colors.

    Abi finally realized that her first requestst night was for both of them to watch the sunrise and the sunset. So this was it. This was again more than what she expected. Because Alex''s mansion was on top of a small hill and this grand veranda was facing East, they had indeed the perfect view of the sunrise. She never thought that the sunrise would be so breathtakingly spectacr from there.

    "Wow!" was the first word that left Abi''s mouth as she watched the horizon. "It''s so beautiful, Ale, ," she mumbled as her grip on him tightened a little. "I think this is the most beautiful sunrise I have ever seen with my own two eyes."

    Abi was certain that this sunrise was the most beautiful one she had ever seen, simply because she was watching it with him.

 Chapter 116 Higher

    <h4>Chapter 116 Higher</h4>

    After their meal that morning, Abi was surprised to hear a helicopternd on the mansion''s backyard. She didn''t know why but the first thing she thought was that there was an emergency and someone came to fetch Alex.

    Her heart, which was filled with excitement, somehow started to feel a little sad and disappointed,? disappointed that their n for the day might not happen again. Before she knew it, she was silently praying and hoping that Alex would not leave again.

    When she saw that Alex was heading to the backdoor, Abi couldn''t stop herself from chasing him.

    She suddenly clung on his arm as he opened the back door, causing Alex to halt and look at her.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex¡­ I¡­ y-you''re not leaving again, right?" she asked, looking both worried and downhearted. Gone was the beaming light that shone on her face since sunrise.

    Seeing his face, Alex immediately realized what she was thinking but he couldn''t me her since he already left her twice in just the few days that they were together.

    The man''s lips curved up and then, he held her hand.

    "Come," he said and he led her out.

    Once Abi saw the helicopter, she was suddenly thrilled. She had always thought that helicopters, especially the military choppers, were incredibly cool.

    "Stay here," Alex told her before he let go of her hand and headed to the helicopter. Abi watched him as he ducked slightly towards it.

    He talked to the man who was dressed in an aviation uniform so she correctly guessed that he was the pilot. She saw the pilot climb down while he conversed with Alex.

    Seeing that no one else other than the pilot was inside the helicopter, Abi gasped at her next thought. Could it be that they were going to ride in that?! Whoah!

    Abi''s hands flew to her mouth.

    "Don''t worry, Miss Abigail, that ride is very safe, I assure you," someone spoke and Abi finally realized that Xavier was standing right beside her. He was smiling and his pleasant face almost seemed to be shining.

    "You mean, Alex and I will really ride in that?" she asked, pointing at the idling helicopter.

    "Oh¡­ Alex didn''t tell you yet?" Xavier''s eyes widened. ''Oh no, what have I done!''

    Thinking that he had spoiled Alex''s surprise, Xavier scolded himself. ''Oh gosh, I need to run away now or Alex might kill me!''

    "Haha, uhm, I think Alex is calling you to go over there," he suddenly said, forcing augh and Abi''s head snapped towards Alex. Xavier actually just said that to divert her attention from him so he could escape.

    But little did he know that the littlemb immediately believed what he said and she started running towards Alex, smiling widely.

    By the time Alex and the pilot''s talk was over, he turned and saw Abi already approaching. Her downhearted look just a while ago was gone. She was beaming at him like a super excited child and her long hair danced behind her as she ran.

    The moment she reached him, she held his hands as she gazed up at him.

    "Alex, we''re going to ride in this, right?" her eyes were sparkling so brightly that before Alex knew it, he nodded at her. He actually missed the opportunity to tease her first before spilling the surprise!

    As soon as Alex confirmed it, Abi suddenly hugged him in excitement before she let go of him and turned her attention towards the helicopter.

    "Wow! So cool!" she gushed as she jumped up and down like an excited little kid about to go on their first ever ride at an amusement park. When she finally stopped jumping, she leaned in through the door and took a peek inside it.

    Alex''s lips curved up, seeing her excited reaction. Her reaction made him think that this might actually be his little fruitymb''s first helicopter ride.

    "Okay, get in, Abigail," he said and the girl immediately climbed onto the passenger seat. Alex then followed and Abi was surprised when he sat on the pilot''s seat.

    "You''re the pilot?" her big eyes turned round.

    "What, does that scare you?" he smirked as he started pushing buttons and flicking switches on the dash in front of him. His movements were very precise and decisive, indicating that he had done this many times before.

    "No, I''m not scared. I''m just surprised. I didn''t know you''re a pilot, too!"

    Alex just smiled again. He already knew that this littlemb was a daredevil so he thought that this wouldn''t scare her and he was absolutely right. In fact,pared to the speed he was going during that car ride with her in the passenger seat, this was going to be like a walk in the park.

    As soon as they soared in the sky, not a tinge of fear appeared on her face. She was purely thrilled and awed.

    ...

    Theynded on a picturesque, secluded, white beach. Abi was all smiles as she looked at Alex.

    "That was awesome, Alex!" she told him. "Can I pilot it when we go back?" she cupped her hands as she blinked with puppy eyes.

    "Sure." For some reason, Alex had been expecting this littlemb of his to ask to fly the helicopter.

    "You will teach me?!"

    "Nope. Why would I waste time teaching you how to fly when I have a lot of other things I want to teach you? Huh? Abigail?"

    "You have a lot of things you want to teach me? Like what?" Abi frowned in curiosity and excitement, thinking of all the different possibilities. But Alex just smiled at her mischievously before he leaned in on her and whispered in his ear.

    "You will find out tonight, little fruit. I will teach you something more interesting. Don''t worry, I''ll make sure that you will reach the sky, much higher than the height that this helicopter flew up to."

    Abi blinked, a little confused. How would she fly higher than the helicopter? Was he going to teach her how to fly a jet ne?! She was about to ask again when the sound of an animal pulled her attention. When she turned towards the direction that the sound came from, she saw a beautiful horse, lightly tied next to a coconut tree.

 Chapter 117 That lonesome look

    <h4>Chapter 117 That lonesome look</h4>

    Abi gasped. She was stupefied. She had never seen a horse as beautiful as this one in real life. The horse was pure midnight ck, which somehow reminded Abi of Alex. It had an athletic frame, deep sloping shoulders, powerful muscling over the hips and thighs and long clean legs with pronounced tendons. It seemed to be well bred as it waited there patiently, looking majestic and proud, with its silky mane dancing softly in the ocean breeze.

    "I-is that our horse?" her eyes were round as she asked him.

    When the man nodded, Abi was about to rush towards it but Alex quickly caught her arm, stopping her.

    "Don''t rush towards it like that, you little fruit!" he scolded her. "You need to be careful. Don''t make sudden movements because that might put you in a dangerous situation since he''s not familiar with you yet."

    But Abi was unfazed. "It''s okay, Alex. He will like me." She smiled firmly at him but the man still refused to let her go.

    "Don''t be stubborn or I won''t let you ride it," he threatened and Abi could only purse her lips. Alex then led her towards it and they approached the horse together, with Alex standing in front of Abi in a? protective stance.

    Alex reached out and grabbed the reins with his left hand while his right hand rubbed the horse''s neck to calm it down - not that it wasn''t already calm. He then looked back at Abi and nodded at her, indicating that she could nowe closer and say hello to the horse.

    Abi''s eyes were shining as she reached out her hand to touch it. The horse''s hair was so smooth and silky that Abi couldn''t help but want to run her fingers through it.

    Before she knew it, she was already caressing the horse''s face, without any hint of fear at all. It seemed that the animal really did like her.

    "Abigail, did youe here for a horseback ride or what?"

    Abi''s attention was finally pulled away from the handsome horse back to her handsomepanion. She lifted her face and she finally realized that Alex was already sitting on the saddle, riding the horse and holding the reins, looking like a majestic king.

    There were lines on his forehead as he red at her. He seemed displeased, as if he couldn''t ept that a horse actually pulled his little fruit''s attention away from himpletely.

    But Abi didn''t notice his expression because she was mesmerized by the sight of him. Alex, sitting on top of a handsome horse, was definitely a sight to behold. His long ck coat and dark hair plus the perfect and cool ck stallion was just so picturesque she thought she was looking at a magazine cover.

    Seeing her gaping at him, the lines on Alex''s forehead slowly disappeared. He smirked and even ran his fingers through his hair, as if he was posing for some photoshoot. His movements and gaze made Abi''s heart beat in a frantic tempo. This man was unknowingly ying with her heart!

    dly, Abi was able to snap out of her daze. She reached out and tried to climb up on her own but her legs were too short. The stallion was so tall that she couldn''t get her foot in the stirrups to get leverage.

    "Alex," she gazed up, her lips curving down and the man, who just sat there enjoying his littlemb''s struggles, finally bent down and then, in one swoop, Abi was easily ced in front of him, sitting on her side on the saddle.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, I want to sit like you ¨C"

    "No. Your leg Abigail," He reminded her and Abi could only purse her lips again.

    "Let me hold the reins, then," she requested and this time, Alex didn''t say no.

    "Thank you."

    She happily grabbed it but Alex ced his hands on top of hers, as if he was about to teach her how to lead a horse.

    Alex loosened the reins and then, the horse started to walk. Abi was all smiles as they started on their journey. Along the way, she tried to direct the horse using the reins so the horse would go towards the direction she wanted and with only a little help from Alex, she managed to do it. She was so ecstatic!

    "This is so nice, Alex!" she said as she chuckled happily in both thrill and excitement.

    The girl was enjoying every moment, asionally turning to look at Alex as she spoke to him.

    Alex, on the other hand, didn''t try to interrupt her joyful moment. Well, he did have the urge to do so a while ago, but the little fruit was too happy that his teasing didn''t really work on her. She even smiled happily at him instead and started talking about the horse.

    As the horse slowly walked near the waves that were kissing the shore, Alex just remained silent, listening to her.

    The picture of the couple riding the horse was such a romantic view. This was another experience that Abi would never ever forget. Happiness just kept flowing in her veins every time she was with him and she couldn''t stop smiling. She knew that she would never have been this happy without him. She wished that this peaceful and joyful moment with him would never end, even though she knew it would¡­ soon.

    "Alex, thank you," Abi uttered. She knew that these words would never be enough to thank him or to describe the feeling of gratitude that she felt in her heart for everything that he had done for her. But even though she knew it, she still wanted to say it to show him that she didn''t take these things for granted and that she loved every moment of it.

    Abi turned to look at Alex when the man didn''t make a sound at all. She was surprised to see that Alex seemed to be spacing out, lost in his own thoughts as he stared at the small waves crashing on the shore.

    This was the first time she saw him like this. Alex, spacing out, was an absolutely unexpected sight. She never even thought that Alex could actually space out like a normal man! For some reason, his face seemed peaceful ¨C the most serene expression he had ever shown her.

    The sight of him like this made Abi gape at him. The serenity he was exuding was just indescribable.

    At that moment, he was like a breathtaking painting.

    But Abi couldn''t make herself just sit there and admire his immacte features. It was because for some strange, unknown reason, her heart was clenching in pain from watching him. Was it because he looked so distant and lonely? Why did he look like he was all alone in this world?

    Abi thought her observation might bepletely wrong and that she was just imagining what she was seeing but her heart was telling her something else¡­

    Subconsciously, Abi moved and she lightly kissed his lips. Once she pulled away, Alex was looking at her with slightly widened eyes, but in the next second, his expressionpletely shifted and his lips curved up.

    The serenity in his eyes had disappeared and was nowhere to be seen.

    "I can''t believe my little fruit has learned how to steal kisses now," he said in his normal voice but the expression in his eyes was teasing. Abi remained quiet as she stared at him.

    "You were¡­ spacing out. What''s wrong?" she asked, her voice hesitant.

    Alex stared back at her, but then he tilted his head. "I am thinking about the things I am going to do with you tonight, Abigail," he replied, sexily. He was acting absolutely normally that Abi couldn''t see anything unusual at all. "What? You''re already bored? Well then, I think it''s time for us to go," he added as he looked at his watch.

    He then held the reins and pulled the horse to go back.

    As they rode back towards the helicopter, Abi was now the one who fell silent. She just couldn''t forget it; that lonesome look on Alex''s face.

 Chapter 118 Double

    <h4>Chapter 118 Double</h4>

    Alex jumped off with a small thud on the ground before he stretched out his arms and helped his little fruit on the ground.

    She saw that someone was making their way over to them and when the man reached out to take the rein to pull the horse away, Abi suddenly held onto the horse''s neck, as if she didn''t want to be parted from it.

    When she realized what she just did, she cleared her throat, a little embarrassed. This horse was not hers¡­

    "Uhm¡­ Alex¡­ where are they taking him?" she then asked but Alex, who watched her reaction with some amusement, decided to tease her again.

    "I don''t know. They might be going to sell him or bring him to the? ughterhouse¨C"

    "No!" Abi suddenly yelled and she grabbed the reins from that man who just came. She pulled the horse towards the helicopter as if she was nning to squeeze him inside the small area and bring him home. "If you are selling him¡­ I will buy him off you!" she eximed as she gripped the horse''s rein hard as if she wasn''t nning on letting him go.

    "Abigail, that''s an Arabian thoroughbred. I think it sells for about 100,000 dors," Alex said and as expected, the little fruit froze.

    The next second, Abi walked towards Alex and looked up at him with sad, puppy dog eyes. "Alex¡­ can you find someone you know to buy him? Someone who is nice, please?" she pleaded and Alex raised a brow.

    "What, why do I need to find someone else? Why aren''t you asking me to buy him?" he asked leaning down.

    "Would you?!" Abi almost jumped.

    "Well, why don''t you convince me?" he leaned back on the helicopter, crossing his arm as he looks at her. "Why should I buy it?"

    "Uhm¡­ Alex... Can''t you see how amazing this beautiful creature is?!"

    "I have many horses in Country V, Abigail."

    "But this one is extraordinary. He''s the most gorgeous horse I have ever seen. And¡­ and¡­ the nicest too. He''s so sweet and well-behaved!"

    "That''s because he''s old, Abigail."

    Abi pressed her lips tight. How should she convince him?

    "Look at his shiny coat and perfect disposition... Even his tail is super gorgeous!"

    As Abi continued, Alex was busy enjoying the sight of her doing her best to think of a good enough reason. He was so enjoying it that he kept on acting hard to get until the girl suddenly stepped closer to him, so close that their bodies were almost touching.

    "Alex, please buy him," she cupped her hands and pleaded but the man didn''t budge.

    "You really don''t want to?" she looked like a drenched little puppy. Alex had had enough of teasing her and was about to give in when the littlemb suddenly looked like a lightbulb just lit up above her head!

    "Ah, I know! I''ll ask Ezekiel Qin to buy it!" she suddenly eximed, causing Alex''s face to immediately harden. "I saw his interview before and he mentioned he liked horses and he said he would buy any horse that catches his attention!"

    The smirk on Alex''s lips was long gone the moment she mentioned Zeke''s name.

    "Zeke will never buy an old horse, Abigail," he strongly discouraged her.

    "I think he will. He will definitely like this horse!"

    "I told you, he won''t buy it!"

    "He will, Alex, if he saw how gorgeous the horse is. He will definitely buy it. I''m sure of it."

    "How can you be so sure that he will like it?" Alex''s voice became a little louder.

    "Because I saw some of his horses in the magazines. He has a range of them and he seems to like gorgeous horses regardless of their age," Abi argued and Alex felt his veins popping.

    "Just because of that?!"

    "Well, Mr. Qin is a tycoon. 100,000 dors is nothing to him. I saw that he even spends millions over one thing he wants¡­"

    And then, the ever so calm Alexander finally lost it.

    He looked at the man silently watching them and he spoke loudly, making Abi stop talking.

    "I''ll buy that horse for 200,000 dors. Here''s my business card. I''ll send someone over to pay and get the horse," he said, and the man and Abi looked at him in disbelief.

    What did he just say? 200,000 dors?!

    Before Abi could speak, Alex took the rein from Abi''s hands and gave it back to the man before he walked around and climbed into the cockpit.

    Abi was speechless. What just happened?

    She looked at the man and he happily nodded at her before he pulled the horse away.

    "Hop in now, little fruit. Or I''ll leave you here," he told her, and Abi finally snapped out of her daze. She frantically climbed in as Alex started the helicopter.

    Abi was still staring at him, trying to figure out what just happened.

    Alex nced at her and he moved and put on her harness.

    And then, in no time at all, they were soaring in the sky.

    "Alex, why did you buy it for double the amount ¨C"

    "Because I felt like it."

    ". . ."

    Abi blinked. Could it be that he didn''t like it when she said that Ezekiel Qin wouldn''t mind spending 100,000 to buy it? Or, maybe he just gave in to her?

    Abi continued thinking about why Alex did that and more questions arose. Why did he need to pay it twice the amount?

    Now that she thought about it, wasn''t that the first time they actually exchanged words like that as if they were arguing? Whoah!

    ...

    In the end, Abi gave up thinking about it and she just felt d that someone else didn''t buy it. She would feel devastated if they hurt the horse that she and Alex rode together for the first time.

    "Thank you, Alex." She smiled brightly at him and the man just threw her a quick nce.

    "I''m gonna punish you tonight, Abigail," he mumbled to himself.

    "Hmm? Did you say something?" she asked but Alex just sexily bit his lip hard.

 Chapter 119 Haunted

    <h4>Chapter 119 Haunted</h4>

    Once the couple arrived at their next destination, Abi was once again utterly surprised. What surprised Abi wasn''t the fact that the helicopternded in the middle of arge amusement park, she was shocked that the ce looked deserted.

    She could still see few staff wearing their uniform but it looked like no guests were inside, except the two of them. The park was obviously closed to the public.

    Abi already deduced that this was Alex''s doing. She didn''t expect this at all. She didn''t even want to think just how much money this man might have spent by now just to fulfill her requests. And this was just her third request for today!

    As she thought about it, Abi couldn''t help but feel overwhelmed. He always exceeded her highest expectations with everything that Abi sometimes wondered if she was asking for too much.

    "Little fruit, are you just going to stand there?" Alex asked, looking back at her. "Come," he then added, pulling his hand from his pocket and stretched it out for her to hold.

    Abi stared at his elegantly long hand before she took it. The two then walked hand in hand in the middle of an empty street towards arge castle.

    But before they reached therge castle, which was where she thought they were going, Alex, instead, led her towards another path.

    "We''re here," he said as they stood before a small eerie-looking castle. The words, ''HAUNTED HOUSE'' were written with what looked like blood, on a piece of wood hanging above the entrance. "I really don''t know why you want to go to a haunted house. If you want to get scared, you should just ask me and I''ll scare you myself," he smirked evilly at her, even unleashing his chilling aura as he caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. Somehow, Abi got what he meant. Even the ghosts might be scared of this man if he raged. But not her.

    "I don''t think that would work. I''ll just run towards you for shelter even if you''re the one trying to scare me," she replied as if she was stating a fact and Alex was speechless. How could he forget that this littlemb had never run away from him, and even approached him instead, every single time when she was supposed to be scared?

    Letting out a quiet sigh, Alex then pulled her hand and they entered the house.

    As they entered the dark alley, Abi began to cling onto him.

    It was quiet inside.

    "Alex¡­ this seems strange. I think no one is here. Maybe because the park is closed?" Abi said as she looked around while Alex simply shrugged.

    However, in the next moment, something fell like raindrops on the floor right in front of them. When Abi looked up, a bloody body fell on the floor, covering the drops of blood that fell down.

    Abi jolted in fear and she jumped behind Alex, wrapping her arms around his waist.

    "Nice. This stuff looked pretty realistic," Alex just raised a brow.

    After that appetizer, the two ventured further inside. It didn''t seem like the littlemb was a scaredy-cat. She often jolted but she never screamed in fear like he was expecting.

    But once they were about to reach the exit, something unexpected happened. Abi let go of Alex because she thought that the adventure was over. She ran ahead of him, excited to see the outside world when suddenly, the alley where she ran to, that she thought was the exit, suddenly closed behind her, separating her from Alex.

    Abi''s eyes widened when she couldn''t see Alex anymore.

    "Alex!!" she called out and then, a cold hand grabbed her from behind.

    Abi slowly turned and what she saw made her scream.

    "Let go!!" she yelled but as she struggled, cold hands also grabbed her feet and her hands. Abi was terrified. She tried to muster her strength to escape but this was too much. It felt so real and Abi''s fear was starting to get the better of her. "Stop!! Let go! Don''t pull me!! Stop pulling!" she screamed as the creepy hands started to pull her backwards. "Alex!!!"

    At that moment, a loud thud made everything halt. The door that separated her from Alex fell on the floor. It waspletely broken.

    The hands that were pulling Abi also halted as if they got frozen.

    When Abi saw Alex, she immediately tried to pull herself away from the hands but then, the hands started pulling her again.

    "Ah! Alex! Help me!" Abi could only plead.

    The next second, Alex was right before her, holding her waist as he pulled her to him. His eyes zed with coldness so intense that the owner of the hands grabbing at Abi felt like they were frostbitten.

    "Punks. Let go of her if you don''t want to die," he threatened them, and just like that, the ghosts crawled away. The ghost staff couldn''t believe that they had encountered a real demon inside the haunted house. What the hell! They thought they would receive high praise for their job well done making the girl finally scream but they actually received a chilling threat instead?! That was the first time a customer as scary as him ever visited this haunted house since it was created.

    They looked at the door he broke and they all gaped at each other in both wonder and fear. Who the hell was that man?!

    "Did they hurt you?" Alex asked once Abi calmed down.

    When Abigail shook her head, the man bent and looked at her with narrowed eyes.

    "So, you were just screaming like that because you were scared?" When the girl nodded again, Alex slowly shook his head. "I can''t believe that you were actually scared. Are you the same person who survived that dungeon alone?!"

    "T-there were no ghosts in there," she reasoned out as they both finally stepped out through the exit.

    "You know that those ghosts here are fake. In that dungeon, there were lots of bones and skulls where you crawled. In fact, the stones you said you threw were probably human bones, Abigail, and yet, you''re scared for these fake¡­" Alex trailed off because Abi''s eyes began to dte and her hands even slightly trembled.

    "Hu-human bones?" she mumbled as she looked at her hand. She was suddenly terrified about the idea that these hands of hers had touched dead people''s skulls and bones.

    Seeing her expression, Alex cursed himself for reminding her of that experience. He himself entered that dungeon so he knew what it was like inside. That was absolutely the most awful ce she had ever seen and he should have thought about saying anything about it. Someone like her wouldn''t ever want to remember that again.

    "Tsk¡­ I''m just kidding," he ruffled her hair and Abi looked up. When she saw that the man was grinning mischievously, she let out a sigh of relief. Who wouldn''t be scared of touching or grabbing human body parts that belonged to the dead? Just the thought of it was terrifying.

    "Y-you''re so mean!" she told him as her fear slowly subsided. She was sure that if what Alex said was true, that might haunt her to sleep so she was truly d it was a joke.

    "Now then, let''s move on," he looked around and he was about to move when Abi stopped him.

    "Alex, let''s take a selfie."

    She said and before Alex could even say anything, she jumped onto him, quickly wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him down.

    And then, snap. Abi was smiling but because of her sudden movement, Alex ended up looking at her instead, with the haunted house as their background.

    Their first picture together was such a cute shot.

 Chapter 120 Ride

    <h4>Chapter 120 Ride</h4>

    The reason why Alex chose this particr theme park was because in here, he could fulfill Abi''s requests in one day without travelling to different ces. The park even had a huge jungle-like zoo inside so it was the perfect choice.

    Abi didn''t waste a moment to enjoy roaming around, being fascinated by the countless numbers of animals that she was seeing while Alex just looked like a husband apanying his wife to the shopping mall. He was casually following her, almost like a gorgeous robot, just tailing her, watching her every expression, and looking like he wasn''t pleased that these animals could actually fascinate his little fruit to no end and even make her so happy.

    "Alex,e. Can you help me feed the giraffe? I can''t reach it." Abi began pulling him as she pointed at the towering giraffe through the fence.

    The fence was high in that area because they didn''t allow animal feeding in this park. It just so happened that a staff member was on its way to feed the giraffe and Abi happened to see her. The cheerful, hopeful girl spoke with the staff member and because the staff member wasn''t allowed let her go inside the fence to feed the giraffe, for her safety, she gave Abi lettuce to feed them across the fence. The nicedy also offered to go and get her a stick for her to use to feed them.

    When the staff member was gone, it was then that Abi saw her boyfriend, leisurely leaning on a pir with his hands in his pockets, surrounded by a calm noble aura. He didn''t seem to be fed up, just bored, so Abi determinedly pulled him to help her.

    "Abigail, are you going to ask me to take this one home, too?" he asked as hezily looked up and stared at the giraffe.

    "No, no, no." Abi frantically waved her hands. "I can''t make you spend any more than what you''ve already spent for me," she added and Alex''s gaze hardened. It appeared that he didn''t like what she said.

    "Listen, little fruit," he uttered as he pinched her chin lightly. "I''ll spend what I want. You don''t have a say on that. So don''t ever mind the measly amount of money. Got it?"

    ''Measly amount...'' Abi echoed in her mind. But before she could ponder on it, his strong arms suddenly held her waist and lifted her up.

    Abi stretched her hand out and began feeding the animal. However, Alex realized that the position was ufortable for her, so he put her down before the animal could even eat the lettuce in her hand.

    Abi was about to ask what was wrong when Alex knelt like an esteemed knight in front of her.

    "Sit on my shoulders. Be careful of your leg," he ordered but Abi didn''t move. She was surprised. She couldn''t believe that Alex would let her ride on his shoulders. "I''ll give you three seconds. One, two¡­"

    Before she knew it, she immediately obeyed and was already sitting on the man''s shoulders.

    "Your hand," he said and once he held her left hand, and secured her, he stood up.

    Abi gushed in surprise. She suddenly felt like she was on top of the world. Alex was very tall and he lifted her like she was made of paper. She didn''t even need to stretch her arms anymore because she could now touch the giraffe''s head.

    Thrilled and excited with this unexpected twist, Abi happily fed the giraffe. She was chuckling and enjoying the moment more than ever. She couldn''t put into words how nice she was feeling, being carried by Alex this way.

    She touched the giraffe and chuckled at how cute it was.

    Once she was done, Alex knelt but Abi didn''t climb down. She instead held onto Alex head, smiling widely.

    "Alex, can you carry me like this for a little longer?" she requested yfully. She wanted the experience tost longer but she was afraid she was asking him too much so she said it in a way that it was fine for him to decline.

    But then, surprisingly, the man just stood up, carrying her like that as he walked towards their next destination without anyin.

    Abi was overjoyed. She felt like she was the happiest girl alive at that moment.

    When they were finally out of the jungle, Abi asked him to put her down, thinking that she can''t possibly make him carry her all the way.

    "Are you sure? I''m not going to carry you again once I put you down."

    "But¡­ are your shoulders okay? I''m pretty heavy so it might be getting strained."

    "Heavy¡­" he chuckled wickedly. "I feel like I''m carrying a small basket of fruit. Seriously Abigail, where did you put the food you have eaten? You''re too light."

    "I¡­ I don''t think so. I think you''re just too strong!" she argued but in the next second, she smiled. "Fine¡­ carry me until we get over there. Let''s go Alex!" she yelled happily, even stretching her hand forward like she was superman.

    ¡­

    Finally, it was time for Abi to climb down. She had rested her legs enough, thanks to Alex offering himself to be her ride.

    "That was great!" Abi grinned at him. Her eyes twinkling like a clear blueke reflecting the sun. "I would really, really love it if you let me ride you again next time," she added happily.

    But the man, who didn''t even sweat from carrying her, just smirked naughtily. He leaned in on her and whispered in her ear. "Don''t worry little fruit, once you ripen enough, I will let you ride me anytime you want."

    "Really?!" she was surprised. But then, seeing that wickedly sexy smirk and that mischievous look in his eyes, Abi felt like he was tricking her again.

    "Wait and see, little fruit." He leaned back and then he pulled her inside the arcade house.

 Chapter 121 Ugly and angry

    <h4>Chapter 121 Ugly and angry</h4>

    Inside the arcade, Alex was sitting there silently with an unreadable expression. He almost looked like one of those so called ''miserable men'' waiting for his wife as she shopped tirelessly around a supermall. Although there was one main point of difference and that was the fact that Alex still looked so damn gracious as ever as he sat there, crossing his elegantly long legs like a king.

    Abi didn''t try to pull him and force him to join her this time because she felt bad that she might have exhausted him from having him carry her all the way here. However, that waspletely just Abi''s opinion because in reality, the man wasn''t bothered even for a little bit. In fact, as he sat there, he wondered why the little fruit was not asking him to do anything. But at the same time, he was also d that she was not forcing him to join because Alex actually had no idea what to do in this ce. This was the first time he ever set foot in a ce like this and he didn''t have any idea about how to y those games she was ying - not that he was nning to y those silly things even if she forced him...

    He thought that it was enough that he was there. Besides, the little fruit looked like she was enjoying ying the games by herself, asionally ncing at him with big smiles.

    However, time ticked by and the man, who decided to just sit there until it was time for them to go, finally stood up.

    It was because he got curious about why his little fruit seemed to be frustrated as she stood by the w machine. He moved closer, not to help her, but for him to have a better view on her expression.

    The man leaned on the machine next to them as he watched her with intense concentration. When she failed to w anything inside the machine, she groaned and even tugged her hair in frustration.

    "Ugh!! So close!!" she cried in frustration. She was trying to get that cute littlemb toy but it was stuffed at the farthest corner. Even though she was good at this, she knew that getting it was not possible.

    Gripping herst coin, Abi could only give up on the littlemb. She had been ying these things since she was young and she had gathered a lot of toys from these machines, so she also knew when to give up on something that was just impossible to get.

    Thankfully, when she pulled her eyes away from that littlemb, something else immediately caught her attention. There was one toy that was in a favorable position so she decided to go for it instead. She had used up herst coin so she had to get this one at all costs.

    Her intense concentration, her every frown and scowl were all just amusing to Alex that he was smiling as he watched her.

    Finally, Abi was able to get the toy.

    "Yey!!! I got one!!" she yelled in excitement as she faced Alex. "Look, Alex!!" She was grinning widely as she showed him the toy she won.

    "Here, this is yours," she then said, giving the toy to him, causing Alex''s smirk to fade. He took it and looked at it. It was a blue jellyfish with eyes that looked both angry and bored. ''What an ugly, unhappy jellyfish!'' he thought.

    "Why would you give this to me?" he frowned. He couldn''t even imagine himself owning a stuffed toy! "Take it, you worked hard for it." He gave it back to her but Abi shoved it back to him.

    "No, I¡­ I worked hard for it so I could give this to you as a gift," she said and Alex fell speechless.? A gift? This little fruit actually wanted to gift him an ugly angry jellyfish?

    Alex somehow found it unbelievably amusing. He remembered that the cheapest gift he received until now was a luxurious yacht.

    "I''m sorry. I really wanted to get you that littlemb right there," she said as she regretfully pointed at the littlemb at the farthest corner. "But this one is really cute, too. I immediately thought of you when I saw it." She smiled and Alex didn''t know what to say. ''This ugly thing reminded her of me?! Did this little fruit actually see him as being ugly and angry?! But she said this was really cute!''

    In the end, Alex didn''t know why he epted the jellyfish. Maybe because he watched how she did her best to get it. But still¡­ him? Owning a toy was just¡­

    As he stared at its angry face, he wondered if he really looked like this. But now that he thought about it, he probably did look angry and bored all the time. The thought made his face darken, but the next moment, he asked her to go and get more coins.

    "Hold this," he said as he gave the jellyfish to Abi.

    And then, he started to y, targeting that cute littlemb at the farthest corner.

    At first, Abi thought that Alex might be better than her with this, thinking that the great Alexander could do anything and everything.

    But she was wrong. She could tell that this was the first time he had ever yed this game. He didn''t know how to control his strength.

    What was worse was that he was ying like the coins were not valuable at all! She pictured in her head the coins being used to build a road to get to his destination and it was like he didn''t mind using all the coins in the world to get there!

    Or it was also like he was gambling, losing every hand and getting no mary gain!

    Abi was speechless.

    He loosened his tie and pulled his sleeves. One would think that he was preparing himself for a dead or alive fight from the look on his face at that moment.

    And thus, the great Alexander''s first ever frustrating game began.

 Chapter 122 Boom!

    <h4>Chapter 122 Boom!</h4>

    "Tch! I can''t get it because this machine''s too rigged! How the hell can anyone reel anything in if those things are stuffed damned tight?!" he started to get angry. He already spent a lot of coins!

    "What the hell''s with this w? The grip''s too loose!"

    "This is clearly designed to let go or give a jiggle after it grasps something!"

    Hisints continued. Because the little fluffymb was at the far end, stuffed tightly next to the ugly alien with red boots and ducklings with pirate hats, Alex kept grabbing the wrong ones. If he grabbed the wrong ones, he would let it go and didn''t even want to drop it so they could get the stuff.

    The littlemb was leaning against the ss so it was impossible for the w track to allow the w to get close enough to nab it. Abi knew it but seeing how he was so determined to get it, she didn''t have the heart to tell him to give it up. Moreover, she was enjoying watching his extremely rare frustrated expressions. She thought that his expression right now was heartwarmingly soothing and he was like a cute demon king. At this moment, Alex was like an ordinary man and she kind of loved that he could actually act like this. Even though his feature and aura we''re still damn far from ordinary, his frustration was very normal and really cute in Abi''s eyes.

    "Are you sure this isn''t rigged? The w grip is too damn weak! Where are the staff?!" he looked around, looking like a boss ready to fire everyone but when he saw that they were the only ones inside, Alex returned his attention to the machine.

    "Tch! Move back, little fruit. I''ll smash it," he then said and Abi''s eyes widened.

    "Huh? No, wait!"

    "Don''t worry, I''ll pay for it."

    "Don''t! That''s not nice. It''s okay, let''s go to the other one. Actually, that littlemb''s position is impossible to get. You could just get me that little pirate duck." Abi clung on his arm to stop him from smashing the poor little machine.

    But Alex refused to give up. He refused to ept that this damned little machine could frustrate him like this. He would never ept that a damn w machine could beat him.

    He cracked his neck and continued his oh-so-frustrating quest.

    He started grabbing all the toys one by one and dropped them all. Abi then realized that he was nning to empty the machine until the littlemb was pulled to a favorable position and she was speechless. This was basically the same as buying the entire machine!

    He bumped another animal towards the littlemb until it moved. He also tried dragging it until it was close enough to the chute.

    Once it was in the absolute best position, he finally grabbed it and dropped it into the box.

    The other toys were already piled high on the floor when Alex picked the damned frustrating stuffed littlemb toy. He couldn''t believe that even a damn toy like this could actually give him a hard time. He had the urge to squeeze it to death but he didn''t. He couldn''t! How could he squeeze his littlemb to death?

    At that moment, Abi pped happily for him. Even though his method was absolutely extreme and simply, utterly unbelievable, he still worked hard for it. She couldn''t believe that he made what she thought was impossible possible using his crazy man logic. No one else would even think of doing that other than him in this world.

    With that, Alex basked in the glory of holding his bounty high above his head as he smirked back at Abi. The feeling was unexpectedly fulfilling. Alex even wondered if he had ever felt like this in all the insane sess and great battles he won effortlessly in his lifetime. He thought that he never felt this kind of glory or whatever this was, before.

    "Here you go," he said, proudly smiling at her and Abi''s eyes twinkled like stars.

    She carefully grabbed the littlemb and hugged it. "It really is so cute."

    As they left the arcade, Abi was all smiles while Alex was wondering just what the hell he did.

    ¡­

    Because they were starting to run out of time, the two immediately moved to the next request. This was Abi''s second to thest request for today.

    The sun was starting to set as they rode arge Ferris Wheel.

    Abi had seen a lot of movies and shows on how romantic this was. Getting inside the cabin with your boyfriend and kissing once the cabin reached the highest spot was such a dreamy scene for her. Even though it was clich¨¦, she still wanted to experience it.

    And it seemed, it wasn''t bad at all. Having Alex right beside her as they ascended higher was more than just a nice feeling.

    The view of the city and the colorful sky were breathtaking.

    "It''s beautiful!" Abi eximed as she looked through the window. This wasn''t her first time but this Ferris Wheel was thergest she had ever rode on. Even the cabin they were in was romantically beautiful.

    Because of itsrge size, the Ferris Wheel took a long time to reach the top but because Abi was busy appreciating everything her eyes were seeing, she didn''t notice the time.

    She only realized that they were finally at the top most part when Alex pulled her and made her sit on hisp.

    "It''s time for the kiss, Abigail," he said and then, he kissed her as the swirling colors of the sunset disappeared from the sky.

    His lips felt warmer than before, sweeter even. The feeling of kissing him as they were there, on top of the world was indescribable. Abi''s heart was pounding in a chaotic tempo but she didn''t want the kiss to stop. Before she knew it, her fingers ran through his hair, not letting him go.

    When their lips parted, Alex was smiling. He brushed her pink cheeks and then her kissable lips as he smiled in pleasure. His little fruit had started to ripen, huh¡­

    He was so pleased that it was taking all his self control not to push her down right then and there and kiss her hard and touch her the way he wanted.

    He then moved and whispered in her ear.

    "Now here''s yourst request for today, Abigail." He said and then¡­

    BOOM! BOOM! BLAST!

    The magical sight of fireworks blowing up above them painted the sky with different coloured patterns which were reflected in both Abi''s and Alex''s eyes.

 Chapter 123 Daydream

    <h4>Chapter 123 Daydream</h4>

    It was already dark but the night was still young when Abi and Alex finally arrived back home.

    Alex saw cars parked in front of the house as they were descending and his expression slightly turned serious.

    Since the two already dined beforeing back, Alex asked Abi to go straight to her room and rest while waiting for him. Abi immediately obeyed without question because apart from the fact that she felt a little exhausted, she couldn''t wait to go and write the day''s unforgettable experiences into her notebook.

    She was blissfully happy. Happiness continued flowing in her veins, warming her soul in the same way the rays of an early summer sun delicately warmed the skin.

    Once she reached her room, she grabbed her notebook out and started carving the memories into them through words. There was an unfading smile on her face as she stored away every single detail of the day''s experiences into her notebook, going on to even say that that day was the happiest day of her life as of date.

    She also looked at her wish-list and she smiled seeing that fifteen wishes were already fulfilled. She managed to tick off two more wishes that weren''t on the original list of eleven wishes that she listed off to Alex the night before, because they were fulfilled by Alex unknowingly. That was how her wish list goal was still on track; because she had managed to ticked off fifteen of them on the fifteenth day since she came to live in his house.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, downstairs, Alex walked towards the men who were gathered in the dining hall, anxiously waiting for him.

    Abi didn''t see them because she didn''t use the grand staircase but used the elevator instead.

    Kai, Xavier and an elegantdy in her forties, and some other able-bodied men, who appeared to be her bodyguards, were sitting there silently.

    Their faces were grave but the instant they saw Alex, their mouths hung with their lips slightly parted. Alexander seemed to be shining, as if he just came down from the realms of the angels. This demon, who was always shrouded with a thick and imprable darkness, suddenly looked like some fairy cast a spell on him which turned him into this stranger; apletely different soul.

    And what was worse was that¡­ this Alexander was actually holding a stuffed toy!

    Xavier almost puked blood seeing the thing in his hand while thedy''s hand just flew over her mouth. Their grave faces were white as chalk. ''Who the hell is this man?! An imposter?!!''

    "You came without telling me first," Alex''s deep voice rang, slicing into the thick silence as he nced at thedy, before he sat at the head of the table. But his voice didn''t sound angry.

    How could that be? They all knew thating over to his house unannounced would cause this man to activate his demon mode. But all this demon actually did was that?! What happened? Why was he holding a stuffed toy?

    "Speak," he added, casually resting his face on his palm. He lifted his other hand and stared at the ugly angry jellyfish.

    And then, before anyone could even start talking, the man suddenly chuckled, as if he was being amused by his own private joke while staring at the jellyfish.

    Everyone looked like lightning struck them and they were unable toprehend what had just urred.

    But Alexander was acting like he was oblivious to their reactions. He shook his head, not tearing his eyes away from the jellyfish. Well, the many different scenes from the entire day he spent with his littlemb actually started shing in his head and he himself couldn''t believe it. He was in disbelief and he couldn''t help butugh at himself. He never once thought that he would do any of those things in his life. He really didn''t think of doing the things that he did. He was just going with the flow, fulfilling the littlemb''s wishes as he promised. But now that he thought about all the things he did, like he was watching himself inside a movie, he just couldn''t believe it. He never thought he was capable of doing such things that it almost felt like some other person had taken over his body and mind that day. He was simply mystified. He couldn''t believe that it was actually possible for someone like him to do those things.

    "Hahaha," heughed again, a deep throaty sound, as he threw his head back as if theedy show that only he was watching, became even more incredibly amusing.

    Everybody who was watching him that moment, had their mouths opening and shutting like they were goldfishes, with no sounding out. They all thought that Alex had be possessed, except for Zeke, who had just arrived and was now leaning silently as he observed Alex''s expression like he was reading them.

    Finally, Alex snapped out of his own world and he looked at thedy again.

    "What. You''re not going to speak?" he asked and when thedy still couldn''t respond due to the shock, Alex stood and nonchntly stepped away to leave. He saw Zeke leaning there and he was about to walk past him when thedy finally spoke.

    "Alexander, I have a very serious matter I need to discuss with you," she said and Alex paused. However, he simply waved his hand without turning back to look at her.

    "Let''s talk tomorrow." Alex seemed to be unbothered about this ''serious matter'' and he continued to walk away again when¡­

    "Alex, it''s about Abigail," Zeke interjected in a low voice as Alex walked past him before he walked away, leaving Alex rooted to the floor as he watched Zeke''s back heading towards his room.

    Alex''s expression abruptly changed, as if he had just been awakened from his daydream ¨C his first ever daydream.

    He turned and looked at everyone around the table and then, just like that, the spell broke and the usual dark and cold Alexander instantly returned.

 Chapter 124 Rough

    <h4>Chapter 124 Rough</h4>

    [WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS.]

    Steady footsteps were muffled by the soft, thick carpetter that night. Alex had just entered Abi''s room and as expected, the girl was already on her bed, sound asleep.

    The man walked closer like a phantom and stood there staring at her. It seemed that she was too tired that she didn''t even bother to put on her pajamas as she still had her bathrobe wrapped loosely around her.

    The room was brightly lit but the darkness shrouding Alex was making the entire room look dim. He was apletely different Alex than the Alex that Abi spent the entire day with. No, if Abi could see him right now, she would immediately have thought about that night in the garage where she first met him, when she first saw his ice cold eyes that were glimmering with impending danger that had chilled her more than the freezing temperature that night.

    Alex''s eyes were dull yet intense, reflecting the wildness of a beast. His brutally gorgeous face was hard and emotionless.

    His eyes zeroed to her hair, eyes, nose, lips, slender nape, corbones and her chest. He studied them all like a wild beast patiently savoring the moment before devouring his prey.

    He sat on the edge of the bed and his hand started gently stroking the girl''s hair and face, down to her neck.

    He rubbed her lower lip with his thumb and in the next moment, his face hovered over hers and he covered those soft lips with his own.

    The kiss was light and gentle at first and eventually turned ravenous. His hot tongue probed her lips open and surged inside her mouth pushing deeper and entwining their tongues together. She tasted as heavenly as always.

    His lips then moved to her cheeks, her ears, and slipped down to her neck, which was when the girl under him finally creased her brows and opened her eyes.

    "Alex?" she uttered and the man kissing her neck, paused. Feeling the trail of his lips on her face, Abi immediately realized the reason why she was dreaming of him kissing her.

    When Alex lifted his face and stared into her eyes, Abi subconsciously swallowed. She felt chills run down her spine. Those eyes¡­

    "D-did something happen? Are you okay?" were the words that left her lips.

    "Nothing happened, Abigail¡­" he whispered as his gaze became even more intense and, as if he was suddenly lured in by a siren, he pounced on Abi. His lips were on her with a hunger that he never experienced before. He pushed his tongue inside her mouth, causing Abi''s eyes to open wide. But as his velvety tongue wandered inside her, she eventually closed it again.

    This was the first time he kissed her like this. It was hot and wild and Abi felt like she was losing her mind. She didn''t know that a kiss could be this intense and it just felt... so good that she couldn''t even describe it. Not long after, she found herself trying to kiss him back, mimicking what his skillful tongue was doing even though she could hardly keep up with him.

    He kissed her long and hard - their tongues intertwined and danced with each other and the atmosphere became even more heated.

    His kisses became ravenous, causing Abi to be breathless. She moaned under his lips and Alex let her go, giving her a moment to breathe before hungrily devouring her lips again, deeply and a little roughly.

    As their tongue intertwined, his hands slid down and wandered all over her body and his caress was surprisingly gentle, almost soothing, contrary to his rough kisses.

    Then his lips traveled downwards, kissing her neck - that sensitive spot just below her ear - and her brain malfunctioned.

    Abigail tried to feel everything that he was doing to her but everything just felt so good that she couldn''t help but just instinctively react to him, to his kisses, to his touch. She was losing herself to her raw instincts and desires.

    He kissed her neck, licked and sucked on it and she moaned with pleasure. Her hand went to his head and her fingers tangled through his hair.

    Hearing her moan, he moved his mouth from her nape down to her corbone, towards her twin peaks. Her bathrobe was now lying loose around her. He paused for a moment, as if was having an internal battle within himself.

    "Alex¡­" Abi called out his name and he looked at her face.

    Hey on the bed next to her and started to kiss her lips again and this time, his hands determinedly moved down to his next targets, her twin peaks. He caressed these perfect little mountains with his hand, massaging them one after the other, making sure that he was paying each one the same amount of his attention.

    Abi could not think anymore and just bit her lip to stop another moan from escaping. Her hands gripped the sheets tightly as she arched her back. Her reactions were so uninhibited that he was starting to feel really ufortable down there.

    Abi felt shocked. He had touch her there before but this was the first time he had ever touched her breasts like this and the sensation she felt when he yed with them was sensational. She couldn''t believe that she could feel such pleasure from that. His hands were gentle, caressing her body, teasing her until she could no longer take it. Just as she was about to beg him to stop, he moved his hands from her breasts and trailed kisses down her neck and chest.

    He paused again and looked down at her bra. She was wearing a bra with the hooks at the front, rather than at the back, and seeing them made the glimmers in his eyes flickered. The next moment, he moved his hand and skillfully unhooked her bra, revealing her milky white breasts.

 Chapter 125 Like a dream

    <h4>Chapter 125 Like a dream</h4>

    [WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS.]

    Abi hissed as the cold air brushed over her naked skin but that was soon reced by the heat of his mouth on one and his warm hand on the other. Her eyes opened wide in shock but then her mind was filled with nothing but pleasure.

    Alex sucked on her nipple, sucked and bit her gently, as his tongue licked and swirled and yed with it. His hand mimicked what his tongue was doing and the different sensations she was feeling forced another moan of pleasure from her lips.

    After giving some attention to her perfect breasts, he set his sights lower down. He slipped his hand from her breast, over her abdomen and stopped when it met the edge of her underwear.

    And then, without more warning, his hand snuck underneath hercy underwear and touched her most private part. Abi jolted, her eyes flew wide open and her legs closed instantly, trapping his hand between her legs.

    This was how she reacted that first night when he touched her there.

    Alex lifted his face and he kissed her lips until Abi voluntarily loosened up.

    When Alex''s fingers started moving and caressed her there, a moan escaped her lips. The world seemed to have slowed down as she found herself experiencing an enticing feeling that waspletely foreign to her.

    "A-alex¡­" she uttered his name and her voice was like gasoline being poured over Alex''s furnace. His gaze never left her face as he caressed her, watching her submit to his touch. He could see her almost drowning in pleasure and her flushed and sweaty face was a sight to behold. She exuded such sexiness and just watching her face almost made Alex go crazy.

    "Alex¡­ I feel weird¡­" she uttered again, opening her eyes and looking at him. Her gaze seemed to be begging him - for what exactly, she had no idea - and that made Alex move to kiss her eyes and then her lips.

    The next moment, a long, slippery finger slowly prated her entrance. Abi''s eyes flew open.

    She moaned hard under Alex''s lips but the man didn''t let go. He instead continued kissing her deeply as if he was trying to distract her.

    Soon, Alex slid his finger in and out and even though she was tight, she was so wet that it made it easy for his finger to slide inside her.

    Abi was intoxicated by the sensations, as she closed her eyes. It wasn''t ufortable or painful. In fact, it felt good, really good. She had never felt these kinds of sensations before and while it was new and somewhat strange, it also made her feel like she was on cloud nine.

    Just as she was riding on the waves of ecstasy, he brought it to another level when he wandered from her lips and ced his lips over her nipple and simultaneously inserted two fingers inside her. She thought she had experienced true pleasure a few seconds ago but that was nothingpared to this feeling right now. Her mind was not on this anymore. It was in outer space!

    He kissed her breasts and his fingers slid in and out in a rhythm, causing this bubbling feeling to build inside her.

    "Alex¡­ wait¡­ Alex¡­" She moaned and thrashed on the bed but he held her down with his body. He didn''t stop. He knew she was getting close from the sounds that were being torn from her mouth. He moved his fingers faster and faster until she begged him.

    "Please¡­ please¡­ oh, please¡­" she cried but she didn''t even know what she was begging for.

    Suddenly, she felt as if fireworks exploded inside her body.

    ¡­

    The delicate sunlight pierced through the curtains when Abigail''sshes opened like ck butterfly wings.

    She blinked multiple times before she rolled over on her bed. She buried her face on her pillow and after staying still for a few seconds, she finally rose. She looked through the window and smiled, seeing that it was another bright, sunny day.

    However, her smile didn''tst long. It slowly faded and her bright happy face was reced with shock.

    Her hand flew towards her mouth as the images of the previous night shed through her mind.

    She remembered those deep and rough kisses and everything that Alex did and her face burned red. She buried her face in her palms, feeling utterly shy and embarrassed just as if she was watching an r-18 movie. She remembered how she moaned and thrashed before his eyes and she buried her face on the pillow again. What she experiencedst night was just unbelievably overwhelming. To her, it was like a dream.

    As she thought about that indescribable feeling, Abi was reminded of the words Alex told her yesterday at the beach, that he would make her fly, higher than the helicopter would reach. She blushed hard again, realizing that this might be what he was talking about.

    When she left her room, she found herself meekly descending the stairs, thinking about how she would face Alex. But to her surprise, the butler told her that Alex had already left.

    Abi couldn''t help but feel a little downhearted not to see him but she understood. Alex probably had a really important matter to deal with if he left that early.

    Even though Alex wasn''t there, Abi still went and exercised alone. She thought about him as she jogged on the road and it was then that she realized that something felt a little strange. She couldn''t remember anything after she reached that peak. What happened after that?

    She could only think that she might have instantly fallen asleep, but she remembered how awake her senses were at that moment. Even though she had felt like her body seemed to have turned into jelly, she had felt that her heart was pumping in overdrive and her mind had definitely been awoken after that.

    Abi didn''t know why but even though the only logical exnation was that she had fallen asleep, the hunch that something else might have happened just wouldn''t leave her mind no matter how much she shook her head to stop thinking about it.

 Chapter 126 Bitterswee

    <h4>Chapter 126 Bitterswee</h4>

    Abigail dropped the stuff toys that Alex had won from that w machine at the orphanage. She had her hospital appointment that day so she had taken the day off.

    The children were very happy as they received the small gifts that they were given and Abi was extremely happy as well as she looked at their bright, happy faces. She even took pictures of the smiling children because she was nning to show it to Alex once she returned to his house.

    Thoughts of Alex filled her mind again and a blush crept up to her cheeks, but luckily, the children and teachers were too busy looking at all the gifts she had brought to notice.

    However, Abi''s smileter faded as soon as she heard that Little Betty had been in the hospital since two nights ago.

    Her face fell and the news broke her heart. Her mind was preupied with many thoughts about the little child as she headed to the hospital. At least onefort was that It just so happened that her doctor was at the same hospital where Little Betty was admitted, so Abi made sure to visit her before her doctor''s appointment.

    When she got there, she went straight to the little girl''s room. The girl was lying on the bed with an oxygen mask and tubes were hooked up all over her. But still, she smiled brightly the moment she saw Abi.

    The little girl looked very weak and it pained Abi''s heart so much to see her like that. Her heavy heart was already filled with sadness but then a memory of her own mother, also lying on the hospital bed like that, surfaced in her mind and the pain cut even deeper.

    "How are you?" Abi asked softly as she held the little girl''s hand.

    "Feeling better," she smiled. "I missed you, Abi."

    "I missed you, too, sweetie." Abi started to feel quite emotional but she did her best to fight the lurking tears in her eyes. "Ah, I have bought some gifts for you."

    She tried to be cheerful as she brought out the toys that she bought from Country V for Little Betty. She also gave her the cute bear that Alex had won from the w machine.

    "They''re so cute. Thank you, Abi! Now I have a friend to stay here with me." The girl was happy as she hugged the toy in her weak hands.

    Unfortunately, their time together was cut off because it was time for the little girl to take her medication. She knew that Little Betty would soon fall asleep once the medicine took effect so she stayed for a while until the girl fell asleep.

    Her heart was heavy as she left the ward until she arrived at her doctor''s room.

    As expected, the doctor told her the same thing she did a few weeks ago. The only thing that changed from the doctor''s statement was her warnings. The doctor told her more fiercely to take extra care and be more careful because her condition was like a ticking time bomb.

    Abi was calm when she came out of her doctor''s room but anyone who saw her at that moment could already tell that what she heard inside was bad news.

    Her grip on the door knob as she closed it was tight. Then she leaned on the wall and stared at the ceiling as she took some heavy deep sighs. She felt like the people passing by the hallway were shadows and the sound she was hearing were sad¡­ sad music.

    But a smile still curved on her face. She thought she shouldn''t be like this. She told herself that there were others who were in much, much more difficult situations than she was in. Some even left this world unannounced and some left too soon, before they could even see what the world was like. She knew that she was still fortunatepared to the others who couldn''t do anything anymore. She was lucky because she still had the time to fulfill her wishes. She was blessed because she had met someone who was willing to fulfill those for her.

    Thinking about Alex, Abi''s smile turned bittersweet and she sighed again, trying to keep calm.

    She remembered that she had nned to visit home after her appointment and spend the whole afternoon with her family so she took another deep breath andposed herself.

    However, before she could take a step to leave, Abi froze in ce.

    Her eyes flew wide when she saw a man standing there, looking back at her. Ezekiel Qin! What was he doing here?!

    Abi''s heart started pounding, as if she was some thief that had been busted in action. She couldn''t move her feet. She had heard a while ago from her doctor that this hospital had just been sold to the Qin Enterprise but she never once thought that Ezekiel Qin would be here! She knew that he was now the CEO of this hospital but¡­ how could he patrol the hospital''s wards the very next day after he acquired the ce?! Rx Abi, just act normally and he won''t suspect anything. It is pretty normal to be seen inside a hospital.

    Abi''s panic somehow started to dissolve as she did her best to stay calm.

    The man was apanied by some other men in expensive suits, who looked like they might be directors of this hospital, and he looked very respectable as always, like the noble, powerful man that he was. He was saying something while the men with him were nodding but his eyes were still on her.

    Abi breathed silently and finally moved. She acted very normally and slightly nodded at him like how people usually do when they pass by someone they know, but aren''t well acquainted with, on the street.

    And then she started stepping away casually, however, she didn''t even take five steps when,

    "Miss Chen," Ezekiel Qin called her.

 Chapter 127 Awkward silence

    <h4>Chapter 127 Awkward silence</h4>

    Abi jolted and stood frozen on the floor as his voice echoed in her mind. Her brain stuttered for a moment. Every part of her went on pause while her thoughts caught up.

    She forced herself to think and moved her legs to turn. Once she did, she found that Ezekiel Qin was already standing right before her.

    His stoic eyes were questioning her but no word left his lips. He simply nced at the door where she came from. Did he see her step out of the room?! Abi prayed that he didn''t.

    "H-hello, Mr. Qin." Abi finally found her tongue and greeted him.

    "What are you doing here?" he asked, his overbearing aura was intense that Abi felt a little ufortable. She felt like she was an elementary kid, talking to a strict and stoic looking principal.

    "I am just running an errand," she managed to answer normally.

    However, the man just stared at her. He was silent, almost as if he was waiting for more exnation. Or more like an investigator waiting for her to confess.

    Abi already saw how aloof this CEO was but now that she was alone with him, she found it extremely challenging just to stand there and speak with him. His unfriendly aura and hisck of words was making it difficult for Abi tofortably speak with him. No wonder those directors surrounding him a while ago looked really tensed.

    "Uhm¡­ I still need to visit Little Betty in the ward so I''m¨C"

    "Miss Chen, are you sick?" he suddenly cut her off. Abi felt her throat immediately run dry. She felt like her blood drained from her face but she desperately tried not give anything away.

    "No. I just came to pick up some medicine for the kids at the orphanage and also to visit Little Betty. She was admitted into this hospital. Remember that child I brought with me to Alex''s house? It''s her. Do you want toe with me and visit her? She''s in the children''s ward."

    Somehow, Abi seemed to have managed to turn the odds in her favor. But the man unexpectedly agreed toe. She only asked him if he wanted toe with her because she didn''t think that Ezekiel Qin would actually agree and follow her to the ward. She initially thought that the man would decline since he was obviously here for work.

    But then, Abi didn''t think too much about it. Maybe this man had grown a liking to Little Betty and he just wanted to see her?

    As they walked in the hallway, everyone turned around to look at them. Ezekiel Qin was really famous, after all. His fame was on par with superstars in this country. The only difference with him was that nobody dared to approach him or mob him, like what fans do to their idols, when they saw them roaming around in public ces like this.

    Abi thought that it was maybe because of Ezekiel Qin''s intimidating aura but she was sure that his reputation of being thest man people wanted to mess with was the biggest factor as to why people didn''t even dare try to do anything funny in his presence.

    Seeing the attention this heartthrob, and the so-called number one man every girl wanted to marry in this country, was getting, Abi couldn''t help but think what would happen if Alex was with them right now. If these people were to see Alex, what would they do?

    The answer Abi came up with was, a disaster. She thought that she would believe him if Alex told her that he purposely hid from the world because he didn''t want the trouble his beauty would bring upon him. It seemed ridiculous but it was actually logical.

    Finally, the duo reached the ward but Little Betty was still asleep so they simply stood there by the doorway and watched the little sleeping girl.

    Ezekiel was silent.

    "Will you being here often from now on?" Abi broke the awkward silence.

    "Probably."

    "Uhm, then¡­ Can I ask you to visit her again? Little Betty is actually always asking me about you. She keeps telling me to say hello to you from her," she told him before her gaze fell on the girl again.

    "What happened to her?" he asked and Abi''s smile slowly faded as she exined Little Betty''s condition.

    "She doesn''t have much left..." Abi''s voice became weak. "So can you visit her? I''m sure she''ll be happy to see you."

    "I will see."

    "Thank you."

    Silence reigned again after that for a long while. Abi finally realized that the man would never speak unless she spoke first.

    "Uhm¡­ I need to go back to the orphanage now, Mr. Qin. Little Betty has Mrs. Yan with her so I''ll be going back," Abi told him but the man remained silent.

    Abi couldn''t help but want to scratch her head because of their awkward situation.

    "Well then, I''ll be off, Mr. Qin." Abi slightly bowed and then turned to leave when...

    "I''ll drive you there," he said, causing Abi to frantically wave her hands.

    "No, no. No need, Mr. Qin. I''m sure you''re extremely busy," she politely declined, but the man''s brows creased in displeasure.

    Abi secretly swallowed. "Uhm. I can''t possibly waste your precious time Mr. Qin. I know you''re here for a business matter so I''ll just take a cab," she exined but the man suddenly walked away, passing her by.

    "Let''s go," he ordered as if he didn''t hear what she just said.

    His actions made Abi speechless. Why on earth would this busy man offer her a ride?

    In the end, Abi didn''t have a choice but to follow him.

    From the moment they left the hospital, the car was shrouded with a thick, almost unbearable silence. Abi tried to think of a topic of conversation but she just couldn''t find any, until eventually, they arrived at the orphanage without uttering a single word. That was probably the most tensed and most awkward car ride she had ever experienced. She felt a little suffocated by that silence that she couldn''t wait to step out of the car so that she could finally breathe again.

    However, just as Abi held the door handle to leave, the man finally spoke.

    "Miss Chen, what are your feelings towards Alex?"

 Chapter 128 Far away

    <h4>Chapter 128 Far away</h4>

    Abi''s hand on the door handle tightened around it. She looked at him and the man''s eyes looked extremely serious. Where did thate from? Why was he asking?

    His question shocked Abi that she just stared at him and couldn''t speak. She never ever thought that she would be having this kind of conversation with this aloof, stoic man! Her brain started to function again and she was about to answer but then, her phone vibrated.

    Abi looked at it and saw that it was her dad calling her.

    She looked up at Ezekiel Qin with a small apology in her eyes before she picked up the phone and answered it.

    "Hello? Dad? Are you already here?" Abi looked outside the car window and saw her dad''s car parked near the park. "Okay, I''ming," she said and when the call ended, she looked at Ezekiel Qin.

    "You can go," he told her, not looking at her anymore.

    "Thank you for the ride, Mr. Qin."

    "Mn."

    Once the door was closed, Ezekiel Qin turned and looked at the girl making her way towards another car.

    "Sir, are we going back to thepany?" the driver asked.

    Ezekiel Qin didn''t answer. He just stared silently at Abigail for a while before he spoke. "No, let''s go back to the hospital."

    Abi heard the car leave as she got to her dad''s car. She turned around and watched it disappear before turning her attention back to her dad who was waiting for her. She hugged the old man and the two happily chatted as they drove out of the city.

    That afternoon, Abi spent her time pleasantly with her family. She went to her room and stayed there for a while until it was finally time for her to go back.

    Her family were all smiles as they said goodbye to her. They didn''t give her any more advice like thest time she was here to visit. It seemed like they finally epted that their girl was already a grown updy.

    Abi rode a cab back to the city. She was thinking about the request she should ask today as she stared out the window. That was when she realised that she really missed Alex. It had only been a few hours but she felt like it was days since shest saw him.

    Letting out a sigh, Abi went to get her phone from inside her bag, when all of the sudden, the cab squealed into a full stop. Abi bumped her head on the back of the driver''s seat as she heard a loud, deafening noise.

    "Miss, are you okay?" the driver asked as he looked towards her.

    Abi''s hand was on her head. She was d that the seat wasn''t made of harder material or her head might be bleeding by now.

    Seeing that she was alright, the driver climbed out of the cab.

    She too, climbed out to survey the scene. The scene of the ident was a shocking one. She saw that a car had collided into a big truck and it was almost crumpled. She immediately shuddered, thinking that people inside it might have been dead, but fortunately, there was only one passenger in the car and he looked like he only suffered minor injuries, which was incredibly impressive and unbelievable, looking at the state of the car!

    While they waited for the police to clear the road, Abi found out that their car just narrowly missed the collision and that if the white car didn''t cut in, maybe the cab she was in would be the one that collided with that truck!\t

    Thinking about it made her stomach feel ufortable and uneasy. She couldn''t help but remember Kelly''s warning about people trying to hurt her because she was with Alexander Qin.

    ¡­

    Due to the collision, it was already past twilight when she arrived at Alex''s house. She was ten minuteste.

    Her steps were hurried as she entered the door and she immediately ran towards the firece where Alex would always sit while waiting for her.

    When she spotted him sitting there, Abi felt relieved. She smiled, happy that she was finally able to see him. She silently walked and even tiptoed towards him, to surprise him.

    However, as she walked closer, something made Abi halt in her tracks. Alex was silent as always, doing nothing, but Abi could feel the coldness he was exuding. And for some reason, she felt like something had changed.

    She felt as though he had be distant, like the moon so far away, impossible for her to reach.

    "You''rete, Abigail," his deep voice was cold. "You broke the rule again¡­ for the second time¡­" he trailed off, not turning to look at her and Abi was temporarily incapacitated.

    Alex was¡­ scaring her.

    "Come over, Abigail," he ordered and Abi swallowed before she walked towards him and stood before him.

    The moment she stared in his eyes, her heart slightly trembled. Her brain desperately scrambled to figure out what was going on. Why Alex was suddenly like this.

    She just felt that this was not because of the rule she broke. She had done it before but it never elicited this kind of reaction. This had to be because of something else.

    Abigail was tonguetied. She couldn''t speak as she looked at him. Why was Alex like this? Why did he suddenly be this cold? Did something happen?

    As Abi was frantically asking herself so many questions, a thought entered her mind. She remembered Ezekiel Qin and the thought that the man might have found out about her secret and told Alex about it made her feel like something knocked every wisp of air from her lungs. She couldn''t breathe for a moment. But she persevered because she might be totally wrong!

    "Abigail¡­" he called her name again and she felt goosebumps run down her spine. She never heard him spout her name with such coldness before.

    Alexander kept her rooted in ce by the binding force of his stare. "I hope you prepared yourself," he continued.

 Chapter 129 Fear

    <h4>Chapter 129 Fear</h4>

    "A-alex¡­ I¡­ I''m sorry¡­" she stammered as she tried to apologise and exin. "I¡­ I didn''t mean to bete. I¡­ There was an ¨C"

    "Abigail¡­ I''ve already told you. Rules are rules," he cut through her, his voice merciless, without even a tiny trace of warmth. Abi felt like her heart was being squeezed tightly as she looked at his face. Her heart was thumping loudly in her ears, so loud that it was deafening. Was all this coldness simply the result of her breaking the rules? She couldn''t make herself believe it. She just knew there was something else that was causing him to be like this.

    She felt like crying, not because of fear or because she was scared of the punishment, but because she didn''t like it when he became this scary. She didn''t like seeing Alex looking so cold, as if he was heartless and soulless. This wasn''t the Alex that she hade to know.

    Despite the suffocating look emanating from his eyes, Abi opened her mouth again. "Okay, I''m not going to ask you to forgive me," she uttered. Her voice was weak. Her lips trembled a little. "I will take my punishment so c-can you go back to normal now?" she asked. "Please Alex¡­ I don''t like you being like this. Please? Please, don''t be angry anymore," she pleaded but Alex''s face darkened even more, as if he didn''t like her reading him.

    "I''m not angry, Abigail," he said but the girl stubbornly shook her head.

    "Then¡­ why are you like this?"

    "You know the reason why, Abigail."

    She shook her head again.

    "No, I don''t believe you. This is not only because of the rules I broke. So what else have I done?" she argued. Her voice was filled with worry, panic and fear. "T-tell me, did something happen?" Wet liquid began to lurk in the corner of her eyes. She finally remembered that look in his eyesst night and she knew that whatever happenedst night had something to do with his sudden change, too.

    But Alex''s lips curved up into a quick cold smile and then, he abruptly stood up. He pinched Abi''s chin and stared into her eyes. His piercing icy gaze was sharp, so sharp she felt like they were cutting through her.

    "Nothing happened, Abigail," he said emotionlessly, repeating what he told herst night when she had asked him the same question.

    Abi shook her head again.

    "You''re¡­ lying¡­ Alex¡­" she whispered and she saw the man''s eyes dim into a pitch ck darkness, as his jaws clenched slightly. "I feel that something happenedst night. T-that''s why you''re like this¡­"

    A short silence passed before a wicked and forced smile curved on Alex''s face. He slowly rubbed her cheek with his thumb as he spoke. "I''m like this because this is how I am, Abigail. This is the real me. I told you¡­ I''m even colder than you could ever imagine," he uttered and Abi didn''t know why, but her heart throbbed in pain. She wanted to shake her head. She wanted to not believe his words, but she could tell from those eyes that he was telling the truth;? that he was like this because this was who he really was.

    "Abigail¡­ you''re finally scared of me, huh?" he added, looking at her slightly trembling lips. And then, he smiled at her. But that smile was the most painful and devastating smile Abi had even seen in her life. "That''s right¡­ that''s how you should be acting towards me, Abigail¡­ you should feel nothing towards me but fear¡­" he whispered before he abruptly let go, turned his back to her and walked out of the room.

    Abi was left there, frozen. Her eyes and mouth were frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise. Every part of her went on pause. She felt like every wisp of air from her lungs had been knocked out again and she felt like she could hardly breathe. She didn''t even register that she was now all alone in what had be a very cold room, despite the warmth of the fire zing next to her.

    ¡­

    The moment Alex was out of the living room, his aura zed with hellfire, as if the darkness inside his soul could not be contained any longer and it was all now leaking out without constraint. He waspletely swallowed by his own cold, reeking darkness.

    He stood by the door with his fists clenched into tight balls. He didn''t even notice Zeke leaning by the wall right beside him until the man spoke.

    "I can''t see any reason why you need to scare her like that," Zeke said. "At this rate, she will ¨C"

    Before Zeke could finish his words, Alex''s hand flew like lightning towards Zeke''s neck and Alex pressed him hard on the wall.

    "Shut up, Zeke¡­" Alex hissed, gritting his teeth hard.

    Zeke didn''t react and just stared back at Alex''s dangerous gaze.

    The next moment, Alex let go of him and left, leaving Zeke leaning there watching him walk away.

    Once Alex was gone, Zeke entered the living room as if nothing had happened. He saw Abigail, still standing by the firece like a frozen statue.

    He quietly walked past her, heading towards his room, but then he paused, as if he had forgotten something, and walked back towards her. He stood in front of her but the girl didn''t even seem to notice his presence.

    "Miss Chen," Zeke finally called out and Abi was startled. Her gaze flew towards the man before her and her senses slowly returned to the present.

    "M-mr. Qin," was all she said. She bit her bottom lips as she looked down, hiding her devastated expression from him. "Mr. Qin, tell me¡­ d-did Alex find out something about me? Is that why he is like that?" she asked, as her fingers gripped the end of her dress.

    Suddenly, the man''s handnded on her head.

    Abi''s body stiffened and she lifted her face up to him, full of surprise.

    "Don''t worry, this has nothing to do with your secret," he whispered before retracting his hand.

 Chapter 130 Moon

    <h4>Chapter 130 Moon</h4>

    Abi felt like the world stood still. Her eyes were wide as saucers as she tried to hide her shocked expression. Even though she had been worrying about this, that Ezekiel Qin might have be suspicious after seeing her at the hospital, she still couldn''t believe that he found her out.

    Her face became white as chalk and she started to tremble.

    Seeing the girl''s reaction, Zeke''s eyes slightly widened. He didn''t expect her to react like this.

    The man''s eyes moved as he checked if anyone else was within earshot of the two of them. When he confirmed that it was clear, he slightly bent down and whispered in her ear. "Rest assured that I will not tell anyone about it, not even Alex."

    Abi was again stunned. She opened her mouth but no words came out.

    "He''s like that because he''s angry about something else."

    "S-something else?"

    "Miss Chen¡­ just like the fact that you have a secret that you never want him to find out, you also know that he is hiding something as well, right? This is something that he never wants you to find out, no matter what happens." He stared at her, his eyes calm like there was a drifting gray cloud in them. "I''m not going to meddle in your affairs. I will keep yours and his secrets but¡­ I just want to tell you this, Miss Chen, that no matter what he does to you, no matter how terrifying he bes, if you want to stay with him¡­ don''t ever fear him¡­ or at least, make sure not to show him how scared you are."

    Abi just gaped at him as she listened to his words. She couldn''t say a word back.

    It was then that someone entered the living room.

    Zeke nced at the person before he casually moved away. "Don''t worry about him. He''lle back once he calms down," he told her before he left.

    Once the man was gone, Abi finally moved from her spot. She abruptly turned and was about to run out but she collided with Kai, the person who walked into the room from behind her.

    "Careful," the man said as he held her shoulders, steadying her.

    When Abi saw that it was Kai, she immediately asked him where Alex was.

    "I don''t know. He''s probably outside somewhere," the man replied as he looked outside the window. Abi followed his line of sight and she finally realized that a thunderstorm was raging outside.

    When Kai saw worry and panic flood into her eyes, he immediately tried to coax her.

    "Don''t worry, Abigail, that guy will be fine. Even if a tornado will eat him, he will still survive," he chuckled. Even though his words seemed like a joke, he wasn''t kidding at all.

    Abi knew that Alex wasn''t a fragile creature like her but that didn''t make her feel any better. She walked past Kai and headed to the grand entrance door.

    "Wait! Please don''t go out!" Kai stood against the door, blocking her. "It''s dangerous for you to go out there! The lightning might strike you. Don''t worry. Alex wille back soon. That guy''s just throwing a tantrum. It''s nothing serious. Hehe. And I didn''t mean he''s just outside the house. I meant that he went somewhere far from here. So just wait for him here, okay?"

    Abi could see that the man was doing his best and she didn''t want to give him a hard time, but she couldn''t contain herself.

    "It''s okay, Kai. I won''t step out into the rain. I will wait for him just outside the door. I promise, I won''t run away," she pleaded and the man was speechless.

    He was about to coax her again when Zeke''s voice rang from behind them.

    "Stop blocking her, Kai. Let her do what she wants," he said and Kai pressed his lips into a thin line.

    He looked worried as he stared at her. "Promise me that you''ll just stay by the door," he hesitantly said and when Abi nodded, he finally moved away from the door, letting her step out. He followed her outside but the girl politely asked him to leave her alone.

    Once the door was closed, Abi leaned on it. She stared at the raging rain and the strong wind and a tear fell from her eyes.

    She realized what she had done. That look in his eyes when he saw her tremble in fear, squeezed her heart. She remembered that Alex had always tried to scare her away but every time he tried, she always managed to coax his coldness and his terrifying aura away by hugging him. Now that she thought about all those times, she realized that he always mellowed down when she stayed fearless. He even easily softened when she hugged him tightly like she never wanted to let go.? So why didn''t she hug him that time? Why did she let him go? Why did she let her fear beat her?

    Abi slid down to the ground and she sat on the floor, hugging her knees.

    To her, Alex was like the moon. Distant, cold, and lonesome, but he was breathtakingly beautiful and he exuded a light that always warmed her heart. He was ever changing and the light he exuded changed all the time. Despite that, she managed to embrace all those sides of him no matter when he was shining brightly or when his light dimmed like the full moon turning to its waning crescent phase. But this time, she failed. When he lost all his warmth and light, she started to tremble in fear, like how people only appreciated the moon when it exuded beauty and light and shunned and ignored it when what it showed was its mere dark side. She felt like she had done that to him tonight - when the moon turned dark, she feared him.

    She shouldn''t have feared him when he no longer exuded any warmth. She should''ve embraced him during his darkest state and tried to shared some of her starlight with him, to give him a spark to help him shine again, instead of letting fear take over.

    But she didn''t and she regretted it.

 Chapter 131 Playing with a dragon

    <h4>Chapter 131 ying with a dragon</h4>

    The rain continued raging like it was angry with the world. The lightning struck down like Thor''s hammer and thunder roared angrily in the night sky.

    The cold wind pierced through her skin but she didn''t even mind it. Her heart was aching. She remembered Ezekiel''s words and her grip around her knees tightened as she slightly rocked back and forth.

    She already knew that Alex had many secrets from the first time she saw him. She knew that he too had his very own battles. She knew everyone did. Everyone had their very own battles and struggles that they were hiding within themselves, ones that they didn''t want to share with anybody else.

    But sometimes, when she looked at Alex, she felt her heart ache mysteriously, even though she had no idea what he was hiding. She just couldn''t help but wonder what kind of war he was going through. What kind of world did he live in to be like that? What made him the person that he was now?

    As her thoughts continued wandering about, she didn''t realize how long she had stayed outside for until she finally felt the presence she was waiting and longing for.

    She immediately lifted her face and what weed her was the sight of Alex walking towards the door. He waspletely drenched. His clothes were dripping and his wet hair looked like he just ruffled it with his own fingers. He was like a gorgeous god of rain, as breathtaking as ever, but his face was hard and he looked shocked as he looked down at her.

    "What the hell are you doing out here?" his voice thundered but Abi didn''t even flinch anymore. Her mind was now clear and she hade to terms with herself. She had finally decided that even if this man would never ever love her, she would give him her all. She would love all his different shades, no matter how dark they would get. She would love him with all the love anyone could ever give. She would pour her heart and soul into him. There was no running from it anymore. This person, standing before her now wasn''t just her so-called boyfriend anymore. She had realized from the first time she missed him that Alex had be so special to her. Despite the very short time that they had spent together, he had be her favorite person; the one and only person she would want to spend the rest of her life with.

    From now on, she wanted to give him all her love. She wanted to shower this cold, cold moon with all her love for the rest of her life because that was all she could do for him, and for herself, within the short time she had left. She had nothing to give him but her heart.

    After staring at him for a while, Abi stood up, her eyes glimmering beneath hershes as Alex spoke again.

    "I''m asking you, Abi ¨C"

    Before Alex could finish his sentence, the girl suddenly jumped on him. Her hands wrapped around his waist and she hugged him tightly.

    Alex was stunned. He never thought that she would pounce on him and hug him. He saw how scared she was before he left her. He was even expecting her to be hiding inside her room like a terrified puppy.

    "Let go, Abigail, I''m drenched," he said coldly, trying to peel her off.

    But the girl desperately gripped him hard and refused to let go. And then, he felt her hot tears on his chest from where she buried her face on his chest.

    It was then that he realized that her skin was so cold. He looked at her exposed shoulder and he saw her skin filled with goosebumps. He gritted his teeth as his jaws clenched.

    "How long did you stay out here for?" He was angry. "Answer me!"

    "Since you left," she replied and Alex shut his eyes in anger before heughed wickedly.

    "Why? Why would you wait for me in the cold like this? Huh? Abigail?" he asked, almost looking like a beautiful viin. "After I made you tremble in fear, you came out in the cold and waited for me?"

    He was shaking his head in disbelief.

    In that moment, Abi finally let go of him. She slowly moved away and gazed into his zing eyes.

    And then, abruptly, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down before her lips mmed on his. Alex was stunned. It wasn''t just because she kissed him, it was because the girl was actually kissing him hard.

    The man didn''t respond until Abi pulled away. She stared into his eyes again and then, she licked her own lips.

    Alex''s brain stopped working as if she had somehow pulled the emergency shut down lever. He couldn''t believe that she was doing that in this situation, even though he had warned her clearly before. This girl¡­ she was driving him insane!

    As Alex''s lips parted in disbelief, the girl kissed him again, as if she just took advantage of his surprised self to gain ess to his mouth. The man''s eyes widened.

    This girl, his little unripe fruit, was kissing him hungrily the way he did to herst night. Her tongue sloppily wandered inside his mouth like a little wild beast ying with a dragon. She licked and poked his tongue with hers, as if she was teasing a sleeping dragon to wake up.

    Her hands on his neck moved to his wet hair and a minute hadn''t even passed by before Alex lost it.

    Her little soft, warm and unskilled tongue was just so heavenly that he couldn''t even resist for more than a minute. On top of it, he couldn''t forget how she licked her lips a moment ago, as if this little fruit was seducing him. Did she do that on purpose this time? If she did, then she definitely defeated him this time.

 Chapter 132 Too late

    <h4>Chapter 132 Toote</h4>

    Alex groaned and cursed under her lips before his body went out of control. He kissed her back, hard and rough, until Abi''s back was pressed hard against the door.

    He was more ravenous than yesterday, fiercer and wilder, until Abi felt like she tasted a faint vour of blood.

    Once their lips parted, Abi was gasping hard for oxygen.

    "Abigail¡­ are you trying to seduce me?" he whispered, lust evident in his eyes.

    And then, he kissed her again, long and hard. Abi moaned against his lips. He was too intense that she couldn''t even tell what was going on anymore. All she could feel was his warm mouth, his touch and her loud, loud heartbeats.

    She had lost track of time until she felt his lips on her neck and his hands slip under her shirt.

    "A-alex¡­ wait." Abi tried to stop him and dly, the man paused and gazed up at her, panting, his warm breath caressing her exposed corbones.

    "Don''t stop me, Abigail. You''re the one who seduced me," he said and without waiting for her response, the man resumed what he was doing.

    Abi felt her knees weaken.

    "Alex¡­ we''re outside¡­" she grabbed his hair, begging him.

    "I don''t care."

    "H-huh?!"

    "Don''t worry, I won''t let anyone see any part of you. If anyone does, I''ll gouge his eyes out."

    Abi was speechless. She never thought that what she did would end up like this!

    "Uhm¡­ A-alex¡­ I-it''s cold out here. I''m cold."

    Finally, Abi seemed to have said the magic words because it seemed that he finally calmed down. He stopped and gazed at her. The next moment, he carried her and they both entered the house.

    Abi was watching his face the entire time, trying to see if his mood had be better or not.

    In what seemed like a millisecond, they were already inside her bathroom. Abi was surprised. What? They''re already here? Did she space out for a long time?!

    When the warm shower began falling on both of them, Alex immediately unpaused from where he left off a while ago.

    His swift hands began undressing her as he kissed her body, lower and lower.

    Abi let out a moan and because the bathroom was made of marble, her moan echoed loudly, shocking her.

    Her hands flew on her mouth like she was startled by an unknown creature''s cry. Alex saw her reaction and a chuckle left his mouth.

    Abi looked at him. Alexughed?! And it wasn''t a cold, mockingugh!

    "Let me hear more of those moans, Abigail," he whispered sexily as her dress fell on the floor.

    Abi subconsciously covered herself with her hands.

    "What. Stop covering yourself when you''re the one who seduced me," he said and he caught her hands and moved them away.

    "H-huh? Seduce you? I didn''t ¨C"

    "You did. You licked your lips."

    "That was¡­ I was licking my s-saliva because I couldn''t use my hand to wipe it, ''cause I was afraid to let go of you."

    As those words left her mouth, Alex wasn''t even surprised anymore. Knowing her, he knew she wouldn''t have done that purposely. But¡­

    "It''s toote, Abigail. Look what you''ve done," He whispered as he licked her ear while putting her hand on his hard little monster that was already standing upright.

    Abi swallowed as she felt it move under his pants.

    "Your punishment will start now, Abigail," he said and Abi looked at him in confusion. "Undress me," he ordered, his gaze scorching with an intense and fiery desire.

    "Now, Abigail. Don''t make me wait," he ordered again and the girl immediately moved. She didn''t understand. How could this be a punishment? He was just asking her to undress him? Could it be that he decreased her punishment because she had waited for him outside in the cold for hours?

    "Stop thinking about something else, Abigail, and look at me," he spoke again, pulling Abi''s every bit of attention back to him.

    She undressed him, removing one item of clothing after another as the warm shower continued flowing over them, until his pants were the only things left.

    The sound of his cking belt then echoed faintly inside the bathroom. Once his pants fell on the floor, his bulge came into view with only his ck boxers covering it.

    Abi''s eyes wandered around, not daring to look at it, her face zing red as she looked up at him.

    The manid his eyes on her bathtub and he walked towards it. He sat on the edge and looked at her as the tub was being filled with warm water.

    "Come here, Abigail," he called out to her and the girl moved towards him. Alex was so gorgeous but too dangerous to look at.

    He held her hands and pulled her to him, making her stand between his legs.

    "Kiss me the way you did outside while stroking me," he instructed her. There was no mischief in his eyes and Abi noticed that Alex was saying what he wanted very clearly this time.

    "What. You don''t want to do it?"

    "No. It''s just¡­ I''m just amazed that you''re not embarrassed at all," She meekly said and the man''s lips curved.

    "Why should I feel embarrassed? My body is perfect, there''s nothing to feel ashamed of," he stated it like it was a fact and Abi was speechless. Well, he wasn''t wrong. His body was pure perfection, a feast for the eyes. It was well proportioned, toned, muscr and just incredible.

    "Now start, Abigail," he impatiently pulled her and then their lips collided. Abi closed her eyes and she started kissing him.

    His lips were softer than when they were outside. Maybe because they were both cold back then?

    Alex let her explore his mouth and only responded to her softly. It was like he was savoring the sweetness of her innocent tongue wandering about.

    And then, Abi felt him lead her hand into his manhood. He made her cup it directly.

 Chapter 133 Too much

    <h4>Chapter 133 Too much</h4>

    [WARNING! THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR YOUNG READERS.]

    Abi''s eyes flew open. Even though she had already touched him before, she still was not used to it. Alex noticed and he delved deeper into her mouth, trying to distract her. After some time, a moan escaped from her lips again and she closed her eyes in pleasure.

    She wrapped her hand around him like she did thest time. She tried to get her brain to think about what she needed to do but before she could start, her body shivered, which Alex felt.

    Alex was pulled away from her lips as he stood up, breaking off her grip on him. He then took his boxers off and Abi kept her eyes on his eyes, not daring to look down. Alex then stepped inside the bath and pulled Abi to follow behind him. He sat on the bottom of the bath and ced Abi in front of him, with her legs straddling him.

    The warmth of the water seeped into Abi''s skin and warmed her blood. She was no longer quivering from the cold.

    Then, without a word, he picked up where he left off and kissed her slightly swollen lips again. Abi held onto the edge of the bath behind him to stop herself from toppling on top of him, while he, again, guided her other hand towards the big little monster.

    Abi held the big little monster in her hand and gripped it at the base. She then slowly moved her hand up and down, as he had taught her. Abi felt a little more confident and this time, her movements were a bit more sure and precise. Alex kept her lips busy while Abi kept his little monster upied.

    Alex was very aroused by this point and his little monster couldn''t hold out for too long before he finally exploded in the warm water.

    Abi moved back a little as she panted for air and Alex was also gasping for air. He felt so good and the lust in his eyes slowly faded. However, he wasn''t finished yet. That was only the first part of her punishment. Now, it was time for part two.

    Abi was still trying to catch her breath when Alex stood up and carried her along with him. He climbed out of the bath and started to remove her wet clothes from her body. Abi tried to resist because she felt extremely shy but Alex wouldn''t let her.

    "Abigail, you''ll catch a cold if you don''t take those clothes off," he reasoned and Abi knew he was right.

    "Close your eyes and don''t peek," she said, a little defiantly.

    The man did as she asked, with a slight curve of his lips. It didn''t matter if she made him close his eyes because he had already seen her naked body before anyway.

    When Abi was sure that he wasn''t looking, she took off her clothes and dried her body, before grabbing a robe and covering herself. Once she was done, she said, "Okay, you can open your eyes, now."

    Without saying anything, the man immediately scooped her up and led her to the bed. He turned the lights off before he went and climbed on the bed next to her.

    "Okay, Abigail. The next part of your punishment is about toe," he whispered in her ear before he again covered her lips. This time, though, he was very gentle, teasing and licking and pecking her lips, as he slipped his hands under her robe. He ced his hand on her abdomen and trailed them up to her breast. Her nipples were already hard from desire.

    Abi''s senses were on overload. The softness of his kiss and his tender touch felt extremely good. She kissed him back, as best as she could, and her body arched into his hands without her intention.

    Once he knew that he had her full attention, he slipped his hands down to her sex and found that it was already wet with desire.

    Alex''s eyes zed with something indescribable and as he pushed a finger inside her wet sex, he simultaneously pushed his tongue through her lips. The tingling feelings she was experiencing from her body was sensational. He then did the same thing fromst night. He slid his fingers in and out and after a while, inserted another finger, while his thumb caressed the little bud just above her entrance.

    Her mind felt like it a bomb was about to explode as his fingers yed havoc with her sex. She climbed up higher and higher and her moans turned wild as she neared that explosion. However, just as she was about to explode, Alex stopped.

    "Alex¡­ Please! Oh, please," she begged as she kissed him intently. She desperately wanted it, to feel that feeling again!

    "Just wait, littlemb. It''s not time yet¡­" he said over her lips.

    Removing his soaked fingers from inside her, he turned over so that he was now resting on his elbows, with Abi in between them, and his face just above her exposed breasts. He started ying with them again, but this time with his tongues, sucking and licking each one before moving his lips down towards her belly. But he didn''t stop there. He kept going down until his nose was right over her sex. He could smell the sweet scent of her arousal and he wanted to know what she tasted like.

    Abi was still trying to decipher what just happened but he didn''t give her a chance because in the next moment, he put his head down and his warm, wet tongue started licking her there!

    Abi was shocked and embarrassed at first but her brain was forced to be shut down as his tongue tasted her. His mouth and the licking and sucking - it was all too much for Abi to handle.

    She thrashed from the pleasure, her hands went to his head but she didn''t know whether to push him away or to pull him closer.

    All of a sudden, Abi started to feel that bubbling feeling again start to increase. She moaned, and arched her body and reacted to his every teasing. He kept the torture up without letting up.

    "Alex¡­" she whispered in between moans. "Alex¡­ I¡­ mmmm." She could no longer form the words as the feeling increased and increased.

    Alex knew she was getting closer and closer and so he slid two fingers inside her as his tongue did their magic.

    It was only mere seconds after that that Abi was finally relieved of the torture. He made her fly to the highest point of heaven and it was the most amazing feeling she had ever experienced.

 Chapter 134 Just do i

    <h4>Chapter 134 Just do i</h4>

    Abi was panting and gasping hard as she came back to earth down from outer space. There were zero thoughts running through her head and she felt like her body had gone numb. She couldn''t even register what had happened in her mind.

    Her face was as red as cooked shrimp but that look in her face was a dreamy view in Alex''s eyes. Watching her submit to him, hearing her every sweet moan and feeling her sensitive reactions were just too arousing for Alex. Even though his little monster was tamed just a while ago, he was god damn hard again!

    He was so hard it was unbearable and it was getting worse by the second. The self-control that he had when it came to sex, something that he thought would never be broken, disappeared ever since that night he first touched Abigail.

    Every time he touched her, he just wanted to take her and eat her whole, right then and there. It was harder than ever to stop himself. He just couldn''t take his mind off her, of wanting to take things to the next level, of wanting to be one with her. He never felt like this about sex before. Sex had always been about pleasure before Abigail came into his life, his pleasure.

    Alex half bit his lip as he looked at her. She was so damn beautiful.

    "Abigail¡­" he called out her name and Abi finally came back to her senses. She slowly looked at him with her face flushed so red in embarrassment.

    She was about to speak when the man moved on top of her. His eyes were like an inferno of desire. Abi''s heartbeat had just calmed down and yet it was starting to elerate again. That look in his eyes made her swallow.

    "A-alex¡­" she weakly called out his name but the man''s face slowly moved closer. He was going to kiss her again.

    However, all of the sudden¡­

    "Ahh¡­ Achoo!" the girl sneezed. She even hit Alex''s gorgeous nose by ident when her head lunged forward from the strength of the sneeze.

    The man froze in ce while Abi sneezed again.

    "I''m sorry¡­" she looked at him apologetically as she rubbed her reddened nose. Thank goodness she didn''t break his gorgeous nose with her headbutt.

    The man didn''t respond but in the next moment, he pulled the nket and wrapped her in it. He sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped his lower body with a towel.

    He turned on the light and was about to leave when Abi called out.

    "Alex!" she frantically climbed out the bed, wrapping her naked self with the nket.

    The littlemb, unfortunately,? stepped on the nket in her rush to get to him and she rolled on the floor.

    Alex was speechless but he immediately moved and helped the little rolling white sushi up.

    "Tch! How clumsy are you?" he asked.

    "I-it''s because you made my knees weak!" sheined and the man''s lips curved upwards but he refrained from teasing her this time.

    "Go back to your bed and sleep. I''ll get you some medicine. I think your little fragile self already caught a cold," he said and then he turned to leave.

    But Abi caught his arm. "I''ll wait here, okay? I''m not going to sleep until youe back," she looked worried, causing Alex''s eyes to slightly widen. He remembered how things were between them before she had kissed him outside and he immediately turned to face the door.

    "I will be back, Abigail," was all he said and he moved to leave but still, Abi didn''t let go.

    "Call me little fruit or littlemb first," she suddenly said, and the man looked at her again.

    "What?"

    "J-just do it. Or, I won''t let go." Abi pressed her lips tight. She had noticed this before, that whenever Alex called her those nicknames, it meant that his mood was better. He wouldn''t call her those if he was still angry.

    Alex smirked in disbelief. The next second, he pinched her cheek. "So you actually like it when I call you that, huh? What an amusing, little fruit," he said and Abi finally felt a little better. "Are you happy now, Little fruit? You love it when I called you little fruit, huh?"

    "You may go now. I''ll wait here." Abi pushed him out of the door the third time he called her little fruit. She couldn''t believe that he started teasing her in an instant.

    But then, she was d that he seemed to have returned to his usual self. That was the most important thing right now.

    Abi then immediately cleaned herself and got changed. She also quickly changed the nket with her face burning red. She couldn''t help but think about what just happened in this very bed.

    The images shed in her head and she buried her face in her palms. She couldn''t believe that Alex did such a thing. And what embarrassed her more was her reactions when he did that.

    While she was drying her hair with the blower, Alex finally came back.

    He put the medicine on the table before he casually sat on the edge of her bed. Abi turned the blower off and looked at him. He was looking out the window silently.

    "Uhm¡­ do you want me to dry your hair?" she asked and the man raised his brow.

    "Sure," he agreed and Abi smiled. She could still feel his lingering coldness so she was trying her best to elevate the mood. "But drink your medicine first," he told her and Abi quickly did as he said.

    She then knelt behind him and turned the blower on. His jet back hair was damp but it was really soft in her hands. She ran her fingers through his hair and she thought about how he would probably break the inte if he was to be a model for any kind of hair product.

    Abi was thoroughly enjoying her task and her face slowly brightened up. His hair was already dry but she still wanted to keep caressing his hair. But then, she thought that it might damage his gorgeous hair so she reluctantly decided to stop.

    However, as soon as she put the blower away, the man''s body suddenly swayed. Abi caught his head and she was surprised to see that he was asleep.

 Chapter 135 Count me in

    <h4>Chapter 135 Count me in</h4>

    She slowly let him fall on the bed and then, she carefully lifted his heavy long legs onto the bed. It took all her strength just to lift those muscr legs on the bed.

    Once the man was finally lying on the bedfortably, Abi stared down at his peaceful sleeping face. This was first time she ever saw this man sleep. For all this time that she was with him, even those nights when they slept in the same bed, she never saw him fall asleep before her or wake upter than her.

    So this was such an unexpected surprise. Alex, suddenly falling asleep like this was really rare. She briefly wondered what he did today for him to be so exhausted and then her mind reminded her of what happened not too long ago and she blushed again. Did that exhaust him? Thank goodness he was asleep otherwise he would definitely know what she was thinking right then. But now that she thought about it, he called that as her punishment? She was confused. She didn''t understand where was the punishment there because all she felt when he was doing those to her was¡­

    Abi shook her head again, trying to free her mind of these naughty images and reverted her attention back to him.

    Watching his dreamy face, Abi then moved andid down next to him. He was lying close to the edge of the bed so she tried pulling him towards the middle but it was no use. It was impossible for her little strength to move him even an inch. dly, the sleeping Alex turned to his side, facing her.

    Abi smiled that he seemed to be a little obedient in his sleep. She stared at his face again. He was so peaceful. Like a harmless jellyfish floating in the deep ocean. He looked really beautiful and harmless but just like the jellyfish, he was meant to only be admired from far away because of the poison it carried.

    But Abi didn''t mind. She wasn''t going to be scared of his poison anymore, no matter how deadly it was.

    With a smile on her face, she stroked his hair softly and watched his sleeping face. Then, she kissed his forehead gently. She then ced herself down on the bed, lifted his arm and wiggled her way into his embrace with her back on his chest, before cing his arm over her waist, as she too drifted into a dreamless sleep.

    ¡­

    When Abi woke up, Alex was no longer beside her on the bed. She was afraid that the man had gone again so she quickly got changed and headed downstairs.

    She saw that no one was in the living room so she hastily walked towards the dining hall.

    dly, everyone was there. A smile immediately carved on her face as she approached the table, greeting them all a cheery good morning.

    Alex looked at her as she sat down.

    "Your cold?" he asked and instead of responding, Abi took his hand and ced it on her forehead.

    "It''s gone, Alex. The medicine you gave me is very effective," she happily told him.

    Xavier wasn''t around so their meal was unusually silent.

    "Uhm¡­ there''s going to be a performance today of a y that Kelly and I produced. It will be yed by the children from the orphanage where I am working. It starts at three this afternoon. I''d like to invite you guys toe and watch." Abi''s face was shining with excitement as she invited them.

    But the three men just sat there silently. Of course, Abi already expected their reaction. Even she couldn''t see these men arriving at that hall to watch a y that was going to be performed by children. And these men were no ordinary people, so how could they possibly agree? But despite knowing all this, she still tried, hoping that Alex would willingly agree without her using a request.

    However, it seemed like she really had to tell himter that this was one of her requests. That was the only way she could make hime with her.

    As the silence went on, Abi was about to tell them that it was fine since she knew they were busy when suddenly, a voice piped up.

    "Venue?" Zeke asked.

    Abi, Kai and even Alex all had the same reaction. The three of them looked at him like they just heard a certain mannequin speak.

    "Y-you wille?" Abi asked in disbelief and the man nced at his watch before he looked at her.

    "Yes. I have spare time," he nonchntly replied and Abi''s lips parted. Not only her, Alex and Kai were actually much more surprised than her.

    Kai couldn''t even move as he gaped at Ezekiel. What happened? Zeke, watching a y?!

    He shook his head in disbelief while Alex simply red at him, looking absolutely displeased.

    "That''s really amazing, Mr. Qin. We will be very happy to have you there!" Abi said excitedly. Since Abi moved into Alex''s house, the amount of time she spent in advertising for the y had decreased. She was also away for quite a few days when she went with Kelly to Country V so she had been a little worried that they might not be able to fill all the seats in the hall this time. Therefore, she was d that she at least recruited one more person.

    Abi then happily told him the venue and she even began to tell him some tips about the best spots to take a seat to get the best view.

    She didn''t notice that a certain someone''s face was getting darker by the minute until he suddenly butted in.

    "I''m pretty free as well. So count me in," Alex said and Abi''s head snapped towards him. Abi didn''t see how sharp his gaze was towards Zeke and she also didn''t see how Zeke''s lips slightly curved up the moment Alex said he woulde.

    "Okay, well, I guess that means I wille too." Kai said before a certain voice from the door rang in their ears.

    "Me four!! Count me in, Abigail!" Xavier, the pretty noisy guy, had arrived.

    Abi was surprised. She really never thought that these men would actuallye! And Alex even voluntarily agreed! This was such a blessing!

 Chapter 136 Last play

    <h4>Chapter 136 Last y</h4>

    Abi and Kelly spent the entire morning rehearsing with the children. Once noon break came, they let the children rest and get some food in them, while the two of them and a few staff from the orphanage helped them with the stage decorations.

    Abi and Kelly had not had any time for a casual chat that day, so Abi forgot to mention to Kelly that the four guys, living at Alex''s mansion at the moment, were alling to watch the y so the girl was clueless about it.

    "Your family is here, Abi!" Kelly eximed when she spotted the three of the four kindest people she had ever known, make their way down to take their seats. Abi''s family held a very special ce in Kelly''s heart and she actually couldn''t act like the bitchy rich kid that she was in their presence. It was not because she was hiding her real face from them, it was just that they were just really nice people that she just subconsciously refrained herself from cursing and being bitchy when she was with them, as a sign of respect. It was not an exaggeration but whenever she was with them, Kelly somehow wanted to be nice too, even for just a while, like how a good kid would behave when they went brought along to go to church.

    Abi''s family were that type of people who would actually stop or divert the traffic to let a mother duck and its ducklings cross the road, and Abi was like that too. Kelly could not believe it when she saw Abi do exactly just that for the first time, when they had just started to be friends.

    But Kelly really liked this family even though it was super awkward for her when she first slept over in their house. Their house was peaceful, free from all the dramas that every family in this world was probably going through. They had this quiet and super loving family that Kelly never knew still existed in this world. Sometimes, she would feel a little jealous but that feeling was a fleeting one. It would always be reced with gratitude that at least her friend had such an awesome family and that she could be a part of it.

    "Hello Uncle, Grandma, Grandpa!" Kelly called out with her loud sweet voice and waved her hands at them as she and Abi approached them.

    "Oh, hello, Kelly, dear. It''s been a while." Abi''s dear old grandma embraced her before she too embraced her grandchild, Abi.

    "How''s everything? Do you guys need any help?" Abi''s grandad chimed in.

    "No, no¡­ we''re almost done, gramps. You three should just go to your seats and rx." Abi grinned at them as she led them toward the front seats.

    "You guys came too early," Kelly yfully told them as she helped the old grandma to her seat.

    "Why not? We are our Abi''s number one fans so of course we wanted to grab the best seats! And of course, we are fans of yours too, Kelly," the old grandpa replied and Kelly grinned widely.

    However, in the back of their minds, even Abi''s, was the ever present thought of Abi''s illness. They were there early because they all knew that this would probably be Abi''sst y. In fact, Abi herself just knew that this would probably be herst and that was why she was doing her very best.

    Time passed and the finishing touches were just about done. The two girls were hurriedly getting everything ready and by the time the doors were ready to be opened to the general public, everything was in ce.

    The hall started to fill very quickly. Because she had been too busy with the final practise and the preparations, Abi almost forgot about the four guys she had invited, if not for Kai''s message to her.

    Kai''s message said that they were already outside the venue so Abi quickly walked out of the hall. There was still about half an hour before the y started so she voluntarily asked them to wait for her outside. Well, Abi was kind of worried that Alex would enter the hall like the king of hell, so she wanted to go out there first to make sure that everything was alright, that Mr. Alexander Qin wasn''t in a mood.

    dly, the moment she saw him leaning by the car with his usual majestic look, she was relieved. The jellyfish looked really calm today. In fact, he was shining like his normal self which made Abi''s heart fill up with dness as she smiled at him.

    "Alex," she called out as she ran towards him with a wave.

    The man looked at her and he froze for a moment when he saw her face. His little fruit was wearing make-up?

    "I thought you''re only a producer," Alex asked, his eyes glued to her face. She was still dressed in her normal clothes but her makeup, which consisted of dreamy colourful glitter, told him that she might be ying some sort of mythical creature like a fairy.

    "Ah, I''m ying as the fairy godmother." She smiled but she sounded sad as she said it. "Little Betty couldn''t make it today so I had to fill her ce." Her voice became a little weak, and sounded so heartbroken, but she forced herself to smile again. "Where are the others?" she looked inside the car when, suddenly the car window rolled down and Xavier''s face appeared.

    "Present!" the man cheerfully lifted his hand. Kai also stepped out at this point.

    "Mr. Qin couldn''t make it?" she asked when she couldn''t see Ezekiel and that one question, made Alex''s face turn a little sour.

    "Would it be a problem if he wasn''t going to make it?" Alex suddenly asked coldly, causing Abi to return her attention to him.

    "No, but he was the first one to say he was going toe so I guess I just expected him to be here, too," she simply answered. Alex was about to lift his hand to pinch her chin when the girl''s phone rang.

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 Chapter 137 Substitutes

    <h4>Chapter 137 Substitutes</h4>

    "Hello? Kelly?" she said as she answered the phone and Abi''s eyes slowly widened. "H-huh? Are they alright? Okay, I''ll be right there!"

    "What happened?" Xavier asked, seeing her panic but Abi just told them to go and find a seat inside as she rushed towards the back door where she came out from.

    "I smell trouble," Xavier uttered. He then turned to Alex to ask him if they were going inside the hall but the man was already walking away and he was heading straight towards the door where Abi had entered.

    Of course, Kai and Xavier followed him, like little puppies following their master.

    Once they were inside, they found out that a few people who had drunk some of the drinks from a fast food delivery were now suffering from stomach aches. It seemed that something may have been something in their drinks. Fortunately, only four male staff had a drink and the aches weren''t that severe. It was just making them run back and forth to the bathroom. Abi gave them some medicine to take but it would take some time to take effect so they were no longer in shape to do their tasks.

    "Oh no, what should we do now? We''re about to start! There''s no time to go and get other people," Kelly was biting her lip as she panicked.

    Abi, too, was feeling a little anxious now.

    But it was then that her eyes fell onto the three men who just came and an idea lit up in her eyes.

    Abi ran towards Alex and held his hand.

    "Alex, uhm¡­ can you grant me a request?" she was anxiously pressing Alex''s fingers as she asked. "We need someone to rece them. Can I ask a favor and uhm¡­ can you guys rece them? Please?"

    Abi was feeling a little regretful. She had invited them toe and watch the y, not to be participating in it as a staff member, but now, with things being how they were, she had to ask them for help. She felt that she had no choice but to shamelessly ask them.

    Meanwhile, Kelly was in shock from seeing the three creatures that Abi was asking to rece their fallenrades. She was already shocked by their presence alone, and now, Abi was actually asking them to be their staff''s substitutes?! And that guy in the middle was that hellishly mysterious king from hell, Alexander Qin! Oh god, Abi, are you serious right now?!

    But, as she thought about it, she also knew that they had no choice. They couldn''t possibly drag people from the audience because they were all old people and the task was something for agile men to do!

    Kelly just silently watched as Abi begged the man and she couldn''t ever imagine that Alexander Qin agreeing to do something like this. ''There''s no way in hell he would ept to do this, Abigail! Just ask him to send his bodyguards if he had any!'' she thought.

    Kelly wanted to barge in because they were running out of time but she was scared of that guy!

    "Uhm, Abigail¡­ what kind of tasks are those men supposed to do?" Xavier butted in.

    "It''s not that hard. I promise, it''s very easy."

    Xavier''s brows lifted up. He looked at Alex and he was about to speak when...

    "I volunteer." A deep voice echoed and everyone looked at the man who just came in.

    E-ezekiel Qin?!!!

    Kelly looked like she just saw a ghost. She didn''t know what was going on anymore. Not only was Abigail''s devil here, now this Demon turned up out of nowhere! What the hell was this man doing here?! Did Abigail know him?

    "Miss Chen, what do I need to do?" he asked as he walked closer to Abigail.

    "Oh, Mr. Qin. Thank you so much. Uhm¡­ you just need to ¨C"

    Before Abigail could exin, Alex suddenly wrapped his arm around Abi''s shoulders.

    "Tell me what I need to do first, little fruit," he uttered near her ear and Abi''s head snapped to his face.

    "You agree?!" she eximed, wide eyes.

    "Yes, you need four men, right? Count these two in behind me as well."

    Abi immediately hugged him. "Thank you, Alex!"

    Everyone: ". . ." They only turned up to watch a y so how did they end up getting roped into bing part of the crew?

    Kai felt like pinching the skin between his brows as he watched Zeke and Alex, while Xavier looked like he was being entertained to the max.

    "So? What do you want us to do?" Xavier asked excitedly but it was then that Kelly bravely called out for Abi''s attention.

    "Abi, it''s almost time. You still need to change into your costume," Kelly reminded her and Abi immediately jumped in panic.

    "Please, just standby, I will tell you what to do once I return," she told the four men and just like that, she and Kelly disappeared, leaving the four men standing there, with Alex staring at Zeke with daggers in his eyes and Kai just staring at them.

    Xavier''s eyes were darting back and forth between Alex and Zeke while nudging Kai.

    "What''s going on with those two?" Xavier whispered.

    "Don''t ask me."

    "What''s Zeke doing? Is he seriously hitting on Alex''s girl?"

    "Shut up, Xavier. Zeke''s not an idiot to do something like that."

    "Then why is he doing this? Our mighty Zeke never acted like this before, you know that."

    "Stop asking. How should I know? Go ask him, not me!"

    "Could it be that he likes Abigail, too? Or is he just trying to provoke Alex? But he''s acting very strange! That guy''s never acted all nice like that before, not even towards his family! I mean, when did he even learn to be like that?!" Xavier continued rambling on and didn''t notice that Kai had already walked away from him.

    Kai walked towards the wall on the other end of the room from that noisy, gossiping auntie, and just leaned on the wall and closed his eyes, as if to block out the world for a second.

    Somehow, it seemed that the world he knew had now been turned upside down.

 Chapter 138 Epic

    <h4>Chapter 138 Epic</h4>

    Finally, it was time for the y to begin. It had taken Abi longer to get ready so she didn''t quite have enough time to instruct the men beforehand. Abi immediately went on the stage the moment the clock struck 3:00pm to start, so Alex and the others didn''t see her.

    It was dark so she carefully sat on the stool while the children with her, quietly sat on the floor.

    And then, a single spot light was lit up, pointing at the beautiful fairy, dressed in a beautiful white dress and cute, white dragonfly wings. She looked so dreamy and was, at that moment, the definition of an ethereal beauty. The audience gasped upon the sight of her. They were expecting a cute adorable child but what they got was a breathtaking goddess. It was a real surprise.

    Abi, the fairy, satfortably on the stool as she held a wand in her hand. There were three children sitting on the floor, looking up at her, ready to listen to her story.

    "Once upon a time, there was a princess named Beauty," she finally started and her voice rang out clearly and with confidence. "She was the loveliestdy in the entire Kingdom. Oh, do you know how she became that lovely? Okay, let me tell you about it first. The king and queen of the kingdom are very kind and fair to their people. They treat everyone nicely and equally, no matter their circumstances. Because of their kindness, their kingdom prospered and the people were very happy. That was why a fairy - that''s me - decided to give them a reward. I decided to make their newborn baby the most beautiful princess in the world and that was how Beauty got her appearance. But, when this beautiful princess grew up, she became the opposite of her name. And this is where our story begins."

    The fairy lifted her finger and snapped it before the lights went ck.

    Abi ran to the back stage, shocking the four men with her goddess-like appearance, but they didn''t even have the time to admire her longer than a second because Abi immediately instructed the men to bring out the props.

    What? Props?

    Before they could even understand what was happening, Abi pushed them onto the stage.

    "Quick! Quick!" Abi led Alex and Zeke as they carried the big cardboard castle to the middle of the stage while Kai and Xavier held what looked like peasant''s homes with both their arms.

    It was dark so nobody, even Abi could see what kind of face the men were wearing right at that moment.

    But the two who were squatting on the floor could hardly stop themselves from trying to escape from the scene.

    "Stop nudging me, Xavier!" Kai almost wanted to kick the man next to him.

    "Don''t me me, will you? Like¡­ look¡­ what the heck are we even doing?!" Xavier was doing his best not tough out loud. This was just too much! What the hell just happened? They actually became prop men? Oh god! He had been expecting that they were needed to y as kings and knights or princes but props men?!! It would even be a little better if he and Kai were the only ones doing this but¡­ Alex and Zeke, too?!

    "Just shut your mouth, Xavier. You don''t have the right toin when Zeke and Alex are doing this so seriously."

    "Pfft! Doing it seriously you say¡­ I bet those two are also wondering what the hell they just volunteered themselves into right now. Pfft! Damn! Even I can''t believe this. Like, look¡­ oh god."

    Suddenly, the lights turned on. As the first scene started, Xavier bit his lips hard as he tried to steady his hands to not make the peasant houses he was holding onto, move as if there was currently an earthquake.

    Fortunately, he managed to calm himself. However, the moment he lifted his face and looked at the two men behind the castle, his cheeks bubbled and a "Pfft!" escaped from his mouth. He was thankful that the music was already ying because it drowned out the sound that was involuntarily torn from his lips. ''Oh god!! This is epic!!'' he cried. ''I wish I had a camera right now!''

    Alex and Zeke were wearing the same expressions. Their faces looked so damn serious, as if they were paying attention to a board report that could make or lose them millions of dors if they didn''t listen carefully, and they stood as still as statues. It was obvious that they were utterly confused with what they were doing. Their brows knotted into a hard knot as if they were still trying to decide if they were still on earth or if they, the great Alex and the mighty Zeke, had actually transmigrated into a different world to the bodies of lowly peasants.

    That was truly a sight to behold. Xavier even thought that this would be something he would always remember andugh at even when he grew old. ''Damn, this is too funny! Pfft!'' Who would have thought he would live to see the day when these two guys would do something like this!

    As Xavier was busyughing at the two castle men, the y continued smoothly with the princess wandering around in the vige and belittling the peasantry despite them praising her beauty.

    The kids were performing it so beautifully and their acting was almost on par with professional actors, especially the princess.

    After the first scene ended, Abi, the fairy, then entered the scene again, and the two men behind the castle were left to be two gorgeous pirs.

    However, once Abi was gone, Alex''s sharp gaze flew towards Zeke, tantly telling Zeke that none of this would be happening if it wasn''t for him butting in and volunteering.

    "Stop looking at me like that. You''re the one who volunteered to do this," Zeke casually said and the castle moved a little.

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 Chapter 139 Only

    <h4>Chapter 139 Only</h4>

    dly, Alex controlled himself and made sure to keep the castle still again.

    "Shut up, Zeke! Why are you even here?" he asked, seemingly pissed.

    "Because Abigail invited me," Zeke replied and the castle moved slightly again. But in the next second, the fairy returned to her hiding ce and smiled at the two of them. Alex''s face immediately returned to normal. She looked up at Alex and asked him in a whisper.

    "I didn''t sound so nervous, right?" she whispered and Alex could only nod. Truth be told, he didn''t even hear anything that she said because he was too busy using Zeke.

    The y continued smoothly. The castle men and peasant''s house''s men remained in their positions. They were silentlyughing at themselves but every time the audience pped andughed along with the y''s progression, they slowly started listening to the y and they too ended up looking forward to what would happen next. Alex and Zeke somehow managed to keep their faces straight until finally, after six scenes, the setting changed and Abi led them out to the backstage.

    However, their task wasn''t finished yet! Alex soon became a door while Zeke ended up being a cab. Kai and Xavier were the ones who carried the chairs and tables on and off the stage every time the lights turned off.

    The y was nearing its end. One of thest scenes would be of the fairy and the princess under a tree. They only needed one tree on the stage and one person could carry it.

    "We only need one person to hold the tree," Abi exined.

    The tree was beside Alex but he didn''t move to get it. Abi was about to ask Kai to do it when again, someone volunteered first. Wordlessly, Ezekiel moved towards the tree and reached his hand out to grab it.

    But, when he was about to touch it, Alex suddenly grabbed the tree first and tucked it away, as if he didn''t want Ezekiel to even touch it, before he walked towards Abi.

    "Let''s go," he said and Abi blinked before the two of them hastily ran to the stage.

    "Pfft!! My God! Haha!" Xavier finally let out augh while Kai was looking at Zeke''s expression very intently.

    On the stage, Alex, the tree, realized that he was the only prop on stage and he began tough inwardly. What the hell was he doing? How did the great Alexander Qin end up being a tree? He was shaking his head at the incredulity of the situation he was in at that moment. He couldn''t believe what he was doing. He couldn''t help but think that even those whom he put to sleep forever would turn inside their graves if they saw him doing any of this right now!

    Xavier could not stopughing and he even went so far as to take his phone out and snap a photo of Alexander Qin, the tree. The only constion was that Abi was also in the picture, looking like a real beauty. Xavier looked at the photo and despite Alexander''s frown, he thought it was actually a really great photo of the two of them. He quickly put his phone away to stop the mad devil from noticing what he had done.

    Finally, the y ended. The lights turned off so Alex, the tree, moved to leave when suddenly, Abi grabbed his hand.

    "Stay here, Alex," she whispered and the lights turned back on again. All the cast, including the producers, Abi and Kelly, appeared on stage and they all bowed to the audience as the audience gave them a huge round of apuse.

    They then took a picture of the whole crew with Alex, the tree, still standing in the middle.

    ¡­

    The y was a huge sess. Every single seat in the hall was actually filled up and everyone was very happy and satisfied with the performance.

    After the pictorial, Abi was busy congratting the children for a job well done when Alex, the tree, finally moved to leave.

    However, the kids stopped him.

    "Mr. Tree, thank you so much for helping us!" they said, smiling at him in gratitude.

    Alex''s face was indescribable at the time but he managed to keep his calm. Well, looking at how happy that certain little fairy of his was right now, he couldn''t possibly create trouble by making any of these children cry. Therefore, the man forced his dark aura into hiding and he even managed a little smile.

    "Yeah, good job kids," he told them and then he quickly walked away after that. He was in such a haste because he didn''t want the children to speak to him and call him Mr. Tree again. Who are they calling a tree?!

    But again, the man was stopped in his tracks. Alex''s face subconsciously darkened as he red at the person who dared to stand before him and stop his escape. But his re didn''t evenst a second the instant he saw who was blocking his path, because the person was the fairy godmother.

    Since the beginning of the y, Alex didn''t really get a moment to clearly see Abi in her full costume. It was a little dim behind the castle where she always hid with them and he couldn''t stare at her when they were at backstage because she was too busy with the giving them props and making sure everything went smoothly. Also, Alex was too busy ring at Zeke whenever he saw the damn guy looking at his fairy godmother.

    So now that she was clearly in front of him, under the bright light, Alex couldn''t take his eyes off of her. His eyes were just fixated on her as he stood there, still like stone.

    "Thank you so much for the help, Alex," Abi beamed at him as she moved closer to him and held his hand. "I can''t thank you guys enough. If you and the others weren''t here, it would''ve really been a huge problem," she told him, as she looked up at him with pure gratitude written on her face.

    "This was definitely not a free service, Abigail. I''ll have to demand something in return," he replied after more than twenty seconds of silence.

    What he said seemed to be something that Abi had already expected and she just grinned at him. "Mn. You and the others saved us today so you can ask me for anything once we get home, okay?"

    Abi was just so happy that she didn''t even notice that Alex''s eyes widened slightly the moment she uttered the word ''home''. He fell silent while the girl continued talking, until suddenly, a middle aged man called for her.

    Alex immediately saw the surprise written on her face the instant she heard the man''s voice. She even turned like lightning to look at the man who called out to her. Alex creased his brows as he looked at the man but the moment Abi called him ''Dad'', Alex didn''t know why his body suddenly felt a little strange.

 Chapter 140 Invitation

    <h4>Chapter 140 Invitation</h4>

    Andrew congratted his daughter and his gaze quickly flew towards the man holding the tree. He had actually been watching his daughter for a while now and when he saw her hold the man''s hand while happily talking to him, Andrew could already tell that this man might have been the one who made Abi became livelier and happier.

    But when Andrew saw the man''s face, he immediately felt uneasy. The young man was too good looking and not that just that, he had this noble and intimidating aura that nobody could ignore, despite the fact that he was acting like a prop man. Andrew could just feel that the young man was definitely not someone ordinary. In fact, he couldn''t believe that his presence was far more incredible than this country''s esteemed president whom he had once met by ident and even shook hands with. But it wasn''t just because of that. Andrew felt uneasy the moment he saw how the young man stared at his daughter. That look in his eyes¡­ it was¡­

    "Thank you, daddy," Abi replied as she pulled away from her father''s embrace. It was then that she saw that her father was looking past her. He was looking at Alex and Abi suddenly felt quite nervous.

    "Who is this young man?" Andrew asked his daughter and Abi felt like her heart jump. She looked at Alex and the man just stared back at her calmly. His eyes gave nothing away and Abi couldn''t get anything from them.

    "Uhm¡­ dad, this Alex," she told him, almost shyly, as she looked at Alex. There were questions in her eyes, asking if it was okay for her to disclose that he was her boyfriend to her family. She didn''t want to lie to her family again so she was thinking of telling them the truth but she was hesitant. She was afraid that Alex might not like it.

    Andrew leaned in on her daughter and whispered in her ear. "Abi, this is the man you like, right?" he asked and Abi blushed as she meekly nodded.

    Her father then looked at Alex again. "Are you courting my daughter?"

    Alex and Abi had the same reaction upon hearing the man''s question. Alex''s eyes flew towards Abi. Courting? Was he courting his little fruit?

    Alex didn''t court. He never chased any woman before and the word ''courting'' had never appeared in his dictionary.

    "No," he replied. Alex didn''t know why he was acting strange, almost as if he was subconsciously being careful in front of this man. This man was ordinary, he could sense it with one look but for some reason, it was like he didn''t even want to frown while the man was looking at him. It almost looked like he was trying to give him the impression that he was not a bad guy, even though he was, and he didn''t know why.

    "Oh, so you''re Abi''s friend¡­" Andrew was about to look at his daughter but the man spoke again.

    "No," was all he replied, causing Andrew''s eyes to slightly widen. He looked at his daughter with questions in his eyes. His daughter held this man''s hand so intimately and yet they weren''t even friends?!

    Abi bit her lips hard as she stared back at her father before her lips hesitantly opened again. "Uhm¡­ dad, he''s my boyfriend," she meekly confessed as she kept ncing at Alex.

    Andrew was surprised. This was something he didn''t expect. He was sure that it wasn''t even a month yet since she met this man. But somehow, he felt relieved that his daughter was in rtionship with him. This was better than his daughter liking a man who didn''t even see her as a friend.

    "Alex, meet my dad, Andrew Chen," Abi continued the introduction, her eyes never left Alex''s face. She could hear how loud her heartbeats were at the moment, as she waited for Alex''s reaction.

    But to her relief, Alex simply reacted like an ordinary person and greeted her dad. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Chen," was what he said in a calm voice.

    "Oh, nice to meet you, Alex¡­"

    "Alexander Qin." Alex filled in the nks as he stretched out his hand for a handshake which was epted by Andrew.

    The two had just retracted each other''s hands when an old couple had arrived in the scene.

    "My, my, so you''re the one behind my granddaughter''s smiletely," an old woman approached them and she immediately took Alex''s hand, like how a loving grandmother does to her beloved grandson.

    Alex looked like he had stiffened a bit as he looked down at the old grandma, obviously confused or overwhelmed, but still calm as an untouchedke.

    "What a good-looking child, but youplement my lovely granddaughter''s beauty," she teased. "This grandma would like to invite you for dinner at our house tonight. So Abi, take him back home tonight, okay? We will go first so we can start preparing for the dinner. We will wait for you two. Make sure not toe hometer than seven."

    Just like that, the three left them without even letting Abi nor Alex ept or decline their invitation. Abi couldn''t believe that her grandma decided all of that on her own like that.

    Abi was biting her lips as she slowly turned to look at Alex.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, I¡­" Abi pressed her lips in a hard line. "I was ¨C"

    "It''s okay, it''s just dinner," he cut through her and Abi''s eyes widened in surprise. She grabbed the man''s arms as she looked up at him with her big round eyes.

    "Y-you''re not angry?!" she asked and man frowned.

    "Why would you think I am angry?"

    "B-because I told them that you''re my boyfriend without your permission."

    Alex lifted his hand and was about to pinch her cheek but he stopped. Her face was still decorated with glitters and he didn''t want to ruin it with his own hand.

    Clicking his tongue, Alex grabbed her hand and pulled her with him as they left the stage.

 Chapter 141 My type

    <h4>Chapter 141 My type</h4>

    Meanwhile, backstage, Kai was about to go and check on Alex because he was taking too long when a long leg suddenly stretched out to stumble him.

    He quickly halted in his tracks, looking at the leg, before his eyes travelled to the owner''s face.

    "Yo, pretty boy¡­" Kelly winked sexily at him as she looked up. She was sitting on the floor and leaning on the wall. She was wearing ck boots and her long legs, that looked like they were meant for the runway, were definitely wless. However, this badass looking girl was that same annoying little psycho who had given him a he hard time back in Country V. Actually, he had been avoiding her since he saw her in this ce, but it looked like this little hooligan wasn''t willing to let him live in peace.

    Kai sighed and he lifted his legs, nning to walk over her and leave to go get Alex, when to his surprise, the damn hooligan lifted her leg as well. She lifted it so high that her leg was trapped between Kai''s legs.

    Kai could only open his mouth as he looked down at her in disbelief.

    "Put down your legs now, you hooligan," he said in a firm and hard voice, but the girl simply smiled.

    "And if I don''t? What are you going to do? Huh? My pretty boy?" she sexily asked as she slowly lifted her long leg even higher. Kelly was athletic and her movement was pretty agile so what she was doing was pretty easy for her.

    Kai was starting to pop veins. This damn hooligan was really shameless! How could ady act like this?!

    When Kelly started moving her leg even higher, Kai finally lost it and he grabbed her foot.

    "Ah!" Kelly faked a moan, causing the few staff to look at Kai with using looks. One of them was about toe over and ask what was going on when Kai, who immediately felt damn embarrassed, quickly let go of her foot.

    Damn this woman!

    "Hehe," Kelly grinned as she stood up in a sh. She blocked Kai''s path and looked closer at his pretty face. "Sigh¡­ you''re really cute. I can''t help but want to tease you every time I see this pretty face," she whispered.

    For what felt like the hundredth time since he met her again in country V, Kai wished that this woman was a man, so that he could at least fight him and beat him to a pulp because he really had no idea how deal with her!

    ¡­

    "My, my¡­ what''s going on here? I didn''t know that the oh-so esteemed Skyler Qin was secretly dating too, eh?" Xavier''s arm suddenly draped around Kai''s shoulders the instant the damn hooligan was forced to leave him because someone called out to her. "Whew! She''s hot and I would say, definitely my type." Xavier whistled and Kai violently shook his arm off him. "Hey, hey¡­ don''t be mad. If she''s already yours, I ¨C"

    "She''s not mine or anything like that so just shut up, Xavier." Kai felt annoyed. That girl was really sucking every ounce of patience from his body.

    "Oh? She''s not your girlfriend?!" Xavier''s eyes were wide.

    Huh? Girlfriend? That hooligan?

    Kai shook his head. There was no way he would date a shameless girl like her. He felt that doing that would only be digging his own grave!

    "Whoa! So you''re saying you''re not nning to make her yours as well?"

    "Tch! Stop talking nonsense. I have no such ns of idiocy nor do I have anything to do with her." Kai looked serious as he said those but to Xavier, Kai looked like he was over reacting. Oho¡­ was this guy annoyed, or jealous?

    Xavier could already read every little quirk of this guy so he could tell that he was really riled up. He knew that it was extremely rare to be able to annoy this guy, whom he thought was currently third in line in the list of the most boring men in the world.

    With a smile on his face, Xavier looked at Kai meaningfully.

    "Oh, nice. I like her, Kai. She''s really my type," Xavier said with interest which was unexpectedly not a lie. He really had been admiring that girl since he saw her before the y began and Xavier thought that she was really sexy and attractive. "What''s her name?"

    "Ask her yourself," was all Kai replied, already stepping away from him.

    "Sigh¡­ what a boring guy," Xavier could only mumble as he followed him, but it was then that they saw Alex and his girl heading towards them.

    They all then went to where Zeke was standing, waiting for them, and Abi immediately thanked them all with great sincerity. She was truly indebted to all of them today.

    "No problem, Miss Abigail. We kind of enjoyed the tasks. Haha," said Xavier in a cheerful voice. "Right?" he nudged Kai.

    "Yes, I didn''t have a problem helping you with it. It was a good experience." Kai was as gentle and polite as ever and Abi could tell that he was not lying just to make her feel better.

    "Thank you," she could only say. She wished that she could at least offer them something as a token of gratitude. She thought about giving them some of the money they raised and quickly shook her head. These guys would probably be insulted if she did that. Besides, the money they raised from the y was all for a good cause to help the orphanage and also to go towards Little Betty''s treatment. She, at least, would be able to do something for Alex but what about for the other three?

    As Abi was in the middle of trying to think about what she could give them as a thank you present, a staff member called for her.

    It seemed everything had been packed up so Abi quickly thanked them again before she left.

 Chapter 142 Option

    <h4>Chapter 142 Option</h4>

    After some time, the men were sitting inside the car as they waited.

    Alex and Zeke were sitting in the backseat, with Zeke busy on his tablet, while Alex waszily resting his face on his palm as he stared out the window.

    Xavier was on the driver''s seat, silently trying tomunicate with Kai, who was sitting in the passenger''s seat.

    "Ahem¡­" Xavier broke the silence. "That really? was such a nice experience, right?" he grinned at Kai.

    "It wasn''t that bad. I finally realized that the behind the scenes of those ys aren''t a joke. The audience don''t have any idea that behind those curtains, everything is chaotic and filled with pressure," replied Kai seriously and an invisible sweat drops fell from Xavier''s forehead. Hey! Why are you turning the conversation into something deep? I was just trying to make the two stone pirs behind us talk!

    "Haha, yeah, you''re right. But honestly, it was something I never ever imagined to ever experience." Xavier was ncing at the two at the back but his efforts didn''t work. He felt like he had be a radio, just spouting out background music that no one really listened to.

    Losing his patience, Xavier finally turned around and looked at the two behind him. "So? How was the experience for you two? Did you enjoy being props men?" he asked and Zeke''s finger, which was swiping his tablet, halted. Alex also nced at him for a while.

    "Hm, indeed, it was a very interesting experience," was all Zeke replied and then he casually continued what he was doing.

    ''That''s all you have to say?! Geez¡­ did you really understand what you just did? Huh? Ezekiel Reign?! You are a tycoon and a¡­ geez! What a boring guy!'' Xavier ranted in his head before his attention moved to Alexander, thest creature on earth that he and everyone who knew him, would ever imagine doing those kinds of tasks.

    "How about you, Alex? I bet, that was officially the most unforgettable experience in your life," Xavier grinned but that wasn''t actually an exaggeration.

    However, Alex didn''t even seem to hear him. He seemed to be in his own thoughts, as if he was thinking about something so serious that it required his full attention.

    As Xavier was about to repeat his question to Alex, the stone pir suddenly spoke.

    "Xavier¡­ have you ever dined with your girlfriend''s family?" Alex suddenly said. Xavier was immediately choked at the bomb that Alex detonated out of nowhere, while Zeke and Kai''s head snapped towards Alex.

    Xavier: "Cough, cough, cough!"

    Zeke and Kai: "!!!!!"

    Trying to recover from the shock, Xavier cleared his throat and looked at Alex again, who seemed unbothered with all their reactions.

    "W-what do you mean? I mean, where did that came from? Could it be that you''re nning to ¨C"

    "What I''m looking for is an answer, Xavier, not another question." Alex said firmly as he red at Xavier and the man could only sigh.

    "Well, my ex had invited me before to a dinner at their house but I never granted her request."

    "Why you didn''t go?"

    "Er¡­" The hell Alex, why are you asking this thing all of the sudden?! "Well, I just didn''t want to go, I guess¡­ haha¡­"

    "Why didn''t you want to?" Alex''s eyes were looking intently at him. Darn! He now regretted pestering this dark dragon! Now, he felt like his life was in danger if he didn''t answer!

    "Because¡­ I think, the reason is because I was not ready to meet her family."

    "What do you mean you weren''t ready?"

    "I mean¡­" God! I wanna run away. T^T!! Leave me alone, Alex. I promise, I won''t pester your peaceful moment again!

    "Answer."

    "Well, I mean¡­ it''s because I wasn''t really that serious in our rtionship."

    Alex''s brows creased.

    "Alex, did Abi invite you to meet her parents?"

    "No, her grandmother invited me for dinner."

    ". . ."

    OMG! You already met her parents?!!!

    "So? Are you going?" Zeke was the one who asked.

    Alex looked outside again, silent.

    "If you don''t want to, I could go in your ce and apologize on your behalf," Zeke added and Xavier choked again while Kai''s lips parted in disbelief.

    Alex''s dark aura immediately zed as his deadly gaze dissected Zeke.

    "Zeke¡­ are you really trying to rile me up?"

    "I''m merely giving you an option to opt out of it, Alex," he calmly replied, unfazed.

    "Ha!" Alex brieflyughed sarcastically before his gaze turned even sharper as he looked at Zeke.

    But before he could say anything more, his phone vibrated.

    Alex brought it out and when he saw that it was Abigail who was calling him, he opened the door, stepped out and mmed it close before he answered it.

    "Alex, where are you?" the girl asked.

    "Outside."

    "Oh, wait for me for a little bit longer, okay? I''ll be there in five minutes."

    "Mn."

    Upon the call ending, Alex leaned on the side of the car and his gaze fell towards the night sky.

    Meanwhile, inside the car, the three men were silent.

    Zeke casually returned his attention on the data that he was checking on his tablet, while Kai was looking at him through the rearview mirror.

    "Zeke¡­" Kai then spoke after a long while. "Why are you doing this? Could it be that you like Abigail?" he frankly asked, staring intently at the man''s reflection on the mirror.

    Zeke''s lips slightly lifted and he calmly stared back at Kai.

    "You think I like her?" he questioned and Kai sighed. He knew it wasn''t going to be easy to get anything from this man.

    "I don''t know¡­ I just don''t get why you''re doing all this. I just hope you''re not plotting something, Zeke."

    Zeke''s lips slightly curved up into a quick smile again, before he rested his face on his knuckles and looked at Alex, who was making his way to his own car, with an unfathomable expression on his face.

 Chapter 143 Nice and good

    <h4>Chapter 143 Nice and good</h4>

    Abi had already changed her clothes when she left the hall. Abi and Kelly kissed each other goodbye before Abi walked over Alex''s car.

    She sat in the passenger''s seat and buckled her seatbelt before she looked at Alex.

    "Thank you for waiting, Alex." She smiled at him. She was still wearing her fairy make-up and her beautiful face was still glistening.

    As always, Alex didn''t respond. He just started the car and quietly drove away.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, if you don''t want to go, it''s okay." Abi hesitantly said to him after a long spell of silence. "I will exin to grandma that you are busy."

    Suddenly, Alex pulled the car on the side of the road. His gaze was sharp as he turned to her.

    "Come here, Abigail," he ordered and Abi swallowed before she moved as per hismand. He stretched out his hand and held her waist, making her straddle him.

    Abi''s knees were on the seat, with him between her legs.

    She looked at his glorious face and she felt his intense gaze burning her face.

    "Do you want me to go or not?" he asked, surprising Abi. His voice was deep and he didn''t seem to be annoyed. He seemed very serious this time and she noticed that he had been like that since the y started hours ago.

    "Of course I would really love it if you came along!" she quickly told him. He didn''t know this but this was one of the items on her wishlist that she had removed because she never thought that Alex would agree to it. She never really nned on introducing Alex to her family because she thought that the man would never want to do that. After all, their rtionship was a deal and not something that started from them liking each other. Not only that, she was also afraid that he would find out her secret. Fortunately, Abi had time to speak with her dad before she left the hall a while ago and she begged him to tell her grandparents not to mention anything to do with her illness during dinner.

    "Then stop telling me that it''s okay for me not to go," he uttered as his thumb caressed her lower lip.

    Abi just blinked. She thought that Alex was acting a little strange today.

    "What are you thinking?" he asked, pulling Abi''s thought back to reality.

    "I¡­ I was thinking of something¡­ about you," she told him the truth and the man''s lips curved up.

    "Oh, really? Mind telling me?"

    Abi hesitated for a moment. "I was thinking that you seem a little different today¡­"

    "How so?" he narrowed his eyes, intrigued.

    "Like¡­ you''re being so nice¡­ I mean," she subconsciously lifted her hand and touched his face gently. "You''ve been such a good boy today, Alex," she uttered and it was Alex''s turn to be still. What? What was she saying? Him? Nice? Good boy?

    A throaty chuckle left Alex''s mouth. "Good boy¡­ are you sure about that? Huh? Abigail?"

    The girl nodded like she was more than certain about it.

    "You helped me withoutint, you even volunteered to be a tree and then you spoke with dad nicely¡­ and now, you''reing to our house for dinner!" Abi listed all the things out and it was then that Alex realized that he did indeed do all those things that she said. Pictures of the things that happened shed in his head and his eyes slowly narrowed.

    "Alex?" Abi called out his name and the man immediately cleared his throat as he looked at her. "What were you thinking?"

    Alex''s lips curved up with her question. "I was thinking about what I should demand from you for being a good boy today¡­" he answered, averting his gaze as he cleared his throat again.

    Abi''s eyes just widened as if she just heard something unbelievable.

    "Since you said I was a good boy today, you should reward me, Abigail. Otherwise I might not be a good boy anymore."

    This was in fact the very first he had been called a good boy. He never once thought that someone would ever call him nice and good and he found it simply unbelievable. Unfortunately, he wasn''t buying any of it, even if it was his littlemb who was saying it, because he knew more than anyone else that he was theplete opposite of what she was saying and nothing would ever change that.

    He didn''t think that what he did today was that amazing that she would actually call him good and nice but he thought that this littlemb was the only one who would ever think this way about him. But then, he wondered if this girl, if this littlemb of his, would show him even a little smile if she knew who he really was.

    "R-reward? What kind of reward would you want from me?" she asked him and another smile appeared on Alex''s face.

    "Would you give me any reward that I want?"

    "As long as it''s not rted to money and the impossible, I will do my best to get it and give it to you."

    There was determination in her eyes as she told him those words, causing Alex''s smile to turn even sexier. His hand crawled from her face to the back of her neck, causing tingles and shivers on Abi''s skin. His gaze became scorching and before she knew it, she was swallowed by his deep gaze again.

    He pulled her closer to him until her face hovered above his. Their noses touched each other as they looked into each other''s eyes, closer than ever. "Abigail¡­ once you hear what I want you to do, you will never call me ''nice'' and ''good''¡­ ever again¡­"

    For a moment, as he whispered those words, Abi saw something in his eyes that broke her heart into pieces. Those eyes of his that had always been encapsted by thick darkness and coldness, those beautiful yet deadly eyes that she thought would forever be unfathomable, suddenly opened up its rustic door¡­ and for the first time ever, it became transparent, like the clear surface of ake¡­ but beneath it, she saw nothing but dark, dead emotions and... frozen pain.

    She felt like she was staring at a bizarre and disturbing ancient dark themed painting and she felt her heart bleed.

    Her hands slowly moved. They made their way around his head and then, the next moment¡­

    Her lips gentlynded on his forehead.

 Chapter 144 Peach

    <h4>Chapter 144 Peach</h4>

    Alex immediately froze under her. Nobody ever kissed him this way before and he didn''t expect that just a kiss on his forehead would shut him down like this. He couldn''tprehend what he was feeling at the moment. All he knew was that this certain kiss she just gave him was worth a thousand kisses on the lips, the one kiss that he would never forget from all the piled up, intimate and lustful kisses he had acquired before her.

    Before he met her, kisses were not meant for anything else but lust and pleasure, but after he met her, it changed. The kisses that they shared were never for lust and pleasure but from desire and passion, but it changed once again into this something indescribable one. This kiss was like a soft and warm nket being wrapped around his frozen cold body, melting him effortlessly. He felt that this kiss was meant far, far more than just desire. At that moment, he felt like she didn''t kiss his body, she had kissed his soul, his cold and pitch ck soul.

    Abi felt him stiffen like a rock under her.

    She had felt this pain countless times before. Whenever he sat by the firece alone, Abi had always felt this pain in her heart as she looked at him. She thought that it was all because of the thought that she would be leaving him one day, but now she realized it wasn''t because of that.

    This Alex in her embrace was just the tip of an iceberg. She always had this feeling that he was hiding things from her, things that she probably couldn''t even imagine, but she only thought that what was hiding inside him was mere danger and darkness. She didn''t see the dead emotion that he had killed inside him. She was too focused on her own wishes that she failed to see the turmoil this person was going through.

    She had seen it before that time at the beach, where he looked like a lost soul with nowhere else to go, like he belonged nowhere, yet she chose to believe in his tough, stone cold and indestructible exterior.

    Tonight, she realized that this person was the one who needed hugs and embraces more than anyone else. Had she realized this sooner, she would have embraced him more, every single time she had the chance.

    The two stayed like that, in silence, for an indefinite amount of time until a ringtone buzzed.

    Abi let go of him and pulled away as she stretched out her hand and took her bag. She sat on Alex''sp and was a little startled when she realized that the one calling was her grandma.

    "G-grandma? Yes, yes grandma, we''re almost there¡­" she bit her lip as she stared at Alex. They had actuallypletely forgotten about the dinner.

    "Yes, we''reing."

    Once the call ended, Abi returned to her seat as Alex immediately elerated onto the road again.

    They arrived at Abi''s house in a sh.

    Abi didn''t hesitate to hold Alex''s hand as she smiled at him.

    They both approached the doorway with Abi leading him when suddenly the man paused, stopping Abi from reaching out the doorknob.

    She looked back at him in curiosity.

    "Alex?" she called out as she faced him.

    The man slightly loosened his tie. "What if¡­ your family gets scared of me?" he suddenly asked, seeming unsure of himself for the first time since she had met him.

    Abi: ". . ."

    "You know how my mood changes unpredictably. I can''t control my aura even if I wanted to. If they ended up being intimidated or ¨C"

    Without any hesitation, Abi wrapped her arms around his torso and hugged him before she looked up.

    "Don''t worry, Alex, I''ll be right there beside you," she said and Alex fell speechless. She then pulled away and fixed his tie like a good wife before she held his hand again. "Let''s go."

    Once they entered the house, a small sofa weed them. The floor was made of wood. It wasn''t big but it wasn''t that cramped either. It was a typical average home that was filled with nothing but that ''home'' vibe, a real one at that.

    Alex''s eyes wandered around and he saw no expensive materials. What he saw were many family photos hanging on the walls and on top of the cabs, things that would never be found in any of his luxurious houses.

    Abi let go of his hand as she took off her boots. She grabbed a small pair of pink bunny slippers and put them on and then took a bigger pair of white fluffy slippers and put it in front of Alex''s feet.

    "Uhm¡­ this is the only extra pair of slippers we have here that is big enough for you," she told him as Alex stared down at the slippers. After three seconds, the man took off his own shoes and slipped into it, making Abi smile widely.

    "I think they''re all waiting in the kitchen now," she said as she led him to the kitchen.

    "Dad, grandma, grandpa!" Abi was beaming widely as she walked over to where they were sitting and hugged them, one by one.

    "Abi¡­ didn''t your boyfriende?" Andrew''s brows knotted in disappointment.

    "Eh? He''s he ¨C" Abi couldn''t continue her word. It was because the man who she thought was following behind her wasn''t there.

    Hastily, Abi walked towards the door to check on him.

    When she saw him by the sofa, Abi sighed in great relief. The man was there, facing the cab and looking at the picture frames like an old man looking for his childhood pictures.

    "Alex," she called out and held his arm. But before she could pull him, the man took a picture frame and showed it to her.

    "This is you?" he asked, holding her picture when she was a chubby one-year-old.

    "Oh¡­ yeah, that''s me when I was 1 year old," she replied and the man moved the picture right next to her face, his eyes darting back and forth between her and the baby.

    "Indeed, a fruit. You look like a peach," hemented so seriously that Abi didn''t know what to say until she heard her grandma''s voice calling her.

    She snatched the picture from Alex''s hand before she finally pulled him towards the kitchen.

 Chapter 145 Ever green

    <h4>Chapter 145 Ever green</h4>

    Abi led Alex towards the table for five. Her dad and grandparents were all looking at them, although, their eyes were mainly on the man next to her.

    "Oh my, you''re really here," Abi''s grandma eximed as she slowly stood up and held the man''s hand.

    Alex didn''t really know how to react. It was like he had stepped into a whole other world, one that he knew nothing about. Why was this old woman acting all warm like this to a stranger like him?

    "Okay, take your seats now, both of you," she told them before she also took her seat again.

    Abi sat on her grandfather''s right and made Alex sit next to her. Her grandfather was the one sitting at the head of the table so Abi and her grandma seat across each other while Alex sat across her dad.

    The food syed out on the table were all typical homemade dishes that ordinary people enjoyed like a feast. It wasn''t extravagant but they looked and smelled so appetising that it could make anyone drool. However, Alex''s face remained expressionless as he looked at it.

    "Here, taste this, young man," Abi''s old grandma picked up some dishes and put them on Alex''s te, while the man just quietly watched his te fill up until what looked like a mountain had magically sprouted on it.

    He blinked and looked at Abi while the girl just bit her lips and smiled at him.

    "My wife, don''t scare the young man like that," Abi''s grandpa tried to stop his wife when suddenly¡­

    "I''m not scared¡­" Alex suddenly said, with a straight and serious look.

    Dad: ". . ."

    Grandpa: ". . ."

    Abi: ". . ."

    The old grandma chuckled softly as she spoke. "See? The young man doesn''t mind it," she said before she put more food on his te.

    Once she was done, she finally settled down and asked everyone to eat.

    Alex nced at Abi again, almost like a big child asking for his mother''s permission, silently asking if the food on his te was edible or not.

    Abi grinned at him. She knew that this was a whole new experience to him. In his world back in his house, everything this guy did, from the way he sat to the way he chewed his food, were all done with the utmost grace, as if he was born to act like a king in every way. Knowing this, Abi thought that she must lend him a hand.

    And thus, Abi picked a broli with her fork from his te and brought it near his mouth.

    Abi opened her lips, gesturing him to open his mouth. Alex stared at the ever green broli and then to her. He seemed confused about something. But then, he still opened his mouth and ate it.

    However, the moment he started chewing, he began to frown and his mouth stopped. Eh? What happened? Did he not like brolis?

    "Y-you don''t like broli?" Abi whispered as the man continued frowning hard. His hand slowly moved towards his lips before he continued chewing the food as his frown intensified.

    Abi leaned in on him. "You don''t have to eat it if you don''t like it, Alex. Do you want to go to the bathroom?" she whispered, a little worried. But a momentter, the man finally swallowed the broli and the deep lines in his face slowly disappeared.

    "I''m fine," was all he said and Abi pressed her lips together tightly, as if to stop a giggleing out of it. Somehow, that frown on his face was just¡­ priceless. She couldn''t believe that she would see him frown like this. Did this man have any idea how cute he looked right now? The oh-so stoic man was actually frowning over a vegetable!

    A giggle escaped softly from her lips when Alex returned his gaze on his te. He finally moved his hands to pick the food but for some reason, he paused again. His gaze locked onto the leafy vegetables on his te and he was looking at them like they were his enemies.

    Abi meekly nced at her father and then to her grandfather. The two were busy eating, although, they were obviously watching over Alex, as if they too were waiting on what he would do next.

    When Abi''s gaze fell on her grandmother, the woman winked at her as she too was looking amused.

    Since her stay in Alex''s house, Abi had seen how little Alex seemed to eat. He wasn''t really fond of food and every time Abi asked him why he was not eating more, the man would always tell her to just eat as he stuffed all the food on her. Abi didn''t worry about his eating habit because whenever she saw his fine and perfect physique, it would always render her speechless.

    Now she realized that Alex wasn''t just like this because of the green leafy vegetables on his te, he looked like he was currently doing some intricate math equations in his head on how the hell he would finish the little mountain before him.

    Abi couldn''t help but silently giggle once again. Who would''ve thought that a te filled with food would actually trouble the great Alexander Qin like this?

    "Alex¡­ do you want us to share a te?" Abi asked him, obviously trying to lend him a hand.

    Alex snapped towards her and the invisible forms flying around his head disappeared. It looked like he had found the solution right beside him.

    Without a word, Alex moved his te between them and adjusted his chair closer to her. Her family served mostly vegetables for her since she got sick so she got used to eating every kind of vegetable out there. She picked up the vegetables, leaving the meat for Alex.

    The couple ate that way, almost forgetting the existence of the other three people with them. The old grandma was all smiles and genuinely happy watching them while the old men, especially Andrew, looked pretty surprised. His daughter and her boyfriend were acting like newlyweds¡­

 Chapter 146 Whenever

    <h4>Chapter 146 Whenever</h4>

    "Ahem¡­" Andrew caught the couple''s attention and Abi''s father began to speak.

    "So, Alexander¡­ how did you meet my daughter?" he asked, looking expectant and curious. The old couple looked at them with such curiosity as well. How did Abi find this very fine young man? Was it love at first sight for both of them? It was only been a few days since she went and lived in the city.

    There were many questions in their eyes, but Andrew''s question jolted Abi that she didn''t notice how hard she had gripped Alex''s shirt under the table. How could she tell them the story of their first meeting?

    Abi nervously swallowed as she looked at Alex. The man was still chewing his food as he, too, stared back at Abi.

    Once he swallowed the food in his mouth, he looked at Abi''s dad as he opened his mouth to speak, making Abi''s heartbeat elerate.

    "I met her by ident in a parking lot. I thought¡­" he nced at Abi and her grip on his shirt tightened even more. "I thought she was a cute stalker."

    "S-stalker? I met you by ident, too! I didn''t know who you were before that day!" Abi suddenly butted in before she sunk back on her seat.

    "Oh, that''s cute. It seems like it was a fated day for both of you," Abi''s old grandma said and Alex nodded.

    "Indeed."

    "What do you do for a living?" Andrew asked again.

    Alex fell silent for a moment.

    "I am currently working a part time job."

    "May I know what kind of part time job?"

    "Babysitting."

    Dad: ". . ."

    Grandma and Grandpa: "¡­!"

    Abi: "!!!"

    "You are babysitting?" Andrew sounded like he couldn''t believe him. But then, Alex didn''t even hesitate to nod and there was no sign of mischief in his eyes.

    "I am trying to raise a little fruit."

    "Oh, so you''re into gardening."

    Abi finally coughed.

    "Alex likes peaches," was the first thing that popped into her head and out of her mouth as she tried to change the topic.

    "Are your family live in this city?"

    "No, they have all passed away," he answered without any change in his expression and tone and the kitchen fell silent.

    "I''m sorry to hear that¡­" Andrew''s voice became soft as his gaze towards Alex softened.

    "It''s okay. I kind of don''t really remember their faces anymore," he told them before he picked another meat and ate it.

    He was acting quite unconcerned, almost as if he was simply talking about a forgotten old fading photograph.

    "Uhm¡­ dad, can Alex stay here for the night?" Because of Abi''s frantic desire to break the awkward silence, those words were all that she could think of to say. She bit her lip because she knew that her father will definitely disagree but what was done is done. The most important thing was that she was able to divert their attention from that topic.

    "Oh, of course, darling¡­ It''s already prettyte. He can stay for the night if he wants to. But let''s eat first and talk about thatter," her grandma was the one who spoke and everyone did as she said.

    The dinner was harmonious. Abi and her family smiled andughed every now and again as they talked about the y. Abi and her grandma spoke a lot while the three men simply listened to them, butting in every now and then, while Alex didn''t speak another word but just nodded every now and again to let them know he was paying attention.

    He kind of like this foreign atmosphere, maybe because this was the same kind of atmosphere he felt whenever Abigail was around.

    Once the dinner was done, Abi and her grandma did the dishes while the men sat on the sofa.

    Abi was a little restless but her grandma calmed her down, telling her that everything was alright. And she was right. Every bit of Alex''s attention was focused on the photos around the house. After he looked at all the picture frames hanging around the house, he sat down and Andrew showed him big albums filled with photos of Abi from birth.

    Andrew was thinking about what topic he should start a conversation with but he was hesitant and careful. This young man didn''t know about Abi''s illness and he was very worried about that. He was worried about his daughter and this young man.

    The man ended up being lost in thought without starting any conversation while the young man across him was fully immersed in looking at the photos until Abi was done in the kitchen.

    "Ahh!!" Abi yelled the moment she saw the album in Alex''s hand. She had lots of dorky pictures in there!

    Abi attempted to snatch it but Alex was quick to move it away, causing Abi to pout.

    "Dad, why did you bring those out?" Abiined to her father and the man just sighed.

    "Anyway, Alexander, are you sure you''re fine to sleep here tonight?" he asked and Alex looked at him and nodded.

    "We don''t have a guest room so you will be sleeping in my room," Andrew told him but this time, Alex didn''t nod anymore.

    "I will sleep in Abigail''s room. I am morefortable whenever I sleep with her," Alex replied and the man''s eyes widened in shock.

    "Whenever? Y-you already slept with my daughter?" Andrew asked in disbelief and Alex finally realized that the man was talking about something else. He was about to exin when the littlemb butted in.

    "Dad¡­ it''s fine. Uhm¡­"

    "Abigail, you already slept with this boyfriend of yours?"

    Abigail hesitantly nodded. Andrew''s mouth parted and he didn''t know what to say. It was then that Abi''s grandma pushed the couple to go and settle down in Abi''s room.

    Once Abi and Alex ascended upstairs, the old grandma faced her son and patted his shoulder.

    "It''s okay, Andrew. Your daughter is already an adult. And I am sure this is what she wants. Let''s not be hard on her now, okay?" she encouraged her son and Andrew knew that his mother was right. Abigail was not a kid anymore; she had grown into a very beautifuldy. But still, to think that they had already gone that far¡­ Andrew couldn''t help but worry. Again, not just for Abi but for that young man as well.

 Chapter 147 Wasted

    <h4>Chapter 147 Wasted</h4>

    Inside Abi''s room, Alex was once again looking around like a curious child.

    Abi''s room was made of wood and her curtains were yellow. There was a shelf filled with books on one wall and her bed sat on the corner by the other wall. He noticed that her bed wasn''t that big. She also had a study table, a closet and a single sofa chair by the window.

    Alex sat on her bed and Abi told him to wait there so she could go and get him some clothes to change into. Her grandma helped her find a clean shirt and trousers that might be big enough to fit Alex.

    Fortunately, they were able to find some which Abi immediately brought to him.

    Alex was the first to go into the shower. Once he came out, Abi couldn''t help but gape at him. Well, Alex dressed in a normal printed shirt and printed pajama pants was just a sight to behold. He almost looked like an ordinary man, if not for his unfading gracefulness and built in imposing aura.

    The man nced at Abi as he dried his hair with his towel. How could he still look deadly handsome despite the fact that his shirt was printed with cardcaptor Sakura''s picture?

    Abi then entered the bathroom after him after telling Alex not wait for her and to go upstairs first. He watched the bathroom''s door closed and he looked at the quiet living room. It seemed that her family was already in their beds and were probably getting ready to sleep.

    Upon reaching Abi''s room, Alex''s gaze roamed around again. His gaze caught the yellow scarves hanging on the back of the door, neatly arranged.

    This room, just as he expected, was so littlembish. It was warm, pure and peaceful, just like Abigail. He thought that this kind of ce would suffocate him, because a ce like this would never be suited for someone like him but¡­ for some reason, his body seemed to like it here more than what he could ept.

    After a while, the door opened and Abigail entered. Her hair was tied in a bun and she wasn''t wearing pajamas tonight. She was wearing afy pair of shorts and an oversized shirt which was printed with a superman logo.

    She smiled at him, seeing that he seemedfortable as he sat on the bed with a book in his hand.

    She crawled on the bed and asked, "What are you reading?" She tilted her head and when she saw its title, her brows creased. Shades? She didn''t remember owning a book with that title.

    Alex''s lips curved sexily as he bent and pinched Abi''s chin.

    "I didn''t know that you actually read something like this, little fruit," his voice was husky and sexy.

    "Hm, where did you get that?"

    "Under your bed, Abigail."

    "Ah! That''s Kelly''s stuff!" she eximed. "She told me not to touch the stuff in her box and asked me to keep it there until she picked them up when she came over."

    Somehow, Alex had kind of expected this.

    "So this is what''s inside her box? Why did she sternly forbid me from touching it?" she curiously said as she sat next to him. "Is the book good?"

    She leaned in to have a look at it but Alex abruptly closed it.

    "Well, I saw a pretty interesting scene," he said and Abi''s eyes widened in curiosity.

    "Really? You like this book? Ah, how about you let me read it to you? I mean, I still haven''t read a book back to you."

    Alex was speechless. He was trying not to do anything tonight because they were in her room and inside her family''s house but here she was¡­ doing this to him.

    "I can''t think about anything else that we can do so I better pay you one of my debts tonight," she said, stretching her hand out to take the book.

    Alex pinched her chin again. "Abigail, this could turn to ¨C"

    The girl caught his face and moved her face closer to his. "It''s okay Alex, I''d like to read you a book tonight," she told him and with just that, Alex''s self-control was thrown out the window.

    A while ago, when he scanned the book and saw this particr content, he suddenly started imagining dirty things, thinking about doing naughty things with her in this room that was filled with Abigail''s scent, the room where she grew up in and it was unexpectedly turning him on. He cursed himself and tried to shake the thoughts away, telling himself that the room might not be soundproofed and that her family was here but because of his innocent little fruit, his effort to keep his cool was wasted.

    "Fine, but¡­ your voice might leak out, Abigail¡­ are you not worried about that?" his voice had turned huskier.

    "It''s okay, dad wont here anything, unless of course, if he eavesdropped by the door, but don''t worry, dad will not do something like that," she assured him, causing Alex to want to pinch the skin between his brows.

    Alex stood up and turned the bedsidemp on. "You can read with just the bedsidemp on, right?" he asked and when the girl nodded, he locked the door and turned the lights off.

    He then sat on the bed and leaned on the headboard.

    "Are you sure about this?" he asked and Abi didn''t know why but his eyes changed the moment the light turned off. It was like his beast mode had been immediately activated.

    The girl nodded, as if she was hypnotised.

    "Come here," he softly said with his deep gorgeous voice and Abi felt her heart''s tempo being messed up.

    She scrawled up the bed but then she stopped after a second, wondering where he wanted her to go. She looked up at him, asking for some kind of instruction, but all he gave her was a sexy smirk. Abi felt her heart jump again and she forced herself to move. She crawled up between his legs and when she was face to face with him, she turned around and sat between his legs, with her back on his chest. She then wiggled to get morefortable and in doing so, rubbed her backside on his little monster.

    He barely stopped the groan froming out of his lips.

    Once she feltfortable, she then turned her head and looked up at him before she asked innocently, "Are you ready for me to start reading now?"

 Chapter 148 Continue

    <h4>Chapter 148 Continue</h4>

    Alex half bit his lips as he looked down at her big clear eyes. He was so damn turned on and the reading hadn''t even started yet.

    He bent closer until his lips almost brushed against her ear. "Abigail, make sure to read this with feeling, okay?"

    Abi narrowed her eyes. "Geez¡­ who do you think I am? I could totally pass as a professional storyteller okay? I have been doing this since I was a teenager. I will make you see what real story telling is." She was very confident and Alex could only chuckle throatily. This na?ve little fruit truly was amusing.

    "You better show me your professional storytelling then, Abigail. Don''t you dare cower midway," he whispered, trailing his finger on her shoulder de.

    "But¡­ but don''t distract me like this once I start, okay?" she negotiated.

    "Hmm? You''re forbidding me to touch you?"

    "Mn¡­ while I read. I won''t be able to concentrate if your hand touches me like that."

    "Sure, no hands." His smile was incredibly sexy that Abi averted her gaze away before she fell into a daze again.

    "Here we go." He then put the book in her hand which started from Chapter 9. "I''m ready, Abigail. You may start now."

    Alex leaned his head on his knuckles, while his elbow was on top of his folded knee. His head tilted a little so he could see the girl''s expression.

    "Okay, here we go," Abi took a deep breath as anticipation brimmed in Alex''s eyes. He just couldn''t wait anymore to hear her voice.

    But as she opened her lips, Alex stopped her again. "Wait, Abigail¡­ I''d like you to rece the man''s name with mine."

    Abi''s eyes circled. "Ehh? Why?" she was surprised.

    "That''s my request, Abigail. Also, change the girl''s name with yours."

    Abi blinked at him but in the end, she soon nodded, like the obedient littlemb that she was. "Oh¡­ okay."

    "Good girl. Now start."

    Abi finally lifted the book into a reading position and she smiled at him one more time before she turned her attention to the book.

    A secondter, she finally began.

    ""Alexander gazes down at me. "You''re so damn beautiful, Abigail," he whispers and I blushed. His words are like honey on fire crawling under my skin, making me hot. "God, I want to suck your lips," he added as his rough finger rubbed my lips¡­""

    Abi suddenly paused. She finally realized what she was reading and she felt like her face was about to burst. She was so red and her heart was thumping wildly. This was something she never expected at all.

    "Abigail, do professional storytellers behave like that?" he whispered, almost doing the same thing the man on the book was doing. "If you stop again, I will touch you," he added, his voice was so hypnotic that Abi didn''t notice her lips involuntarily parting.

    It was suddenly very hot in the room. H-he would touch me?

    "Continue, Abigail," he blew on her ear and the girl was jolted back to reality.

    "O-okay¡­ don''t blow in my ear like that," sheined, her face still zing red and the man chuckled softly.

    "Then continue. Stop making me wait."

    ""He leans down and grabs my thigh and parts them, wedging his body in between. He silently looks at me as his face moves closer and closer to mine, until our noses nearly touch. And he kisses my lips gently. "I want you, A-abigail, please, m-make love with me.""

    There was almost smokeing out from Abi''s ears. This was too much for her and she paused again. Alex''s hand immediately began to crawl lightly, like a feather, from her nape to her corbone. She felt her body tingle where his hand caressed her. "Every time you pause, I will touch you." he whispered and Abi''s grip on the book tightened. She continued reading despite her flustered face and Alex''s hand left her skin.

    ""He pleads and my heart and body immediately nod at him. He smiles with his bold, tantalizing eyes. He begins undressing before my eyes, revealing his body, inch by slow inch. Damn! His abs, I¡­ I''d like to lick them. I can''t help but imagine them as delicious hard chocte bars. A-alexander was just too hot. He leans down and kisses me again. His lips demanding and deep as his hand skillfully and slowly peels off my clothes down to my redcy underwear. "Oh, Abigail¡­ I can''t wait to be inside you¡­""

    Abi choked and she coughed softly while Alex''s hands mercilessly moved in on her again, as if he was actually waiting for the moment she paused so his unruly hands could start their business.

    "What''s wrong?" his deep voice resonated in her ears as his fingers slowly travel downwards, almost like warm liquid travelling down to her twin peaks. "You said I like peaches, right?" he suddenly asked.

    "I¡­ I only said that to ¨C"

    "Actually, I do like them now. Although, I think these are the only peaches I will ever like."

    His hand was already on her twin peaches as he whispered those words, causing Abi to gasp.

    "A-alex¡­ wait¡­ I''ll continue now¡­" Abi frantically lifted the book again and she continued reading. She didn''t know how reading a book ended up like this. After this, she would never trust Alex''s choice of book ever again.

    ""He looks down into my eyes and utters, "open your legs for me, A-abigail." My eyes go to his face. I feel like I am too intoxicated to move. "Ah, you''re not being obedient, Abigail, shall I punish you?" He smiles, a sexy and wicked kind of smile. I don''t shake my head. I feel like I want to experience the punishment he is talking about. "Tell me, Abigail, do you want me to punish you?" He licks my lips down to my jawline. "C''mon, tell me, baby. What do you want me to do?""Punish me, Alexander," I replied¡­""

 Chapter 149 Touch me

    <h4>Chapter 149 Touch me</h4>

    Abi buried her face on the open book. Reading those lines out loud,bined with the fact that she was using their names, made this all feel too much for her. But before she could even recover from the heat, Alex''s hands touched one of the twin peaches again, even squeezing her nipple slightly. Oh no, she couldn''t afford to be distracted! But the way Alex yed with her, the way his hands were moving around her body¡­ she just couldn''t handle it.

    "Ah, Alex, wait¡­"

    "Hmm? I feel like you are asking me to punish you for real, Abigail. Are you? Huh?" he whispered as his hand slipped under herrge shirt, gently caressing her molds through her bra. "Tell me Abigail¡­ You''re stopping because you wanted me to touch you, right?"

    "No, I¡­ I was just embarrassed reading it. I¡­ ah, Alex¡­." A little tear began to appear in the corner of Abi''s eyes. It wasn''t because of fear or pain, but pure pleasure. What Alex was doing to her was just too much for her that her body reacted like this.

    "Hmm? You''re embarrassed? From reading the book or from my touch?" he asked. He then started cing little butterfly kisses on her nape. Abi''s breathing started to be shallow. How could she even think when he was touching her body like this? His hands, his lips, his breath against her skin and his deep, husky voice¡­ how could she even stand her ground against all those?

    "Answer me, Abigail," he demanded. He didn''t stop what he was doing and Abi could only wiggle, trying to escape from his solid arms. "You don''t like what I''m doing to you right now? Do you hate it when I touch you here?" he stared into her intoxicated eyes. "Tell me, do you hate this?" he pressed, his gaze like a ck hole sucking her in, forcing the words out of her mouth before her brain could even process what they were.

    "I don''t hate it, Alex," she replied and the man''s lips curved up. There was a triumphant look on his face as he sexily half bit his bottom lip.

    "Damn it, Abigail¡­" he groaned and the next moment, his lips captured hers.

    Abi moaned under his lips. It was hot. His lips delved even deeper and she felt his tongue say hello to hers. She didn''t know if he was deliberately trying to shut her brain down but that was what happened. Her brain stopped thinking and her body took over.

    By the time their lips parted, Abi was gasping for air. Alex''s eyes were sparkling intensely, filled with desire.

    "Abigail¡­ do you want to continue reading? Or do you want me to continue touching you?" he questioned and Abi felt her face burned again. How¡­ how could he ask her that?

    "I¡­ I''ll continue¡­ reading¡­" she replied and the man took a deep breath, as if to capture back his self control that seemed to have escaped.

    "What a stubborn, little fruit," was what he said and he leaned his head on his knuckles again, though that intense look in his eyes didn''t disappear. It remained there, idling, ready to go.

    Both of them were already sweating. Their breaths were warm and their skin felt hot against each other. But Abi persisted and continued reading. How could she admit to him that she''d rather be touched by him than continue reading like this? She might die from embarrassment.

    ""Suddenly, Alexander tugs my p-panties off. I gasp and cover myself but he quickly catches my hand. "No need to be shy, babe. You''re very beautiful down there," he murmurs with his scorching eyes and I gape at him. However, when he pulls his boxers off, I am left in shock at what I see. I suddenly feel a little scared. His pen¡­ his pe¡­"

    "His what, Abigail?" Alex smirked. He saw how red her face was now. It was such a sexy sight and he couldn''t get enough of it. This little pink peach was driving him to the very edge and he couldn''t wait for her to give in. But his little fruit said it, that word that she could hardly bring out of her mouth, and the little monster hardened even more. Sh*t! Abigail!

    ""He orders me to pull my knees up and I obey. "Are you ready, A-abigail? I''m going to f¡­ fu¡­"""

    Abi finally buried her face in her hands, letting go of the book. "I''m sorry, Alex¡­ I am too embarrassed to read it," she confessed, hiding her face and Alex smiled.

    "So me, touching you is less embarrassing?"

    "I¡­ that¡­"

    "Abigail¡­" he called out. His voice sank lower than what she thought was possible as he kissed the back of her hands that were covering her face. "Tell me you want me to touch you," he whispered, pulling down her hands. His eyes were like hypnotic dark crystals, and it was impossible for her to escape. "C''mon, I want to hear it¡­"

    His hands weren''t on her body anymore at this point but his breaths, his voice and his eyes were doing their work and she couldn''t resist. She didn''t know what he did to her but when he wasn''t touching her, she wanted his hands all over her so badly. When his warm skin left her, she longed for it¡­ it was strange. Her body was slowly bing like a stranger to her.

    And before she knew it¡­

    "T-touch me, Alex¡­" she uttered. No!

    Abi''s eyes widened as soon as she realized what she said. How could she say those words? They can''t do naughty things here! Her family might¡­

    But it was toote because Alex immediately bent down and kissed her passionately as his hand freely roamed all over her body under her shirt. He was barely holding on to his self control as he tasted her sweet lips.

    Just as Alex was about to move his hands lower, there was a sudden knock on the door.

 Chapter 150 Frustrated

    <h4>Chapter 150 Frustrated</h4>

    Abi felt like ice cold water was poured over her the moment she heard a knock on the door. She pushed Alex off of her and she looked at him with wide eyes.

    And then, before the man could register why the little fruit pushed him, Abi slipped away from under him like a swift ninja. The man could only blink and his brows knotted in a hard knot as he looked at the girl who just escaped from his grasp.

    Abi moved as if the room was on fire.

    "Dad?" she said as she pulled the door open.

    Andrew raised a brow, seeing that her light was already off.

    "We''re you two already sleeping?" the man asked, ncing behind Abi.

    "Uhm¡­ I was reading a book to him."

    "Oh, anyway, I just came to say goodnight. You guys should sleep now, Abi, it''ste," he told her, ncing behind her again.

    Andrew actually momentarily forgot that a man was inside his daughter''s room and he had already knocked when he remembered it. He always checked on Abi like this on his way to the small balcony because he worried about her sleepingte. Ever since she was diagnosed with her illness, her doctor always reminded them to help her maintain a healthy sleeping habit.

    "Yes, dad. We''re going to sleep now. Goodnight."

    "Mn. Goodnight."

    Once the door closed Abi slowly walked towards Alex, who was again leaning against the headboard.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, let''s sleep now, okay?" she whispered as she hesitantly crawled to his side.

    "No, I ¨C"

    "Shh¡­" Abi put her finger on his lips. "Dad is right next to us so please be quiet. Uhm¡­ he always sits on the balcony for an hour or two, just looking out into the world before he sleeps, so he is right there across this wall," she exined, her expression almost begging him.

    But what Alex did next was pin her down on the bed. His breath was still shallow.

    "Are you saying that I''m going to have to sleep like this? Huh? Abigail?" he whispered. His hardness brushed against her body and she felt it throb. Oh no! What should she do? His little monster''s really rock hard!

    "I''m sorry¡­ but we can''t. Please, daddy''s here. Uhm¡­ I will make it up to you once we''re back in your house, I promise."

    Alex groaned under his breath.

    "Shit, Abigail. There no way I can ¨C"

    Abigail suddenly wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him in her embrace. "You can, Alex. Please? I know you can. Just this once, okay?" she continued coaxing him, caressing his hair so gently.

    Alex was so damn frustrated. How the hell could he sleep like this? Damn!

    "It''s okay, you can do this. I''m sure if you sleep, little big monster will also sleep."

    Alex groaned again. He was doing his very best not to move on his own and ignore her pleas. He thought that this girl was truly asking for impossible. How the hell could he sleep if his little monster was standing tall and hard like this?! This little fruit had no idea what kind of torture she was asking him to go though!

    "Abigail, I don''t think I ¨C"

    "Shh¡­" she stopped him again. "Don''t worry, I will help you sleep, okay?" she said and she hugged him even tighter, and then, she gently pushed him, making him lie back.

    The man, who was dying from frustration, gritted his teeth as Abi looked down at him. But then, the next moment, Abi bent and kissed his forehead. That magical kiss that appeared out of nowhere made his eyes widen and he felt like time stood still for a moment.

    "Goodnight, Alex." Her eyes shone so bright before she turned the light off and wiggled her body near him. One arm wrapped on top of his torso as she pulled her body next to him and hugged him.

    And thus, for the first time in his life, the great Alexander Qin had to sleep with an excited little big monster.

    Little fruit, you will pay for this once we''re home!

    ¡­

    The next morning, Alex woke up in Abi''s bed alone. The sun was just peeking from the horizon. He cracked his neck as he sat on the bed, with his one long leg on the floor. He couldn''t believe he had actually slept this long. He couldn''t even remember thest time he slept to the point that his neck needed to be stretched like this upon waking up.

    A disbelieving smirk curved on his lips as he ran his fingers through his hair and he plopped his big body on the bed again, his arms wide and with one leg still on the floor.

    He stared at the ceiling and he couldn''t stop himself from smiling. He remembered what happenedst night and he shook his head. He had actually really fallen asleep like that and to think that he didn''t even need to force himself to sleep. It was like she had lulled him to sleep with magic. Was it that kiss?

    He shook his head again before he stood up and went downstairs. The two women were happily doing some house chores while the men were reading newspapers while drinking coffee.

    When Abi saw Alex, she quickly dragged him to the table.

    That morning, Alex joined the family in their usual morning routine and he actually didn''t mind it at all. He ate breakfast with them until it was finally time for them to leave.

    By the door, Abi kissed her family goodbye.

    "Alexander, if you ever want to visit again, our humble house is always open to you," the old grandma told Alex with a bright smile and Alex nced at Abi before he hesitantly nodded.

    "T ¨C" Alex started as his eyes wandered for a moment. "T-thanks for having me," he said and Abi beamed with the brightest smile she had ever worn. Her family didn''t know this but Abi knew how much of a big deal that single ''thank you'' meant, because since she first met Alex, she never heard this man say those words to anyone.

    Abi was still smiling widely as she waved her family goodbye from inside the car, before they sped off.

 Chapter 151 News

    <h4>Chapter 151 News</h4>

    After dropping Abi off at the orphanage, Alex arrived back at his mansion with a pleasant face.

    He had just entered the living room when a series of coughs echoed around him. Xavier, who had juste from the dining hall, choked the moment he saw Alex. What the f*** was he wearing?!

    Zeke and Kai, who came into the room after Xavier, saw Alex''s clothes and they too immediately looked dumbstruck. An anime printed shirt and mint colored printed pajama pants¡­ bloody hell, Alexander Qin! What did you eat today?!

    Without question, the three men could already tell who was behind Alex''s outfit today. This must have been his littlemb''s doing, no doubt about it!

    "Alex¡­ did you sleep in Abi''s house?" Xavier asked as he circled around Alex. He was acting like he was checking to see if this Alex was the real Alexander Qin.

    Alex didn''t answer and he just sat on his usual seat near the firece.

    "Xavier,e here." He lifted his hand and gestured for Xavier toe without bothering to turn his head to look.

    "Hmm? What is it?" Xavier asked. His eyes were big and round like a cute, little puppy''s eyes. It seemed he was excited about what this man was about to say.

    Alex brushed his lips against the back of his fingers. He seemed to be thinking about something quite important. He nced at Xavier with narrowed eyes while the man in front of him almost looked like he was wagging his invisible tail as he waited in anticipation. However...

    "Never mind," Alex suddenly said as he waved his hand away, dismissing Xavier.

    Xavier was speechless. How could this man do this to him? Darn it, Alex!

    While Xavier was yelling at Alex inwardly, Kai walked towards Alex and spoke.

    "Luisa is here," he said and the pleasant atmosphere around Alex dramatically disappeared. His brows knitted as he red at Kai.

    A woman then entered the room. Her heels made soft clicking sounds on the marble floor as she waltzed her way towards Alexander. She was extremely beautiful and had a body that every other woman in the world would envy.

    "My mother said you don''t like to be disturbed at night, Alexander." She gracefully sat across Alex and smiled at him but Alex''s expression didn''t change.

    "Tell me why you''re here, Luisa," Alex ordered and the girl stood up and slowly approached him. She bent over him, revealing her wless cleavage as she sexily whispered in Alex''s ear.

    "Are you sure you don''t want to send these three gentlemen away first? It could be dangerous if they hear this, Alex. This is a very important matter."

    Alex closed his eyes before he abruptly stood up.

    "Follow me," he ordered and then he headed towards the grand staircase. The woman just smiled triumphantly as she followed behind him.

    Zeke''s eyes never left the woman''s face until she and Alex slowly disappeared up the stairs.

    "Tsk! What''s the point of hiding it from us?" Xavierined.

    "She probably didn''t want Zeke to hear," answered Kai as he nced at Zeke, who was now wearing his coat.

    Zeke''s lips simply curved up into a quick half smile before he wordlessly walked away, heading to the entrance door.

    "Hey, are you not interested about what Luisa came here for?" Xavier called out.

    "Not even a little bit," he responded coolly, before the door closed behind him.

    "Sigh¡­ that boring guy¡­"

    Upstairs, Luisa''s smile faded the moment Alex brought her to one of the receiving rooms on the second floor. She had expected him to bring her to the third floor, not this ce! And he didn''t even choose the finest one, he simply chose the one closest to the stairs!

    "Speak," Alex leaned his shoulder by the door as soon as they entered the room. His face was serious and his gaze was sharp but to Luisa, this was perfectly normal. Alex had always been like this since the day they first met, long ago.

    Luisa sexily bit her lips and she moved closer to him.

    "Why don''t we take our time, Alex?" she said seductively. "I''ve missed the way you taste..."

    She started kissing Alex''s nape as she whispered those words. Her hands went straight to his thigh and started to crawl their way up. There was a seductive, satisfied smile on her face because she already knew very well what buttons to press to make this man react the way she wanted him to.

    But before Luisa could even kiss him again, Alex''s hand flew to her neck. He cupped her neck with one hand as he pushed her away at arm''s length.

    "What did I tell you? Didn''t I tell you to speak?" His voice became menacing. "Or do you want me to choke you to death first? Huh? Luisa?"

    Luisa was shocked. She didn''t expect Alex to react like this. She had known this man for many years and even though he never loved anyone, this man loved sex and beautiful women. This had never been a big deal to him in the past and this was something that she had always done with him every time they met. In all that time, he had never reacted like this. What happened to this man? It hadn''t even been a month yet since she wasst with him.

    "Don''t make me repeat myself and tell me what that mother of yours found out this time," he continued.

    Luisa knew that she could no longer speak with him normally now that he was like this. Aggravating him any further was thest thing she wanted to do otherwise, she wouldn''t even know how she died.

    "Alex¡­ mother wants me to tell you that there''s no more doubt about it. It really is her."

    As soon as those words left Luisa''s mouth, Alex''s hand on her neck slowly loosened and fell to his side. His eyes widened and he looked like he just heard the most devastating piece of news.

 Chapter 152 Again

    <h4>Chapter 152 Again</h4>

    Luisa was so confused. Who was this man? When did the great Alexander Qin be a man with emotions? And why was he reacting like this? Shouldn''t this news make him want to celebrate?

    "Is¡­ is she really sure this time?" Alex asked, he looked like he was in denial causing Luisa to shake her head in shock and disbelief. This wasn''t the Alexander Qin that she and everyone else knew¡­

    "Alex, you know that my mother is never mistaken. You asked her to confirm it because you doubted her for the first time. Now the result is the same¡­ she clearly said that it is her, Alex."

    Alex subconsciously took a step back, a gesture that was just not Alex-like. His face darkened to its darkest state and he was looking on the floor.

    "Alex, what''s wrong with you?" Luisa was extremely confused and curious as to what was going on with him. She never imagined that something could actually shake this man like this.

    "You may leave," was all he said as he turned and was about to open the door when Luisa stopped him.

    "Alex, I don''t know why you are suddenly like this but my mother sternly told me to warn you¡­ you have to move now, otherwise, someone could kill her before you ¨C"

    "Shut up, Luisa. Nobody would dare to do that."

    Luisa sneered secretly behind him as she shook her head. "Alex, do you know what you''re saying? That girl could even die just by some simple ident ¨C"

    "Talk once more and you''ll die," he threatened. His eyes zed with bloodlust causing Luisa''s mouth to dry up. She gritted her teeth and stormed out of the room.

    Xavier and Kai were standing at the mansion''s entrance when they saw the woman hastily walking towards them. They could already tell that whatever news this woman brought was trouble.

    "What happened? You actually angered Alex?" Xavier asked, leaning forward to block the woman''s way.

    "I didn''t! He just got angry all of a sudden. I brought him the good news that he has wanted for years yet he''s suddenly raging and saying he wants to kill me! Tell me, what the hell happened to him?!"

    Hearing Luisa''s rant, Xavier pulled his body away. He had found out what he wanted to know and there wasn''t really anything else that was interesting. This was just as he expected. Perhaps Zeke already saw thising, too and that was why he just left like that.

    Letting out a bored sigh, Xavier ignored Luisa and he nonchntly walked back inside the house, leaving Luisa gritting her teeth as she stomped out of the mansion.

    ¡­

    Abi spent her entire morning at the orphanage and then she went to the hospital to visit little Bettyter that afternoon. That was when Abi found out that the little girl had been transferred from the ward to a private room. Abi asked Mrs. Yan and the woman told her that an anonymous person had paid little Betty''s bill and that same someone even sent specialists to check on her since yesterday.

    "Did a man in a business suite and visit her?" Abi asked with curiosity. She was certain that the one behind this was definitely Ezekiel Qin. She couldn''t think of anyone else who could do something like this apart from himself and Alex. Maybe Alex could have done it too but it made more sense for it to be Zeke seeing how he was the hospital''s owner.

    However, Mrs. Yan told her that she didn''t see anyone. Abi''s brows creased but she thought that maybe Ezekiel was too busy so he decided to extends his help through the shadows.

    When Abi saw the little girl, her heart felt heavy. It seemed that Little Betty''s strength was dwindling by the day. Abi was d that the little girl had been transferred to a better ward but her condition was still not getting any better.

    Abi spent a few hours with her, reading to her some of her favorite books and showing her the video of the y that she wanted to watch. The sweet girl remained cheerful all throughout the afternoon until she fell asleep.

    Abi then left the hospital after that. She saw that the sun was already going down so she quickly went to hail a cab, but when she saw an olddy who was hailing for a cab after her, she let the woman board into the first taxi she hailed.

    When she finally got a taxi, she requested the driver to drive a little faster, telling them that she had to arrive home early. However, instead of looking for a way to hasten the trip, the driver chose the route that was full of traffic.

    Abi could only bite her lips. She wanted to protest but they were already on the highway. Why did this driver not listen to her? Abi was frustrated and worried. She could already imagine Alex''s expression while sitting by the firece, waiting for her return.

    She brought out her phone and decided to send him a message. She spent a while writing her message to at least coax him and when she finally sent it, she leaned on her seat and took a deep breath. She noticed that they were finally off the highway, wait¡­ this was¡­

    "Mister, this is not the way," Abi frantically told him but strangely, the driver was not responding. Abi began to feel her heartbeat elerating. Something wasn''t right. Her eyes looked at the man and she finally noticed that his attire was off. He had covered himself with a jacket but she could see that his clothes were all designer brands. What kind of taxi driver would wear something this shy and luxurious?

    Abi swallowed. She forced herself to calm down. She had to think. She couldn''t possibly do anything to the man while he was driving or she would be the one who might end up getting hurt. She couldn''t afford to get hurt.

    The first thing Abi thought of was to just act natural.

    "Mister, are we going on a detour?" she innocently asked and the man finally respond at her with a nod.

    She trembled when their eyes met through the rearview mirror. This man wasn''t an ordinary person. His features, she noticed, was the same as those good looking people in Country V.

    Abi immediately realized that this was trouble and that she might be in grave danger again.

 Chapter 153 Run

    <h4>Chapter 153 Run</h4>

    Abi did her best to stay calm. She managed to act like she was just curious about her surroundings while her hand was busy dialing Alex phone number in secret. Her other hand was also moving, searching for the pepper spray that she always took with her.

    She started to simte few ways for her to escape. She nced at her phone screen on herp and she saw that it was finally connected.

    "Uhm¡­ Mister, where is this ce? Is this road a shortcut heading to Skyline Hill?" she asked but the driver didn''t answer again. She wasn''t trying to find out where they were heading because Alex would definitely easily locate her using her phone coordinates.

    The sky was starting to be grey and the road was unusually empty, or maybe this route was usually like this, just like the road back to her house.

    The eerie air around the man made Abi want to scream and ask for Alex toe help her but she knew she had to stay calm. She believed that Alex was on his way now so she just had to hold on.

    However, suddenly, the man stopped the car in the middle of the road.

    He turned around and his menacing eyes red at her. He looked at her bag where she was hiding her phone and he suddenly snatched it away.

    Thankfully, Abi prepared for this and she immediately sprayed at the man''s eyes with the pepper spray. The man groaned and she swiftly reached out and pressed the door''s lock.

    She frantically climbed out the door as she ran away from the car, taking the phone with her.

    "He-hello? Alex?" she called out as she ran. She was praying for a car to pass by but there was none.

    "Abigail!" she heard Alex voice and she felt a little braver.

    "Alex, someone''s¡­" Abi had just turned to look back at the car when she saw that a car had stopped in front of the taxi, which came from the opposite direction. She thought that she could go ask for help but the people who came out of the car all looked at her menacingly.

    Abi began to run.

    "Alex! Help me. They''reing after me!"

    She heard Alex curse before he said that he was already on his way.

    Abi knew there was no way she could outrun them. If they caught her, they might leave her phone behind and take her away, leaving nothing for Alex to use to track her.

    What should she do? She had to do something!

    She could feel them getting closer and she also heard an engine start up. She had to leave the road or they would just run her over. Left without a choice, Abi ran off the road and she headed towards the woods. She couldn''t let them catch her. At least she could buy time for Alex to arrive.

    But Abi waspletely unprepared for the situation in the woods. The woods she just entered had many slopes and the ground was very slippery.

    She fell down a small slope causing her to yelp. The phone in her hand fell and it jumped a lot further away from her. She heard the people''s footsteps and she forced herself to keep running. The adrenaline rush had taken over her and she didn''t know how fast or where she was even heading. All she knew was that she couldn''t stop because she heard those people''s footstepsing from behind her.

    Abi knew that her strength would soon betray her so she tried to find somewhere she could hide in but she couldn''t see any. All she could hear now was her ragged breathing. She was starting to feel numb but she just continued to run as fast as she could until her feet gave way and she fell again. Abi felt something hot flowing down her face. She had protected her head from hitting the ground so this wound mustn''t have been caused by her hitting her head. Maybe something sharp cut it?

    Trying to stand again, Abi found herself between a crack of arge tree. It seemed like she luckily stumbled into a hiding ce. Abi sat in there and hid herself to the furthest, darkest area inside the tree, covering her mouth with her hands. She couldn''t believe that something like this was happening again. She wasn''t ming anyone. She couldn''t me Alex for this. She just couldn''t help but think why she couldn''t be like those badass female leads she always loved. She couldn''t help but ask why she had to be so weak. Why can''t she be strong too? Why did she have to be so sick and so powerless that she couldn''t even protect or save herself?

    All she could do was hide, and hope, and wait for someone to help her, to save her. She wished she could be the hero too, but she knew she couldn''t. Her body just wasn''t meant for it.

    As she sat there in a fetal position, she started to hear voices.

    "F*ck! Where is she? We have to find her!"

    "Shit!"

    "Rx, it''s just a little girl."

    "Asshole, if that little girl will escape we''re done for!"

    "Tsk! Stop bbering and just look for her. It''s getting dark."

    "Aren''t we waiting for the darkness toe? It''d be more fun ying hide and seek."

    "Shut up! We can''t waste time here! We must bring this girl to Eli as soon as possible!"

    Abi''s hand on her mouth trembled as she pressed harder. She could tell that they were just few steps away from her. She was d that there was a noisy stream nearby.

    She heard their steps getting further and futher away from her so she slowly started breathing again as her grip on her mouth slowly loosened.

    She didn''t dare peek outside but the moment her hands left her lips, something jumped above her, causing a loud thud in her ears.

    "FOUND YOU!"

 Chapter 154 Rampage

    <h4>Chapter 154 Rampage</h4>

    Abi gasped in shock. A man''s face hovered over her like a maniac''s and he was smiling triumphantly now that he found his hiding prey. Abi forgot to breathe for a while as the shock registered in her mind.

    She saw his hand reaching out for her and the first thing she did was point the pepper spray towards his face and press down on it.

    "Urghh!!" the man immediately roared as Abi stood up and pushed him away. The man fell backward and hit the ground with a thud.

    Abi didn''t know what she was doing anymore. Her survival instincts must have kicked in at that moment because she didn''t even know how she could still move as fear and panic rushed inside her heart.

    She climbed out of the crack of the tree but the moment her feet reached the ground, someone grabbed her hair from behind. The man tugged at her hair so hard that she stumbled backwards and a pain filled scream was torn from her lips.

    Abi''s brain was still working and she tried to turn, her hand ready to st him with another round of pepper spray, but the man snatched the spray can from her hand before he shoved her hard on the ground.

    Abi scrambled, her hands and knees crawling on the wet soil as she tried to crawl away, to get away from these maniacs. However, her mind started to turn hazy. She felt like she was going to pass out and then she felt something warm flowing down from her nose¡­ oh no! Her illness¡­

    "You little bitch,e here!" A harsh voice snarled at her and then he pulled her hair again, forcing her to get up. She cried out from the pain and tears pooled in the corner of her eyes. Blood started to pour down her face, over her eyes and she felt dizzy. Her fingers were covered in dirt mixed with blood from her struggle to crawl away. Her legs wobbled and she couldn''t feel some parts of her body anymore as the man forcefully dragged her by her hair.

    It was then that she heard a sickening scream, a sound obviouslying from a man who was in excruciating pain.

    Abi''s eyes were blurry and she was barely hanging on to her consciousness. She felt the man''s grip on her hair loosen and then tighten again.

    "Ahh!!" She yelped again as she closed her eyes and teardrops fell from her eyes.

    And then, the man beside her cursed. He began to step backwards as if he had just encountered something more terrifying than him. She felt his hand tremble as she heard another piercing scream, followed by the sound of birds flying out of the forest, and then a few secondster, just utter silence. It almost felt like this had turned into a horror movie where a certain unknown creature was going on rampage.

    Abi forced herself to open her eyes. Was it Alex? Was Alex finally here?

    Her vision was blurry and she couldn''t open one of her eyes.

    Then, in the next second, the man holding her suddenly let her go. Her legs seemed to have lost its strength so she immediately fell to the ground.

    "F*ck! What is this?!" she heard the man curse again and this time he sounded very desperate, almost scared. She heard his steps move backwards as if he was attempting to run away but then he came back again, like a cornered prey, in a panic.

    "No, no, we''re just ¨C Ahh!!" The man''s scream was apanied by the sound of bones snapping.

    As Abi''s blurry eyes cleared up a little, the first thing she saw was blood everywhere and then a body fell before her eyes.

    Before she could register anything else, it seemed her brain couldn''t take it anymore and she fainted.

    ¡­

    Kai followed the trail of blood which started from the car by the road side to the forest. He passed by three more bodies before he finally spotted Alex.

    A man''s lifeless body had just fallen to the ground when he got there. Kai was about to approach him when his eye caught sight of a small bundle lying on the ground. Kai froze when he saw her small, lifeless body covered in blood.

    His eyes immediately whipped back to Alex. The pure darkness and bloodlust in Alex''s eyes were gone. What reced it was extreme fear as he looked down at the unmoving girl on the ground.

    He fell to his knees as his lips parted, his whole body trembling. His hands, which were slowly reaching out to touch her, couldn''t stop shaking. This sight of Alex almost crumbling in fear like this was something Kai had never, ever seen before, not even in his strangest dreams .

    "A-abigail¡­" Alex''s voice was barely a whisper as his trembling hand was about to touch her. He was shaking so bad, like a broken man who had lost everything.

    Kai immediately rushed over to them. He knelt down and put his fingers on Abi''s neck, searching for a pulse and when he found it, he felt like a huge thorn was pulled out from his chest. Damn! He really didn''t even know what he would have done if Abi wasn''t breathing anymore!

    Looking at the man who looked like his whole world just crumbled down to ashes, Kai stretched out his hand and held his shoulder to wake him up.

    "Alex, we need to bring her to the hospital. Don''t worry, she''s still alive," Kai told him and the pitch ck darkness in Alex''s eyes slowly cleared up a little as he looked up at Kai.

    Kai lifted Abi up. They couldn''t waste any more time or Abi''s life might be in danger.

    However, Alex didn''t move and just remained there, kneeling on the ground. Kai could tell that trouble was brewing. He couldn''t let Alex go on another rampage, not when he was in that state, especially because they weren''t in Country V.

    "Damn it! Alex!" Kai cursed and he was forced to turn back. He knelt before the frozen man again and gently but firmly ced Abi into his arms.

    "Take her to the hospital, Alex. I will deal with these bodies," he said. "C''mon, Alex, wake up! This is not the time for you to act like this! Abigail needs you right now!" he yelled at Alex for the first time in his life.

    The moment Alex looked at Abi''s face, his jaws clenched, he gritted his teeth and his grip on her tightened. He shut his eyes, as if to ask the heavens for strength, before he finally stood up with her in his arms.

    "Take her to Zeke''s hospital. I''m going to call Zeke now to wait for you." Kai told him and without a word, Alex finally headed out.

 Chapter 155 One of them

    <h4>Chapter 155 One of them</h4>

    Outside the emergency room, Zeke leaned against the wall while his eyes were fixated on the man sitting quietly in the waiting area.

    He was surprised at what he saw a while ago. He had expected a raging Alex to appear before him, looking the same as he looked that time he appeared at the exit of that dungeon, but this time this was far worse than he expected. The state of this man before his eyes was totally different to what he expected and it was hard to believe, even for him.

    Alex was tugging on his hair tightly, resting his elbows on his knees as he faced the ground below him. He hadn''t spoken a single word since he came through the hospital doors carrying the unconscious Abigail in his arms.

    After a long while, Zeke walked over towards him and broke the silence. "They''ll soon send her to her room Alex so you better go and clean yourself up. You can''t enter her room with all that blood all over you," he said calmly. "Don''t worry, she''s safe. She didn''t suffer any major injuries."

    Suddenly, Alex stood up. However, he walked towards the opposite direction of where Zeke wanted him to go.

    "Where are you going?" Zeke called out. Alex halted in his tracks. He lifted his hands and looked down at them.

    "These hands¡­" he finally spoke, "they won''t stop trembling. I need to calm them down."

    Zeke looked at him with narrowed eyes. He could tell exactly what Alex was nning to do.

    "By going on a killing spree?"

    "Yes. I will kill them all," he dered, his voice menacing and cold as ice.

    Zeke sighed as he stood up. "Alex, that can wait."

    "No. It can''t wait. I can''t wait! They all have to die tonight!" Alex began to step away. This was Alex''s darkest state, where he was almost like a monster with no humanity left in him.

    However¡­

    "So you''re going to leave her here? Are you entrusting her to me?" Zeke said and Alex immediately halted again. He didn''t turn but his jaws clenched upon hearing Zeke''s words.

    Zeke put his hands in his pockets as he stared at Alex''s back.

    "When did you start trusting me when it came to Abigail?" he asked as he approached Alex from behind.

    He heard Alex''s fingers cracking as the man''s fists tightened.

    The next moment, a loud thud echoed in the empty hallway. Alex had pushed Zeke hard against the wall, gripping his cor. His eyes were zing with fury as he red at him.

    "Zeke¡­" he hissed, gritting his teeth in anger.

    But Zeke remained calm, almost unbothered.

    He stared back at him and calmly continued. "Alex¡­ I''m simply reminding you what it is that you should be prioritizing right now. And I just want to remind you again, since you seem to have forgotten, that since the very beginning, you know very well that I am one of them, because I also want her dead."

    Alex''s grip on him tightened even more but Zeke simply continued talking. "That''s why¡­ what you need to do now is stay beside her. Don''t take your eyes off her. You need to protect her, especially now that everyone has probably already heard this news. I just want to remind you that Abigail needs you right now."

    As those words left Zeke''s mouth, Alex''s eyes constricted and it was then that the emergency room doors finally opened.

    Abi was wheeled out on a hospital bed, lying unmoving as the nurses pushed her out of the emergency room.

    Alex immediately let go of Zeke upon seeing her and approached the still unconscious girl on the bed. He was about to touch her hand but he paused midair the moment he realized how dirty his hands were. He currently looked like an actor ying as the main character of a zombie apocalypse or a horror movie. His clothes, hands, hair and his perfect face were all splotched with dried blood causing the nurses to freak out when they saw him.

    Zeke then held his shoulder from behind and signaled the nurses to take the girl away.

    "Now go. Clean yourself up first," Zeke told him as they both watched the bed being pushed away.

    "Didn''t you say I can''t take my eyes off her?" Alex just mumbled as he followed Abi and Zeke could only sigh.

    The duo then followed Abi to the most expensive room in the hospital. The room was big, with an ensuite and even it even had another bed set up for rtives to rest. It also had a kitchte but Alex didn''t see any of those things because he didn''t take his eyes off Abi''s small figure lying on the bed.

    While the nurses were busy checking on Abigail''s vitals and making herfortable, Alex voluntarily walked towards the bathroom.

    "Get me clothes," he told Zeke before he entered the bathroom and closed the door with a thud.

    Once Alex was out of sight, Zeke''s eyes immediately flew to the doctors who had just entered to give their report on the girl''s situation.

    Zeke''s eyes narrowed for a moment before he quickly led the doctors out of the room.

    "How is she?" Zeke immediately asked as he closed the door behind him.

    "Sir, her injuries are very minor but¡­ we discovered that she has an underlying health condition. Unfortunately, her condition has been triggered and she is now in grave danger," the top doctor of this reputable hospital, said.

    Zeke didn''t even look surprised. It was as if he already saw thising.

    "Don''t mention her underlying illness to anyone. If the man inside asks about her condition, just inform him about her current injuries, don''t mention anything about her illness," Zeke told them decisively, causing the doctors to frown in confusion. In the end, having no power to question this man and his orders, the doctors didn''t protest.

    "Y-yes, sir." They all said simultaneously. "But are we not going to do anything?" One of them asked and Zeke fell silent for a moment.

    "Go find out about her condition from her doctor from the lower department. I want everyone to prioritize her condition from today onwards."

    "Yes sir."

 Chapter 156 Because of me

    <h4>Chapter 156 Because of me</h4>

    Inside the shower, the water ran over Alex''s head and body all the way to the floor. The blood that had dried up on his body was being washed away, creating a red stream flowing down. His head was bent as he mmed his hands against the marble wall, cracking some of the expensive tiles.

    He was quiet but his body was still burning; burning for revenge, for more blood. He couldn''t shake off that image from his head; that sight of Abigail, lying there on the ground, seemingly lifeless.

    He slowly pulled his hands off the wall before he looked at them. They were still trembling.

    ¡­

    When Alex opened the bathroom door, Zeke immediately gave him the clothes before he walked away. Alex closed the bathroom door again and after a while, Alex stepped out, now wearing a clean white shirt and a pair of loose trousers.

    His expression was still dark and hard as steel but when he saw Zeke staring at Abi as he stood beside her, his face turned several shades darker.

    His dark aura zed so strongly that Zeke immediately noticed his deathly re.

    "I''m leaving. Call me if you need anything," he simply said and just like that, Alex was left all alone with Abi.

    The room was now enveloped in silence. Alex didn''t move from his spot for a long while before he slowly approached her.

    He stared down at her sleeping face. She could see small wounds and patches on her forehead and even her hands. He stretched out his hand but he couldn''t make himself touch her. How could he touch this person with these dirty hands of his?

    ¡­

    The light was blinding. Abigail''s brows creased as she slowly opened her eyes. It was so bright.

    She spent a long while trying to adjust her eyes to the blinding brightness. Her body felt heavy, as if she had been chained tightly to the bed. She tried to move her hands and was surprised that she could move her arms freely; she wasn''t bound after all. But¡­

    "Mmm¡­" she groaned as she stared at the ceiling. This wasn''t her room. Where was she?

    Abi slowly rose and was shocked to see that she was attached to an IV drip. She looked around the room with wide eyes. She thought that she must be in a hospital looking at all the medical equipment in the room but the room looked very luxurious. Was this the presidential suite of the hospital? What was she doing here?

    The memories from the night before started to y in her mind and she froze. That was right, yesterday¡­ the strangers¡­ the forest¡­ the screams...

    Abi suddenly hugged herself, rubbing the goosebumps that appeared on her skin as she shivered. Alex''s face immediately appeared in her head so she looked around again despite the fact that she didn''t see him the first time she looked around. Where was he?

    All Abi could think of was him once his face appeared in her head. If she could just hold him right now, this trembling and fear in her body would immediately be soothed. She just knew it. All she needed right now was him.

    Without thinking, Abi climbed out of the bed. She had to see him so that she wouldn''t be scared anymore.

    But her feet just reached the floor when her eyes widened.

    Alex was right there, lying on the floor. His left knee was bent and his eyes were covered with the back of his hand. He didn''t even have a nket or a pillow. He almost looked like a drunk man who passed out on the floorst night.

    "A- alex?" she called out softly. What was he doing down there when there was a perfectly fine bed next to her? Could it be that he slept there the entire night?

    The man finally moved. He opened his eyes and when their eyes met, he was quick to look away. He sat up before he stood up and walked closer to her. His hair was messy but he still looked breathtaking although she noticed that his eyes looked seemingly empty.

    Alex reached out his hand to touch her but he retracted it midway, surprising Abi. He clenched his fist before he put his hands inside his pockets, as if to hide them from her.

    "Are you okay?" he asked. His voice was soft but Abi could feel something was off with him.

    "Mm. I''m fine." She nodded, her eyes never leaving his face. "You''re the one who saved mest night, right?" she asked a whileter when Alex didn''t speak.

    But Alex looked away and said, "no".

    Abi''s eyes slightly widened upon hearing his answer. She pressed her lips tight before she spoke.

    "I heard your voice. And... I saw you," she told him firmly and Alex''s gaze flew back to her face. He looked surprised for a moment but after a while, a cold, mocking smile slightly curved on his face.

    "So, you saw it all then, huh?" he murmured. Heughed bitterly as his eyes grew dimmer.

    Abi subconsciously reached out to touch him but to her surprise, Alex stepped backward away from her. Her hand was left hanging in mid air as she looked at him in shock.

    "All of these things are happening to you because of me, Abigail," he suddenly said roughly, angrily. "You should have run away from me before all these things happened to you¡­" he trailed off and Abi felt like something squeezed her heart.

    She shook her head and uttered. "I already told you, I won''t run away."

    Alex averted his gaze again, slowly shaking his head.

    For some reason she couldn''t figure out, she felt like Alex was being tormented. Why did she feel as if she wasn''t the one who needed him the most right now, but that he was the one who needed her more?

    Reaching her hands out again, Abi looked intently at him. "Come here, Alex, let me hold you," she told him. Her voice was as gentle as an angel''s. "Please¡­ I want to hold you."

    "Abigail, you should be angry with me right now or terrified of me by now!" his voice became a little louder even though he was clearly suppressing himself. "This is the second time that you''ve been¡­ why are you stil¨C Stay right there!"

    Abi forced herself to stand up. Her knees still felt a little numb but she felt she had to. She ignored his order and continued to get up until he was forced to move closer to put her back on the bed.

    "Damn it, Abigail, why are you so ¨C"

    Alex couldn''t continue his words again because Abi quickly wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. She didn''t say a word and just embraced him wordlessly.

    When she pulled away, she looked up at his face as she searched for his hands. But Alex lifted them up away from her reach, not letting her touch them.

    "Don''t touch them, Abigail," he said.

    "Why¡­ are they trembling?" Abi asked as she saw them shaking.

    "I don''t know. But I think they just need to be covered with more blood," he replied, as he looked at Abi intently, probably waiting for her horrified reaction.

    But to his surprise, Abi reached out and held them in her hands before she brought them closer to her face.

 Chapter 157 Fallen

    <h4>Chapter 157 Fallen</h4>

    Abigail brought Alex''s hands to her face. She looked up at him intently and before she knew it, she brought his hands to her lips.

    Alex froze in shock the instant he felt her soft lipsnd on the back of his hand. He was utterly dumbstruck. What was she doing? Kissing his hand like that?!

    "Oh look, they stopped shaking!" she suddenly eximed, jolting the man back to reality. He looked at his hands and his eyes widened seeing that they had indeed stopped trembling. His lips could only part in disbelief. What was going on? How could just a simple peck like that stop his hands from trembling? This was ridiculous!

    "You¡­ do you have magic powers or something?" he muttered, looking at her in disbelief, causing Abi to chuckle.

    "How I wish that was true. But maybe I do have a little when ites to you?" she teased but deep within her she thought back to the many times she wished she had a super power or magic so she could magically cure herself, so she could magically live longer, so she could stay with him until she was grey and wrinkly.

    Alex stared at his hands again, pulling it away from her to see if it would start trembling again but it didn''t. A half-smile subconsciously formed on his face. He didn''t know what was going on with him anymore. When he saw her lying on the groundst night, his world turned dark, so dark that he couldn''t breathe. Even though he was supposed to be used to this darkness, to this bleak loneliness, the moment he saw her lying there, seemingly lifeless, he lost himself and he trembled in¡­ fear.

    Fear. One of the feelings he had long forgotten or maybe one that he forcefully buried long ago had been awakened by her.

    Abi caught his hand again before she pulled him and embraced him once more. It was then that a nurse entered. She saw that Abi had woken up and she left but then came back a few minutester carrying a tray of food which was good for two. It seemed that Zeke had arranged everything before he leftst night.

    After setting up the food on the table, the nurse asked if they needed anything else. Abi shook her head and told the nurse that it was okay for her to leave. The nurse politely nodded and left the two alone.

    Alex immediately sat on her bedside, facing her, before he quietly opened the small bowl of soup for her.

    "Stop staring at me and pay attention to your food," he said casually, not looking into her eyes. Abi was forced to tear her eyes off him and picked up her spoon. She scooped some of the soup and blew on it three times. But instead of putting it inside her mouth, she brought the spoon close to Alex''s lips.

    A scowl instantly appeared on Alex''s face. "You''re the one who''s injured here, Abigail," he told her,? clearly displeased.

    "But you''re the one who doesn''t look alright," she retorted and Alex looked at her in surprise. He fell silent for a while before he held her wrist, trying to move the spoon back towards her lips.

    "I''m fine. I am just thinking about something."

    "What are you thinking about?"

    "I''m thinking about what I should do with you."

    A short silence went by. Abi just stared at him in silence upon hearing his words. What he should do with her? What did he mean by that?

    For some reason, Abi felt a little scared. She felt like whatever it was that he was thinking right now was not something she would want to happen. ''Don''t tell me he''s thinking about ending everything now¡­'' she suddenly thought and Abi felt her heart tremble.

    "Abigail, you have to eat." Alex took the spoon from her hand. He scooped up another spoonful, blew on it and held it close to her mouth. "Eat."

    But Abi didn''t open her lips. She gripped her shirt tightly as she looked at him.

    "Y-you''re not thinking about breaking up with me now, right?" she told him, straightforwardly. Even though she felt so scared about his answer, she still asked.

    Alex halted. Her question obviously surprised him. He dropped his hand and put the spoon back in the bowl.

    "If that''s what I''m thinking of doing, would you agree?" he asked, his gaze intent.

    Abigail shook her head. "No. I won''t agree to it," she replied without hesitation.

    Alex lifted his hand and was about to caress her cheek but he halted midway and simply asked her, "So you still want to stay with me? Even after all this?"

    Abi caught his hand and ced it on her cheek. She looked him straight in the eyes and simply said, "Yes."

    "Why? Why do you still want to stay with me despite everything that has happened to you because of me?"

    His eyes were genuinely looking for an answer and Abi could see it. Why? She had asked herself those questions before. At first, she thought it was all because she was desperate to fulfil her wishes, but she soon realized it wasn''t all because of that. She had fallen in love with him, so deeply that she had started praying every night for a miracle to happen, because she wanted time to love him more. She wanted to love him forever but she would be happy even if it was just for 50 more years.

    She didn''t know when her feelings started to develop. Was it the moment when he kissed her for the first time? Was it that day when he fulfilled many of her wishes at once? Was it when he became a props man during the y? Or was it when he met her family? Abi didn''t know exactly when it started, but the more she thought about all the things that she had experienced with him, her heart filled with so much love that she was afraid it would explode like a time bomb.

    She wanted to tell him about this amazing feeling in her chest. She wanted to tell him how much she adored him, how much she loved him but...

    What would happen once she said it?

 Chapter 158 Ten more days lef

    <h4>Chapter 158 Ten more days lef</h4>

    Abi stared into Alex''s eyes. She was scared. She remembered that night when she first met him. She remembered how that girl had confessed her feelings to him in that cold garage and what was worse was that she remembered how he said ''it''s over'' after he heard her confession.

    However, Abi felt that Alex had changed since that fateful day. He was still cold most of the time but Abi felt that even though he might not have said it out loud, deep inside he cared about her. He never hurt her and he even willingly went so far as to fulfill all the things she requested. Even though he kept saying that he would punish her, his punishments weren''t punishments at all. He treated her nicely and his actions showed that he cared about her wellbeing. He was no longer the cold-hearted Alexander Qin she met in that garage. But despite it all, it looked like confessing her feelings to him still scared her more than what she thought. What should she do? Should she tell him?

    Abigail''s silence made Alex''s brows knot.

    He sighed as he stared deeply into her eyes. He opened his lips again but before he could speak, a knock drew their attention towards the door.

    "Did I disturb you guys? Sorry..." Kai scratched the back of his neck as he looked at them. "I just have something important to tell you right now, Alex."

    Alex nced at him before he retracted his hand from hers.

    "Eat now, Abigail," he ordered and he stood up but Abi caught his wrist, stopping him.

    "Come back, okay?" she told him, her eyes pleading with him. She seemed scared about something and Alex thought it was her fear for her safety that was making her act that way. Little did he know that she was scared about somethingpletely different.

    "I will," he assured her and Abi finally let him go.

    ¡­

    The next day, because Abi''s wounds were superficial, Alex was allowed to bring Abi back home which made Abi feel rxed. He didn''t leave her side at all which made Abi incredibly happy.

    Although her wounds were still pretty fresh, she had recovered some of her strength so she was again feeling quite energetic.

    However, Alex seemed a little indifferent. His mind seemed to always be running, calcting almost, and she wondered what it was that he was thinking about. Despite him being by her side, Abi couldn''t help but feel uneasy.

    It was already dark when Abi went downstairs to look for him. The others weren''t home and it seemed like they were noting back any time soon. She saw Alex sitting by the firece, as usual, and she walked over him.

    She stood before him, blocking his gaze which was focused on the intense mes.

    The man was wearing his usual long grey robe which revealed a portion of his chiseled chest. Just like her, he had just finished taking a shower so his hair was still damp.

    His gaze travelled upwards until their eyes met.

    Without waiting for him to ask, Abi threw herself into his embrace and sat on hisp. She took his hands and wrapped them around her waist. She badly wanted to say something but she didn''t know what to say. Alex had been too quiettely and she didn''t know what to do.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex?" she called out his name after a while, turning to look at his face. The moment she turned, their faces were so close that their noses even brushed against each other.

    Abi''s heart jumped but she didn''t pull away. Instead, she nted a gentle kiss on his lips. It really had be so natural for her to do this kind of thing; kissing him whenever she had the chance. She just wanted to distract him from whatever it was that was lingering in his mind.

    She pulled away and looked into his eyes. She moved closer again, intending to kiss him deeper this time but Alex gently caught her face and stopped her.

    "How many days left in our 31 day deal?" he suddenly asked, causing Abi to blink at him.

    Now that he asked, Abi''s lips parted upon realizing the answer.

    "There''s¡­ only 10 more days from tomorrow," she answered quietly. Her voice had be so weak that her words were almost a murmur. That was right, she had forgotten about this.

    "How many of your requests still remained unfulfilled?" he asked again and Abi couldn''t help but feel nervous. Why was he asking her these things?

    "There are still 15 items left."

    "So I have 5 debts as of now, huh? Tell me what they are and I''ll fulfill them in one go tomorrow."

    Abi abruptly changed her position. She straddled him so she could face him properly. Her eyes were wide with surprise as she looked at him.

    "What? You''re not happy with what I said?" Alex frowned upon seeing her reaction.

    "I¡­ I am, but¡­"

    "But?"

    Abi was suddenly tongue tied. Why was it that she felt more scared than happy?

    No¡­ she shouldn''t be acting like this. She should be thankful right now that Alex was willing to fulfill the remainder of her wishes. She should be happy because it seemed like he wasn''t thinking about ending their rtionship just yet and was willing to see it through. That was more than enough, right? After ten more days, she was going to leave him so she didn''t have the right to act unhappy right now. This was enough. At least she still had ten more days to hold him and love him with everything she had. Ten more days before this beautiful dream woulde to an end.

    Abi suddenly hugged him tight as she mumbled. "I''m sorry, I was just a little surprised." She tried her best to smile as she hugged him. "I will show you my listter."

    After a long while of silence...

    "Alex, this little fruit wants to kiss you," she told him as she pulled away and Alex finally smiled.

    "What kind of kiss? Is it a peck on the lips again?"

    "No."

    "Then what? Tell me first." It seemed that the usual Alex was finally slowlying back.

    "The deep one?" She blushed but she didn''t shy away anymore which made Alex''s lips twitch as his smile deepened.

    With teasing eyes, he lifted his head and in the next second, her lipsnded on his.

 Chapter 159 On my own

    <h4>Chapter 159 On my own</h4>

    Abi slowly pushed her tongue inside his mouth. Even though she was still quite a novice, she kissed him so passionately that he couldn''t resist wanting more. Her kisses were sweet and warm, so warm that Alex felt his world melting around him.

    He responded to her, kissing her back in his own slow pace while his hands stayed still and didn''t wander around. He was truly tamed at that moment, almost like a well-behaved little dragon in her arms.

    Their kiss deepened but remained slow and gentle. Abi felt her heart fill with overflowing emotions as she kissed him. She then intertwined her tongue with his, and their tongues twirled around as if they were suddenly ying a game, something she never imagined was possible. She became more energised as she yed tag with his tongue until she needed to catch a breath. Her face was flushed and she realised that she was quite enjoying herself.

    "You learn really fast, littlemb. That was not bad," Alex finally spoke and opened his eyes to look at her.

    Abi looked at him and was pleased to hear his praise.

    Alex watched the rosy glow that surrounded her and his eyesnded on her puffed up lips. After a few seconds'' break, Abi moved to kiss him again but Alex''s yful attitude slowly disappeared as he held her shoulders, stopping her advance.

    "Stop seducing me, Abigail. You know you''re still unwell," he told her strictly, his gaze full of warning.

    "S-seduce? I''m not trying to seduce you, Alex." Abi shook her head. "I didn''t even lick my lips."

    "No, you didn''t¡­ but kissing me like that¡­ you might awaken the little monster so don''t go any further."

    Abi blinked at him and then, she blushed.

    "But your little monster is already¡­" she pressed her lips tight as she hesitantly looked down. Well, she had felt something hard pressing on her down there since she kissed him a while ago.

    Alex followed her line of sight and it was then that he realized that he was already rock hard.

    "F*ck!" he cursed as he threw his head back and pinch the skin between his brows. This girl was truly changing his body. How could he get a hard on so easily with just a simple kiss before he even realized it?!

    "I¡­ It''s okay, I will help you with it," Abi offered and Alex smirked at her in disbelief. He half bit his lips sexily as he stared at her but a momentter, he shook his head.

    "No, you''re still unwell and weak."

    "But¡­"

    "No buts, Abigail. He will calm down on his own once you stop straddling him." Damn! He couldn''t believe he was torturing himself again, but this girl had suffered enough because of him. He couldn''t possibly tire her again just to relieve his lust¡­ but¡­ but this was her fault too!

    Damn it, Alex! Take a hold of yourself!

    "R-really? Are you sure?" Abi asked him and she even looked worried as she kept ncing at his bulge. She didn''t see his face that night when she had read that book to him in her room but now that she was looking at his face, why did he seem extremely ufortable? Was he in pain? "You look like you''re in pain."

    Heaving a sigh, Alex''s hand moved to her waist and he made her kneel on the chair, with him still between her legs. He looked up at her with a serious gaze. She had managed to tame his little brother that night but this time Alex could feel that it wasn''t possible. He was too hard, maybe because this was the longest amount of time that he hadn''t been relieved since thest time she ''helped'' him.

    His Adam''s apple bobbed up and down as he stared at her. It was really taking his everything to stop himself, to just hold himself back. This girl had no idea at all how she was driving him insane!

    "Alex¡­ uhm¡­ if¡­ it''s really okay with me. If it''s just this once, my hand¡­ I think I have enough energy to help you," she told him and Alex closed his eyes.

    When he opened his eyes again, his gaze was intense.

    "No, the doctor said to let you rest. I''ll relieve myself on my own."

    Abi''s widened at hearing his words. "O-on your own?!"

    She looked really surprised and confused. That''s right, he remembered that this girl had never touched herself.

    "Do you want to see me do it?" he suddenly said. Damn, why did he say that?!

    Alex never did that in front of anyone before but the moment those words left his mouth, his member hardened even more, causing him to groan. He cursed again inwardly. The thought of having Abigail watching him as he tried to relieve himself? turned him on so much.

    Alex undid the tie of his robe and she felt his hand move. Abi swallowed as she looked down and saw his little brother. W-why did it look like it became even bigger?

    Abi immediately looked at his face, her face a dark shade of crimson from embarrassment.

    Alex looked serious as he stared at her. His eyes glimmered and he started to sweat. He was utterly alluring and sexy.

    He lifted his left hand and rested it just below her ear. "I can''t tire you out so all you have to do is kiss me, okay?" he told him in a very seductive, husky voice and Abi could only nod. He slowly pulled her face down with his left hand moving from her shoulders towards her head. As their lips collided Abi felt his other hand start moving below her but she didn''t dare look! She just focused on his mouth, kissing him passionately.

    They stayed like that for a while until Alex pulled away from their kiss. His breathing became ragged as he licked her face.

    "Ah¡­ Abigail. I need you," he groaned, pulling her in again and kissing her again. Then, he pulled away again as he groaned. This time, he threw his head back a little, his hand still moving below him, and Abi had a clear view of his face. Her lips parted as she fell in a daze, watching his face as he closed his eyes in pleasure.

    He slowly opened his eyes again and locked his eyes on hers before he suddenly yanked her down, kissed her neck and sucked it hard before he finally exploded.

    ???????

    ???????

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 Chapter 160 Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 160 Nightmare</h4>

    Abi couldn''t take her eyes off Alex. That look of pain mixed with pleasure and his uninhibited expressions were so intense that Abi was mesmerized. She felt herself get hot just by watching the look on his face.

    Alex''s hand on her nape moved to her face as he gazed up, still breathing heavily. He caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers before he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

    Seeing that Abi was in a daze, he couldn''t help but smile inwardly. He couldn''t believe what he just did and¡­ even worse was that he couldn''t get enough of it. He wanted her!

    Heaving another deep breath, Alex donned his robe and lifted her up.

    "My little brother is fine now. So go and get some rest now," he said as he walked towards the stairs with her in his arms.

    After some time, Abi finally came back to her senses and stared at him.

    "I didn''t know that¡­ you can tame the l-little big monster yourself," she suddenly said and Alex halted in his tracks for a moment.

    "I usually can''t. Tonight was an exception, probably because you were kissing me," he unexpectedly answered her straightforwardly, causing Abi''s cheeks to burn again.

    By this time, the man had entered her room and ced her on the bed. He then tucked her in before he left to get cleaned up.

    When he came back, Alex immediately asked her about her remaining 15 requests.

    Abi peeked at him from her notebook.

    "Hmm¡­ let''s stay up all night," she said and Alex raised a brow.

    "And what would we do to stay up?" he asked. There was hint of mischief in his voice.

    "Hmm¡­ anything? Shall we take turns to say what we want to do to keep us awake? Or should we have a movie marathon?"

    Alex finally smirked. "Sure, staying up all night would be interesting. I have a lot of ideas that could make us stay awake, all night long. But not tonight, little fruit¡­ you must rest early tonight."

    Abi pursed her lips. She scanned at her list and it was too bad because all the remaining things on her list couldn''t be done inside a room.

    "I¡­ I will tell you the requests tomorrow. Don''t worry, we don''t need to go anywhere far this time." She smiled and she closed her notebook.

    "Fine, now go to sleep."

    Abi stared at him for a while until she finally drifted to sleep. Alex didn''t leave her room. He simply stood up, turned the light off and walked towards her window. The moon was shining brightly that night.

    Alex''s eyes were focused on the dark empty space, lost in his thoughts again. He stood there for an immeasurable amount of time, as if he had turned into a motionless statue.

    Hours had gone by before he finally moved from his spot. His eyes fell on the girl''s bed but as he was about to head over, he suddenly paused, as if something- a passing thought, perhaps - stopped him. The next moment, he silently walked towards the door. He pulled the door open and was about to step out when he heard Abi groaning in her sleep. He scowled as he looked at her.

    Seeing that she was moving around, he walked closer and turned on the bedsidemp. He saw her sweating and her brows were creased so tightly.

    "Abigail," he called out softly. It was clear that she was having a nightmare.

    He stretched out his hand and held her arms as he tried to wake her up.

    "Abigail!" he called out again but the girl just thrashed on the bed as she gasped. Alex''s heartbeat began to beat wildly in panic. "Abigail, wake up!"

    dly, the girl''s eyes finally opened, her eyes wide as she gasped for air.

    "Abigail, are you alright?" he asked, his tone revealing his panic. Abi''s eyes slowly moved from the ceiling to Alex. She was dazed for a moment before she suddenly reached out and teared up a little.

    Alex hugged her tight. "What''s wrong? A nightmare?" he asked softly as he caressed her head, trying to calm her down.

    Abi just nodded but her body started to shiver slightly. Alex grip on her tightened. He could tell that she was terrified. What kind of nightmare did she have to make her react like this?

    "It''s okay, don''t be scared. I''m right here," he whispered as he caressed her gently. He didn''t really know what to do. He had never coaxed anyone in his life. He used to not even care at all even when someone he knew was dying before his eyes. He used to just watch heartlessly because he didn''t feel anything at all. But now, here he was panicking at the slightest thing that happened to this girl.

    He forced himself to think and he was d that he immediately remembered all the things that Abi did to him to calm him down. He remembered how she always calmed him down with her embrace, so he copied her and did the same. He slowly shook his head as he thought about all these things that he was now doing that he never thought he would ever do for anyone, not even for himself.

    Abi''s shivering frame slowly calmed down as she came back to her senses. She heard Alex''s soft voice and felt his gentle caress and the fear in her heart slowly subsided. She never had a nightmare as horrifying as the one she just had. And she didn''t know why but it felt so real. This was the first time Alex appeared in her dreams, but it didn''t turn out to be a dream; it was a nightmare so terrifying that she was afraid to sleep again. Why did she have such a nightmare? Why did Alex look like that in her dream?

    She felt so terrified even though she knew that it was just a nightmare and that it wasn''t real.

    ??

    ??

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 Chapter 161 Countdown

    <h4>Chapter 161 Countdown</h4>

    The next morning, Abi woke up with Alex in her embrace.

    She slowly unsped her tight grip on him as she sat up, blinking at him.

    "You''re awake," Alex said. It seemed like he had been awake for a while now.

    "G-good morning, Alex," she greeted as she rubbed her eyes. This was it, the start of the countdown...

    The man rose and he examined her face closely as if he was looking for something.

    "Are you alright?" he asked and Abi nodded.

    "Mm. I didn''t know you were going to sleep here for the night."

    Alex creased his brows. She didn''t remember?

    "Ahh ~" Abi yawned and stretched her arms up high. She smiled at him brightly and climbed out of the bed. "Get up, Alex. We have to get ready now," she grinned excitedly and Alex justzily got up into a sitting position.

    He rested his gorgeous face on his knuckles as he watched her energetically open her closet to look for clothes. Alex wanted to ask about her nightmarest night but he didn''t want to make her remember something that terrified her to that extent. He was also thinking about why Abigail did not ask him about the things that happened to her; about why she was being targeted. Not a single question was asked about it since she woke up in the hospital.

    "Alex!" She called out when the man just sat there, silently looking out the window. She kind of wanted to admire his morning look and that messy hair for a while longer but they might bete if she didn''t make the man move now. She moved closer to him and blocked his view. "My first request is for you toe with me to the orphanage today."

    Alex''s lips parted. "And what am I going to do there?" he asked, intrigued, but Abi just held his hands and pulled him to get up.

    "Stop asking. You will know once we''re there," she told him, smiling widely, and Alex could only give in.

    They left the mansion together and arrived at the orphanage at the right time.

    Abi asked Alex to dress casually and even chose the color of his coat. She chose a beige coat that was matched her beige cardigan because she wanted him to look less intimidating.

    However, the moment everyone saw Alex, they just gaped at him, seemingly feeling unable to approach him. Some of the elders spoke to him but it seemed that Alex''s presence was too imposing, even for them.

    Abi wanted the two of them to volunteer to work at the orphanage as a couple just like her father and mother did when her mother was still alive. She remembered her mother telling her that one of the happiest experiences she ever had since she met her husband was when they were volunteering and helping others.

    Abi thought the same. She always felt better every time she helped others in any way she could.

    Working for a good cause relieved her stress and broke the rut of ruminating about her own problems and most importantly, it helped her see life through the eyes of others. This was something she wanted Alex to experience. She wanted to spend the day with him as they both did some volunteer work because she was sure that this memory would be something she would treasure for as long as she lived.

    "Alex, here." Abi tiptoed and put a pair of sses on him. The dark sses were huge but it was cute and of course, it still looked good on him. Abi noticed that people were intimidated whenever they looked into his eyes so she decided to cover them up. Of course, she asked for his permission and the man didn''t seem to mind it at all.

    The orphanage had a special event every year. It was another fundraiser wherein they would set up a few booths inside the nearby school during the school''s festival. They would sell delicious cakes to raise funds and Abi and Alex were assigned to one of the booths as volunteers.

    "Is this okay with you, Alex?" Abi asked him and the man raised a brow.

    "Well, this is far better than being a prop man," he answered and Abi chuckled. Now that she thought about it, Abi wasn''t hesitant anymore in asking Alex to do simple ordinary tasks since that day.

    "So? What am I going to do? Be a watcher?" Alex was leaning forward right next to Abi while the girl was busy arranging the cakes.

    "Hmm¡­ do you know how to sell? Okay, watch me¡­ it''s like this¡­" As Abi showed him the polite way of selling and treating the beloved costumers, all Alex did was crease his brow. It was obvious that he wasn''t that keen to learn her expert selling technique.

    "I''ll just be a watcher," he said decisively and he sat behind her like a boss.

    Abi pressed her lips tightly. She had been doing this for years now and she knew that it wasn''t easy to sell goods. She looked around and most of the booths had cute girls and handsome boys standing outside to lure in the customers. She looked at Alex and thought, ''what if they will get intimidated instead?''

    "What?" Alex nced at her as he satfortably with his long legs crossed.

    Abi moved closer to him, took off her frog headband and put it on him, causing the man to crease his brows together.

    "Alex, look! Can you go outside and try to lure in the costumers? I''m sure with that face of yours, all the girls will definitelye and buy from here."

    "Are you sure they won''t run away instead?"

    "I don''t think so. You''re handsomer than any celebrity, why would they want to run away?"

    Alex raised his brow. Did she just praise him? He seemed pleased with that thought. He looked at those other young people standing in front of the booths and saw what they were doing to try and get customers to buy from them and he just scowled. There was no way he would do that.

    "Nope," he said but Abi was persistent. She took a cardboard sign and wrote something on it and gave it to him.

    "Here, you don''t need to say anything. Just hold this in front of the booth so people can read it." She smiled before she pulled him up and dragged him outside.

    And thus, the godly, handsome booth mascot was born.

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 Chapter 162 The hero

    <h4>Chapter 162 The hero</h4>

    Even though Abi already believed that Alex would certainly lure the customers in, it looked like he had exceeded her expectations real well this time.

    From the second Alex stood out there holding the sign up and leaning on the boothzily with an expressionless face, a long long line had been formed outside. Abi was shocked and happy at first but the girls were starting to ask her about Alex as they bought their goods which took up a lot of time.

    dly, at some point, Alex would unhappily tell them a fake name once they paid and the girls would flinch at his unfriendliness and leave almost immediately. But still, most of the girls stayed to admire Alex from afar.

    Abi was a little overwhelmed with the amount of people wanting to buy goods from their booth that she asked other volunteers from the other booth toe over and help her. She also told them to bring their cakes there to be sold because she was running out of cakes! Indeed, the old adage that ''beauty sells'' was most definitely true in this case. This was almost the same as having real life top celebrity!

    Within just a few hours, the cakes were sold out. Abi remembered thatst year, there were quite a few cakes leftover after a whole day of selling.

    "Wow! You''re amazing, Alex!!" Abi praised the man who finally entered the booth again. He removed his headband and sat behind her. "You just helped the orphanage a lot. This is a lot of money!" She was so happy as she counted the gains they made after she put up a notice that the booth was now closed.

    After that, Alex and Abi left the booth with the intent of returning to the orphanage when a group of young high school girls suddenly mobbed Alex. He was still wearing his huge sses and he was quiteid back and calm this whole time so the girls must have not felt his imposing aura at all or they simply ignored it.

    Abi was easily separated from him because of their sudden attack. What was going on?

    In just a few seconds, Abi was watching Alex being surrounded by girls. Abi could see the lines on his forehead starting to form so she quickly went over to get him. She couldn''t let his nice mood today be sour because she still had a lot of things she wanted to do with him today.

    dly, these girls at least still had some awareness of themselves and they didn''t dare to touch him. Abi managed to slip through the mob and she caught his hand.

    "Let''s go, Alex, quick!" she pulled him and the cold grey clouds that were starting to form around him somehow disappeared. She ran out and pulled him away with her. They ditched the crowd and after a while, they managed to leave without any of the girls following them.

    Abi chuckled as she looked back and saw that no one followed them. She was still holding Alex''s hand as they walked on the street. "I felt like the hero saving the super famous celebrity for a moment there." She grinned at him.

    "Hero, huh? I could have escaped from them easily if I wanted to." He raised a brow and Abi puffed her cheeks.

    "Are you saying you didn''t want to get away?" She challenged him.

    "And if I said that I didn''t, would that make you jealous?" He retorted, smiling mischievously.

    "Okay, i''ll call them again." She acted like she was about to call out to the girls again when he relented.

    "Fine. You were the hero little fruit!"

    She nodded sternly like a mother who had won an argument against a stubborn child.

    Alex could only smirk. He still couldn''t understand why she was this happy. He still couldn''t grasp this joy she kept talking about but every time he looked at her happy face, he didn''t know why but he felt satisfied and he could not hate this. In fact, it felt somewhat good or whatever that feeling was.

    "So? Where are we going next?" he asked as they approached the orphanage, still walking hand in hand.

    Abi halted and faced him. "Let''s go on a movie date, Alex," she said with a wide a smile. Alex remained rxed and just agreed with her without question.

    "You don''t want toe inside? We''re just going to submit this money."

    "I''ll wait here."

    "O-okay."

    Alex watched Abi enter the orphanage as he rested on the bo of his car. His eyes wandered around as if he was looking for something or someone hiding in the shadows.

    After a short while Abi returned with the children when to her surprise, the man wasn''t where she had left him.

    "Where did he go?" she looked around and when she couldn''t see him, she took out her phone to call him when he suddenly appeared from behind them.

    Abi immediately turned to look at him walking over them.

    "Where did you go?" she asked and Alex looked away for a moment.

    "I just saw a ck cat and chased it for a while," he replied, shrugging as he looked at the children with her. Abi creased her brows, a little suspicious, but she shrugged off her suspicions and just smiled at him.

    "Ah, these children came to thank you."

    Alex looked at her with curiosity. "For what?"

    "For helping raise the money for them," she exined happily before all the children bowed at him.

    "Thank you very much, Mister Alex," they all said in a synchronized manner, causing Alex to blink at them. He was a little taken aback. All these children, thanking him so sincerely like this¡­ he never thought he would kind of feel that it wasn''t bad at all.

    "All I did was stand there like a disy statue though¡­" he murmured, unsure what he should reply to the children.

    Abi just chuckled upon hearing him. "You helped a lot Alex, we sold out the cakes because you were there," she told him and Alex cleared his throat and he put his palm on the back of his neck. He thought that he was feeling a little strange.

 Chapter 163 More than enough

    <h4>Chapter 163 More than enough</h4>

    The duo returned to Alex''s house to get ready for their movie date. It was still early so they still had plenty of the day left to go.

    But when they arrived, the other three men were all in the house. They were sitting in the living room and looked like they were discussing a very serious matter.

    Alex''s gaze instantly became a little sharp the moment he saw them. He asked her to go upstairs and get ready before he went and joined the men.

    Abi just smiled and slightly nodded at the other men before she finally climbed up the stairs to her room. Her second request for today was something she really wanted to experience. She had watched many movies and read many novels where the main characters went to a movie date. It seemed so romantic and she wanted to experience it too.

    She was a little worried the moment she saw Kai and the others downstairs but she had to stay positive. She just had to keep hoping that their movie date would happen. She couldn''t afford to waste a single moment of her time no more. No matter what, she simply wanted to spend every moment of it with him, happily.

    ¡­

    Abi had just put on her jeans when the door suddenly opened.

    "Ahh!" she yelped as she instantly covered her chest.

    Alex was the one who entered the room and he was already dressed up, now wearing his usual dark toned outfit and that elegant long coat. He was leaning by the doorway like the most gorgeous model straight out of a magazine. He looked like he was going to go and receive a certain international award but then again, he always dressed like that every day.

    "W-why didn''t you knock?" Abiined. Her cheeks burning red. She was d that her hair was down.

    However, the man just smiled.

    "What''s the point of hiding from me? I have seen them plenty of times already, my little fruit. And your twin peaches are the prettiest peach I''ve ever seen, so no need to be embarrassed," he said seriously, without even attempting to avert his eyes away.

    Abi blushed even harder. She turned and picked up her bra and put it on in a sh before she put on a simple t-shirt.

    Once she was dressed, she puffed her cheeks as she approached Alex. Alex found her expression really amusing as he imagined a raging little fruitymb rolling towards him with puff of airing out her nose.

    "Hahaha," heughed out loud once Abi reached him, causing her to blink at him, speechless. He stretched out his hand and gently pinched her cheek. "Why do you look so amusing when you''re mad? Huh? My little fruitymb?" he asked as he yed with her flushed cheeks.

    Abi couldn''t even get mad anymore. This man was a cheat because he called her ''my little fruitymb''! Abi had never heard Alex call her using the possessive word ''my'' before. If only he called her without using the pet names that he made up for her. She kind of wanted to hear it¡­ for him to call her ''Abi''¡­

    "Alex¡­ can you call me Abi?" she suddenly asked. "I just kind of want to hear how it would sound like when you call me that."

    She blinked at him and smiled. \t

    Alex stared quietly at her for a while. The next second, he pinched her chin and pulled her face closer. He bent closer until his lips were almost touching her ear.

    And then¡­

    "Abi¡­" he whispered. She felt like that sound traveled along with his hot breath deep within her veins and she herself heat up. It was nicer than what she imagined.

    "Happy now?" he asked as he pulled away and Abi grinned so widely, feeling fulfilled and satisfied.

    "Mm. Thank you, Alex." She hugged him. Finally, she heard him say it. All her favorite people, the closest people in her life called her Abi, so she had been wanting Alex to call her that as well. Even though she had to ask him to say it this time around, Abi was still happy. This was more than enough for her.

    Happily, Abi ran towards her bed and picked up a shirt.

    "Alex, uhm¡­ can you wear this?" she asked as she opened the shirt in front of him. It was a white shirt and the shape of half a heart with a single, ck wing was printed on it .

    Now that he saw it, this was obviously the pair to her ck shirt which was printed with the same half heart but the wing on hers was white.

    "This is my third request for today, Alex, for us to wear a couple shirt," she told him and before Alex could react, she moved and helped him remove his elegant coat. Alex on the other hand wasn''t even resisting and was just letting her do as she pleased with him.

    And to his surprise, Abigail didn''t even shy away while she unbuttoned his shirt. His little fruit seemed to have really ripened up now.

    Once Abi finished her task, Alex voluntarily removed it and then silently put on the white t-shirt.

    ¡­

    Downstairs, Xavier was sighing like an old man with many, many problems,

    "Don''t you guys think that Alex has really changed?" he asked but Kai and Zeke remained quiet. "I think he has. Like changed into apletely different person. I am starting to think that he''s an imposter, sigh... I don''t know what he is thinking anymore... Is he doing this for his sake or for Abigail''s sake? What do you guys think?" He looked up to watch for a reaction from the other two but nope, no reactions there. It seemed like he was talking to himself because clearly no one else was listening.

    Xavier was about to start bbering again when they heard steps descending the stairs.

    The moment they turned to look, Xavier''s mouth dropped.

 Chapter 164 Jealous

    <h4>Chapter 164 Jealous</h4>

    Xavier almost choked. Alex wearing a couple shirt? Darn! This was too much!

    Alex simply nced at the men on the sofa while Abi just slightly nodded at them. They began to walk away when Abi suddenly halted.

    "Ah, wait a moment, Alex," she told him and she looked towards Ezekiel Qin who was now heading to his room. She ran towards him and stood before him.

    "Uhm, Mr. Qin, there''s a letter for you," she said with a smile as she took a pink little envelope out of her bag. "This is from little Betty."

    Abi gave the envelope to him but the man simply stared at it.

    "Why is she giving me this?" the man asked. His usually uninterested eyes were looking at her with interest.

    "You''re the one who paid her hospital bills, right?"

    Ezekiel fell silent and Abi finally confirmed that it was indeed Ezekiel who was behind all the good things that happened to Betty at the hospital. It seemed that this man wasn''t as hard as he made out. She couldn''t confirm it but back when she left the dungeon, before she copsed, she saw a blurry silhouette of a man sitting on the ground with a musical instrument. She tried to recognize who it was and the pieces of his physique led her to the conclusion that it was this man. Even though she never confirmed it, she believed that it was him. Since then, her impression of him started to change. It seemed that the rumors about him were wrong and that he was a good person depsite his strict and heartless aura.

    "Little Betty wrote this in the hospital and she was waiting for you to visit her but since you seemed to be very busy, I offered to deliver this to you. Please ept it, Mr. Qin," she added as she beamed at him before she held his hand and put the letter on his palm.

    However, at that very moment, someone yanked Abi from behind. Her back hit against a broad and strong chest and she immediately knew that it was Alex.

    When she looked up at him, she was surprised to see how dark his face was as he red at Ezekiel.

    "Alex?" she called out but then, Alex suddenly pulled her away and he nearly dragged her out of the house.

    Abi was confused with Alex''s sudden actions. "Alex, what''s wrong? We are not in a hurry, are we? We still have ¨C"

    Alex halted and pinned her on the wall. He was rough and his gaze was as sharp as a knife.

    "I don''t like you talking to Zeke. No. Don''t even go near him. Understand?" he hissed. His voice was cold and almost threatening.

    "W-why? I just¡­"

    Alex suddenly let go of her and turned his back from her, avoiding her gaze. "Just do what I say, will you?" he said, still not looking at her.

    Abi bit her lip as she looked at his back. He seemed angry. She wanted to ask but she didn''t because she didn''t want their date to be ruined. So instead, she gave in and hugged him, leaning her head on his back, something that made the man, whose mood had turned unbelievably sour, suddenly mellow down almost immediately.

    "Mm, I will do as you say, Alex¡­" she mumbled against his back and Alex let out a sigh. His dark aura dissipated and he cleared his throat.

    "Good. Now let''s go," he replied and he held her hand, leading her towards the car.

    By the doorway, Xavier and Kai were watching them.

    "Will you exin to me what just happened?" Xavier asked and Kai leaned on the doorframe.

    "He''s just being wary of Zeke, I guess."

    "Ha! No matter how I look at it, that''s clearly jealousy, Kai. Alex is jealous! My goodness, he never acted like that with anyone before! It''s like he''s already in love!"

    Xavier said those words as if Alex falling in love was a disaster. He shook his head and tugged at his hair as he paced back and forth in front of Kai.

    ¡­

    The man and woman, wearing matching couple shirts with half a heart printed on their shirts, stood outside the cinema trying to decide what movie to watch.

    The cinema was bustling with people moving inside and out but no matter if they were going in oring out, their eyes were inevitably pulled towards this beautiful couple looking at the ''Now Showing'' posters outside. They didn''t know why their eyes were drawn to this particr couple. Couples wearing matching outfits were a normal urence, after all, so what made this couple any different?

    Was it because the man''s aura was quite intimidating,pletely contradicting the cuteness of the? couple shirt? Or was it the carefree look of the woman who seemed unbothered by his cold, scary aura?

    However, it was as if the couple was in their own world because they didn''t notice all the looks they were attracting.

    "Which one do you want to watch?" Abi asked as the two stood in front of the movie posters. "Sci-fi, action, romance,edy?"

    "Just choose the one you like, little fruit."

    "Okay, we''re going to watch this one then!" She pointed at the romantic movie, ''The Last Shooting Star'' that was going to premier that night. "This is the movie adaptation of that book you read for me that night." She beamed at him. "Quite an amazing coincidence, right?"

    Alex looked at her excited face and was about to agree that it was indeed a nice coincidence but his eyes narrowed the moment he realized that Abigail was staring at the male lead''s face for a while now.

    He tilted his head to block her view and when Abi saw the displeasure in his face, she didn''t know why but she suddenly started to exin herself to him before he could even ask.

    "Ah, this guy here. He''s my childhood friend," she told him and Alex creased his brows.

 Chapter 165 Childhood bestfriend

    <h4>Chapter 165 Childhood bestfriend</h4>

    "Childhood friend? Didn''t that little girl, Betty, say you don''t have any male friends?" he questioned.

    "Hmm¡­ well, I don''t have any contact with him anymore. I haven''t seen him for many years now. So I guess, we''re not really friends anymore," she replied, looking a bit nostalgic as she stared at the man''s face. "This guy here and I grew up together. We even have the same dream back then. We wanted to be stars. When we were seventeen, we both nned to go for an important audition. We promised to reach our dream together. But I ended up not going to the audition¡­" she paused. "So, as expected, he passed the audition and since then, I never saw him again because we also moved out of the city after that."

    Alex watched her intently as she told him that story. It seemed that this was the boy he saw in many of her pictures at their house.

    "Ah, let''s go, Alex. Tonight''s the premier so we need to hurry or we might not get a good spot." Abi pulled him as Alex nced sharply at the photo of the man on the poster.

    As Abi expected, there were a lot of people already in the movie theater and they actually got thest seats. Abi was a bit disappointed but Alex seemed to be d that they were going to be sitting at the furthest row to the screen.

    ''As expected with a superstar,'' Abi thought. They came early and yet they still only just managed to get thest tickets.

    From the start of the movie, Abi and Alex''s hands were intertwined. Abi was smiling as she nced at him, squeezing his hand asionally. Her popcorn sat on her left side and she was feeding Alex every now and again. It was a very nice feeling, having Alex sitting next to her and watching a movie with her.

    But as the story progressed, Abi''s attention started to be fixed on the screen. She didn''t let go of Alex''s hand but the man, who had been more focused on her than the movie, was a little displeased, especially when he noticed the pride and admiration in her eyes as she watched that guy.

    Trying to get her attention, Alex let her hand go and stretched his arm out and draped it over her shoulder. Abi looked at him and smiled before she returned her gaze to the screen again. Still displeased, Alex moved his fingers and it crawled from her shoulder to her corbones. Abi jolted and her popcorn almost spilled on the floor.

    "Alex¡­" she whispered.

    Alex finally got her attention and he smirked triumphantly. He leaned in on her and whispered in her ear.

    "Did you know what couples usually do in ces like this?" he whispered seductively and Abi couldn''t help but blush.

    "Of course."

    "Really? Tell me, what are they?"

    "Watch the movie, of course, and feed each other popcorn and share a drink and hold each other''s hands."

    "That''s all?"

    "Uhm¡­ hugging for a while, maybe?"

    "Want me to show you something much more interesting?"

    "Uhm¡­" Abi saw the naughty glint in his eyes and she swallowed quietly. "We must focus on the movie, Alex..."

    "Look, the actors are kissing, shouldn''t we kiss too?"

    Abi was speechless and before she could react, the man bent to capture her lips but due to Abi''s surprise, she knocked her popcorn over and it fell on the floor.

    She quickly pulled away, blushing hard, as she bent down to pick the spilled popcorn up. At the same time, the guy sitting on her left also bent to pick it up.

    The two nearly butted heads. Abi smiled at him as he gave her the popcorn.

    Abi slightly bowed at him as she took the popcorn when suddenly...

    "Abi?" the man said. Abi''s eyes widened. She couldn''t see his face because he was wearing a mask but his voice seemed familiar. Someone she knew?

    The man removed his mask and Abi''s lips slightly parted.

    "C-chris?" she almost eximed. Christian Lu, her childhood best friend and the current highest paid actor in the country was here? Sitting next to her?!

    Abi was taken aback. This guy was her childhood bestfriend. They were even closer than siblings back when they were young. Both of them were talented and they were actually even each other''s rival during their school days. They both dreamt to be movie stars one day and to star in the same movie together. They also made a promise to reach the peak of their dreams together but during the audition, Abi didn''te¡­

    Because that was the day she found out about her illness.

    Christian called and messaged her that day but she was at the hospital. He told her that he passed the audition and was upset that she didn''t arrive. But Abi didn''t tell him the truth. She told him that she didn''t want to pursue their dream anymore and that she was giving up.

    The boy was so upset and since then, they eventually lost contact with each other as Chris was taken away from the city to train as an actor in one of the biggest entertainmentpany in the country.

    Every time Abi saw him on television and magazines, she was reminded about her childhood and her lost dreams, but she was happy for him because just as he promised, he reached the peak of he was aiming for. In fact, he had be a legendary young actor of their generation.

    "W-what are you doing here?" Abi asked him and the man, who seemed to be much more surprised than her, snapped out of his shock. He covered his face with his mask again and he suddenly held her hand.

    "Abi, let''s go talk outside," he said as he stood up and tried to take her away.

    However, in the next moment, he heard a chilling voice.

    "And where do you think you are taking my girl?"

 Chapter 166 Warning

    <h4>Chapter 166 Warning</h4>

    Chris'' eyes immediately flew to the man sitting next to Abi, holding her hand and he was again, shocked.

    This man, he recognised him. There was no way he could ever forget that face. This guy was the cause of one of his co-actor''s suicide just a year ago. Dianne Xin was an award winning actress and she was Chris'' female counterpart. They acted alongside each other since they were still newbies and became close friends. That was how Chris knew about this mysterious man. He had seen how Dianne became crazy for him. He knew he couldn''t put all the me on this man but he had seen how heartless this man was towards his friend. He was a man without empathy or even a little care. If he showed even a little care for Dianne, maybe, she would still be alive right now. But he was inhuman, someone without any emotion, and above all, he was simply a shady character and the epitome of danger. And now, he was actually here and even calling Abi his girl?!

    Chris looked at Abi with wide eyes filled with questions.

    "Abi, what is he talking about?" he asked her.

    "Uhm¡­ this is Alex, Chris. He''s my boyfriend." Abi introduced and Chris''s lips could only part in disbelief. "Let''s take a seat please. We can''t disturb the others. Also, please cover your face, Chris. People might recognize you and then you''d be done for!" Abi whispered before she sat down and pulled him down with her. "Let''s finish the movie first and talkter. It''s about to end anyway." She smiled at him and Chris could only sit again, with a million thoughts and questions running through his mind.

    It was then that Alex suddenly wrapped his arm around Abi''s shoulder and pulled her closer to him, acting like a possessive boyfriend. His lips were touching Abi''s ear as he spoke.

    "Didn''t you say you two aren''t friends anymore? Why do you still want to talk to him? Huh? Abigail?" Alex whispered. Abi turned to look at him and saw the sharp res in his eyes as he nced at Chris.

    She tilted her head slightly as she blinked at him. "Alex, are you jealous?" she asked but a secondter, she just grinned at him. "Kidding, hehe. If you keep acting like that, I would think you''re jealous, you know?" she teased. "Even though we were separated for many years, he''s still the best friend I had who had been with me since I was young so, of course, I would still want to talk to him," she exined.

    Alex stared at her and the next second, he let go of her and quietly leaned his face on his knuckles. He focused his eyes on the screen but his mind was absolutely not on the movie at all. He almost looked like he was sulking like a little child who didn''t get his way.

    Seeing that Alex seemed to have understood her point, Abi turned to Chris, but Chris was also focused on the screen. Although, like Alex, his mind didn''t seem to be focused on the movie either. He also seemed to be thinking about somethingplicated.

    Abi decided to focus on the movie until the end. She stretched her arm and then reached out to hold Alex''s hand. The man just nced at her for a split second.

    "Ah, that was nice. Even though I''ve read the book many times, it still makes me emotional," Abi said after the movie ended. She turned to Chris and her eyes sparkled. "You''re amazing Chris! Your acting skills are really great!" she praised him sincerely. She always knew that Chris was born to be an actor and she was the first to encourage him to pursue acting.

    Chris softly cleared his throat. He had been constantly bombarded with people saying how awesome and talented he was for a while now that he started to think that these were all fake words people said to him to tter him. But when this girl was the one saying it, he felt pretty good.

    "If you didn''t ditch the audition that day, I''m sure you would have been ying my leadingdy right now," he mumbled, and it was then that Abi realized that the man was still upset over it. "I haven''t forgotten, Abi. I waited there for you for hours. I even begged the directors to wait for you. That day¡­ where did you go? I went to your house but no one was there."

    Abi fell silent. She didn''t know that he came to look for her at their house. She didn''t know that he even begged the directors to wait for her. She had no idea about all the things he had done for her at that time.

    The reason why she didn''t meet him again was because she had been admitted into the hospital since that day. She kept it a secret from him because she didn''t want to give him any reason to hold back. Back then, all she wanted was for him to go and chase his dream without looking back.

    At that moment, Alex stood up from his seat, pulling Abi''s attention away from Chris. She too, stood up, holding Alex''s hand again.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, can you give me a moment to speak with him? Just a little while?" she asked him as she clung onto his arm.

    Alex let out a silent sigh before he red at Chris. "Fine, one minute."

    "Eh? Five minutes, please?"

    Alex was about to retort but he closed his lips and bit it. "Fine" was all he said as he nced at Chris again, as if giving him a warning, before he walked away towards the exit door and leaned on the wall. His eyes were still focused on them like a strict guardian or like an eagle circling its prey.

    Alex''s mind was was in turmoil. He was doing his best to keep cool and not to go and snatch her away but it was damn hard. He couldn''t believe that whatever this was that he was feeling towards that guy was actually worse than what he felt towards Zeke.

    He suddenly had the urge to kill him, especially every time this outsider called his little fruit "Abi".

 Chapter 167 See you

    <h4>Chapter 167 See you</h4>

    "Abi, look¡­ I know I shouldn''t be talking about this the moment we meet up again after all these years but¡­ that guy, how did you even get acquainted with him?" Chris was wearing a ck cap and a mask so Abi couldn''t see his expressions but she could hear the obvious worry in his voice.

    "Uh, don''t worry, Chris. Alex may look very scary but he''s a nice person," she told him and the man shook his head in disbelief.

    "Look, Abi. How long have you known him for? Do you even know who he really is?"

    Abi stared at him. Her brows creased a little. "Chris, are we really just going to talk about Alex right now? We only have 5 minutes to talk to each other and that''s all you want to say to me? We still have ns so I need to go soon but I didn''t want to just leave without talking to you, especially since it has been years since west spoke to each other," Abi told him.

    She thought that Chris was acting exactly the same way as Kelly did the first time she told her about Alex, although Chris seemed to be reacting far worse, as if he knew something about him.

    Chris sighed. He seemed to have so much to say but he kept ncing at Alex and he seemed a bit wary.

    "Abi, I¡­ fine, can Ie to your house tonight? It''s been really a long time. I want to talk to you properly and I''d like to visit uncle Andrew and your grandparents, too," he told her and Abi was again speechless. She didn''t see thising.

    "I''m sorry, but I won''t be home tonight, Chris," she said and Chris'' eyes widened. "How about you give me your number? I''ll be home tomorrow so I''ll just call you."

    Chris didn''t respond for a while.

    "No. Can you give me your number, Abi? I''ll call you instead," he said and Abi immediately gave him her number.

    "It''s really good to see you again, Chris. I''m really happy and proud for you, you know. I just want you to know that," she beamed at him but still, Chris seemed unhappy.

    "Thanks," was all he replied.

    "I have to go now. Let''s talk again soon, okay?" she said and was about to leave when Chris held her wrist.

    "We have met each other again after many years, Abi. Won''t you give me even a single hug?" he suddenly asked, his voice suddenly sounded downhearted. Abi bit her lips. She would be lying if she said that she didn''t miss this person. Back then, she missed him very much. She missed those crazy things they did together. She missed talking to him. She missed hanging out with him.

    But maybe, over the years, seeing his face everywhere she looked and seeing that he was doing very well, made Abi slowly turn from a friend to a fan. She saw him everywhere so she didn''t miss him that much anymore. She didn''t even think that their paths would cross again and over time, she had be used to the idea that she would never get to see him in person or talk to him again.

    But it seemed that Chris hadn''t changed. He was like this before as well, asking for a hug from her every time they didn''t see each other for a few days. This time was no different, maybe because unlike her, he never saw her within those years?

    Abi smiled at him. "Sure," she told him and she was about to move to hug him but the man was quick to yank her into his embrace.

    "I have really missed you, Abi," he whispered and Abi was so taken aback that she didn''t know what to say for a moment.

    Abi was about to tell him that she missed him too, when she felt a sudden chill run down her spine. Her eyes widened and she quickly pulled away from Chris.

    "Uhm¡­ I have to go now, Chris. See you!" she smiled and waved at him and then she dashed away towards the man who was now ring at Chris like he wanted to kill him.

    Chris'' fists clenched slightly before he too walked towards them.

    "Abi, say hello to uncle Andrew and grandma and grandpa as well, okay?" Chris said and once Abi nodded, he nced at Alex onest time before he disappeared through the exit.

    Abi returned her gaze to Alex and she swallowed silently as she looked at his darkened face. He was emitting such a cold menacing aura that the people passing them by, subconsciously ran away like they''ve seen some killer running loose.

    "Alex¡­" Abi called out and the man who was still staring at the exit where Chris had left, finally looked at her.

    She wrapped her hands around his waist and smiled at him. "Sorry for making you wait. Shall we go?" she asked but the man just closed his eyes and cracked his neck.

    It was obvious he was angry and he was suppressing it. Abi remembered when Alex told her before that he hated it when she smiled and looked at other men and she bit her lips. This man had been such a good boytely that she nearly forgot about his rules.

    Abi looked around and a few people were looking over them. There was no sign of Alex mellowing down so Abi closed her eyes, tiptoed and kissed his lips. She was embarrassed doing this in public but this was her fault. She shouldn''t have agreed when Chris asked for a hug knowing how Alex hated even her just smiling at other men.

    When she pulled away, Alex''s eyes were already open, looking down at her.

    "Alex, I ¨C"

    Before Abi could even form a sentence, Alex held her hand and dragged her out of the cinema. He was walking so fast that Abi had to run to keep up with him.

    The moment they reached the car, Alex pinned Abi down on the backseat.

 Chapter 168 Crazier

    <h4>Chapter 168 Crazier</h4>

    Abi gasped as Alex suddenly pinned her down on the back seat. Her eyes were wide as she looked at the ice cold glimmer in his eyes and she couldn''t help but feel nervous.

    "Ale ¨C"

    Before she could even form his name, Alex''s lips mmed on hers. He kissed her hard, so hard and deep that Abi could taste blood. He was rough and untamed, as if the puppy had transformed into a dangerous beast. He was hot and damn wild, so wild he was almost not letting her breathe.

    Abi moaned against his lips but the man didn''t stop and continued kissing her hard, almost as if he was venting something in his kisses. Was it anger? Abi didn''t want this¡­ she didn''t like Alex being like this¡­

    When their lips finally parted, Abi gasped so hard, panting heavily as if she had been underwater for a long while. A single tear drop even escaped her eyes as she heaved for air. Her hands on his cor trembled and fell on her own chest, clutching her shirt as she took several deep breaths.

    Alex on the other hand, froze the moment he saw her struggling to stabilize her breathing. His face became even darker. He watched her and didn''t move until Abi finally caught her breath and was breathing normally again. She felt her lips be swollen and her throat became dry because of her gasping, since she had just run quite a distance before he kissed her.

    Her eyes then moved towards Alex''s face and she bit her lips. He was looking down, as if he wanted to hide his face.

    Abi lifted her hand to touch his face but the man pulled away and sat back. He ran his fingers through his hair and his lips curved into a wicked smile.

    He closed his eyes as he threw back his head.

    Abi slowly rose and knelt on the seat as she approached him. She looked at the deep frown on his face and she carefully lifted her hand to touch him.

    However, Alex caught her wrist before her finger could touch his skin.

    "Abigail, are you not getting tired of dealing with me?" he suddenly asked. He opened his eyes and looked at her. There was an indescribable emotion in his eyes as he smiled coldly. "It seems that everything I do always ends up hurting you." He shook his head and sighed. "You should know by now that I am crazy, Abigail." He pinched her chin gently and stared at her swollen lips. "And it seems I am getting crazier by the day¡­" he trailed off before he let go of her and closed his eyes again. Abi reached out for him again but he quickly climbed out of the car before Abi could reach him, leaving her hand hanging in mid air.

    Alex opened the door on the driver''s seat and started the car.

    "Your other two requests¡­ I''ll fulfill them tomorrow," he calmly said before he elerated the car.

    They arrived at the mansion early that night. Alex was seemingly calm again but he didn''t talk much. He told her to eat more and then asked her to go to her room and rest.

    Abiid on her bed with millions of thoughts in her head. She wanted to tell him that he was not crazy. Or maybe even if he was, she didn''t care and she would still love him anyway. She was busy thinking about the reason behind what he did and what made him react that way. Was it just pure anger? Was it jealousy?

    Abi drifted to sleep thinking about the day. It ended a little bit unpleasantly but when she thought about the things that had happened since the morning, she smiled and her face became peaceful.

    However, as the night became deeper, Abi''s peaceful sleep started to be disrupted.

    It was pitch ck all around her but she saw herself, dressed in white, as she stood by the door. This was the door to Alex''s room, and then, everything turned ck again. Abi crawled in the dark for a long while until her throat ran so dry it was getting hard to breathe. She panted and gasped but she continued crawling until she saw a small little light ahead of her. She chased it, reaching out her hand to grab at it but she fell. It was a seemingly endless abyss, swallowing her up. Suddenly she saw blood all over her. There was blood in her hands and she was holding a knife. She started to tremble and she wanted to scream but she couldn''t. She couldn''t move no matter how she struggled. She wanted to throw away the knife that was stained with blood but it was stuck on her palm. Then, she looked up and saw Alex. He was smiling but there was blood flowing from his mouth which flowed down over his clothes, staining them red. His eyes filled with unbearable pain and regret and sadness as he reached out his hand to touch her.

    "Ahh!" Abi woke up panting. She was sweating hard and slightly trembling. She hugged herself as she tried to calm her racing heart. It was that dream again. Why? Why was she having such a dream? Last night, her dream stopped when she saw Alex''s face. But this time, it went on for a little bit longer.

    Abi looked around and shivered, remembering those bloody images. She was scared. She climbed out of her bed and run out of her room.

    She headed towards Alex''s door and stood there before she knocked on it.

    The door opened and Alex immediately stepped out the instant he saw her. Abi tried to nce inside the room before he closed it behind him, but it was pitch ck.

    "What''s wrong? Are you okay?" Alex''s brows creased as he held her shoulders. He could see her wet face and her hand shivering uncontrobly. "Did you¡­ did you have a nightmare again?" he asked gently and Abi nodded before she wrapped her hands around his waist and hugged him.

 Chapter 169 Love

    <h4>Chapter 169 Love</h4>

    Alex found himself hugging her back until Abi had fully calmed down.

    "Can I sleep with you tonight?" she asked and Alex eyes widened a bit. But then, he cleared his throat immediately, realizing that this girl obviously didn''t mean anything more than the literal meaning of her words.

    Without a word, he held her hand and he led her back inside her room. He climbed on her bed andy down as he gestured for her to lie down next to him.

    Abi didn''t hesitate and immediately climbed on the bed andy on her side, facing him. Her eyes never left his face.

    "Are you still angry?" she asked weakly. Her voice sounded a little hesitant.

    Alex, who was staring at the ceiling, lifted his arm and covered his eyes with the back of his hand.

    "I don''t know¡­" he mumbled.

    "I''m sorry, I ¨C"

    "No," he cut her off as he turned and look at her. He suddenly pulled her closer to him until their bodies shared each other''s warmth. "I think I''m just angry with myself right now. So forget about it and get some rest."

    "Why? Is it because you couldn''t control yourself?"

    Alex fell silent and then she felt him let out a small sigh.

    "Abigail¡­ I think¡­ next time¡­ when you see me starting to get angry, it''s better for you to run away from me. Or at least try to hide away somewhere," he said, his voice velvety smooth.

    Abi was surprised. She attempted to lift her head to look at him but Alex held her down and didn''t let her, as if he didn''t want her to see his face.

    "I told you¡­ I''m getting crazier by the day. Who knows what I''d do to you next time? So at least make sure to take precautions."

    She shook her head and she pulled away from him. This was the first time Alex talked to her this way. His voice, his words and the way he held her at that moment¡­ it was all just incredibly soft and warm.

    The instant she saw his eyes; Abi couldn''t help but fall in a daze. It was like the ciers in his eyes hadpletely melted, like all the iron walls had been torched and once they reached their boiling point, they all melted down to the ground. She never saw him make such a soft expression before. His hard and cold, angry face had be immacte, looking like a sad, fallen angel.

    The expression he showed her at that moment was enough to wreak havoc inside her heart and mind and she couldn''t speak. She felt like she didn''t want to blink because she was afraid that once she did, his face would be hard and cold again. She wanted to just watch him like this, just for a while longer¡­

    "Tsk, stop staring and sleep." He twitched as he lifted his hand and ced it on her nape, nning to pull her down. His expression was finally back to its usual unreadable state, although he still looked a tad bit softer than usual.

    Abi let him pull her down but she ced her upper body on top of him, hugging him tightly. She really loved this man so, so much, so bad she could hardly contain it. The me that grew in her heart every time she looked at him, every time she touched him, was bing more and more fierce. She never knew that love could feel like this. It was stronger than she expected, tougher than she thought, and much more powerful than she ever imagined.

    What she felt the longer she stayed with him and the shorter her days became, was bing so intense she started to get scared. She felt like her heart had be a ticking time bomb with only ten seconds left. What would happen to it once the countdown reached zero?

    Abi''s grip on him tightened. She wanted to speak but then, she decided not to. She was afraid that the words would burst out from her lips and if that happened, it might open a can of worms.

    "What''s wrong? Are you still scared?" Alex lifted his hand and wrapped it around her back. "That¡­ that was just a dream, Abigail. Don''t think too much more about it," he whispered, although there seemed to be an undercurrent in his voice as he said hisst two sentences.

    "Please don''t leave even when I fell asleep, okay?" she replied in a weak voice.

    "I won''t."

    Time ticked by and the girl on top of him finally started to breathe steadily. He didn''t move for a long time but when he was sure that she was in deep slumber, he carefully put her back on the bed. The girl was gripping his shirt in a tight fist and when he tried to remove it, her hand crawled around his waist .

    Alex smiled seeing how stubborn she was even in her sleep. He stared at her face. His expression was indescribable although his eyes were filled with restrained emotions wanting to gush out. He closed his eyes,id back and ced his hand on his head before he tugged his hair. He was obviously torn about something. He remembered what he did to her in the car and he grited his teeth. He didn''t want to hurt this little fruit but he felt so wild back then that he couldn''t seem to stop himself. Why was he finding it so damn hard to control his actions when it came to her?

    He opened his eyes and saw that the moon was peeking through the window. He stared at it and spoke quietly.

    "Tell me, what''s happening to me? What should I do to..." he trailed off before he closed his eyes andughed throatily for a second, as if he wasughing at himself for asking for advice from an inanimate object. Maybe he was crazy after all.

    However, his smile disappeared when the sleeping girl''s grip on his waist tightened as a few faint words escaped from her lips.

    "Alex¡­ I love you¡­"

    ....

    ....

    ....

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 Chapter 170 Occasion

    <h4>Chapter 170 asion</h4>

    Downstairs, Xavier was sitting at the foot of the grand staircase, looking at his watch impatiently.

    "I don''t think Alex wille down any time soon. Darn! Zeke won again. How did he know that Alex really won''t leave Abigail even for a while?! Ugh¡­ I don''t know what''s going on anymore," he mumbled and Kai, who was sitting near the firece, threw his head back and looked at the ceiling.

    "I can''t believe this. Alex is supposed to be torturing Eli by now, making him taste the worst kind of death but here he is, stuck in this house with his girl. It''s really hard to believe that Alex is actually able to suppress his bloodlust," Xavier continued, shaking his head. "Sigh¡­ I waited all night for nothing! I expected an action filled night just to end up counting the sheep in my head. T^T He should''ve told us beforehand that he had no ns to leave the house anymore!"

    ¡­

    The sun had already risen and was peeking through the window when Abi opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, then yawned and then thinking that the one in her embrace was her pillow, Abi moved to bury her face on it. However, her face didn''t encounter the softness of a pillow as she expected, it was met with hard muscle instead.

    She lifted her head and saw that the pillow was actually Alex. He was wide awake and looking at her with his messy yet still gorgeous ''I just woke up'' look.

    "G-good morning, Alex," she greeted as she let go of him and sat up.

    The man tilted his head and looked intently into her eyes.

    "Did you¡­ have a dreamst night? I mean, a good dream, not the nightmare," he asked and Abi blinked, trying to remember. She was a bit curious about why he was suddenly asking that.

    "I don''t think I did. I think I slept pretty deeply after you hopped on my bed," she answered truthfully as she looked at him in curiosity. "Why?"

    Alex averted his gaze and put his feet on the floor. "Nothing. You were just¡­ snoringst night so I thought you were dreaming " he said before he cleared his throat and stood up.

    "I was snoring?" Abi''s eyes were wide.

    He cleared his throat again and nced at her before he headed towards the door. Just like that, he left her room, leaving Abi speechless. She creased her brows because she felt that he was lying but she shrugged it off and climbed out of the bed.

    She made the bed quickly and got ready in the bathroom before she went downstairs.

    In the dining room, the others weren''t around so they were the only ones eating. Abi was talking to him like usual, cheerful and bright, despite what happenedst night. It almost seemed as if nothing had happened, like a ball of fire that kept on burning no matter how wet and cold the weather was.

    "So? What''re your requests? You have three for today," Alex asked as he leaned on his chair. He had already finished his breakfast, eating so little as always.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, why do you eat so little?"

    "Don''t mind the silly things, little fruit, and tell me your request while I''m being good."

    Abi pursed her lips because the man was being serious again. She gazed at him deeply and she thought she felt a sense of heaviness surrounding him but in the next second, that feeling was gone. She looked at him again and this time, he looked like his normal self. Abi sighed in relief and in then the next moment, she opened her mouth.

    "Feed me, Alex. Ah ~"

    Alex''s lips parted. "This is your first request?"

    She nodded and he twitched. But he still moved and began to feed her. Although his actions seemed forced, it didn''t seem to annoy him.

    Abi was smiling at him as she chewed her food. "Mmm¡­ so yummy," she uttered before she opened her mouth again.

    "You should have some, too. Here¡­" She soon took a spoonful of food and tried to feed it to him but the man refused.

    "I''m already full, Abigail."

    "But this is part of my request. My request is for us to feed each other," she exined as she stood up and put the spoon near his mouth. Alex looked like he wanted to leave the table but he didn''t. He sighed and ate the meat as fast as he could while looking around, maybe to see if someone other than her had seen it.

    Abi chuckled and picked up another spoonful of food.

    "Last one, please," she begged, blinking cutely at him and Alex, despite the deep lines on his forehead, looked around again before he ate the meat as fast as a hungry hippo.

    Too bad for him because that was the exact scene that the three men, who just walked in, saw.

    Alex almost choked when his eyes saw them. He chewed the food and nonchntly drank some water while Zeke casually walked over and took his seat. The other two were still stunned by the door.

    "The other two, what are they?" Alex immediately switched gears and started to divert the topic back to her other two wishes, not minding that Zeke and the others were there.

    "I am going home today, Alex, and I want you toe with me. My family also wants you toe," she said and Alex stared at her.

    "Is there a special asion?" Xavier was the one who shamelessly asked.

    "Ah, yes. It''s my birthday." She answered with a smile and¡­

    "CLUNK!" the spoon on Alex''s hand fell on his te.

    Everyone looked at Alex.

    The man realized what happened and he cleared his throat.

    "So there will be a celebration at your house?" Kai was the one who asked.

    "My parents had been preparing for this day and they said they wanted to throw a simple celebration where all my close friends coulde to celebrate with me" she exined with a smile when Xavier suddenly butted in.

    "How about us? Can we tag along, too?" His eyes were almost sparkling, almost like that pet dog eager to tag along to go on a vacation.

    "Of course you cane. You guys are totally invited, if you''re not busy," she beamed and Xavier rejoiced.

    "Yehey! Thank you, Abigail! We will definitelye. Zeke, are you gonnae too?"

    "Yes."

    Abi kept ncing at Alex but he didn''t seem to be displeased that the three were tagging along which made her smile. Little did she know that the man was not listening to the current conversation.

    Once Abi went back upstairs to get ready, the first to speak was Zeke.

    "So you didn''t even greet her ''happy birthday'' yet?" he asked and the man, who seemed to be lost in thoughts since his spoon fell, finally looked at him. The answer was obvious on his face.

    "Oh c''mon, Zeke. When did the great Alexander Qin ever greet anyone ''happy birthday''? He doesn''t even remember his own birthday anymore," Xavier butted in and the atmosphere somehow became heavy.

    Kai nudge Xavier to shut his mouth and Zeke broke the silence.

    "Why don''t you prepare something for her? You still have plenty of time," he said and Alex just gazed at him without saying anything.

 Chapter 171 Avocado

    <h4>Chapter 171 Avocado</h4>

    Abi and Alex arrived at Abi''s house that morning.

    Her family immediately weed Alex warmly. They treated him much warmer than before. Abi took Alex with her early so she could spend the day with him while they prepared everything. This was the 9th to thest day so she was determined not to waste even a second.

    "Alex, dear, do you know how to cook?" the old grandma asked him and as always, the first thing Alex did was nce at Abi.

    "He''s not good at it, grandma," Abi replied and the old grandma smiled at Alex.

    "That''s okay, dear. You can help by preparing these avocados," Abi''s grandmother said as she gave him a knife.

    Abi pressed her lips tight to stop herself from smiling. She didn''t bring him here to help but she thought that it wasn''t bad to make him experience doing ordinary things.? Besides, she didn''t like to have him just sit there like godly statue.

    "Can you do it?" Abi asked him and the man nced at the avocados before looking at her.

    "You think I can''t even do such a simple thing?" he raised a brow and Abi could only chuckle. She was d he didn''t seem to be forcing himself to do this.

    "Wait a moment," Abi said and she disappeared for a while. Once she came back, she was holding a yellow apron. "You have to wear this, Alex," she said and she put it on him herself. The two were too intimate that Abi''s dad, who was about to enter the kitchen, immediately turned around and left again. His daughter and her boyfriend were still acting like newlyweds.

    "Here you go," Abi stepped away to admire this godly creature wearing a yellow apron and she was satisfied. "Perfect!" she praised while Alex just looked at what he was wearing with a straight expression.

    "Abi? Come over here for a while." Abi heard her grandma called.

    "Be careful, okay? Don''t cut yourself," she told him before she dashed away.

    Alex then stared at the avocados, picked one of them and turned it around. He looked so serious, almost looking like he was calcting something as he looked at it.

    After a moment, a lightbulb seemed to have appeared in his head and he now looked ready. He took the chopping board, put the avocado on top of it, ced the knife along the perfect halfway point and chopped it.

    It wasn''t even five minutes yet before Abi and her grandma came back to the kitchen and when they came through the door, they saw Alex just sitting there, like a kid waiting for his teacher to arrive so he could show them his handiwork.

    Abi smiled at seeing this picture. It looked like he finished his task in one go.

    But the moment Abi and her grandma saw what Alex did, both of them froze in disbelief. Abi''s mouth could only drop as she nced at Alex and then back to the avocados.

    The two women couldn''t believe that Alex just treated the avocado like that. He chopped it, yes, and in really neat and perfect shapes, precise sizes and all like it was chopped by a machine. It was just that, he treated the avocado like onions and even chopped its seed along with it.

    Abi''s grandma was the first tough. "Oh dear, Alex. You made this old grandma speechless. This would be the funniest thing I have ever encountered in the kitchen in my entire existence," she mused. "Okay, Abi¡­ I will leave you two here. This grandma had to rest," she said, stillughing as she left them.

    Alex cleared his throat and leaned in on Abi. "It looks like I messed up. I''ll ask Kai to go and buy more avocados."

    Abi finally burst at seeing his serious face. She reached out her hand and pinched his cheek. "Alex, did you know that you''re so cute today?"

    Before Alex could react, Abi turned and spoke again. "Okay, my third request for the day is¡­ let''s bake a cake together," she told him.

    "You know that I have no idea how ¨C"

    "It''s okay, I''ll teach you. Come, let''s start."

    ¡­

    Somewhere in the city, Kai was driving when he received a message from Alex.

    "Go buy avocados. Don''t even try asking anyone else to go. Go buy them yourself or I''ll hold you ountable if it has been poisoned."

    Kaiughed but he turned his bike around and went to the super market that he just passed by.

    The man wore his ck cap and headed to the store.

    This was the first time he was going to shop for food by himself. In fact, he had never been inside a supermarket before.

    He asked one of the salesdy and thedy told him where the fruit section was.

    Kai sighed and hesitantly walked towards the general direction that thedy pointed to, but it seemed he may gotten lost. He stopped and looked around.

    He was about to return to thatdy and ask when¡­

    "My, my¡­ what are you doing here, my handsome prince?" a woman wearing ck sunsses appeared before him. He couldn''t believe that he actually bumped into her again and in a ce like this! Was this girl stalking him?

    "I came here to buy something," Kai replied and Kelly walked closer to him.

    "Something? Are you here to buy something for your girlfriend? What a lucky girl! I''m totally jealous." Kelly narrowed her eyes.

    "Stop talking nonsense. I''m not here to buy for a girl."

    "Not for a girl?"

    "Yes, that''s right."

    Kelly gasped. She held his shoulders and almost pushed him on the shelves.

    "Oh god! So you''re actually bent? Is that why you don''t like me?! Is that why my seduction techniques don''t work on you?!" she seemed so shocked while Kai creased his brows.

    "What are you saying? Please let go, I need to buy a¨C"

    "What? A sanitary pad?" she continued his word.

    "What sanitary pad?" Kai was confused. He was about to pull her hand away when he realized that he was the only man in this section. He looked around and he finally saw that everything in this area were for girls!

    "It''s a misunderstanding. I came here to buy avocados," he confessed, with slightly reddened cheeks, but Kelly justughed.

    "Avocados? At least have a believable excuse¡­"

    The man suddenly showed Alex''s message right before her face and Kelly had noeback.

    ....

    ....

    ....

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 Chapter 172 Like a wise old man

    <h4>Chapter 172 Like a wise old man</h4>

    With a big smile, Kelly suddenly clung onto Kai''s arms.

    "Hehehe, I''m just kidding, my prince," she winked at him while he just closed his eyes and sighed. Why did he seem to always cross paths with this big troublemaker? What on earth did he do in his past life to deserve such torment?!

    "Stop calling me ''prince''!" he sternly said as he put the phone back in his pocket.

    "Sigh¡­ I really want to know who Alexander Qin is. How is he able to turn a beautiful royal prince like you to be his personal errand boy? And why does a prince like you obey his every word? Don''t tell me you''d also be willing to put your life at risk or even die for him like an olden day knight?" Kelly bbered on, seeming to mindlessly just spout out her thoughts. But really, she was truly curious of what the answer could be because until now, despite using her father''s resources, she hadn''t been able to find any information about Alexander Qin or what was his connection was to the royals of the Hidden Kingdom.

    Kai sighed again and he tried to peel her off him. "That''s right, if he wanted me to, I would die for him. Happy?" he answered and walked away, leaving Kelly''s mouth hanging open. Eh? What? Was he serious? Herst sentence a while ago was just a joke and yet he confirmed it so seriously?

    Kelly ran after him and hugged him from the back, effectively stopping him from running away.

    "Oh babe, why are you running away from your mommy? That''s not nice," she said and Kai closed his eyes again, pressed his temples and sighed. He felt like he was starting to get high blood pressure every time this girl showed up around him.

    "Miss Kelly Yang, can''t you at least behave in public ces like this?"

    "Sigh¡­ why do you mind other people that much? Oh well, I understand you''re a mighty royal but have fun, my boy! Don''t be obsessed with your reputation that much."

    "It''s not about reputation or anything like that, Miss Hooligan. Behaving properly in public ces means being considerate to the masses. Everyone of us are obliged to do that."

    ". . ." Gosh! Did he just give me a sermon? "Oh well, like I said, you think too much about other people. Be selfish sometimes too, your majesty. People really don''t care that much about what you do. Each of us has what is called ''freedom'' to do what we want with our lives."

    Atst, the prince turned to look at her. He stared at her face with his delicate eyes. "Did you ever wonder what might happen if drivers just did whatever they wanted to on the roads without caring about others? If they didn''t follow rules or etiquette and only thought about themselves?"

    "Uh¡­"

    "Sometimes, freedom create chaos. Freedom is a good thing if people don''t abuse it."

    ". . ."

    Kelly''s grip on him subconsciously loosened up. She was speechless. She always knew that this guy sometimes acted like a sheep in the middle of the pack of wolves but he was being so damn thoughtful right now, almost like a wise old man full of knowledge and wisdom.

    "Er¡­" Before she could speak, Kai pulled her aside and slightly bowed in silent apology at thedies who were stuck behind them.

    "Such a kind young man," one of thedies said as she smiled at him and Kelly couldn''t help but feel guilty. She knew she wasn''t a goody-two-shoes but seeing kind and nice people like this made her feel that the world was still beautiful. These types of people were an endangered species, just like Abi. These were the people who stayed kind despite living in this harsh world who thought that kindness was a weakness. She was one of those people who didn''t really give much thought to this kind of thing so she truly respected these people. She thought they were the ones who were truly strong because only a few people stay like that after being exposed to the harshness of the world.

    Heaving a sigh, Kelly finally let go of him, but it looked like this guy had awakened something in her. She thought this species must be protected at all cost, but it looked like she needed protect him from herself. Darn! What should she do? If she left him alone, another bitch worse than her might snag him, no?

    Kelly was torn.

    "Okay, let me help you find your avocado," she said as she smiled, held his hand and led him to the fruit area.

    Once they were done with their shopping, the two then went to the parking lot towards their own rides. Coincidentally, they both were riding motorbikes.

    "Bye, Prince," she said as she gave him a flying kiss before she elerated out of the carpark on her sleek ride. While driving, Kelly thought about what he said. If drivers just did whatever they want¡­

    She smiled. She never realized this before. Indeed, the world might be a better ce if there were more people who thought like him.

    She had finally reached the forested area on the way to Abi''s house when she noticed that Kai was still following her. She then stopped, blocking him.

    "Hey prince, why are you following me?" she licked her lips.

    "I''m not following you," he replied and he drove past her. Kelly smiled and she chased him. Her speed was deadly and she caught up in a matter of seconds.

    "Then, where are you going?" she yelled but the man didn''t reply until they reached their destination.

    Kelly was surprised because it appeared that Kai was also heading towards Abi''s house.

    "You shouldn''t yell in the middle of the road and ride at that kind of speed. That could cause an ident," were the first words he told her as they walked towards Abi''s house.

    "Hehehe, that''s an old habit."

    "You said to only care about yourself but I don''t see you caring about yourself that much. You''re too reckless. You''re putting yourself in danger."

    ". . ." Ah, stop lecturing me already, your highness¡­ T^T

 Chapter 173 His personal ice cream

    <h4>Chapter 173 His personal ice cream</h4>

    After Kelly introduced Kai to Abi''s family, the duo then headed to the kitchen after Abi''s grandma said that the couple was busy inside.

    Kelly peeked by the door with Kai behind her and what she saw made her halt. Curious, Kai peeked as well and the avocados in his hands nearly fell to the floor.

    His mouth dropped seeing Alex bent over the table, wearing a yellow apron and seriously piping ze on top of a cake!

    "Ah, oh¡­ control Alex, not so big," Abi told him. She, too, was doing the same thing Alex was doing but on the other side.

    Alex simply creased his brows and did as she said. Kai noticed the stray icing on his cheek and he couldn''t speak.

    It was then that Kelly lifted her phone and took a good shot of the couple, then took the avocado from Kai''s hand, carefully put it down on the floor before she dragged Kai out of the door. She closed the door behind her and grinned at Kai.

    "It''s not right for us to disturb their precious moment. Like you said, we must be considerate." She winked at him and then she dragged him to the small living room.

    "Uncle, where are you going?" Kelly rushed over to Andrew, who was about to step out the door.

    "I''ll have to go and pick up the wines I ordered."

    "In the city?"

    "Yes."

    "Oh, we can go uncle. Leave it to us."

    ...

    Back in the kitchen¡­

    "Alex? What is that?" Abi asked. They were now making the cake''s toppings for its decoration. Abi was creating rose shaped chocte while Alex was busy making something she could not recognize. He was so serious he didn''t even speak more than ten words since they started baking. He was like an obedient student who just kept nodding and doing what he was asked to do.

    He was acting a little strange but Abi thought that maybe Alex was like this when he worked? She never saw him do some chores before so she didn''t know whether his silence was normal or not. But since Abi couldn''t feel anything heavy or darking from him, she decided not to think about it too much.

    "A Peach," he replied.

    "Oh, why a peach?"

    "This is your cake so it must resemble you, no?"

    Abi blinked at him before she chuckled. The man remained serious and looked at his handiwork with an unsatisfied look.

    "I will make another one," he said and took another piece of chocte to mold.

    "Eh? Isn''t that enough? It looks cute."

    "No, you have two peaches so I should make two as well," he told her with a straight face and Abi couldn''t help but gape at him and then blush. She was speechless. How could he say those things with a straight face like that?

    Once Alex was done, a smirk formed on his lips. He seemed satisfied with his work and he seemed to have enjoyed the baking process. It was fun and Abi was blissfully happy the whole time. This was another wholesome experience she would never forget.

    "Yay!! It''s done, Alex! I think we did quite well!" Abi hugged Alex as they looked at their finished product. A white chocte cake with pale pink peaches and roses on top. It was really cute.

    After putting it in the fridge to chill, Abi looked at Alex with a bright smile.

    "Okay, you must be tired now. Let me take your apron so you can go sit on the sofa. I''ll just tidy these up," she told him as she tiptoed to remove Alex''s apron.

    However, as their face moved closer, Abi noticed the icing on his cheek. She chuckled and was about to wipe it but Alex caught her hand.

    "There''s icing on your face, Alex," she told him but the man just raised a brow. "Let me wipe it off for you."

    She moved her hand again but Alex still didn''t let her.

    "How about you use your tongue to wipe it?" he asked and Abi blinked before her face turned unbelievably red. "You don''t want to? Okay, let me do it to you first."

    Without waiting for her response, Alex ced some icing on her lips as he smiled mischievously. And then, he licked them off.

    "A-alex, dad might¡­"

    "Don''t worry, the door is closed. There''s more right here and here," he replied as he pointed at her nose and cheek. Little did Abi know that he was putting icing on them as he did that. "Let me clean them up for you."

    "Alex¡­" she tried to protest but Alex was already licking her as if she had turned into his personal ice cream. Abi''s heart was pounding because of the worry that someone mighte in and see them, but part of the reason was actually because of what he was actually doing to her. His tongue was hot. "O-okay, that''s enough. I''ll wash my faceter." She pulled away, zing red, as she bit her lip. However, Alex didn''t let go. He lifted her and made her sit on top of the table, putting himself between her legs.

    He looked up at her surprised face and he chuckled.

    "If you want me to put you down¡­" he put an icing on his own lips. "Lick these first, little fruit."

    Abi''s first reaction was to look at the door and he was right, it was closed. Worried that someone mighte and see them in this position, Abi quickly bent down and licked the icing on his lips in a sh.

    "How does it taste?" he asked mischievously.

    "Good," she could only reply, looking at the door again.

    "Oh, just good, huh?" He put more icing on his lips again. "One more time, Abigail," he demanded and Abi could only do it again.

    "How is it this time?"

    "It tastes¡­ delicious, Alex."

    Alex smiled and he finally put her down but the real reason why he did that was because he saw the door knob move. Darn, they should''ve baked at his house and not here¡­

 Chapter 174 Picnic

    <h4>Chapter 174 Pic</h4>

    "Abi, why don''t you two go and have a walk outside or something? You two can go up the trail in the nearby forest and rx," Abi''s grandma suggested. "We will finish up the rest of the things here. There''s not much more work to do anyway."

    Abi looked at Alex before she nodded at her grandmother. She was right, there was still plenty of time so she must take advantage and spend it with Alex.

    "Alex, my third request for today is¡­ let''s go on a pic together," she whispered and the man just nodded without a word. Abi smiled and started packing up a pic basket.

    After a while, the couple stepped out of the house with Alex holding the basket. They walked hand in hand towards a small pathway leading to the forest.

    They arrived at a clear spring after a long walk. The weather was good and the view was spectacr and quiet.

    "Okay, let''s settle here!" Abi happily dered as she walked over a grassy area near the spring. The sky was clear that day and the birds were singing.

    She spread the nket on the grass, and sat there as she called Alex to join her.

    The man followed and did as he was told.

    "Do you want toy on myp?" Abi asked him. Alex looked at her and without saying a word, he moved andy on herp.

    Abi bit her lips as she looked down at his outrageously gorgeous visual.

    "Alex¡­ you''re such a good boy today as well," she uttered and the man looked up.

    "What? You don''t like me like this?"

    Abi frantically waved her hands. "No, no, I like it. Uhm¡­ veryyy much! I''m just surprised." She grinned at him and then her hand fell on his hair and she started caressing it.

    "Your hair is so smooth, Alex," she uttered again but Alex just closed his eyes. His head was in chaos sincest night, a disturbance created by the words his little fruit said in her dreams, even though he kept telling himself that she was just a sleep talking. But the moment she said that today was her birthday this morning, Alex decided to behave even just for a day. He didn''t know if he would be able to do that. Anything could trigger his anger and the darkness inside him at any moment but he wanted to try because he thought this was the only thing he could do for her, not to scare her or cause any negative disturbance for her on this day.

    That was why he was keeping himself in check, restraining himself from talking and thinking about anything else. Somehow, it wasn''t as hard as he thought and her calling him ''good boy'' again, he didn''t know why he smiled when she said that.

    "Are you sleepy?" she asked because she saw him try to cover up a yawn.

    "Because you''re stroking my hair."

    "Oh, do you want some food? I took some fruits here and the cake I secretly made for you," she smiled and Alex sat up.

    She brought out a small container and opened it. Alex raised a brow upon seeing that the small cake had a jellyfish drawn on top of it.

    "You made a peach on mine so I made a jellyfish on yours. It''s cute, right?" She grinned.

    Abi took a teaspoon and scooped a bit before putting it near his lips, but Alex caught her wrist, stopping her.

    "I don''t like sweets, Abigail¡­" he said, causing Abi''s brows to crease. "But¡­" he trailed off, now staring intensely at her as he slowly moved Abi''s hand towards her. He then grazed the spoon with the cake on it, from her lips to her chin. "But if I could eat it like this, I think I would like it," he added and Abi was speechless.

    He began licking the cake on her lips before Abi could even snap out of her daze. The next moment, Alex pinned her down, his eyes glimmering as his face hovered over hers.

    "A-alex¡­"

    "You said I''m a good boy so you should reward me, right? Abigail?"

    "W-what reward would you like?"

    "Let me eat more."

    She blinked and he moved his face closer.

    "Let me eat more cake off your body," he whispered with his hot breath caressing her skin. "If you let me, I''ll be a good boy for the rest of the day, Abigail."

    "R-really?"

    He nodded.

    "E-even if I invited Chris toe along?"

    Alex fell silent. His eyes darkened for a moment but his coldness somehow didn''t ze as Abi expected. It seemed Alex was really in a good mood today.

    "I¡­ I promised to call him. And he knows today''s my birthday," she added hesitantly, carefully watching Alex''s every reaction.

    Surprisingly, Alex nodded again after a short while of silence.

    "Yes, even if hees, I''ll behave," he said. "That is if you let me ¨C"

    "I will let you!" she eximed without any hesitation. She even turned and scooped up the cakes icing and spread it on her lips again. "You can eat more, Alex," she smiled, almost looking quite excited.

    A wicked smirk escaped Alex''s lips twirling his tongue at the corner of his lips as he stared at her in amusement.

    "As you wish," he sexily said with his deep voice and kissed her and licked her while his hands started unbuttoning her shirt.

    Abi''s eyes widened and she moaned against his lips.

    Alex pulled away and smiled at her.

    "I want to eat more," he said and scooped some with his fingers and spread it on her neck. Abi''s mouth parted in surprise as he licked her neck. She could feel the heat touching her skin and his hands continued undressing her.

    "A-a-alex¡­ I¡­ what are you doing?" she grabbed his head and made him look at her. His eyes are so damn alluring as he looked up and answered.

    "Eating."

    ...

    ...

    ...

    Here''s an early chapter for today. ^^

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    ~ Kazzenlx

 Chapter 175 Gentlemen

    <h4>Chapter 175 Gentlemen</h4>

    Abi almost choked while Alex just continued what he was doing.

    "Alex¡­ uhm¡­ someone might ¨C"

    "Shh¡­ you''re the one who said no onees to this area and you already gave me permission, Abigail, so don''t take back your word." He caressed her lips as he kissed her. "Don''t worry, no one will see us here, trust me, okay?" he whispered gently and he continued kissing her until Abi could only close her eyes.

    Alex pulled away and his finger touched her corbones. She felt the cold and sticky icing piping slowly on her skin. Abi couldn''t help but imagine him piping ze over a cake and her face burned red. When she felt him putting more down her cleavage, she lifted her hands and covered her face in embarrassment.

    But Alex spoke. "Don''t hide your face, Abigail. Look at me," he told her. His voice became deeper again, hypnotizing her to obey.

    "But¡­ it''s embarrassing, Alex," she uttered.

    "Okay, I''ll undress, too," he replied and Abi quickly removed her hands from her face and looked at him.

    "No, no, you don''t need to do that!" she protested, but Alex didn''t stop and undressed himself until he too was half-naked. Abi could only watch him,pletely dumbfounded.

    Seeing the look on her face, Alex smirked and without warning, he started licking her. His tongue skillfully teased her and sucked her gently every now and again. He was doing it so slowly, as if he was savoring a dessert, letting it melt on its own in his mouth. The heat of his lips and his tongue traveling from her corbones down to her cleavage was making Abi felt so hot, so hot that she was starting to feel weird.

    "So delicious¡­" he uttered as he pulled away and looked at her. The dreamy look on Abi''s flushed face made him smile and kiss her lips. "You''re delicious, Abigail¡­" he whispered seductively and Abi felt like he was trying to shut her heart and mind down all at once.

    Before she knew it, he had taken off her bra. Abi gasped when she realized it and she grabbed Alex, wrapping her arms around his neck.

    "A-alex, I¡­ you can''t take it ¨C"

    "Shh¡­" he cut her off again and he started nibbling her ear. "I want to taste the cake on top of your cute peaches, Abigail. This is the real reward I want for being a good boy," he whispered and Abi felt so tickled as he blew his hot breath in her ear. This was too much and her arms were losing their strength.

    He pinned her down again. He stared deep into her eyes and kissed her deeply until she finally let go of him.

    Alex stared at her, his gaze caressing every nook of her naked torso as he gazed at her with pride and admiration. His hand then moved and Abi felt him put some icing on her nipple. Her mind was already in a daze and she started sweating due to the heat Alex caused by seducing her.

    And then, she felt his lips on one of her twin peaks. He licked her nipple slowly, savoring the icing on it, slowly and gently, and Abi couldn''t help but moan.

    "I love your moans, Abigail. Moan for me more," he whispered between his shallow breaths and his lips moved on to the other one and licked her there again.

    Abi could no longer think straight. He made her feel like this every time he touched her, making her lose her mind with all these foreign things and feeling he was making her experience. She didn''t know what was going on anymore. All she knew was that she had never felt so good.

    "A-alex¡­ I¡­ I''m feeling weird¡­ feels s-so good¡­" she didn''t know that those words escaped from her lips but their effect was definitely like oil being poured over the calm fire.

    "Damn!" he cursed and he picked her up without letting go of her peach. He made her straddle him as his mouth moved even harder, with one hand also ying on the other one, pleasuring her twin peaches simultaneously.

    His other hand started moving downwards, slipping under her skirt and he touched her there, making Abi''s body quiver in pleasure. Her hands wrapped around his neck tightly and he didn''t stop until Abi reached the sky again.

    ¡­

    It was dusk when everyone finally arrived at Abi''s house. There were only less than twenty people who came, mostly, their neighbors. Abi didn''t have many close friends her age, only Kelly, so the rest of the guests were elderlies and children.

    Zeke and Xavier also arrived, surprising everyone in the house. Zeke was quite famous so the elderlies immediately recognized him, creating a fuss inside the house for a while.

    Thest one to arrive was none other than Chris, Abi''s childhood friend.

    Of course, the fuss that was pointed at Zeke a while back immediately got thrown to Chris.

    Being the most famous actor at the moment, even the elderlies almost shrieked upon the sight of him. Abi''s family also gushed when they saw him and they weed the young man so warmly, almost as if he belonged to the family in the first ce.

    But the truth was it wasn''t only the people inside who got surprised, Chris himself was actually shocked. He couldn''t believe that not only was the shadiest man he ever knew here, the coldhearted and dangerous business tycoon, Ezekiel Qin was also here! What was he doing here?!

    He had expected Alexander Qin to be here but seeing another shady character inside this house, and the richest man in the country no one dared to offend, he was damn speechless. How the hell did Abi get connected to these kinds of people?

    "Come, Chris, join these gentlemen here." Andrew led him to the sofa where Alex, Zeke, Kai, and Xavier were sitting. Chris nced at the other two and even though he didn''t know who they were, he could sense in one nce that they were not ordinary people.

    Abi''s grandma went to introduce Chris to the four gentlemen and when Xavier heard that he was the boy who was beside Abigail in many of the pictures inside this house, his eyes immediately began to observe Alex.

    But Alex was somehow calmer than expected. In fact, he was so calm that he almost looked as still as stone.

    A whileter, Kelly went downstairs first after helping Abi dress up and she was shocked by what she saw. One tycoon, one superstar, two royals, and one shady character who obviously seemed to be much more powerful than the four of them. Kelly could only sigh. ''Sigh¡­ Abi my friend, I really don''t know if I should be happy or not, despite seeing these men all looking excessively gorgeous¡­''

    A few secondster after Kelly appeared, Abi made her way down the stairs.

 Chapter 176 Birthday girl

    <h4>Chapter 176 Birthday girl</h4>

    Everyone gushed the moment they saw the birthday girl. They all knew that Abi had always been beautiful but at that moment, she was at her prettiest. She was glowing, the kind of glow a woman exuded when she was genuinely happy and in love.

    She was dressed in a simple white dress and wearing minimal makeup. Her straight hair was curled and she just looked breathtakingly stunning. The birthday girl, their angel, was truly the true star of the night tonight, and she was shining brighter than anything else.

    Everyone started to sing happy birthday as she descended the stairs slowly, making her lips curve into her sweetest, brightest smile. She looked around and saw that everyone that she had invited, had arrived.

    "Thank you so much foring tonight. I am truly happy to see you all here," she said and then Abi was immediately approached by her grandma and was embraced really tightly as she was greeted ''happy birthday''. Her grandma then led her to the middle of the room and showed her the birthday cake.

    She smiled seeing the cute peaches on top of the cake before she looked around to find Alex. He was there, sitting quietly on the couch near the window. Her eyes glimmered as she looked at him before she returned her gaze to the cake.

    She took a deep breath as she stared at it. But then, she looked around again, first making eye contact with her family, then Kelly, then the other guests, and then Ezekiel Qin and Chris, with a huge smile as if she was memorizing each of their faces. Lastly, her eyesnded on Alex.

    When their eyes met, she felt like everyone temporarily disappeared. To Abi, this was her happiest birthday ever, simply because her special someone was here, celebrating this day with her. Nobody knew how happy she was right now.

    Honestly, though Abi had not really been looking forward for this day because she knew that this would be herst. She thought she would never smile like this once this day came but here she was smiling from ear to ear.

    All of these feelings she was experiencing were all thanks to Alex. If she hadn''t met him, she would''ve never experienced these kinds of emotions, including the feeling of loving someone with all your heart and soul. It was incredibly overwhelming and she had never felt so alive.

    As she blew on the candle, Abi had only one wish.

    Everyone pped and her grandmother teared up. Kelly was also emotional, watching her best friend. dly, Abi somehow managed to stay cool and immediately started the dinner party.

    The elderlies who adored Abi so much monopolized her as they gave her their blessings in the form of gifts, while Kelly served the five gentlemen wine. Two of the gentlemen were staring intently at Abi the entire time.

    Once thest of the elders gave her a gift, Chris stood up. Alex, the statue, immediately reacted and his eyes narrowed as his gaze followed Chris.

    "Happy Birthday, Abi," Chris greeted as he reached out a golden small box to her.

    "Chris¡­ thank you foring and for this gift," she replied and the man suddenly hugged her. Abi''s eyes immediately fell on Alex and she sighed in relief when she didn''t feel cold chillsing from him.

    Chris let her go and spoke to her. The elders joined their conversation until the conversation turned to Abi''s and Chris'' childhood antics. Abi''s family were the ones who kept saying how close the two were when they were younger until they were teenagers, even talking about the stories behind the pictures on the wall.

    Xavier and Kai were nudging each other as they looked at the still unmoving stone next to them.

    "Alex, why don''t you go and join them?" Zeke was the one who spoke. But Alex remained unfazed, as if he didn''t hear a thing. "Make sure you won''t explode here, then. Don''t forget that her family is here," he added as he sipped his wine and Alex heaved a quiet sigh.

    Abi kept ncing at Alex as she was waiting for an opportunity to excuse herself or to call Alex over but the conversation was solid and the talk only kept getting hyped up. That was until someone brought up if the two were now dating.

    Chris''s smile immediately faded while Abi looked like a lightbulb finally appeared in her head.

    "Uhm¡­ I have a boyfriend now," Abi replied with a smile and then she ran towards the couch. She took Alex''s hand and pulled him with her. Xavier and Kai''s shoulders dropped. They''ve been subconsciously holding their breath because they knew Alex was on the very edge of exploding. They couldn''t even imagine what might have happened if Abi didn''te to get him.

    "Damn! I didn''t know Alex actually had a real rival!" Xavier whispered. "Did you know about that guy, too? Is that why you tag along? Huh? Zeke?" he asked but the man didn''t answer as he was busy twirling the wine in his hand, as calm and unbothered as a drifting paper ne, as if he was in his very own different world.

    The group of elders all looked at the man Abi brought with her.

    "Uhm¡­ he''s my boyfriend," she introduced and everyone gaped at Alex. She looked up at Alex and the man cleared his throat before he began introducing himself.

    "I''m Alexander Qin," he simply said but everyone waited for the rest of his words. Little did they know that the man actually had no more words to say. He was not used being polite to anyone because he was usually the one everyone was being polite to in his entire existence. The first person he actually said the polite words ''nice to meet you'' was Abi''s father.

    "Uh, he''s very shy towards elders so he rarely speaks," Abi butted in and the elders looked at her as theyughed.

    "Oh dear, no need to be shy, son. You''re such an extremely gorgeous man too." The atmosphere somehow lightened up and Abi smiled at him. "Uhm I think we should eat now. The kids must be hungry," Abi diverted the topic to avoid the elders questioning her more about Alex.

    "Oh yes, oh yes. We have to eat now," her grandmother said and Abi finally excused themselves to head to where the bachelor''s group was sitting.

    Kelly was already with the other three and Xavier was talking intently with her.

    Abi sat next to Alex and thanked Zeke, Kai and Xavier foring. The men also handed her their gifts, except Alex.

    It was then that one of the elders came to serve them the cake.

    The old woman handed the te to Chris and then to Zeke. It was obvious that she chose the famous duo to be the ones to receive food first. Well, nobody really cared except for Alex! His cold aura suddenly burst because those tes Zeke and Chris received had the two peaches he created that were supposed to resemble Abi''s twin peaches.

    ....

    ....

    ....

    Here''s an early chapter for today. ^^

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    ~ Kazzenlx

 Chapter 177 Advantage

    <h4>Chapter 177 Advantage</h4>

    Abi''s gaze flew towards Alex the moment she felt the cold chillsing from him. His eyes were incredibly sharp as it focused towards something. Abi followed his line of sight and was speechless when she saw that he was ring at the peaches on Ezekiel''s and Chris'' tes.

    "Alex¡­" Abi called out in a whisper to get his attention. Somehow, she got through to him and he immediately looked at her. His chilling aura was controlled again as their eyes met but Alex was obviously restraining himself to the extreme. She could see him frowning and his hands were clenched at his sides. She looked at him and felt a bit worried, but also ted at the same time, because he was doing his best to behave for her.

    "Aren''t you supposed to be the one to eat those?" he suddenly asked seriously and Abi could only press her lips tightly. She couldn''t believe that Alex seemed unhappy because the peaches he made ended up being served to someone else.

    But seeing that this seemed to be quite serious to him, Abi quickly started to coax him. Even though he promised he would behave, and she could see that he was truly doing his best, Abi didn''t want him to be like this and resenting Ezekiel and Chris for eating his peaches.

    Abi held his hand, pulled him with her and stepped out of the back door. Abi faced him as she held his hands, pressing them gently as she looked up at him with a big smile.

    "It''s okay, Alex, those peaches are just choctes. Don''t worry about it, okay?" she said and Alex''s eyes slightly widened before he cleared his throat.

    "Who said I was worried about it?" he nced at the door and Abi just smiled again.

    Seeing her smile, the man straightened up and then he pinned her against the door. He bent down until their faces were close.

    "Why should I care about those when I could always eat the real ones right here?" he pointed on her chest sexily, causing Abi to feel like all her blood just rushed up to her head.

    Abi caught his hands before he could touch her peaches as she bit her lips.

    "A-alex, you said you would behave. Don''t take back your words!" sheined with her flushed face and Alex somehow mellowed down. He turned his back from her and looked up the sky, a smirk forming on his lips.

    He was thinking to himself, trying to remember if he ever did anything like this before. He was used to doing whatever he wanted without restraint so restraining himself to not do something had never been added to his dictionary. Whatever he wanted, he did. He didn''t care about the result or consequences at all; he just did whatever he wanted and had been living that way ever since he could remember. But, here he was, actually trying to suppress himself and it seemed that he had been doing this since the day he met her without him realizing.

    "Alex?" he heard her call his name softly as she tugged his shirt from the back.

    Turning to her, Alex bent down and kissed her lips gently. "Don''t worry, little fruit, I will not go back on my words and I will behave for the rest of the night," he said before taking her hand and bringing her back inside. Abi smiled as she looked at his broad back. The kiss he just gave her reminded her of her first kiss when he gave her a simple yet gentle kiss.

    The heartwarming event then continued. Everyone had a good time and it was lively until the end.

    The guest slowly dispersed until the only ones left were Kelly and the five gentlemen.

    Chris was having a good time chatting with Abi''s family and they truly looked like they were close to him as well as Abi. One could tell in one nce that Chris almost looked like he belonged to the family.

    "That movie star seems to have won the favor of your girlfriend''s family, Alex. It''s quite obvious. Ah, that''s the advantage of being a childhood friend, eh? If they didn''t get separated, or if they had reunited before she met you, those two might have been a couple by now ¨C"

    Xavier suddenly mped his mouth and he slowly hid behind Zeke. He was saying all this because Alex was unusually calm the entire time, so calm he wasn''t even talking anymore. He thought the man was just bored and he didn''t care about that guy but just a one nce from Alex at the moment, made his heart jump. That one look was one of those serious warnings he gave out before killing his enemies. Ah, did I barely escape death?

    Xavier patted his pounding heart and was relieved when he saw that Alex was looking at the family again.

    "Uncle, grandma, grandpa, Abi, I will drop by again soon," Chris said, looking at Abi intently. It was obvious that the way he looked at her was different. He clearly adored her and he wasn''t even hiding it. He then hugged everyone and gazed at Abi before he hugged her again. "Happy birthday, Abi," he whispered in her ear.

    It was then that Alex, the statue, finally moved from his spot and walked closer to them.

    Xavier''s eyes widened as he looked at Zeke. "Zeke, what should we do? It seems like he has reached his limit! Do something! He''s going to kill that childhood friend!"

    "Shut up, Xavier, he''s not going to do that in front of Abigail."

    "How can you be so sure? You know how ruthless Alex is, he wouldn''t care!"

    "Rx, did you forget? He''s not the same Alexander we know."

    "Well¡­ but¡­"

    As Xavier was panicking, something unexpected came out of Alex''s mouth as he approached Abi and her family.

    "Abi," he called out and Chris let go of her upon seeing him. Alex stared at Chris as he spoke. "I''ve decided to stay and sleep here with you again tonight."

    Everyone: ". . .?!"

    ...

    ...

    ...

    Keep voting ^^

    15,000 votes = mass release

 Chapter 178 Sexier

    <h4>Chapter 178 Sexier</h4>

    Everyone was dumbfounded with what Alex had just spouted out. Andrew sighed but seeing that Alex was ring at Chris, the elders could already tell that the guy was jealous.

    Abi''s family finally realized that their attention had been on Chris this whole time that they almost forgot about Abi''s boyfriend. No wonder the young man looked unhappy but they couldn''t me him. They totally understood why he was jealous and they felt sorry for being inconsiderate especially when they recalled that all they''ve been talking about were Chris and Abi''s childhood since the party started.

    Looking at how Alex red at Chris, the old grandma smiled. She could tell that he must have been holding himself back a lot for a long while, considering the fact that he never came and joined their conversation or took Abi away from them the entire party. They had monopolized Abi and this young man stayed in his seat the entire time. She thought that this young man seemed to be pretty disciplined and had such a great self-control for staying calm this whole time despite him being jealous of Chris and she trulymended him for that.

    "Oh, sure, sure, Alex. I told you before, right? You are always wee in our home," Abi''s grandma said with a warm smile, causing Chris to look at her in disbelief but as the great actor that he was, he didn''t show any negative reaction at all.

    Alex, on the other hand, was surprised with what he heard that because he didn''t expect Abi''s family to favor him at this point, since it was obvious that they adored this Chris guy so much.

    "Yes Alex, you are always wee to stay," Andrew also said as he patted Alex''s shoulder, surprising Alex even more. Well, Alex didn''t know but Andrew felt bad as well for ignoring him because Chris was here. Andrew knew that it wasn''t Chris whom his Abi loved, but this man and this man, Alex, was the one who put sparks in his daughter''s eyes. This man was the one who made Abi this happy, not Chris.

    "Well then, Chris, looks like it''s time for you to go. Your manager is waiting," Andrew told Chris as he looked at the idling car waiting for Chris outside.

    Chris smiled and everyone said goodbye to him. He nced at Alex onest time before he finally entered the car. Once the car door was closed, his calm and cool fa?ade crumbled and he closed his eyes. He loosened up his tie as he looked at Abi through the window.

    "What''s wrong? Are you alright?" his manager asked but he didn''t reply. He just tugged his hair, looking defeated and then heughed.

    "Sigh¡­ I can''t believe I have lost before I could even start," Chris muttered. "Why I didn''t look for her earlier?"

    The man seemed so damned upset. His manager never saw him act like this before.

    "Wait, don''t tell me that the birthday girl is the first love you''re always talking about."

    "Mn, it''s her. But she already has a boyfriend. Ridiculous, right? She has always been the only one in my heart but she¡­ damn it!" He dropped his head, clenching his fists tightly. "F*ck!I didn''t think it would feel this bad."

    The manager sighed. It seemed like he would need to drop by a store and buy some alcohol for him. "Don''t be too devastated, Chris. He''s just her boyfriend, not her husband. You don''t know what will happen in the future," he said and Chris immediately lifted his head.

    "That''s right, it''s not over yet!" His dead spirit was resurrected in a second. How could he give her up so easily? Besides, he still didn''t trust that mysterious man. What if he hurt his Abi?

    With a newfound determination in his eyes, Chris decided not to give up on Abi just yet.

    Back in front of Abi''s house, Abi and Alex were the only ones left in the front yard as they watched the others leave as well.

    "Okay, let''s go back in," Alex spoke as he turned around when Abi tugged his shirt from the back. He turned and looked at her.

    Abi stared back at him. "You called me ''Abi'' a while ago without me asking," she told him and Alex blinked before he nced away for a moment.

    "Well, all the people close to you call you that. It''d be weird if I, your boyfriend, still called you by your full name," he exined. "Abi is cute, though. Although, I still prefer saying all the three sybles of your name because it sounds sexier than just ''Abi''. Don''t you agree? A-bi-gail?" he pronounced her name so slowly with his deep voice it almost sounded like a melody, causing Abi''s ears to redden.

    "I¡­ I prefer Abi at times like this, Alex," she could only reply and Alex smiled.

    "Fine. I did promise that I would behave. Now let''s go inside, A-bi."

    "S-stop teasing me."

    "I''m not teasing you, Abi."

    The duo then entered the house as Alex kept on repeating Abi''s name, seemingly enjoying himself as he chuckled every now and again.

    "Okay, stop now, Alexander," Abi retorted once they were inside her room, preparing to go and take a shower.

    Abi, calling him his full name seemed to have worked as Alex stopped and his face became serious.

    "Fine, I''ll stop. So don''t call me that," he said and Abi gazed up at him, amused.

    "Oh, so you don''t like me calling you Alexander?" she teased but Alex pinched her chin and pulled her face closer to him.

    "Call me that again and you might see me go crazy, Abigail. You sound like you are seducing me when you call me like that," he told her and Abi immediately swallowed.

    "Oh, okay, let''s go, Alex. The shower is waiting." She somehow managed to escape. She suddenly felt nervous when he said he''ll go crazy. Sigh, this man¡­

    "I''ll go first, okay?" Abi told him and without waiting for his response, she entered the bathroom.

    When she was done, she came out looking fresh. Her make-up was gone and her hair was now tied up into a bun.

    "Alex, you''re turn," she said when to her surprise, she couldn''t see Alex in the living room. Where did he go?

    Abi thought that he might have gone to the kitchen so she went to check on him. But he wasn''t there. Thinking that he returned in her room, she climbed upstairs but Alex wasn''t there as well.

    Where on earth did he go off to?

 Chapter 179 Cant help falling in love

    <h4>Chapter 179 Can''t help falling in love</h4>

    (Refresh the previous chapter. The content was already reced)

    Abi was starting to worry. She stepped out of her room and looked around. She walked towards the veranda but there was no sign of him either. Abi finally brought out her phone to call him but she stopped before she could dial his number. It was because the moment she looked down, she saw Alex standing there by the road side. He seemed to be talking to someone who was leaning on the parked ck car.

    Who was he talking to?

    Abi tried to zoom in at the man but she couldn''t see his face. Worried, Abi hastily walked downstairs but when she opened the door, the man had just closed the door and the car elerated away.

    Alex stood there, watching the disappearing car. He didn''t move even when the car was long gone.

    Looking at him quietly standing there alone, Abi couldn''t help but walk towards him. He was exuding that seemingly lonesome vibe again. Did that man tell him about some bad news? Or problem?

    Abi didn''t even try to conceal her presence but Alex didn''t seem to notice her yet. This made Abi crease her brows because she knew that Alex could sense her presence even when she was still far away.

    She stood behind him but the still didn''t move. So Abi hugged him from behind and the man seemed surprised, something that was really unusual for him to do.

    "Alex? Is everything alright?" Abi asked as she craned her head to look at him.

    Alex cleared his throat and rubbed her head.

    "What are you doing out here?" he asked.

    "I should be the one asking you that," she replied but Alex held her hand and led her back to the house without giving her an answer.

    He went straight to the bathroom once they entered the house, making Abi feel that there was something off with him again.

    She looked at the clock which said it was already eleven pm. She heaved a long breath as she walked to the living room to wait for him there. She didn''t know why but she was kind of scared that he might disappear.

    Sitting there, Abi looked around the living room until her eyes fell on the old piano that was her mother''s. She never used that since her mother died even though she loved ying the piano.

    She stood up and walked towards it. She opened the cover and tapped on it, creating a sound.

    "Oops," she said but her family actually didn''t mind even if she yed music in the middle of the night, as long as it was a soothing music. Her family was just like her. They loved music and it was their luby. Abi sometimes yed the piano out there or yed the guitar in bed to make her dad fall asleep whenever his insomnia kicked in.

    Suddenly, Abi felt the urge to surround the house with melody. She pulled the chair out and sat on it. It was then that Alex came out, already dressed up in his new clothes.

    "You''re going to y?" Alex asked, jolting her.

    "Ah, yeah¡­ I am nning to serenade you, Alex." she said and Alex smiled. He took a seat right next to her, cing his elbow on the edge of the piano as he rested his face on his palm, looking at her.

    "Oh, really? Sure," he replied and he looked at her like he was ready to listen. Abi smiled at him. She could still see the indifference in his eyes and she knew he was hiding something again. She wanted to at least calm him down before they went to bed.

    Abi then took a deep breath and her fingers started to gracefully tap on the piano. The melody that echoed from it was incredibly soothing. The instrumental introduction of the song she was ying was slow and heart touching.

    But that was just the introduction. When Abi started to sing, time seemed to have stood still for Alex and everything else faded away. The only thing left in his world was her, her voice and the soft sound of the piano. Her voice was like invisible hands of an angel touching him, caressing the deepest corner of his frozen heart, burning it with its warmth. He couldn''t exin what he was feeling. All he knew was that the moment she started singing, she had captured every bit of his attention and the world ceased to exist. All he could see and hear was her.

    "Wise men say

    Only fools rush in

    But I can''t help falling in love with you¡­"

    Abi lifted her face from the keys of the piano to see Alex''s face. She didn''t know why she had chosen this song. This was just the song that first came to her mind upon her fingers tapping on the piano. Maybe her heart had reached its limit and had now burst out of control? She didn''t know. All she knew was that she couldn''t stop herself anymore. Her heart was now singing this song for him. Her confession.

    "Shall I stay?

    Would it be a sin?

    ''Cause I can''t help falling in love with you"

    Their eyes locked together as she continued singing. She was incredibly emotional. She wanted to pour everything that had been locked inside her heart out to him until there was nothing left. How could this song have everything she wanted to say? Would it be a sin if she wanted to stay even after these eight days were over? Would it be a sin if she wanted to stay with him and love him until herst breath?

    The song was reaching its end when Abi''s hands left the piano. Her warm palmsnded on both sides of his face as she sang thest lines while staring deeply into his eyes.

    "Take my hand,

    Take my whole life, too,

    For I can''t help falling in love with you."

    As the song ended, Abi gently kissed his lips before she slowly pulled away and uttered those four forbidden words to him.

    "I love you, Alex."

    ...

    ...

    ...

    A/N: I just uploaded the lyric video for this song. Do check it out on my Instagram ount @author_kazzenlx

    P.s. the lyric of the song is from Can''t help falling in love song by Elvis presley

 Chapter 180 Anything

    <h4>Chapter 180 Anything</h4>

    "I love you, Alex." As these heartfelt words came out of Abi''s lips, everything seemed to stand still. Seconds slowly ticked by as their eyes locked and Abi started to realize what just came out of her mouth.

    Her pulse elerated, her heart started to beat loud like a drum and fear began to sprout in her heart the longer she looked at him just looking back at her, still as statue. She didn''t mean to say it. Her n was just to let him know she had fallen for him through a song because she thought she still wasn''t brave enough to say it. She was scared that things would change for the worse if those words ever came out of her mouth. But she had said it. Her heart made a move on its own before she realized it and now, she didn''t know what to do.

    Abi tried to open her lips but it just trembled slightly and no words came out of it until Alex finally moved. He blinked a few times like he was waking up from a dream. His pupils dted for a split second, his jaw clenched and he half bit his lip. Just like her, he seemed to have lost his tongue as well as no words came out of his mouth.

    But it was then that Abi finally found her tongue. "Uhm¡­ d-don''t worry, Alex. I¡­ I''m not going to ask you to love me back," she stuttered as her hands on his face slightly trembled. And then, she hugged him tight, as if she was trying to chain him down using her arms, as if she was so scared that he would leave and nevere back again. "I¡­ I am not going to demand for your love so please don''t get angry with me, okay?" she added, her voice weak and fearful.

    "I just wanted to tell you what I feel towards you now. And¡­ you didn''t forbid me from loving you. You only forbade me from asking for your love so I am allowed say that I have fallen in love with you, right?" she asked again as her grip on him tightened, determined to hold him.

    Alex''s Adam''s apple moved. His eyes were dark and his face was stiff and hard as he silently gritted his teeth before he spoke. "That''s right," was all he responded and Abi pulled away with wide eyes.

    "Y-you''re not angry with me, right?" Abi looked at him and the man stared at her before he replied decisively.

    "I''m not, Abigail."

    Abi hugged him again. She was so relieved and even though she saw something odd in Alex eyes right now, the most important thing was that Alex wasn''t angry and that he wasn''t going to disappear.

    Alex shut his eyes closed the moment his face was hidden from Abi. His brows knotted so tightly that the veins on his forehead and neck were bulging out.

    "Thank you, Alex," she uttered and she moved her face away slightly without letting go. Her lipsnded on his, gently, causing Alex''s face to loosen up. "Please let me love you. I won''t ask for anything. Just let me love you, okay?" she pleaded against his lips and Alex''s jaw tightened again.

    He lifted his hand to her head and pulled her into his embrace. He gritted his teeth once again, hiding his expression from her before he forced out his next words.

    "Do what you want," he replied and Abi smiled, thanking him again. She was so relieved and she couldn''t deny that this made her happy. Having the freedom to love him, to tell him ''I love you'' every time she wanted to and as many times as she could, was just a wish before, but now, it was actually going to be her reality. He granted her a wish once again. This was the best birthday gift she received today and she couldn''t ask for more.

    With a smile on her face, Abi let him go and stood.

    "Let''s go to bed now, Alex." She pulled him up, holding his hand tightly as they went upstairs.

    Abi was animated as shey on the bed. Once Alex sat next to her, Abi jumped on him and she cuddled him. She wrapped her arm around his torso as she snuggled herself closer until their bodies were sharing heat.

    "Alex¡­ you made this day my happiest birthday ever. Thank you for everything," she told him, her eyes glistening with genuine happiness.

    Alex suddenly pulled her towards him but he made her back face him and spooned her from behind. Abi didn''t notice but Alex seemed like he was trying to stop her from looking at his face.

    They were silent for a long while before Alex spoke again. "I didn''t buy you a present so you can ask me one thing and I will fulfill it," he suddenly said, causing Abi''s eyes to widen in surprise. She tried to move to turn and look at his face but the man didn''t let her. "You can ask me anything, Abigail," he added and Abi swallowed.

    "A-anything?" she echoed, still looking at him with wonder and disbelief.

    "Yes, anything."

    "E-even if it''s against your rules?" she asked in hesitation. Her heartbeat raced wildly as she waited in anticipation even though she already knew the answer based on his silence. She knew his rules was surely an exception.

    But Alex''s answer made her mouth turn agape.

    "Yes," he replied and Abi couldn''t believe it. She struggled and slipped away from his arms before she sat up and looked down at him in disbelief.

    He wasn''t smirking and there was no mischief in his eyes. He was serious and Abi just couldn''t believe it. She couldn''t talk for a long while until Alex broke the silence again.

    "I''m serious, Abigail. Ask me anything and I will grant it," he repeated as he looked her deeply in the eyes.

 Chapter 181 Officially ended

    <h4>Chapter 181 Officially ended</h4>

    Abi was so shocked that she pinched her cheeks to check if she actually fell asleep a while ago and this was now a dream because it was just too hard to believe. Was he really going to break his own rules? What if she would ask him to love her? Did he even think about that?

    "Ouch!" she immediately rubbed the skin she just pinched. It appeared this wasn''t a dream.

    "Come here," Alex stretched out his arm seeing that the girl was having a hard time believing what he just said.

    Abi moved and the man pulled her down, making her lie on his perfect, masculine chest.

    "You''re not dreaming. So tell me what you want now, Abi," he said weekly near her ear and Abi''s heart pound even harder.

    She fell silent for a moment and then she suddenly pulled away and looked into his eyes.

    "Marry me!" she eximed.

    Alex looked dumbstruck. It seemed this was something he didn''t expect her to say. He had been expecting this girl to ask for his love in return, like all the others did after they confessed to him but she had surprised him, yet again.

    Abi bit her lips and let her body fall on him again. She knew that that request was too much especially as he had told her before that he would never get married. But there was no way Abi would ask him to love her. She would never do that. You couldn''t force someone to love you, even if you begged until your voice was gone.

    But¡­ asking him to marry her was over the top as well. She couldn''t possibly marry him just to leave him after eight more days. No matter how much she wanted this to happen, even if this was her ultimate wish, she would never force Alex to marry her.

    "Kidding, hehe," she muttered. "Give me ten minutes to think, okay?" she asked and she fell quiet again.

    Alex on the other hand lifted his free hand and covered his eyes with the back of his hand. He took his phone and saw that it was still twenty minutes before 12, before her birthday officially ended.

    Deep lines formed in his forehead before he closed his eyes again.

    After a minute or two, Alex opened his eyes and tapped something on his phone before he rose and sat on the bed.

    "Ugh, I have too many wishes to ask that I can''t choose!" Abi grinned at him but Alex didn''t reply. He just stood up, walked towards his window and opened it.

    The moon was out, big and bright. He looked up at it silently as Abi watched his back. He seemed to be letting the cold wind blow on him. Was he trying to cool his head?

    Looking at him that moment, Abi saw it again, that profound ancient and lonesome feeling he was emitting. It was only for another fleeting moment but Abi felt that strange tinge of pain in her chest as she looked at him.

    She frowned. She was about to climb off the bed to approach him when the man turned and walked back towards her. He sat at his spot but he didn''ty down. He quietly leaned against the bed''s headboard.

    "It''s 11: 50," said Alex as he nced at his phone and Abi straightened.

    "Give me five more minutes," she negotiated. What should she ask him? What were the things she wanted the most? She racked her brain but she always ended up with just two things ¨C him, marrying her or loving her ¨C two things she wished woulde true but something she could never ask him to do. She couldn''t be greedier and more selfish than she already was. She''d rather bury those wishes than force him to do those things and hurt him in the end.

    Thinking hard, Abi didn''t notice that her five minutes was up. Alex, nced at the time on his phone before his eyes fell on the window.

    After a couple of minutes,

    "Abi, go close the window," he suddenly told her. Abi''s head flew towards him and she blinked, a little confused.

    But she still climbed off the bed and walked towards the window.

    She held the window and was about to pull it closed when she noticed the moon. She smiled at it as she said muttered the word ''beautiful''.

    Letting out a quiet breath Abi pulled the window in when she heard a sound of pping wings. ''A bird?'' she thought. She shrugged and was going to pull it again when a bird suddenlynded on the window frame.

    Abi blinked. Eh? A white dove? In the middle of the night?

    "Oh, little whitey, where did youe from?" she smiled at it. She just couldn''t help it because the bird was beautiful.

    "Did you escape from your owner or something?" She lifted her hand, attempting to touch its cloud-like smooth feathers when her hand paused in midair.

    Her gaze flicked with shock because she finally noticed that there was something in the bird''s beak.

    It was a ring!

    Abi just stood there frozen.

    "A-alex, there''s a bird," she said and the bird put the ring down and flew away. "Wait!"

    She reached out her hand but the bird had already flown away. She looked at the ring on the windowsill. Her heart was beating damn so wild as her hand moved to pick it up.

    She lifted it so slowly as she stared at it. The ring was an emerald ring and seemed so ancient

    Abi turned and looked at Alex.

    "Alex, look¡­" she uttered as she slowly walked towards him.

    Alex looked at the shock and disbelief in her face and spoke, "That''s the only ring I possess right now. We can rece it tomorrow if you ¨C"

    "You¡­ t-this is yours?" she stammered, cutting him off. She felt like her heart was about to explode.

    "Yes."

    "And, you''re giving it to me?"

    "Yes, Abigail."

    "W-why?"

    Alex eyes flicked with something unfathomable before he stood up and gracefully walked closer to her without tearing his eyes off her. He stared at the ring in her hand, took it and then he lifted her left hand.

    He gazed at her intently for a while. "Because I''m going to grant your wish," he said and he put the ring on her ring finger before he looked up again. "I will marry you, Abigail."

    ...

    ...

    ...

    A/N: We still have until tomorrow to gather that 15,000 votes. Can we do it? Fighting! ^^

 Chapter 182 Somewhere

    <h4>Chapter 182 Somewhere</h4>

    "I will marry you, Abigail," he said and Abi felt like her blood had been drained out of her. Her heart hammered erratically and her lower lip began to tremble.

    And then, her eyes welled and tears began to flow from her eyes. She bowed her head as she wiped her tears away but the tears didn''t stop flowing. Were these tears of joy? But why did her heart ache at the same time?

    Her ultimate wish was going to be granted. She had epted that it would remain as a mere dream that would be buried along with her one day. She thought that it would only happen in her dream yet here he was, telling her that he would make it happen in reality.

    Abi was happy, so happy she couldn''t express it in words. But she was also scared, deathly afraid, and she didn''t know why. Was she scared for Alex?

    "What''s wrong? Why are you crying?" Alex pulled her out of her thoughts. He sounded confused and she understood why. He must have been expecting her to jump in happiness since he knew just how much she had been wishing for this.

    She gulped nervously as she lifted her face again and looked into his eyes, and with everything she could muster, she opened her lips to speak but not to respond his questions.

    "B-but why? You said you would never marry?" she asked him, her eyes still red. She remembered his words clearly from that night so why? Why was he doing this?

    Alex''s unmoving gaze was apanied by deliberate slow breathing, like he was fighting to hold something back but he remained calm and serious as he replied, "I am doing this because this is my gift for you, Abigail."

    A tear fell from her eyes again and she hugged him.

    "Y-you''re not forcing yourself to grant me this wish, right?" she asked against his chest.

    "I''m not," he answered without a hint of hesitation.

    Abi''s grip on him tightened. This was still too hard for her to believe. Must he really go this far for a birthday present?

    "I''m so happy, Alex¡­ but, I don''t want to force you," she mumbled and Alex held her shoulders to make some space between them. He held her face up and stared into her eyes.

    "If you''re happy, then stop crying."

    Abi sniffled. "I''m sorry, I''m just finding it hard to believe this is real, Alex, and I still don''t understand why¡­"

    The man gently pinched her check before kissing it and a smile curved on his face.

    "Well, I guess I just want to see what you would be like as my wife. Just as you said, why don''t I try it?" he said as he brushed away the remnants of tears from her face.

    And then, he lifted her up and tucked her into bed. He went and closed the window before heid beside her.

    Abi was gazing at him, her eyes still filled with wonder and disbelief.

    "So? What do you want to happen next? What kind of wedding do you want?" he asked and Abi felt like her mind was shutting down. He just proposed and now he was actually going to talk about the wedding?

    Seeing her dumbstruck expression, he bent and kissed her lips.

    "Fine. We''ll talk about that tomorrow. It''s already midnight," he said and pulled her close to him.

    Abi snuggled closer to him, holding him tight as they cuddled. Her mind was spinning around so she closed her eyes, as if that would stop the dizzying thoughts. She didn''t want to sleep. She wanted to think about this, but her body betrayed her and she easily fell into a deep slumber, as if the day had been so tiresome and all her energy had been drained from her.

    Noticing that Abi was already asleep, Alex let out a deep, long sigh. His eyes were shut closed and his brows knotted tightly as he lifted his hand and rested it on his forehead. He looked like something was tormenting him.

    He stayed like that for hours, but when he turned and wrapped his arm around Abi, embracing her tightly, the lines on his forehead slowly disappeared and he, too, finally joined her in the realm of dreams.

    ¡­

    The next morning, Abi was the one who woke up first. Alex was still sleeping which was really rare.

    Abi then slowly remembered everything that happenedst night and she gasped. She stared at the ring on her finger and it appeared that everything she remembered was real. The emerald ring on her finger was beautiful despite it looking really ancient and old.

    Abi couldn''t hold back her smile as she stared at Alex. Shey down again as she watched his immacte sleeping face.

    She clenched her chest and she didn''t feel that scared anymore. She just felt delighted. There was no reason for her to hold back anymore. Maybe, this was heaven''s gift for her. She also understood that maybe, Alex just really wanted to experience it too. If that was the case, there was no reason for her not to rejoice. This was his gift and she didn''t have the right to reject anything that Alex was giving her. She could never do that.

    Abi slowly moved and kissed the sleeping man''s forehead with all the feeling she could muster. She wished that she could do something for him too. She wished that he too had a dream that she could fulfill.

    Time passed and Alex woke up. The breakfast was lively and pleasant as always but Abi was visibly happier. She was all smiles and happiness was radiating from her skin, infecting everyone around her.

    Alex loved the look on her face. He could see that she was genuinely happy, making him feel d as he too smiled from watching her.

    Abi had taken the ring off and wore it as a ne because she didn''t want her family to ask about it. She didn''t want them to know about her getting married because Abi knew that they would surely be against it, since they had not been dating that long. She also didn''t want to cause any trouble and heartbreak for her family when she returned after eight days back home because she knew they wouldn''t understand why.

    Once they left the house, Abi and Alex began to talk about the ns. Abi had thought about it and decided that it would be best for them to marry in secret. The less people who knew about it, the better.

    They talked about it and Abi was talking so excitedly while Alex drove slowly, listening to her.

    "But I think I should really ask you first to see if you already had a n, Alex. Do you?" she asked him with curiosity and interest.

    The man nced at her and parked the car on the road side. He faced her and stared into her eyes.

    "I do have a n, Abigail," he told her and Abi stared back at him in great anticipation. "I would like to take you somewhere tomorrow."

    "Somewhere?"

    "Yes, some ce where no one else will be around but us."

 Chapter 183 Warning

    <h4>Chapter 183 Warning</h4>

    Abi felt her heart elerate. Excitement, nervousness and anticipation flooded her eyes as she looked at him.

    "Where will you be taking us?" she asked but Alex just smiled. He stretched his hand and pulled her into hisp.

    "You will see, Abigail," he said and he suddenly kissed her. He didn''t kiss her deeply this time around. His kiss was incredibly gentle and tender.

    When he pulled away, he brushed her pink lips with his thumb. "We will stay there for the rest of the month, Abigail, just the two of us," he added and Abi gaped at him.

    "Y-you mean¡­ l-like a honeymoon?" she stammered.

    "Mn," he nodded and Abi gushed. Her palms flew and covered her lips. "Since our marriage will be done in secret, I think you should tell everyone that you are going somewhere for a holiday and will return at the end of the month. You can''t disappear just like that or people will be worried about you and ask the police to look for you." He smirked and Abi fully understood what he meant.

    Abi agreed. She told him she would tell her work, her friend and her family today so Alex dropped her off at the orphanage. The man told her he would wait for her at home, even telling her not to worry about the wedding.

    Abi just smiled widely as she waved at him. She understood that this man wanted her to leave everything to him but she wanted to do something as well so she nned to go home early that day.

    However, once Abi entered the orphanage, some bad news weed her. She was told that little Betty was in dire condition so she rushed to the hospital, forgetting to inform them about her being away for the rest of the month.

    A doctor had just left little Betty''s room in the ICU when she arrived. She rushed towards him to ask about Little Betty when to her surprise, the man in the doctor''s coat was actually Ezekiel Qin!

    "M-mr. Qin is also a doctor?!" she eximed and the man nonchntly replied her.

    "Yes, I''m also a doctor."

    Abi was speechless. Howe a tycoon like him was actually working as a doctor?

    "Uhm. D-dr. Qin, h-how''s Little Betty?"

    The man nced at the door where he came from before he stared at her. "Come to my office in fifteen minutes," he simply said and just like that, he left.

    Abi could only watch his back when the nurses that were with him began to speak with her.

    "Are you the little girl''s rtive?" they asked and when Abi nodded, one of the nurses whispered to her. "Miss, you should be thankful. Mr. Qin was the one who saved the Little girl. Only a few people in this country know he is a doctor. In fact, he was known as one of the greatest doctors in the west but he doesn''t work as a doctor anymore. That was why we were all shocked when he suddenly came into the operating room this dawn after he got the information that the girl was about to die."

    After the nurse left her, Abi walked towards the ss window and watched Little Betty. She could see her peaceful sleeping face and she sighed, holding back her tears. She was d, so d that at least this little girl was saved. She should really thank Ezekiel Qin for saving this little angel.

    Fifteen minutes then passed so Abi went to the CEO''s office on the building''s highest floor. They said that Ezekiel Qin was only visiting this ce since his real office was at his headquarters but seeing the interiors of his office, she thought that this ce seemed too big and too luxurious for an office that he rarely visited. But what did she expect with a tycoon like him?

    Abi stood in front of his huge desk. The man was already wearing his usual elegant suit and he was sitting there like the powerful man he was. It was really such a shock that this man, the richest man in this country went and saved little Betty. Did he grow an affection for Little Betty? It appeared that he may have and Abi truly admired him for it. This man really was the opposite of the rumors she heard about him. He was a hero, Little Betty''s hero.

    "Dr. Qin, I¡­ thank you so much for saving little Betty." Abi bowed her head as she give him her sincere gratitude.

    "She''s still in danger," was all he replied. His expression didn''t change at all but she was already used to his ever so stoic expressions. "As long as the transnt doesn''t happen, her life is still in danger."

    Abi fell silent for a moment because he was right, but the fact is he still saved her.

    "But you still saved her, Dr. Qin, and for that I am truly grateful." She smiled at him when the man stood up. He leaned on the edge of his desk as he looked out the window. His face remained unfathomable. She wondered if this man ever smiled because she never saw him smile even once.

    "Miss Chen," he called out, without looking at her face. "I called you here because I have something to tell you."

    Abi blinked at him and when he looked at her in the eyes, Abi didn''t know why but she suddenly felt incredibly nervous, as if whatever this man was going to say was something she didn''t want to hear.

    She gulped before she spoke. "Uhm¡­ what is it? Is it about Little Betty?"

    "No. It''s about you and Alex," he answered. Her eyes widened and the man walked closer to her. His intense aura seemed to be pushing her back and her feet moved on their own, until her back reached the wall.

    "D-dr. Qin, wha ¨C"

    Abi couldn''t continue her sentence because the man leaned in on her and whispered, "Don''t marry him, Miss Chen," he said and Abi froze in shock. H-how did he already know about this?

    "H-how did ¨C"

    "It doesn''t matter, Miss Chen. I''m telling you not to marry him." His voice hardened. It was clear he was warning her.

    "I don''t know why you are telling me this, Mr. Qin, but I am not going to listen to you," she bravely said, mustering all her courage to stand her ground. She could see that this man was acting a little unusual. He was usually as calm as a lifeless mannequin but this time, there was a tenseness he wasn''t even trying to mask. Still, there was no way Abi would listen to him or to anyone else.

    But what Ezekiel Qin said next made Abi''s soul go numb.

    "If you marry him, Alex will die."

    ...

    ...

    A/N: We are out of top 10... T^T

    We didn''t reach our goalst week but I will still give you guys extra chapterter as thanks for your supports.

    We will aim for the same goal this week. If we gather 2000 votes before reset today, I will another extra chap ^^

    Please vote my lovely readers!

 Chapter 184 Ashen

    <h4>Chapter 184 Ashen</h4>

    We just get past 2k votes so here''s the extra chapter!!

    If we get past 4000 votes tomorrow, I will give another extra chapter. Keep voting my lovely readers! ^^

    ...

    ...

    ...

    "W-what are you saying?" Abi was shaking her head. She didn''t want to believe him. Why would Alex die just by marrying her? Her Alex was¡­ strong and invincible! "You are not making any sense, Mr. Qin. You don''t have to¡­ you don''t have to tell me such a ridiculous lie just to stop me because I''m not going to believe you," she added, bravely, despite her hoarse voice.

    Ezekiel Qin leaned away from her, not tearing his eyes off her.

    "I''m leaving, Mr. Qin," she said and was about to walk away when the man stopped her. He mmed his hands on the wall, trapping her in between them before he leaned in on her again and whispered something in her ear.

    The whites in her eyes turned pure ck, as if a ck hole had just sucked all the light in them. And then her hand clung to his jacket to keep herself from losing her bnce. Abi''s world seemed to be spinning out of control. The world that was so steady and bright had all of a sudden be grey and cold. Abi could feel herself losing her determination and her happiness dwindled down to ashes. These emotions were slowly being reced with a painful, deste, hopeless feeling that settled in deepest corners of her soul.

    Ezekiel let her cling onto him. He didn''t say a word anymore until Abi left, looking like her world just crumbled down.

    Ezekiel leaned on the wall as he watched the door that had just shut closed. His brows knotted into a hard knot as he stared at the floor.

    "I know you''re there, Kai," he then uttered without lifting his face and Kai suddenly appeared.

    Kai was looking at him with great displeasure.

    "Zeke, what did you tell her?!" Kai asked him. His voice sounded urgent and extremely worried.

    Zeke finally looked at him but his face was still unreadable.

    "I suggest you go now and follow her," he casually said and Kai gritted his teeth.

    "Zeke, I don''t understand why you''re doing all this. Alex is¡­ Alex is finally looking really alive and happy. Why can''t you just let them be?"

    Ezekiel''s usual calm gaze became a little sharp as he moved and grabbed Kai''s shoulder. "I know you are going to stay neutral until the end but hear me, Kai, you will understand why I needed to do this when the timees." His voice was firm, brimming with unquestioned authority. "Leave now and don''t take your eyes off her. Also, I''m sure you won''t do it but I still want to remind you not to even think about saying anything about this to Alex. You wouldn''t want a pointless battle to break out because of this," he added before he walked towards the door and left, while Kai closed his eyes with a creased brow and drew his lower lip in between his teeth and bit it hard.

    ¡­

    Abi spent hours in the hospital just watching over the sleeping little girl. She never spoke. She looked like she was being crushed by a tonne of bricks. Her shoulders drooped her whole body emitted a kind of sadness, the kind that one would feel after they had just suffered a loss of a loved one, and her eyes were unfocused. However, there were no tears in her eyes, despite herplexion being ashen.

    The usual cheerful, optimistic girl looked like she just taken a huge step back from life.

    When she left the hospital, Abi didn''t even know where to go. She went home just to ask the driver to turn around and go back to the city. She didn''t want her family to see her like this. She went to the orphanage just for her to stay outside, unable to make herself enter the house. She knew that she looked awful and there was no way she could show her devastated face to the lively children inside.

    She went to the park and sat on the swing. She looked around, noticing every single mundane thing; the grass swaying in the wind, people walking about minding their own business, even just watching the leaves fall from the trees. The sky had turned grey but she didn''t even react.

    A lone star appeared in the sky and she lifted her hand, as if to grasp it in her hand. She smiled but there was no glimmer in her eyes. It was an incredibly bitter smile.

    "Abi?" A voice startled her and she immediately stood up and looked at the face of its owner. It was Chris.

    Abi attempted to speak but her voice cracked. So she cleared her throat first and did her very best to fake a smile.

    "C-chris¡­ what are you doing here?" she asked and the man walked closer to her with a bright smile.

    "Thank god I managed to catch you here. I just came from your house and uncle Andrew told me toe here to find you. You were not answering your phone so¡­"

    "Oh, it''s¡­ I''m sorry, I didn''t see it because I put my phone on silent mode," she replied and the man looked relieved.

    "I actually thought you were deliberately ignoring my calls because you didn''t want to speak with me anymore. Haha." He grinned and Abi faked another smile back. "By the way, uncle Andrew said you were living with your friend Kelly. Are you going back now? I will give you a lift there," he offered but Abi politely declined.

    "Uhm, thank you but I''ll be fine. I don''t want to trouble you so I''ll just take a cab."

    "Abi, I understand we were separated for many years but I am still the Chris that had been with you since we were young. That''s why¡­ please don''t treat me like I''m someone you can''t bother bothered with. Besides, it''s already getting dark, it''s dangerous for ady like you to ride a cab alone."

    While Chris was exining Abi finally realized that it was already dark.

 Chapter 185 Im sorry

    <h4>Chapter 185 I''m sorry</h4>

    It was long past her curfew. She started to panic but a momentter, something seemed to make her calm down. It was like she had realized that there was no point of her panicking anymore and the pain began to flood her entire being once again.

    "Okay, don''t be shy Abi,e." Chris held her wrist before Abi could even agree with him and he began to pull her towards his car.

    Suddenly, Abi was grabbed by a strong arm away from Chris.

    Abi''s lower lip instantly trembled. She already knew just by the chill running down her spine that the arm holding her belonged to Alex.

    Chris balled his fists as he turned around but the instant he saw the man who grabbed Abi from him, Chris eyes widened. It wasn''t because he was surprised to see that it was Abi''s boyfriend, it was because this man looked so terrifying that he felt intense shivers in his nerves just by seeing that look in his eyes.

    He looked like the man - no, the demon - was going to ughter him once he made a single move. Chris couldn''t believe that his knees were unable to move as if he was paralyzed by just the sight of him. This man looked like those mad viins in movies who wouldn''t hesitate to kill. He had seen a lot of actors ying the roles of psychopaths and serial killers but he had never seen a man as horrifying as the one who stood before him now. In fact, those viinous actors couldn''t even hold a candle against this man.

    As he froze there, looking at him, the man shot him with what he thought was the deadliest look he had ever received before he began dragging Abi towards his car.

    It was then that Chris moved and blocked them.

    "Mr. Qin, you can''t just drag away Abi like that," he said, his instincts kicking in. He had already prepared himself in case this man was going to attack him.

    But Abi suddenly pushed him away. "Chris, please. I will talk to youter, okay?" she pleaded as she pushed him, wanting him to go away.

    Chris was so confused. "Abi, this man is¡­ are you really going to go with him?"

    "Yes. So, please, Chris, go home now, okay?" she told him and then he watched her voluntarily climbed into that man''s car.

    Chris saw the man cracked his fists as he gnashed his teeth in intense anger towards him before he entered the car. The car elerated off, leaving Chris standing there, confused and utterly worried. How¡­ how did Abi find that kind of man?

    The reason why Chris came to see Abi was because he wanted to ask her to break up with that man. Chris was so curious about Alexander Qin that he asked his many sources, even the underground ones, to find anything rted to him. But they couldn''t find anything. The most mysterious thing was that, one of the pieces of information that he received was that ''Alexander Qin'' might be a fake identity. The fact that they couldn''t find any photo of him when he was young, or other records of his birth or parents, made them conclude that. In short, Alexander Qin was fooling everyone, most especially Abi, and that he was a notoriously dangerous being.

    He wanted Abi to cut ties with him before that man would do something to her but this happened and Abi willingly followed him despite what he looked like just now. Was she not scared? Couldn''t she see the madness in his eyes? Couldn''t she see how deadly he was?

    Even a man like him felt utterly intimidated so why did a fragile girl like her still choose to go with him?

    ¡­

    Inside the car, which was moving like a bullet, Abi was gripping her skirt tightly.

    The car was filled with an ominous, suffocating cloud of anger. He was burning with anger. Rage was shing like a storm of lightning in a pitch ck night.

    Abi didn''t speak until the car screeched into a halt. They were already in front of the mansion. Abi nced at his whitened knuckles before she voluntarily stepped out of the car.

    And then Alex held her hand and dragged her inside.

    Upon the door closing, he pinned Abi against the huge door, mming his hands on them hard that Abi jolted in shock due to the loud noise right next to her ears.

    His pupils dted, coated with pitch ck anger, as he looked at her.

    "Abigail¡­ what were you doing with that man? You ignored my calls¡­ deliberately broke my rule¡­ just so you could be with him?" his eyes narrowed and his voice was utterly hard, cold, rigid.

    Abi didn''t speak. She didn''t try to thaw his anger like she used to do. She didn''t reach out her hand like what she used to. She didn''t move to kiss him anymore. And that only made Alex be even angrier.

    "Are you¡­ are you really trying to anger me?" his re intensified, as if he was now really closed to exploding. "Say something!!" his voice thundered. That was the first time he had yelled at her like that.

    Abi swallowed, biting her lips so hard to keep herself from crying. Something painfully heartbreaking was burning in every nook of her bones. Her blood seemed to have turned into a flowingva, burning down everything inside her.

    "Alex¡­" she called out, her voice choking. "I''m sorry¡­ it looks like I can''t take it anymore. I''m sorry, Alex," her voice cracked again as she kept saying sorry. "I''m sorry, but I¡­ I want to go back home now," she continued as silent tears began to flow from her eyes. And then, she smiled, a smile akin to a child''s smile who was determined not to weep. "It seems like you were right all along when you said that I couldn''t handle it."

    ...

    ...

    ...

    A/N: We are out of top 10... T^T

    We didn''t reach our goalst week but I will still give you guys extra chapterter as thanks for your supports.

    We will aim for the same goal this week. If we gather 2000 votes before reset today, I will another extra chap ^^

    Please vote my lovely readers!

 Chapter 186 Selfish desire

    <h4>Chapter 186 Selfish desire</h4>

    We just get past 2k votes so here''s the extra chapter!!

    If we get past 4000 votes tomorrow, I will give another extra chapter. Keep voting my lovely readers! ^^

    ...

    ...

    ...

    Dark, ominous clouds seemed to have quickly gathered in Alex''s eyes as soon as he heard the words that came out of Abi''s mouth. The atmosphere became frozen cold, as if the ice king had finally awakened from its long slumber.

    His eyes dted as his dark orbs turned even darker, so dark that Abi couldn''t decipher anything anymore in those eyes of his. Abi felt goosebumps crawl up her arms and her neck and she shivered subconsciously. His coldness normally didn''t get to her but at that moment, she felt the chill he was emanating seep into her heart, along with the feeling of intense agony at what she had to do.

    "I''m sorry¡­" she uttered once again. Her heart felt like it was being cut into a million pieces. Abi didn''t know that heartbreak felt like this. Now that Alex was standing right before her, the pain had be even more unbearable.

    She had read it in many novels that love wasn''t all sunshine and rainbows, that if you love, you should be ready to get hurt. When she read those novels, she realised that every love story was a tragedy and that love and pain were both sides of the same coin. She thought that these were all true because her dad was a prime example of having felt the deepest love and in turn, the deepest sorrow.

    Her father loved her mother so much that he suffered so much pain and she knew that even until this day, he still felt it whenever he is reminded of her. She saw, in his eyes, the loneliness, the longing and the sadness at being parted from the woman he loved. She saw it in the way he would look at her photo and gaze into the distance with unseeing eyes. She saw the torment he went through every single day of his life.

    But it appeared that she didn''t really understand the extent of pain that resulted from loving someone, until that very moment. She underestimated the pain, the agony, and now she felt like these feelings were eating her alive.

    This made Abi think about her dad. If breaking up with someone you adored and loved so much felt like this, how much more would it be to lose that person forever?

    She tried putting herself in her father''s shoes and thought that she couldn''t probably survive such pain. Thinking about it made Abi shiver in fear deep within her. When she looked at Alex, she only thought about one thing ¨C that this man, her beautiful jellyfish, her Alex, didn''t deserve such pain.

    This pain she felt right now, Abi thought she could handle it, as long as Alex didn''t suffer with her. Her selfishness should end here, tonight.

    Abi lifted her hands and removed the ne. She stared at the emerald ring in her hand and her fingers trembled a little. She remembered how happy she wasst night. That moment when he put the ring on her finger was so magical and she would never forget it until her veryst breath. She thought that that precious moment would be enough to carry her through. She should be content now because she really was so lucky to have experienced something like that, so lucky that Alex had given so many memories for her to look back on until herst breath. She knew she was still the luckiest girl alive right now, for meeting this man.

    With an intensely heavy heart, Abi held his hand and slowly lifted it up. She put the ring in his palm before she looked into his eyes.

    "I''m sorry¡­ I finally realized that I am asking for too much. I''ve been so selfish since the day I met you. I guess, you''ve pampered me so much I became so lost in my beautiful delusions to the point that I was even prepared to treat marriage as something I could go through just because I wished to. That was just my selfish desires. I''m sorry for being so selfish since the beginning. And I''m so sorry for being selfish again and wanting to quit now," she said as she slowly retracted her hand.

    And then, she smiled at him, the saddest smile she ever made. "I''m so sorry. Thank you for everything." Her voice cracked. "Goodbye, Alex." I love you so much¡­ and I will keep on loving you forever¡­

    After those words left her mouth, Abi turned away, opened the door and ran outside, leaving Alex frozen as his eyes just stared at the now closed door.

    Abi''s tears finally burst as soon as she stepped out of the door. Her eyes were clouded as she dashed out that she didn''t see Zeke walking towards the door.

    The tears were like water gushing out of a broken dam, nearly impossible for her to stop.

    She bumped into Zeke and the man held her by her shoulders, steadying her.

    He looked at Abi''s tortured expression along with the tears flowing out of her eyes and his grip on her slightly tightened.

    Abi pulled away from him and ran towards the road.

    Zeke looked at the closed door like he was waiting for someone toe out. But when no one came out, Zeke sighed and his gaze immediately fell on Kai who was looking worried to death as he looked at Abi''s disappearing silhouette.

    "Kai, go follow her. Bring her home and make sure to watch over her," Zeke ordered and Kai red at him.

    "This¡­ this is all your fault, right? Are you happy now, seeing Abigail breakdown like that?" Kai told him and Zeke quickly moved closer to him, grabbed his shoulder and leaned in on him.

    "You will understand everything when the timees. Everything I do and everything I have done has been for one purpose, so stop bbering and just do what I say," he said with his authoritative voice and Kai could only press his lips tight in hard line as he clenched his fists into tight balls before he ran towards his car and chased after Abi.

 Chapter 187 Just admit i

    <h4>Chapter 187 Just admit i</h4>

    Alex was still standing in the very same position where Abi left him when Zeke entered the house. His eyes were nk, dark and frozen cold.

    Zeke stared at him but the man didn''t even seem to notice him. It wasn''t until Zeke spoke to him that he was brought back to the present.

    "You''re really not going to go after her?" Zeke asked, asposed and as emotionless as ever.

    Finally, Alex moved as his head raised to look at Zeke. Then he stared at the ring in his palm for another long while, seemingly falling back into the abyss. He cleared his throat and shook his head and he seemed to have finally jolted back to reality but his first reaction was a forced sardonicugh.

    And then, too soon, hisughter evaporated from his cold face. He clenched his fist tightly, his knuckles turning white in the process, as if he wanted to crush the ring inside it into dust. His cold eyes brimmed with deadness. He started to coat himself with his coldness, like it was some protective permafrost, closing it around him, isting him again from the world.

    The next moment, he turned and looked at Zeke with a wicked smile forming on his face.

    "Go after her?" he shook his head, his unpleasant smile not fading. "When have I ever chased after anyone? Huh? Zeke?" he uttered and the ever so expressionless Zeke frowned, obviously bemused.

    "Abigail is¡­" Alex started again. There was no warmth in his voice as he uttered her name nor any glimmer of light in his eyes. "She finally woke up. She finally heeded the danger signs that have been shing in front of her this whole time. She''s indeed an amazing littlemb." He was nodding as he said that, as if he was silently saying that Abigail did the right thing in finally leaving him.

    Zeke didn''t say anything more and just stared at him with displeasure while Alex nonchntly loosened his tie and walked towards the grand staircase without another word.

    Zeke watched the man ascending the staircase like nothing had happened and his frown became even deeper. He sat by the firece, staring at the stairs as he rested his face on his knuckles. He looked like he was plotting something serious.

    After an indefinite amount of time, the entrance door opened and Xavier emerged along with Dianne. The woman was dressed in a seductive fiery red dress, excitement shing in her eyes. She didn''t bother to say hello to Zeke and immediately headed to the third floor.

    Zeke just quietly watched the woman walk up the stairs with a meaningful smile on her face, while Xavier walked over to where Zeke was and sat next to him, heaving a deep sigh.

    "Now what the hell''s going on? Dianne said that Alex called her," he said but when he received no response, he just sighed again.

    To ease his boredom, Xavier brought out his phone and yed a game but a round hadn''t even ended yet when they heard the sound of stomping heels descending the stairs in haste.

    Xavier immediately stood up upon seeing the beautiful and confident woman who had just walked upstairs minutes ago, now looking mean and upset. Her face was nearly distorted by her sullen and grumpy expression.

    "Hey, what happened?" Xavier asked her and the woman almost yelled at him in frustration.

    "I don''t know!" She shook her head in disbelief and anger. "He called me toe here¡­ just for him to shun me away like he was disgusted by me!"

    Xavier looked at her, with the words ''idiot, did you not learn your lessonst time''?

    "He asked me toe. He asked me to touch him!" Dianne retorted, realizing the meaning behind Xavier''s gaze.

    What she said then surprised Xavier.

    "Oh, he asked you toe and be intimate with him but once you did, he threw you out?" he repeated in disbelief and Dianne gritted her teeth, feeling humiliated.

    "Something''s wrong with him! He cursed and then ordered me to leave. Something seems to be bothering him, like he''s going crazy about something! Just what the hell happened to him?"

    Xavier''s eyes flew towards Zeke, asking lots of questions. When Dianne saw that the man had no idea what was going as well, she snarled and left the house.

    Upstairs, Alex was drenching himself under the cold st of the shower.

    His eyes were frozen and his fists were clenched into tight balls. He raised his face to the streaming water. He looked like he was asking the water to wash away something but time passed and his dark expression didn''t change. The cold water didn''t seem to be working at all. He hit the marble walls hard and switched off the water. He stepped out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist and hair still dripping wet.

    He entered his pitch ck room. It was cavernous, hollow and lifeless. But there was one thing that was out of ce, the only colorful thing inside. The jellyfish plushie Abigail gave him.

    Alex''s jaws clenched upon the sight of it. Images began to appear in his head and he reached out his hand to touch it but he stopped midway, gnashed his teeth before he hurriedly got dressed and stepped out of his room.

    Zeke was still sitting in the same spot when he saw Alex, already dressed up and ready to leave.

    "Where are you going?" Zeke asked but Alex gave him another sardonic smile.

    "Wannae with me?" he asked, his lifeless eyes looking at him meaningfully.

    Zeke could already tell where he was nning to go and he finally stood up and faced him with all seriousness as he spoke.

    "Alex, even if you go there, it''ll be the same. You can''t touch anyone because all you want is Abigail. You can''t get her off your mind. You want her back because you''ve fallen for her Alex. Just admit it." Zeke said and the man who was going to leave the house, halted in his tracks and froze.

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    I''m so happy that this book finally reached top 6!! Yey! Thank you so much to all my dear readers who are voting relentlessly! You guys are everything to me. If this book stay top 6 until Friday, I will give mass release this Saturday. Fighting! Keep voting!

 Chapter 188 Three reasons

    <h4>Chapter 188 Three reasons</h4>

    Abi had arrived homete in the night and was d that her grandparents were already asleep. Her father was the one who let her inside.

    Andrew saw her puffy, red eyes but all he asked was if she was alright. Abi told him she was fine, that she was just a little upset and her dad didn''t ask anymore. He looked like he understood her and he just led her to her room, telling her to have a rest.

    Abi tried to sleep and she did after a few hours of sobbing quietly, but she woke up at 3 am and started crying again. She couldn''t go back to sleep again because her mind was too chaotic, with so many thoughts running around like headless chickens, so she stood up and opened the window. The moon was no longer there. No stars even. The sky was dark, as hollow and lifeless as her insides.

    She sank slowly to the floor and hugged her knees with her head down. What had she done? When will this pain stop? Will she be able to see him again? Will he hate her for what she did? She knew that she had to do what needed to be done but she still had many doubts. Maybe she shouldn''t have started this. If only she knew it would end up like this!

    She didn''t know how long she stayed there, sitting in that pitiful fetal position.

    The cold wind was blowing, but she couldn''t care less.

    But then, she began to feel something different in the air. She felt a familiar chill and it wasn''t because of the cold wind. Abi''s dying heart began to palpitate. She didn''t lift her face to look because she was afraid that it was all in her imagination.

    However, as she remained there, paralyzed, that deep seraphic voice echoed in her ears.

    "What are you doing?" he asked, his voice deep and calm and Abi finally looked up.

    Her mouth hung open when she saw that Alex was there, just outside the window. He was standing on a small balcony connecting through to her father''s room on the other side of the house. He was there and he seemed so real as he looked at her.

    Abi slowly stood up, her face filled with disbelief.

    "A-alex?" she called out, obviously questioning if what she was seeing was real or not.

    "Did a nightmare wake you up again?" he asked again. It was dark and she could hardly see his expressions but she could hear the unusual tenseness in his voice.

    Abi slowly shook her head. "I¡­ didn''t have a nightmare tonight," she told him honestly, still looking at him with disbelief. She then ran towards her door and switched the lights on.

    When she looked at the window again, Alex was climbing inside through the window and Abi froze in ce. It really was him, her Alex. But why?

    "What¡­ why are you here?" she asked, her voice weak.

    Alex stared at her and then he turned away with a far-off gaze in his eyes that vanished almost as quickly as it came.

    "I don''t know," was all he replied, his voice had be a soft murmur. For the first time, Alex looked meek and helpless. She had never seen him look that way before and it was taking all of her self control not to reach out and touch him, and embrace him tightly.

    Abi didn''t know what to say. She looked back at him with a million questions in her eyes but she was afraid to speak again because she was afraid that the tears that were threatening to spill over would gush out and she would lose control of herself.

    He looked like he was waiting for her to speak, and when she didn''t, he began to step closer to her. Abi felt her heart ramming against her chest, and her heartbeats drumming in her ears.

    He looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds before he opened his lips again. "I''m not sure how I ended up here but¡­" He hesitated, looking for the right word. "I think I came here for three reasons."

    He looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds before he continued. "First reason¡­ I think I''ve gone crazy from the moment you left."

    Abi gaped at him. His voice as he said those words stabbed at her heart. Her throat clenched in pain and clouds of fear began to form inside her.

    "Second¡­ I came to ask something. How did you know that you''ve fallen in love with me?" He blinked, studying her intently as if he was searching for the truth in her eyes.

    But Abi couldn''t speak. Her head was spinning at the rapid change in direction of the things he was saying. Why? Why was he suddenly asking her all of these?

    When Abi''s pale lips didn''t open to speak, Alex continued talking after a moment passed by, as he seemingly assembled his thoughts.

    "Was it because you realized all you ever wanted was to be with me? Was it because you just couldn''t get me out of your head no matter what you do? Was it because you realized that you no longer want anything or anyone else but me?"

    He watched her face closely, keenly looking for the silent answers from her expression as she digested everything he just said. And the answer she gave him was her tears falling from her eyes. Her lips trembled and the silent tears fell one after another. That reaction was enough for Alex. This littlemb was easy to read sometimes after all.

    Alex''s eyes scorched beneath his gorgeousshes. He gently wiped away her falling tears with his thumb. He smiled like he was in utter disbelief about what he was doing and then his next words tumbled out.

    "I think I am feeling the same thing you are and this damn thing is driving me insane right now¡­ I think this is what you call, being in love."

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    A/N: Thank you for your patience my lovely readers. Please don''t forget to vote.

    Please consider following my Instagram ount for future announcements @author_kazzenlx

 Chapter 189 The third reason

    <h4>Chapter 189 The third reason</h4>

    I''m so happy that this book finally reached top 6!! Yey! Thank you so much to all my dear readers who are voting relentlessly! You guys are everything to me. If this book stay top 6 until Friday, I will give mass release this Saturday. Fighting! Keep voting!

    .

    .

    .

    Panic started to etch on Abi''s face.

    Tears pooled in her eyes again, glistening on her long darkshes before they flowed endlessly. She shook her head at him like she was in denial.

    She tried to open her lips but they just trembled. It was so hard to speak. She felt like she was choking for air.

    "No, Alex. Y-you said you don''t do love. You said you would never... fall in love¡­ with anyone¡­" she stammered, her voice raw with both pain and disbelief. This was it, her greatest happiness and greatest fear.

    No¡­ he can''t fall for her. He can''t love her!

    Alex smiled half a smile but his eyes became unbelievably tender.

    "Well, I did say that and I meant it back then... I have never felt anything like this before. I was certain that I was not capable of feeling anything like this but¡­" He looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds, before he picked up one of her hands and pressed it lightly to his face. And then he smiled and half bit his lower lip. She''d never seen him struggle so hard for words. "I¡­ I don''t know what happened, Abigail. I just know that I won''t be able to bear it if you leave me."

    He held her hands tightly and then he held her face with both his hands, his thumbs wiping her tears away as he gently bumped his forehead on hers.

    "That''s why I came here¡­ to get you toe back, to be with me again. That''s the third reason why I''m here. Don''t worry, you won''t have any reason to be scared anymore because everyone who harmed you, or are trying to harm you, are all gone. I''ve dealt with all of them tonight. No one will harm you again because I will protect you," he promised, his eyes burning with certainty, almost like a knight or a king pledging to protect his queen.

    It was then that Abi finally noticed the drops of red, that looked to be blood, sshed all over his neck and on the sleeves of his shirt. His hair was damp and his clothes seemed to be as well.

    "Soe back home with me, Abigail," he asked, his voice almost pleading as he pulled her into his embrace.

    But Abi just sobbed even harder after hearing all the words he uttered. And she couldn''t stop.

    "Please¡­" she uttered between her sobs when suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

    "Abi? Are you alright? Please open the door."

    Andrew''s voice startled the two of them and they stared at the door.

    "D-dad? I''m fine." Abi forced herself to speak even though her voice cracked. She couldn''t let her father see Alex here. No, she couldn''t let him see Alex with all this blood on him.

    Panicking, Abi looked at Alex, still sniffling as she forced herself to stop crying.

    "Alex, please ¨C"

    Before Abi could tell him to leave, Alex suddenly bent down and kissed her. It was quick but was gentle and emotional.

    "I''ll go and get changed," he said, and then he gave her another quick kiss before he ran to the window and disappeared.

    "Abi," Andrew called out again, jolting Abi back to reality.

    She hastily opened the door and her father''s extremely worried face weed her.

    The man was surprised at his daughter''s wounded expression.

    "Abi, what happened?" he asked and Abi hugged him and cried again. She didn''t know how many more tears she had left in her. She felt like all she had done that night was cry her eyes out.

    "Dad, what should I do? What should I do? Alex¡­ he said he''s fallen in love with me, dad," she told him as she trembled in his arms. She couldn''t even smile and feel happy that the man she loved had actually just confessed to her. The man she loved actually said he loved her, too! This should have been one of the happiest moments of her life but here she was, bawling her eyes out because she knew what was waiting ahead of him.

    "Dad, I don''t know what to do. I don''t want to hurt Alex, dad. I don''t want to make him¡­ I don''t want him to suffer because of me. I love him so much. I don''t want him to go through all that pain."

    Andrew was heartbroken as he felt his daughter tremble in his embrace. He didn''t know that his daughter''s anxiety and phobia was worse than he thought. He could see her intense fear and he felt bad because he knew he was the reason his daughter was now like this.

    ¡­

    Alex arrived at his mansion in a hurry. He even ignored the men who approached him to ask where he had juste from.

    He simply dashed upstairs to his room but everyone noticed he no longer looked like a dead fish who had given up on life. Even though he didn''t say a word, they could tell simply because his dark aura that had been raging like a typhoon was nowhere to be felt.

    Xavier and Kai looked at each other before their gaze fell on the nonchnt man sitting quietly on the chair in the room.

    It seemed that the storm had ended. Or maybe not?

    Minutes went by and Alex finally emerged from upstairs.

    The three guys waiting for him looked at him and they all fell speechless.

    Alex was wearing his finest suit?! What? Where the hell was he going?

    They watched him gracefully walk towards the door, almost sparkling with all his unreal gorgeousness. None of them dared to call out his name to get the sparkly man''s attention. Well, Xavier who used to be the only one who always dared, was now too scared because what he saw that night was now engraved in his mind. He didn''t want to do anything that might trigger the now sleeping dark dragon.

    However, to their surprise, Alex halted and looked at them so seriously before he walked over to the trio.

    His gaze fell on Xavier.

    "Tell me, what should I bring?"

    "Huh?"

    "To Abigail. She was very upset and crying when I left her. I think I should bring her something to cheer her up. So, tell me, what do you think is the best thing I could bring to cheer her up?"

    Xavier could only gape at him, eyes wide in utter disbelief.

    After a few seconds, when Xavier couldn''t say anything because he was still dumbstruck, Alex''s mouth twitched and he impatiently left.

 Chapter 190 Home

    <h4>Chapter 190: Home</h4>

    "Holy cow! W-was that really Alex?!" Xavier yelled in disbelief. He couldn''t believe this was the same man fromst night! His mind was totally blown!

    "Sigh... I can''t believe he couldn''t evenst for one night." Kai shook his head. He had expected that it might take some time for Alex to realize or ept that he was in love with Abigail. He even braced himself for theing madness that would definitely ur during their separation. He thought that Alex would stubbornly deny all the foreign emotions that were already growing inside him without him knowing until he blew up and couldn''t take it anymore. But it appeared he was clearly mistaken.

    After his overnight madness, it seemed he hade to the answer by himself. Kai knew that he mercilessly went as far as torturing Eli to death, probably so he could distract himself, but that obviously didn''t work and he became even more crazy. One night of her leaving him was enough to make him realize what she really meant to him.

    The only other thing that was quite unbelievable was the fact that he appeared to have fallen deeper for Abigail, much more than they ever thought. Alex, not evensting one night of being separated from her, was proof of that.

    "It seems like he has forgotten everything else and Abigail is the only one he sees and thinks about right now," Kai continued, looking d but worried at the same time, as he nced at Zeke.

    "Seems like it. I wonder if this is fine, though." Xavier said, as he too nced at Zeke. But the man didn''t say anything. His face didn''t give anything away. "But, don''t you guys think Alex seemed a little out of it?"

    Xavier was looking at Kai because he wasn''t expecting Zeke to speak even a single word. He was already used to that treatment from that guy, but then, unexpectedly, Zeke actually butted in.

    "When a super volcano, that had been sleeping for too long, erupts for the very first time, the eruption will be colossal... unstoppable, merciless, and even if it destroys itself in the process, it wouldn''t care," he muttered and then he quietly stood up and left, leaving Xavier and Kai in the room, with drooped shoulders, as they leaned on the couch, watching his retreating back.

    "Geez... that guy. I really think Zeke needs something or someone that could trigger him so he could erupt too, right? Kai? I want to see him go crazy as well. I''m tired of seeing his damn poker face! Geez..."

    ...

    Alex stood by the door, looking up at the opened window of her room. He was wearing a ck suit but his tie was gone and the cor of his white shirt was unbuttoned.

    Alex walked towards the door to the house and knocked on it. The door opened almost immediately.

    "You''re here, Alexander. I''ve been waiting for you." Andrew stood aside and made room for Alex toe in. He then told Alex that he was leaving for work now and that he was leaving Abi to him. Andrew also told him that his mother and father were out for the day before he finally left.

    Alex could only watch the door once Andrew was gone. Abi''s father didn''t even let him speak.

    Alex stood there quietly for a while before he finally went upstairs but to his surprise, Abi was still sleeping and the only movement in the room was her yellow curtain dancing with the wind.

    Quietly, Alex walked closer to her and sat on the edge of her bed. He stared at her face and he noticed how pale she was. Her lips were almost colorless and her eyes were a little swollen. His eyes scorched with a burning emotion as he stared at her and he gently caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers.

    Abi didn''t wake up for hours and when she did, it was alreadyte in the day. The rain was falling quietly and the breeze that blew past her face was cold. However, her body felt warm, so warm that she wanted to fall asleep again.

    When she tried to move, she finally noticed the weight wrapped around her. Her heart elerated as she slowly turned. Alex?!

    Abi was surprised to see him in her bed, hugging her and sleeping so peacefully. Her heart fluttered as it ached seeing his gorgeous, perfect face. She never expected Alex to appear in her room in the early hours of the morning after she left him. She thought that she would never see him again. She thought she would never touch him ever again. She thought that it was all over, that they were over. But then, he suddenly appeared in her room and told her those words. Those words that she thought she would only hear in her dreams.

    This warmth, these feelings, she felt like she was finally home and she felt like crying again. It''s only been 24 days since she started living with him, yet he had already be her new home. She didn''t know how it happened but she realized just how powerful love was, to have actually made Alex her universe in such a short period of time.

    Caressing every contour of his face like she was trying to memorize every little detail, Abi smiled. She stayed like that for an indefinite amount of time. She didn''t want to look away or pull away from his embrace.

    But she was thirty so she slowly moved and slipped away from his embrace. She carefully put her feet down on the floor, being very careful not to wake him up.

    She was about to stand when suddenly, something made her halt. She froze as her eyes widened seeing something new on top of her bedside table.

    Themp there was gone and what reced it was a round shaped aquarium. There were three small jellyfishes swimming majestically inside, looking so breathtaking. Abi''s mouth hung open, her eyes filled with wonder and surprise.

    Once she snapped out of her daze, she immediately knelt on the floor, almost sticking her face on the tank. Her eyes were alight with awe and wonder as she watched the cute jellyfish, as they danced peacefully inside, as the lights of the aquarium changed colours.

    "Do you like it?" a hoarse voice jolted her and she turned to him with a big smile.

    "They''re so beautiful, Alex!" she eximed and Alex''s lips curved up in satisfaction.

 Chapter 191 Just six more days

    <h4>Chapter 191 Just six more days</h4>

    Alex looked even more revitalized at finally seeing his littlemb''s big smile. She turned towards the aquarium again, like a child who just couldn''t get enough of it. He was d that his littlemb was easy to please.

    Satisfied, Alex climbed off the bed, squatted down behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

    "I''m d you like them," he whispered as he rested his chin on her shoulder de. But what he did made Abi return to reality.

    "I like them, they''re so cute," she replied as she smiled. After staring at it for a while, she moved to stand and face him.

    She held Alex''s hands and stared at them before she looked up and smiled at him. She made him sit on her bed as she stood before him, locking her eyes on his. Her lips started to tremble.

    "Alex, I¡­ I have something to tell you," she said. Her eyes were glowing but there was a hint of unbearable pain behind them. Alex''s blood began pounding through his veins. He could tell from that one look that whatever it was that she was going to say might drive him mad again. No, he could feel that it might be worse thanst night and for the first time in his life, he was terrified. He never knew he would ever feel like this.

    When Abi held his face, he felt his heart hammered uncontrobly.

    "Alex¡­" she called his name again, and that was the saddest voice he had ever heard. She inhaled sharply. "Alex, I''m ¨C"

    "Wait, Abigail."

    Alex suddenly stopped her. He held her wrists and pulled them down. His hypnotic eyes scorched under hisshes as he gazed intensely at her.

    "Whatever that is¡­ don''t say it¡­ yet. I mean, not right now, Abigail." His voice had be a soft murmur, as he frowned, hard.

    Abi''s tears began to pool in her eyes. She shook her head, trying her very best to keep herself from crying. "No, Alex¡­ you have to know about this now." She managed to keep her ground but then Alex suddenly pulled her in and before she knew it, she was sitting on hisp.

    He wrapped his arms around her as his breath lingered on her neck.

    "No, don''t say it. P-please." For the first time since he could remember, he found himself begging. He couldn''t believe himself but what could he do? This girl didn''t just turn him into a madman, she was also turning him into a coward! He didn''t know that the other side of this damn coin called falling in love was madness and fear! It was like a powerful medicine with awful side effects.

    It was still unbelievable for him but he needed this powerful medicine. It appeared he already got addicted and couldn''t bear living anymore without it.

    Abi began to tear up. Her heart was breaking again, seeing Alex''s expression, seeing him beg for the first time. She couldn''t bear to see the torture in his eyes. She just couldn''t.

    "Shh¡­ don''t cry, Abigail. You already cried too much. Don''t cry," he whispered, consoling her as he kissed her eyes.

    "Alex¡­" was all she could say when Alex smiled at her.

    "I''d like us to push with our n. Come with me, Abigail. Let''s leave everything and go there, just the two of us. Just spend the rest of the month with me without thinking about anything else but us. Don''t worry, I will listen to whatever it is that you have to say once we''re back," he told her so seriously that Abi felt like choking.

    "But Alex, if you spend more time with me¡­"

    "Shh¡­" he kissed her lips and looked into her eyes again. "Don''t worry about me. This is what I want to do, Abigail. You said you''ve been selfish all this time. Can you let me be the selfish one this time? Then we can call it even, okay?" He grinned and then he kissed her tears away again. "Enough of the crying, Abigail. Let''s spend the rest of the days like we used to. Forget about anything depressing for now and just smile, okay?"

    Abi gazed at him. Was this alright? She couldn''t deny that her heart beat into life again as soon as she heard his words. To spend the rest of this month like they used to. Was that possible? Was that alright?

    Again, her selfishness started to kick in. She wanted to scream yes because she wanted it too. More time with him even just for a few more days. Just six more days without tears and without pain. She could at least give that to him, right? This was the first time he asked, the first time he begged, how could she reject him?

    Waiting for her answer, Alex pulled her and kissed her lips. "Say ''yes'', Abigail. Please," he whispered once again and Abi finally gave in.

    She nodded, a single tear fell from her eyes as she smiled back. "Okay, let''s do that, Alex," she uttered and Alex''s eyes glimmered. The next moment, he kissed her hard. He made her straddle him as their kiss became deeper, like they both were trying to lose themselves in each other''s warmth.

    Once they parted, panting, Alex wiped her lips with her thumb. "You have to eat. You look awful," he told her and Abi blushed. She turned to the mirror and when she saw her ghost-like white face, she covered it with her palms.

    But Alex simply chuckled and she couldn''t help but peek at him. It felt like it had been so long since she heard that pleasantugh.

    And then he lifted her up and carried her downstairs.

    However, to their surprise, Abi''s family were already home. They had forgotten that it was almost sunset.

    .

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    A/N: This author is so happy right now. This book finallynded in top 5! T^T

    Thank u so much guys, you''re awesome! Love y''all. I wish we will keep this position or even higher. Wah! Author is just wishing. I hope my love readers will grant my wish. ~_~

    Anyway please keep voting, hehe. I will give you mass release this Saturday if our rank will not plummet.

    Fighting!!

    Love,

    Kazzenlx

 Chapter 192 Finally here

    <h4>Chapter 192 Finally here</h4>

    The Chen family and Alex were dining peacefully and harmoniously in the kitchen. As perst time, Abi''s grandma did the same thing again and heaped a mountain of food on Alex''s te.

    But this time, Alex didn''t wait for Abi to offer him her help. The man just started feeding Abi instead.

    "Eat more," Alex told her as he lifted a spoonful of food near her lips. Alex wasn''t even bothered by the presence of Abi''s family members. His eyes were on Abi the whole time and nothing else.

    Abi was blushing as she quickly devoured the food on his spoon, ncing shyly at her dad and grandparents. Her dad and grandpa just continued eating while her grandma was smiling as she watched them, looking amused.

    "My, my, how sweet of you, Alex, dear," Abi''s grandma said with a pleased smile. "But you should eat, too. Abi, feed him as well. He''s forgetting to feed himself because of you," she suggested and Abi''splexion turned even redder.

    But Alex looked at the grandma and told her it was okay. "I''m not really hungry," he said but Abi stabbed a piece of meat with her fork and lifted it near his lips. Alex happily ate it and the couple fed each other throughout dinner that way.

    Abi''s pale face had somehow gotten better and her family was so relieved at seeing her looking fine again. Andrew never said a word to Alex. He finally understood the reason behind the uneasy feeling he felt the first time he met Alex on that stage during Abi''s y. He was uneasy because of something he saw in the young man''s eyes. The way he looked at Abi was exactly the same as the way he looked whenever he had stared at histe wife. He could see the depth of his love for her and he could only sigh silently.

    After their dinner, Alex and Abi sat with her family in the living room. Alex was holding Abi''s hand tightly because Abi seemed to be feeling nervous. Even though she had already agreed with Alex''s request, she still couldn''t help but feel worried, not for herself but for Alex. But thinking that she could finally do something for him, even if it was just granting this one request of his, she would definitely do it no matter what the result may be.

    "I''d like to ask for your permission and let me take Abi with me for six days," Alex told them. His face was serious and his voice was full of sincerity.

    "Oh, you''re nning to go away on vacation?" the old grandma asked, looking quite excited.

    When Alex nodded politely, Andrew spoke. "When do you n to go?" he asked and Alex felt so relieved. It was a relief that Abi''s family were very lenient.

    "Tomorrow," he replied and Andrew sighed. He looked at Abi and asked his daughter this time.

    "Do you want to go?" Andrew was scrutinizing his daughter''s face. He had spoken with her this morning while she was crying and he was d because his daughter seemed to have chosen to face her fears head on. Seeing the new sign of fighting spirit in her eyes, Andrew was relieved and was very proud of her. Because his daughter was strong. No matter what anyone said, she was a strong, sweet girl.

    Abi looked at Alex before she faced her dad and answered him. "Yes dad, I want to go."

    With that, Abi''s family didn''t ask any more questions. Her grandmother even told them to go and pack their things now upon hearing that their flight was going to be early in the morning.

    In Abi''s room, Abi just took few things with her because her things were already at Alex''s house.

    "I will only need these," she said as she zipped a small bag. She stood up to leave when her eyes caught the lovely jellyfishes. She walked over to them, watched them closely as she touched the tank. "I want to take them with us." She pouted when Alex hugged her from behind.

    "You can''t. They will die if we move them again. Your dad already promised to take care of them," Alex assured her and Abi finally let go.

    Once they were by the door, Abi hugged all her beloved family.

    "Be careful on you trip, okay?" her grandmother said and Abi nodded. She then walked towards the car as Alex slightly bowed his head towards them, something that he still wasn''t used to doing, and turned to leave when Andrew, who was standing one step above him, held his shoulder.

    "Take care of Abi," he said, his voice exuding a tone of loving concern.

    Alex faced him and looked at him with certainty and assurance. "I will take care of her," he dered and Andrew nodded.

    "Enjoy your trip."

    "Yes."

    "Well then, drive safely."

    "Yes."

    Andrew then nced at his daughter one more time while Alex remained standing there like he was unsure if it was rude for him to turn his back to his girlfriend''s father first. Seeing him still not moving, Andrew told him to go and when he finally jumped in the car, Andrew smiled as he watched them disappear into the horizon.

    ¡­

    The car arrived at Alex''s mansion early that night.

    Abi nervously stood in front of the huge double doors. She couldn''t believe it was justst night when she decided to leave this ce forever. But now, here she was again, standing before this very ce. This ce that was filled with the memories she created with Alex.

    It was still hard to believe.

    "Come, Abigail," Alex called out stretching his hand before her. Abi ced her hand in his as she smiled despite her hammering heartbeats and then, they both entered the house.

    No one was around so they both went straight to the third floor. Once they were in Abi''s room, Abi suddenly felt like she had missed this ce so much.

    It was like a dream. She sat on the bed, with her legs swinging, and looked at Alex. The man walked over to her and looked deeply into her eyes.

    "I can''t believe you''re here again," He suddenly said. "I came herest night and¡­ not seeing you here¡­ it was maddening," he confessed and Abi gaped at him. She imagined him being herest night, all alone, and the first thing she did was embrace him tight.

    "I''m here now, Alex," she uttered, trying her best to console him.

    Alex smiled and kissed her hair. "Mm. I know." You''re finally here and I''m not going to let you go again¡­

 Chapter 193 Simple

    <h4>Chapter 193 Simple</h4>

    The next morning¡­

    The private jet Alex and Abi had boarded early that morningnded on a certain airport. Abi thought that this ce was their destination but she waspletely wrong as Alex led her to another ne.

    This time, the ne was smallerpared to thergermercial nes sitting at their terminals. The pointy-nosed, t topped aircraft looked like a shark with wings, especially with its blue-gray coating.

    Alex told her it was called King Air and it was his favorite turboprop aircraft. Abi could only nod. She wasn''t even surprised anymore when he said he owned this aircraft, too. She wondered if he also owned a jetfighter or a luxury yacht and was hiding them somewhere.

    Abi and Alex both boarded this ne and Abi was in awe as she saw how it was inside. She walked into the belly of the ne where she saw luxurious, leather seats,id out in a rectangr fashion, up towards the middle so that people could converse infort between each other. She even saw pyramid style cabs at each corner which provided easy ess to drinks and snacks. There was a gap in the middle of the seats, the walkway, which led to the back of the ne.

    When Alex headed that way with their luggage, she followed, walking through the doors after him. When she saw what was behind the door, she couldn''t keep her mouth from making arge ''O''. Through those doors was a bedroom with an ensuite. At the very tail end of the ne was a bed that spanned the width of the ne. It looked so soft and inviting. Just to the left of the door was the bathroom and to the right was a small closet. Now this was far better than flying first ss!

    After putting their things away, Alex led Abi to the cockpit. She thought he was just going to show her what it looked like. However, to Abi''s shocked surprise, there were no pilots inside. Don''t tell me¡­

    She looked at him with wide eyes and his signature smirk kissed his face.

    "Yes, Abigail, I''m the pilot," he said confidently as he sat on the pilot''s seat.

    "But¡­ you''re alone¡­"

    "Yep. Don''t worry, Abigail, this aircraft can be flown by a single pilot. Now sit."

    "Eh?" Abi''s eyes widened. He wanted her to seat in the co-pilot''s seat?!

    Alex chuckled at her reaction.

    "Stop worrying. You''ll be fine as long as you don''t touch anything. I can''t possibly leave you inside the cabin alone," he said, helping her on her seat and settling her there before she could even react.

    After making sure that all safety measures were in ce, Alex sat back and started to pilot the ne. He started the engine, flocked this switch and that but Abi wasn''t afraid. She trusted this man''s skills. He was perfect in everything he did, well, maybe with the exception of cutting avocados. But somehow, she was nervous because this cockpit somehow looked like an intricate office. Seeing the threerge 14-inch touchscreen flight disys, a pair of cursor-control devices and a qwerty keyboard¡­ Abi couldn''t help but feel nervous.

    Noticing her nervous expression, Alex drew closer and kissed her cheek.

    Abi''s head flew towards his face. Alex, giving her a peck on her cheek¡­ Abi''s face turned into a cooked shrimp.

    "I told you, don''t worry. Trust me," he assured and Abi shook her head.

    "I trust you, Alex. It''s just that, what if I identally touch something?"

    "It''s okay, I know you''re a well behaved littlemb." He smirked,pletely unfazed and rxed. Seeing his calm expression eased her. That''s right. There was no reason to feel nervous - all she had to do was not touch anything.

    After heaving a deep sigh, Abi showed him a smile.

    "Ready?" Alex asked and when she nodded, he smiled before he focused his gaze out front.

    Abi watched him do his magic. She saw him tap on the touch screen and it looked like he was able to manipte the flight with a simple swipe of a finger.

    Abi was so focused on watching what Alex was doing that she lost track of time.

    "We''re taking off now, Abigail." Alex''s voice rang in her ear and the ne started to move. Abi held her breath as they took off the runway.

    "Breathe, Abigail," Alex''s voice rang again, with a hint of both yfulness and seriousness in his voice. His words made Abi rx and she breathed out.

    The ne climbed upwards and was now flying beautifully like a calm paper ne above the clouds. It was quite stable and Abi felt so at ease that she was all smiles throughout the whole flight.

    ¡­

    Once the nended, Abi finally asked Alex the burning question. She hadn''t wanted to distract him during the fight so she didn''t ask him anything at all about why he chose this ce.

    The sky was clear but she could tell that they were somewhere within the arctic circle. No wonder Alex packed her winter clothes this morning. She knew of this country but this town that theynded on was unfamiliar to Abi. The ce was covered with white snow and the birch trees were white, looking so magical.

    "Alex, what''s the name of this town?" she asked as they boarded a car.

    "Frost Town."

    "Why did you choose this ce? I thought you we would be going to an ind."

    "Hmm¡­ I considered going to an ind but I changed my mind."

    "Why?"

    "Because it''s cold here and I know you have a low tolerance to the cold."

    Abi creased her brows. He knew she had low tolerance to the cold? Wait¡­ he chose this ce because of that?

    Seeing Abi''s confused face, Alex''s pleasantugh echoed inside the car.

    "Well, my reason is simple." He smirked sexily. "I chose a cold ce so I could cuddle with you all night and day."

    Abi: ". . ."

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    A\\N: Keep voting my lovely readers. Love y''all... Let''s stay in top 5 for the mass release ^^

 Chapter 194 Isolated

    <h4>Chapter 194 Isted</h4>

    As they travelled further away from the airport, she could no longer see any houses. It seemed Alex was really bringing her to an isted ce.

    After more than an hour''s drive, the car stopped in front of another seemingly old mansion.

    It was another three storey mansion, much like the mansion Alex lived in, but this one looked more like a fairytale housee to life, especially in this snow-covered setting. Stone walls made up the foundation of the walls, with wooden walls making up the secondyer. The A-frame, wooden windows were lined with lights, clearly distinguishing their outlines. The shine of the lightsbined with the snow gave the house a type of glow that made it seem mysterious.

    "The lights are on," she uttered as she looked up, curious, since the man told her they were going somewhere where no one was around but them.

    "There are some people inside. Caretakers, and cooks," he answered. "Come, I know you''re tired. We''ll rest here for a while."

    "Eh? This isn''t our destination yet?" Abi''s big eyes widened. She thought this was it, the isted ce he was talking about.

    "Not yet, Abigail. I told you, I don''t want any other people around. That ce will only have the two of us."

    Alex held her hand and brought her inside. As Abi looked around the spacious, hotel-like living room, she could only marvel. Was this house Alex''s too? Or just an isted hotel?

    While Alex was speaking with a man, seemingly giving instructions, Abi looked around and realized that this might really be Alex''s. Well, the aesthetics, the presence of a firece and the setting gave her the same feeling of home, of belonging when she was at Alex''s house.

    When Alex walked over to her, he led her inside a room on the third floor. Abi removed her thick coat and shoes and let herself fall on top of the fluffy bed.

    Alex did the same and he sat right next to her.

    "How do you feel?" he asked, looking intensely at her.

    Abi stared back at him before her lips curved up into a sweet smile, because for some reason, it didn''t seem hard to do this. Even though she knew something painful was waiting at the end of this trip, at this moment, she was d that she could still feel genuinely happy. She was d because it seemed like it was possible for them to forget about everything right now and just look at each other and spend these remaining days to their hearts content, happily.

    "I feel wonderful, Alex," she answered, her eyes glimmered as she rose and hug him. "It doesn''t seem that hard, forgetting about everything else being in this ce."

    Alex was relieved. He pinched her chin and stared at her lips. His thumb caressed her lower lip and then before they knew it, they were kissing. ''I will make you forget everything, Abigail¡­ I''ll make sure of it¡­'' he told her in his mind as their kiss became deeper.

    They were both breathless once their lips parted. Their gazes, intense and their skin, hot.

    The next moment, Abiy on the bed and Alex was on top of her. His tongue skillfully yed tag with hers, tasting every corner of her delicious mouth.

    They didn''t stop kissing for a long moment. It was like they''ve been so hungry for each other since they parted, like all the chains had been broken and they were kissing without restraints, like they had finally let themselvespletely get lost in each other''s worlds. Their kiss slowly intensified, from slow and passionate to wild, intense kisses.

    Alex''s hand began to wander around her body. His hands slipped under her top roaming and caressing her warm skin, causing Abi to moan against his ravenous tongue.

    His little monster had long been standing tall and proud, now grinding naughtily into Abi''s groin.

    Their lips parted again, their eyes both looking zed, intoxicated, lost in pleasure. But before Alex could resume, a knock startled them.

    Alex''s eyes widened slightly when he saw that his hands were already under her shirt, touching her smooth and soft skin. He also realized his little monster was already raging hard and he pressed his lips tightly, like he just mentally scolded himself.

    He cleared his throat and he climbed off of her and walked towards the door. He opened it slightly and his hoarse voice echoed.

    "Good," was all he said before he shut the door and looked at his girl.

    Abi was already sitting there, her face flushed red. Damn it! That dreamy look in her eyes was so arousing it made Alex just want to pound on her.

    Abi''s line of sight fell on the mouth Everest that emerged in his groin and she shyly looked away.

    Of course, Alex saw her reaction and he cleared his throat once again. He picked up her coat and gave it to her.

    "We''re leaving," he said as he put on his coat. Abi hesitantly stood and wore her thick jacket. She kept ncing at Alex but the man wasposed and calm as he opened the door for her.

    A van was waiting for them outside. A man gave the key to Alex and he climbed on the driver''s seat.

    Alex had just started the engine when he caught Abi ncing down at his groin. Her face burned when she realized she was caught.

    "I¡­ I''m just a little worried," she suddenly said, sounding defensive, and a mischievous smile curved on Alex''s face.

    "About what?" he leaned a little closer.

    "I just wonder if¡­ if you''re okay¡­ your little monster is¡­" she bit her lip as she blushed even harder, and Alex struggled to keep his cool.

    He turned his gaze on the road as he replied. "Don''t worry, littlemb. Let the little monster be. The little man needs to learn how to calm itself down."

    Abi blinked at him. "A-are you sure?"

    Alex closed his eyes before he gazed at her. "Stop seducing me, Abigail. I''m trying to be a good boy right now. At least wait until we reach our destination," he teased and Abi''s mouth could only drop in disbelief.

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    A\\N: I will post reference photos of the ces mentioned so make sure to follow my Instagram ount @author_kazzenlx

    or

    join my dicord server https://discord.gg/UGTA3A4

 Chapter 195 House

    <h4>Chapter 195 House</h4>

    They''d been driving towards the top of a small hill. The rough road was covered with snow and everything she saw out the windows and windscreen was simply breathtaking. Pure white, undisturbed snow covered everything and it was so peaceful because there was nothing else out there but them. Abi wondered if there was a house somewhere in this ce.

    They were already pretty far from that mansion and yet the car still kept going farther and farther. But Abi was enjoying the view and somehow the suspense was filling her up with anticipation.

    Finally, the car stopped at a dead end of the rough road. They seemed to be on top of a hill. A teau-like, gigantic open space was covered in white. It was simply beautiful. Looking up at the blue sky made her feel like she was on top of the world.

    "Wow!" she eximed as Alex climbed out of the car.

    Abi jumped out as well and ran a few meters into the open space, her boots making soft crunching sounds on the snow. She ran with her arms spread wide and when she stopped, she twirled around slowly, to take it all in.

    Alex leaned on the car as he watched her, sighing in relief that she seemed to like the ce he chose.

    "Alex!" she called as she made a snowball and threw it at him, though the snowball didn''t even reach him.

    Alexughed looking at her. "What a weak littlemb," he murmured to himself before he walked over to her.

    Abi was still picking up some snow when Alex was already standing before her. She looked up and saw him raising a brow. Thinking about his teasing in the car, Abi stood and cupped his face with snow in her palms. And then, she ran away as she chuckled. But before she could even move further away, she slipped and fell.

    "What a clumsy, littlemb," Alex murmured as he squatted and helped her up.

    "I''m not usually clumsy, okay?" she argued and Alex was about pinch her cheek when he noticed that the color her lips were already starting to turn a bit purple from the cold.

    "You''re already cold?" Alex''s forehead creased and he pulled her close to him.

    "I''m not¡­"

    "Don''t lie, the color of your lips changed." He suddenly took off his coat and put it on her, causing Abi to immediately protest.

    "No, I''m fine Alex. It''s cold, you can''t remove your coat." Even though Alex was wearing a thick, woolen, ck high neck long sleeve sweater, she still thought it was too little for him, so she tried to take the jacket off but Alex''s serious face stopped her.

    "I have a great tolerance to the cold, Abigail, so don''t even worry about me," he told her sternly and without any warning, he lifted her up. "Let''s go inside the house."

    "H-house?" Abi blinked at him. She looked around but she couldn''t see any house.

    Alex just smiled at her and they headed to the other side of where their car was parked. There was a wooden pathway heading upwards. There were a few birch trees around.

    The moment they reached the end of the pathway, Abi''s mouth dropped.

    The house was pure white, which was entirely camouged by the snow. It had a t roof and a small brick tower to one side. This house was modestpared to his other mansions. It was only a one storey house and was much smaller than the others. She saw what looked like 3 rooms or areas from where she was standing. It looked like one area was the lounge, then there was a kitchen and then the bedroom. She could tell all of this from where she was standing because two of the four walls in each room were made of ss. Yes, ss windows! She wondered if the ceiling was made of ss too.

    Alex moved again before Abi could fully admire the ce. He put her down by the door and opened it.

    Alex stepped inside and Abi followed. The interior was perfection and she couldn''t help but be amazed once again. Alex just did not stop surprising her at every turn.

    "Over here, Abigail," Alex''s voice echoed and Abi''s attention was brought back to him. She walked over to him and Alex led her into the kitchen.

    Abi saw a fridge and plenty of food stocked up on the hanging cabs. Everything they needed was here. Looking at all of it made her inner cook self-activate.

    Thinking that the man called her to show her the kitchen, Abi turned to speak when she saw Alex opening another door.

    "The bathroom," he said as he pushed it open. Abi blinked and walked over to him, speechless.

    Outside the door wasn''t a typical bathroom one would find inside a house. It was an open area and there was a small pool filled with natural thermal water. There was a shower room right next to her. It looked so rxing and she was tempted to just jump right into it and rx.

    Alex started to strip. He took off his ck sweater, revealing his deliciously perfect torso as he looked at her. "Come, Abigail. Let''s bathe and rx together."

    Abi swallowed and she looked around.

    "Don''t worry, we''re the only ones here," he assured her, because once again, the walls were made of ss, looking out at the white, silent world outside.

    He continued undressing, sping his belt, while he moved closer to her, not taking his eyes off her.

    "You need this bath to rx your body, Abigail," he told her as he slowly took off the coat he had draped on her. He hung it on the wall behind her before his hand moved on to her jacket.

    "Want me to undress you?" he asked, his voice incredibly deep and gentle, causing Abi''s heartbeat to drum ferociously.

    "I¡­ I can do it," she said and she dashed inside the shower room right next to them. Alex watched her silhouette though the tinted ss with a sexy smile on his lips.

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    A/N: Thank you so much for the supports... I love you guys... The mass release I promised wille tomorrow so don''t stop voting!

    Please do drop a review and ament as well.

    Again, i''m gonna post the reference photo of the mentioned house and pool in my discord server so don''t forget to join \u003e\u003e https://discord.gg/UGTA3A4

 Chapter 196 Special

    <h4>Chapter 196 Special</h4>

    Abi took a couple of breaths before she came out of the shower. Her eyes immediately searched for Alex and she saw him, already sitting on the pool, waist deep in the warm water and arms resting on the edge, staring up at her. Alex, she noticed, was still as sexy and gorgeous as ever but since he confessed to her, something seemed to have changed in himpared to that night when she first saw him naked. He wasn''t that dangerously sexy perfect man who always looked like a beast ready to devour its prey. Right at that moment, he was like an alluring godly creature, where his prey was the one who was willingly going to throw itself to him.

    "Come, Abigail. Don''t just stand there."

    His gaze glimmered in wonder as he stared at her, admiring her smooth silky skin and her lovely curves. He watched her stand there shyly until she walked towards him in her pale pink lingerie. Her face was flushed as she tied her hair into a bun. She was just so beautiful Alex felt like he could stare at her forever and never get used to her beauty.

    Abi slowly dipped her feet in the water and felt its soothing warmth. She smiled and she finally jumped in it and soaked herself in the warm water.

    "How''s it?" Alex asked and Abi grinned at him in satisfaction.

    "Incredible. It''s so warm¡­" she answered, her face filled with bliss as her hands yed on top of the water. She sat across him as she rxed, resting her head back on the edge of the pool. She moved around like an excited child, ying with the water and washing her face and Alex simply watched her.

    He saw her expressions as it changed from awe to wonder to bliss to contentment and he felt a strange tickling in his chest. He was¡­ happy. She made him happy. Just being near her like this, seeing the joy on her face, was bringing out the unknown emotion of happiness within him, something he never expected to happen in his lifetime. So he watched her as if he wasmitting this moment to his memory.

    Once Abi settled down, she looked up at the blue sky and smiled. "This ce is just so amazing, Alex, " she said softly, awe evident in her voice, before she gazed at him. The man also did the same and looked up at the sky. "Does this ce belong to you, too? Or just the hotel in the middle of nowhere?" she asked with a hint of yfulness in her voice.

    Alex''s gaze fell on her as he smirked. "This is also mine, Abigail. The entire hill, too. So rest assured no one will trespass, let alone dare to peek, either."

    Abi could only look at him with the words ''I see'', shing across her eyes. She wasn''t really surprised anymore. "Why did you decide to build a house here?"

    "An old ruined ancient house used to stand here. I just had it renovated days ago," he told her and Abi''s brows creased in curiosity.

    "Days ago?" she asked, her mind shing with the images of this modern, chic and elegant little ce.

    "Mm. That time you requested to cuddle by the fire, this ce came to my mind. It''s very nice here at night. We can cuddle all night by the fire outside. You will see,ter." He smiled and Abi was speechless. Was he saying that he built this ce, in just a few days, for her?

    "You built this ce just so¡­ just so could bring me here?"

    "Anything wrong with that?"

    Abi was at a loss for words. Why was he always going through all these extremes just for her?

    Now that she thought about it, ever since he had fulfilled her first request, Alex always made them extra grand, turning every simple request to something beyond spectacr. She thought that was just him, just Alex being the beyond perfect man that he was. But then, he also told her that doing those requests with her were firsts for him, too!

    Suddenly, Abi moved and hugged him, surprising him. "Why? Why are you always¡­" she murmured. "Since the beginning, you always seemed to give me the grandest experiences for everything. Back then, you didn''t have any feelings for me, right?"

    Alex held her arms and gently created some space between them. He looked up at her and his eyes were intense. It was scorching hot and piercing. "Abigail, I was trying to hold back from pulling you into my embrace this whole time¡­ and yet, you are the one throwing yourself to me like this." He sighed as his fingers traced her corbones. "You know how you easily rile me up, Abigail. You can drive me insane just by touching me, especially when we''re half naked like this." His deep voice was like hypnotic music as they lingered in her ears. She felt her face heat up, and not from the warmth of the water.

    He looked up again, his deep eyes filled with restraint and desire. And then he sighed again, before he made her sit next to him, making sure there was a little bit of space between them.

    He threw back his head and close his eyes. His hand searched hers and twined their fingers together. She waited patiently, knowing that the answer to her question was still forting. And her patience was rewarded.

    "Well¡­ about that. I don''t really know. I just found myself doing above and beyond for you. Maybe I already knew that you were special since I let you go that night in that hotel."

    "S-special?" Abi asked, staring at his perfect features. He still didn''t open his eyes.

    "I don''t know if that''s the right term to call it. All I know is that I couldn''t get you out of my head since then. And then, when I saw you talking with that man in the bar, my blood boiled in a way I never felt before. I almost went and killed him right then."

    Abi swallowed. Her grip on him tightened.

    A smirk left his lips and he sighed again. "You don''t know how many times I have asked myself what the hell happened to me, because I have been bing someone I don''t recognize anymore," he chuckled shortly before he finally opened his eyes, looking up at the blue sky.

    Abi''s eyes welled. She lifted her hand to touch him. Even though he just told her to be careful about touching him, she couldn''t stop herself. Hearing those words, what else could she feel at this moment? What else could she do but embrace him? She couldn''t stop herself from reaching out.

    Alex froze the moment she wrapped her arms around him. He twitched, speechless. He remained still as she hugged him, shutting his eyes.

    "You really don''t listen to me anymore, huh, littlemb."

    "It''s because you''re... you''re making me feel so emotional. I¡­ I didn''t know you already felt something¡­ for me even then. I¡­ had no idea at all. I thought¡­ I thought I was the only one who couldn''t stop thinking about you since the day I met you."

 Chapter 197 Chopping is not cooking

    <h4>Chapter 197 Chopping is not cooking</h4>

    Alex suddenly stood up, held her by the waist and lifted her. He made her sit on the tiles, his palms holding on the edge of the pool with her in between his arms.

    His eyes were glowing as he stared at her. The devil only knew how he wanted to kiss her; to pin her down right here and kiss every part of her body and¡­ make her his¡­pletely.

    He started tracing the line of her cheek with his thumb, slowly, gently and Abi was easily lost in his sensual, mesmerizing stare.

    Then he found his hand had cup her cheek, pulling her towards him before his lips finally captured hers. They were kissing again. And he was damn hard again. He always wondered why he just didn''t have any control when it came to this girl. He just couldn''t resist no matter how much he tried. He always¡­ always got lost when it came to her. And these feelings just wouldn''t stop growing, even gushing out of his chest now. He couldn''t contain it, he didn''t know how to even deal with it. Darn. He didn''t know that being a first timer in love was extremely challenging.

    As their kiss became deeper, Alex felt her arms move around his neck, pulling him like she wanted more. Damn, he couldn''t take it anymore.

    Grasping her chin, Alex deepened the kiss. The feelings, the sparks between them were too much, too good, excessive. And it seemed like this little fruit that he had been nurturing had finally really ripened up. Her kiss was so ripe now, so delicious, it was worthy to die for.

    "Alex¡­" she murmured against his lips,pletely intoxicated, while he gazed at her punch-drunk with her taste. Damn, he just wanted to keep kissing her forever.

    But he pushed himself off her and stood beyond her reach. Abi was breathing hard, face flushed, and her eyes were hazy with desire. But before she could snap out of her daze, a robe was draped around her.

    She was surprised that Alex was already behind her.

    "Let''s go. You will get dizzy if you soak yourself too much," he said as he helped her up. He made her face him, helped her don her rob and dried her face with the towel, gently. "You''ve be a skilled kisser, Abigail." He gave her a teasing smile.

    But Abi just blinked at him. Why did he suddenly stop? She wanted the kiss tost longer¡­ she wanted more¡­

    She blushed with that thought, a little ashamed but then she thought that there was nothing wrong with it. She was a grown woman and he was the man she loved. Why should she feel ashamed of thinking that she wanted more? She determinedly pushed that feeling away.

    Alex held her hand and led her inside. "Are you fully rxed?" he asked, his tone sounding casual.

    Abi started to focus on her body, and she really felt great, like her tensed muscles were all soothed. "Mm. I feel great," she replied as they entered the room.

    The house only had one bedroom and it was marvelous. It was square in shape with white walls and curtains, with a king sized bed in the middle of it. However, she didn''t really notice any of that because her eyes went straight to the view outside the ss wall and it was breathtaking. It faced the other side of that gigantic teau where there were a few more birch trees scattered around like guardians of the house.

    "Get dressed first, Abigail." Alex pulled her attention as he opened his suit case.

    Abi quickly moved, opened her suit case as well and brought out her clothes. "Is there a bathroom here?" she asked and Alex led her towards the left side of the room which opened into a cosy bathroom. "Thanks," she said before she dodged around him, darted into the room and closed the door.

    When she came out, Alex was already dressed. He was wearing a grey woolen sweater and he looked so stunning, like a model inside a studio for a photoshoot.

    "I''m guessing your hungry now. What do you want to eat?" he asked. Somehow, this good boy Alex was making her heart flutter harder than the scary Alex.

    Abi smiled as she jumped on him, hugging him from his side. She felt like Alex was getting fluffiertely.

    "Are you going to cook a food for me?" she asked, looking up at him with big eyes when Alex looked away as he rubbed the back of his nape.

    "Well, I can chop up some avocados for you," he told her and Abi chuckled, remembering how he had chopped the avocado like an onion. But then, she also remembered when they had baked her birthday cake and she started to imagine him inside the tiny kitchen with an apron on, and maybe a chef''s hat, running around cooking for her. The image made her chuckle.

    "Chopping is not cooking, Alex.," she said, teasing him.

    "Then, let''s cook together. That''s one of your requests, no?"

    Abi was surprised. Did she ever mention that to him before? She actually couldn''t remember! Maybe she did?

    Without waiting for her response, Alex pulled her towards the kitchen.

    They started cooking for dinner, with Alex doing the chopping, which he was so good at - luckily there were no avocados to chop this time! He chopped everything to perfection, like a machine, even though Abi told him he didn''t need to cut it so precisely.

    As the man was focused on his task, Abi was busy watching him, resting her chin on her palm.

    Alex nced up at her and raised his brow, causing Abi to smile.

    "I can''t believe I''m watching you, chopping vegetables and helping me cook." Her face was bright and she looked incredibly happy.

    Alex curled his lips between his teeth. "I can''t believe it as well, Abigail. So stop staring at me and pay attention to the stove. I don''t want a burnt dinner, thank you!" he replied casually and Abi suddenly reached out and pinched his cheek.

    "You''re so cute when you''re like this." She ignored his words but when Alex knotted his brows, Abi blinked and caressed the skin she just pinched, as well as the lines on his forehead. It looked like the word cute wasn''t a goodpliment for this man. "There, there¡­" she muttered, trying to soften his face again.

    Alex sighed and his eyes fell on the electric stove. "The pot is on fire, Abigail," he said and Abi''s head snapped to the stove as she heard his pleasantugh echo in the room.

    "What a na?ve littlemb." He shook his head and ¨¢bi puffed her cheeks as she looked at him.

    The two spent their cooking time joyfully. Once they put everything on the table, Alex looked quite amazed, nodding like an old man in awe.

    "Okay, time to dig in!" she dered as they sat across each other. Abi made Alex taste everything first and let him critique the taste.

    "Not bad," he muttered and then, as an afterthought, he added "it appears we are better cooks than most."

    Abi chuckled delightfully. "Correction. It''s supposed to be¡­ the cook and her assistant are better than most."

 Chapter 198 Not ye

    <h4>Chapter 198 Not ye</h4>

    After their delightful dinner date, Abi was washing the dishes as Alex stood beside her. His tall gorgeous frame looked so out of ce as he leaned there, drying the tes Abi was giving him, with a clean white towel.

    "Are you just too happy? Or justughing at me?" He leaned on her and whispered those words in her ear, causing Abi to lean away from his electrifying breath.

    "I¡­ I''m notughing at you, okay? I''m just¡­ well, can you me me? It''s hard for me to believe that Alexander Qin is here drying tes like a good husband," She exined, causing Alex to blink at her before he touched his chin.

    Abi instantly regretted what she said but it was toote.

    "Hmm¡­ from good boy to good husband¡­" he murmured to himself before he smiled sexily at her. "Not bad. I liked the sound of it."

    When Abi just gaped at him, utterly speechless, Alex''s pleasantugh echoed once again, jolting Abi back to the present. He hadughed more tonight than she''d ever heard in all the time she had spent with him. It felt so nice. She felt like everything was alright as long as he wasughing like that. She wanted him to keepughing like that forever.

    Once they were done, Abi began to interview him.

    "How''s it? You first time drying the dishes?" she asked and Alex shrugged.

    "Not bad. I think it''s fun."

    ". . ." Oh, this man actually called it fun¡­

    "What. Were you expecting me toin?"

    "No, well, yeah. Uhm¡­ this is really alright with you, right?" Abi''s voice was a little hesitant.

    Alex pinched her chin and leaned down. His glorious face hovered above hers. "I am the one who chose a ce with no one else but us. And I absolutely didn''t bring you here to be my cook and cleaningdy. Even though I have no experience with this, I already experienced being an assistant, as you called it, back at your house. So don''t even think that this bothers me. We will do everything together, got it?"

    Abi blushed as she nodded.

    "Good," he let go of her chin and looked at his watch. "It''s about time."

    "Are we going to go somewhere?"

    "Yes. Stay here, Abigail," he told her as he made her sit on the chair. "Wait for me, okay?"

    Alex returned, already dressed in his usual long dark coat. He was holding a thick pink jacket, the one he bought for her. She didn''t know why he chose pink though.

    "Wear this." He draped it on her and Abi wore it. He was the one who zipped up the jacket on her. And then, he gave her a pair of yellow colored gloves.

    While Abi was putting them on, Alex put on thest piece he brought with him, a yellow bo.

    "Uhm¡­ why yellow?"

    "So it would match your yellow scarves."

    "Oh."

    Alex stepped back as soon as Abi''s outfit was done. He looked at her and he seemed quite pleased.

    "A peach with yellow icing, perfect!" he muttered. His perfect white teeth bit down on his lips. How could he say that? It was like she was a food mascot next to a god!

    Before Abi could protest, he brought out something from his pocket. He smiled as he stepped closer. "I''ll have to blindfold you, Abigail. Close your eyes."

    Abi didn''t ask anymore and did as he said, obediently.

    "But Alex. Aren''t you blindfolding me too soon? I still need to put on my boots."

    "Don''t worry about that," was all he replied. He then squatted before her. "Hop on," he said as he pulled her hand around his neck.

    "Piggyback?"

    "Another one of your requests, right?"

    "How ¨C"

    "Hop on, Abigail. Quick!" He cut her off and Abi could only give in.

    He lifted her up and she felt so nice.

    "Wrap your hands around my neck, Abigail." He ordered and she followed. He put her down once they were by the door. She felt him put his shoes on and then he asked her to lift her leg up.

    She could tell he was squatting down. Oh god, was Alex putting on her boots for her?

    The man looked extremely focused as he put on her boots. He was careful and gentle and Abi couldn''t exin this feeling she felt. She was so damn overwhelmed with everything that Alex had been doing for her since she woke up this morning. No, sincest night.

    After that, he squatted down again and carried her on his back and left the house.

    Alex headed downwards until they reached the car. He put her in the passenger seat, telling her not to peek, before he ran around the car and hopped on the driver''s seat.

    Abi somehow felt thrilled. What was he going to show her this time?

    She felt him buckle her seatbelt. And then, the car started to move. Abi felt that the road the car was taking wasn''t the rough road they drove through. This was a little smoother but it didn''t feel like a concrete road.

    The car was slow but it only moved for roughly five minutes. She could tell they weren''t that far from the house.

    She felt Alex climb out of the car. She was unbuckling her seatbelt when her door opened.

    "We''re here, Abigail." His deep voice made her bite her lips as he helped her down. She lifted her hands, attempting to remove the blindfold but Alex stopped her.

    "Not yet," he whispered.

    He held her hand, squeezing it and they walked a few steps away from the car. Abi''s heartbeat was loud in her ears. The anticipation was killing her.

    Once he halted, Alex moved behind her and then, his hand started to remove her blindfold.

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    A/N: the next 2 chapters willeter ^^

    Thank u so much my lovely readers... Please enjoy Abi and Alex''s blissful break. ^^

    Please don''t forget to vote ~_~

 Chapter 199 Lights

    <h4>Chapter 199 Lights</h4>

    A/N: I am sorry for beingte T^T

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    As Abi slowly opened her eyes, her mouth slowly hung open at the sight before her.

    There were bright dancing lights in the skyid out in front her, like a precious painting. It was the aurora borealis!!!

    The beautiful hues painted the sky like rippling curtains of yellow and green and all colours in between, as if they were hiding something behind their magical presence. Thebination of the colours was so bold and exquisite that she couldn''t help but stare at them, not wanting to even blink in case it all suddenly just went away.

    Wow! This was simply breathtaking! She had only ever seen photos of the northern lights and the real thing was iparable to those images. Seeing this with her own eyes was something she never believed would happen.

    She gaped in wonder, awestruck as Alex wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her.

    "Do you like what you''re seeing?" he asked and Abi struggled to speak.

    "It''s¡­" Beautiful was an understatement. She had no words to exin it. She was just mesmerized. "Breathtaking, Alex," she finally said, not tearing her eyes off the sky.

    Alex lightly leaned his chin on top of her head. "Well, wait for a bit longer," he told her and after a couple of minutes, Abigail literally gasped.

    She thought that what she saw a while ago was already the best thing she had even seen, but she was wrong. Completely wrong. That seemed to be just a free sample.

    In the sky above them appeared giant, roiling waves in various shades of green. She felt like she was looking into a giant ocean with huge swirling waves of colour up in the sky.

    She had always been a nature lover. She was impressed with the beauty that nature could offer but at this very moment, watching this stunning disy from mother nature topped everything else she had ever seen. It was the most incredible thing, a once in a lifetime experience.

    The whole sky turned into something almost like a disco dance floor.

    She was utterly awestruck. The videos she watched before didn''t evene close to showing what the experience, the beauty, was really like. And the most incredible thing was that she was watching this with the person she loved the most, standing in his loving embrace.

    The out of this world intense light show onlysted for roughly five minutes and the lights slowly became calmer. It was like the explosion had ended but the debris was still there, still breathtaking.

    This moment, this sight, the warmth of the man hugging her would be something she would never forget for the rest of her life. She couldn''t think of any experiences she''d had that was more magical than watching the northern lights above her, warm in the arms of the man of her dreams.

    "Alex¡­" Abi finally spoke, as she looked at him and her eyes welled up.

    "You really read my notebook, didn''t you?" she asked him, looking so damn emotional.

    Alex bumped his forehead on hers and answered. "That night when you left, I went inside your room and I identally knocked the bedside table. Your notebook fell. I picked it up and saw the open page which had your notes on it. So I saw the remaining items on your list," he confessed and Abi was about to cry when Alex kissed her lips. "Shh¡­ no crying Abigail," he whispered and kissed her deeper.

    As they kissed, Abi felt her emotions slowly calm down. She thought this wish was one that she was never going to be able to fulfill. It seemed that the page that Alex saw was her original list. Seeing the aurora with her beloved was not included in the bucket list she had rewritten because she removed all the over the top requests like going abroad and everything like that, because even though this was one of her greatest wish, she knew it was too much to ask. Yet, once again, he made it happen. In a way that it was far better than she had ever imagined.

    "Thank you¡­ thank you so much, Alex¡­ this the most amazing thing I''ve ever seen in my life¡­" she told him against his lips and then she smiled, pulling away.

    "Oh, so you''re saying these lights just beat me, huh," he raised a brow, looking jealous and Abi immediately protested.

    "No, I''m talking about things, Alex. If it''s a person, of course, you''re the most¡­"

    "The most?" he waited.

    "The most amazing, the most perfect, the most romantic and most gorgeous person on Earth¡­ you are the bestest in everything, Alex!" she praised and Alex face visibly brightened, obviously pleased.

    "Of course, I am," he replied, looking proud of himself as he held her hand. "Now,e. Let''s sit there near the fire before you freeze."

    As they walked back, Abi''s attention was pulled towards what looked like a tent, standing on its own next to two outdoor chairs. Their car was parked a little farther.

    "Wait here, Abigail," he said and she saw his silhouette enter the tent.

    Abi looked at the sky again and smiled. It was still so breathtaking. She just wanted to watch these lights all night with him.

    But when Abi returned her gaze to where Alex just entered, her mouth dropped once more.

    The tent was already lit up and it was another mind blowing scene. The tent wasrge and in the shape of an octagon. Steel bars held it up at each corner, meeting from the middle of the roof and separating out into the shape of an octagonal prism. Each face of the octagon was made of clear ss and she could see the curtains tied back at each corner of the tent letting her see inside it. There was a soft glow of amp light which illuminated the intimate and cosy space. She saw a huge bed thaty in the middle, taking up most of the space inside with plenty of warm looking nkets resting on top of it. It was the fanciest tent Abi had ever seen in her life!

 Chapter 200 The devil only knows

    <h4>Chapter 200 The devil only knows</h4>

    Alex and Abi were sitting by the campfire. She was sitting between Alex''s legs, both of them wrapped in another thick nket, looking at the warm fire before them and the lights above them.

    This, too, was in her original list, camping with her beloved and spending the night watching the sky.

    They were silent for a long while, just feeling each other''s warmth and enjoying this peaceful moment and then, they found themselves kissing again. Abi had lost count on how many times they kissed that day. And she was sure that it wasn''t just her but she felt that he too felt the same; this feeling that they couldn''t get enough of each other.

    However, Alex was the first to pull away again, like he had put a certain timeframe of when it was the time to stop.

    "Okay, time for you to sleep, littlemb," he said as he stood.

    "But¡­ I still want to watch the northern lights."

    "You can watch them from inside the tent. And we can always sleep out here on the following nights."

    With that, Abi stood and obediently followed him inside.

    After removing her thick coat, Abi snuggled under the thick furry white nket. It was already warm. She watched Alex remove his long ck coat.

    He turned the lights off andy next to her.

    Abi immediately wrapped her arm around him. Ah, he was so warm¡­ and his scent was just so Alex¡­

    This feeling was just so wonderful. So wonderful she couldn''t ask for anything more.

    They stared at the still dancing lights up in the sky until they faded and they both peacefully sumbed to the realms of dreams that night.

    ¡­

    The sun was rising when Abi woke up. Alex was already awake, but still holding her.

    They returned to the house and cooked their breakfast together. After that, they spent the day skiing, with Alex teaching the clumsy littlemb how to ski.

    Abi was persistent in learning and she loved the way her gorgeous coach taught her so it didn''t take that long for her to manage to actually ski by herself.

    "Ahh!! Alex!! I''m doing it! I''m awesome!!" she was yelling happily when suddenly, an arm caught her waist, stopping her momentum.

    "I told you, you can''t go there. It''s too dangerous for you," he scolded her and he led her back to what he called the safety zone.

    Abi didn''tin. She just yfully asked for a kiss which Alex gave without hesitation.

    That night, the colorful aurora didn''t appear. It was still there but they were faint so they didn''t go to the camp that night.

    After dinner, Abi had juste out of the hot spring and entered the house and walk towards the room. She saw Alex was already on the bed, leaning by the headboard. His hair was still damp and he was already dressed up in hisfortable clothes.

    "Let me dry your hair, Alex," she offered and the man smiled.

    "Sure."

    He sat on the edge of the bed as Abi knelt behind him. The sound of the blower echoed throughout the room and as Abi started to touch his hair, Alex closed his eyes. This felt really nice.

    "Okay, your turn " he said and took the blower from her. Abi was smiling widely.

    Alex carefully dried Abi''s hair. He was focused but seemed to be enjoying himself when he noticed Abi staring far off the ss wall. She seemed lost in her thoughts.

    The blower stopped before her hair was fully dried up.

    "What are you thinking?" he whispered in her ear and Abi jolted. "Could it be that you already want to go home?"

    Abi''s head snapped towards him.

    "Of course not!" she immediately argued and Alex chuckled with her shocked reaction. He was teasing her again.

    Suddenly, Abi climbed on him, straddled him and then pushed him down, pinning him on the bed.

    Alex''s eyes widened as Abi puffed her cheeks. She bent down and was about to pinch his cheeks when she realized that she was still wearing her robe and that she was only wearing her underwear.

    She flushed as she looked at him and she saw desire glimmer intensely in Alex''s eyes. But too soon, it disappeared and he helped himself up with her still straddling him.

    "Be good, littlemb. Get off me so we can continue."

    "Kiss me, Alex," she suddenly demanded. Alex was obviously surprised. She saw him swallow before he kissed her but his kiss was careful and shallow. She could tell it was filled with restraint.

    Abi had felt this multiple times since the night he took her back to his house. He was always pulling away before the fire consumed them; even when his little monster was raging, he was ignoring it. She couldn''t help but feel something was off, that something just didn''t feel quite right and she didn''t like it.

    As expected, Alex pulled away but all of a sudden, Abi captured his lips again. She kissed him hard and deep as Alex sat there, still like stone.

    Abi was determined not to let go and her warm, skillful tongue became wild like never before. She was about to blow Alex''s mind. But he pulled away, cutting their kiss short. She felt his rock hard little monster under her and she could see lust and desire in his eyes.

    "Abi¡­ let''s stop here," he told her, his breathing ragged from holding himself back.

    Abi bit her lips. "Why? I don''t understand¡­ y-you''ve been pulling away since that night," she uttered, her voice pained. "Alex¡­ is it because ¨C"

    "No!" Alex''s voice was a little loud. He looked like he was slightly panicking, seeing her saddened face. "Listen, Abigail¡­ I''m doing that not because I don''t want you. The devil only knows how much I want to¡­ kiss every nook of your body and fu-, no, make love with you! I''m dying for it, Abigail, the entire time I''m with you."

    Abi swallowed. Surprised with his outburst.

    "Then why? If you want me that badly, why are you pulling away?"

    Alex sighed and closed his eyes. He bumped his head on hers, before he gazed into her eyes.

    "It''s because I brought you here to grant your requests. I don''t want you to think that I brought you here so I could do that to you. I''m also being cautious because I''m not confident with myself when ites to you. I don''t think I will be able to stop myself once I¡­ once I taste you."

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    A\\N: I would like to extend my gratitude to all of you who voted for this book. I sincerely love you all. You guys made me so happy.

    I asked for top 6 but you gave me top 5!! You guys are like Alex, giving me more than what I asked. Hehe *author grinning*

    Can you guys be my Alex again and grant me another wish? I want this book to reach top 4! Can we do that? ~?~

    I believe in you guys! Fighting!

    Of course, I will a mass release again if achieve our goal so Vote! Vote! Vote! ^^

 Chapter 201 Addict?

    <h4>Chapter 201 Addict?</h4>

    A\\N: I''m sorry for beingte T^T

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    Alex''s gaze on her was packed with so much heat. He had been holding back, so damn much. In fact, he couldn''t believe that with all the overflowing desires he felt for this girl, they still never made it to that point even now. He was utterly surprised fully knowing what kind of man he was when it came to sexual pleasures. Perhaps, he managed to hold it in this long because of this feeling called love? That must be it, because Alex honestly couldn''t think of any logical reason why he had survived his thirst for her for this long.

    However, at this rate, if she pushed a little more, his already cracking resolve wouldpletely disintegrate!

    "I don''t understand," she answered. "I came here with you because you asked me toe. I came here because you said this was your selfish request. I know you said you would bring me here so you could grant my remaining requests and words aren''t enough for me to express how happy and overwhelmed I am with all the things you have showed me. But Alex, how about you? I¡­ I want to make you happy as well, Alex¡­"

    Abi saw his eyes widen a little. The truth was that Abi had already braced herself, mentally prepared herself for the possibility of them going all the way during this trip. She wasn''t going to lie. Even though that thing was not in her list, since that time Alex showed her that kind of pleasure, she began to think more about it. She began to wonder how it would feel when she and Alex finally became one. And honestly, she wanted to experience it before their time was up. She wanted to give herself, all of her, to him.

    "Abigail¡­ you already make me happy. You don''t know how I feel right now, just having you right here next to me," he responded and Abi pressed her lips tight, looking down.

    "I just¡­ I just don''t like seeing you holding yourself back so much, Alex," she said softly, and Alex bit his lip. Was it already so obvious to her? He couldn''t believe that his actions bothered her like this. Well, what did he expect? Him, constantly pulling away from her heated kisses, this observant littlemb would surely think there was something off him with him!

    Another quiet sigh left Alex''s mouth. He cupped her face and made her look at him. It seemed there was no other way out now than exining it to her. "Abigail¡­ I know you''re bothered by this. But I was really trying to hold back because I don''t want to ruin this trip with my selfish desires."

    Abi creased her brows, notprehending what he said. Alex smiled as he poked the cute deep lines on her forehead. And then, he curled his lower lip between his teeth again. His eyes were wary as he looked at her, like he was a little tensed at how she would react with what he was going to say. "You see, I have this¡­ how should I put this¡­" he clucked his tongue, a little fear glimmered in his eyes. "I am crazy for sex, Abigail. Once I taste it, once won''t be enough and I can already tell how I''d be like once I¡­ once I taste you. I''d be like a madman, wanting to have sex with you every time I had the chance, every time you made me hard. And you should know just gazing at your lips is enough to rile me up. Us, being here, alone together, I''d fu ¨C, no I''d want to make love with you all day and night! That is my selfish desire."

    Alex ran his fingers through his hair. He knew what he was like. Those women he fucked before¡­ as long as they could make him hard, he wouldn''t stop until he was done and by that point, those women would usually pass out from his vigor. How much more crazy would he be if it was Abigail? This Abigail, who could make him he hard with just one lick of her lips? The only woman who could make him hard many times in a day, without doing anything?

    He bumped his forehead on hers. "Do I scare you, Abigail?" he asked, his voice stiff, worried.

    Abi swallowed. She was shocked at Alex''s confession. She suddenly remembered that time when Kelly was in her house months ago. Kelly was reading a book and every now and again, she would squeal and then almost drool. When Abi asked her what was up with her, she told Abi about the male lead of the book she called a ''sex god''. She exined that the book was a story of a girl who signed a contract with a rich sex addict. Obviouslyzy to talk about the details, she simply told her that at the end of the book, with the help of his girl, the man had sessfully dealt with his addiction.

    Abi didn''t know why but the first thing that came to her mind was that maybe, she might able to help him? No! That was only a novel! But all types of addiction could be cured, right? Wait, was Alex saying he was a sex addict?

    "A-are you a sex addict?" she suddenly asked and Alex fell silent before a throaty chuckle left his mouth. He was so relieved the girl wasn''t actually scared, even knowing this thing about him.

    "Sex addict, huh? I don''t know. I survived entire days I''m with you without sex, so I think, it probably isn''t as severe as an addiction? I don''t know, I never thought about it, really." But I can tell it would fall into addiction if it''s you¡­

    Abi bit her lips, her brows knotted. She still honestly didn''t get it. He did it with other women before her and just the thought of it made her heart feel hurt, like he was rejecting her. Why couldn''t he do it with her?

    "Is doing ''it'' many times a day bad for me?" She didn''t realise that she had actually said those words out loud as the thought ran past her mind. She gasped when she realized it but it was toote. Alex was already looking at her in shock, his mouth slightly hanging open.

    She looked away, utterly embarrassed.

    Alex almost want to face palm himself. That was right! This girl had no idea at all, what sex was like, what real sex was like.

 Chapter 202 Completely

    <h4>Chapter 202 Completely</h4>

    "I¡­ I am just curious." Her big eyes looked at him again. "Y-you did ''it'' with your past girlfriends, right?" she asked. She couldn''t believe herself. How could she be asking all these questions? For the first time, she thought about Alex''s ex-girlfriends, and the intimate things they had done together, and it made her feel so awful.

    Alex saw the jealousy in her eyes and he uttered, "you''repletely different from them, Abigail."

    However, after she heard his words, Abi looked even more dejected, causing Alex to be speechless.

    "Look here, Abigail. You''re the first and only person I want to treat right. That''s why I am trying to behave myself."

    "Are you saying that you will never do ''that'' with me?"

    "No, Abigail. Not ''never''. I very much want to make love with you. You don''t know how much I want to."

    "So you''re saying¡­ just not in this ce? Because you want to focus on fulfilling my requests?"

    "Yes, Abigail." Because we might not be able to leave the house once we start until it was time for us to leave¡­

    Abi''s gaze changed and the vivid glimmers in her eyes locked onto his.

    "What if, I tell you that I want us¡­ to do that now? Here?" she asked, her heart beating, loud and wild. He said he badly want to do it but just not now. But Abi knew full well that now would be their only chance. If they won''t do it here, Abi just felt that she would end up regretting it. And she already decided, even beforeing here, that she would give herself to him.

    Looking at Alex''s shocked face, she boldly wrapped her arm around his neck. "I¡­ I want to do it with you here, Alex," she uttered.

    There was a deep silence between them. Their eyes locked. Disbelief was evident in Alex''s eyes, but Abi felt his little monster harden again, throbbing under her.

    ''F*ck Abigail!'' he cursed inside him as he watched his resolve crumble into dust. She didn''t have any idea at all! This brave littlemb was throwing herself to hell again! She doesn''t understand what he could do to her. But that was thest string of Alex''s restraint. How could he still hold back when she was clearly sending him that message. How could he still hold back when she was practically seducing him like this?

    Alex silently looked at her as their faces grew closer and he stopped when their noses were nearly touching.

    His eyes sparkled intensely and Abi''s breath hitched. His forehead bumped hers as he whispered. The me in his eyes incredibly fierce. "Abigail¡­ are you sure about this? Even though you have no idea at all?"

    She nodded without hesitation and he cursed again.

    "Promise me first that you won''t hate me after this¡­"

    "I promise, Alex. I love you," she uttered with her eyes glimmering so breathtakingly with all the sincerity and love in her eyes. She looked at him like she wanted him and he knew right then that he was done for.

    For the third time, he cursed again because at that moment, nothing could stop him anymore. And before he knew it, his lips smashed on hers, like a hungry beast.

    It didn''t take long for his hot tongue to surge inside her mouth. The chains that were holding him back were finally broken,pletely.

    He yed with her lips first, savoring them, sucking, nibbling at them, slowly at first but then as time passed, it increased in intensity. He did things to her lips and tongue that he hadn''t done before and it was a new experience for Abi.

    The warm, butterfly feeling in her stomach slowly appeared. She knew what this feeling was: this was desire.

    As he kissed her, he gentlyy her down on the bed, lying half on top of her while his hand caressed her body up and down. His caresses were gentle but purposeful, as if he wanted to touch her everywhere, to feel all of her body with his palm.

    Breaking the kiss, his mouth trailed down to her neck, to that tender spot just beneath her earlobe, and his tongue drew circles in that sensitive area, earning him a gasp and then a moan from Abi.

    Her heart, which was beating normally just a few seconds ago, suddenly raced against her chest, pounding like it wanted to escape from its cage.

    She couldn''t help but grab hold of him while he touched her to his content.

    He started to suck her flesh hard and stopped only until it was red under the skin. He gaze at his mark on her and his eyes glimmered in satisfaction.

    Tonight, she was finally going to be his,pletely¡­

    After some time, his hand seemed to have stopped roaming her body and made its way towards her twin peaches. His lips left her neck and trailed further down, and as his hand found her right erect nipple, his mouth covered the other one. His hand and tongue yed with her sensitive nipples, sucking, licking, pinching and flicking them, and the sensations she felt were just out of this world. Her body arched against his mouth and hand, as if asking for more. The sound of licking and sucking filled the once quiet room.

    The fire that he had ignited within her body intensified. It was as if the small me had be a bonfire inside her body. She was so hot, so aroused as her body reacted to his attentions. Her skin tightened under his gentle, wicked touch.

    The lower part of her body began to throb and as if he knew what she wanted, his hand left her twin peaches and travelled lower down.

    Then, his hand touched her there. She had already experienced this before but it seemed like this time was even more incredible. She felt like everything she felt was intensified by a thousand-fold.

    His hand dug between her thighs and into the wet flower. A short moan of pleasure escaped her lips. His fingers moved as if it was ying a string instrument, moving in a rhythm around it.

    His glowing eyes thoroughly stared at her, watching as her face showed all signs of arousal.

    Overwhelmed at her heightened senses, she dug her nails on his shoulders and kept her eyes closed. Her sweet, cute moans escaping from her lips as the world started to slow down.

    "Oh, Abigail, I love how responsive you are¡­" His voice sank lower than ever before.

    The finger that was teasing her gradually started to rub hard making delicious frictione alive, dancing a sensual rhythm, causing her thighs to convulse.

    Then he dug even deeper, until his palm was almost t against her. She felt it all, stretching her and her insides fluttered and tingled. His fingers then started to curb inside her, and a muffled scream escape from Abi''s lips.

    "Ah, Alex¡­!" she moaned. The sight of her,pletely entranced and lost under his spell made him utterly intoxicated.

    She began to twist around and he knew she was close. "Come for me, Abigail," he whispered with his hoarse, seductive voice as his fingers moved even faster. Abi''s dazed eyes looked at him and when their eyes met, Alex captured her lips. And then, she quivered and wriggled as she hugged him tightly and finally, she exploded.

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    A\\N: I would like to extend my gratitude to all of you who voted for this book. I sincerely love you all. You guys made me so happy.

    I asked for top 6 but you gave me top 5!! You guys are like Alex, giving me more than what I asked. Hehe *author grinning*

    Can you guys be my Alex again and grant me another wish? I want this book to reach top 4! Can we do that? ~?~

    I believe in you guys! Fighting!

    Of course, I will give mass release if we reach our goal so Vote! Vote! Vote! ^^

 Chapter 203 Ready?

    <h4>Chapter 203 Ready?</h4>

    [WARNING! ZIZLING HOT CONTENT NOT SUITABLE FOR MINORS!]

    Alex watched her as her chest heaved up and down, lost in pleasure. Her hair was spread across the pillow, her face flushed pink and the image was so damn beautiful, so seductive that he couldn''t take it anymore. His breath came even more ragged as he bent and kissed her again.

    "Abigail¡­" he called her name almost religiously. She had never heard her name being spoken out like that, as if he was reading aloud sweet poetry. "I want to make you mine now," he whispered as he kissed her eyes, her nose, and her lips.

    "Mm. I''m yours, Alex¡­" she replied as she lifted her hands, that still felt like jelly, to touch his face. He could see it in her eyes that she wanted him, too.

    "Oh, Abigail¡­ that''s right¡­ you are mine¡­" he uttered, kissed her lips before he pulled away, sat up and took off his sweater. His perfect hot body came into view and Abi marveled at seeing this perfection glistening with sweat.

    Desire and lust were gushing from his eyes like exploding northern lights and he looked even sexier. Deadly seductive.

    He was impatient, he couldn''t wait anymore. When he brought out his raging little big monster, Abi''s eyes widened. W-why did it look like it became bigger again?

    Noticing her reaction, Alex bent down and kissed her lightly. "You made it like this," he smiled, telling the truth, before his face became serious. "Don''t worry, I will make sure not to hurt you," he whispered gently, lovingly, reassuring her.

    Abi swallowed as she nodded. Alex parted her knees when suddenly, he cursed and he sat up. He suddenly stood up and climbed off the bed, causing Abi to prop herself up on her elbows, feeling confused. She was about to ask what was wrong when Alex hastily walked towards the closet and opened his suit case. He was d he ended up taking a box with him after a long battle with himself on whether to bring one or not. He had decided not to bring them to help him strengthen his resolve to not touch her but something in him forced him to take it. Perhaps, his gut knew it all along, that there was no way he couldst not touching her for the next six days of their stay here, especially when it was just the two of them. Damn! He lost again. But he didn''t care anymore. All he wanted was to have her, right at that moment.

    He brought out a box in haste, took out one foil and threw the box on the table. Abi was watching him and she couldn''t look away, despite her face burning red as she watched him take off all his clothes and put the condom on. He was staring back at her with that scorching hot gaze.

    In no time, he was over her, his hands on both sides of her head. Their eyes met, and the world stopped. This was it.

    Alex began to feel his blood pumping even wilder. Looking at his beautiful Abigail, the beast inside him was forced to tame itself. Because this woman was Abigail, his recently ripened little fruit. And this was her first time. He wanted to give the bestest first ever experience so he needed to take care. He didn''t want to hurt her. He couldn''t possibly hurt her.

    Slowly leaning down, Alex nted butterfly kisses on her lips. Beads of sweat began to kiss his muscr body as his hand traveled down. Alex touched her there again as they kissed, passionately. She was so wet and his fingers were covered in her juices in no time.

    He could hear her heartbeat and feel her heat to his heart content. He knew she was ready but he asked anyway, to make damn sure.

    "Ready?" he asked in a soft, tender whisper as he pulled away from her lips and stared at her eyes.

    Abi nodded and his heart rejoiced.

    Everything at that moment was so perfect, so right. Both of them could feel it and there was no doubt between them.

    "I''m going in, Abigail," he whispered against her lips and she moaned, granting him her permission.

    She stealthily took a deep breath as she felt his throbbing manhood slowly enter her, inch by inch. She was wet enough but her muscles were still tight.

    "You are¡­ so tight, Abigail¡­" He breathed deep, his lips in a tight line, his jaws clenching, as he kept himself in check to not to move his hips and thrust himself fully into her. He didn''t want to hurt her like the beast that he was.

    But damn! He had never held back like this before. Everything felt like sweet torture. He actually felt nervous, almost as if this, too, was his first time. But this may really be his first time because this wasn''t fucking, this was love making and he had never done this before. It wasn''t easy, it was torture, holding back when all he wanted was to be fully inside her once and for all.

    Rx Alex¡­ do this right¡­ be patient¡­ give her time to adjust¡­ you can''t hurt her¡­

    He was chanting in his head as he kept sliding in slowly, his eyes keenly watching her face for her reaction.

    He felt her heat and her wet, tight muscles surrounding his shaft as he inched inside her with all the patience and restraint he never thought he could actually muster. He then felt her hymen stopping his progress and he knew that this would be the painful part for her.

    Hey there, like that, just letting her adjust to his size, letting her muscles get used to him. When he felt them loosen a little, he then slowly pulled out and then carefully slid back inside, stopping just before her barrier. Then he did it again, in and out, slowly, carefully. After each thrust, he could feel her muscles rxing, taking him in, molding around him and it was taking all his might not to give in to his hellish desires.

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    A\\N: okay, because we get 2600 votes in a day, here''s a bunos chapter... If we reached 5,500 votes tomorrow, I will give another bonus chapter. Keep voting! ^^

 Chapter 204 At las

    <h4>Chapter 204 Ats</h4>

    Abi felt lost in the pleasure. This was such a strange feeling, but it was a good feeling. She felt tinglesing up from her toes all the way to her head. He was so big that she could feel all of him inside her. She squeezed her muscles down there and she felt Alex be still, his wild eyes telling her he was almost at breaking point.

    "Don''t¡­ don''t do that, Abigail, or I¡­" he couldn''t continue because she did it again and a moan was forced out of him.

    Alex bit his lips, in pain and in pleasure. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, to gain back some sanity and then he continued the sweet torture of thrusting inside and out, not breaking through her wall.

    Ah¡­ he couldn''t believe even this torture felt so good to him, so heavenly, even just kissing her barrier like this. This was so different and just as he imagined, she tasted simply divine.

    Abi got lost in the rhythm of his movements and she started to feel it again, that tingling feeling building up inside her, getting bigger and bigger as he slid in and out.

    She was very wet now, lubricating his manhood so that he could slide in and out without much trouble. She had subconsciously rxed her muscles and Alex knew that she was getting closer and closer to the finish line.

    Abi closed her eyes, sumbing to this bubbling feeling of pleasure. Her fingers wed on his back, her back arched, asking for more.

    He started thrusting faster and faster and Abi was flying higher and higher and when she was at the precipice of pleasure, that was when he fully took her, pushing his length to the root, breaking through her barrier at the same time that she felt the fireworks, filling her wholly and giving her a surreal feeling of both pleasure and pain.

    Atst, he was inside her, fully. Damn, he almost came with that final thrust. This was too surreal! So impossibly good.

    "It''s all in, Abigail," his deep seductive voice resonated in her ear.

    Abigail was still lost in thend of ecstasy. She felt numb from the pleasure. What just happened? That was far, far more intense than all the things she ever experienced in his hands.

    Hearing his words, Abi opened her eyes, still breathing heavily while Alex stayed still, waiting for her to at least stabilize her breathing a little. It was hard. He so wanted to move and explore inside her but he held back and decided to stay still and savor the ecstatic feeling of being buried inside her. Well, this was another surprise. He didn''t know how he was able to stop his animalistic trait despite her maddening taste.

    He bent and kissed her face gently. "Are you okay?" he asked gently.

    Abi opened her eyes, looked at him and nodded.

    "Does it hurt?"

    "A¡­ a little¡­ but it felt good," she replied honestly and Alex smiled triumphantly. You did well, Alex!

    "Can I move now?" he asked again, his breath hot against her skin. As Abi returned back to earth, she began to feel the overwhelming feeling of being one with him. That was right, Alex''s¡­ Alex''s little monster entered her¡­ H-he was inside her¡­ they finally became one¡­

    The moment Abi nodded, Alex kissed her.

    "I''m going to move now, Abigail," he whispered and then, his hips began to move, slowly, gently.

    His hot little monster softly rubbed against her wet inner walls back and forth, smoothly.

    But it didn''t take too long before his thrusts gradually became demanding, his pace speeding up.

    "Are you okay?" he asked again with gritted teeth. He was trying to control his strength and his desire to ravage her like a madman.

    Even with the slight difort, Abi shook her head. She felt herself stretch out than what she thought was possible but the feeling was getting better and better. The difort slowly subsided. Her grip on the sheets loosened up as her body rxed.

    "I''m fine, Alex. D-don''t hold back," she said and Alex groaned.

    "Ugh! Don''t say that." He closed his eyes and kissed her lips. He needed to shut her mouth. She shouldn''t be telling him things like that!

    But his true nature had already leaked out. He started to rapidly explore her secret cave, his rhythm even faster than before.

    The wisp of pleasure started to build up inside her again, that inexplicable feeling.

    Alex let out another deep groan as his arousal faintly shook inside her and Abi felt the monster swell up.

    It hadn''t even been that long since he slid inside her. Damn! This was bad. This was too impossibly good! He was going to go crazy!

    "Abigail¡­" he called out her name and that strange, surreal sensation began to rise, making her feel like her body was going to explode.

    He pushed deeper and deeper and the feeling built up higher and higher. Her body tensed up, waiting for that sensation to break through.

    Alex was breathing heavily as his hips worked overtime. His big little brother throbbed like never before. He felt the pressure building within him, like a volcano ready to erupt. Each thrust was bringing him closer and closer to the end.

    He looked at Abi''s flushed face and felt her fingers scratching his back again. Her expressions and her moans of pleasure were so enthralling that he felt himself sumbing to that feeling and after onest thrust, the volcano finally erupted taking the little peach along with him. They both shuddered from the pleasure and the room that was filled with sounds of pleasure just moments ago, suddenly became quiet, with only the sound of heavy breaths breaking the silence.

    When Abi came back to her senses, she realized she was hanging onto Alex and her whole body was shaking.

    Her arms that she could barely feel lost their strength and she slumped back on the bed, a total mess, while her body gave out tremors.

    Alex was panting as he caught his breath, watching her. Damn! That was the best sex he had ever had! He wanted more! More! And he was rock hard again. It was like he couldn''t get enough!

    It took him everything to hold himself back, to wait for a while until she had calmed down a little.

    As he waited for her, Alex began to nt gentle butterfly kisses on her forehead, her cheeks, her nose and eventually found her lips. Then he pulled out and tore another foil and put on the condom again.

    His eyes were zing as he watched her, drenched in sweat, like a sexy goddess. His very own and only goddess.

    "Are you okay?" he asked her for the third time, still waiting, and the waiting was incredibly torturous even though it had only been a minute.

    She opened her eyes, still dazed. She nodded.

    "Did you feel good?"

    "Mn." Her dreamy eyes were like love potions, arousing him even more and he lost it. He bent over and kissed her.

    "I want more, Abigail," he said and he pulled her up. He made her straddle him and put her arms around his neck.

    He kissed her and when she responded, he took that as her answer and he entered her again.

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    A\\N: Okay, I know most? or all? of my shameless readers are waiting for this. It finally happened! T^T

    I hope this satisfied you guys since I''m a bit confident with this. *sweat drops* *i did my best*

    Please continue supporting this book and shower me with more votes! I will work harder for you guys! *blush*

    Love,

    Kazzenlx

 Chapter 205 Too late

    <h4>Chapter 205 Toote</h4>

    After another round, Abi slumped in his arms, feeling like her energy had been drainedpletely. Alex was still not done but when he saw her weak state, he was surprised that he was able to stop himself. He just hugged her until she eventually fell asleep, like an utterly exhausted littlemb.

    He embraced her tightly. He used to not care. No, he couldn''tpare her to anyone else. She was special. But what was happening to him was simply mind blowing. Was this the effect of love too? Howe that just the sight of her looking vulnerable had actually extinguished his still zing wild carnal desire?

    He smiled and shook his head in disbelief. This thing really was strange. The strangest thing he had ever known.

    He slowly put her down and watched her. They were both sticky so he got up and took a cloth and wiped her down. He wiped her body gently and carefully before he grabbed his woolen sweater. He put it on her before he covered her with a nket.

    He got up and went to the shower and once he was back, he sat on the edge of the bed. He stared at her again. How many times had he done this, sat like this just watching her? He never felt like he would get tired of doing so. It was maybe even getting worse, like he just wanted to watch her like this forever.

    Damn! This thing in his chest was overwhelming his entire being. He felt how strong it had be and it was hard for him to believe. It hadpletely invaded him and there was no way out. No, he felt like he would die now without it.

    He caressed Abi''s face with a smile. "The seed you nted inside me had grown way too big, Abigail. Too impossibly big¡­" he uttered and he kissed her forehead.

    Abi was shocked when she saw that it was already eight in the morning when she woke up. She stretched and felt her muscles aching in ces they had never ached before. She then remembered the reason why and her face turned pink. She buried her face on her pillow as she remembered the passionate night they shared. That was simply inexplicably overwhelming.

    When she realized that she was wearing Alex''s gray woolen sweater, Abi bit her lips. The sweater smelled so like¡­ Alex. Wait¡­ where was he?

    Abi climbed off the bed and was about to head to the bathroom when she smelled somethinging from the kitchen. Her brows knotted and she ran towards the kitchen.

    "Alex?" her mouth dropped, seeing Alex in a t-shirt, cooking.

    She immediately moved closer to him and looked at the pan and she turned to him in awe. He knew how to cook, now?!

    Seeing the amazement in Abi''s eyes, Alex smirked.

    "The reason why I don''t know anything about cooking is because I never had any interest in it so I simply never needed to even try doing it. Meaning, if I tried it once, I will definitely learn how to do it. I watched you carefully yesterday and I made sure that I just did everything you did," he exined as he transferred the bacon onto a te.

    He scooped up some soup with a spoon and put it near her lips.

    Abi''s eyes widened. "So good!" She was very surprised. Her assistant had promoted himself to a master cook in a blink of an eye! Geez¡­ this man¡­

    Alex smiled triumphantly when suddenly he stiffened. It was because she licked her lips to clean the soup from them.

    Darn! Now she did it. He was damn hard again. So early in the morning!

    Abi took the spoon from his hand and she tasted all the things he cooked. They all tasted so good. As expected with the perfect Alex.

    Completely oblivious with the emergence of the Mt. Everest in Alex''s groin, Abi was smiling happily as she praised his cooking skills. His eyes zed with desire as he looked at her back. She was wearing his clothes and damn, that aroused him too!

    As Abi reached out to the farthest te, she bent down and her cute little bottom poked put and said hello to him. Alex''s eyes zoomed in on them. F*ck, Abigail! He wanted her, right there in the kitchen!

    "Abigail, you''re seducing me aren''t you?" he whispered in her ear as he hugged her from behind, his lips nibbling the back of her neck.

    "H-huh?" Abi was surprised as his hand started to crawl under her sweater. Oh gosh! That was right, she was not wearing any undies!

    Abi''s face burned red in embarrassment.

    "I¡­ I''m sorry, I was going to get dressed first but I smelled something and got worried," she began to exin.

    "Hmm¡­ worried about?"

    "I was worried you might burn the house."

    Alex let out a pleasant chuckle.

    "Even your thoughts are cute, Abigail," he replied, not stopping his caresses and kisses. "But it''s toote, my little monster is already rock hard," he told her, pulling her hand towards it.

    Abi swallowed. They just did it three timesst night and truth be told, the third time they did it, she almost couldn''t feel her body anymore. She finally understood why he had tried to stop himself. But as he said, it was toote to regret now. And no, actually, she didn''t regret it. She would never regret it. She was happy that she was able to please him, to give him what he wanted. Besides, it wasn''t like she was doing it all for him. She had wanted it. She had wanted to give him her whole being, for them to be one. Making love with him was mind blowing. She loved it because she was doing it with Alex, the man she loved so much.

    As she felt the little monster pulsate under her hand, Abi turned to face him when Alex captured her lips. They kissed passionately and then wildly.

    Alex''s fingers travelled down and found her sweet flower between her thighs.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex¡­ the food will go cold if¡­"

    "Shh¡­ it''s okay, I will reheat itter."

    "B-but¡­"

    "I can always cook for you again. So forget about the food for now, Abigail¡­"

    And with that, the man didn''t give her any chance to protest. He kissed her and yed with her with his hand at the same time, effectively seducing her senses and luring her into the world of pleasure, yet again. It didn''t take long before she became wet with desire and Alex lifted her up and made her sit on the kitchen bench.

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    A/N : I hope you''re not getting tired of this peaceful and sweet moments of Abi and Alex just yet. I know everyone is eager for the next event but I don''t want to rush these six days. I''d like to ask you guys to enjoy the vacation a little bit more. So bear with me guys. It''s almost over anyway, just four more days and it''s the end of the month. ^^

    P.s. we didn''t get the goal so no bunos chapter but if we reach 7500 votes tomorrow, I''ll give it to u... Keep voting my lovely readers... Let''s get that goal this time!!

 Chapter 206 Breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts

    <h4>Chapter 206 Breakfast, lunch, dinner and desserts</h4>

    "Ah, A-alex¡­ n-not there¡­"

    Abi covered her face in embarrassment when the man gently parted her legs and kissed her there. She can''t believe it. Alex was kissing her there in this ce!

    "Don''t cover your face, Abigail, please¡­ let me see your face," he begged and it didn''t even take a moment for her to give in to him. She bit her lips in pleasure as Alex''s tongue prated her. The sensation was too much. And just likest night, she felt her body doing things on its own. Her moans, her hip movements, her hands on his hair¡­ it was like these weren''t parts of her body, like someone else was controlling them.

    "Alex¡­" she called out his name between her moans. When she was close to the finish line, the man stopped.

    "Not yet, Abigail¡­" his deep, hypnotic voice hovered on her face and she found herself pulling him in to kiss his lips. Once their lips parted, she saw him tear another foil he got from his pocket with his teeth. What? He had those in his pockets? Had he been nning¡­?

    Seeing her expression, Alex smiled. "A man should always be prepared," he whispered and he kissed her again.

    As they kissed, Alex entered her and Abi felt all of him. She couldn''t help but cling onto him. She still couldn''t believe that that big monster fit inside her. Why? Why did this feel so good?

    "Oh, Abigail¡­ I just can''t get enough of you. You are so ripe now, so delicious. I want to have you for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert¡­" he uttered and then his pace hastened.

    Abi was getting close to the edge. She clung onto Alex as she let her mind flew higher and higher.

    "Abigail¡­" he called out again and his next thrust brought them to thend of ecstasy together.

    As they panted, Alex pulled out. But again, that was not enough! Not enough at all!

    However, before he could start another round, Abi''s stomach growled. Alex froze. His littlemb was hungry. She needed to eat. With just that, like a powerful magic spell, the monster slowly died down and went back to sleep.

    He nted a soft and quick kiss on her lips and whispered, "You need to eat now. I definitely can''t starve you," he added as he carried her and brought her to the bathroom.

    "Should I bathe you?" he asked in her teasing voice and Abi frantically shook her head.

    "No, I''ll bathe myself," she waved her hand, her face red like a cooked lobster.

    "Okay. Be careful not to slip."

    "The floor is anti slip Alex."

    "Still, be careful. Cause you''re a clumsy littlemb."

    "Okay, I will, I will."

    She pushed him out of the door and the man smirked happily as he watched the door closed.

    ...

    When Abi returned to the kitchen, the food was already ready.

    "Come, my queen, take your seat," Alex weed her with those super cheesy words, as he shed his gorgeous smile and Abi flushed red again. He chuckled seeing her pricelessly cute reaction. He really loved teasing her, both orally and physically. Damn! Control yourself, Alex! She needs to eat.

    "You like being called like that, hmm? Abigail?" he asked as she made her sit. "My queen?" he repeated when suddenly, Abi stretched out her hands and pinched his cheeks, so hard. But the moment Alex faked a wince, she immediately let go and worry shed in her face.

    Alex chuckled again. His littlemb was just so cute. Actually, everything she did was heartbreakingly beautiful. She was like a blissful sunshine and a soothing breeze. So rxing.

    "Okay, time to eat." He started putting food on her te and Abi dly ate them all. It seemed that her appetite had increased even more after their ''exercise''. Alex continued feeding her like he cooked all these just for her.

    "Alex, you didn''t even eat a bite yet," sheined, her forehead creasing with worry. But the man simply smiled.

    "I''m already full, Abigail?"

    "Huh? You already ate?"

    "Yep, I just ate the most delicious breakfast ever." His eyes glimmered both mischievously and seductively as his lips curved showing his perfect white teeth. Abi remembered the words he said a while ago about him wanting to eat her for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert and Abi blushed red for the nth time that morning.

    Alex''s lips curved up and was about to speak again when she stabbed a piece of bacon and put it near his lips.

    "Eat!" she demanded and Alex let out a throaty chuckle before he obeyed, like a doting husband.

    As they rested, Abi asked him about their agenda for the day. She wanted to go skiing with him again.

    Alex agreed because he was actually nning for them to go out. He needed to distract himself, not only because he didn''t want to exhaust Abigail but he also wanted her to enjoy herself. Besides, he knew that if they didn''t leave the house, the box of condoms he brought would notst until theirst night here.

    Darn! He should''ve taken two or three boxes¡­ F*ck Alex! Get a grip on yourself!

    That day, on the third day of their stay in that beautiful frosty ce, Alex and Abi enjoyed skiing and rolling on the snow together. Abiughed a lot and Alex had never been so alive in his entire existence. It was like he was resurrected from death that day he met her. And now, all he wanted was the two of them to stay in this ce forever. He wanted that smile on her face to never fade. He thought that he would do anything, everything, to keep that carefree smile on her face.

    "I love you so much, Alex," Abi told him as shey on top of him. She held his face between her yellow gloved hands and kissed him. Their lips were both cold but there was so much heat in that kiss.

    When she pulled away by pushing her palms on his chest, Alex held her and pinned her down, swapping their positions.

    His hand caressed her cheek. He didn''t wear a glove because he didn''t like it so his hand was bare and cold.

    His eyes scorched against hisshes as his face slowly moved closer to hers. His eyes never left hers until his lipsnded on her forehead, and then, he uttered the words that made her world screech to a halt.

    "I love you..."

 Chapter 207 Ice cream

    <h4>Chapter 207 Ice cream</h4>

    "I love you¡­" he uttered, eyes incredibly intense. He never thought he would ever want to hear these three words from anyone ever again but this was like music to his ears, a melody that he wanted to listen to over and over again, especially because they came from her lips, a melody that he would never get tired of. He remembered how his entire being went dark and cold every time those women uttered those three words to him. Yet now, here he was, actually saying it back. He never thought it would tumble out so easily like that, the words spilling from his lips before he even realized it.

    Suddenly, he let himself fall on the snow, lying right next to her as he stared at the sky. He wondered if this was normal. The extent of these emotions inside him were almost to the extreme, the effects of which were almost too scary to think about. What else could this thing make him do next? What else could this thing change in him next?

    A quick soft chuckle echoed as his attention returned to his beautiful littlemb. She was staring back at him, eyes wide in surprise.

    "Don''t look at me like that, Abigail. That shocked me too!" He told her and he stared at the sky again. "It isn''t that hard to say, it seems," he muttered like he just learned a vital new life lesson. His lower lip was trapped between his perfect teeth. He heaved a small sigh and was about to speak again when Abi suddenly embraced him.

    Her grip on him was tight and her face was buried in his chest.

    Alex realized she was sniffling. "Abigail, are you crying again?" he asked, trying to see her face. But Abigail didn''t let him.

    "I-it''s because you''re¡­"

    "Because I''m what?"

    "Because¡­ you''ve be so sweet¡­"

    "¡­"

    Alex sat up and held her shoulders and made her look at him as he positioned her to straddle him.

    "That''s why you''re crying?" his brow raised.

    Abi avoided his gaze and nodded. Alex sighed, speechless. This littlemb of his¡­ was she such a crybaby before? No, justtely, he noticed that she had been getting more and more emotional¡­ especially since they arrived here.

    He would catch her staring at him like she was memorizing his every feature and she had that look in her eyes that had bothered him since he brought her home that night. He didn''t like it, that sad, far off look in her eyes he sometimes caught sight of. She would also hug him out of nowhere and wouldn''t let go like she was scared of something.

    But Alex thought that this was just her way of expressing her emotions, so he always tried to distract her which inevitably ended up with him teasing her.

    "Oh¡­ so now you think I''m sweet, huh? Well, isn''t this your fault?"

    "H-huh? How ¨C"

    "Well, I was never like this before. I''m more than 100% certain you''re the one responsible for these changes in myself. You''re the one who turned the ice into an ice cream! And you did it so sneakily, without even asking for permission. Sneaky littlemb." He smirked and Abi could only gape at him.

    Turning ice into an ice cream¡­? Those words immediately drew a picture inside Abi''s head of Alex being an ice cream and she wondered what vour he would be. He would be mocha-vored, a delicate mix of bitter and sweet. Mmm, wouldn''t she like to have a taste of Alex the ice cream?

    Subconsciously, Abi licked her lips and the man face palmed himself. "Abigail, stop that! If you do that one more time, I''ll go mad," he hissed and Abi quickly climbed off him and ran away, like amb running from the wolf.

    Alexughed as he watched the little fruitymb running for her life.

    He got up and ran after her and once he caught her, he lifted her up like a princess. He didn''t put her down as he headed back to the house for lunch.

    "Alex¡­ my legs still work, you know. You can put me down now," Abi said. Even though she loved Alex''s piggyback rides, she felt a little bad for him, because the house was still a bit of a trek.

    "It''s fine, Abigail. This way, I can burn off all that excess energy." He smirked and wiggled his eyebrows at her meaningfully. Abi kept trying to persuade him but to no avail, as the man was more stubborn than a donkey. She eventually gave in and enjoyed the romantic ride.

    But the moment the two entered the house, Alex pinned Abi by the door.

    "Time for my reward, right? Abigail?" he whispered in her ear as he kissed her earlobe. "I carried you so instead of using your energy on walking, you could give that precious energy to me," he added, sexily and seductively, seducing her again.

    Abi was speechless. So, this was why he was persistent in carrying her. This man¡­

    "Alex, w ¨C" before Abi could form a sentence, Alex cut her off with a kiss.

    "Please Abigail¡­" he pleaded against her lips. "You licked your lips a while ago when I mentioned that you had turned into ice cream. Don''t you want to taste your own personal sweet ice cream right now? It will be the perfect dessert for noon time."

    Oh my god! What was he saying?

    Abi couldn''t resist. Him, saying those kinds of words with his deep hypnotic voice as he kissed her, how could she even¡­

    With just that, Abi waspletely seduced. She realized that her resistance to him was decreasing at an rming rate. No, it was actually almost near zero. She couldn''t deny that she wanted him too, even in this situation. It was like her desire for him was growing more intense by the day, and even more so the more he made love to her. She wondered if it was normal for a girl like her to have such intense desires.

    As she gave in, Alex rejoiced triumphantly. Without wasting a single second, he quickly undressed her.

    "Alex¡­ let''s go to bed¡­" Abi said between his sweet onught, but Alex didn''t stop.

    "I''m sorry but I can''t wait anymore, Abigail," he replied, his lips already on her twin peaches, stimting them. "I want to make love with you right here. Please?"

    Abi couldn''t believe it. He wanted to do it here! They''re going to make love by the door this time!

    But for the life of her, she couldn''t say no. She couldn''t even form a coherent string of thought in her mind, much less talk anymore so she ended up just nodding, granting him what he wanted.

    Alex was definitely driving her insane.

    .

    .

    .

    A\\N: A little more and we get past 7500 votes yey!! Thank u guys. As promised, there will be a bunos chapter but it wille early tomorrow. Cause I''m a bit tired tonight T^T

    Please continue voting guys.

    Don''t forget our goal.. ^^

    Top 4 = mass release

 Chapter 208 Here you go again

    <h4>Chapter 208 Here you go again</h4>

    After another round of heated exercise, Abi was too exhausted that she fell asleep. Even though Alex carried her to conserve her strength, her energy level was reallycking. It seemed he needed to make her exercise more to make this littlemb''s weak body grow stronger even just by a little bit.

    As Abi slept, Alex was busy creating Abi''s daily exercise routine for her to start up again once they were back. He nned to be her personal trainer and he was already smirking as he looked at the daily schedule he created. There was a glimmer of excitement in his eyes and he looked so proud of himself.

    He nced at her peaceful face, bent down and kissed her forehead before he too snuggled under the nket, cuddled her. And so, this loving couple slept peacefully together on that bright and cold afternoon.

    When Abi woke up, Alex wasn''t on the bed anymore. She sat up and was speechless when she saw that it was already dusk. She remembered that they had made love by the entrance door and then on the couch before they finally arrived on the bed. And that was all before lunch!

    Abi blushed hard but she was starting to feel less embarrassed every time she thought about it. Her reverie was broken by the grumbling in her stomach. She hadn''t eaten since breakfast and she was famished! She quickly climbed off the bed and noticed Alex had put his clothes on her again. She bit her lips and entered the bathroom. She thought she had better put some underwear on this time or she might not get to have dinner. Abi''s eyes widened at the thought and she blushed again. Alex was really making her shameless.

    In the kitchen, Alex was busy preparing their dinner. A faint smile hovered on his lips as he stirred a pot of soup with a spat. He seemed to be amused at something and when he felt Abi''s presence, he turned to her with a big smile.

    There she was, the goddess who bewitched him and turned the great Alexander into her personal cook. She had changed out of his clothes and had put on her more conservative pajamas, showing very little skin. It seemed she made sure not to make the same mistake she did at breakfast. But did she know that no matter what she wore, she could still seduce him bad?

    "You''re awake," he said and Abi walked over to him. Her eyes wandered around, searching for food as her nose inhaled the mouth watering aroma. She looked amazed and she was looking at him with those disbelieving eyes again.

    "Why didn''t you wake me up? I could''ve helped you," she told him but the man just moved his face closer to hers.

    "Are you okay?" he asked, scrutinizing her face.

    She blushed as he made her recall their intense love making that afternoon. "I''m fine." She immediately diverted his attention back to the food. "Yay! Our dinner looked delicious, Alex!" her eyes sparkled as she sat on her chair.

    "Not as delicious as you, though."

    ". . ."

    Alex chuckled as he put a bowl of soup in front of her.

    And then, he began to feed her.

    "This, you should eat more of this. This is very nutritious and will give you plenty of energy," he said as he put the food in her mouth. Abi was eating like a starved squirrel. Somehow, the food was really delicious and her appetite was at its finest tonight. Maybe because Alex was the one who cooked. Or maybe because he was the one feeding her right now, still looking as gorgeous as ever.

    "Alex, you eat as well," she nagged at him like a good little wife. She then fed him and the man didn''t protest but he only ate very little, as usual, and fed the rest to her.

    After a long while¡­

    "I wonder where you''re putting all the food you''re eating," he muttered. He was resting his face on his palm while Abi took her time, leaning her back on the chair with her hand on her stomach. She was so full!

    Alex took her hand and held her wrist. "Look at this wrist. You shouldn''t be this thin when you''re such a glutton," heined.

    Abi choked and coughed. How could he call her that?!

    "T-this is just how my body is, okay?" she replied. "And I''m just being a glutton because of you!" she retorted and Alex rose and leaned forward across the table.

    "So I''m increasing your appetite?"

    "Yes. And you cook so well¡­ I can''t stop eating."

    Suddenly, his eyes became intense and his lips curved up. "Here you go again, seducing me," he said and Abi''s eyes widened.

    "I''m not! What are you saying? You''re the one who''s always seducing me!"

    "You cooked so well¡­ I can''t stop eating¡­" he echoed her words but why did those ordinary words suddenly sound so seductive when he said it? Gosh¡­ this man¡­ he didn''t need to say it that way!

    "You understand now?" he added, pinching her chin gently as he stared deeply into her eyes. His face then moved slowly towards her when suddenly, Abi put her palm over his mouth.

    "A-alex¡­ uhm¡­"

    While Abi was scrambling to think of what she should say to distract him, Alex let go of her chin, and he leaned back. He ran his fingers through his hair and turned around.

    "I''ll go take a shower first," he said and Abi could only watch him leave.

    She cleaned up the kitchen and when she finished, she rested on the small sofa. However, the man who went out to the hot spring still hadn''t returned, so she opened the door and peeked out to investigate.

    When she couldn''t see him, Abi stepped into the room when suddenly, Alex emerged from the warm water.

    She blinked in surprise. She didn''t see any ripples in the water when she looked just now. Did he stay underwater for that long? How did he do that?!

    Alex saw her and a smirk curved on his face. He stood up and his wless body came into view as the white steam evaporated from the warm water. He looked like the god of water, emerging from hisir, full of all muscle and masculinity.

    He sat on the edge of the pool as his fingers messed up his own hair.

    "Come, Abigail," he called out. His voice, his gaze, everything about him was hypnotic. He was bewitching her again.

    Abi swallowed. The lights around the pool glowed yellow and the atmosphere here felt different at night. It was like it was more romantic than during the day but Abi could tell it was mainly because of the presence of that alluring perfect creature right there.

    "It''s good for your body to soak in here before going to bed. It will help rx your sore muscles," he advised and Abi knew he was right. She wanted to soak in the warm water. She wanted to experience that soothing water at night.

    With that, before Alex could even begin to persuade her, Abigail began to undress.

 Chapter 209 Under the starry nigh

    <h4>Chapter 209 Under the starry nigh</h4>

    Alex smiled triumphantly as he watched her undressing before him. His little fruit was a little shy, still. But to think that she would undress herself before him now, without his prompting, was another fulfilling improvement. But hot damn! She''s so freaking beautiful, he was bing hard again.

    Abi slowly walked towards the pool with hercy underwear. This time, she was wearing a pair of ck lingerie, a tantalizing contrast to her white silky skin. His Abigail was wearing ck¡­ bloody hell! Didn''t she know what that meant to a guy?!

    As she soaked herself in the water, Alex did his best to keep himself from jumping on her. She yed on the water again like she always did before she leaned her head on the tiles, looking up as her feet moved like a mermaid''s tail.

    The stars were shining but the aurora that night wasn''t as bright as the first night. Still, the sky was beautiful as she looked at it while rxing in the warm pool.

    "The sky is pretty, Alex," she uttered and Alex looked up as well. Indeed, it was, but he would rather watch her.

    "Yes, but you''re far prettier still," he replied like a master smooth talker and Abi flushed even redder. It seemed thatplimenting her was now fast bing his habit and he was saying it all with a straight, serious face.

    "R-really?" was all she responded.

    "What, you don''t believe me?"

    Seeing Alex''s brows crease slightly, Abi smiled and sshed water on him. She moved over to him, and put her palms on either side of his face.

    "I believe you, okay?" she told him and when Alex smiled, she immediately let go. She turned and was about to go back to her spot when Alex''s hands wrapped around her tiny waist. He pulled her into his embrace and sat her on hisp, her back on his chest.

    The first thing Abi felt was a hot hardness and her face burned.

    His hands began to trace her spine and his touch was like fire. And then, his lips were on the back of her neck, kissing her there. His hand began roaming around and it didn''t take long for him to catch her twin peaches. After ying with them, he turned her around and made her face him.

    He kissed her lips as he yed with her peaches.

    "Let''s do it here, okay?" he whispered against her lips, his hands not stopping from doing their delicious magic.

    "B-but¡­ we''re outside, ah¡­ not there, Alex¡­"

    Alex''s hand, which was on her behind, squeezed her and she let out a cute moan. "Don''t worry, I told you. No one is around here to see us. So let''s do it here, okay? Please?"

    With just one plea, Abi gave in and nodded at him.

    Alex smiled. His little big monster began rubbing her down there, on that sensitive spot. The friction from their underwear yed havoc with both of them.

    He began sucking her tongue and she responded, wilder than ever. His little ripe fruit was beginning to make a move on her own and he loved it, so damn much. Her fingers were tugging his hair as she pulled him closer.

    "Don''t bite your lips, Abigail, moan for me. Don''t restrain it," he uttered and Abi obeyed. She stopped biting her lips and let out soft, yet cute and seductive moans he would never get tired of hearing.

    Abigail was feeling overwhelmed. She hardly recognized herself. His touch and everything he did to her body felt too good. She loved being one with him because every time they got lost in each other''s arms, everything in the world just disappeared. No thoughts, no worries, just them, feeling each other and bing one whole soul.

    Alex released his big monster and he started kissing her twin peaks alternately while his manhood rubbed her. He was not going to enter her yet. Apart from his condom potentially running out soon, he realized that he must really learn to restrain himself for Abigail. He couldn''t have her be worn out like this so he decided not to do it more than once in one session. Thus, this was the solution he thought of.

    "Alex¡­" Abi started calling out his name. He kissed her lips, lifted her up and made her sit on the tiles.

    Bumping her forehead on hers, he began to touch himself, right before her. His other hand mmed on top of the tiles as he breathed heavily. His gaze was burning as he looked at her, his hand moving fast while Abi looked at his intense face.

    He was groaning deeply, biting his lips hard. The way he looked when he felt sexual pleasure was really dreamy and erotic. He looked gorgeous even in that state.

    His hand then flew to her nape and he pulled her face closer as he kissed her lips. "I''ming, Abigail," he uttered huskily and then Abi saw hime.

    Alex groaned in pleasure. It always felt over the top, even if he was doing it himself, as long as Abigail was with him, watching him. She was the true source of his pleasure and he would always go crazy for her.

    Once he settled his breathing, Alex brought back his attention to her. He kissed her and locked his eyes on hers.

    "I did that because I don''t want you passing out again," he whispered as he hugged her and Abi felt her heart throb heavily.

    He began kissing her nape. He held her and they were soaked in the water again. She felt him be hard against her and the pleasure that she had felt a while ago was starting to resume again.

    "Do you want us to continue?" Alex asked her.

    Abi''s eyes wandered and in the end, she meekly nodded. She was embarrassed but her body and heart wanted him too. And she thought there was no reason for her not to want it or to hide her want for it.

    She saw Alex''s eyes glimmer the moment she nodded and she blushed again. Alex''s lips captured hers again for a passionate kiss before he turned her around and had her ce her hands on the edge of the pool for support. She thought he was going to pull her panties off but he didn''t. She looked back at him with surprise when he simply moved her panties aside as his hardness touched her there directly.

    Seeing her surprised look, Alex let out a throaty chuckle.

    "I love you in ck lingerie," he uttered before he started to slide inside her, taking her from behind. Abi gripped the edge of the pool hard as she felt him enter her. It entered so easily and in no time she felt that overwhelming fullness. The feeling was bringing her up to the sky again, making her fly the need for wings.

    "Damn! You''re so wet! So good, Abigail!" She heard him speak. "I''m going to move now, okay?"

    She immediately nodded. She wanted him to move. But Alex didn''t.

    "Tell me, Abigail. I want to hear you say it¡­ please¡­" he pleaded and Abi opened her eyes which were clouded with pure pleasure and desire.

    "P-please move¡­ inside me, Alex¡­" she uttered and she saw him smile. And then she felt him move his hips, pushing his hardness in and out in that beautiful rhythm that only he knew how to create. It was inexplicable. She was flying.

    "Do you want me to go faster?" he asked again and Abi nodded.

    "Say it, Abigail¡­"

    "More Alex¡­ faster¡­ please¡­"

    Alex smiled, genuinely pleased. He gripped her hips as he increased his pace but still acutely aware to not m into her without restraint.

    "Abigail¡­" Her name came out as a soft whisper and the sound of it tickled Abi''s ears, taking Abi''s pleasure to a new dimension.

    "Alex¡­ please¡­ please¡­" she begged and that was all Alex needed. In the next second, Alex pushed even deeper, earning him a beautiful ecstatic moan from her until Abi exploded under the starry night.

    .

    .

    .

    A\\N: A little more and we get past 7500 votes yey!! Thank u guys. As promised, there will be a bunos chapter but it wille early tomorrow. Cause I''m a bit tired tonight T^T

    Please continue voting guys.

    Don''t forget our goal.. ^^

    Top 4 = mass release

 Chapter 210 Sweet, sweet love

    <h4>Chapter 210 Sweet, sweet love</h4>

    Time passed by like a whirlwind and it was finally the second to thest day of their stay in this ce, their very own secret paradise. It was getting closer to that final day.

    Alex decided to bring her out that day to go fishing. He carried her again halfway through as they trekked despite her wanting to walk.

    So once they arrived at theke, Abi was filled with plenty of energy. Alex held a jigging rod and showed her how to use it. It didn''t take long for his rod to move, indicating that it might have caught a fish. When he pulled on it, there was a wriggling fish at the end of it and Abi rejoiced. She suddenly felt thrilled, her eyes silently yelling ''I want to catch one too!'' as she looked at him.

    Alexughed shortly and gave the rod to her. Abi happily took it and just like that, she monopolized the fishing rod for the rest of the time while Alex sat patiently across her, watching the growing pile of fish. He was loving how happy and excited she was over this.

    When Alex saw that she had caught enough for dinner, he stopped her. Abi negotiated for one more catch and Alex could only give in.

    On their way home, while riding on his back again, Abi told him that they were going to have a fish barbecue at the campsite. Of course Alex agreed without question so upon arriving at the house, they both prepared the fish and everything else they needed for it.

    "Okay, it''s ready!" Abi pped her hand.

    "If we are going to sleep there, Abigail, we should shower here before we go," he said and Abi nodded. This was going to be theirst night here because they would be heading back tomorrow night so she wanted to spend the night out at the campsite, watching the aurora with him again. Onest time.

    "Okay, I''ll go first," she dashed towards the bathroom, entered it and was about to shut the door close when Alex''s hand blocked it.

    He entered and started stripping. "Let''s take a shower together, Abigail," his seductive voice echoed in the bathroom, causing Abi''s ears to tingle.

    Abi just blushed. She didn''tin anymore and started to undress. As he watched her, the fire in his eyes zed and he pulled her into his arms. The sprinkling water started to fall over her body and so did his hot scorching kisses.

    "I''m so hungry, Abigail. I haven''t eaten breakfast and lunch today. I''ve been a good boy so give me a reward," he whined and Abi could only tried to push him back so that she could look at his face.

    "O-okay, ask me anything¡­" she whispered even though she already knew what he wanted.

    "Can I eat you ten times tonight?" he asked. Abi''s eyes immediately widened and his pleasantugh echoed. "Kidding," he added before he captured her lips and then let go.

    He turned off the shower and reached out for the soap.

    "Let me bathe you, my queen," he uttered as he gazed at her. Abi nodded, blushing hard and Alex shed his sexiest smile. "Let me take this off first," he uttered and in the next second, her bra was expertly removed, revealing her beautiful peaches.

    Alex started to wash her with the soap, starting from her neck, down to her shoulders, hands and then he made his way down to her breasts. He gave them extra attention - to make sure they were absolutely clean, of course - and Abi bit her lips hard. The sensation was incredibly intense. Her skin tingled everywhere and her hardened nipples gave her feelings away.

    He knelt down before her and his hands moved slowly south.

    "Let''s take this off, okay?" he asked, looking up through his impossibly gorgeous darkshes.

    "Mm." She meekly nodded again and Alex looked at her with joy and pride.

    He took off herst piece of garment and she was finally naked. F*ck! She''s already wet!

    Alex bit his lips hard as he looked at her, restraining himself from sticking his tongue up there and tasting her sweetness.

    His hands moved to her feet. "Lift your leg," he said and she obeyed.

    Alex gave her legs good scrub, and even gave her a quick foot massage. Mmm, that felt nice.

    She closed her eyes as she felt his hands trail up her legs, on the inside of her thighs, and then back down again.

    Her brain was going to shut down. His hands moved slowly, like a tease, and she found herself waiting for him to touch her there.

    Finally, the moment she had been waiting for happened and an erotic moan escaped from her lips the second his fingers brushed her.

    He yed with her down there, his fingers creating their magic and she felt her knees weaken at his touch. His eyes were so focused, as if he did not want to miss anything.

    "Does this feel good, Abigail?"

    "Yes, Alex." She didn''t hesitate and Alex''s heart rejoiced again. He rubbed her there, and then everywhere, her behind to her breast again. He didn''t leave any part of her body untouched until she was so smooth and foamy.

    He then took the shower head in his hand and started to wash the soap off her. She thought she would cool down now from the heat but when Alex pointed the shower close to her chests, she couldn''t help but bite her lips again. There was another sensation and she couldn''t believe that even the water was making her feel so aroused right now.

    When he moved the shower head down there, directing the spray of the water on her sensitive lips, she couldn''t help but moan, hard.

    "A-alex¡­" she called out and she pulled Alex and kissed him. Alex smiled, damn happy. His little fruit was definitely getting more ripe by the day.

    He spread her legs apart and increased the pressure of the water spraying on her, increasing the sensation of pleasure that Abi felt. Abi felt herself losing strength and she clung onto Alex, while Alex wrapped an arm around her and kissed her hard.

    Abi tried to kiss him back but her body trembled and moans were forced out her mouth the longer he sprayed her there. Atst, he took it away and she heard the shower head drop on the floor. Then his free hand cupped her there, stimting another different sensation within her body.

    She was so wet that he couldn''t stop himself from sliding his fingers inside her, caressing her walls, while his palm rubbed on her sensitive bud. In and out his fingers went. His sweet torture was taking Abi to breaking point.

    "Do you want me inside now?"

    "Yes, please." She began to beg and Alex couldn''t exin how damn fulfilling that felt. He released his little big monster who had actually been begging since the moment they got back to the house, and entered her swiftly, smoothly.

    He stilled, savoring the sensation yet again.

    "Oh¡­ Abigail¡­ I just can''t get enough of you¡­"

    And thus, in the shower, moans and groans of intense pleasure leaked out its walls as the two people made sweet, sweet love.

    .

    .

    .

    A\\N: Now here''s the bunos chapter ^^

    Don''t forget our goal guys...

    Top 4 = mass release

    Keep voting ^^

 Chapter 211 Last nigh

    <h4>Chapter 211 Last nigh</h4>

    At the camp¡­

    Abi and Alex were feeding each other with the fish they grilled. They both chuckled under the dark sky every now and again. They looked extremely happy, fulfilled, content. The lights in their eyes were brighter than the stars above them.

    They had grown so much closer in thest five days. No more holding back, no more being careful around each other. Theypletely forgot about anything else but them. Their eyes were irrevocably enchanted with each other and at the back of their consciousness, they wanted this spell not to end. They wanted to stay in this paradise for a little longer and enjoy each other''spany some more. They wanted time to stand still.

    "Eat more, Abigail," he said as he stuffed more food in her mouth. He was starting to act like her strict diet coach, always thinking about nutrition and energy, which really amused her.

    After their fulfilling meal, they sat there, wrapped up in a thick, white nket. Abi was leaning against his chest as they both looked up at the sky.

    "The northern lights mighte a littleter," he told her and Abi threw her head back and looked up at him.

    "I should watch your face for now then," she replied and Alex smirked.

    "Sure. Watch my face all you want." He sounded confident with himself, as he always did.

    Thus, she did. She moved and knelt before him, between his legs. "Can you close your eyes?" she asked and the man did as she said.

    She started tracing every contour of his face lightly, like a delicate feather. He was breathtaking. So heartbreakingly breathtaking.

    Her heart was pounding inside her chest again, messing with her system. And then, she kissed his forehead.

    Alex opened his eyes and her smiling face came into view. She leaned and kissed him lightly before she pulled away and said, "I love you¡­ I love so much, Alex¡­"

    Alex''s lips curved up and he cupped her face gently and pulled her in. His lipsnded softly on her forehead before he gazed deeply into her eyes.

    "I know, Abigail¡­ I know you love me and I also love you¡­ much more than I could have ever imagined¡­" he uttered and as Abi''s eyes welled up. She hugged him, hard, while a teardrop fell from her eye.

    "Look! The aurora is here," he then said and Abi let go of him. She turned around and that spectacr light felt like it was green nket up there that was about to cover them.

    Her mouth gaped as Alex held her waist. He positioned her so that she could lean back on his chest again.

    "It seemed the password for it to appear were the words ''I love you''," he chuckled and Abiughed as well.

    "Looks like it."

    Watching the magnificent dancing lights overhead, Alex and Abi stayed there, cuddling, until the light began to fade.

    "Shall we kiss before the show ends?" Alex asked and Abi willingly turned to him with a smile. She wrapped her hands around his neck and she moved to kiss him. Alex smiled, not doing anything, just letting her do the work. It seemed Abi had already gotten used to his tricks so she didn''t wait for him anymore, instead, she poked her cute tongue out and pried his lips open.

    She entered his mouth and he let her wildly explore inside, although, it didn''t take long for him to lose his cool and respond.

    Their tongues yed tag and their kiss became more heated. The temperature was rising to boiling point, despite their cold setting.

    Alex held her and he lifted her up without breaking the kiss. He moved towards the tent andid her on the bed.

    "We''re not going to sleep tonight, Abigail, as per your request," he smiled and Abi swallowed.

    "Yes, we''ll stay awake all night long, Alex," she said and she pulled him in again, kissing him. This was theirst night so she was determined on not going to sleep. She was going to spend every single second with him because this was theirst night here. She knew she couldn''t stop time from running so no matter what, she was not going to sleep.

    Alex''s hand began to do their magic, igniting the fire inside her. And when their lips parted, Alex whispered in her ears.

    "Shall we undress each other?"

    Abi nodded. "Okay¡­ I''m going to undress you first¡­" she volunteered and Alex happily let her.

    "Do it slowly, Abigail, and look at me," he told her and Abi obeyed. She started with his jacket, then moved on to his shirt, unbuttoned it as slowly as possible. Once she was done, she slid her hands over his shoulder and down his triceps to his wrists, and the shirt fell to the floor. Abi gawked at his muscr chest and her hands couldn''t help but roam over it. Alex let her, reveling in her touch, in the knowledge that she had taken the initiative.

    After some time, Abi went back to business. She pulled Alex''s buckle, silently telling him to get up so she could continue undressing him.

    He got the message and he stood up.

    Abi followed him and her hands moved to unsp his belt.

    "Look at me," he asked again and she looked up. As her hand unbuttoned his pants, Abi suddenly tiptoed and kissed his neck, sucking on it, marking him like he did to her.

    Alex almost lost it when she did that. His little big monster raged as his pants fell on the floor and when she pulled away, he didn''t waste a moment and undressed her.

    In no time, they were back on the bed,pletely naked.

    Alex kissed her lips going south until he reached her there. He parted her legs and he kissed her pink flower like he was a starving man.

    Abi moaned and tugged his hair, pulling him closer, wanting him to delve deeper.

    He nced up and when Abi began to beg, he returned his lips back to hers and then, his raging big monster entered her cave.

    "Oh¡­ you''re torturing me hard, Abigail," he groaned and he couldn''t hold back anymore.

    "Do you want me to go faster, Abigail?"

    "Mm. Faster, Alex¡­"

    "Deeper?"

    "Please¡­"

    "Your word is mymand, my queen," he dered and he started to ravage her as Abi began to gasp and cry in extreme pleasure.

    ...

    As they both rested, cuddling each other under the nket, Abi could feel him still standing strong. She knew Alex wanted more but she was always d that he was always thinking about her, giving her some much needed rest.

    They were staring at the sky when Alex spoke.

    "Abigail, do you remember when you said you love riding on me?" Alex asked, with a serious look on his face.

    Abi didn''t quite understand why he was asking her this question but she thought of all the piggyback rides he had given her and she answered honestly. "Yes, I do. And you said you will let me ride however I want."

    He smiled. "You love riding me still, right?

 Chapter 212 On top of me

    <h4>Chapter 212 On top of ''me''</h4>

    "You love riding me still, right?

    "Yes, I like riding you very much."

    His sexy smirk yed at his lips when he heard her answer. Abi felt her skin tingle as goosebumps travelled up her arm. She knew he was thinking of something naughty when that smile came out but she couldn''t think of what that could be? What did riding have to do with what they were doing now?

    "That''s good. Would you like me to teach you how to ride me properly?" he asked, caressing her skin with his fingers, leaving a trail of tingles along her skin.

    Abi became distracted by those caresses and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his hands on her body.

    "Well, Abigail?"

    His words brought her back to the present and she forced herself to think about what he had asked her. Abi''s brows knotted. What did he mean by ''ride him properly''? Wasn''t there only one way to piggyback? What else did she need to know?

    Alex could see the confusion in Abi''s face. In the next second, he put his lips next to her ear and whispered in her ear, so seductively. "Let me show you how."

    With that, he snuck his arm under Abi''s waist and rolled onto his back, taking her along with him so that she was now lying on top of him. He expertly parted her legs with one of his so that hey between them.

    Abi didn''t know why Alex changed their positions. Usually, when he was raring to go, he would always be on top, and from feeling how hard his little brother was, she knew that he was definitely raring to go again. She was about to move off of him but his arms held her tight.

    "Sit up, Abigail," he instructed her. She tried to move off of him again to do as he asked but his arms kept her in ce. "On top of me," he added when he realised his littlemb didn''t get what he had meant.

    Her eyes widened. "S-Sit on top¡­ of you? On your stomach?"

    "No, on top of ''me''."

    Abi''s eyes widened in shock. She knew exactly where he meant but she couldn''tprehend it. "B-but I might squish it!"

    Alex marvelled at how this little fruit managed to turn a sizzling hot, intense lovemaking kind of mood to this! He could only chuckle and shake his head in response.

    "You won''t squish it. Since when did a little fruit ever manage to squish a hard rock?" he reasoned.

    Before Abigail could think about his words, he suddenly sat up, still holding on to her in his arms so that she was forced to straddle him. Once he had her in ce, he held her hips. He didn''t enter her, only ced her so that she was sitting on top of his little big monster.

    Abi could feel his hard and ready little big monster under her and the thought that it was so close to her entrance made the heat in her stomach bubble up again. Her body reacted to its closeness, producing its own natural lubricant, readying itself for the onught. Before Abi could think again, Alex guided her hips, moving it forward and backward slowly so that she was rubbing against him.

    Abi''s eyes flew to his as this new sensation rocked her body. She never thought that she would still feel different kinds of stimtion after the many, many times that she and Alex had made love but she was wrong. This feeling waspletely different to when his fingers yed with her, or when his manhood was inside her. Even so, it was just as amazing and pleasurable as all the other times.

    In no time, she was wet and ready to go again.

    "Can you put it in yourself please, Abigail?" he asked and Abi''s face burned red. She put it in? H-herself?!

    Seeing her reaction, Alex smiled again. His heart jumped with joy and excitement.

    "Yes, Abigail. Hold the little monster in ce and slowly slide down on it," he instructed, his eyes serious and burning wild.

    Abi swallowed. She thought that was such a shameless thing to do for a woman but when she looked in his eyes and saw how he much wanted her to do it, Abi just couldn''t say no. She wanted to please him too. She wanted to make him feel good, too, like how he always made her feel good every time.

    As per his instruction, Abi held his manhood in ce. She paused for a moment and then, she slowly slid herself down his shaft. She did it so damn slowly that Alex almost lost his mind.

    "A-am I doing it, right?" she pulled out again and Alex groaned. Damn! What is this? Is his littlemb teasing him now?!

    She waited for his response. "Please Abigail, don''t stop. You''re doing good." He begged and Abi felt more confident.

    She slowly slid herself again and it went in smoothly, as if she was made for him. Abi was shocked.

    "Straighten up and sit back, Abigail," Alex told her, almost groaning in pleasure.

    Listening to him, Abi then straightened up and sat back on him, fully taking him inside her and it felt somehow different again. It was as if he had reached the deepest part of her. She felt like electricity struck her.

    Alex cursed as her muscles contracted tightly and squeezing him.

    She stayed still, dazed, as she got used to this feeling.

    "Are you okay?" he asked.

    "Mm, I''m fine."

    "Once you''refortable, you can start moving, Abigail."

    "H-how?"

    He smiled. "Move forward and backward, like I showed you just then, like a cowgirl," he said and Abi meekly started doing what he said. She began to move forward and backward, slowly riding him like a cowgirl.

    "You can increase your pace, Abigail."

    But Abigail kept her slow and maddening pace that Alex thought she really was trying to tease him.

    "Please Abigail." He begged and as she felt more and morefortable, she listened to Alex and she increased her pace. She stopped thinking and just let her body do the talking. Her movements were smooth and swift and Alex was held captive. Freaking hell!!! This felt so damn good¡­ his Abigail, his goddess was finally riding him¡­

    Alex was in heaven. He watched her, now rocking slowly on top of him and his hands moved involuntarily towards her breasts. He wasn''t going to let her have all the fun, so his fingers yed with her breasts and nipples, squeezing, stroking and flicking them.

    Abi eventually ced her hand over his to stop their torment but he didn''t let up. And then, with a mischievous look in his eyes, Alex took her hand and put her finger in his mouth and caressed it with his tongue. Abi''s eyes widened. She closed her eyes in pleasure and before she knew it, she copied what Alex did and she began licking his finger that was caressing her lips.

    Alex was dumbstruck. He didn''t know why, but the sight of her sucking his finger while riding him was enough to shut his brain down. He closed his eyes and his desire started to take hold. He could feel the rush start to build inside him, heading towards the peak.

    "Faster Abi! Please¡­"

    He pleaded and Abi kept up the pace and even increased it as she saw him close his eyes in surrender. She sucked on his finger, running her tongue over it, licking it and treating it like the best tasting ice cream in the world, all the while making sure that she kept up the rhythm of her hips.

    She knew he was close and suddenly, she felt it again, that bubble of desire, that moltenva slowly rising upwards, building up pressure, getting ready to erupt.

    Alex moaned and raised his hips in time with her rocking motion, as if he was trying to dig deeper into her, to fill all of her until there was no room left for air.

    Their two bodies moved in unison, dancing to the music of love. Both of them felt that pressure rising up and with onest thrust, the volcanoes erupted with a big bang.

    Afterwards, Abi weakly fell on top of Alex''s heaving chest.

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    A\\N: I hope you guys are now fully satisfied with these snu snus \u003e?\u003c

    It''s time to leave this dreamy paradise and go back to earth. Please stay with Alex and Abi and never leave halfway no matter what happen. ^^

    Also please don''t get tired voting for me!!

    Take me to top 4 and I will give a mass release ^^

    Fighting!!

 Chapter 213 Never

    <h4>Chapter 213 Never</h4>

    That night, Abi and Alex stayed awake through the night. Abi sang him a funny song and he told her a horror story. And then, he ate her again at midnight, telling her it was time for his midnight snack. Of course, Alex also made sure to feed her a real midnight snack so she could regain her drained energy back. Afterwards, to keep themselves awake, Abi thought about a fun game, drawing something on each other''s back using their fingers and trying to guess what it was. Of course, there was a punishment if one said the wrong answer.

    At dawn, they sumbed to passion once again, onest time before they were both sucked into thend of sleep. It was a sizzling hot night that both of them would never forget.

    They cuddled in bed, sleeping peacefully until the sun rose high above them, kissing their skin.

    Alex woke up and got dressed. His beloved littlemb was still asleep and there was no sign of her waking up anytime soon, so Alex wrapped her up with a nket and carried her back to the house. She didn''t wake up even after the movements, making Alex smile in amusement.

    He kissed her forehead before he went to prepare something for her to eat once she woke up. It was exactly noon time when the sleeping goddess woke up. She was already dressed when she came out of the bedroom, her long ck hair tied back neatly, no longer messy and damp with sweat from their activitiesst night.

    They both sat down and ate their meal infortable silence, and when they were done, Abi looked like a cute little peach again. She looked revitalized and was filled with energy once more.

    After lunch, they started to pack their things.

    Abi''s heart was starting to feel heavy.

    "Shall we go?" she heard Alex voice and she almost jolted. She raised her face and looked at him. He was already ready to leave.

    "Mm." Abi stood up and she looked around the room onest time, trying to engrave it into her memory. She felt like crying. They only stayed here for a few days but here she was feeling heartbroken and not wanting to leave. This room, this entire house, no, this entire ce was a safe haven and she didn''t want to leave yet. She wanted to stay here with him, forever¡­

    But she knew they had to go. They had to go back and face reality. This would have to be enough. The memories they created in thest six wonderful days would have to do.

    Alex then carried her suitcase for her and they walked out of the room. Abi halted and looked around once more. The kitchen, that small sofa and the pool at the back¡­ she blushed, realizing that they had made love in every corner of the house.

    Finally, they were outside and she watched Alex lock the doors.

    Alex walked ahead of her so he didn''t see her tearing up as she nced back at the house.

    The van was already idling when they reached it. Alex put their luggage inside while Abi walked around in the open space. Her eyes surveyed the vast snow white teau and she remembered the first day they arrived. Indeed, leaving was always the hardest part.

    The memories they made in this ce started to sh in her head when suddenly, Alex''s arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her in.

    "Don''t worry, we can alwayse back here whenever you want," he whispered in her ear and Abi almost burst to tears. dly, she was able to stop herself and just hugged him, burrowing her face into his warm chest.

    "I will¡­ never ever forget this ce, Alex," she mumbled and Alex embraced her back tightly.

    "Of course you won''t." He smiled, looking satisfied.

    After standing there for a long while, they finally boarded the van.

    Alex started to drive away while Abi was saying her heartfelt goodbye inwardly. She watched as the house disappeared from her view and a small sigh escaped her lips. She wished they had more time.

    Trying to shrug away her mncholy, Abi focused instead on the scenery outside the window, like she was absorbing the beauty, the cold breeze, as much as she could.

    They didn''t drop by that mansion anymore and went straight to the airport. The blue aircraft was waiting for them. The sun was still up when the ne took off so the view was magnificent. Abi was silent, her eyes focused on the view below, watching the ce as it slowly faded from her eyes.

    Time was passing and each second that ticked by drew them closer and closer back to ''Earth''; back to the real world to face the hard reality of life. As she thought about it, Abi felt an increasing sense of foreboding. She was nervous and scared but all she could do now was start preparing her heart, her soul. As they flew high up in the sky, she silently wished and prayed, not for herself but for Alex.

    ¡­

    It waste at night when they arrived.

    Alex initially wanted to bring her straight home but Abi told him to drop her back to her house. Alex immediately frowned. He had started to feel it, the looming dark clouds, from the moment the ne took off. Abigail rarely spoke on their entire flight back home. He could tell she was preparing herself for something. He knew she was preparing for that - that thing she wanted to tell him that night.

    Alex couldn''t exin what he was feeling. He didn''t think she was still nning on going through with telling him that. After all the things that happened between them in thest six days, he had hoped that she would have forgotten about whatever it was that she was wanting to tell him or that he had managed to change her mind about whatever it was that she wanted to say. But it seemed he was wrong and he wondered if thest six days hadn''t been enough. But how could that be? They were both obviously in love with each other. He knew how much she loved him, he could feel it, and he hoped that he had shown her how much he loved her and that she felt how much he loved her too. So why was she still wanting to talk about that?

    The turmoil was killing him. He secretly hoped that what she wanted to tell him might not about breaking up again, but even if it was, he was determined to hold on to her and not let go. No matter what, he would never let her leave him again. Never.

    The car stopped in front of Abi''s house. They were silent the entire trip. The atmosphere between them was nothing like the excessive love and happiness that enveloped them just hours ago when they were still at that ce.

    The atmosphere was now both tensed and anxious.

    Alex was the first to climb out of the car. Since he failed to take her home, he decided that he would stay here for the night instead.

    Abi watched him walk towards the back of the car to get their luggage. She took a couple of deep breaths before she finally stepped out.

    Alex was about to pass by in front of her towards the house with the luggage when Abi stopped him. Her hand caught his shirt and Alex stood still. He turned slightly to look at the girl behind him. He didn''t know why but his heart started to pump crazily hard, and it was so loud in his ears.

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    A\\N: Please consider dropping a nice review or ament ^^

 Chapter 214 Denial

    <h4>Chapter 214 Denial</h4>

    "Alex¡­" she called out. Her voice was weak.

    His brows creased and his hand tightened around the handle of the luggage as Alex turned to look at her face. She was biting her lips, obviously to stop herself from crying.

    Seeing her like that made Alex''s jaws clench. He hated it so damn much when she looked so hurt like that, when she cried like that. He hated it so much he wanted to ughter anyone who caused her to be in pain.

    "Tell me¡­ as promised, I will listen." He finally spoke. His voice sounded strained and his eyes were like a pair of ck crystalized ice. He seemed to be mentally preparing himself which made Abi feel a little relieved.

    She lifted her hand and held his face lovingly, with all the emotions in her heart and soul.

    However, as she opened her mouth, she suddenly wobbled.

    Alex was quick to let go of the luggage in his hand and wrapped his arm around her waist.

    "Abigail? Are you okay?" he asked, worried. She raised her head but her eyelids only flickered, as if she was having a hard time opening them.

    And then, she went limp.

    Alex caught her as she passed out in his arms.

    "Abi? Abigail!" he called out. His heart was like a racing chariot. His hands started to tremble. He remembered this feeling. This was the same feeling he had when he saw her on the ground that night in the forest. He felt that sickening feeling of fear and helplessness again.

    This was supposed to be the time for him to act fast and think fast but whenever it came to her, he just broke down like a useless machine. He had seen countless deaths and he never cared but this person just passing out could destroy his logic, his senses, his reflexes, his everything.

    "Alexander!" a voice pierced through the darkness and fear that cloaked him and he looked up. It was Abigail''s father.

    "Abi is¡­ she suddenly fainted," he exined to Andrew, his voice hoarse with panic.

    Andrew didn''t look so shocked.

    "Let''s take her to the hospital. Carry her, I''ll drive."

    Andrew immediately climbed into the car and Alex finally moved, carrying her in his arms. Andrew calmly drove but he drove over the speed limit so that they arrived at the hospital in less than an hour.

    Abi was immediately brought to the emergency room, leaving Andrew and Alex outside.

    Alex stood by the door, head down and his fists clenched tight. Andrew moved closer to him after a long while.

    "Come Alex, let''s sit here," he told him and dly, the young man followed him to the bench. They both took a seat, with Alex resting his elbows on his knees, fists full of his hair, looking down at the floor.

    Looking at him, Andrew was heartbroken. He saw himself in the young man''s situation. He had been there, after all.

    "Did Abigail already exin to you about her health condition?" he asked and Alex slowly looked at him.

    "Health condition?" His devastated face frowned in confusion. Andrew was surprised and his heart was pained realizing that the young man had no idea about it yet.

    "Mr. Chen, what do you mean. What health condition?" Alex began to question. He was feeling utterly devastated and guilty to his bones, ming himself because he thought that he was the reason why she fainted. So what was this that he was hearing? What health condition did Abigail not exin to him?

    Andrew held Alex''s shoulder and squeezed it slightly. He knew he had to tell him. This young man deserved to know everything. No matter how painful it was, he needed to know.

    "Listen, Alex," Andrew started, his eyes filled with genuine care. He had been in his situation before and he was going through the same thing again but at least he had been prepared for this for a long time now, unlike this young man who might be going through something like this for the first time in his life.

    "Alexander¡­ our Abi is sick," he continued and Alex''s frown engraved itself even deeper on his forehead, obviously unable toprehend what Andrew was trying to say. A painful look shed across Andrew''s face as he kept going. "She''s very sick, Alex, and her disease is incurable."

    Andrew pressed his hand on Alex''s shoulder again before he patted him and let go. No words left Alex''s mouth. His Abigail was sick and her illness was¡­

    Alex shook his head.

    "T-there must be some mistake. The medical technology nowadays is incredibly advanced, Mr. Chen¡­ t-there''s no such thing as an incurable disease nowadays¡­" he reasoned. He knew incurable diseases still existed despite the boom of technology in this age but he couldn''t ept it. There must be some mistake!

    Andrew looked at the young man with genuine worry and concern. That was how he was back then, denying reality, and he knew all too well how that felt. But he needed to make this young man understand and ept the truth, for his own sake.

    "Abigail was seventeen when she was first diagnosed with a grade 4 gliostoma." Andrew began to tell him everything. "She went through surgery when we first found out and it was deemed sessful and because she was young and healthy, she sessfully lived a healthy life without recurrence for the next three years. But she had another recurrence when she was twenty-one, following the exact pattern her mother went through. That child had to go through radiation therapy and year-long of chemotherapy. We know that patients who underwent surgery for recurrent gliostoma exhibited a significant increase in survivalpared with patients who did not but by contrast, we also know that a third surgery for a second recurrence does not contribute to any significant survival benefits. That was what happened to her mother. Because of our hope that she would survive, we agreed with a third surgery but unfortunately, my wife never woke up again after that," he paused and lifted his face to look at Alex.

    The young man''s eyes were wide in both denial and disbelief but Andrew looked up at the ceiling and continued anyway.

    "We know that Abigail''s tumor was not fully removed after the second surgery and we dreaded the day they discovered a growth in her brain again. The third surgery... We all dread it..."

    Alex didn''t react on what he heard, he just sat there, looking at Andrew, as if his entire being had shut down. And it was then that the emergency room''s door opened and a doctor came out. Andrew immediately stood up.

    "Doctor, how is she?" Andrew asked. Alex looked at them like a broken robot, but he could still hear them.

    "Mr. Chen, she will need to undergo surgery as soon as possible."

    Alex heard the doctor''s voice and he felt like his world was crumbling down into ashes, as if the sun, the moon and the stars all fell down at once. His heart, his soul, felt like it was being crushed as his whole body went numb.

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    A\\N: Gliostoma multiforme is the mostmon and most aggressive type of primary brain tumors. Despite improved surgical techniques, therapies and radiotherapies, prognosis for this type of pathology remains very poor: most patients die within 12¨C18 months from diagnosis.

    P.s. Don''t forget our goal guys ^^

    Top 4= mass release

 Chapter 215 Numb

    <h4>Chapter 215 Numb</h4>

    Andrew was devastated. It was happening again. Why did it have toe to this? Why couldn''t things go in their favor for once?

    He had been praying for years that at least his daughter would be saved but it was happening again. The miracle he had been wishing for, waiting for, was again nowhere to be seen, nowhere to be found. It was noting¡­

    "C-can you give us time to think about this?" Andrew asked and the doctor told him that Abi would need to have surgery within the next two days.

    After the doctor left, Andrew looked at Alex. He was standing there in a standstill.

    Andrew walked towards him and patted his shoulder. He had no words to say to him. He remembered himself back then. He remembered how his parents had consoled him but no constion could actually reach him. No amount of kind words could soothe the pain, or even make him feel better, not even a little bit. Nothing.

    That was why Andrew didn''t speak anymore. This young man had to ept the reality by himself to help himself cope with what wasing ahead.

    Abi was then brought out of the emergency room and was transferred to a private room. Andrew followed her inside but Alex didn''t. He remained there, outside her room, standing like a soulless statue, his face sunken, almost haunted. His world was growing cold again.

    Despite the denial, Alex''s heart was drenched by fear. The wild fire she had started that burned in his veins was slowly fading away, turning back to an icy numbness, numbness that was worse than ever.

    ¡­

    Outside the hospital, Kai and Zeke arrived.

    They went straight to the emergency room but found out Abigail was no longer there. Zeke spoke with the doctors who treated her, took her data from them and went to his office.

    "Are we not going to go and check on him?" Kai asked but Zeke simply sat on his chair and started going through the information he got from the doctors.

    After a short while, Kai sighed as he stood up. "I''ll go and check on him."

    "No need. He''lle here on his own," Zeke muttered and the door was opened with a loud bang.

    Alex entered. He flew straight to Zeke, bent down and grabbed his cor.

    Zeke was unfazed and calmly looked at him. He noticed Alex''s trembling hands as he waited for him to speak but no words left Alex''s mouth.

    Alex''s jaws were clenched hard. It was obvious he was having a hard time, but Zeke waited, just looking at him wordlessly until his lips finally opened.

    "Zeke¡­" he started as he looked down, not letting go of Zeke''s cor. "Go check on her again¡­ those¡­ those ipetent doctors¡­ I''m certain there must be some mistake."

    Zeke let out a quiet sigh. "All the doctors here are topnotch, Alex ¨C"

    "Shut up!!!" Alex gritted his teeth. His grip on his cor tightened. "Just do what I want you to do! If it''s you¡­ I know you can save her!"

    Zeke creased his brows as he stared at him. He could see that Alex was still in denial. His mind was probably still numb.

    "Fine. I will do what you want," he conceded, pulling Alex''s hands off his cor. He wasn''t nning to give him false hope but all he could do now was concede because if he didn''t, Zeke was certain this man would go mad. And that was thest thing he wanted to happen. "But for now, it''s best if we wait for her to wake up before doing anything. I heard she and her family are against the surgery. Don''t worry, there''s still plenty of time. So calm down and go back to her. She might look for you once she wakes up," Zeke calmly told him as he fixed his tie.

    Alex stared at him and then, just like that, he dashed out of the door.

    Kai, who had been watching like an outsider, swallowed the moment Alex was gone. He felt his throat dry up. He felt it, Alex was at the brink of going berserk. He wondered what might have happened by now if Zeke didn''t tell him those carefully chosen words.

    With an anxious face, Kai walked over Zeke.

    "What''s going to happen now? Can you really save her?" he asked and Zeke leaned back on his chair. His eyes were expressionless as he looked back at Kai.

    "Don''t be ridiculous, Kai," was all he said as he stood up and walked towards the floor to ceiling ss window and stared at the space ahead.

    ...

    That night, Andrew left Abi with Alex so he could go back home to tell his parents about Abi. He did that because he knew that Alex needed to be alone with her once she woke up.

    Once Andrew was gone, Abi was again transferred to the hospital''s most expensive room.

    It was past midnight when Abi woke up. She remembered what happened and her heart raced. She rose and sat up and she realized she was in the hospital. Seeing that her room looked like a luxury hotel''s presidential suite, she could already tell that Alex was with her.

    She breathed deeply, looking around, looking for Alex. Did he find out? Where was he?

    Abi was about to climb off the bed when she paused. Her eyes zoomed in on the window. The white curtain was dancing and he was there, sitting on the floor, head down, between the dancing curtains. His one leg was stretched out on the floor and his wrist was ced on top of his bent knee.

    Abi''s heart squeezed in pain seeing him like that. She silently stood up and walked closer towards him. Was he sleeping?

    Letting out a quiet sigh, Abi slowly bent down. She couldn''t see his face but her heart was aching so badly, breaking apart for him.

    She reached out her hand to touch his head when suddenly, he moved and looked up. Their eyes met. His pitch ck eyes slowly widened upon seeing her.

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    A\\N: second chapter willeter

 Chapter 216 Price

    <h4>Chapter 216 Price</h4>

    "What are you doing here?" she asked as she smiled, touching his face gently, before she embraced him.

    The ice that started to envelop Alex''s body started to melt. His cold and empty mind began to work as the icy numbness in his heart started fading away. It was like his lifeline had been re-activated and he became alive again.

    He hugged her back, as tight as he could but suddenly, he pulled away, looking at her worriedly.

    "Are you okay?" he asked, holding her face with all the gentleness in the world.

    Abi smiled. "I''m fine."

    His brows creased and then he lifted her up. He carried her back to the bed and slowly settled her there.

    "It''s still midnight. You''re supposed to be sleeping," he told her as he tucked her in the bed. She noticed his hair was still damp. Did he just take a shower in the middle of the night?

    "Alex¡­" she called out, softly, holding his wrist. "I''m sorry¡­" her eyes began to well. "I''m sorry I hid everything from you."

    "Shh¡­ Abigail, you can''t ¨C"

    "Please, Alex, listen to me¡­ please let me say it¡­" she begged as she sat up, clinging on his shirt.

    Alex could only grit his teeth and nod. He promised her, after all, so he would listen to her. "Fine, tell me everything you want to say, I will listen."

    Abi took a deep breath and wiped her tears before she looked at him intently. "I''m very sick, Alex¡­"

    "I already know. Your dad already told me," he mumbled softly.

    "I only have a little time left¡­" she continued and Alex''s face turned dark. She knew he didn''t want her saying that, she knew it was cruel but she had to tell him everything. Before Alex could speak again, Abi held his hand and ced it on her face. "That''s why I¡­ I approached you that night in the garage. I wanted to fall in love. To experience love before my time was up," she confessed, a tear falling from her eyes.

    Hearing her, the memories started ying like a song in Alex''s head. He remembered how she looked that night, when she told him to try her despite him telling her he was dangerous and that he didn''t do love. He finally understood why she was so brave that night, so determined to be his girlfriend despite it all...

    "So, you chose me because I said I don''t do love?" he asked and Abi''s tears fell as she nodded. A bitter smirk left his lips.

    "I''m sorry¡­" she mumbled.

    "Did you decide to leave me that night because you realized I was falling in love with you?" he asked again.

    "Yes," she cried and Alex threw back his head, biting his lips hard. "I''m so sorry. I was scared. Even though I''ve been longing to experience love, I was scared because I didn''t want to hurt anyone. You said you would never fall in love and I naively believed that, believed that you''d be fine, that you would not get hurt because you would never love me back even when I was gone¡­"

    Suddenly, Alex rose and paced back and forth before her with his hands tugging his hair. And then he mmed his hands on the bed as he looked at her. Anger burned fiercely in his eyes.

    "Stop! Please stop. Stop saying that, because you won''t. You''re not going to go anywhere. Understand?" he said between his gritted teeth.

    "Alex¡­" she sobbed, seeing the shades of agony behind the rage in his eyes. "I''m sorry¡­"

    Seeing her weep, the rage in his eyes slowly dissipated. He lifted his hands and held her face. "Stop it, Abigail. Don''t worry, everything will be fine, I promise," he assured her and kissed her forehead before he hugged her tightly and let her cry on his chest.

    Alex caressed her back. He could feel her pain, her sorrow and it ripped him apart. He thought he had experienced every worst kind of pain under the sun but he was wrong. Those kinds of pain were merely physical and it couldn''t even begin topare to this kind of indescribable pain they were sharing right now. It was maddening. The thought of losing her was like poison taking over his soul, threatening to kill him entirely.

    He couldn''t help but wonder if this was the price he had to pay for finally loving someone.

    "I never wanted to hurt you, Alex¡­ I love you so much. I never expected that you woulde to love me too. I never wanted you to suffer because of me," she uttered between her sobs and Alex held her face making her look at him again.

    He wiped her tears as he spoke. "If you don''t want me to hurt then listen to me and trust me, okay? I will never let you go," he told her and he embraced her tightly again, his eyes burning with something unfathomable.

    ''I will do anything, everything for you. I will never let you leave me alone. I will never let you go.''

    ¡­

    The next morning, Abi''s family arrived but when they saw Alex and Abi sleeping on the bed, they immediately stepped out. They were shocked when someone brought them to the highest floor and even brought them to a ridiculously luxurious hospital room but they didn''t ask any questions.

    They didn''t have the energy to ask because they were devastated. For the second time in their life, they were going through this again.

    At least Abi looked to have been madefortable by this hospital which was some constion. Abi, oh dear Abi, their dear granddaughter¡­ even though they already knew about it, it still struck them hard.

    As the three silently stepped out of the room, a doctor approached them. They were brought to a sofa and they were asked to wait there until a doctor approached them. It was Zeke.

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    A\\N:we didn''t reach our goal so there''s no mass release TT

    But our goal remain the same, if we reach top 4 I will give a mass release ^^

    If we get 3000 votes in a day, I will give a bunos chapter.

    Keep voting!!! Love y''all. ^^

    P.s. Also, please consider dropping a review. For those who have dropped their reviews during the first 100 chaps, please review again for the 200+ chaps^^

 Chapter 217 No other

    <h4>Chapter 217 No other</h4>

    Abi''s family, along with Zeke, saw a nurse bring some food inside Abi''s room, indicating that the two were already awake.

    They all waited for a while longer before they knocked on the door and finally entered her room.

    Alex was feeding her like a worrywart husband while Abi flushed red the moment she looked at the door.

    Her family smiled at her seeing that she looked fine.

    "Finish your food first, dear," Abi''s grandma said as they sat on the sofa.

    Once she finished her breakfast, Zeke asked Alex toe with him. The two men stepped out of the room while Abi''s family sat around her bed and began talking to her.

    Upon closing the door, Zeke faced Alex. He was wearing his usual calm and unfazed expression but his eyes were serious as he looked at Alex.

    "Alex, I hope your mind is clearer now," he started.

    Alex just creased his brows. "Just say whatever it is you want to tell me," he said, not hiding his impatience.

    "I''m going to tell you the truth about her disease, Alex. I''m certain you already know that there is no cure for her disease. Surgery, chemotherapy or radiation are just treatments, not cures," Zeke told him, without beating around the bush.

    Alex''s face immediately turned ten shades darker. His jaws clenched and he gritted his teeth. His rage began to envelop him but he kept it under control because he was aware that Abi and her family were just on the other side of the door. This was why Zeke chose to talk to Alex right there, because he knew Alex would keep himself in check despite his zing rage.

    Alex let out a bitter sardonicugh. "Are you saying you can''t do anything to save her?" He wasughing like a devil, a devil ready to burn everything to hell if anything went wrong.

    His eyes started to dim but Zeke ignored him and remained calm. He knew that Alex wouldn''t do anything crazy at that moment, not in this ce, so Zeke felt that it was safe to tell him everything he needed to know. "The biggest problem here is that this will be her third surgery. She haspleted all the treatments that are known to work but still, her tumor grew back. At this point, her next treatment options avable are merely experimental. I already spoke with her family. They said that Abigail had decided since long ago that if her tumor came back again, she would opt forfort care* instead of going through surgery again."

    Zeke paused, reading Alex''s expression before he continued. "She had already fought the battle twice so I understand why she and her family came to that decision. And they are obviously terrified. Abigail''s mother never woke up again after her third surgery so the family are afraid the same thing will happen to her."

    "But it''s not just any doctor in this world that would perform the surgery this time, it''s no other than you, Zeke," Alex replied. His voice was hard and firm, leaving no room for argument. "The problem with her disease is because the surgeons failed to remove the tumorpletely, no?"

    "It''s because the tumor is in a tricky area, Alex. They removed as much of the tumor as possible, but they couldn''t get all of it because of where it is located. The main priority was to make sure she didn''t get brain damage while removing as much of the tumor as possible. Several techniques have been developed to help with this, but even small bits of tumor left behind will relentlessly grow and invade their surroundings ¨C"

    "You''re not like any of the other doctors in this world. You can do many things that they can''t!"

    Zeke sighed. "That''s not the only problem here, Alex. If Abigail chose to opt forfort care ¨C"

    "Leave that to me. I''ll talk to her," he said before his eyes zed with nothing but certainty as he looked at Zeke. "I''m not going to let her die. I would trade my soul for her."

    Alex then turned to the door but before he could open it, he spoke onest time. "If you want to win, then save her. Use whatever method you have to. If you can''t¡­ then, you know what will happen."

    Once the door was closed, Zeke leaned on the wall. His hands were in his pockets as he threw his head back. A smirk yed on his face but it faded too soon and his gaze became serious before he walked away.

    He entered another room and walked towards a little child on the bed. He stared at the little girl for a while, stared at the monitors before he sat on the chair next to the bed. His aloof eyes stared at the ceiling as he rested his head on the chair when a soft voice pulled his attention.

    "Uncle Zeke?"

    He nced at the girl to see that she was already sitting up, looking at him.

    "I''m not your uncle," was all he said, unfriendly as always. But the little girl smiled.

    "I''m happy you came again," she beamed and Zeke creased his brows. "I knew you were the one treating me."

    "Who told you?"

    She shook her head. "No one... but I heard your voice once."

    Zeke stood up and rubbed the girl''s hair. He was about to speak again when the girl started coughing. She seemed to have a hard time breathing. He saw her heartbeats bing weaker and weaker and his usual calm face changed.

    "Uncle Zeke¡­ Please¡­ Don''t¡­ leave Betty¡­" she uttered before she lost consciousness. The monitors started beeping as the rms were set off.

    Zeke was quick to move, trying to revive her. The doctors and nurses came rushing into the room but seeing that Doctor Qin, their CEO, was treating her, they stood back and gave him the room he needed. After a few more seconds, the little girl''s heart started beating again.

    A quiet sigh left Zeke''s lips as he looked at the monitor and then the little girl.

    "Sir, I''m afraid she won''t be able to hold on before a donor match can be found. We still don''t know if one would evere," one of the doctors said. "Also, her guardians expressed their desire for her not to suffer anymore. They want to take her home."

    Hearing them, Zeke paused, and then he looked at the doctor with his intimidating gaze.

    "Who said her guardians would be the one to decide that? Are they the one paying her bills?" he asked and the doctor swallowed.

    "N-no sir."

    "Tell them I''m adopting this child. I''ll be the one to decide for her," he firmly said and everyone''s eyes widened in shock.

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    A\\N: fort care - medical treatments and therapies that help with symptoms but don''t address the tumor itself. This helps the patient enjoy the best possible quality of life during their final days with loved ones.

    P.s. Second chapter for today willeter

 Chapter 218 Unrecognizable

    <h4>Chapter 218 Unrecognizable</h4>

    Back in Abi''s room, Alex joined the family until Abi''s family said goodbye. Abi''s family made it clear that they were going to leave the decision for Abi to make. They left so that Abi and Alex would have a chance to talk about the surgery alone.

    Alex told her he wanted her to go for the surgery and just like what Zeke said, Abi was reluctant to do it. She had heard about what happened with her mother and she didn''t want that to happen to her. It scared her.

    "Don''t be scared. You will be fine," Alex assured her but Abi couldn''t remove the fear in her heart.

    However, now that it hade to this, now that Alex had fallen for her and was not going to leave her side, Abi wanted to fight, onest time, despite the hopelessness. She wanted to bet for another miracle but she had already gone through two surgeries and it took a huge toll on her body. She had already been lucky twice because both surgeries were somewhat sessful. She had woken up and hadn''t suffered any brain damage from that. But what if her luck had run out? What if this time she wouldn''t wake up again? Wouldn''t it better if she just spent the rest of her days with him until herst breath?

    She could see that Alex trusted the doctor that would attend her this time but even if the surgery was sessful, she would never be cured. It was a gamble and Alex wanted to take that bet.

    "I''m afraid, Alex¡­ what if¡­"

    "Shh¡­ don''t worry, the surgery will be sessful. Zeke is the best doctor this world has ever seen so trust me, okay? I know I sound ridiculous but¡­ I''m telling you, this is not blind faith or anything like that. I wouldn''t ask this of you if I had any doubts at all about Zeke''s capabilities." He held her face and kissed her before he continued, "Zeke is¡­ I can''t tell you who he really is right now but all I want is for you to trust him. You want to spend more time with me, right?"

    Abi nodded. "Yes. All I want is to spend more time with you, Alex." She teared up and Alex wiped away her tears.

    "Then, do this for me. Trust me, please¡­"He kissed her hand and Abi could only give in. She buried her face on his chest and hugged him tight. That was right, there was no more reason for her to be scared. This wasn''t the time to be scared but the time to fight even harder and not give up. This time, she will not fight for herself but for Alex. She was going to fight for him until the end, no matter how futile it was.

    "Okay, I will go for it, Alex¡­ I will fight again¡­" she told him and Alex smiled. Abi had already vowed to herself that she would do anything for him so even though this scared her, she agreed. She believed in his love for her and if he believed in Zeke, then she would do so as well.

    He caressed her hair and kissed her forehead. "Good girl¡­ you''re strong, Abigail, stronger than you could ever imagine. You can do this," he said and their grip on each other tightened.

    "But Alex¡­ is it possible to postpone the surgery? Can I spend more days with you first?" Abi wanted to go home and spend more time with him while her body was still going strong. She was scared that after the surgery, even if it was sessful, she might not be able to walk and move around for many days or even months afterwards. She wanted to utilize her remaining strength while she still had it.

    "I will ask Zeke about it. I''m sure it''s possible."

    "Thank you¡­"

    At that moment, a knock separated the couple''s hug. The door opened and Kelly entered the room.

    Kelly was emotional but when she saw Alex there with Abi, she almost turned around and left again, but Alex stood up.

    "I''ll go speak with Zeke," he said to Abi and after Abi nodded, Alex kissed her forehead before he left, leaving Abi blushing as she looked at her friend.

    ¡­

    In the CEO''s office.

    "Geez, what''s going on with you? Why do you want to suddenly adopt a child now?" Xavier was pinching the skin between his brows. "If you want a daughter that much, why don''t you just find a girl and make a baby?"

    "Who said I want a daughter?" Zeke nonchntly asked and Xavier''s mouth dropped.

    "Then why the hell do you want me to arrange these papers?!"

    "It''s not me who will adopt her, it''s Alex."

    "Huh?!"

    Xavier and Kai could only look at each other in confusion. But before they could ask, the door opened and Alex entered.

    Everyone fell silent. Alex leaned on Zeke''s desk, his hands in his pockets. "Abi''s asking if the surgery could be postponed," he asked.

    Zeke looked at him before he leaned on his chair. "She''s MGMT positive so her surgery could be postponed but under close monitoring procedures. We can control the progression by giving her TMZ for now," he exined and Alex just nodded. "But how long do you want to postpone it?"

    "How long is advisable?"

    "A week."

    Alex nodded again. "That''s long enough," he mumbled as he looked out the window.

    Kai and Xavier couldn''t even speak as they looked at Alex. They hadn''t seen him for days yet he looked so different now. Totally different. The beast had turned to a harmless spirit animal. His deadly horns and terrifying fangs and ws were nowhere to be seen. Was this still the Alexander Qin they knew? This man was truly unrecognizable now!

    After a long silence, Zeke asked. "But what''s the reason behind the postponement?"

    Alex silently took something out from his pocket. He stared at the old emerald ring in his hand before he spoke. "I''m going to marry her," he said and one of the boys choked in shock.

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    A\\N: we didn''t get our goal so there''s no mass release TT

    But our goal remain the same, if we reach top 4 I will give a mass release ^^

    If we get 3000 votes in a day, I will give a bunos chapter.

    Keep voting!!! Love y''all. ^^

 Chapter 219 Flowery nonsense?

    <h4>Chapter 219 Flowery nonsense?</h4>

    "M-m-marry? You''re going to get married?!" Xavier stammered. His eyes were almost bulging out from their sockets.

    Everyone was shocked. Alex getting married was something they couldn''t imagine at all or even joke about. But now, the man himself was actually saying it! Was he kidding? Was he in his right mind?!

    They were all looking at Alex, utterly dumbstruck, except of course for Zeke who only widened his eyes for a moment before his expression returned to normal again.

    "Haha, is this some kind of a prank?" Xavier forced augh but what he got was cold chill piercing through his bones. Freaking sh*t! He wasn''t kidding! This wasn''t a prank!!!!

    Ignoring the men''s reactions, Alex simply stood there, looking at the ring, deep in thought. He didn''t care if this came as a shock to anyone or not. All he wanted right now was do the things he wanted to do; the things that could make Abigail happy.

    But this wasn''t just for Abigail. This wasn''t a decision he made on the spot either. Back when they were at that ce, when Alex was doing the kitchen chores and Abi said he was like a good husband, Alex actually felt something indescribable surge within his chest. Abi calling him a good husband made him happy and he wanted to hear her say that over and over again. Since then, he had been thinking about it, and he even wondered what it would feel like to call her his wife.

    He remembered this was her biggest wish. He had proposed to her before just to fulfill her wish but this time, things had changed. His desire to be with her forever had been elevated to the highest degree during the time he spent with her in their safe haven, the little part of the world that was theirs. Now that he found out about her illness, Alex didn''t know why but this was the first thing he wanted to do, not just for her but also for himself.

    He wanted to show her that he was willing to spend his life with her from now on, no matter what the future held. He wanted to show her that he was in this for life and that he would not leave her. Even though marrying her may not change anything, he just knew that this was the right thing for him to do and he wanted to do it.

    "W-why? I¡­ I mean¡­" Xavier pressed his lips tightly. He badly wanted to ask but then again, he also wanted to stay in thend of the living. But in all honesty, he didn''t understand Alex''s decision. Alex and Abi were only in a contractual rtionship for a month. That wasmon knowledge. Well, sure, he fell in love but Abigail was dying. Why would he want to marry her at this point?

    Alex''s gaze flew towards Xavier and the guy flinched. Alex was calm, so calm it was terrifying for Xavier. They were so used to the coldness and darkness that surrounded Alex so seeing him without any of that cloaking him was somewhat eerie to them.

    "Haha, never mind me. That was just mindless bbering." He waved his hands but to his surprise, Alex actually answered him.

    "Why? Do I need to have an exnation for wanting to marry her? I want to marry her because I love her and I want to be with her, it''s that simple."

    Everyone: ". . ."

    Xavier''s inner self screamed upon hearing Alex''s words. F*ck! Who was this man? How and when in the world did he learn to spout such flowery nonsense?!

    Completely not caring about what everyone was thinking, Alex let out a sigh and he looked out the window, seemingly lost in thoughts again, when Zeke''s voice rang inside the room.

    "So you''re going to propose?" he asked, looking at that ancient emerald ring in his hand.

    Alex nced at him. "I''ve already proposed to her a week ago."

    It was Kai''s turn to almost choke to death. Already?! When did he do that? Had he been nning to marry her even before he found out about her illness? Meaning, he wasn''t doing this just to make his dying girlfriend happy?!

    "But she returned the ring to me that night she left," Alex continued, causing everyone to crease their brows. "So, I guess, I''m going to have to propose again," he concluded and the room fell utterly silent.

    There were no more words they could say. This Alex waspletely and irrevocably smitten. It seemed it was true that the thing called love could change someone entirely, even if that someone was the devil from hell. This was proof that love was capable of bringing out something unthinkable from even the darkest soul and the iciest heart.

    "Since I can no longer take her away somewhere, it seems it will be best if I do it here," he mumbled to himself and then, he turned to Kai and ordered him.

    "Kai, go get her friend, I have to speak with her."

    "Kelly Yang?"

    "Yes. She''s in Abi''s room right now."

    Kai sighed before he said "Okay," and left the room.

    ¡­

    Earlier inside Abi''s room.

    "How are you?" Kelly asked Abi as she sat on the edge of her bed, holding her friend''s hand gently.

    "I''m good," Abi smiled at her and Kelly struggled not to tear up. She embraced her dearest best friend and Abi told her she was going for another surgery soon.

    Kelly was heartbroken. She knew that her illness was hopeless and all they could rely on right now was for miracle toe. But seeing the light in Abi''s eyes, that unyielding spirit, that warm light that could touch anyone''s heart, Kelly could only smile back. This girl was really strong. She wondered if she could still smile like this if she was in her friend''s shoes.

    Time passed and the best friends began to talk about Abi and Alex''s vacation. Abi was blushing and looking so animated as she told Kelly about the aurora, the tent, the fishing, the beauty of the ce and everything else she could remember.

    Kelly was happy for her, excited and, at the same time, jealous. "Gosh! That Alexander Qin is truly not the man I thought he was. Haha. Darn. I should go and look for someone like him soon, geez¡­ I''m so jealous, like hello¡­ no man would do all that for his girl nowadays!" she yfully sobbed and they bothughed.

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    A\\N: Okay, here''s the bonus chapter ^^

    I think I am as happy as abi right now, seeing this book in top 3... Oh my God! You guys are the best... Thank you so much... If we stay in this rank the whole day today, I will give another bonus chap and if we stay in this rank throughout the week, I will give a mass release. ^^

 Chapter 220 Difference

    <h4>Chapter 220 Difference</h4>

    "Ah, I wanna fall in love too, soon, sigh¡­" she sighed and Abi encouraged her, telling her she would find the one someday. Kellyughed. Who would''ve thought her innocent bestie would be the one advising her about love?

    Somehow, their conversation diverted their attention from Abi''s situation and they were able to speak like usual,ughing together and teasing each other. Kelly''s heart was really relieved to see Abi was happy, despite everything else that was happening. But knowing this angel, this wasn''t a surprise.

    A knock on the door echoed inside the room and the two besties finally stopped talking. A nurse and a female doctor entered so Kelly excused herself, telling Abi she would be backter.

    Kelly stepped out as Abi waved her goodbye and the moment she closed the door behind her, she sighed deeply, thinking about her friend. If only she could do something for her. What could she do for her dearest friend?

    Kelly was lost in her thoughts that she didn''t see someone walking towards her. She bumped into him and when she raised her face, that bright, shimmering delicate face appeared before her eyes. But Kelly''s heart was too heavy at that moment. No matter how much she enjoyed flirting with this pretty boy, this wasn''t the time and she wasn''t in the mood. She just wanted to think about what she could do for Abi for now.

    "My pretty boy, stop appearing in front of me during the wrong time, sigh," she uttered not looking at him. She was about to walk past him when Kai held her hand to stop her.

    Darn¡­ why were all boys like this? If you chase them, they run away, but if you ignore them theye after you! What the hell was wrong with them?! Here I thought this pretty boy was different!

    Kelly was about to tell him this wasn''t a good time but Kai spoke first.

    "Alex wants to speak with you," he told her with his normal polite voice and Kelly blinked. She cleared her throat before she straightened up. But wait, what? Alex? Alexander Qin wanted to speak with her? Why? Did she do something wrong?

    "Eh? Alexander Qin wants to speak with me?! W-why?"

    Kai immediately notice the slight hint of apprehension in her voice. "Don''t worry, he''s not scary today." Kai didn''t know why he said that but it seemed to be the right thing for him to say to this girl.

    "R-really?!"

    "Yes. Soe with me, I think he just wants to speak with you about Abigail."

    "Oh¡­ I see. But you shoulde with me, okay?"

    He nodded and led the way.

    Entering the CEO office, Kelly swallowed when she spotted Ezekiel Qin sitting on his chair. Alexander was standing by the window, looking out the dark space with another cute guy, named Xavier, sitting there, smiling at her so widely.

    Kai led her to the sofa and they both sat there. The atmosphere was notfortable. She had felt this feeling before during Abi''s birthday but being with these four people was making her feel like she was a little chick in the middle of majestic eagles, with one good angelic eagle closer to her.

    "I want to know if Abigail ever mentioned to you what kind of wedding she wants" Alex didn''t waste a moment and started the interview.

    Kelly took a deep breath. She wanted to ask why he was asking this but she was afraid.

    dly, the man suddenly answered her without her even asking. Could it be that he could read her mind? Ha.ha. Rx, Kelly.

    "I''m going to marry her soon. That''s why I want to know."

    Kelly was shocked. This man. This mysterious Alexander wanted to marry Abi?!

    She was speechless but she had to respond. She couldn''t possibly make this biggest and darkest eagle wait or she might not be able toe out of this room alive.

    "Uhm¡­ I¡­ I remember Abi telling me she wanted a simple wedding. I don''t know if that has changed now but Abi isn''t overly fond of extravagant weddings. She said she would prefer a simple wedding."

    "Simple, huh? How simple do you think is the simple she''s talking about?"

    "Er¡­ uhm¡­ I''m not really sure. But Abi''s such a nature lover. She loves the little things in the world and she''s easy to please. I think if you''re thinking about what she wants, it''s best if you just do what you think will make her happy."

    Alex fell silent after Kelly''s words. He silently turned to the ss window again, looking outside with a serious gaze.

    Kelly somehow felt a little calmer. The moment she saw Alexander Qin a while ago in Abi''s room, she immediately felt the huge difference in him. It was like he had be more like a human being. She had always been scared just by the sight of him, and his mysteriousness and shadiness always made him feel so inhuman to her. But now, she felt the difference in him.

    ¡­

    The sun was already setting but Alex still hadn''t returned. Abi spent the tail end of the day with her grandma as she had some visitorse to visit her.

    Abi was also well enough that she went to Betty''s room to visit the little girl and the two of them spent a heart-warming reunion.

    Abi read a story to Little Betty and once the little girl was asleep, she returned to her room.

    Alex still wasn''t there and she couldn''t stop herself from looking for him. Did he go to work? But he didn''t tell her he was leaving so where was he?

    Feeling a little down, Abi walked towards the window, watching the sky as the darkness slowly swallowed the light.

    She watched the sun set behind the horizon and as she was about to return to her bed, when someone drape a coat over her shoulders.

    "Alex! Where did you go?" she asked as she turned and her eyes slowly widened.

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    A\\N: Keep voting my lovely readers ^^

    Second chapter wille a littleter ^^

    Please keep voting!!

    \u003c3

 Chapter 221 Marry me

    <h4>Chapter 221 Marry me</h4>

    Alex was wearing a fine vintage ssic three-piece suit. His inky dark hair perfectly tousled, looking like it wasbed by his fingers and swept back away from his face. Abi hadn''t seen him in a suit for a while that him, showing up in this get-up made her eyes widen in awe. Alex was always devilishly good looking but Abi thought that he bypassed the peak of his gorgeousness tonight.

    "Where have you been?" she asked once she recovered from her daze. "Did you attend an important event?"

    She asked him with her curious tone but Alex smiled seeing that look in her eyes.

    "You missed me already?" his finger delicately touched her cheek as she blushed. He loved it when she misses him as bad as he did.

    "Yes," she confessed. "I was looking for you."

    "I know," he replied without any hint of mischief in his voice.

    Abi knotted her brows but Alex shed his deadly smile as his finger moved between her brows. "I came to take you somewhere," he whispered before he bent and lifted her up. He was extra careful as he held her like a princess in his arms.

    Abi wanted to ask but knowing Alex, she knew he would only tell her to wait and see. So she didn''t ask anymore and just hold onto him and leaned her head on him as he brought her out of the room and down the corridor. He then walked up a flight of stairs and when they got to the top, Alex put her down.

    Abi''s heart felt warm as she could already tell that Alex had prepared a surprise again. She remembered all the wonderful surprises he had prepared for her just a few days ago and it felt like a lifetime had passed since the trip they made to this moment. And now here he goes again...

    Alex looked into her eyes before he push the heavy doors. It creaked open and Abi immediately felt the cool breeze of the night caress her skin. They were in the rooftop. Why was he taking her up here?

    His hand grabbed hers and he led her out. It was then that Abi realized what was waiting for her. The rooftop was pretty empty but right at the left corner, near the view deck, lies a small table for two with a red and white motif and a candle on top of it. There was no extravagant or over the top decorations anywhere but the atmosphere was utterly romantic and Abi liked how simple the setup was.

    Alex pulled the chair for her and she sat, smiling. This man had managed to surprise her once again. When she thought he was going to show her something above and beyond like he always does, he actually showed her something ordinary instead. A simple dinner on the rooftop was definitely romantic.

    "I hope this is good enough," he said as he sat across her and Abi chuckled. What did he mean by this is good enough? This guy¡­

    "I love it, Alex," she replied, eyes sparkling as she gazed at him and Alex sighed in relief. Abi didn''t know it but it was actually Alex who prepared everything. This time, he did it all without ordering workers to do the work.

    "I''m d."

    They then started to dine. As always, Alex enjoyed feeding her more than feeding himself. They were talking about mundane things and it was such a lovely moment for them.

    Once their dinner was over, Abi looked around to appreciate the surrounding. The view at the rooftop was incredible. Although the stars aren''t there because of the city lights, it was still beautiful.

    She stood up from her chair and walked towards the view deck, leaning on the railing.

    "It''s so nice here, Alex. The breeze is cool," she told him when Alex stood behind her and hugged her from behind to shield her from the cold, even though he knew his coat would do most of the work.

    "Well, everything looks beautiful as long as I''m looking at it with you," he whispered in her ear and she shivered from feeling his breath on her neck. She blushed because of his words as she smiled.

    She turned and gazed into his eyes. "Thank you for this romantic dinner, Alex," she uttered, and then, she tip-toed and kissed him.

    Their lips locked and they kissed passionately. But Alex pulled away and he took a deep breath like he was nervous, trying to draw strength from the air around them.

    Abi blinked at him, noticing that he seemed to have something he wanted to tell her. She smiled at him, showing him she would wait patiently with what he wanted to say.

    However, no word came out of Alex''s lips. He just stared at her, and then, he turned away, looking up the sky.

    Abi was about to speak but she held back and decided to follow his line of sight. Once she turned her face away from him and looked at the sky he was looking at, Abi''s lips slowly parted.

    There were small lights in the sky, like stars chasing each other, forming something up the sky.

    "Abigail," Alex called out and her eyes flew towards him. He was not looking at her, his gaze still focused into the sky so Abi returned her gaze towards the dancing tiny lights and her eyes opened wide as her mouth dropped.

    The words ''MARRY ME'', were written in the dark sky.

    Abi felt like her heart stopped. Time stood still as her heart felt like it wanted to burst. She never thought Alex would propose to her again.

    Tears began to well in her eyes as she looked at those seven letters in the sky. When she turned to look at him, Alex held her hand and he slowly knelt in one knee.

    He looked up, eyes burning with overflowing emotions as he spoke, "Abigail, let''s get married."

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    A\\N:? if we stay top 4 throughout the week, I will give a mass release. ^^

    So keep voting my lovely readers!!

 Chapter 222 Answer

    <h4>Chapter 222 Answer</h4>

    On the other corner of the rooftop, Kelly and Kai were standing by as back up in case Alex needed something. They hid behind the wall the whole time that Alex and Abi were dining and only peeked out again when they saw the lights moving up in the sky to form those two words.

    "Hey my pretty boy, if I propose to you like that, would you say yes?" Kelly teased as she elbowed the man next to her as they looked up at the sky.

    "..." Kai was speechless. He didn''t know what to say. Wasn''t that something a man should be saying to a woman?

    Kelly looked at Kai''s face and smiled at the shocked expression she saw on his face. Sigh. It really was so much fun teasing this guy!

    Kelly was about to keep on teasing him but she stopped herself because she had an important mission to do at this moment. She peeked out and when she saw Alexander Qin begin to kneel, she quickly brought out her camera, ready to capture that most awaited moment.

    "Oh god! I''m so jealous!" she mumbled in excitement while Kai simply watched her, looking mystified before his gaze flew towards the couple on the view deck.

    "Abigail, let''s get married," Alex said as he looked into Abi''s beautiful eyes. He began to see the fantastic future they could have together. He thought that proposing was an odd feeling. The emotions he was feeling was overwhelming, simply inexplicable.

    Alex already proposed to her before but this waspletely different. He had never prepared for anything like this in his life. He felt that it was the longest day of his life, waiting for this moment toe. And now that it was finally happening, his heart was going a mile a minute as he waited for her answer.

    Abi''s eyes immediately welled but she fought hard not to tear up. Her heart felt so full of happiness that she thought it would burst. The sight of Alex, going down on one knee, asking her to marry him... There were no words to convey how wonderful it felt.

    Even though Alex had already proposed to her once before, somehow, this time it felt a thousand times better. Her heart soared and flew with the birds above the sky. She just couldn''t believe that this was happening again and this time, she could tell that he wasn''t doing this just because of her wish. She could see it in his eyes, that he was doing this because he wanted to, because he wanted to stay with her forever.

    If she wasn''t dying, she would''ve been jumping in happiness right then. She was ecstatic and shocked and happy and amazed but at the same time, fear and sadness and pain lurked in her heart. She wished she wasn''t sick. She wished she didn''t have to cry at this very special moment. But she knew there was no use wishing over those things anymore. At this moment, all she wanted was to stay with him, love him, and love him and love him and love him.

    As she gazed down at Alex, who was looking up at her so seriously, so passionately, she smiled the widest smile he had ever seen yet. And then she nodded her head before saying, "Yes, Alex! Let''s get married!"

    The moment Abi answered him, Alex took her left hand and immediately slid the emerald ring back on her ring finger, in case she changed her mind. Once it was firmly ced on there, he drew her hand to his lips and kissed her on the back of her hand before moving to get up.

    Abi''s restraint finally crumbled and she jumped on him the moment he was up on his feet again. Alex caught her around the waist as Abi wrapped her arms around his neck. His face broke out in a big smile, almost as big as Abi''s, as he twirled them around in a circle. He then stopped and carefully ced Abi''s feet back on the ground. Abi looked up at him, eyes shining brightly, and in the next second, his lips were on hers as they sealed their promise with a deep, passionate kiss under the moonlit sky. Alex cupped her cheek with his hand while the other was wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer to him and preventing her escape, not that she wanted to escape. No, she would never run away from him again.

    Alex deepened his kiss, probing with his tongue, ying havoc within Abi''s mouth and Abi responded with as much passion and love as she felt in her heart at that moment. She thought that her feelings for him had already reached their peak during their little holiday but it seemed she was wrong. She was so overwhelmed by what she was feeling that her eyes started to tear up. It seemed she just couldn''t contain all these emotions that it spilled out of her in the form of happy tears. Her tears flowed silently and when Alex felt them on his face, he quickly pulled away, instantly worried that she was hurting somewhere.

    "Why are you crying, Abigail? Are you hurt somewhere?" he asked. She could hear the worry in his voice and see it from his expression.

    Abi chuckled at how sweet this man was being. She couldn''t get enough of it. Gone was the frozen iceberg to be reced by a melting snowman. After another moment, she put him out of his misery by saying, "I am fine, Alex. These are tears of joy."

    Letting go of the breath he had not realised he was holding, he pulled Abi closer to his chest and hugged her tight and then he kissed the top of her head, a gesture that spoke volumes, a gesture that said ''you are mine and I will take care of you until myst breath''.

    Abi rested her head against his chest with her eyes closed, savoring the feeling of protection and safety she felt within his arms. When he hugged her, she felt that nothing else mattered. She didn''t think about anything else except for the love she felt for this man and the love he felt for her.

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    A\\N: The second chapter wille a littleter ^^

    Pleas keep Voting!! ^^

 Chapter 223 Sweeter

    <h4>Chapter 223 Sweeter</h4>

    Back on the corner of the rooftop, Kelly could barely contain her happiness the moment they heard Abi say ''yes'' to Alex''s proposal. She jumped up and down like an excited little kid and then grabbed Kai''s arm and shook it the way a little child shook their parent''s arm when they were trying to get their attention.

    "Oh my gosh!!! Did you hear that? Abi said yes! They''re going to get married! There''s going to be a wedding!" she whispered to Kai so that Abi wouldn''t notice their presence.

    Kai merely blinked at her, amazed. This hooligan was too excited and he couldn''t understand why. Kai had seen many weddings since he was just a little boy but he never thought a wedding was something to be happy about because he grew up knowing the fact that all the weddings he had witnessed were nothing but political. Although, this time, it seemed like he would really witness a wedding he had never seen before.

    Before he knew it, Kelly had snuck up closer to the couple, holding out her camera in front of her, and in the next second, he heard the sound of a photo being taken. Kelly took more than one photo and Kai had to grab her arm and drag her back behind the wall.

    "What are you doing?!" Kelly whispered.

    "I''m stopping you from earning the nickname of Miss creepy stalker! You should be thanking me!"

    Kelly''s lips curved up and she leaned in on him.

    "What other nicknames have you got for me, pretty boy?" she rebutted, unfazed by what he said. "I didn''t think we were at that point in our rtionship yet," she added, sending a wink his way as she said it.

    Kai was beaten. He had no idea how to deal with this woman! She was not like any other woman he had ever encountered before. He looked at her and just silently prayed that this night would soon be over.

    ---

    Abi and Alex went back to her room after they spent a bit more time enjoying the view from the rooftop. Alex picked her up and carried her again, princess style, to the room and gently ced her on the bed. He took her coat off her and tucked her into the bed, under the nket.

    Alex then went to the bathroom to get changed and when he came out, wearing only his sexy pajama bottoms, Abi peeked at him from under the covers.

    "You need to get some rest, Abigail. Go to sleep," Alex ordered as he headed to her bedside. He sat on the edge of the bed and caressed her cheeks, with the back of his fingers.

    Abi moved a bit to the side and then raised the nket, silently telling him to join her under the nket. Alex couldn''t refuse her so he climbed inside. The bed was huge so they had plenty of room. The moment Alex was inside the nket, Abi then wiggled closer to him andy her head on his chest as Alex snaked his arm under her so that he could pull her closer.

    Abi could hear his heartbeats, strong and steady, just like the man himself. She felt herself rx and a big yawn escaped. She looked up at Alex and smiled.

    "I love you," she whispered and Alex lips curved up.

    "And I love you, Abigail, my soon to be wife," he said and Abi felt her face burn red. His words ''my soon to be wife'' echoed in her head over and over again. "Okay, now sleep," he added as his smile went wider, seeing her reaction at what he just said.

    The next morning, Alex had juste out of the bathroom and was changing when Abi woke up. What a view to see so early in the morning.

    "G-good morning, Alex," she greeted and for the first time, Alex greeted her back.

    "Morning," he uttered, causing Abi to climb off the bed and hug him from behind. Her Alex was really changing and bing sweeter by the day!

    "Are you going somewhere again?" she asked. She knew she was being selfish but she wanted him to stay with her 24/7. She wanted to just hold him like this.

    Alex turned as he removed her arms from around his waist. He bent and bumped his head gently on hers. "I''m not going anywhere, Abigail."

    "Then why are you¡­" she trailed off looking at his fine, manly and casual outfit. If he was going to stay with her all day, he would''ve worn a morefortable clothes.

    Alex smiled, reading what she was thinking through her expression. "Of course, this fianc¨¦ of yours needs to look good in front of your family."

    Abi''s lips parted as Alex held her face and kissed her lips lightly. "That''s right, I will tell them about us and¡­" he trailed off as he stared deeply into her eyes. "We will talk about the wedding as well. I want to marry you as soon as possible."

    After telling her those words, Abi was quick to enter the bathroom. Her heart was racing so fast that she didn''t know if it was because of excitement or anxiety or both.

    She struggled to calm herself in the bathroom and dly, she was able to calm down once she stepped out.

    Her dad and grandparents were already waiting on the sofa with Alex.

    She weed them with a smile as she walked towards them. She sat right next to Alex and their hands intertwined together.

    Abi''s grandma of course noticed that little precious thing on Abi''s ring finger and she finally understood why this young man, Alexander, was looking a bit off this morning. It seemed he''s going to tell them that they were now engaged.

    However, Alex told them something so unexpected.

    "I would like to marry Abigail, tomorrow," he told them and the three looked at them both in shocked surprise.

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    A\\N: I''m five minuteste T^T

    Please dont get tired voting for Abi and Alex!!

    Keep voting.

    I will give mass release if we stay top 4 throughout the week ^^

    Fighting!!

 Chapter 224 Blessing

    <h4>Chapter 224 Blessing</h4>

    There was silence for a few seconds as Abi''s family finally recovered from their shock. Even Abigail was very stunned at his words. She knew he was going to tell her family but to get married tomorrow?! That waspletely unexpected!

    Abi''s grandmother began to feel emotional and tears pooled in her eyes. She was so happy for her very well behaved granddaughter to have found her special person and she could see that Alex really treasured their Abigail. She could see it in the intensity of his eyes and she knew that Alex was doing all of this because he loved Abigail. Even the men, who aren''t normally so emotional, were also quite moved by Alex''s deration of love. Although Alex didn''t explicitly say it, the way he held Abigail''s hand and the way he looked at Abigail showed them all how deep his feelings were for her.

    However, getting married tomorrow seemed too hasty.

    "Alex, can I speak with you outside for a moment?" Andrew finally broke the silence.

    Alex agreed and the two men excused themselves from the room. Abi watched as the two men walked out of the room and when the door closed behind them, she turned her attention back to her grandparents.

    "My dear granddaughter, I can see how happy you are. I am d he chose to stay by your side. That is a trait of a good man."

    Abi was moved by her grandmother''s kind words and she moved closer to her grandmother and hugged her tightly. "I am happy, grandma. I am so lucky!"

    The two women hugged for a little while and then her grandmother cleared her throat.

    "So, you''re going to need some help nning this wedding, aren''t you? Do you know what you want to do?" her grandmother asked.

    The conversation turned to the wedding ns inside the hospital room and the air was filled with excitement. Abi''s grandfather just smiled dotingly at the two happy women next to him as his eyes wandered towards the door, wondering what the two men were talking about.

    Meanwhile, outside the room, the two men were having a serious conversation. Alex spoke first.

    "Mr. Chen, I apologise for not asking for your permission first before asking Abigail to marry me." He slightly bowed in apology to his soon to be father-inw. "So please allow me, sir, to ask you now. Mr. Chen, can I¡­ please have your blessing to ask for your daughter''s hand in marriage?" Alex continued as he straightened up.

    Andrew was quite shocked at this. This Alexander really had changed a lot since the first time he met him. He didn''t know why but this young man, bowing and apologizing to him was making him feel like he wanted to stop him from doing that because he had this feeling that was almost akin to having the president or the king bow to an ordinary man like him.

    Clearing his throat, Andrewposed himself. He realized he barely knew anything about this young man. Although he believed that this young man was honest when he answered his questions back at their house, Andrew always felt that he wasn''t someone ordinary, most especially now, seeing that his daughter was in a hospital room meant for the richest and most important people in the country. He honestly wanted to know just who this young man was before he gave his blessing. But, he didn''t want to ask and he knew this wasn''t the right time to do that. Andrew believed that who he was really didn''t matter anymore because he could see just how much this young man loved his daughter. He loved his daughter far more than he thought and that was more than enough for him, as Abi''s father.

    "Alexander," Andrew started. "All I want is for my daughter to be happy and I saw through her eyes and her smiles that her life had be brighter since she met you. I am truly d that you found her and that you continue to love her even more despite her situation. That''s why, as her father, all I can do is give you all the blessing you deserve."

    Alex''s eyes lit up and he bowed again, thanking him. Doing all this, bowing to someone else, was something Alex had never imagined. He had only ever experienced other people bowing to him as far as he could remember and he never thought he would bow to anyone in his life. However, in that moment, none of those things mattered anymore. He was amazed at how easy it actually was to do, bowing his head to someone.

    "Thank you, Mr. Chen," he said, lifting his face again to look at him. He wanted to correct him though. He wanted to say that he wasn''t the one who found her, she was the one who found him. She found him and loved him and turned his world upside down. She embraced his darkness, his deadly thorns, his chilling coldness and nted flowers in his stone cold heart which forcefully wound its way through the chained window of his soul, letting the sunshine in.

    Andrew patted his shoulder as he smiled at Alex before his face became serious.

    "But Alex, I am not sure about you two getting married so soon. nning a wedding is a big deal and to do it so quickly might be too stressful for Abigail," Andrew started.

    Alex frowned in deep thought as he contemted Andrew''s words. He knew that Abigail''s father was only worried about the toll this would take on Abigail and he wasn''t offended at all. In fact, he had a point. If Alex were to marry Abigail tomorrow, they wouldn''t have enough time to n everything to perfection and that was what Alex wanted to give Abigail - the perfect wedding. Maybe rushing this may not be the best thing after all. As much as he wanted to call Abigail his wife as soon as possible, he also wanted her to be able to enjoy the process. He heard nning a wedding was something every girl out there wanted to do and that it was part of the attraction to them.

    Andrew studied Alex''s face and saw him waver from his decision for a moment. Seeing that Alex was taking his words in, he continued. "Since Abi has decided to go through the surgery, I think that we should postpone the wedding until after her surgery. I just think that if she has this to look forward to after her surgery, she will have an even bigger reason to fight and live, and a higher chance to survive the surgery."

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    A\\N: second chapter willeter ^^

    Please keep voting. Let''s stay in top 4 until Sunday and I will give you mass release ^^

    P.s. I kinda want your opinion about this ^^

    Do u agree with Andrew? Or the wedding shouldn''t be dyed? I''d love to read yourments guys \u003c3

    Although the next scenes are already decided, I still want to know what my readers are thinking. Hehehe

 Chapter 225 About me

    <h4>Chapter 225 About me</h4>

    Earlier, Kelly headed towards Abi''s room but stopped when she saw Alexander and Abi''s father outside the door. It seemed that Abi''s family was in there so she decided to go home first ande backter to visit Abi. She knew that Abi and her family would have a lot to talk about once they found out about Abigail''s engagement with Alex.

    She did a u-turn and headed down the corridor towards the stairs, with a spring in her steps. She felt ted fromst night''s events. Her best friend was engaged! She couldn''t be happier for Abi.

    She had stayed at the hospital overnight because it waste by the time they had cleaned up the rooftop so Kai offered her the use of a room that was unupied.

    As her thoughts returned tost night, she started to wonder where the pretty boy was and just like magic, he appeared in front of her as if she had conjured him up. Well, not quite. Kai was actually justing out of Zeke''s office, with Xavier trailing behind him.

    "Hi there, pretty boys," she greeted them with a hearty wave.

    Kai didn''t notice her until she called out to them. She dashed towards Kai and leaned in on him.

    "I''m heading back home. Prince, would you like to escort me?" she teased, as shameless as ever.

    Kai as usual was stunned while Xavier almost whistled. This Kelly girl was really bold, totally his kind of girl. But seeing Kai looking so beaten up by her was also such a nice view to see.

    "I have something to do," Kai told her and Kelly pursed her lips but a secondter, she grinned at him widely.

    "Tsk, stop being so wary of me. Don''t be scared, I''m not going to eat you, baby boy," she flirted, moving her face close to him as she whispered.

    Kai could only close his eyes as he breathed in, long and deep, not knowing how to respond. He had never met a girl as shameless as her in his entire existence!

    "Miss Yang, how about I escort you? This guy here is too busy anyway," Xavier butted in, shing his cute smile at Kelly as he winked at her. Kelly could tell the first time she saw Xavier that he was an ultimate yer. Even though he was cute, he was absolutely not her type. In fact, her fists were itching to beat him up right then.

    Before Kelly could even respond, Xavier shamelessly moved towards her. He offered his hand to her, in a prince-like way.

    Kelly was about to reject him when suddenly, Kai took her hand, surprising her.

    "I will send her home," Kai told Xavier and pulled her away from the yboy.

    ¡­

    Back in front of Abi''s room¡­

    Alex fell silent upon hearing Andrew''s suggestion. He looked away, unable to respond. His silent reaction was enough for Andrew to understand that he couldn''t change Alex''s decision anymore.

    One of the reasons why Andrew suggested that was actually because he was still terrified. He could see how optimistic Alex was about her surviving this and he was d about that, but at the same time, it worried him. He had been through all this before. He was exactly like this during those times, filled with faith and optimism that his wife would definitely wake up again. But she didn''t, no matter how much he prayed and grieved. That was why he wanted to do anything that could at least increase Abi''s chances, thinking that maybe dying the wedding would give them the miracle they were wishing for.

    However, looking at Alex eyes, Andrew didn''t have the heart to insist on what he thought was the right thing to do. So he could only nod and pat Alex''s shoulder once again.

    "But of course, I am going to support whatever you two will decide." Andrew told him before he went back inside the room.

    Alex stared at the closed door and leaned on the wall. That was when Zeke walked towards him and he seemed to have heard Alex''s and Andrew''s conversation.

    "So you''re going to marry her without even telling her anything about who you really are?" he suddenly asked. Alex immediately froze upon hearing him before his fists clenched into tight balls.

    "She doesn''t¡­ need to know¡­" he said coldly and he left, leaving Zeke staring at his retreating back.

    Alex went back inside Abi''s room and he took her to the rooftop. The sky was bright that morning and the breeze was cool and refreshing.

    Abi was sitting on Alex''sp as she rested her head on his shoulder. They both were watching over the horizon. Alex brought her here because he wanted to know if she would agree with his decision.

    However, his mind was disturbed. He couldn''t forget what Zeke told him and now that he thought about it, he realized Abigail never once asked him about his past. She didn''t ask any questions about him, even though he knew that everyone thought he was shady and mysterious. She never asked. He wanted to think that she was not interested to know or maybe that she didn''t have any curiosity about him but knowing Abigail, that was not possible. He knew how observant and curious and intelligent she was. Was she actually waiting for him to tell her all this time?

    The fact that he was hiding dark secrets from her started to haunt him.

    "Abigail¡­ I want to know if you''re okay with my decision," he said and Abi looked at him. She smiled sweetly.

    "Yes, Alex. I want to call you my husband as soon as possible," she replied decisively and Alex hugged her tight, burying his face in the nook of her neck.

    "Don''t you have anything you want to ask about me¡­ before marrying me?" he mumbled softly and hesitantly as his grip on her tightened.

    Abi fell silent. She felt his heart thumping strongly as he said those words. Was he nervous? Scared?

    Abi couldn''t speak because it was the first time Alex ever acted like that.

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    A\\N: Don''t forget to vote guys... We need to stay in top 4 throughout the week if you want mass release ^^

    Keep voting ^^

 Chapter 226 Not now

    <h4>Chapter 226 Not now</h4>

    Alex felt the frequency of his heart being messed up. He regretted bringing that up. She didn''t need to know about that, especially not right now. He was determined from the very beginning that he would never let Abigail discover or know anything about his secrets. In fact, telling her the truth had never been an option. Telling anyone who didn''t already know had never been an option. But now, he started to feel guilty that he was hiding such a secret from her and that feeling of not wanting to hide anything from her was haunting him.

    When Abi pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, Alex felt his heart skip a beat. He never thought about doing this before, telling her anything because it was too much of a burden for anyone to bear but now it seemed like having feelings for someone, falling in love, was making him waver and he felt utterly torn.

    But then, Abi suddenly smiled at him, held his face and bumped her forehead gently on his.

    "It''s okay, Alex," she uttered, surprising him. "I do want to know everything about you but if it is hard for you to talk about it, don''t force yourself. Maybe you can tell me tomorrow or next week or next month¡­ I don''t mind waiting. Tell me when you''re ready, okay?"

    Alex averted his gaze away from her shining eyes. "You would marry me even without knowing anything?" his voice was almost a whisper and his gorgeous face looked grave.

    Abi tilted her head as she pressed her lips together. And then, she straightened up and her eyes shed back at him.

    "I don''t care about your past, Alex."

    "But this is not only about my past, Abigail. It''s about who I really am." He looked at her anxiously. There was something in his voice that made Abi''s heart squeeze tightly. She wasn''t sure but it seemed to be sadness and anguish and pain. Things she had seen in his eyes, many times before.

    "No matter who you are, you''re still the Alex that I havee to love. You are still the person I havee to know, the person who granted me my many wishes, the person who loves me even in this condition, the person I want to spend the rest of my days with. That is the Alex that is sitting next to me." She nodded slightly as her fingers caressed his perfect face, her eyes brimming with intensity. "I will marry you whether you tell me anything or not, Alex."

    Alex half bit his lips. He closed his eyes to hide the spasm of fear within him because he suddenly had the urge to just spill everything to her and leave the future up to fate and her.

    He moved his hand and covered his eyes. His Abigail, being so considerate¡­ His Abigail, not wanting to pry anything out from his mouth¡­ His sweet Abigail being willing to marry him even without knowing a thing¡­ was making him feel even more guilty.

    When he put down his hand and looked at her, she smiled at him with encouragement. "It''s okay," she uttered and she hugged him again. "I don''t want you looking like you''re at war with yourself, Alex. Please don''t think too much about it, okay?"

    Hearing her, Alex let out a sigh and he didn''t even realize how stiff his body had be until she made him rx with her understanding words. But she was right, he must stop thinking about it for now, and think about the good things instead, the things to look forward to like their wedding tomorrow. He couldn''t risk ruining everything, not now that he had finally found her¡­ that he would finally marry her.

    Hugging her back tightly, Alex kissed her hair, silently thanking her. He really didn''t know what to do if she had insisted on knowing the truth at that moment and his heart trembled thinking about the possibility that the wedding might not happen once she knew the truth. He never doubted her words and her love but he was afraid that something might happen if the truth came out and that was something he would never let happen.

    "I''m going to have youe home with me, Abigail," he told her, finally changing the topic.

    "Back home?"

    "Yes."

    Abi smiled. She was excited to go back to Alex''s house.

    "We''ll just wait for a while until everything is ready. Preparations have been made in the house sincest night and I''ll have Zeke and the doctors to live there with us as well until your surgery," he exined and Abi could only nod.

    ¡­

    In the garage, Kai was giving a helmet to Kelly. But the mischievous Kelly wasn''t taking it and just raised a brow at him instead.

    Kai could only sigh in surrender and carefully put the helmet on her, not wanting to wait.

    "My pretty boy, are you finally falling in love with me? Huh?" she asked, her eyes narrowed as she leaned in on him.

    Kai just creased his brows. "I don''t know what you''re talking about."

    "Geez¡­ don''t be like that baby boy," she lifted her hand and pinched his chin, causing Kai to step back involuntarily.

    Kelly chuckled with his reaction as he shook his head. "Please, stop doing that," Kai told her, looking frustrated.

    "Oh c''mon, just admit it. You were jealous a while ago. I know it. Else, why would you pull me away like that?" She was smirking at him, looking triumphant, as if she had just won a fierce battle. However, Kai simply moved and strapped the helmet on her.

    "I did that because Xavier is¡­" he paused.

    "Xavier is what?"

    "He''s not good for you."

    Kelly''sughter echoed in the garage but Kai ignored her and he climbed on the bike.

    Kelly moved in front of him, flipped the visor of his helmet up and made him look at her. She did the same on hers as she bumped their helmets together.

 Chapter 227 Tomorrow

    <h4>Chapter 227 Tomorrow</h4>

    "You''re so cute. If not for these helmets, I would be kissing you right now," she told him, pursing her lips.

    Kai almost gaped at her. How could a girl speak like this? How could she be so bold?

    "Climb on behind me now. I still have things I need to do." He ignored her and Kelly smirked.

    "Sigh¡­ what a hard to get baby boy. I don''t hate it though," she mumbled and climbed up behind him. She wrapped her hands around his waist but as soon as Kai started the motorbike, her unruly hands started to crawl up his chest.

    Kai closed his eyes and sighed.

    "Please, stop that. Have some decency and act like ady," he scolded her and Kelly chuckled again.

    "But what if I don''t want to be a decentdy to you?"

    ". . ."

    "What if I want to be a dominantdy to you?"

    "¡­!"

    "Haha. Okay, okay. I think that''s enough for now."

    Kai was so speechless he didn''t know how to even react. He was really going to go crazy at this rate if he spent more time with this woman.

    They were about to ride out of the hospital''s garage when suddenly, Kai stopped. He brought out his phone and answered a call.

    Once the call was over, he turned to her and removed his helmet.

    "Alex wants you up there," Kai said and Kelly creased her brows.

    "Why?"

    "The wedding is tomorrow."

    Kelly choked. Omg! Tomorrow?! He just proposedst night!!

    "Are you serious?!" Her eyes wide.

    "Yes. It seems the talk is over and he has made up his mind."

    Kelly''s hand flew over her face. "OH MY GOD!! This is like a soap opera!! This is the sh marriage I am talking about, baby boy!!!" She was screaming as she excitedly shook Kai''s arm.

    ¡­

    Kelly rushed in Abi''s room with a big smile. She was so happy as she hugged Abigail, congratting her.

    When Alex left the hospital and went somewhere, Kelly was with Abi''s grandma started to help her look for a wedding dress. But to their surprise, a world-ss designer arrived at the hospital that same hour to discuss the dress.

    Kelly almost freaked out seeing this God tier designer who actually designed wedding dresses for royals and the biggest personalities around the world. But knowing the ridiculous Alexander Qin, she wasn''t that surprised anymore.

    The designer seemed to be well informed that this was a sh marriage so he didn''t waste a moment and immediately made a sketch of the dress Abi wanted. In just a short time, they both came up with a simple yet breathtaking piece. The designer praised Abi for her simplicity and refreshing taste and promised to bring the dress back this dawn.

    Meanwhile, Alex and Kai entered a shady looking shop owned by the infamous old man who was well known for making personalized wedding rings.

    The old man immediately recognized them and he bowed his head to Alex. Alex didn''t waste a moment to tell him about his request and the old man looked shocked. But in the end, he looked extremely excited to make the precious thing Alex wanted him to make especially when he saw that look in Alex''s eyes.

    After that, Alex and Kai went back to his mansion.

    Workers are busy in the spacious, grassy backyard as Alex went around, talked to the designers, and making sure that everything was perfect.

    He also went and checked the room on the second floor that was prepared for Abi and spoke with the doctors that were already there.

    Zeke wasn''t around but Alex had called him and demanded for him to be around the house once Abi arrived.

    ¡­

    Back at the hospital, Abi was waiting for Alex to pick her up. Her family was still inside the room, talking to her happily.

    Kelly went out for an errand so she wasn''t there anymore when Alex arrived.

    They spoke for a while and the family decided not to go with them. Well, the family thought about giving them some time to spend together alone, not knowing how vast Alex''s mansion was, so in the end, Alex told Abi''s family that a chauffeur would be picking them up early in the morning.

    Everyone was excited along with Alex and Abi, who were both excited but also a little nervous.

    The family sent them off after hugging Abi and kissing her goodbye.

    All of them then proceeded to head to the parking lot and her family got into one car and Abi and Alex went in another.

    Alex wasn''t driving the car. He was sitting with Abi in the back seat, holding her tightly in his arms with utmost care.

    "It''s okay, Alex. Let me sit," she said and Alex took a while to agree to her request. She could see him looking a little uneasy so she smiled and held his face.

    "Don''t worry, I''m perfectly fine," she told him and Alex tried to rx. He told the chauffeur to drive carefully so their trip took a bit longer than usual. Abi''s heart melted at hearing these orders from him, knowing that he was worried about her. This showed how much he cared about her wellbeing and she just shook her head wondering how she got so lucky.

    The sun was going down but the world was bright and filled with sunshine in their eyes. This was it, after one more night, they would be married and be able to finally call each other husband and wife.

    The feeling in their chests was incredibly amazing and wonderful. They could feel it. This was the best decision they ever made in their lives.

    "Are you okay?" Alex asked her again and Abi showed him her biggest smile.

    However, her smile slowly faded the moment she saw Alex''s face abruptly be grave as he looked past her with wide eyes.

    And then, before she could even turn to look at what he was looking at, with speed as fast as lightning, Alex pulled her into his arms, and everything around them shattered.

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    A\\N: please keep voting my lovely readers ^^

 Chapter 228 Collision

    <h4>Chapter 228 Collision</h4>

    Everything happened so fast that Abi didn''t have time to react. Her mind somehow was able to process that something big had happened, that they were probably involved in an ident but it didn''t happen in slow motion like she had seen in movies. It all happened as fast as a lightning strike.

    Thest thing she saw was the terror in Alex''s eyes followed by a painfully loud sounds ¨C groaning metallic screeching and ss shattering.

    And then, there was an absolute silence as everything settled down. It was then that Abi realized that Alex had wrapped her up within his arms. His big palm was covering her head protectively, her face was buried in his chest like she was almost cocooned by him, using his entire body as her shield.

    Abi couldn''t hear anything for a moment, until the iron grip that was holding her moved.

    "Abigail! Are you okay?" Alex''s frantic voice echoed in her ear and she lifted her face to look at him, to see what had happened.

    "I''m fine," she replied and her eyes widened in horror the instant she saw his face.

    Alex was quick to cover her eyes with his hand, but Abi had already seen it. Blood was flowing from his head like waterfall, drenching his face and trailing down his neck. He was hurt, he was injured!

    "A-a-lex¡­" her lips trembled. She lifted her hand to pull his hand off her eyes but Alex didn''t budge.

    "Stay still, please¡­" he begged. She felt his body stiffening, moving slightly, but she heard no groan of pain or anything else, just his breathing.

    "Please Alex¡­ y-you are¡­ you need to¡­"

    As her entire body began to tremble in fear, fear that Alex was badly hurt, Alex finally removed his hand from her eyes.

    "I''m fine," he told her when their eyes met.

    "No! Y-you''re not!" Tears began to flow from her eyes. She was terrified from seeing him covered with blood all over, especially after seeing the front of the truck that crashed into them, into him!

    "Shh¡­ don''t cry, believe me. I''m alright," he assured her and after checking her body, he calmly moved again. He pushed the door behind Abi open and asked her to stay still.

    He moved to climb out first and it was then that Abi saw his back. His clothes were shredded up. His inner white shirt under his ck jacket had turned blood red. Her eyes constricted in horror at the sight of it.

    However, Alex was moving like he wasn''t injured, like his back wasn''t covered in blood. He didn''t wince in pain, and nothing on his face or actions indicated that he was injured. If she hadn''t seen the evidence with her own eyes, she would have thought that nothing had happened to him at all. Alex carefully took her out of the car. Abi opened her lips but closed them again because no words came out.

    Alex was looking at the truck that struck them, his eyes as ck as the deepest pit of hell.

    Abi could only follow his line of sight as she tried to find her voice. She saw that door on the driver''s side was hanging open and that the driver''s seat of the truck was empty. Where did the driver go? Did he run away right after striking them?

    Her eyes then wound their way to their little car and her mouth dropped. The side of the car where she was sitting waspletely crumpled like a toy. The car went from being straight to an arc, the deepest part being where Alex had been.

    How were they still walking? How were they still alive?!

    She remembered that in the split second before the collision, Alex had pulled her into his arms and he managed to switch their positions around, cing his body between herself and the oing danger. Looking at where the truck had hit, she knew there was no way she would have survived.

    Her eyes slowly found its way back to Alex, because he was the one who took the force of it all instead of her.

    Her trembling body moved and she held him, looking at his body, feeling terrified as she surveyed him.

    Alex looked down at her, held her hand and then suddenly, he lifted her up.

    Abi was shocked. How was he still¡­ was he really fine? How could he be fine?

    Carrying her, Alex walked in the middle of the road. When a car stopped to see if they were okay, Alex gently put Abi in the passenger seat and silently forced the driver out of his own car.

    Alex took over the driver''s seat and drove the car away. He was silent and cold and didn''t look into her eyes again during the entire trip.

    Abi was staring at him as she tried her best to calm down, breathe and think. It was then that she noticed the murderous fire in his eyes as he looked ahead. His grip on the wheel was tight she saw his knuckles turn white from the force. He seemed to be struggling internally, maybe struggling to control himself, his rage.

    In the end, Abi remained tongue tied until the car stopped. They had arrived in front of his house. Alex was quick to climb out and ran around the car to open Abi''s door.

    She had just moved her legs to climb down when Alex took her, carried her in his arms like she was disabled.

    "Alex¡­ I''m fine¡­ I''m not hurt anywhere¡­" she told him but Alex just hastily walked inside the house, dashing up to the second floor.

    Abi was surprised to see that there were doctors already waiting there. When they opened the door, Abi could only blink again. It was just so like Alex to transform the ballroom into the most luxurious hospital lobby and thergest receiving room which housed her private bed.

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    A\\N: don''t forget to vote andment ^^

 Chapter 229 Im fine

    <h4>Chapter 229 "I''m fine"</h4>

    He put her down on the bed, telling the doctors to check on her immediately, letting them know that they were just involved in a car ident on their way there. Even though he totally protected her head, he still asked them to put her through on x-ray just to make doubly sure she was ok.

    "Alex¡­ I''m fine, it''s you who ¨C"

    Alex abruptly bent down and kissed her lips, stopping her from talking. "Hush, Abigail¡­ you don''t need to worry about me, okay? I''m not injured at all."

    "Alex please, you''re drenched with blood¡­" she insisted, worried death for him.

    Alex''s jaws clenched but he looked at her with a tender gaze. "This is nothing, believe me," he insisted and Abi shook her head again.

    "It''s not!"

    Seeing the worry and fear in her eyes Alex could only bit his lips in surrender. "Okay, I''ll have someone check on me in the next room. So please, let them check on you, now, okay?" he told her and dly, Abi finally let go of him.

    She hesitantly retracted her hands and she watched Alex leave the room.

    The moment Alex was no longer in Abi''s sight, he leaned on the door, shutting his eyes closed as he threw his head back. He clenched his fists tightly and gnashed his teeth in in fury. To distract himself, he brought out his phone and dialed Zeke''s number.

    ¡­

    Inside a car that was speeding like a bullet, Zeke was having a calm yet a little tense expression as he received Alex''s call.

    "Where are you?" Alex''s voice was tight, controlled, but still sounded frantic.

    Zeke already knew what happened and he knew this call wasing.

    "On my way," He immediately replied knowing what came with that tone in his voice. "I''ll be there in minutes."

    Once the call ended, Zeke told his chauffeur to speed up. He was certain that Abigail was okay because Alex was with her but knowing Alex, it''s best if he arrived there as early as possible.

    ¡­

    In no time, Zeke arrived in Alex''s house. He didn''t waste a second and hastily entered the house.

    He saw Alex by the door and he creased his brows upon seeing his clothes and the blood all over him.

    Zeke went straight to the door but as he held the door knob, he paused and nced at Alex.

    "Go wash those blood Alex, she''ll freak out is she sees you like that." He told him, even though he knew that Abigail might have already seen him in that state.

    He then pushed the door open and entered the room. When he saw that the doctors had just finished with her x-ray, he calmly looked at her before he spoke with the doctors and looked at her x-ray film.

    Abi watched him the entire time, obviously waiting for him walked over to her.

    Once he nodded at the doctors and finally approached her, Abi immediately sat up.

    "Mr. Qin, I''m perfectly fine. Please check on Alex instead, he''s ¨C"

    "He''s alright, Miss Chen. Don''t worry about him."

    Abi shook her head. How could she believe that he was fine? She saw what happened with her own two eyes. His face was covered in blood, his back was covered with blood and they were just hit by a truck!

    "No, he''s not. He''s¡­ he''s¡­"

    As Abi''s lips began to tremble, the door opened and Alex came in. The blood over his face was gone but the traces of blood on his inner white shirt were still visible.

    "Look, he''s all bloody. He''s injured!" she told Zeke but Zeke simply nced at her before facing Alex.

    "She''s alright, Alex," Zeke assured him, ignoring Abi''s plea.

    Alex''s shoulders dropped down, letting out a long and deep sigh of relief. He then bent down over her and held her face with his gentle hands.

    Before Alex could speak, Abi''s hands reached out and held his arms. "Are you okay? Did they treat your wounds?" she asked, worried sick for him.

    Alex blinked and slowly looked away. "I''m fine," he told her for the third time. There was an undercurrent in his voice that was seemingly begging her not to ask anymore, making Abi feel like something was stuck in her throat, rendering her unable to speak any further.

    "Let''s go upstairs and get changed, or should I go and get you some clothes?" He swiftly changed the topic. He was calm. No - this wasn''t calm. There was an undercurrent to this seeming calmness and she could feel that he was repressing something, his rage.

    "I wille with you." She climbed off the bed and before Alex could lift her up again, she said sternly, "I''ll walk."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes, Alex. I''m very sure. You protected me¡­ you used your body to¡­" she bit her lips, stopping herself from crying. She knew that he protected her, that he was willing to sacrifice himself for her!

    "Okay, let''s go." He held her hand and they walked out of the room, hand in hand, in silence, taking their time as they climbed up the stairs.

    Abi was doing her best not to burst out in tears. Alex lookedposed on the outside but she could tell he was not on the inside. So she stopped herself from questioning him and decided to give him time to calm down.

    By the time they reached Alex''s room, they both halted.

    "I''ll go get changed," he broke the silence.

    Abi looked at him and nodded, letting go of his hand.

    He held the door handle and pushed it. He stopped midway and Abi looked away. She was about to head to her room when suddenly, Alex''s said something unexpected.

    "Want toe inside?"

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    A\\N: Hello dear readers, please don''t forget to vote. Our goal is top 4 until Sunday.

    Also, please consider following my Instagram ount or join my discord server to interact with fellow readers and discuss the story. ^^

    Instagram: @author_kazzenlx

    Discord server: https://discord.gg/UGTA3A4

 Chapter 230 Desolate

    <h4>Chapter 230 Deste</h4>

    Abi was dumbfounded. She never imagined that Alex would finally invite her into his room. She had been thinking a lot about what was inside his room, about the reason why he never invited her inside before. Since the day she started living in his mansion, this room was like the forbidden ce that no one was allowed to set foot in, even her. So now that Alex was suddenly inviting her in, she didn''t know why but her heartbeat began to thunder loudly in her ears.

    "It''s okay if you don''t want ¨C"

    "I want to!" she cut him off. How could she not want to see what was inside his mysterious room?

    Alex finally smiled, though quick and slight, and Abi felt her body slowly calm down seeing that his silent rage might be somewhat dissipating.

    "Okay,e in," he told her and he pushed the door open. Abi''s heart raced in anticipation and curiosity. For a moment, her worry about him and his injuries were forgotten.

    "There''s really nothing much in here for you to see, though," he said as he walked towards the darkness. She was surprised that Alex didn''t go to the side to switch the light on. Instead, he lit up a¡­ candle?

    Abi''s mouth dropped as the candle''s light started to light up the room.

    "I''ll go for a quick shower," he told her and Abi just nodded, still speechless with what she was seeing.

    His room was not what she expected at all. Far from what she had imagined. It was like this room didn''t belong to this grand ptial house. It looked old,pletely ancient, and cold. His four poster bed was made up neatly, with only one ck pillow and no nket. The room was bare except for his bed and an old table, just like his room in Country V. But this one looked incredibly deste, as if no one was actually living in this ce.

    If Alex wasn''t here, if she didn''t see himing and going from this room countless times, she might not have been able to believe that he actually slept here, that this was his room. It was eerie and dark and nothing more. It was like the architect who made this entire house purposely left this room untouched and never bothered to do anything to it.

    This ce was just as cold and dark as Alex the first time she met him.

    She looked around once again, trying to see more, despite him telling that there was nothing to see inside. She wondered if the reason why he never invited her inside was because he thought this would scare her. She wondered why his room was like this.

    Her eyes fell on the door where he headed into and she peeked inside. She was d his bathroom at least had a lightbulb and not just being lit up by a candle. She saw hisrge wardrobe and she had a strange thought run through her head. She thought that Alex might only be using this room just to go and get changed or take a shower. She somehow felt that he might not even use the bed. It was totally strange.

    Looking at the tinted ss on the far end of the room, Abi saw his silhouette. She stepped back and looked around his bedroom again. She noticed the candle he lit up. It was set on another ancient looking candbra. The type that one would see in museums.

    She slowly sat on the bed, threw back her head to look at the ceiling before her eyes fell on the other table. Curious, she got up and approached it. She saw what looked like an ancient incense pot sitting on the table and a figure of a dragon was intricately crafted on it.

    Abi creased her brows. This pot felt familiar but it wasn''t because of the image of the dragon which immediately reminded her of Alex''s tattoo, it was the pot itself. She was certain she had seen this before. In her mind, she saw a wisp of white smokeing from it.

    Abi forced herself to recall where she had seen this before but unfortunately, the memory evaded her. She stretched out her hand, thinking that she might recall something if she touched it, when suddenly, Alex caught her wrist, stopping her from touching it.

    "Don''t¡­" Abi was surprised, not just with his sudden appearance from behind her but also because of his voice. He almost sounded like he was stopping her from touching something forbidden. Don''t touch that, Abigail¡­" his voice softened when he saw the shocked look on her face.

    His hair was still dripping wet and his towel was in his hand. He was already wearing his grey sweater and ck trousers. "Come, I''m done. Let''s go to your room. This ce is¡­ well¡­ dark," he said and he killed the candle before taking her hand and led her out of the room.

    Abi''s grip on his hand was tight. She didn''t get a thing. She thought some mysteries about him woulde out to light but after finally seeing his room, the questions in her head only increased.

    She looked at him and wanted to ask if he''s alright, especially his injuries and everything but something was stopping her. And maybe, she didn''t want to ask anymore because she knew he would answer her with the words ''I''m fine''. She watched him carefully as they walked and he looked so fine, moving like nothing had happened at all.

    "I think I should apany you inside, want me to bathe you?" he asked as Abi walked to her bathroom.

    "No, Alex. I''m fine. I''ll bathe on my own," she firmly replied and Alex hesitantly nodded.

    "Make sure to take care not to slip."

    "Don''t worry, I''ll be very careful."

    Once Abi closed the door, Alex sat on the edge of her bed. His hands covered his face before they swept up through his hair as he looked down on the floor.

 Chapter 231 Hellbound with you

    <h4>Chapter 231 Hellbound with you</h4>

    Meanwhile, downstairs.

    Xavier was wearing a serious expression as he sat across Zeke in the vast living room.

    "So, the wedding will still be on even after what just happened?" Xavier asked as he looked intently at Zeke.

    Zeke elegantly twirled the wine ss in his hand as he mumbled, not bothering to look at Xavier. "You think anyone would be able to change Alex''s mind?"

    "I don''t know what''s going on anymore," he shook his head in disbelief before he shot a disapproving gaze at Zeke.

    "I think you should be honest with him, Zeke. No one can save Abigail from dying. Her disease isn''t something anyone can cure, not even you. And is he serious? He''s actually okay with you using her as a guinea pig for experiments?" he bbered on but Zeke remained silent. "Alex is too optimistic. Even if the surgery is sessful, her body will notst long. She will still die, sooner orter."

    "Yes, she will die, sooner orter," Zeke finally looked at him. "Unless¡­"

    ¡­

    Back in Abi''s room, the sound of a blow dryer echoed inside the room. Alex was carefully drying her hair as Abi closed her eyes, enjoying this blissful feeling.

    His hand was so gentle as he held every strand of her hair, treating them so delicately and she loved it. She loved the feeling of his fingersbing her hair. She loved this peaceful moment with him.

    "Alex?" she called out, throwing her head back on hisp to look at him. "Are you okay?"

    Alex stared at her for a long while before he turned the blower off. He pulled her and made her sit between his legs. And then, he hugged her from behind, kissing her neck.

    "You''re not going to ask me anything, still?" his deep voice sounded anxious.

    "D-do you want me to¡­ ask? W-would you¡­ tell me everything if I do?"

    A long silence went by before Alex spoke again.

    "I don''t know. I''m afraid things will only get worse once you¡­ know."

    "Is it really that bad??"

    "Yes. I don''t want to burden you with more than what I have already given you from the moment since you chose to be with me. I told you before, my world is hell. You don''t deserve to live in it, and yet, here I am¡­ dragging you into it."

    Abi moved to look at him. His breathtaking face looked grave. "No, actually¡­ even if I let you go, it''s toote now, Abigail."

    "Because¡­ I¡­ I was already hellbound with you since the day I chose to live with you?"

    Alex fell silent and his lips slowly curved up. "I think¡­ those words perfectly describe it," he smiled, shaking his head before he became serious and caressed her face.

    "What happened today didn''t make you change your mind, right?" he continued.

    "Change my mind?"

    "About the wedding, Abigail."

    It was Abi''s turn to smile and shake her head. "I will marry you, Alex. As long as you want me, nothing can change my mind."

    "Even if I turned out to be someone horrible or even more than that?"

    Abi wrapped her arms around his neck and she hugged him. "I told you, I don''t care who you are. You are my Alex, the man I love. The man I''m going to marry," she told him with a determined, decisive voice. "Like you said, it''s toote, Alex."

    Alex''s stiff body finally rxed and he tightly hugged her back. Tomorrow, they''re going to get married and nothing was going to stop them. Nothing.

    "Time for you to sleep, Abigail. You still need to wake up early."

    "Oh, right. You too, Alex."

    "Don''t worry about me," he smirked at her and Abi was relieved, seeing that smile again after it disappeared for what seemed to be a very long time.

    "Can you read me a book?" she requested and Alex stood up and went through the bookshelves.

    "What book do you want?"

    "Any. Choose what you want, Alex. I believe there are no r-18 books in there."

    Alex''s pleasant chuckle tickled her ears.

    "Well, it''d be nice if there was at least one bold ancient author. I''m curious how they would write an ancient sex scene."

    Abi couldn''t help but blush, hearing him say the word sex. They hadn''t made love since the night they returned.

    It seemed Alex also regretted bringing that topic up. He cleared his throat and chose a book from the upper shelf.

    Alex then positioned himself on the bed. He sat, leaning on the headboard while Abi''s head was on hisp.

    "Long ago," he started and Abi smiled in excitement, but Alex suddenly paused for a long while and only continued when Abi looked up at him.

    "There was a prosperous kingdom ruled by powerful creatures. They were more superior than humans, stronger, more powerful and they could live for hundreds of years. A prince was then born by one of the King''s wives. They expected him to be another powerful creature but the prince was born without any superior qualities at all, as if he was only a normal human. He was the only one among the horde of princes who didn''t have the qualities that everyone else had. He was shunned by his family and became an outcast. However, this made him hungry for power. He wanted to be the strongest man who ever lived so he did everything he could to make this happen. Over time, from the bottom, he wed his way to power. He trained long and hard and in brutal conditions. He used his charisma and charm to gather loyal followers and built an army that was the envy of every kingdom. On one fine day, this outcast prince decided it was time to take back what everyone else took from him. He led his army back to the kingdom where he took his first breath and conquered them. He might not have been strong when he started, but in the end, he towered over everyone else. He became the strongest man the world had ever seen. He became King but his desires weren''t sated. He wanted more! He was hungry enough to want to conquer the entire world. Insatiable, he destroyed and conquered hundreds of kingdoms and countless died in his hands." Alex paused and Abi quickly asked a question,pletely drawn into the story.

    "Did this greedy king manage to conquer the world?"

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    A\\N: we fell back to top 5 so there''s no mass release :(

    But it''s okay, I know we can reach top 4 this week.

    I will give mass release if we stay top4 for five days this week so please keep voting for Abi and Alex ^^

    P.s. to all my paying readers, please consider buying privilege. Don''t worry, it only cost 1coin for two advance chapter. It means a lot to me if you can buy it. Thank you \u003c3

 Chapter 232 Changed

    <h4>Chapter 232 Changed</h4>

    Alex paused and looked at her when Abi looked up. She blinked at him, her big beautiful eyes silently pleading him to continue reading. But Alex didn''t give in and he slowly closed the book.

    "Reading to you was a bad idea," he said. "You should be sleeping by now."

    Abi pursed her lips. "But¡­ the story is interesting. I want to know what happens next."

    "But you need to sleep." He reached over and put the book on top of the bedside table. "It''s time for you to sleep," he insisted and without waiting for her response, he slipped his body under the covers, facing her. "I''ll read the continuation tomorrow night."

    "Really?" Abi''s eyes widened in surprise and excitement.

    "I can read you a book every night if you want me to."

    Abi''s lips curved up into a big, bright smile before a soft cute chuckle left her mouth.

    "I remember how hard I had to work just to make you read me a book but now, I don''t even have to ask. You''re even offering to without me asking." She giggled, causing Alex to bite his lips.

    He suddenly pulled her closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. "That''s enough. Don''t remind me how a na?ve littlemb actually managed to seduce a big bad wolf into submission."

    "I don''t remember seducing you. You were the one who was always seducing me."

    "Rubbish," he snorted and Abi giggled again. "Just because you had no idea how you were seducing me since the day I met you, doesn''t mean you weren''t seducing me." Their eyes met and sparks started flying, but Alex shut his eyes closed and pinched the skin between his brows. "Damn it, Abigail, listen to me and go to sleep," he sighed in frustration, feeling his little big monster waking up from its long slumber.

    "Okay, okay. Let''s sleep now." She finally gave in, buried her face on his chest and told him the sweet words, "Goodnight, Alex."

    "Goodnight." He kissed her head and Abi closed her eyes with a smile still ying on her lips. She wished silently that they could stay like this¡­ forever. She prayed that Alex was truly alright.

    ¡­

    The next morning, Abi''s family were standing in front of a huge mansion, looking up with extreme surprise written on their faces.

    Charles, the butler, opened the door revealing Alex standing just inside the huge double doors. Charles bowed, greeted them all and gestures for them to enter.

    Alex immediately greeted them as well and led them inside the house.

    "Abi just woke up but they took her away and are not letting her to leave the room," Alex said to them.

    "What? What do you mean?" Andrew butted in, looking concerned.

    "I mean, the stylists and make-up artists, Mr. Chen."

    "Oh."

    As the Chens looked around the ptial house in awe, Andrew spoke again.

    "As far as I remember, you said the wedding will be at your house, Alexander." Andrew sounded more like he was asking a question rather than stating a fact. He looked at Alex and the old couple also looked at him in curiosity because they also heard the same from him.

    Alex halted and blink at them. "This is my house," he nonchntly replied before he saw Kai signaling him toe over.

    He didn''t even notice the shock on their faces as he quickly asked them to sit on the luxurious sofa, ordered the maids to look after them, before he excused himself and approached Kai.

    Kelly then emerged from the grand staircase and walked over to the Chens who were still looking around in disbelief.

    "Uncle, grandma, grandpa!" Kelly kissed everyone and Abi''s grandma immediately questioned her.

    "Is this really Alex''s house?"

    "Yes, grandma. I know it''s ridiculous of him to call this ce a ''house'' but to him this is just a ''house''. Anyway, pleasee with me. I have to show you the setting and uncle Andrew needs to practice." Kelly grinned in excitement as she clung onto the old grandmother''s arm and walked towards the back door, ncing at Kai who was whispering to Alex with a serious expression.

    Time passed and the most awaited moment was fast approaching. It was past noon time when the guests started to arrive.

    Inside arge bathroom, Alex was looking at himself in the mirror. His hands were resting on the marble tiles, taking a few deep breaths. He bit his lips, fixed his already perfect tie and an involuntary smile curve on his face.

    He was nervous, and overwhelmed and damned happy. Looking at his reflection, Alex couldn''t help but look at himself in awe. He saw a man, a totally changed man, from the man he had always known, from the man who had always looked back at him with dark, cold eyes. It had only been barely more than a month since she came into his life, and just look at what she had done to him. In all honesty, Alex was the one who was experiencing the biggest shock from all this.

    Everything happened so fast. It felt like it was only yesterday when his littlemb first set foot in his house and started asking her very ridiculous requests. And today, he was going to marry her. He still could only shake his head at how unbelievable the series of events had been, from their meeting in that underground carpark to this day, their wedding day. It was still very strange for him to think that it all ended up like this. All the things he could never even begin to imagine before she arrived in his life was truly happening as if Antarctica had melted and trees and flowers began to bloom.

    Taking another deep breath, Alex''s eyes burned with intensity and he finally walked out of the bathroom towards the backdoor.

    Taking one more deep breath, he turned the door handle and the moment he stepped out, all eyes turned towards him.

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    A\\N: the second chapter willeter ^^

    Keep voting ^^

 Chapter 233 Husband and wife

    <h4>Chapter 233 Husband and wife</h4>

    Everyone gushed upon seeing Alex. His jet ck hair was swept to the side away from his face, showing off his ridiculously gorgeous visual. He wore a very well fitted ck tuxedo with a matching ck tie. His crisp white shirt peeked out from under his ck jacket which showed off his muscly arms. His ck pants looked like they were tailored to his exact measurements and showed of his strong, lean legs. He was simply the epitome of perfection.

    But what made him so eye catching was the quiet happiness that could be seen in his eyes. He was happy and excited and this made all the girls in the audience sigh.

    Almost all of the guests were from Abi''s side and even then, there were no more than thirty individuals present. From those thirty people, there were only three people from Alex''s side. These were none other than Kai, Xavier, and Zeke.

    dly, no one asked anymore questions about Alex''s family because the Chens already told everyone that Alex was an orphan, although they failed to tell the guests that the man Abigail was going to marry was actually filthy rich.

    ¡­

    Alex stood nervously as the procession began.

    The door then opened and the bridesmaid, Kelly, walked up the aisle. Kelly wasn''t the type to wear delicate dresses. She usually wore bold and colorful clothes so it was the first time for everyone to see her looking like a daintydy. She was absolutely gorgeous in her cream bridesmaid dress.

    The sweet music in the background started to change and the door opened again. Alex found himself holding his breath, knowing that Abi was about toe out.

    Abi stepped out on the arm of her father and there was an almost audible ''whoa'' of awe from all the guests. Her hair was pulled back away from her face and was set in a bun where her 2 metre long veil sat on.

    Abigail looked like a princess in white. Her dress was magnificent. Her strapless, heart shaped bodice was dotted with many small diamonds which caught the sunlight, producing rainbow sparkles as she walked down the aisle. Her bodice enhanced her slim waist and the rest of the dress ballooned from there in the shape of an A, slim in the waist and widening towards the ground.

    The setting was very simple set in the garden. The grass was so lush that it created a very eye catching contrast to the white of the chairs and the aisle. The aisle was made of a long, white carpet with white and pink rose petals scattered on each side of the aisle. White chairs were set on either side of the aisle in three rows of five to seat all thirty guests.

    At the end of an aisle was a simple, wooden wedding arch, decorated simply with greenery and whitece curtain while a blooming wisteria was like a painting in the background. While the setting was very simple, it was also very elegant and romantic, which was exactly how Abi wanted it to be.

    Abi clutched her bouquet, smiling at everyone, at Kelly and her grandparents before her gaze finally fell towards the man waiting for her at the end of the aisle.

    Their eyes met and everything around them began to disappear.

    Alex was utterly awed. He remembered the exact conversation they shared before. ''I want to wear that white wedding dress, walk down the aisle towards my soon-to-be husband, and say those vows. To dance and celebrate and live happily ever after¡­'' These words she had told him and her expressions were still crystal clear in his head and he remembered how he told her that she would marry one day but the groom would never be him.

    Recalling it, a smile curved on Alex''s face.

    He could hear his loud heartbeat as she walked slowly towards him. He thought he had seen his Abigail at her prettiest, no, she was always the most beautiful in his eyes but right then, Alex just couldn''t find the right words to describe her. All he knew was that at that moment, Abigail was taking his breath away.

    "Alex¡­" Abigail whispered his name as she reached him and they gaze deeply into each other''s eyes. Abi couldn''t believe it. They were actually getting married. Alex was going to be her husband very soon. This was so overwhelming that she wondered if she was dreaming.

    "You''re so beautiful, Abigail," heplimented her, his eyes brimming with raw emotions and Abi fought the urge to hug him.

    As the ceremony went on, everyone became quite emotional. All of the guests knew that Abi was sick and that she would soon undergo a surgery. They all thought that Alex was such a man and that he loved her so much, not only because he was willing to marry her despite her situation but because of how he looked at her since Abi emerged from the door. He looked at her like she was his entire universe, like she was his newfound life.

    Looking at them, everyone silently prayed as they listened to the couple''s heartfelt ''I dos'', that these two would live happily and that Abigail would survive the surgery.

    The moment they were pronounced as husband and wife, everyone stood up as Alex finally kissed his wife.

    ¡­

    The reception was set in the ballroom at the mansion''s second floor. Alex choose that ce because it was close enough to her hospital bed.

    The candles were lit up and the guests thought that they were suddenly teleported back to the past.

    Abi and Alex were happily speaking with the guests when suddenly, the music changed. Someone was ying the piano, apanied by a violinist.

    Abi immediately turned to Alex upon hearing the introduction of the song but her husband was already reaching out his hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked and with a big smile, Abi took her husband''s hand and they walked towards the dance floor. They began to dance, eyes locked on each other as the pianist and violinist yed their song ''Can''t help falling in love''.

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    A\\N:

    I will give mass release if we stay top4 for five days this week so keep voting for Abi and Alex ^^

    P.s. I will post the reference photos on my Instagram ount and discord server ^^

 Chapter 234 What will happen next?

    <h4>Chapter 234 What will happen next?</h4>

    "I can''t exin how happy I am, Alex." Abi''s eyes welled as they swayed along with the sweet song in the middle of the ballroom. "I can''t believe you''re now my husband."

    Alex shed a sweet smile and pulled her closer to him. "I love you, Mrs. Qin, my one and only wife," he whispered with his eyes brimming with almost delirious happiness. He had never been so happy in his life. He didn''t know what happiness really was until now, until Abigail said two little words ''I do'', until he could finally call her his wife.

    He was overwhelmed with all the emotions he never expected to feel but seeing that his beautiful wife was as happy as he was, Alex felt like this was the best thing he had ever done in his life. For the first time in his life, he was confident that he had finally done something right. He had finally found something worth fighting for.

    "I love you too, Alex¡­ I love you so much," she teared up and Alex was quick to gently dab her tears with his handkerchief.

    "Shh¡­ don''t cry."

    "It''s because you chose this song as well. You don''t know how emotional this song is for me. It reminds me of all the things we shared together."

    "It''s because this song is the only special song to me," he smiled, still leading the dance gracefully. "It has been stuck in my head since that night. I did think about having you sing it for me but I changed my mind."

    "Why?"

    "Because I didn''t want anyone else to hear your voice. I want to be the only one that you sing this song for," he smirked yfully and Abi finally grinned back.

    "Why do I feel like my husband is bing more possessive."

    "I''m always possessive when ites to you, my wife."

    Abi leaned her head on his shoulder.

    "Thank you so much, Alex. You are the best thing that ever happened to me. Thank you for loving me, for staying with me, for making me happy¡­ for everything. Thank you foring to my life," she murmured before looking up to his face again.

    Alex stopped swaying and held her face with his palms instead. He bumped his forehead on hers as the world around them crumbled into nothingness.

    He wanted to tell her that he was supposed to be the one thanking her. He wanted to tell her that words were not enough to convey how thankful he was that she hade into his life, that she came and wreaked havoc inside his heart destroying all the chains and shackles around his soul, not minding the coldness, the darkness that weed her, and freed his heart without his permission. He wanted to tell her that he had never truly felt alive before she came along, that she was the one who breathed life into his dead heart and soul and made him feel human again.

    "You are¡­ my entire life now. I will stay with you, love you and make you happy forever," was all he said and Abi embraced him as the music ended.

    ¡­

    In the corner, Zeke, Kai and Xavier were all leaning by the wall with their wine sses, their eyes on the couple dancing in the middle.

    "Darn, Alex looks so damn happy," Xavier softly eximed. "This is too good to be true honestly. I still can''t believe I wasn''t hallucinating when I saw hime out of that door and stand at the end of aisle. I never imagined this was even possible."

    "Alex has a heart too, Xavier," Kai mumbled, not taking his eyes off the newlywed couple.

    Xavier''s lips twitched. "Alexander never had a heart, Kai. Even the dogs in the street knew that very well. I don''t know why you guys aren''t reacting like me when you both know Alex''s reality."

    "That''s the Alex of the past, Xavier. Get over it and ept what he is now. This is now his reality whether you ept it or not!" Kai burst out, bemused that Xavier was bringing up that kind of topic on what was a joyous asion.

    Xavier shook his head. "Geez, Kai¡­ you don''t get what I''m trying to say at all. Look, someone like Alex having a family is something¡­ well¡­ something¡­ this just messed up everything, don''t you think? I''m just thinking about what will happen next after this."

    Kai closed his eyes and sighed. He wouldn''t kid himself. He had also been thinking about this since Alex told them he was getting married. What would happen next?

    Finally, the silent statue between them spoke.

    "If I were you, I''ll just stay alert and keep watch. Everybody knows, even Alex himself, that from now on, things are going to change. None of us knows what the future will hold and that''s part of the thrill, no?" Zeke nonchntly said before he moved and walked towards the couple who just left the dance floor.

    "Geez, that guy is not helpful at all. He''s supposed to be the one freaking out right now, you know?!" Xavier eximed in frustration but the moment he spotted Kelly, his frustration disappeared and he wrapped his arm around Kai''s shoulders.

    "You''re not going to ask that hotdy for a dance?" he asked Kai as another melody started.

    When Kai ignored him and just looked at the elderly couples dancing on the dance floor, Xavier smirked and patted his shoulder.

    "Okay, good. I''ll go and ask her then." He raised a brow and left.

    Kai watched Xavier as he walked towards Kelly and he didn''t know why he looked away.

    His one hand was on his pocket as he silently stared at the red wine in his ss. He had seen how happy Alex''s was. He had seen how he changed and for the first time, Kai wondered how it felt, felling that so called love.

    Lifting his wine ss, Kai was about to drink when he paused. Kelly was walking towards him. She was supposed to be dancing with Xavier right now...

    Kai was momentarily stunned looking at her. This girl always wear badass clothes and dark bold lipstick so he was quite amazed how huge the change in her appearance right then. It was like the tigress turned into a white cat.

    Kelly stood before him and Kai was about topliment her looks but Kelly reached out her hand and spoke first, causing Kai to be utterly speechless.

    "Can I have this dance?" She asked.

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    A\\N: Second chao willeter..

    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 235 Wedding nigh

    <h4>Chapter 235 Wedding nigh</h4>

    "Can I have this dance?" Andrew offered his hand to his daughter as the couple was about to take their seat.

    "Oh, dad," Abi smiled and happily took her father''s hand.

    "You still have the energy?"

    "Of course, dad. I feel energetic today!"

    Andrew then looked at Alex. "Will you let me borrow your wife?"

    "Of course."

    As he watched Abi being taken away by her father, Alex sat back when Zeke approached him.

    "Congrats," he mumbled as he sat next to him. "How does it feel being a married man?"

    Alex somehow found it weird, hearing these wordsing from Zeke. Alex smirked at him and shook his head. "It''s weird when you''re asking such things, Zeke."

    "Not as weird as you suddenly bing a married man."

    Alex just bit his lips, not denying Zeke''s words. "Well, I don''t know how to put it into words. And I doubt you would even understand," he answered, his eyes locked on Abi''s graceful figure as she danced with her father.

    Andrew looked so happy as he spoke with his daughter. "Congrattions my daughter."

    "Thanks dad. This is the happiest day of life."

    "I am happy for you Abi. I am so d you found a man like Alex."

    "I am so lucky. Thank you for everything dad."

    As the father and daughter continued dancing, a certain pair also owned the dance floor which caught everyone''s attention.

    "Oh my prince, stop being too graceful, I can''t keep up." Kellyined with a mischievous smile.

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about Miss Yang. I''m simply dancing."

    "Yeah, yeah. What can I do when I am not born a princess? Sigh¡­"

    "I don''t know how to stop being graceful. Should I go slower?"

    "Pfft¡­ why are you so cute?"

    ". . ."

    ¡­

    The night was still young when Alex and Abi said goodbye to their guests. Everyone left, knowing that Abi might be already exhausted.

    Alex offered that the Chens would stay for the night but Andrew politely declined, telling them that they will stay for the night next time.

    After seeing them off, Alex carried Abi back inside the house.

    They ascended the stairs and when Alex stopped in the second floor, Abi looked at him and she could already tell why he''s not taking her in her room.

    "Alex, I don''t want to sleep there." She told him and Alex looked at her.

    "But¡­"

    "Please hubby¡­ let''s go upstairs."

    With that Alex couldn''t refuse and he hesitantly continued climbing the stairs.

    Alex sat Abi on the bed and removed her heels.

    He then proceeded to massage his wife''s sore feet, not taking no for an answer. Abi could only enjoy the special service her husband was offering her and it felt incredibly good.

    After some time, he helped Abi up. He was silent and Abi knew why. He was trying to behave.

    "Uhm¡­ hubby, can you help me out of my dress?" she asked him and Alex cleared his throat. The reason why he wanted them to sleep in the hospital was because Alex wanted to restrain himself. He''s been so damn hungry for her but she was ill and even if tonight was their wedding night, there was no way he would let his desire take over.

    But his hesitation and restraint didn''t escape Abi''s notice and she held his hands. She looked into his eyes and gave him an encouraging smile.

    "I''m fine Alex. I''m not in pain and my body isn''t that weak right now." She said and Alex looked at her in surprise. "I''m not lying, promise," she vowed, tiptoed and kissed him before she turned her back.

    Alex remained still for a while but the next second he moved and he unbuttoned her dress slowly, letting his fingers trail on her naked skin as each button was released, sending shivers down Abi''s spine. As if she wasn''t already aware of his touch, he followed his touch with warm kisses, starting from her neck and moving towards her back and straight down to her waist. As he kissed the base of her spine, he undid thest button that held her dress up and a secondter, her dress fell down with a soft swoosh, revealing her whitecy underwear. She didn''t wear a bra because it was built in the dress so she stood half naked, with her back to Alex.

    The moment he saw her naked skin, he sucked in a breath, trying to control his raging little monster.

    Abi turned around, as if noticing his slight hesitation, and looked at him with her pure, clear eyes. She then stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his neck before she nted a soft kiss on his lips. She knew that he was struggling because he didn''t want to tire her out, but she wanted him, too. And tonight was their wedding night. There would never be another night like this again so she would take this opportunity to show her husband just how much she wanted him too.

    Abi undressed him, feeling slightly embarrassed at being half naked but this paled inparison to her desire to be one with her husband.

    She removed his jacket, untied his tie and unbuttoned his shirt faster than she thought was possible. She would never get tired of admiring his physique. He was just so well built and strong and muscr that she felt the fire of desire ignite within her.

    Alex carried his wife and ced her on the bed. He removed his pants in haste and jumped on the bed next to her.

    He gazed at Abi, as if asking her for permission and she answered him by pulling his head down to her so she could devour his lips. It wasn''t long before a moan escaped from her as Alex''s hand roamed all over her body. His movements were gentle and slow and he caressed her like he had all the time in the world.

    As they kissed, his hand wandered down below, curious to know if she was ready for him. His finger rubbed her over hercy panties and he was gratified to see it be wet from her juices. She was excited and he loved it.

    However, knowing how long their day had been, Alex didn''t want to lose control this time. He wanted to savour this night and he needed to be gentle to not exhaust her.

    So he removed her underwear and yed with her using his fingers until she saw stars. After she came down again, he used his lips and tongue and sucked and licked her as if he was licking his favorite ice cream, taking her to the heavens and back again. After her second flight to the moon, he moved upwards again and devoured her lips as he released his little monster from its cage.

    Abigail didn''t know where she was anymore. Her brain had melted down from Alex''s deft hands, mouth and tongue.

    And then, Alex entered her, inching in slowly, resolutely keeping in control.

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    A\\N: I''m going to post the reference photos on dicord and Instagram right now ^^

    Also, please don''t forget our goal ^^

    Top 4 for 5 days = mass release

    Fighting!! ^^

    P.s. I just want to thank all my readers who gifted mest month, I appreciate your supports \u003c3

 Chapter 236 My wife

    <h4>Chapter 236 My wife</h4>

    Alex pushed his little brother through her slick entrance and stopped when he could no longer go further. He stopped and closed his eyes, savouring the feeling of being inside her once more. Oh, how he had missed this, missed being inside her in this most intimate way. But this time felt different again because she was now his wife. She was his from today onward, to spend the rest of his days and nights with.

    When he opened his eyes again, he looked down to see Abi looking at him with eyes clouded with so much love and desire for him. That look was enough to make a man lose all semnce of sanity and control but no, he would not let himself do that, not tonight. He would stay in control to take her to Jupiter and back if only for this one night.

    Gazing down into her eyes, he started moving again, painstakingly slowly, as he pulled himself almost out of her and then he thrust himself inside her, filling her up whole. He repeated this over and over again, pulling out slowly and then thrusting inside her quickly and the sensations that Abi felt was out of this world.

    Abi had experienced being made love to by this man in so many different ways since that first night they made love, but this was a whole new experience for her. During their vacation, Alex was almost wild with his lovemaking, insatiable, though he always made sure not to hurt her and those experiences were mind-blowing.

    However, the way he made love to her at that moment, was so tender, so gentle that each stroke felt more intense than thest. This was because when he pulled himself out slowly, she could feel every inch of him stroking every inch of her sensitive walls and then the sensation of him thrusting inside her brought out a different kind of sensation again.

    Abi felt like she was in cloud nine. Alex knew exactly where to touch her, how to touch her, to bring her to the heights of pleasure. Everything he did just lit up her body like never before. She had never felt herself get lost like this, not even during their vacation. This time, she felt like every single cell in her body was tingling with this every touch. This time, she felt like she was giving him all of her, letting go of any reservations, doubts or worries about the future. This time, she thought of nothing except for him. And because of this, the explosions of pleasure that she felt were a hundred times more explosive than the other times they had made love.

    Alex didn''t increase his pace. He kept a steady, slow rhythm and Abi felt her desire bubble up for the third time that night. She moaned and her body arched toward him, wanting to take him deeper inside her with each thrust, but still, he didn''t increase his pace. His body was trembling from trying to keep himself in control, but also because of the pleasure building up inside him. He had no idea that going slow like this could also ignite that feeling within him. Trying to hold on to his sanity, he kept a constant, slow pace but the feeling inside him was building up higher and higher as he pushed inside her and pulled out of her, inch by slow inch.

    He didn''t know how long he kept this up for but the pressure was building within him and he could tell that Abigail felt the same. She would moan and beg and plead and pull at him to make him go faster but he was determined to keep true to his intentions. He kept going, each thrust increasing the pressure within him and within Abi.

    Their sweaty bodies moved in unison, like they were one being, thinking of nothing else and no one else but each other. With each movement, they climbed higher and higher until finally, their bodies shook from pleasure.

    ¡­

    Alex woke up early that morning. He sat up and watched his wife''s peaceful, sleeping face.

    A smile curved on his face realizing that this girl was now his wife and he was now her husband. It was still a little hard to believe but he couldn''t just sit there and think about all these surreal feelings anymore. Today was the beginning of a new fight. And he would fight for her. He would never let her leave him alone. Never.

    After nting a loving and soft kiss on Abi''s head, Alex silently left the room.

    He descended the stairs and saw Zeke by the firece, seemingly waiting for him.

    Alex sat across him, his face serious. "Is there anything that should be done before the surgery?" he asked Zeke.

    "I don''t think you should be worrying about the surgery, Alex," Zeke replied and Alex''s face darkened. "You know that everyone already knows that you got married. I''m certain you know what that means to them."

    An evil smirk shed on Alex''s face. "You think anyone would dare harm her? Do you think I can''t protect my wife?"

    Zeke looked at him. He was a little thrown off by Alex calling Abigail his wife. Although they were already married, it was such an amazing surprise that Alex would now call her that so swiftly.

    "I know you can protect her but I just wanted to warn you. They will do anything and everything to achieve their goal. And you must not forget that Abigail can''t afford to get hurt again, even a little."

    "I know. I''m not going to ever let her out of my sight, even for a second. I will happily stay by her side."

    Zeke leaned on the couch, looking amused. "Then, I have nothing more to say. There are still six days before the surgery. I know you already know what you have to do, Alex."

    "I know."

    "I''m going to Country V. I have something to deal with."

    Alex looked at him with disapproval.

 Chapter 237 Postponed

    <h4>Chapter 237 Postponed</h4>

    Alex looked at him with disapproval but because Zeke already saw thising, he immediately started to exin.

    "You don''t have anything to worry about. There are doctors here on stand by. I assure you nothing will happen. She is currently pretty stable. The good thing is she isn''t showing any symptoms so she should be able to enjoy the rest of this week normally. Just prepare her for the surgery and make sure nothing happens to her externally, that''s all. I''ll be back after two days."

    Alex rxed and Zeke finally stood up.

    He started to walk away but halted. "Also, sex is still safe for her. Just don''t overdo it. I suggest just once a day," he added before finally leaving the house.

    The sun was yet to rise so Alex headed back to Abi''s room, their room.

    He gently pushed the door open, not wanting to wake Abi up but to his surprise, his wife was already sitting on the bed.

    Alex was about to greet her good morning when he noticed that she seemed to be trying to catch her breath. Worried, he rushed towards her and held her shoulders.

    "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Come, I will bring you downstairs!" He was in a panic. Abi was sweating and she looked terrified.

    As Alex tried to lift her up, Abi suddenly hugged him. Her grip on him was tight as she tried to stabilize her breathing.

    "I''m fine¡­ I''m not hurt¡­ I''m just¡­"

    Alex noticed that she was shaking and he gritted his teeth. "Did you have a nightmare again?" he asked, his voice tight but controlled.

    Abi buried her face on his chest as she clutched his shirt harder. With just that, Alex already knew the answer. He caressed her back patiently until her breathing returned to normal.

    "I''ll take you downstairs," he told her and despite Abi''s protest, Alex didn''t give in this time. The doctors immediately checked on her and dly, she seemed to be alright.

    Alex felt the huge weight being lifted from his chest when they told him she was fine.

    "I told you I am alright." She pursed her lips.

    Once the doctors left the room, Alex gazed at her and kissed her lips softly.

    "Tell me, what kind of nightmare did you have?" he asked her and he saw Abi''s eyes dte. He could see fear in them no matter how much she tried to hide it.

    She swallowed and looked away, clutching the nket.

    "It''s just a bad dream, Alex," she answered but Alex insisted on knowing what it was about.

    His eyes narrowed a little as he spoke. "Was it about me?" he asked and Abi''s lips began to tremble.

    Seeing her reaction, Alex pulled her into his embrace. "It''s okay, you can tell me."

    "No!" she suddenly pulled away. "That''s just a bad dream. You don''t have to know! It''s just a dream! It''s just¡­"

    Seeing her suddenly acting strange, Alex started to feel an indescribable unease in the pit of his stomach. Abigail never acted like this before. What were these nightmares about?

    "Okay, I''m sorry¡­ you''re right. That''s just a bad dream, so don''t be afraid, okay?" He embraced her again, coaxing her. He could feel her messed up heartbeats. He knew she was terrified and he knew her nightmare was about him.

    Abi slowly calmed down and she began to tear up. "I''m sorry, I didn''t mean to yell at you like that."

    Alex shed a smile as she pulled away and looked at him in the eyes. "No sweat, my wife. I think you''re just hungry. Come, let me prepare you something to eat."

    ¡­

    In the kitchen, Abi sat on the table, watching as her husband cooked for her. Apparently, he had sent everyone away from the first floor for a day. The maids and staff took a day off and the only people with them were the doctors residing in the second floor and Charles, the butler.

    "What do you want to do today?" Alex asked and Abi, who was happily eating the food Alex made for her, looked up to think about his question.

    "Can we go out?"

    "Nope."

    "Then, let''s stay in the house and do lots of things that newlyweds do¡­ what do you think?"

    She was finally back to her sweet, energetic self.

    "And what are these things newlyweds do?" he asked, shing his mischievous smile.

    Abi blinked and tried to think of what these activities could be.

    "I think after the wedding, the newlyweds usually go for a vacation, I mean, a honeymoon," Abi said and Alex stood up and leaned closer to her across the table.

    "So you want us to go on a honeymoon?" he sexily asked.

    "But you said we can''t go out, Alex."

    "Who said we can''t have our honeymoon inside the house?"

    Abi wasn''t sure what to say, but she actually liked that idea.

    "Okay. So, starting from this second, we are officially on our honeymoon," she dered and it was Alex''s turn to look at her in surprise. He was only trying to make herugh but she actually agreed.

    He sat and cleared his throat.

    "Hmm? What''s wrong? Did my hubby change his mind?" Abi teased when Alex moved. He lifted her from her seat and made her sit on the table in front of him.

    He started to kiss the soft spot below her ear as he whispered.

    "My wife, you know what it means to be on a honeymoon, right?"

    "Of course."

    "Unfortunately, I am only allowed to make love with you once a day so we really can''t go for a real honeymoon. The official honeymoon will be postponed, once you''re better."

    ". . ."

    Seeing her dumbfounded expression, Alex chuckled and as he bumped his forehead on hers. "Too bad I can''t let you ride on me this entire week, wifey¡­" he teased and Abi couldn''t help but blush, recalling that spectacr all nighter they pulled on theirst night in the snow.

 Chapter 238 Calm

    <h4>Chapter 238 Calm</h4>

    The couple spent their time just cuddling and watching movies. Alex wanted her to have a good rest so he didn''t let her do anything physically challenging and opted to spend the day rxing and watching movies.

    She was energetic and sheughed a lot during the movie marathon. Alex also found himself smiling, not because of the movie, but because of the happiness and relief he was feeling from watching herugh and smile like everything was alright.

    It was mystifying, how just sitting here beside her, doing nothing, made him perfectly happy and content. It was mystifying how he couldn''t see himself anymore, without her by his side.

    ¡­

    Later that afternoon, Alex brought her to her hospital bed to take a nap after stuffing her with all the nutritious food her body needed.

    Abi felt so pampered. Her husband was being so protective, acting like such a mother hen, and she liked it. Although she wanted to do something for him too, Abi didn''t insist on what she wanted this time. She knew that Alex was doing his very best and that this was possibly his way of coping with what wasing. Her surgery was fast approaching and she knew what it meant. That was why for these remaining days, she would listen to him and let him pamper her. She also loved that she could cuddle with him as much as she wanted. She was not going to waste a single moment and she was determined to just be happy with him with all her heart and soul.

    When Abi woke up from her long afternoon nap, she immediately looked for Alex. He was there, sitting by the window, facing her. He was busy with his phone; a slight frown was ying in his gorgeous face.

    "You''re awake," he said upon noticing her gaze on him. Her hair was messed up but she still looked beautiful and¡­ seductive, at least in Alex''s eyes.

    Alex stood up, slipped his phone inside his pocket and leaned in on her. His palms were on the bed as he nibbled her lips. "You slept like a log," he smiled, mischievously.

    "A log? It''s sleeping beauty, Alex."

    "Haha. Nope, my wife. I''m certain you''re not sleeping beauty. You know why?" he traced the line of her cute and pointed nose. "Because no matter how many times I kissed you in your sleep, you never woke up," he smirked and pulled away. "But I''m notining that my wife is such a sleeping log." His smile became even wider and Abi could only gape at him before she managed to retort.

    "Well¡­ That''s because sleeping beauty won''t wake up if the one who kisses her isn''t a prince. But I am notining that my husband isn''t a prince." Hereback made Alex chuckle.

    He bent over again, taking strands of her hair and pulling them close to his nose and breathed in her scent. She looked up at him and caught his eye through his long gorgeousshes. "But your husband was a prince."

    "Was a prince...?"

    Alex suddenly paused and the smile on his face slowly faded. He looked like he regretted what he just said.

    "Okay, I have something to show you." He changed the topic and lifted her up.

    Abi silently held onto him, thinking about what he just said as they walked out of the room. It was obvious Alex still didn''t want to open up. No, it was like he found it utterly dreadful to even speak a single thing about himself.

    Alex carried her until they stepped out of the backdoor. Their wedding venue was no longer there and the backyard was now back to normal. The only thing that was left was the beautiful wisteria, still blooming so breathtakingly.

    He put her down and he held her hand as they walked on the green grass.

    Abi was curious but she didn''t ask any questions and just silently followed him, knowing that Alex was probably going to surprise her again. But, it wasn''t really a surprise if she was expecting it, right?

    Abi was busy admiring the wisteria tree that she didn''t notice an animal tied behind it. So when she stepped around it and saw that gorgeous horse lightly tied on the wisteria tree, she gasped in surprise.

    "200,000!" she eximed and Alex frowned at her.

    "200,000?"

    "This is the horse you bought for 200,000, right?"

    "Well, yes. That''s him. He became more gorgeous now under my care," Alex boasted and Abi suddenly hugged him in excitement.

    "I really missed 200k. Thank you for letting me see him again, hubby," she gushed as she kissed his cheek.

    Alex was speechless. Did she just name the horse 200k?

    After letting go of him, Abi approached the nice and beautiful horse. She stroked his shiny mane with a big smile.

    "How are you, 200k?" Abi asked the horse, enjoying how smooth and silky his coat felt in her hands.

    "I can''t believe that''s what you''re going to call him," Alex said and Abi nced at him with a raised brow.

    "Why? 200k is a cool, unique name, no? It just screams prestige. He''s definitely not a cheap horse."

    Alex justughed at his wife''s exnation. He never would have thought about naming a horse from the amount of money that was used to purchase him. How endearing this wife of his could be?

    "Fine, if that''s what you want." He nodded, before he climbed on the horse. He reached out for Abigail and made her sit in front of him.

    The couple then rode around the spacious backyard,ughing so happily as they talked, enjoying every single moment. They looked so perfect, so in love, so happy in each other''s arms. Anyone who would see them that moment would feel like believing in true love again. But to those who knew what was waiting ahead of them, this peace, this contentment and this overflowing love was just the calm before the storm.

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    A.n. Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 239 Are you really sure

    <h4>Chapter 239 Are you really sure</h4>

    "Are you sure 200k would be fine out there?" Abi asked as her husband stepped out of the bathroom, drying his hair with the towel. She was looking outside the window, even though she couldn''t see the backyard from there.

    Alex moved and he embraced her from the behind.

    When Abi felt his crisp breath caressing her skin, she moved to look at him but the man didn''t let her.

    "I might send away 200k at this rate," he suddenly said and Abi''s eyes turned wide as she turned around.

    "Can''t you tell when your husband is jealous?" he asked, causing Abi to blink and fall speechless. How could he be jealous of a horse?

    A soft chuckle left Abi''s lips but Alex still looked dejected. She thought he was faking it but when she saw how serious he looked, she began to swallow. Oh god, this husband of hers, was he seriously jealous?

    "Why would you be jealous of a horse? Huh, my husband?"

    "Well, you really enjoyed riding him and now you''re worried about him."

    ". . ."

    Abi didn''t know what to say. At the same time, she couldn''t help but smile with his expression right then. And then, she chuckled.

    Alex narrowed his eyes and the next second, Abi was pinned on the bed. "Well, fine then. I''ll make sure you forget about that little 200k, throughout the night," he told her, smiling devilishly sexy and was about to kiss her when Abi caught his face, still smiling. Ah, her husband looked so cute when he was jealous.

    "Hubby¡­ thank you for bringing 200k here to make me happy," she told him and Alex half bit his lips before he moved and let himself fall beside her.

    "I''m d you''re happy," he said and Abi sat up.

    She looked into his eyes before she bent and nted a kiss on his lips.

    "I want to make you happy as well so¡­" she trailed off and then she moved on top of him, straddling him, causing Alex''s eyes to widen.

    She started to strip right before his eyes, and Alex''s Adam''s apple bobbed up and down. His little big monster stood up, raging!

    "You said you weren''t going to let me ride you¡­" she blushed, embarrassed but still continued anyway, seducing him. "But are you really sure you don''t want me to?"

    Alex cursed within him. F*ck! How the hell could he say no when his wife was willingly wanting to ride him?!

    She continued stripping off her clothes until only her panties were left, Alex gulped and pinched the skin between his brows. When he looked at her again, his eyes were zing with uncontroble desire.

    "Please my wife, I freaking want you to ride me again¡­" he begged and Abi didn''t know why but having her hubby begging her like this made her body react. "But I''m afraid I won''t be able to control myself," his face became grave.

    "D-don''t worry about me, I am going to do it slowly," she told him.

    "That''s the problem, Abigail. I can''t promise that I won''t pull on you and move you faster. You know what I did in the tent, right?"

    Abi blushed again. She could feel his raging big monster. And then, an unexpected suggestion left Abi''s mouth. "H-how about I tie your hands? T-that''d be okay, right?"

    Damn, this wife of his¡­ did she have any idea how her suggestion was affecting him?! She was such a seductress!! Alex was stunned. Speechless. He never thought his wife would suggest something like this.

    "That way, you can''t pull me," she continued.

    Alex began to imagine it, being tied up while his wife rode him. Oh f*ck! Why did it feel so erotic?

    He rose up, he couldn''t take it anymore. He pulled his belt out and told her to tie his hands together with it. He knew this would be useless but it would at least restrain him a little and it would remind him about the limits while they were at it.

    Abi tied his hands together and then lifted them up over his head and wound the belt around the wooden headboard. Once she was satisfied that he was tied up securely, she then began to seduce her husband. She started by kissing his lips, delving into his mouth slowly, like a true seductress. Then she trailed down to his neck, just under his ear and sucked until a hickey was formed. Then she licked his neck all the way to his chest. She yed with his nipples, mimicking how he yed with her and she heard him suck in a quick breath. She felt his body stiffen and she smiled.

    She kept going down, kissing his abdomen, licking his navel and she drifted downwards even more. She licked and bit and kissed him, not sparing a single part of his chest while her hands roamed freely all over his smooth hard skin.

    At this point, when she was supposed to straddle him again, she stopped and looked down at his engorged manhood.

    "Abi¡­ you shouldn''t do that," he warned her, weakly but Abi just looked at him questions in her eyes. "Staring at it like that."

    "W-why not? Don''t you like it?" she asked, confused and curious because Alex always stares at hers and even always taking his time to admire her there every time he had the chance. Maybe guys didn''t feel the same when it was done to them?

    "No, it''s not that. It''s just that¡­ I might explode before you could even start!"

    ". . ."

    Speechless, Abi blushed and she began to straddle him again. Following the instructions, he had taught her that night, Abi started moving her hips, forward and backward, rubbing hers against him.

    Alex was in pain, in pleasure. He could not contain himself and his big little monster jolted from his increasing desire. Her slow pace was killing him. Damn, he couldn''t wait anymore! He wanted her inside! So damn bad!

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    A\\N: to my readers who still didn''t read my other books, I''d like to advertise my book "I love you, monster", do check it out while waiting for next updates of this book but please vote for this book still since ''I love you monster'' is alreadypleted.

    P.s. I know everyone is dying to know everything but I hope you guys will be patient. We''re getting there ^^

    Keep voting!! ^^

 Chapter 240 Son-in-law

    <h4>Chapter 240 Son-inw</h4>

    Abigail straddled him and rode him slowly, enjoying the sensation through hercy underwear. She was already wet with desire and she couldn''t believe how eagerly her body responded to him.

    "Wife, please¡­" Alex begged.

    "Am I doing it wrong?" Abi asked.

    "No! Yes! Darn, Abigail. Are you trying to ride me to drive me insane?! You''re torturing me right now, you know?"

    Abi looked at his pained face and she couldn''t help but smile. In all the times they had made love, this was the first time she was in control. It was a very different feeling to everything else that she had ever known. She had never been a dominant person. She was shy and she was the type of person who would follow other stronger personalities, unless it was something that she was truly passionate about. Only then would her stubborn personalitye out to y. She was definitely feeling very passionate at this moment and she found that she did enjoy this feeling of freedom, of being able to ''torture'' her husband like this. It was an odd feeling but it wasn''t an unwee one.

    Abi paused on top of him before she hopped off him. She stripped thest piece of clothing she wore, her eyes holding Alex''s gaze and the heat in the room rocketed.

    Seeing his wife stripping before him, making eye contact with him was the most arousing thing he had seen thus far. He couldn''t believe how daring his wife had be and he was nearly going out of his mind from desire. The little monster was so hard and so big that it was bing almost painful for him.

    Seeing her husband''s pained expression, Abigail didn''t dawdle any further. She straddled him again and guided his little monster inside her slick, slippery entrance. She then settled herself down, taking him wholly inside of her. He was so hard that it took a few seconds for her body to get used to his size. She wiggled her bottom a little, trying to adjust and a tortured moan echoed in the room as well as the sound of the belt pulling against the headboard.

    This was such sweet torture that and she hadn''t even really begun yet. Alex''s hands clenched on his restraints and it took all of his remaining sanity not to break through it.

    "Abigail¡­ please have mercy on your husband," he begged, clearly needing her to help relieve him from the pain.

    Abi started to move, forward and back, in slow motion, just like how he guided her that night under the stars. Her hips moved forward and back, riding his massive member into a slow trot around the racecourse. Her hands fell on his chest, pushing on them for support as she rode him. She had had a lot of rest during the day so she felt like she had quite a lot of energy so instead of going slow like she had originally nned, she increased her pace.

    Abi''s slick juices ran down her thighs as she rode him. She increased the pace to a canter and then into a full gallop and it didn''t take long before they felt themselves building up to a climax.

    "Yes, Abi¡­" Alex groaned as his muscles tightened. He knew he was going to burst soon and his mind started to fade into the realms of pure ecstasy. Abigail kept her pace up and in the next second, there was a ripping sound as his hands became free of his restraints. His hand then went straight to her hips as he thrust into her with his hips. He helped her, guided her until they both couldn''t take it anymore and the fireworks exploded in a wonderful disy of many colours.

    It took a minute for them to catch their breaths again. As they panted, Alex sat up and whispered in her ears.

    "What are you going to do to me next? Huh? My wife?"

    ¡­

    Abi''s parents came to visit the next morning. They stayed with them until lunch and spent a pleasant time together. Abi showed them her lovely 200k and her grandparents were amused.

    They were so d to see that their Abi was glowing with happiness. Her husband must have been pampering her a lot with all his love.

    After lunch, they all headed off.

    "Thank you for making my daughter¡­ no, your wife, happy. I can see that she is very, very happy right now." Andrew didn''t know how to thank Alex enough. They''d been a little worried when they were on their way to the mansion. They even prepared encouraging speeches because they knew the newlyweds were in a difficult situation but they were surprised by what they saw. The couple wasn''t depressed and worried like they thought they would be. It waspletely the opposite and they were the ones who gotforted by visiting them instead.

    "It''s my duty as her husband to take care of her and make her happy," Alex replied, making Andrew nod in satisfaction.

    Andrew raised his hand and held Alex''s shoulder, like a father would do to his son as a sign of respect and approval. "Okay, we will leave her to you¡­ son," he said as he smiled and then he turned his back and headed to the car.

    Alex tensed up for a moment. He knew he was now Andrew''s son-inw but he actually still couldn''t imagine himself calling him father-inw. He had actually been struggling since they came, about how he would call Andrew from now on. But now that he had called him son, somehow, Alex didn''t find it as weird as he thought it might have been.

    Watching their car leave, Alex grabbed his wife and brought her upstairs.

    "It''s time for you to take a rest," he told her and Abi just smiled as she pulled her husband into her embrace.

    "You deserve a rest, too. Let''s take a nap together."

    "Sure. Your wish is mymand." Alex shed his sexy smile and they both cuddled on the bed as they drifted to a peaceful sleep.

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    A.n. please don''t get tired voting for this book ^^

 Chapter 241 Awful

    <h4>Chapter 241 Awful</h4>

    Abi blinked as she adjusted her eyes to the light. She sat up and looked at the clock. She had slept for two hours. Her naps were getting longer these days.

    Her eyes drifted to the spot where Alexid on a while ago and she wondered where he went. She climbed out of the bed and went to the bathroom before she walked out of the room. Was her husband in the kitchen again, cooking food for her?

    Abi smiled at the thought of it. She wanted to go and help him out. They should cook together and feed each other. He was pampering her way too much!

    Thinking about it, Abi thought about doing something for Alex. She was being showered with love and everything so she must do something for him too.

    But as Abi emerged from the grand staircase, the first thing her eyes caught was Alex''s back as he entered one of the receiving rooms. And he was with someone, a woman¡­

    Abi paused in her tracks because she recognized the woman''s back. She remembered that graceful and elegant woman in a red gown that Alex had called an unwanted guest that first day she set foot in this house. Was that her? And why was her husband going into a room with her?

    "Oh my¡­ so you are Alexander''s wife." Another woman''s voice pulled Abi''s attention from that door where her husband and that woman just entered.

    She looked down and another stunningdy was smiling at her. She looked like one of those royals in Country V. She wondered why all these people were so elegant, so stunning like they belonged to a superior race. In fact, all the people rted to Alex were like that, and men were not excluded.

    "Yes, I am. My name is Abigail. You are... ?" Abi answered her politely but confidently. She had no reason to feel inferior to them, even if they were royals or filthy rich.

    "Amanda. I''m from country V. Alex''s acquaintance."

    "Nice to meet you," Abi uttered as she continued descending the stairs. Her eyes caught Kai and Xavier standing close by, their eyes wandering around but Abi felt like they were watching her closely.

    Abi offered Amanda to take a seat and thedy smiled as she nodded. They were about to head to the sofa when Abi nced at that door again.

    Suddenly, Amanda sidled on her and whispered in her ear. "Do you know the woman who is with Alex right now?" she asked and Abi pressed her lips.

    "Who is she?"

    "Her name is Leonor. She''s the woman Alex has been bedding the longest. In fact, longer than anyone else," Amanda told her and Abi couldn''t keep her cool anymore. She didn''t know she was this type of a girl, a super jealous type.

    Seeing Alex with that woman a while ago, she already felt like dashing towards him and making her presence known to the other woman to stake her im. And now, hearing all these things, she felt extremely awful. She never ever felt like this before. She had never been this jealous before. She tried to logically reason things out in her mind. So what if that woman was Alex''s girl for a long time? She was his wife now. Alex was hers now.

    "Don''t worry, Miss, they''re just talking about some confidential matter," Kai suddenly butted in, noticing the change in Abigail''s expression. He could only deduce that Amanda had said something disturbing to her.

    "Something confidential?" Abi asked him when Amanda answered like she was the recipient of Abi''s question.

    "Not really confidential to us though. I think it''s just confidential for you ¨C"

    Amanda didn''t continue her words because of Kai''s sharp re but Abi already heard the gist of it. She looked at Amanda who was now busy checking her nails.

    Abi felt her throat constrict. Even though she had agreed to ept Alex for who he was and even though she thought that it was okay that he didn''t tell her a thing, at that moment, she felt hurt. Why couldn''t she know if everyone else knew about it? She was his wife now so why won''t he tell her? Why can''t he open up to her?

    The pain in her heart was getting worse. She didn''t like this. She thought she could wait for him to tell her everything. She thought she didn''t want to force him but this feeling of being the only one in the dark¡­ for the first time, she felt unbearably awful.

    Unable to take it anymore, Abi suddenly stood up, surprising Kai.

    She started heading towards the room.

    Kai stood up and blocked her way but Abigail''s fierce eyes almost froze him. This woman never looked at him like this before.

    "Uhm¡­ Miss, it''s okay¡­ I will tell Alex you''re here," Kai told her.

    "No. I will go myself, please move," she ordered with a firm voice that surprised Kai yet again. He had always thought Abigail was a dainty and delicate girl, a soft and kinddy, probably the kindest he ever met but at this moment, she looked tough and fierce. Seeing her like this, Kai felt worried, not for her but for Alex.

    ¡­

    Inside the room, Alex''s face was dark, so dark his coldness started enveloping his body again after so long. His re towards Leonor was filled with displeasure.

    "Alex, I am certain you knew this wasing¡­ don''t act like this was some bad news you never expected," Leonor said, waltzing towards Alex and only stopping in front of him when they were only a few inch apart.

    She was so close, but Alex''s mind was too dark to mind her closeness.

    "Listen, I know you made a deal with Ezekiel but you know¡­" she started touching him seductively. Her voice nearly became a whisper as she tiptoed and whispered in his ear. "Can you really trust Ezekiel Qin? Have you forgotten what he always wanted? You are trusting the most dangerous man to you Alex. Remember, this is your only chance. If you choose her¡­ you will regret it¡­ forever."

    Alex gnashed his teeth. He clenched his hands to stop himself from choking her. How dare she say he would regret choosing his wife! He knew it was the other way around. If he didn''t choose Abigail, he would regret it forever!!

    But Alex restrained himself. He still needed Leonor.

    As Alex closed his eyes to tame his inner monster, Leonor suddenly cupped his face.

    Before Alex could react, the door opened, causing Alex''s eyes to fly towards it.

    Alex was surprised to see Abigail by the door but what shocked him the most was the look in her eyes. He saw pain and betrayal in them as she looked at him, no, the two of them.

    It was then that Alex realized that Leonor was too close to him, their bodies almost brushing against each other and her hands were on his face. Alex violently pulled Leonor''s hand from him but the moment he looked at Abigail, she turned and ran away as the door closed.

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    Don''t forget our goal ^^

    Top 4= mass release ^^

 Chapter 242 Figh

    <h4>Chapter 242 Figh</h4>

    Alex dashed out of the room. Upon seeing Abi heading towards the back door, he chased her, not even ncing at the surprised onlookers who were shocked with the sudden turn of events.

    The woman inside the room stepped out, wearing a little smirk on her face. "Looks like the rumors are true after all. Alexander has changed. Entirely," she uttered. "I never believed those things that were whispered to my ear but it looks like they were not a myth."

    "He truly loves Abigail, so please don''te here to create misunderstandings between them," Kai told Leonor and the woman just smiled so elegantly, shing her seductive smile to him.

    "If I were you, Prince Kai, I would worry about Alexander rather than protecting their perfect rtionship," Leonor replied, making Kai''s brows furrow. "Yes, she breathed life into him but soon she''ll also take back that life away from him. Have you ever thought about what will happen once the girl dies? Have you ever thought what Alex would do once he lost her?"

    Kai almost shivered after hearing those words. He didn''t want to think about it. He avoided thinking about it and just listened to Alex when Alex told him that he wouldn''t let Abi die, that everything would be alright. But maybe he was just being deliberately blind and naive and it seemed that Kai now actually thought that it would''ve been better if Alex and Abigail hadn''t met at all.

    "Well, we''re leaving¡­ I didn''t even manage to say hi to his wife. At least I finally saw her in person. She certainly looks one of a kind. It''s no wonder Alexander of all men fell for her." She smiled before she raised her hand and everyone that arrived with her, including Amanda followed her out of the mansion.

    "Sigh¡­ the perfect couple finally had their first fight. I hope Alex will be fine." Xavier nonchntly sat down as soon as the front door was closed.

    Kai''s eyes fell towards the back door. He was worried because he knew that all this was new to Alex. He remembered how he dealt with his previous girlfriends. He didn''t even care and just walked away without saying a thing when his girlfriend''s sulked. He never even tried coaxing them. Abigail was his wife and Kai knew she was the only one he ever loved and cared about but, would he be able to deal with this?

    ¡­

    "Abigail¡­" Alex called out as he caught Abi''s hand. He gently pulled her in and made her look at him just to see her in tears.

    Alex felt his heart squeeze. "What''s wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked, worried and panicked.

    Abi finally realized that there were tears flowing from her eyes. She didn''t notice when they started. Her heart hurt so much. She knew she needed to listen to him, that she must have misunderstood or maybe it was possible that the woman was forcing herself on him but that intimate image in her mind was impossible to ignore. Why did he let that woman touch him in the first ce? Why did he let her move that close to him?

    "Let go, Alex! Leave me alone!" she yanked her hand from him, causing Alex to widen his eyes. Abigail never acted like this before.

    He knew she might be jealous but he never thought she would push him away. And unfortunately, Alex never dealt with anything like this before in his life. Or at least, he only knew to ignore these matters previously because he didn''t care.

    "I am not going to leave you alone," he told her, not letting go as Abi struggled to free her hand from his. "Abigail, c''mon¡­ please, don''t exhaust yourself like this. Let''s go back inside. It looks like it might rain," he told her, talking so gently.

    "I don''t want to go back. You go back to that woman! I don''t care!" she yelled. Abi was shocked with herself. Why she was saying all this. She had never been this jealous before and she didn''t know how to deal with it. No, this wasn''t just jealousy, this wasn''t just about that woman, it seemed that she had been fooling herself for so long. She had lied to herself and thought that she was fine being kept in the dark, that she was fine if Alex never opened up, that she was fine waiting for him to say something and that she was fine being the only one who knew nothing¡­ But no! She was not fine! All the pent up emotions were escting to the point of bursting out. She wasn''t fine at all!

    Alex froze for a moment and Abi took that opportunity to get away. She ran towards the wisteria tree and hid herself behind it while Alex just stood there, like he couldn''t believe what was happening. He didn''t get why she was pushing him away just because of what she saw. Did she really think so little of him, did she have so little trust that she would instantly think that he was betraying her?

    Anger and darkness began to bloom inside Alex. He didn''t know how to deal with this. No woman ever pushed him away the way Abigail just did. He never thought Abigail, his beloved wife, would look at him that way. Like she didn''t want to see him. Everything inside him began to sting with every breath he took.

    Gritting his teeth, Alex tugged his hair and crouched down on the ground. What should he do? How should he deal with this?

    He cursed within him. He was angry, so angry he wanted to kill someone.

    Before he knew it, he dashed back towards the house, causing Kai and Xavier to instantly stand up.

    "Alex, Leonor already left," Kai told him, seeing how dark and dangerous he had be. This was bad¡­

    Seeing him dash towards the front door, Kai and Xavier widened their eyes. Damn! Was he going to chase after them? Alex had definitely lost it!!!

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    A\\N: keep voting ^^

 Chapter 243 Stupid!

    <h4>Chapter 243 Stupid!</h4>

    However, before Alex could reach the door, it opened and Zeke emerged. He just looked at Alex, expressionless as usual.

    "What''s wrong?" he asked, seeing Alex''s situation.

    "Please stop him, Zeke! Leonor was here and Abi and Alex fought. I think he''s nning on going after them!" Xavier''s voice thundered.

    "Move, Zeke," Alex ordered, his voice hard and dangerous.

    "So you''re going to chase after them? To what end? So you can sate your anger while you leave your wife here alone?" Zeke calmly asked, causing Alex to look at him, gnashing his teeth again. "You''re making things worse, Alex. All you have to do is talk to your wife."

    "She doesn''t want to see me! She pushed me away!"

    "And? Will venting your anger on Leonor make her smile at you again?"

    Alex clenched his fists. Knowing Abigail, what he was about to do would not be something that would make her smile.

    Suddenly, Alex punched the walls and kicked things like madman. Blood started dripping down from his hands as he cursed. This was the only thing he could do to stop himself, to take this anger away.

    The men just watched him and Zeke just leaned on the door.

    And then, a loud thunder roared from above them. Alex immediately looked outside to see the heavy raining down hard from the grey skies. His eyes widened in terror.

    "F*ck!" he cursed and he dashed back towards the back door.

    Zeke finally moved from the door as the butler immediately called the maid to clean up the debris from what seemed like an earthquake aftermath.

    "This is getting really serious¡­ don''t you think? Just a small fight and Alex goes crazy," Xaviermented and Kai, as always, defended Alex.

    "It''s because he''s not used to this. I think once they get over this bump, Alex will know what to do next time. By the way, Zeke, I thought you''d be away until tomorrow."

    "Yes, I just came back to get something. I''m going back there immediately."

    Once Zeke was gone, Xavier who waszily rolling on the couch spoke. "And what is that guy up to these days? I am pretty sure he''s dealing with something. What''s with all the secrecy?"

    Kai felt the same. Zeke''s calmness felt a little disrupted and even though it was faint, Zeke could smell the scent of blood from him. Did he really head to country V yesterday? What was he hiding?

    ¡­

    Back in the backyard, Alex immediately found Abigail behind the wisteria tree. She was sitting on the ground hugging her knees and crying.

    He felt like a sharp object was cutting him from inside out when he saw her like that. This can''t be happening. She shouldn''t be hurting like this when her surgery was fast approaching.

    The raindrop fell all around them and Alex immediately crouched down and gathered her in his arms, protecting her from the bombardment of the heavens. Even if she didn''t want to see him, he couldn''t let her get drenched and potentially be sick from this.

    But Abi pushed him away again. "No!" she yelled as she sobbed.

    Alex clenched his fists. Damn, this was hurting him¡­ damn bad. He felt like he was being strangled. He had seen countless people despise him, hate him and curse him to death. Not just strangers but everyone who was supposed to be his family. He was so used to getting that treatment that he didn''t care what people thought of him anymore. He didn''t care, he stopped caring altogether because life was easier that way. If he didn''t care, he wouldn''t get hurt and no matter what anyone said, it couldn''t affect him. That was how he lived until she came, but now, he felt like he was being torn apart from her pushing him away like this, from her telling him she didn''t want to see him.

    "Abigail¡­ pleasee inside. It''s raining. You can punch me and kick me and do whatever you want to me, but do it inside." His voice was low and pleading. Somehow, his raging demon was tamed. Maybe even his inner demons were as scared as him, scared that this would get worse and Abigail, his Abigail would end up hating him too. He was terrified that this would worsen her situation. He would never forgive himself if this affected her health.

    Alex hesitantly lifted his hands again as the rain drenched them. "Wife, please¡­ what should I do? What do you want me to do? I don''t know what to do! Tell me¡­ and I''ll do it. I''ll do anything!" Alex burst out, but still restrained his voice. His head was in chaos. He just wanted her to let him take her inside. F*ck! He should''ve asked Zeke how to deal with this because he had no idea at all!

    Finally, Abi slowly lifted her face. Her eyes still filled with sadness, a sight that rocked Alex''s entire being.

    And then she moved. Thinking that his wife would finally embrace him, Alex stiffened but the embrace didn''te. Instead, she pushed him onto the ground as she sat on him.

    "You don''t know what to do? You don''t know? How could you say that?! Stupid! Stupid!" she yelled at him, sobbing as she punched his chest.

    Abi wept as those words came out of her mouth. The rain had already drenched them and the sky seemed as angry as she was. "I hate it! I hate it! I hate that I''m the only one who doesn''t know anything about you! I hate it that those women know and I don''t! I hate it that I don''t know anything about you! I thought I was okay but¡­ but¡­ I am not! It hurts! It hurts, right here." Her hand went to her chest as she said thosest words.

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    A\\N: please keep voting my lovely readers... ^^

    If we reach 20,000 votes before this week end, I will give mass release ^^

    Fighting!!

 Chapter 244 Everything

    <h4>Chapter 244 Everything</h4>

    Alex felt like the lighting had struck him directly. He never thought he had been hurting her for such a long time now by keeping her in the dark. He didn''t know. He stupidly believed her when she said she was fine with it.

    "I''m sorry¡­" Alex mumbled, his voice raw with pain. He lifted his hand to touch her face but he halted midway. "I didn''t know that I''ve been hurting you. But believe me¡­ I¡­ I know I need to tell you everything."

    "But you didn''t!"

    "I know¡­ It''s very¡­ I''m¡­" He was at a loss for words. He knew that at some point he would have to tell her but he had been putting it off because for the first time in his life, he was afraid of losing someone precious to him. "Because I''m scared, Abigail!" he said with anguish as he ran his hand roughly through his soaked hair. There. He said them out loud. Those words were no longer caged within the deepest, darkest part of his soul. He had revealed his weakness to her, confessed his innermost fear and made himself vulnerable.

    He sat up, taking her with him and he held her shoulders. He looked at her, looking helpless, vulnerable. "I am scared that if I tell you, it will affect your health and that''s why I was nning to tell you after your surgery, Abigail. I just want you to be happy¡­ I don''t want anything to disturb your mind and health at this critical moment." His voice became weaker as he looked at her again with pleading eyes.

    "Why would you think knowing your secret would affect me?" she asked between her sobs.

    "Because it''s something that would terrify you¡­ and I am worried."

    "Why? Will someonee after me again?"

    "Yes. Look, I can protect you but I don''t want any trouble right now, Abigail. It''s just a few more days until your surgery. I want to give you a few more peaceful days and prepare you for the surgery. I''m sorry¡­ please stop crying now. I will tell you whatever you want to know. I will tell you everything. Just not now. Once your surgery is over¡­ I promise, I will tell you, I will show you everything that you want to know and see," he pleaded, touching her face. He was desperate.

    Alex hoped she would understand but when she just stared at him and continued sobbing, Alex felt even more helpless. Should he really tell her now? What should he do? What if something happened because of this?

    Before Alex could decide, Abi finally spoke.

    "Fine. But you have to promise me you''ll tell me everything, and I mean everything, the moment I wake up from the surgery, you understand?!" she told him as she stood up and began to leave.

    Alex was stunned. A light of hope shone in his eyes as he immediately followed her and hugged her from behind.

    "I promise, Abigail. I will tell you. Everything," he said, utterly d that everything was going to be fine now.

    But to his surprise, Abi pulled away from him again and shot him a look.

    "I''m not done with you yet! I''m still mad at you," she told him. Shocked, Alex could only let go of her. He thought they were fine now. Alex''s eyes red in despair.

    "Abigail, you just said ¨C"

    "I''m not talking about that! Stupid Alex!" she yelled as she covered her face with her hands. "Why did you let that woman touch you? Why did you let her get so close to you like that?! I don''t want you close to any woman! I don''t want you letting other women touch you. You are mine! I am the only one who''s allowed to touch you!" she yelled, gritting her teeth as her tears mingled with the falling raindrops.

    He couldn''t take it anymore, seeing her crying and hurting like this. He pulled her into his iron embrace, no longer letting her go. He stroked her hair and kissed her head, despite her struggles, until she gave in. His heart was still in pain but he felt like a huge thorn had just been pulled out from his body. He was so d she didn''t hate him. He was d to hear thest two sentences she said.

    He pulled away, looked at her face, and he began kissing her eyes, her tears. "I''m sorry¡­" he mumbled again. Even the words he never used before just kept flowing so naturally from his mouth. "Forgive me¡­ I didn''t mean to hurt you. What happened a while ago was my mistake. I didn''t know she was that close to me¡­ I was lost in thought about the news she told me and before I knew it, she was right there," he exined earnestly. "I''m sorry, it''s my fault. I promise, no one will ever get that close to me again. I am yours alone, Abigail. I promise, you''ll be the only one who can touch me forever," he swore and with just that, the ache in Abi''s eyes began to melt.

    Those words he said pierced through her, making her body weak. Seeing Alex looking helpless was her weakness and seeing that look in his eyes made it impossible for Abi to stay mad at him for long. "R-really?"

    "Yes, Abigail. My heart has been yours since the day we met. And it will be until myst breath."

    "Just your heart?"

    A smile of great relief curved on Alex''s face. The anger in her eyes dissipated and Alex''s eyes gleamed. He surprisingly loved it that his wife wanted to monopolize him. Damn, this wife of his had scared him too much! He really didn''t know what to do anymore if she hated him. No, he wouldn''t be able to take it if that happened. He didn''t care if everyone else in this world hated him and despised him, as long as she wasn''t one of them.

    Looking at her with all the sincerity he could muster, Alex kissed her forehead as he responded.

    "Nope, my mind, body and soul, too. All of me is already yours, Abigail."

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    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 245 Bad girl

    <h4>Chapter 245 Bad girl</h4>

    The instant those words left Alex''s mouth, Abi''s heart melted as they gazed at each other. The rain continued falling and for some reason, this reminded them of their first kiss.

    Alex''s eyes fell to her lips. He wanted to kiss her. But Abi beat him to it as her hands wrapped around his neck and her lips mmed on his. She kissed him wild like a raven, wilder than she had ever been, that Alex waspletely caught off guard. But the first thing that came to Alex''s mind were the words of celebration ''Yes! We''re finally okay! We''re finally okay.''

    d was an understatement to exin what he felt. It was like he finally woke up from sleep paralysis. He wondered when Abigail had be his everything. Right now, he felt that his love for her was nowhere near that day he confessed to her. He was falling even deeper every day and he couldn''t believe that a fight made him realize how desperate he had be for her. It was no longer possible for him to live without her.

    When their lips parted, they were gasping for air. Damn, his wife was so domineering and hot and what was with this heat between them right now? This was bad. He suddenly felt like doing it right there!

    Suddenly, Abi pinned him down again. F*ck, he was too aroused! He couldn''t believe his body was acting like a leaf that she could push and pull anytime she wanted. He could see the domineering wildness in her eyes and Alex almost lost it.

    As Abi was about to kiss him again, Alex stopped her with all the sanity he could muster.

    "Wife please, let''s go inside. I can''t let you stay out here in the rain anymore," he said and before Abi could respond, he gathered her up and dashed inside the house. Alex was damn so hard and his mind was full of want for her.

    He didn''t even see the men who stared at them and just dashed up the stairs with her in his arms. The moment the door of their room closed, their lips immediately collided, as if they were so damn starved. They both were surprised with the intensity of their desire and at that moment, they embodied the famous saying; that make up sex was to die for.

    It didn''t take long before Abi was already naked. Alex sat on the bed, with Abi straddling him. They looked into each other''s eyes. Their bodies were cold and slick from the rain but the sight of Abi looking like a mermaid siren was enough to make Alex go insane.

    Abi gently cupped his face and her eyes turned slightly ashamed. "I think I''ve be a bad girl, Alex," she suddenly said, making Alex''s eyes widen for a moment.

    Alex''s lips curved up as he held her hand and kissed them and licked them as he looked up at her seductively through his dark thickshes.

    "Nope, you''re still my good girl, Abigail¡­ but I love your bad girl side, too," he uttered and Abi blushed.

    "R-really?"

    Alex nodded without hesitation as he continued sucking her finger.

    "Then¡­ you won''t mind if I punish you?" she told him and Alex paused in utter surprise.

    "You want to punish me?" Alex almost smirked but he restrained himself. What if she was talking about a different kind of punishment and not the naughty kind that he thought of?

    "Yes. For making me cry."

    "May I know what kind of punishment you are talking about?"

    She didn''t answer him. Instead she hopped off him and pulled him up off the bed. She then dragged him inside the bathroom, under the shower. The heat between them was strong but her body started to feel the cold of the pouring rain seep into her bones so she decided that they needed to take a hot shower so that they wouldn''t get sick. But she also thought that this would be the perfect setting for his punishment.

    She ced him in the middle of the shower and turned the water to full st and the hot water instantly warmed up their bodies.

    "We are going to have a shower together. But, you''re not allowed to touch me, understand?" she asked.

    Alex could only swallow and nod at her. This punishment¡­ he didn''t know if he would survive it. His desire skyrocketed as he watched Abi move closer to him until their naked bodies touched each other. Her arms roamed over his arms up to his shoulders, behind his neck and crawled up the back of his head. Alex clenched his fists, struggling to control his arms as they instinctively wanted to crush her body into his. But he restrained himself. He kept his arms at his sides but they were not in a rxed state. They were strained and tight as coiled springs, ready to pounce the moment she allowed it.

    Abi pulled his head down so that she could kiss him and she did so passionately but suddenly, she let go and stepped back, removing the heat of her body from his. Abigail didn''t know where she got her confidence from but at that moment, she no longer felt like her shy self. It was almost as if the moment she saw the woman touch her husband, something inside her awakened. It was like she wanted to show him and make him remember that he was hers alone. She felt daring, she felt in control and it felt good.

    Her once shy gaze had flipped into one of confidence and a little bit of mischief as she locked her eyes with his.

    Seeing that confidence in her eyes and the yful smile on her lips, Alex almost sumbed to temptation. He had never seen this in Abigail before and it rocked his mind. It turned him on in ways that he had never thought possible. The lustful beast within him was screaming to be freed to devour this seductress before him. But Alex held on. By some miracle, he managed to keep himself still and rooted to his spot.

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    We didn''t reached too 4 this week so no mass release again T^T

    Can we reach top 4 next week? If we can, I will serenade you guys XD

    Same goal this following week hellbounders ^^

    TOP 4= MASS RELEASE

    KEEP VOTING!! ^^

 Chapter 246 So bad

    <h4>Chapter 246 So bad</h4>

    Abi grabbed the soap and, still holding his gaze, started to wash herself. Soap suds trailed behind the soap as shethered her whole body, starting from her neck to down to her t stomach, covering her slick skin with soapy bubbles.

    Alex was the first to break eye contact as his eyes hungrily followed her hands. He imagined that his hands were the ones roaming all over her, imagined the taste of her skin and his body turned rigid. He couldn''t believe this was the punishment Abigail came up with. This was indeed torturous.

    After cleaning herself with the soap, it was Alex''s turn to be washed. With the soap in her hand, she started to wash him but this was very different to the way she had washed him that first time they had a shower together. Unlike the brisk, no nonsense scrubbing she had conducted previously, this time was much more measured, sensual and intimate.

    It seemed she had taken his lesson to heart that day when he showed her how to ''wash'' him properly. Now he didn''t know if he should regret showing her or if he should be rejoicing instead. He was torn between thend of pleasure and pain and she was doing this to him. Did she know what she was doing to him? Did she care?

    Abigail''s hands trailed downwards and she knelt on the floor to ''clean'' his thighs and legs. Her face, her lips, were so close to...

    "Abigail... " He just managed to tear her name out from his lips as his breathing became jagged and the swollen little monster twitched. It was itching to be inside her but he kept himself rooted on the same spot. He only managed to do it by thinking that he had made Abigail cry and that he deserved this bittersweet torment she was giving him.

    Abi''s hands stilled when she heard him call out her name. She looked up and her lips identally brushed against his... Both of them were shocked. Alex almost cursed. He couldn''t believe Abi''s soft lips just touched his tip. Oh damn, this was driving him insane! Did she do that on purpose? Did¡­ did his littlemb want to kiss him there?!

    Alex bit his lips so hard to stop himself from telling her to lick him, suck him¡­ there. He looked down again after throwing his head back and saw her staring at his raging monster, so close that he could feel her warm breath caressing it. Darn, he was going to burst.

    "Wife¡­ please¡­ this is too much¡­" he uttered, clenching his fists so that he would not reach out and hold her head and guide it towards himself.

    Abi looked up and saw the torture on her husband''s face and she was shocked that a smile curved on her lips. She liked it when he begged for her. She liked it when he became crazy for her. She liked it when he craved for her like that. She loved that she could get him to react like this.

    It was shocking, these thoughts that ran through her mind right then. She never thought she would find pleasure in this. She had never imagined doing anything like this. It was as if her body had been possessed by a siren, and she was perhaps the one who was shocked the most. Had she really be a bad girl? If not, then Why would she enjoy making her husband beg and go crazy for her? Why would she enjoy watching the expression of pleasurable pain on his face?

    Abigail couldn''t find an answer but at that moment, she decided not to think about the why''s and how''s and just continue what she was doing. Truth was that Abi had browsed her phone that morning when she remembered what Alex told herst night. ''What could she do to him next?''

    She read an article while her husband was in the shower and she read something she found unbelievable. She was utterly embarrassed when she imagined it. She even shook her head and closed the article immediately. She thought she could never do something like that even though the article enunciated that it was something extremely pleasurable to men.

    However, what happened today awakened something in her. Seeing his reaction the moment her lips identally brushed him there made her think that Alex must want it. But what riled her up the most was the thought that¡­''his past girlfriends must have done that to him''.

    Abi felt the possessiveness she had never felt before bubble up to the surface. If those girls did that to him then why couldn''t she do it. She wanted to overwrite everything those other girls did to him. She wanted to overwrite everything and make him totally forget about his past experiences and leave him with nothing but memories of only her. She wanted to drive him insane and make him feel so good that he would crave for no else but her. Alex was her husband now. There was no more reason for her to get shy and feel embarrassed. She felt like she could do anything she wanted to him and make him go mad for her. Because he was hers and hers alone, forever.

    Feeling much braver than ever, Abi poked her tongue and licked him, like a little kitten licking milk from a bowl. Alex groaned. She was looking up at him as she did that, watching his reaction.

    She didn''t know how to do this because she stopped reading that article before it reached the topic of ''how to do it''. All she remembered was the words ''lick it like it''s the most delicious ice cream''. But herck of knowledge didn''t stop her, not this time. She remembered how good it was when Alex kissed her most sensitive spot so this should have the same effect for him, right?

    Thinking about the most delicious ice cream in the world, the soap fell to the floor as she wrapped her hand around his little big monster.

    Alex''s knees almost copsed from under him as he felt her squeeze him a little. His arms raised up to touch but she was halted by her whisper, "Uh-uh¡­ no touching, remember?"

    His hands flew towards his own head and he tugged his hair. Damn! He knew he deserved her punishment but Alex never thought that his wife would bloom to be such a bad, sweet girl and thatbination turned him on to no end.

    Before any more thoughts could form in his mind, he felt her sweet hot tongue start to lick him and his body tingled with pleasure. She was licking him like he was an ice cream cone and the sweet innocencebined with her daring confidence almost set him off like an atomic bomb. Fortunately, she backed off just in time to take a breath and the bomb cooled down by a fraction.

    "Oh f*ck, Abi¡­ you''re so bad¡­ so bad¡­" he groaned.

    Abi started licking him again as her hands moved up and down his length,bining her knowledge of using her hands and now her tongue on him. She licked him, from the bottom to the top and her quick little flicks on his tip caused him to shudder.

    Abi noticed his reaction and from that point on, she concentrated on the tip of the little big monster because it seemed to her that this got a reaction from him.

    What Abi was doing was definitely torture. This experience made sure that he would never make his wife mad again.

    She continued the torment, her tongue and hands destroying his sanity as finally, the atomic bomb exploded with a bang.

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    Second chapter willeter ^^

    Keep voting

 Chapter 247 Cursed

    <h4>Chapter 247 Cursed</h4>

    Alex was drying Abi''s hair after his punishment had been handed to him. That was such one hell of a kind experience for him and even Abi felt that their sex life as husband and wife wouldn''t be as innocent as it once had been after tonight.

    Once her hair was dry and the knotsbed out, Alex gathered her and tucked her in the bed. A soft gentle kissnded on her forehead.

    "Are you okay? I hope you aren''t too exhausted," he told her, his eyes loving and gentle.

    She smiled and a soft blush crept up her cheeks. The bad girl was gone and his innocent littlemb was back again.

    "I''m fine," she assured him and Alex sat next to her.

    "Should I read you the continuation of that story before you sleep?"

    Abi looked at him with wide eyes. This was the first time he offered to read her a book. And yes, she almost forgot about that story.

    "Yes hubby¡­ please. I want to know the continuation of that book!" she eximed. She looked excited.

    Looking at her face now, Alex''s eyes brimmed with dness. He couldn''t believe this wife of his had just been crying just a while ago.

    Abi then watched her husband as he stood up and got the book. He positioned her and made hery on hisp as he stroked her hair.

    "Okay, I''m going to start now."

    "Mm."

    "The prince who had be the ruthless emperor of a vast empire started to sail around the world and conquered every kingdom in sight. He was powerful and none could stand against him. However, in one of the biggest kingdoms he conquered, a queen, sentenced to death by him, told him , ''you will never conquer the world. You know why? The world is vast but you will grow old one day and die.''

    The ruthless emperor mercilessly killed the queen. He became more of a demon than human. But what that queen told him started to bug him. ''She was right,'' he thought. If he wanted to conquer the world, if he wanted to rule the world and make everyone submit to him, he must not die, he must not grow old; he must live forever.

    Thus, the ruthless emperor halted his quest of conquering kingdoms. He searched the world to find the source of eternal life. In one of his trips, he caught a witch who told him about thest dragon rumored to be guarding the gates of hell. The witch told him that he had to defeat the dragon and drink its blood. That was the only way he could be an immortal.

    The ruthless emperor didn''t hesitate. He went and found the dragon. His greed consumed him. He sacrificed hundreds of thousands of his own soldiers to defeat the dragon.

    After years of battle, he seeded. He was able to kill it with his own two hands and drink its blood."

    "Did he be immortal?" Abi asked when Alex paused. She didn''t know why but the story piqued her interest so much, even though she felt like Alex was omitting a lot of things from the book and was just summarizing it.

    "I think you should sleep now."

    "Please, Alex¡­ a little bit more¡­ there''s no way I can sleep without knowing what happens next."

    Alex stared at her in silence but in the end, he couldn''t refuse.

    "The witch was right. Drinking the blood of that dragon gave him immortal life. From that day on, the world trembled under his feet. He conquered and killed without mercy until he sat on the throne as the king of the world. He seeded in bing the most powerful being in the world and the powerful race where he once belonged to, became his ves. The royal family, his own family who cast him away, became his servants. He had be the devil in human form and he became worse by the day.

    But years began to pass by like days in his eyes. All the people he knew eventually died before his eyes and even the superior race that could live for hundreds of years died as well. He watched them leave the world and became one with the dust, forgotten by time.

    He began to get bored and he began to get sick of it - living. He had done what he wanted to do and there was nothing left for him to do but watch everyone die.

    After a thousand years, he left his throne. He disappeared and the kingdoms began to rule their own again. Because the ruthless king never came back."

    "What happened to him?"

    "He spent his days looking for something meaningful to live for, something to make his long life bearable, but after searching for so long, he could not find it. So he started wanting to die. He tried many ways to kill himself. He jumped into the ocean to drown himself, he starved himself, set himself on fire, asked someone to cut him into pieces, and many more but he just couldn''t die."

    "He didn''t die even if they cut his head?"

    "He didn''t. He would regenerate instantly."

    "What happened to him next?"

    "He then realized that, far toote, that immortal life was a curse. That he was cursed. The ruthless emperor spent another thousands of years looking for ways to die. This was hisst wish, to die and end his cursed life."

    Abi didn''t know why but she felt sympathetic towards the ruthless emperor.

    "Did he find a way to die?"

    "No¡­ but one day, he ended up back in the Kingdom where he was born. The royal family was still ruled by the descendants of his powerful family. The superior creatures knew about him but to themon human, he was now just a myth.

    The king of that kingdom and everyone else in it bowed to him. He decided to stay there without a purpose. He just wanted to die.

    While he was there, the queen, gifted with the gift of sight, had a dream. She dreamt that one day, someone would be born who would be able to kill him."

    "Someone?" Abi asked in great curiosity but Alex had closed the book.

    "It''s prettyte, my wife. Let''s stop here."

    "But¡­"

    "Shh¡­ there''s still tomorrow."

    Alex kissed her lips to stop her from protesting and then he put the book on the table and turned the light off before he pulled her into his arms.

    "Sleep now, Abigail. I can''t let you stay awake anymore," he said and Abi no longer insisted.

    However, she couldn''t sleep.

    "It''s ironic, isn''t it." Abi suddenly said in the darkness.

    "Hm?"

    "The ruthless emperor''s story."

    "Why do you think it''s ironic?"

    "Because we''replete opposites. He is seeking death while I am seeking life."

    ". . ."

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    We didn''t reached too 4 this week so no mass release again T^T

    Can we reach top 4 next week? If we can, I will serenade you guys XD

    But yeah, I hope we will reach our goal this time ^^

    Same goal this following week hellbounders ^^

    TOP 4= MASS RELEASE

    SO KEEP VOTING!! ^^

 Chapter 248 What if

    <h4>Chapter 248 What if</h4>

    The sun was out and streaming across the bedroom when Alex woke up. His wife was still sleeping so he quietly left the bed and went to shower. As his water dripped down his body, he couldn''t help but remember thest time he was in this shower and all the tantalising images that Abi had imprinted within his mind. The shower quickly turned from hot to cold to cool his body and his mind.

    He dried off his body and wrapped a towel around his waist as he used another towel to dry his hair. He walked out of the bathroom and noticed that Abi was awake.

    "Good morning," he greeted her with a smile, still drying his hair as he walked half naked before her, disying his wless body.

    The still half-awake Abi looked at him, surprised and pleased. A sweet smile curved on her face as she greeted him back. "Good morning."

    Alex walked towards her and his palms pressed against the bed as he bent down and gave her a good morning peck on her cheek. "Did you have a good sleep?" he asked, surveying her face.

    Abi rubbed her eyes a little before she looked at him, his towel was draped around his neck and his hair still wet. She couldn''t believe a sexy god was standing before her, half naked, so early in the morning.

    Reaching out for the towel, Abi draped it on his head and continued to dry his hair. "I slept well," she told him and Alex shed his glorious smile, letting her do whatever she wanted to with him.

    "Okay, go and get dressed," Abi pulled away and Alex finally pulled himself up.

    "Wife, why do I feel like you don''t want to see me naked?" A smirk curved on his face and he bent down again, his nose nearly rubbing hers. "Is it because¡­ I am arousing you just by standing before you half-naked?"

    Abi bit her lips. Her husband was teasing her but this time, Abi didn''t blush. Instead, she lifted her finger and touched his chin.

    "Yes¡­" she told him, her gaze turned deadly sexy. "I feel like you''re asking me to punish you again," she added and Alex''s first reaction was a gulp. Oh god! What did his wife just say? The bad girl was showing up again!

    Alex pulled away and cleared his throat. "Okay, I''ll go get changed."

    With just that, Alex turned and headed to the door as Abi silently chuckled. However, her smile instantly faded when she saw his back.

    ¡­

    The couple spent another day just doing mundane things as they spent the day with each other. There were only three more days before Abi''s surgery so Alex was extra careful. He forbade anyone to visit the house, no matter who it was, unless they were a doctor. He was determined not to cause anymore disturbances or give any reason for Abi''s peace of mind to be disrupted.

    But for some reason, Abi seemed to be lost in her thoughts since that morning and Alex couldn''t help but feel a little worried, thinking that something was a bit off with her.

    The light faded and darkness enveloped the sky but Abi still seemed preupied. When Alex tried to get her attention, she would look at him and respond but then her mind would wander off again. She was silent and seemed to be in deep contemtion . Alex finally decided to ask what was going on but at that moment, a call disrupted him.

    Abi''s phone was the one that rang.

    "Hello?" He heard her greet the person on the other side of the phone and then, her face suddenly became pale.

    Alex frowned and walked over to her.

    "What''s wrong?" he asked, worried, because of the horror in her eyes.

    "Betty¡­ they said¡­ that Little Betty was in critical condition and she may not make it this time," she stuttered as the phone fell to the floor.

    Alex cursed. He knew how important that child was to Abigail. Why did this news have toe now? Why couldn''t things stay peaceful even for just a few days?

    Abi insisted on going to the hospital to visit the little girl. Alex had no choice but to let her go, not when she looked worried to death and devastated like that. Still, he worried about what this news could do to her health and mental state.

    Alex piloted the helicopter with Abi beside him. He didn''t want to drive a car to avoid the possibility of getting into another car ident.

    When they arrived at the hospital, they immediately rushed to Little Betty''s room but they weren''t allowed inside but she could see what was happening. There were many doctors inside and they were trying to revive her and the one thing that Abi could hear was the sounding from the machine ; that single, long, beep indicating that the child''s heart wasn''t beating anymore.

    Abi hugged Alex, tight and hard, as she buried her face on his chest. She couldn''t watch what was happening. Even though she knew this wasing, it still hurt. Little Betty was so young and this happening to her was too cruel.

    "Alex¡­ where is doctor Qin? He can save her, right?" Abi sobbed and trembled in Alex''s embrace.

    That was right. Where was that guy? He said he''d be back after two days. He was supposed to be back by now.

    Patting his wife''s back, Alex brought out his phone. He had to get Zeke. This child couldn''t die. That would be a lethal blow for Abigail! The child must not die!

    Alex frantically dialed Zeke''s phone number but the call was not going through. His grip on the phone tightened and it almost cracked in his hands.

    The world was not giving him what he wanted. Why? All he wanted was some peace for a few days but that seemed to be something the universe wouldn''t allow him to have. Damn. He was starting to get angry.

    He could go and find that guy but he didn''t want to leave his wife even for a moment. However, if the child died...

    As Alex was doing his best to contain himself and his rage, he saw a man in a doctor''s coat open the door and dash inside the room. Relief flooded Alex''s heart when he saw that the doctor was the man he had been trying to get hold off. With Zeke here, Little Betty''s chances of survival increased exponentially.

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 Chapter 249 The cause

    <h4>Chapter 249 The cause</h4>

    "It''s okay, Abigail. Zeke''s here. He''s going inside the room," Alex told his wife. Abi looked up and when she saw Ezekiel, and two nurses behind him carrying a chilly bin, enter the room, her sobs stopped and she wiped her tears away. "Come, let''s take a seat," Alex said and he pulled Abi to a row of seats in the corridor.

    Alex led her to the bench. The ss window was then covered with a curtain and most of the doctors stepped out of the room. Alex could already tell that Ezekiel asked everyone out except for the two people who were with him.

    The doctors were silent as they left the room.

    "Why are they leaving?" Abi asked.

    "Zeke doesn''t like working with others but don''t worry, he''s better than all of those doctors who just left. It''s okay, everything will be fine." Alex rested her head on his chest.

    Time passed and one of the nurses with Zeke stepped out and approached them.

    "Sir, Mr. Qin said that you can go home. He''s going to start the heart transnt and it will be a while before the procedure is finished. He said that you don''t need to wait and that you should get some rest. He said he will call you once he''s done." The nurse told them before she bowed and immediately returned inside.

    Abi gaped. "H-heart transnt? He found a donor?!" her eyes widened as she looked at her husband.

    "Seems like it," was Alex''s reply. His brows were pulled into a knot but after a while, his expression changed. "You heard what the nurse said, Abigail. We should go home and wait for the news there. The surgery will take hours." Alex urged. "Don''t worry, she''ll be fine. We''lle back as soon as the surgery''s over."

    "Can we stay in the hospital for tonight?"

    Seeing that his wife was hesitant to leave, Alex could only agree. After all, this was better than them taking another trip early in the morning.

    They stayed at her booked VVIP room that night. She looked really tired and drained so it didn''t take her long to fall asleep in Alex''s arms.

    ¡­

    Abi woke up in a dark, dark ce. This ce again. Where was she? Why was she in this ce again? There was white smoke swirling all around her. Choking her. She knew she was having that nightmare again. The blood, the dagger¡­ and Alex. And it felt so real. She wanted to wake up but couldn''t.

    Alex looked like he was in agony. He was in pain. He was gritting his teeth as if trying to push the pain away. He was saying something and he looked like he was begging as he walked towards her, his eyes fierce like a beast but there was a tear at the corner of his eye. Why? Why did he look so sad?

    She shook her head as she stepped back. But then, blood started to spill before her. She screamed. She called Alex''s name. Everything turned dark.

    "Abigail! Abigail!" Alex called out as he shook his wife. She was moaning and her face was covered with sweat.

    Abi finally opened her eyes. She was finally pulled out of that dark, dark ce. Her body shivered from the remnants of her nightmare, still vivid in her mind. Alex? Are you okay? These were the first coherent thoughts that ran through her head as her brain was pulled into thend of reality again.

    "What''s wrong? Are you okay?" When she saw Alex''s face, Abi hugged him tight, terrified. "Were you having a nightmare again?"

    She nodded as she struggled to stabilize her breathing. He was okay! Alex was okay.

    Alex''s jaws clenched as he rubbed her back, patiently waiting for her to calm down. He felt angry but he didn''t know what he was angry at, or whom. He couldn''t believe that his precious Abi couldn''t even get a peaceful night''s sleep. He heard her call out his name and that was what woke him up. When she called out his name, she sounded pained, panicked and horrified. He knew then that he was in her nightmares. That he was somehow the cause of all this¡­

    "Let me get you something to drink," Alex said as he pulled away. He walked over the table and poured her a ss of water.

    The nightmares were getting worse, getting longer and bing more vivid. But it was very strange. She never used to have nightmares as long as she was sleeping next to Alex but this time, she had a nightmare even when he was with her. But also, why did she have the same dream over and over again? She had never had two dreams that were the same, so what did all this mean? Was there something more to her dream than just a recurring nightmare? Was this some kind of premonition? What did it all mean?!

    Abi sat up and drank the water, wiping away theyer of sweat on her forehead. Her heart had finally settled down and her breathing was almost back to normal. However, when she closed her eyes, the images were still there, so vivid and striking that she felt like she could never erase these images from her mind.

    She put the ss on the side table and crawled into Alex''s arms. She wrapped her arms around him and he pulled her closer to him. Abi just let herself be wrapped up in Alex''s warmth and she felt the negative emotions start to flow out of her. Her body eventually rxed as they stayed in that position for a while.

    "Feeling better?" he asked, gently. Her face began to get some color again.

    "Mm." She nodded and her eyes caught the time on the clock. It was already dawn. That''s right, Betty! "How''s little Betty? How was the surgery?!" Abi eximed the moment she remembered where they were and why.

    Alex looked at his phone and frowned when there were no missed calls or messages from Zeke.

    However, as if Zeke had heard his thoughts, the phone rang. Alex immediately answered.

    "How is she?"

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 Chapter 250 Little Betty

    <h4>Chapter 250 Little Betty</h4>

    Abi was hugging her husband as she looked at Little Betty. The heart transnt went well but as with most things, time would tell if her body epts the new heart or not. However, Abi didn''t dwell on that fact and just rejoiced that a donor heart was found just in time. She was so happy for the little girl, so happy that she wasn''t taken away from them at such a tender age.

    A miracle had finally happened right before her eyes and it filled Abi with so much hope and faith that she too would ovee her trials, that maybe she too would be blessed with her own miracle and get to live and spend her lifetime with Alex.

    That day, Abi didn''t leave Little Betty''s side. The little girl had no family - well, in the sense of blood rtions anyway. She did have a new family with Abi and everyone at the orphanage and even though the teachers and other kids wanted toe say hi to her, other visitors weren''t allowed to see the little girl yet. Abi was the only one who could apany the little girl.

    Alex didn''t insist on bringing her home from that day onwards. He thought that it was better for them to stay at the hospital now as it was only two more days before the surgery. Besides, Alex, for some reason, felt an unpleasant unease in the pit of his stomach. He had a feeling that danger might be waiting for them again if he took Abi home which added some weight on his decision to stay there. Another reason was so that Abi wouldn''t worry about the little girl if she was away from her. This way, Abi could check on the girl whenever she wanted and that meant that she would be calm rather than be anxious, which would help her for her own surgery toe.

    Inside Zeke''s office, Alex was leaning by the wall as he looked outside the window. He didn''t ask where and how Zeke found a heart donor. He didn''t ask if that was the reason why he went back to Country V.

    "By the way, Alex, why don''t you and Abigail adopt the girl?" Zeke spoke in a nonchnt tone, as if he just asked Alex if he wanted a drink and not the bombshell he just dropped.

    "Shouldn''t you be the one who should do that? You were the one who saved her after all," Alex replied, ncing at Zeke with curiosity. He still didn''t understand why Zeke was doing all this for the little girl. He never cared about another human being, let alone a weak, dying little girl. The thought that the little girl had managed to melt Zeke''s heart was the only answer Alex could think of.

    Zeke was quiet for a while and a slight smile curved on his lips. "You want to entrust your wife''s favorite little sister to me?" his voice was suddenly sarcastic.

    Alex sighed. His theory was that Zeke was doing this for the sake of his goal or maybe he had another n which Alex didn''t really care about anymore. Whatever his motives, Alex just let him be. He didn''t want to bother trying to decipher Zeke''s thoughts or ns anymore because he had bigger things to think about. His mind was too upied with the uing surgery and the reason behind his unease so he just turned around and left, not giving Zeke an answer.

    That evening, Alex and Abi were cuddling on the bed, preparing to go to sleep. Abi snuggled closer to him, wrapping his arm around her waist. She was about to say goodnight to her husband but she stopped when she noticed his expression.

    It was Alex''s turn to look lost in his thoughts and he was the one who was now unusually quiet.

    "Are you okay, Alex?" Abi asked him as she turned to face him.

    Alex''s eyes widened a little. "I''m fine. Why do you ask?"

    "You just seem very quiet, that''s all. What are you thinking about?"

    Alex saw her curious expression and he smiled. He turned to face her and then stared intently in her eyes. "Would you like for us to adopt little Betty?" asked Alex seriously.

    Abi blinked at him silently before her mouth formed a round ''O'' in surprise. She did not see thising at all! How did Alex evene up with this idea?

    "Y-you want us to adopt her?!" she eximed, still in disbelief. Abi had been thinking about doing this even before she met Alex. The little girl had a special ce in Abi''s heart and she desperately wanted to do this but with her condition and the fact that she was single were big obstacles. There was no way she would have been able to adopt Little Betty under those circumstances. Maybe, even with Alex, they still may not be able to adopt the little girl because Abi''s future was still very uncertain.

    At the orphanage, everyday there was a possibility that a couple coulde in and want to adopt one of the children. Abi had seen many peoplee along but once they found out that Little Betty had a heart condition, these people would ultimately not consider adopting her. It tore Abi''s heart every time she saw the hope in the little girl''s eyes, only to end up in disappointment. Part of her hoped that the little girl would find a couple worthy of loving her and giving her everything she wanted and needed in this world. Abi very much wanted to be that person for Little Betty so a small part of her also hoped that no one would take Little Betty away from her. She knew it was selfish of her to hope for this, especially because she knew her time was running out, but she also knew that if a good couple wanted to adopt the little girl, she wouldn''t stand in their way because ultimately, she just wanted to see Little Betty happy. She deserved that much.

    When Little Betty''s heart problem became worse, the thought of adopting her had been reced by worry and the thought of how to help her and make her happy. But now that she was safe, would they send her back to the orphanage again?

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 Chapter 251 Last day

    <h4>Chapter 251 Last day</h4>

    "If you want to," Alex pinched her cheek slightly.

    Abi was so happy at Alex''s suggestion but she felt like this wasn''t the right time to do this. After all, she still had her surgery to go through and the future is still unknown.

    "Thank you, Alex. This is very thoughtful of you¡­" she kissed him before she pulled away and looked at him. "I would like to but I think we should wait until after the surgery to talk about it more."

    "I see¡­ whatever you want, wife."

    Abi smiled and kissed him again. "Thank you, I love you," she whispered and Alex responded to her kiss. Without knowing how it happened, Abi somehow ended up on top of him, kissing him passionately.

    Alex really wanted to pin her down but he was determined to keep trying to tame himself and not let his beast get out of control. At least, just for now, until his wife was fully healed. His Abi would ovee her condition and that they would live a long happy life together.

    Abi trailed kisses from his lips down to his nape as she unbuttoned his shirt. The bad girl came out to y. She was going to eat him whole again and Alex was dying for it.

    Thus, that night, the bad girl Abi dominated her husband, as Alex became satisfied being under her for three nights in a row.

    Abi and Alex had a pleasant breakfast before Abi''s family arrived and they all went to Little Betty''s room.

    Today was thest day. Abi''s surgery was going to start early in the morning the next day.

    Alex decided to give her the day to be with her family so he went to look for Zeke. The two men chatted for a while and then Alex left to make sure everything was prepared for the next day. He checked on the nurses that would be apanying Zeke during the procedure, and everyone else who was going to be present in the surgery room.

    Alex wouldn''t forgive any mistakes and he made that known. He was not going to let anything go wrong.

    Despite Zeke telling him that he had nothing to worry about, that his team was the best, the equipment was top notch and he himself was performing the surgery, Alex still insisted. He was being extra careful, almost desperate, because until now, his unease had not gone away.

    That afternoon, Alex went back to Little Betty''s room. He already missed his wife even though it had only been a few hours since he left her.

    He smiled at Abi''s family, no, his family now as well, when he entered the room. However, his heart began to hammer when he couldn''t see Abigail inside.

    "Where''s Abigail?" he asked and Andrew immediately frowned.

    "Didn''t you call her? She went out of this room almost an hour ago," Andrew said and Alex immediately felt his throat tighten, as if a strong hand was strangling him. His pulse began to thump wildly and his blood boiled.

    "What''s wrong? She''s not with you? Where is she then?" Andrew''s face began to worry as he stepped closer to Alex.

    But before Andrew could reach him, Alex suddenly dashed out of the room. He cursed. His aura was bing dark as worry and panic set in. He rushed towards their room, calling out her name.

    He looked everywhere but she wasn''t there, not in the bathroom or anywhere else.

    He called Zeke and told him Abi was missing. Zeke immediately ordered to lock down the hospital as Alex rushed to the rooftop, hoping that his wife was there, just getting some fresh air.

    The door to the rooftop was opened with a loud thud. He looked around but he couldn''t see her. He walked to the spot where he proposed to her. It was empty. He walked all the way around the rooftop but there was nobody around.

    "Abigail! Where are you?!" he called out. No one answered him. F*ck! He was starting to tremble. This couldn''t be happening!!

    "Abigail!!!" he yelled, calling out. He clenched his fists so tight that blood started to drip from his hand.

    He dashed down again. Zeke''s men started the search. It was happening again. The same thing that happened in the pce. Abigail had disappeared again.

    They went to check the CCTV only to find that the CCTv''s hadn''t been recording anything in thest hour. It appeared that someone had tampered with the CCTV''s.

    Kai arrived to help search for her but they couldn''t find her inside the hospital.

    Where the hell was she?! Alex pulled out his phone and tried ringing her but he couldn''t reach her.

    They were on extra alert. Even the poker faced Zeke looked more serious than ever. They all knew that this was a disaster and Alex was like a ticking time bomb.

    The search continued. Zeke didn''t bother informing the authorities. They knew this wasn''t a simple kidnapping. This was something only they would know how to deal with.

    Alex didn''t say another word and when he confirmed that Abigail wasn''t at the hospital, he too left and disappeared without a word.

    "Kai, go back to the kingdom. Do whatever you can and use anything to find her," Zeke ordered Kai.

    "But Alex¡­"

    "Leave him to me. I''ll find him."

    With that, everyone also dispersed.

    Daylight started to fade and the long arms of darkness started to wrap around them. The sky looked gloomy and dark, ominous even, almost creepy. And still, there was no sign of Abi.

    Alex was in his car, drenched in blood. He had checked all the ces in this city that he knew his enemies were hiding. But she wasn''t there. She was nowhere to be found.

    His eyes zing with hellfire. Where are you, Abigail?!

    He felt like he had checked the whole damn city but he came up with nothing! Where on Earth could she be?!

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 Chapter 252 Hellben

    <h4>Chapter 252 Hellben</h4>

    In an underground bar somewhere in the heart of the City¡­

    Zeke ventured inside the bar after being informed by his people about what had happened. He basically didn''t have to conduct his own search for Abigail because he was too damn busy cleaning up after the man who had gone on a rampage. He sighed as he saw more dead bodies lying on the ground in a crumpled mess, blood sttered everywhere. Alex was leaving a trail of dead bodies in his wake and Zeke had no choice but to clean up after his mess. This couldn''t go on. Alex needed to be stopped. No matter how enraged he was, this wasn''t the solution.

    Zeke bent down and surveyed the lifeless men lying on the ground. He didn''t feel any sympathy towards these people. These men made up the bottom of the food chain, dealing in all sorts of illegal activities from weapon distribution to human trafficking. They also were the people who would take a sum of money in exchange for kidnapping people. They were the dredge of society and they would have eventually met the same end. He only wished it wasn''t by Alex because then he wouldn''t have to clean up this bloody mess.

    After leaving his men in the underground bar, Zeke boarded in his car. He, of course, didn''t have to stay and do the dirty work. That was what his men were for. Sitting in the driver''s seat of his car, Zeke pulled out his phone and dialed a number. He decided to call Alex to see if he would be able to stop this maniac from doing any more harm. When the phone rang and rang and rang, he thought that it was a long shot for Alex to pick up his phone, especially when he was like a madman. He sighed and as he was about to hang up, the call was picked up on the other line, surprisingly.

    "Hello? Alex?" Zeke said because the man didn''t answer. Alex didn''t say a word but knowing that he was listening, Zeke continued to talk. "Alex, I am 100% certain Abigail is still in the city." Zeke assured him. "Also, stop doing unnecessary things. Stop spilling blood because at this rate, whoever took her will be scared toe forward to demand their ransom. Don''t worry, I''m certain they will not hurt her. It''s not Abigail''s life they want, but yours."

    When Alex still didn''t respond, Zeke eventually ended the call. He only hoped that Alex listened to what he had to say and would stop being a rampaging demon who was hellbent on taking down the entire city, if not the world, to find his wife.

    After analysing all the evidence from Abigail''s disappearance, he was certain that this wasn''t done by his people or people who sided with him because if it was, Abigail would have been found dead by now. Besides, he knew no one would dare defy his order to leave Abigail be.

    Damn! He needed to get to Alex before the man found Abigail otherwise, he might be toote. At least the man was leaving a bloody obvious trail so he could follow that to find him.

    With a serious expression, Zeke''s car sped up like a bullet.

    ¡­

    The sky was already dark and inside another underground office, Alex had his hand on a man''s throat, slowly squeezing the life out of him.

    "Tell me, where is she?" Alex demanded. The tone of his voice made it seem like he was calm and collected but on the inside, rage filled him like an active volcano about to erupt. Alex loosened his grip to allow the man to answer him.

    "I... don''t know. I-I don''t know a-anything! We never receive any orders to abduct your wife," the man sputtered.

    Wrong answer! Alex''s grip tightened again. "WHERE IS SHE?!" Alex yelled at the man as he finally burst. It was as if the thin thread that was holding on to his sanity finally broke and there was no humanity left in him. His eyes were wild and unseeing as he stared at the man he held in his hand. And before he knew it, snap! The man became limp and Alex threw him aside as if he was a lightweight doll.

    Soaked with blood, Alex somehow found his way to Abi''s house. It was past midnight already. Abi had been missing for about 12 hours - 12 hours too long! He had searched the entire city, leaving a trail of blood behind him. This ce was thest ce he didn''t check. He stared up the closed window of her room, wishing, hoping that Abigail was there. He remembered that night he jumped through her window and confessed to her.

    He jumped up andnded softly on the veranda. He broke the ss window and opened it. It was dark but even though he couldn''t see anything, he couldn''t sense her presence. She wasn''t there.

    The rain started to fall, pounding hard on the rooftop. Thunder and lightning roared as if the world was raging, as if it responded to his rampant emotions.

    After some time, Alex began to crumble. The rage that had fueled him, that had kept his fear at bay, was slowly fading. He looked devastated. Every minute that went by... He couldn''t bear to think about it. No! He was not going to stop until he found her, even if he had to go berserk and destroy everything.

    Why? Why would they take his Abigail at this crucial moment? Abigail had to be found. Her surgery was early tomorrow. He must find her!

    His demon was starting to eat him, driving him to stray from his goal of finding Abigail first. The demon in him wanted to just kill. His aura started zing, his eyes turned red as fire. He was losing himself.

    But at that moment, his eyes were drawn to the small aquarium on Abi''s bedside table. Abi''s smiling face started to appear in his head, like a bright light persisting to peek out from the ominous clouds. And then, her voice rang in his mind, ''Let''s go home, Alex.''

    Alex''s eyes widened. That was right, there was one ce he hadn''t checked yet!

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 Chapter 253 Wrong person

    <h4>Chapter 253 Wrong person</h4>

    His heart began to beat wildly. He jumped down the window and once he got in his car, he skyrocketed out of there towards his house, their house.

    Hope started to bloom. She must be there!

    His car stopped in front of his house with a screech. He leaped out as the heavy rain poured on him and the lightning tore the sky in a blinding sh.

    The lights in the house were on.

    He clenched his fists tight as he took one long deep breath. He couldn''t afford to lose himself here. His priority was to take Abigail back to the hospital. He needed to shackle his demons and keep from going berserk.

    He opened the door. The house was quiet. Too quiet. He could hear the sound of his footsteps echo in therge living room. His ears were straining, trying to listen to other sounds that would indicate movement or life or something!

    He looked up the grand staircase and ascended, still trying to calm himself down. He finally halted in front of his room. He didn''t know what drew him back here. He didn''t know why he didn''t check her room first. For some reason, the uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach led him here, in front of his door. He didn''t know what he would find. He hoped to all the gods above and below that he would find her alive and unharmed.

    He took another breath as he reached a hand out to the metal door knob. His reddened eyes were back to normal. He was calmer now.

    He pushed the door open and it creaked ominously. He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. His body almost trembled as soon as his eyes adjusted to what was before him.

    She was there, tied to a pole in the middle of his room. He could just make out her figure from the dim light of the candle. He saw that her hands were tied behind her back and that her head was hanging down, as if she was unconscious. His heart trembled and he wanted to go to her but he stopped himself, because as his eyes looked behind her, he saw another figure. There was a man behind her, a man whose face was familiar to both himself and Abigail. A man whom Abigail would have trusted enough to follow, to take his words as truth and not question them.

    Alex knew how strict Zeke''s protocols were at the hospital. Zeke was superbly skilled in all things technological. Alex also went through and double checked the systems to make sure it was robust and it would have been nearly impossible for an outsider to abduct Abigail. But this man wasn''t an outsider. This man hade to him under the guise of wanting to help him but in reality, this man had done it so he could find out his routines, gather as much information as he could so that he could use all the things he learned to eventually turn on him.

    It seemed he had underestimated this man before him. Somehow, he sessfully managed to lure Abi out, erasing his trail and to actually have the gall to take her to this very ce. Only one person could do this, only one person would dare.

    It was none other than Xavier.

    Alex mentally scolded himself. How could he have let his guard down? He had been around long enough to know that the people closest to you would be the one who would betray you. Thest person whom you never thought would ever betray you, would turn out to be the one that would betray you the most. That was just how this world seemed to work. He did have that mantra in mind when he asked Kai to watch Zeke but it seemed he had given the order to watch the wrong person.

    "You''re finally here, Alex." Xavier''s voice was calm but emotionless.

    Abi, who seemed to have dozed off, was awakened by his cold voice.

    When she looked up, Alex was standing there before her. Her eyes widened and she blinked a few times to make sure that she wasn''t hallucinating. Was he really here?

    She saw that his clothes stuck to him, as if they were drenched, almost looking like a lone warrior who just came from a battle. His eyes looked calm but Abi''s heart squeezed in pain, looking at him. She knew that he had probably spent the day looking for her, being worried to death about her.

    "Alex!" she called out, her voice hoarse, as if it hadn''t been used for some time. Tears started to form and slide down her cheeks. She didn''t know what happened. Thest thing she remembered was that she had met Xavier in the hallway and he had told her that Alex had asked him to escort her to see Alex. After boarding the elevator, Xavier put a handkerchief over her nose and mouth and the next thing she knew, she was here, in Alex''s dark room, her body tied to a pole.

    Alex surveyed her body and was relieved when he saw that she didn''t seem to be hurt anywhere, although it was hard to be sure.

    "Don''t worry. I didn''t hurt even a single strand of her hair," Xavier said, almost gloating.

    Alex was about to move past her towards Xavier, intending to end this once and for all but when he saw Abi straighten up, his eyes became fixated on the foreign object strapped around her.

    Alex stopped and he red at Xavier with deadly eyes, a promise to the other guy to rip his limbs from his body, slowly, until he begged for the mercy of death.

    It was all he could do at this point because at that moment, Abigail was at the mercy of this maniac, having wrapped a homemade bomb around her body.

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 Chapter 254 Ironic

    <h4>Chapter 254 Ironic</h4>

    Hours ago.

    Inside a dark room, Abi slowly opened her eyes. The room seemed familiar but it was too dark for her to be able to make anything out.

    She tried to move but realized that she was tied. What was going on? Was this another nightmare? No, this was real! How did she end up in this ce?

    "Alex!!!" Abi began to call out her husband''s name when suddenly a voice stopped her.

    "Shhh! Don''t shout... I might get angry and harm you," A voice echoed around her. It was emotionless and cold but it was also a very familiar voice that Abigail knew too well.

    "X-xavier?" she uttered in disbelief. She finally recalled what happened to her. When she left her room, she met Xavier on the hallway and he said he would take her to Alex. She followed him and the moment they were in the elevator, she lost consciousness.

    She choked in utter disbelief and betrayal. Why? Xavier was such a good guy. He always smiled at her and was always the jovial one out of everybody. He was never cold to her and he was always cheerful and happy when he spoke with her.

    Abi didn''t get a reply. Instead, she heard his quiet footsteps. He lit up the candle and she could finally see where she was. She was shocked. What?! She was inside Alex''s room? Why in Alex''s room of all ces? Why would Xavier bring her here and tie her up here?

    She looked at Xavier with millions of questions in her eyes.

    "W-why?" her voice hoarse as she stuttered. "W-why are you doing this? Why did you bring me here?"

    The once sweet and pretty cheerful guy looked at her with sad and disdainful eyes. He leaned by the wall looking at her.

    "Well, I needed time to set up the bomb so I had to bring you somewhere where I could work without worry," he replied and Abi looked down. What? A bomb? What was happening right now?

    When she saw that there were indeed things wrapped around her, her throat constricted and her eyes widened in horror. Was he nning on killing her?

    "Alex would never think that the kidnapper would bring you to this very ce," he added as he looked at his watch. "It''s been seven hours and he hasn''t found us yet. If I hadn''t quickly taken you away, I bet he would have found us before I would have been able to leave the hospital. It seemed that luck is on my side today." He shed a sardonic smile but his eyes still sad.

    Abi couldn''t speak. He was right. Who would even guess that she would be brought to Alex''s very own room of all ces?! She felt her heart break when she heard him say it had been seven hours since he had taken her. She could only think about how Alex must be feeling, of what he must have been going through.

    "But don''t worry, he will definitely find us¡­" he uttered, looking at the window. "Tonight."

    "W-why? Why are you doing this? Xavier¡­ you''re¡­ you''re like Alex''s brother." Abi''s eyes were welling as she looked at him. She never would have imagined that Xavier would do something like this. Not once did it ur to her that he might have harbored these kinds of thoughts.

    "Well, yeah¡­ I think of him as my brother, too," he murmured before he looked her into her eyes. "Kidding," he smirked and then too soon, his smile faded. "Do you know why Alex''s room is like this."

    Abi gulped at his sudden question.

    "Do you want to know?"

    "No. Alex will tell me when the timees." Abi didn''t sumb to the temptation and her refusal made Xavier look surprised.

    "You are a strange person, Miss Abigail. I would say you''re the strangest person I''ve ever met. Do you know why? It''s because you actually managed to make that man fall in love."

    "Why would you think that? How am I strange just because he fell in love with me? Is it so hard to believe that Alex can love? He''s only human. He has a heart. It''s not strange for him to fall in love and I''m not strange for being the object of that love," she argued, trying to stay calm.

    Xavier burst out in an almost quiet chuckle. "He''s human. He has a heart," he mocked as heughed. A hint of sarcasm marred his polite voice. "This is why I said you''re strange." He shook his head and walked slowly over to her. His eyes changed again, from sadness to pure hatred.

    "Do you know how many lives Alex has imed with his own two hands? You wouldn''t be able to count high enough. Should I tell you that he even killed women and children? And yet, you call him human? You''re telling me he has a heart? Don''t make meugh!" He hissed, his eyes changing again. They were changing colours, from dark as night to blood red, freaking Abi out.

    Abi froze. She almost forgot to breathe as she looked into his eyes in horror.

    Seeing her expression, Xavier realized that his anger had taken the better of him. He backed off and calmed himself down. "Poor littlemb, you''ve beenpletely left in the dark despite marrying Alex, of all men." He smirked again as he bent forward and whispered. "Let me show you something interesting."

    He backed off and then his eyes red into red again. And then, he showed her his perfect white teeth. It was hard to see in the dim light but she was sure his canines were growing.

    Abi''s lips parted. She felt like her brain was about to shut down. She couldn''t believe what she was seeing. She must be dreaming. This must be another nightmare.

    "Surprised?" he smiled. "Well, even though you humans know so much about us, you would never believe we exist. It''s pretty ironic though¡­ you guys believe that god exists, yet you don''t believe that creatures like us exist too," he added and then Abi''s body went limp. Her face became white as a ghost. Her mind and body couldn''t take it. Her body already felt weak and she felt like her mind was being forcefully shut down.

    When Abi lost consciousness again, Xavier''s face returned to normal. "Don''t worry, you will forget about everything that you''ve heard and seen after everything is over," he murmured and he backed off and leaned by the wall again, waiting patiently.

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 Chapter 255 Story

    <h4>Chapter 255 Story</h4>

    "Xavier!" Alex gritted his teeth. His eyes zed like hellfire, stopping himself with all his might.

    Xavier didn''t move and he looked back at Alex with a cold expression.

    "Let her go," Alex demanded but a small smile just curved on Xavier''s lips. He averted his gaze towards Abi, and then he lifted his hand. He held something and showed Alex - he held the trigger of the bomb in his hand.

    "I know you are fast Alex, so this is the only way. No matter how fast you are, you can''t be as fast as me pressing this button," Xavier said causing Alex to clench his fists tight.

    "Tell me, why are you doing this?" Alex asked after a while of silence. His eyes calm but Xavier knew that behind those calmness lies a demon ready to go berserk.

    Xavier looked intently into Alex''s eyes again and he sighed. "So this is how it feels to have the most powerful man at your mercy, huh?" He smirked, his eyes moving yet sad again.

    "Alex¡­ do you remember me when I was young?" he asked. His eyes were now being clouded with nothing but hate. "No, right? Because I was nothing in your eyes. I know about your story so I thought you would understand mine. I am like you. A so-called prince, but also an outcast. And you¡­ do you even remember who my mother was? Alex¡­ I was there when you executed my mother. She was not a traitor. She begged for your mercy but you were heartless. You were a monster! And then, you bedded my sister before she too died in your hands. I wished countless times that I could make you feel what I felt then. I wanted to kill Abigail before your eyes, Alex, so you would understand the pain. I wanted to torture her right before your eyes so you would know how it felt."

    As those words came out of Xavier, Alex didn''t speak and Abi, who was silently tearing up, could only stand there and look at Alex. She didn''t want to think and process all the things she was hearing. No, this wasn''t true! Alex¡­ he¡­ he wouldn''t have done¡­ any of these things, right?

    "But I''m not going to do that. Your wife doesn''t even know what kind of disgusting monster you are. And I am not sure if you really have the heart to even feel and experience everything I went through from losing all the people close to me. You are a monster after all, with no heart. That''s why¡­" he trailed off and carefully moved towards Abi, not averting his eyes from Alex.

    Xavier dropped an ancient looking dagger at Alex''s feet.

    When Abi saw that dagger, her throat constricted, like she was being strangled. She had seen that dagger before. That was the same dagger that dripped with blood she had seen in her nightmares. Her face turned pale as she looked at Alex in horror.

    "Now if you don''t want me to blow your woman up, do it, Alex," Xavier said. He looked like a maniac. His eyes turned red again as his thumb itched to press the button. "Move now, Alex!" Xavier ordered. "Or I''ll blow her up!"

    Alex stared at Abi. Terror, confusion, questions, and fear flooded her eyes. She tried to open her lips to say something but she couldn''t seem to be able to do it.

    Alex nced at Xavier one more time. The man was deadly serious, almost as if he was possessed so Alex bent down slowly and picked the dagger.

    When his eyes met Abi''s, he saw tears flowing down her face like a waterfall. He took a single step and Abi began to shake her head. Her body shivered in fear. The memories. Those nightmares. That look in Alex''s eyes. She felt like her dream was being reenacted. No, no, no¡­ this couldn''t be real! This was nonsense! She had to be dreaming! Abi, wake up! wake up from this now!

    She was praying that she would wake up but it didn''t work. Her thoughts were so scrambled. But the chaos halted when Alex halted just inches before her. He lifted his hand and wiped her tears away. His touch felt so real, his hands so warm on her skin.

    "Abigail¡­" he called out. His voice was hoarse and filled with guilt and sadness. "I''m sorry it came out to this. I''m sorry," he whispered and then he ced the dagger in her tied hands.

    It was then that Abi remembered the story he told her. She shook her head again and finally she found her voice.

    "T-that book¡­ The book you read to me," she stuttered, her lips trembling. She didn''t know what she was saying anymore. That morning, that day before she heard the news about Betty was when Abi saw Alex''s back. The back that should have been covered by wounds and scars and scratches from their car ident waspletely smooth and wless. Abi started to connect the dots, no matter how ridiculous they seemed. She couldn''t get the story he told her out of her mind so she went and searched for it. She found the book and to her surprise, the book was just a biography of some person she had never heard of. The story he told her wasn''t there. The story wasn''t about a ruthless emperor. "W-was that your story?"

    Abi held her breath as she wept nonstop. Her body and mind starting to go numb.

    Alex''s jaws clenched.

    "Yes," he replied and Abi sobbed even harder. Her heart was breaking into million pieces. The only thing she wanted to believe at that moment was that this was all just a dream. This was just a nightmare and that it wasn''t real.

    "So are you saying that¡­ this is how you die... that the person who would be born to kill you, is me?"

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 Chapter 256 Vision

    <h4>Chapter 256 Vision</h4>

    Abi wanted to fling the dagger away from her as far as possible. She wanted to touch him and hug him instead but Alex was holding her hands in ce in a tight grip, with the dagger between them. He wouldn''t let her pull away, as his eyes trapped her, not releasing her from the force of his hypnotic stare even as he answered her question.

    "Yes," he uttered. His voice was weak but she heard it all the same. And his answer shattered Abigail. The corner of her lips twitched and she shook her head.

    "No, you''re lying. No¡­ this doesn''t make sense. There''s no way this is real. Immortals, dragons, witches, prophecies?! None of that is real! This must be a joke, right? Ok¡­ you guys got me. You can stop joking around now!" Her mouth spouted out these words of denial as she looked back at Alex, her eyes wholly begging him to tell her that this was just a prank, a very dark and intense prank, but a prank nheless. Would they stop this madness now that she caught them out? Would they finally stop ying these tricks on her? Would he finally turn to her andugh and say that this was all just a big joke?

    She waited for them to tell her it was all a joke but no such mercy came. His eyes told her this wasn''t a joke or a nightmare, but reality.

    "Please Alex¡­ let go of my hand. Keep this dagger away from me," she begged as she looked down, looking at his hand on hers and the dagger in between them.

    Alex felt his heart being smashed and crumpled and shredded over and over again. His agony and pain was reflected in his wife''s face. The pure innocence radiating from her eyes were gone. All he could see now was her unimaginable fear and burning pain. The pain from seeing her like this, the pain from knowing that he was responsible for all this, and the pain from making the only person he had ever cared for this miserable¡­ It umted andpounded within him that he could feel nothing else. He had never felt anythinge close to this that he was almost paralysed by it.

    His blood zed, intent on burning him from the inside, out. No, to him, this was worse than being burned alive. Worse than being cut into pieces alive. If that knife was plunged into him at that moment, he wouldn''t have felt any pain from that because it would be overshadowed by what he was feeling at that moment. Maybe that would be a mercy, a way for all this pain to stop.

    "How can you be so sure that I am the one who was born to kill you? You don''t have any proof Alex! All you have are some mumbo jumbo words from a woman! How do you know what she said was even real? She could have been making things up so you wouldn''t ki-"

    "I''m sorry¡­ Abigail," Alex cut her off before those words coulde out of her lips. He didn''t want to hear those words from her lips, the words that spoke of what he had done, things he now regretted.

    After watching this moving scene, Xavier finally cut in.

    "Do you want me to tell her, Alex?" he asked with a mocking smile. When Alex didn''t even nce at him, Abigail demanded to know everything!

    "Well, okay. Since Abigail wants to know, why not spill all the beans out? She''ll forget about all of this anyway," Xavier said, almost gloating. "Besides, I''d like to see her expression, and yours, when she finally realises that tonight, she will kill the man she loves."

    "Just spill it out, Xavier!" she yelled in pain. Xavier looked at the immobile Alex and he smirked.

    "Sure," he agreed. "Indeed, you are right, Miss Abigail. We have no proof that it is you. Alex had been with countless girls for this one purpose. He had been trying to find this so-called someone - a woman - for centuries, to no sess. You wouldn''t believe how many women he has taken to his bed. I doubt you could imagine it," he said, intently looking at Abi''s face as he figuratively pushed a knife into her heart. He smiled with glee when he got a reaction from her.

    "He actually hypnotised these women and he forcefully made them stab him but it didn''t work. Every single attempt to end his life had failed. But you see¡­ vampires aren''t the only creatures that exist in this world. Witches are also still out there, keeping their powers hidden. Do you know what the queen had envisioned? I heard that these were the words the queen said: ''She will be born, a woman who would give you both life and death.''" Xavier paused, as if he was thinking about this phrase and its meaning. It was all an act, of course, and he continued a secondter.

    "You see, before you came into Alex''s life, Alex was nothing but a living vessel, exactly like the living dead. But when you came along, he became almost human. He actually looked alive. You have been the only one who has made him that way. But not only that, the witches have confirmed it. You are the one in that ancient queen''s vision."

    Abi felt like she was being choked. "That''s just a vision. What if there was some kind of mistake?" she trembled. "I don''t have any connection to any of this! How could I be the one you guys are looking for? This doesn''t make sense!" Abi argued, in tears.

    "Well, I am not really sure if you really don''t have any connection, though," Xavier uttered as he looked at Alex. "But I don''t think that''s of any relevance. You people always don''t believe this sort of thing anyway," Xavier answered, shutting down her arguments. "Should we light up the incense, Alex? Your wife has been kind to me so I think I, at least, should be a little kinder to her. Besides, this was your n all along, wasn''t it, to hypnotize her into doing your bidding? And then, once you''re dead, she would forget everything and it would be like Abigail Chen had never met Alexander Qin." Xavier said with a disdainful smirk on his lips.

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 Chapter 257 Hell and nothing more

    <h4>Chapter 257 Hell and nothing more</h4>

    Abi''s eyes widened as she looked at Alex, utterly shocked again.

    "W-what did he say? This was y-your n?" Abi stuttered, as her tears silently fell. "Tell me, Alex¡­ please tell me it''s not true¡­"

    Alex finally averted his eyes. He looked down, hiding his eyes from her as he spoke. There was no more reason to hide his secrets. If he knew that Abi woulde to know all his secrets in the worst possible way, he would''ve told her all of it on that day she cried for him in the rain. But there was no use in looking back. The past couldn''t be changed, not even by him.

    "He''s right." Alex started. "The first time I saw you, I felt something I didn''t understand. I didn''t look into it any further. I put it down to momentary surprise because I was surprised by you, that first time we met. But again, the moment was fleeting. After I left, I never thought I would see you again so I didn''t think anymore of it." Alex looked at her at this point and said, "If you had only listened to me then¡­ but you didn''t. You came to me, you threw yourself at me and that strange feeling returned. It was then that I delved deeper into what this was and why. The first few days with you, I noticed that you were able to move me, sway my decisions despite centuries of callousness and coldness, and that made me wonder if I had finally found the person I''ve been searching for, for so long.

    Xavier is right. This was my n, the same n I had since I learned of the witch''s words. It didn''t change when I met you. I''ve longed for death for so long and if my hunch was right, I would finally be able to breathe myst breath, to finally be free. How could I let that chance go, to let it slip between my fingers? I have lived for so long that I had forgotten what life was, what it meant to live. So if you were my only chance to end this hollow, cursed life, then I would take it. If I let you go now, I would live forever because this chance will nevere again. That''s why I nned all this. To bring you here in this room one day and hypnotize you before forcing you to kill me with this dagger. After my death, you would forget everything to do with me. You would forget it all and be able to live your life again in unknowing bliss. That was my n, Abigail¡­" Alex trailed off.

    Abi''s body began to tremble with all these emotions, mercilessly crashing like raging waves on her. She wanted to feel no more, to escape this. She didn''t know what to say, or think, or do. But Alex wasn''t finished.

    "I wasn''t sure if you were the one, so I had my people investigate. However, in the few days I had spent with you, you turned my life inside out. You were so innocent, so good, an unexpected breath of fresh air, filling my lungs with oxygen, with life again. I looked at you and it made me think. My decision had never wavered before until you. I thought it was solid, unshakeable, unbreakable, but you poked a hole through it, unknowingly. I looked at you and I started to doubt myself. You were so pure that I didn''t want to dirty your hands with my blood. The mere thought of it makes me¡­ You have this unnerving effect on me, this hold on me, that I couldn''t break. And then I started to hope¡­"

    "Because you fell in love with me¡­?" Abi forced herself to speak.

    Alex took a sharp painful breath. "Yes. Because I fell in love with you." He smiled. And it was the most bitter smile she had ever seen. The smoke from the incense began to fill the room, slowly. It seemed that Xavier had lit them up. The scent was hypnotic and Abi remembered the smoke from her nightmares. She finally realized where she had seen that incense pot before. She saw it in her nightmares.

    "Since you came into my life, everything changed." Alex continued. "Before I knew it, my hollow heart, the void within me started to be filled. The world of nothing that I''ve been encased in for so long began to overflow. You were like a fearless diver. Even though you saw how deep and dark the water was, you dove into it, not afraid of drowning, persistently reaching the bottom where my heart was hidden and bravely brought it into the surface. You showed it all to me. You cracked all my frozen bones and opened my eyes. I couldn''t believe that finding you¡­ that falling in love with you¡­ would make up for all the long sufferings, for all the times I asked a stranger to ughter me, for all of the times I tried to break myself into pieces. I have longed for death for too long, have been so desperate to meet it, but now that I''ve found it¡­" he trailed off and smiled again. "I don''t want to die anymore."

    Alex looked up at her and Abi saw the raw, bleeding pain in his eyes. The kind of pain that was far worse than hers. It came from a lifetime of suffering and torment that he had experienced. She remembered those moments when Alex was just sitting there, silently and looking far off into the distance. She thought back then that he looked like a child who needed soothing, like a child who was left alone in this world, wandering about aimlessly, a child who had felt nothing but pain. Now that she experienced the worst pain she ever felt in her life, she began to understand why, to him, death was mercy. He must have been so tired of feeling nothing but that¡­

    Abi could only cry again because she could see it - how Alex was just one more blow away from breaking.

    She wished she could hug him. She wished she could have shown more of her love to him.

    "Then¡­ don''t die. Stay with me. My love for you¡­ even if you''re the devil, I will not leave you. I will love you forever, Alex." Abi was bing desperate. She had to step up right now or she would lose him forever. She needed to demonstrate her love for him now or she would regret it forever. "I would die for you, suffer for you, and ultimately, live for you, Alex. I will walk with you through the gates of hell and feel the same torture I know you bore. Just don''t leave me alone," she begged. "Don''t leave me."

    Alex moved and kissed her tears and then her forehead.

    "Don''t worry¡­ after this, everything will be alright. Once I''m gone, you will be set free. You will no longer be hellbound with me. I''m so sorry for hurting you. I thought I could protect you but it seemed I was wrong. I always ended up hurting you, putting you in danger¡­ all I can give you is hell and nothing more."

    "No! No! Alex! Please! Xavier stop this!" Abi screamed as Alex lifted her hands towards his chest.

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 Chapter 258 The best thing

    <h4>Chapter 258 The best thing</h4>

    "No! Please, don''t do this to me, Alex. Please!" Abi pleaded. Her voice shook as she tried to pull her hands away from him. Her mind was going numb, the pain in her heart had reached its peak and she didn''t know if it would be able to take any more. It hurt so much that her tears had dried up and her body lost all its strength. If not for the rope that was tied around her, she would have fallen to her knees.

    The smoke filled her lungs. There was no way she couldn''t breathe it in. The smoke made her feel dizzy. No, please¡­ she couldn''t sumb to this. If she did, her Alex, her husband would¡­ she would lose him forever.

    Abi gritted her teeth and she begged him again and again.

    "Alex¡­ you said you love me. I am your wife! You can''t do this to me! Please! I don''t know what I would do without you! You are my reason for living. Please, don''t!," she cried in agony, filling the room with unbearable pain.

    The storm outside still raged. The rain kept pounding on the roof, the thunder roared and the lightning shed through the dark curtain, mirroring the turmoil inside that dark room. It was as if the world knew that something momentous was going to happen and it showed up to watch it happen.

    Alex nearly broke down as he watched her. She was in so much pain. This girl didn''t deserve any of this. He needed this to end now. Her pain needed to end now.

    "She isn''t hypnotised yet! Why?" he hissed in an ice cold voice as he looked at Xavier. His eyes were no longer calm. It was filled with an intent to kill - to kill Xavier - right then.

    Xavier immediately felt the immense danger and he lifted his hand, with his thumb ready to press the button. He knew that even the tiniest mistake, a single moment of dropping his guard down, would cost him his life and he''d end up failing his mission. This was something he would never allow. He knew that this was probably going to be his only chance to kill Alex - the only andst chance he would ever have.

    "Then, that means the incense isn''t working on her?" Xavier told him, alert as ever.

    "No, that''s impossible!" Alex''s voice was firm as Abi continued begging.

    "Then why is she not affected by it?!" Xavier lost it. His eyes were glowing red now and the hair on his skin stood up. Alex''s aura was triggering his natural defensive instincts. "Just do it now, Alex or I''ll blow her up!!" he threatened, dead serious, showing his canines for good measure.

    Alex''s jaws clenched and Abi wailed even louder. "No, Alex! No! Don''t do this, don''t do this!"

    Alex looked at Abi and he kissed her eyes, down to her lips.

    "I''m so sorry," he whispered and Abi pleaded even harder, cried even harder, feeling like her throat was bleeding from all her pleading.

    "Don''t make me wait! Do it now, Alex! Plunge it straight into your chest!!" Xavier butted in, impatience and fear evident in his eyes.

    But Alex just looked at him in the eyes.

    "No, I need to wait. She needs to forget everything! She has to be hypnotized before killing me or she won''t forget!" Alex demanded. His authoritative aura, the kind of authority nobody in this world could ever ignore, zed from him and Xavier found himself being fucked up.

    He couldn''t believe this. Xavier couldn''t believe that he was making him feel this kind of fear despite the fact that Alex was the one in his mercy.

    "Xavier¡­ this is all I am asking¡­ you will get what you want. You will have your revenge on me. Just don''t drag Abigail into this. She shouldn''t live a life of endless pain because of me. The incense, you must have used the wrong ones, not the ones that the witch gave me," Alex told Xavier.

    Xavier gnashed his teeth. "Don''t even try doing anything funny, Alex. Remember, she will immediately explode into pieces once I press this button." Xavier warned, his red eyes zing with threat and then before he knew it, his head turned to look at the incense pot.

    "F*ck! There''s nothing wrong with the incense!!" Xavier said, cursing. He couldn''t believe the serpent was able to trick him.

    He immediately looked up and saw that Alex was still there. His jaws clenched as he lifted his hand again.

    "Damn it! I will give you three seconds! Push the dagger in your chest now or your wife will be blown into pieces!! I''m telling you I will press it! You refuse to die? Then I''ll just take her away with me then. I will take away your wife!" heughed. Xavier had turned into a maniac vampire and Alex knew that he couldn''t talk some sense into him anymore. "1¡­ 2¡­"

    "I''ll do it!" Alex''s voice thundered and Xavier smirked. "I''ll do it. Why would I let this chance slip away? I''m finally going to die," he added and his gaze fell back on Abigail.

    Abigail had lost her voice. She could only shake her head and weep. Even her heart was numb now.

    Alex took the dagger and pointed it at his chest again. He stared at Abigail and he smiled.

    All the memories they shared together shed between them, from the moment he had ordered Abi to step out from the pir that she was hiding behind in that cold dark garage, until their wedding day and the passionate moments they shared.

    Alex bumped his head on hers. "Thank you for everything, my wife¡­ you are by far the best thing that has evere into my life in my thousands of years of existence. These few weeks with you happily sums up my lifetime. I love you," he whispered and then he held her hands, with the dagger still between them, and drove it towards his chest.

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    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 259 Explosion

    <h4>Chapter 259 Explosion</h4>

    Abi''s world halted. Her mind and body went nk. Even her heart seemed to shut down. She was falling. Falling down into an endless abyss.

    Blood began to flow out of his chest, staining his hands and hers with his blood. His eyes were still wide open and clear as he looked at Xavier. "Happy, now?" Alex asked him with a bitter smile as his blood started to flow out of his mouth. Alex staggered but he managed to hold on to Abi. His arms were wrapped around her now as he hugged her.

    Xavier gulped. He didn''t dare walk towards them, not until he waspletely sure of the oue. The room had be eerily silent. As if time stood still, the three of them just stood there, unmoving.

    Alex was still ring at Xavier, not breaking eye contact. Xavier knew he had really pushed the dagger through his chest and that it wasn''t a trick because this was the first time he saw blooding out from Alex''s mouth. His wounds usually healed before blood could even spill. Alex had never been affected by anything like this before. He knew because he had seen it. There was one time when he saw Alex make one of his women stab him in the heart. No blood came out from his mouth at all, only a few drops from the small chest wound that immediately healed.

    "Now¡­ remove¡­ the bomb off her," Alex demanded, blood spilling out as he forced himself to speak.

    Xavier slowly moved closer, still gripping the button, afraid that if he let his guard down, Alex would strike.

    Alex then let go of Abi and he stumbled backward, until his back hit the wall. Xavier saw the dagger was still stuck on his body, plunged so deeply that only the hilt could be seen. He was finally convinced that it seeded. He felt slightly relieved and somewhat ted. He actually did it! Alex was going to finally die! He would finally get his revenge!

    "I want you to remove¡­ the bomb off her¡­ before I¡­ she needs to go back to the hospital¡­ now¡­" Alex coughed out blood, falling to his knees as he held onto the wall.

    Abi could only watch him. She felt dead inside. She couldn''t even cry anymore. It was like she had left her body and was hovering over the scene in this room, watching it like it was a movie that had nothing to do with her. Her body had no strength left to hold on. The man she loved, the man she was going to spend her life with, no matter how short, was dying right in front of her and there was nothing she could do. Her tears had dried up, making a salty trail down her face.

    "Alex¡­ I love you" she whispered. The room was so quiet that her words reached him. He looked at her, his expression, unfathomable. She didn''t know what else to say to him. She didn''t want to say goodbye because she wasn''t ready to let him go. She didn''t want to let him go!

    Abi''s thoughts were jumbled but there was one thought that broke through. Was he happy that he was finally freed from the tortured life he led?

    Xavier looked at Alex and he didn''t know why but he moved and did as Alex had asked. Alex was finally going to die now so he might as well do this as a parting gift, to let Alex see that he would set his wife free.

    As Xavier took off the bomb and the ropes around Abi, Alex''s eyes were burning as he looked at Xavier.

    The moment the bomb and ropes were untied, Abi slid down to the floor like her bones had turned into jelly. She was just looking up to see how Alex was when suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew on her face. Before she knew it, Xavier, who was standing before her, disappeared and Alex was no longer by the wall.

    The next second, a loud explosion thundered in one corner of the room, as she felt a warm body cover her.

    Abi''s almost dead senses were jolted back to life and the only thing she could hear was the deafening ringing resulting from the loud bang.

    She lifted her face, immediately looking for Alex.

    The warm body belonged to him and he used his body to cover her again. "Are you okay?" he asked, smiling, down at her.

    Abi just gaped at him as he winced in pain. "Wait a moment, okay?" he asked, kissing her forehead before he turned to check if Xavier was still there. The room was no longer dark. The corner wall and adjacent windows were now gaping holes as a result of the st. The rain outside poured even harder, finding their way inside the room, as the lightning struck down. The rain was soaking him as he stood there looking down, a trail of red running down his body and pooling at his feet.

    And that moment, Abi looked at Alex''s back and she saw his fleshing together, rapidly healing itself. She watched all the open wounds on his back alle together and how his body repaired itself until his wounds were no more. His dragon tattoo was still there, unharmed and intact, without even the tiniest scratch.

    "He''s gone," Alex mumbled before he turned and looked at her. His eyes were flooded with guilt.

    Abi''s lips trembled and she forced herself to lift her hands out to reach out to him.

    "It''s about time for your surgery," he said and he knelt down next to her. He was about to pick her up when Abi''s eyes fell on the dagger, still protruding from his chest.

    Her trembling hands were about to reach out for it but Alex stopped her.

    "Don''t touch it, Abigail," he said gently. He then picked her up in his arms and then he jumped from the third floor to the ground. Hended lightly on his feet, as if he had wings.

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    Please keep voting my dear readers ^^

 Chapter 260 Dont cry

    <h4>Chapter 260 Don''t cry</h4>

    Alex sat on the driver''s seat with Abi still in his arms.

    "Hang in there, we''ll get there in no time," he told her as the car flew down the wet road like a bullet.

    Abi had lost all her strength. Her body was so weak and she felt like passing out. If not for her fear that Alex wouldn''t be there anymore when she woke up, she would have already passed out long ago. She must not pass out. She must stay awake. Those were the constant thoughts that whirled inside her brain, keeping her sane, keeping her conscious.

    Her eyes fell on the dagger still plunged on his chest. He wasn''t even wincing in pain. Why won''t he pull it out? Why didn''t he want her to touch it? Could it be that¡­?

    Abi''s grip on his shirt tightened as her body trembled once again because of the thoughts in her head. But she denied it and refused to consider it as a possibility because Alex was moving just fine. He was strong. Maybe they were all mistaken after all. Maybe, she wasn''t the one Alex had been looking for. Yes, that must be it! If she wasn''t the one¡­then Alex would not die! Maybe the story was all made up by that woman and that maybe, there was no one that would be able to do what she said. She consoled herself with these kinds of thoughts. She had to, because the other oue was unbearable to think of.

    Abi closed her eyes and her grip tightened around Alex. She wasn''t going to let go. She wasn''t going to let him out of her sight. She wasn''t going to fall asleep or close her eyes or blink ever again! She wasn''t going to let him leave her side. Her thoughts were bing hysterical the closer they got to hospital.

    In what seemed like no time all, they arrived at the hospital. The storm was still raging outside, without any sign of going away anytime soon. Alex lifted her up, acting just fine, like the dagger that was still plunged into his heart was nothing but a halloween prop.

    He walked hastily, inhumanely fast, but the rain still got them and they were both drenched by the time they got to the entrance. Abi finally remembered all those times that she would just find Alex right behind her and as if he had teleported, but now she knew it was because of his lightning speed.

    When they reached the surgery room, a man in white was leaning by the wall right next to the door. It was Zeke. He didn''t move from his spot until Alex stood in front of him.

    Their eyes met before Zeke''s eyes fell on the dagger in his chest. His nk expression immediately sharpened as he looked at Alex intently, looking for signs, any sign at all, that would tell him whether this was it for him. Once he was done surveying the situation, he finally spoke.

    "She needs to have a hot shower first and change into warm clothes, Alex." Zeke said, calmly. There was a hint of anger in Zeke''s eyes as he looked at the injured man before him. "Don''t worry, there''s still time," he added, seeing the hesitation in Alex''s eyes.

    "Okay," was all Alex replied before he turned and left with Abigail.

    Zeke creased his brows once Alex was gone. He threw his head back and dialed his phone with a grave expression on his face.

    ¡­

    In the bathroom, Alex carefully put Abi down. He started undressing her until she was naked and he proceeded to carefully wash her body with warm water. Abigail didn''t move - she didn''t push him away, nor did she move to make it easier for him. Her eyes never left him. She didn''t even want to blink for fear that she would find him gone once she opened her eyes again.

    As Alex cleaned her, Abigail still didn''t say a word, and nor did Alex.

    Alex was washing her hair gently when Abi could no longer bear it. She couldn''t bear seeing that dagger in his chest anymore.

    "Why aren''t you pulling the dagger out? You will heal immediately if you pull that out, right, Alex?" she asked him, her voice hoarse and weak, like a little child asking if there was a possibility that Bambi''s mother survived from being shot by a hunter.

    Her question made Alex pause for a moment but then he continued what he was doing. He didn''t give her an answer and Abi''s body began to tremble.

    "Alex¡­ I can''t bear it¡­ seeing you like that. It''s like an invisible knife has been stabbed in my chest, too." She wept. Her reaction made Alex look so miserable. ''When will this be over? When will she stop hurting because of him?'' he thought, his heart full of sorrow.

    Alex moved and kissed her. "Shh¡­ don''t cry anymore, my wife. You''ve been crying all night. Please, stop now."

    "But you''re¡­ how can I not cry where you''re hurting? When you''re bleeding like that? How can I¡­" Abi couldn''t stop herself from weeping for him. It was too much. She loved this man so much that any pain that he felt, she felt like it was her own.

    "Don''t worry, Abigail. It really doesn''t hurt. I''m already immune to any physical pain. What I can''t bear however, is you hurting like this. So please, stop crying. You''re about to undergo a surgery." He tried to reassure her, kissing her again. "Please, wife. Don''t cry anymore," he begged and she could only hug him. She could hear the helplessness in his voice, and Abi didn''t want to add to his pain anymore. But what was she supposed to do? Was she going to just watch him bleed?

    He carried her out of the bathroom after he, too, took off all his drenched clothes. He changed to a new set of clothes, hastily putting on a shirt without buttoning it.

    He helped Abi get dressed and he dried her hair. After that, he gathered her in his arms again as he took her back to the surgery room.

    Alex carefully put her down on the bed but Abi didn''t let go. She was scared, scared to let him go. She clutched onto his arm, determined to keep him by her side.

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    If we get 3000 votes today, I will give extra chapter ^^

    Goal this week: TOP 4= MASS RELEASE ^^

    KEEP VOTING! \u003c3

 Chapter 261 Promise me

    <h4>Chapter 261 Promise me</h4>

    "Don''t go anywhere, Alex," she told him.

    "I won''t. So please don''t think about what happened, okay. Don''t think about that; just think about our happy times together, okay?" he smiled, kissing her forehead. Although Alex tried his best to make her feel at ease, to stop her from worrying, Abi couldn''t do it. Her fear had taken hold of her and it wasn''t going to let her be.

    "But¡­ I''m scared Alex. You''re not going to die, right? Tell me¡­ please¡­ tell me you''re going to live. I''m scared that the reason why you''re not pulling out this dagger is because¡­ is because¡­"

    "Shh¡­" Alex nted a kiss on her lips. He could see she was starting to cry again. "Don''t worry¡­ this¡­" he averted his gaze away from her and looked at the dagger on his chest. "I actually made you miss my heart," he looked up and shed her a sarcastic smile.

    "Then why are you not pulling it out?"

    "Well, this dagger can only be pulled out by a powerful witch. There''s a curse on this too. It will suck the memories out of the person who pulls it out," he answered, making Abi''s brows crease in confusion. She was still unable to fully grasp all these supernatural things she had seen and heard. Everything was still hard for her to believe, but she didn''t care anymore. What bugged her at that moment was the unsettling feelings she had. She felt like somewhere in Alex''s statement was a lie and she hated herself for doubting him. Maybe she was just being paranoid?

    "R-really?" she asked, asking for his confirmation once again. She so wanted to believe him, that all they needed to do now was find a powerful witch to pull the dagger out.

    "Yes, Abigail. Don''t worry anymore. This dagger won''t be in my chest anymore once you wake up. You have to think positive to get through this surgery," he encouraged and Abi finally looked a little better.

    A nurse came in and asked Alex to leave as she ced a mask over Abi''s nose and mouth.

    "Wife, I need to go now. I''ll be just outside. I won''t leave until the surgery is over," he told her and she cupped his face and kissed him. She started to feel drowsy as whatever she was breathing in took effect.

    "Please promise me¡­ you''ll be here when I wake up. Promise me, Alex. Please," she begged and Alex bumped his forehead on hers as he uttered his answer.

    "I promise, Abigail."

    "Thank you, I love you."

    "I love you too. I will wait for you outside."

    "Mm. Wait for me outside, hubby..."

    Once Abi finally lost consciousness, Alex bent and kissed her forehead again, looked at everybody''s faces and nodded at them, before he nced at his wife onest time and left.

    ¡­

    The moment Alex stepped out from the room, someone grabbed him by the cor and pinned him against the wall, hard.

    "What is the meaning of this? Huh, Alex?" the oh-so-calm and unfathomable Zeke looked so angry. The knuckles on his fists, which were holding on to Alex''s cor tightly, turned white as Zeke red at this damn foolish man before him.

    "Rx, Zeke," Alex smirked, but then he quickly covered his mouth as he coughed. It wasn''t a healthy sounding cough and when he took his hand away from his mouth, it was filled with his blood. Alex looked at his hand and then he wiped his mouth with his forearm, staining his shirt red.

    Zeke gritted his teeth as he let go of Alex''s cor. He watched Alex slide down the wall and sit on the floor, as if his superhuman strength had left him.

    "Don''t worry about me. You go inside and save my wife ¨C"

    "Ha!" Zeke snorted. His rage was bing more inmed at each passing second as he thought about Alex and what he had just done. Zeke then squatted before Alex so that their eyes were on the same level. "What makes you think that I would keep my promise and save her when you''re the one who broke our deal?!" He smirked devilishly.

    Alex leaned his head by the wall, closed his eyes as if he was in pain, and wiped the blood that dribbled from his mouth, with his wrist.

    "Had youe and helped me out, this wouldn''t have happened, Zeke," Alex opened his eyes and smiled despite the pain, like he was enjoying Zeke''s angered face.

    "Don''t make meugh! You know that had I barged in, Abigail would be dead by now! Xavier would have truly killed Abigail if he thought for a second that his n wouldn''t seed! His n was to kill you but if that failed, then he would have been satisfied to have you watch her die, to experience the pain and torment he had experienced in your hands."

    "Of course you know that," Alex responded. "Had you barged in and something happened to her, you would have been the first one I would kill," he added with a smile and he coughed up blood again.

    "Stop ying around, Alex," Zeke said, bing more serious than ever. He couldn''t contain his anger anymore. "Don''t you dare think I will save her now. You broke the deal. You were supposed to stay alive. That''s all you had to do for me to save her, but it seems you couldn''t even do that! Useless!"

    "I''m still alive, Zeke."

    "Don''t give me that bullish*t, Alex. You''re dying! We both know it." Zeke retorted, sounding sure as if he just said that the sun would rise in the East and set in the West. "Damn it, Alex! Why the hell did you let this happen?!"

    Alex finally looked at him with a serious gaze. He held Zeke''s shoulder and moved his face near his shoulder. "Listen, Zeke¡­"

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    Please give this book some love and vote for it... ^^

    This author really appreciate your every vote.

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 Chapter 262 Final Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 262 Final Kiss</h4>

    Zeke eventually went inside the operating room and performed the surgery.

    Alex stayed and waited by the viewing room just outside the operating room and watched the surgery through the ss window. Zeke let him inside there because he was very conspicuous with a bloody dagger sticking out of his chest. Alex sat down and watched and waited despite the fact that the surgery would take hours. He sat there, unmoving, like a statue.

    Many hourster, the green light was finally turned off. Alex looked disheveled and weak as he stood up from his seat just as the door opened.

    He rushed towards Zeke and felt slightly less nervous when the man looked calmer than the moment he entered.

    "How is she?" Alex asked.

    Zeke didn''t answer and just looked at the door as they wheeled Abi out.

    Alex looked at her as she was wheeled past them. She was breathing - that was a good sign!

    "I removed the tumorpletely. All she has to do now is wake up," Zeke said and Alex''s shoulders dropped in relief. He knew Zeke''s skills were the best. He was one of the oldest vampires still around, just second to the current King and Queen of Hidden Kingdom. His skills were unrivalled in this world and he could perform surgeries that mere humans couldn''t deal with. Even though Alex had never doubted Zeke''s skills before - and he believed in him this time as well - he couldn''t help but feel a little apprehensive because he was performing this surgery on the one woman that mattered to him. He knew this would be the oue but his heart still felt nervous as he watched the progress of the surgery, no matter how much his brain said that it was going to be okay.

    Alex left and followed Abi to her room, looking like he had regained some of his strength again.

    He washed the blood that covered him and got changed before he walked closer to her. It was almost twilight.

    He sat next to her and watched her face. She really looked so peaceful when she was asleep, like a sleeping angel. Alex took her hand and carefully lifted it up to his lips. He kissed her hand and smiled.

    "You did well, my wife," he mumbled, his eyes brimming with happiness. He stared at the ring on her finger, her wedding ring, the ring that contained all their promises to each other, and the memories shed in his head again. All the days he spent with her was worth it. He felt all sorts of new emotions he had thought he would never feel. The emotions he thought were destructive and useless were actually the season of life. One had to feel them all to consider himself alive. If not, that''s how people be dead to the world.

    "You''re fine now, Abigail. Once you wake up, you can now live without counting your remaining days. All I want is for you to be happy. That''s all I want now, Abigail. To see your innocent smile again, and the sweet happiness in your eyes," he whispered, staring at her face. "I love you, Abigail. You are the only one I will ever love. The only one¡­" he added and then he stood up.

    His eyes dimmed and he held her hand. His thumb caressed her wedding ring but then¡­ he began to take it off.

    His heart clenched in pain as he pulled it off her finger. The vows on their wedding day yed like music in his head and a bitter smile curved on his lips.

    He stared at the ring in his hand and he closed his fingers over it. ''I''m sorry¡­ forgive me,'' he uttered within him before he bent down and nted a final kiss on her forehead; a kiss filled with all his emotions. The most painful kiss he would ever give.

    ¡­

    Abi''s family finally arrived in Abi''s room, including Kelly. They were shocked when they received a call that Abi''s surgery was over. They all thought the surgery was going to be that night. They were confused but hearing the news that the surgery was sessful, they didn''t ask any further.

    "Wait, what''s with this incense pot?" Kelly asked in curiosity when a nurse answered.

    "That is an effective medicinal treatment for the patient. The scent will help the patient wake up," she exined, causing everyone''s brows to knot, especially Kelly. How could that be possible?

    "And where is Alex?" Andrew asked and the nurse told them he was dealing with the bill.

    The family stayed in the room, waiting for Alex to arrive. Andrew wanted to speak with him and thank him so he was asionally asking where he was. But time passed and as the family stayed there, speaking to the still sleeping Abi and obviously inhaling the hypnotic scent, they eventually stopped asking for Alex''s whereabouts.

    ¡­

    In the northernmost part of Hidden Kingdom (Country V).

    In the middle of a thick and tall birch foresty an old castle. The castle was eerie and dark with only a few lights on. This was the territory of the rebel vampires. These were the vampires who refused to abide by the modernws of their kind. They didn''t like the idea of being lowkey and being out of sight from the world. They didn''t like the idea of peace between vampires and humans. Why should they hide themselves from this very inferior race? They were clearly superior but they were being suppressed!

    They refused to be the one to hide and iste from the world. They wanted to be free and do what they wanted. They wanted to drink human blood, which was banned by the currentw, created 100 years ago. This group of vampires were the ones who wanted Alex, the real king, dead, because as long as Alex was alive, they wouldn''t be able to start dominating the world.

    A group of them left the castle and looked up at the sky.

    "Hmmm, it looked like a storm was brewing, " said one of them before their eyes saw someone standing there.

    Their eyes burned red the moment they recognized who it was.

    Alex was standing in the middle of a bridge, in front of an iron gate. His eyes zing gold as he looked up. The dagger was still on his chest.

    Like a lightning, he jumped from below to the top of the iron gate. Tonight, he will burn this castle and everyone inside into ashes.

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    I don''t think we will reach 3000 votes today :( but here''s the bunos chapter. This chapter is for all my loyal readers who kept voting for this book everyday. Thank u so much for the support. I love you guys the most.

    I hope you won''t stop supporting this book until the end \u003c3

 Chapter 263 King

    <h4>Chapter 263 King</h4>

    The rebel vampires immediately took a step back upon the sight of him. To all the existing vampires on the, Alexander remained the King, the most powerful of them all. His existence spanned thousands of years more than them. They would probably be considered mere infants in the eyes of this King because even though they were vampires, they were not immortals. Like Alexander, they would live far longer than humans but unlike the Vampire King, they could die. What made things even worse was that the vampire''s powers had been declining because they were banned from drinking human blood, ording to thew.

    Human blood was the source of their power. That was why vampires no longer had their superhuman powers during the day. Their superhuman powers only activated at night, unlike hundreds of years ago. Their lifespan also decreased because their kind were forced to live like normal humans. Because of the neww, not many have been able to live past 200 years, except for the pure-blooded royals.

    Some vampires resented this neww and over the years their resentment grew into hatred at being suppressed, while others just followed thew and lived peacefully under the rule of the Reign family. But not everyone was at peace. Not everyone wanted to live like those worthless humans. They refused to be bound by this senselessw that held them back like prisoners. They were the superior race. Humans should be under the mercy of vampires, not the other way around.

    That was why these rebels were desperate. They needed to get rid of Alexander, because once he was gone, they would revolt and kill the royals and start a new world dominated by vampires. Sure, they would still have Ezekiel to deal with but if all vampires united against him, they would surely win. But one thing they knew for sure was that as long as Alexander was alive, they would not be able to be free from his chains.

    But it seemed that things had taken a turn in their favour. They were still terrified of his presence, even when he was still a distance away, but they could see it, the dagger poking out of his chest. Their Prince Xavier had seeded. All they had to do now was pull that dagger out and he would finally take hisst breath. Their fight was going to start now. Their Prince had paved the way for them and now all they had to do was finish it. They were going to kill him; just like how Alexander was able to defeat that ck dragon, they too would be able to defeat him.

    Hundreds of vampires then appeared from all around the castle. They were powerful, because unlike the obedient vampires, these creatures still drank human blood whenever they had the chance. Their strength was many times stronger than the vampires who had never tasted human blood in thest 100 years.

    The vampires were going to attack him all at once. That was their n. No matter how strong he was, surely one of the thousands of them would be able to pull that dagger out. It was now or never. This was their first step of their journey in ruling the world!

    "Everyone get ready!" one of them said and their eyes turned red and their canines and nails started to grow.

    A huge lightning strike hit the ground in between them and Alexander and the moment it disappeared, the first group jumped towards Alexander, as if that was the signal for them to start.

    Hundreds jumped at him but he threw them back with a shock wave that emitted from his whole body. The vampires fell to the ground after being hit but they were barely hurt so they didn''t waste another moment and went straight for him again.

    This time, Alex fought back. His razor sharp nails had also grown along with his canines but his eyes remained ck as night. Alex went down in a crouching position, muscles tight and coiled, ready to explode at the right moment.

    When the closest vampire was about to get to him, Alex''s legs sprung from under him and he faced this vampire head on, ws at the ready to strike through its heart and turn him into ash. He didn''t have any more time to think as the horde reached him. He turned his body around, protecting his chest from their reach and as he did so, his powerful leg threw a roundhouse kick that smashed most of them to the ground. That was the difference in their strengths. These vampires were nothing. They were paper dolls floating in the wind against Alexander''s almighty power. He didn''t even have to use a quarter of his power to crush these weaklings.

    As expected, none of them was able to even touch the dagger. It was like the god of ughter had risen from the dead. The first group fell on the ground, already dead.

    The vampires gulped in fear. Most of them hadn''t ever seen Alexander''s real powers. They only ever heard stories about him from their ancestors. When they heard those stories, some of them actually thought that the stories were exaggerated to make the stories more fascinating. There was no way Alexander had as much power as the stories portrayed. That amount of power was inconceivable to them possibly because they only everpared themselves to the weak humans! And because they had never really seen Alexander''s true abilities, he was regarded by these new age vampires more as a myth, than a legend, an existence that should never have existed at all.

    In the pause that followed the first wave, the vampires saw something that gave them hope. They saw him coughing and clearly saw the blood that came out from his mouth. Their prince Xavier had told them that Alexander was weakened by the dagger. How much more powerful would he be if he had his full powers? The thought made them shudder, but seeing him coughing out blood gave them confidence. They were so close to victory, they could smell it.

    "Let''s not give him any time to rest. We''re going to attack simultaneously!" one of them shouted and then, once again, they attacked Alexander with all their might.

    However, as the rain poured over them, a thickyer of ash started to cover thend around the man with a dagger in his heart.

    Hundreds of vampires had fallen but Alexander was still untouchable. He was smiling and reeking with bloodlust and the smell of death. It was like he was the grim reaper himself.

    "What. Scared now? It''s not over yet," Alexander uttered when suddenly, an arrow struck his chest, just an inch away from the dagger.

    Alexander didn''t flinch. A wicked smile carved on his lips as he looked up to the window where the arrow came from.

    The arrows then came, one after another. They didn''t give Alex the chance to pull any of the arrows out of his body so he moved and attacked instead. Like that old adage, the best defence was a good offence.

    Guns also started to be aimed at him but he was too fast that most bullets didn''t even touch him, while the ones that managed to hit him didn''t even slow him down.

    "Kill him!!!" they yelled as more vampires came out, like idiots who were ready to jump in the crater of an active volcano at themand of their master.

    "Yes. Doe and at least try to kill me." Alexander said with a sarcastic smile.

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    Keep voting ^^

 Chapter 264 Ashes

    <h4>Chapter 264 Ashes</h4>

    The huge doors in the castle''s top most floor opened with a creak. Smoke drifted up from the first floor and Alexander was on his way up, climbing the stairs leisurely. The first floor was already on fire.

    Xavier was sitting on the window sill, looking outside into the darkness when Alexander stepped into the room.

    "I''m surprised you didn''t escape, Xavier," Alexander said. Alex looked disheveled, his clothes were shredded and his whole body was covered with nothing but blood. His hand was on the door''s frame like he was supporting himself.

    Xavier finally looked at him. "Oh well, now that you''re going to die, I don''t really have a purpose anymore. All I wanted was to take revenge on you, Alex. That was what kept me going until now, I guess." he replied, his eyes calm. "My only regret is that¡­ I should have killed Abigail instead of you," he added, causing Alex to chuckle like the devil.

    "It''s toote for you to regret it now, Xavier. I do feel a little sympathy for you, though, because I believe someone brainwashed your poor brain. So? Who''s this king who turned a prince like you into a pawn?"

    "Why do you still want to know? You and I are going to die soon anyway. Sigh... I guess I should be satisfied by this oue. Once you''re gone, vampires, even the good ones right now will soon create some chaos in this world. Do you think your Abigail will still live a peaceful life once that happens? No, some of them will start to be curious about this woman who was able to kill the immortal Alexander." Xavier shed an evil smile.

    But Alex was unfazed. He had returned to his old self - the heartless man who didn''t care about anything or anyone.

    "Oh, is that so?" Alexander let out a menacingugh as the fire now zed inside the room.

    However, Xavier lifted his hand and showed him something. "I actually took these with me. I knew you woulde after me so I took a token for you to have when you take yourst breath," he said as he showed him not just the jellyfish plushie but Abi''s littlemb one, too. "Okay, how about we both watch them burn first?" he added, wanting to see pain in Alexander''s eyes. He would never be satisfied with him dying this way. He wanted Alexander to die with regret and pain, like him.

    Alex''s clouded eyes constricted and shed like lightning when Xavier attempted to throw the toys into the fire. But before Xavier let them go, Alex''s hand was around Xavier''s neck while his other hand clutched the toys. It''s like the sight of those things were enough to bring him back to his human form.

    Xavier smiled at him.

    "Well, isn''t this a dramatic end for both of us?" he said as his fingers wrapped around the dagger''s hilt. "This is the end, Alex¡­ your life is finally ending," he added, before gripping the dagger to finally pull it out.

    The thunder roared and lightning struck the castle mercilessly as the fire began to eat everything whole, leaving nothing but ashes.

    ¡­

    Days passed by but Abigail still didn''t wake up. Her body was doing well but for some reason, she still hadn''t gained consciousness. It was like she was refusing to wake up.

    Her family was worried that the same thing that happened to her mother was happening to Abi despite the doctors and nurses telling them that she was going to wake up soon.

    Kelly visited her often and would talk to her about her day and just chat to her about things that were happening in general. That day, Kelly told her the amazing news that a very nice couple adopted Little Betty. The couple was around their 50''s and they had never had a child. They were also known to be kind and helpful so Kelly told her not to worry about the little girl. Little Betty was finally in a loving environment, around people who cared about her.

    However, there was still no sign of Abi waking up.

    Dayster¡­

    Abi''s grandmother was humming a tune as she opened the window. She was humming the song ''Can''t help falling in love'' and Abi''s fingers twitched.

    The old grandma saw it and her eyes widened. She immediately called everyone. The doctors and nurses also came running.

    As Andrew and the rest rushed inside, Abi slowly opened her eyes.

    "Oh, thank god, our Abi is waking up!!" Abi''s family circled her bed in anticipation and happiness. Their lovely Abigail was finally waking up.

    "Oh my, she''s waking. She''s waking up!"

    The doctors and nurses checked on her vitals and they were satisfied that everything was normal.

    Abi heard themotion. Her eyes blinked like butterfly wings until the people looking down at her became clear in her eyes. Her grandma, grandpa, and her dad were looking at her. Kelly was also there, along with the unfamiliar faces of the nurses and doctors. However, they all wore the same expressions. They all looked so happy and relieved.

    Abi lifted her hand to touch them and her grandma held them in hers.

    "Wee back, dear. You did very well!" she said as she teared up.

    Abi closed her eyes again. She felt like she''d been asleep for a very long time.

    She attempted to speak but she felt her throat so dry. A nurse went to get some water and helped her to sit up on the bed. Abi took a few sips and her throat felt better. She felt like she had been wandering around the dessert for a long time and the water tasted so good.

    Her family were hugging each other, happiness glowing in their eyes.

    Once the nurses and doctors left, the family hugged her. Abi looked around again, as if she was looking for someone or something.

    "Where is Alex?" she asked and her family, including Kelly, looked at each other.

    "Who''s Alex?"

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    I don''t think we will reach 3000 votes today :( but here''s the bunos chapter. This chapter is for all my loyal readers who kept voting for this book everyday. Thank u so much for the support. I love you guys the most.

    I hope you won''t stop supporting this book until the end \u003c3

 Chapter 265 Not even a little

    <h4>Chapter 265 Not even a little</h4>

    Abi''s heart clenched in pain upon hearing those words. Her grip on the bed sheet tightened at seeing her family looking at each other in confusion. She lifted her face and looked at Kelly, but her best friend too, had the same curious look.

    Silent tears began to roll down Abi''s face. What? What happened? How did they not remember who Alex was? What was the meaning of this?

    "Oh Abi, don''t cry, dear¡­ you should be happy right now. Your tumor is gone Abi," her grandmother coaxed her as she rubbed her back.

    "That''s right, daughter, a miracle has happened. A miracle. Your mother must have been watching over you like a guardian angel." Andrew said as he teared up.

    Abi knew that they were right. She should be happy after hearing such news. If it was true that her tumor waspletely removed, she didn''t need to count her days anymore. She should be rejoicing at this moment to have been given a second chance at life, that the miracle she had asked for had actually been granted!

    But how could she rejoice? How could she smile now, when...

    Her eyes fell on her hands and her eyes widened.

    "Where is it? Where is my ring?" she asked nobody in particr, as she looked around her in a slight panic.

    "Ring? You don''t wear rings, Abi," Kelly told her, confused and worried as she looked at her best friend panicking. Her best friend was acting very strange and she was starting to worry.

    Abi''s lips began to tremble. She shook her head and looked around the room, still looking. Maybe someone had took it and put it down somewhere and had just forgotten to put it back on again. Her eyes swept the room and that was when she saw that familiar incense pot sitting on the table. She felt like her world stopped in that instant, as the realisation kicked in. She felt like her heart stopped beating and in the next moment, pain like she had never felt before flooded her entire being.

    "No¡­ no¡­ how could you¡­ how could you do this to me¡­ You promised me! You promised me!!" she wailed, grabbing the shirt by her chest as if she wanted to clench her heart to make the pain go away.

    She cried and cried until her body could no longer take it and she sumbed to sleep again. Her family and Kelly didn''t know what was wrong. They had no idea who this Alex was or what the reason was for Abi''s tears. They had no idea at all! They called and asked the doctors but even they didn''t know why she was acting like that. They looked at the charts and their tests results and everything looked normal so they really had no idea why Abigail had acted that way.

    Abi woke up in the middle of the night. Shey in bed and just stared out into the darkness, her eyes filled with pain and anger and longing.

    She spent a few more days in the hospital so that the hospital staff could monitor her recovery and while her body was doing well, the usually energetic Abi seemed to have lost her light. Where she previously saw blue skies and sunshine, it seemed like her world had now be gloomy and dark. Since she woke up, that genuine and beautiful smile of hers never appeared again.

    Days went by and Abi was finally given the all clear to leave the hospital. She had asked to see Ezekiel Qin but she found out that he died just a day after her surgery. Kelly even showed her newspaper articles about the tragic ne crash that killed him. This news didn''t make sense to her. She didn''t believe that Ezekiel Qin would die so easily from that sort of ident.

    When they arrived home, Abi immediately climbed up to her room. But to her dismay, the jellyfish aquarium wasn''t there anymore and she saw the suitcase that she brought with her to Alex''s mansion, sitting next to her bed.

    With a heavy heart, she opened it and all her things were there, except for that littlemb plushy he had gifted her. All traces of him were gone. Everything that had anything to do with him was gone. There was nothing left. She knelt on the floor and cried again.

    This pain was too much. It was unbearable. "You promised me, Alex¡­ you promised you would be there when I woke up! You promised me¡­ you, liar!" she sobbed. "Where are you? Come back, please¡­"

    ¡­

    3 monthster¡­

    Abi woke up from the nightmare again. She abruptly sat up as her heart hammered against her chest. She ran her hand through her hair and squeezed her eyes shut and her lips wobbled as tears pooled in her eyes.

    Droplets of salty water eventually flowed down her face. She struggled to breathe, hupping as she gasped. Two months have already passed but everyday she woke up, she felt like not a day had passed by because the pain didn''t subside. Not even a little.

    She had spent thest two months in endless pain. No matter what she did, she couldn''t forget about Alex and the pain in her chest even for a little while.

    She tried to do something. She went in search of him. She visited his house but no one was there anymore. It was empty, as if no one ever lived there from the beginning. She searched for the people who knew Alex but she never saw nor heard from any of them again. It was like they all just vanished into thin air, as if they never existed, as if Alex never existed. She started to feel that Alex, and everyone connected to him, were characters in a dream only she knew about.

    Abi never spoke to anyone about Alex again. She knew they would only call her crazy. She didn''t exin to her family or to Kelly why she was crying, what she was looking for, and what she was going through. She couldn''t. They wouldn''t understand.

    She tried to fly to Country V but her visa was rejected. Kelly did everything to be able to get Abi a visa but for some strange reason, she was always declined.

    Abi found it suspicious. Why were they declining her visa? Why wouldn''t they let her visit the country again?

    Abi remembered everything so clearly. The devil in her head kept telling her that Alex was dead, a thought that always broke her heart into million pieces over and over again. But she knew that these thoughts weren''t senseless because if he was still alive, why was he not here with her? Why did he leave her? Why he had note back for her? Why did he remove everyone''s memory about him? Why did he take her ring and everything that would remind her of him?

    But her heart couldn''t ept it. He was alive in her heart even if her mind told her otherwise. She was not going to stop looking for him, waiting for him. Even if it took a lifetime.

    "Abi!" Her grandma called out from below so Abi quickly opened her window and looked down.

    "Yes, grandma?" she said when her eyes spotted a smiling young man standing beside her grandmother.

    "I have good news Abi, soe down now. I found a way for you to visit Country V," Chris grinned and Abi''s heart hammered.

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    Keep voting...

 Chapter 266 Chameleon

    <h4>Chapter 266 Chameleon</h4>

    Abi rushed to the bathroom and washed her face. She couldn''t let her grandma see that she had just cried again. She took a deep breath and fixed her hair before she left her room.

    Chris was already waiting for her in the living room, sitting next to her grandmother on the sofa.

    Since Abi was released from the hospital, Chris had been dropping by asionally. He was always trying to cheer her up but Abi just couldn''t make herself cheer up or smile like before. She learned how to fake a smile. She had learned how to smile with only her lips. She learned how to wear a mask. Because the pain she felt was something that even time could never heal. Her love for Alex was something that would never fade with time.

    "Good morning, Chris," she greeted as she sat across him.

    Once Abi''s grandmother stood up and went to the kitchen, Chris turned to his side and pulled something out of his bag. When he faced her again, he showed her a ne ticket, shing his charming smile.

    "H-how did you manage to¡­"

    "Haha, actually, I am going to bring you there illegally," he told her, causing Abi to look at him in surprise. "I really don''t understand why they keep declining your visa. It''s like you''re some criminal who is banned from that country. I thought that someone with the name same as you must be a notorious criminal they are still hunting so I tried to prove that it wasn''t you but nothing works. It is really strange."

    Abi already knew. Even Kelly''s dad couldn''t help her. This was definitely not coincidental. There was definitely a reason why they were not letting her in there. This was one of the suspicious things she couldn''t understand. But at the same time, this was giving her hope. Why would anyone want to keep her out of Country V? Who was behind all of this? Who was forcefully stopping her? Why did they not want her there?

    There was too many questions. And there was only one thing she could do to find out. She had to visit country V. She was going to do anything to set foot in that country again.

    "I told you, I don''t mind how you get me there, even if it''s illegal, Chris," she said, causing Chris to sigh. He had been asking himself why Abi was so desperate to go to that ce. He had been asking himself why she had suddenly turned so cold and out of reach. He thought that maybe bringing her there would solve whatever was troubling her and once whatever it was that she was going through was solved, he was nning to confess to her. No, even if her problem remained unsolved, he would still confess to her once they returned.

    Although, that wasn''t the only reason why he was helping her. It was because he also couldn''t help but be curious. He wanted to know what Abi wanted to do there, to see the reason why she was willing to do everything just to get there.

    "Alright then. My team will be going there for a photoshoot. I demanded a private ne and thankfully, mypany agreed. I guess that''s one of the perks of being a superstar," he grinned cheekily at Abi, trying to extract a reaction from her. He was rewarded with a small smile, but he knew it was an empty one. He wished he could see Abi''s smiles again. "This is the n¡­"

    ¡­

    The next day, Abi arrived at the airport. But she was unrecognizable. The Abi that arrived at the airport had shoulder length, light brown hair. She also wore a bit of makeup and thebination of the changes made her look like an entirely new person. She also wore a tight fitting dress and high heels which showed off her slender legs. This Abi turned heads when she walked into the room. This Abi drew everyone''s attention because she was no longer hiding herself, she was going all out. She had to blend in with the crew so she had to act like one of them, and confidence was key.

    As she walked towards the check in gate, a tiny light of hope flickered in her eyes and she looked brighter than she had in months. She looked around and finally found Chris, who was waiting for her by the counter. He had her new passport and boarding pass so she immediately went to him.

    They went through the check in procedure and Abi''s heart thumped in her chest. She was very nervous. She didn''t want anything to go wrong so she stomped down her nervousness and yed her part.

    The attendant opened up her passport, looked at her face forparison and then down at the passport again. Abi subconsciously held her breath and it wasn''t til thedy stamped her passport that she finally let her breath out.

    She was in! She was through the first hurdle and she was finally going to Country V again.

    As they left the counter with their passport and passes, her phone vibrated. It was Kelly. The girl was boarding another ne so they were in different areas of the airport. The girls talked for a while and then bid each other goodbye when it was time to board.

    Chris and Abi then boarded the private ne. It was a beautiful ne but this reminded her of Alex again. She remembered him clearly in her head, on that bright sunny day as he led her inside his private jet, shing his wicked smile.

    Her heart felt like it was being poked by a thousand sharp needles.

    "Are you okay?" Chris asked as the ne started to move on the runway.

    "I''m fine. Just a little nervous," she lied and she forced a smile, another fake one.

    Chris only nodded and smiled back.

    "Don''t worry, you don''t need to be nervous. I am here."

    "Mn. Thank you."

    The flight felt long, at least for Abi. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and it beat faster the closer they got to their destination. She was filled with hope but the devil in her head was telling her not to expect anything. That what she will find there might just lead to another sort of pain that could leave herpletely dead inside. She was scared and hopeful. But there was no going back.

    She thought that maybe, hopefully, Alex would be there waiting for her.

    "We''re here, Abi. Get ready," Chris said and Abi immediately looked outside the window.

    The familiar lights of the city were beautiful. The familiar surroundings somewhat calmed her, gave her some peace of mind if only for a split second, until she thought about what she might find out there.

    Her heart palpitated even harder as the ne''s wheels touched the tarmac.

    The eagle hadnded, or in her case, the littlemb turned chameleon.

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    Please don''t get tired voting for this book ^^

    And lease consider dropping a review andments... This author loves reading them *grin*...

    Also, this book had just entered a new arc, I hope u will enjoy it as well. ^^

 Chapter 267 Haunted

    <h4>Chapter 267 Haunted</h4>

    Country V.

    The ne slowed down and docked at the terminal. Abi could barely contain herself. She felt nervous, excited, terrified, hopeful. So many contrasting emotions were fighting inside her but the one that trumped them all was a relief. She had made it. She was finally back in this country again and the feeling that she had the first time she stood on thend, that feeling that there was magic in the air, shrouded her. However, knowing what she knew now, that phrase now held a whole new meaning and her eyes saw everything differently.

    The ragged, snowy mountains, the rainforest, their surroundings looked exactly the same as it had but the smell and the feel of the air around them felt different. It was as if Abi could feel the difference on her skin, like the air was charged.

    She took a deep breath of the cool air and her lungs soaked it in, as if it had been parched for a long time, and for the first time in a long while, a small, genuine smile formed on her lips.

    It was getting dark by the time they passed through customs. Abi, Chris, and the crew went directly to the hotel and checked in after that. The hotel they were at was the same hotel that Abi and Kelly had stayed at on their previous visit. Once she got her room key, Abi dropped her luggage off in the room and immediately went in search of Kelly, who had arrived an hour before her.

    Abi had sent Kelly a message asking where she was and Kelly had replied that she was downstairs in the restaurant.

    Abi still hadn''t changed out of her tight-fitting clothes, so when she arrived, all eyes were drawn to the beauty who gracefully walked towards a table. Abi, of course, didn''t notice all the attention she was getting because she was so intent on finding Kelly and organizing their trip for the next day.

    For the first time since she woke up from her operation, her heart was beating wildly, as if it had just been shocked back to life. She couldn''t help but feel a newfound energy, a bubbling hope that she was in the right ce, that if she had any hope in finding Alex, this ce would give her the highest chance.

    Kelly was sitting on afortable leather sofa, sipping on a cold juice, just browsing on her phone. She still remembered thatst time she came here with Abi, but some parts of it were extremely blurry. She remembered that they had gone shopping, that they went to the ball but as hard as she tried to remember what actually happened during the ball, she just couldn''t remember. She put it down to her possibly having a little too many alcoholic beverages that night so she figured she probably had the time of her life. It was just too bad that she remembered none of it.

    She also remembered that she had left the country before Abi did and again, she had no idea why. However, Abi came back and she was fine, so there was nothing to worry about.

    Abigail sat down opposite Kelly and soon after, Chris joined them. They ordered some food for dinner. The food smelled and looked mouth-watering but Abi had no appetite. She was too hyped up at the day''s events. However, she forced herself to eat because she was going to need all her energy for theing search.

    During dinner, Kelly quizzed Abi about the ce she wanted them to visit. Abi told them that while she was here thest time, she got lost one day and when she was trying to find her way back, she stumbled upon an old house.

    Abi wove a tale about this house so that no one would be suspicious about how she actually knew of the ce. Of course, she still remembered it, Alex''s house - the ce he took her to after she escaped from that hellhole of a dungeon.

    After that, everyone went back to their respective rooms to rest, knowing they had an early start in the morning.

    However, Abigail couldn''t sleep. She opened her window and sat on a chair by it, staring out into the starry night sky, wondering if Alex was looking up at the same night sky, wondering if he was thinking about her too.

    The pain in her heart was slowly being reced by hope. With each breath she took, the light grew stronger and stronger. Hope was indeed a powerful antidote, but hope also had a darker edge. It was also known as the silent killer because it inevitably left one utterly defenseless and vulnerable to the disappointment and pain and suffering that woulde when that hope was crushed beyond recognition.

    And so Abigail sat on that chair, staring out the night sky until she drifted to sleep.

    The next morning, Kelly, Chris, and Abi boarded a car.

    Chris sat in the driver''s seat while Abi took the passenger seat as she was giving Chris directions to the old house. She had some trouble trying to remember the way there because she only saw the road as they headed from the house. However, she was observant enough to note some keyndmarks so even if they took a few detours to get there, they eventually got there.

    The car stopped in front of an old house. It was eerily silent and seemingly deste. Abi climbed out of the car and she approached it, bravely. Kelly was right next to her while Chris followed behind him.

    "Oh god, Abi. I didn''t know you wanted to hunt for a haunted house," Kelly said while Chris thought that this would be a nice location to film a horror movie or even dark-themed photoshoot.

    "There is no one here, Abi," Kelly said but Abi was unstoppable.

    This was it. This was the house she had stayed with Alex. She remembered that there was a housekeeper that kept the ce running so she knocked on the door. She waited a while because the housekeeper was quite old. However, there was no answer. She knocked again but still nothing. Feeling impatient, Abi finally tried the handle and to her surprise, it wasn''t locked.

    "Hello?" she said out loud, as she stepped inside the house. She looked around and her heart sank. It looked like the house was empty. No one was living there anymore. She couldn''t even sense the presence of the housekeeper. Nothing at all.

    Abi walked upstairs into Alex''s room and again, found nothing. Only the memories of them cuddling by that cold looking bed remained.

    Tears pooled in Abi''s eyes as her hope was slowly being crushed. This was Alex''s house. He should be here. The light of hope in her chest was slowly being quenched as they left the house.

    Chris and Kelly were puzzled but Abi hadn''t said another word since they entered that house.

    "Alex¡­ where are you? Please¡­ I miss you so much now¡­" she whispered softly.

    No, she wouldn''t give up yet. Just because this house was empty didn''t mean that Alex was dead.

    That night, they went back to the hotel and she came up with another n, to go and visit the castle.

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    Keep voting ^^

 Chapter 268 Where is he?

    <h4>Chapter 268 Where is he?</h4>

    The next night.

    Chris was dumbstruck the moment he saw Abie out of the room, all dressed up in a very elegant gown. She looked like a princess from a fairytale movie. She was prettier than all the artists he had worked with. If only her smiles weren''t forced.

    "Shall we go?" Chris offered his arm like a true gentleman and Abi epted it.

    Chris was undoubtedly a big help to them. Chris was a famous celebrity and the princess who was about to get married was coincidentally his fan.

    The wedding ceremony was over but as per the country''s tradition, the wedding party canst for three days. Most of the royals didn''t follow that tradition anymore but the princess loved to have parties and she of course wanted to make the most of this event. So her wedding was to be celebrated over three days.

    The princess immediately sent Chris an invitation to attend thest night of the party as soon as she found out that he was in Country V. Well, Chris deliberately spread the news through his social media that morning, as he was doing the photoshoot, that he was in the country so that the princess would definitely find out about it.

    Kelly, on the other hand, was partnered with Chris''s manager. Unfortunately for Kelly, the man was married so she couldn''t even tease him or flirt with him. She could only behave herself. She very much wished that she could find a gorgeous beauty at the party tonight.

    It was twilight when they arrived at the castle. The wedding was very grand. They heard that the second princess married the love of her life, who was from a noble family, so this was a happy union, not a political one.

    Abi was dressed in a ck mermaid dress, hugging her perfect curves. She apanied it with an elegant diamond ne and bracelet. She was simply breathtaking and very sexy. Since the party was a masquerade party, she wore a butterfly designed ck mask with a silver lining.

    Kelly, ever one to make a statement, wore a striking red dress, intensifying her bold, sexy, aura.

    Everyone was well dressed and the atmosphere looked pleasant and joyous. Thedies with their partners, waltzed in the ballroom. Others stayed by the long tables of food and chatted leisurely amongst themselves.

    Everyone seemed awed by it all, except for Abi.

    She was upied with her own thoughts, looking for someone among the crowd. Her heart had been beating ferociously since they entered the pce. She felt like this was herst hope. She didn''t know where else she would look if Alex wasn''t here as well.

    But to her dismay, she couldn''t find him in the crowd, not even his shadow. Even if everyone was wearing a mask, Abi would be able to immediately recognize Alex. She knew the shape of his jaw, the waves of his hair, the shape of his wide shoulders, his arms and torso, even his back. She remembered it all clearly in her head. She had not forgotten him, despite the fact that he had tried so hard to make her forget. But his most identifying feature was his aura. Whether it was the dark, cold aura or the calm, content aura, she would easily be able to identify him through that.

    She continued to look around once again, hoping that she would at least find Zeke or Kai within the crowd.

    The party went on and the closer they got to the end of the party, the faster her hope began to fade. The princess personally approached Chris with some other beautifuldies, so Abi excused herself to go to the bathroom. But this time, she took Kelly with her.

    "So? No sign of what or who you are looking for yet?" Kelly asked as they left the ballroom.

    Abi let out a deep sigh. Her heart was so heavy that she was having a hard time speaking. She shook her head as an answer. Why? Why was Alex not showing up yet?

    Kelly didn''t know how to console Abi because she didn''t really know what Abi was looking for or why. She had been curious about what her friend was going through and she had waited patiently for Abi to open up, but months had passed by and Abi never said a thing. She had changed so much since she woke up from that surgery and it pained Kelly to see her looking like a flower slowly withering.

    She wished that bringing her here to this ce she so desperately wanted to go would cheer her up, but it seemed it was a bad idea. It seemed the sunlight she was looking for wasn''t here and now she looked more deste than ever.

    Abi went out of the bathroom first and waited for Kelly outside. She wandered in the corridor, her heart bleeding nonstop. She wanted to cry again. She was terrified that she would find nothing here. She was so scared.

    But as she lifted her eyes, she saw a man''s back. Abi immediately ran and chased after him. It was familiar! It must be him!

    Abi ran as fast as she could. When the man disappeared as he entered another pathway, Abi elerated. She must catch up to him!

    With her will and desperation fueling her, Abi actually managed to reach him. She tugged his shirt, making the man halt and look back.

    Abi felt like her heart was about to explode. She finally found hope again.

    "Kai, it''s me!" Abi said as she took off her mask, not letting go of Kai''s shirt.

    Kai''s eyes immediately circled. He was shocked. He immediately looked around and without wasting a moment, he put her mask back on her face.

    "Kai, where is Alex? Please¡­ bring me to him," she pleaded.

    Kai held her hand and brought her behind a pir. He looked like he was in a dilemma.

    "Please leave this ce," was all he said,pletely serious.

    Abi gripped his shirt as tight as she could. "No, I''m not leaving until I see my husband! I will only leave with him. Please¡­ where is he?"

    Kai bit his lips. He looked like he didn''t want to say a thing.

    "I don''t know what you are talking about," he said but Abi could see right through him. He was a bad liar and she was somehow d that it wasn''t the poker faced Zeke that she had found first.

    "Stop lying, please. I remember everything. If you guys think that incense worked on me, then I''m telling you, you''re wrong! So stop doing this and tell me, I''m begging you!" She was about to cry.

    Kai looked shocked again. He couldn''t believe Abigail was actually here and she actually remembered everything?! Didn''t Zeke make sure she would forget everything when he performed the surgery? Zeke knew the incense wouldn''t work on her so that was why they had nned to tweak her brain during the surgery. Could it be that Zeke¡­

    "Please¡­ Kai¡­ please¡­" she continued begging. Tears began to flow from her face now, uncaring of who saw her like that.

    Kai looked away, seeing the pain in her eyes. "I''m sorry. Alex is¡­ he''s dead. Please forget about him."

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 Chapter 269 How dare you

    <h4>Chapter 269 How dare you</h4>

    "Liar!!! Liar! You''re lying!" she cried, pulling his shirt. "Don''t lie to me."

    Kai swallowed and gently held Abi''s shoulders. "Please Abigail, leave this country. You have to go back. Alex is dead. He''s not here ¨C"

    "No! I don''t believe you." She trembled as she sobbed.

    "I''m so sorry, Miss. You can''t be here. Alex is gone so ¨C"

    "No¡­ stop it, I won''t believe you. Even if you show me his grave, I still won''t believe you. I know he''s alive! You guys are hiding him from me. Otherwise, why would you be sending me away? I know you guys are the reason why I couldn''t visit this country! Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

    Abi broke down in front of Kai. She was in so much pain. She couldn''t take it anymore.

    Kai could see it, she was drowning, barely holding on. Despite the lovely dress she wore, he noticed that she seemed to have lost weight and she was paler than ever that she almost looked like one of them. No matter how hard he tried to shield himself from the pain he saw in her eyes, it was far too raw and much too intense that even Kai''s heart was swayed. He fell silent. He didn''t know what to do or say to alleviate her pain. What could he do for her? What could he say to make her feel better? ''Nothing,'' was the answer that came to his mind.

    Seeing the state that she was in now, he didn''t want to give her hope. It was hopeless. It was toote. She was toote and now, there was no way she could be with Alex anymore¡­

    Kai could only slowly lift his hand and pull her into his embrace because he knew that no amount of words of pity or empathy could ever take her pain away. So he hugged her tight, leaning her forehead into his chest as she sobbed like her heart was breaking. She was clearly on the verge of breaking down.

    He gently rubbed her back, trying his best tofort her because it seemed that this was the only thing he could do for her now. He held her patiently until he felt her sobs die down a little and Kai felt relieved that she was finally calming down. But then, Abi pulled away and looked at him, eyes as fierce as a momma bear protecting her cubs.

    "I''m not going to leave this ce until I see him, you hear me? Now that I''ve seen you for myself, I know he is here somewhere and I won''t leave until I find him!" she said as she pounded her fists on his chest, her chest rising and falling from the exertion.

    Kai creased his brows, now looking worried to death. "But, Miss ¨C"

    Before he could say anything more, Abi pushed him away and that was the scene Kelly witnessed when she walked down the corridor, looking for Abi. She immediately dashed towards them and her eyes widened from seeing Abi in such a state.

    Without a second thought, Kelly grabbed Kai''s cor and pinned him against the pir as Abi stepped back and squatted on the ground, her hands tugging at her hair.

    "What the hell did you do to my baby girl, huh????! Answer me, you hooligan!" she asked, exuding a fierceness that could rival a tigress.

    Kai closed his eyes, pinching the skin between his brows. He had gone through all the trouble of making sure that everyone who had seen Alex, and those connected to him, forgot all about them, and yet, he had the misfortune to paths with this girl again.

    This was bing extremely troublesome. That hypnotic incense was undoubtedly powerful but there have been a few known cases where someone''s memories would be triggered when they encountered that person again, especially when that happened within the span of a year from their memories being wiped. That was why everyone returned to Country V, to their dens, to minimise the likelihood of this happening with Abigail or any of the people who knew them. They had to stay away from those people for years so that those who had met them would be able to forget them,pletely.

    "I didn''t do anything! And who are you calling, hooligan? Don''t turn this around on me, oh Queen of all hooligans. That name is much more suited to you when you''re acting like this, even when wearing such a beautiful dress," Kai said and as expected, Kelly frowned at him. Why did he sound like he was familiar with her?

    Her eyes narrowed as she surveyed his face. It was obvious that her eyes were asking where she saw or met him before.

    However, Kelly set aside whatever that strange feeling was. ''Must just be d¨¦j¨¤ vu,'' she thought and focused on the situation at hand.

    She tightened her hold on his cor and pinned him harder on the pir. This man had to pay for making Abi cry. She was going to break this damned pretty face of his!

    "You asshole, how dare you make a girl cry, especially my Abigail!" she said through gritted teeth. She made a fist and was about tond a punch on his jaw, but Kai caught her fist.

    What Kai did only inmed Kelly''s anger and that was the final straw. She was going to show no mercy and make him suffer. Kelly took a small step back and aimed her knee towards his groin, a small, mischievous smile ying on her lips as she imagined the moment he would double over from the pain, but to her surprise, Kai caught her leg, stopping her advance yet again!

    "F*ck! You really want a fight, huh, pretty boy?" she snorted and in the next second, she pressed her body onto him. If muscle wouldn''t work, then there was always n B. Her softness pressed against Kai''s chest but his reaction was theplete opposite of what she was expecting. Instead of the man falling speechless and his brain turning to mush, he actually jumped away from her like she was some contagious virus and then he had the gall to turn around and walk away.

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 Chapter 270 Gone

    <h4>Chapter 270 Gone</h4>

    It was Kelly who actually became speechless this time after seeing him walk away from her.

    Ohhh, this guy was really asking for it. Her hands were itching for a fight and she was so close to losing her rationality and she felt that she had to beat up this man or else she wouldn''t be able to calm down.

    She was about to go after him but she stopped when she noticed that Abi wasn''t where she had been! What? Where did she go?!.

    "Abi!" she called out as she looked down the corridors, trying to catch a hint of where she could have gone. Did she go back to the bathroom?

    Kelly thought that she must have gone there to fix her makeup after crying so hard. ''Damn! I won''t let that man get away with this. The next I see him, I will definitely make him pay!'' she thought to herself as she dashed towards the bathroom.

    Kelly started to worry when she didn''t find Abi there. But then, a thought stopped her. She remembered that she didn''t put any makeup on Abi as per her request because Abi had told her that their faces were hidden anyway. So Abi just only put on a very light glow up.

    Where could she have gone?! ''Oh, Chris! She must have returned to Chris!'' she thought hopefully, so she walked back towards the ballroom, keeping an eye out for Abi, and also for that pretty man that she wanted to beat up, as she headed back to the ballroom.

    ¡­

    Abi''s heart hammered against her ribcage as she walked towards arge crowd of women.

    While Kelly was confronting Kai, Abi heard some girlse out from the bathroom excitedly whispering to each other as they hastily walked back to the ballroom. She wasn''t really paying attention to what they were saying but she thought she heard them say it, his name, Alex. Did she hear them right? Did they really say his name? And if they did, were they talking about the same person?

    Uncaring that her eyes were red and swollen and that her cheeks were sticky with tears, she immediately got up and followed them, utterly nervous and hopeful.

    What weed her as soon as she entered the ballroom were groups ofdies standing around, looking in the same direction - towards the front where the bride and the groom were sitting.

    "Oh god! He really looks like a god, doesn''t he?" one woman swooned.

    "Yes! Ahhh, I hope he picks me!" another woman answered.

    "He didn''test night so I think he might pick around three women this time. I remember thest time he picked women was three months ago, during the queen''s birthday. He picked two of them back then."

    "Ahh. Those girls are so lucky! I hope I could be so lucky! Please, let him notice me! One night with him would be a dreame true."

    "You''re right. Who wouldn''t want to offer themselves to him?"

    Abi heard all these whispered conversations as she stood behind them. She was almost hyperventting, as if she was more than certain that they were all talking about Alex.

    Alex was here. Alex was here. Alex was here. Her mind repeated those three words, over and over again, like a chant. She wrung her hands nervously and fanned her face as she took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Her heart was beating so hard as if it wanted toe out of her chest.

    Once she felt that she was ready, she slipped inside the crowd and wound her way closer to the front of the room. She couldn''t hear anything anymore, just the sound of her loud heartbeats rang in her ears. It was like everyone and everything stood frozen and she was the only one moving.

    Once she reached the front of the room, Abi looked in the direction every eye was focused on and she felt like her world stopped.

    Alex was at the front, next to newlyweds, sitting like a majestic king.

    Everything else faded away, all the music, all the chatter, all the people around her as her eyes drank in the sight of him. Her sunshine, her oxygen, her oasis. He was right there, in the same room, almost at touching distance and she couldn''t take her eyes off of him.

    Her heart sang and was instantly filled with so much joy, so much that she found it hard to breathe. Her eyes became blurry as tears of happiness filled them to the brim. She was d that she kept looking, that her hope didn''t fade, because here she was, finally seeing him with her own eyes again and he was alive and well! He was alive!

    Abi was about to move, to dash towards him, to hug him and never, ever let go again. Her feet moved almost subconsciously, drawn to him, just like all those times before, but before she could even take a single step, someone grabbed her forearm, pulling her backwards, away from the centre of her universe.

    Abi was slightly shocked and was about to push the man away, until she saw who it was.

    Zeke. Her saviour. The man who cheated death by saving her, the man had supposedly died in an airne disaster.

    Abi gritted her teeth, pulling her arm to make him loosen his grip.

    "Let ¨C"

    "Shh¡­ Abigail. You need to listen to what I have to say, first!" Zeke hissed, covering her mouth as he pulled her back away from the crowd, not giving her a chance to get away.

    Abi struggled against him, trying to break away so that she could run to her husband and bury her herself in his arms, just as she had imagined a thousand times. However, Zeke was having none of it. His grip was strong and unyielding.

    Zeke dragged her to the veranda - the same one she was on when she had been kidnapped during that ball. Was Zeke going to kill her now, too, after saving her? No! She was so close! Alex was right there and she wouldn''t let him get away again!

    With all her strength, Abi bit Zeke''s hand, but the man didn''t even flinch. Instead, he bent down and whispered to her.

    "Listen to me, Abigail! That man you see right there is no longer the Alex you know!" he said, dead serious.

    Abi slowly released his hand from her teeth and she shook her head. "You''re lying to me again. Please¡­ stop messing with me. I''m begging you. Just let me go. I just want to be with him. I miss him so much. Please, Mr. Qin," she begged with all her heart.

    Zeke sighed and pinned her against the wall. "Listen!" he roared, merciless as ever. "Listen to me first! You have to know everything before you go there and appear before him."

    Abi looked at him with questions in her eyes but she was still too afraid Alex would disappear again. This was apparent in her eyes so Zeke assured her so that she would finally pay attention to what he had to say.

    "Don''t worry, he''s not going to go anywhere. Now listen! I am the one who gave you entry to this asion. Did you really think you can escape the eyes of the country of vampires? I know you arrived here in disguise and I let youe here to the pce," he said, and Abi finally looked at him. "Alex is dead, Abigail ¨C"

    "I said stop ¨C"

    "Goddammit! I said listen to me!!" Zeke growled again. How the hell did Alex deal with this stubborn girl?! She was testing his patience like never before.

    "I''ll tell you what happened so shut your mouth and don''t interrupt me. Or else, I''ll throw you out from this veranda to that cliff," he threatened and finally Abi nodded. She knew this man wasn''t like Alex, who would never hurt her no matter how angry he was.

    "We all got the prophecy wrong, Abigail. We thought that Alex was going to die, literally, once you stabbed him with that dagger. We got it wrong. Only his soul died. Do you get what I''m saying? That man right there is now just a soulless being. Alex''s body will never die. The dragon''s blood will never let his body rot. So you need to understand this. The Alex that you see there is no longer the same Alex that you remember, or more importantly, the Alex that remembers you. He no longer has even a little bit of humanity in him, no memories nor even emotions. He is now just a soulless entity. The Alex you know is dead, Abigail. He''s gone."

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 Chapter 271 Dont break

    <h4>Chapter 271 Don''t break</h4>

    Abi shook her head. She felt like she couldn''t breathe. She gasped for air at this revtion. She wouldn''t believe it. She couldn''t. It couldn''t be true. They were lying to her again! But somehow, she felt that the strong light of hope that had illuminated her whole body with happiness, was being snuffed out quickly and it broke her.

    She clung onto Zeke as she tried to breathe. It hurt. It hurt so much.

    Zeke just sighed again. "Listen. I''m not telling you all this just to hurt you. That is not my intention. I have no quarrels with you. I''m telling you this for a reason. I let youe here because I think Alex''s soul might not bepletely gone yet," he added and Abi looked up at him again.

    "I can''t be sure but the day beforest night, I saw him staring at the rings. I believe those rings are your engagement ring and your wedding rings he put together in a ne before he went to hunt down Xavier."

    Silent tears fell down Abi''s eyes.

    "Now you need to understand that Alex might hurt you. He''s not the same man anymore. You can''t even call him a man anymore. He''s aplete monster now. Are you willing to still go after him?" Zeke''s gaze was sharp as he asked her, telling her that she must think about this. That this was something grave and dangerous for her.

    But Abi didn''t even pause to think about her decision.

    "Yes. I know there is still hope, his soul isn''tpletely gone yet, we¡­ could still bring him back!" Abi was desperate and the worse thing was that there was no doubt in her eyes at all. She clung on to every little thread of hope he threw at her, that Alex would still remember, that there must still be a way to save him. She clung onto the tiny, flickering light of hope in her heart because it was less painful than epting that the Alex that she loved and loved her in return, was gone forever.

    "I''m not going to promise anything. You have to think about this properly. He might destroy you and leave youpletely empty, like he is." He warned but, for the first time in a while, a smile that wasn''t forced curved on Abi''s lips. It was small but it was still a smile.

    "No¡­ he wouldn''t do that. Don''t worry. I will bring Alex back. I''m not going to give up on him. Never."

    Zeke couldn''t say a thing. He wasn''t doing this just for Abi and Alex. He was doing this for the sake of this nation. No, for the sake of this world. This was a huge problem. Alex had be susceptible to possession and maniption now that he had no soul. Zeke could still manipte him. The reason was unknown on why he was the only one that Alex listened to since he returned, soulless. And that was a really good thing. However, even Zeke would not live forever. He would die one day and the world would be left to fend for themselves because it would all depend on who would be able to manipte Alex after him. Alex was a ticking time bomb now and Zeke couldn''t deny that their only hope right now was the belief that his soul was notpletely dead yet. And that this wife of his could somehow find a way to bring his soul back. He could only believe that since she was able to kill him, she might also be able to bring him back to life.

    However, in all honesty, he couldn''t think of any way of how she could even do that.

    "I''m going back there. I will go get him," she told him, brave and willful. Somehow, this woman was really unbelievable.

    "Fine. I''m not going to interfere with you. This is your decision. If you need help, you can let me know what you need," he said and Abi nodded. This man, although he was still as cold and strict as ever even now, Abi was now certain he was not a foe. Because if he was, she would''ve been dead long ago.

    "Thank you, Mr. Qin. And thank you so much for saving me," she bowed her gratitude at him as Zeke backed off.

    "I didn''t save you because I wanted to."

    "I know. My husband must have made a deal with you. But still¡­ I want to thank you."

    Zeke turned before Abi could finish her words. "Don''t call me, Mr. Qin. I''m no longer a Qin," he said and nced at her sideways.

    "Don''t break," he added before he finally left.

    Abi bit her lips. She turned and looked at the dark open space. ''Don''t worry, I won''t break. I''m hellbent, after all.'' She smiled, looking up. She needed to stop crying now. Enough with these tears. She would show him she could survive this hell. This time, she would be his hero.

    Taking a deep breath, Abi was about to move when Kelly found her.

    "Sigh, why the hell are you hiding in here?" she asked. "Are you okay?"

    Abi smiled at her. "I''m fine, Kelly. I''m going to go and get my man now."

    Kelly blinked. OMG! Now what happened? This heartbroken, crying baby a while ago somehow transformed. The aura around Abi felt different now. Did she find what she was looking for?

    "Oh¡­ okay. Where is he?"

    "He''s right there, sitting like the king that he is. Don''t worry about me, Kelly. I will probably note home with you guys tonight."

    "Oh¡­ are you sure?"

    "Yes. So don''t wait for me. I''ll send you a message to let you know how I''m going."

    Kelly was speechless. She didn''t know what happened to her BFF and what was up with her right then. Why did Kelly suddenly feel like she couldn''t talk back?

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 Chapter 272 Desire of the flesh

    <h4>Chapter 272 Desire of the flesh</h4>

    "Oh, wait!" she finally snapped and held Abi''s hand. She took off her mask and shed an encouraging smile. "Okay, since you''re going there to pick up your man, you must get rid of that pale face of yours. Let me put some colors in those lips."

    Kelly started to perform her quick magic trick and in no time, no sign of Abi''s reddened eyes and puffy cheeks could be seen anymore.

    "Perfect. Now go, baby girl. As for me, I''ll go on a hunt too. I found a pretty little cake I want to eat whole too, haha. Let''s go crazy tonight, shall we? Just make sure not to disappear on me again." Kelly raised a brow and Abi hugged her.

    "Thank you. I love you, Kelly."

    "Aww ~ Okay, now go. Someone might snatch your man away." She winked and Abi finally went on her way.

    ¡­

    Thedies in the grand ballroom were still fawning and swooning over Alex but no one seemed to be brave enough to approach him, not even the dignified looking first princess. Thedies were all acting like figurines waiting to be picked, posing this way and that to try and catch his attention.

    Abi entered the ballroom again and this time, her eyes were fixed on her prize. There was no more shying away from this. It was now her turn to be strong for him, her turn to do something for him.

    She walked inside, weaving her way through all of the swooningdies. Her eyes fell on Alex. He seemed so far away as he sat in his throne-like chair. He definitely was like a god in the midst of humans.

    Her feet began to move, one slow step at a time. All the noises around her disappeared as she headed towards Alex. It was strange. She felt unbelievably calm.

    The closer she got to him, the more she could see the nkness in his eyes - it seemed Zeke wasn''t lying. But as she looked at him, as she got a clearer view of his face, she disagreed with Zeke''s statement that this man was no longer her Alex. He was wrong. This man was still her Alex. This was his body, not anyone else''s. And Alex''s soul, heart and body belonged to her alone.

    Abi finally stood before him. He was now within her reach. She didn''t hear the gasps and shocked murmurs inside the ballroom - all whispering about how a brazen woman in ck boldly approached Alexander.

    Everything faded to the background when she stared into his eyes. He, too, looked back at her. His eyes were zed over and he lookedidback, uncaring.

    It took Abi a lot of restraint to not jump on him and embrace him. She knew she couldn''t do that. Not yet. Not in this ce and not like this. From what Zeke told her, she had to tread carefully and gauge the situation first.

    She took a silent breath. Somehow, this felt strange. She couldn''t believe she was going to have to treat her husband, this man whom she cuddled with all day, this man whom she made love with many times, like she was only meeting him for the first time.

    A new melody started in the background. It vaguely reached Abi''s ears and it brought back the memory of their first dance.

    She finally silenced all the thoughts running through her head and she focused on the task at hand. Without further ado, she spoke.

    "May I have this dance?" she asked as she held out her hand, palm facing up, as if she was a gentleman asking ady for a dance.

    The man''s lips curved up. Abi couldn''t read anything in his eyes. He was wearing that smirk, that mischievous smirk she knew so well. Only that¡­ there was no emotion in his eyes. Not displeasure nor anger. Nothing.

    He lifted his hand and took hers in his. He stared at their hands and then, suddenly, he pulled her towards him without warning and guided her fall so that she would end up sitting on hisp.

    "Woman, what makes you think I want to dance?" he asked. His deep, sexy and masculine voice finally reached her ears once again and Abi struggled not to lose her restraint. His lips were right next to her ear and his hands were wrapped around her waist. Oh, how she had longed for this moment. It wasn''t quite how she had pictured it, but even so, just being in his arms again felt like heaven.

    Everyone gaped at the sudden PDA, absolutely overtaking the newlywed''s sweetness. No, Alex and Abigail''s public disyspletely exceeded the newlywed''s as Alex looked like he was actually kissing her nape.

    "My name is not ''woman''," she told him, trying to keep her voice from wavering. She had to be the strong one now but still, it stung her damn bad, being called by him like that. "And you are here in the ballroom, so of course I would think you came here to enjoy the party and not just sit here until the party''s over," she argued, trying to swallow that tinge of pain she was feeling.

    "Enjoy, huh¡­" he echoed, his warm breath touching her skin as he looked past her and stared at the crowd. "I don''t see what''s so pleasurable in dancing like that."

    Abi looked at him. She noticed that he had turned the word joy into pleasure. There was a clear difference between the two and it seemed he just didn''t lose his emotions, he lost the understanding of them as well.

    "If it''s dancing in bed, I would agree that doing that is indeed pleasurable." He stared at her and their eyes met. It seemed that all that was left in him was the desire of the flesh.

    She so wanted to kiss him right then but she was afraid it would be a bad idea. What was the right move for her to do? She was fighting with her emotions, trying to keep them in check and it was getting harder to think.

    As Abi was still struggling, a voice brought her back to the present.

    "Since you don''t want to dance with her, then let me," a man said and Abi looked up. Zeke already held her hand and looked like he was about to take her away from Alex''s embrace.

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 Chapter 273 Nowhere near over

    <h4>Chapter 273 Nowhere near over</h4>

    This man came back? What was he doing? Didn''t he say he wouldn''t intervene?

    Abi nced at Alex. He was still emotionless. He didn''t react despite seeing Zeke holding her hand. He used to ze like an inferno whenever something like this would happen. Hisck of reaction was even more painful. This was not good. Her will didn''t waver but the pain caught her off guard.

    "Come, Miss," Zeke spoke again. Abi looked up at him and before she knew it, she stood up and let Zeke guide her towards the dance floor, leaving Alex behind. She needed to calm down and think properly so she epted Zeke''s offer. She should have thought of a n before just going up to him but her emotions got the better of her.

    Zeke put his hand on her waist and they started to dance, drawing everyone''s eyes to them as they twirled around gracefully, as everybody wondered who this woman in ck was who was bold enough to ask Alex to dance and was now twirling around in the Prince''s arms. However, the pair didn''t even notice. They were too focused on the situation at hand to care.

    "You said you weren''t going to intervene," she whispered, taking silent deep breaths. Her eyes sparkled from the water pooling in them that were threatening to fall. She sighed once again, holding her ground.

    "What? You haven''t even done anything and you''re already struggling?" he sounded almost mocking but Abi knew that this man was just painfully straightforward. He wasn''t polite to her at all, unlike Kai. Well, it wasn''t like she wanted him to be polite. Somehow, she didn''t mind that this guy didn''t sugarcoat his words even a little, as long as he was telling the truth. As long as he wanted to help her.

    "I''m fine. I just need to make a n and prepare myself mentally. Now that I know what''s going on, I can better prepare myself for the things that mighte or the things that might not," she answered as she took another deep breath and finally looked him in the eyes. "So, what is on your mind? I believe you didn''te back just to dance with me, Mr. Q ¨C"

    "You can call me Zeke when no one''s around. Of course, you should call me that around Alex."

    Abi''s brows slightly creased at hisst sentence but she shrugged it off. "And when others are around?"

    "Your highness."

    Abi fell silent. ''So this guy is a prince.''"You''re the prince of the vampires?"

    "Crown prince," he corrected.

    "What about Alex? What is his position now in this country?"

    "His status is above that of the King."

    "What should I call him then? When others are around¡­"

    "Alexander. No need to address him with a formal title."

    "Why?"

    "He didn''t like it so now everyone has gotten used to calling him by his name."

    "I see." She nodded. Somehow, she finally rxed a little. "So? What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

    "I am going to detain you here. The story I will tell your friends is that you were caught being here illegally. The story for the people will be that I am hiring you to do a job here in the pce."

    Abi looked at him and thought about it for a second. His n sounded like it would work, but she would need to tell Kelly not to kick up a fuss about it. She would have to let her best friend know that she would sort it out herself.

    "Alex lives here now?"

    "Yes. He doesn''t want to return to that small house of his so you don''t need to go back there again."

    "Because he also forgot that he has a house?"

    "No. His home was originally this castle. But the main point is I can''t let him out of my sight. He has to stay where I can keep an eye on him."

    "Why? Are you afraid he''ll disappear?"

    "That''s right. Now that everyone knows about him, there are others out there who want to take advantage of the situation. There are certain witches out there who want to use him. They see him as an empty vessel they can fill and then control."

    "Are the witches powerful?"

    "Yes. Some of them can see the future and they are good at hiding and maniption. They were the ones who controlled Xavier."

    "Xavier¡­ is he dead?"

    "Yes."

    ". . . But Alex is powerful. The witches can''t possibly do anything to him."

    "Listen, Alex is soulless right now. He is prone to maniption. What fights powerful maniption is one''s will and strength of mind. Alex is in a state where he doesn''t really care about anything so he is very susceptible to being manipted. I seem to be the only one so far that he will listen to and I certainly am not willing to find out if anyone else can do what I do, except for you. I still don''t know how that happened. And I don''t know how long this willst. He might turn his back at me any moment and be my enemy."

    Abi swallowed. Alex bing the enemy of all the vampires? Abi remembered Alex''s story and she tensed up. That can''t happen again.

    "He wouldn''t do that," Abigail managed to say.

    "You are too optimistic, Abigail. Listen to me, this is more serious than you can ever imagine." He red at her. "If I''d known that things would end up like this, I wouldn''t have hesitated to kill you at that park."

    "You are the one who nearly hit me?"

    "Yes, it was me. I decided not to at thest second because I thought... Well, it doesn''t matter. In the end, it was a grave mistake, believing that you two idiots would win your battle. Tch! Love conquers all my ass! Love made Alex weak and it cost him his soul just to save you."

    Abi could see anger in Zeke''s eyes and she understood why but...

    "Alex is¡­ he''s not weak. He''s stronger than anyone else. And please don''t jump to conclusions yet, Mr. Zeke, our battle has just begun. It''s nowhere near over yet. I will show you what love can do," she red back at him as she fiercely spouted out those words. She finally realized she wasn''t scared of this man anymore.

    "Then show me and fix him."

    "I will. Just you wait. Also, why don''t you go and find someone you can fall in love with? Maybe that will change your pessimistic view of love."

    "Shut up. Are you ordering me?"

    Abi pressed her lips tight. Why did this man be so annoyingly frustrating? He used to just sit there like a mute male Annabel but now he was now scolding her endlessly.

    "What is the job that you want to give me?" she then changed the topic, determined.

    Zeke bent down to whisper in her ear. His gaze flew towards Alex as he did that. "You need to watch him close. You need to stick with him and drive the witches away," he whispered as his eyes and Alex''s met.

    "D-drive the witches away? How am I supposed to do that?"

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    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 274 Screw tha

    <h4>Chapter 274 Screw tha</h4>

    "D-drive the witches away? How am I supposed to do that?"

    Before Zeke could answer, the music ended and the party finally ended. "Follow me."

    "No, wait. How about Alex? I have to ¨C"

    "Shut up and follow me. You don''t have a clue on how to deal with him right now anyway. We need a n and there are a lot of things you still need to understand. Your job here will be crucial so just listen and follow. Can you do that?" He firmly said and he dragged her with him, not even letting her to look back at Alex.

    ¡­

    As the people began to disperse, Kelly immediately walked out of the ballroom. She saw Abi dancing with a man wearing another ck mask and she could tell by his physique that he must be gorgeous and noble. She also saw Abi following behind him as they left so she could only shrug and gulp her wine, hoping the best for her best friend. She thought that it was about time for her to go wild and have her own after party and voil¨¤, as if the universe heard her thoughts, she finally saw that pretty guy she''d been hunting.

    She had actually stalked him in the ballroom just before but it was too bad for her because a princess caught him first. They even danced in the ballroom so gracefully which made her want to go and snatch him and then¡­ beat him.

    So now that he was finally free from that young princess'' grasp, she followed him again, trying to be as stealthy as a cat. Well, as stealthy as she could be in stilettos. She jumped on him from behind, and whispered in his ear.

    "Wanna spend the night with me, baby boy?" she asked and the first thing Kai did was drag her away from everyone''s curious eyes. He knew all too well that if he left her, she would only chase him. Did she already remember him?

    Kai halted once they were in a dim part of the corridor. He let go of her wrist and faced her when suddenly, the hooligan attacked him. She pinned him against the wall again.

    "You know what? I so wanted to beat you up now that I finally caught you but there must have been something in that damn wine!" she suddenly startedining, angry even. "Did they poison me or something? I only drank one ss and the world is now spinning?!"

    Kai was speechless. He smelled the wine from her breath and he closed his eyes upon recognizing what kind of wine she had drunk. She seemed to have drunk the wine that was only for vampires. Of course her body wouldn''t take to it very well.

    She clung onto him. "Oh my god, help me. I''m spinning. Or are you spinning or are we both?" The drunk woman was losing it.

    Knowing what kind of effect the wine would have on humans, Kai could only lift her up and carry her. He was going to go and find a room for her before he searched for herpanions to tell them where to find her because he didn''t want to create a scene. Knowing her, she definitely would create a massive one which would most likely end up troublesome for him.

    Kai sneakily jumped from the veranda to the next floor up to avoid anyone seeing him. He was thankful that the verandas were in a diagonal pattern rather than being on top of one another. He opened one of the empty receiving rooms and put her on the bed.

    However, Kelly was not letting go.

    "Let go so I can go find your friends to tell them toe and get you," Kai exasperatedly said.

    "Then stop spinning already!" Kelly answered him.

    She wrapped her arms around Kai''s waist in an iron grip and locked him in. With that kind of grip, Kai was afraid that he might hurt her if he was forced to peel her off him.

    He sighed and took out a phone from his pocket.

    "Zeke, I am with Abigail''s friend. She''s drunk. Did you see ¨C"

    "Abigail''s with me. She won''t be leaving the pce tonight so look after her friend for now. Don''t leave her in any random rooms. You know what could happen."

    Before Kai could say another word, Zeke already ended the call.

    All the rooms in the pce were fully booked for all these guests to stay in so he only put her in that room as a temporary measure because he had obviously intended for her friends toe and take her home.

    Kai could only sigh again. Tonight was a special day and many must be drunk. Vampires were allowed to drink blood, not from humans but from their vampire mates. Couples are allowed to drink each other''s blood and he had heard them say that the taste of their partner''s blood was as sweet as human blood if they drank it while making love. He had never tried it so he could only take their word for it.

    Another reason that he was in a dilemma was because modern vampires could actually be drunk now, maybe because they evolved, or possibly devolved depending on how one looked at it, as time passed by. And when in their drunken state, it was likely that some might not have enough self control and may potentially attack a human. That was why thew of vampires didn''t allow drunk vampires to step out of their houses. Because the party was at the pce this time, the vampire guests wouldn''t be allowed to leave the pce until the morning.

    Knowing that it was dangerous to leave Kelly all alone in there, Kai could only gather her in his arms again and jump up to his room.

    He slowly put her down on his bed. He couldn''t believe that he was actually bringing a girl to his bed. And of all girls on this, it had to be this hooligan!

    He sighed and shook his head. He couldn''t seem to escape her no matter what he did. Was the universeughing at his expense right now?

    "Let go, Miss hooligan," he said but Kelly didn''t loosen up her grip on his neck. He was at least d she stopped screaming that the world was spinning. The wine''s effects might be slowly wearing off.

    "Ahh¡­ you smell so good¡­ you smell delicious ~" she uttered as she sniffed him.

    Kai almost jumped away if not for the clinging ko. In fact, she seemed to have been strangling him for a while now.

    "Stop that and act like ady." Kai ran a hand through his hair. He didn''t know how many times he had said that to this woman. She was a woman, yet she didn''t act like ady at all! It seemed that she hadn''t learned how to act like a properdy despite being an heiress!

    "Act like ady? Screw that!" she suddenly got angry. "I will act the way I am and the way I want! You understand, huh? You damn prince?!" she yelled at him.

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    Keep voting ^^

 Chapter 275 Mutual

    <h4>Chapter 275 Mutual</h4>

    Early chapter for today ^^

    Give me 3000 votes today and I''ll give extra chapter. Keep voting! ^^

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    Kai was surprised. This was bad. It seemed that she had remembered him. That was way too fast! What should he do with her now? The hypnotism only worked on a human once! Was it because of the wine?

    Suddenly, Kai was faced with a dilemma. He thought it would at least take her a few more meetings or at least a few more days for her memories to return.

    He knew that if this was indeed the case, then this situation might be quite serious. Vampires weren''t allowed to be revealed to the world so they had to always be careful. This was why theirw would allow any process, even a death of the human if they somehow remembered again after being exposed to the incense, just to erase any threat to being exposed. But there was a caveat. Death was thest option and this would only be approved if the possibility of exposure was over 95%.

    If she indeed remembered them again, she would no doubt question why Abi and her family, and everyone else who should know about Alex, suddenly forgot about all of him and hispanions. Knowing her, Kelly would definitely investigate to answer these mysteries and once she did that, she would be on their radar. It would only take one slip up for her life to be over.

    Kai was so busy thinking about a way out of this when suddenly Kelly pinned him down on the bed and sat on him, straddling him.

    "How dare you ignore me. You know what? I''ve been chasing you for a while now but you are so slippery, always getting away." She mmed her hands on the bed, on either side of his ears. "Is it because I am not attractive at all to you? I believe I am a gorgeousdy, so why do you treat me like I''m a contagious virus, huh? Tell me!"

    For some reason, Kai didn''t feel right hearing her say those words. "No, I never thought of you like a contagious virus. And yes, you''re a beautiful girl," he told her, honestly.

    "Then why don''t you like me? Is it because I am notdylike? Because I am no goody to shoes? Because I beat you up? Or is it because I am horny and aren''t afraid to say it?"

    Kai almost choked. "H-horny?" he bit his lips, scolding himself for spouting that word out loud.

    "Yes, I''m horny! So? You hate that too? Huh?! What''s wrong with a girl being horny?!" she yelled again. Kai was not used to this. He was the one feeling embarrassed at her words. He was not very good when it came to girls. Thest girl he ever had a rtionship with was a witch. He didn''t know she was disguising as a vampire until that night they almost had sex. Young vampires in this modern generation no longer had that keen sense of smell and the scent of blood was barely noticeable for them to sense. They were almost like humans because they never tasted blood and that was how he fell victim to this. The girl tried to manipte him and because of that he did something that scarred him for a lifetime. Since then, Kai had never been in a rtionship again.

    "Look, M- Kelly¡­ it''s not that ¨C"

    "You mean you don''t mind me being horny?"

    ". . ."

    "Answer me!" She demanded, pouting at him, like a child who would never give in until she would get what she wanted.

    "Yes. I don''t really mind that. It''s just that ¨C"

    "Really?!" She eximed, looking both shocked and excited. The sight of his eyes almost twinkling could only make Kai swallow and nod.

    "¡­ Mm."

    The moment he nodded, the girl pounced on him, cupping his face with her hands. "Oh god! You''re so cute. I think I really really like you now."

    ". . .!" Kai was momentarily dumbstruck. D-did she just confess to him? N-no, no, she was drunk Kai, get a grip of yourself!

    She pulled back. "You don''t hate me, right?"

    Why was she suddenly acting like this? For some reason, Kai swallowed again, seeing her looking at him like a child asking for an answer was making him sweat.

    "I don''t hate you," he admitted with a sigh. That was the truth anyway. He never hated her. She actually fascinated him most of the time since the first time he saw how badass she was. She wasn''t like all thedies he was so used to being around with, especially thedies in this pce, in this country. All thedies he knew were always behaved in adylike manner, at least in front of him. They acted meek and quiet. Althoughdy vampires were strong, they always moved elegantly and never spoke the way Kelly spoke, at least to him. This hooligan was the only one who didn''t care even though she thought she was in the presence of a prince.

    "Really?!!" Kelly bounced on his stomach in excitement. It seemed this made her happy. Did she think that he hated her all this time?

    Kai nodded again and then before he knew it, her lips mmed on his. His eyes widened and before his mind could start thinking about how soft her lips were on his, he moved and held her shoulders, and broke the kiss.

    "W-what¡­ are you doing?"

    "What? You said you don''t hate me. That only means you like me. Our feelings are mutual so ¨C"

    "Wait, Kelly, there''s ¨C"

    Once again, Kai could not finish his words because Kelly kissed him again. Kai was suddenly helpless. He didn''t want to exert any strength, afraid that he might not be able to control it in his current state, and hurt her.

    Thus, his mind could only focus on the kiss, thinking that she would stop or pass out soon. Her lips were warm, warmer than the lips he tasted before, however few¡­ And she was so good. How many men had she kissed before him? The thought didn''t sit right on him and before he knew it, he kissed her back.

    ''No, stop, Kai. She''s drunk! Stop,'' his conscience screamed at him.

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    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 276 Dumbstruck

    <h4>Chapter 276 Dumbstruck</h4>

    I am so shocked seeing our rank right now. I''m like, ''what the hell did my readers do?''

    I still find it hard to believe. *sweat drops*

    I''m even thinking that this is a glitch or something lol. But anyway, to all of you who voted, I am so thankful. Thank you so much for your supports. I love you all. I will give extra chapter a littleter as promised and I will also give mass release as thanks for bringing this book on top, but not today. Maybe tomorrow ^^

    Once again, thank you and love ya''ll.

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    ''No, stop, Kai. She''s drunk! Stop,'' his conscience screamed at him.

    As if Kelly heard his silent plea, the girl pulled away and stared down at him. "I think I''m already wet," she muttered, causing Kai to curse. What the!! Why did she need to spout those words of all things? This woman was really, really brazen! But he''d be damned if he wasn''t affected! What normal man wouldn''t be affected when they had a beautiful womane on to them like this?

    He sat up, his heart beating wildly. As he sat, Kelly slid down from his belly down to his hip.

    When was thest time his heart beat this hard? When was thest time someone had gotten this close to him? He closed his eyes and drew a long breath, hoping for the calm feeling to enter him, but it was futile.

    He opened his eyes again and he met her eyes. She was looking at him and her eyes were filled with lust.

    "Oh, you''re already hard. It seems I''m not the only horny one here. We''re quitepatible, don''t you think?" she uttered, shing a deadly seductive smile and then, she kissed his neck as she pressed herself on his member, moving her hips as she kissed and licked him.

    Kai gasped. This was bad! No, this shouldn''t be happening. He had to stop this! She was drunk!

    "Take off my clothes, Kai," she murmured, even using his name so seductively, and just like that, his carnal desire started to take him over.

    "No please, we can''t do this. You''re drunk," he begged. She pulled away a little and looked at his pleading, yet intoxicating eyes. Kelly smiled and nted a kiss on his lips.

    She let out a sexy chuckle. "Oh, my baby boy, why are so cute? I can''t possibly force my way on you on our very first night so¡­ Okay, I will let you go tonight and not go all the way."

    Kai was speechless. What the hell was she spouting? Who was the girl in this situation again?!

    "But¡­ you are damn hard and already I''m f*cking wet. I want to c*m. Do you want to do it this way?" she continued. Oh no, he was losing it! Why? Why couldn''t he resist this girl? He was able to easily resist the others but why not her?

    Kai could only throw back his head. He felt the same too. It had been such a long time since he was this excited and he wanted the release too. ''Maybe it will be fine, as long as¡­ damn, what is he thinking?'' He found himself looking for excuses to do it, to let himself go with her.

    Before he could say no, Kelly already unzipped his pants.

    "Damn it, Kelly, wait!" He protested but the tigress didn''t listen and grabbed him. dly, Kai was quick to pull her hand off him.

    "Stop. If you do this ¨C"

    "Don''t worry. We''ll just rub against each other."

    ". . ."

    Kai was dumbstruck. He couldn''t believe this girl. Was she really drunk? How could she treat him like a¡­

    "Prince, I have waited a long time to blow your mind. Best not stop me anymore and just go with it, okay?" she whispered seductively in his ear. "It''s okay, we''re not going all the way tonight."

    That was it, the final straw. He admitted defeat and let her hand go. He closed his eyes as if berating himself for not being strong enough to resist, for not being the gentleman he thought he was. Hey back down on the bed with a groan of frustration which quickly turned into moans of pleasure as Kelly rode him.

    She was still fully clothed, and so was he, but the sensation of her riding him was just so intense that he couldn''t help but arch his hips to meet her. His hands found their way to her hips and he bit his lips as he helped her move over him. Hell¡­ Kelly¡­ Why did this feel so good? Even though they werere just¡­ they were just¡­

    Kelly stopped thinking a long time ago. Her lust had taken over her and her body moved to find that peak. She moved her hips, forward and back and she was so aroused that her juices slid down her thighs. Kai guided her and a few minutester, he felt the orgasm rack his body.

    Kelly stopped with a smile on her face and was about to go down for a kiss but Kai surprised her by flipping her over and taking over.

    He pressed his lips over hers, kissing her, teasing her as his hand crept upward from her leg up to her inner thigh and eventually stopped at her sex. He slipped his hand under the stic of her underwear and teased her little erect bud with his thumb.

    He kept his lips on hers and he felt her moans on his lips. His fingers did their magic down there, sliding in and out, flicking her bud and in no time, she was climbing up the stairs to ecstasy. She moaned and wriggled under him but he didn''t let up until she finally burst through the peak.

    Her body shuddered from the sensation and Kai flopped back down on the bed, both their lungs trying to draw in oxygen to calm their racing hearts.

    After some time, Kelly turned to Kai with a wide, cheeky smile.

    "So, ready for round 2?"

    "..."

    Kai didn''t even give her the chance to touch him again. He took the nket and wrapped her in it before he dashed to the bathroom.

    He couldn''t believe what he just did with a drunk girl¡­ no, with a drunk human. How could he let that happen? What If his carnal desires got the better of him and actually had sex with her¡­

    The image of him biting Kelly''s nape shed in his head and he mmed his palm on the marble tiles as he gritted his teeth.

 Chapter 277 Old tricks

    <h4>Chapter 277 Old tricks</h4>

    Early chapter for today ^^

    Give me 3000 votes today and I''ll give extra chapter. Keep voting! ^^

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    Abi was dragged by Zeke up to the castle''s top floor. He didn''t say a word and just pulled her with him, tightly gripping her wrist. She so wanted to speak and ask where he was bringing her but she was afraid that her questions would piss off this prince. Whether she liked it or not, he was the only one she could rely on right now.

    Thankfully, the moment they set foot on the top floor, where the rooms of the royal family were situated, he finally slowed down. Was he bringing her in his room? Was there a study in this ce?

    Even though Zeke was helping her right now, she felt a little apprehensive towards him now, especially when he casually admitted that he had once intended to kill her and how he regretted not doing it. Now that she thought about it, was he the one behind all those times that she almost died? Was he the one behind that car ident as well?

    "Why did you want to kill me?" she finally asked. She remembered how Alex warned her about Zeke but not Xavier. "Alex warned me the first time I met you. Was it because Alex knew that you were after my life?"

    Zeke paused and nced at her. "Most of the vampires wanted you dead, Abigail. The rogue vampires, like Xaivier, and most witches wanted you alive so that you could fill the prophecy and kill Alex one day. The King had ordered to kill you since the day we confirmed that the girl in the prophecy was you."

    "Because you guys don''t want Alex to die¡­"

    "That''s right. Even though we all know that Alex has been desperately looking for you so he could finally die, we all didn''t want that to happen. This kingdom needs him. Alex isn''t just an immortal. His existence is important to us. He is the only one that all vampires truly fear, not the king or me. Just his existence alone keeps everything in check. As long as he exists, peace will continue forever. That''s why your existence was a really big threat from the very start. You have no idea about all the things Alex did just to keep you alive every single day whenever you left his house."

    Abi''s throat ran dry after hearing Zeke''s words. "Was that the reason why one of his rules was for me to be home before twilight?" she mumbled to herself.

    "Vampires nowadays, except for the royals, have weakened tremendously. They are almost like mere humans during the day but their powers start to activate from dusk until dawn. He gave that curfew for your own safety."

    "You said you changed your mind because you thought that we could win our battle. What did you mean by that?"

    "I''ve been with Alex the longest. I have seen his journey, his search to end his life. I know how much he longed for death. When you came, I saw how much he changed. I thought that if he fell in love with you, that would be enough to make him change his mind. I was certain that if that happens, he wouldn''t wish for death anymore because he would want to live his life with you. It happened as I had predicted but the conclusion still ended up being a disaster." He paused for a bit and then added, "I was the one who went against the King''s order, ordered my people to nevery a hand on you and¡­"

    He paused again. Irritation, annoyance and a little anger were evident in his voice as his expression darkened again. He was obviously displeased, like a war tactician who lost the war he so confidently thought he could win because he had miscalcted one tiny detail.

    She finally realized the reason behind all those times this guy intervened between her and Alex. So this was the reason behind all of his strange actions. It sounded like he had his own agendas and was very good at making things happen the way he wanted them to. He knew exactly how to push Alex''s buttons to get what he wanted. This guy was definitely a master tactician, if not a puppeteer.

    "But now it seems those old tricks are not working anymore."

    Abi creased her brows. "What old tricks?"

    "Making him jealous. Bringing out his possessive side. He didn''t even bat an eyelid while we were dancing. Do you understand how serious that is this time?"

    Abi looked away. "I think it didn''t work because¡­ he didn''t see my face." She tried to justify Alex''s zero reaction to Zeke, as well as trying tofort herself from the twinge of pain stemming from Alex''sck of reaction.

    As they reached one of thergest double doors on the whole floor, Zeke halted. He opened the door and as Abi expected, it was a bedroom. Did he really need to bring her to a bedroom? Was this his bedroom?

    She took a peek inside to confirm but at first nce, she couldn''t see anything in there to give her any clues as to whether this was his bedroom or just a spare room. She saw antique furnitureid out meticulously by the far wall. Arge king-sized bed sat in the middle of the room, made of dark timber and covered by dark-gray toned sheets. A man''s room.

    However, as she thought about this man''s personality, she suddenly didn''t doubt that this room indeed belonged to Zeke. It was him, personified. The cleanliness, the meticulous way things were set, the gray tones - the same descriptions that could be used to describe this man standing before her.

    Zeke stepped inside, holding the door open for her.

    "Come in," he said, as curt as ever.

    Abi stared into his eyes. His eyes were unfathomable as ever. She felt a little wary and nervous. What Xavier did to her made her doubtful of the intentions of everybody that was around Alex. Even if this person was the one who saved her and was now the one helping her, she couldn''t help the small amount of fear that settled in the pit of her stomach. But she needed to listen to him, she had to know what to do and how to keep Alex safe from the enemy.

    If Zeke wanted her dead, he could have easily killed her already. Those were the kind of thoughts that spun around in her head, and it somehow calmed her down. But it wouldn''t hurt for her to be alert, in any case.

    Taking a silent breath, Abi lifted her leg to take a step inside the bedroom.

    However, before she could even take two steps forward, a strong arm suddenly wrapped around her shoulders, pulling her back into their muscled chest. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears as the adrenalin kicked in. She was too shocked to react and after a few more seconds, her body subconsciously rxed and she felt herself lean back on him. She knew all too well this scent and this warm feeling.

    "Found you."

 Chapter 278 Tug-of-war

    <h4>Chapter 278 Tug-of-war</h4>

    I am so shocked seeing our rank right now. I''m like, ''what the hell did my readers do?''

    I still find it hard to believe. *sweat drops*

    I''m even thinking that this is a glitch or something lol. But anyway, to all of you who voted, I am so thankful. Thank you so much for your supports. I love you all. I will give extra chapter a littleter as promised and I will also give mass release as thanks for bringing this book at the top, but not today. Maybe tomorrow ^^

    Once again, thank you and love ya''ll.

    .

    .

    "Found you," Alex whispered from behind. His crisp breath touched her ear making her nerves instantly jolt awake. He sounded so seductive at that moment that Abi''s knees wobbled a little.

    Abi turned to Alex in shock. Seeing him holding her made her bleeding heart heal itself. His touch was like magic soothing the pain lingering inside her.

    "Come, let''s go to my room," he told her as he grabbed her wrist, intending to take her away. However, Abi''s other wrist was caught by Zeke, making Alex halt. It looked like a tug-of-war was about to begin between these two men, with Abi as the prize.

    "Where do you think you are taking her?" Zeke stepped out, not letting go of Abi. His unfathomable gaze locked on him.

    "Isn''t the answer obvious enough for you? She''s the one I chose to be with me tonight," he replied, emotionless. He said those words as if he was stating a fact that could not be argued against.

    "Alex, you rejected her, remember?"

    Alex cupped Abi''s face and made her look at him. "Did I reject you?"

    Without even letting her respond to his question, Alex looked at Zeke. "I only lent her to you for the dance, Zeke. Now let go and let me have her."

    "No, you can''t have this woman, Alex."

    "And why not?"

    "Because she''ll be with me tonight."

    Abi''s eyes widened in shock with what Zeke just said. She looked at him but Zeke''s eyes were focused on Alex, dead serious. She was momentarily confused but then she thought that Zeke must be up to his old ''tricks'' again.

    "So you''re not giving her to me, huh? That''s rare of you, Zeke. You always used to give me everything I wanted." Alex smirk curved on his gorgeous face, but the feeling still didn''t reach his eyes.

    "Yes, I''m not giving this one to you so let go of her." Zeke said firmly.

    "And what if I won''t let go?"

    Zeke''s eyes sharpened. Alex was still wearing his authoritative smirk. He sounded like he was challenging Zeke and the atmosphere started to turn heavy.

    "Tell me, why do you insist on having her? Did you fall in love with her at first sight or something?"

    "Fall in love¡­" he muttered, cupping Abi''s face again as he looked at her. "I don''t know what you''re talking about, Zeke, but my body wants this woman. And everything I want, I will have," he added without tearing his eyes off her.

    Abi started to feel a little incredulous at the way these two men were talking. They spoke as if they were fighting over some toy that they both wanted, instead of a person with their own thoughts and feelings on the situation!

    So after being silent and letting these two fight it out, she finally broke her silence.

    "What if¡­ I don''t want to go with you?" Abi finally spoke. Of course, Abi desperately wanted to go with him. Hadn''t she been looking for him for months now? She wanted desperately to feel his arms around her, his lips on her and everything else that she had missed out on during their separation.

    But seeing his possessiveness towards her gave her a little spark of hope even though he clearly said that it was just his body that wanted her. Despite his emotionless eyes as he said those words to her, she wanted to run into his embrace and never let go of him again.

    Although the way he treated her made her throat burn, Abi was not disheartened and a thought came to her mind. Maybe she should go with Zeke''s strategy? What if chasing after him wouldn''t work on him anymore? Could this way be better? "What if I want to stay with Zeke?" she boldly asked him.

    Alex''s grip on her immediately loosened up causing Abi to silently pray that he wouldn''t give her up so easily, that he wouldn''t let this go and leave like he didn''t care. She was afraid of the pain it would bring her if he just turned around and left, without a care in the world.

    He stepped back, making Abi''s heart skip a beat. But then, his lips touched Abi''s ear. "Then, I shall abduct you and take you somece that nobody will find us and confine you with me¡­"

    Abi''s lips hung open. She didn''t expect him to say that. She stared at him and the smirk was gone from his face. Was he really serious?

    "So you really are going to defy me now, Alex?" Zeke''s eyes started to burn red. Abi had seen this scene before. His eyes looked exactly like Xavier''s, although Zeke''s were brighter than blood. He was definitely far stronger than Xavier. Abi could feel his strength emanating from him and it made her shiver a little. Her body reacted instinctively to the nearly threat, even though she knew she was safe - well, as safe as one could be in the presence of vampires who weren''t trying to kill her.

    Her heartbeat started to thud loudly in her chest. Did Zeke really need to act like this? What if these two ended up fighting? It would not do them any good if these two suddenly became enemies at this crucial time.

    Nervous, Abi gathered her courage to speak and break this tense atmosphere.

    However, before a word could leave her mouth, Zeke pulled her away from Alex and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, possessively, like what just Alex did to her.

    "This woman is mine now, Alex," Zeke said in a serious, domineering tone.

    Abi was holding her breath, her eyes never leaving Alex''s face as she waited for him to react, to maybe pull her back again towards him again, away from Zeke.

    "Besides, you heard her. This woman chose me over you!" Zeke smiled at Alex before he craned his head over to look into Abi''s eyes. "Right, sweet girl?" he asked her, shing a sweet smile, making Abi subconsciously swallow. She was shocked at how real this looked and felt. She was actually starting to doubt if this was really all an act. What was Zeke trying to do? Was he really doing this for Alex''s sake? Was this part of his n?

    "Woman, you will only die if you go with him," Alex said, pulling Abi''s gaze back to him and Zeke suddenlyughed out loud. A menacing, tauntingugh which sent shivers down Abi''s spine.

    When he stopped, a sardonic smirk shed on his face.

    "So what if she dies by my hands? Why do you care? When did you ever care about anyone else but yourself? Even if I kill her right now, it has nothing to do with you, no?" Zeke said as he held her chin up. He brushed her hair to her side, making Abi''s pulse truly thud in panic. "Why don''t you watch me kill her then?" he added as his fangs grew until it touched her skin.

 Chapter 279 Tricky

    <h4>Chapter 279 Tricky</h4>

    Abi froze. She was scared to death. Why? How? How the hell did it alle to this? Zeke was just acting right?

    Abi kept convincing herself that this was still Zeke acting so seriously, that he was just so into his acting and that he was just such a great actor - the best actor that ever existed on this. She was convincing herself that he was going this far just to fool Alex but she started to shake. It seemed she couldn''t convince herself that this was just an act.

    The fear in her stomach was eating her and she couldn''t move or talk. She felt like she was suddenly in a sleep paralysis. Her mind was constantly telling her that this was all a show, that Zeke was only acting and she so very much wanted to believe it! But his intensity, the aura he exuded and his actions were beyond that of just an act! Was he really going to kill her?

    Her breathing elerated as she felt his fangs graze her skin. It made her veins pop even more, something that she did not need at thet moment, not when a vampire was about to take a bite of her. She was absolutely terrified. Her eyes were big and wide with fear, her hands started to feel mmy and her forehead became lined with a thinyer of sweat. She struggled to find enough air to fill her lungs as she felt his breath and her skin.

    Zeke, thankfully, moved his fangs away from her neck but it was no reprieve for Abi when he then reced it with his nose, breathing in her scent, as if savoring a delicious food''s scent before tasting it.

    "Why don''t you watch me kill her then?" He flung the words at Alex and Abi closed her eyes as she felt his sharp teeth graze her skin again. She tried to struggle away from him but his grip was tight and immovable. What was going on? This can''t be happening!

    In the next second, she felt his teeth break through her skin making her heart stop.

    Before Abi could scream, she felt a slight woosh next to her and heard the dull sound of a wall being cracked. Abi''s eyes opened to see Alex pinning Zeke against the wall. It all happened to fast, like a lightning that had just passed by. The force of the impact created a dent on the wall and bits of debris fell to the floor. Alex''s hands were gripping Zeke''s cor and he was zing. That familiar ominous aura and bloodlust reached Abi and she was immediately pulled back to reality.

    Hope bloomed in her heart. He reacted! Her Alex was back! Her heart rejoiced! Zeke''s n actually worked! She couldn''t believe it! She was so happy that she forgot the terrifying experience she just faced. It was all worth it if it brought her Alex back to her. That was all that mattered to her.

    Forgetting about the small trail of blood that trickled down her neck, she ran towards them both but then, she stopped again when she saw Zeke''s expression.

    Zeke was about to smile victoriously when Alex''s aura and anger abruptly disappeared as if someone had turned the light on full st and then just as quickly turned it off. His expression was gone and his eyes turned nk.

    ''No! Alex, pleasee back!'' Abi screamed inwardly when she saw him change back to his uncaring self.

    A deep frown appeared on Zeke''s forehead as he watched Alex''s expression turn from rage to confusion, and Zeke''s split second feeling of victory disappeared.

    Alex silently blinked as he stared at his hands on Zeke''s cor. He slowly let go of Zeke. He looked like he just woke up from sleep walking and had no idea what he just did. Why had he attacked Zeke? He really didn''t care whether or not he killed this human girl, so why had his body jumped to her defense?

    He stared at Zeke and then nced back at Abigail, who stood frozen in ce with her arm reaching out midair towards him. He didn''t understand what just happened. He didn''t understand his impulse. Alex followed the trail of blood running down her neck, staining her ck dress and he licked his lips. He felt his body react but he showed no sign of it, his expression cool as a cucumber and back to being unreadable.

    Abi was shocked seeing that his eyes didn''t change. They were nk like ck canvasses as he looked at her.

    And then, without a word, he turned his back from them. Abi was about to chase after him but Zeke stopped her and they both watched as he walked towards the veranda and jumped down.

    "W-what was that? I thought that¡­" Abi mumbled, still trying to keep up with those series of shocking events that just happened.

    Zeke silently nced towards the stairs and he suddenly pulled Abi inside his room. He closed the door and then loosened up his tie before leaning against the door, facing her.

    "This is tricky," he started. "Judging by his reaction, it appears that his soul took control of him for a moment. Meaning, his soul didn''t leave his body and is still inside him. It is not dead, either." He contemted, rubbing his chin with his finger like a detective trying to decipher a series of clues.

    "So that means I didn''t manage to kill him? Or maybe I wasn''t the one in the prophecy?" Abi asked. She was relieved to hear what Zeke just said and this thought came to her mind.

    Zeke looked at her, still contemting.

    "No. The girl in the prophecy is you," he said, without a hint of doubt in his eyes.

    "Then why?" she asked but Zeke didn''t answer. His eyes were locked onto the wound he inflicted on her neck.

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    Here''s the bonus chap ^^

    Don''t forget to vote andment ^^

    A review would also be appreciated \u003c3

 Chapter 280 Annoying questions

    <h4>Chapter 280 Annoying questions</h4>

    Here''s the mini mass release ^^

    If we stay in our rank throughout the week, I will give another mass release this Sunday ^^

    Keep voting \u003c3

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    .

    Abi subconsciously covered the wound on her neck as she flinched back. She remembered what Alex had said to her, that she would die if she went with Zeke. Why did he say that? What did he mean?

    Noticing her reaction, Zeke tore his eyes off her neck and looked into her eyes.

    Abi found herself holding her breath. She had read stories about vampires and how drinking human blood would make them crazy. Was he going to attack her now? Was it too much of a temptation for him? Did his throat burn from wanting to drink her blood?

    Abi started to subconsciously take a step back when Zeke suddenly twitched and red at her.

    "Do you think I''m some kind of uncontrolled idiot who would lose his mind upon seeing human blood?" he said, his tone still as unfriendly as ever.

    Abi bit her lips and looked down, looking sorry that the thought ever crossed her mind. Of course he wouldn''t go berserk over some human blood. This guy was the definition of Mr. In Control. She looked back up with her apology written all over her face. His words made her rx because he was acting like himself again - his cynical, calcting and disdainful self. She was d then, that this guy wasn''t some third rate vampire who didn''t know how to control themselves.

    "Well I¡­ Alex said I would die if I go with you. Why did he say that?" she asked, slowly putting her arm down to her side. It seemed the bleeding had stopped anyway - it was only a small puncture wound.

    Zeke moved and walked towards the bed as he spoke. "Because a royal blooded vampire can''t sleep with a human. Well they can, but the human might die," he stated so nonchntly as if he just said something mundane like ''ice cream will melt down the ice cream cone if you don''t eat it fast enough''.

    But those words made Abi frown in confusion and curiosity. "The human might die? Why?"

    "The vampire will crave for blood as they mate. It is a part of sexual pleasure for vampires to bite each other and drink each other''s blood while mating. This isn''t something that we can control, because while mating, we let go of our thoughts, the anchor that stops us from going wild. We let our instincts take over to feel the full height of pleasure."

    Abi''s eyes widened in surprise. "B-but Alex never ¨C"

    "Alex is not pure blooded." He nced at her as he picked something from on top of the bed. "He has human blood. His mother is half vampire," he added, causing Abi to fall speechless. She remembered Alex''s story - that he became an outcast because of hisck of ability, that he wasn''t like his family.

    Before Abi could ask again, Zeke stood before her.

    "Here, go and get and get changed. The bathroom is right over there," he told her as he pointed to the direction of the room.

    Abi took the clothes and looked at him before obediently following his order.

    She locked the door of his bathroom and saw that the clothes he gave her looked like a maid''s outfit. She had seen some of the pce maids before when she and Kelly visited this pce for the first time. The little, gothic-like, maid outfit made her swallow. Although it was a nice and conservative dress, Abi didn''t expect that the job Zeke was talking about was actually being a pce maid. Was he going to make her work like a maid in the pce? Like cooking and cleaning? Or was she going to be a personal maid? Did they even have those? Abi wasn''t sure.

    Abi couldn''t help but think about the stories she read, where the maids who served the princesses and princes were treated badly. Was she going to experience something like that too? Was that part of his ns?

    Abi bit her lips before a sigh escaped her lips. She hoped that that kind of clich¨¦ plot wouldn''t happen to her. Surely she would be more useful doing some research on finding ways to get one''s soul back or some such task?

    It didn''t take long before Abi stepped out of the bathroom. Zeke was still there, standing by the window with his hands in his pockets. He was smoking.

    Abi was surprised. This was the first time she saw this doctor, no, this vampire, smoking. He looked even more intimidating and shady with the wisps of smoke floating around him.

    "I''m done," she said to pull the man''s attention. Even though she definitely could tell that Zeke already knew that she was looking at him.

    "Do you like your outfit?"

    "Well, I think it''s decent enough," she said as she looked down to see how the clothes fit on her.

    Zeke put down his cigarette on a small ashtray before he turned and looked at her.

    "Let''s go." Zeke walked past her and headed to the door as Abi followed him from behind. Abi wondered where he was taking her now. Were they going to the maid''s quarters? Was he going to introduce her as a new servant of the pce? Was he going to leave her on her own after that?

    This floor seemed empty. It was so quiet it almost felt eerie. She wondered if vampires were just normally quiet creatures or there was actually no one else on the floor but them.

    "Uhm¡­ do you vampires sleep?" Abi asked as they walked.

    "Yes."

    "Oh, that''s surprising. I thought vampires didn''t sleep."

    "Well, we do. Don''t believe all the stories you hear. Not all of them are true. Then again, not all of it is false, either."

    Abi contemted his words for a second and started to ask more questions, curious as ever to know more about them.

    "Is everyone in this country a vampire?"

    "No."

    "I see. Who''s bigger in number? Vampire or human?"

    "Vampires."

    "Does all humans here know that vampires exist?"

    Zeke suddenly paused, halting Abi. He nced back at her over his shoulder. "Enough with the questions. Save those annoying questions for Kai once you see him," he told her before he continued walking, leading her down the corridor.

 Chapter 281 Not a big deal

    <h4>Chapter 281 Not a big deal</h4>

    Abi could only zip her mouth. This man had always been a man of few words since the first time she met him and tonight was actually the first time she heard him speak so much. Did he get tired talking suddenly or did he just feel that she was being annoying?

    They headed to the northern wing of the pce. This part seemed a little different from the rest of the pce. The floor was made of ck marble, with bits of white lines dotted every now and then, in the shape of lightning strikes. Many statues of ck dragons of different shapes and sizes were lined on each side of the hallway, like pirs. The high dome ceiling was magnificent. The background was dark gray but throughout the length of the hallway, there were bold colours of red, yellow and ck, bringing the intricate carvings to life. The carvings seemed to be portraying one man''s journey to victory over dragons. It made Abi wonder if that was the illustration of Alex''s story.

    Another thing that differentiated this hallway was the fact that it was probably the most guarded part of the pce, seeing that there were guards stationed throughout the corridor every few meters or so.

    Was this where the king and queen resided? She so badly wanted to ask but she held back. There was no point making this guy more annoyed than he already was.

    The hallway ended at a set ofrge double doors. Zeke forced them open and walked in. Abi followed him and as soon as she looked up, her lips parted as she saw the structure that met her.

    A huge golden throne, sitting in the middle of the circr room, greeted her as she walked. It sat up high, on top of a round, ck stage. It looked to have been made fromrge golden scales. Tworge wing-like structures extended from the sides of the throne, making it seem like the throne was sitting on a dragon''s back.

    Abi could not take her eyes off of it. She had never seen anything like it!

    She then looked around some more and she saw that there were many luxurious couches situated around the room, all facing the throne. The heavy velvet curtains added to the royal feel of the room and Abi was convinced that this must be the Vampire King and Queen''s wing.

    "Is this the King and Queen''s¡­?" She could no longer stop herself from asking. Was she going to be their personal maid? Why?

    "No. This is Alex''s."

    Abi was surprised but at the same time, the feeling of unease in her stomach disappeared. She was d to know that she wouldn''t be serving some other royals. Whew, it looked like her fate might be far better than the characters she had read in books. Well, she didn''t mind working, doing chores as a maid, if she could stay by Alex''s side and save him. She would do anything.

    Zeke led her around the room to the huge golden double doors. As they got closer, Abi''s heartbeat elerated.

    Zeke knocked on the door but there was no answer from inside and the door remained closed. He looked at her. "Someone is in there with him," Zeke told her, making Abi forget to breathe for a while. "Don''t worry. This kind of thing is not a big deal. He doesn''t have any affections towards those women. It''s all simply for pleasure," he added after seeing the shock on Abi''s face.

    She clenched her fists tightly. How could this not be a big deal? Alex was a married man! He was her¡­

    Abi was losing it. She knew that Alex didn''t remember her anymore, that to him, she had never been part of his life. He doesn''t have any memories or emotions towards her anymore but still¡­ she couldn''t ept this. She could never ept something like this!

    "Abigail." Zeke called out, forcefully pulling her back to reality. "Control your emotions and try to understand the situation as best as you can. Don''t let your emotions take over. Think with your head. Just think that Alex, right now, is not your husband. You can''t break down just because of this. You know that Alex would never touch anyone other than you if he was not in this state." Zeke stressed.

    He could see how devastated she felt about this revtion. He wouldn''t say that he understood what she was feeling because he really didn''t. All he knew was that humans were fragile. He knew that something like this was enough to destroy them.

    "Let''s go back for now. We wille back here tomorrow." He could only abort the mission. He couldn''t let this woman break before her job could even start.

    However, Abi suddenly moved and hit the door with both fists and she kicked it with all the power her little legs had.

    "Open this, Zeke!" she suddenly ordered, causing Zeke''s eyes to widen for a moment. He was not certain if he should let her do this. Wasn''t it better for her to leave now so she wouldn''t see anything? Why did she still want to go inside?

    She hit the door again. "I said OPEN this DOOR!" she yelled at him. Pain clouded her eyes but her voice was as determined as ever. It seemed this stubborn creature was really hellbent on making a fuss. And did she just yell at him?

    He looked around and was d that no one saw or heard, or else, she would immediately be dropped in the dungeon.

    "Fine. Don''t you dare go there just to cry and break or else I will throw you out of this country," Zeke warned her. Coaxing someone had never been his strong point but he knew that somehow, this woman was strong in her own way. Maybe, these cruel realities she was facing would make her even stronger.

    "I won''t!" she pressed, ring at him so fiercely, like a little beast.

    NOT A BIG DEAL?! This was a HELLA huge deal to her!

    Zeke almost smiled. For a moment, he thought that Alex was in trouble.

    He then opened the huge door and without wasting another second, Abi stepped inside.

    .

    Keep voting ^^

 Chapter 282 but I like i

    <h4>Chapter 282 but I like i</h4>

    Inside the room, unaware of themotion going on just outside his doors, Alex was standing like a statue by the bed. Two women were with him, one behind him and one in front of him. The woman behind him was removing his shirt as she kissed his back while the other one was kneeling on the floor, kissing the man''s perfect abs as she slowly removed his belt.

    The scene was scandalous but that man was unresponsive. His nk eyes were focused on the floor and his hands didn''t bother to move to touch any of them. He was utterly distracted since the moment that woman in ck appeared before him. Her scent, the warmth of her skin and her voice¡­ They were still lingering in him like a spell.

    His thoughts were also focused on the strange thing he did to Zeke a while ago and how his body had refused to let go of her. Something was off and he couldn''t figure what it was. He picked these two women to apany him to stop himself from going back and snatching her away. He had never reacted like this before. Was he like this because she was the first thing Zeke didn''t allow him to have?

    The woman behind him wrapped her hands around his waist, tiptoed and craned her head to kiss him when suddenly, the door opened with a bang.

    The women looked at the door with wide eyes. Who dared to do this? Even the king would never dare to burst through Alexander''s doors without him giving them permission!

    The moment they saw a human in a maid''s uniform standing there, they were dumbstruck. This was unbelievable. It was totally unheard of for a lowly human to act this way! How dare this measly human! Was this suicidal little mouse lost? Even so, she was not going to get away with interrupting their time with the great Alexander!

    Their fangs lengthened, ready to jump on her and kill her for ruining the moment but they didn''t move. They wanted to see Alexander kill her with his own two hands instead. They both snickered at the unfortunate soul who was about to be mincemeat. What a foolish creature.

    They waited for Alexander to strike her mercilessly, with a disdainful smirk on their lips. But the man remained standing there like a frozen statue, as his eyes zeroed in on her.

    It was dim inside the room and the bright light from behind the door hid her face, but Alex immediately recognized that scent. Her scent.

    As if he didn''t even care that a woman was right before him, Alex moved. He turned around and had the woman not fallen to the side, Alex would have trampled all over her.

    Alex ignored the two women as he walked slowly towards Abigail, stopping one step away, in front of her. He bent down slightly so that his face was on the same level as hers.

    He stared at her face as he inhaled her scent. So this was the face behind that mask, he thought and his fingers moved to hold her chin and tip her head up so that he could take a closer look.

    "Why are you here?" he asked as his eyes roamed beyond the door. "Did you change your mind? Zeke too rough for you, is he?" he added, not minding how sharp her gaze was on him.

    She didn''t answer. She just clenched her fists tightly at her sides as her eyes continued to ze with anger.

    Alex licked his lips seductively. The source of his distraction was here and he couldn''t believe how his body was reacting just by her presence alone.

    "Alexander, let''s cont ¨C" One of the women just slipped her arms around his waist but Alex caught them and pushed her away.

    "Leave!" He ordered, his voice firm and indisputable.

    "But we''re not¡­" The other woman started toin but when Alex''s eyes turned golden as he looked at them, the women gulped. They immediately moved, eyes red, and they bared their fangs and hissed at Abi as they passed by her before finally stepping out the door. There was a promise of retribution in their eyes for interrupting their night and Abi couldn''t help but shiver even through her anger.

    When the women were finally out of sight, Alex''s gaze flew back to her.

    "Now answer me. You came here because¡­" His finger traced her face, from her temple down her cheeks to her neck, when Abi suddenly pped his hand away. She was not going to let this guy have his way with her! No matter how much she longed for his touch she would make sure not to give in. She was angry, so angry she could die. For the first time, Abi wanted to beat him up and scream at him at the top of her lungs!

    Alex seemed shocked at what she did. As far as he could remember, no woman ever pushed him away like that. They always, always came at him like leeches.

    "You didn''t just barge into my room, now you''re even pushing me away¡­ what a bold woman." A smirk apanied his words as he leaned in on her again. "ying hard to get because you know I wanted you? That''s not a very good idea for a fragile littlemb like you but¡­ I like it," he whispered sexily, taunting her.

    Abi''s heart skipped a beat when she heard him call her ''littlemb'' again. She closed her eyes as her ears savored those words. Even though she was still furious at him, she couldn''t help but tear up as she heard her nickname being spoken by him. Abi nearly gave in but luckily, the lights were suddenly turned on, flooding the room with its brightness.

    Zeke then entered the room nonchntly.

    Alex looked at him, not moving an inch away from Abi.

    "I didn''t bring her here to be those women''s recement," Zeke said. "She''s here to be your personal maid, not some kind of pleasure toy for you." He pressed with a serious gaze.

 Chapter 283 Heartbeats

    <h4>Chapter 283 Heartbeats</h4>

    Alex slightly tilted his head. "Maid," He echoed and his eyes finally realized that she was indeed wearing a maid''s uniform. "So you¡­ the future king of the vampires actually danced with a human maid and even brought her into your room, eh, Zeke? It seems you finally learned to break the stupid protocols of your family."

    "Don''t change the topic, Alex. Listen, from today onwards, this woman will be with you at all times," Zeke said before his gaze fell on Abi. "Follow him wherever he goes, if you fail to do that, you will be punished, understand?"

    Abi gulped. Seeing the serious warning in Zeke''s eyes immediately made her understand that he was not bluffing. This guy would probably really punish her.

    "What''s the reason for all of this, Zeke? Why do this now? Are you that afraid that I will escape?" Alex asked, finally moving away from Abi and walked towards Zeke. "And what''s with the punishment thing? You really think a human maid can manage to follow me everywhere? She must be a glutton for punishment if she epted those terms."

    "Well, she could if you let her. But if you want her to be punished, then that''s a different story."

    Zeke''s response silenced Alex. Even Abi looked at him in surprise.

    "Listen. I''ve been observing youtely. The thing that happened to you a while ago, I know you''re thinking about it. I believe someone is trying to manipte you."

    "Witches, again?"

    "Most likely. You should know how powerful these witches are and how good they are in disguising themselves to be one of us. They are willing to do everything in their power to manipte you, to turn you against your own kind. You know that I will never let that happen."

    "So, you''re giving me this maid to watch me?" He pointed to Abi. "Why? She''s just a human! Wouldn''t it be better if someone more powerful did the job?"

    "This human has the ability to easily identify a witch. Humans have the innate ability to sense danger around them and she will be useful in that respect. She knows the feeling of fear she gets from us vampires so she should be able to tell when someone is pretending to be one of us. I definitely can''t watch over you all the time and you always seem to make the human butlers, maids and soldiers that I order to follow you, disappear. That''s why I chose this girl instead, since it seems you definitely wouldn''t make her disappear."

    "And how are you certain that I won''t make her disappear like the others?"

    "Because you didn''t let me harm her. That''s enough for me."

    "Well, I wouldn''t be too sure about that. Especially since this littlemb looks really stubborn." He smirked, ncing over Abi.

    But Abi didn''t flinch at that malicious smile he showed her. Her mind was busy trying to steel herself for her role. Now that she knew what her job was, she was not going to let any other woman touch him again. She swore to herself that she would do everything to keep those sleazy women and evil witches away from him.

    "You go and fix yourself, Alex. I will have some words for your maid first," Zeke told him before Abi followed him outside the room.

    Zeke shut the doors and looked at her.

    "He won''t hear what we''re going to talk about?" she asked, curious why Zeke had to speak with her outside. Well, she thought that vampires could hear someone''s voice even when they were far.

    "Alex doesn''t have the hearing ability. That''s one of the abilities he doesn''t have because he''s not pure blooded. The fangs and the eyes are pretty much all he has inmon with pure blooded vampires," he exined briefly before his eyes focused on her. "Now, I hope you understand your job."

    "Yes, but, what you said about humans sensing witches. Is that true?"

    "No. That was a lie I spun to convince Alex to let you follow him. However, you are special. Your hearing ability is far more advanced than a normal human, possibly even more than most vampires as well. Each creature has a slightly different heartbeat, vampires, humans, animals, witches. To someone without your skills, they wouldn''t be able to tell the difference. The difference is that small."

    "Different heartbeats?"

    "Yes. But therein lies the problem. If you hadn''t noticed the difference, that means you hadn''t been using your abilities enough. The problem we have is that you haven''t honed your skills over time. You will have to train yourself while watching over Alex."

    "I¡­ okay. But how will I know what a witch''s heartbeat sounds like?"

    "You don''t. That''s why you will need to learn the heartbeats of everyone and everything that is familiar so that you know when it is unfamiliar."

    Abi nodded because his words made sense. It was like ying the game of ''which of these things is not like the other'' but still, trying to listen and learn and memorise the different heartbeats, sounded like a mission and a half. However, at least she now had an idea of where to start.

    "Also, I think it is a good idea to do anything you can to rile him up to gauge his reactions. Maybe if we brought out that side of him often, it might help him regain his memories."

    "Okay. I understand."

    "Good."

    Zeke opened the door again and Alex was on the bed, already dressed up.

    "So, this maid will also stay in my bed, right?" he said as he pulled Abi into his embrace.

    "I repeat, she''s not here to pleasure you. She''s here as your maid," Zeke just said and as if he knew for certain that Alex would follow his word to the letter, Zeke turned around and left.

    "Tch! What a boring man." He smirked and suddenly, he pinned Abi against the closed door.

    "Did he touch you?" he asked all of the sudden.

    Abi blinked up at him. His eyes were still nk but there was something different about him. She knew this feeling too well. Alex''s possessiveness.

    He bent down and his lips brushed against her ear. "Tell me, did Zeke touch you while you were in his room? Where did he touch you? Huh?"

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    Keep voting ^^

 Chapter 284 I hate you

    <h4>Chapter 284 I hate you</h4>

    Pinned against the door, Abi gazed up at Alex with wide eyes. She was surprised. These words he was saying right now almost made Abi tear up. But she bit her lower lip and held her ground. She wasn''t going to cry. She wasn''t going to show him any weakness.

    The image of standing with those women shed in her mind again and her anger clouded her eyes once more. She thought that the talk she had with Zeke had somewhat calmed her raging emotions but it seemed she was wrong. It seemed it was only biding its time until it was prompted to be released again. With a zing fire in her eyes, she looked straight back into his eyes and responded.

    "So? So what if Prince Zeke touched me? He is the crown prince. Who would dare say no to him? What if I said he touched me all over my body? It still wouldn''t matter because it has nothing to do with you!" she said fiercely. Her voice was cold and sharp. This was the first time she ever spoke to Alex this way but she couldn''t help it. Her anger was getting the better of her. He had no idea what it felt like to see him with those women - the pain and the feeling of betrayal hurt her like nothing had ever done before. Standing up to him was the least she could do!

    As Abi was mentally preparing herself for the oing fight, telling herself that she did well and that she needed to give him a piece of her mind, but that didn''tst long. She was once again shocked with what Alex did to her next.

    She did not anticipate what he was going to do next and the next thing she knew, she was being thrown onto the bed.

    A little yelp escaped her lips as shended and bounced softly on the big bed. When she stopped bouncing, she looked up and her heart suddenly elerated. She pulled herself up and looked at him. His eyes¡­ he looked angry. His ominous dark aura was filling the room.

    But Abi had long gotten used to this. She had felt this aura many times when she was living with him. What he did wouldn''t even make the hair on her skin stand anymore. She had gained some kind of immunity towards it.

    Alex jumped, from where he was standing by the door, to the foot of the bed. He then climbed up on the bed and crawled over her, still with that look in his eyes.

    He pinned her down, securing both her hands above her head.

    "Littlemb, why are you lying?" he asked.

    There it was again, the pet name he gave her. Why did he have to keep saying it? Abi''s anger and determination slightly wavered but this time, she determinedly shook her head to clear those hypnotic words away. Besides, that wasn''t the main point of focus right now. The bigger question was how did he know that she was lying?!

    He bent over until her lips touched her ear. "I didn''t smell your scent on Zeke," he whispered the answer to her question, as if he had read her mind. Seeing the shock on her face, his lips curved up into a mischievous smile. "Are you just trying to rile me up, huh? Littlemb?"

    His finger began to trace her lips. "Answer me or else¡­"

    "Or else what? You''re going to punish me?" she retorted. Abi just couldn''t forget that scene she walked into earlier. No matter how much she justified it, her anger, her jealousy and the pain just refused to subside. "Are you going to hit me? Go ahead then! Do it, you damn cheating womanizer?!!" she suddenly burst, yelling at him.

    Alex paused, blinking in confusion. It seemed it was his turn to be surprised. He stopped moving as he observed her face. Her eyes were glistening. Was she going to cry? Why was she so angry with him? Why did she think he would hit her? And what did she just call him? A cheating womanizer?

    Alex understood none of it. He didn''t understand why she was so angry, why he was letting this human push him away and treat him like this.

    "Get off me, I hate you!" She started to throw a tantrum. "I hate you, I hate you!!" she screamed and Alex just froze there,pletely paralyzed.

    Her words ''I hate you'' kept echoing inside his head like a spell causing chaos inside his body. He was so shocked that his grip on her wrists loosened up and Abi was able to free her hands from him.

    What the hell was going on with him? He had felt all the people''s hatred of him for countless years. He was despised and feared. The fear and hate in every single person''s eyes when they looked at him had bepletely normal to him, so much so that he hade to enjoy their misery. So how and why did he find this woman''s words so uneptable to the extent that he just froze there and let a measly human maid scream at someone like him? What did this woman do to him?

    Unable to understand anything, Alex snapped and bent down again. His face hovered above hers. He had to know. He had to find out why!

    "Stop yelling and tell me why you hate me!" his voice thundered, causing Abi to look up at him. Screaming those words out somehow made the pilling frustration and anger inside her feel a little better.

    She looked at him intently as she steadied her heavy breathing. He looked frustrated. His nk eyes finally held some kind of emotion, though subtle, in them. The look of confusion.

    Abi gulped. It seemed her unnned outburst had an effect. Or maybe her screaming at him that she hated him riled up something within him?

    "Tell me, is it because you''re scared of me? Because you know I''m a monster? Because you think I would make you disappear like everyone who served me?" he asked, with a menacing voice.

 Chapter 285 Her turn

    <h4>Chapter 285 Her turn</h4>

    Abi just stared up at him. Her body slowly rxed, maybe because she finally let out her anger. Or maybe, she softened up again, hearing these words he was saying, calling himself a monster like it was a fact.

    She almost reached out to hug him and tell him he wasn''t a monster, that she had never seen him as a monster, but she refrained herself.

    "No. I''m not scared of you," she told him almost insolently, causing him to narrow his eyes. "I just¡­ hate¡­ cheating, womanizing bastards¡­" she continued as her eyes wandered around.

    "Cheating¡­" he echoed. "Why would you say I''m cheating?"

    Abi blinked and said nothing, her brain somewhat shutting down from her slip up.

    "Speak," Alexmanded.

    Abi found herself in a dilemma. Oh no! How was she going to get out of this? Of course Alex wouldn''t think he was cheating if he had no partner, no wife to cheat on!

    She had slipped up by calling him names and now she had to think of an excuse, something that would make sense! She couldn''t very well tell him that it was because he was a married man. Her eyes wandered around again and her eyes caught some objects sitting on top of the bedside table.

    There was a ne with a couple of rings on it, sitting there. Those were their wedding rings and her engagement ring. Upon seeing them, Abi''s heart squeezed so tight that she could hardly breath. She almost cried.

    "Aren''t you¡­ married?" her voice became weak as she spoke, not tearing her eyes off the rings.

    Alex creased his brows and followed her line of sight.

    "Those were wedding rings, right?"

    She looked at him and their eyes met.

    "You thought I was married because of those?"

    "Well¡­ yes."

    He bit his lips and looked at her in disbelief.

    "Those aren''t mine. And I am certainly not married," he said, sounding so sure of himself.

    "Then whose are they?"

    He looked at the rings again with a frown on his face.

    "I don''t know."

    For a moment, Abi saw something flicker in his eyes as he looked at the rings. She didn''t know if it was something good but she felt something tug at her chest.

    She thought that maybe she wasn''t the only one suffering. That Alex, despitepletely forgetting about her, was fighting his own battles as well. She was the reason why Alex lost his soul and forgot about her. All this happened to him because he wanted to save her. Maybe her Alex knew this would happen. Maybe right now, he was somewhere in there, fighting as hard as she was to free himself from this nightmare. Abi could only believe in that thought, that they were both still fighting for love.

    "So¡­" Alex spoke, breaking her internal thoughts and making her focus on him again. "You actually screamed at me and told me you hated me because you thought I was married?" Alex said, now looking at her like he was about to punish her.

    She swallowed. "Well, I hate womanizing men, too¡­" she reasoned out, looking away. She was trying her best not to pull him in and kiss him, given their intimate position right now. "So¡­ I still hate you."

    He smirked. "What a brazen, littlemb."

    "Stop calling me a littlemb! I have a name," she said, trying very hard to distract him from his current train of thought.

    "Hmph. I will call you whatever I want to call you!" he answered, not taking the bait. "Haven''t you realised yet that I can do whatever I please to you, whether you hate me or not?"

    At his words, Abi returned her gaze on him. She threw him a fierce, challenging look before she replied.

    "What. Are you going to force yourself on me?"

    "You do see me as a monster, don''t you? Don''t worry littlemb, this monster is all about pleasure. There would be no pleasure in forcing you¡­" he bent again and whispered. "I will make youe to me and submit yourself to me instead." A small smile yed on his lips, as if he was so confident that Abi would relent to him. After all, he was used to women falling head over heels over themselves just to get close to him. If he actually tried to attract a woman, he was sure he would seed in winning them over in a blink of an eye.

    So with that, he lowered his head to kiss her, but to his surprise, Abi quickly turned her head away, not giving him an easy way to get through her defences. She wasn''t going to give in to him!

    This time, it was her turn to make hime to her and chase after her and submit to her, wholly.

    Alex chuckled at the very first rejection he received. Somehow, he finally found something interesting in this damn boring world. He was going to seduce this littlemb and he couldn''t wait to see the day she would willinglye to him and beg him to touch her. He had no doubt that she would.

    "Please get off me," she then told him, steeling herself for the bacsh that she would no doubt receive from him, but to her surprise, the man obediently got off her and plopped himself beside her.

    He faced her, nonchntly leaning his head on his palm as he looked at her.

    Abi rose and her feet just reached the floor when he spoke again. "Your job is to watch me twenty-four seven. Meaning, you should sleep with me in my room, be with me when I bathe and things like that, no?"

    There was a taunting vibe in his voice as he said that, as if he was more than certain that Abi wouldn''tst.

    "Now I''m going to take a bath. You shoulde with me, littlemb, or else you will be punished," he told her, shing her a triumphant smirk.

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    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 286 My sweet maid

    <h4>Chapter 286 My sweet maid</h4>

    Dear Hellbounders, I am sorry but I can''t grant your massive mass release wish. You guys know that I have a full job, right? So I hope you will understand me. Instead of a mass release, I will release 3 chapters daily from today until Sunday. I will try to add extra chapter this Sunday as well. I don''t want a burn out so I am trying to do what is easier and less pressurable for me. Thank u so much and please continue voting and supporting me. I love u all.

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    Alex climbed off the bed and he started to unbutton his shirt right before her. He was deliberately doing it almost in slow motion while he gazed down at her. He held her gaze, eyes smoldering with sexiness.

    She couldn''t believe it. This man was already trying to seduce her! He was watching her every expression but Abi had already developed an immunity to his sexiness, or so she thought. Unfortunately for her, she still couldn''t help but stare at him even though she had feasted on his body many times before. She wanted to touch him, so damn bad. She had been longing for him for the past three torturous months of his absence.

    "Littlemb¡­" his voice pulled her back to the present. She was lost in her thoughts for a moment that she didn''t notice that Alex had paused from unbuttoning his shirt for a while now.

    Alex was mystified. The woman was staring at him and his perfect chest but he couldn''t see the lust and admiration in her eyes as he had expected. In short, she was not affected. This realization made Alex smirk. He didn''t undress himself like this anymore in front of any woman because he had seen how the women drooled and wanted to jump on him whenever he did that. That was why all those women did this job for him now. And yet, this littlemb was acting like it didn''t affect her!

    "You are my maid. Isn''t this one of your jobs?" he added, spreading his arms out wide as she gestured for her toe and undress him.

    Abi red at him as she stood up. While she was deep in thought, she hadn''t actually been watching him because if she had, he definitely would have seen a reaction from her. She closed her eyes and that damn scene was brought to the surface again. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth as her anger resurfaced with the images. She was still angry at him after all, and she was going to punish him, damn hard.

    Halting a step away from him, Abi silently reached out and began to unbutton his shirt. If she was doing this as the old version of herself, before she met him, she would surely be as red as a cooked lobster by now and almost hyperventting. But she was no longer that na?ve Abigail. She had grown, blossomed even, and he was the one responsible for her sexual growth. Even though this man''s effect on her didn''t subside even for a little despite them being apart for a long time, Abi had learned some self control, to not show what she really felt. This, too, was something she had learned because of him. When she returned home after her operation, she had had to learn to hide her emotions because she knew it would just needlessly worry her family. So yes, in the most painful way, he taught her this as well, when he disappeared and left her all alone.

    "Done," she said as she let go of his shirt. She took a step back as she looked into his eyes. She looked very determined and very serious. She thought that if she looked at her job as being a nanny, rather than a maid, then that would make things easier for her.

    "What do you mean by done? How about this?" he pointed to his pants with a mischievous smirk on his face. "My sweet maid, don''t make me wait and do your job properly and¡­ obediently," he added, his voice became even huskier.

    Abi could only do as he said. She knew that Alex was doing this on purpose. He was purposely trying to seduce her. But she was hard as steel right now, certainly because of the anger that was still lurking in her chest.

    She reached out for his belt and unbuckled it when suddenly, Alex''s handnded on hers, halting her. She looked up and their faces almost collided. Abi almost gasped. This man was really¡­ really doing his best to break her right now.

    She was d he didn''t have the ability of sharp hearing or he would have heard just how hard her heart was beating right then.

    Abi immediately pulled away. She was determined not to fall for any of his honey traps. Nuh-uh. She wouldn''t give him what he wanted. She would make him suffer until she was satisfied!

    "Please don''t interrupt me while I am doing my job." she told him like a stern little boss, causing Alex to let out a throaty chuckle.

    What was wrong with this woman? How was she so brave? More importantly, why was she not lusting on him?

    Alex was faced with a dilemma he had never encountered before. He could only watch as she unbuckled his belt so seriously like she was undressing a mannequin.

    Her hand finally touched the button of his pants and as her fingers grazed against his abdomen, he subconsciously swallowed.

    She then held the small zipper and as she pulled it down, they both froze for a moment. Abi''s eyes widened in surprise, seeing that he was already¡­ hard.

    Looking up at him with wide eyes, Abi couldn''t find a word to say because Alex seemed to be even more surprised than her.

    The look on his face almost made Abi smile triumphantly but Alex suddenly held her hand again. "Now look what you did, littlemb. Because of your intrusion, my little monster is now all pent up and raging," he said and Abi red at him again for casually reminding her about that earlier scene.

 Chapter 287 Revenge

    <h4>Chapter 287 Revenge</h4>

    "That is not my problem. I am here because Prince Zeke told me so. I am just doing my job. If you have any problems, take it up with him." Abi pulled her hand off him and she picked up his shirt and pants. He watched her fold them like a real maid. He bit his lips and let them go slowly. The more he stared at her, the more he wanted her. He had never lusted after a woman this much before. Not to mention that this girl was wearing conservative enough and wasn''t even trying to seduce him.

    Running his fingers through his hair, Alex moved towards her. Abi was putting the clothes on top of the bed when she felt his presence behind her.

    "Now,e¡­ it''s time to shower."

    He held her wrist and dragged her inside his bathroom. He casually kicked off his underwear as he strode to the shower.

    She stood there watching him by the door as Alex turned the shower on. The sprinkles of water fell on his body and then he closed his eyes and let the water fall on his face. He was damn so inviting, so mesmerising, so damn perfect, that she felt like she was watching a god taking a shower.

    This man was really not going to make it easy for her. She scolded herself not to gulp at the sight of him.

    When his body was wet enough, Alex turned the shower off and faced her. Seeing him being surrounded by the hot steam, the droplets of water trailing down his skin and his wet, dripping hair¡­ took all of Abi''s self-control to not give in, to not give him the satisfaction of drooling over him like all those other wom- Ugh! There it was again and the spell was instantly broken.

    "My sweet maid, it''s time for the next part," he told her, giving her the soap.

    Abi obediently stepped towards him, being careful with her footing so that she didn''t slip and get wet. She didn''t have any other clothes with her right now but this maid outfit she was wearing.

    She looked into his eyes, giving him her most innocent but seductive look as she took the soap from his hand and she gently caressed his palm. This was the perfect setting for her revenge.

    "Close your eyes," she said, trying on her seductive voice, hoping he would obey. He looked down at her face and contemted her words for a second before he obeyed with a sexy, triumphant smirk. He saw what she wanted him to see at that moment and when he did as she asked, it was Abi''s turn to smile, but hers looked a little like a vengeful smile.

    Abi reached out her hands and started up by his neck,thering the soap over his skin. She trailed down his wide, muscly shoulders - oh how she had missed him! - and down his arms. She put the soap down and started to rub her hands on his shoulders, like she was massaging him, and then found their way to his chest. Her touch was light sometimes and then harder at others.

    She felt him tense at her touch and she couldn''t help the spark that came to her eyes. It seemed she still had the power to make him react to her slightest touch. ''But this was only the start, Alex,'' she thought. ''I''m going to make you squirm with unfulfilled desire.''

    She picked up the soap again and made her way down from his chest to his abdomen. She stopped just above his upright little monster, teasing, calcting. Then she moved behind him to wash his back and she saw the dragon tattoo. She now looked at it in a new light. She traced its outline with her finger, all the way from his shoulders to just above his backside and up again. Her touch was light and for a second, she had forgotten her intentions.

    She shook her head to clear her thoughts and moved to the front again. This time, she knelt down so that she could wash his legs. Her hands started from his calves and slowly worked their way up his leg, one had on each side. As she got near his groin, she purposely lightly brushed the back of her hand against the twins before trailing back down again. She heard him gasp and saw his fists clench at his sides.

    This littlemb knew exactly how to touch him to make him feel good, oh so good. It seemed like his n backfired on him. He clenched his fists to stop himself from grabbing her. The way her hands touched him was like she knew his body in a way that even he didn''t. Her touch was like fire to him. Everywhere she touched, his skin felt like it was on fire.

    She tested his self control like no one else had done. He had never felt this close to bursting from pleasure and she hadn''t even touched him there! How could she have so much power over his body? Why was his body responding like this to her and only her?

    It looked like he had underestimated this littlemb. How was she so good at this? How did she know exactly what he wanted her to do? Or could it be that this woman was just used to touching men like this? How many men had this woman touched like this until now?

    The thought of her doing this to others made Alex''s face darken. But he gritted his teeth to drive those thoughts away. So what if she had done this to many others before? Why was he even acting like this? He never cared about a woman''s past transgressions before. All he cared about was his pleasure. So why did these thoughts affect him?

    With a deep frown on his face, Alex suddenly turned the shower on, drenching Abi and breaking her concentration and her focus.

 Chapter 288 I lose

    <h4>Chapter 288 I lose</h4>

    She yelped. She could only look at him in disbelief but at the back of her mind, she was thankful to him for doing that because she felt like she had started to lose herself in the moment. She felt like she might have sumbed to him if he hadn''t. She had felt that familiar sensation of desire in the pit of her stomach and she didn''t know if she could have held back if she kept going. It seemed her method of revenge was a double sided sword.

    "Oops, my bad. That was not intentional," he said as he smirked but he regretted what he did the next moment because now, he could see the shape of her chest.

    She red at him, fully knowing that he was lying and her anger surfaced once again. Anger was a much safer emotion to have right now, much safer than desire and contrarily, her mind became clear from the haze. She felt that she was back in control again, that she had a tighter rein on herself and her emotions so she continued what she was doing but not to the extent as she had purposely done just minutes before.

    She washed his lower half, still kneeling on the floor, naturally showing him her cleavage as he looked down from above.

    Alex''s Adam''s apple bobbed up and down.

    He had been having a hard time with womentely. Ever since he came back after burning that pce, he never really felt the pleasure he wanted. No one could please him enough because there was something that his body seemed to be looking for. And that something, he realized now, was this woman''s body.

    He couldn''t believe that just her touch was much more pleasurable than anything else he experienced before. The small reprieve had done nothing to quench his desire. He was starting to lose it, especially when he saw how close her face was to his little monster.

    How much pleasure would he feel if¡­

    He took in a sharp breath. He couldn''t help but picture her taking him inside her mouth, sucking and licking him. A groan was almost torn from his lips at the thoughts.

    Was he, of all creatures, actually destined to lose against this woman?

    "Done," she said, removing her hands off his skin and standing up again. He was impossibly hot with desire and was floating in pleasure¡­ how dare this woman stop at the height of it?

    Abi turned to leave but he caught her wrist again. "Because you did such an incredible job, I have decided to reward my obedient maid," he whispered in her ear. "I shall return the favour and wash your body now."

    His voice was so damn hypnotic, bringing back old memories of when he had whispered naughty things to her, but no! She would not give in! "I''m fine. I don''t need to take a shower. And I certainly don''t want you to wash me. I''m not a child. I can shower on my own."

    Her answer was another lightning bolt to Alex. There it was, his second rejection, and from the same woman, nheless. This woman actually rejected his offer. He, of all creatures in this world, was being rejected right before his face. Other women would die from happiness if he ever offered to do this to them. Did this particr human maid really not want any piece of him? Unbelievable!

    Alex let go of her as his lips twitched.

    Abi let out a quiet breath of relief when he didn''t insist on it. It had taken most of Abi''s self control to say those things to him. She had been so close to sumbing to him earlier so rejecting him like this took a little less effort than if he had asked her earlier, but still took a lot of effort. Her self control had never been tested like this and she was d that she had managed to pull through.

    However, as she wasplimenting herself for a job well done, Alex pointed the shower on her, drenching her all over.

    She turned, speechless. She saw that he was smirking at her.

    "That''s your¡­ sweet punishment for rejecting your master," he pinched her chin.

    "You''re not my master. My master is Prince Zeke. I am only following his order to be your maid and that''s why I''m here," she stressed, utterly displeasing Alex.

    His face darkened and the next moment, she was pinned against the marble wall.

    "You¡­ do you like Zeke?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

    Abi swallowed and stared intently at him. She remembered Zeke''s words telling her that they needed to rile him up as much as possible, that maybe that would help bring the old Alex back. She could see that she was getting a reaction from him so she pressed on. "Yes. I like him. He''s the one I want to serve ¨C"

    "You still want him even if I told you that you will die ¨C"

    "Yes, you already told me! But if I was to die in his embrace, I wouldn''t mind ¨C"

    Alex''s eyes zed golden. The next second his lips mmed on hers. He was like a wild beast prying her lips open.

    Abi tried her very best to resist even if she didn''t want to. ''Hold your ground Abi¡­ please¡­ don''t let him win over you just like that!'' she screamed to herself, thinking about that scene again to steel her resolve. And she managed to do so.

    The displeasure in Alex''s eyes intensified as he pulled his lips away from hers.

    "You said you wouldn''t force yourself to me!" Abi told him, angry.

    But Alex didn''t even look apologetic, nor guilty. "Fine. I lose." He smiled, causing Abi''s lips to fall in disbelief. Did he just raise his white g? Just like that?!

    She was in disbelief.

    He licked his lips, his eyes filled with nothing but lust and desire. "I will give you everything you ever wanted, littlemb. Forget about Zeke, you will only fall to your demise if you choose him. I can bring you more pleasure than he ever could," he whispered with his deep husky voice as his hands on her waist started to caress her.

    "No, I¡­"

    "Shh¡­ choose me littlemb. Forget about him."

    Abi felt like her defences were crumbling. She was starting to fall again, she was starting to break from his sweet, sweet caress so she did the only thing she could think of at that moment.

    Without thinking about the consequences, she suddenly kneed him in the groin!

    .

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 Chapter 289 Seductions and threats

    <h4>Chapter 289 Seductions and threats</h4>

    Abi''s eyes widened in shock when her knee connected against his groin. Her action made him take a step back, but more from shock than pain. A small, measly human actually kneed the great him of all the creatures in this world?!

    And while Alex was at aplete loss for words, the little brazenmb dashed towards the door and left, leaving Alex almost gaping in disbelief.

    He took a sharp breath. His hands were on his hips as he looked up the ceiling and the next moment, the sound ofughter echoed inside the bathroom.

    Still leaning against the bathroom door, Abi flinched as she heard his intimidatingugh. Oh god, had she gone too far? He was not a normal human. That mustn''t have hurt him that much right?! So why did he step back like that? Now he was evenughing like a demon?

    Abi was nervous. She knew that he wouldn''t hurt her - she was confident judging from his reaction towards Zeke earlier - but he might use emotional torture instead to punish her. And if he did that, she knew that she might not be able to hold back her thirst for him!

    Taking a deep breath, Abi told herself to rx and hold her ground but as she breathed out, the door suddenly opened and she fell backwards into the bathroom. Luckily, her reflexes saved her as she quickly held onto the door frame to keep herself from falling.

    She turned to see Alex standing tall, still wet and naked. His expression was unreadable.

    Suddenly, he lifted her up, over his shoulder like a sack of rice and headed towards the bed. She had no idea what he was nning to do but she felt that whatever if was, it would not bode well for her.

    He put her on the bed and then tore her wet clothes away, shocking Abi. Oh no, did she awaken the dark dragon?!

    He then pinned her down on the bed, with her body between his knees.

    "Littlemb, do you realize that your life is in my hands right now? If anyone found out that a measly woman just dared to knee me, especially in that, hmmm, special ce, your head would fly away from your body so quick you wouldn''t even know it happened. Even Zeke can''t save you now, you know that?" he told her, still exuding his sexy vibes, seducing her despite him spouting threats at her. His hand went to her neck and cupped it delicately. "Also, I can kill you right here, right now if I want to and just tell Zeke you attacked me first. I wouldn''t even have to lie because that is what happened, after all."

    But Abi didn''t even flinch. He said those threats without any emotion in his eyes so she knew that the situation she was in was quite dangerous. She knew that he could easily do as he threatened and that would be the end of her but, even so, she was unshakable.

    "Fine. Kill me then," she challenged, tilting her chin up as a show of defiance. She was not going to show him even a little tinge of fear. She lifted her hand, grabbed his wrist and pulled it towards her so that it was pushing against her neck. "Now do it! Do it!" she yelled, causing Alex to freeze once again.

    His lips twitched. He couldn''t believe that nothing was actually working on her. Seductions and threats were utterly useless. What was she? Who was this woman?

    Before he knew it, his other hand moved towards her face and he caressed her cheek. "Tell me, what do I need to do for you to want me?" he asked.

    Abi was dumbstruck. She didn''t expect that at all. She was trying to rile him up, to make him more angry, but somehow, it backfired on her. But at least he wasn''t threatening her anymore! But, why was he suddenly saying something like this?

    Her eyes surveyed him, full of questions. His tone at that moment was gentle - it was almost the same as Alex''s gentle voice when he made love to her - and his aura was somewhat warm. She was about to reach out a hand to touch his face but in the next moment, after looking confused about what he just said, his voice became cold as ice again.

    "Don''t worry, littlemb, I won''t kill you, nor will I let anyone kill you. Death is too easy an escape. What I am going to do is punish you for doing that so you won''t ever do it again." He smirked and then his lips found their way to her mouth.

    Her lips were slightly parted from the shock so he easily gained ess inside her mouth. That moment when she thought that her Alex had shown up had broken her defences and she didn''t get enough time to build them back up before he started his punishment.

    Oh no, his tongue¡­ his mouth¡­ this warmth¡­ Abi had missed and longed for this so much - to kiss him once again.

    His kisses were deep and hot, hotter than she could remember. Ah, damn it! She wanted this¡­ so bad! She had been dreaming of this moment for many nights. Their time apart felt like a century to her. In just one month, she had gotten used to him being around. She had gotten used to waking up everyday, expecting to see his face, expecting him to be waiting for her to train her, to feed her, to fulfill all her wishes. But most of all, she had gotten used to his kisses, his touch, his body and the way it felt when they were making love. Alex had told her that he was an addict, but Abi realised that she was also addicted. She was addicted to him and each day that passed without him by her side felt like the longest day of her life. She craved for him so much, wanted to find him so much that she nearly broke.

    .

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 Chapter 290 Say i

    <h4>Chapter 290 Say i</h4>

    Here he was, her drug, her antidote, kissing her like all he wanted in the world was her. Her resolve was melting, like ice cream being thrown on the fire. She was crumbling fast under his passionate kisses.

    He pulled away but he didn''t let their lips part. "C''mon, littlemb. Give in to me. Respond to me," he whispered against her lips before he kissed her again.

    Abi gripped the sheets so hard that her knuckles turned white, to stop herself from reaching out to him and pulling him to her. ''I must not sumb! No! I won''t give in! Abi, please. Don''t let him win!'' she screamed within her, trying to wake herself up from his spell.

    He pulled away the second time around and Alex stared down at her face. There was a glitter of an uneptable defeat in his eyes. Why was she not responding? How the hell was she able to resist him? What kind of creature was she?

    "How stubborn." Alex groaned. But he didn''t look like he was going to give up. His desire for her even intensified. "I will make you beg for me." he added and his lipsnded on her neck. He kissed and sucked her there, at that sensitive spot just under her ear, as his hand travelled down.

    Abi closed her eyes, trying to tell herself not to react. She withdrew into her mind to stop his kisses from affecting her. She thought that her revenge on him in the bathroom was nothingpared to this punishment. She hadn''t even used her lips on him! This wasn''t fair! He wasn''t ying fair!

    As Abi was cursing him inwardly for his unfair advantage, his hand had reached her abdomen. Abi tried so hard to stop herself from feeling that hand trailing down her body towards her...

    And then he touched her flower, ever so softly. He caressed her until her body betrayed her. His fingers were slick with her juices less than a minute of his fingers ying with her.

    "F*ck, your body wants me damn bad, littlemb. Listen to your body and tell me you want me."

    Abi kept silent. She bit her lips from stopping herself from spouting out words like ''Yes, I want you,'' or ''I have missed you,'' or ''make love to me''. She could not say anything as he took her to the heights of pleasure with just his fingers.

    "I will make you spit it out," he said, even more determined knowing that her body was at least responding to him.

    The fire in his eyes intensified and in the next second, he slid downwards and reced his hand with his lips and his tongue. He kissed her there softly, his tongue teasing her like never before. This onught took Abi''s pleasure to new heights. She was breathing hard as she tried to resist but her body wouldn''t listen to her.

    Abi covered her mouth with her hand and she bit on it to stop her moans from escaping from her mouth. Her body had already submitted to him, her mind was thest man standing.

    There was no way her body wouldn''t react when he was doing this to her. Her body knew his touch. His hands were the only ones to have ever touched her like this. His hands were the hands that brought her to this new world of sexual pleasure. His hands were the only ones that could y a symphony with her body. It was simply too much for her body to resist.

    Alex looked up through his eyshes and when he saw her covering her mouth, he took her hands and intertwined her fingers with his before he continued the onught.

    Abi bit her lips, hard. Her body was tingling, arching into him as her pleasure increased. Oh no! It wasing! That bubbling feeling in the pit of the stomach. No!

    Just as Abi was climbing up to the climax, Alex paused, though he had no intention of ending it there. He hovered above her for a second, almost bursting from his desire. He couldn''t take it anymore. He wanted her. He had just tasted her and now he wanted to bury himself inside her. "Now, tell me, sweet girl¡­ tell me you want me and I''ll make you cum. Don''t hold back, say it."

    He sounded desperate. He was on the very edge, holding tightly to his self control and her words of surrender would be all he needed to finally break free.

    But the damn stubborn woman shook her head and still refused to give in! Alex froze on top of her. He couldn''t believe it. He had never been this desperate to get a woman and the first woman he ever wanted to this extent, was rejecting him, again! F*ck, this was driving him mad. She was driving him mad!

    Suddenly, he rolled off her and jumped off the bed.

    Abi was still breathing hard and it took her a little while to calm down. Once she felt her heart settle down somewhat, she sat up and looked for him.

    Her eyes widened upon seeing him already dressed and standing by the door.

    "W-where are you going?" she asked, a little apprehensive of what his answer would be.

    He nced at her and smiled. "To spend the night with my harem. See you tomorrow, littlemb," he said and before Abi could react, he disappeared from her eyes.

    Abi dashed towards the door, still naked. She opened it and peeked outside but he was no longer there. What had she done? Did she push him away too hard?

    Abi frantically called Zeke and told him that Alex had ditched her. She was in a panic! A myriad of emotions fought inside her. She was scared, worried, angry, distraught, all the while wondering if she had pushed him too far.

    "Zeke!! He¡­ He''s gone! I think I might have pushed him into¡­" someone else''s arms. Abi couldn''t say the words out loud. She was devastated.

    .

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 Chapter 291 Come back to me

    <h4>Chapter 291 Come back to me</h4>

    "Don''t worry. I knew he would ditch you. I just spotted him. I will look out for him tonight so have a rest for now. Also, prepare yourself because I am going to have to punish you tomorrow."

    Abi swallowed.

    "I have to punish you for real to show him the consequence of his actions. I am doing it so that he will not ditch you again. It will have to be something on the extreme side, so sleep and prepare yourself for the worst."

    He sounded menacing. Zeke''s words somewhat pushed down her devastation because fear suddenly kicked it out of its throne for a second or two.

    "Are we clear?"

    "Yes, I-I understand." What else could she say? If she had to go through hell again to bring her husband back, she would walk down there barefooted, with a smile on her face. "Zeke," she continued, "can you make sure he doesn''t¡­ he doesn''t go¡­ to his¡­ to his ha¡­" Abi broke off. She couldn''t say it. She couldn''t ask this man to stop Alex from going to see another woman. She just couldn''t.

    "Okay¡­" Zeke surprisingly said. "Don''t worry, that guy doesn''t have a harem." He knew what she was going to ask. He wasn''t an idiot. After the disy she put on earlier, he had learned his lesson. If he was going to work with Abigail, then he would need to take her feelings into consideration.

    "Thank you, Zeke," she said from the bottom of her heart. Abi was so thankful that she felt like crying.

    Abi put the phone down and went to the bathroom to take a proper bath because she needed to clear her head so that the sadness in her heart wouldn''t eat her alive. Having Zeke''s assurance somehow calmed her down a little, but it didn''t stop the wing pain in her heart.

    She dried herself and went to his wardrobe to pick one of his shirts and a pair of boxer shorts. She didn''t have any other clothes and the maid''s uniform was now torn to pieces. She forgot to tell Zeke about those. She would have to do that tomorrow.

    She wore them, changed the sheets, and settled herself there. She was a little nervous about what tomorrow would bring her but she noticed that Alex''s eyes would only show that familiar hellish re of his everytime she nearly got hurt; like when she was nearly bitten by Zeke and when she pulled his hand to choke her. Maybe Zeke''s n would work.

    Abi knew that Zeke needed to punish her, or else his words would mean nothing to Alex, leading him to ditch her even more.

    But was it true that he didn''t have a harem? Then why did he say that? She didn''t want to think about that anymore. She had to trust in Zeke''s words, his promise that he would stop Alex from doing that kind of thing.

    Abi walked towards the table and picked up the rings. They were all put together in a ne. Did he put these all together and wore it before he left her?

    Seeing those rings reminded her of their wedding day. Shey back on her bed and closed her eyes, trying to remember everything about that day. She remembered how happy she felt as she put on her dress, knowing that in a few hours time, she would bear the title of Alex''s wife. She saw his handsome face, waiting for her at the end of the aisle and the thing that she remembered the most was the look in his eyes as he watched her walk towards him.

    His eyes were so full of love for her, so full of happiness.

    Abi grabbed the pillow and cried to her sleep. She missed him so much.

    ¡­

    Alex was sitting on the castle''s highest rooftop. His eyes were focused on the dark space between the moon and the stars above and the lights on the ground.

    His eyes were nk. The cold wind caressed his skin as his robe danced along with it. He sat there, one knee bent and the other, dangling.

    He seemed to be deep in his thoughts and he stayed like that, as still as a statue, with only the wind, stars and moon keeping himpany.

    After a long while, he stood up and jumped down.

    He went back to his room. Although he had said he was going to his harem, he had no intention of actually going anywhere. He wasn''t in the mood for anything like that anymore. He didn''t think that he would be in the mood for anyone apart from her anymore.

    He pushed the door open silently and walked over to the bed. He stood next to it, on the side she was sleeping on and he saw that she was wearing his shirt and his boxer shorts. He shook his head in disbelief. He couldn''t believe she was seducing him even in her sleep. "What a maid. Are you really a maid? You didn''t just wear my shirt without permission, you even wore my¡­ damn¡­"

    He had no more words left. Ever since this maid barged into his room, his world had turned to chaos. He somewhat found it hard to believe that she was a real maid at all!

    He changed into his pajama pants andy down on the bed beside her.

    He turned to face her and attempted to touch her face but his smirk faded after he saw traces of tears in her eyes down her cheeks, as she held the rings in her hand.

    His brows pulled together. Why was she holding on to those?

    Alex stared at them. Those rings were hanging around his neck but he didn''t remember anything about them. He remembered the jade ring but the other two were enigmas. He couldn''t remember where they came from or how they even ended up in his possession. They were just strange, as strange as this woman before him right now.

    The next moment, she stretched her arms out and wrapped it around him, pulling herself close to him.

    "I miss you so much. Come back to me... Please..." she uttered in her sleep and Alex didn''t know why his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

    .

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 Chapter 292 A breath of fresh air

    <h4>Chapter 292 A breath of fresh air</h4>

    Meanwhile, back in Kai''s room, Kai was still in the bathroom, reeling at what he had just done, and almost done, with Miss Hooligan.

    She really was a hooligan through and through. He couldn''t believe that she had managed to break him. He was shocked at how bold and daring she was. He wasn''t sure if that was something she would have done without the effect of the wine, or whether it was the wine that was talking. But somehow, from having spent a bit of time with her, he thought that it was very likely that she would have acted the same way. Knowing her, she probably would have tried to beat him up first.

    She hadpletely taken him off guard. Was it because it had been a long time since he had bedded a woman? Or was it because the woman was her?

    He ran his fingers through his hair. What he had just done was very risky for her. Regardless of whether it was because of her or not, the fact of the matter was that it was way too dangerous and he wouldn''t allow it to happen again.

    He closed his eyes, took a deep breath in and shook his head to clear his mind, to increase his defences against her so that he wouldn''t fall for her antics again. Once he felt his mind was in full control, he washed his hands and face and headed out to the room again, ready to face the uing battle.

    However, all of his preparation was for nothing because he walked in to see that she had escaped the cocoon and was sprawled out on the bed, sleeping like a log. A very noisy log.

    He couldn''t help but chuckle as he heard snoring in a very udylike manner. She really did not act like ady at all, even while she was asleep! Kai looked at her sleeping face for a second longer before he moved again.

    Sighing, he pulled her limbs back to her side of the bed so that he had room toy down on it. He then took the covers that she had kicked off the bed and covered her up to her neck before hey down on the other side of the bed. He closed his eyes but his mind wouldn''t stop running.

    Not only was he thinking about what they had just done, it was also in turmoil over whether or not she had actually regained her memories. He really hoped that she did not because if she did, then they were in for a world of trouble. How would they exin to her how her memories of all of them were erased from her mind, not to mention Abi''s family as well. She would definitely think that something funny was going on and she would be right.

    He had no idea how he would deal with that at all. His mind thought about just spilling the truth to her, no matter how impossible the story might be. What would she do? How would she take it? Could he really do that to her? Put her in danger for the rest of her life?

    If Abi could live life knowing their secret, then why couldn''t she? That was the answering thought in his mind. An answer that came from a ce inside him that wanted to tell her everything, a ce that wanted to let her know who he really was and hoped that she would still act like she did towards him.

    His eyes opened, startled at the thought. All this time, he had been trying to avoid Miss Hooligan because he knew she would just be trouble. All their encounters had proven that to be true. Every time they met, he would be very frustrated because of her forwardness. He felt like it was a man''s job to chase after a woman but she was always the one making moves on him.

    However, there was also a side to her that intrigued him and dare he say it, attracted him. She was theplete opposite of how he thought ady should act but that in itself was what made her intriguing, interesting, refreshing, like a breath of fresh air. Air that he didn''t know he needed.

    His thoughts floated to his first ever encounter with her in that elevator. She had no idea who she was asking to beat up at that time. He smiled as he thought back to being beaten by her and how she gave him money for his troubles. If she only knew, would she be shocked? Or would she brush it off and say that he had the chance to say no to her request?

    As these thoughts floated around his head, he finally drifted off to sleep, dreaming of the face of the person sleeping next to him.

    ---

    The sun shone through the windows into the room and gently caressed Kai''s face. Kai opened his eyes slowly. It took a little while for his brain to kick in, to remember the events from the night before and in that instant, he sat upright like he had been hit by a lightning bolt, and ended up staring straight into Miss Hooligan''s eyes.

    Her eyes weren''t hazy anymore. They were as clear as crystal but he saw rage within them. She was furious. He was shocked. He had never felt this kind of rage from her before. It was like she wanted to kill someone!

    He immediately thought that she was like this because of what happened between themst night, while she was intoxicated. He was about to speak, to apologize for what happened the night before, to say that he shouldn''t have done it and that he would take whatever punishment she was going to dish out but she beat him to it.

    However, her next words made his heart nearly jump out of his chest.

    "Where is Alex?!"

    .

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 Chapter 293 Its time

    <h4>Chapter 293 It''s time</h4>

    Back in Alex''s room.

    Abi''s eyelids fluttered like the wings of a butterfly as she felt the warmth of the sun on her face. But it wasn''t just that, there was also a different warmth and she subconsciously drew her body closer to it, revelling in its familiarity.

    ''Mmmm,'' she mumbled subconsciously as her eyes fully opened to see that shey on the bed with her arm around a man''s waist!

    She looked up, suddenly alert, to see who it was and she was met with her beloved''s face, smiling triumphantly at her. For a second, her heart fluttered with happiness only to be reced again with grief the next second, because this man wasn''t really her beloved.

    Abi pulled away instantly and stood up by the bed, with her hands on her head, in shock. Her heart hammered against her chest. She thought that she was dreaming when she felt his familiar warmth next to her. She thought it was her brain ying tricks on her again, as it had done for many nights after she woke up from her surgery.

    But no, this was real! All of the things that happenedst night suddenly reyed in her mind, as if it was a movie. She had really found him again, after months of trying. It took a bit for Abi''s mind to get over this fact, to believe that this was all real and this was really happening.

    Alex sat up on the bed as he sexily surveyed her, biting his lips. She followed his line of sight and that was when she finally realized what she was wearing. His shirt, which carried his faint scent, and his boxer shorts. This man was already thinking naughty things this early in the morning!

    Alex was just about to tease her when a knock at the door startled them both. Abi moved to go and open it but Alex was faster. He pulled her behind him and opened the door instead.

    Abi felt a little confused. Why had he done that? Was he trying to protect her? From what? Or did he just not want other people to know she was in his room?

    On the other side of the door, a timid maid stood there with her head bowed down, holding a set of folded clothes in her arms. "I came to bring these clothes over, master," she said without raising her eyes to look at them.

    Alex took them upon seeing that she had brought over another set of a maid''s uniform. Abi took a look from behind him and she immediately grabbed them from Alex and dashed inside the bathroom. Suddenly a thought entered her mind. Did he do that so no one would see her wearing his clothes? Somehow, knowing how shameless this man was, she thought that she was probably correct in thinking that.

    Alex closed the door and watched as his maid nearly flew to the bathroom with her uniform. He smirked as he admired her derriere as they bounced slightly from her footsteps and only moved again when the door closed behind her.

    When Abi finally stepped out, she was already fully dressed. There was a look of anger on her face again, a stern determination. As she showered, her mind drifted to whether he actually went to find another woman. Did Zeke manage to stop him? What if he wasn''t able to stop him? Should she confront him? Or was it better not knowing? All these questions gued her but she didn''t know what the right thing to do was.

    She felt that she couldn''t confront him about it because he might just leave again and that would not be good. But if she didn''t, she knew that not knowing would eat at her too. She could only think of one other way to relieve this angst and that was to ask Zeke.

    Once she made that decision, she felt slightly better. Zeke would tell it to her straight. He wouldn''t lie to her and whatever his answer was, it was always better to know than to be kept in the dark. But until then, she would hold onto her anger because it was better than pain.

    Alex had already changed into casual clothes - a white short sleeved shirt which hugged his muscles, and a pair of ck pants which entuated his thighs. If she wasn''t seeing red at that moment, she would have drooled.

    Alex surveyed her in her conservative maid''s outfit and was only slightly shocked that his body still reacted. He thought that things would be different in the light of day, that maybe his obsession with her was only because of the events of the party, what happened with Zeke and the wine. But it seemed he was wrong.

    It seemed he couldn''t use that as an excuse for his obsessive behaviour. If it wasn''t the party or the wine, then it really must be her. But why? Why had she crossed his path? Was she just here to torture me? Was that it?

    He walked towards Abigail and when he was about a foot away, he reached out his hand to touch her face but she stepped back, giving him an angry re. He froze, his hand hanging in mid-air, which gave Abi the chance to step around him and walk towards the bed so that she could do her maid duties and make the bed. The tension was so thick, they could cut it with a knife.

    Luckily, they were saved by another knock on the door. This time, Abi got to it first and when she opened the door, two royal guards were standing outside.

    "His highness wants you in the courtyard," they said and Abi swallowed. She nodded obediently and was about to follow them knowing what this was all about when Alex jumped in.

    "Where do you think you are taking my maid?" he asked, causing the soldiers to immediately bow down to him in fear.

    "It''s time for her punishment, Alex," Zeke''s voice rang and Alex looked at him in surprise.

 Chapter 294 Good thing

    <h4>Chapter 294 Good thing</h4>

    Alex''s face immediately darkened. His eyes narrowed as he held Abi''s hand even tighter, as if he would never let go of her if they tried to take her away.

    "What are you saying?" he asked, ring at Zeke.

    "Shall I remind you about what I saidst night? She failed to do her job, Alex," Zeke stressed. His voice was as authoritative as ever, as expected of a Crown Prince. "Now I have to punish her because it seems to me that she''s not taking her job very seriously."

    Zeke nced at Abi with a menacing look. If Zeke hadn''t warned herst night, she would''ve been trembling by now and she might even be clinging onto Alex because of how serious and terrifying Zeke looked like that moment. This man was at it again - putting on his out of this world and unquestionable acting skills. He was just too much into it that he still managed to send shivers down her spine despite her knowing what he was up to.

    "Nowe over," he said, looking at her and Abi flinched. She stared at him and then she tried to pull her hand off Alex''s grip to follow this prince to take her punishment.

    But Alex didn''t let go.

    "Zeke, aren''t you way too into this? You really think this little fragile maid could do her job and follow me? Give her a chance, this is just her first offence."

    "Alex, I don''t understand why you are defending this measly human but¡­ you already know, right? That I will never take back my word no matter how small it is. If I let her go this time, she will take my word to be insignificant and worthless. I will be aughingstock. Besides, I am sure you very well know that I¡­" he paused and leaned in on him. "¡­don''t ever forgive anything or anyone, just like you. Don''t worry, this is only a punishment. It''s not like I have sentenced her to death. She won''t die... I hope."

    As those words left Zeke''s lips, Abi managed to pull her hands off Alex and she stepped towards the guards with a straight back, as if she was a martyr being sacrificed for a cause. She was going to have to y the role that Zeke assigned to her and y it well, just like how he yed his role to perfection.

    Zeke looked at her and he was impressed by her performance. Good, they needed to make this as realistic as possible for it to have the best effect. They needed to push Alex to the max.

    Zeke surveyed Alex''s face. The man was ring at him with great displeasure. Zeke was still mystified as to why Alex couldn''t defy him, as to why he listened to him. He had been looking for answers since that night he returned but he wasn''t able to find anything, probably because no one has ever done what Alex had done nor gone through what he had gone through. There were just too many mysteries that none of them understood, even now. And the worst thing was that Zeke couldn''t even find a single clue on what was going on. He had many theories, but none of them bore any fruit. He had gone through all the books they had about curses, souls, immortals but he found nothing that was simr to Alex''s situation.

    It seemed that their only choice right now was to bring Alex''s memories back to the surface to find out the answers to these mysteries because Zeke believed that Alex might have known all along that all this would happen when he decided to let himself get stabbed.

    Over thest three months, he had tried many things to bring Alex back, but he always failed. He went through the list of all the ideas he could think of but nothing seemed to work. He had not really looked into dragging Abigail into this because he knew that it was Alex''s wish for her to forget about him. However, when the information got to him that she had tried multiple times to try to get into Country V, he sent someone to investigate and they found out that Abi retained her memories and that was what drove him to do what he did.

    Turning his back from him, Zeke signaled the guards to move. Abi silently followed, throwing a nce at Alex. She was nervous despite putting on a good show for Alex. She should have asked Zeke what kind of punishment was waiting for her. Was he going to whip her? She had heard that this was something that people did often in centuries past. Would they still uphold such old customs?

    That thought made her shiver and she shook her head. No, Zeke wouldn''t go that far, right?

    Alex just stood there, watching them as they left. His eyes were locked onto the maid''s silhouette. His insides were in chaos again and before he knew it, he followed them. He was holding onto Zeke''s words that this was only a punishment. However, he couldn''t help but frown because all the punishments he could think of that Zeke might give her, were not simple nor painless. He had never seen Zeke give out light punishments and he knew that this time wouldn''t be an exception.

    He was torn. Why did he care if she was punished? Well, it was indeed her failure to serve him. She literally kicked him awayst night when she was supposed to pull him in to keep watch of him. Had she not refused himst night, he wouldn''t have left and it certainly would have nevere to this.

    With these thoughts running around in his head, Alex reasoned out that this might give that defiant littlemb a lesson, that it was her mistake that she had refused him. She would even get to see that the man she liked would not hesitate to punish her, and that he gave no second chances. He even thought that this might be good because the littlemb might start to hate Zeke after this. That would be such a good thing for him. One less rival!

    Alex leaned on the pir, nning to watch her from afar. However, after a long while he moved and followed them because they didn''t stop where he thought they would. As he followed them, he started to clench his fists.

    He knew where this path led to¡­ the underground dungeon.

    .

    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 295 Failed

    <h4>Chapter 295 Failed</h4>

    NOTE: to all the readers who are being stuck in certain chapters and can''t proceed despite having enough coins, please try to refresh your app or remove this book from your libraries and then add it back again.

    .

    In the dark ce under the pce, Abi stood by a well-like hole. She hadn''t seen this part of it before, but inside that hole was a ce she would never forget. She had been down there before, after all.

    Abi looked at Zeke. She felt unusually calm but she never thought that she would have to experience going through this again; that she would once again fall into this abyss. Herst experience down there had been terrifying. She shivered just thinking about it. It was something one would never want to go through once, let alone twice! Fortunately, or unfortunately, she was one of the lucky ones who did manage to survive the first time when everyone else didn''t.

    Abi knew that Zeke chose this ce for a reason and that was to rile Alex to bring his memories back. She knew that but¡­ did she really need to go through this hell again for him?

    "I know this seems over the top, Abigail," Zeke''s voice echoed once he sent the guards away. "But don''t worry, you won''t go through all those terrifying experiences again. Just stay still inside and don''t move. I chose this ce not just because of Alex. I want you to train your hearing. This is the ce where I found out about your ability after all. Try to understand everything about your ability so you know how to activate it when you need it," Zeke exined and Abi''s fear somewhat deteriorated. As expected with this puppeteer, he was always thinking one step ahead.

    She didn''t think that he would use the harshest method to train her but she was fine with it. What was that famous saying? Only under extreme pressure will a lump of coal turn into a diamond. A harsh but quick method was better than an easy but slow method. Because Abi was done waiting. She was afraid that she might notst if this kept dragging out. She would rather go through this hell once more than wait and get hurt again by watching Alex float away from her, knowing she could have done more. This was better than torturing herself from not being able to hold him and kiss him and call him by his name.

    "Are we clear?" Zeke pulled her from her train of thoughts and she nodded without question. Zeke surveyed her expression and he was d to see her not faltering at all. ''As expected with this hellbent girl,'' was all he could say in his mind.

    "I''m ready," she said when BANG! A loud st echoed through the room! The metal bars that blocked the entrance behind them felt like it had been blown up by a grenade!

    When the dust somewhat settled down, they saw Alex was standing there, his eyes zing with hellfire as he red at Zeke.

    "What the hell are you doing, Zeke?!" he pinned Zeke against the wall again. There it was, the real Alex''s anger,ing out to save her, yet again.

    "Do I need to exin everything to you? You can clearly see with your own two eyes exactly what I''m doing." Zeke''s tone was even, sure and unyielding, not giving Alex any hint of him backing down.

    "You said you would not ¨C"

    "She only has to be down there for an hour, Alex. It''s not like I am leaving her there forever. Once the time is up, I will go down and get her." Zeke exined nonchntly.

    Alex gritted his teeth, not appeased. Even an hour inside that dungeon would be more than enough time for her to get injured or die!

    "And why the hell are you even acting like this towards that maid anyway? I think there''s something wrong with you. She is just some measly human. Her life is insignificant. Her life doesn''t matter. So why are you acting like a maniac over her? Huh? Alex?" Zeke pushed as hard as he could to make him remember, to make him think about all of these things, about why he was acting this way.

    Alex''s grip on Zeke tightened as he cursed within him. Those were the exact damn questions he was asking himself! Why Alex? Why the hell are you acting like this over that woman? Did her life really matter to him? Was there some kind of connection there? Who was she to him? Who?!

    The anger inside him was like a zing inferno. He couldn''t contain it. His thoughts were full of murderous images, of him fighting and killing Zeke and whoever else that stood in his way. That again, was another surprise. Zeke was his most loyalrade and never in his life did he think that he would ever feel like this towards him. Why, goddamnit? Why?!!

    "Do you have feelings for that human girl?"

    He narrowed his eyes. "Feelings?" he echoed. "Stop spouting nonsense! Just stop this or else¡­"

    "Or else what? Are you going to go against me?" Zeke''s eyes turned red. His nails grew and he easily pulled Alex''s hands off his cor. "Don''t forget, Alex, no matter how much you might want to hurt me, your body can''t defy my orders," Zeke said, reminding him about that time in the woods a month ago.

    They had fought once when Alex left the pce. Zeke followed him and tried to force him to go back. Alex had started the fight mainly because he was looking for something exciting and fun to upy his time. He wanted a fight with Zeke because Zeke was the only vampire that could give him satisfaction from fighting. But to his surprise, for the first time in his thousands of years of existence, he had lost against him. He really wanted to fight with Zeke, but everytime he was about tond a blow, he felt himself being drained of power, as if something was controlling him, holding him back. When he had fought the remaining rogue vampires, his powers didn''t weaken like this. It was then that he and Zeke discovered that he was only like that against Zeke and neither of them knew why.

    "Jump," Zeke then ordered Abi coldly, causing Alex''s eyes to widen.

    His gaze flew towards Abi and when he saw that she too was following his order without any thought, he suddenly moved and stopped her.

    "What the f*ck are you doing? Jumping in there just because he said so?!" he roared at her. His heart elerated within his chest as he thought about her being down there. Damn! He was confused. He was sick of all these confusing things he was doing that didn''t seem like him at all!

    Abi faced him. "Please let go. This is my punishment. I have to pay for my failure," she told him. Her voice was weak. She so wanted to hug him before she jumped down there, to borrow some energy from him so that she wouldn''t be too scared. But she couldn''t. All she could do was pull away from him.

    Now that she thought about it, Alex risked his life, his soul to save her. Now it was her turn to risk it all to get him back. It was so sad that they had to hurt themselves so that they could save each other. It seemed, in that way, they were both hellbound with each other.

    "No, you don''t need to ¨C"

    "I said let go!" she screamed at him. "I failed to keep you beside me and let you leave. I deserve this!" she pushed him and then she jumped down.

    .

    Keep voting ^^

 Chapter 296 Louder

    <h4>Chapter 296 Louder</h4>

    Abi yelped as she fell on the ground. This was it. Here she was, in this pitch ck darkness for the second time around.

    It was still as terrifying as she remembered. But at least right now, she didn''t need to fear for her life and search for the way out. Her first experience was terrifying because it waspounded with the fear of the unknown. But now, she knew exactly what this ce was. Besides, this time, she just needed to sit there and wait and hone her skills.

    Despite knowing all of that, it was still quite scary to have one of your senses be taken away. Her sight was useless in this ce and for a second, she felt like she was suffocating. But in the next second, she took a deep breath and steeled her mind to do her job this time. She needed to do her best for her sake, and for Alex''s sake.

    Abi started her training by trying to remember what she did that previous time that made her able to hear every little sound.

    What did she do that time? That was right, she had been desperate that time to see Alex, toe out alive and hold him again and tell him she loved him. That time, she didn''t want to die without letting him know her feelings for him.

    As she tried to jog her memories, Abi subconsciously closed her eyes as the memories of that nightmare appeared in her head. She took a few deep breaths to calm her own loud heartbeats. She tried to shut her mind to forget about Alex and just think about her mission. It wasn''t easy, almost impossible, but she persevered. She took another deep breath and tried to flood her head with nothingness and darkness.

    And the result surprised her. She could hear it now. The sound of her own heartbeat, their rhythm, their pitch. Her hearing slowly became clearer and louder to her ears, as if the world turned silent and her ears could only hear her very own heartbeats.

    As she focused all her attention to her sense of hearing, the different sounds she could hear inside that cave increased in number. The sound of something burrowing down the ground, the sound of a flying insect flying through the air, the sound of something scratching at a boulder - these were all the different sounds that she started to hear. And when she focused on a particr sound, it would increase in volume and be louder. This must be it, she thought. She didn''t expect that it would be that easy. But maybe, as Zeke said, this was an innate ability that she had all along but she just didn''t know how to use it.

    Abi thought that all she needed to do was shut down all of her other senses to focus on one, her hearing. That must be it!

    Time slowly ticked by and Abi started to hear noisesing from rodents. She could tell they were rodents because of the squeaking sound they made and when she focused on them, she was able to hear their heartbeats as well. As she concentrated, she was able to determine that one of these rodents had pulled away from its pack and was approaching her. The hair on her skin started to stand and the fear almost messed up her concentration. ''No, Abi, it''s just a rodent! Ignore it! Ignore it!,'' her mind willed her.

    It took all her willpower to stay still and not react. The animal was now by her feet. Abi flinched and it ran away. She was relieved but she didn''t open her eyes. ''But now I know how the animal''s heartbeats sounded like,'' she thought.

    She then forced herself to memorize the patterns of the different animal''s heartbeats - rodents, flying insects, crawling insects and all things in between. She wondered if all animals had the same heartbeats but it seemed that they were all different. She guessed it made sense but that meant it would be harder for her to differentiate between different heartbeats.

    She kept going, trying as hard as she could to detect the differences. It was difficult, seeing that this was only her first time doing this, but she persevered.

    A secondter, her brows slowly pulled together into a knot. She was starting to hear something different. Was there another animal inside aside from rodents and insects? Abi remembered the first time she was here and she didn''t encounter anythingrger than rodents. So what was this that she was hearing?

    It was loud. Louder than all the insects. Much faster even.

    Abi was curious but at the same time, scared. She didn''t know why but a shiver just ran down her spine the instant she heard it. The heartbeat was fast, faster than hers and the pitch seemed far higher than hers, too. It was strange and she didn''t know why but she thought that it was terrifying. Because she could just tell that whatever this was wasn''t human. She knew that no human would have a heartbeat as fast as this.

    She could hear that the heartbeat belonged to just one creature. W-was it a bigger animal? Or could it be that someone was here other than the animals?

    Abi swallowed. This was different. The air around her slowly changed. It was as if it was getting heavier as the heartbeat came closer. She could tell it was approaching her.

    The fear made Abi''s brain snap and she finally decided to scream to let Alex and Zeke know that there was something wrong.

    However, before Abi could scream, she was suddenly unable to open her lips. She opened her eyes wide as her hands moved to her neck. There was nothing around her neck so why did she feel like she was being strangled?

    Abi felt like she was under sleep paralysis. What was this? H-help me. She screamed inside her head. She could still hear the heartbeat and it was still making its way over to her, getting closer by the second.

    .

    Dear readers, I just want to thank u guys for your supportst week. I hope you continue supporting me and vote for this book again this week. If we mentain our top 1 rank today and the rest of the week, I will continue releasing 3 chapters daily and +1 bonus chapter on Sunday to make 22 chapters in one week.

    So keep voting hellbounders!!

    VOTE for this book everyday ^^

 Chapter 297 Witch

    <h4>Chapter 297 Witch</h4>

    She looked around but all she could see was darkness.

    She started to cough and gasp for air. No¡­ what was going on? She couldn''t breathe.

    Alex''s face began to appear in Abi''s head. It was happening again. This was how she had felt when she was losing hope. When she needed Alex. She didn''t know what had gone wrong. She was supposed to just sit here, endure the terrifying darkness and train herself. She was not expecting any more than that. So what was this? Did Zeke trick her? Was she actually here to die?

    Tears began to fall from her eyes. No. This couldn''t be happening again.

    She struggled, thinking that this was just some illusion or something.

    Her mind was starting to go hazy when her eyes finally saw something in the darkness. Something, no, someone was walking towards her. And it wasn''t an animal. It was a¡­ person¡­ and it was a woman.

    Abi''s eyes widened in shock and she coughed again. She couldn''t see the woman''s face but she seemed to be surprised that Abi could see her.

    The thing that was strangling her was getting tighter. Abi was going to lose consciousness. She needed to breathe. Was she going to die? No. She couldn''t be killed just like this!

    Abi gritted her teeth as she shut her eyes. She refused to die here, not when she had finally found Alex. She wouldn''t!!

    Suddenly, an agonizing scream left her mouth and then, something seemed to break. It seemed she managed to break whatever took hold of her and she was able to breathe again.

    As she coughed, she felt strong, warm arms wrap around her from behind.

    ¡­

    Alex heard a yelp as she fell. His eyes widened in shock as he stared down the hole. His body was acting strange. He was starting to tremble and before he knew it, he moved to follow her. However, a strong arm held his shoulder, stopping him.

    "And what do you think you''re doing? Are you going to jump down there?" Zeke was looking at him with utter disbelief. A smirk was curved on his lips as he slowly shook his head.

    But Alex didn''t seem to hear him. "Let go," he said. His voice was hard and cold. Danger was evident in his voice and Zeke knew he was close to bursting out of control.

    Zeke''s lips twitched and he bent even closer to him.

    "Listen, Alex, haven''t you wondered why you are acting like this? I personally think that¡­ that maid is actually a witch¡­" he whispered and Alex''s eyes instantly dted as he looked at him. "The reason why I''m punishing her in the harshest way is because of this. Look at you¡­ it''s almost as if you''re possessed! And the fact that you are acting like this towards her alone gives credence to my theory. This is the first time I''ve seen you act like this. It''s a pretty reasonable assumption, don''t you think? "

    Alex couldn''t speak. What Zeke was saying made sense. What was happening to him, to his body, was a strange and alien feeling to him and he couldn''t exin why and yes, it was only towards her!

    "I think that witch in disguise must have put some spell on you that moment she approached youst night at the ball. That''s why you''ve suddenly be obsessed with her and are even willing to defy me just to save her. I''m afraid she might end up fully taking over your body if this keeps going on," Zeke continued, speaking like a devil on Alex''s shoulder, tempting him.

    "That''s why you should listen to me and not go after her. The spell she cast on you will soon disappear the moment she¡­ dies."

    Thatst word that came out of Zeke''s lips made Alex''s body freeze. His fists clenched into tight balls and his eyes zed golden.

    "Nowe, Alex. Don''t bother with her ande with me. Let her rot down there and di ¨C"

    Before Zeke could finish his sentence, Alex''s fist flew towards Zeke''s face, but Zeke managed to react in time and it just grazed the corner of his lips.

    But then, another blow flew towards Zeke''s chest and in a blink of an eye, his back crashed against the wall, creating a st-like effect.

    As the dust settled down, Zeke just leaned by the dent on the wall his body created. That was a nearly lethal blow. He actually hit him, that damn guy!

    A smile curved on his face as he wiped the blood from his lips with his tongue. "Tch! This stupid immortal," he muttered to himself, looking amused, and at the same time intrigued, by all the new turn of the events. ''Did he finally remember something? He managed to hit me, meaning, he must be back to his usual self? Or was that for just a moment again?''

    Zeke waited and finally, Alex came out of the hole with Abi in his arms. Zeke''s eyes zeroed in on Alex to gauge his expression, to see if something had changed, when he felt something was off. Zeke''s eyes then fell on Abi and the first thing he saw were the marks around her neck, as if something had strangled her.

    His eyes immediately narrowed and the next moment, like a lightning strike, Zeke jumped down the hole.

    Alex gritted his teeth as he put the girl down. He saw it, someone was down there.

    "Are you okay?" he asked, worried.

    She was pale and she seemed to be having a hard time breathing. He held her face, making her look at him. She coughed again and Alex gently rubbed her back.

    The next moment they heard noisesing from below. Though it was quick, the earth moved for a moment as if there was an earthquake.

    Zeke emerged from the hole after that, holding a half dead woman.

    The pce guards who felt the troubleing from underground arrived and Zeke told them to shackle the woman.

    "Tie her up. She''s a witch," he said and Alex finally stood up.

    "Zeke¡­" he gnashed his teeth in anger.

    .

    One more chapter before reset ^^

    Keep voting \u003c3

 Chapter 298 A journey

    <h4>Chapter 298 A journey</h4>

    "Zeke..." he gnashed his teeth in anger. Did he ask her to jump down knowing that there was a witch inside?

    Before Alex could attack him again, he diverted Alex''s attention to Abi. "Carry her. I need to check on her. Also, I didn''t know there was a witch down there," he exined and Alex''s eyes fell on Abi again.

    "If you''re lying, I''ll kill you," Alex threatened and Zeke could only sigh, still surveying Alex''s face to see if he remembered something.

    Abi had lost consciousness when Alex lifted her up again, causing him to panic.

    "Zeke!" he called out. "She''s..."

    Zeke turned and walked over to them. He checked her pulse and was relieved to find that she seemed to have just passed out.

    "She just passed out, Alex. No need to worry," Zeke assured him and Alex''s expression became a little better, although he still red at Zeke with an expression filled with his murderous intent. "Go settle her down on your bed and change her clothes. I will check on herter after I deal with the witch."

    Zeke then turned and followed the guards. He knew he was in trouble. He had messed up. He wondered what Alex would do to him after this. Are they finally going to have a real fight soon?

    "Tch! How troublesome," he muttered to himself but when he looked at the witch he was following, he narrowed his eyes. It seemed this little wench of a witch was actually a step ahead of him and he was intrigued as to who this witch was who was powerful enough to actually foresee his next moves.

    Zeke found Alex sitting beside the bed, keeping watch on Abigail. It seemed this guy didn''t wait for him anymore and called a human doctor to check on her.

    "It appears that the witch managed to enter the dungeonst night and waited there. She and her n foresaw all this." Zeke broke the silence as he leaned against the door.

    But Alex was silent. He just stared at the sleeping girl for a long while before his calm words left his mouth. "Tell me, Zeke. What the hell are you aiming for?" he asked and then he stood up. He walked over to him silently, but with sharp murderous eyes. "I knew you were up to something since the moment you asked me to attend the banquetst night."

    Zeke sighed. But then, his expression changed. Zeke looked at him with a viinous look. "Well what do you think? You think I''m doing all this for no reason? You know I don''t y mindless games, Alex. And what about you? Did you finally find out what was going on with you?" he retorted, serious as ever.

    "I don''t fucking know!" Alex hissed. His anger was leaking out. "I felt like I just experienced some kind of d¨¦j¨¤ vu when I jumped down the hole to save her and I don''t know why. All I know is I hate it when she gets hurt and I wouldn''t even hesitate to rip anyone to death, even if it''s you, if something happens to her!"

    Zeke groaned, exasperated as he ran his fingers through his hair. Goddammit! So he still didn''t remember anything! He knew that it wouldn''t be that easy but Zeke was getting impatient now, especially when the witches already knew about Alex and they were now taking their moves.

    ChapterMid();

    "Now tell me. Who is that girl? I know you know. Tell me or you''ll regret it."

    A smile curved on Zeke''s lips. He stared at Alex for a long while before he finally decided what to say. "Fine, I''ll tell you what you want to know. But I have one condition," he negotiated. "You will help me hunt for a certain witch."

    Alex looked at him like he was an idiot, causing Zeke''s lips to twitch. "She''s no ordinary witch, Alex. And I''m telling you, we might be able to solve all these mysteries if we catch her. I am certain she knows exactly what was going on with you. And that was why she sent a witch to abduct your maid."

    What Zeke said made Alex''s brows crease.

    "She knew you had be obsessed with the human. I could tell they were aiming to take her as bait to catch you. That witch just tried to control her in that little period of time she was down there. It was a relief that the maid was strong enough to resist that witch''s power. Even vampires wouldn''t have been able to," he exined. "And isn''t it more fun if we go out and hunt them than waiting for these witches toe to us?"

    Zeke had been thinking about this for a while now. He couldn''t confine Alex inside this pce and he wasn''t safe here anymore. The witches were just too sly there was no use hiding from them because ying hide and seek was their forte. The only way to beat them was to stop ying their game and go to them.

    "Also, we are taking her with us," Zeke added as he nced at the sleeping girl. "She''ll be a huge help for us."

    Alex was silent for a moment before he asked Zeke again. "And what would a human like her do? Wouldn''t she just be a burden? Wouldn''t she just slow us down?"

    "Don''t underestimate her, Alex. You have no idea how strong-willed that little human is." At least, your current self right now doesn''t know it. "She has an exceptional ability to recognize witches in disguise. And isn''t it better for you to keep her by your side as we go on the journey? That way, you can make sure she is safe." Zeke smirked but Alex just red at him again.

    What happened today made Alex realize that Zeke was dangerous for the littlemb. Alex managed to defy this guy in the dungeon but he wasn''t sure if he could do that again. In short, all he could do was to listen to this guy but not trust him at the same time when it came to his littlemb.

    And now that he thought about it, going on a journey with her might be a good thing. He would certainly make the littlemb fall head over heels for him if they worked on something together.

    "Fine," Alex finally agreed and Zeke smiled within him.

    "Good. You must tell her once she wakes up. We are heading out first thing tomorrow," Zeke said and he finally left the room. He was relieved that Alex agreed damn fast. It seemed using Abigail worked wonders again.

    Zeke''s eyes then turned serious as he walked back to the underground prison cell where the witch had been detained. He had a bad feeling about this. These ominous feelings he had since Alex came back without memories had been haunting him for a while now. He just felt that something bad was going to happen and if they didn''t move now... something worse might befall them.

 Chapter 299 Kelly being Kelly

    <h4>Chapter 299 Kelly being Kelly</h4>

    Inside Kai''s room¡­

    The moment Kelly woke up, her eyes immediately fell on the delicate looking creature beside her. He was as dreamy as always but Kelly couldn''t quite enjoy this view so early in the morning. It was because all the memories she had forgotten all came back to her.

    She knew it was strange and millions of questions began to pop in her head. Why did she suddenly forget about this prince and everyone connected to him?

    Kelly remembered it all and her head felt like it was going to burst. She remembered how Abi was looking for Alex that they and she and even Abi''s family forgot about Alex and the others. She realized it wasn''t just her who lost the memories, it was all of them, except Abi. And the only memories that were erased were the things that were rted to them, Alexander Qin, this prince, and that Ezekiel Qin. She wasn''t an idiot to think that it was amnesia. It definitely wasn''t. This was peculiar, something that was supposed to be impossible.

    Looking at the sleeping man again, Kelly couldn''t help but think about all the silly possibilities. Could it be that this prince and those other two were magicians or hypnotists? Kelly pped her head. This wasn''t good. Things were just getting too much for her especially when she had this damn hangover.

    As she ran her fingers through her hair and tugged them slightly, Kelly''s mind then shifted onto something else and her curiosity and confusion was slowly diverted into anger.

    She red down at Kai with a dark expression and when she saw him start to wake up, she climbed up over him and waited for him to fully wake up. He suddenly sat up and she looked into his eyes and then¡­

    "Where''s Alex!?" she growled at him. At that moment, she really, really, really wanted to beat that guy up for everything that Abi had gone through in thest few months. She had seen her best friend lose her light, her happiness and joy, all because that man had left her! And after marrying her, too!!! What a douchebag! How the hell could he marry Abi and then just ditch her just like that?! The nerve of that guy! There was no way in hell she was going to let him get away with that, even if he turned out to be the most powerful underworld mastermind!

    Not only that, Kelly had heard other women talking about Alexander at the partyst night, saying how they wished he would pick them to be with him for the night and how lucky those other girls were that he had picked! WHAAAT???? All this time, this guy, who was MARRIED to her best friend, had been whoring around behind Abi''s back, while Abigail had been at home, feeling miserable?? This was an unforgivable sin in her books! She was going to have to find Abi and take her away from this godforsaken ce where they could all burn in hell and she would happily throw the first burning match to send them there! That insect didn''t deserve her Abigail and oh, how she wanted to squash him under her foot like the despicable bug that he was.

    She couldn''t help but go on a rampage. She had many questions about why her memories of that damn Alexander Qin and this prince and everyone else had disappeared, but she didn''t have time to question that when there was a much more important matter to take care of - to beat the hell outta that womanizing bastard and take her Abigail away from here!

    "Tell me where Alexander Qin is, Prince! Right now!" Kelly demanded. She figured that wherever Alex was, Abi would be there too.

    Kai sat frozen, just staring at her furious face and when he didn''t say anything, she leaped off the bed and ran straight towards the door, screaming at the top of her lungs, "ALEXANDER QIN!! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU HIDING, YOU BASTARD? COME OUT!"

    Kai was a blur as he rushed towards the door to shut it before Kelly could take a step outside. Letting her leave while she was like this was asking for trouble. But keeping her here would also cause him a lot of trouble¡­ Sigh. He supposed he would have to y the knight and sacrifice himself.

    Before Kelly could retaliate and pummell him to hell, he immediately picked her up like a sack of rice and put her over his shoulder, feeling thankful that she had stopped trying to scream the castle down. He then strode towards the bed again but he hadn''t even taken two steps before her fists were smashing into his back at full force as her legs kicked the air in front of him.

    "Argh!! Help me!! Help me!! The prince is trying to kidnap me so he can have his way with me!!! Help me!!!"

    Kai was stunned, yet again! What the hell was this woman spouting out now? He immediately plonked her on the bed and very quickly put his hand over her mouth to stop the screeching noises that wereing out from it. At this rate, every damn vampire in the castle was going to go after her for waking them up with her shouting!

    But of course, Kelly being Kelly, she obviously fought against him like a trapped animal. She twisted and thrashed on the bed, trying to remove his hand from her mouth. Kai was a little worried, because he obviously didn''t want to hurt her but if she kept this up, she would only end up hurting herself.

    So he removed his hand from over her mouth but she started to scream again! However, in the next second, her screams were stopped by Kai cing his lips over hers. He didn''t know what else to do so he figured he would do something she would never expect. And this was it!

    .

    Keep voting guys \u003c3

 Chapter 300 Look at me

    <h4>Chapter 300 Look at me</h4>

    The instant the warmth of his lips prated her senses, Kelly finally stopped struggling. The arms that were pushing him away became anchors instead as she pulled him closer to her. This was the first time this guy had initiated anything like this so even though he was only doing this to stop her from yelling, Kelly found herself kissing him back. Damn, why did his lips taste so delicious? Why did this pretty guy turn her on this much? She felt her body rx as she responded to his kiss. She was no longer tense and wound up.

    Kai felt her body rx under him and he inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. ''Thank goodness!'' He might actually be able to talk some sense into her now,'' he thought. Kai pulled away tentatively, as if he was getting ready to apply his new ''Kelly''s bomb diffuser technique'' in case she started screaming again. Thankfully, or not, he didn''t have to, but she did look up at him with many questions in her eyes, ones that he would probably have to answer at some point.

    "You''re not going to scream anymore right?" Kai asked, just to make sure.

    Kelly shook her head but the anger in her eyes started to ignite again. She wanted to tease him and kiss him again but she knew this guy was just trying to divert her attention from the real problem. Thus, she pushed her naughty devil inside her to behave for now and be serious. "Tell me, prince. Is it true what I heardst night? That Alexander Qin has been taking other women to his bed despite him being married to Abi?" The question she asked was very serious and his answer could have major repercussions.

    Kai didn''t know what to say. The short answer was yes but if he said that outright, they would be back to square one, back to him dealing with the raging dragoness that was Kelly.

    The silence dragged on and Kelly finally snapped. She narrowed her eyes, grabbed his cor and pulled him closer to her. His silence only meant one thing and to Kelly, it was a ''yes''. She couldn''t help but fume in anger. This was unforgivable.

    "Has. Alex. Been. Sleeping. With. Other. Women?!" Kelly emphasised each word so that Kai would get the message.

    Kai sighed. He was again defeated by this woman. Even the tried and tested technique didn''t work on her. So Kai caved in and prepared himself to answer her question. "I will answer your question but can you promise me that you won''t go on a rampage?"

    "No," Kelly said, as straightforward as ever.

    "Can you at least let me exin?" Kai asked, trying to get her topromise a little.

    Kelly didn''t answer but her face started to darken, telling Kai that he better hurry up and spill the beans. "Yes." He could only say and before he could begin to exin, Kelly''s eyes burned with anger, causing him unable to speak because he knew it might be useless at the moment.

    That man didn''t know how Abi survived thesest three months without him. How dare he do this to her! She was going to break his goddamn twins!!

    Finally losing her temper, Kelly pushed Kai and she flipped him so that he was now on his back and she was on top of him.

    The raging tigress had unleashed her badass strength and Kai could tell that he wouldn''t be able to stop her anymore without using force.

    He couldn''t let her create a scene here because Alex wasn''t the Alex she had met before. If she went and confronted Alex, that guy might kill her without hesitation. Damn, what should he do? If he let her go, this girl might¡­

    Before Kai could even decide, his body had already moved faster than his brain. As Kelly ran towards the door like an olympic sprinter, Kai was forced to use his vampire speed to chase after her. Kelly felt a woosh of air as Kai passed her, beating her to the door again. This time, Kelly definitely saw his super human speed and she couldn''t help but gape at him, distracting her from her rage.

    "How did you¡­" her eyes wide in shock and confusion.

    When Kai didn''t answer, Kelly reeled and she subconsciously took a couple of steps back. Her face was full of shock and disbelief.

    She stared at him and then her instincts suddenly told her to run. She eyed the door but she just took a few steps when she felt like she was flying. The next second, she found herself back on the bed, pinned down by him.

    Kelly''s eyes widened in shock at how much strength this guy had now. Her hands were held by just one hand so why couldn''t she even move them? His grip was suddenly unbreakable, like actual shackles, making it impossible for her to escape.

    Subconsciously, Kelly swallowed. For the first time, she felt a chill run down her spine because of him. She normally felt this chill around that Alexander Qin and now, she was feeling it from this cutie pie as well? Although the ominous feeling was dramatically lesser and subtler than Alexander and that Ezekiel, Kelly couldn''t help but look at him with the same doubt and trustless gaze.

    Realizing what he just did, Kai slowly loosened up his grip on her. But he didn''t let go and remained in that position, not giving her any chance to escape. "I''m sorry¡­" he said. His apologetic eyes were sincere. "I can''t let you go and find Alex."

    Kelly gazed up at him. Her eyes were as serious than ever. "Why?"

    "Because you might¡­"

    "Because what?! He''ll kill me? Or is he going to erase my memories again?" she asked. Her voice was mocking, as if she wasughing at herself for even asking these stupid questions.

    She saw him look shocked for a moment but he averted his gaze.

    "Look at me and answer me! Are you guys behind all this? You guys made me forget, no, not just me. Everyone else¡­ except Abi. Everyone forgot about all your existence. Why? I mean, how? How did that happen? How did you guys even do something like that?"

 Chapter 301 Were just vampires

    <h4>Chapter 301 We''re just vampires</h4>

    Kai was silent. It seemed there was no more way out of this. Now that he confirmed that she really remembered everything, Kai was starting to feel uneasy. No, it was worry and fear. And he could tell he was worried about her. Because Kelly was in danger now. What should he do? This was his fault. He shouldn''t have let her catch himst night. It seemed that his worry about her backfired on him and now he had put her in an even more dangerous situation.

    He finally stared at her eyes and he could see anger and a little fear in them. There was no more way out but to tell her. "I''m sorry¡­" he muttered again, causing Kelly to grit her teeth.

    "Stop apologizing, you damn prince, and just tell me what is going on! If you won''t speak then let go!" she pressed, struggling futilely again.

    "That''s right. We''re the ones behind it all. We erased your memories so you would forget about us."

    Kelly was speechless as she shook her head in disbelief. "How?"

    "We used a special incense to cast a spell on you guys."

    A forced smile escaped her lips. "What now? Are you saying that you guys are wizards? What is all this b*llshit about spells?"

    "No. We''re just vampires, not wizards."

    Kelly''s eyes narrowed at him, obviously not believing his words. She gazed deeply into his eyes. She thought that he was just procrastinating, saying something so outrageous to distract her from the issue at hand. But she was having none of it. But he looked so serious and there was no sign of him lying at all.

    "Stop joking around, Prince," her lips slightly trembled. There was no way this was actually happening right now. Vampires were not real. They were baddies that Hollywood made up to increase their ticket sales. There was just no way¡­ but what other exnation was there for all this and his super human speed just now and this strength? Radioactive spider? Alien?

    Kelly''s mind was starting to race as her thoughts began analysing, building theories to try and exin what she just saw but nothing made sense. Science couldn''t make sense of it.

    "I am not joking," Kai said with as much seriousness as he could muster, which made Kelly waver.

    "So, you''re saying that you and Alexander Qin are vampires?" she asked. Her voice now turned quieter.

    "Yes. Not just us. Most of us in this country," he answered before he let out a sigh and let his body fall on top of her as if he was exhausted. "I''m sorry for putting you in this situation, Kelly. I know this is hard to believe. We are not supposed to be known to the world. And you knowing all this now puts you in danger. That''s why I am telling you all this. Because I want you to understand and keep this a secret. This is the only way to save you. Act like you don''t know a thing and act like you don''t remember a thing. Can you do that?" he whispered.

    Kelly slightly shivered because of the graveness of his voice. She was still processing if everything he was saying was real but him speaking with all the seriousness in the world made her stomach churn. How did things end up like this? Was she still dreaming?

    He pulled away but his face was still close to hers. "Listen Kelly, I will let you meet Abigail right now, but you have to promise me that you will act like you know nothing."

    "And if¡­ I won''t?"

    "I''ll have to force you to stay in this country and you will never get to go back home again."

    "And if I refuse?"

    Kai stared into her eyes before he answered. "They would¡­ execute you."

    His answer made Kelly gulp. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. "You know¡­ I still don''t believe you. Like who would¡­"

    Kelly trailed off as Kai''s eyes slowly turned red and his canines grew. "Believe it, Kelly. This is your only choice," he begged, his eyes pleading. "I don''t want anything bad to happen to you and I don''t want to imprison you here. Just act like you don''t know a thing, please, and you will be fine¡­ okay?"

    His eyes slowly returned to normal again and Kelly didn''t know why her heart skipped a beat as she looked at him, and it wasn''t because of fear. Her heart ached as well for a reason she didn''t know.

    "Darn. So you creatures really exist, huh?" She finally gave in. There was no more use denying things.

    "Unfortunately, we do exist." He smiled. "And you''re supposed to never know that."

    "Because you guys enjoyed the fact that we thought you guys were nothing but fictional?"

    "Not really. It''s because we can''t¡­" Kai trailed off. Kelly waited for what he had to say when a phone disturbed them.

    Kai gazed down at her. "I''m going to let you go now but please don''t yell. Vampires can easily hear your voice if you yell like that," he urged and Kelly could only nod.

    Kai moved away from on top of her and Kelly reached out for her phone. It was Chris.

    She cleared her throat and answered the phone while Kai was watching her.

    "Hello?"

    "Damn it, Kelly. Where the hell are you two? Where is Abi?"

    "Chris, stop shouting! Abi and I will not be going home today. We will take another ne so you go back first."

    "No, I won''t go back without Abi. Where is she? Tell me, or I''ll report to the police that she''s missing."

    "Rx Chris!" Darn. How was she going to deal with this guy? It seemed that the only way to calm him down was to let him see for himself that Abi was okay.

    "How can I rx, Kelly? I''ve been looking for you guys sincest night! And now I am in some weird room. I won''t go back home until I confess to her."

    Oh man.

    .

    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 302 Just superstitions

    <h4>Chapter 302 Just superstitions</h4>

    "What? You guys are still in the pce?" Chris sounded so shocked.

    "Well, yeah. How about you? Where are you?"

    "I tried looking for both of you to take you home but once the party was over, the guards pretty much kicked us out! My manager and I were drunk despite just sipping the wine and now I''m... I think I''m in a hotel."

    "Oh, that''s good then. At least you''re still alive. Maybe a gooddy vamp out there picked you up like what happened to me."

    "Huh? Lady what?"

    Kelly abruptly nced at Kai and his face was dark and grave, hearing her slip of the tongue. "Haha. Nothing. I''m talking about beauties. Perhaps a beauty picked you up and took you with her. But anyway. Don''t worry, Chris. We are both okay. Just a little hungover."

    "Okay, I''m going back there and pick you both up." Chris sounded quite frustrated.

    Kelly understood his frustration so she said "A-alright."

    "I''ll call you once I''m there."

    "Okay. See you soon."

    Kelly hung up and turned to Kai. Her expression became serious as she looked at him. He was as beautiful as always, having the appearance of a delicate pretty boy that she liked. She couldn''t help but smile, thinking about those times that she had beaten this man up and teased him to no end. She even remembered how she swore to protect him from bitches but damn... what the hell... this guy was actually a vampire?

    Pressing her temples as she took a deep breath, Kelly surveyed herself. She still didn''t know what to do or say to this man now.

    The silence dragged on and Kai finally moved. "You go and get ready now. Your friend will be here soon so you have to go and ¨C"

    "Wait." She looked up. "So Abi''s husband, Alexander, is a vampire as well? Although that doesn''t excuse his behavior!"

    "Yes, he is. The reason why he is acting like this is because..." Kai paused, wondering how best to exin what happened to Alex to her. "He kind of lost his ''humanity'' after Abi''s surgery. Long story short, Alex was attacked and they used Abi as bait and he got hurt from trying to save her. This is the result. That part of him that loves and cares, he lost it all so that''s why he is like this. He doesn''t remember being with Abigail at all. He had no memories of her or you or her family."

    "Geez... that''s intense!" She said, once again shocked by this new knowledge. She fell silent for a while and then she shook her head. She supposed she could somewhat understand it now but still, she couldn''t help but feel somewhat angry that all this was happening to her best friend. However, there wasn''t much she could do or say to make it better. "So my best friend married a vampire who loved her but has forgotten all about her. But Abi knows everything, right?"

    Now that Kelly thought about it, she realized that Abi must have known their secrets. Maybe not everything but since the beginning, despite how she told her that that Alexander Qin was dangerous, she didn''t listen and even ended up marrying him. She also never told her anything about him.

    "She already knows."

    "Great." She bit her lips. "So, you guys can marry humans, huh."

    "We can''t. Alex is an exception."

    Kelly creased her brows. "Why? Why is Alexander an exception? And why can''t you?"

    "He''s halfblooded. We pure blooded vampires can''t be with humans because it''s dangerous for them."

    "Dangerous... are you saying that I''m in danger right now from being with you? Do you crave for my blood? Is that why you''ve been running away from me?"

    "We don''t crave human blood that much anymore. Vampires in this era have learned to live without tasting even a drop of human blood. We havews too that everyone needs to follow to stay hidden from the world."

    What he said silenced her. God knew how many books she had read about vampires. Yet now... this was really unbelievable...

    "It must be hard for you guys to live in the modern world."

    "Why would you say that?"

    "Well, it''s hard to hide nowadays with all this new technologying out. Unlike the nies and before where you guys didn''t need to hide that much."

    A small smile curved on his pretty face as he looked away. "Not really. I think this era is the best time for us."

    She pulled her brows together, unable to understand why he would say that.

    "Of course, it''s a bit harder now but it''s easier at the same time, because the modern world doesn''t believe in things that science can''t exin. To this modern world, we are just superstitions. Even if someone would see us with their very own eyes, do you think the world would even believe that person if they yelled out to the world that we exist? They will just smile and call that someone a fool."

    "Then why do you need to execute me?"

    "Because you are different from those people who just ''saw'' us. You know too much and most importantly, you broke the spell. You also have connections that is enough to make people pay attention towards us. We consider humans who break the spell as threats."

    She fell silent again before another question came out from her lips. "You said it''s dangerous for a pure blooded vampire and human to stay together yet you said you guys don''t crave human blood anymore. Is the danger you''re talking about different from what I''m thinking?"

    Kai let out a quiet sigh. He stared intently at her and he could see her eyes fill with curiosity. She was not scared at all. She even looked like she was fascinated by this new thing she discovered. Kai wondered if he was doing the right thing, exining all these to her. Yet, he found himself answering her every question.

    "There''s no danger actually as long as the human and the vampire avoid intimacy."

    "Intimacy..." she echoed. She remembered how he just kissed her just now and no danger arouse. But then, the memories fromst started to sh in her head. They were basically very, very intimate except..."Sex?" she uttered and Kai looked away, not meeting her gaze.

 Chapter 303 Impossible

    <h4>Chapter 303 Impossible</h4>

    Kelly got the answer and she was speechless.

    "That''s why¡­" Kai spoke, still looking out the window. "Ourw forbids vampires to have romantic rtionships with humans. Alex is the only exception as well¡­" he trailed off as he slowly returned his gaze towards Kelly.

    He didn''t know why his heartbeat became even louder, as if he was scared to see her reaction. But this was what he wanted to do and the only thing he could do for her. To tell her the truth.

    Her eyes were locked on his. Her gaze was piercing. Kai had always thought Kelly was attractive and there was something in her that was pulling him in but he always forced himself to ignore her. He had been going a bloody good job untilst night, when she said she like him.

    No, stop. He told himself and averted his gaze away from her stare as he moved.

    "Please go and get ready. I''ll ask someone to bring some clothes for you," he said and he walked towards the door as he brought out his phone while Kelly''s sight just followed him.

    So he was saying it was impossible for them. Yes, this was him telling her that they couldn''t go any further. Because it was dangerous and forbidden. She thought and a bitter smile shed on her face. She couldn''t help but want tough.

    So this was it? The chase was to end here?

    Kelly closed her eyes and she felt like her heart had be 100 times heavier. Oh no, what was this feeling? Was she devastated? Why? Because she liked him? No, it shouldn''t be this heavy if she just liked him right? She had liked someone before and she was not devastated when he eventually got married to someone else. This was differ ¨C wait¡­ oh damn, holly cow¡­ was she¡­ was she in love?!!

    The realization made Kelly''s eyes almost bulge out of their sockets. What the hell! This was bad!!

    Her eyes flew towards Kai. He was only standing there with her back to him, speaking to someone on the phone, so why did her heart started to elerate? No one ever made her heart flutter like this. Andst night, she remembered the heat, the feelings and she thought that was just her body craving for the pretty prince. But now¡­

    Suddenly, Kelly pped herself, jolting Kai.

    "H-hey, what are you doing?" he immediately jumped towards her and held her face. Damn pretty boy. Why did he need to be so concerned about her now? Damn it! She suddenly wanted to throw tantrums. She couldn''t believe this. She realized she was in love with him the very moment he said it was impossible for them. Ha.ha.ha. Oh my goodness Kelly.

    "I want to go berserk," she told him, causing Kai to blink.

    "Hey¡­ we just talked about it ¨C"

    "I never agreed."

    "Kelly, please."

    "Kiss me or I''ll scream."

    Kai almost choked. He was lost for words. He froze there and he didn''t know what to do. Why? Why was she still asking him to kiss her?

    He watched her close her eyes and his eyes fell on her lips. No, he couldn''t, he shouldn''t! He was about to turn away when he realized something. Was this a goodbye kiss? Was she asking him for onest kiss?

    That thought made Kai feel like a needle was poking his chest. Why? Was he sad? It seemed he was, yet the only thing he could do was curse within him, close his eyes before his lipsnded on hers.

    Their heart thudded louder than usual as their lips collided and Kelly''s arms were immediately wrapped around his neck. She opened her mouth and his tongue slid inside. Suddenly, they were in a heated kiss, passionate and wild, kissing like there was no more tomorrow.

    They found themselves on the bed, kissing nonstop in the broad daylight. For some reason, neither of them wanted to stop. Their bodies were getting hot as their tongues continued paying tag with each other. It was intense and they couldn''t figure out why they were doing this.

    Gasping for air once their lips parted, their eyes gazed at each other with desire. They both never desired anyone in their lives like how they felt at that moment. Why? Why were they feeling like this now?

    Kai was the first to snap and his hand covered her lips. Perhaps to stop himself from kissing her again. This was not good¡­

    A knock on the door disrupted his jumbled thoughts and he climbed off her.

    The clothes he asked for had arrived and he held them as he walked back to the bed.

    "You can wear this for now," he said and Kelly silently took them.

    She stood up towards the bathroom but suddenly halted halfway there.

    "I just want to confirm one more thing," she said, not looking back. "You are saying that it''s impossible for us, right?"

    Kai stared at her back with a sad look. "Yes," he answered and all she said back were the words "I see."

    The moment the bathroom door closed, Kai lifted his hand and ran his fingers through his hair and tugged them as he plopped on the bed. Damn. What the heck just happened? Did he just have the best and worse morning of his existence?

    ¡­

    When Kelly stepped out of the bathroom, her expression was normal, as if nothing had happened. She then received a call from Chris saying that he had arrived.

    She let him know she was on her way before she ended the call.

    "I need to see Abigail. Chris is going to want to see her for himself otherwise he won''t leave quietly. He''s a huge star so he definitely has the power to make trouble for you guys if he thinks you have hurt her or are keeping her against her will," she said.

    Kai understood what she was trying to say - that Abi needed to be there to tell the man herself that it was her choice to stay. He then took his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

 Chapter 304 Hellish to heavenly

    <h4>Chapter 304 Hellish to heavenly</h4>

    In Alex''s room.

    Abi finally opened her eyes. She looked around and saw a man sitting there by the window with his long legs crossed, looking like an olden day emperor. No, a handsome deity?

    "You''re awake," his deep voice echoed in her ears and she watched him walk gracefully towards her. He bent down and his perfect face hovered over her.

    The events in the dungeon slowly returned to her as her brain started to make sense of what had happened - that someone else was there with her, that she felt like something was strangling her, that she had tried to call for help but couldn''t and then she lost consciousness.

    Abi shut her eyes again to stop herself from reaching out and calling his name. But then, she felt his cool fingers touch her cheek.

    "Are you alright?" she heard him ask. "Shall I call the doctors toe?"

    Abi could only open her eyes and she shook her head. She felt fine. She didn''t feel anything wrong with her body. She just felt a little sluggish but his touch and voice were enough to jolt her fully awake.

    She pushed herself to sit up and she stared at him, wondering. She knew that he was the one who jumped down and rescued her from that abyss. Did he remember anything?

    He bent forward and gently pinched her chin. "Don''t worry, littlemb, that will not happen again. I will kill anyone who dares to harm you," he told her, eyes dangerous and a serious warning in his voice. It seemed he still didn''t remember anything, because if he did, he would be calling her by her name right then.

    She looked away and stared at the open window. This was really, really hard. She just wanted him to hug her, to console her and soothe her battered heart, the way he used to. She just wanted toy her head on his chest, hear his soothing heartbeat, and feel the warmth of his body settle into hers.

    "I don''t know why you are saying that when you''re the reason why I was punished in the first ce. You''re the reason why I experienced all of that," she uttered, sullenly, not looking directly at him to stop herself from wrapping her arms around his neck, and to try to dredge up a different emotion to help relieve the pain.

    "You''re the one who kicked me away," he replied and Abi red at him, her eyes sharper than ever. This was good. Anger was good and this ice cold creature was doing a fabulous job of driving her to the edge and now, all she really, really wanted to do was to beat him up.

    "Yes, that''s right... it''s my fault. Are you happy now? Did it make you happy to watch me suffer? Did you have fun?" Her anger rose to the surface, but in the next second, her eyes started to well with tears. "Were you thinking it was too bad I didn''t die ¨C"

    "SHUT UP!"

    Abi was suddenly pinned by him on the bed. His eyes were zing infernos as he looked down at her.

    "Why are you always... always riling me up like this? Do you like making me angry? You must really hate me so much! Why?"His eyes narrowed. He was so angry that he was clenching the bedsheets like he was going to crumble them into dust.

    ChapterMid();

    He was losing it again. This woman was messing him up. And the thought that she hated him was something that was uneptable for him to ept. Why did she matter so much? So what if she hated him? Everyone hated him anyway so what was the difference if this woman hated him as well from the bottom of her heart?

    F*ck. His anger was starting to eat at him. He needed to leave or else he might end up hurting her with his own hands. It seemed that he couldn''t ept her hate for him. It seemed that this was something his demons would never ept. And he would rather...

    His jaws clenched and he pulled away, ready to disappear from the room again and leave her when out of the blue, he felt something warm touch his hand.

    He froze. His eyes fell on her fragile hand holding his wrist. And just like that, everything, even his uncontainable rage, stood still.

    His eyes traveled upwards and he saw her crying. Tears were falling down her cheeks silently and she was looking at him with eyes filled with sorrow.

    "I don''t..." she uttered. "I don''t hate you..." I love you... I love you so much I could die... Abi''s lips trembled. She couldn''t take it anymore. Alex thinking that she hated him was more than she could bear. Seeing the look in his eyes, his rage in thinking that she hated him made Abi''s heart squeeze in pain. Maybe she was being too hard on him. Maybe the both of them were being too hard on each other.

    Alex didn''t remember anything about her but he was somehow here by her side, not leaving her and getting angry at the thought that she hated him. He also came and saved her and he had even said that he wanted her. He was doing all this despite the fact that his current self didn''t know her at all.

    Abi realized this was getting too much for her. She was tired and she didn''t want any more pain. She could see he was struggling too and he ended up like this because of her. It was senseless to keep hurting each other at this point. And it seemed like this wasn''t working. Whatever she and Zeke were doing to make him remember wasn''t working at all.

    Maybe, they were doing it wrong. Maybe she was pushing too hard, way too hard. She was so desperate to bring him back that she didn''t care if the process would end up breaking her or him, or both of them.

    A full twenty-four hours hadn''t even passed yet and already too much had happened. Too much heartache in less than a day. This was not what she wanted. This felt wrong!

    "Y-you don''t hate me?" he asked. His rage seemed to have disappeared with just her words and touch.

    She shook her head and his brows pulled together. "Then why are you pushing me away? Why do you re at me and why are you crying?"

    "I just don''t like that you''re too forceful! You''re not gentle at all. You keep threatening me and you keep hurting me." she told him as she wiped her tears.

    Alex swallowed. His eyes widened for a moment as if he just heard something unbelievably good. She didn''t hate him. That was right, she said she didn''t hate him.

    As if the sun had finally smiled to him, a smile curved on Alex''s lips, surprising Abi. He was smiling? He was raging like he would go out and ughter people just a while ago.

    Suddenly, he pulled her hand to his lips and softly ced a kiss on the back of her hand. His gaze scorched through his longshes as he looked at her.

    "Rest assured, littlemb. I will not force you again," he uttered and he reached out, wiping her tears away gently. "I''ll be gentle... yeah, I will try. No, I will!" He smiled again. "I won''t hurt you either."

    Abi almost melted,pletely. How could he switch from hellish to heavenly so fast? Here she was still sniffling and he was already smiling?

    "What about your threats?"

    "Hmm... depends."

    Abi creased her brows and he let out a throaty chuckle.

    "Okay, that too," he uttered and his smile faded. "But don''t rile me up too much. I''m afraid I might lose control over myself and do something you don''t like," he whispered as his hand slowly traveled down her nape.

    "I-I''m not sure about that. Everything I do seems to rile you up for no reason."

    "Yeah, you''re right. I wonder why that is. Even now you''re riling me up even without doing anything. Right now, I want to break my promise of not forcing you because I really want to kiss you so deeply that your brain will never forget my name."

    ". . ."

    .

 Chapter 305 Truly, madly, deeply

    <h4>Chapter 305 Truly, madly, deeply</h4>

    Abi could only press her lips tightly. She was speechless. How could he start seducing her right after he made her cry? He was simply impossible!

    She averted her gaze away from him as she told herself to calm down.

    However, Alex sat beside her. He rested his elbow on top of his bended knee as he leaned his head on his knuckles. His eyes were still smoldering towards her.

    "Anyway, littlemb¡­" he pulled her attention back to him. "What''s your name?" he asked and Abi momentarily shut down.

    Great. Her husband was just asking for her name and she almost forgot to breathe. She suddenly remembered the very first time he had asked her for her name, their first ever encounter in that cold, dark garage and how back then, this man was as cold as a cier.

    Abi almostughed out loud. She couldn''t believe she would feel this way just by him asking her name again. It was a strange feeling. All she knew was that she felt a tinge of pain and joy collided inside her at once. That was right. She was d to know that he might start using her name again. She would at least finally hear her namee out of his lips again.

    Staring at his eyes intently, Abi took a deep breath and answered him. "Abigail."

    "Abigail¡­" he echoed. There it was, her name. He momentarily fell silent as if her name had stirred something inside him. "Abigail¡­" he uttered once more and Abi felt her heart race as she watched him tilt his head. He looked like he was trying to recall something as he uttered her name, something that was trying to w its way to the surface, to his consciousness, and Abi held her breath, hoping against all odds that he would.

    But,

    "That is a beautiful name," he simply said. He smiled at her but Abi''s shoulders subconsciously dropped. "As beautiful as you," he added, flirting with her again.

    He bent forward and whispered in her ear. "You can call me Alex, Abigail." He was obviously and purposely blowing his warm breath into her ear and he was way too close. So close that their noses were about to collide. "I want to hear it. You, calling my name."

    "Please¡­ uhm¡­ you''re too close¡­"

    "Okay, I''ll back off if you call my name."

    "You said no more threats."

    "But this isn''t a threat, Abigail. It is merely a request. A mutually beneficial one where we both get what we want." The smooth-talking man tried to persuade her.

    Abi clenched the nket under her hands. He was certainly trying to seduce her and it was working. She had dropped her guard a little and now she had to force herself to behave and not lean towards him and kiss those damn teasing lips. If he didn''t back off soon, her desire and longing for him might take over and betray her.

    "O-okay, please back off, A-alex¡­" She finally gave in and thankfully, Alex kept his word and backed off as he said. He bit his lips sexily. F*ck, why did his name sound so sexy when she said it? Just her uttering his name turned him on. He truly, madly, deeply wanted her. He was already thinking about all the things he could do to her to make her call out his name as he pleasured her.

    dly, before he could say or do anything more, a knock pulled his attention away from her. His lips twitched at the unwanted interruption, obviously pissed.

    He stood up and walked over to the door, not bothering to hide his menacing aura for the unfortunate soul to feel as the door opened.

    "What is it?" he asked, his voice cold and unforgiving as he red at Zeke. Ever since his maid dered that he liked Zeke, he started to look at Zeke in a different light. No, this guy had turned into an enemy in his eyes.

    Alex had stopped considering anyone as an enemy. He didn''t have anyone whom he called an enemy since he turned himself into an immortal. Maybe it was because feuds and wars were no longer interesting to him; they all just seemed like petty squabbles between petty individuals. There was no point because he was basically a cheat. Of course he would always win against any of his opponents because he would always be thest one standing, alive. Nobody was strong enough to go against him, with the exception of this vampire before him. In all his existence, Zeke was the strongest opponent he had ever met. If this guy was an immortal like him, or if he wasn''t an immortal, then things could have been more exciting.

    Zeke was exceptionally strong and he was close to being on par with Alex when he was in his best state. In all honesty, he was the only one who could awaken the rotting demons inside him to bother having a fight.

    He remembered that he used to make fun of him when he was younger, riling him up to no end, just so the young Zeke would lose his self control and fight with him. It was all for entertainment, all those times they fought, and he had never thought of or saw Zeke as someone he should be wary of. As far as he could remember, he had never had any negative feelings towards this man. But now, everything was different. All because of her. Abigail. And now here he was, ring at this man who was as close to an equal as anyone could be, feeling displeased by his mere presence.

    "I have to speak with the maid." Zeke ignored the menacing, dark, cold wee he was greeted with and got straight to the point.

    "Her name is Abigail," Alex immediately corrected, surprising Zeke. His eyes flew towards Abi on the bed.

    "Okay... Well then, I need to speak with Abigai ¨C"

    "I didn''t say you could call her that," Alex butted in quickly, refusing to let Zeke finish saying her name. Only he was allowed to say her name.

    Zeke was speechless. He felt it, Alex''s animosity and jealousy. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Alex closely. He had changed from his cold, uncaring person. He now seemed very protective of Abigail as if he had epted these unknown feelings he was having instead of fighting against them. What happened? He seemed to be acting a little like the old Alex but he could tell that Alex still didn''t remember Abi.

    "So what exactly do you want me to call her? Should I call her littlemb?"

    That made Alex''s re be even more razor sharp. The saying ''if looks could kill'' was a very appropriate description of Alex''s expression at that moment. He bent forward and whispered to Zeke.

    "No. Call her Mrs. Qin."

    Zeke: ". . ."

 Chapter 306 Princess or piggy

    <h4>Chapter 306 Princess or piggy</h4>

    "No. Call her Mrs. Qin."

    Zeke: ". . ."

    Zeke pinched the skin between his brows. "When did she even be Mrs Qin?"

    "Well, just now. She''ll be my future wife." He smirked at him and then in the next second, he became serious again. "So give her the respect she deserves and address her as Mrs Qin, understand?"

    "Oh, so Alexander the great actually wants to marry now? And what''s ever more newsworthy is that he wants to marry a human maid of all girls he can choose from in this world?"

    "Well, isn''t it time for me to settle down? I''m sick being single! I have been single for thousands of years!"

    ". . ."

    Zeke silently sighed. When did this man be so annoying? Was he actually being serious right now?

    "Great. Yeah, Alex. But I personally think you''re getting way too ahead of yourself. Does the girl even like you?"

    "She will. Soon," he dered, confident. "So don''t even think about hitting on her, Zeke. You will just get rejected and then I would be forced to say ''I told you so'' as you nurse your broken heart."

    What the hell is he even talking about now?

    "What if she''s already married? Did you think about that?" Zeke rebutted.

    "She''s not! She isn''t wearing a wedding ring," Alex said proudly, as if he had actually done his research on the matter, as if that was the one and only thing that he needed to look for toe to that conclusion.

    Zeke threw him a disbelieving look before his poker face took over. "Enough with this nonsense, Alex. I have an important matter to tell her. She needs to know about the journey we just decided to go on because there''s someone out there who wants to take her home."

    Alex''s face darkened. The dragon seemed to be ready to devour whoever this ''someone'' was.

    "Don''t even think about it. The guy is important to her. You will make her hate you if you touch him so control yourself."

    "Important to her..." he echoed. "How important?"

    "Her childhood friend, I hear."

    Alex''s face brightened. "Oh... just a little childhood friend." He leaned against the wall, looking relieved that this ''someone'' wasn''t a threat.

    Zeke could only shake his head and finally entered.

    "Your friends areing," he told Abi and Abi finally remembered Kelly and Chris.

    She looked for her phone and found it dead on the table, literally.

    "I killed it. It was noisy," Alex butted in as he leaned against the door.

    Ah, this man...

    "You will deal with them. Make sure that your friend Chris won''t make a scene," he instructed like a king.

    Abi turned to Zeke and nodded at him. Abi knew what he was trying to say and she knew she should be the one to deal with this. She understood that she had to send Kelly and Chris home

    "Okay, I''ll go speak with them."

    "Good."

    ...

    Meanwhile, Kai and Kelly were walking down long corridors and down many flights of stairs when Kelly started mumbling. "How the heck did you carry me up all these stairs? No wonder you''re so yummy. This is like a daily gym routine just to get to your room!"

    ChapterMid();

    It was an old castle so there were obviously no elevators and her heels were starting to be her mortal enemy.

    "I didn''t carry you up these stairs. I jumped up to the veranda from the lower levels. It was much faster that way," he said casually as if he was saying the sky was blue and the grass was green. Kelly looked at him with an impish look on her face as a great idea popped into her head!

    "Hmmm, well then, can you carry me and jump me down from here?" Kelly asked, her eyes full of mischief.

    "Sorry, but you''re walking today," Kai said. It was too risky to be doing that kind of thing in broad daylight but he didn''t tell her that.

    "Well then, how about you just carry me? You don''t have to do any jumping." Kelly tried her luck again. This time she tried to pull a sad face at him, poking out her bottom lip like a little child pulling out all stops to get her parents to buy them that doll she really wanted.

    Kai looked at her face and just shook his head. How could he say no to that face? Besides, he knew there were still a lot of stairs to go before they got to the ground floor.

    He sighed and asked, "Princess or piggy?"

    Kelly looked at him, a little confused at his question. What?

    "Pick one. Princess or piggy?" He asked again.

    "Princess, of course! But what does that have to do with anything?"

    Instead of telling her, Kai answered by picking her up, princess style. She was taken by surprise but she immediately wound an arm around his neck. She smiled, feeling pampered. They walked down the stairs like that, with Kai tirelessly carrying her, until they arrived on the ground floor, where he gently ced her feet on the ground.

    Kelly stood up but didn''t take her arm away from his neck. Instead, she used it to pull him closer to her and she gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "Thanks, my charming prince," she said before she gave him a wicked wink.

    The two eventually found their way to the courtyard.

    Abi was sitting on one of the benches, all alone. Abi looked a little worse for wear and Kelly immediately felt worried. She half ran towards her friend to make sure she was okay.

    "Abi, are you okay?" Kelly asked.

    "Yeah, I''m fine, Kelly," Abi replied and she even managed a smile.

    They sat on a bench as they waited for Chris to arrive. Zeke had given the order for Chris to be allowed toe through.

 Chapter 307 A threa

    <h4>Chapter 307 A threa</h4>

    They saw a white sedan drive up the long driveway and it stopped by the footpath. Chris basically leapt out of the car and ran towards them.

    He looked worried and his eyes immediately surveyed Abi.

    Kelly couldn''t me him for being worried about Abi. Chris had been spending a lot of time with Abi since Abi went home from the hospital. She knew that the boy was smitten and she had actually been rooting for them to get together. That was of course because she had forgotten about Alex at that time. Chris had been the epitome of a good friend, always trying to cheer Abi up and take her out of the house. He even obviously got them into Country V because he knew how much Abigail wanted toe here. He wanted Abigail to be happy and he did everything he could to help her with that. He knew that Abigail was a little fragile and he was very considerate in that he didn''t push his feelings on her.

    However, looking back on it now that she had her memories back, the poor guy really never stood a chance. Even if Abigail had forgotten about Alex, there might still be no way that Chris would have been able to dislodge Alex from Abi''s heart. Even in the years toe, she felt that Abigail would have chosen to die alone if she didn''t find Alex again. That was how deep her love was for that stupid man!

    "Abi, Kelly, let''s go back to the hotel," Chris immediately said, not wasting any more time. This was why he was here after all. He started walking back to the car expecting the girls to follow him.

    Kelly stood up but Abi remained on her seat. Chris frowned, thinking that Abi might not be feeling too well.

    He walked back with the intention of helping her but Abi stopped him with her next words. "Chris, I-I have decided to stay here for a while. I won''t be going back with you two."

    Chris felt his world spin. What was she saying? Why did she want to stay here? What about his n of confessing to her when they got back?

    "But, Abigail... why?"

    "Because I found a job here that I really like. I think this will be good for me. I want to stay here for a while to heal myself. I hope you guys understand."

    Chris couldn''t say anything. He knew that Abigail had been looking for something since she had her surgery. He had not seen her smile once since then and it had broken his heart. He had tried so hard to make her smile a real smile, but he hadn''t seeded. And when she said she wanted toe here, she saw something liven up within her. There was a small spark in her eye when she mentioneding to this ce. So he tried his very best to do that, because he thought it would make her happy. But he never thought that she would end up wanting to stay!

    "But Abigail, what about your family?" What about me?

    "I''m sure they will understand and be happy for me," she said. "I will call dadter and exin everything to him. I''m sorry guys. Please understand my decision. If I go back home, I don''t think I will ever be able to smile again. That''s why I want to stay here. I just know this is the ce that will heal me. That will make me smile again."

    ChapterMid();

    ...

    Alex and Zeke were standing from afar watching the three of them. Kai was also leaning by the pir, staring at Kelly.

    "What are they talking about?" Alex asked and Zeke was d that he couldn''t hear a thing.

    "Nothing important," Zeke nonchntly replied.

    But Alex was obviously doubtful. His eyes zoomed onto the man standing in front of his littlemb and he didn''t know why but red gs immediately raised inside his head. Okay, it seemed this guy was a threat.

    He zoomed in on his lips and he started to read them.

    "Abi... wait..." Chris suddenly looked like he was in a dilemma.

    "Chris, I''m sorry. Please go home without me. I''ll be fine here, I promise. I''ll call you guys and keep you up to date on what I am up to," she assured him when suddenly, Chris held her hands.

    "Abi, uhm... listen to me first. I... I was nning to tell you this once we go back but now that you''re refusing to go home, I have no choice but to say it here." He took a deep breath.

    "Abi, I..." for some reason, Chris suddenly felt chills run down his spine before he could even say the words he had been practising to say to her for a long time now. He immediately looked around and his eyes caught two men from afar looking at them. He didn''t recognize them as they were too far away for him to distinguish their features.

    He took another deep breath and ignored the chills, thinking that it was just his imagination running wild. Maybe it was because of the nerves.

    Facing Abi again, Chris squeezed her hands and stared into her eyes. "Abi... I..."

    "Stop it, Alex. Don''t worry, I don''t think Abi will go with him." Zeke tried his best to convince the man to stop whatever it was that he was up to. He already knew that Kelly had broken the spell. If this Chris person was to do the same thing, it would be damn troublesome, especially when this Chris was a celebrity. If things got worse, they might be forced to bring another private jet down to fake idents.

    "How can you be so sure?"

    "I just know, trust me."

    Despite Zeke''s assurance, Alex couldn''t stop his demons from surfacing. Watching her being touched by some man made him want to kill. His bloodlust intensified to its limit and the only thing stopping him was the thought that the littlemb would hate him if he attacked that man.

    He clenched his fists tight and zeroed his eyes on his lips again.

    "I love you, Abigail," were the words he read from his lips and his world seemed to have halted.

 Chapter 308 Earthquake

    <h4>Chapter 308 Earthquake</h4>

    "I love you, Abigail." Chris confessed. Chris held his breath subconsciously as he waited for her to say something.

    At longst, he finally said it. Those four little words that he had been holding in his heart. He had nned for a grand confession, an unforgettable one, but he had no choice now that it came to this. He hadn''t expected that Abigail would end up wanting to stay in this country. The thought never crossed his mind at all. He had everything nned out in his head. The moment theynded back in their country, he was going to drive her home and ask her for a romantic dinner out. He would have booked out an entire restaurant so that only they would be dining there, set up a fireworks disy just outside the window and then he would hold her and say these four little words to her.

    His heart thudded against his chest. He had received many, many confessions since he became a famous actor but now the tables had turned. Now that the shoe was on the other foot, and he was confessing his feelings, he realized just how much courage it took to say those three words to someone you really liked. He hadn''t really thought about romance or rtionships before he met Abigail again because he had been too focused on his career. He thought that it wouldn''t have been fair to go into a rtionship if he couldn''t pour 100% of himself into it. So he stayed single, much to the delight of all his single fans.

    At that moment however, ayer of sweat was starting to form on his forehead as the seconds ticked by. How overwhelming it was waiting for her response. He really, really hoped that her response would be positive, that she would say that she liked him - even that, he would be content with - which would lead to both of them going home together and maybe starting something.

    But Abigail looked shocked and her body froze from his words. She could only stare back at him silently.

    Chris had been such a good friend to her. They had been friends since they were little and he certainly was an important friend to her because of that, but that was all she felt for him - friendship. Abigail never felt anything more than that towards him because to her, he was like the brother she never had. And she never thought that he liked her romantically. She thought that he was just being a good friend.

    "C-chris..." she finally opened her mouth. She looked down at their hands and she pressed his palms before looking up into his eyes again. She had to give him her answer now. She didn''t want to hurt him but she thought that the best thing for her to do was to squash down any hope he had of ever being with her, because that would just be too cruel. It would be cruel to leave him hanging, to have him think he still had a chance. The best thing she could do was to make him give up on her so that he could start the process of healing and potentially find the right person for him. She had to do this because she knew that she would never be able to be with another man after Alex. Even if Alex didn''t remember her for the rest of their lives, she would still choose to be with him. Because he was the one she loved. He was her soulmate and no one could ever take his ce in her heart, no matter how much they might try to.

    ChapterMid();

    "Chris, I ¨C"

    Before Abi could even form a phrase, the ground slightly trembled followed by a rumbling noise.

    "Damn! Earthquake!!" Kelly yelled as she quickly dropped down to the ground while Abi''s first reaction was to look around, searching for something or someone.

    Her eyes widened when she saw that one of the huge pirs by the corridor was falling down. And he was right there, Alex. He was far away but Abi could see his arm stretched out and his fist was positioned at the spot where the pir was originally standing. Did he just punch the pir?

    Abi finally felt that familiar chill. His head was turned in her direction like he was looking at her - no, he was ring hard at her. She began to feel bloodlust in the air and Abi was immediately worried about Chris.

    Oh no, this was bad... She had to do something or Chris might...

    "That was just a weak earthquake but one pir actually fell? It seems this castle is really old and unstable," Chris said, staring at the falling pir.

    While he was distracted, Abi quickly retracted her hands away from his. She stepped back, pulling Chris''s attention back to her.

    Chris looked at her and she saw the expression on her face. His heart stopped beating as he realised what her answer was going to be before she even said the words.

    "Chris, I''m sorry but I cannot return your feelings. You are like a brother to me and I just don''t feel that way about you. I''m sorry. Please go on without me. I won''t be going back," she said before she turned around and ran away.

    Chris stretched out his hand but his body felt like it was suddenly made of stone. He couldn''t seem to move so all he could do was watch her running away from him. He looked down and clenched his fists. Damn, he was actually rejected by her.

    "Let''s go, Chris. Let''s just honor her wish, okay?" Kelly coaxed him. She knew that Chris was in danger because she literally watched that Alexander Qin smash the pir with his bare hand. She knew the man was angry and who knew what he would do to Chris if he stayed around?

 Chapter 309 Fall for me

    <h4>Chapter 309 Fall for me</h4>

    Kelly started dragging him towards the car and forcefully pushed him into the back seat. Chris was still shocked from her rejection so he just sat there like a broken robot. Kelly''s mood wasn''t that far off from what he was feeling. She, too, felt brokenhearted.

    She sat in the driver''s seat and started up the car. Her eyes went to the ce where Kai was standing a moment ago. He was still there, looking at her with an unfathomable expression on his face. Her throat constricted.

    Ah, they were really unlucky it seemed - she and this guy behind her.

    Biting her lips, Kelly took a deep breath and drove the car away before she could change her mind and go after that pretty prince again. She wasn''t persistent. She liked chasing after the guy she liked but she always had a limit. If that person told her it was impossible for them, that they just couldn''t be together¡­ Kelly would stop. She was just not the type who would keep persisting and keep chasing a man to no end. That was just not in her personality, or maybe, she just didn''t know how to do it because she had never tried it before, fighting for something like love. Maybe, her being like this was the reason why she was so unlucky with love.

    "Goodbye, my prince," she said as she smiled bitterly.

    ¡­

    Back in the courtyard, Zeke was utterly speechless with what Alex just did. The guards were running over and some vampires looked down from the higher floors to see what just happened.

    He never expected that this guy would actually lose it. It seemed he really needed to drag this guy out of the pce or he wouldn''t even hesitate to destroy this historic ce every time his damn jealousy ate him whole.

    Zeke was on alert, ready to stop him in case he decided to jump towards that Chris guy. dly, Abigail''s friend was smart enough to drag him away and Abigail was finally running towards them.

    Tch! These troublesome creatures! His lips could only twitch before he faced the guards.

    "Get the servants to clean this mess up and repair the damage," he told them and the men immediately nodded.

    "A-alex¡­" Abi panted for a moment as she stopped before him. His face, that was still dark, somehow changed the moment he heard her voice call out his name. The darkness and bloodlust that cloaked him as he shot daggers at the man in the disappearing car had finally broken and he looked at her.

    "I sent them away," she added, a little nervous that this man might still go after them.

    Alex narrowed his eyes as he surveyed her face. He missed finding out what Abi''s answer was to Chris'' confession because he was too busy breaking pirs and shooting deadly arrows at the man!

    "That guy¡­ Do you like him, too? Didn''t you say you liked Zeke?" he asked and Abi''s nce flew towards Zeke who maintained his poker face despite Alex''s words.

    Suddenly, Alex grabbed her. His hand was on her waist as he pulled her body so close to him that they could feel each other''s heat.

    "How many men do you like, huh, Abigail?" His voice was cold again. It seemed he was still damn jealous.

    "H-he''s my ¨C"

    "Damn!" He cut her off as he buried his face on the nook of her shoulder. His lips grazed her corbone as he spoke. "I really want to punish you for this, Abigail. I want to punish you damn hard until you never want to touch any other man again" he added. His voice was hoarse yet serious and at the same time sexy. She should flinch at the mix of anger and warnings in his voice but it seemed Abi was already used to his possessiveness. He used to tell her this before they got married, that he would punish her hard but his punishment would always end up actually not being hard at all. His punishments were something she didn''t hate and if she was honest, sometimes, she wanted to be punished by him.

    "Stop flirting in broad daylight, Alex. Get out of here so the servants can start fixing the mess you created," Zeke''s voice jolted Abi and she immediately pulled away blushing as she realized just how many people were there watching them.

    But Alex''s hand on her waist gripped her even tighter. He looked at Zeke and a possessive smirk appeared on his face. "Shut up, Zeke. This girl is mine," he suddenly dered, loud enough for everyone to hear, making Abi blush even harder. "I can flirt with her whenever and wherever I want and you certainly can''t do anything about it." He concluded and before Abi could react, her vision became blurry.

    Oh god, they were flying!!

    She subconsciously held onto Alex''s neck as hard as she could as theynded on the first veranda.

    He smiled at her reaction and he jumped again with Abi closing her eyes and gripping him hard. "That''s it, my girl, cling onto me and never let go," he whispered in her ear before he finally stopped moving.

    "Oh my god!" Abi held on to him. The wind was cold as it blew on them.

    Abi slowly opened her eyes and her mouth hung open at what she saw. They were on the highest part of the castle''s roof.

    "Haha. Do you know why I brought you up here, littlemb?" he asked and Abi, who was too dumbstruck looking around the magnificent view of this ancient city, barely registered his words. This somehow reminded her of one of her wishes, of them sitting up on the roof of his mansion, watching the sunset together.

    She eventually looked at him with questions in her eyes.

    "I brought you here so that I could drop you from this height to make you..." he trailed off. He then shed his mischievous smile at her, causing Abi''s jaw to drop. She was utterly speechless. "Fall for me, Abigail," he whispered into her ear.

    Oh god! This man¡­

    .

    .

    I''m sorry but the third chapter willete today. T^T

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 Chapter 310 Devil

    <h4>Chapter 310 Devil</h4>

    Here''s yesterday''s this chapter guys. I''m sorry I failed to update it T^T. But it''s okay, you will get four chapters today. 3 chapters wille the usual time.

    Thank you for waiting \u003c3

    .

    Abruptly, Alex''s expression changed again. His mischievous smile faded and his eyes smoldered with intense emotions. His long and elegant finger found its way to her lips and he brushed them so slowly.

    "Tell me¡­ those words that that man told you¡­" he uttered seriously, making Abi''s heart thump erratically. "Did you like hearing them?"

    Abi subconsciously swallowed because Alex was again exuding a cold, chilly aura. He really changed way too fast; his moods, his expressions, the way he spoke. He was changing as if someone was pointing a remote control on him and switching his channels in a blink of an eye.

    But somehow, she felt calm and rxed despite the fact they were in a dangerous ce. Well, dangerous for her. There was no way she would still be alive if she fell from that height. But again, she was calm because she knew he would never let her fall despite him telling her he would drop her.

    Looking back at him, Abi could only give him an honest response. She was not going to anger him anymore. She would go back to acting like her normal self and answer him without the motive of pushing him to the edge.

    "Of course, I like to hear them as long as theye from the lips of the man I love," she answered and Alex fell silent for a moment.

    "So you wouldn''t like it if I say it?" his gaze intensified.

    "W-why would you say it? You don''t love me. You only want me."

    He narrowed his eyes again. "Then I''ll change my previous statement." He cupped her face, moving his face closer to hers. "I want you. I love you¡­" he uttered and Abi''s heart clenched at hearing those words. How could he say these things so casually? As if love was just a simple word that meant nothing at all.

    Trying her best not to show the slight tug of pain in her heart, Abi looked away. "Do you¡­ do you even know what ''love'' is?" she asked before returning her gaze on him.

    Alex tilted his head. "I don''t," he answered and a small, ironic smile curved on Abi''s lips. Of course he would say that.

    "But if love is something that surpasses wants and needs and addictions then I''m certain I love you."

    At those words, Abi felt her heart flutter within her chest. She gazed into his eyes with wide eyes. She couldn''t believe what he just said. She was totally thunderstruck.

    "I''ll say anything you want to hear, Abigail. Just choose me already. Forget about them and like me instead. You don''t know what you are doing to me. I smashed a pir because I was trying to stop myself from hurting that man, because I knew you would hate me if I did. You may call this an obsession but if this is just an obsession, it wouldn''t matter to me if you hated me. I would have hit that man with everything I had and I would just drag you to my bed and tie you there for the rest of your life. But the fact that my body refuses to do that means that this is not an obsession. I want to give you everything you want. Whatever it is, I''ll give it to you. Even if you ask me to give you the world, I''ll make it happen!"

    Abi couldn''t speak. Everything he said pierced through her heart. She realized that her Alex''s heart must not have forgotten her. All these words he was saying sounded like something her Alex would have said and that was more than enough to melt her entire being.

    He sounded like the devil tempting her. But, she didn''t want the world. All she wanted was for him toe back to her, to remember her and their love for each other. She wanted the Alex she married, the Alex that shared those precious memories with her, the man who stayed with her through the good and bad times. She wanted him to remember everything. He had to remember everything.

    Abi really wanted to just spit it out. That she was his wife, that she was his beloved that he had forgotten so that she could finally hug him and hold him right then and there. But she couldn''t. Zeke had warned her about the risk. Zeke told her that if Alex would find out that he had lost his memories, the man would definitely make a move to find out if that was true. He would do everything he could to try and get them back, possibly even go on a rampage and be uncontroble. The first thing he would definitely do would be to leave by himself to look for witches to get an answer and that was thest thing they wanted to happen because then he would be putting himself in danger. They needed to hunt the witches together, so that these witches stood no chance of being able to manipte Alex.

    That was why Abi couldn''t say it. All she could do was wait until his memories returned. Until then, she would be his maid and not his wife.

    As the silence dragged on Abi didn''t realize that she was looking at him with sadness in her eyes. Alex misread her emotion and thought that what he said was still not enough to get this girl. He thought that she was looking at him like that because she was sorry. And that lit up the inferno inside him that he couldn''t contain.

    And before he knew it, he cupped her face. Damn. He was angry. His desire for her was beyond redemption. He had never felt desire like this for someone in his entire existence. His desire to make her his was far greater than the desire he had when he had wanted to conquer the world. This woman surpassed everything else. Yet she seemed to be harder to conquer than the world.

    His inner demon was telling him to break his promise and just grab her and tie her to him. It was all his mind could think of. He was the king of Kings. The strongest in this world. Yet he couldn''t get this single woman?!

    His eyes zed like a furnace as he looked at her and goosebumps enveloped Abigail. This was the first time in a long time that Abi felt like this towards him.

    "You are mine, Abigail. I am not going to let anyone else have you. You are mine," he pressed as he moved closer to kiss her when suddenly, he froze.

    Abi, who had forgot to breathe for a moment, snapped out of it when he didn''t move an inch. And his body temperature seemed to have drastically dropped down. Was it her imagination?

    "A-alex?" she called out when she saw that he was standing still as if he had just looked into medusas eyes.

    His forehead then creased and his grip on her tightened.

    Abi didn''t know why but her heartbeat elerated. He was cold, so cold Abi felt like she too was going to freeze with him. "What''s wrong?" she asked. Seeing him suddenly sweat and start to pant like he couldn''t breathe made her panic. She had never seen Alex in that state before. "Alex¡­ what''s wrong? Are you okay?"

    "Let go of me," he managed to say between his breaths.

    "No, you will fall!"

    They were standing on the roof of one of the towers that stood taller than any other structure of the castle. The roof was quite steep and there were no t areas for them to stand on. The closest t area was way down below. Abi was holding tightly on to Alex who held on to a solid pole that held the country''s g up.

    "It''s okay, I won''t die even if I fall from here." He smirked. How could he still smirk in this situation? "Let go now, or I might drag u down with me. Zeke wille get youter¡­"

    He started to look like he was in intense pain as he grabbed her hands and yanked then off him. "Grab the¡­ pole¡­"

    "No! I won''t let you fall! No! Alex!"

    .

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 Chapter 311 Falling

    <h4>Chapter 311 Falling</h4>

    ''F*ck. What was going on? What was happening right now?'' Alex whispered inside him. His body was losing its strength and he felt like his breath was being pulled away from his body. He had never felt like this before. In his countless years of existence, Alex had forgotten what it felt like to be on the brink of death. He had forgotten how it felt to be helpless and powerless because since he became an immortal, he had never gone through that experience again. He had be invincible.

    But at that moment, he felt it. This was that feeling of helplessness, of dread and apprehension that he had long forgotten. His body felt like it had turned into ice. The warmth was no more as if something was sucking it out of his body. Every nook of his body ached with pain he never felt before. What was this? Was his immortality fading? Was he going to die now? But that was impossible, and why would his immortality leave his body?

    He tried to push the girl back because she kept holding on to him. He knew he was going to fall because he couldn''t even keep his feet on the ground without swaying. His body felt like it was going to crumble into pieces.

    He smirked as he told her to let go. He didn''t know what was going on. All he knew was that he was going to fall down from here because he no longer had any strength left in his body. He had be useless, as if the only thing left in him was his consciousness.

    "Hold onto the¡­ pole¡­" he said onest time as he looked at her face.

    What the hell. What was that expression on her face? Was she worried? About him? No, she must just be scared to be punished by Zeke again. These words could only float inside his head because he couldn''t even move his lips anymore. ''Sh*t. What is this? Am I going to finally die now that I''ve found someone I truly want? Damn, this is funny¡­''

    He felt like he was floating. When did thest time he felt anything like this? He couldn''t remember. He thought about that time when he jumped into the furnace to kill himself. His body burned and he felt the pain as the mes licked every inch of his skin but he had never felt like he was close to dying. All he felt was pain. He never felt helpless or powerless despite standing in there all day. Which was why he knew that this time was different. He didn''t know if this was what dying felt like but he didn''t know what else it could be. Was this finally it? Was he actually going to find the death that he had sought for many, many centuries?

    Alex lips curved up slightly. If he had the strength right then, he would haveughed out loud because he couldn''t believe that he might really, actually die. If he was indeed dying right then, wasn''t he supposed to just smile and savor it? Savor the feeling of drawing onest breath until that final moment came?

    He felt his body sway like a leaf blowing in the wind and in the next moment, his feet were no longer touching the roof as his body fell backwards. As he was falling, he decided that he would close his eyes and wait for what woulde next. He wanted to know if he was really dying and if he was, he would just smile and let it happen. However, instead of closing, his eyes widened. ''Sh*t! Why? Didn''t I tell you to hold onto the pole and wait for Zeke?!''

    Alex cursed inside him. The littlemb did not follow his instructions and had actually jumped after him and now they were both falling, hard and fast, to the ground.

    ''F*ck! She was going to die! Even if he made sure to shield her with his body, at this height, there was no chance of her surviving. She''s just only a frail human woman¡­ she would die. Why? Why didn''t she just let go of him and hold onto the pole like I told her?! Why did she jump with me? Did she have a death wish?''

    The smile on Alex''s lips had long faded. His brain that was filled with thoughts of dying was immediately reced by panic and desperation. What should he do? He couldn''t let her die! He wouldn''t!

    Those were the words that he could only utter inside him. He refused to let her die because he wouldn''t be able to forgive himself if she died. It would be all his fault if this little spark of life disappeared from the world. His world.

    With that, Alex found himself reaching out, desperate to his bones. All he could think about was his need to save her. He reached out for the strength that had long left his body and for the breath that was still being sucked away from him. He had never been in this kind of situation. This desperation was something alien to him.

    He became desperate to bring back his strength, to rise from death''s grip so that he could save her. His mind had no other thought than to save her, to not let her die, to keep that spark going even if he had to sacrifice the one and only opportunity that he might have to meet the god of death.

    He willed his body to move, toply with his instructions. He growled and screamed inside him as he imagined how she would die once they hit the ground and his cold body began to burn. The inferno inside him ignited and it burst out like a thunderbolt.

    The next second, he felt his strength burst back and he immediately moved to wrap his arms around her frail body when they were just meters above the ground. He turned just before they hit the ground the ground shattered under him as his feetnded on the ground with a big crash.

    The dust from the impact rose up and surrounded them as Abi looked at him. Her heart that had stopped beating since she jumped after him to save him, finally began to beat again.

    .

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 Chapter 312 Anything and everything

    <h4>Chapter 312 Anything and everything</h4>

    Abi was breathless. She thought for a second that she was not going to make it because Alex hadn''t moved to catch her the entire time they were falling. She thought that this was going to be herst moment here on Earth but he caught her at the veryst second, just before she closed her eyes and prepared herself to die.

    She gazed up at his face as the dust settled down.

    "A-are you alright?" she asked. She felt his body temperature return to normal but the next moment, he wobbled and dropped to his knees. Abi quickly pulled away from him and held his face.

    "Alex! Are you okay? Look at me," she told him but he just closed his eyes and buried his head on the nook of her neck. His body became limp.

    Abi started to panic and she shook him gently. "Alex! Alex¡­ please stay with me. Please be okay..." She pushed down her panic as she looked for signs of life. She breathed in deeply to slow down her racing heart and she breathed out a sigh of relief when she felt his heartbeat.

    Now that her mind was calmer, Abi looked around to see if she could see someone who might be able to help her and was d when she saw Zeke already approaching them.

    ¡­

    Inside Alex''s room.

    "Is he okay? He suddenly¡­ he just suddenly fell, Zeke. I think there''s something wrong with him. He also looked like he was in pain before he fell," Abi told Zeke once the man was done checking on him.

    Zeke looked at her and sighed.

    "There''s nothing wrong with his body," Zeke replied.

    "Then why? I saw him struggling to breathe and his body suddenly turned as cold as ice too. I felt it."

    Zeke turned and stared at Alex''s sleeping face before he held Abi''s arm and led her near the window. "Listen, Abigail," he started, looking intently into her eyes. "At first I thought that he had lost his soul but that theory was proven incorrect judging from his reaction towards you. So then I thought that his soul might still be lurking within him, half dead. But now, after what you told me, I have another theory. I think that he might actually be dying. I think I got it wrong again when I thought that his body wouldn''t die."

    Abi froze with what she heard. What? Her Alex was dying? But¡­ he was an immortal! He had the dragon''s blood running in his veins!

    The thought made her feel like she was being strangled. No. Alex could never die.

    Looking at her as she shook her head in denial, Zeke took a deep breath and made her look at him. "Of course, this is again just another theory. But there''s no other way to exin the things that are going on with him. This is the first time something like this had happened to him. An immortal would never lose his strength and power even if he was being cut into pieces. What happened to him almost seemed like he had turned into a powerless, dying human for a moment. And now, he even passed out. That has never happened before."

    "Wh-what should we do? Zeke¡­ please, save him¡­" Abi''s eyes began to well as they both looked back at Alex as hey on the bed, sleeping so soundly.

    "We only have one choice. We have to move now. I think he might be running out of time," Zeke said and Abi looked at him with questions in her eyes. "We are going to leave the castle at dawn to hunt those witches down."

    "Are they going to help us save him?"

    "No, they won''t. These witches have wanted him dead for thousands of years now."

    "Then why are we ¨C"

    "I told you before, right? Witches can see the future and also the past. They can see the answers of the mysteries that both vampires and humans know nothing about. Their knowledge is their power and that is what we need from them."

    "So we need to catch them and force them to speak."

    "That''s the only way."

    "But what if they will not tell the truth?" Abi asked him but Zeke just showed her a wicked smirk filled with malice.

    "Don''t worry. I have a n," he replied and his expression returned to normal. "Watch over him closely. I''ll go prepare for the journey," he added as he walked towards the door.

    He halted by the door and nced back at her. "Also, make sure to prepare yourself. You can''t just follow us around like a useless piece of luggage. You have an important role, too, so I want you to prepare your mind and your entire being. Understand?"

    Abi gulped by his words but she eventually nodded. "I understand."

    "Good."

    Once the door was closed, Abi walked over to Alex. He was so peaceful when he was sleeping. As she looked at his face, her mind wandered back to what just happened, at how he still managed to save her despite the situation he was in. She knew he did that because he didn''t want her to die and her heart swelled at that thought. This man did everything for her. He saved her and suffered for her.

    Now that she thought about everything that happened, Abi thought that she wasn''t really the one who was hellbent. Or she was, but not as much as him. She was the reason why all of this was happening. Unknowingly, he had loved her and saved her and suffered for the woman who was destined to kill him. And now, he might really be dying.

    Her heart ached. She wanted to save him too. What should she do to save him? She wanted to do anything and everything for him. She would never let him leave her again. She would willingly give her life up for him if that was what it took because living without him was the same as dying every day.

    Thinking about sealing her vow to herself by kissing him, Abi''s lips were about to collide with his when¡­

    "What a sneaky littlemb¡­" his hoarse voice jolted her.

 Chapter 313 Reward

    <h4>Chapter 313 Reward</h4>

    Abi gasped and jolted backwards but Alex''s hand was already on her nape holding her in ce. He was smiling, showing her that mischievous smile of his. There was no sign of the previous weakness she had seen in him and he was acting like nothing major happened.

    Clearing her throat, Abi blinked and tried to think of something to say to exin the sneaky kiss she was about to steal.

    "I was just trying to¡­ give you a peck as thanks for saving me," she exined.

    Alex fell quiet for a while as he surveyed her face, but in the next second, he stared at her lips and swallowed.

    "That''s right. I just saved you with everything I had. You have to reward me, littlemb. After all, without me, you''d be dead by now," he uttered, his breath hastening as if he couldn''t wait anymore for her to kiss him. "You should be more generous and give me more than just a peck," he added as his finger traced her luscious lips.

    Abi could clearly see his desire for her and she felt good goosebumps. She had seen that look on her Alex''s face before. She remembered it clearly.

    "O-okay," she answered and Alex''s eyes widened in disbelief. But a triumphant smile was quick to rece the shock.

    "So it happened? You did fall and I caught you and now you have fallen for me, right?" he asked with a confident and joyful look.

    Abi looked away. "I am not sure¡­ I just¡­ I just want to reward you."

    Alex bit his lips seductively as he pulled her closer. "It''s okay. Just a little bit more and you''ll submit yourself to me," he whispered before he sat up and leaned against the headboard.

    He licked his lips as his eyes became intense.

    "Come, littlemb. I can''t wait to im my reward," he uttered and Abi took a silent breath before she crawled on the bed towards him.

    Alex watched her every move and just like that, he was seduced. All she did was crawl towards him and it seemed that that was all he needed. ''Damn,'' he cursed within him, stopping himself from pinning her down. ''Calm down, Alex. The littlemb is finallying for you on her own. Don''t you dare scare her now!''

    Once Abi stopped before him and knelt on the bed, Alex breathing hitched. F*ck. This was it. She was going to kiss him!

    Her eyes locked onto his as her handnded on his shoulder.

    "Wait. Don''t you want to position yourself into something morefortable?" he told her. His voice was velvety smooth and sexy. She knew what he was up to and she let herself be seduced. She just wanted to stop thinking and just feel him. Even for a short moment.

    So without a thought, Abi lifted her leg and trapped Alex between her legs. Alex had always asked her to do this before, if he wanted her to kiss him. She knew he liked this position and it seemed he still liked it even now.

    She watched Alex''s lips part in surprise with her bold move. His Adam''s apple bobbed up and down. His eyes smoldered with desire. That was right. Both of them wanted this, needed this. They had been apart for way too long. They had missed out on each other''s warmth so much, each other''s lips.

    As if she was running out of time, Abi didn''t waste any more second and bent to capture his lips.

    The instant their lips collided, sparks flew around them. Alex didn''t even wait for a second for her to do the kissing. He was way too starved for her to wait. His hand moved around her waist drawing her closer as his other hand held the back of her head.

    Their lips crashed against each other passionately and damn wildly. And she knew! She knew exactly how he wanted her tongue and lips to move. It was as if she knew everything that he wanted, all his desires. And he couldn''t help but delve deeper inside her warm mouth. Sh*t, this was too good. Her mouth was the heaven he never tasted.

    "Oh, Abigail¡­" he groaned, not letting their lips part as they caught their breath. "Why¡­ why do you taste so good?" he uttered and kissed her again. He started to suck her tongue, taking Abi back to thest time when they had kissed passionately like this. She started to feel that familiar feeling in the pit of her stomach, that familiar feeling of desire. Her hands wrapped around his neck as her knees gave in and she sat on him.

    Alex pulled her even closer, the hand on her waist gripped her hard, pressing her towards his body. Her softness brushed against his chest and his hard, raging, little big monster stood tall and mighty under her.

    Oh no, they were both losing themselves. This was supposed to be just a kiss¡­ a reward for him saving her.

    "Oh f*ck, Abigail. I want you. Right now. I want to f*ck ¨C no¡­ let''s make love." Alex didn''t know why he changed his mind and used those words. ''Make love'', he didn''t know what that was. He was very familiar with the word ''fuck'' because that was the word he used all the time when he talked about what he did with women in bed. Never had he used the words ''make love'' nor even thought about it in all his years of existence.

    Oh no, he had said it. Those words Alex used to always say and he even slipped and said the word ''f*ck'' like how her old Alex had done. Abi didn''t know what to do or say. She was intoxicated. She wanted him so much. She missed him to her bones. And her body longed for him, for his touch, for his lovemaking.

    She wanted to just say yes because that was what she truly wanted but¡­

    .

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 Chapter 314 The only exception

    <h4>Chapter 314 The only exception</h4>

    The arms that were wrapped around Alex''s neck moved to his shoulders as Abi slowly pulled away from his. She wouldn''t give in to him. Not yet. Not when he still didn''t remember her.

    Abi didn''t know why but there was a voice inside her telling her to be strong and keep her ground, as if giving in to him was thest thing she should do, as if giving him what he desired right now would be something that she would regret. She didn''t know why but the almost uncontainable heat and longing that were eating her right then was still not enough to make her heart and mind fully submit to him.

    Thest time Abi had given in to him was when they went on that romantic trip for two to the snow because during that time, she knew from the bottom of her heart that he loved her so very much, almost as much as she loved him. This was different, because even though her feelings for him were still the same, his feelings for her were not, because to him, she was a woman he just met yesterday.

    "I¡­ I''m sorry¡­ I can''t¡­" she uttered and the fire of lust in his eyes was immediately snuffed out. His gaze at her turned serious as his jaws clenched hard.

    "Alex, I am already married," she added and surprise took over Alex''s dejected look. ''What did she just say? Was she serious right now?''

    His eyes narrowed, but he still did not loosen his grip on her. He surveyed her face and a coquettish smirk shed on his face. "Do you really think I would let you go if you told me that?" he told her, a faint mocking tone evident in his voice.

    "It''s true. I have a husband," Abi stared deeply into his eyes, letting him know that what she was saying was the truth. There was a tinge of sadness in her voice as she said those words. "H-he left me¡­" she trailed off as her voice shook with bottled emotions. She looked away and her eyes caught sight of their wedding rings again as she continued. "But I''m still waiting for him toe back to me. I love him. I love him so much. He''s the only one I want to be with."

    She felt Alex''s grip on her waist finally loosen up. "But you said you liked Zeke?" His deep voice echoed and Abi returned her gaze to him. His eyes now looked icy, obviously displeased.

    "I¡­ I just like him as a person¡­ I didn''t say I loved him," she exined, making Alex''s eyes narrow again.

    Abi then moved to climb off him when suddenly, Alex pulled her back to him and pushed her down on the bed with him over her, their bodies pressed together in an intimate position.

    "Please let go. I am telling the truth. I''m a married woman. You can''t ¨C"

    "I don''t care," he replied, surprising Abi to her bones.

    "You¡­ you don''t care?" she red at him. "Do you really get every woman you want even if she has¡­ she has ¨C"

    "Don''t get me wrong, littlemb. I have no desire to steal another man''s woman. And normally, I would not go for married women at all but¡­" he cut her off as the back of his fingers trailed on her skin. Abi was relieved for a moment but what he said next made her bite her lips and re at him in disbelief. "But you are the only exception. Besides, your husband¡­" his voice hardened as he said the word ''husband'' before he paused for a moment. "That bastard left you because he obviously did not see the treasure that he had. Since he left, that means your marriage is over, is it not? Let him go, littlemb, and forget about him. His loss will be my gain. I will make you forget about him."

    Abi shook her head and struggled to pull away. She couldn''t believe he was asking her to forget himself. There was no way she could do that.

    "Fine," Alex finally let go and he climbed off the bed. He stood by the bed as he towered above her. He bent down and a wickedly sexy smile was curved on his lips. "It is only the first day, littlemb, so I guess I will take it easy for now. But¡­ I will definitely make you fall for me and get over him. You will be mine¡­ soon. Your body¡­ your soul¡­ and your heart," he dered and before she knew it, he nted a kiss on her forehead. It was the kind of kiss he had never given anyone else before so he was surprised at this small action that seemed so natural for him to do. But seeing the effect of that single kiss made him smile inwardly. "Now stand up my sweet maid, we''re going to Zeke''s quarters," he said as he turned and walked towards the door.

    Abi got up and off the bed, straightened her clothes, before she followed him out the door.

    Once they arrived at Zeke''s quarters, Abi was left in Zeke''s room while the two went to the study. Abi was certain that Alex would talk to Zeke about the things that happened to him so she really wanted to tag along. But she knew she couldn''t and Alex didn''t want her toe so she ended up waiting in the crown prince''s room instead. Well, Alex also insisted that she stay there because it was the safest ce for her to be in.

    Zeke had informed them earlier that the witch who was currently imprisoned in the dungeon, had disguised herself as one of the guestsst night and that she also had an aplice. This aplice could be disguised as a royal maid or a guard and who knew what that witch would do if they encountered Abigail on her own. That was why Alex didn''t want to leave her in any random ce that just anyone could enter.

    His thoughtfulness over her safety made Abi''s heart swell. In that respect, he hadn''t changed at all. He was as protective of her as always.

    .

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 Chapter 315 Different colours

    <h4>Chapter 315 Different colours</h4>

    Looking around this vast room, Abi silently walked towards the window. She remembered what Zeke had told her - that she must prepare herself mentally for their uing journey. Was she prepared? What kind of things were waiting for them on this journey they were about to embark?

    Abi couldn''t help but feel nervous but she was determined. She had to bring Alex back even if it killed her. Her eyes glimmered with hope and strong determination and willpower before she closed them in an effort to train herself. She took a deep breath and directed all her focus to her sense of hearing. And before she knew it, there it was¡­ she started to hear voices¡­ the sound of the wind and the chirping of birds¡­ the creaks and swivels of doors and even footsteps¡­ her world was suddenly filled with nothing but a myriad of different sounds.

    ¡­

    Inside the study room.

    Alex exined to Zeke the feelings he felt just before he fell off the roof. Zeke listened carefully to his story and when Alex finished, Zeke just nodded.

    Zeke told Alex his thoughts on the matter. He told Alex that he thought that he might be in more danger now and that they had to quickly find these witches. Specifically, they needed to find their queen, the most powerful witch of them all because she was the only one that could answer their questions, the only one that could find out the truth about what was going on with him. However, Zeke didn''t tell Alex about histest theory - that he might be dying.

    Alex obviously had some doubts from the way Alex looked at Zeke, but Zeke didn''t care. The most important thing was that he agreed to go on this journey with Abigail.

    After showing Alex his ns, he looked up at the man and asked, "any questions?"

    Alex, who was sitting like a boss with one long leg folded over the other as he rested his face on his knuckles, looked back at him with a serious gaze.

    "Do you know where he is? My Abigail''s husband?" he questioned.

    Zeke: ". . ."

    Great. Just f*king great! He had spent all this time talking about his ns because their actions needed to be precise and quick and well thought out but did this man even listen to a single word he said?!

    Was he f*king serious right now?! Zeke was so frustrated! There were far more important things to be talking about than the whereabouts of Abigail''s husband was¡­

    Sigh¡­ Zeke could only sigh like a father who had an inattentive son, one that he might be angry at, but still loved deep down.

    "So you finally found out that she was married. I hope your obsession for her is over now," Zeke said. Since he could remember, Alex had never shown any interest towards married women. He heard that back then, he never took any of the queens of the kingdoms he had conquered, even though that was what most of the kings did back in those times. And that hadn''t changed for thousands of years. That sense of morality was one of the few things that he seemed to have retained throughout the passage of time, despite the huge number of beautiful, marrieddies constantly throwing themselves at him.

    However¡­

    "Who said it''s over? I want you to find out if that man is still alive, Zeke," he ordered, making Zeke fall speechless.

    "And if he''s still alive? Then what?"

    Alex became silent, a slight frown on his face.

    "Are you going to kill him?"

    "Maybe. But only if he refuses to divorce her."

    ". . ."

    Idiot. Go ahead, kill yourself! "Sigh, I suggest you stop thinking about those matters for now, Alex. You need to focus on this problem. We need to figure this out first and then you can do whatever you want after that. What if you be weak again and that man beats you up instead and kills you?"

    Alex nced at him and a yful smirk danced on his face.

    "Don''t worry Zeke. I won''t die. Not now that I''ve finally found something interesting in this boring world," he said as he stood up and turned his back to him as he walked away.

    Zeke silently watched him leave. Once the door closed, his expression changed. His eyes became calcting and he wondered where this journey would really lead them.

    ¡­

    Abi was still lost in her dark world.

    She tried to focus on one voice because she understood nothing. She heard way too many noises. The voices were jumbled like tangled threads, impossible to unravel. She thought that she needed to learn to focus on one voice to be able to listen to what they were saying, because at this point, her ability was pretty useless.

    It was useless that she could hear everything if she couldn''t decipher one sound from another, let alone listen in to any conversations. She thought that if she could learn to focus, she might ever hear conversations between the witches. If that happened, she would definitely be useful on their journey.

    Thus, Abi tried to delve even deeper in her concentration. She let her mind form a picture of all the different sounds she heard and gave each one a different colour. Her mind saw a wavy mass of long strings of all the different colours in the world. She stared at the moving colourful waves in her mind''s eye and mentally tugged on a piece of coloured string. That vibration echoed louder and she followed that trail along, trying to pull it away from the tangled mess.

    As she followed the coloured string along, she drew closer to its source. She had picked this colour because it was a vibrant yellow, a happy colour and it seemed as if it corresponded to its owner''s pitch and tone of their voice. It was a pleasing voice, a happy voice, just like the colour yellow. She thought that the owner of the voice must be a cute, cheerful, youngdy.

    As she focused more on the source of the thread, the vague, jumbled noises slowly became clearer, as if she was turning the tuner dial on a radio to get a better signal. Then, in the next second, she clearly heard a youngdy say, "what''s the name of this tea?" and Abi rejoiced at her sess.

    However, her concentration broke when she heard loud heartbeats moving closer towards her.

 Chapter 316 A deal

    <h4>Chapter 316 A deal</h4>

    The heartbeats were slow and deep and they sounded familiar. Abi slowly opened her eyes. "Alex?" she uttered before she turned around.

    "How did you know that I was here? Did you feel my presence?" Alex asked as he leaned in on her. He was surprised that she knew he was there because he had concealed his presence, intending to surprise her.

    Abi blinked, stepping back as she answered. "I heard your¡­ heartbeats."

    "Hmm¡­ that''s pretty interesting. How does my heartbeat sound?" His handsnded on the window frame behind her, trapping her. "Did you hear the song it sang only for you?" he smiled and Abi gaped at him, speechless.

    Was Alex always this good at flirting and hitting on girls?

    Abi cleared her throat and, so that she would not be sucked in by his charm, she changed the topic. "Uhm¡­ when are we going to eat? I''m¡­ hungry," she told him. She hadn''t eaten lunch because of what happened to him and she hadn''t left his side since then so she was starving now.

    Alex let out a quiet sigh and she picked some strands of her hair and yed with them. "I''ll let you eat but¡­ you should let me eat as wellter tonight, okay?"

    Abi blushed. She knew what he was talking about and she suddenly remembered their precious moments in that snowy ce where he ate¡­ her for breakfast, lunch, dinner and as a midnight snack. This man was still as naughty as ever!

    A smile curved on his lips as he watched her pale cheeks turn pink. "You know what I''m saying right?"

    "Uhm¡­ please. I am your maid. Not your pleasure t-"

    "Shh¡­ I have never seen you as a toy."

    "You only want my body."

    Alex''s shoulders dropped as he looked down. "Fine. I''ll show you that I''m not just after your body. If I manage to contain my lust for you and not touch you for five days, would that be enough for me to show you I''m not only after your body?"

    "J-just for five days?"

    "Oh c''mon, littlemb. There''s no sane man in this world who could contain themselves for longer than that, especially when I want you so much! In fact, that timeline is already close to impossible especially in my case because I''m crazy for you. We''ll be together 24/7 for who knows how long. You''ll be torturing me every single minute of every day! That''s the world''s most challenging battle I have ever decided to go through."

    ". . ."

    "Now say yes, sweet girl. Let''s make a deal, shall we?" he smelled the scent of her hair as his eyes looked at her seductively through his dark thickshes.

    Abi wanted to decline but for some reason, she suddenly felt a thrill inside her stomach.

    "What if I agree and you fail the deal?"

    "Hmm¡­ you can do anything you want with me," he said confidently, shing her his all too familiar, heart-fluttering smile.

    Abi swallowed because he seemed so certain he would not lose but then, a sudden mischievous thought sparked in Abi''s mind. He was using this to show her that he was not just after her body? Fine¡­ she would teach him a lesson. Her Alex never used this method to prove his love for her, so she would teach him that this was not the right way.

    "Okay, deal," she agreed. She would make sure that he would lose this game he created.

    Alex smiled, biting his lips as he looked down at her. "So, are we going to start now, littlemb?" he asked and he let go of her. "Now,e. I have to feed you because I think you''re way too frail," he added as he sized her up.

    ''I lost weight because of you, stupid.'' She could only re at him as they both walked towards Alex''s ce.

    ¡­

    Somewhere in the city.

    It was already past seven in the evening as Kelly and Chris found themselves inside a bar. The bar wasn''t like the usual noisy bar Kelly was ustomed to. It was pretty quiet and harmonious. There was a girl singing on the stage and the people were quietly singing along.

    Kelly wondered if everyone aside from them were vampires, but she didn''t care. She wasn''t afraid. She had loved this ce ever since the first time she came here when she was a young kid. Kai said this ce had more vampires than humans but it was one of the safest ces in the world. It had the lowest crime rate in the world! This ce was the most peaceful country she ever saw. And it was the ce that Kai, the vampire prince lived in. How could she not like it.

    Her thoughts drifted back to Kai, the man she loved, and she thought that these vampires weren''t dangerous at all. As long as they didn''t¡­

    Ugh! Kelly mmed her ss of beer on the table.

    "Hey, why are you sulking? I am supposed to be the one sulking and being angry at the world like that," Chris told her.

    "Shut up. You''re not the only one who''s heartbroken here."

    "Oh. So this rich kid also got rejected, aye?"

    "Yeah. That''s right. At least you were able to confess properly. Unlike me!"

    Chrisughed. "Oh, you didn''t even manage to confess. But isn''t it better that way?"

    "Not at all, idiot. I was rejected before I could even say those three words!"

    "Oh¡­ that''s terrible then. R.I.P Kelly''s heart. Haha."

    "Shut up, childhood friend, or I''ll beat you up!"

    "Geez¡­ stop being so violent. That''s why guys don''t want to get near you. They''re too afraid of being beaten up by you."

    "I said shut up, damn it! Damn! I''m really itching to beat someone up. Can you volunteer?"

    "Hell no! Don''t you even dare. I''m a famous person. That would make headlines! I''m broken enough as it is!"

    "I don''t care."

    "I care, geez. Go pick someone else. Anyone but me!" Chris even prepared himself to flee at the smallest sign from her. He had experienced this woman''s wrath before. She was a pure amazonian, jungledy. And since then, Chris had never seen her as a dainty woman again. He always imagined her as a bulky wrestlerdy and she definitely scared him. Who the hell would stand a woman like her?

    "Look. There''s a guy much more good looking than me. Right there, he''s been looking at you for a while now. I think he wants a beating. Now go. I believe that guy definitely wants a good beating from you," he coaxed her and even held her shoulders to make her face the man he was talking about.

    He pushed her a little but to his surprise, the amazon suddenly froze as her eyes focused on the pretty man he was talking about.

    .

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 Chapter 317 Did it matter?

    <h4>Chapter 317 Did it matter?</h4>

    Kai didn''t n to show up in this ce. He was sent by Zeke to make sure that Kelly and Chris didn''t create any trouble before they went back home. He was also warned by Zeke to make sure that Kelly did not do anything outrageous for her own sake. That was why Kai was there. At the same bar. Watching them.

    He had been following them for a while now until they ended up in a bar. Kai was too engrossed at listening to her rants that he subconsciously turned to look at her because he became worried that the girl would actually go and try to beat someone up. He knew that Kelly was a strong girl and definitely a well-trained fighter but she was still only a human and she wouldn''t be able to beat just any random man in this ce, except for the human guy who was with her. And that was why it was toote for him to hide when she suddenly turned towards his direction.

    Their eyes met and Kai didn''t know why but he held his breath. He had been there the whole time and he heard it when she said that she didn''t even have the chance to say those words. His heart skipped a beat when he had heard her say that. He didn''t know that she had felt that way towards him. He thought her feelings towards him weren''t to that extent.

    With their eyes still locked on each other, Kelly began to move. She didn''t release him from her gaze. Kai''s grip subconsciously tightened at the edge of the table. It was not because he was afraid to be beaten up. He didn''t mind being beaten up by her. It didn''t hurt him anyway. But he was afraid of what could happen between them afterwards. He had already decided to let her go so she could go back to her usual life and live the normal, carefree life she had been living before he came into her life. He didn''t want to put her life in danger any more than he already had. But then, here she was, approaching him again. He thought she would nevere after him again. He thought she would just go home and forget about him.

    She stopped in front of him, mmed her hands on the table as she leaned closer to his face. She was close enough to smell her breath and he let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thank goodness the bartenders didn''t forget to give them drinks for humans.

    "Why are you here?" she asked, not beating around the bush.

    Kai found himself spacing out for a moment. "I came to make sure that both of you got home safely," he answered, meeting her intense gaze.

    "Oh. So I''m under surveince now? Are you going to keep following me until I reach home?"

    "No." He looked down. "Just until you board the ne," he added, as honest as ever.

    Kelly''s gaze deepened. She suddenly felt likeughing. If this was someone else, Kelly would have never approached him. What she usually would do if she saw the man that rejected her in the same bar was to approach and grab another guy and dance with him to show the guy that rejected her that she didn''t care. But why could she not do the same to this damn prince. Why did she approach him in an instant upon spotting him?

    It seemed she was truly smitten. Innocent looking people, like her Abi, seemed to be really dangerous for her. She just couldn''t resist them. She realized she was smitten by this beautiful creature. Why couldn''t she have him? That damn icy devil Alexander Qin managed to marry her innocent Abi so why couldn''t she also have this little cutie pie before her? This just wasn''t fair! She finally fell in love for the first time and it had to be to someone she couldn''t be with. Why was fate so cruel?

    For the first time, she felt beaten but she also wanted to hold on and not let go. And because of that, Kelly felt a boldness that she had never felt before ¨C the boldness that a young woman in love possessed, where nothing scared her.

    "Your flight is to ¨C"

    Before he could even finish his statement, he swallowed his words and looked at her in disbelief. The girl suddenly lifted her long legs and sat on hisp, straddling him as she faced him. She then wrapped her arms around his neck, gazing at him intensely.

    Next, she took his hand and pressed it against her chest, to make him feel her heartbeat, the heart that beat for him only.

    "I love you," she confessed, as straightforward as ever. She had said that she had regretted not being able to tell him how she felt about him and now that he was here, she took the first opportunity to confess her feelings for him.

    Kai opened his lips and closed them again. He was lost for words. He didn''t know what to say. He felt like his brain was shutting down.

    He didn''t know how to feel at that moment. Her words made him question his own feelings towards her. Did he feel the same?

    Their interactions with each other had always been her making a move towards him. He thought it was just a game for her, a game of cat and mouse. He thought that she was just doing it for entertainment. That all changedst night when they had¡­ well, be more intimate. That was the turning point in Kai''s eyes. That was when he realised that his feelings for her may be deeper than he thought. His admiration for her somehow turned into something more, something deeper than that. He liked her in the way a man liked a woman. He did have feelings for her. But was it love? Even if it was, did it matter?

    He knew that it was impossible for them. He already told her that, already exined it to her so why¡­ Why was she doing this now?

    .

    I am so happy we crossed 50k votes. Thank u so much guys. I will give bunos chapter tomorrow ^^

    If we stay rank 1 again tomorrow, you will get 4 so keep voting for this book my lovely hellbounders. \u003c3

 Chapter 318 The most selfish line

    <h4>Chapter 318 The most selfish line</h4>

    "K-kelly¡­ I ¨C"

    Once again, he was cut off. This time, she kissed him, in that oh so intimate position, in front of many eyes. Kai was again losing it. Why did she have to be so bold? Her boldness was driving him insane!

    His hand moved on her shoulders to pull her away from him before¡­ before all hell broke loose.

    But Kelly activated her ko grip. She refused to let go. "I won''t let go. I will kiss you until you agree to be mine."

    Kai saw everyone''s eyes on them. He knew they could hear what she was saying so without a choice, Kai stood up, with Kelly the Ko still clinging on him. He carried her out of the bar like he was cradling a baby - a big baby.

    Once they reached the car, Kai put her down in the passenger seat but the hooligan Ko still wouldn''t let go. He sighed and walked towards the other side and sat on the driver''s seat with her.

    He dialed a number on his phone, ignoring the girl cradled in his arms. "I will leave the man to you. Make sure to watch him closely," he said on the phone and when someone said ''yes'', he ended it.

    "That was a girl Who is she?" she asked.

    "One of my female cousins."

    "Oh. So she''s royalty as well? Why would she be the one following Chris around and not some vampire guard or cop or something?"

    "She volunteered. She''s a fan of that Chris guy."

    "Oh, so she''s his stalker? Is she cute? Cute stalkers can get away with being a stalker. Wait, where are we going? Are you bringing me back to the pce?" Kelly smiled coquettishly.

    "To the airport," he answered, eyes looking straight towards the road.

    Kelly''s smile instantly faded. Uncaring that they were in a moving car, Kelly kissed him. The car immediately slowed and Kai somehow managed to park it safely on the roadside.

    "Kelly!" his voice thundered as he pulled her back. This was the first time this prince yelled at her. He closed his eyes and looked down, feeling guilty, when he realized his tone. "Please¡­ I already told you¡­ it''s not¡­ it''s not possible for us."

    "You never know unless you try, prince."

    "They tried Kelly. Someone I knew tried and it ended in disaster. So please listen to me. This is for your sake."

    "So you''re pushing me away not because you don''t love me but because I would be in danger, right?"

    Kai couldn''t reply. Not because he didn''t love her? He didn''t know. All he knew was that he just couldn''t leave her alone. And he couldn''t resist her. His heart right now sped up abnormally every time she kissed him. Since they left his room this morning, he had this feeling deep within him that he didn''t want her to go.

    "It''s okay, baby, don''t be scared." She cupped his face and smiled. "I don''t mind being in a rtionship without sex," she added, making Kai close his eyes and throw his head back. "Well, I am lusting after you so I might not be able to stop myself from doing naughty things with you but¡­ doing naughty things like what we didst night didn''t harm me, no? So it''s fine, right?" She grinned as Kai opened his eyes again and looked at her.

    "Don''t worry too much, baby," she whispered as she licked his lips. "Let''s give each other a chance, shall we? Let''s just test it. If¡­ if we''re really not meant to be then I will give up. But right now, I don''t want to give up without even trying."

    Kai knew this was a bad idea. He had seen it before. Doing this would only cause more heartache and if it ended badly, that ending would be brutally¡­ painful. So why couldn''t he say no? Why couldn''t he push her away? Why did he¡­ why did he suddenly want to be selfish now?

    In a way she was right. A sexless rtionship might actually work¡­ No! Damn, what was he thinking?

    Kai buried his head on her shoulder. His silky hair rubbed against Kelly''s face and she smelled his fresh and yummy scent. He was like a spring flower she wanted to smell all day, all night.

    "If I say ''no'', what will you do?"

    Kelly froze and didn''t respond. She was silent even when Kai lifted his face and looked at her. She just stared at him, unmoving like a doll.

    Kelly didn''t really think of a n B, of what she would do if he had rejected her. When she decided to confess to him, she had only meant to do it so that she would have no regrets. But as she said those words, she realised that she didn''t want to just leave things like that. She wanted to at least push and try and do everything she could to make it work so that even if it didn''t work out in the end, she could look back and tell herself that she had done everything she could possibly do. At that point, she would move on without looking back, without regret. Maybe.

    The silence dragged on. It was deafening and the intensity of her gaze was something Kai couldn''t bear.

    "Fine." he gave in. "Let''s try..."

    A smile broke on Kelly''s face and she hugged him. "Oh gosh! You really are such a sweet, cutie pie. This is why I fell in love with you." She kissed his cheek. She looked so happy and relieved and excited.

    "Thank you," she whispered and then, her lips found his. She parted his lips and he let her in and in just a matter of seconds, the car started to be filled with moans from their intense kisses. She was just so good at this whole kissing thing and it didn''t help that he was very attracted to her too. She pressed her body against him until there was no more space left between them.

    She was like a merciless wildfire, burning him. Even his guilt didn''t escape. It felt crazy but it seemed he wanted to be burned by her. And for the first time he uttered the most selfish line he had thought in some time, e what may''.

 Chapter 319 Rings

    <h4>Chapter 319 Rings</h4>

    "Okay, can we have a proper date tonight, my Prince?" Kelly asked when their lips finally parted. He was d that she pulled away because he found that he just couldn''t.

    "Where do you want to go?" he asked her and Kelly showed him a yful yet expectant smirk.

    "I want you to show me your powers," she grinned, cupping her fists as she looked at him with excitement.

    "You said you wanted to have a proper date."

    "Well, don''t vampires have their date on top of trees, under the lover''s moon?"

    Kai was speechless. "That''s the kind of date you want?"

    She nodded like an old monk and Kai couldn''t help but smile.

    "Alright, but you''re gonna have to unglue yourself from my torso first."

    Kelly, the ko, finally let go and she climbed off the car.

    Kai followed and he squatted on the ground in front of Kelly. She immediately hopped on, piggy back style, before he could say anything.

    "Ahhh! I''m so excited," she eximed as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

    "Don''t girls like to have romantic, expensive dinners or things like that on their first date?"

    "Oh c''mon, baby boy, what''s the fun in doing all that boring stuff! I have a vampire boyfriend so, of course I would rather do new and fun things that no mortal human man could ever give me. Oh wait¡­ you are my boyfriend now, right?"

    Kai: ". . ."

    "Silence means yes. Okay. Got it." She craned her head over his shoulder to look at him. "I''m ready for the ride of my life, my man," she added as she kissed his cheek. She didn''t see it but his ears reddened when she called him ''my man''.

    Surprisingly, it tickled him and he liked it.

    "Hold on tight."

    "Yes, boss!"

    And thus, he jumped. Kelly screamed from excitement so Kainded on one of the street posts. "Don''t scream. I told you, vampires can hear you."

    "But it''s amazing! It''s like riding on a roller coaster!"

    "Are you scared? We can go back to the car and ¨C"

    "No, no, no!" she protested before she leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "I love roller coaster rides, baby, especially when you''re the one I''m riding."

    Kai coughed. Damn. Was she really trying to seduce him right now?

    Trying to hide his reaction from her, Kai jumped again, causing the girl to cling tightly onto his neck and shut her mouth. He leapt from post to post in a very fluid manner. He was slow and graceful because he wanted her to enjoy the experience. Kai knew this was wrong. He knew he was being selfish. He should be pushing her away instead of pulling her in. Even though she chose to take this leap, it was his responsibility to keep his ground and say no because he was the one who knew better. Only an impossible future was for them at the end of this.

    But he just couldn''t say no to her. Maybe he had been longing for someone to love too, for someone to stay beside him no matter the danger it brought. He didn''t know he was this kind of person. He didn''t know he was this selfish and starved for someone''s affection, for someone who would tell him that she loved him despite it all.

    At that moment, there was only one thing in Kai''s mind and that was to make her happy as long as he could until the day came when she would finally get tired of him. When she couldn''t stand the kind of rtionship they agreed on, he thought that she would eventually leave him. He was surprised at the tinge of pain he felt as he imagined that day, but he told himself that it was alright because he was still thankful that someone at least fought for him. He would still be thankful that he had crossed paths with this interesting girl that was hugging him right then. All he wanted was for that time toe slowly so that he could prepare himself.

    Kainded on top of the tallest birch tree which overlooked the city.

    Kelly''s mouth was opened wide.

    "Haha. I feel like I''m a heroine in a movie." She giggled.

    "How was that?"

    "Inexplicable. I wished I could yell and scream at the top of my lungs! Darn. Can you imagine riding a roller coaster and not being allowed to scream your heart out?!"

    "Well¡­ I never rode one so¡­"

    "Geez¡­ you don''t have any idea how ¡­uh, never mind. Anyway, was that your fastest speed?"

    "Slowest."

    "Aww. So you''re being so considerate of me?" Her gaze turned sexy. Kai had let her stand on a tree trunk with her hands wrapped around his neck. "I think I should reward you for being such a good boy," she added and she kissed him again.

    This time, their kiss was more passionate. Slow and sensual. Kelly was not a wild beastess anymore and her kiss was soothing, as if she was telling him that it was okay, that everything will be okay and he needed to just enjoy the flow, live for the moment and not worry about tomorrow.

    ¡­

    Back in the pce.

    Abi was busy packing. Her luggage from the hotel she checked in at had just arrived. Zeke told her to just take the bare necessities because they would be going to the mountains and remote viges.

    Alex was just sitting there, like a good boy watching her. He was really doing his best, it seemed, to win the deal.

    Abi ignored him until she finished everything. Finally, everything was ready. She looked at him and their eyes met. She wanted to start pushing him to break the deal but it was alreadyte and they had to wake up early for the journey. The n was for the three of them to leave the pce without notice.

    Taking a deep breath, Abi decided to back off for now. She needed a proper rest, too.

    "Are you still not going to sleep?" she asked. "I am a little tired now."

    Alex tilted his head as he nced at the bed. "Go ahead. I''ll join youter." He sounded pretty calm.

    "Okay." Abi then sat beside him, ignoring his gaze on her. She was about to lie down but her eyes caught sight of the rings again, creating a lump in her throat. She felt hurt seeing these precious rings just being left there like they were just a cold disy. "Uhm¡­ Alex¡­ you said you don''t know who owned these rings, right?¡­ Can I have them? I will give them back to you when you find the owner."

    Alex''s eyes finally moved away from her face. That was right. Those mysterious rings. Those rings were as peculiar as her.

    "Why do you want them?"

    "Because, uhm¡­ I feel bad that they''re being left there all alone."

    Alex stood up and walked over her. He picked the rings and leaned by the table, facing her.

    He held the ne and let the rings hang between them.

    His eyes smoldered. "Okay, I will give them to you." he said. "But in one condition¡­"

    .

    I am so happy we crossed 50k votes. Thank u so much guys. I will give bunos chapter tomorrow ^^

    If we stay rank 1 again tomorrow, you will get 4 so keep voting for this book my lovely hellbounders. \u003c3

 Chapter 320 Mistake

    <h4>Chapter 320 Mistake</h4>

    "But in one condition."

    She looked at him in anticipation. Was he going to try and renegotiate their deal? Somehow, Abi could already tell this man was up to no good but it didn''t matter what his conditions were because she was determined to have those rings. She was willing to do anything to get them.

    "What is it?"

    "Tell me you''ll agree first," he said as he shed his killer smile.

    Abi hesitated. "That''s not nice. You should at least tell me the condition first."

    "Well, fine¡­ I changed my mind. I''m not giving them to ¨C"

    "Fine! Okay. I''ll agree as long it''s something I am capable of doing. Happy?" Abi panicked for a moment and she immediately agreed. She tried to convince herself not to agree with his ridiculous request but¡­ these were their wedding rings and she really wanted to keep them with her. Those rings symbolised the most memorable moment of their life. Those rings symbolised their love for each other, all the experiences they had gone through together and all the promises that they gave to each other. Those rings were one of the most important things to her, to them.

    She couldn''t help but re at him. This Alex was really pushing her to the edge and she couldn''t help but want to punish him for ying with her like that, especially when she saw him shing that mischievous triumphant smirk of his.

    "I can''t believe you actually agreed so quickly, littlemb. Did you actually want to have these things that badly?" he narrowed his eyes, curious as to why she actually agreed just like that.

    Abi pressed her lips tightly. She realized that her actions had given her away. She was being too obvious. "Yes. That''s right. The jade ring is beautiful, who wouldn''t want it?"

    Alex''s smirk faded and a re of wonder and curiosity red in his eyes. "You really are such a peculiar girl. You refused me when I said I would give everything in the world to you, yet now you''re doing all this just for a little old ring."

    "Because I don''t want everything in the world, Alex. I don''t need them. There are only a few things I want in my life."

    Their eyes locked and silence reigned between them for a moment. "And I''m not among those few things, right?"

    Abi didn''t answer. She didn''t know what the safest thing would be to tell him. She couldn''t refute it and say that it wasn''t right because she knew he would lock on to that like a dog with bone. She knew that if she said that then the man would probably take it to the extreme and hound her to no end and then she would be in a world of trouble. But then again, she couldn''t say that it was right because that would have been a lie and one that had the potential to hurt them both. That question really stumped her and the silence dragged on as she tried to find an answer that wouldn''t backfire on her.

    dly, Alex straightened up and didn''t wait for her answer. He stepped a little closer to her and he leaned over her until their faces were only inches apart.

    "Okay, this is my condition, littlemb¡­" he started and Abi almost swallowed.

    Could it be that he was going to ask her to divorce him, my ''husband''? She did say that she would do it as long as it was something she could do.

    "Touch me."

    Abi: ". . ."

    For a second she felt relieved that he didn''t ask her to divorce this runaway husband but after the initial relief, Abi felt dumbfounded. ''Huh?''

    "Our deal is that I can''t touch you for five whole days. Doesn''t that mean that it''s okay if it was you who did the touching instead?" He raised his hand and put the ne on her, being very careful not to touch her skin. Alex had realized within these few hours since he made the deal that this deal would be more than torturous for him. He knew that it would take all of his self control and restraint to win this deal but only just now realized that this just might be an impossible task. How the hell was he going to survive five whole days without any body contact with her? He thought that he might have a chance, that he could at least bear it, if he could hug her and cuddle her.

    He had been thinking about what he should do about this since they first made the deal. That was why he was d this chance just magically showed up. It seemeddy luck was on his side tonight.

    With a yful smirk, Alex straightened but he didn''t avert his eyes off her. "I have chosen the easiest task, littlemb, in exchange for these rings. You should be thankful," he said and he climbed on the bed.

    Heid down on the bed, rxed, as if he had finally solved all his troubles and now his mind was calm enough to get to sleep well, and sleep well he would.

    "Nowe, my sweet maid. Let''s go to bed." he said, folding both arms under his head. "Touch me," he then said, as if she had already forgotten the deal they made just less than a minute ago.

    Abi finally moved andid down on her side of the bed. He did make a good point, there. Their deal was that he wasn''t allowed to touch her, but that didn''t mean she couldn''t touch him. But because he wasn''t specific with the instructions of how he wanted her to touch him - this reminded her of all those times he had asked her to do something and she did the wrong thing because he wasn''t very specific - she decided to literally follow his words like her old self and turned to her side and just poked him in the cheek. She theny down on her back again, drew up the covers up to her chin and closed her eyes to get some rest.

    Alex looked at her. "What are you doing?"

    "I touched you, like you asked me," she answered matter of factly as she opened her eyes and turned to look at him.

    A throaty chuckle left his mouth.

    "Fine. I will let that be since you look really cute right now," he said as he faced her and felt her ear turned a little hot.

    They stared at each other and then Alexy back down and turned to his side facing her. Not even five secondster and he closed his eyes and gave her another set of instructions.

    "Move closer, littlemb. This time put your arm around my waist," he instructed clearly as he smiled invitingly and Abi knew she could no longer get away with her n. With a soft sigh, she turned to face him and she ced her arm over his waist.

    Alex bit his lips the moment he felt her heat envelope him. Abi yawned. It had felt like a very long day for her and now all the events that took ce finally caught up to her.

    "Goodnight, Alex," she said sleepily. Alex felt the urge to tuck the stray strand of her behind her ear but he forced himself to keep still, his eyes contemtive.

    The next moment, the girl closed her eyes and fell asleep in no time, leaving Alex wondering once again if he had made a grave mistake in asking her for this condition.

    .

    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 321 Village

    <h4>Chapter 321 Vige</h4>

    A soft rm echoed inside their room, waking up the sleeping beauty. She turned over on the bed andy on her back, moaning at the sudden interruption. Was it time already? She felt that she barely got any sleep at all!

    She counted to ten before she forced her eyes open, and rubbed the sleep from them. ''Alright! Wake up, Abi. It''s time to go,'' she encouraged herself. She turned the bedsidemp on, flung the covers off her and got up off the bed. She stretched and then looked back at the bed to see if she needed to wake Alex up.

    Her eyes were met with a pair of charcoal eyes already awake and alert. Her heart thudded in her chest for a wild second.

    "Good morning, Alex. How long have you been awake for?" she asked, trying to calm her racing heart. God, why did he have to look so damn good?

    "Good morning, littlemb. I woke up not too long ago," he answered.

    "Oh. Okay. Well, I''m going to go and get ready," she told him before she escaped to the bathroom.

    When Abi left the bathroom, she was already changed and she looked like she was ready for the day ahead. Her eyes were bright and sharp. She saw that Alex was also ready to go.

    They both grabbed their backpacks and put them on before they finally left the room.

    The outside world was still under the cover of darkness, the perfect time to sneak out of the castle. As they entered the corridor, Alex and Abi stopped by an open window. In the next second, Abigail was lifted up by Alex as he jumped on top of the windowsill.

    Abi didn''t kick up at him touching her because this was all part of the n. Alex had to carry her because he was going to jump out from the window to the ground and there was no way Abi could do that on her own. This was the quickest and safest way to sneak out without being seen by any of the guards or the residents of the castle.

    Still, Abi couldn''t help but give him a look of warning, as if to tell him that she was on to him and that he better not try anything funny.

    "What? This is an exception," he said in response and just smirked. "Hold on tight," he added and when she wrapped her arms around him, he leapt off the windowsill and they were falling to the ground. Alexnded with a soft thud and he looked around, making sure no one was around.

    They then headed towards the foot of the hill, with Alex still carrying Abi because it was faster that way, to their rendezvous point.

    When they got there, they saw a nondescript car waiting for them, with the engine already rumbling. Zeke was sitting in the driver''s seat, waiting for them to get in.

    Alex finally, reluctantly, put Abigail down and she climbed into the back seat, while Alex sat in the front passenger seat. The moment the doors closed, Zeke elerated off towards their destination. He drove the car like a maniac that Abi put her seatbelt on and held onto it tightly.

    Eventually, she spoke.

    "I didn''t think we would be taking a car," she said, voicing her surprise at their mode of transport. She thought that because this was a reconnaissance mission that they would prefer a less conspicuous approach.

    "Yes. Why? Would you prefer to go by foot?"

    "Well, no, but¡­ I thought¡­"

    "Unfortunately, running with you isn''t an option. You''d be destroyed by the time we arrive there if we did that."

    The conversation ended at that. Abi knew that Zeke had a n so she would just go along with that.

    Meanwhile, Alex was still savouring being able to hold her for a short time that he didn''t listen to the conversation at all. He just closed his eyes and pictured that moment when he picked her up and was able to hold her close to him. He still felt the heat of her body on his skin and she smiled at the thought.

    As they drove along, the sun started to rise up, spreading its long wings over the country and Abi could not help but gasp in awe again at how amazingly beautiful this country was. The snowy mountains were almost blinding from the sun''s kiss. The trees that lined the roads reached out towards the sunlight, ready to receive its warm blessings. Abi could not get enough. Even as they sped through the windy roads, her eyes were glued to the outside world, trying to memorise all the wonderful things she was seeing.

    After a few hours, the car finally started to slow down so Abi immediately sat up from her seat to take a look outside and holy moly, what a sight it was.

    They were entering what seemed like a small vige that was built around a small river which flowed through in the middle of it. That vige itself seemed to be much the same as the other viges they had passed by, which mainly consisted of a small cluster of gray-toned, stone houses scattered along thend. The main difference between those other viges and this one was that this vige was built beside a tall cliff with a huge waterfall down the side of it, feeding the vige''s river.

    The waterfall started from the top of the cliffside and made its way down the bottom of the cliff, showering the vige with many small rainbows as the sunshine poured through the sprays from the waterfall. She didn''t know a ce like this existed! She thought that she had seen the most amazing sight she would ever see when they went to see the Northern Lights but this was just as spectacr. She was speechless!

    There were so many things that this kingdom was hiding from the world and she felt very lucky to be able to see these things that not everyone would have the opportunity to.

    .

    For new readers, if u are stuck in a certain chapter despite having enough coins, please try removing the book from your library and add it back again. There are 5 advance chapters that could only be ess if you buy the privilege. But worry not if you can''t but them, they will be pushed down once I update. I also update 3 chapters daily.

    Hope this answered your queries.

 Chapter 322 Date

    <h4>Chapter 322 Date</h4>

    "This is such a beautiful ce. Do witches really live here?" Abi asked. She was simply awed. It was just too beautiful, it could be called paradise.

    She couldn''t believe that a witch was actually living in a ce like this. Of course, from all the books she had read, she had imagined a dull, eerie ce in the woods or something akin to that when she found out that they were heading to the northernmost vige of the country! So seeing this vige, which was as far from her imagination as it could be, she waspletely awestruck by the natural beauty and this feeling of peacefulnessing from the ce.

    "Yes. The witches like to stay in ces like this, close to the ck forest, where they can run to escape from danger. They know the dark forest well so they have a high chance of escaping when vampires spot them." Alex replied.

    "So you''re saying that they are living and roaming around as one of the vigers?"

    "Yes. This vige in particr isposed of only humans."

    "Really? All of them?" Abi looked at him with wide eyes, surprised.

    "Yes. These people are the descendants of one family who came to live here hundreds of years ago. The first family who settled here were the royal family of an overthrown kingdom. The exiled king happened to be this country''s king''s friend so he had allowed them to settle here in peace. They vowed to keep the country''s secret and never leave the ce in exchange for the protection from vampires. Now, that family grew into a vige."

    "That''s a very interesting story," she uttered, still gushing at the sight before her eyes. "They must''ve been so thankful to be living in this paradise peacefully."

    "Probably."

    "What''s the name of this vige?"

    "White Falls Vige."

    "White falls... It''s a nice name."

    The car idled in front of a small hotel. It looked picturesque. It was made of wood and there were flowers hanging all over the bricks.

    "You two will stay here for the day," Zeke, who was a mute the entire trip, finally spoke.

    Alex stepped out and took their luggage out and ced them by the stairs.

    Abi watched Zeke''s car leave with a slight frown. He was supposed to stay close to them, right?

    "What? You want Zeke to stay with us in the hotel?" Alex leaned behind her. "Too bad for you but Zeke isn''t interested in bing a third wheel."

    A smirk yed on his face before he turned and walked up the stairs towards the door. Abi could only follow him in silence as an olddy weed them.

    She led them upstairs and showed them their room.

    Once thedy left, Alex walked out the door towards the small terrace. Abi got attracted by the beauty outside as well and she followed him. They could now see the vige, the huge rock mountain in the background and the majestic falls.

    Ah, this was so refreshing¡­

    Abi closed her eyes to savor the cool, fresh air. There was no pollution in the vige. There were cars parked up around the ce but there were only a few of them. It looked like these were only used for long trips outside the vige as she could see that all the people were mostly going about their business on foot or on bicycles.

    The greenery was just too breathtaking to ignore. She just couldn''t believe it! She breathed in deeply to take in this unpolluted air into her lungs. Again, she felt a very keen sense of something extraordinary in the air, as if magic surrounded the entire ce.

    She never thought that this was the kind of ce they were going to. She almost felt like she was off on a vacation, and not on a witch hunt.

    When she opened her eyes, Alex was observing her face closely.

    "What are you thinking?" he asked.

    Abi blinked. Well, Alex had been very well behaved since this morning and it seemed that he really was taking their deal seriously because he was actually maintaining a safe distance between them. It also seemed to her that he was abstaining from teasing her.

    "I was wondering if we were allowed to go out." she said. Well, she really wanted to explore the ce. She didn''t know how long they would be staying there so she wanted to at least look around while she still could. She thought it might be okay for them to look around since Zeke still hadn''t given her any instruction at all. He didn''t even say anything before he left them.

    That was why she could only deduce that they were not going witch hunting just yet. Maybe he was giving her time to rest? Or maybe, he was waiting for night time toe? If that was so, then going exploring might be alright while they waited for Zeke''s signal.

    "So you want to go on a date with me, huh? Sure¡­" he smiled and Abi was once again speechless. Just when she thought he was behaving himself, he then went and threw this her way. She could only shake her head as she headed towards the door.

    They left the hotel and Abi skipped on the narrow street made of bricks, with flowers hanging from the walls.

    ''This ce was really unique,'' she thought, and for a long while she lost herself, too engrossed from enjoying their exploration. Well, it had been too long since she went out for anything like this. The past three months were like a whole season of gloomy weather. Those past three months felt like the sun never rose and she couldn''t see the beauty in anything. That was why she felt really revitalized at being able to at least see these things now because Alex was with her now, despite the fact that he had forgotten her.

    Stopping in her tracks, Abi turned around with a wide smile but what she saw was Alex standing far behind her.

    Abi immediately jogged back to him. She couldn''t go too far away from him. Who knew if there were witches in disguise lurking around?

    Seeing his face as she approached him, Abi suddenly remembered how Alex looked when she had forced him to help her to sell those cakes from their booth. Somehow, this bored expression looked exactly like the expression he wore at that time.

    "If you want to go back we can ¨C"

    "Aren''t you supposed to be holding my hand, huh? Littlemb? What if someone takes this stunning creature away?" He pointed to himself cheekily.

    Abi could only gape at him. But without any more ado, she took his hand, causing Alex''s lips to curve up. His bored face literally brightened up as he intertwined their hands.

    This feeling made Abi''s heart flutter. It was like they really were on a date and it made her feel nice.

    Time passed and they arrived at a caf¨¦ in an old house made of bricks. The front door had flowers draped over it like a curtain and it looked very inviting.

    The sun looked to have hidden behind some dark clouds and when she looked up, she felt a few small drops of rainnd on her face so she pulled Alex inside.

    They sat by the ss window, overlooking the street as they waited for the coffees they had ordered. A waitress soon brought over their order and ced the mugs on the table.

    Abi was all smiles and Alex had been watching her bright smile since the moment they stepped out of the car. He felt something different whenever she smiled like that and he liked it.

    "This ce is really romantic," Abi told him as she sighed.

    "Hmm? It''s romantic because the one you''re with is me, Abigail. The ce is only 10% of it," he smirked.

    Oh God, why was he getting cheekier by the day?

    Abi nced at him through her mug. He wasn''t wrong. She probably wouldn''t have enjoyed this without him, well, at least not as much as she did now. She was happy. She was so happy to be able to spend moments like this with him again. But she couldn''t say that to him.

    Clearing her throat, Abi looked away and stared through the ss window. The sky was bing more gray now. Gone was the blue sky. The vige was still beautiful but seeing the sky right then made Abi finally feel like they were there for something else, and not for a vacation. She wondered why Zeke didn''t tell them what the next n was. What were they supposed to do now? She was still in the dark as to the details of this witch hunt. She wondered where he was because at that moment, she really wanted to know it too.

    "What are you thinking?" Alex''s voice pulled her out her thoughts.

    "Uhm¡­ I was wondering where Zeke is." she answered and Alex''s face immediately darkened with displeasure.

    Abi looked down, sensing how he seemed to really dislike her mentioning Zeke''s name. "Uhm¡­ I¡­" she tried to think of another distraction but as she tried to say something, her ears suddenly picked up a familiar type of heartbeat and her eyes widened.

    .

    I am so happy we crossed 50k votes. Thank u so much guys. I will give a bunos chapter tomorrow ^^

    If we stay rank 1 again tomorrow, you will get 4chapters and if we stay in the rank the whole week, I will keep releasing 3 chapters daily so keep voting for this book my lovely hellbounders. \u003c3

 Chapter 323 Take me

    <h4>Chapter 323 Take me</h4>

    Dear readers, today''s chapters are all about Kelly and Kai. I don''t have any n to write a spin off for them so please don''t expect it.

    Don''t worry, we will go back to our Abi and Alex tomorrow onwards so enjoy Kelly and Kai''s moments now ^^.

    ...

    Meanwhile, at the capital¡­

    Kelly groaned as she woke up. She opened her eyes but then she quickly closed them again as she put an arm over them to shield them from the brightness of the sunlight. With her arm still blocking the sun from her eyes, she slowly opened them to see that she was inside arge room, lying down on a huge ck bed. She noticed that this didn''t look like Kai''s room at the castle but then her mind was instantly diverted towards the man himself!

    She looked around, looking for Kai, but found that he wasn''t there. She slowly stood up, noticed the big shirt she was wearing and a big smile formed on her face. She was about to fall back on the bed to reminisce about her hot datest night when her stomach protested.

    It was already past noon and she was famished. Deciding to get up and search for some food instead, she walked out the door and was instantly met with a delicious aroma of food, making her stomach grumble even more. ''Feed me,'' itined.

    Kelly followed her nose which led her to the kitchen and while the aroma of the food was very enticing, it wasn''t nearly as yummy as the sight that met her. Her delicious Prince charming was standing by the stove, wearing a cute apron, stirring something on a pan. At that moment, he really looked like a very doting, domesticated husband.

    Aww, she couldn''t help but imagine him as her husband and her heart swelled. Without calling out to him, she quickly ran towards him and gave him a tight hug from behind as the things that happened the night before shed in her head.

    ¡­

    Last night¡­

    "I don''t want to go home yet," Kelly said as Kai carried her on his back. The darkness had truly settled at this point and Kai had been intending on dropping her off to her hotel room, sooner rather thanter.

    "Let me stay with you for a while, please?" Kelly asked when she felt that Kai was thinking of finishing up their date.

    They were on top of one the tallest buildings in the country and the view was magnificent. The lights that were scattered throughout the city made it seem like the sky was now below them instead of up above. Kelly looked down at the scenery and sighed inwardly as he continued trying to persuade Kai to let her stay.

    "I''m on vacation anyway so it''s not a problem for me to stay for a while. Please?" she negotiated. However, there was an undercurrent in Kelly''s tone, as if she was hiding something or running away from something.

    Kelly also had her own life changing secret. What was waiting for Kelly back at home was her engagement to some man she didn''t really know.

    Her family was quite wealthy and she was the only daughter. Over the past three months, her grandparents had been busy setting her up on a lot of blind dates with sons of other wealthy families. She was now 23 and her grandparents were very unsubtly telling her to get married and give them their great-grandchildren. Kelly was the only hope of the Yang family. She stood to inherit the huge amount of wealth of the Yang family, being the only grandchild, but only under the condition that she marry the man her grandparents chose for her. It sounded stupid but her family was the typical, wealthy, traditional type where money and prestige mattered. Even her parents couldn''t escape its ws and Kelly herself was the product of that arranged marriage.

    She knew this wasing. And being the only daughter, she knew she couldn''t escape it. She had made a deal with her parents to give her a year of freedom, a year to do whatever she wanted and after that time, she would go home and take on the responsibilities of the sole heir of their family''s line. That burden was hers to bear.

    She felt like the whole world was on her shoulders and she had just barely finished school. Was she supposed to grow up straight away and take all those responsibilities at such a young age? Was she going to even be able to live a little? She had all this money but she couldn''t even do what she wanted with it! She knew the kind of life that awaited her, the kind of life she would have to live to fulfill her family''s wishes and the thought of it scared her a little.

    And so, she made a deal with her parents.

    Kelly had spent the year doing whatever she wanted. She partied hard, travelled to all the ces she wanted to see, met plenty of people (as well as beat up many more) and it felt amazing. For someone who had been living like a caged bird, that year of freedom was like air to a drowning man. The freedom of being able to fly as high as she could felt exhrating. She wasn''t looking for anything in particr. She just wanted to do as many things as she could with that small window of time she was given.

    But that one year was about to end and as that deadline drew closer, she found the fruit she didn''t even know she had wanted, and what was worse was that this delicious fruit ended up to be the forbidden one.

    As she thought about it more, if Abi hadn''t insisted oning back here, she wouldn''t have remembered this prince. If she hadn''te here, she would have been at home in some party, all dressed up and dancing with the fianc¨¦ that she would have just met.

    "Why don''t you want to go home?" Kai asked, putting her down gently on the rooftop.

    "Well, I want to stay with you a little longer. I finally reeled you in and am just about to eat you up so it''d be really silly of me if I leave you before doing that. So I will stay here for now, whether you like it or you love it." She grinned at him with such confidence.

    "Are you sure? Your family might ¨C"

    "Don''t worry about them, my man. I''ll deal with them tomorrow." She winked at him. "Now, take me to yourir!"

 Chapter 324 You

    <h4>Chapter 324 You</h4>

    Please refresh the previous chapter. I already changed the content.

    .

    She turned him around and jumped on his back and Kai could only shake his head and chuckle as he did her bidding and took her to his ir''.

    Hended on arge deck in front of a very beautiful house in the middle of the forest.

    Kelly''s mouth hung open as he put her down.

    The house had a masculine vibe to it because of the dark tones that it was painted with. It looked a little like a lego house, with its straight, angled shapes, but the shapes worked. It was a beautiful piece of architecture.

    The lights inside the rooms were on which illuminated the two storey structure. The walls facing her were made of ss, and she could see straight inside the rooms on the bottom level. There was a bedroom on the right side of the house and arge kitchen/lounge area on the left. In the middle was a small, open area with a couple of outdoor lounge chairs overlooked out the deck to the forest. There was also a built in pool to her left which sparkled under the lights.

    There was a second storey but she couldn''t quite see what was up there. Nheless, whatever was up there would surely be as amazing as what she saw on the ground floor.

    "Oh gosh, is this your vi?"

    "Yes."

    Kelly lips turned ''o'' as she peered inside, trying to take a better look. ''As expected of this prince,'' she thought. Kai then moved towards the door and Kelly followed closely behind him. He opened the door for her and she walked inside. They hade in through the left hand side of the house which had the kitchen and lounge area. The kitchen was huge and amazing and shiny and she wondered if it had ever been used before. She then walked towards the lounge which had a couple of lounge suites and a small coffee table. The window looked out at the pool. The set up was very well thought out, with a smooth flow from the kitchen to the lounge. As she looked around, Kelly could tell that this was definitely a bachelor pad. The room had a minimalistic feel to it. It was neat and tidy and very organised.

    She looked back at him with a sense of wonder. She had thought that his house would be like those cold, ancient castles but he actually had a very modern ce. This pretty boy really had such an unexpected preference.

    "Do you often stay here?"

    "No, not really. I onlye here when I want to be alone. You are too noisy so I couldn''t take you back to the castle. That''s why I decided to bring you here instead."

    Kelly smiled as she licked her lower lip. "Oh¡­ that was a very good decision, baby boy."

    She looked around and her face became serious as her gaze found their way back to him. "How many girls have you brought here with you?"

    Kai stared back at her. "This ce has just been finished recently, so just one. You." Kai didn''t break eye contact with her as he said thatst word and a tingle ran down her spine. She instantly thought that her prince was obviously trying to seduce her so she walked up to him and wrapped her hands around his neck.

    "Kiss me," she whispered and Kai didn''t hesitate. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her body close to him before he lowered his head to kiss her. They kissed for what seemed like a long time until Kelly moved away to take a breath. That kiss literally made her breathless.

    She cleared her throat before a sexy smile formed on Kelly''s face. She had been eyeing that swimming pool since they first got here and she thought it would be the perfect way to wind down after their date.

    "I want to swim in the pool. Let''s go together, shall we?" she said as she stepped back from him. Without waiting for his response, she grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the pool. She stopped just a meter from the edge and then she turned back to face Kai. She then started to unbutton her shirt, slowly, one at a time, holding his eyes with hers.

    Once she was done with her shirt, she then unbuttoned and unzipped her pants and again, slowly undressed in front of him. There was no hesitation in her eyes or in her movements. This girl was as confident as ever. She kicked her pants off and then her hand went to her hair. She pulled her hair tie off and then ran her fingers through her hair, shaking them loose and letting them fall naturally over her shoulders. Kelly was standing in front of Kai in nothing but her underwear, showing off her lean and sexy body and Kai could only swallow.

    "Your turn, Kai. Or do you want me to undress you?" Kelly asked, breaking the spell that Kai was under.

    Kai let out a sigh and he undressed himself, not sure that he would be able to hold back if she touched him at that moment, and Kelly just smiled with a twinkle in her eye.

    She turned around to walk towards the pool and Kai tried not to look at her backside, trying to be respectful, but the demon in him was too much to control and he ended up watching her, admiring her cute little bottom.

    He watched her walk towards the pool and in the next second, she jumped in, just like that!

    "Whoa! It''s cool and I love it," she said loudly. "C''mon Kai. Join me. Fast!" she called out to him. Her voice somehow made this dead-quiet house feel alive.

    Kai approached the small pool. He was in his boxers as he walked to the edge, looking at her.

    "Are you not cold?" he asked.

    "I am," she replied and Kai creased his brows.

    .

    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 325 0.00001% chance

    <h4>Chapter 325 0.00001% chance</h4>

    [WARNING: MATURE CONTENT]

    Kelly chuckled. She already knew what he was thinking.

    "Come along, my prince." She reached out and Kai took her hand and let her pull him down. Kelly quickly clung onto him like a ko, stealing all the heat from his body, as she whispered. "Let''s go crazy tonight, shall we?"

    Kai held her waist and looked at her. "I don''t think that''s a good idea. If I lose myself, I might end up killing you," he said, worried. But Kelly''s smile didn''t fade.

    "Geez¡­ have some faith in yourself, will you? And also, this whole thing has been bugging me. You said humans and vampires never work, then howe Alexander, a half vampire, exists?"

    Kai fell silent with her question. "Alex''s case is from thousands and thousands of years ago. We have no idea how that happened up to now."

    "You didn''t ask him?"

    "Alex doesn''t remember most of his memories before he became immortal, so there''s no way to find out unless you travel back to the past. All we know is that all human and vampire rtionships end tragically. He is the only half vampire that we know exists," he answered. He was being brutally honest, yet the heat between them wasn''t subsiding.

    Kelly looked a little affected by it but she still smiled in the end.

    "Well, maybe, there''s some secret behind that? It still means that there is 0.00001% chance that it might be possible."

    "I don''t want to give you any hope."

    "Sigh¡­ never mind then. We''ll talk about that next time. For now, let''s¡­" she ran her hands over his broad chest. "Let''s experiment and find out where your limit is. How about it?"

    Kai''s eyes widened for a moment.

    "Last night¡­ we did that what I think was close enough to sex and you didn''t lose control, right? Tonight¡­ I want to know the things that we can do," she said seductively as her finger traced his lips.

    Kai''s Adam''s apple bobbed up and down. And just like that, he said "Okay." He really had no strength left to say to no to this girl¡­ It seemed it was finally confirmed that he was just putty in her hands now.

    With that, Kelly started to explore with her hands. She started by touching him all over, his neck, shoulders, chest, abdomen and back just trying to gauge his reactions to her touch. Once she finished, she put her hands behind his head and pulled him down for a rough, wild kiss. She just couldn''t resist him at all!

    After a few seconds, she went back to exploring, this time, a little further down. She hopped off him and pushed him until his back hit the edge of the pool and then her hands trailed from his chest to his groin. Kelly wrapped her hand around his already excited member, and she started to move her hands up and down along him.

    Kai groaned and closed his eyes as she started moving.

    "You''re so good at this," he couldn''t help but say.

    "Well, the bunch of smuts I have read and the porn I have watched¡­ are a huge help¡­"

    His eyes widened in shock. Kai became distracted for a moment as her words registered in his brain. He was about to say something but thought better of it. Of course she would have read those kinds of books and watched those kinds of videos. This was Kelly, after all - the bold, shameless, enchantress.

    "Hop up and sit on the edge of the pool," she suddenly instructed. "We know that doing this is fine because this is what we didst night so I want to try something else."

    Kai looked at Kelly and he saw a glimpse of mischief in her eyes but they were quickly overtaken by desire. She wanted him just as much as he wanted her, it seemed.

    Kai jumped up and sat down at the edge of the pool and Kelly paddled her way to stand between his legs. The pool wasn''t too deep. In fact, it was the perfect height for her to do what she was about to do next.

    Without wasting anymore time, Kelly freed his not so little brother and she licked her lips, as if she was about to devour a delicious meal. She looked up at Kai once more, gave him a wicked smile, before she lowered her head and ced him inside her mouth. The heat of her mouth felt so good and warmed him up real well. But then, she started sucking and licking and his body zed like an inferno!

    Kelly heard Kai''s moan and she felt gratified. She liked it when he reacted to her like this. It made her feel good to know that what she was doing made him feel good too.

    ''Oh, heavens help me!'' Kai couldn''t help but exim inwardly. What she was doing to him right then was pleasurable beyond anything he had ever experienced before. Her tongue was ying havoc with his body right now, twirling and flicking and licking him, and then she would suck him like a lollipop as she drew back towards his tip. She kept a steady pace, her hands and mouth working together in unison to create that feeling of sexual desire within him. And it didn''t take long for him to feel like he was climbing up towards the sky.

    Kai gripped the edge of the pool hard until he felt some of it crumble into dust but he couldn''t help it. She was driving him to the very edge with what she was doing right then! He tried to maintain his self control as he drew closer and closer to the finish line. He was determined not to lose control!

    Kelly knew that he must be getting close to finishing. She could tell by the way his shaft twitched in her mouth and how tense his muscles were. She knew she was so close to giving him that satisfaction that she increased her pace and swallowed him deeper inside her mouth. She heard Kai moan and groan and finally, after one more time of swallowing him, she finally tipped him over the edge.

    He didn''t lose control but Kelly didn''t see his eyes turn red as he exploded because he had closed his eyes.

    .

    Please consider buying privilege. It only cost 1 coin for two advance chapters. ^^

 Chapter 326 More

    <h4>Chapter 326 More</h4>

    [WARNING: MATURE CONTENT]

    After he had calmed down from the fireworks, Kelly looked up at him and said, "Maybe it''s fine as long as I''m the one to do the movements?"

    However, Kai didn''t hear her as he looked intently at her. In the next second, he pulled Kelly out of the pool and jumped up the deck on the second storey, where he walked through the door and ced her on top of the bed.

    "Now, it''s my turn," Kai said as he crawled on top of her. He kissed her passionately, his hands roaming all over her bare skin, making Kelly shiver but not from the cold. After spending a few minutes on her lips, he trailed down south, sucking and licking her each of her breasts, giving them the same amount of attention as he gave her lips. Then, he went further south to her abdomen, over her belly button until he reached her core. He tore her flimsy underwear off and paid her back, in full.

    He licked her there, starting from the bottom to the top, stopping for a bit at her bud and sucking on it. She was already wet, the silky, creamy wetness that only desire could bring. She tasted so good. He then delved his tongue inside her entrance, exploring it as he licked and sucked her juices. He savored her like a famished man.

    He continued his torturous maniption of her and her mind was blown. Every touch caused her to shudder from the sensation, every lick caused her body to twitch, every suck caused her body to arch towards his mouth, begging for more.

    Kelly clutched the sheets with her hands, her knuckles almost white from it. This felt so good.

    Kai didn''t stop, his mouth ying with her, making her want more. As she started to feel that feeling build up inside her, her hand went to his hair, clutching at them, wanting to move him away but also wanting to push him closer, deeper. She wriggled under him but he didn''t let up. He licked and suckled and kissed and in thest moment, when he knew she was about to finish, he slid two fingers deeply inside her, sending her flying up to the sky.

    Kai pulled his fingers out and went toy down next to the sweating Kelly. They wereying down, breathing hard as they tried to catch their breaths.

    After some time, they finally got up and Kai dragged Kelly to the shower to clean up. The steam from the hot shower surrounded them as they washed each other. However, it seemed that the heat had somehow energised Kelly because she suddenly turned to him and said, "I want to do more naughty things to you my man."

    Straight after saying those words, Kelly''s hand went to his penis and she started stroking him again whilst kissing him, the hot water from the shower still pouring over them. She didn''t know if she would ever get enough to this man. Her body had never reacted like this before and she wondered if this was because she loved him. Did these sexual sensations feel so good, so intense because she was in love with the man who evoked them?

    Her train of thought was disrupted when Kai picked her up and headed back towards the bedroom. They both ended up back on the bed where they kissed more passionately than before. It seemed like they just both couldn''t get enough of each other. Kai was half on top of Kelly as they kissed and his hands once again explored her naked body. Just as he was about to touch her there, Kelly rolled over and pinned him down instead. She climbed on top of his and sat on him like a cowgirl.

    "This time, you''re not allowed to touch me, okay?" she instructed.

    Kelly followed Kai''s lead and started to kiss him all over his body. He was so muscr and toned and hot that Kelly wanted to kiss every inch of him.

    Trying something a little more daring, Kelly settled herself on top of him. He wasn''t inside her but they were both naked and their most private parts were touching, skin to skin. She wanted to see if this was okay too, so she started to ride him. She moved slowly at first, forward and back, as she rocked on top of him. She saw Kai close his eyes and she knew that this felt good for him too.

    This sensation was pure ecstasy. Even though he wasn''t inside her, the way their skin rubbed against each was just sensational. The friction between them was so good, so intense that they both got lost in the sensation. She kept going, increased her pace and pressure and in no time, both of them were drowning in that feeling of pleasure. They climbed up higher and higher and just before they were about to enter the realms of euphoria, Kelly said, "I love you, Kai!"

    Kai sat up and embraced Kelly as they both erupted with pleasure.

    But then, at that same moment, Kai''s eyes turned red and his canines grew.

    As Kelly was falling back down from the high, she felt his grip on her tighten and in the next second, she felt his lips on her neck and his canines grazing her skin.

    "K-kai?" she called out. He didn''t seem to hear her. Then she felt his canines dig into her skin.

    .

    Because you guys are so amazing and we are number 1 again this week, I will give one more bunos chapterter because I took a leave from work today ??...

    Hope you enjoyed the chapters ^^

    P.s.

    For new readers, if u are stuck in a certain chapter despite having enough coins, please try removing the book from your library and add it back again. There are 5 advance chapters that could only be ess if you buy the privilege. But worry not if you can''t but them, they will be pushed down once I update. I also update 3 chapters daily minimum as long as we stay in rank 1.

 Chapter 327 Limi

    <h4>Chapter 327 Limi</h4>

    "K-kai?" she called out. He didn''t seem to hear her. She felt his canines dig into her skin and she called his name out louder. "Kai!!"

    Kai snapped out of the haze and pulled away as if he had been burnt. Kelly saw his face, his eyes and his canines.

    The next second, he pinned her down on the bed and he disappeared from in front of her.

    Thest thing she heard was the bathroom door closing with a loud bang.

    Kelly''s heart thudded against her ribcage. They didn''t even fully do it yet. Was that his limit? But he snapped out of it from her calling out his name.

    Her heartbeat slowly calmed down. She then sat up and stared at the bathroom door.

    She cleaned up herself and went to the closet and grabbed one of his shirts. Her eyes caught the mirror and she looked at the wound on her neck. A small trail of blood was flowing down to her chest.

    Seeing it, Kelly suddenly felt worried, worried that Kai might push her away after this.

    "Are you okay?" she suddenly heard his voicee from beside her. His voice was filled with guilt.

    When she turned to look at him, she saw that he was already wearing his robe. His hair was still dripping wet as he looked at her with that expression she didn''t like.

    Like lightning, he was suddenly only inches away from her. His eyes were locked on the wound on her neck and his fists were clenched into tight balls.

    "I''m fin¨C"

    "No, you''re not." He cut her off and he held her face, bumping his forehead on hers. "I¡­ I was about to¡­ kill you," he choked with raw emotion.

    "But you didn''t. You controlled yourself well, Kai."

    "Kelly¡­ please¡­ don''t," he begged. He was so scared. He had never felt this kind of fear in his life before. The thought that he had almost killed her scared him to his bones. And now, just seeing the wound and her blood trailing down her neck, made him want to punish himself in the harshest way. "I will never¡­ never forgive myself if something happens to you."

    Kelly could hear the emotion in his voice. Was he giving up now? Because despite this, she still couldn''t. She probably should have been scared too, like him, but she wasn''t. Was she a masochist? She didn''t know. But one thing she was certain of was that he wouldn''t hurt her more than this. And she now knew his limits, at least.

    "So are you going to push me away now? Kai¡­ look at me. I am unfazed. My heart knows you won''t hurt me more than this. This happened because I pushed you too much. Despite it, you managed to snap out of it. This wound is just shallow. Call me crazy but this is not enough to make me give up on you."

    Kai''s eyes widened in disbelief. He couldn''t believe what she just said. She was supposed to be running away from him now, right?

    Damn. He knew this was just going to get worse but just like her, he appeared to be crazy as well. Because instead of pushing her away, he pulled her into him and hugged her tight.

    "I''m so sorry¡­"

    "It''s okay. It''s my fault for being too horny," she teased, grinning as he patted the back of her head.

    Kai pulled away and stared at her. She was wrong. It wasn''t her fault. It was his for wanting more. For wanting to see more of her dirty side. For wanting more of her.

    His eyes travelled down to her wound and he drew closer. He then began licking her blood, savouring its taste as he closed his eyes.

    "I-is it okay for you to do that? You said it''s no longer allowed for you guys to drink human blood."

    He looked up. "Yes. We royal princes still drink human blood. We are the only exception to thew because we need to stay powerful in order to keep the peace."

    "Just the princes."

    "Yes. Just the princes who are in line to seed the throne. But even we don''t drink it directly from ppeopl. The blood came from willing people who donate it."

    "Willing people? Men and women?"

    "Just women."

    "Why?"

    "Female''s blood is purer and to male vampires, the blood of male doesn''t taste good."

    "How does my blood taste to you? Does it taste the same as the blood from other women?"

    Kai started licking the blood again.

    "Yours is¡­ different."

    "How so?"

    "It''s sweeter than anything else I''ve ever tasted."

    "Really?"

    He licked the wound directly and Kelly closed her eyes. "I don''t have bandages or anything to treat your wound. But my saliva can heal you better than any medicine."

    "Oh, that''s cool."

    "You don''t think it''s gross?"

    "Nope."

    Kai was relieved. Some people find this fact disgusting so he was d she didn''t think the same way.

    "Kai?" she called his name as Kai helped her wear into his shirt.

    "Yes?"

    "If I ask you to drink my blood, would you?"

    Kai halted, shock written all over his face as he looked at her.

    "I won''t die as long you don''t suck it all. I used to donate blood as well you see."

    "I¡­ I won''t."

    "But why?"

    "I''m afraid I might crave for you. A little taste is enough. I will never do that so please don''t ever bring that up again."

    Kelly bit her bottom lip, seeing that he was very serious about it.

    "Fine."

    She surrendered and she finally yawned. It was nearly dawn so she pulled him back towards the bed. They quickly changed the wet sheets and snuggled in bed together.

    "Don''t give up just yet, Kai, okay?" she uttered with closed eyes and Kai pulled her close to him. He wasn''t nning on it. Never.

    ''I was the one who should ask you that, Kelly,'' he murmured to himself before he too finally drifted to sleep.

 Chapter 328 Shameless

    <h4>Chapter 328 Shameless</h4>

    Back in White Falls Vige.

    Abi suddenly stood up and almost jumped towards Alex. She wrapped her hands around his head and pulled him into her bosom and Alex just obediently let her do whatever she wanted. He wasn''t going to stop her from cuddling him.

    His mouth was about to curve into a sexy smirk but it never formed because he could hear her heartbeat going wild and that alone was enough to tell him that this girl wasn''t just ying around. She was very nervous and the way she held him that moment was just¡­

    This made Alex speechless as a slight frown registered on his face. He remembered that Zeke said she was able to tell if a person was a witch from the sound of their heartbeats so judging from her reaction alone, he already concluded that she had probably heard that a witch was nearby. He was pretty amazed at her ability to do this - to be able to distinguish a witch''s heartbeat in this busy ce - but that was not what surprised him most.

    Alex was most surprised and confused about her reaction and emotions. She acted like a terrified littlemb as she held him, as if she was scared that someone would snatch him away from right in front of her, as if she was scared to lose him. She clung on to him for dear life, but it didn''t seem like it was her life she was worried about.

    He then remembered the incident on the rooftop when he fell. Instead of staying put and being safe, she jumped after him, arms wide open, as if she wanted to envelop him into her arms and never let go. She was doing the same thing again, at that cafe. Why did she do that? Why did she jump after him like that? Did she not care about her life at all? Why did she need to go to such extremes for him? She was only human and yet, she had tried to save him, not caring that she could have lost her life in the process!

    And now she was doing it again, pulling him into her arms in a protective gesture. She had pulled him so close to her body that he felt the slight trembling of her fingers and heard the loud, rapid thudding of her heart. Why? Why would she react like this? She had made it clear, time after time again, that she was only his maid and besides¡­ she didn''t even like him¡­ so why would she go that far to save him?

    While questions flooded Alex''s head, Abi was inwardly praying that Zeke would pop out of nowhere so she could finally breathe again. She was starting to panic because of what she heard. She had just been enjoying the view but she had decided to activate her skill just to take stock of their surroundings. Just because they were only looking around didn''t mean that she should let her guard down.

    So, as she sipped her coffee, she listened. She listened to all the sounds around them and once again pictured the sounds as coloured strings woven together. What she then did was block out all the background noises - turning their string colour to ck - so that the only noises left were the sound of heartbeats.

    She ''pulled'' each of the coloured strings that were left and followed the source. It was when she picked a dark violet one that she heard that familiar heartbeat, fast and high pitched - the same heartbeat she heard when that witch showed up in that dungeon. She was positive that this was the heartbeat of a witch!

    Her concentration broke for a second as she realised that a witch was this close to them! That was why she was scared, not for herself but for Alex. If the witch somehow managed to bewitch Alex or control him, they would be done for! Abi was in a panic because she had no idea how she was supposed to stop this witch from taking control of Alex? She had no super powers like they did! How the hell was she supposed to stop a witch?! Zeke, where the hell are you?! You''re supposed to be Alex''s bodyguard!

    The sound of the heartbeat was making Abi''s hair on her skin stand up. She tried to calm herself down enough to follow that dark violet string so that she could find this witch''s location. Where was this witch? Was she inside the caf¨¦ or was she outside?

    Abi tried her best to concentrate, despite her fear, but then Alex''s voice disturbed her and pulled her attention back to him.

    "Littlemb, if you don''t let me go soon¡­ I might start licking your soft peaches through your clothes."

    Abi: ". . . !"

    Abi looked down at him, utterly shocked and speechless. She finally realized that his face was buried in her chest. Her face burned red as he smiled mischievously, before he teasingly licked his lips at her.

    "S-shameless!" she couldn''t help but exim as she pushed his head away from her bosom. He really was bing too much. In fact, his shamelessness was getting worse by the day!

    "What? You were the one who pulled me, Abigail," He lifted his body up to whisper on her ear. "Did you miss my tongue and lips on them? I remember how you loved it when I licked and sucked on them."

    Abi almost wanted to smack him. Why was he being so naughty in this situation? This was serious!

    "Please stop. Stop distracting me!" she begged, blushing hard. She couldn''t believe that her main enemy right then wasn''t actually her fear, but Alex!

    As she said those words, Abi heard the heartbeat getting louder and her heart almost leapt out of her chest. She subconsciously pulled Alex again and wrapped her hands around him even tighter, like a mother hen sheltering her chick beneath her wings from predators.

 Chapter 329 My maid

    <h4>Chapter 329 My maid</h4>

    The mischief and yfulness on Alex''s face slowly faded and his eyes became serious. He somehow felt warm and he unexpectedly loved it when she hugged him this way. But he really didn''t like hearing the obvious fear in her heart. He despised it and he didn''t know why. Maybe he just didn''t like that someone or something was scaring her?

    He grabbed her hands and forcefully pulled them away as he looked at her despite her protest.

    "Tell me, why are you acting like this?" his gaze was suddenly intense.

    Abi''s heart skipped a beat at his question and that look in his eyes. The look that was filled with curiosity and suspicion made her swallow. But then, her eyes looked around again because the witch was scaring her more than Alex''s suspicions.

    "Please, Alex, let me ¨C"

    "When did you start thinking that I am some retarded weakling you need to worry about this much?" He sounded displeased and his eyes turned cold and hard. There it was, the scary Alex was showing up.

    Abi could only grit her teeth. What should she do? She wasn''t acting like this because she thought he was weak. It was only because she knew that he was prone to maniption by a witch! And that was something she would never let happen to him!

    Alex finally stood up and faced her still holding her wrists. He bent down to look Abi straight in the eyes.

    "You. are. my. maid." He stressed, word by word. "Stop acting like you''re a soldier or my bodyguard. Understand?"

    Abi pressed her lips tightly. She didn''t like what he said. Why couldn''t she act like his soldier? Why couldn''t she act like his bodyguard? Was it so wrong for her to want to protect him once in a while?

    Gritting her teeth, Abi violently pulled her hands off him. But then, the moment Alex let her wrists go, she wrapped her hands around his waist and hugged him. No, she was trying to tie him on her.

    "Please don''t push me away and let me do my job and stick to you. Let''s go back to the hotel, Alex. This is my fault, I shouldn''t have dragged you out," she whispered, pleading. "Let''s leave now, please."

    Alex stared down at her. "Littlemb, have you forgotten that we''re here to hunt? We''re the hunters here, not the prey. And I am here with you. Tell me where she is and I''ll catch her in a blink of an eye."

    He was serious as he said it but what he said had only made her more scared. No, that was not the n! Zeke said he needed to be there to protect Alex during the hunt.

    What if something happened? What if the witch seeded in manipting him instead once Alex touched her? Or the moment she saw him?

    Abi still didn''t have that much knowledge about vampires, let alone witches. She didn''t know much at all except for the few things that Zeke had told her. That was why she had to rely on Zeke''s instruction. She knew that Alex was strong but after seeing what happened yesterday, Abi couldn''t ignore the fear in her heart - that something bad would happen to Alex.

    "Please¡­ I''m scared¡­" was all she could utter, because she truly was. She wouldn''t feel like this if Zeke was around. She wanted to catch the witch too, but she didn''t want to risk Alex''s safety. Where the hell was that prince? Why did it seem like he just disappeared and left them in this ce to fend for themselves?

    dly, she felt Alex let out a sigh - although she didn''t know if that was a sigh of annoyance or surrender.

    At that moment, a waiter girl approached them for the bill Abi had called a while ago.

    "Sir, ma''am, here''s the bill," the youngdy said. Abi was d she was human. She wouldn''t know how to react if the one who approached them was the owner of that heartbeat.

    Alex gave her a bill and before the waitress could tell them to wait for the change, Alex picked Abi up and then smashed through the ss window and like lightning, he jumped up to the roof with her, shocking the people inside the cafe as they looked at the broken window. The waitress was the only one who saw what happened but the others didn''t because it had happened too fast, as if someone just threw a rock at the ss window and it broke.

    Alex lightlynded on the roof and he jumped again, carrying her like a princess, while Abi held onto his neck.

    "Alex¡­ what have you done?" her eyes wide, shocked with what he just did because he flew off in broad daylight but even smashing a ss wall?!

    "Don''t worry, I left more than enough money topensate for it."

    "That''s not¡­ Why did you do that?"

    "Weren''t you desperate to leave? You were so terrified to death so I could only do that to leave the ce as fast as possible."

    Abi was speechless. Wasn''t he just showing off? To show her that he was strong and she didn''t need to worry?

    "Can they follow us this way?"

    "Don''t worry, littlemb, they are basically powerless during the day. They can''t fly like us unless they turn themselves into birds. And they can only do that when it''s dark."

    Abi was finally relieved after hearing that.

    After another moment, Alexnded on the balcony of their hotel room.

    "What a scaredy cat. You don''t really need to be that scared. Witches are nothingpared to us. All you have to do is point out who the witch is and I''ll smash her head in one go. There''s no need to shiver in fear like that," he said as he put her down.

    Abi was about to drag him inside but Alex''s hands already trapped her in between himself and the door. His eyes were incredibly serious again as he bent down and whispered with narrowed eyes. "Or¡­ was it because you were scared about something else? Exin yourself, Abigail. Why were you so protective of me like that? Aren''t you just my maid? Why would you care so much?"

 Chapter 330 Not enough

    <h4>Chapter 330 Not enough</h4>

    Abi stepped back but her back hit the door. Oh no, what should she do? What was the right thing for her to say?

    As Abi tried her best to think of something, Alex moved even closer, close enough for his cool breath to touch her skin. "Tell me, littlemb," his eyes searched hers for answers through his thick eyshes. "You''re starting to like me now, right? You''re falling for me now, right, Abigail?"

    His words rendered her speechless. But she was d that that was what he was thinking. It seemed she didn''t need to worry about him getting suspicious of her actions because all this Alex could think about was how to get her to like him, to love him. Silly¡­ silly Alex!!

    Averting her gaze from him, Abi could only bite her lips, not wanting to answer him. It was better this way. She couldn''t afford to get him all suspicious now, especially when she just saw how stubborn he was. He was scared of nothing and that was why Abi was worried.

    "A-alex¡­ we''re going to get drenched. Let''s go inside," she said, avoiding his question. The rain hadn''t had a chance to drench them yet because Alex was very fast. But because the balcony had no roof, the rain was falling directly on them now.

    "Well," he pulled away, smiling mischievously. "You get inside scaredy, littlemb. Stay safe while I go catch that witch," he added, causing Abi''s eyes to widen.

    He then turned and before he could reach the railing, Abi crashed to him from behind, wrapping her hands tight around his waist.

    She didn''t see the smile that broke on Alex''s lips as she did that. He just wanted her to touch him. Even Alex knew that it would be futile for him to go back without knowing the appearance of the witch in disguise. Unless, of course, he just gathered all the people who were present at that ce and killed them one by one until he found out who among them was the witch. But that method was something even he didn''t bother doing in this era anymore. He was pretty tired of it, of all these pointless killings. It was not because the vampire''sw prohibited it - he was always exempt from having to follow theirws - but to Alex, killing the powerless humans was something he wouldn''t do anymore because it was an unfair battle. Besides, why would the great him bother killing the good ants just to find the stinky rat? Ridiculous!

    "Don''t, please. That witch might have left already. She wasn''t there anymore. Let''s just stay here and wait for Zeke''s instructions, okay?" she coaxed him, tightening her grip on him.

    Alex sexily bit his lower lip to stop himself from smiling. Damn, he liked this. Teasing her was the best entertainment he ever found in this life.

    After clearing his throat, Alex turned and faced her. She didn''t let go as she looked up.

    "Little Lamb, are you saying that we should stay in that hotel and just sit around waiting for Zeke? Wouldn''t that be very unfair for me?"

    Abi creased her brows. Huh? What was he talking about?

    "I am talking about our deal, Abigail. I am determined not to lose and that was why I wanted to hunt rather than be stuck with you inside a room for who knows how long! It''s too risky and torturous¡­ at least for me, since I am not even allowed to touch you," he exined, rendering Abi speechless once again.

    She was perplexed, and she didn''t know how to respond because all her brain could think of was the danger, the fear and her will to never let him go. She was here, worrying about his safety, while here he was, only thinking about their deal, calling it risky and torturous. Oh god, Alex¡­

    "It''s okay, you can always ask me to touch you, remember?" was what left Abi''s mouth. She immediately regretted it but it was toote. In her desperation, she had blurted out the one thing that would make him stay.

    As expected, a wicked smirk curved on Alex''s face as his eyes glimmered with excitement.

    "Oh, that''s right¡­ I almost forgot." He licked the raindrop from his lips. "Well then, why don''t you convince me to stay? A hot kiss on the lips would be enough to stop me from leaving," he added, causing Abi''s lips to part in disbelief.

    "Okay, I will give you ten seconds. If the kiss doesn''te, I apologize in advance, littlemb, but I''ll have to go and hunt." He smirked before his gaze turned serious. Oh god, how did it end up like this?

    "One, two¡­" he started counting, gazing down at her with his oh so seductive look.

    Abi knew he was doing this on purpose. He was truly cunning, a sly fox. He was attacking her when she was not ready, when she was worrying about something and couldn''t think properly. How could he do that in this situation? She had underestimated this guy''s shamelessness!

    "Nine¡­ te ¨C"

    "Fine!" Abi could only surrender. If only she was gifted with superhuman strength, she would definitely have used it to tie him down.

    She tiptoed and mmed her lips on his, eyes open, because she didn''t want to get lost in him again. She had to stay alert.

    She pulled away after five seconds. But as expected, he wasn''t pleased at all. "My condition is ''HOT KISS'', littlemb. Do you even call that a kiss? Kiss me until I am satisfied or I will go," he threatened again.

    This guy was just so damn unbelievable.

    But Abi couldn''t say no right now. This moody, cheeky Alex was bing unpredictable. What if he really left if she said no? She really couldn''t take that chance.

    Thus without a choice, she pulled him in and kissed him. Alex opened his lips for her, inviting her in. Oh damn, he was seducing her again.

    She didn''t delve inside and just kissed his lips, but once their mouth parted, Alexined. "Not enough, Abigail. Not hot enough at all."

    Damn it, Alex¡­ if she did more than this¡­ she would¡­

    Abi couldn''t do anything but listen. The drizzle that fell on them was starting to feel warm and Abi recalled her first kiss, under that artificial rain he created. The memories started to fill her head and the emotions started to rush out. Oh¡­ how she missed him¡­ how she missed his lips, his tongue, his mouth¡­

    And before she knew it, she finally delved inside his mouth and kissed him like a wild, little beast.

 Chapter 331 Deja vu

    <h4>Chapter 331 Deja vu</h4>

    The cold rain didn''t help to even just dampen the fire on Alex''s body. Her mouth¡­ the way she tasted was just¡­ how could she taste so good? How did this woman make him react like this?

    His hands were on the railings, gripping them tightly because he wasn''t allowed to touch her. This might have been a bad idea. This was a torture for him! He wanted to pull her to him and devour her. He had never felt this crazy about a woman''s warmth, about a woman''s kiss and touch. And again, something in his mind told him that there was something in her kisses. She was so wild right now, as if she had given in to her carnal desires but each kiss, each touch from her were filled with so much emotion and it made him feel like she really wanted him, like she longed for him.

    Oh, f*ck¡­ he wanted more¡­ more than this¡­ he couldn''t get enough¡­ he wanted to kiss her forever¡­ and eventually be one with her¡­ he wanted her so bad¡­ so bad he could die¡­

    But the divine bliss that he had been given a taste of didn''tst much longer. She eventually pulled away and her lips left his. They were both taking shallow breaths as they looked at each other.

    "That was hot enough, Alex. Now let''s go inside," she ordered. How could she be soposed after that? Did she not feel the same thing he felt? Couldn''t she feel the chemistry between them? How was she so easily satisfied with just that?

    "Not yet Abigail, I want more," he told her, looking very serious. His yful smile was nowhere to be seen this time.

    Abi''s eyes slightly widened. "Y-you''re being too greedy. I am not your ¨C ahh, what have you done!!"

    Alex followed her line of sight and saw that the metal railing he had been gripping was crumpled like a piece of paper in his hands.

    "Oh, don''t worry about this. I''llpensate the owner," was all he replied, not sorry at all.

    Abi was about to scold him but then, she sneezed. That finally convinced the stubborn man to go inside.

    "I saw that there was a hot water swimming pool at the back. Come, littlemb¡­ I''ll teach you how to swim," he said. His wicked smile had made aeback.

    The look in his eyes made Abi feel that it was a bad idea to go with him but if she said ''no'', this man would certainly go there alone.

    Left without a choice, Abi could only follow after him.

    The pool looked very appealing. The narrow and long rectangr shaped pool looked very inviting especially when she saw the steaming from the hot water. The steam of the blue water made Abi just want to jump into it and rx her tensed nerves. Thest time she went and dipped herself in a rxing hot spring was back in that Snowy mountain and thinking about that ce somehow brought back the memories of their time there.

    "Don''t just space out right there. Come join me." Alex''s voice pulled her from her reverie. He was already in the water, standing there, revealing his drool worthy upper body while his lower body was covered by the blue water.

    shing an inviting smile, Alex stretched out his hand for her. Abi could only reach out and she let him help her into the pool.

    Once Abi dipped into the water, she closed her eyes, just letting herself soak in the blissful warmth of a natural hot water. Her body loved the way her muscles rxed as the heat seeped into them, softening all the hardened nerves that had umted over the past three horrible months.

    Alex just sat there, leaning against the edge of the pool, watching her. He had just realized that having her touch him and kiss him was another mistake. If he wanted to survive four more days, he would have to stop having Abi touch him, or kiss him or whatever else his body wanted. He was damned if he did, and damned if he didn''t. But at this point, he thought that this was the lesser of two evils. Alex could only shake his head over how foolish he was in suggesting such a ridiculous deal. It seemed he had overestimated himself when it came to this woman.

    "Ah, that was nice!" Abi''s face was almost sparkling in pure bliss as they both climbed out of the water.

    Somehow, he was d he stopped himself from teasing her otherwise she might not have been able to enjoy her rxing bath.

    "Do you want me to dry your hair?" Abi offered when she saw Alex drying his hair with a towel. She had said that out of impulse, because she had always liked drying Alex''s soft hair.

    A smirk shed on Alex''s face. "Sure," he said, just before he berated himself at easily sumbing to her. Where was his resolve to not let her touch him anymore? He looked out the window and imagined that he saw his resolve on the back of a flying pig. Alex sighed inwardly and obediently sat on the edge of the bed, in front of Abi.

    Abi knelt on the bed behind him and started drying his hair. She had definitely missed this. She had missed these mundane, everyday things they used to do.

    Alex closed his eyes. His face looked peaceful and rxed. He was wondering why even something small like this felt so nice to him. Everything she did always felt extraordinary no matter whether it was drying his hair, or holding his hand, or kissing him, and at this moment, he had a feeling of deja vu. In fact, he noticed now that he may have felt this more and more often with her, even a while ago when she kissed him on the veranda. But Alex shrugged those feelings off because there were other girls in his life before that kissed him under the rain so he thought that this must be the reason why the scene seemed familiar. But this, he could not remember anyone else doing this for him before. So why did this feel like this wasn''t the first time?

    .

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 Chapter 332 Vivid

    <h4>Chapter 332 Vivid</h4>

    She finally turned the blow dryer off and the room became quiet again. Peaceful even. Alex opened his eyes reluctantly. That felt really satisfying.

    "Abigail," he called out, throwing his head back to her that Abi was forced to catch his head and let it fall on herp. She looked down and their eyes met.

    Sparks seemed to fly and Alex''s hand seemed to have a mind of its own. It started to reach out towards her, to touch her face. Damn. He should stop this. He needed to stop because he needed to prove to her that he didn''t just want her body. But as much as he told himself to stop, his hand kept reaching out to her, wanting to touch her, to feel her skin. It was like she had hypnotised him but she didn''t even do anything!

    His hand inched closer and closer but before his fingers could touch her face, a loud, shattering noise pulled their attention.

    Alex immediately got up, alert and ready to attack, if needed. The noise sounded like ss windows shattering.

    Abi was quick to cling onto Alex''s arm as they both walked towards the veranda. The rain had stopped and the full moon had started to rise, recing the sun.

    The moment Alex held the door knob, Abi quickly stopped him.

    Because she could now hear it. Their heartbeats. The strings of violet in colour, the fast paced and high pitched heartbeats. They were here and it wasn''t just one. She could hear the heartbeatsing from above and below them as well to their right and left. They were surrounded.

    "A-alex¡­" Abi''s voice slightly trembled. "T-they''re here," she added, gripping him tightly.

    What she whispered in fear made Alex smile. His eyes turned gold as he opened his lips. "Bring it on, witches," he said and in the blink of an eye, the ss windows, the solid roof and walls shattered in one go as four women with long hair emerged.

    The blissful hotel room suddenly looked like a scene from a horror movie. The witches were dressed like normal humans but they had ck lips and their skin were white and grayish, like corpses. It seemed that they didn''t bother trying to disguise themselves anymore.

    "Just stand here and don''t move, my sweet maid," Alex told her and then, an unexpected kissnded on her forehead, distracting her for a moment.

    But that single moment was enough for Alex to escape her tight grip.

    "That kiss is an exception because it''s something I needed to do in this dire situation," he said, even winking wickedly at her.

    And then, there he was, suddenly appearing in front of a witch and smashing her head against the wall. The witch seemed to have cast a spell and turned herself into a bat. Did it not die?

    Abi was frozen in shock as she watched Alex effortlessly dealing with them barehanded. He was still smiling and his fiery golden eyes made him look like the devil. Every time hended a hit, blood would ssh out from the witches but then their body disappeared and turned into bats where they would quickly make their escape and fly away.

    However, more and more of them arrived. Abi was bombarded with all their heartbeats at once that she couldn''t tell how many of them there actually were! It seemed to her that once Alex dealt with one of them, another one would take their ce! How many of them were there?!

    These witches were keeping Alex busy. His main priority was to keep these witches from Abigail. He wasn''t going to let any one of them touch a single cell on her body.

    Abi could only watch as he fended off all these witches from her, from him. After seeing how powerful Alex was, how the witches couldn''t even touch him, the fear inside her heart somehow subsided. But that relief didn''tst because Abi suddenly heard a very loud heartbeat, a stronger one than the rest of the fast, high pitched ones that bombarded her. The colour of this woman''s heartbeat was a dark and vivid violet. Abi shivered because she somehow knew that this particr witch was different, stronger and more powerful than these weaklings around them. She followed the trail and it wasing from above them! She immediately looked up and she saw the owner of that heartbeat standing up there on the rooftop, looking down at them through the hole that one of her minions created - and yes, Abi could instantly tell that all these other witches were just minions, sacrifices,pared to this woman.

    This particr witch was dressed in a white, flowing dress and she didn''t look pasty like the others. Her long silver hair flowed down her back, dancing in the wind and Abi just watched, mesmerised. If Abi didn''t know any better, she would have confused that woman for a goddess; she was that beautiful. The air around her seemed to sparkle, drawing power from her. It was like air itself was drawn to her, like a moth toward the light. Was she the queen of the witches?!

    The witch''s eyes were glued onto Alex like he was the trophy that she had long coveted and the way she looked at him made Abi''s heart thud against her ribcage. Oh no! This was bad! If she was the queen, then she could take Alex away from her. NO!!!

    The moment Abi thought that, the woman''s eyes moved towards her and their eyes met. Abi subconsciously held her breath. Oh god, her eyes¡­ she felt like this witch''s gaze was sucking her breath away.

    Abi couldn''t even blink or look away. She was rooted to the ground, as if she had looked into Medusa''s eyes.

    .

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 Chapter 333 Different reason

    <h4>Chapter 333 Different reason</h4>

    After smashing thest witch on the floor, Alex straightened up and looked back at Abi. The moment he saw her looking up and holding her breath, he cursed and the next second, he picked the witch on the floor and used her as his wrecking ball to hit the witch on the rooftop, holding Abi''s gaze.

    The witch was hit by herrade''s body and she dissapeared. Alex had been holding back, trying not to destroy the entire house into pieces but at that moment, he didn''t hold back at all. How dare this witch try to manipte his woman!

    Alex immediately moved towards Abi. It seemed that she was still in a trance.

    "Breath, Abigail," he told her as he touched her face.

    When the girl didn''t respond, Alex''s eyes narrowed. That witch must have been quite powerful since she actually managed to do this to Abi within just a short period of time.

    "Fine, I''m going to kiss you to wake you up. This doesn''t count," he added and the next second, his lips were on hers. He pried her luscious lips open and delved inside. When Abi was still unresponsive, Alex pulled her into his arms and he sucked her tongue hard.

    Abi snapped and she pulled away coughing and gasping for air.

    What the hell was that? What happened to her?

    "Tch! Now I''m starting to worry about you, littlemb. Zeke actually took a clueless one like you to join the hunt. It is amon knowledge in this country never to stare into a witch''s eyes, Abigail. Yet look what you did," he said as he held her. "Are you alright?"

    Abi''s breathing slowly stabilised and she looked at him.

    "A-are they gone? Are you alright?" she asked him and Alex''s lips curved up. He couldn''t help but feel good seeing that the first thing she was concerned about was him.

    "Didn''t you see how magnificent I was?" his voice was again filled with mischief. Couldn''t he be serious during situations like this? "Tch. We need to find another hotel to spend the night in," he added as he looked around.

    The pretty hotel room was ruined. "Alex¡­ what if they follow us again?" she asked, worried. She didn''t understand what was going on. They were supposed to be the hunters but here they were, being ambushed. And this Zeke had disappeared into thin air.

    "Nope. They won''t."

    "How can you be so sure?"

    "Those little stinky rats simply came to pay us a visit. They knew they couldn''t win against me. In short, they came for a different reason. Perhaps to confirm something?" he exined and Abi''s brows could only knot again.

    The event that happened was still like a jumbled nightmare. She couldn''t believe she actually saw real witches and they didn''t look pleasant at all, like how some of the books she read portrayed them.

    "Confirm something? That you are here?"

    "Nope. They already knew we wereing before we even arrived. There must be something else they were looking for," he answered and bent down to look closer at her. "Or maybe, those witches were just curious about the beautiful littlemb who''s following me around."

    "P-please be serious. Why would they be curious about me? You''re the one they want! And where is Zeke, anyway? Why has he not showed up yet? It''s been hours!"

    Alex pulled away and tilted his head as he looked past the broken window.

    "Hmm¡­ don''t worry about that guy. He must have left us here alone."

    Abi''s eyes widened. What the hell! Was he serious? And why was he saying that in such a carefree manner?

    "H-huh? Please don''t be ridiculous. This was his n. There must be another reason why he isn''t back yet! Wait. Could it be that the witches caught him?!" Abi eximed. She couldn''t ept what Alex said, that Zeke brought them here and left them alone, as if they were some contestants of a survival game he just dropped on a poisonous ind and left to survive by themselves. Even though Zeke was such an unfathomable guy, she was sure he wouldn''t do something like this! Something must have happened to him and that was why he wasn''t there.

    Alex let out a short chuckle. "Oh well, don''t worry about that. Zeke is thest person I could ever imagine being caught by a witch. I would reallyugh my ass off if that actually happened," he said before he stretched out his hand towards her. "Nowe. Let''s go."

    "Where? Are we going to chase after them?"

    "You want us to chase them?"

    "No! I¡­ We should go get some reinforcements, don''t you think?"

    "Reinforcements." He echoed. "Sigh, littlemb¡­ you have no idea¡­ we''re not going after them, not when that witch managed to do that to you."

    "She did something to me?"

    "She did. And that''s why you need to rest."

    Abi wanted to ask more but he was right, they had to leave this ce first.

    "H-how about this ce?"

    "The people here are used to this. Although this must be the first disturbance they have had in thest fifty years. They will fix everything and the kingdom willpensate for it."

    As they left the house, Abi still felt uneasy. She was still confused as to what was going on. What was really their purpose for going to this ce? Why did it feel like something was off?

    Theynded on another house near the falls.

    The ce seemed to be expecting them because the lights were already on but Alex told her that these ces were kept prepared by the locals once they heard the news that a royal vampire was arriving at the vige. They always knew that something would happen.

    The house was smaller than their hotel but it was just as beautiful. It was made of wood and there were flowers all over the house. This was like a garden type vi.

    Alex went to shower because he had touched the witches while Abi changed her clothes again, despite not being able to have any contact with them.

    Shey on the bed because she felt tired. Did that witch suck her energy or something? There was just too much she didn''t know. And she didn''t understand why Zeke was doing this.

    "What are you thinking?" Alex''s voice jolted her. He was already lying beside her.

    Turning to face him, Abi let out a quiet breath.

    "Alex¡­ I want to know more about¡­ about vampires and witches. Can you tell me more?" she asked and Alex raised a brow.

    "Abigail. What fun is there in knowing about those stinky little rats? I''m more interesting than vampires and witches, I assure you."

    ". . ."

    Oh God, this guy¡­

    .

    Sorry guys, I cannot post the third chapter tonight because I am not feeling well. T^T

    I willpensate tomorrow and give you guys 5 chapters.

 Chapter 334 Vampires and witches

    <h4>Chapter 334 Vampires and witches</h4>

    Abi just stared at him and had no words for him anymore. She was quite amazed at how hard Alex was trying. If he didn''t make a deal with her, she was certain that he would be all over her by now, touching her and teasing her to no end. But now that he couldn''t touch her, he had been teasing her verbally much more often than ever before. She didn''t know how many times she had be speechless from all his cheesy pick up lines and all the teasing that he seemed to have perfected in such a short period of time. His words were much more provocative than it used to be. Although Abi knew he was just such a natural flirt, this Alex right now was truly getting more and more unbelievably mischievous.

    However, Abi was not going to give in. She turned her back from him, ignoring him.

    Alex bit his lips, unable to ept that the girl had actually turned her back from him. How was this happening? Did he really not attract her at all? This was tougher than he thought.

    Suddenly, he wanted to go and find that man she married and skin him alive.

    "Fine. What do you want to know?" he relented. It seemed his flirting wasn''t working so Alex decided to behave for now. Maybe he could find out her interests by letting her talk more rather than rendering her speechless all the time. Maybe his flirting was a bit too much for her. Maybe he just needed to tone it down a little. Maybe he just needed to learn how to hypnotise people so that he could just hypnotise her into liking him. So many thoughts and possibilities ran through his mind.

    Damn, he couldn''t believe he was doing all this just to get this hard-to-get maid of his to like him!

    Abi''s lips curved up just in time for her to see it when she turned around to face him again. Her heart swelled, relishing the thought that Alex still relented to her quite easily, just like his old self.

    "You said the witches already knew we wereing before we even arrived. That means that these witches can really see the future, right?"

    "Not really. They cannot see it; they just somehow know when things would happen. The witches could watch us, even now, if they wanted to. They can watch people having conversations through their magical devices. They can''t hear the voices but they can read lips well. That is how they knew about our ns. Every n that has been voiced out will be known by them. And that is how they find out what will happen next. They don''t only watch one person, they can watch even a hundred all at once," he exined, causing the sleepy Abi to be fully awake.

    "So that''s why the witch was in that dungeon. They found out about Zeke''s n to punish me by sending me into the dungeon and so they waited for me down there."

    "That''s right."

    Abi swallowed. It seemed the witches were really powerful. If they knew everyone''s ns, they would be one step ahead and have time to devise a counterattack. In fact, they must have already prepared themselves well enough when they found out that the three of them had nned toe to this little town. Was this the reason why Zeke never told them about the n?

    "T-that''s kinda amazing. They''re such a tough enemy."

    "Well, this is the reason why the witches have survived up to this day."

    "Do witches have long lives like vampires?"

    "No. Their lifespan is the same as humans. Only the pure blooded witches live longer, although they don''t live for as long as the royal vampires. The witches usually pass their powers to one of their offspring when they die. That''s how there are still powerful witches around to this day."

    "Why do vampires and witches hate each other?"

    Alex smiled. "What makes you think we hate each other?"

    "When you guys talk about them, you all make it sound like they are your mortal enemies."

    Alex lifted his hand and made it his pillow. "Vampires and witches are both just superstitions to humans. We were not really enemies to begin with. We had no reason to fight each other, but because of my existence, vampires and witches somehow ended up being enemies. Vampires became superior because of me, because I became an immortal and a strong one at that, creating a huge power gap between us and them. As a result, some vampires ended up treating the witches as an inferior species and some started to abuse them. That happened thousands of years ago and I was one of those who used them for their powers. They became something like ves, servants for vampires. The vampires wanted to own a witch, like they were some kind of pet, for their own gains. That''s how the witch hunt started. But as time went by, the witches also learned to fight. Some witches managed to manipte their owners and the tables turned. They started to learn more and more spells and curses and since then, vampires and witches never lived together in peace again. Of course, vampires are still superior, but witches are still powerful, if not sneakier than before."

    "So that''s why they want you gone?"

    Alex nodded and his hand moved to tuck the stray strands of hair that fell on Abi''s face. But he stopped centimeters away from her skin. "Now that I''ve answered your questions to the best of my ability, I deserve a reward, don''t you think, Abigail?"he said, changing the subject. His eyes glimmered with desire as he looked at her. There it was again. The flirt was back.

    .

    I have posted a chibi version of alex on my social media ounts and on discord. It''s really cute ^^

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 Chapter 335 Friends with torture

    <h4>Chapter 335 Friends with torture</h4>

    However, to her surprise, Alex retracted his hand and ran his fingers through his hair.

    The next second, he sat up and climbed off the bed.

    Abi rose, surprised. "W-where are you going?" she asked and Alex nced back at her over his shoulder.

    "The bathroom," he said and headed there, leaving Abi frozen still as she watched the closed door.

    Alex leaned his back against the door, throwing his head back as he shut his eyes.

    Damn¡­ this was truly getting harder. This was thousand times more tortuous than him jumping into a literal furnace. The worse thing was that he was the one who put himself in this situation.

    He couldn''t believe that he, of all creatures on earth, was actually nning to just raise his white g and ept defeat because he couldn''t take it anymore. And what made things worse was that the girl didn''t even do anything at all! She didn''t even try to seduce him to make him give up! He somehow wished that she did that so that he could at least justify to himself that he was giving up because she forced him to. F*ck!

    He found himself under the shower again. A very cold shower. He imagined that sleeping with her on the bed would feel like he was putting himself on a chopping block, just meekly waiting to be axed to pieces. It took everything in him to keep his sanity. The only thing holding him back was the thought that he would be proving to her that he was just after her body if he gave in now and that was thest thing he wanted to happen. He had to prove to her that he did not just want to sleep with her, although that was something he very much wanted to do, but he also wanted her to realise that he was serious about her. He thought about marrying her, for goodness'' sake, but he couldn''t tell her that! Words are just words anyway. He had to show her through actions of his intentions and that was why he had to win this deal he made, at all cost.

    Alex''s eyes fell onto his hardened little, big monster and his fingers closed over it. If this would make things easier for him, then he would do it. He closed his eyes as his hand moved back and forth. F*ck. He couldn''t believe he was doing this! When was thest time he had had to do this to himself? Years, was the answer. He couldn''t even remember being so aroused and not have someone there to satisfy his need. This woman was really something else! She was torturing him without even knowing what she was doing to him! He shook his head, briefly wondering why the hell he was putting himself through all this for her. Why was he doing all of this? It didn''t make sense to him. This really was very out of character for him, so why?

    The thought was fleeting as Abigail''s image filled his thoughts. All the questions were long forgotten as he pictured her perfect body sprawled on his bed,pletely naked. He thought about her scent, her warmth and the taste of her lips and skin, filling his mind with just visions of her and just like that, he was extremely aroused. He found it utterly unbelievable.

    "Oh, Abigail¡­ what did you do to me?" he whispered to himself as he threw back his head. His hand slid up and down his length and his pace became faster and faster as he reyed the scene in the bathroom where he made Abigail wash his naked body in the shower. He tried to remember how her hands felt like, roaming all over his body, teasing him to the fullest. Then his mind jumped back to the scene on the bed where he had touched her wet sex, where he had tasted her sweet juices. He remembered how sweet she tasted, how her body had reacted to his tongue swirling over her entrance. At this thought, his mind went crazy and so did his little, big monster. His ragged breathing mingled with the sound of the falling water and as he imagined himself entering her slick, wet entrance, he finally let himself go. He stood under the shower for a long time, to stabilise his pounding heart and he finally opened his eyes, biting his lips hard.

    As Alex''s mind started working again, he wondered at how satisfied he felt just now. Previously, he never even bothered relieving himself this way because it never felt satisfying, but now, he actually felt good. Was it because he hadn''t gotten off since Abigail appeared? No. That wasn''t it. This was because the image of her in his head felt so real and was so damn hot. The effect she had on him was just too unnerving, just way too much and there was no cure for it. He seemed to have be addicted to her and he wasn''t in any hurry to go to rehab.

    He stepped out of the shower finally and wore a new bathrobe. He then grabbed a towel to dry his hair and he was rubbing the towel on his head as he stepped out of the bathroom. His eyes flew towards the bed and saw that the littlemb was already asleep.

    His lips twitched and he quietly walked towards her.

    Draping the tower over his shoulders, Alex''s handsnded on the bed, with her between them. He gazed down at her and watched her sleeping face before a smile broke on his face.

    "Such a little bad¡­ bad¡­ girl¡­" he uttered. "You actually fell asleep while I was¡­ sigh¡­ it seems I really have to survive three more nights to prove myself to you. Sigh¡­ I am going to be great friends with torture," he added and he sighed again before he pulled away, dried his hair and finallyid down beside her.

    .

 Chapter 336 Silver witch

    <h4>Chapter 336 Silver witch</h4>

    Abi found herself in a dark ce. She rubbed her eyes and when she looked around once more, she realized she was in a dark, dark forest.

    The forest was cold and dense. She couldn''t even see the sky because the tall trees blocked her view of it. The ce was simply eerie. What was she doing in this ce?

    Abi was jolted by the sound of flying creatures. Birds?

    She looked up again and saw bats hanging on the trees. ''Witches!'' she thought and she shivered. Had she been abducted by witches? Was that how she got here?

    Abi started to run. She began yelling for help because the bats started to chase after her. "No! Don''te!" she screamed, but the instant she looked back, the bats were right behind her. She fell on the ground as the bats flew over her fallen body. They flew in a circle above her, leaving her paralyzed with fear.

    She screamed, calling for Alex but no words came out of her throat.

    "No one can hear your screams, little girl," a sweet voice echoed.

    Abi looked up and she saw that woman; that silver haired witch she saw standing on the rooftop of that hotel.

    When she began to step closer to her, Abi crawled backwards. ''No, don''te!'' she wanted to yell, but couldn''t. She suddenly felt breathless.

    "Don''t worry, I''m not going to hurt you," she said, once Abi was cornered against the tree trunks.

    "What do you want from me?" Abi asked, terrified.

    "Do you want your husband to remember you again?"

    Abi opened her lips but she didn''t know what to say. Of course they already knew! But why? Why was she asking her this?

    "Do you want to save him?" she asked again. "Your husband is running out of time. If you want to save him,e to the ck forest. Alone. If youe with someone or tell anyone about this, you will lose your chance. This is yourst chance to know everything, Abigail, to save him. This is the only way. If you don''te, you will lose him, forever. I will be waiting for you," she said and¡­

    "Abigail! Abigail!" Abi opened her eyes and saw Alex looking at her with worry in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

    He was holding her shoulders as if he had been shaking her for a while now. Abi''s eyes looked around and she saw that it was already morning.

    Her eyes fell back on Alex again and as if her mind finally clicked that she had had a nightmare, she suddenly hugged him tight. That was just a nightmare. But was it? It felt too real. And those words¡­

    "Let me get you some water," Alex pulled away and went to get her a ss of water.

    Abi gulped the water down like she hadn''t had a drink in days, but her mind was still stuck on her dream. She couldn''t forget the words the silver witch said.

    Alex reached out and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Was it a really bad nightmare?" he asked and Abi dropped her eyes as she nodded.

    "It''s okay, it was only just a nightmare. It isn''t real. Besides, you have superman right next to you, so there is nothing to worry about," he started to tease her again, trying to take her mind off the nightmare. However, it didn''t seem to work. Abi still looked shaken, so he tried another tactic. "The food is ready," he told her and finally, Abi moved. She excused herself to go to the bathroom.

    Abi took some time inside the bathroom. She sat on the covered toilet seat as she thought about her dream, trying to determine if she should treat it seriously or not. She didn''t know what to do. Should she go? Was it a trap? Should she tell him about it?

    In the end, she decided to keep it to herself. When she came out, she walked outside and saw Alex in the garden, waiting for her. A table for two was set up beautifully in the scenic front yard, overlooking the white majestic falls.

    "G-good morning, Alex," she tried to act normally as she sat across him.

    "Good morning, my sweet maid," he replied, shing his signature mischievous smirk. Her eyes moved towards the food and she was immediately distracted. She felt weak and tired so seeing the delicious food made her drool.

    Alex started putting food on her te and the girl didn''t hesitate to dig in. it was happening again. This familiar feeling. He didn''t know why he did that. He couldn''t remember doing that for anyone, putting food on someone else''s te, and yet it felt so natural. And she was acting so naturally as well. She was his maid and she knew who he was. Yet his actions didn''t seem to have surprised her. Even he was surprised with what he was doing but she was not. She was acting like this was normal and it was intriguing him to no end.

    "Alex¡­ I think we need to look for Zeke," Abi said to him while he was just enjoying giving her food.

    "Hmm¡­ of course. We''ll go do that. I will treat it as our second date."

    ". . ."

    Speechless, Abi stared at him seriously. "Please be serious. I really think something might have happened to that guy. What if that silver witch seduced him and now he is confined somewhere because they manipted him?"

    Alexughed, amused. "Zeke? Being seduced?" he shook his head. "Rest assured, that won''t happen, littlemb."

    "And why are you so sure that he won''t be seduced? Have you seen that silver witch? She is¡­ she is so beautiful!"

    "Not as beautiful as you, littlemb. Believe me, you don''t have to worry about that guy being seduced. He''s around somewhere, alive and kicking."

    "I don''t know why you''re so confident he won''t be seduced at all! Wait¡­" Abi''s eyes widened as she leaned towards Alex. "I-Is it because Zeke is¡­ Zeke is gay?"

    There was a short silence before Alex burst intoughter.

    Abi bit her lips at what she just said and Alex''s reaction. However, what she heard next made her gulp and run over to Alex.

    "Who are you calling gay?" Zeke suddenly piped up.

 Chapter 337 Devil on her shoulder

    <h4>Chapter 337 Devil on her shoulder</h4>

    Abi quickly hid behind Alex, peeking out from over Alex''s shoulder at the man who had suddenly arrived and caught her words about him. After seeing Zeke''s dark scowl, she immediately ducked down again, trying to be as small as possible.

    "Don''t scare my littlemb, Zeke. You can''t me her for thinking that," Alex said, smirking at Zeke, still amused at the littlemb''s words.

    "I¡­ I''m sorry. T-that was just a joke. I didn''t mean it," Abi said, extremely apologetic, peeking out again over Alex''s shoulder like a little cat.

    "So? Where have you been?" Alex asked as he looked at Zeke as if he didn''t really care.

    Zeke, however, didn''t answer his question. Instead, he brought a strange order from the kingdom. "The King has summoned you, Alex," Zeke said straightforwardly.

    Alex merely raised his brow. "The King¡­" he echoed. "And are you going to order me to go?"

    A short silence passed by as Zeke seemed to be weighing something up in his mind. "Yes. You and I will go back and answer the summon."

    Abi, who had been squatting behind Alex, suddenly stood up in surprise. She was shocked. What was going on? They hadn''t even been here for a full day yet and they were already leaving? What about their mission? Were they just going to abandon that?

    She looked at Zeke with wide eyes filled with questions. She just couldn''t believe it! They came here to find the witch queen so that they could find some answers which they hadn''t found yet! Why the sudden change of ns when they hadn''t even started yet?

    "Uhm¡­ are we really going back to the pce?" she butted in and Zeke finally looked at her.

    "Yes," he told her. "I will head back first. You two have to be back at the pce by tomorrow morning. I will leave the car here for you," he added as he tossed the keys to Alex, who caught it without batting an eye.

    Alex didn''t seem to be phased by the change of ns but, of course, Zeke hadn''t told him the real reason they were doing this so he didn''t really care that they would be going back again. What he cared about was that he would have the whole day alone with his littlemb again, without this third wheel hanging around. Maybe he should thank Zeke for leaving them alone like this.

    As Alex was thinking this, Zeke turned to leave.

    Abi was suddenly jolted into action. She just couldn''t believe that they were leaving, just like that. It made no sense! Besides, Alex was above the King so he didn''t have to listen to him, right? So why was Zeke making them go back? Clearly, this was his decision. She had so many questions and she wanted answers. She knew what was at stake for this mission and she needed to know he wasn''t giving up. She needed some reassurance from him that their mission was still going to happen, that it was still a priority to him.

    "Wait!" she called out after him as her feet moved, but she had barely taken two steps before a hand was wrapped around her wrist, stopping her progress. The hand then pulled her back and she ended up sitting on Alex''sp.

    A dark cloud started to hover over Alex as he saw his littlemb chasing after another man. He didn''t like it, not one bit! She shouldn''t be chasing after another man at all and not only that, she did it while he was around to see. Why did she call after Zeke? Did she want to go back with Zeke instead of staying with him? Was that what she wanted?

    Alex''s face was dark with displeasure but Abi was none the wiser because she had her back to him. She was still watching Zeke''s back as he walked away, thinking that she really needed to talk to him about what the hell was going on!

    Alex felt his blood boil with jealousy when he noticed that his maid was still watching Zeke even though he was right there. She was even sitting on hisp and yet, she still ignored him. Gone was the thought of thanking Zeke for leaving the two of them alone and now all he could think about was how to smash Zeke into smithereens and make him disappear. The green eyed monster had appeared and it had taken hold of him.

    "He''s gone, littlemb," he suddenly said, his voice as cold as ice.

    His cold words made Abi jump, as if someone had snuck up behind her and said ''Boo!''. Her thoughts were brought back to the present and she finally realised that she was sitting on Alex''sp and that the temperature had suddenly dropped. Goosebumps crawled up her arms and she rubbed them subconsciously. Where did the sun go? she thought absently but then she realised that it wasn''t theck of sun that was making her feel cold, it was this man she was sitting on top of.

    "I told you, that guy will never like anyone so just give up on him," he suddenly whispered in her ear, like a wicked devil on her shoulder.

    Huh? What was he saying? Abi barely registered that this man might have been dark with jealousy because her mind was in turmoil. She felt so disheartened at this turn of events. She came here for a reason and that was to find something, some knowledge of how to stop Alex from dying. She wouldn''t allow that to happen. She couldn''t, because she knew that her life would mean nothing if he wasn''t in it.

    "What are you saying? I¡­ I just wanted to ask him why? He was the one who said we needed to catch a witch to get answers. He was the one who dragged us all the way here! It was all his idea and yet, we''re already going back without¡­" Abi trailed off, realizing that she was bing too emotional.

 Chapter 338 A little longer?

    <h4>Chapter 338 A little longer?</h4>

    She hadn''t realised how much she hoped that this trip would give them some sort of clue, some kind of answer on how to save Alex or even how to get his memories back! They were running out of ideas and she felt that they were just going round and round in circles. So when Zeke proposed this n, she was all in. She knew that sitting around waiting for him to regain his memories would be futile and as much as they tried to make him remember by trying to provoke him, that n had borne no fruit. They had to think of something else, think outside the box, think of all the possibilities that they could do to help Alex. Knowledge was power and she thought that Zeke''s n was a good one. If the witches knew or saw something that could help, then they would be leaps and bounds ahead of where they started from.

    But now, this whole thing seemed to be for nothing! She felt like they had wasted precious timeing here just to turn around and go back empty handed. What was the point? She just couldn''t take it! Her hopes of finding something were so great that it was hard for her to bear when that hope was crushed to pieces.

    Alex watched her expression closely. She looked really disappointed and he could tell that she was close to crying. When he saw that, his cold aura immediately dissipated as he started to feel worried about her. It also helped his mood to know that she didn''t go after Zeke because she wanted to go with him.

    But why was this littlemb so close to tears over them leaving this ce? He thought she would have wanted to leave after her experiencest night. Why was she so invested in this?

    "Tell me, littlemb, what are you thinking?" Alex asked, worried as well as a little curious too. He couldn''t quite understand why she was so upset.

    Abi sighed, as she stood up and faced him.

    "I just don''t get it. It''s like we came here for nothing," she answered honestly.

    "And why are you so troubled by it?"

    Abi swallowed. "Well I¡­" she paused, trying to think of what to say to him.

    She reigned in her emotions because she couldn''t give too much away. She couldn''t tell him that she was worried and afraid for him, that they were here because they thought he was running out of time. The thought that she could lose Alex was too much for her. She didn''t want to think about it at all.

    Alex was running out of time. That was what Zeke said, so why would they go back without catching a single witch? And where did hee from anyway? He drove them to this ce, dropped them off at some hotel and just left them to fend for themselves! He was supposed to be there to protect Alex, especially against the witches and yet, where was he when they were attackedst night? What if the witches had seeded in controlling Alex? What then? And now, he arrived just to tell them Alex that he was being summoned by the king?! What the hell was going on?!

    Abigail suddenly became angry as she thought about it all. She just couldn''t believe that Zeke just left them open and vulnerable. For the first time, she actually wanted to cuss at him and call him all sorts of names. She was so emotional that she started to shake. She really wanted to hit something, or that particr someone!

    Alex saw the change in her expression and his brows knotted.

    "Abigail?" he pulled her attention back to him, looking at her suspiciously.

    Abigail saw his expression and she immediately closed her eyes to try andpose herself. She opened her eyes again and answered him, her voice a bit more steady than before.

    "Well, Zeke was in such a hurry to get here like this witch hunting shouldn''t be postponed so I just don''t understand why he suddenly wants us to go back immediately. And I¡­" she paused and peeked at him. "I heard you don''t listen to the king¡­ so I am wondering why you seem to be more obedient now." She deliberately added thatst bit to distract him from and it seemed to have worked, thankfully.

    "I don''t. But..." He paused. "It might be about something more important."

    Abi was not convinced. What was more important than saving Alex? However, she didn''t say anything more.

    She walked to the other side of the table and sat on her chair. She felt a lot calmer again and now that she was less emotional, her mind started to work overtime, trying to find answers to all her questions. She just couldn''t shrug the unease in the pit of her stomach and no matter how hard she thought about it, she just couldn''t understand what Zeke was doing.

    Alex noticed that Abigail was staring out into space again and he couldn''t take it anymore. How could she ignore the great Alexander! So, he suddenly stood up, walked around the table. He then mmed his hands on the table, earning a look from here and he took advantage of that and stared directly into her eyes.

    Still holding her gaze, he asked, "Why do I feel like you don''t want to go back yet? Could it be that you want to stay with me a little longer?"

    Abi was speechless. He really had a knack for making her brain stop. She could only stare at him as her mouth opened and closed. She had no idea how he got that idea but then again, she had no idea how his mind worked anymore.

    "It''s okay, Abigail. We can take our time going back to the city. We can even stay here for another night," he drawled, activating his seduction mode again.

    .

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 Chapter 339 Technically

    <h4>Chapter 339 Technically</h4>

    N-no¡­ that''s not what I meant¡­ I definitely want to go back right now. I''m afraid those witches mighte attack us again," she told him.

    Abi didn''t have a choice. Now that Zeke had actually ditched them again like this, she felt uneasy. She felt that it would be safer for them to go back than stay in this ce where witches were just around the corner.

    The picture of the dark forest from her dream popped into her head. She was torn. She wondered if her dream was just something that her brain subconsciously created for her to be able to deal with the trauma she had experienced. She wondered if it was her brain conjuring up some message of hope from her deep need to save Alex.

    But then, she thought back to those dreams she had had about Alex clutching his chest, of her hands blood soaked hands - the dream that became reality. What if this dream was more than just a dream, too? What if that white witch actually had the answers she was looking for? Shouldn''t she at least go and find out what she had to say?

    But what if it wasn''t true? What if it was a trap to lure her into the woods so that they could use her against Alex? That was also a very big possibility and she really didn''t know enough about what the hell was going on to be able to make a decision.

    On the one hand, if it was real and they knew of a way for Alex to regain his memories and also to stop him from dying, then wouldn''t that be worth it?

    But on the other hand, if it was a trap, she could end up losing Alex in the process.

    She really wished Zeke had stuck around so she could have asked him about her dream. But the guy didn''t stay long enough for her to do that!

    So in the end, Abigail opted for the option that was safest for Alex. She just couldn''t risk it. His life was worth too much to her to take that risk, because knowing him, he would surely follow after her the moment she realised she was gone.

    Sensing Abigail''s uneasiness, Alex could only relent. He thought that what happenedst night must have really scared her. He stopped his teasing, went back to sit on his chair and told her to finish her breakfast because they would be leaving soon after that.

    After breakfast, the two of them went back to the room to pack their things. Abigail was quiet, lost in her own world, while Alex couldn''t help but frown, wondering what was on her mind.

    "What are you thinking about?" he asked, unable to contain his curiosity.

    Abi was startled out of her thoughts and she inwardly berated herself. She needed to stop dwelling on her dream because she already made the decision. It would only make Alex suspicious.

    "I¡­ I was just thinking about what I should do with you," she answered, clearly trying to divert his thoughts from what she was really thinking about.

    "Oh really? Have you finally epted that you like me?" he quickly interjected.

    "Wouldn''t you like to know," Abi teased. "It''s because I won the bet. Before, when Zeke was leaving, you pulled me back. You touched me, so you lost."

    Alex smirked mischievously, unfazed by what she had said. "Tsk, tsk, littlemb. Don''t be in such a hurry to win. I haven''t lost yet," Alex countered, making Abi frown, wondering what this man would say to get out of it.

    "Technically, I didn''t touch you because I picked up a table napkin first and when I grabbed you, the napkin was between my hand and your wrist," he exined smoothly, grinning widely like a cheshire cat. "And that doesn''t count, littlemb¡­ I did that to stop you. You can''t leave my side, remember?"

    "..."

    Abi was amazed. She couldn''t believe that he had actually thought that far ahead! She thought that he had just grabbed her out of instinct and so forgot about their bet at that point but it seemed she was wrong. He really was taking this bet seriously after all and it made Abi smile as her heart fluttered a little. This man was really doing his best, after all.

    But Abi turned away. "We need to finish up here so we can leave soon," she said, trying to turn Alex''s attention back to the task at hand and Alex, for once, obeyed without a word.

    Ten minutester, they were finally on their way, with Alex driving the car. She noticed that he didn''t drive nearly as fast as Zeke did.

    "Are we going to go back here once the matter with the king is over?" Abi asked as she looked back at the beautiful paradise.

    "Maybe, but I doubt it."

    "What do u mean? What about the n to capture the witch queen?"

    "Well, Zeke isn''t the type who will leave without getting his goal. Him leaving might mean he has found what he was looking for or it could be that what he was looking for is not here. It wouldn''t surprise me if we end up on a witch hunt at a different ce."

    Abi fell silent. She felt like that paradise was the right ce, probably because of her dream about the white witch.

    "¡­ by the way, if I were to send a message, would the witches know what''s in it too?" She changed the topic.

    "Yes. It''s like how they can see people inside the house. They can read your message even if you hide it. Why? Who are you nning to send a message to and why don''t you want the witches to know?"

    She just wanted to tell Zeke about the dream to see what he thought about it, but now it seemed she really couldn''t.

    "No reason. I was just curious about it," she deflected.

    As they travelled back towards the big city, Abigail wondered what was waiting ahead of them.

 Chapter 340 The swindler

    <h4>Chapter 340 The swindler</h4>

    The car halted on the roadside. They were still in the northern part of the country and the ces they passed were as beautiful as White Falls Vige.

    There was a scenic waterfall near the road where they stopped.

    Alex turned the ignition off and climbed out of the car when Abi looked at him, surprised.

    "Alex?"

    "Since we''re here, why don''t we spend the rest of the day in leisure and rx? It will be quite boring if we arrive at the pce too early," he told her. "Come swim with me, Abigail."

    Abi nced at the inviting water. The bluegoon below the waterfall looked so clear and beautiful. It was hard for her to ignore its call.

    Looking at him again, Abi finally moved and climbed out of the car as well. He was right. They should at least enjoy themselves. Besides, Zeke said they don''t need to be there until tomorrow and now that they were a few hours away from White Falls vige, Abi felt that they were somewhat safe from the witches. She felt a bit better knowing they had put some distance between them and witches that she didn''t protest and just followed him.

    Alex stretched out his hand to her. "How about we pause our deal for a day and resume it again tomorrow?" he suddenly suggested, causing Abi, who was about to reach for his hand, to halt in ce. "Our deal was that I would not touch you for five days. I didn''t say it had to be five straight days."

    There he was again, the cunning Alex, thewyer, the swindler. "It really is not a good idea if I am not allowed to touch you right now. What if you need help? If you slip or fall on me identally or get a cramp while swimming, I''d have to touch you to help you. We can''t just say it doesn''t count all the time, right, littlemb? What do you say?" His eyes glimmered with mischief and excitement and persuasion, making Abi sigh in disbelief.

    But Alex had a point. Like right then, she needed to hold on to him so he could take her there in one swoop.

    "C''mon, my sweet maid. It''ll be easier for you. If you insist with the no touch policy right now, you''ll have to walk on your own down to thegoon below. You will be exhausted once you get there and then you''d have to walk back up again. That''s quite far for humans to walk," he continued, stretching out his hand again, tempting her with his tantalizing gaze to say yes.

    Abi bit her bottom lip, if she said no, this man would surely go down there on his own and he knew she wouldn''t allow that. They were still in the north end of the country and there were no vampire backups around, so while she felt less nervous, Abi still couldn''t drop her guard. She couldn''t believe he caught her in his trap again. This guy!

    "F-fine." She relented and Alex''s face immediately brightened. "But I think a day is too long. Wouldn''t an hour be enough?"

    "Nope, I suggest we pause until we reach the pce. Our trip is quite dangerous, you see?" He shed her his seductive smile. Abi could already tell that it would definitely be a bad idea if she said yes, judging from his shamelessness. So she was not going to make it that easy for him.

    "Nope, just one hour Alex," she firmly said.

    "Two," he negotiated, gazing into her eyes deeply.

    Letting out a sigh, Abi finally agreed and before she could even touch his hand, Alex grabbed her and off they went, leaping down thegoon.

    "You''re such a good girl, Abigail. That''s why I''m crazy about you," he said, smiling as hended on top of a round shaped rock.

    He leapt once again and Abi wrapped her arms around his neck, holding on as tight as she could before theynded on a fine, t rock sitting just next to the water of the clear bluegoon.

    Alex put her down and Abi gasped at the beauty of the ce. She looked up at the small waterfall that was flowing down so smoothly. It was mesmerising, seeing how the sunlight sparkled as it hit the waterfall.

    "Nice spot, right?" Alex pulled her attention and when she looked at him, he was already undressing. She watched him pull his shirt off, revealing his perfectly delicious torso. He looked so sexy with his disheveled hairbined with that damn sexy smirk that somehow told her to go ahead and drool for him.

    Abi tried her best not to gape and she looked back at the clear blue water again once Alex started to remove his belt.

    "Yeah. It''s an amazing spot. This could be a famous tourist spot if people found out about this ce."

    "But it''s best that others don''t know about this ce. Because if they knew, we wouldn''t be able to have this ce to ourselves, littlemb. I like it like this, just the two of us here, alone..." he trailed off as his breath touched her nape. He was already standing behind her, so close as he spoke. "Would you like me to help you undress?"

    "I can undress myself, Alex," she rejected and Alex backed off, although he was still smiling as he watched her.

    Abi took off her pants first and then her shirt. She was wearing sky blue underwear. She was damn sexy and beautiful that Alex felt his body heat up just by watching her. He could watch her like this tirelessly forever.

    But he looked away and jumped in the water, thankful for its cooling effect.

    He emerged from the blue water and ran his fingers through his hair. "Come, Abigail!" he called out and Abi was also fired up. She wanted to enjoy the water as well.

    She stood on the edge of the rock and dove into the invitinggoon as Alex watched.

    "Ahh! This is so nice!" Abi said, smiling widely. She looked like she was truly enjoying herself and rxing at the same time. Alex had just realized that this girl loved the water.

    He thought that he should transform his house into a beach for her. No, that wouldn''t be enough. He could make a water park for her; a house that had a waterfall,goon, swimming pool, hot spring and a beach in one ce. That would definitely please her and she wouldn''t want to leave his house again, he thought.

    Alex was busy daydreaming that he didn''t notice where Abi had gone. She disappeared from his sight and he immediately started to panic.

    "Abigail?" his eyes slightly wide as he looked around. Damn, he just got distracted for just a moment and now she was gone?!

    Alex couldn''t see her anymore. She didn''te out of the water, right? He looked around the surrounding area and couldn''t see her. So did that mean she was still underwater? Did she drown?!

    His heart thudded in panic and without wasting a moment, he dove under the water.

 Chapter 341 Not the only one

    <h4>Chapter 341 Not the only one</h4>

    Alex searched for her and to his relief, he finally saw her.

    He swam towards her and caught her waist as he brought her to the surface.

    "Are you okay?" he asked, his hands on her bottom lifting her up. But Abi blinked at him as he looked at her.

    "I''m fine. Why did you¡­ wait¡­ you think I drowned?" Abi questioned and when Alex realized that he did something unnecessary, he cleared his throat and averted his gaze.

    However, his reaction made Abi chuckle and without thinking, she reached out and held his face, pinching his cheeks lightly. "Geez¡­ you''re such a worrywart," she said but she soon realized what she just did and her smile slowly faded.

    She attempted to look away and pull away from Alex but the man didn''t let go. He instead held her tighter as he brought her to the shallow part of thegoon where he could stand up.

    Abi realized their position. She was being cradled by Alex.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, you can now put me down," She told him when¡­

    "Abigail, I want to kiss you," he stated. His eyes were already scorching hot, causing Abi to swallow. Their bodies collided once again and the heat that she had missed every night burned her skin.

    Abi''s grips on his shoulders tightened for a moment. She couldn''t say yes even if she wanted to. But he didn''t let her answer and his lips seized hers.

    "Nnnn¡­" Abi tried to protest but Alex didn''t let her until she found herself giving in.

    "Open your mouth for me, Abigail¡­" he whispered. His voice deeper and huskier as he said those words and Abi did as he said. He was truly like the god of temptation and seduction. Abi could not resist him if her senses weren''t prepared enough before his attack.

    With that, Alex kissed her hard like a hungry starved beast. And even the noise of the falling water ceased to exist. He skillfully kissed her, slowly, passionately.

    Their heat dominated over the cool water and even the water began to feel hot for them. Ahh¡­ how they loved this feeling¡­ this indescribable pleasure and warmth between them was something they both would kill for.

    Alex''s hands started roaming around her back, pulling her even closer as if he couldn''t get enough of their closeness.

    And then the moltenva started to flow down her neck. His lips nibbled and licked her and she could only moan. It seemed she was close to her limit too. She was able to stand her ground before because of her anger towards him but now, that anger had been reced with worry and longing. Abi didn''t have enough grunt left to fight his hot and unbearably delicious onught. How could she still stop him at this point when her own body was already on fire along with him?

    "A-alex¡­" she uttered his name. She could feel it, the hard and hot rod poking her down there.

    "Oh¡­ Abigail¡­ I want you right now¡­" he responded and she felt him move. Abi was surprised to find that he had put her down on the rock as he started burying his face between the soft valley of her chests.

    His hands crawled their way up her back to unhook her bra when Abi flinched, grabbing his hair and pushing him away.

    "A-alex wait¡­ someone might see ¨C" Abi was anxiously looking around. Her face was so red with embarrassment. She couldn''t believe she was allowing him to do these naughty things with her in such an open ce. Had she be so naughty or desperate for him?

    "Shh¡­ it''s okay, no one is around ¨C"

    "N-no¡­ someone mighte," she insisted, burning red as she pushed Alex''s face away again.

    Alex licked his lips. Even though she was resisting, he was damn happy because he knew she was doing that because she was afraid to be seen. She was just such a shy and innocent littlemb. Meaning, as long as they weren''t in an open ce, this woman of his would not push him away again like that night.

    Thus, with that thought, Alex suddenly gathered her in his arms, picked up their clothes in one swoop and like lightning, he leapt up with her with only their underwear on, up to the roadside.

    Alex threw the clothes on the front seat and just when Abi thought he would put her down on the passenger seat, Alex opened the back seat. He didn''t put her down. He entered with her and shut the car door with a soft thud.

    Straddling him, Abi pulled her upper body away from him to look at him but Alex pulled her head towards him and kissed her hard again. He was the epitome of the saying ''all hell let loose''.

    "Oh god, Abigail¡­" he uttered against her lips. His hands had unhooked her bra, releasing her soft twin peaches.

    Alex pulled her up, making her kneel with him between her legs and devoured one of her breasts.

    Abi''s moan echoed inside the car. Oh no¡­ this was bad¡­ they were losing themselves¡­

    "A-alex¡­" she moaned, her fingers sped his hair hard, not pushing him, but pulling him. Has she really reached her limit as well?

    Abi began to feel the tingling sensation, the moltenva inside her stomach as he continued sucking her breasts.

    And it didn''t end there, she felt his hand move downwards, between her inner thighs and he touched her there. He rubbed and massaged her there as his lips continued to pleasure her breasts.

    "F*ck! You''re so wet, my girl¡­" he uttered the moment he peeled off her panties and touched her directly.

    Abi bit her lips. This wave of pleasure was too much¡­ she missed this¡­ she wanted this¡­ she''d been dreaming for her to be one with her beloved once again. He was not the only one¡­ she wanted to make love with him too¡­

    .

    Don''t forget to drop ament or a review ^^

 Chapter 342 Your mouth

    <h4>Chapter 342 Your mouth</h4>

    [WARNING: MATURE CONTENT!]

    Abi let herself go. She had been pushing him away for too long and in that moment, she just couldn''t help herself. She loved the way his hands roamed all over her. She loved the way his mouth kissed her body. She loved the way his tongue yed with hers.

    Without giving Abi time to think, Alex gentlyid her down on the backseat, still kissing her sweet peaches, one at a time, giving each the same amount of attention.

    His hand was soaked with her juices and he kept ying with her down there. He wanted her so much and her reaction was very telling. She wanted him too. Her body couldn''t lie about that. Her body was getting ready for him, was more than ready for him.

    In the next moment, his kisses trailed downwards. He wanted to taste her again. It was only a few days ago since he had tasted her but that wasn''t enough. He felt that he would never get enough. So, without further ado, he tore her underwear away and reced his hand with his tongue. His tongue swirled over her sex, tasting her, licking her, sucking on her bud. She tasted so sweet, as sweet as ripened peaches. His tongue didn''t leave a single part of her untouched. He delved in there, finding everyst hidden corner and making sure that he got a taste of every single part of her.

    Abigail came alive as she felt his tongue down there. She let herself go and just let herself feel the familiar sensations he induced with his mouth. She was very aroused, and very wet, and each flick of his tongue felt electrifying. She was so sensitive that her body twitched each time his tongue licked her bud. It wasn''t long before she felt the sweet sensation of desire increase towards the peak.

    Her hands gripped his hair as she moaned with pleasure and when Alex used both his tongue and hand to pleasure her, she finally reached the peak and saw the fireworks.

    Abiy still, feeling breathless, eyes watery from the extreme pleasure Alex just gave her.

    Alex moved up, gazed down at her with fiery eyes. "Abigail¡­" he uttered her name like it was the sweetest melody in the universe. And then he slowly bent over. "Let''s make love, Abigail¡­ I want to be inside you. Don''t be afraid."

    He held her hand and put it on his chest. "I will prove myself to you by marrying you if that''s what you want, Abigail. I will show you that I ammitted to you and you alone," he added and he began nting kisses on her face.

    His hand moved to his raging little big monster. He couldn''t take it anymore. He wanted to be inside her! He had been so patient and so good thest few days but now he just couldn''t stop this feeling. He needed her like a parched man needed water, like a tree needed the sun, like a burning fire needed oxygen.

    "Oh Abigail¡­ please say yes¡­" he pleaded but Abi looked away, refusing to meet his gaze. The words he said - that he would marry her - made her want to cry.

    The pleasure once again made her forget about their situation, about Alex''s situation. Would this be alright, being one with him even though he had forgotten about her? Abi had this fear inside her that once she epted this Alex, his old self, his forgotten memories might never return again. And that was the only thing stopping her from not giving in. She felt like epting this Alex would be like epting that the old Alex would never return. And she didn''t want that. That would break her heart to pieces once again.

    In the end, she was unable to do it. She looked at the time and sighed with relief. "Uhm¡­ the two hours pause is over, Alex." she told him and the man froze. He looked like an ice statue cracking and was about to shatter.

    She returned her gaze to him and their eyes met. He was silent but she knew he was trying to read her emotions.

    After a long while of a deafening standstill, Alex closed his eyes and pulled away, his back hitting the car door as he sat there, looking utterly frustrated.

    Abi rose up, looking at him. She felt really bad. Her heart clenched watching him like that, seeing him looking so dejected. She didn''t want to reject him¡­ but she had to.

    Before she knew it, she crawled towards him. Her eyes fell on his still rock hard member, begging for her attention and she swallowed.

    "I¡­ I will just touch you, Alex. Would that be okay?" she asked and Alex immediately opened his eyes, surprised with what he just heard.

    Abi moved closer. She was a little amused by his reaction but she didn''t show it. She slowly reached out and finally touched his thick and long member. It twitched as soon as she touched it, like it was excited to its core.

    Focusing her gaze on it, Abi began to grip it and her hand moved up and down. She had done this to him a few times now so she already knew what to do.

    Alex groaned. He couldn''t believe that Abigail volunteered to touch him. He thought¡­ he thought that he would have to go back to the falls again and drown himself there from frustration.

    "Oh¡­ f*ck Abigail! That feels so good!" he groaned, not hiding anything from her. "My sweet girl¡­ look at me," he said and Abi looked up, not stopping what her hand was doing. "F*ck¡­ kiss me, please. While doing that."

    Once again, he was shocked because the girl obediently moved and kissed him. He cursed inwardly so many times inside him because he was feeling too damn good.

    When Abi pulled away, Alex''s breathing was ragged. His sweat and his damp hair made his sexiness double. He looked smoking hot.

    "Abigail¡­ c-can you use your mouth?" he requested, making Abi halt and she looked at him with wide eyes.

 Chapter 343 Silly Alex

    <h4>Chapter 343 Silly Alex</h4>

    [WARNING: MATURE CONTENT!]

    She remembered that she had licked him there before. During the past three months, Kelly had also dragged her to watch adult movies just to get a reaction from her because as Kelly put it, she had be like the walking dead. Kelly thought that taking Abi to watch these kinds of movies would definitely wake Abi up from her zombielike depression but unfortunately, it hadn''t worked. However, Abi watched in silence and while she didn''t really pay it much attention, some of the things she saw had remained in her mind. This was how Abi found out that what she had done to Alex before wasn''t what she was supposed to do.

    Abi swallowed.

    Seeing her reaction, Alex bit his lips. It seemed this littlemb of his was still too innocent for that. He shouldn''t be so greedy. Her hand was damn good enough, Alex! He scolded himself. But then, all of the sudden, Abigail bent down and her lips touched his tip.

    He gasped. She started to lick him and Alex clenched his fists so tight to stop himself from grabbing her head to¡­ to¡­''f*ck Alex! Don''t! She''s not like those women! This is your littlemb! You can''t do that to her!!'' he screamed at himself.

    He gritted his teeth. Damn, she was torturing him, so f*cking bad.

    "Abigail¡­ please¡­" he begged her.

    Abi moved to kneel on the backseat and settled herself between his legs. Once again, her actions made Alex gasp in surprise.

    "Am¡­ am I doing it right?" she asked, making Alex''s eyes widen. "W-what do you want me to do?"

    Damn Abigail! Are you doing this on purpose?

    Alex gulped. "Please, Abigail¡­ I want it deeper inside your mouth. Please," he groaned and Abi gazed up at him for a while.

    Alex thought it was an impossible request but then Abi let out a deep breath and she opened her lips. And did as he asked!

    Oh f*ck!

    Alex tensed up and he began moving his hips. F*cking hell, he was in heaven. It was so damn good. He had never felt anything like this. This far exceeded the peak of pleasure he had ever known. This was different from anything else, from everything else.

    Abigail took him inside her wet, hot mouth and his hard member became harder than it already was. She then moved her tongue along him, licking him as she sucked him like a lollipop. She then started to move up and down as her hand settled at the base of his hard little big monster. She squeezed at the same time as she sucked on him. She kept going, slow at first but as she heard his moans, she increased her pace. She took him deeper and deeper down her throat each time and Alex couldn''t hold on any longer. After onest time, he suddenly pulled Abigail off him as he erupted with pleasure.

    As he was falling back down from his climax, Alex thought that this girl¡­ this woman¡­ should, no, must be his. She would be his forever. No one would ever take her away from him because she was made just for him.

    ¡­

    After that steamy session, Alex carried her back to the falls and they bathed again. She brought some fresh clothes with her.

    "You can change here. I will cover you if you''re shy." He smiled tenderly, making Abi blush. She turned around and began changing while Alex watched over her.

    They then returned to their car and continued their journey back home. They stopped at another restaurant for lunch after that and they went on their way again.

    Abi fell asleep and when she woke up, she was shocked because the car had stopped and Alex wasn''t in the driver''s seat.

    It was already dark and they were still in the mountainous area? Why? They should have been back in the city by now!

    "Alex?!" she called out. She sat up and saw his shirt draped over her, like a small nket.

    Abi quickly climbed off the car, worried sick and scared that Alex had disappeared. How could she fall asleep?! She was meant to be watching him!

    But to her relief, Alex was right there, leaning on the boot of the car and looking up at the sky. Abi let out a deep sigh of relief as she approached him.

    "Why are we still here? We''re supposed to be back by now," she said. Alex nced at her. His eyes were tender and fiery at the same time.

    "Well, you fell asleep¡­ a gentleman should let his beloved have a good night sleep." he answered, proudly.

    "So you stopped the car the moment I fell asleep?"

    He nodded, looking at her like he wanted her to praise him for being the most considerate gentleman in the world.

    Abi was speechless.

    He cleared his throat when she didn''t say a word. "How much do you like me now?" he suddenly asked. "I should be up for about 90% by now, right, Littlemb?"

    "H-huh?"

    "Don''t ''huh'' me, my girl." he bent forward. "I know you are already falling for me," he whispered, as confident as the devil.

    Ha.ha.ha. This guy!!

    "Now let''s go¡­ we will look for a nearby hotel." He shed his victorious smirk and then walked past her.

    Suddenly, Abi felt like her veins were about to pop.

    Where did he get that conclusion? Could it be because of what she did? And what? They were stopping at a hotel?

    Abi was now certain. Alex''s driving was slow like a turtle because he wanted to drag this out. Was he thinking that he would make her fall for him before they reach the pce? Silly! Silly Alex!

    Abi''s inner demon appeared inside her and they began to whisper things inside her head. That was right, she swore that he would lose this bet. He said she could do anything to him if she won.

    A wicked smile momentarily shed on Abi''s face. She would make him regret that he didn''t drive back to the pce at full speed. Tonight, she would make him lose this deal he made.

    ''Prepare yourself silly Alex, I''m done behaving well for you.''

    .

    Don''t forget to vote and drop ament^^

 Chapter 344 Not one bi

    <h4>Chapter 344 Not one bi</h4>

    PLEASE READ: This book is still ONGOING and I am updating the book everyday. I update 3 chapters minimum and I am not doing this on purpose. Believe it or not, I don''t have stockpiles and I am writing the chapters the same day I publish them. Also, please know that I am not forcing anyone to buy the privilege chapters. I am asking for it but I am not forcing you guys. Please don''t buy it if you''re unwilling. The privilege chapters are only for the fans who are willing to support me more. Thank u and love u all. \u003c3

    .

    Abigail walked back towards the car and entered it. Alex followed suit, with a small smirk ying on his face. He was looking forward to spending another night alone with this littlemb. Who knew, he might get lucky again.

    He hopped in the driver''s seat and soon, they were on their way down the highway. They weren''t too far away from the next inn, possibly a half hour''s drive from where they were. The ride there was silent. Abigail was mulling over how best to make Alex lose his bet and regret it, while Alex was high on anticipation of what could potentially happen that night.

    They arrived outside of a cosy inn with a bright sign saying ''Rooms avable'' on its roof. It was another picturesque looking dwelling, made entirely of logs. Although it was a lot smaller than the hotels they had stayed in, it gave out a homely feeling. Through the window, they could see the flickering of a log fire and Abigail couldn''t wait to get inside and sit by the warm fire.

    Abigail quickly got out of the car, grabbed her things and headed towards the inn, not bothering to wait for Alex, who seemed to be lost in his thoughts; she didn''t have to wonder what was going on in his mind because she could see that devilish smirk on his face and she knew all too well what kind of thoughts brought that out.

    She was shaking her head as she walked into the inn. She was greeted by a very handsome concierge who gave her a very weing smile. She couldn''t help but smile back at him - he just had that kind of aura that made people feel drawn towards his beauty - and while Abigail had only ever had eyes for her husband, she still couldn''t help but admire this man''s beauty.

    The smirking man walked into the inn to be served with this scene and his smirk instantly disappeared to be reced by a frown.

    "Littlemb, we''re leaving," he suddenly said. He didn''t like the way his littlemb was looking at this man, not one bit, so after Alex spouted out those words, he immediately turned around and walked towards the car again. He very much wanted to grab her and pull her away with him but he knew he couldn''t do that. The other option was to beat that man to a pulp until his face no longer looked the same, but again, that wasn''t a good option either. That would make the littlemb like him even less.

    So, in the end, he did the only thing he could do and left, knowing that she would follow him. She had a job to do after all and that was to keep him in her sight. He jumped into the car and mmed the door close, rocking the car in the process. His face was as ck as the bottom of a pot and his aura was just as dark. Perhaps this wasn''t a good idea after all. He had not anticipated this turn of events.

    Abigail watched him walk over to the car and m the door and wondered what was wrong with him. Why did he suddenly want to leave when they just got here? She looked around the inn to see if she could find a clue on why he wanted to leave so suddenly, but she couldn''t find anything out of the ordinary. She then focused on her hearing to see if there were any hidden dangers and she couldn''t hear anything wrong either.

    However, she did notice that this man''s heartbeat in front of her sounded very much like the heartbeat of a vampire so that gave her more reason to want to stay in this ce. The more vampires, the better, right? She also asked this man how far away the next inn was from here and he said it was another hour and half away.

    So she decided to check them both in and after that, she would try and convince Alex that this was the best ce to stay for the night. Also, she was very hungry and she could smell the aroma of some delicious food from the kitchen. Her stomach grumbled just thinking about it.

    Abi was slightly worried that Alex would drive away without her but she also had an ace up her sleeve that she hadn''t used yet - the fact that she would be punished again if she let him out of her sight, or if he left her again likest time. If he did that, she would have to just remind him of what happenedst time. She had faith that he woulde back, that he wouldn''t let her go through another punishment like that again. However, she still quickly finished up the check in process so she could catch him before he left.

    Alex sat in the car for maybe a minute or so before he noticed that his littlemb still wasn''t in the car next to him. What? Did she not follow him? Did she not hear him when he said they were leaving? Where was she?

    He looked back at the entrance to see that Abigail was now standing by the counter, being served by the same handsome man! He couldn''t believe it! This maid of his actually dared to defy him! She was supposed toe running the moment he left. Was she so taken by that damn concierge that she decided to ignore him now?

    His hands gripped the steering wheel so hard that it crumbled into ashes. In his mind, the steering wheel was that vampire''s neck since he couldn''t do it in real life.

    Tap. Tap. Tap.

    He opened his eyes and turned to look out his window where the tapping sounds came from and saw Abigail bent over to look at him. He let the steering wheel go and noticed the shock on the littlemb''s face when she saw what was left to the steering wheel.

    ''What the¡­!''

 Chapter 345 Ordinary man

    <h4>Chapter 345 Ordinary man</h4>

    Alex wiped his hands on his pants before winding the window down for her. Abigail''s gaze was still locked onto the steering wheel which had turned from one circle into two half circles.

    "Littlemb, get in the car now," Alex said, trying to keep his tone as normal as possible but of course it didn''t escape Abi.

    She turned to him with questions in her eyes. "Why do you want to leave so badly? What''s wrong with this ce?" she asked.

    "..."

    Alex didn''t know how to answer her question because really, there was nothing wrong with the ce itself. It was just that damn vampire that was wrong but he couldn''t really say that to her, could he?

    "I just don''t like it," he said curtly.

    Abigail still didn''t get it but by now, her hunger was getting the better of her. Her stomach had beenining since she had a whiff of the delicious smell of food inside that inn. Her mouth had already started watering from the anticipation.

    "Alex¡­ can we please just stay here tonight? Pretty please?" she batted her eyshes at him as she spoke, trying out a new technique. However, this was followed by a loud roar that came from her stomach.

    Alex was stunned when he saw her batting her eyshes at him. His heart thumped in his chest for a wild second and then, he heard the roaring of her stomach. He was defeated. All it took was her batting her eyshes at him and a rumbling stomach to admit defeat.

    Alex sighed as he opened his door and got out. Abi was relieved that he didn''t put up a fight and that she didn''t have to use her trump card. But then again, if this was the result of her new technique, then it might be worth perfecting it for future use. She giggled inwardly as she waited for Alex. She was so giddy that she reached out and grabbed his hand and they walked hand in hand back into the inn.

    Alex''s bad mood immediately evaporated the moment her fingers intertwined with his. He squeezed her hand back as a small smile formed on his face. He thought that this might not be such a bad thing after all. He would show that damn ugly vampire who this littlemb really liked and that that title belonged to only him.

    The two of them went straight into the dining area. Abigail had already ordered the food so a table was alreadyid out for both of them at one corner. They were the only guests so they had the ce to themselves.

    An array of dishes wereid out on the table and the moment they both sat down on their chairs, Alex started piling food on Abi''s te. She started to dig in because she couldn''t wait any longer, while Alex just kept replenishing her te. Every now and again, Alex''s eyes would dart back towards the man standing at the counter to check whether or not he was watching them.

    When Alex noticed that he was, Alex then quickly picked up a piece of vegetable and held it up towards Abi''s mouth. "Littlemb, try this one," he said to her and she immediatelyplied and opened her mouth to take a bite.

    Alex smirked with triumph as he snuck a look at the man again. Yes, the man definitely saw that small disy of affection, thus, Alex kept feeding his littlemb that way for the rest of the meal.

    "Alex, stop. I am so full that I don''t think I can walk anymore," Abi said as sheughed and patted her food baby.

    Of course, Alex immediately pounced on that. "Eat more. I can always carry you to our room, my littlemb. It''s no trouble at all," he told her quickly.

    "No, I really can''t fit anymore in, okay? I''ll go pay for the meal instead," Abi said but again, Alex quickly interjected.

    "I will go. You stay here and rx." Alex got up and walked over the man, exuding a very alpha male aura. He ced his card down on the table and the man processed the transaction. When the man gave his card back, Alex looked him in the eye before he said, "she''s mine" and then he turned and walked away.

    The handsome vampire was speechless. He was about to say something when suddenly, a gray haired older man nudged him as he whispered to him.

    "Don''t do it, son. Don''t even dare talk back to him," the older man said, making the young vampire crease his brows at him.

    "And why would I ¨C"

    "Did you not smell him?"

    "Well, yeah. He''s a vampire but he smelled like a human as well¡­ Wait¡­ don''t tell me¡­"

    "That''s right. He''s half vampire and half human. You know there is only one man like that in this world."

    The young and handsome vampire swallowed. The new generation of vampires had never seen the vampire in the many stories they were told since they were born. Of course they had heard the stories. Who hadn''t? Everyone knew about him and knew that a half vampire, half human, an immortal, was ranked above their king. Since the half-blooded vampire never showed up in public in thest 200 years, themon vampires didn''t even know what he looked like. Only those who visited the pce knew what he looked like and even then, they had to have gone there at the correct time to be able to see this man. He very rarely showed himself to the public that even most of the nobles also hadn''t seen his face.

    Most of the young vampires even felt like such a man didn''t really exist and that he was just another vampire myth.

    But here he was visiting their inn with a beautiful human girl, acting like a very jealous, ordinary man. The young vampire couldn''t quite believe it. The stories he had been told were all magnificent and scary at the same time. He had imagined that, if this man really existed, that he would definitely act like the almighty legend that he was!

    They watched as the two guests walked towards them to climb up the stairs. The older vampire bowed and the young man followed. He didn''t know why he did that.

 Chapter 346 The only explanation

    <h4>Chapter 346 The only exnation</h4>

    Abi rested on the chair by the window overlooking a majestic river from afar. The moon was out that night and many bright stars were scattered in the night sky. It was such a magical sight.

    She heard Alex stand up and enter the bathroom as she focused her gaze outside. Her fingers were ying with the rings hanging around her neck. She saw that silver witch again in her mind and her eyes zeroed onto the dark mountains under the moon.

    After a long while, the bathroom door opened. Abi had changed into her pajamas by then and was already sitting on the bed, leaning against the headboard. She had just finished calling her dad and replying to the messages she had received from both Chris and Kelly.

    She lifted her eyes from her phone and saw his half naked body with his hair gorgeously disheveled. He stood at the foot of the bed, picking up his shirt.

    Abi knew he was trying to seduce her with his out of this world beauty and she was scolding herself internally because despite being with him this entire time, not to mention all the times they spent together before, she still couldn''t help but marvel at how impossibly good looking he was and how perfect his body was. It seemed his outrageous beauty and perfection weren''t something she would ever get used to.

    He looked at her and their eyes met but Abi quickly looked down and focused her eyes on the screen of her phone.

    Alex smirked with satisfaction. He was about to wear his shirt when a silly thought came to his mind.

    "Littlemb, is it just me or is it pretty hot right now?" he asked.

    Abi blinked at him, slightly tilted her head before answering. "It''s just you."

    "Hmm¡­ that''s strange," he mumbled. But then, he walked towards her, not putting his shirt on and sat down right beside her.

    Oh gosh¡­ was he nning to sleep half naked tonight?

    Abi silently sighed. "I think I need to take a shower, too," she suddenly said before she climbed off the bed, and ran towards the bathroom. She closed the door and leaned on it for a moment, telling her heart to stop beating so fast. After a minute, when her heart was back to beating normally, she went to fill up the bathtub with warm water.

    She got undressed, pulled her hair up and soaked herself in the bathtub. Her mind was racing again. For some reason, she felt a bit uneasy and she didn''t know why. She should feel relieved that they were nearing the city again and getting further away from that vige. But Abi couldn''t make her body and mind rx. She had a feeling that there was something waiting for them back at the pce. What could it be?

    Letting out another deep breath Abi stood up and let the water drip to the floor. She forced the questions out of her mind for the night because it was now time for her mission to start. She grabbed the towel and wrapped it around her. She thought that it was time for him to lose that bet so that she could im her reward and make him do whatever she wanted, just in case something bad was indeed waiting for them back in the city. She knew that Alex wouldn''t take his words back so she would do this to put another ace up her sleeve. This way, Abi could even kidnap him away if needed.

    She nced at herself in the mirror. Her cheeks were flushed and the strands of her hair were stuck around her face. "Do it, Abi!" she encouraged herself and with that, she pushed the door open.

    The steam from the hot water followed her out, helping to set the scene. Their eyes immediately met as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, but Abi was quick to escape from the force of his stare. She casually walked towards the foot of the king bed and grabbed her bag. She then put the bag on the table and brought out her underwear, with her back facing him as she did that.

    Alex''s gaze intensified. This littlemb of his was always already dressed up the moment she stepped out of the bathroom, but this time she actually came out looking like that? Was she going to go back into the bathroom after grabbing her clothes?

    He waited for her to walk back but the girl didn''t. Instead, she looked like she was putting on her clothes right there! In front of him!

    He saw her bend forward, slipping one foot through hercy ck underwear, and then the other, before she pulled it up slowly, raising the towel as she moved higher and higher. He caught a little glimpse of her plump, round derriere before her underwear covered it.

    Alex straightened up, utterly shocked. Was he hallucinating?! W-what was his littlemb doing right before his eyes?!!

    The view was nearly too damn much for him to take. Watching his littlemb put on her panties like that¡­ Alex''s Adams apple bobbed up and down. He was unable to look away and he even felt like the scene had turned into an erotic slow motion feature. F*ck! His little monster was up again! She was seducing him, right? That was the only exnation for this. Why? Because she wanted him to do naughty things to her again? Because she loved how he made her feel?

    Alex was about to rejoice, thinking that she really was finally giving in to him. But a momentter, the demon in his head piped up and told him that she was seducing him because she wanted him to lose the deal. That thought made him freeze and clench the bedsheet. Was she really doing this so he would lose? Did she really want him to lose that badly?

    .

    One more bunos chapter today guys as thanks for your supports this week. ^^

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 Chapter 347 Just like that?

    <h4>Chapter 347 Just like that?</h4>

    The torment went on. This was even more tortuous thanst night. The devil only knew how much he wanted to just leap towards her and enter her from behind. His dirty mind and his lust were like giant waves crashing on him, pushing him to go and grab her. But damn, if he did that, he would lose, and she would then think that all he wanted from her was her body! That would be the worst thing ever!

    Curses and scoldings flooded Alex''s head, and yet he couldn''t make himself look away.

    He continued watching her as the towel fell to the floor, revealing her smooth, bare back. She picked up a sexy nightgown, a ck, short, spaghetti strap,cy thing and Alex swallowed again as he watched this thin piece of material fall over her back, stopping at mid thigh height.

    "Abigail¡­" he called out and Abi turned to see him not leaning against the headboard anymore. He was leaning forward, his elbow on top of his folded knee as his scorching eyes peeked through the strands of his dark hair.

    She was reminded of that very first night with him where he had taken her up to that hotel room and told her to undress before him, only this time, she was in control.

    "Hmm?" she innocently stared back and waited for the rest of his sentence. But the man didn''t say any more words so she casually moved again and bent down to pick up her fallen towel in such a way that Alex could clearly see herce-covered backside.

    She had just straightened up when Alex finally left the bed. Her gaze flew towards him and she was about to smile but instead, she was shocked because he was heading towards the door - and it was not the bathroom door either.

    Abi quickly ran towards the door to block his way.

    "Where are you going?"

    "I changed my mind. Let''s go back to the city tonight."

    Her brows creased at him. If it was this afternoon, Abi would have definitely agreed to that because back then, she thought that the source of her unease was because they were still close to the vige. But now that she realized the real source of her unease, she didn''t like this idea anymore. She didn''t know why but this was what her gut was telling her and that was why she was trying to dy it now. That also meant that it would be morning when they arrived and during the day was the safest time for them to arrive as vampires and witches were weak during the day.

    "But why? You were the one who insisted for us to stay here for the night."

    "Well, I changed my mind."

    "No. We''ll spend the night here, Alex."

    A smirk shed on Alex''s face and he bent closer.

    "And when did a maid order her master? I noticed this before, Abigail. You don''t act like my maid at all¡­" he trailed off and narrowed his eyes with curiosity. "You act like an overprotective mother hen or a sulking dominant wife sometimes." He smiled meaningfully, rendering Abi speechless again.

    "I¡­ I am just doing my job. And¡­ this is not an order, okay? It''s just that I''m¡­ I''m still a little tired. I want to sleep on a bed and not in the car. Please? Alex?" she began to plead, using the same technique she used a while ago in the car.

    But Alex was prepared this time and he quickly looked away. "It''s okay, my sweet maid, I''ll make sure that you sleep well in the car. Now get dressed so we can leave," he told her firmly, surprising Abi.

    It seemed he was really serious. Did he feel that this would be dangerous for him? Abi didn''t move and just gazed up at him. What should she do? Should she give in and let him win? Abi wanted to. She always had a soft spot for him but¡­ no, she needed to win this. Don''t falter, Abi. Don''t forget that there were more important things than being soft to him right now.

    She reached out and touched his arms. "Please Alex, let''s stay for the night," she begged. Her voice was so silky sweet like honey that it was impossible for Alex not to look at her.

    And the moment he looked down at her pleading face, all hell broke loose. The damn littlemb licked her lips and he didn''t know why but that single gesture made his body burn and before he knew it, his lips crashed on hers.

    F*ck! He cursed and cursed within him. But it was toote. He had already lost the bet.

    Abi was suddenly pinned on the bed. Why? Why did she have to do that? No. Why? Why the hell did that little simple thing shatter his every resolve, just like that?

    He gritted his teeth.

    "Damn it, Abigail¡­ you really want me to lose the deal this much?" he suddenly asked, causing Abi to freeze. She didn''t expect him to ask that.

    "W-what are you saying. I just¡­ I didn''t do anything ¨C"

    "You licked your lips!" his voice thundered. "You don''t know what that did to me. I was f*cking holding on and you¡­ you¡­" he closed his eyes and let himself fall on top of her, hugging her. "I can''t believe this¡­" he mumbled, his voice filled with so much regret.

    Abi was about to lift her hand and rub his hair and tell him it was alright, that this wasn''t the right way for him to show her he really wanted her and not just her body. But Alex suddenly pulled his body up and stared down at her. His eyes burned like an inferno as he spoke, "you drive me insane, Abigail¡­ I lost the deal¡­ but I will never¡­ never let you go. You are mine. Only mine and no one else''s," he uttered and then he grabbed her hands and pinned them above her head and he kissed her, hard and deep, as if the beast in the cage was now finally let loose.

    .

    Drop ament and review guys. And dont forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 348 Hold me

    <h4>Chapter 348 Hold me</h4>

    Alex''s kiss was rough and his grip on her hands were tight, as if he was venting all his frustrations and anger through his kisses. Yet it was still hot and mind blowing. The sound of their lips and tongues crashing filled the quiet room and the heat from their bodies and fierceness of their desire boosted up the temperature of the room to the nth degree.

    "Mmmm¡­" Abi moaned against his lips and Alex finally pulled away. Their breaths mingled as they looked deeply into each other''s eyes.

    He bent down and kissed her eyes, her nose, and then her lips, so delicately as if he was kissing the wings of a butterfly, before he backed off again.

    "Abigail¡­ What should I do to prove to you that I''m more than serious about you? That you''re all that I want in this universe?" he asked, his voice soft and hoarse. He looked like he was struggling to his bones and this sight of him was not something Abi could look away from. She didn''t ever want to see him like this, like a desperate, unwanted puppy. She didn''t think that losing the deal would make him look this defeated.

    He bent down again and showered her with gentle kisses as he uttered these words. "Please¡­ tell me¡­ I''m losing my mind¡­ I''m going crazy¡­ I don''t want to let you go¡­ I want you¡­ I want you damn bad¡­"

    Alex was right on the edge of his restraint. He was battling with himself. His demons were telling him to just take her and stop begging for her permission. His demons were telling him to just seize her body now and make her his so she wouldn''t be able to escape him anymore. His demons were telling him that she was the one who seduced him to this point and that it was okay.

    But what if she hated him after that? That thought was the only thing stopping him from listening to his inner demons. He was really, really tormented, so much that it was driving him insane. He didn''t understand why he stopped himself. He couldn''t understand why he couldn''t conquer her. He had conquered the world so why not her? She was now the world to him, so why?

    Alex closed his eyes and let out a quiet sigh. He realized that the reason was because she was not just his world, she was his universe; something he had never conquered before. His power and money, his body and mind, and now his heart seemed to still be not enough to subdue her, to make her his. This physically fragile littlemb... how the hell was she so tough? Was her heart made of steel? Was there really no other way for him to show her that he¡­ wait¡­

    Looking like a genius idea just popped inside his head, Alex opened his eyes. His grip on her tightened again and his heartbeat abnormally elerated just at the thought of it.

    He swallowed and his gaze intensified. "Marry me, Abigail," he suddenly said, looking at her with unwavering eyes. Before he met her, he would have beenughing at himself for having thought of this but at that moment, there was none of that. At that moment, he was very serious. To Alex, this decision was something much more gravely important than anything else in this world. He didn''t think he would ever want to marry anyone. It was fascinating how a single person managed to change everything in his life in such a short period of time. She was like a natural disaster that even he, the most powerful man in the world, could not stand against. The irony was that, to the outside world, she was only a small, weak human. But this small, weak human moved the immovable mountain, chartered the uncrossable waters of his emotions that led to this moment in time.

    "I''m serious. I want to marry you, littlemb. Let''s get married," he repeated and the dumbfounded Abi found her voice again.

    Suddenly, she wanted to cry and before she knew it, she pulled her hands off his loosened grip and wrapped them around his neck, pulling him down into her embrace.

    This wasn''t just because her heart had finally given up. It was because she suddenly felt like Alex''s memories would never return again. Alex asking her to marry him just made her feel that way and it was breaking her heart. No¡­ she must not give up. Maybe she was being too impatient. Maybe she just needed to stop worrying about it too much and just keep holding on to that hope that he would eventually remember her again in the future. Maybe she was just being paranoid. Maybe the key was to give in to him and just let things flow.

    Abi felt tired. Tired of holding back from holding him again. Tired of controlling herself. Tired of saying ''no'' to him when all she wanted was to scream the word ''yes''. She was tired of having to pretend that she didn''t care, that she was tough and strong enough to resist and wait for that day toe.

    Hugging him like that made her body rx in a way that she had been longing for for a long time. Finally being about to drop all the facade made her feel so relieved, as if she had removed all her armor and was now feeling lighter than ever.

    Alex pulled away from her, still stunned with what his littlemb did. He looked into her eyes and saw them glimmering with such raw emotion as she gazed up at him.

    Her hands moved to his face and she cupped them gently. "I''m sorry but I can''t ept your proposal," she said, causing Alex''s world to split into half. But what she said next made everything stand still. "But¡­ I want you to hold me tonight, Alex¡­"

    .

    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 349 Wicked

    <h4>Chapter 349 Wicked</h4>

    Those words were like the rainbow appearing after the hurricane attack. It was hope. It was progress. He froze for a moment, contemting whether he should celebrate or just end himself. But he immediately realized his proposal might havee too early. She was finally asking him to hold her and it made his heart almost burst out from his chest.

    It was so unexpected. She was so wicked. She made him beg so many times and tortured him to the brink of destruction for this, just for her to ask him to hold her as he was about to break. He wished he could say ''no'' to get back at her but goddamnit! How the hell could he?!! She was finally making a move. She was finally asking for something for him to hold her. Sure, in terms of progress, this definitely felt like it was moving at a snail''s pace, but it was still progress! And there was no way he would turn that down.

    Before Alex could ask again to make sure he wasn''t hallucinating, Abi pulled him back into her embrace and hugged him tightly. Alex''s heart thumped inside his chest as he made himselffortable on the bed. Hey next to her, wrapping his arms around her waist, around her body and he pulled her tightly to him.

    Abi ended up with her head resting on his chest, an arm around his torso, listening to his rapid heartbeat. She let his warmth soak into her body and she felt that familiar feeling that she had longed for. It was the feeling of contentment, happiness and serenity. She was no longer on guard, on edge and it was the best feeling in the world to just let go of all that. It was the best feeling in the world to finally let herself feel the love she had for him and to let that feeling engulf her fully because she did. She loved this man with all of her heart and soul and nothing would ever change that.

    Abi closed her eyes. She had really missed this. A small tear escaped from the corner of her eye but she didn''t care. It felt so good that she couldn''t help but cry away all the pain she bottled up inside her heart. Her tears started to flow silently.

    Alex felt the warmth of her tears on his chest and he frowned. Why was the littlemb crying? Did he make her cry? Was it his fault?

    Alex moved and he ced a finger under her chin and made her look up at him. Her eyes glistened from the tears that flowed from them and the sight tore at Alex''s heart.

    "Abigail, what''s wrong?" he asked, now using her name.

    Abi just shook her head, unable to form the words to exin what she was feeling at that moment.

    Alex used his thumb to wipe away her tears and in the next moment, his lips covered hers, softly, gently, tenderly, as if he was trying to take her pain away. He ced butterfly kisses over her cheeks and kissed away her tears before he returned to her lips. When his lips met hers again, he was surprised because he suddenly felt her respond to him.

    She was kissing him back so passionately, so intently and she even pried his mouth open to find his tongue. He was stunned for a second before her tongue''s teasing forced him to respond to her. He kissed her back with the same intensity and before long, both of them became lost in the kiss. His body immediately responded to her kisses but he held himself back, not wanting to scare her away. His hands started to roam over her body, keeping above the waist, caressing her arms and back.

    Abigail felt a trail of heat from where his hands had touched her. His touch was gentle, slow but very sensual and she relished the sensations he was giving her. She deepened their kiss and her arms wrapped around his neck, locking him to her. She moved her body closer to him as she put a leg over him. In the next second, she pushed him so that he ended up on his back with her on top of him, straddling him, all the while kissing him as if it was thest time she would ever get to kiss him again.

    Her hips started to move over him, over his hard little big monster, and his arms that were wrapped around her tightened. Abigail finally drew away from his lips, to breathe in some much needed oxygen as she sat upright. She gazed down at him with eyes filled with desire, desire that was reflected back at her through his eyes. And then, she licked her lips, subconsciously.

    Alex''s eyes widened. He felt like the slow fire that burned within him had suddenly exploded into a huge inferno, as if someone had poured gasoline into the fire.

    "Oh, Abigail, what have you done to me?" he groaned, feeling like he was on the brink again. He knew she wasn''t trying to seduce him this time. He knew that, but even so, it had the same effect! It made him want her like he wanted nothing else in the world. But he restrained himself. Just.

    Abi leaned down again and ced a quick soft kiss on his lips. She then moved her lips just next to his ear before she whispered to him. "Alex, I want you."

    Alex froze, unable to believe what he just heard. Was she serious? Was this a trick? Was this some kind of test? Alex''s eyes snapped towards her face, searching her eyes for the answers to his questions and with one look, he had his answer. There was no doubt in her eyes, no fear, no resistance, no mischievousness. All he saw was her desire for him.

    Still unable to believe it, he asked her. "Are you sure?"

    She nodded before she said, "Yes, I''m sure."

 Chapter 350 Tit for ta

    <h4>Chapter 350 Tit for ta</h4>

    Her answer made him feel like he was flying on cloud nine. She said it! She said that she wanted him! How long had he been waiting for her to say those words to him? How many times had he begged for just that? And now, here she was telling him that she wanted him, just like that.

    It was like a miracle had happened. He didn''t know what made her change her mind. Was it because of his proposal? Because she finally saw that he wasn''t just after her body? He didn''t know but he wasn''t about to ruin the mood by asking her.

    Alex sat upright, causing Abigail to slide down from his hips to his thighs. "Are you absolutely sure," he asked again, staring intently into her eyes. He wanted her to be very sure about what she was saying, about this decision because there would be no turning back. Hard as it was for him to, he gave her onest chance to back out. One more chance for her to run away.

    Abi didn''t move or say anything. She seemed to be contemting his words. She didn''t say anything. Instead, sheced her fingers through his hair and pulled him in for a kiss. However, this time was different. Gone were the gentle, soft kisses she had given him just before.

    This kiss was full of hunger and thirst and Alex immediately became lost. This was it, the point of no return. Her kiss had torn down thest bit of restraint that he held onto and his desire for her burst forth as if the floodgates had been opened. He kissed her back, this time with as much passion and intensity she gave him, meeting her in the middle, tit for tat.

    Their tongues mingled, yed tag with each other and their hands feverishly roamed all over each other''s bodies, wanting to feel every inch of their skin.

    After a few minutes, Alex''s lips left her mouth and trailed down to her neck. His lips roamed all over, wanting to kiss her everywhere, needing to taste her sweet skin. He kissed her neck and trailed kisses down her corbone towards the valley between her soft peaches. He kissed the top of those peaches, pulling her sexy nightgown down so that he could ess them.

    In the next second, he grunted from frustration and suddenly tore her flimsy lingerie to pieces and flung them away. Damn that thing for getting in the way of his lips!

    He sucked her breasts and Abi moaned from the pleasure. She couldn''t help but arch her back towards him, giving him more ess to her soft mounds. At the same time, her hips started to move over him, slowly grinding on him. She could feel his hard arousal and she pushed herself down harder, as if telling Alex that she wanted him inside her.

    Alex listened to what her body was saying and he turned them over so that Abigail nowy under him. He trailed further down south and he ripped her underwear and threw it away, leaving herpletely naked under him and under his mercy.

    Without wasting anymore time, Alex kissed her down there as his fingers pushed inside her.

    "God, Abigail, you''re so wet for me," he said.

    "Mmmm, Alex¡­" she moaned and the sound was like music to his ears. Hearing her calling out his name, so full of desire, of need, of want, made him feel so good that his kisses intensified. He loved licking her, sucking on her. He loved the way she tasted. He loved the way her body arched towards him and responded to his every touch.

    He attacked her sex with his tongue, mercilessly pushing her towards the edge of that precipice. She felt that feeling swell up inside her and in no time.

    "Alex, please¡­ please¡­" she begged. Oh how the tables have turned.

    Alex heard her pleas and was more than happy to oblige. His fingers moved inside of her, in and out, slick from her juices, faster and faster. Her moans became louder and louder as she begged for release and after another second, she was pushed over the edge and her body flew towards the sky.

    However, he wasn''t done yet. The moment had finallye. The moment he had been waiting for ever since she showed up into his life. He undressed himself in record speed and began to kiss her lips again.

    Abi could taste herself on his lips and she didn''t know why but that made her feel so turned on. She licked him and sucked on him and kissed him back, wanting more.

    "Alex, please¡­ I want you. All of you."

    "Oh Abigail, how I have waited for you to say those words."

    His fingers yed with her again down there, teasing her to no end, inducing a wave of desire in her, yet again. Her juices flowed over his fingers and his hand. God, she was so wet and ready for him.

    He positioned himself over her. F*ck! This was it!!

    He finally thrust himself inside and holy sh*t, he actually came. With one thrust. Alex had never experienced this before. It seemed that he was extremely excited for her and this was the proof.

    ''F*ck!'' Alex cursed inside. He kept asking what the hell happened! This was just insane. He came in just one thrust and he just couldn''t believe it.

    But he didn''t let that defeat him because in no time, he was hard as a rock again. He slowly filled her as the monster grew bigger again and this time, he took his time with her.

    He started moving his hips, forward and back slowly, as if he was savouring the sweet, sweet sensation of being inside of her. This was the sweetest feeling in the world. He had never felt so whole in his life than at this moment. It was like she was the missing part of him that he never knew he needed.

    He kept moving, going faster and faster, deeply thrusting inside her each time. He clenched his fists because it just felt so damn good. He saw his littlemb close her eyes, biting her lips and he knew that she was feeling the same sweet feeling he was experiencing. Yes, they were meant for each other. She was truly his now and there was no way he would ever let her go.

    And with that thought, he pushed into her onest time and took them both to the moon.

 Chapter 351 Love

    <h4>Chapter 351 Love</h4>

    The sky was a pinkish orange hue when Abi woke up. She was facing the window and the sky was the brightly coloured sky first thing she noticed.

    However, she still felt very sleepy. It was too early to get up. ''Twenty minutes more sleep,'' she thought, and she turned her back to the window. It was then that she realized that Alex was spooning her.

    Her senses became more awake as soon as she saw his peaceful, sleeping face. Ah, she had missed this so much¡­

    Abi had the urge to kiss him good morning but instead of doing that, she moved closer to him and wrapped her arm around his waist and fell asleep again. It seemed like their nighttime activities had taken a great toll on her body.

    As her body rxed and her breathing steadied once again, a small smile crept on Alex''s face before he opened his eyes. God, he felt so happy when she put her arm on his waist. He thought that she would move away from him when she noticed his presence but he was pleasantly surprised when she did that instead. This was the best morning ever of his life and he bit his lips to stop himself from grinning like an idiot.

    He stared at her as he remembered what they didst night. And damn, he was hard again. But he ignored it and just pulled her closer to him. He wanted them to stay like this forever. This feeling of utter bliss made him wonder why he had never experienced anything like this in his thousands of years of existence. He had lived for far too long that nothing could move him anymore. He thought he had already experienced everything this world had to offer, but he was wrong. He had remained in the dark for all those years, not knowing feelings like this existed in this world. He thought that human emotions, this so called ''love'', was nothing but an illusion that stupid humans created to deceive themselves and to justify their actions. He thought it wasn''t real.

    But he was proven wrong the very moment this woman appeared before him. Sometimes, he couldn''t help but feel terrified because he realized that this so-called ''love'' was more dangerous than anything else he had faced in this terrible world. It was more dangerous than the greed and vengeance that once ate him whole. This so-called ''love'' was powerful enough to bend him, to erase every ounce of darkness within him and most importantly, it gave life, and at the same time, it killed.

    That was why he found his heart trembling sometimes when the thought of her leaving him ever entered his mind. Even just the thought of her telling him that she hated him was unthinkable. Would he be able to take something like that? Greed and vengeance drove him to kill and burn¡­ would this so-called ''love'' drive him do that too?

    Alex shook his head. No, he would not let that happen. This littlemb wouldn''t leave him. She wouldn''t hate him. She would eventuallye to love him wholly and they would have their ''happy ever after''. Now that she had given him her body, all that was left was her heart. He was willing to do anything and everything to make her choose him and eventually give her heart to him.

    With that thought, Alex smiled again and slowly leaned in and ced a soft kiss on her forehead. The littlemb looked vulnerable and she looked so damn cute that he wanted to pounce on her and make love to her for the entire day.

    However, he could only sigh knowing that he couldn''t do that, though he was still smiling like an idiot.

    It seemed he needed to take a cold shower now before his beloved woke up.

    He slowly unsped her arm from his waist and reced himself with a pillow. His bodyined because of the absence of her warmth but he needed to discipline his naughty, little big monster.

    He bent down and kissed her once again before he finally entered the bathroom.

    ¡­

    "Abigail¡­ I am still waiting¡­" that voice started to echo in Abi''s head again.

    Abigail looked around and found the owner of the voice standing by a path, the silver witch. The path was heading to the thick, dark forest; the same forest she saw in her dreams the night before. Was she dreaming again?

    "I¡­ I don''t trust you. I know you are just luring me in to catch Alex to harm him!" Abi responded. This dream just felt so real, so vivid that she couldn''t help but interact with this witch.

    The silver witch didn''t respond and just stared at her with that same gaze she had when they had locked eyes that night. There was something in the way this white witch looked at her that she couldn''t fathom.

    "This is thest time, Abigail¡­ If you don''te, you will surely regret it," the white witch said before turning away from Abi. She started to walk away, heading down that path towards the dark forest.

    "Wait!" Abi called out but that was then she woke up from her dream.

    She looked around. It was indeed a dream. When she saw Alex was not beside her, she started to panic but then she heard the shower running in the bathroom. She sighed with relief before she climbed off the bed and headed to the window which overlooked the dark mountain from afar.

    That dream was bugging her again and she didn''t know what to do. Would she regret it like the witch said? Did they really have the answers? She needed to find a way to at least let Zeke know about this. But then¡­ was Zeke really trustworthy? After cancelling this mission, Abi somehow felt like he was moving on his own again, fulfilling his own agendas, whatever they may be. Should she be relying on him this much? How could she be sure that whatever he was nning would work? She only had his words to go by because his actions made her doubtful of his intentions, especially when he went AWOL at White Falls vige.

    The door opened and Alex came out, half naked. How many times had he taken a shower since yesterday? Must be good being an immortal to never fall ill.

    He immediately walked towards her, leaned in on her as he picked strands of her hair and smelled them as he spoke. "Good morning, my beloved," he uttered, making Abi''s cheeks turned slightly pink at this new endearment.

 Chapter 352 True fear

    <h4>Chapter 352 True fear</h4>

    "P-please get dressed. We should already be at the pce by now. Why didn''t you wake me up?" Abi tried to avoid his gaze as she put her hand on his chest, stopping him froming any closer. What happenedst night was something she would never regret but right now, she couldn''t do more than that. She couldn''t give anything more, not until he remembered her, not until she was certain that he would be alright.

    But Alex just smiled and didn''t back off. He was about to give her a kiss but a loud ringing interrupted him.

    He ignored it and proceeded to lean towards her but Abi slipped away, taking the nket and wrapping it around her and quickly grabbed her phone. She thought it might have been Zeke calling to ask where the hell they were so she was relieved to see that it was her dad who was calling her.

    "Hi, dad," she answered, as Abi nced at Alex hoping he would behave while she was on the phone to her dad.

    However, her hopes were dashed when she saw him walk towards her with a sexy smile on his face. His muscles flexed as he moved and Abi was instantly distracted.

    "Abi? Abi¡­ are you there?" her dad asked when he only heard silence from her end.

    His question pulled Abi''s attention back to the phone conversation. "Hmm? Yes, dad. I-I''m here. Sorry, I am a little busy at the moment. C-can I call youter?" she said, knowing that she wouldn''t be able to concentrate while Alex was in this kind of yful mood.

    "Are you alright? Are you sure that you want to stay there?" her dad asked, obviously wanting to talk about her decision to stay in Country V.

    "Yes, dad. I''m fine. I just have a lot to do today so I don''t have much time right now. I promise to call you tonight after I finish for the day, okay? Alright, dad, I have to go now. I love you¡­" Abi spouted out in a rush and in the next second she ended the call just in time because Alex''s lips found hers at that moment.

    Time seemed to stand still as his lips caressed hers. Damn it! This guy was bing more and more shameless by the second. Abi pulled away from his kiss by putting a hand on his chest again and pushing him back. There was no time for this. They still needed to get back to the pce!

    "We need to leave as soon as we can. We''re alreadyte!" she reasoned, and without waiting for a response, she quickly ran towards the bathroom to shower and get ready.

    Breakfast was waiting for her when she got out of the bathroom. It wasid out neatly on the small table in their room. When she walked over to the table, Alex walked around and pulled her chair out for her, like a true gentleman, and pushed it in as she sat down. He went back to his side and settled in.

    He started piling food on her te again, something that has now be a very natural thing for him to do - he didn''t bother thinking about why anymore and just went with it - and she quickly devoured her like a hungry animal, firstly because they were running behind schedule and secondly because she didn''t know what was waiting for them back in the city. She figured it couldn''t hurt to store some energy for the day, just in case.

    Alex merely watched her, not eating anything himself, just admiring the view.

    "Stop staring at me," Abi finally said after a while.

    "I''m not staring. I''m having breakfast too," Alex replied.

    "You haven''t eaten anything."

    "I have been stuffing myself but I''m still not full," he countered.

    Abi could not help but sigh at all the cheese he was spouting out. She knew that he wasn''t talking about food at all.

    She quickly finished her food and then got up to grab her bag, silently telling Alex that they needed to leave. Alex also got up and basically teleported to where her bag was sitting and he quickly picked it up before she could. He then grabbed his backpack and ushered her out of the room.

    They went down to the reception area and the young man who served themst night was standing behind the counter. Alex said to Abigail that he would take care of the bill and told her to head straight to the car. Abi nodded but before she left the building, she smiled at the young man behind the counter, waved him goodbye and thanked him for their hospitality.

    Alex''s smug smile quickly disappeared and his aura immediately raged, alerting the young man of the sudden chill in the air. The young man was about to wave goodbye to thedy guest but his hand was frozen in mid air as his eyes found the source of the sudden drop in temperature.

    The young man swallowed as he saw the dark, almost venomous look on Alex''s face. He felt goosebumps crawl up his arms as his instinctive defensive instincts kicked in. "Uhm¡­ t-t-hank you for s-s-taying, sir. Y-your stay is o-on the house¡­" the young vampire stuttered.

    The young man had just experienced the feeling of true fear. This godlike immortal standing in front of him was as scary as all the stories had depicted. He would never belittle those stories again. He almost peed his pants and Alex hadn''t even done anything yet except stare at him. He didn''t know what else to do so he just bowed again, like he didst night, and just like that, the atmosphere returned to normal. When the man looked up again, Alex was already by the car, opening the door for his woman to hop inside.

    He closed her door and then leaned in through the window to grab her seatbelt and click it into ce. And of course, he took the opportunity to ce a quick kiss on her lips as he drew back out of the window.

    Abi could only shake her head.

 Chapter 353 Jealous wife

    <h4>Chapter 353 Jealous wife</h4>

    The two of them were finally on their way, with Alex driving much faster than he did the day before. It didn''t seem to bother him that there were big gaps at the 2 o''clock and 10 o''clock positions on the wheel.

    Abi stole a nce at him and she saw that he seemed to be in a cheerful mood. He had a yful smile on his face and she thought that she actually heard him humming! Whoa¡­ was that right? Was he actually humming a tune?

    Abi returned her gaze to the road and closed her eyes, listening carefully to see if she could figure out the tune he was humming. Her eyes suddenly widened as she heard the melody. It was their song. He was humming the melody of Can''t help falling in love.

    Abi''s heart pounded on her chest. Did he remember finally? She clenched her hands from the hope she just felt. But¡­ if he remembered, then why didn''t he act like it? Why didn''t he call her his wife, or ask why she was wearing their wedding rings around her neck instead of on their fingers? Her mind reasoned out and her hope deted just as fast as it had swelled.

    She gritted her teeth and bit her lip to stop the emotion from flowing out. No, he still didn''t remember. But hearing him humming her song kept the small me of hope alive. Somewhere in there was her husband and she wasn''t going to give up until she got him back.

    ---

    In what seemed like no time at all, the two of them arrived at the pce. The car screeched to a halt in front of the entrance where Zeke was standing by, obviously waiting for them to arrive.

    That uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach was in full bloom. It slowly increased as they neared the city and it was even more prevalent now when she saw Zeke looking very serious as he waited by the stairs.

    " You''rete. Let''s go," Zeke said to Alex, sounding as serious as ever. He was wearing his poker face and while his greeting to Alex was very blunt, he didn''t even say a word to Abi. He just turned around and just expected both of them to just follow.

    However, as they ascended the stairs towards the courtroom, Zeke halted. He turned to them and said, "I think it will be better if your maid waits in my room." He was obviously addressing Alex, talking about Abi as if she wasn''t there.

    This caused Alex to raise his brow and stare at Zeke, as if he was trying to determine what game he was ying. However, in the next moment, Alex looked at Abi and said, "Let''s go, my beloved. I shall take you to our room first."

    Alex was giving Zeke many with that one sentence. First of all, his answer didn''t address Zeke. He spoke directly to Abigail because he didn''t like that Zeke was talking as if she was not important, as if she was nobody, and that irked him like hell. His fists itched to massage Zeke''s face but he kept his cool.

    Secondly, addressing Abigail as his ''beloved'' obviously told Zeke his intentions towards his littlemb. That was the title he gave her because no matter how many times she refused him, one of these days, she would be his wife.

    Thirdly, his use of the words ''our room'' again cemented the fact that Abigail was his equal. He no longer saw her as his maid. She was the sun to his moon, the light to his darkness. She was more important to him than anything in this world and he wanted Zeke to know that.

    He knew that Abi might have missed all the implications of his words but he was sure that Zeke would understand them. Zeke knew him well enough to know.

    As Alex reached out to take Abi''s hand to lead her back to the room, Abi stepped back with a frown on her face. Why couldn''t she go with him? Why had he agreed to Zeke''s request so easily like that?

    She was displeased and before she realized it, she was ring at him, at them both! She didn''t want to go. She wanted to know what was so important that they had to abandon their quest ande running back here in a hurry.

    Seeing how displeased she looked, Alex leaned in and whispered in her ear.

    "Do you want me to tell you how you look right now?" he whispered as he shed a sweet, mischievous smile. "You look like a jealous wife and¡­ I really like it."

    Abi bit her lips at Alex''s teasing words but there was no way she would get distracted now because well, she really did feel like a jealous wife right then!

    "Alex, can I please stay?" she pleaded, blinking at him, using her new technique again.

    Alex didn''t expect that she would fire this at him and he was too slow to look away. Damn it! He couldn''t say no when she looked at him like that. He inwardly sighed and looked at Zeke.

    "No, Alex. She works here as a maid. She isn''t allowed inside." Zeke was firm.

    Alex red at Zeke. He walked closer to Zeke and whispered. "She''s my future wife, Zeke."

    Zeke wanted to pinch the skin between his brows. He did get the message that Alex tantly pointed out but in this case, he just could not do it. They were not married yet and her title hadn''t changed. It would cause chaos if he let her inside so he had no choice but to look at Abi like he was ordering her to relent.

    Abi could only give in.

    "Okay, I won''t go in but can I at least wait outside the door?" she negotiated.

    "Deal. Wait for us outside the door," Zeke said and Abi sighed with relief.

    "Alright, I will wait outside!" Abi knew that she would only cause trouble if she insisted. Besides, with this n, she would still be able to hear the conversation.

    They went on their way again and when they reached the big double doors, Alex and Zeke entered without another word.

 Chapter 354 Its about time

    <h4>Chapter 354 It''s about time</h4>

    Therge doors of the room opened and Zeke and Alex entered the room.

    Zeke walked up to the end of the room and bowed before his father as a sign of respect while Alex just took his seat without even greeting the king.

    Of course, the king didn''t mind it. He was supposed to be the one who should rise and give Alex his much deserved respect but Alex had forbidden them from doing that long ago, saying that he didn''t didn''t want any disys of the sort. They knew Alex had long abandoned every royal etiquette because all those things were just something he called troublesome.

    There were no other people inside the courtroom but the members of the Reign family and two of the kingdom''s highest officials. The queen and the princesses were also present. It all looked very formal especially with all the royal family gathered in one ce.

    Boredom registered on Alex''s face as he looked at the King as he gave the order to just state whatever it was that they wanted to say to him so he could leave this ce as fast as he could and spend his time on a much more rewarding and interesting pursuit - to seize the universe; his Abigail''s heart.

    The King looked at Zeke as if waiting for the man''s signal to start. Well, the king knew that there was some strange connection between Alex and Zeke and that it was only because of Zeke that Alex even showed up to this meeting. The king knew from his past interactions with Alexander that this man was not someone who would listen to anyone if he didn''t want to. No one could force him to do anything.

    But things suddenly changed since Alexander returned to the pce on that fateful night, three months ago. Suddenly, Alex started listening to Zeke to the point that Alex almost couldn''t defy him. This was a mystery to them all which is why the king had spoken to his son about this beforehand. The king knew that his son, Zeke, was the strongest of them all but he obviously didn''t dare to think that his son had surpassed Alex. He knew that was not possible.

    Zeke had revealed to him everything; about Alex being stabbed by the girl in the prophecy and how he seemed to have lost his soul. Zeke told him that Alex had be an easier target now and that the witches might be able to control him in the same way Alex obeyed Zeke.

    This news terrified the king and he instantly became furious with Zeke. This son of his was the one who forbade them to touch the girl. Had they killed that girl before Alexander fell for her, there would be no such problem now. The king was terrified that the witches would get Alex to side with them by manipting him. He knew that if that ever happened, war and chaos would ensue between the two races and even if they had Zeke on their side, he would not be able to stand against an immortal. Nobody ever stood against Alexander and still lived to tell the tale.

    The fragile peace that hadsted for hundreds and hundreds of years would be destroyed and once the war started, there would be darkness and destruction and the main casualties would mostly consist of human lives.

    This was why the king had thought of this remedy. He thought that by doing this, they could at least make sure that Alexander would not turn his back on his fellow vampires and to not side with the witches. Even though he had already vowed not to, the king was willing to push to raise that chances of keeping Alex on their side. He needed something more concrete to tie him down to them and this was the best time for them to do it, while Alex was still listening obediently to Zeke.

    Zeke didn''t actually approve of this but the king didn''t want to listen to Zeke''s ns anymore because Zeke''s original n had gotten them to this point. Zeke had assured them that he would take care of the whole business, to leave things to him but the result from his ns were less than desirable. In fact, it was close to a disaster which was why the king didn''t listen to his son this time and even ordered Zeke to support his n.

    "Alexander," the king finally started. "I summoned you here because I wanted you to choose a bride among my daughters. It''s about time for you to get married and have children, don''t you think?" he added and what followed his words was a long drawn out silence.

    Alex''s unbothered face suddenly turned dark. "Among your daughters¡­" he echoed as his lips curved up into a mocking smile before his eyes zeroed in on Zeke. He didn''t even throw a single nce towards any of the princesses present in the courtroom.

    ---

    Meanwhile, outside the huge door, Abi was standing there, frozen in ce. What she heard shook her world in an instant. She never thought that something like this would happen. Alex being betrothed to one of this kingdom''s princesses was a thought that never urred to her.

    She immediately told herself that it was okay, that the king was ranked below Alex and that Alex would surely be able to defy him. Abi thought that there was no way he would agree to this. The king couldn''t force him to do anything at all because he was above all that. Besides, didn''t he propose to her justst night? Did he already forget about that?

    But time passed and she didn''t hear Alex''s ''no''. She wanted to hear him reject the king''s proposal. She wanted to hear it so bad but the words she was waiting for didn''te. Why? Why was he not saying no? Why was he not saying anything?

    .

    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 355 The main reason

    <h4>Chapter 355 The main reason</h4>

    Clenching her fists, Abi felt the rage within her start to rise up. Was this the reason for her unease? Was she feeling uneasy since yesterday because of this? Was it because she somehow felt that Alex would not be able to refuse them?

    Her heart clenched as she gritted her teeth. Her blood boiled and her eyes were fierce like a cornered animal. But she didn''t move from where she was. She stomped down the impulse to gatecrash their stupid party and waited for a bit longer for Alex''s response. She could hear the king talking again, introducing him to each of his daughters and even going as far as to reciting their amazing achievements and skills.

    But still, she didn''t hear a single word from Alex. She really, really wanted to barge in, guns zing, but the bulky vampire guards were standing by the door, blocking her way. And even if she managed to bowl her way through the door, what would she do once she barged inside? If she went and told him he already had a wife and that it was her, would he believe her? Probably not. He would justugh at her and tell her she was acting like a jealous wife again, and smirk at her and tease her to no end. She had had enough of it. She was sick of this game. Why? Why did she have to go through all this? Why was it so hard for Alex to remember her again? Why was nothing working at all?! Why did he forget about her?

    Abi started to hone into the conversation again and she managed to tune in as the king was finishing up his introductions.

    Then, the awaited moment came. Alex finally spoke. "Indeed, your daughters are amazing," she heard him say and Abi finally snapped. The next thing she did was run away from the ce as her tears fell from her eyes silently. She really was such a jealous wife.

    But that wasn''t the main issue. She was so hurt because Alex wasn''t saying ''no''. She was so mad that he didn''t reject this ridiculous proposal the moment the king said those words. He let the king introduce all his daughters to him and he even called all of them amazing?! Was it because he was interested in those girls and was having a hard time choosing one of them?

    That was the only exnation Abi could think of. She was broken up about it because she knew him well enough to know that if he didn''t like the king''s proposal, he wouldn''t even let him finish his words. But he didn''t and that was what crushed Abi the most.

    She was angry and hurt, her tears flowing down like a waterfall as she headed back to the courtyard. She didn''t even pause and just jumped straight inside the car.

    She started it and elerated until she disappeared from the view of the pce.

    It seemed she had reached her limit. She was tired of this chasing game. It seemed she couldn''t tolerate all this anymore. She just wanted to finally rest from all this endless suffering and bring her Alex back.

    ¡­

    Back inside the courtroom, Zeke was quietly watching the princesses.

    Mira was out of the prison. It seemed his mother had released her just recently when she heard from the king that Alex had lost all his memories because of Abigail.

    Zeke knew that the queen had been regrly visiting Mira in prison over the past three months since she was imprisoned. Princess Mira was the queen''s favorite after all.

    Alex, on the other hand, was still ncing at Zeke, eyes full of questions. He could not understand what the hell that man was thinking.

    Alex had wanted tough at the king the moment he said those words. He wanted him to marry one of his daughters?! ''What a joke!'' he thought. But he stopped himself from doing that mainly because of that poker face sitting there.

    The fact that Zeke stopped their mission for this, even telling him that this was important, was enough for Alex to ride along with them for a while. Alex was used to Zeke''s way of thinking. Even though he usually wasn''t able to guess Zeke''s actual ns, Alex knew that this guy wouldn''t do anything randomly. If nothing else, he knew that there was always a reason behind every step that Zeke took.

    This was what fascinated Alex about Zeke even when Zeke was a young boy. Alex was intrigued to see the workings of his mind. He had seen Zeke pull out some sick tactics to aplish his mission and this amused Alex to no end. Alexpared him to the knight on a chess board; it wasn''t the most powerful piece but it was very sneaky and unpredictable. The most amusing thing he found was that Zeke mostly moved in silence and nobody could tell what he was aiming for until the game was over.

    But that wasn''t the sole reason why Alex didn''t respond. His main reason was still Abigail. Alex knew that Abi would probably be listening to the conversation. He thought he would use this to show her how serious he was about her.

    When the king said those words, Alex almost walked out because he felt that this talk was pointless and a waste of his time but then he thought that he might be able to use this to make the littlemb fall for him. No, he knew she was already falling. She wouldn''t give him her body if she wasn''t. Thus, he thought that all he needed was to push her a little. He thought that this would be a good way to make her feel jealous and make her give in and finally tell him that she changed her mind and say that she wanted to marry him.

    That was his n and he couldn''t wait for it to happen.

 Chapter 356 The one behind

    <h4>Chapter 356 The one behind</h4>

    "Give me time to decide whether to ept your proposal or not," Alex finally said.

    The King and everyone, who all seemed to have been holding their breaths, instantly felt relieved that Alex didn''t roar at them and was actually going to really consider this. This was a good sign.

    However, Alex was about to stand when Zeke spoke.

    "Why don''t you choose which of my sisters you would prefer, Alex?" he asked, causing Alex to throw him a sharp gaze which Zeke, of course, ignored. "I think it''s better if you choose someone now and decideter if you want to marry her. That would make it easier for my sisters so that they can stop being anxious about whether you might choose them or not."

    Zeke''s suggestion seemed logical but to Alex, there was another unknown meaning behind it. So Alex could only sigh and do as he said.

    He stood up and walked over to them. Thesedies were all beauties but none of them could hold a handle against his littlemb.

    As Alex walked closer to the fourdies, Zeke''s eyes narrowed the moment Alex changed his direction. Zeke was certain Alex either wouldn''t choose or would just choose someone randomly. But his eyes narrowed when he saw Alex change his path and walk towards his sister who second tost in line, Princess Mira. Zeke looked like thest sign he was waiting for had finally appeared.

    ¡­

    Alex stood before her and Princess Mira''s smile widened.

    However, before Alex could speak to tell the king that this woman was his choice, a sudden thud echoed inside the courtroom and Zeke suddenly appeared behind Mira.

    Zeke was quick to seize her, merciless as he pinned her down on the floor, grabbing both her arms and pinning them behind her before making the princess fall to her knees.

    The queen shrieked because of what Zeke just did to his own sister. Even the other princesses and the king had their eyes wide open in surprise.

    "Oh god, Zeke! What are you doing to your sister?" The queen cried as she approached them but Alex red at her, making her stop on her tracks and the king pulled her into his embrace.

    "What is going on?" the king asked his son.

    "This woman is not your daughter and she''s definitely not my sister," Zeke dered, surprising everyone.

    "W-what are you saying?!" the princess yelled as she started to cry. She was acting the same way she did three months ago when Alex threw her in the dungeon.

    The other princesses and everyone agreed.

    "Zeke, stop it. You know she''s your sister. Can''t you hear her heartbeat? A witch cannot disguise as one of us!" the king''s voice thundered. But Zeke smiled.

    It was true. The witches weren''t able to disguise themselves as someone from the royal family because royal blooded vampires had a different kind of heartbeat from other vampires. Only the Royal vampires could distinguish their family''s heartbeats from the normalmon vampires. Their family''s heartbeats were louder in their ears so they could recognize it. That was why witches could never prate the royal family by disguising as one of them in the past. The witches could only disguise themselves as humans or asmon vampires because .

    "Let her go, Zeke. Stop hurting your sister," the queen begged but Zeke didn''t let go. He just ordered the guards to bring him the witch''s chains.

    "Listen to me, mother. Mira died a long time ago. Have you not noticed this mother? Ever since she went on a trip with Xavier to the eastern countries and stayed there for twenty years, her appearance seemed to have changed. Don''t you remember the outrageously dumb thing she said back then? She said she got bored and tried the stic surgery. Everyone was a little suspicious at the beginning but because of her heartbeat, nobody questioned her until eventually, the suspicions died down. But she didn''t fool me, unfortunately." Zeke grabbed the woman''s face as she stood before them, already securely bound.

    "Please brother, believe me. I am your sister. Even if my appearance is a little altered, can''t you hear my heartbeat? It beats the same as yours!" the woman wailed.

    "That''s right, Zeke. You know no one can disguise how the heart beats!" the king told him.

    "Father, what age are we now? There are things that witchcraft can''t do but human science can." He smiled. "Mira is dead, but her heart is still alive,'' he added as pointed at the woman''s chest. "Here, inside this woman."

    Everyone''s eyes widened.

    "She just used witchcraft on Alex just now to make him choose her. Do you want more proof? Then watch carefully," Zeke shed her skin and blood flowed down. Her skin didn''t heal. Witches weren''t able to heal naturally like vampires could if they didn''t use their potions.

    The queen shook her head in disbelief. "How¡­ w-where''s Mira then?"

    "She''s dead, mother. I have found a heartless body and found this ne on her. Don''t worry, I have gathered her bones and buried her in the royal cemeteryst night," Zeke answered as he gave the ne to his mother.

    Zeke shed her skin some more and the woman screamed, finally showing her real appearance.

    Zeke then ordered the soldiers to bring the woman into the interrogation room as Zeke and Alex followed, while everyone else mourned for Mira.

    Once they stepped out the door, Alex''s eyes searched the corridor for her but couldn''t see Abi anywhere.

    "Let''s go, Alex," Zeke told him when he saw Alex stop moving.

    "My littlemb is missing."

    "She must have gone to your room to use the bathroom. Don''t worry, it''s safe here now," Zeke assured as he leaned in on Alex and whispered. "I believe our enemy is not the queen of the witches. This witch doesn''t seem to be connected to the queen. She''s a rogue witch. We have to find out who is controlling her. I believe the one behind this is also the one behind what''s happened to you," Zeke exined. He didn''t mention that Xavier might be another victim of whoever this creature was.

 Chapter 357 Doub

    <h4>Chapter 357 Doub</h4>

    The pce''s interrogation room was located on the level just above the deepest, darkest part of the pce''s underground dungeon. This area reeked from all the spells and enchantments that were ced all over the cave-like room. The vampires somehow managed to have a witch cast a spell in this particr room so that no other witches could see what was going on inside it.

    Witches were loyal creatures. They would rather kill themselves than betray their kind, especially their queen. That was why it was almost impossible for vampires to force any of them to speak or do something that might hurt their kind.

    They managed to make a witch cast a spell on this ce simply because that witch was said to have grown up in the castle. The story was that she was only a newborn baby when she was left at the pce steps and one of the princes imed her. The young witch didn''t know about her kind and therefore harbored no such loyalty to them. Besides, the prince treated her well and she never had any reason toin. When she grew a bit stronger, the king at the time had asked her to cast a spell on that ce and she did as he asked simply to please the prince, her master. This was a tale from thousands of years ago and until now, no one ever found out what had happened to this witch who had grown up among the vampires.

    So knowing that the other witches wouldn''t be able to eavesdrop, the interrogator didn''t hold back. Torture had always been the tried and tested way to make someone speak but even with that, they were not sure if they would be able to get anything out of this witch. After all, she was mad enough to rece her heart with someone else''s just to infiltrate the royal vampire family. But they all needed to find out why. Did she do this voluntarily or was she forced? Why did she go through all that? What was her goal? What was their ultimate goal?

    Her loud, harrowing screams echoed inside the dungeon piercing everyone''s ears until they almost bled.

    Zeke lifted his hand to stop the soldier from whipping her while Alex just leaned against the wall, watching her closely.

    Zeke pinched her chin to make her look at him as he spoke. "Woman,do you really not want to live anymore? If you answer my question, I will let you go. That''s a promise and you should already know vampires don''t break their promises."

    But the witch smiled. "And you know that witches will never betray our kind."

    Alex smirked with their witty exchange. He nced at Zeke, waiting to see if this witty witch could outsmart him.

    "Our kind¡­" he echoed. "But are you certain you''re still one of them? Your heart is a vampire''s heart, remember?"

    The witch''s eyes widened for a moment and she fell silent.

    "Can''t you hear it? Your heart no longer beats like a witch''s? How can you im you''re a witch when your heart beats like a vampire?" he asked her as his gaze intensified. "You''re no longer one of them, woman. You''re part vampire now, whether you ept it or not."

    Zeke''s words seemed to be affecting her. He was attacking her psychologically and he wasn''t giving her a moment to think about it.

    "If you return to your coven once you achieve your goal, do you think other witches will still ept you? A witch with a vampire''s heart? You are just a pawn, woman. Someone who is easily discarded after you''ve served your purpose.

    I will presume that you are a young vampire-witch who was groomed to impersonate my sister. You followed her, observed her, until you became her. That''s how you fooled everyone here, even her own family. Of course, you did your best to do as they asked because you were a nobody. A weak witch with barely any powers. They sure knew how to pick their pawns, didn''t they?" Zeke paused as he let his words sink in. He didn''t know her background of course, but he knew how to read people. He knew what made them tick and what made them the way they were and he used that knowledge against her now.

    "If you return as a failure, they will easily turn their back on you. You will no longer be called a witch but you''re not a vampire either. The witches might even mistake you as a vampire and kill you. But If you listen to me and make a deal with me, I will not let that happen to you. I will keep you alive." Zeke continued, hypnotizing her with his reasoning.

    The woman looked like she was considering his proposal. Everything he said hit her like a hammer and a slight feeling of doubt crept into her heart.

    "I will give you ten seconds to decide. If you say no at the count of ten, then say your farewell to the dust now."

    Zeke didn''t waste a moment and he started counting.

    "Ten, nine, eight¡­" Zeke counted loudly.

    "Three¡­ two¡­ o ¨C"

    "Deal!!" the woman yelled, causing Zeke''s lips to slightly curve up. Alex''s expression was unfathomable but on the inside, he felt quite impressed. ''As expected of this man,'' Alex thought.

    "Good," Zeke uttered as he straightened up. "Now answer my questions and I will let you go freely and live with the vampires if you want. I will send an order to all vampires to not hurt you as long as you don''t attack anyone. Are we clear?"

    "Yes, clear as ss."

    "So? Who is the one behind this? Who killed Mira? And who transferred her heart to you?"

    The woman swallowed as she looked up into Zeke''s eyes.

    "It was the witch queen," she answered. "She is the one behind all this."

    Hearing her answer, Zeke''s face didn''t change as he stared at her.

 Chapter 358 Trouble

    <h4>Chapter 358 Trouble</h4>

    "So were the witches also the ones who transferred her heart inside your body?"

    "Yes," she answered but Zeke''s hand was suddenly around her neck, choking her.

    "Do you really think you can fool me? I gave you a chance and yet¡­" he said as the woman struggled to breath.

    "I¡­ I am telling the truth."

    "Then, can you tell me what the new witch queen looks like?"

    "I¡­ I didn''t see her. I didn''t see anyone. I just woke up one day and a human was ordered to train me to act and be like Mira. For years I did as they asked. I did everything they told me to and I did it because the queen bestowed upon me this mission. Believe me."

    "A human trained you to impersonate the princess? Not a witch or a vampire?"

    "I-it was a human."

    "Where did they train you? Tell me the name of the human and the exact ce."

    After the woman spat out the name and the address, Zeke finally let her neck go as he backed off.

    "I will have to confirm this first before I will let you go," he said and he and Alex finally left the room.

    ¡­

    "So? Are you going to go on a dramatically boring errand and look for that human?" Alex asked. He looked pretty bored.

    "I''m still suspicious of her. What she said was definitely not the truth."

    "Obviously. When did witches be so easy to interrogate? In all the years of my existence, I''ve never met a traitor witch. Something is off about her."

    "That''s right. It might be the effect of her vampire heart but I don''t think so. And I don''t believe the queen is behind all this."

    Alex smirked. "And how are you so sure it is not the queen?"

    "Stop asking, Alex. I know you already know."

    "Oh well. So? Did you just waste my precious time for nothing?"

    "Not really. She just gave a lot of helpful clues to validate some of my theories."

    "Tch. I''m not really a fan of your theories right now. I''d rather stay with my littlemb."

    "Yeah. I know you have found your new entertainment ¨C"

    "She''s not entertainment, Zeke. She''s the woman I will marry," Alex suddenly became serious, causing Zeke to sigh.

    Alex didn''t even bother using the stairs. He was so giddy and impatient even though it hadn''t been more than an hour since he was separated from his littlemb.

    However, the mischievous smile on his face and excitement in his eyes faded as soon as he entered his room. His precious littlemb wasn''t there.

    Alex just stood there, trying to feel the ce out, tracing her scent. His littlemb hadn''t been there that day.

    With narrowed eyes, Alex leapt out the window and in a matter of seconds, he arrived in Zeke''s room.

    Darkness began to envelop him when he still couldn''t sense her presence in the vicinity at all. He knew she didn''t go to Zeke''s room either. Alex''s gaze began to burn gold.

    Was this why he had been feeling uneasy since he found out she disappeared? He seemed to have ignored those feelings because of his excitement in executing his ns to make her jealous and fall in love with him.

    Like a raging ball of fire, Alex leapt out of Zeke''s room.

    Alex''s eyes zeroed in on the car leaving the hill like a bullet. He gritted his teeth and chased it, leaping andnding on top of the trees. He was fast, so fast he had be a blur to the human''s naked eyes.

    The next second, the car''s windshield shattered along with a loud thud and screeching tires. Alex hadnded on the car.

    His eyes were a burning inferno as he red at Zeke, who was sitting on the driver''s seat. Their eyes met for a moment before Zeke calmly pulled the car onto the road side and quickly stepped out.

    Zeke''s cors were immediately grabbed by Alex.

    Without beating around the bush, Alex asked, "Where is she?" His voice was filled with fury and displeasure. "She''s not in the pce anymore, Zeke. Tell me, was this your true aim ining back here? So that my Abigail would be separated from me, Zeke!?" he roared.

    But Zeke remained unfazed.

    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, Alex. The king summoned you and I didn''t disagree because of the bones I found in that vige," he exined but Alex didn''t buy it.

    "Don''t act dumb, kid. Do you think you can fool me?" Alex hissed but Zeke remained cool and collected, expressionless even.

    "I think you think too much of me Alex. I don''t know where is ¨C"

    Before Zeke could finish his sentence, a powerful blow hit him and he was thrown away like a ragdoll. The force was so strong that therge tree he hit broke like a twig.

    Zeke fell but he quickly stood up from the ground, licking the blood that dripped out of his lips with a smile.

    "Tch. Herees trouble," he muttered like he was talking about a natural disastering, as if this was inevitable and he could do anything else but entertain it.

    Zeke''s eyes turned red and his fangs grew as Alex appeared before him again.

    "Where is she Zeke!?" he asked once again.

    "I told you. I have no idea where ¨C"

    Another blow was about to hit him but Zeke managed to evade it this time. The sky became gray quite early that day and the thunder began to roar, warning everyone of the oing heavy downpour.

    The thick forest on the hill near the pce had turned into a battlefield as the storm descended on them.

    Not far from the scene, two ck sport cars halted and two young men stepped out of their cars. The two were wearing fine suits, moved so gracefully and had the distinct superior good looks of being a member of the vampire''s royal family.

 Chapter 359 Rampaging, idiot dragon

    <h4>Chapter 359 Rampaging, idiot dragon</h4>

    "Ah¡­ I''ve been waiting for this for god knows how long. When was thest time those two fought?" said the young man who looked jolly and bright. "I mean, seriously fought."

    "200 years ago," the other man, who looked prim and serious, answered.

    "It''s been a while indeed. You think brother will win against him this time?"

    "Don''t be silly."

    "But I heard there was something weird going on with Alexander right now. Hmm, it seems the rumors aren''t true about Alex obeying brother Zeke because if that was true, then they wouldn''t be fighting right now."

    "Who knows?"

    "Oh well, let''s just enjoy this rare show for now. But don''t you think they''re being too intense this time? It''s like their powers have increased over time."

    "The reason for their fight certainly looks to be something serious."

    "Now I''m curious what Alexander did this time to awaken brother''s wrath."

    "Nope. This time it''s the other way around. Brother was the one who provoked Alexander. Otherwise, he wouldn''t be attacking brother Zeke like he wants to kill him."

    "You''re right. But hey, are you sure we''re just going to watch them? This looks really serious. It wouldn''t be a problem for Alexander but brother is not immortal, you know?"

    "Don''t underestimate your older brother, idiot. And it''s not like you or me could stop them."

    "I''m not underestimating big bro! Geez. I''m just worried ''cause Alexander seems very serious."

    The lightning struck and the thunder kept roaring as Alex and Zeke continued their fight. Alex was on a rampage. It seemed like he had been taken over by his demonic self and so Zeke could only evade his attacks. Zeke could only go on the defensive as he tried to maneuver Alex deeper into the forest, or there might be nothing left of the city at this rate.

    The bad thing about Alex was that he was too powerful; his power tended to overtake his rationality. He would lose his mind in the process, as if the dragon had full control of his body. That was how he destroyed kingdoms mercilessly a long time ago. He wouldn''t care about anything. He didn''t hear reason, he didn''t see reason, only destruction. Even if his body was pierced by hundreds of arrows, or shed by sharp swords, he wouldn''t halt and just continued on his rampage, smiling from the thrill of it all. Nothing had made Alex go on a rampage like this for countless years since he left his throne, but now, since he met Abigail, he was so easy to provoke.

    He was hopeless when it came to Abigail. The first thing he did when Abigail was in danger was to kill. He didn''t know how to deal with it except to let his mind be taken over and kill everyone who was a threat to her.

    Zeke dove deeper into the forest, twisting and jumping through the obstacles and Alex followed like a missile, locked in on its target with no chance of veering off its course. In contrast to Zeke''s precise movements from avoiding the obstacles, Alex just ran through the forest, hulk-smashing everything that got in his way which cleared a path into the forest.

    After some time, Alex finally got tired of chasing his target and he took a huge leap andnded just in front of Zeke. He sprung from the ground, with a fist aiming straight for Zeke''s face. Zeke saw iting and evaded to the left, feeling the whoosh of the air next to his face as Alex''s fist barely missed him. Zeke''s right fist then snuck from under him and connected against Alex''s stomach. This made Alex pause but he didn''t feel any pain. He never felt any pain while he was like this.

    Alex straightened up and in the next millisecond, they started to exchange blows. Alex fired off a few punches towards Zeke who blocked them with his arms and this fuelled Alex''s rage even more. Alex''s attacks became even more fervent. He tried to grab Zeke but Zeke ducked away and leaped to the tree branch 5 meters away and Zeke then used therge branch as a tform to kick himself towards Alex in a bullet-like attack. He was so fast that the leaves on the forest floor were lifted from the ground by the gust of wind that followed his trail. Zeke''s fist was aimed towards Alex''s face and just as his two brothers thought that this punch wouldnd, Alex''s left hand lifted up in defence and Alex''s fingers closed over Zeke''s fist, immobilising him.

    Alex''s right fist met Zeke''s stomach and Zeke couldn''t help but double over from the force. He coughed out blood. In the next second, he was pinned down by Alex on the ground, with Alex''s hand around his neck.

    "Alex, stop being so unreasonable. Why are you wasting your time fighting with me instead of looking for her? Your Abigail might just be out there, sulking," said Zeke as he looked up at him. "Why do you always assume that she''s been abducted every time she disappears? She must have left on her own because she heard everything that was said inside that room." he added and the rampaging, idiot dragon finally began to regain his sanity. All it took was for Zeke to mention Abigail''s name.

    That was right. Why did he end up fighting Zeke instead of looking for her? And that was right! His littlemb could hear them. Did she run away because she was jealous? Was she angry?

    F*cking hell! Why? Why did he always lose his shit when it came to her?

    His grip on Zeke loosened and he stood up as Zeke also rose and sat up.

    "Where do you think she is right now?" Alex finally asked and Zekezily wiped the blood flowing from his lips.

    "Maybe she''s at the airport waiting for a ne to go take her back to her country, or she''s sulking in a hotel or back to the vig¨C"

    Before Zeke could finish his words, Alex was gone and he could only sigh again. Alex didn''t know it but he reacted this way because of his past experiences. He was not conscious about it but his subconscious knew that in the past, whenever Abigail disappeared, it was because she had been abducted and put in perilous situations. That was the reason why he immediately went on a rampage when he found out she was gone.

    Once Alex''s presence disappeared, Zeke stood up and surveyed the fallen trees all around them. That rampaging beast indeed destroyed a lot. Letting out a quiet sigh, he ran his fingers through his hair and stared at his wrist watch.

    Looking at the time, a slight smile curved on his lips before he finally walked away.

    .

    Do leavements and reviews ^^

 Chapter 360 Cold world within

    <h4>Chapter 360 Cold world within</h4>

    White Falls Vige¡­

    Abi was standing by the path leading into the thick, dark forest. This ce was exactly the same as the one she saw in her dreams.

    She was able to find the ce because her dream was so vivid in her mind it almost felt like she had been there before.

    Her heart was still aching so bad. The remnants of the tears she shed on the way there were still visible on her face. Once she got inside the car, Abi didn''t hesitate to head back north, taking the same route towards this vige.

    During her journey, the main thing on her mind was the thought of finding a way to bring Alex''s memories back before he married one of the princesses. She just wanted to be with him. She just wanted him to finally remember her so that they could go back to the way things were before all of this happened. The days she had spent with him were the happiest days of her life. He had made her the happiest woman in the world by making her his bride. That day alone was probably the happiest day of her life. That was the life she intended to wake up to. That was the life she had been hoping to continue when she opened her eyes after the surgery.

    But it seemed that the universe had other ns for her. Just when she thought that she could finally have her happy ever after with Alex, her life had turned upside down the moment she found out that Alex was gone. What was supposed to be a time of hope and happiness turned into the darkest, most agonising time of her life.

    Abi''s tears had blurred her vision as she drove on the highway. Her mind brought back all those memories from months ago and her heart felt the same old wound crack open again. She thought that she had stitched her heart up enough when she had discovered that Alex was still alive but she was wrong. The stitches came loose again the moment she found out that he had lost his memories and that all this time, he had also been consorting with other women. She tried to be strong, to glue her heart back into one piece but she had been lying to herself all this time. She told her herself that she was okay, that she could fight on and keep going, that it didn''t matter that he had no recollection of her. But how could she be? How could anyone be okay in that situation?

    Suddenly, she became angry at Alex for making her suffer like this, for making her cry all these seemingly endless tears, for breaking her heart again and again.

    Once his memories returned, Abi entertained the thought of punishing him. She wanted to vent out all the pain she had felt for thest three months and all the pain she had to endure during thest few days.

    Closing her eyes to stop the anger from zing within her, Abi then took one deep breath. In the next moment, she gazed towards what looked like the entrance that was made of naturally arched tree trunks. The ce beyond the entranceway was dark and eerie. Her heart suddenly thudded within her chest. She almost felt that same fear she felt in her dreams but somehow, she didn''t shiver and wasn''t as scared as she had been in her dreams. Was it because she was angry and desperate right then?

    Abi took another deep breath. Nothing could stop her anymore. The moment she left the pce, her mind was set. She knew this was risky but it was now or never. ying it safe had gotten her nowhere and she was aware that at least this time Alex wasn''t with her. He also did not know about her dreams so he would not have a clue about her going to this ce. This might be the only opportunity she would possibly ever have to do this. At least this way, she wouldn''t be putting Alex in danger.

    Besides, she really needed to know if the silver-haired witch really was telling the truth about knowing how to bring Alex''s memories back. She knew it would eat at her if she ignored this and something happened to Alex. It would drive her insane if that ever happened.

    With one more deep breath in, she took her first step forwards and she headed down the path towards the dark forest. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears and she walked closer to the entranceway. There was no more turning back.

    Just before she walked through the entranceway, she looked back onest time at where she started from. She didn''t wish for Alex toe but when she was driving, she had hoped that he would chase after her. But he didn''te. She knew that he was able to catch up to her in no time at all if he came after her. But he didn''te.

    She felt disappointed but another part of her felt relieved. It was a good thing that he hadn''te after her, but still, she wouldn''t help but feel a little bit bitter. He was probably too busy getting to know his amazing future wife.

    Seeing that no one was there to stop her from entering the forest, Abi continued her way into the forest.

    She walked under the arched branches that created the path. The sun was close to setting and whatever light was left in the day was blocked out by the many trees and shrubs within the forest. She felt like she was entering a different world. A dark, cold world within.

    Abi was holding her breath and she didn''t use her hearing ability anymore. What was the use when she knew she was heading to the witch''s den? Besides, she really didn''t want to scare herself more than she already was.

    "H-hello?" she called out, looking around like a lost rabbit.

 Chapter 361 Goddess

    <h4>Chapter 361 Goddess</h4>

    The sound of many wings pping around her jolted her but she didn''t halt. They were probably the minion witches who turned themselves into bats, watching her, stalking her. She didn''t want to meet with the corpse-like witches, she wanted the silver-haired witch.

    She continued walking deeper inside but no one appeared before her. Did they want her to keep going? She looked around and thought that this wasn''t the area she saw in her dream so she kept walking. She walked a few hundred meters further and she finally found the ce. There was a small, circr patch of t grass which was unique to see in a forest like this. It was definitely not natural.

    "Hello? I am here now. Where are you?" she called out again.

    She waited for an answer but there was none. Nobody appeared.

    Abi sighed. It seemed she would have to use her ability after all.

    She closed her eyes to listen to what was happening around her.

    Abi''s eyes widened because the first thing she locked onto was a man''s voice. Abi shivered and she found herself hiding behind a tall tree. It was probably a futile move but she did it anyway.

    "Don''t run, witches¡­e at me!" a menacing voice thundered in her ears. The voice was still a fair way away from where she was but it still sent shivers down her spine.

    She focused and she was shocked once again because this time, she heard both kinds of heartbeats. Witches and vampires.

    Why were the vampires here? Were they here to hunt down the witches?

    Abi heard a fight break out. It was as if one of the groups went on a killing spree and Abi could tell it was the vampires who were killing the witches.

    "Where''s your queen?" the man asked and she heard a woman shriek as well as gunshots. Were they shooting the witches?

    "That''s it, shoot those fucking sneaky birds down!"

    Abi was starting to feel scared. She hadn''t expected to walk into this and even more terrifying was the fact that she was supposed to feel at ease because vampires were there, but she didn''t. For some reason, her stomach began to knot in fear.

    Feeling that there was something wrong, Abi started to move. She was going to leave this ce. She shouldn''t havee.

    She was about to start running back when suddenly, someone grabbed her from behind. Her heart almost leapt out of her chest!

    Abi had been too focused on keeping an eye on the vampires that she didn''t notice the heartbeat of the witch who was approaching her.

    She was about to scream but a hand covered her lips. Oh god¡­ what had she gotten herself into?

    The fear that shook her subsided as soon as she saw who it was. The woman right behind her was the silver-haired witch. Now that she was so close to her, Abi couldn''t help but gape at her. She could see that even hershes and eyebrows were silver. Her eyes were like the white full moon. Was she really a witch? Wasn''t she a goddess?

    "Don''t scream," the goddess said and when Abi nodded, the silver-haired witch removed her hand from Abi''s mouth. "Follow me," she then said as she grabbed Abi''s wrist and dragged her away.

    "W-where are you taking me? And why are vampires here?" Abi asked. Abi wondered why she did not feel scared of this silver-haired goddess.

    The woman nced at Abi as they continued running. "They are here to catch me."

    "W-why?" Abi gulped. Were they Zeke''s men?

    "I will tell you everything soon. We need to leave this ce first."

    Abi could only follow her. She tried to focus again to tell if they were getting further away from the vampires when she suddenly halted and pulled the witch to a stop too.

    "There are vampires ahead of us!" Abi told her. The woman looked at her, clearly rmed, but she didn''t look surprised.

    The witch then brought out a small bottle, poured the silver liquid onto her hands and rubbed them all over the small scratches on Abi''s legs and arms. It didn''t heal but it stopped the bleeding and the blood disappeared. Abi had not noticed that she was wounded.

    "They must have smelled your blood," the silver-haired witch said and they continued running again.

    "But¡­ there are vampires¡­" Abi protested. She thought they would head to a different path but the woman didn''t change direction.

    "How many are ahead of us?" she asked.

    "Two."

    The woman didn''t stop. The vampires were close. She halted and slowly let Abi''s hand go.

    Two vampires appeared before them like mad wolves. Their eyes weren''t the same as the vampires in the capital. They weren''t like Alex or Zeke. They seemed different even though their heartbeats were the same as the normal vampires Abi had met.

    The vampiresughed like maniacs upon seeing them.

    But before they could even stop their menacingugh, the silver haired witch suddenly disappeared.

    The next second, she appeared behind one of the vampires and shed him across his neck. Abi didn''t see the vampire''s head roll away from his body from that one move from the silver-haired witch because her eyes fell on the one who was about to shoot her.

    Abi was rooted to the ground.

    But again, the witch didn''t even let the other one pull the trigger. She cast a spell and everything turned ck. All Abi could hear was a quick slicing sound and in the next moment, everything else fell silent. All Abi could hear was the heartbeat of the silver-haired witch. She could no longer hear the vampire''s heartbeat.

    The thick ck fog dissipated and the silver-haired witch appeared before her. She held Abi''s wrist again and they continued running.

    Abi wasn''t sure if she was doing the right thing, following this woman. But she felt safe. Their escape made her forget everything. For the first time, even for just a moment, she stopped thinking about Alex.

 Chapter 362 God of slaughter

    <h4>Chapter 362 God of ughter</h4>

    Back in the capital, Zeke emerged from the forest with a serious expression. He was drenched from the downpour and his white shirt was stained red. His hair was a mess but still looked more imposing than ever.

    The two young men waiting by the roadside didn''t move from their spot upon seeing their brother, while Zeke just nced at them, expressionless.

    Zeke ran his fingers through his hair as he continued walking. He then halted before them.

    "Speak," said Zeke without looking at them. His eyes were directed towards the northern mountains in the far distance.

    The prim and proper young man stepped over to him and whispered something in Zeke''s ear. What the young man said somewhat changed Zeke''s poker face.

    "Wait for my instruction" was all Zeke said in response and he disappeared before them.

    The two young men just watched him leap away and once he was gone, they sighed.

    "Geez¡­ brother is still as cold as ever. I still can''t help but hold my breath and shut my mouth in case I say something wrong," the other, less serious, young manined. "Is he going after Alexander?"

    "Obviously," the other one said and they both boarded their respective sports cars and left.

    The clouds were dark and gray and it continued to drizzle.

    Zeke was fast as lightning as he travelled towards White Falls Vige following Alex''s trail.

    Meanwhile, Alex had already arrived at White Falls Vige and he suddenly felt uneasy. He had calmed down on his way to this ce, thinking that his littlemb was probably in their hotel room, sulking, and waiting for him tofort her. He had even smiled like an idiot thinking about how he would surprise her.

    But his smile broke when he couldn''t find her anywhere in the vige. He had looked in all the ces they had visited and there was no sign of her. His eyes started to burn and his heart thudded inside his chest.

    The darkness enveloped his being as his gaze surveyed the dark forest. He didn''t know why but he ended up at the entrance of the forest. And there it was, the car they used to go back to the pce.

    Alex opened the car and smelled her presence. Why did shee here? He couldn''t see any signs of a struggle, meaning she came here on her own? Why?

    The only thing that Alex could think of was that those damn witches somehow managed to manipte his littlemb.

    The fury and rage burned even fiercer inside him as he looked into the forest. It was as if the devil in him had been awakened. The rampaging dragon that had just fallen asleep was waking up once again.

    But this time, Alex was still rational. His mind thought of all the different possibilities that could have made his littlemb go inside there on her own, of what he might find inside. He knew he couldn''t lose his cool right now at the thought that his littlemb might already be in their hands.

    He had to stay in control. He couldn''t let his inner dragon loose this time around because his littlemb could get hurt in the process. The thought that his littlemb might get hurt because of his actions was the only thing that stopped him from going berserk and destroying everything.

    Alex entered the forest and he could smell her scent, although it was faint. He followed the scent, thankful that it still lingered. However, he didn''t go too far before he felt that something was off.

    The moment Alex felt the chaos unfolding deep within the forest, his eyes zed.

    The next second, hended in front of the herd of vampires torturing three witches in the middle of the forest. Alex looked around. He couldn''t sense Abigail.

    His eyes burned gold as he grabbed one of the vampires who was frozen in ce, shocked to their core because of the sudden appearance of this man. They immediately knew exactly who this man was. Everybody knew this man was the legendary Alexander with just one nce. They could just feel it. And his presence alone terrified them. They had heard about him destroying every rogue vampire from that northern castle three months ago.

    "What are you vampires doing in this ce?" Alex asked.

    When the vampires couldn''t answer, Alex gritted his teeth and mmed one of them on the ground. The impact was so strong the earth shook and the birds in the forest flew away, instantly turning the atmosphere into one of danger and darkness. All the vampires'' knees shook slightly as they felt his deathly aura.

    Alex surveyed each one of them and he stopped on one of the witches, eyes zing like a demon.

    "Where is Abigail?" he asked.

    The witch, who was already tortured, opened her mouth to speak.

    "I¡­ I don''t know," she replied, trembling.

    Alex was about to kill her when he felt some movements from afar once again.

    He let go of the witch and leapt away.

    Hended in front of another group of vampires. Once again, Alex''s presence made the vampires freeze, utterly shocked upon seeing the man who suddenly appeared before them.

    Alex surveyed them. His eyes glowing in the darkness, like a beast enveloped by pure darkness that could freeze anyone''s soul.

    Not seeing Abi here made him want to just kill these men in front of him. But he restrained himself. Thest bit of sanity held him back. He needed to know where his Abi was and dead vampires couldn''t talk.

    Cloaked with barely restrained bloodlust, Alex walked closer to them, like the dreadful God of ughter. He looked like the definition of the calm before the storm. However, something caught his eyes that made him halt.

    One of them was holding something shiny like a piece of jewelry. It was Abigail''s ne.

    His body, his heart and his world trembled and all hell let loose.

 Chapter 363 Crystalized

    <h4>Chapter 363 Crystalized</h4>

    Abi and the silver-haired witch continued running.

    Somehow, Abi didn''t feel tired despite running for a long while now. Her body felt lighter than ever and her lungs didn''t feel like it was on fire like it used to. She suddenly remembered the training regime Alex had put her through back then. Her heart used to pound in her chest from all the effort she had to exert just to run down the road but right at that moment, she wasn''t even heaving.

    They must have covered a few kilometers by now and they were going at a fairly fast pace. Did the witch cast a spell on her, Abi wondered because she somewhat felt that she was a balloon being dragged along by the silver-haired witch.

    After what seemed like a long time, they stopped in front of a mossy,rge tree. There didn''t seem to be anything special about the ce because the tree looked like every other tree in the forest.

    The silver-haired witch then turned to Abi.

    "Can you listen to see if some of the vampires managed to follow us?" she asked and Abi immediately obeyed.

    Abi closed her eyes and to her relief, she couldn''t hear any vampire heartbeats anymore. It seemed that they had managed to escape from the vampire herd. Abi''s racing heart - from fear rather than exertion - started to calm down a little.

    She opened her eyes again and shook her head in response.

    "I think we managed to lose them. I can''t hear anyone around the vicinity," Abi told her and the silver-haired witch nodded.

    The witch then turned back towards the tree, still not letting go of Abi''s wrist.

    Abi saw the witch close her eyes and her mouth started moving, chanting some kind of spell. As the witch chanted, small, tiny lights appeared all around them, as if arge amount of fireflies had been awakened from their slumber. The tiny, blue colored lights enveloped the tree and a momentter, its roots retracted from the ground and the branches untangled themselves transforming the tree into a cave-like entranceway.

    Abi''s eyes widened in shock. Whoa! How did she even know which tree to look for in this forest filled with thousands of the same looking tree?

    "Come," the witch said as she looked back at the shocked woman standing behind her.

    Abi swallowed. She still didn''t feel scared of this woman but there was still some doubt within her heart. She didn''t know who this woman was. What if she neveres out of this entrance way again? What if this was some kind of trap?

    "It''s okay. Don''t be afraid. It''s safer for us inside. Those vampires won''t be able to follow us in there or sense our presence," the silver-haired witch encouraged.

    Abi hesitated. She felt that this woman didn''t harbor any ill-feelings towards her. She felt that this woman didn''t have any bad intentions towards her. She had felt this when she first locked eyes with her that night at the hotel. Now that she was here, she felt that this woman was kind of like Alex in a way. This woman seemed dangerous, in the same way that she knew that Alex was dangerous but she didn''t feel scared. In the same way that she felt that Alex would never hurt her every time she looked into his eyes, she felt the same thing towards this woman, this stranger.

    Even though she had only really had two encounters with this woman - she didn''t count the dreams - this encounter had given Abi a bit more insight about her. Now that she had met her, even if they still hadn''t properly introduced themselves, her gut told her it was okay to follow this woman. She didn''t know why but Abi decided to listen to her guts. She was already here. Even if she refused, this goddess could very easily just drag her inside.

    Abi then nodded and the goddess showed her a quick but sweet smile. She looked pleased.

    They both walked through the entrance way, hand in hand. It was dark, so dark that Abi almost couldn''t see anything.

    Abi heard a noisee from behind them. The tree must have moved to cover up the entrance again. Abi wondered if someone would ever find her from this ce. Maybe even Alex might not be able to locate her even if he searched the entire forest. Not unless he wiped it clean.

    Abi was about to speak when the woman before her once again started chanting. Somehow, Abi found that her chants were pleasant to her ears, as if she was hearing some ancient, mystic melody.

    And then, another door opened for them.

    Light weed them. Abi had thought that the door would open up to another dark, underground world but she was wrong. The moment she saw what was on the other side, she was awestruck.

    The ce was like a cave filled with different shades of blue crystals, from the floor all the way up to the ceiling. They were surrounded by crystals everywhere, as if it was a cave made of thousands of years old crystalized ciers.

    She felt like she was walking underwater. It was just so breathtaking. She didn''t know where the light came from but she thought that even the tiny light from a single firefly would be enough to light up this cave. Looking around in pure awe, Abi wondered if this was a natural cave or if this was a result of a spell that was cast by one of the witches.

    The silver-haired witch finally let go of her wrist and she walked ahead of Abi, leading the way. There were many doors along the walls of therge corridor-like pathway. Abi could only think that this might be the witch''s hidden pce? It was like she had entered another world. A fairnd.

    .

    I just want to say thanks to all of u guys who bought privilege. I''m happy that we are now first in the Win-win event. Thank u so much hellbounders. Love you so much.

 Chapter 364 Exchange

    <h4>Chapter 364 Exchange</h4>

    They walked further into the pathway and eventually, it opened into arge, open space. She could see a throne sitting in the middle of the area. It was made of light blue crystal. Its back was carved into the shape of a tree and its armrests and legs looked to be in the shape of branches and roots. It looked so beautiful, so magical.

    But something felt off.

    It seemed like they were the only ones around. She couldn''t hear any other heartbeats inside the cave and as she looked around, she didn''t know why but she felt a little bit lonely. As beautiful as this ce looked initially, she saw many small things to indicate that this ce hadn''t been used by many people or witches. Was this ce abandoned or was the queen the only one living here?

    "Y-you''re the queen of the witches, right?" Abi asked.

    The woman halted and she turned to face her.

    "I am not," she replied, causing Abi to look at her, eyes wide. "I am the next queen in line."

    This revtion made Abi speechless. She wasn''t the queen? Then, where was the queen? Who was the queen?

    The silver-haired witch seemed to have read what she was thinking. "Our queen¡­" she started, ncing up at the majestic empty throne with sad eyes. "She disappeared three months ago and we don''t know where she is even now."

    Abi creased her brows. Three months. That timeline was very suspicious. That was about the same time Alex disappeared. Could there be a connection?

    "She disappeared the same night when the king of vampires was stabbed by you," the silver-haired witch continued.

    What the woman said made Abi''s heart thud against her ribcage. It brought back the memories of that night, memories that her mind had tried so hard to forget. The memories of that single moment still affected her as if it just happened yesterday. It was the most traumatic time of her life.

    "But we know she''s still alive," she added and Abi finally found her voice.

    "How do you know that?" Abi asked, curious. If they didn''t know where the queen was, how could they possibly know she was still alive?

    "When the current queen dies, her powers will instantly be transferred to the next queen. This hasn''t happened yet. I don''t have her full powers so that''s how I know she is still alive. Although, I do feel that there is something not quite right happening with her. I have received more than half of her strength in thest three months. It seems she is slowly dying. The queen isn''t old enough to die through the natural aging process. I believe she was captured."

    "You think the vampires captured her?" Abi''s gaze turned serious. Did this woman trick her intoing to use her as ransom for their queen?

    "I don''t think the vampires are the ones who took her," the witch responded, causing Abi''s brows to knot once again.

    However, she didn''te here to find out about their queen or her whereabouts. She was here to find out about how to get Alex''s memories back and to save him. This was what this woman had told her in her dreams. This was what she had promised.

    "Then, why did you appear in my dreams? You told me toe here if I wanted to save my husband."

    The witch offered her a seat and Abi made herselffortable while the woman just stood before her.

    "Listen, I believe our queen''s disappearance has something to do with your husband. I am not saying that the king abducted her or that it was the Reign family who took her. There is someone out there who is controlling both the rogue vampires and rogue witches. And I believe the king, your husband, and our queen knows who this person is.

    I have been trying to find a way to talk to the vampires but there is no way for me to speak with them without them killing me first. I have tried to find a way to reach out to them but it''s futile because I can''t speak with them outside this forest."

    "Why?"

    "Because this forest is the only ce that is protected by spells. Anything that happens inside this forest can''t be seen by others who are looking from the outside. I can''t let anyone know what I am trying to do. You already know, right? That everyone is watching our every move, possibly even that someone who must have captured our queen. If they see that I am reaching out to the vampires, I am certain they will make their move to stop any alliance that might happen."

    "But you are able to speak with me through my dreams. You should have spoken to Zeke through it."

    "I can''t. Witches can''t enter just anybody''s dreams. You are the only one that this has happened to. You are special, Abigail."

    "So, you lured me in here because you knew that Zeke and Alex woulde after me. Your n all along was to lure me in to get to them?" Abi questioned. She was starting to get upset. "You used my desperation in wanting to save my husband to get me here. You lied to me to get me here!"

    "No, please. Don''t get me wrong. I know some truth about what really happened about that night you stabbed your husband. I just want to exchange information. I will help you save your husband, in exchange, I am asking for your help to locate and save our queen."

    "But I don''t know anything. And I am just a human¡­"

    "As I''ve said, Abigail, you are special. Have you ever wondered why you can do things that even we can''t do? Have you ever wondered how I could speak to you through your dreams? I don''t know what you are but I don''t believe you are just a normal human being."

    Abi frowned. "W-what do you mean?"

 Chapter 365 The truth

    <h4>Chapter 365 The truth</h4>

    "I''m sorry but even I can''t fathom what you are. Even I am fascinated with you. You are such a mystery to me."

    There was silence for a moment.

    Abi wanted to ask her more questions but she stopped herself. She couldn''t afford to be distracted. Besides, she really didn''t believe she was all that special. She was just a weak human who could do nothing but cry and run.

    The witch approached her and held her hands.

    "I will let you know the truth. Just make a deal with me that you will help me. I am certain if you were the one to speak to your husband or the vampire crown prince, they would certainly listen to you."

    Abi contemted for a moment. It seemed like a reasonable deal. This woman was obviously desperate to save her queen and she was desperate to save her husband. They were both in simr situations and if working together could achieve both these goals, then why not? Besides, wasn''t this what Zeke wanted to know as well? Didn''t he want to know what really happened to Alex, about why he lost his soul and his memories?

    "Okay, I will promise you. If you tell me the truth, I will help you. But how can I be sure that what you say is the truth?"

    "I will not tell you. I will show you instead. I''m certain you already know that we can see the past as long as we witnessed it at the time. I will show you so you can see with your own eyes, Abigail," she exined and she led Abi towards another room.

    There was a crystal ball in the middle of the room. She could tell this was the device that witches used to keep watch on the happenings of the world.

    The witch chanted a spell as Abi stood there.

    Abi didn''t move. Her eyes switched between the crystal ball and the witch. Her heart started to race from anticipation of what was about toe. She wanted to know what really happened that night. She wanted to get answers but she was also apprehensive because she might see that moment again, the moment where Alex plunges the knife into his chest. She didn''t know what this witch was going to show her.

    "Are you ready?" the witch asked.

    Abi looked at her for a long moment, mentally preparing herself, before she nodded.

    The crystal ball started to glow and then the pictures formed, bing clearer by the second. She looked into it and there he was. In the middle of the crystal ball was her husband, Alex.

    Alex was covered with blood and there was another silver-haired woman before him. Abi could already tell that this was the Witch Queen. She was also as beautiful as this woman standing next to her but Abi didn''t see that. Her eyes were focused on her husband''s figure, before she looked at anything else.

    Abi knew the ce they were at. They were under the wisteria tree in the backyard of Alex''s mansion.

    Abi remembered what Alex said; that the witches couldn''t hear what was being said but they could read lips. "But I can''t read their lips."

    "It''s okay. I can make it so that you can hear them in your dreams."

    "My dreams? I thought¡­"

    "You can hear voices through your dreams so I will have you see it through your dreams."

    That was fascinating. Abi could only blink.

    "I''ll have to put you to sleep," the witch told her.

    Abi finally took a deep breath and as the witch chanted, Abi began to lose consciousness.

    She fell asleep and the scene on the crystal ball started to appear in her mind as if she was there, watching them. She started to hear their voices.

    "They are watching, Alexander. Don''t even try to trick them. If you don''t die tonight, they will kill your wife. You must push the dagger if you want her to live."

    "Tell me what you are thinking, witch," Alex responded.

    "I can cast a spell on your heart, Alexander. That''s the only way for you to keep living. But this spell requires something that is important to you."

    "Tch! You witches are so old fashioned. You people are still the same even now," he hissed. "Something important¡­" Alex echoed. "Are you going to take my Abigail''s life?" he smiled, sardonically.

    "No. This spell does not require someone''s life. But there is nothing more important to you than her, right?"

    Alex didn''t respond for a while. "That''s right. I can''t think of anything more important to me than her."

    "Then, give up all your memories about her. That is one of the most important things to you that I could use in exchange for the spell. This spell will keep you alive even after you are stabbed. Half of your soul will die and the other half will stay alive. But you will notst long. You need to get your memories back and awaken your dead soul before the power of the spell runs out. If you can''t do that in time, you will die. But I have to warn you now. It is almost impossible to awaken the dead soul. Only one person I know managed to do that. That person''s soul came back to life once his memories returned. But that was a one in a million chance. Think about it carefully."

    "There''s no other way, right?" Alex asked.

    "There is, Alexander. If you let Abigail die, then you will certainly keep living."

    Alexughed, but it was a bitterugh, as if he was telling the queen that that wasn''t even an option. "Do it, witch. Take all my memories," he said without even a hint of hesitation.

    "But¡­ please, think about it ¨C"

    "Shut up. This is my decision." Alex cut through her. "Don''t worry, my wife will find a way to bring my memories back. She''s quite hellbent, you see. You know, she once said that she would go through hell for me and I believe her. She is my wife, after all," he smirked.

 Chapter 366 The movie

    <h4>Chapter 366 The movie</h4>

    The silver-haired witch watched the tears flow down on the sleeping girl''s cheeks. The glow of the crystal ball made those tears glimmer in a beautiful yet heart wrenching way. The silver-haired witch was surprisingly moved by the scene. She had watched this scene unfold at the time and back then, she felt nothing. She couldn''t quite understand why the man was so willing to give up his life for this human woman. Seeing Abigail''s tears and all the emotion that she emitted as she watched this scene unfold, the witch could feel how much Alexander meant to her. She could feel all the love that Abigail felt for her husband and she was moved.

    She had seen Abigail''s actions and read the words that came from her lips but none of that feeling could be felt when she was watching through the ss ball. Only at this moment did she finally understand why Alexander was so confident about his wife''s abilities to bring his memories back, and consequently, the other half of his soul. It was because of her love for him.

    The silver-haired witch had never felt such an intense, fierce emotioning from someone before. Abigail''s love for her husband was so powerful that she thought she saw a soft glow of light surrounding Abigail, as if her body couldn''t contain all of that emotion that it leaked out.

    She moved closer to Abigail, reached out to touch her face and to wipe her tears away, but she halted. She sensed some sort of disturbance in the air and she immediately became alert for any uing trouble.

    With a concentrated look on her face, the witch quietly left the room, leaving Abi still sleeping and dreaming and she didn''t see Abigail''s expression of pain and grief appear on her face.

    Inside Abi''s dream, the scene from the past continued to appear in her mind''s eye. She saw Alex say goodbye to her before he left her at the hospital.

    This scene was so heartbreaking for her. She first saw Alex''s relief and happiness in the knowledge that her time had been extended, that her tumor was gone and that she now had the rest of her life to look forward to. But then, a secondter, his eyes dimmed and she saw his anguish at what he had to do next. He whispered to her. "I love you, Abigail. You are the only one I will ever love. The only one¡­" and watching this was so bittersweet for her.

    And then she saw him rub her wedding ring with his thumb before he slowly slid her engagement and wedding rings off her finger. She wanted to shout at him in her dream, ''No! Don''t leave me... Don''t go. I love you, Alex. Please stay...'' Her heart felt like it was being torn to pieces and her tears flowed even more down her face. She couldn''t stop it. It hurt. Watching him walk away from her was painful, especially after he had promised her that he would not leave, that he would be there when she woke up.

    Abi wanted to stop this dream from continuing. She wanted to wake up! She didn''t want to go through all of this again. She didn''t want to see Alex leave her. But she was left with no choice. The movie kept ying and she could only keep watching.

    The next scene was Alex travelling towards a castle, still with a dagger in his chest. She watched as he fought all of the rogue vampires by himself. As she watched this scene, she couldn''t help but forget her pain for a second. Her eyes were focused on him alone. He looked like the mystical god of war, mesmerising her with his precise movements and his power. She watched as he defeated the first wave of the rogue vampires but then in the next second, she felt her heart nearly stop as she saw the countless arrows and bullets being fired towards him.

    She was rmed at how much blood seemed to be flowing from all the arrows and bullets that hit their mark and she wanted to close her eyes. No, she didn''t want to see this. She didn''t want to see him being hurt like this. Abi couldn''t help but silently cry. She didn''t know he suffered like this, because of her. She didn''t know he had gone through all this. It was painful, so painful she couldn''t take it.

    And yet she kept watching. She kept watching because she had to. She needed to find out what happened to him. She needed to watch to look out for any clues that might be useful.

    So she watched as he kept on fighting, smiling as if he was having the time of his life. But his eyes gave him away. She saw through them. The heaviness of his decision weighed on him. She could tell that he didn''t want to give her up. He didn''t want to forget her. But he had no other choice.

    Abi saw him set fire to the castle. She watched him approach Xavier as he used the littlemb and the jellyfish plushy to catch him off guard.

    Abi even yelled at Alex not to fall for it, telling him it was okay even if the toys burned to ashes. She yelled at him to stop, despite knowing that what she was seeing had already happened, that there was no way she could stop any of it or change any of it anymore. She just couldn''t help it, it was too painful for her.

    Xavier was now holding the hilt of the dagger on Alex''s chest as Alex caught the toys with one hand as the other grabbed Xavier''s neck. Abi held her breath. Was this it? Was this the moment that Alex loses all his memories of her?

    And then, Xavier pulled the dagger out as Alex broke his neck with one squeeze and both of them fell onto the floor.

 Chapter 367 Cruel

    <h4>Chapter 367 Cruel</h4>

    This time, Abi couldn''t help but look away. It was all too much for her. She just now realised what Alex had gone through for her, what he had done all because he wanted to save her. All these things happened because of her. It was all her fault.

    Abi''s back was turned away from the scene. Her heart was in pieces, feeling as though she was the one who had just gone through all these things herself instead of Alex. She felt his pain within her and she felt like she couldn''t breath.

    The sound of Alex''s groan made her turn around again. She saw him hunched over in pain as if something was being ripped away from his body. He clenched his chest as he growled louder with the thunder.

    A few seconds after, the world became silent. Only the sound of the ze could be heard. Alexy on the ground, looking so weak, looking as if he was dying. She saw him look at the mes that were about to devour him and then look at the toys in his arms. He smiled, caressing them, holding on to them tightly.

    "Tch. I''m some. Abigail¡­" he called her name. "Would youugh at me if you found out that I became damned because of these damn little toys?" he mumbled weakly,ughing.

    But then, his smile faded and he suddenly embraced them. He fell silent as he gritted his teeth. He still looked like he was in pain, although this time, it wasn''t because of something physical. It was because of something emotional.

    He closed his eyes and his lips started to tremble a little. He looked so helpless, so vulnerable and so alone. Watching him like that made Abi felt like she was going to break down. She subconsciously ran towards him, to embrace him and hold him. She wished, she could suffer with him. But she couldn''t even touch him, all she could do was watch and cry.

    She could only watch himy there, unmoving for a while, until his lips stopped trembling. And then¡­

    "I miss you, my wife¡­" he uttered as a single tear flowed down from his eyes. That was the very first time Abi saw him cry. "I''m sorry for leaving you all alone. Please¡­ don''t suffer too much because of me¡­ I want you to smile every day even when I''m gone."

    After those words left his lips, he struggled to push himself up and sit. He threw his head back and looked up at the sky before he let out a sigh.

    He coughed once again, looking like he was now gasping for air, looking so weak. He tried to stand but he fell again.

    Lifting the toys in front of him, he stared at them as he spoke. "It looks like I can''t even stand anymore," he told the toys as he gritted his teeth. "I guess I should at least make sure that you two will not be turned into ashes," he mumbled and he crawled like a baby without much strength. His arms even trembled just to get himself to sit up.

    But he managed it. He sat up and stared at the toys again. He lifted his hand, and he looked at the open window. He attempted to throw the jellyfish out first but he had no strength.

    He groaned andughed throatily. "Damn, what the hell am I even doing?" he asked himself but he still tried his very best to get them out of the burning castle.

    When he managed to throw the jellyfish as far as he could, he fell down again. "Damn," he cursed as if he was now questioning his sanity. But the moment he lifted the littlemb up, he bit his lips.

    "Littlemb¡­" he uttered, "do you want to be burned along with me?" he asked.

    Then, he smiled again. "Ah, if you could talk, I know you would say ''yes''. That''s the extent of your love for me after all," he continued muttering on his own, even looking amused even in that situation.

    "But no. There''s no way I would let you burn here with me ''cause being burned is¡­ it''s a little painful. You have already suffered so much and I couldn''t possibly add any more to that," he mused. "So I better get you out of here too. Keep that jellyfishpany so that he doesn''t get lonely, okay?"

    He forced himself to sit up again, and then, with all the strength he could mutter, he threw the littlemb out of the window before he finally lost all his strength and fell down once again.

    Alexid there on his back, watching the mes above him.

    His eyes glimmered as his breaths became weaker.

    "Abigail¡­" he called out her name onest time and his hands found their way to the rings hanging on a ne around his neck.

    As the me started to finally burn him, Alex kissed the rings and put them inside his mouth, as if he was trying to keep them safe from the fire.

    He gritted his teeth as the mes burned his skin. He was burning but he didn''t scream. His skin would slowly regenerate after being burned but the mes didn''t stop and he kept being burned for a long time until the castle copsed around him.

    Abi screamed in pain when she watched the castle copse and that was when she woke up. She looked terrified and broken. Her tears were like rivers, flowing nonstop.

    What she witnessed was too much. Too cruel. Too damn painful that she felt like she had died many times in that dream.

    Why? Why did her Alex have to suffer like that?

    Abi clenched at her heart. She felt like she couldn''t breathe. Her mind was ying those images of Alex lying down on the floor of that burning castle as the mes surrounded him before being buried by the debris.

    "Oh, Alex¡­ Alex¡­" she wept, calling out his name between her shallow breaths.

    .

    Dear readers, if I cant publish the third chapter before reset, I will give five chapters tomorrow aspensation.

 Chapter 368 Berserk

    <h4>Chapter 368 Berserk</h4>

    The silver-haired witch was frozen still the instant she entered the room. Abigail was already awake but she looked utterly broken, overwhelmed with grief, and crumbling in pain.

    The witch looked at where the crystal ball had stopped and she was surprised. She only nned to show her the deal between Alexander and the queen! That was all the truth she wanted her to know in exchange of what she was asking. She wanted Abigail to know the reason why Alexander lost his memories and for her to know what she had to do.

    But she actually gone beyond that. She couldn''t believe this woman managed to see so much in such a short period of time. But she didn''t have enough time to spare to ponder over that. She still had things to exin to her. She still had so much to tell her. She had to bring this woman back to that man before it was toote.

    With an rmed face, the witch approached Abigail and rubbed her back to calm her down.

    "Are you okay? Please calm down," she asked her but Abigail didn''t stop weeping. She didn''t even look at her. She was doubled over, still in so much pain.

    Seeing that Abi might take a while to calm down, the witch decided to cast a spell on her.

    Her pleasing chants yed like warm music inside the room until Abigail''s cries slowly died down. The unbearable pain in her heart didn''t disappear but her mind was slowly brought back to reality, as if the ominous, hopeless clouds that enveloped her world had dissipated.

    She sniffed as she finally looked at the witch. Her mind was a little clearer now, although her heart was still bleeding and aching.

    "Abigail¡­ I am sorry but I need to return you to him," the witch told her in an almost frantic voice. Gone was her calm and collected expression. She looked worried.

    "H-him?" Abi somehow managed to respond as she wiped her tears. Her spell really worked.

    "Your husband, he''s here."

    Abi''s eyes widened. Hearing that Alex was there made her want to cry again.

    "Where is he?" she immediately stood up. All Abi wanted to do that moment was to run to him and embrace him as tight as she could. She wanted to just glue herself to him, to never let go of him even for a moment. What she saw broke her heart so much that she felt like she could die from the pain. It was too much. Why? Why did Alex have to suffer so much? Why did he need to be in so much pain? It wasn''t fair¡­ it was too cruel¡­

    Had she known all this, she wouldn''t have pushed him away. She wouldn''t have gotten so angry at him.

    "It seemed he followed you here. I was nning to let you go after this once the rogue vampires left so that you could negotiate with your husband. I really wasn''t nning on making Alexander angry," the witch started to exin, looking like she was terrified about something.

    "I will speak with him. Now please, bring me to him," Abi said. She couldn''t wait anymore. She needed to see him and hold him or this pain would break her.

    The witch held her hand as they headed out. "I''m afraid he has gone berserk, Abigail. I''m so sorry. I didn''t mean for this to happen," the witch said, still sounding very worried and very apologetic. "Please stop him or he will destroy everything and kill everyone," she pleaded as they halted before the entrance way.

    Abi''s brows creased. Alex had gone berserk? Was it in the same way as that night he went to fight the rogue vampires? That was the only time she had ever seen that side of Alex and because the images were still very raw in her mind, she couldn''t help but clutch at her heart. Alex was in pain. Alex had gone through hell for her and she only just found out now

    Abi closed her eyes and fought past her pain. She couldn''t think about that now. She had to think about her husband, about doing what needed to be done. She could only think that he had gone berserk because he, too, was in so much pain.

    Abi opened her eyes and looked at the witch again, her determination solidifying. She had seen this witch expression before when she was on the rooftop watching Alex fighting her minions. She didn''t even flinch back then but now, she looked pale from fear and dread. So Alex might be really be in rage mode because even this witch, who was quite powerful, felt a little overwhelmed when she saw the destruction happening outside.

    Abi didn''t look worried at all. "It''s okay," was all she said to the witch. "I will go and protect him," she added. What she really meant that she would go and protect Alex from himself, that she would go and protect him from the pain. There was a glimmer of something powerful in her eyes.

    Seeing it made the witch rx and she finally chanted the spell to open the doorway to the forest. The moment they stepped out, they were weed by a thunderous sound.

    A huge tree justnded like a spear from heaven right before them. The witch protected Abigail as they stepped backwards. The earth even trembled due to the impact.

    The rain was pouring down, as if the heavens were angry as well.

    The witch''s grip on Abi tightened. "Let''s leave, Abigail. We need to leave now. It''s toote. I don''t think we can reason with him when he is like this," she said, voice slightly shaking.

    She started to drag her but Abi refused. "What do you mean by toote? I am going to go to my husband!" Abi protested as she pulled her hand away from witch''s grip.

    "Listen, please!" The witch grabbed Abi by her shoulders, making Abi face her. "It''s toote!"

 Chapter 369 Impossible

    <h4>Chapter 369 Impossible</h4>

    "It''s toote. Alexander is already in that state. Believe me, when that man is in that state, it is impossible for him to recognize anyone. He will destroy everything, anyone, whoever it is that happens to cross his path. We must flee and wait until he calms down and goes back to normal!" she exined.

    But Abi shook her head. There''s no way she would just leave him. No way.

    "No, please let go."

    "He will kill you! Please believe me. Alexander loses his rationality when he''s in that state. He destroys everything in his way. He will kill you, too! He can''t recognize anyone!" the witch pleaded. She couldn''t believe that what she dreaded was actually happened. How did he snap so easily like that? She couldn''t let Abigail die. If she died by his hands and he found out once he returned to normal, he would go berserk once again and would kill and destroy everything. Once that happened, she might never be able to rescue their queen because their home, this forest, and the few witches left would all be annihted by him. She might even die as well.

    So she thought that it was better for them to flee for now and return her to him once his rampage was over.

    But Abigail refused.

    "No. Please let me go. He will NEVER hurt me! I can''t leave my husband all alone again. I will never leave him by himself again. Please¡­" she begged. "I promise, everything will be fine. I will keep my promise to you. And we still have so many things to talk about, right? Don''t worry, I will be okay. You go back inside for now so he doesn''t see you. Once I calm him down, you cane out again, alright?."

    Abigail''s gaze was fierce and more than determined. The witch couldn''t even argue with the intensity she showed. And before she knew it, her grip on Abi loosened.

    In that instant, Abi dashed away, heading towards the raging monster, without any hint of hesitation or doubt in her eyes.

    The witch could only watch her go. Although she couldn''t fathom what Abi was trying to do, she could only trust this woman. She had heard about the things Alexander did in the past. She even saw some of it in the crystal balls through the powerful visions of their queen. This man was a monster and no one ever managed to stop him when he was going berserk like that.

    He was a disaster and everyone could do nothing but bend and bow and ask for his mercy. No, he wouldn''t even give any mercy even if someone in his way was on their knees and begging for their life. He would just annihte them without batting an eye. He was that ruthless. If the witch hadn''t witnessed how deep his love was for Abigail, she wouldn''t have let her go. Her first thought, and still her thought right then, was to flee and leave everything behind while they still could.

    But somehow, having seen all the things that have happened to this couple, and feeling the extent of Abigail''s love for her husband, made her believe. She didn''t know why but she had developed this seemingly blind faith, that no matter how hopeless everything was, no matter how cruel the world was, in the end¡­ love would always win. They were the ones who showed her that. A ruthless man like Alexander sacrificing everything, even his life for his beloved; this thought used to be unthinkable for her. But they had changed her views - that in love, there was no such thing as impossible.

    "Fine¡­ go ahead, Abigail. Show me more of the power of your love," she smiled but she didn''t leave. She instead followed Abi''s trail. She wanted to see the events unfold with her own two eyes and in case something went wrong. She would try to at least keep Abi alive.

    ¡­

    Abi was getting closer to the heart of the storm. She could feel it. This heavy and chilling atmosphere she knew so well seemed to have cloaked the entire forest.

    She could hear it. The sound of the agonized screams from both witches and vampires as well as the breaking and falling trees bombarded her ears. She didn''t even try to activate her powers. She just started to hear them.

    But the terrifying noises didn''t stop her. She continued running until she was met with arge, open space. No, it was a space where she could finally see the sky because of all these fallen trees.

    She stood there and looked around.

    "Alex!!" she called out. But the next second, a swoosh passed by right in front of her face. It was a man being thrown away like baseball. He hit one of the trees and the tree nearly broke as the man fell to the ground.

    Abi started to see them. The rogue vampire''s and witches'' lifeless bodies.

    She swallowed as her body trembled.

    When she turned and looked at the direction where the vampire came from, Abi''s eyes widened.

    Arge tree trunk was about to hit her.

    She thought she was going to die.

    But the witch appeared and pushed her down. The tree just missed them both.

    Abi lifted her face and saw Alex standing there. His eyes were a burning furnace. He looked like some else. The witch was right, he couldn''t seem to see her.

    "A-alex¡­" she called out when suddenly, he disappeared. The next second, the witch covering her was gone.

    Abi immediately turned around and saw Alex already gripping the witch''s neck, her feet dangled in the air.

    He was going to kill her. If the witch hadn''t been quick enough to cast a spell to fight the strength of his grip, she would have been dead by then.

    "No!! Don''t kill her, Alex!!" Abi screamed.

    Alex didn''t seem to hear her.

    So Abi ran towards him and crashed herself into his back him, hugging him as tightly as her little arms could, with all the strength she could muster.

    .

    Thank you for waiting. The three chapters will be updated the usual time ^^

 Chapter 370 Now or never

    <h4>Chapter 370 Now or never</h4>

    Alex''s vision was blurry red. He couldn''t feel anything. His body and mind were numb and his heart was filled with nothing but pure darkness.

    His body craved blood, destruction and chaos. He just wanted to kill. He was like a mindless creature created just to kill and destroy, to bring cmity to the world. And he couldn''t get enough. His body wanted more blood.

    His lips curved up the moment the creature in his grip actually tried to fight against him. This kind of futile resistance only made him want to y more with his resisting prey, simply because everyone he killed just kept running away and never tried to fight back. That was simply too boring. It was definitely more entertaining when they at least tried to fight back, even if it was utterly useless.

    The demons inside that drove him seemed to like this. It licked its lips in anticipation, as if it couldn''t wait to devour this little insect caught in his web. It had been a very, very long time since he had met a resisting prey, one that was strong enough to actually survive the first blow. Even then, he knew that his power exceeded this prey''s powers a hundredfold. This one didn''t just sumb and refused to ept his inevitable death. Why? Wouldn''t it be easier and less painful if it just closed its eyes and died? Did it want to suffer?

    With a wicked smirk, he slowly tightened his grip around its neck, giving his prey the time to struggle more and fight against him with all it had.

    When his grip was about to break through his prey''s spell, he decided to give it a moment to run away. It had been a while since he had a good game of tag. Maybe they would even get to y hide and seek. Those were the games his demons desired to y. Indeed, those were the most fun games to them.

    His body was about to move, to throw his prey to the ground when he felt another insect cling onto his back and it made him pause for a second.

    Before he could turn around to deal with it, his numbed body registered that this new prey was emitting a warmth that he could actually feel. Its arms were wrapped around his waist, heating him up like nothing he had ever felt before. His consciousness could see and feel nothing but that burning sensation. And all of the sudden, his body refused to move.

    He felt like he had been immobilised by a burning chain that set his body on fire. It was as if he was under a strong spell, one that didn''t have any defences against.

    He stayed still, unmoving for a long while. His consciousness that was buried deeply in the pit of darkness started to awaken, reaching out to the warm light that had appeared on the surface. He felt like he was swimming upwards, kicking his legs to take him closer to the light. It was curious. Where was iting from? Why was it so bright? Why was it calling out to him?

    Alex''s eyes became unfocused, as if his demons were slowly retreating into the darkness as the light shone brighter and brighter by the second.

    But then, the prey in his hand cast an even more powerful spell to escape his grip which immediately broke the spell, or whatever it was that held him frozen. It triggered him and his eyes saw red again. His entire being was swallowed by the darkness yet again and the bright light within him was overwhelmed by it. Its light slowly faded to a small flicker, barely noticeable.

    The witch was thrown away like a ragdoll. It happened like lightning but the witch managed to protect herself before her back crashed against arge tree. The impact was minimized but her body still hit the tree with a crack and she fell with a thud to the ground.

    Abi flinched, hoping that the witch survived that attack. However, she didn''t have time to ponder on whether the witch was still alive. There was something a bit more important at the moment, like how to stop her husband''s rampage.

    Abi turned her attention back to Alex. Her arms tightened around his waist but her hopes plummeted when she noticed that her hug didn''t seem to affect him, let alone stop him. He used to immediately react when she embraced him. His coldness and darkness used to instantly disappear whenever she did this but it didn''t seem to be working this time around.

    "Alex¡­ please¡­" she begged, speaking clearly so that he could hear her voice. Abi clenched him tighter as she kept calling out his name.

    Alex''s hands then moved andnded on the hands wrapped around his waist. He didn''t have time to deal with this one. He was too focused on ying with the more powerful prey. His eyes never left his prey. A menacing smile curved on his lips as his eyes zed, anticipating the game that was about to begin.

    He grabbed the arms that were wrapped around him and moved them away from him. His grip was tight and it hurt her but she didn''t have the time to feel the pain.

    Abi started to panic. What should she do? He was too strong.

    The moment he pulled her hands off her, Alex disappeared from in front of her. It was as if she was invisible to him. It was like he didn''t really notice or care that she was there. Abi quickly looked around to see where he went and she saw him appear before the witch.

    However, the witch was quick to escape, almost teleporting a few meters back from where Alex had appeared.

    Abi watched him smile menacingly as he walked closer to the witch. He really looked like someone else, like a stranger, like somebody she didn''t know. This wasn''t the Alex that she knew. He was like the most ruthless viin who was about to crush his prey. He walked slowly towards the witch, who was panting from his attacks. It seemed she was wounded because of the impact and Abi could see the marks of Alex''s hand around her neck. She could also tell that she was running out of strength. She had used many strong spells in a short period of time and it seemed that it had drained her. Abi didn''t know how much longer this witch would be able to evade Alex or defend herself against his attacks.

    She needed to do something but what? What could she do to stop Alex?

    Seeing Alex close in on the witch, Abi immediately moved. She didn''t think anymore and let her instincts kick in. She knew that Alex would kill the silver-haired witch once he caught her again because Alex was showing that wicked, menacing smile of his, one that said that this game was over.

    Abi didn''t know how she ran so fast. Maybe it was because of the adrenaline rush, or maybe something else but she didn''t worry about that. In what seemed like no time, she was standing before the witch, her arms raised in a defensive position, defending the witch from Alex.

    She had to stop him now. She had to bring him back now. It was now or never.

    Her eyes zed with unwavering will. She looked like a fierce, little fragile warrior, waiting for the god of war toe to her and face her. She was like a little white rabbit standing in the lion''s way. She wasn''t going to let him harm this witch. She still needed this woman''s help. They needed to survive this so that they could find out how to bring Alex''s memories back!

    Abi locked eyes with him and then she ran towards him, nning to ce a kiss right on his lips. She thought that if the hug didn''t work, maybe a kiss would. That was the more powerful drug she thought she could use to sedate him.

    As she got closer, everything seemed to have turned into slow motion.

    The world ceased to exist, fading into nothingness, and all she could see was him. Her Alex was standing there and she was so close to reaching him. After seeing what truly happened the night he left, she felt like she had been separated from him for too long. Remembering those images, those scenes, Abi just wanted to kiss him, to hug him and shower him with all the love she felt for him in her heart.

    However, the dreamy moment shattered like mirrors breaking into a million pieces.

    Because Alex''s hand gripped her neck just before she could touch him.

 Chapter 371 Stronger

    <h4>Chapter 371 Stronger</h4>

    Because Alex''s hand gripped her neck just before she could touch him.

    Abi bit her lips but she didn''t feel any fear, despite Alex trying to choke her. His grip was tight but not enough to strangle her.

    "A-alex¡­" she called. "Alex¡­"

    He didn''t respond. His fiery eyes continued to ze with hellfire but they were nk. It was as if all he could see was fire and blood and darkness.

    But she knew that something was happening the moment he grabbed her neck. His grip on her didn''t loosen but it didn''t also tighten. She could still breathe. Did the witch cast a spell on her to protect her or was there something stopping Alex from fully strangling her? It didn''t matter. What mattered was that she now had the opportunity to do something.

    Tears began to flow from her eyes as she lifted her hands to touch his hand.

    "Alex¡­ pleasee back to me. It''s me¡­ Abigail¡­ your wife," she uttered. "Come back to me. Let''s go home. I miss you¡­ I miss you so much¡­ Alex¡­"

    She stretched out her hands and she was able to finally touch his face.

    "Oh, Alex¡­ I am here to get you. I am here to take you back home. I will never¡­ never leave you all alone again. So please,e back to me. I am here. Your Abigail. Your wife¡­"

    The moment those words left Abi''s mouth, Alex suddenly let go.

    He stepped backwards, confusion carving on his face as he watched Abi coughing on the ground.

    He kept stepping back as if he was trying to get away. When Abi saw this, she immediately got up and took a step towards him.

    "Please¡­ Alex¡­ don''t go away¡­" she begged, stretching her hand out towards him.

    But Alex didn''t take her hand. He just continued stepping backwards with his eyes locked on her.

    Abigail looked worried. She didn''t know what was going on with him. She didn''t know what he was going to do next. Was he going to leave? Was he going to run away from her?

    She panicked because if he did that, she wouldn''t be able to follow him. He was too strong and too fast for her and if he left, how was she going to stop him? She wouldn''t allow that to happen. She needed to stop him from running away. She looked at Alex, surveying him, watching to see what he would do next and that was when the ne with the rings finally caught Abi''s attention. They were wrapped around his left hand. She subconsciously held her neck and realized that the ne and rings in his hand were the ones she had been wearing.

    Did he pick it up and thought that I was¡­

    Abi''s eyes widened. She realized that he must have gone berserk because of this. Once again, she was the cause of all this.

    Tears flowed from her eyes. She didn''t know why her tears kept flowing. It seemed she had a river of tears inside her. She wished they would stop flowing now. She was tired of crying.

    She took another step and Alex stepped back once again.

    "Alex!!!" she snapped, screaming his name with all her might. The man''s eyes slightly widened and that was when Abi charged in on him and immediately captured his lips.

    ¡­

    Alex froze from Abi''s attack. His consciousness was finally reaching the surface. He was about to reach the light; the warm and soothing light that kept calling him for a while now.

    His numbed mind and body started to think and feel again. He could now tell his mind was in chaos. His consciousness fought with the darkness that seemed to have eaten him whole. He didn''t know why he was fighting to reach that bright light. All he knew was that he wanted to touch that light shining before him. He wanted to feel its warmth.

    But the darkness was strong, enveloping him, controlling him, unwilling to let him go.

    That lone light and the darkness fought as he stood in between. He felt like his body was being split into two. It seemed he couldn''t choose between the two. But then, he suddenly heard a voice calling out his name.

    Something snapped within him and the light intensified, shining brighter than before. The light was starting to defeat the darkness.

    Seeing it, he finally moved to reach out to it. He was able to leave the darkness. He could because the pull of this light was so strong, much stronger than the darkness.

    And with that, the light finally swallowed him whole.

    The moment he opened his eyes, he felt his lips burning. Someone was kissing him.

    "Alex¡­ please wake up. It''s me. Please," she uttered between her kisses, with closed eyes.

    Alex''s eyes widened. His hands moved on her shoulders and he pushed her back slightly to look at her.

    "A-a-abi ¨C" he stuttered. His eyes filled with confusion.

    Realizing that Alex was finally back, Abi''s tears burst out. "Alex¡­" she uttered, crying hard. "You''re finally back. Alex¡­"

    She wept and before Alex could process everything that happened, Abi pulled him in and kissed him again.

    Abi''s kiss was wild yet passionate and her tears still fell as she devoured his lips and Alex couldn''t resist such passion. He was supposed to think about what the hell was going on but before his brain could start to process everything, she blew his thought away with her kisses and he couldn''t help but getpletely lost with her.

    Her kisses were damn hot, burning every thought into ashes. All he could do was kiss her back with the same hunger, the same intensity that she was giving him.

    Everything ceased to exist and at that moment, they were the only ones left on the. At that moment, they didn''t feel any pain or sadness, only the overwhelming, overflowing love and desire for each other. There were no supetives left to describe what they were feeling.

 Chapter 372 Guilty

    <h4>Chapter 372 Guilty</h4>

    When their lips parted, they were panting so hard, gasping for air.

    Alex was pulled back to the present and he finally noticed her tears. His face flooded with worry but before he could ask if she was alright, Abi kissed him as she wrapped her arms around him as fast as she could.

    And then, as if all her strength had left her, she became limp in his arms. She had fainted.

    Alex was shocked as he embraced her. "Abigail!" he called out as he held her. He tried to pull her hands off him so she could gather her up and bring her to a better spot but Abi''s grip on him was so tight.

    That made him realize she was fine.

    Relieved, Alex slowly sat down on the ground, with her still hugging him.

    His brain finally started processing the situation as he looked around. The dead vampires and witches and the destroyed forest. He could tell what had happened. He lost himself the moment he saw the ne in that vampire''s hand. He thought they had killed his Abigail.

    His eyes then caught the silver-haired witch standing there. Alex started to remember the things he did while he was in that state. He remembered how this witch protected his woman so the dangerous aura he was giving her at that moment immediately disappeared.

    But the moment he remembered how he grabbed Abi''s neck, his face turned dark. He immediately checked her neck and he gritted his teeth, seeing the mark of his fingers around her neck and wrists.

    His jaws clenched. He wanted to hit himself a thousand times but even that wouldn''t be enough to atone for this. How could he have hurt his beloved like this? ''Damn you, Alex! How could you do this? I want to kill you!!!!''

    He really did want to kill himself. if someone else had done this to her, that someone would be dead by now. It seemed all he could do was beg for her forgiveness and atone for his sins by asking her to punish him. He wished that would be enough, because he felt guilty to death.

    However, as he was busy thinking about what kind of punishment Abigail would give him, the words she said began to echo in his head.

    ''Alex¡­ pleasee back to me. It''s me¡­ Abigail¡­ your wife.'' These words kept reying in his mind and he was utterly shocked and confused.

    After a long while, Alex looked at the witch. He didn''t understand why she said those words? Why?

    "Witch¡­" he called out. "Why did Abigaile here? Were you the one who lured her here?" he asked. Somehow, he was calm, knowing that Abigail was safe while she was in his arms.

    "I¡­ I didn''t lure her here. She came here on her own¡­ crying." The witch half lied. She couldn''t afford to anger him again by saying the truth. She would let Abigail tell him everything because she knew this vampire would not believe anyone but her.

    Alex gathered Abigail in his arms.

    "I need to bring her to a ce where she can rest," he told her and the witch immediately moved.

    "Please follow me," she said and she led Alex and Abi not to the crystalized cave but to a small wooden house hidden deep in the forest.

    The house waspletely hidden behind nature. It was a two-story building made of bricks and had a haunting look to it. Tall trees surrounded it and it looked very old and deste, as if it hadn''t been used for a very long time. If someone were to discover it by chance, they would no doubt think that a witch lived there. It just gave out that kind of vibe.

    However, surprisingly, the inside of the house was neat and tidy. The silver-haired witch led him to one of the rooms with a nice bed inside it.

    "Give us some clothes to change into," he ordered her. The witch was surprised but she eventually nodded.

    "Please give me a moment. I will go get some from the human vige nearby."

    "Make it quick," he told her as if the witch was his personal errand girl.

    The witch was about to leave when Alex stopped her.

    "Where can we take a bath?" he asked, showing her the girl still clinging to him like glue.

    "There''s a hot spring in the back," she answered as she led him in the backdoor. There it was a small spa-like white-bluish colored pool carved on a t stone.

    "Prepare the towels for us before you go," Alex ordered onest time and he walked towards the hot spring.

    The witch''s minions were nowhere to be seen and she couldn''t defy this man, so she could only do as he said, thinking that she was doing this for the sake of her queen.

    After putting the towels by the back door, the witch then left.

    She had to get back as soon as possible. Who knew what that man would do if he was displeased? She needed to please him and give them clothes first and then she would check out where herrades were hiding while Abigail was still sleeping.

    However, before she could even leave the forest. Ezekiel appeared before her, giving her the set of clothes she was going to fetch. How? How did he know she was going out to get clothes?

    ++

    Dear readers, I just want to take this opportunity to say thank you for your love and supports. Please know that I am reading all yourments and reviews. They made me smile and motivated. Somements also made me think and there are some that reminded me of some plot holes and important things I missed. ^w^

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 Chapter 373 Mission

    <h4>Chapter 373 Mission</h4>

    Alex walked into the hot spring with Abi still in his arms. He held her so gently, as if she was a newborn baby he didn''t want to drop. As he walked deeper into the water, he slowly dipped Abi''s body until only her head was above water. He sat down on the second tost step with Abigail sitting in hisp.

    Alex looked down on Abigail''s face with an unfathomable expression on his face. He then traced the outline of her face with his finger, gently starting from her temple down to her chin. She was so fragile, his littlemb. Her skin was so soft to the touch and he wondered how such a fragile being could be so brave.

    He could only shake her head as he remembered what she did just before. He couldn''t believe that this littlemb actually dared to stand against him, dared to face his raging self. He couldn''t bear to think of what would have happened if he had actually tightened¡­

    No! It didn''t bear thinking about. He forced the thought away. His littlemb was fine. She was alive and breathing and in his arms now. He was never going to let her leave his side again. Never. She was safest next to him and he was safest next to her, it seemed. He still couldn''t fathom how she had actually managed to make him snap out of the raging state he was in. He had been swallowed so deeply in the darkness but she managed to drive that away with her light. As long as she was around, that darkness would never be able to take over him again because her light was too strong.

    He stared at her peaceful face and then he lowered his head and grazed his lips against hers. He ced the softest kiss on her lips, feeling like his heart would burst from all the emotions that even he couldn''t put a name to.

    "I''m so sorry, Abigail," he whispered as he pulled away.

    He stared at her for a second longer before he finally moved to wash the dirt off her body. He dipped her head back so that her hair floated on the water. He used his fingers to brush her hair, cleaning it in the water. He then used his thumb to wash the dirt off her face, wiping her cheeks, her forehead, her nose and chin.

    He took off her shirt and pants, leaving only her underwear on. He carefully cleaned her whole body, making sure to get rid of every speck of dirt on her. Once he was done washing her, he then took off his own clothes and also cleaned himself, as much as he could while still holding onto her. He didn''t know how long he had spent in the hot spring but the moment he was done cleaning them both, he then grabbed a towel and dried her body quickly before wrapping the towel around her so that she wouldn''t catch a cold. He grabbed the rest of the towels too and walked back inside the house, straight into the room that the witch had shown him earlier. He saw that the clothes he had asked for were already on the foot of the bed, folded neatly.

    Alex closed the door and headed straight towards the bed. Hey a towel over a pillow and gently ced Abigail down on the bed, with her head on the towel. He then put a nket over her body.

    Her grip on him had finally loosened so he could move freely again. He dried himself and changed into the clean clothes before he grabbed the other set of clothes for his littlemb.

    He swallowed. For him to change her, he would have to take her underwear off. ''Should I change her or just leave her like that?'' he asked himself. ''Wouldn''t she get a cold if I left her wearing her wet underwear?'' he reasoned with himself.

    That was enough for him to decide what to do. The thought of his littlemb being sick was not something that sat well with him. And besides, he had already undressed her before. But still, this was different. His littlemb was asleep this time and couldn''t give him her consent.

    With a deep breath, he moved closer to her and sat down on the edge of the bed. He kept the nket over her as he ced an arm behind her shoulders to pull her up against him. With his left arm holding onto her, his right hand went to her back and with a swift flick of his fingers, he unhooked her bra. He then gentlyy her back on the bed. He slid her bra straps down her shoulders and removed her bra. He had kept the nket over her all this time and his hands did all the work.

    He was a little surprised on what he was doing. He thought that it should be alright for him to see everything since he had already saw her naked body but that thought didn''t sit right for him. Was he really turning into a real gentleman now?

    A slight smile curved on his lips as he shook his head. Gentleman? He didn''t think so. No, he could be a gentleman just to his future wife. If this would make Abigail happy, he wouldn''t hesitate to behave well and treat her properly.

    Once her bra was off, his next target was her underwear. His hands snuck under the nket and he pulled down her underwear as fast and efficiently as he could. He had to imagine himself as a doctor, a professional. He breathed a sigh of relief once he seeded in his mission.

    He decided that it would be too much of a mission to put underwear on her - it was easier to take off than put on - so he grabbed the pajama top and bottoms and put them on her. His next mission was to dry her hair. He used the towel that she was lying on to softly dry her hair. He didn''t know how long he sat there for, just rubbing her hair with the towel but he didn''t care. It was the least he could do.

    After he was satisfied with his hair drying mission, he removed the towel from under her and sat up. He couldn''t help but look at her face again. Her face was still a little flushed from the warmth of the hot spring. She was so beautiful. He really had not seen anyone else as beautiful as her. She was the definition oa sleeping beauty.

 Chapter 374 Remnants

    <h4>Chapter 374 Remnants</h4>

    His mind then brought back the words she had uttered to him. "Alex¡­ pleasee back to me. It''s me¡­ Abigail¡­ your wife," she had said. ''My wife?'' he thought. What was she saying? Why had she said those words? Was it only to try and make him snap out of his rage? To try and shock him with those words?

    So many questions floated in his mind about this. He didn''t know what to think. This littlemb, his wife? He had already decided that he would marry her. Only she would bear the title of his wife. Was that why she had said it? Did that mean that if he proposed to her, she would ept? Was that her way to telling him that she wanted to be his wife?

    He didn''t know. He shook his head. He would try and find out some of the answers to these questions when she woke up. He would ask her to exin what she meant when she said those words.

    However, he couldn''t help the small wisp of hope blooming within him. Had she finally fallen for him? Was it because of what happenedst night?

    He looked down at her face again as if he was just really seeing her for the first. Her long eyshes grazed the top of her cheeks. Her soft, full lips were red. Her cheeks were pink and soft. He felt his heart flutter a little as he watched her. He then tucked her hair behind her ear before he cupped her cheek, closed his eyes and ced a soft kiss on her lips.

    He pulled away and surveyed her face again but then his eyes drifted lower andnded on the bruises around her neck.

    His soft expression instantly became hard. His eyes zed with an anger he could barely contain. He was more than angry at himself. His fists clenched so hard that his knuckles turned white as he gritted his teeth. How could he do that to her? How could these hands of his mark her like that?

    He closed his eyes because he didn''t want to see that vision of him gripping her neck. How easily he could have squeezed the life out of her.

    In the next second, Alex''s face was filled with agony and guilt and self-loathing. He hunched over with his hands tearing at his hair, his whole being trembling from all these emotions. How could he live with himself from now? How could he look at her again knowing that he had hurt her? Could she forgive him for this? He didn''t know but no matter how long it took, no matter how many times he had to say sorry to her, he would do it. He would beg for her forgiveness endlessly until she forgave him. He would whatever she wanted, take whatever punishment she threw at him because no amount of pain could everpare to the agony he was experiencing at that moment. Everything else would be a walk in the parkpared to this.

    Alex stood up and walked towards the window, looking up at the sky. His thoughts were running a million miles an hour but everything came back to one thing, one person. It seemed that his world now revolved around her and he didn''t know when it started.

    ---

    Abigail had the most wonderful dream. She dreamt that Alex was holding her, surrounding her with his warmth, causing her body to warm up. They were back in his little house, looking up at the northern lights, cuddling by the fire. She was so happy that words couldn''t describe what she was feeling. The dream jumped and they were suddenly in the hot pool, kissing passionately.

    Her body felt very warm and she moaned in her sleep. "Alex¡­"

    However, the next scene in her dream was of Alex lying on the floor of that dark castle, mes surrounding him, about to devour him whole.

    "No!!" Abigail inwardly screamed as she sat up on the bed. Her heart was beating wildly as she clutched at her chest. Her breaths were shallow and she felt a tear trail down her cheeks. Her eyes were zed over, her mind still inside the fading dream.

    As her consciousness slowly took over, she finally realised that she was inside a dark room. A couple of candles were lit up on a small side table, throwing shadows on the walls.

    "Alex¡­" she whispered. "Alex!" she then eximed as she remembered what had happened at the forest. Where was he? Where was he?! She frantically moved to scramble off the bed, intending to run towards the door to look for him when she heard his voice next to her.

    "What''s wrong, littlemb?" Alex asked, his voice full of worry.

    Abigail turned to look at him and without wasting another second, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. She was so relieved to find him right next to her. She was so d. The remnants of that scene still yed in her head and she couldn''t help the tears that fell from her eyes. It was like she had no more control over her body. Her emotions had taken over and she let it. All the emotions she felt as she watched him lying weakly in that castle floor poured out of her yet again.

    She couldn''t stop her body from shuddering as she cried her heart out, hugging him tighter, as if she was afraid that he would leave again. Everything that he had done for her, his belief in her, his love for her was all she could think about. She wasn''t going to let him leave her again. She would never get angry at him again over him forgetting her. She had seen the extent of his love for her and though her heart broke He trusted her so much that he was willing to bet his life on her.

    He loved her so much that he would die for her but there was no way she would let that happen.

    Now it was her turn to bring him back to life.

    .

    Dear readers, I''m sorry but I can''t publish the third chapter tonight. I''m a little feverish and only managed two. I will give the third chapter tomorrow so there will be four chaps for you guys tomorrow.

    Thank you for understanding. \u003c3

 Chapter 375 Just for now

    <h4>Chapter 375 Just for now</h4>

    Abi pulled away and stared into his face while Alex lifted his hand to wipe her tears away. His brows pulled together because seeing her cry was unbearable for him.

    "Shh¡­ don''t cry¡­" he uttered. His fingers continued caressing her face gently but her tears continued flowing as she stared at him.

    "Such a crybaby¡­" he continued and he pulled her face towards him. His lips reced his fingers and he kissed her tears away, trying his very best to calm her down, to make her feel better, and to make her stop crying.

    His lips trailed down until their lips met but after a second or two, he halted. He didn''t dare devour her lips even if he badly wanted to kiss her because his mind shed back to that moment again when he had grabbed her neck. That scene was still too vivid in his mind and he couldn''t help but curse himself.

    He pulled away, bumping his forehead on hers.

    "I''m sorry¡­" he began. "Forgive me, Abigail."

    His voice was weak and a little choked. He sounded incredibly remorseful. This was the first time she ever heard him speak like this, as if he loathed himself to his core.

    This made Abi feel nervous. She remembered that moment she saw in her dreams when Alex was saying goodbye to her at the hospital, asking her to forgive him.

    With a panicked expression, Abi''s grip on him suddenly tightened. "No¡­ Please¡­ don''t ever leave me again, Alex," she begged, tearing up again.

    Alex was surprised and confused. "Abigail, I''m not leaving, okay?" he told her, a little worried because this littlemb of his seemed to be acting out of character. And what did she mean by ''again''? He never left her. She was the one who left him! Was she talking about the first night they met, after the party?

    "R-really? Then why are you saying sorry?" she asked, looking relieved. She had thought that she was saying sorry because he was leaving her again.

    Alex''s eyes fell on the awful marks on her neck and his eyes sunk with regret. He looked away, guilt flooding in his eyes. "I''m saying sorry because I¡­ hurt you. And I nearly killed you¡­" he uttered as he looked down at his hands. "With these hands."

    Abi finally realized what this was all about. She held his face and made him look at her.

    "Alex¡­ I''m fine. I''m here. Even in that state, you didn''t hurt me. This is nothing. They''re just bruises. They will fade away in time," she frantically said, trying to make him understand that she wasn''t hurt. That she was okay.

    But Alex didn''t look convinced.

    "If¡­ if that witch didn''t save you from my attack, you would be¡­" he gritted his teeth. He only just realized that he would have killed Abigail if that witch wasn''t there. That log he threw at her would have been enough to kill her¡­"I am really a monster... Even after saying that you are the person I love¡­ even after saying that you''re everything to me¡­ I still didn''t recognize you and even almost killed you." He smiled bitterly and he subconsciously bit his lips so hard that it started to bleed.

    "Alex!" Abigail yelled at him, jolting him. Her eyes were filled with worry as she looked at his bleeding lips. But thankfully, she saw that they healed quite fast.

    Abi looked at him, feeling a little angry.

    "Please¡­ stop doing that!!!" she begged. "Stop hurting yourself because of me!!! Didn''t you hear what I just said? I said I was fine! I am here, alive and kicking, Alex! This isn''t your fault. This is all my fault foring here because I got jealous and angry! Had I note here, you wouldn''t have gone berserk!"

    Alex stared at her, wide-eyed. He was really hopeless. He couldn''t believe that from all the words she said and despite her shouting at him angrily, the only words that registered in his brain was ''I''m jealous''.

    "J-jealous? You were jealous?" he asked, even stammering and gaping at her, as if he just heard something unbelievable.

    His reaction made the raging little tigress fall speechless.

    The next moment, Abi pinned him down on the bed and straddled him.

    There were so many things that happened yesterday. Too many that she almost thought she couldn''t handle it. And she knew that from today onwards, trouble would just keep oning and it wouldn''t stop until Alex''s memories returned.

    Even now, she knew that she couldn''t waste any more time. However, finally being together with him again made Abi want to spend this moment with him peacefully. She just wanted a little peace even if it was just for a couple of hours. She wanted to just hold him and be with him until daylight came, because she knew that the rising sun would bring chaos along with it. Because she knew this battle was nowhere near over.

    "Alex¡­" she called out. Her eyes that were filled with worry a while ago now glimmered with longing and gentleness as she looked down at him.

    Alex was about to speak but she put her finger on his lips, stopping him from talking. She just realized he remembered everything that he did and heard when he was in that state, so she anticipated that he would ask her why she said those words.

    Because Abi believed that witches here weren''t a threat to Alex, she realized there was no more reason for her to hide it anymore. Even though she knew it would only confuse him, maybe it would at least trigger something.

    But, she decided not to tell him right then because she didn''t know how he would react. She decided that she would tell him tomorrow instead. Moreover, she didn''t know what might happen next. What would be waiting for them tomorrow? That was always uncertain so she wanted to seize every moment and spend it with him and give him all the love she could give him while she still could. So for now, she wanted him to think of nothing except her. Except for them. Just for now. Just for a little while. Just while there was still a little peaceful time they had to themselves.

    "Alex¡­" she called his name again. Her voice sounded damn sexy and hypnotic. "Let''s make love." She added and Alex''s already wide eyes, became even wider.

    .

    Next chaps wille after 2 hours. ^^

 Chapter 376 What if

    <h4>Chapter 376 What if</h4>

    Sparks started flying around them as they gazed into each other''s eyes. The intensity in air skyrocketed as everything around them disappeared. There was nothing else and no one else in the world but the two of them. The air seemed to stop, as if it too was waiting for Alex''s reaction at Abi''s words.

    Alex was dumbstruck at what his littlemb just said. Was he dreaming? He felt like pinching himself to confirm whether this was actually happening, to make sure his mind wasn''t ying tricks on him. This littlemb who had been ying hard-to-get just yesterday was now saying this? And even after everything he had done to her a few hours ago?

    He didn''t break away from her gaze. He was too mesmerised, as if she had actually hypnotised him with those clear, clear eyes. Why did she look like that? Why was she looking at him the way he looked at her? As if he too, was her life? As if her world also revolved around him?

    Alex eventually closed his eyes and he tried to digest everything that was happening. This moment was just too good to be true. He never thought this moment would ever happen. Even though he had sworn to make this woman fall for him, he knew that it wouldn''t be easy. In fact, the thought that it might be close to impossible, because she was the loveliest angel he ever saw and he was¡­ an evil creature, not worthy for anyone''s love.

    She had witnessed what kind of a monster he was and had even be one of his victims. So why? Why was she saying all this? Why now? Was this actually real or did that witch cast some spell on him to stop him from going berserk again?

    But Alex knew this wasn''t a spell or a hallucination. Even though it was very hard for him to believe it, he knew that this was reality. She was really here, next to him and she really did say those words. However, as much as he was overjoyed at her words, that image of him choking her appeared in his head. That scene had be a recurring nightmare, a nightmare that he would never wake up from. He couldn''t say it out loud but¡­ fear had started to creep into his heart; the fear that he might do it again.

    As he thought more about it, Alex remembered his very own soldiers and family and allies who died by his own hands. What if¡­ in the end¡­ he would also be the one to take the life of the only person he ever cared about?

    The desire in his eyes was reced with darkness. He never once thought about this in his existence. He never once loathed his powers.

    "Abigail¡­" he uttered her name. "Shouldn''t you be punishing me right now for hurting you?" he asked her and Abi immediately saw the extent of how much this was affecting him. She realized how deep the damage went and what it cost him. She would be lying if she said she fully understood what he felt because she didn''t. But if she was in his shoes and she was the one who hurt him even if it wasn''t intentional, she would also feel utterly guilty and sorry.

    "No matter how much I justify it, I can never change the fact that I still did that to you, Abigail. And the guilt will never leave as long as I am unable to forgive myself. So¡­ please don''t treat me like this just after I hurt you. Make me regret what I''ve done. Punish me until you''re satisfied. I don''t know if this guilt will go away even after that but I just don''t deserve to be treated well by you right now," he told her, his tone grave and serious.

    He was desperately trying to find a way for him to lessen the guilt that ate at him and getting this kind of treatment from her was making him feel even worse. He didn''t deserve this. He deserved theplete opposite of what she was showing him. He needed to face the harsh consequences of his actions so that maybe that way, if and when he lost himself to his inner demon again, his body might remember this lesson. The reason behind these thoughts was that Alex knew that he could not stop himself from going berserk, but he knew that his body would at least remember. It was a form of muscle memory. Even if his brain was hazy, his body might be able to remember. Way back then, his body also learned to recognize his own soldiers when he asked his dead men''s family to vent their anger on him.

    He was used to sacrificing his men in the many battles they fought but that one time, he was the one who killed them. Back then, he was more demonic than his current self. At that time, he went berserk and he had killed some of his closest allies and many more who were loyal to him ever since he was a child. They were there for him after he was cast out from his family. Back then, he didn''t feel the same level of fear and guilt that he felt when he realised he had hurt Abigail, but he did feel the need to atone by punishing himself. That was why he asked his closest men''s family to stab him and cut him and hurt him until they were satisfied. Some of them cried when they stabbed and shed him but they all went up and took their turn, one after another, because he had ordered them to do so. Somehow, after that punishment, his body learned to differentiate between his own men and his enemies.

    After many years, when all his remaining men had died, his body no longer had anyone to recognize. He left his throne and left the country on his own. He didn''t y at war anymore. He didn''t have an army. He didn''t have allies. All he had was himself because it was better that way. Because of that, he never had to do this again. All he did now was warn the good vampires to run for their lives if they saw him start to go berserk. Even the Reign family, whom he vowed to protect, were not an exemption when he was in that state.

 Chapter 377 This kind of punishmen

    <h4>Chapter 377 This kind of punishmen</h4>

    "Punishment is a better dish to serve me, tonight, Abigail. Punish me all you want," his voice hoarse as he said it once again, as serious as ever.

    Abi, who was silent for a long while, pulled away but she didn''t climb off him.

    "You want me to¡­ torture you?" she asked and Alex didn''t hesitate to nod.

    "Yes. Don''t worry. I heal fast. And know that I will not hesitate even if you ask me to go punish myself and jump into a furnace." He smiled and Abi almost lost it. How could he say those things so casually? She remembered it again, that one scene in the castle. He had smiled so casually as the mes swallowed him. He never screamed in pain even though he was obviously hurting. Just what kind of things did he go through in all his thousands of years of his existence?

    "You really think I could do that to you?" she asked him, looking hurt.

    Seeing her expression made Alex realize that he was being inconsiderate. How could he forget that this littlemb of his was such a good girl? She was not an evil creature like him.

    "I''m sorry." He looked away, instantly apologetic. "Maybe you kicking me out of this house and making me sleep outside will be enough. The agony of not holding you tonight and being cast out by you for a few hours is much worse than standing in the furnace anyway," he added before he looked at her again. "Anything, littlemb. I''ll be fine with anything as long as you don''t ask me to leave you or vice versa. Because you leaving me is not just a punishment, it is a life sentence."

    Hisst sentence made Abi''s heart swell. This man was still going above and beyond for her, despite him losing his memories. Everything he did and said was still just too much for her, sometimes in a good way and sometimes not so much. How could he make her angry and then make her heart swell at the same time?

    Letting out a quiet sigh, Abi leaned over him once again. Her handsnded on his pillow as her gaze burned with such intensity, as if she had turned into a little viiness.

    "Okay, I understand. I will make you feel better by punishing you, Alex," she said.

    Alex thought she was going to climb off him but she didn''t. She instead moved back a little and her fingers trailed to his cor.

    She started to unbutton his shirt slowly, one by one.

    Alex creased his brows. He lifted his hand and was about to stop her when Abi spoke.

    "Don''t touch me," she told him, surprising Alex. "You are not allowed to touch me until I say so, Alex," she ordered like a boss.

    Alex almost gaped at her. Don''t tell me¡­ was she going to torture him this way?!

    He was shocked. He never expected anything like this at all. When he asked her to punish him, this kind of punishment never crossed his mind. But¡­ was she really going to do what he was thinking? His littlemb?

    Alex wanted to protest. This wasn''t the punishment he was asking for but the words became stuck in his throat.

    By the time Abi had undone all the buttons, she peered at him, slowly fluttering her butterfly wing eyshes.

    And then, her fingers traced the maze made by his abs and made their way down to his pants.

    Alex finally moved, using his elbow to rise. But once again, Abi stopped him.

    "Did I tell you to move?" she asked him and Alex immediately halted. "Lie down, Alex, and don''t move until I say so," she ordered. She was so strict and firm that Alex was rendered speechless. He didn''t see thising.

    She knelt with him between her legs and she started to unbutton her shirt this time, keeping her eyes locked on his.

    ''F*ck!'' Alex cursed. What was his littlemb doing? Was she really going to do this?!

    As Abi undressed, she realized she had no underwear. Her eyes widened but she didn''t say anything. She could already tell that he was the one who dressed him, not the silver-haired witch.

    Slowly, Abi slid the clothes over her shoulders and down her arms as she removed them. She did it in such a slow and sexy way and her beautiful, milky white breasts came into Alex''s view.

    He could only curse again.

    "Don''t look away, Alex," she told him, causing Alex to bite his lips. How the hell could he look away at this point?

    His member was already up and raging. There was just no way it would stay calm. He wanted to stop her because he still thought that this wasn''t the kind of punishment he should be getting for what he did. This wasn''t right.

    Before he could speak, Abi started to remove her pants, slowly, as she peered at him. Her cheeks were a little red but there was no hesitation in her eyes.

    The moment she stood there naked, Alex''s mind had already been pulled to her realm. The thoughts in his head were disappearing, like clouds, drifting away. This¡­ this shouldn''t end this way.

    Abi took hold of his pants and was about to pull them down when Alex stopped her.

    "Abigail¡­ at least¡­ let me do that," he said and without waiting for her response, he quickly climbed off the bed and undressed himself.

    Once he turned and looked at her, Abigail was frowning at him.

    "I told you not to move and not to touch me," she told him.

    He bit his lips as he ran his fingers through his hair. He didn''t know what to do in this situation.

    "That''s the first and second offence, littlemb. Let it slide," he answered. "Abigail¡­ I think this is ¨C"

    "Lie down, Alex," she didn''t even let him finish what he wanted to say. "You said I can do whatever I want with you." And with those words, he did as she said, not knowing why.

 Chapter 378 Angel of no mercy

    <h4>Chapter 378 Angel of no mercy</h4>

    She moved on top of him again, both of thempletely naked. She supported herself with her hands and knees as her face hovered above his, looking at him intensely.

    "If you touch me and if you move one more time, I will stop and will never punish you again even if you beg me a million times," she told him seriously. Did the littlemb just threaten him? This was getting serious. She was really serious. It was like he was seeing a new side to his littlemb.

    Before Alex could even agree or disagree, Abi bent and nted kisses all over him. She kissed him and Alex was about to respond but she moved away, leaving him hanging.

    And then, she continued. She began from his nape, kissing him there. Her hands crawled over his body, making him be even harder.

    She continued her onught and he was surprised at how good she made him feel. How? How was she so good at this? They only made love once and she never had the chance to do any of this to him, so how did she know what made him feel good?

    Alex was easily sent into the world of ecstasy. He couldn''t believe all his thoughts about this being the wrong punishment hadpletely disappeared. He just couldn''t help it. This woman seemed to be the very definition of the word ''impossible''. She was impossible for him to resist.

    His excited big monster was desperately calling for attention, wanting her to touch him there, but she didn''t. Somehow, he was starting to feel that this might be the right punishment after all. This was pure torture. He wanted so much to touch her, to have his hands roam all over her body. This was definitely more tortuous than any beating he had ever gotten.

    Meanwhile, her tongue skillfully teased him. It travelled down and he sighed in anticipation, thinking that she would put him inside her delicious mouth again. But she stopped just an inch away and she climbed up on him again. Holy Shit!

    He groaned and cursed inwardly. His grip on the nket tightened. This torture was too much. How could he forget what he felt when he wasn''t allowed to touch her? Maybe it was because Abigail didn''t tease him this much thatst time.

    "Ahh¡­ Abigail¡­ please¡­ at least, touch me there," he begged. But Abi pulled away and nted a kiss to his lips as if telling him to shut up.

    She broke the kiss midway once again and continued her onught, her merciless teasing.

    Alex couldn''t tell how long she had been torturing him for. He felt like a lifetime had passed.

    His body started to sweat from the heat. His body was so hot and ready for her but it didn''t look like she was going to end his pain anytime soon.

    He begged for the third time and Abi finally granted his request.

    Her divine hand finally wrapped around his raging member. She sped it tightly as she moved her hand up and down.

    But oh f*cking hell! She was moving her hand so damn slowly that Alex felt like he wanted to disappear so that this torture would finally end.

    He had begged her three times and she didn''t give in.

    She seemed to finally concede after the fourth time. She knelt on the bed and her lips drew closer to his hard, excited member. She looked up at him, held his gaze as she licked her lips. Then she opened her mouth and swallowed him whole. Her mouth was warm and wet and her tongue was ying havoc with his mind. She licked him and sucked him like he was the most delicious lollipop in the world. She was deliberately moving her tongue slowly, making him feel everything she was doing.

    She then pulled away again and then she lightly bit his tip, earning groan from him. It was painful and arousing at the same time. She did it again before she swallowed him whole again. After a few seconds, she started to increase her pace. She drew back and swallowed him deeply, with his member hitting the back of her throat each time.

    He was climbing up the stairway of pleasure and he was so close to reaching the top. He was almost there, he could feel it! He groaned again as she kept up her pace.

    Alex was high on pleasure, thinking that she was finally done with her torture, that she was finally going to release him from her chains. But once again, he was wrong. Because the moment he was about to burst from her torment, she pulled away, leaving him hanging.

    Alex had never felt this kind of pain. This kind of torture. He regretted it again. Heughed at himself because he had thought that this punishment was not the right one. Ha! This punishment was the worst of them all. The worst torment he had ever gone through in his lifetime.

    The physical pain, although painful, was tolerable and he could actually smile despite it all. But this one was... Goddamnit!! He couldn''t endure it anymore. He even surrendered to her so many times already. That was right!. She had made a man like him beg but Abigail was an angel with no mercy tonight.

    He didn''t know his littlemb had this wicked side. She was so cruel, this punishment of hers. He would never want to ask her to punish him again. NEVER AGAIN!

    .

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 Chapter 379 Defea

    <h4>Chapter 379 Defea</h4>

    "Abigail¡­" Alex murmured, looking utterly defeated. His lips parted as he breathed in quick and shallow breaths. "Please¡­ I can''t take it anymore," he grunted through his gritted teeth.

    Abi stared down at him and she subconsciously licked her lips because her Alex looked so deliciously sexy at that moment. This oh so powerful man now being under her mercy made her feel like she too, was powerful.

    But that thought didn''tst long because the man under her seemed to have finally reached his very limit.

    No, Alex had actually gone beyond that. He didn''t know how he managed to. Maybe it was because of the thought that this was his atonement for what he had done to her. He had let her torture him to his breaking point and yet, the angel of no mercy still didn''t stop. She was just so unbelievable. It seemed he would have to refrain from calling her littlemb after this. This little, fierce woman of his had really taught him a lesson in the worst possible way.

    And thus, finally epting defeat, he moved and pulled her into him, breaking her rules.

    "I''m sorry¡­ but you win, Abigail," he told her, his breathing still rugged. She said that if he moved and touched her again, she would never punish him again even if he begged her. Fine. He could bear those consequences. He would never ask for her to punish him ever again.

    "This punishment should be enough now, right, Abigail? Please¡­ let''s make love now. I can''t take it anymore," he whispered and he pressed his lips against her nape so impatiently, wanting to taste every inch of her skin. "Please¡­ say yes. You''ve tortured me enough."

    Alex continued begging. He couldn''t believe he was actually begging for something and for someone but he didn''t really care anymore. He had now epted that his life was in her hands.

    Atst, the girl on top of him moved her hands and embraced him, pulling his head towards her. Her fingers swept through his hair and she kissed his forehead, surprising Alex.

    She pulled away, eyes glimmering with overflowing emotions as she stared at him. "I thought you were going to keep on being stubborn, Alex¡­" she uttered and Alex''s lips parted once again in disbelief. Was she actually waiting for him to give up? Before she came into his life, ''defeat'' was not a word that was in his dictionary. He didn''t know it then but that word somehow snuck in there without him noticing, probably in the exact moment she appeared before him. The undefeated legend was brought down to his knees but this avenging angel. This woman defeated him with one blow.

    Damn... his littlemb was cruel.

    She cupped his face and kissed him, slowly and sensually before she pulled away again. "What do you want me to do, Alex?" she asked him. Alex could tell she was trying to tease him. Ahh¡­ where did she learn all these tricks?

    But f*cking hell, this was erotic. He felt like his mind was about to blow up.

    Before he knew it, "I want you to ride me, Abigail," he said. And there it was again, the feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, as if he had been in this situation with her before, as if he had already said this same sentence to her before.

    Abigail just stared at him for a moment. Her eyes travelled down to his hands before she looked into his eyes again. "But in one condition, Alex."

    With creased brows, Alex responded, curious. "Tell me. I will agree to whatever your conditions are, except for that life sentence," he didn''t even hesitate. He was damn impatient. Oh f*ck. He wanted to be inside her now! This dyed gratification was killing him!

    "I want to tie your hands, Alex," were the words that left her lips and Alex''s mind was brought to a halt for a moment. W-what? He couldn''t believe this. Was this littlemb into that kind of thing?!

    This was a shock but hot damn, he couldn''t say no! In his eyes, she became even sexier when she was being this domineering. Damn it, Abigail. He didn''t know that this angel was actually a demon in bed and Alex felt thrilled and became even more aroused from discovering this side of her.

    "Okay¡­ do whatever you want, Abigail," he told her and he watched as she bit her lips, perhaps to stop herself from smiling. Mischievous littlemb.

    He watched her look around and then she climbed off him. He could only pray for her to make it quick. She found the belt he didn''t wear and she grabbed it.

    Kneeling at the foot of the bedpletely naked and holding a belt¡­ Alex couldn''t help but bite his lips in awe. She was like a fierce goddess who was about to punish him for real.

    Slowly, she crawled up towards him and knelt on top of him, with him between her legs.

    "Your hands, Alex," she asked and he obediently held out his hands to her, wrists touching.

    She started to tie them up and she tied it like a pro, as if this wasn''t the first time she had done this. Did she tie some other man like this before? His face somehow darkened but he immediately scolded himself and stopped himself from thinking about it.

    Once she was done, Abi lifted his hands over his head and wound the belt around the headboard.

    Alex swallowed, not just because of how arousing this situation was but because he felt like this had happened to him before.

    And all of a sudden, a picture shed in his mind of himself being tied up exactly like this. His eyes widened. What was that?!

    Confusion began to set in. In his entire existence, he had never let anyone do this kind of thing to him because he didn''t like not being in control. He was always in control, no matter the situation, whether it was in battle on the field or in bed. He never even once let a woman have control over him like this until now. She was the first woman who made him insane, who made him feel, who made him beg. She was the one and only woman to defeat him and the only one whom he let do this thing to him. So what the hell was that vision?

 Chapter 380 Wildes

    <h4>Chapter 380 Wildes</h4>

    Abi''s heart was pounding hard. She didn''t really know how she ended up doing this. She just wanted to fulfill his wish because she didn''t like looking at the guilt in his eyes. She didn''t want him to me himself so she gave in to his request. She really didn''t want to punish. That wasn''t something that she could ever do. She could never hurt someone, let alone the man she loved. So she thought of apromise and did this instead.

    When she started, she was a little unsure but then she told herself that there was no point in holding back. She had already decided to do this so she might as well do it properly. As she kept going, she started to like hearing his groans. She liked the way he begged her and that pleading look in his eyes that screamed their desire for her made her feel really good. She liked it. She really liked the feeling of being in full control over him once in a while.

    And thus, she continued her onught, enjoying his every little reaction to her touch. Even though she too was so damn aroused, she was able to hold herself back because she wanted him to reach his limit. She wanted him to break his own rules for her. And she wanted to see how long he could hold on for.

    But suddenly, when she was finally unable to resist his pleas, she saw a confused expression on his face when he told her that he wanted her to ride him. That triggered her memory and she remembered it. Those words were almost exactly the words he said to her before, on one of the nights after their wedding.

    This made Abigail think that maybe re-enacting the things they did before might help. So she went and tied him up in exactly the same way she did back then.

    "Let me do the work, okay?" she told him and when Alex agreed, she leaned down and kissed him. She delved slowly inside his mouth and then she trailed down to his neck, just under his ear. She remembered that she sucked him there before and gave him a hickey. So she did exactly that as well.

    As her tongue trailed downwards, she peered at him through her long eyshes, watching him as he hissed in pleasure. Her tongue began to y with his nipples, causing Alex to throw his head back, gnashing his teeth.

    "Abigail¡­ please¡­ that''s enough," he begged once again, Abi lost count of how many times he had said the word please that night. His body stiffened and his face looked a little pained.

    She smiled at him and finally she straddled him. His tip touched her wet flower and he groaned. He was so close now. So close, yet so far. All he wanted was to feel her softness surround his hard member, to dive deeply into her and fill her up as much as possible.

    His deep groans sounded so sexy in Abi''s ears and hearing it aroused Abi even more. She couldn''t get enough of it.

    Exactly like she did before, she began moving her hips. She didn''t let him go inside her, not yet. She instead rubbed herself against him, forwards and back with her killer slow pace.

    "Oh¡­ Abigail¡­ you''re so bad. You''re killing me," he murmured as he sucked in quick, shallow breaths.

    She had nned to observe his face to see if there was a hint of that confused look again but at that point, she had be too engrossed in the feeling of desire and pleasure. She wanted him so badly as well and she was so wet and ready for him. He had seduced her and he didn''t even have to do anything but groan in pleasure and look at her with tormented desire.

    Her juices coated him and in the next second, she lifted herself up slightly and held his long, thick member and guided it inside her slick, slippery entrance. She closed her eyes as she bit her lips, as if she was savoring the indescribable pleasure of him finally sinking inside her again.

    She heard him hiss and grunt in both pleasure and pain and the corner of her lips curved up. ''That was an oh-so-sexy sound, Alex¡­'' she thought inside her.

    Alex wasn''t even halfway yet inside her but she somehow felt like his size had be bigger. Or was it just her imagination? She pressed her palms on his hard, defined abs so she could pull herself up since her knees had be a little weak. But suddenly, her hands slipped down his slippery abs causing her to lose control of her body and her body mmed down on him without a warning.

    She swallowed him whole, and that was enough for Alex to explode, just likest night.

    Unexpectedly, Abi also exploded as she felt him slide all the way inside her with a m.

    "Bad¡­ bad girl¡­" Alex murmured and the next moment, Abi heard him rip the belt off his hands. He sat up, holding her on top of him.

    He made her look at him and he caressed her cheeks. "Have you finally had enough with your torture?" he asked gently and when Abi nodded, he smiled.

    "You are unbelievable. But I haven''t had enough of you yet. After what you did to me. I will make love with you until the sun rises until you return to being my good girl again."

    "Why? Don''t you like me being a bad girl?"

    Alex''s signature smirk made aeback. He caressed her lips with his thumb as his gaze at her intensified.

    "I like it, this devilishly domineering side of you. But I like my innocent and submissive littlemb, too," he whispered before he devoured her lips with fiery, hungry kisses as his member turned rock hard once again.

    He put her down on the bed, switching their positions. He took over and it was his turn to torture this bad, bad, littlemb. He started to move inside her, slowly at first and then faster and faster, sending Abi to the sky every single time he filled her.

    However, he couldn''t withstand the effect she had on him. He couldn''t stop himself from exploring her, from taking her to the highest mountain and then making her fly up high in the sky.

    Moans and groans and many other sounds from their love making filled the room and that night, Alex and Abi had the wildest love making ever.

 Chapter 381 Alicia

    <h4>Chapter 381 Alicia</h4>

    The next morning¡­

    The daylight already lit up the room when Alex opened his eyes. Abigail was in his arms and she was sleeping so soundly.

    He smiled at the sight of her, recalling the wild session they sharedst night. This littlemb in his arms was so innocent and pure and cute when she was sleeping. Well, she normally was like this but seeing her looking so peaceful and innocent like this could fool even the most perceptive person. They would never think that she was a wild and intense little beast in bed, something that he definitely loved although, he of course, loved her meek side as well.

    His smile widened and he bit his lips before he moved and kissed her forehead. He couldn''t wait for the next night toe so that they could do it all over again.

    He was smiling like an idiot when suddenly, a thought popped in his head causing his smile to fade.

    That image that shed in his mind started to bug him along with the feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu and that moment she had called herself his wife. All these things swirled inside his mind and he didn''t know what to make of it. Were these things connected somehow?

    The blissful look on his face was reced with confusion and his mind was filled with many questions. He knew he couldn''t ignore this anymore because he felt that there was definitely something going on. He needed to find out what this was all about.

    Turning towards Abigail, Alex caressed her cheeks. He opened his lips but he closed them again, as if he refrained himself from speaking and waking her up.

    He wanted to wake her up and ask but he knew he was the one who exhausted her throughout the night. His gaze then fell to the ceiling, looking serious, as if he was trying to solve a puzzle in his head.

    The next moment, he closed his eyes and he carefully peeled Abi''s grip off of him before he slowly climbed off the bed. After nting a soft kiss on her forehead, Alex got dressed up and left the room.

    He checked the house and when he was certain no one was hiding inside, he stepped out.

    "Witch," he called out and something moved in the bushes. Alex waited for a while until the silver-haired witch appeared before him.

    Alex nced at her. "Cast a spell on the room first. I don''t want anything to disturb my sleeping Abigail. She needs to rest," he ordered her and the witch could only nod and do as he said. ''This dictator is really treating me like his servant!'' sheined inside her but she knew she had to endure this. In fact, she didn''t expect that it would be easier for her to approach this king than that vampire prince. She knew that Alexander was stronger but that Ezekiel was too shady even for a witch like her to understand. In fact, she had also watched his movements and she couldn''t believe that she actually didn''t witness anything interesting about Ezekiel Reign.

    Since she started spying on him, all she ever found about him was the fact that his life revolved around Alexander. He didn''t do anything worth watching aside from his job of babysitting an immortal for so many years. That was why she felt that he was a shady character.

    Last night was the first time she met him and it made her realize one thing; that he was not as simple as she thought. He was definitely not just the man she had called a babysitter all this time. He was more than that. The moment their eyes met, she knew those icy eyes were filled with many, many secrets and she couldn''t fathom just how he managed to hide those secrets from her. It was iprehensible, in fact.

    Once she was done with her task, the devil that she was just thinking of suddenly materialised as if she had conjured him. He was already standing next to Alexander. He nced at her as she approached. These two most powerful creatures were standing in front of her. She could finally approach them and talk to them and ask for their help, all thanks to Abigail. But¡­ could she tell them about the deal she made with Abigail? She didn''t know and because of that, she looked a little hesitant.

    "I am done with the interrogations, Alex." Ezekiel reported, not worrying about her existence.

    Alexander''s gaze at Zeke was sharp but there was no doubt in them. It seemed what she saw in the crystal ball was still the same. This Alexander fully trusted this vampire prince.

    "And? Why are these rogue vampires here, Zeke?"

    "They''re here to catch that silver-head," he pointed at her.

    ''So rude!'' The witch popped a vein in her thoughts.

    "My name is Alicia," she introduced herself, even though none of them were paying her any attention.

    "And why would they want to catch¡­" Alexander nced at her. "this Alicia?"

    Alicia couldn''t believe how rude these two were. She understood Alexander''s actions at least, since he was usually rude to most, except for Abigail. But this Ezekiel... she remembered how polite he was to human women. Was it because he just hated witches?

    "Perhaps so that they could use her, since she is a little powerful."

    ''A little''? Did he not know that she was the next witch queen?! She was the second most powerful of all witches! Alicia sighed, trying not to be affected. She couldn''t possibly go against any of them or she would just lose her life.

    "And who wants her?" Alexander''s gaze on Ezekiel seemed to have intensified.

    "Shouldn''t you be asking this Alicia?" was Ezekiel''s answer as he turned to her.

    Alicia shook her head. "I don''t know who is behind this. I can''t see anything in the crystal balls. Whoever is behind this has a witch with them, blocking my vision."

    Alexander tilted his head slightly. "And how can you prove to us that you''re telling the truth?" he asked her with narrowed eyes. It was obvious, both of them didn''t trust her at all.

    How¡­ how could she convince them that she was telling the truth?

    "Speak," Alexander ordered, and Alicia suddenly felt the aura of threat and dangering from them.

    This wasn''t good.

    As Alicia was about to tell them the first thing that her frightened brain coulde up with, a soft voice piped up behind her, the voice of the only person who could save her.

    "I believe her, Alex¡­" said Abigail as she emerged from the door.

 Chapter 382 Catch some fish

    <h4>Chapter 382 Catch some fish</h4>

    Alex immediately approached Abigail when he saw her.

    "You''re awake," he leaned in on her, moving so close as he smiled at her. "Good morning, Abigail," he whispered and nted a kiss on her cheek.

    Abi flushed because of Alex''s sudden PDA.

    "Good morning, Alex," she replied as she pushed her hands against his hard abs to keep a little distance between them. Craning her head sideways, she looked at the silver-haired witch and Zeke. She smiled at them both, a wordless gesture of hello.

    The witch smiled back while Zeke just stood there, expressionless.

    "Uhm¡­ Alex, please don''t harm her. She meant no harm to me," Abi then told Alex, causing the man to stare at her for a while. His gaze fell on her neck and saw that the bruises were still there.

    Abi immediately realized what he was looking at and her hands moved to cover her neck. "I''m fine. Stop looking at them," she told him.

    Alex just tucked her hair behind her ears before he turned to look at Alicia.

    "Witch. Give me some powerful medicine for bruises," he ordered and Alicia frantically went toply.

    Once she was gone, Abi leaned in on Alex and whispered in his ear. "Don''t be like that to her. She''s a good woman. Be nicer to her, okay?"

    Alex raised a brow. "Are you serious, Abigail? You want me to be nice to someone else other than you?"

    "O-of course. What I mean is don''t be too ¨C"

    "Not possible," he cut her off and leaned in once again, pinching her chin. "I have learned my lesson Abigail. If I don''t want my beloved running away again, I better not do anything that could ignite her jealousy," he smirked, making Abi bite her lips.

    Abi cleared her throat and was about to speak when Alicia returned.

    "Here''s the medicine," Alicia said as she held out her hand that was holding a small white bottle. She politely gave the bottle to Alex with a slight bow.

    Alex took it and surveyed it closely.

    "This is for humans, right, witch?"

    "Yes."

    His eyes locked on hers as if he was giving her a warning and then he opened the bottle and smelled the contentm before giving the bottle to Zeke.

    Zeke sighed as hezily took it. He simply took a quick nce inside and gave it back a secondter. "It''s safe," he said but Alex red at him, obviously unsatisfied with how quick Zeke had decided that it was safe.

    "Shouldn''t you be testing it on yourself first?"

    Abi''s lips parted. Watching these two somehow made Abi feel a little sad for the silver-haired witch. She could now see why the witch had approached her instead of them. They didn''t trust Alicia at all, even after saving her many times yesterday.

    "Alex¡­" Zeke looked like a vein just popped on his forehead. "That''s just natural oil."

    "Just to be safe, Zeke."

    "Alex..." Abi held onto Alex''s arm and dragged him away from Zeke. "It''s okay. She already put some oil on my small cuts yesterday, and it was fine. So don''t worry too much about it. Besides, Zeke''s not human. He can''t possibly test it for me," she told him and when she thought that Alex was finally going to give in, she saw him pour some of the oil into his hand and rub it on his forearm before he put the bottle in his pocket.

    "I will use this on youter once I''m certain," he said, making everyone speechless. But to Abi, that simple action made her heart swell and before she knew it, she yanked Alex and hugged him tight, burying her face on his chest and gripping his waist as tight as she could.

    He was always looking out for her, making sure she was safe, not even hesitating to use his body to protect her. This man¡­ he was making her emotional again.

    Alex looked extremely pleased. He didn''t know why she was suddenly hugging him but this action of hers¡­ this meant that she finally fell for him right? She was hugging him like she didn''t want to let go!

    Alex was oblivious to how he looked at that moment. The jellyfish was shining so damn brightly that it could have lit up the entire ocean.

    "You two, are we going to talk or do you still need more hours to yourselves?" Zeke''s voice made Abi move away from their embrace which of course, displeased Alex.

    "That''s right, Zeke. You two should go and catch some fish first for my Abigail''s breakfast," he told them, causing Abi to almost choke.

    "Hahaha. No please. Don''t listen to him," Abi forced augh as she said those words to Zeke and Alicia.

    But at that moment, the silver-haired witch suddenly didn''t know what to do. Whom should she listen to? ''Alexander? Or Abigail? Wait¡­ Even though she wanted to listen to Abigail, she couldn''t possibly defy Alexander. Who knew what he might do to her?'' she thought.

    Alicia looked at Zeke anxiously, thinking that she would move once he did, but when the man remained unmoving, she could only listen to this dictator''s ridiculous request. ''Does Abigail like fresh fish? He could''ve just asked her to go get some food for her from White Falls vige,'' she could only murmur inside her again.

    Seeing that Alicia took Alex''s words seriously, Abi was fast to move from Alex to Alicia, catching her wrist.

    "It''s okay. You don''t need to go. We should probably start discussing things now," she said but then again, the stubborn Alex would have none of it.

    "No, littlemb. Your stomach has been growling sincest night," he told her. He knew this because that was the reason why he finally stoppedst night.

    The witch immediately got the message especially when she saw how serious Alexander looked. This man was not going to give in if it concerned Abigail''s well-being.

    "It''s okay, Abigail. I won''t take long," she smiled and she finally disappeared.

    .

    Dear readers, if you have problems about not being able to read chapters, you canment down or send me a message on Fb or Instagram @author_kazzenlx

 Chapter 383 Serious enough

    <h4>Chapter 383 Serious enough</h4>

    Letting out a sigh of surrender, Abi turned and looked at Alex. She didn''t protest anymore because she knew that Alex was just worried about her. But then, she thought about what would happen once Alicia came back with the food. She could just imagine him asking everyone to try the food out first and she could only scratch her nape.

    "Come, Abigail. Let''s have a seat," he said as he settled himself on a chair. Abi walked towards him and was about to pull out the chair next to him when Alex caught her wrist. "On myp," he said shamelessly. The corner of his lips curved up.

    Abi hesitated for a moment but in the end, she granted his request which made the man look extra happy. Even though Zeke was around, Abi wasn''t that ufortable anymore. She thought that Zeke was probably already used to this PDA because even on the first day she met him, Alex had made her sit on hisp then too. Alex was not afraid to show some PDA since she first came to live in his mansion. Besides, she could tell that Zeke didn''t care one bit; his nk expression was clear evidence of that fact.

    As Alex happily cuddled her, like he had found the fluffiestmb he didn''t know he had been looking for, Abi didn''t reject any of his advancements. She was going to let him do what he wanted with her as long as it made him happy because he deserved it. She waspletely his anyway.

    "Abigail¡­" Zeke spoke and Abi lifted her face at him. "Why do you trust that witch?"

    Alex, who was busy tucking Abi''s hair to her side, halted. He, too, wanted to know the answer to that, after all.

    "Because she saved me from those rogue vampires. When she had me all alone, she didn''t do anything to hurt me when she clearly could have."

    "She must have done that because she needed something from you."

    Zeke was right. Alice had done it because she needed her help. But Abi also needed Alicia''s help and she had trusted Alicia first; trusted that she would help her find a way to bring Alex''s memories back. Alicia had shown her what she wanted to know when all she had to go by was Abigail''s promise. If Alicia had doubted Abigail, she would have asked for something in return first.

    But she didn''t and that was why Abigail believed her as well. Besides, Abigail really didn''t think that she was evil.

    "That''s true, but¡­ I know she is a good woman."

    Zeke sighed quietly, as if he already knew that that was what she would say.

    "Zeke¡­" Abi then called out. As their eyes met, she continued, "I am going to tell Alex the truth now."

    Zeke''s expression didn''t change so Abi couldn''t tell whether he approved of it or not, while Alex''s face immediately turned dark and sour.

    Alex''s gaze towards Zeke was sharp as he narrowed his eyes.

    Abi then positioned herself so she could see Alex''s face. She knew that what she just said was something that would shock and confuse him so she wasn''t surprised anymore at seeing that look on his face.

    "Alex¡­" she called his name. She cupped his face gently with her hands before she took a deep breath, preparing herself to speak. She was nervous about how he would react to the news.

    However, the moment she opened her lips to say more, something distracted them.

    Zeke suddenly moved before them as if he was blocking them from what wasing. A strong gust of wind came and in the next moment, something appeared before them. It was the silver-haired witch.

    "T-there''s trouble!" she said, panting. "An army of rogue vampires are here."

    "An army¡­" Zeke repeated. "Why would you call that trouble?"

    "Because they look and feel different. These ones are strong, stronger than normal vampires. Normal vampires should be a little weakened during daylight, right? Their powers are as strong as if it was nighttime."

    Zeke''s eyes slightly narrowed and he didn''t say anything for a long while.

    "And why are they here? Still to catch this Alicia?" Alex asked. He was already standing, his one hand wrapped around Abi''s shoulders, pulling her close to his chest in such a very protective manner.

    "I don''t think so," Zeke responded. "They must have realized that something was going on. Iam certain that they saw the three of us enter this forest."

    "So they''re here to fight us?" Alex smiled mockingly. That was just unfathomable. What kind of brain did these vampires have to actually stille here when they knew he was here?

    "We don''t know that, Alex. But I don''t think their real aim is to fight us. Unless the one sending them is aplete idiot."

    "But the witch just said that they''re strong. What if they''re here to test their strength?"

    "Stop getting excited over this, Alex. Don''t forget that Abigail is here too," Zeke reminded him and Alex''s eyes, which had already turned gold, immediately turned ck again. He looked down at Abigail and pulled her even closer.

    "I''m sorry," he suddenly whispered in Abi''s ear. "Don''t worry, I''m not going to go berserk again." His voice was hoarse and apologetic as his grip on her tightened. Did he think that she was afraid of that? Oh, geez¡­ Alex¡­

    Abi was about to say something but Zeke spoke first.

    "I think they are just curious to know what is happening here. On why we still haven''t left this ce."

    "If they''re just curious, why would they send a bunch of those weirdly powerful rogues?" Alicia butted in. "I don''t think they would send powerful soldiers just because they are curious. They must be here to cause trouble! What else could it b-"

    "Vampires and witches forming some secret alliance¡­" Zeke cut her off. "Wouldn''t that be serious enough to be curious about?" Zeke mused.

    Abi and Alicia looked at each other. Did he already know about their n?

 Chapter 384 The only way

    <h4>Chapter 384 The only way</h4>

    "I believe that''s what they want to find out. Something like that has never happened before. Vampires and witches just can''t stand each other but if that actually happened, that would be problematic, of course, to whoever is controlling the rogue vampires."

    "Because that person is trying to create a war between vampires and witches?" Abi asked.

    "No. Vampires and witches have been enemies for many centuries. What they want is for vampires and witches to remain in this status quo."

    "Because if vampires and witches joined forces, it would be very interesting. That''s a lethalbination. Imaginebining the witches'' visions and the vampires'' strengths," Alex finished Zeke''s words. "It makes me very curious to know what kind of creature could stand against the vampire-witch alliance once that happens. Back then, vampires, humans, and witches came at me separately and they all failed. I wonder if they could defeat me when they came together as one back then. Of course, with the addition of Zeke, they just might be able to ¨C"

    "Alex!" Abi immediately scolded him to make him stop while Zeke sighed.

    "Don''t give anyone ideas on how to defeat you, idiot!" he murmured at the same time so Alex didn''t hear him.

    Seeing Abi''s frown and worry, Alex changed gears and he bent down, kissing her cheek. "That was a joke. Humans don''t even know about vampires and witch actually existing in this world presently. Wars like that are now just a thing of the past," he coaxed her. But Abi knew that wasn''t impossible, because humans, even in this modern day, still had wars and the possibility of war breaking out in the future was not impossible.

    "So, whoever sent these rogue vampires here wants to know if anything like that has happened. And they made sure to send an army because, with their strength and number, someone would definitely manage to leave the forest alive and make it out to report back to them. That''s their aim. They know we are here, after all," Alex returned to the topic at hand.

    "What will happen if they find out that witches and vampires did decide to help each other?" Abi asked, curious.

    "They will, of course, do something about it. Or they could change whatever they are nning to counter it or break it up. Right now, I would prefer that nothing like that happens. If they realize that we now have the upper hand, it will be harder for us to sniff them out if they put their guard up," Zeke exined. "They must not see us standing in the same ce and being in good terms with this witch. In short¡­" he looked at Abigail. "We will need to hurt her."

    Abi and Alicia''s eyes widened and before Alicia could react, Zeke caught her hand and locked it behind her back, immobilizing her.

    "Wait!" Abi was perplexed.

    "This is the only way. We will make this look like we stayed here because we were busy torturing this witch the entire night. This is the only way we can get out of this without the enemy bing suspicious."

    All of them knew that what Zeke said was the truth. Abi tried to think of an alternative but she couldn''t think of anything more convincing than his suggestion. But¡­ Alicia didn''t do anything to them! This was just way too cruel.

    Abi bit her lips. She was starting to be emotional. Alicia saw her expression and she smiled at Abigail.

    "It''s okay, Abigail. I understand that we have to do this. Even though we don''t heal as fast as vampires, I can cast a spell on myself so I don''t feel the pain," she tried to console Abigail, whom she saw was struggling with the current n. After she spoke to Abigail, she then looked at Alex and turned to Zeke. "Just promise me that after this¡­ we will help each other," she said evenly to the two vampires.

    "Alicia¡­" Abi teared up as she held onto Alex. Was there really no other way?

    "Don''t worry. We will help you. That''s a promise," Alex suddenly said, surprising Zeke. The only time he ever heard this man make a vow, other than the promises he made to Abigail, was when he vowed to protect his family and that time at the hospital.

    Promises were the rarest phrases a vampire would ever say because that works almost like a curse to them, they couldn''t easily break them.

    Zeke could only pinch his brows but then seeing how the manforted his emotional wife, he realized that Alex had done this because of her and there was nothing he could do about it. There was nothing he could do when it came to Alex doing things for his wife.

    Upon hearing a vowing from this almighty Alexander, Alicia smiled with great relief. This sacrifice wouldn''t be for nothing. In fact, this torture would probably not be enough to pay for their help. Even their queen never managed to make a single vampire make a vow to her. But Alexander actually vowed to help? She knew this was only possible because of Abigail.

    "They are close by. You should start now," Alicia told Zeke and she knelt down on the ground.

    Her minions had also appeared one by one. They had to be tortured as well to make this realistic.

    "Bring Abigail inside the house, Alex. I''ll call you once everything is over," Zeke told Alex and Alex didn''t hesitate to take his beloved inside.

    The spell that Alicia had cast earlier was one that would stop Abi from hearing anythinging from outside.

    Alex could see her being worried so made her sit on a couch and he brought out the bottle of oil he got from the witch.

    "I''ll put this on you now," he told her.

    "Mm." Abi nodded.

    Alex started to put the oil on her neck carefully. His fingers were hot and gentle.

    "Don''t worry, they''ll be fine," he assured her. When Abi just nodded. She believed what he said but she still couldn''t help but worry.

    Seeing her worried expression, Alex leaned in on her with his eyes bing a little intense. "Do you want me to distract you more?"

    .

    Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 385 Brazen

    <h4>Chapter 385 Brazen</h4>

    Abi''s lips parted at his words. She couldn''t believe that he could still act like this in this kind of situation, but why was she even surprised anymore? Hadn''t she already learned how shameless this man could be?

    "P-please stop being naughty, Alex." She held his wrist to move his hand away from her nape. "This is not the time to ¨C"

    "Naughty?" he cut her off, his lips curving up mischievously. "I was going to tell you a story to distract you, littlemb. What did you think I was going to do?"

    Abi''s eyes widened and she couldn''t help but feel her face heat up. Seeing his grin made her feel even more embarrassed. But really? He was going to distract her by telling her a story? This Alex?

    Realizing that Alex was teasing her, Abi retorted. "Don''t lie, Alex. I know you were thinking about doing something else."

    "Something else? Like what? Tell me, littlemb."

    "Like doing naughty thi¡­"

    Abi bit her lips, stopping herself from saying anything more, while Alex''s throaty chuckle echoed inside the room.

    He leaned in and pinched her chin. "You''re getting naughtier by the day, Abigail." He licked his lips and moved even closer, whispering in her ear. "And I so very much like it when you''re thinking naughty things."

    Speechless, Abigail could only puff her cheeks. "I¡­ I am not the one thinking naughty things, Alex," she protested but Alex simply chuckled.

    This sight of himughing made Abi momentarily forget about anything else. He wasughing. His eyes were bright and he was genuinely happy.

    Abi couldn''t help but smile and reach out. She held his face, cupped it and nted a kiss on his cheek before she hugged him. This was all she wanted to see, a happy Alex, a smiling Alex. After all the pain he had gone through, she just wanted him to be enveloped with love and happiness and she hoped she would be able to give him the love he deserved. No, she would make sure of it.

    "Abigail¡­" he called her name. Abi didn''t notice how that simple kiss and her hug made Alex stand frozen for a while. "Tell me¡­" he pulled away and looked at her, eyes glimmering with anticipation and nervousness. "You finally¡­ fell for me, right? Your heart only beats for me now, right? You love me now, don''t you?"

    Abi pressed her lips tightly. Silly¡­ silly Alex!

    She watched his expression for a while and she couldn''t help but want to squeeze him in her arms. Judging from his expression, he must have felt a little like she did when she first confessed her love for him; a mixture of a fear of disappointment and rejection as well as hope.

    Somehow, she felt thrilled thinking about how he would react if she told him that she loved him before they even met in that ball.

    Finally opening her lips to speak, Abi held his hand and ced it on her cheek. "Alex¡­" she started, but before she could continue, the spell broke.

    They were both jolted from their own fantasynd and were immediately teleported back to present. Abi looked in the direction of the opened door. She could hear the sound of heavy breathing and nothing more. There were no cries of paining from any of the witches. She thought, with relief, that Zeke must not have been too harsh on them and that he didn''t really hurt them.

    "Alex¡­ let''s go," Abi tugged at his sleeve and Alex''s shoulders could only drop in displeasure. Holding his wrist, she didn''t wait any longer and pulled him with her towards the door.

    However, the moment they stepped out, Abi froze by the door. The witches were lined up in a row on their knees, their backs torn open, drenched with blood. Zeke held a whip in his hand and she could see that each witch had at least three whishes on their back.

    Abi slightly stepped back. This was not what she expected. She looked at Alicia and it looked like she suffered the same cruel punishment. No, she suffered the worst. She had many moreshes on her back then the others! Her damp silver hair stuck to her face and her back was covered with blood and sweat.

    Covering her mouth with her hands, Abi looked at Zeke. He didn''t say anything and his expression was as unreadable as usual, as if he hadn''t just tortured this group of witches. Did he really need to go to these extremes?

    Alex pulled her and buried her face on his chest. He didn''t say anything as well and just caressed her hair.

    "Alex¡­ I don''t think this silver haired witch will speak anytime soon," Zeke told him. "We have been at this sincest night. It seems this kind of punishment is not hard enough to make her talk."

    "What do you want us to do?"

    "Take her back to the castle and imprison her there. She needs a more severe torture to coax her into spilling her secrets," Zeke said in a menacing tone.

    Alex was silent for a while before he finally nodded.

    "And these minions of hers?"

    "We have no need for any of them."

    "That''s true."

    Zeke picked Alicia up and tied her hands behind her back. "You can run fast, right? Witch?" Zeke asked while Alex carried Abigail, princess style.

    "Let''s go," Zeke signaled and in the next second, all four of them leapt into the dark forest.

    In no time, they reached the entrance and finally got out of the forest. The car was still sitting in the same ce where Abi had left it.

    They were approaching the car when suddenly, Zeke dropped the witch on the ground and he leapt in the air. The next second, he kicked a log away from its original trajectory - it seemed like it was aimed towards the car - towards the ground to the left. The log dug itself into the ground as itnded, creating a slight earthquake.

    Zeke smiled as hended on the ground.

    Alex held Abigail in his arms, with his hand over her head in a protective manner, as they looked behind them. It seemed that the rogue vampires had caught up to them.

    "How brazen of you toe after us," Zeke spoke at the shadows within the dark forest, nonchntly putting his hands in his pockets. "I wonder what you guys are after," Zeke goaded, standing in the middle between Alex and Abi and the vampires, with Alicia still kneeling on the ground right next to him.

    .

    If we reach top 1 overall, I will give mass release. ^^

    So keep voting hellbounders ^^

 Chapter 386 Differen

    <h4>Chapter 386 Differen</h4>

    The rogue vampires were indeed strange. Their eyes were not as red as normal vampires. They were a lighter red in color, almost orange, which was absolutely unusual. There had never seen vampires with such pale red eyes before.

    Their skin was also very strange. They were as pale as a vampire''s but something was off. Their veins were visibly bulging out and their color was dark gray, as if their blood was ck. It made Abi shiver just looking at them.

    But the worst thing was that they didn''t seem to understand what Zeke was doing, as if they had no thoughts of their own and were only acting on the orders they were given.

    None of them responded to Zeke''s words. None of them trembled in fear at the sight of them. Maybe they weren''t sent there to spy on them after all if they couldn''t even understand what was being said.

    Zeke scratched his nape and turned to Alex.

    "I think you better leave these creatures to me, Alex. Take this witch with you and go back first," Zeke said. "Use this witch''s power to hide your whereabouts, just in case these things are after you and not the witc ¨C"

    Before Zeke could even finish his words, the rogue vampires started to attack, causing Zeke to turn his full attention to the horde. A group of them came at him at once and he caught the first vampire who reached him by the face and mmed him on the ground with just one hand. He was strong enough that he created a dent on the ground with the vampire''s face and the dust rose up around them. He then punched the next one in the face and the vampire flew backwards towards a tree trunk. He rolled to the side and caught the arm of the next vampire and flipped him to the ground before smashing his foot on its face.

    Alex just sighed, itching to fight as well but he had a more important mission to aplish. He needed to get Abigail and the witch away from here to safety. "Get inside, Abigail," he told her and Abi immediately nodded and did as he asked.

    Once she was inside, Alex walked towards the witch, picked her up and put her on the backseat, tying her securely before he sat on the driver''s seat.

    Abi''s eyes were on Zeke. She could see that Zeke was not losing at all despite the fact that he was outnumbered. It looked like there were about thirty rogue vampires, maybe more. It almost looked like that scene she saw when Alex fought with the rogue vampires alone in that castle. However, she could tell that Alicia was right. These vampires seemed stronger than the ones Alex fought which was unheard of because the sun was out, shining so brightly.

    She saw that not one of the rogue vampires was able to touch Zeke but she was still worried because there were too many of them and Zeke wasn''t an immortal.

    "Will he be alright?" Abi asked Alex, sounding very worried. But Alex just smirked as he nced at Zeke and started the car.

    "Don''t worry about that man, Abigail. I am the only one who can kill him," Alex answered confidently and with that, he put his foot on the pedal and left without even looking back at Zeke.

    "Witch¡­" Alex called out. "Activate the spell or I will kill you right now," he threatened, his voice cold and menacing.

    But Alicia didn''t listen so Alex stopped the car and brought out a dagger. Alex''s eyes burned fiery gold as he gazed at her with real warning and danger, freezing Alicia.

    Still, she didn''t give in. "You don''t care if you die? Don''t be such a martyr. I wonder what will happen to the witches if their next queen dies," he uttered as he lifted the dagger.

    Alicia closed her eyes and finally, she chanted the spell.

    Once they felt that the spell was cast, Alex put down the dagger. "Nice acting, witch," Alex told her and Abi let out a deep sigh.

    She felt so tense being in this situation. Alex and Alicia''s so-called acting felt so real that she actually thought for a second that Alex was actually going to hurt Alicia to make her obey.

    "A-alicia¡­ are you okay? Shouldn''t we take care of her wounds first, Alex?" Abi asked Alex with a worried look on her face.

    "Once we reach the pce, Abigail. We''ll get there soon," Alex responded.

    "But ¨C"

    "It''s okay, Abigail. I''m fine." Alicia smiled at her to reassure Abigail but she looked like she was suffering.

    Abi was a little hesitant because thest time they traveled, it took hours.

    "I''m faster and a better driver than Zeke, Abigail." He smirked and once Abi looked out the windows, her jaw could only fall. It seemed that his speed when theyst traveled here was the snail version and she was now getting the bullet train version.

    "Those vampires¡­ they looked strange..." Abi then uttered with a frown.

    "That''s right. I never saw a vampire like them in my entire life," Alex replied. Abi and Alicia were surprised. If Alex, who had lived for thousands of years, had never encountered anything like them before, did that mean those vampires were a new kind of species?

    "Abigail," Alicia butted in. "Did you hear their heartbeats?"

    Her question made Abi fall speechless. Her brows creased as she thought about it. She did hear it, their heartbeats but¡­

    She shook her head.

    "I don''t know," she answered. "I heard them but it confused me. It''s like¡­ I couldn''t figure it out because their heartbeats are so messed up. It''s just different from vampires'' or witches'' or humans''," she exined, confused as well.

    Alex pulled his brows into a knot. That was quite intriguing, he thought, and then something seemed to pop in his head, causing him to smile a smile filled with malice.

    "It seems those creatures are not natural. I am certain they didn''t exist in this world before. Meaning, they were created in this modern age," Alex said.

    Alicia and Abi looked at him with surprise.

    "Are you saying someone created these vampires?"

 Chapter 387 The only logical theory

    <h4>Chapter 387 The only logical theory</h4>

    The thought that someone was able to create a new species of vampires was a big shock. However, with the technology advancement in the modern world, many tools and procedures may have been created and enhanced to make this possible.

    Alex and Alicia knew about Princess Mira''s case. Mira now couldn''t be ssed as a witch and she could not be ssed as a vampire also. A witch with a vampire''s heart was not something anyone had ever seen before. She was in between both of these species. She was an anomaly, something that was created for a purpose. But she was living proof that a new creature like her could be created. It was not an impossible thing anymore.

    This revtion was very shocking, even for Alex. Even he never imagined that something like this could actually happen one day. Just who was this person who actually thought of this kind of madness?

    "Alexander¡­" Alicia looked at Alex with a grave expression. "Our queen has been missing for three months now. Our queen is definitely not the one behind this, right?" she asked, shaking her head at her thoughts. She couldn''t believe that she was doubting the witch queen.

    "Your queen¡­" Alex narrowed his eyes. "What''s her name again?"

    Abi: ". . ."

    Alicia: ". . ."

    "It doesn''t matter. I always called her witch queen, anyway." He nced at Alicia through the rear view mirror. "So? Do you think it is your queen who is behind all this?"

    His gaze was intense, as if he was challenging her.

    Alicia slowly shook her head and Alex smiled again. "That witch queen isn''t old but her beliefs are as old fashioned as the which queens before her. I know that your kind usually don''t like chaos. You tend to keep to yourselves. You like peace and don''t like disturbances."

    "So if that someone is not a witch¡­ it must be a vampire, right? After all, it seems there are more rogue vampires now than witches," Alicia said.

    When Alex didn''t respond, Alicia continued. "Have you encountered a vampire strong and powerful enough to conceal himself from us and is powerful enough to actually abduct our queen?"

    "Those kinds of vampires only exist in the royal family. But someone powerful enough to abduct that witch queen and create those kinds of creatures... He should be on par with Zeke," Alex answered seriously. "The problem is, there is no other vampire that I have met who is stronger than Zeke in this world. Except me, of course," he smirked.

    "May I ask?" Alicia looked at Alex with great curiosity. "Why do you trust Ezekiel so much?"

    Abi also stared at Alex with anticipation. Since she entered Alex''s life, Zeke had always been an enigma. She remembered how she feared Zeke more than Alex back then. But her view on him changed when he saved little Betty and then, her. Her views on him changed because Alex trusted him so much. He even trusted her life to this man so how could she not feel some degree of trust and gratitude towards him?

    And that was why no matter how much Abi felt like Zeke was hiding something, she couldn''t fully doubt him. She couldn''t see him as an enemy because until now, he was always on Alex''s side.

    "I¡­ also want to know, Alex," Abi supported Alicia. She didn''t know much about their rtionship and why Alex''s bond with Zeke was so strong. So now that she had the chance to find out, she wasn''t going to let that chance slip by.

    Alex''s lips curved the moment he nced at Abigail. He looked amused. "I didn''t know that such a topic would actually intrigue you, littlemb."

    Abi almost wanted to scold him to be serious. This was a serious matter, after all!

    "J-just answer our question, Alex. We want to know," Abi puffed her cheeks at him, causing Alex to let out a throaty chuckle.

    "Well, Zeke is ¨C"

    A thud resounded on top of their car, stopping Alex from talking.

    Alicia and Abi looked up with shock and a little bit of fear but Alex didn''t even flinch.

    "See? He already caught up," Alex said in an even tone as if he had expected this to happen. He stopped the car and someone jumped down. It was Zeke.

    He looked disheveled. His hair was messed up and his shirt was ripped in some ces. He didn''t seem to have been wounded but there were blood stters on his shirt and pants.

    "Were they that strong, Zeke?" Alex asked him with his brow raised.

    Zeke didn''t answer. He quietly climbed inside the car and sat next to Alicia.

    "They were somewhat troublesome," he responded as soon as the car started elerating.

    "And what''s your theory this time?" Alex asked. "Speak Zeke, or my Abigail and this witch will think it''s you who created them," Alex added, taunting him.

    Abi and Alicia''s eyes immediately widened and they looked at Zeke with a slight hint of fear in their eyes. But to their surprise, Zeke didn''t seem to be bothered at all. It was as if Alex just said that the weather was looking very nice out there instead of the provocative statement. Zeke seemed like he couldn''t be bothered answering so he simply rested his head back on the chair and closed his eyes.

    The car fell silent for a while. Abi and Alicia didn''t know what to say after that while Alex just concentrated on the road ahead.

    "And what about you, Alex? Do you think that, too?" Zeke broke the slightly awkward silence and it made Abi and Alicia jump a little on their seats.

    Alex smirked while Abi and Alicia just looked at each other, both with the same expression of confusion and disbelief. How could these two talk so casually about something like this? They couldn''t help but feel tense!

    "Actually, I am thinking that¡­ that''s the only logical theory I can think of right now," Alex answered him.

    Abi and Alicia: ". . . !!!"

    .

    If we reach top 1 overall, I will give mass release ^^

 Chapter 388 Achilles heel

    <h4>388 Achilles heel</h4>

    Abi''s eyes immediately flew to Zeke''s face and there it was. An expression finally broke through his normally unfathomable face but before Abi even had the time to decipher what it was, it had already disappeared, as if it was only a figment of her imagination. At that moment, she felt like she was reaching out for an intriguing paper ne that was finally falling closer towards her. She was so close to finally grasping it but a strong wind suddenly blew it away from her reach before she could even jump to capture it and all she could do was watch it disappear from her eyes.

    The next moment, a chuckle echoed inside the car. It was soft but it sounded like a rolling thunder from a deep, endless abyss. That was the first time Abi saw and heard Zekeugh. It was a strange sound because she just couldn''t tell whether hisughter contained any buried emotions or any meaning in them. This man was still such a mystery even after he saved her life, even after she teamed up with him to try and get Alex''s memories back. She still couldn''t quite figure out what his real agenda was.

    "You don''t sound like you''re really thinking about it though," he said once hisughter faded. He opened his eyes and stared at Alex through the rear view mirror. "You sound like you''re hoping for it to be true, Alex."

    A small smile yed on Alex''s lips and his expression became unfathomable as well.

    Abi and Alicia eagerly waited for what Alex would say next but unfortunately for them, he didn''t say anymore and just continued smiling, as if he was amused at some private joke inside his head while Zeke simply shook his head.

    Abi and Alicia both felt a little disappointed that Alex hadn''t rebutted Zeke''sment. They were both really curious about the rtionship between these two so they had wanted the conversation to go on so that they could maybe find out something, anything that would give them an idea on why Alex seemed to listen to Zeke.

    The car halted in front of an inn. Alex looked out the window, narrowed his eyes as he zeroed his gaze through the open door.

    "This inn is owned by humans," he mumbled before he turned to Abigail. "Littlemb, you can take her inside to clean up. We''ll wait for you two out here."

    Abi was quick to nod. Even though she really wanted to be there to listen to more of their conversation, taking care of Alicia''s wounds was more important. She climbed out of the car and then helped Alicia out before covering Alicia''s back with her jacket as they both headed inside the inn.

    Zeke and Alex also climbed out and leaned against the car, facing opposite directions.

    "The flesh, human, the heart of a vampire and the blood of a witch," Zeke started, causing Alex to smirk and throw his head back.

    "Because unlike vampires and witches, the human body thrives under the sun," Alex replied, looking amused. "That''s why my Abigail couldn''t identify the heartbeat. The human body seemed to have altered the pace of the vampire heart."

    "Seems like it. Or maybe it has something to do with the witch''s blood running through their veins. The imposter, Mira, used a royal blood''s vampire heart and that heart was much stronger than her blood, therefore the heartbeat remained indiscernible to our ears. But those creatures have been transnted with amon vampire''s heart. The heart is still stronger than a human''s but the witch blood managed to affect it."

    "To make the human bodyst longer as well. Witches can withstand severe injuries because of the permanent spells that they cast on themselves to make their bodies stronger. That''s why, unlike humans, they don''t die easily." Alex nced at Zeke with a taunting look. "If it''s not you who thought up this madness, then I worry that there is actually someone out there who managed to outsmart the most intelligent Prince Ezekiel."

    Zeke nonchntly fixed his sleeve. "I think you are worrying about the wrong thing, Alex." Zeke nced back at him with a tauntingeback. "I''m worried someone out there might be mad enough to actually recreate what you did in the past; to create a powerful army to subdue you, the dragon, in order to kill you and take that immortal life you possess."

    This time, it was Alex''s turn tough. His chuckle was filled with amusement but they vibrated with challenging power. "Now that would certainly be an interesting development," he said, his eyes turned gold, burning with excitement. "It''s ironic though. All these years I have been waiting for something interesting toe along to pique my interest but nothing appeared. I waited for many millennia then all of a sudden, Abigail shows up in my life - a very interesting development, wouldn''t you say? And now that I have her in my life, I don''t want for anything else. Just when I decide to settle down with her and perhaps live a peaceful life, fate finally throws me a curve ball. I guess that sums up fate or destiny or whatever this is, in a nutshell. It''s a right old, grumpy b*tch."

    "Hmm... Regardless, whoever this is has certainly chosen the best time to do this because you are in your weakest state right now, Alex."

    "Weakest..." he echoed, ncing at Zeke with a challenging smirk. "Did I hear you correctly?"

    "What I mean is... after thousands and thousands of years, your Achilles heel finally showed itself. There has never been a more ripe opportunity to take you down."

    "My Achilles heel, huh..." Alex contemted as he threw his head back. The next moment, his smile slowly faded. "Abigail..." he suddenly muttered and his head snapped to Zeke as he narrowed his eyes. "Don''t tell me their aim is to get to my littlemb."

    Their eyes met. "That''s definitely one of the biggest possibilities, Alex. If I were them, I would use Abigail against you. That''s the easiest way to bring you down, after all."

 Chapter 389 Priority

    <h4>Chapter 389 Priority</h4>

    Meanwhile inside the inn, Abi quickly paid for a room and brought Alicia there. They headed straight to the bathroom. Abi helped Alicia undress so that her back was uncovered and Abi carefully cleaned her wounds with a warm, wet cloth.

    Abi looked at the damage Zeke had done and she couldn''t help but flinch when she touched the open wounds with the cloth. She could only imagine the kind of pain Alicia was in.

    "Are you okay? Does it hurt?" she asked. "Sorry, that was a stupid question. That bad Zeke¡­ he should''ve at least been a little gentler."

    "It''s okay. Ezekiel actually held back a lot. Besides, he had to do that to make it look realistic," Alicia responded but Abi still felt bad.

    After Abi cleaned Alicia''s wounds, Alicia gave her a bottle with green colored oil inside it. Abi poured a generous amount onto a clean cloth and started to dab her open wounds with some of the oil.

    "These won''t leave marks on you, right?"

    "Don''t worry, they won''t," Alicia smiled to reassure Abigail.

    As Abi waited for Alicia to get changed - luckily she still had her backpack with her clothes in the car so she was able to give Alicia a clean shirt - she closed her eyes to listen to her surroundings. She also wanted to check on Alex because she was worried about what those strange creatures wanted. She couldn''t help but think that maybe those creatures were actually after Alex too.

    What Abi heard first was Zeke''s statement about Alex''s weakness, his Achilles heel - she, of course, correctly deduced that Zeke was talking about her - and then she heard him say that the easiest way to bring Alex down was by using her.

    Those words made Abi''s heart thud ufortably. She was reminded of the fact that she was the person prophesied to kill Alex. She was reminded that Alex was in danger once again because of her. What Zeke said was true but she thought she wasn''t his weakness because of what he felt for her; she was his weakness because she was the one person in this world who could kill him. But why? Why her? Why did that person in the prophecy have to be her?

    "Abigail, are you okay?" Alicia asked as she walked out of the bathroom when she saw that Abi had a faraway look in her eyes.

    Abi blinked and was pulled back to reality. "I-I''m fine." She forced a smile as she stood up. "Are you ready?" Abi asked and when Alicia nodded, Abi held her wrist and both of them returned to the car.

    Alicia continued casting a spell over them to make sure that nobody spied on them during their trip back to the castle. She was powerful enough to cast a spell over the entire castle and also within a five mile radius of the castle.

    Zeke seemed to have sensed how powerful Alicia was. He said this was why he had made it look like they were taking the witch back with them to further torture her, because he knew that she was powerful enough to hide them from the eyes of other witches. Abi didn''t even have the chance to keep her promise and ask them to take Alicia back because this man was already a step ahead, as usual.

    The car finally stopped at the castle''s entrance. Not wanting to create amotion or cause suspicion within the pce, they tied up Alicia again and covered her head with a jacket, hiding her silver hair so that everyone else would think that they had caught a normal witch causing trouble.

    The four of them headed into the underground dungeon where Mira''s imposter was detained.

    Zeke sent all the soldiers away and once they were the only ones left inside, Zeke took off Alicia''s chains.

    "Now it''s time for you to speak, Alicia." Zeke didn''t beat around the bush. "How did you manage to speak with Abigail?"

    Alex also looked at her. That was right. How did Abigail end up in the forest?

    "Through her dreams. I was able to speak with her through that," she confessed and Alex slightly creased his brows while Zeke just leaned against the wall, ncing at Abigail like he was calcting something in his head.

    "You can speak with Abigail through dreams? How is that possible?" Zeke asked, seemingly curious.

    "I don''t know how that happened either but I was able to do it."

    Zeke just stared at Abigail for a while before he returned his gaze to Alicia.

    "I knew you were trying to approach her when we first visited White Falls Vige. I just didn''t expect you to actually be able tomunicate with her through her dreams," Zeke sounded a little amazed.

    "So that is why you put on one hell of a good show, Zeke? You made Abigail jealous so that she would run away, even fighting with me to give her enough time to meet with this witch. It was all part of your n all along," Alex butted in, staring at Zeke sharply.

    Zeke didn''t deny it but he didn''t agree either. He returned his gaze to Alicia again as if Alex didn''t just speak, but before he could ask her more questions, Abigail beat him to it.

    "Alicia, won''t it be better if you just showed the things you showed me to Alex?" she asked. Abi had been thinking about this right after they left the inn. While Zeke and Alex were talking about that enemy and Alicia was thinking about her queen, her mind was filled with how to bring Alex''s memories back. She wanted to tell them to forget about the enemy for now and focus on Alex but she knew she can''t just tell them that.

    She could already tell that Alex and Zeke couldn''t ignore whoever that enemy was but Abi didn''t have the luxury to be distracted from her priority. She needed to bring Alex''s memories back and ensure he was fine before that enemy came after him. So she thought that this would be the quickest way to bring back Alex''s memories and bring her Alex back to her.

    She walked towards Alicia and held the witch''s hands in hers. "I believe that if Alex sees everything with his own two eyes, he will remember everything."

 Chapter 390 Easy

    <h4>Chapter 390 Easy</h4>

    Seeing Abi''s expectant look, Alicia could only look down.

    "I''m sorry, Abigail. The crystal ball doesn''t work that way on vampires," she told her, causing Abi to frown with confusion. "Vampires cannot see anything in the crystal balls."

    "B-but I could look into it and see things and I''m not a witch."

    "Humans seem to be able to see in them, Abigail, but vampires can''t."

    Her statement made Abi''s heart sink. She thought she had finally figured out a way to bring Alex''s memories back only to be disappointed. It seemed she had no choice but to tell him the truth. But will it even trigger anything? She didn''t know but she would at least try and hope for the best.

    Before Abi could turn to look at Alex, he was already behind her. He held her hips and pulled her closer towards him.

    His eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "What did you mean by that, huh, Abigail? What do you want me to remember?" he asked, eyes intense and prying.

    Abi bit her lips to stop herself from bing emotional.

    She cupped his face, staring back at him with such longing and love that he couldn''t look away.

    "Alex¡­ listen¡­ I will tell you everything that you have forgotten," she started and Alex looked at her with confusion and anticipation. "Alex¡­ I am¡­"

    Abi couldn''t continue her words. It was because the color of Alex''s eyes suddenly turned gold and they burned. His body suddenly stiffened as his body temperature drastically dropped.

    Oh no! This was all too familiar. This was what happened to him when they were up on the castle''s roof, before he fell.

    "Alex? Are you okay?" Abi''s heart elerated. Was that happening again? Please, no!

    Alex started to pant like he was out of breath. The next moment, he fell on his knee, clutching his chest.

    "Alex!" Abi crouches down, not knowing what to do.

    "I''m¡­ fine," he said but Abi was panicking.

    "Z-zeke, this is what happened to him that time we fell from the rooftop!" she spoke to Zeke in a frantic voice.

    Zeke crouched down as well but before Zeke could touch him, Alex lifted his hand. "I said I''m fine. I''m not going to pass out this time," he said, smirking, despite him gasping for air.

    "Alex please! You''re not fine at all!" Abi''s eyes welled as she held his face. "Please stop making me worry," she pleaded.

    Alex gazed at her. Her worried to death expression made him smile even in this situation.

    Suddenly, he pulled her into his arms and buried his head on the nook of her shoulders. "You know what, all you have to do is tell me you love me and I''ll be fine," he whispered in her ear with his hoarse deep voice and Abi didn''t hesitate to move his hand and make him look at her.

    "I love you. I love you so much, Alex!" she told him with her still frantic voice without any hesitation, causing Alex to chuckle weakly and just like that, his body became limp and he fell on her.

    His breathing, which seemed like someone was strangling him, slowly calmed down and the warmth began to melt the ice that seemed to enveloped his skin. Abi teared up from relief as she hugged him tightly, worried to death.

    Zeke and Alicia watched them in silence. Alicia wasn''t surprised by this because she had seen the first incident through the crystal ball.

    "The spell is starting to run out," Alicia uttered, causing Abi to shake her head.

    "It seems we can''t dy anymore," Zeke said. Alicia was surprised as he looked at her because he didn''t seem curious about the spell she was talking about. Did he already know something? But that''s impossible! Was he just not interested?

    "Now, Alicia," Zeke''s gaze on her turned serious. "It''s time for you to work," he told her, making the witch look at him with questions in her eyes.

    "I brought you here for another reason. I want you to find out where the enemies are."

    "H-how am I supposed to do that?"

    "Easy. Just find the ces that you cannot see in your crystal ball. The ces that are out of your vision can only mean one thing, right?"

    Alicia was silenced. What he said was pretty logical. And was actually easier. Why didn''t she think of that before?! But even if she did, she and the few witches following her was not enough to save their queen.

    "But I don''t have a crystal ball to use."

    "Wait here. I''ll bring you one in a moment," he told her and then he crouched down to pick Alex up from the ground.

    Zeke brought Alex to his room along with Abigail, while Alicia was left in the dungeon.

    As Alexy there, Zeke walked towards the door to leave but he suddenly stopped and looked back at her.

    "Abigail. Once he wakes up, tell him toe to my study. We will have to talk about our journey tomorrow."

    "Journey to find the witch queen or to find the enemy."

    "Both. You and Alex already agreed to help Alicia anyway."

    "But¡­ What about Alex''s memories? Don''t you think that should be our priority right now?"

    "You are right. But the answers we are looking for could be with them. And even if we prioritize Alex''s memories, we don''t really have a real lead on how to even start. It''s better for us to move now than stay and hope that he regains his memories."

    Abi looked down. He was right. They don''t have any real answers. All they had were theories and hopes for the best but that wasn''t enough. And Abi remembered what that witch queen had said to Alex before he chose this path - that there was one person who was able to get his memories back. If the queen could tell them what that person did, they could get a lead on how to bring him back.

    But how long would it take until they find that queen? Was she really not capable of at least bringing Alex''s memories back? Abi clenched her fists. She had said it was her turn to save him but she was unable to do anything, even now.

    "Zeke, are you the one who blocked my entry to this country in thest three months?" she asked.

    Zeke was silent for a moment but he eventually answered "yes."

    "Why?" Abi''s lips trembled. "If I have been here earlier, I could have had more time to try and bring back Alex''s memories. Tell me, Zeke, why did you not let me enter this country for so long?"

    .

    Don''t forget to vote hellbounders. I will give mass release if we reach top 1 overall. ^^

 Chapter 391 Opposite

    <h4>Chapter 391 Opposite</h4>

    Silence enveloped the room as Zeke just stared at her for a long while.

    "I can''t tell you," was his reply and he turned his back from her. "You will eventually find out in the near future."

    "Wait," she called out but Zeke still left, not giving her any chance to stop him. What did he mean by that?

    Abi could only close her eyes and shake her head. There was no use thinking about why Zeke had done things that way. Only he knew the reasons and if he wasn''t willing to exin anything, then she would just have to wait. He was just tooplicated for her and she didn''t want to waste any more brain cells on him. She would concentrate instead on Alex, even if she was curious.

    Letting out a sigh, she stared at Alex''s unconscious figure. She sat right next to him. As she looked at him, she couldn''t help but touch his face and push his hair back away from his face until she finallyid herself down next to him.

    Her mind was filled with thoughts about what she should do, about what the best way was for her to tell him the truth. She needed to tell him the truth. She didn''t know if it would bring his memories back but it was worth a try because right then, she really had no other ideas. She didn''t know what else to do. She had given herself to him, she had made love to him and told him she loved him. She had pushed him, tortured him in her own way and he had even gone berserk to the point that he nearly strangled her but none of that seemed to work.

    She closed her eyes and thought of all the experiences she had gone through with Alex, of everything he had done for her, like she was watching their very own movie, and she was reminded yet again of how he always went above and beyond for her.

    Time passed and Abigail eventually rose from the bed suddenly. She looked like a light bulb had appeared above her head and the look in her eyes changed. Determination burned fiercely in them and she grabbed her phone, sending Zeke a message.

    After a while, she heard the ping she was waiting for. She grabbed her phone and the moment she read it, she kissed Alex''s forehead softly before she left the room.

    Abi was then approached by a tall vampire with dark chocte brown hair. He had the air of a powerful man but not to the same extent as Alex and Zeke seemed to emit. If Alex was a majestic king and Zeke was a powerful prince, this man was a strong general. Although he wasn''t wearing a royal guard uniform, he was wearing an all ck shirt and moss colored military inspired pants with lots of pockets which reminded her of the army.

    She had been expecting a butler to escort her so she hadn''t expected that Zeke would send a man like this instead.

    "Nice to meet you, Miss Abigail. My name is Raven and I will be the one to escort you today," he politely introduced himself. He was polite and despite his deep voice and somewhat somber appearance, she didn''t feel intimidated. Well, to anyone else he might seem scary and tough but having spent enough time around the two most powerful and intense men in the world, Abi had be immune to being affected by other powerful men''s presence.

    "Nice to meet you, Raven," was all she could reply and the man led her to a room where she had requested to be brought.

    ¡­

    The sky was starting to be painted with different shades of red but Alex still hadn''t woken up yet. Abi was back in his room to check up on him and she was surprised to see that he was still asleep. She remembered that he only slept for a few hoursst time and Abi instantly felt a little worried. However, she forced herself to stop thinking those negative thoughts.

    She also didn''t see Zeke again after he left earlier and she was curious about what he was up to. She also wanted to check on Alicia but the dungeon was quite far from Alex''s room and she didn''t want to leave Alex''s side in case something else happened.

    Thus, she decided to have a bath while Alex was still asleep. She spent quite a while inside the bathroom to soothe her tensed muscles and to just let her mind rx, even if it was only for a little while.

    She emerged from the bathroom, already dressed. Her hair was damp and her cheeks pinkish for the heat of the bath water and she was using a towel to dry her hair.

    The moment she looked towards the bed, their eyes met. Alex was already awake and he was sitting there, leaning his elbow on top of his folded knee. His hair was disheveled but that didn''t make him even a little less attractive. It did theplete opposite.

    "You''re awake!" Abi quickly approached him, leaning down to cup his face. "Are you okay? Feeling better?"

    A smile curved on Alex''s lips as his forefinger tapped the skin between her brows as if to tten the deep lines that appeared between them.

    "Stop frowning like an old granny, littlemb. I am feeling extremely fine," he said. "I just need a shower to wake up my still hibernating nerves," he added and he got up off the bed.

    He grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him. "You should''ve waited for me, littlemb, so we could''ve taken a bath together," he whispered before he let go of her with a mischievous smile. "How about you join me again?"

    "I have already had my rxing bath, thank you. I will wait here for you instead, Alex," she refused him and dly, the man didn''t tease her anymore.

    He just suddenly nted a kiss on her lips before he walked towards the bathroom.

 Chapter 392 Sweet and slow

    <h4>Chapter 392 Sweet and slow</h4>

    As soon as the bathroom door closed, Abi immediately moved and fixed her hair. She also put on some light make up and made sure she looked great.

    It didn''t take long before Alex stepped out and as she expected, he came out wearing his bathrobe and drying his hair with a towel. He always looked like he was trying to seduce her senseless every time he stepped out of the bathroom like that.

    But Abi was determined not to be seduced this time, because she had much more important things to do likeplete ''Mission Almost Impossible''.

    "Let me dry your hair Alex," she offered but Alex didn''t respond. His eyes just surveyed her from her head down to her toes and back again and a meaningful smile peeked out from his gorgeous face.

    "Are you¡­ dressing up for me, Abigail?" he asked, his head slightly tilted to one side, unable to look away from her. But Abi ignored his words and she took his hand and made him sit on the bed.

    She turned the blow dryer on and dried his hair without responding to him.

    Alex, loving the pampering treatment he was getting from her, just closed his eyes, and just let himself feel how nice it felt whenever she touched his hair so gently like that. This was one of the little, simple moments with her that he loved the most; her drying his hair.

    When the blow dryer was turned off, the blissful moment came to the end. He opened his eyes and looked at her.

    "Please go and get changed, Alex. I want to take you somewhere," she told him.

    Alex raised a brow but curiosity and anticipation were quick to swallow him. So he stood up, almost immediately, and got changed as instructed. He was curious as to why his Abigail actually dressed up so nicely like that.

    He went with his usual Alex style. A in white shirt paired with elegant, ck pants. His sleeves were folded making him look fresh and casual, as godly handsome as ever.

    "So? Where are you bringing me?" His hands were in his pockets as he leaned in on her. He seemed to be doing that so that he wouldn''t end up grabbing her again. He was trying very hard to be good.

    Abi didn''t answer. She instead just grabbed his hand and led him out of the room.

    "Now you''re making me curious, littlemb," he muttered as he smiled, letting her do what she wanted with him.

    The two of them walked down the corridor and then up the stairs.

    "Why don''t you just tell me where we are going and I''ll bring you there with one jump, Abigail?" he said. Abigail''s breathing had started to quicken, not from his words - well, maybe a little bit from that - but from the fact that they have been climbing up the stairs for a while now.

    "I''m fine Alex. Don''t worry," she assured him, even grinning at him.

    "Let me carry you then."

    She shook her head and looked at him with a warm and gentle gaze.

    "No, Alex. I''ll walk. We will walk together, okay?"

    The way she looked at him that moment made Alex fall speechless. He didn''t know why but his littlemb looked a little different tonight.

    Finally, they were about to reach the pce''s highest watchtower. Alex had already figured out where they were heading since a while ago but as per her request, he didn''t offer to carry her again and just enjoyed climbing up the stairs with her hand and hand. Besides, she said nothing about how they would get down from the tower. That was when he would make his move. He smiled inwardly at the thought.

    She stopped before him when they almost reached the top and looked back at him. She smiled at him so sweetly, eyes glimmering as the soft wind blew on her hair. Oh damn, she looked so beautiful. She always looked beautiful to him but why did it seem that she was getting more beautiful by the day?

    Alex almost gaped but she pulled him again. Once they stood at the top, Alex''s eyes fell on a small round table for two with a candle sitting in the middle of it. The setting was simple yet damn romantic.

    Abigail let go of his hand and Alex''s attention returned to her, retracting his hand that felt a little lonely now because her warm hand let it go.

    He watched her walk, not towards the table but to¡­ a piano?

    Deep lines formed on Alex''s forehead for a moment, but he didn''t wonder anymore about why a piano was there on top of a watchtower when he saw her sit on its small chair.

    She looked at him and smiled while Alex walked closer and leaned on the wall, facing her. He was curious about what she was about to do. Was she going to just y? Was this what she wanted to show him?

    He didn''t really mind if she was just going to y for him as long as she was close. He watched her keenly and paid close attention because it seemed that she had gone through a bit of effort to set this whole thing up.

    Abi''s fingers then started to gently tap on the keyboard. A sweet, slow melody echoed in his ears. It was a very familiar song.

    Abigail gazed deeply into his eyes before she finally opened her lips.

    "Wise me say¡­

    only fools rush in¡­"

    She poured all her emotions on it and world began to cease as white petals seemed to start falling on them. The world they were in began to be brighter, and they were alone in it.

    "But I can''t stop falling in love with you¡­"

    Her voice, this song, this music¡­ were like tiny hands of an angel reaching out inside him to caress his heart. His heart thudded against his chest as he listened to her song, as their gazes locked into each other.

    .

    Third chapter willeter ^^

    Keep voting \u003c3

    P.s. all my chapters are 1000 words minimum and I am not going beyond because the price of the chapter will automatically increase if the word count increase.

 Chapter 393 Remember me

    <h4>Chapter 393 Remember me</h4>

    "Take my hand¡­

    Take my whole life, too¡­"

    Her voice rolled over him like smooth, velvety waves caressing his skin. The wordsing out of her lips weren''t merely words to a song. They wereced with pure, unmasked feeling and raw emotion, encasing him in a cocoon of bliss. Thousands of stars seemed to have settled in her eyes and they shone so brightly, glimmering, sparkling, lighting him up as she held his gaze.

    At that moment, she was like the sun shining brightly that night. His very own sun.

    Alex could tell that she was dering her love for him but at the same time, he could see her eyes pleading with him for something.

    His heart was in chaos and so was his mind. This strong feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu struck him again. Images of a woman sitting on the piano, wearing a beautiful white dress, began to appear in his head, but he couldn''t make out her face, and like Abigail, she was ying this song.

    Confusion enveloped his mind while his heart swelled because of the love and sweetness she portrayed through her song. Her voice, her song, was the most beautiful melody he had ever heard in his life. He couldn''t find the right words to exin what he was feeling anymore as he listened to her.

    "For I can''t help falling in love with you¡­"

    She tapped thest note on the piano and as it faded into the night, she rose, not tearing her eyes off him. Slowly, she walked towards Alex and stopped only a few inches away. She lifted her hand and caressed his cheek lovingly as thest line of the song rolled out from her lips, pouring every emotion from her heart into it; the ache she felt in her heart, her need to bring his memories back, her want to reminisce with him and most of all her pure, endless love for him.

    "For I can''t help falling in love with¡­ you." She ended as her eyes welled with unrestrained tears.

    They stared at each other as the silence took over. Thest of the flying petals rained over them, settling down softly on the ground.

    "Alex¡­ I love you¡­ I love you so much¡­ When I first met you, I thought it would be hard for me to fall for you but I was wrong. Even though you were so cold that time, you came and saved me. Now that I think about it, I may have already fallen in love with you since that moment you saved me from that man in that bar. And then you agreed to be my boyfriend and fulfilled all of my wishes, going above and beyond what I asked you to do." She smiled at him as she reminisced about the past, narrating them all to him.

    "I could never forget how you gave me my first kiss. That was a very magical moment for me and I am so happy that the first ever man I ever kissed was you." She lifted her other hand and caressed his lips, as gently as she could.

    "And I have never forgotten all the things you showed me and taught me. That time I confessed to you on the night of my birthday, singing that same song to you, I was so afraid. I was scared because I thought you would be angry at me. But then¡­" She looked down and showed him the jade ring. "You proposed to me, using a white dove to deliver this through my bedroom window." She chuckled as she remembered. "Just when I thought you would run away from me, youpletely surprised me by giving me this ring instead. You gave me the most amazing gift I never expected. This was the best present I ever received in my life, before you..." she paused before she looked up at him and tears of joy flowed from her eyes. "Before you gave yourself to me and married me," she continued, wiping her tears with the back of her hand as she opened her hand and showed him the rings.

    She took one of the rings, her ring, and showed him the two letters that were engraved inside it on either side of a heart. "The letters stand for Alex and Abigail and that date is the date of our wedding," she exined. She then showed him his wedding ring which had the same thing engraved on it. She grabbed Alex''s hand and without a word, she slid the ring on his wedding finger, pushing it all the way in.

    "Do you remember how nervous you were that day?" she asked him with a smile before she showed him his own hand, wearing the ring that exactly fit his finger.

    She then ced her wedding ring into his palm and she held her hand out, silently telling him to put it on her. He mimicked her and slid the ring on her wedding finger, where it settled in a perfect fit.

    She then held her hand right next to his to show him the matching wedding rings that were finally back in their rightful ces.

    And then, fireworks blew up in the sky, pulling both their attention. They watched it silently, until letters began to appear in the sky.

    ''REMEMBER ME'' were the words written in them.

    ¡­

    Alex stood frozen in his spot. All the things she said were like pieces of a huge jigsaw puzzle. She could see them happening in his head, the scenes that apanied her words. He saw the rings, a woman in a white dress, the falling water inside the house, a yellow scarf, a horse, the snow and the northern lights.

    And now this. He was utterly dumbstruck. He could see another set of words in his head; the words ''Marry me'', not ''remember me''.

    When the tiny lights disappeared and he looked at her, she smiled at him sweetly, so innocently, so lovingly.

    "You were the best thing that ever happened to me, Alex. You still are. Even though you left me and forgot about me, I will always love you. I will never leave you because you are my husband and I am your wife. No matter what happens, I choose to stay beside you until myst breath. Forever..." she said as her tears continued flowing down. "All I want from you is¡­ please, Alex¡­ remember me. Remember me¡­" she begged as she clutched his shirt. "Come back to me, Alex.. I need you. I need my husband back. I want you back, Alex. Please remember me."

    .

    Here''s the third chapter ^^

    Thank you for waiting.

 Chapter 394 Shade of red

    <h4>Chapter 394 Shade of red</h4>

    Alex lifted his hands, ran his fingers through his hair and tugged at them. His brows pulled together in a hard knot. He was trying. Trying his best to remember because he couldn''t stand it. Seeing her cry and beg like this was unbearable.

    It all started to make sense now. He finally understood the reason behind all these feelings of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, all those familiar feelings he felt since that night she appeared before him. This all made sense to him finally after hearing her words, her confession. It seemed like the images he had been seeing were fragments of his memories that he had forgotten. There was no other way to exin all this because he could see scenes that she had described perfectly in his head. They were exactly as she had narrated. Even though he couldn''t make out any of the faces nor hear any voices, he was certain of it - that the woman in his head was none other than Abigail.

    Tugging his hair, he shut his eyes, his face showing intense concentration. He tried to force himself to remember, to try and put all those jigsaw pieces together. His jaws clenched and his teeth gnashed together as he tried pulling all those images to the surface again, to put a face of the blurry shapes he saw in his head, to connect the disjointed scenes into a timeline. But the pieces were too few for him to even start. The void was too huge. He needed more. More pieces to bring together so that he could finally see the full, clear picture.

    ¡­

    Abi watched his expressions closely and her heart sank. She had given this moment everything she had. She had opened her heart so that he could feel all the love she felt for him, so that he would understand just how much she loved him. She had spoken of the previous memories they shared together but even one of the most special memories she had of them couldn''t bring back his memories. God! What was it going to take for him to remember?!

    She couldn''t take it anymore. Her heart had been filled with so much hope, so much belief that her n would work, so when she saw the result, she couldn''t stop herself from breaking down in tears.

    She couldn''t stop the tears that flowed like an endless river down her cheeks. She didn''t try to as she looked back at him again. She wanted to see if he at least finally remembered something. She tried to calm her trembling body, to take some deep breaths, but it didn''t work and all she could do was bury her face in his chest.

    dly, she felt his arms move and embrace her. She settled into his arms as she poured her heart out through her tears. She felt his arms tighten around her before one of his hands started to caress her hair.

    "Shhh, littlemb¡­" she heard him say. That immediately surprised her and she pulled her face back from his chest to look at him. Her eyes wide and expectant. Did he finally remember her?

    She stared into his eyes, waiting, watching his face for any sign of recognition, waiting for him to say that he remembered her, waiting for those two words - ''my wife'' - toe out of his lips again.

    But he didn''t say a word. His fingers just wiped her tears away and his lips captured hers. His eyes were closed as he kissed her, gently bumping his forehead against hers afterwards.

    Abi wanted to speak but Alex''s silence made her choose to stay silent because it was as if Alex''s spirit was troubled. She could tell that he was thinking about what she had done, what she had confessed and she subconsciously held her breath.

    Was it finally working? Even if he regained just a little piece of his memory, Abi would be very happy. All she wanted was progress, a positive result, a sign that what she was doing wasn''t futile.

    He pulled away and she saw that his jaws were clenched hard and deep lines formed on his forehead. His eyes burned golden as he gazed at her. No, it was more of an orange-red this time. Abi had seen the color of his eyes change quite a few times now, but she never once had she seen them turn into this reddish shade; they were almost the same colour as Zeke''s eyes.

    "Alex?" she called his name when suddenly, Alex leapt back away from her, as fast as a lightning. In a blink of an eye, he was suddenly at the other end of the watchtower''s wall, across her. Abi''s hand was stuck mid-air as she looked at him in both confusion and surprise.

    "Is something wrong, Alex? Are you okay?" Abi asked as she moved to approach him. His orange-red eyes looked to be bing a deeper shade of red as time went by and looking at them made Abi feel nervous. His eye color was what set him apart from all other vampires. His eye color was supposed to be gold, not red. What was going on?

    "Stop!" he said, stopping her, as he covered his mouth with the back of his hand. "Don''te closer for now, Abigail," he added as his eyes continued to burn red.

    Abigail pressed her lips tight, unable to ept what he said. She knew something was wrong with him again but why was he stopping her from approaching him? She didn''t know what the hell was happening and he wasn''t exining anything, so she put his warning aside and she continued moving, faster this time, so she could jump on him. But Alex disappeared before she could touch him. She turned around and he was now standing on the other side of the roof, with the table between them.

    "Please¡­ don''te for now. Let me calm down first," he pleaded, causing Abi to frown hard at him.

 Chapter 395 Hunger

    <h4>Chapter 395 Hunger</h4>

    Abigail ran after him again but Alex continued to leap away not letting here even within a meter of him.

    "Listen to me, Abigail! I am dangerous to you right now! Please," his voice thundered.

    She stopped. She could tell that he was serious but she could also see that his body was trembling. She couldn''t help it. All she wanted was to go to him and hug the pain away, like she had done for him so many times before.

    Abi bit her lips hard. She felt like crying again as she clenched her fists tight and despite his serious warning, she charged towards him again. However, someone suddenly appeared right before her, blocking her way.

    "Move away, Zeke," Abi told Zeke, anger mixed with pain burning in her throat.

    "Calm down, Abigail. This is serious." Zeke''s gaze was sharp as he nced at her. "You don''t want to add to his guilt if he somehow hurts you again."

    Abi was silenced, utterly confused. She was about to ask when Zeke turned to Alex. "When was thest time you drank blood, Alex?"

    Zeke''s question made Abi realize one thing. Alex was a half vampire but she never saw him drink blood even once. She had seen him eat a very little amount of human food before he left her but since she met him again she hadn''t seen him eat, not even a little. What had he been eating until now? Was he drinking blood in secret?

    "Don''t tell me you haven''t had a meal since that ball?" Zeke added when Alex didn''t respond. His question shocked Abi. Since that ball? Since the night they saw each other again?!

    Shocked, Abi finally looked more closely at him and she finally realized that it wasn''t just the color in his eyes that changed. She saw that scorching hunger and it was different from the hunger he showed her when he wanted to make love to her. This was different. And it seemed that it took most of his strength to stop himself from acting on it and that was why his body trembled.

    Zeke sighed and flicked his fingers.

    A mannded on the edge of the watchtower - that Raven guy she met earlier that day. "Get him something to drink," Zeke ordered and the man bowed before he jumped away.

    It didn''t take long before Raven came back, only a few minutes. He brought with him a fine, silver ss and arger, silver bottle, and gave it to Zeke.

    Zeke took them from the man and poured some blood out into the ss. If she didn''t know any better, she could have easily mistaken it for rich, velvety, red wine.

    As soon as Zeke brought it to him, Alex grabbed it and gulped it down, eyes closed, like a parched man. Abi stood there, frozen, as she watched him drink. She had gotten used to his powers, having seen him in action a few times now, but seeing him drink blood was something she had never seen before.

    Alex licked his lips and when he opened his eyes, the red in them slowly dissipated but still, he didn''t look satisfied.

    The first thing he looked at was Abigail as he put the empty ss down.

    Their eyes locked for a long while before Alex finally moved and approached her. Abi didn''t move from her spot and just waited for him. Alex''s hand touched her face, resting his hand below her ear as he bent down.

    "That song and your voice¡­" he started. "¡­ were lovely. I''d like you to sing that for me again," he whispered as he smiled.

    Abi held his hand and looked up at him with a worried face. "Are you okay now?" she asked.

    "Very." His eyes glimmered and then his smile faded. His face became serious but his eyes were still gentle. "Can you wait for me in our room?"

    Abi nced at Zeke, who was still standing right there, and she suddenly remembered Zeke''s order to tell Alex to go to him once he woke up. She actually forgot all about it. She was very d this prince didn''t interrupt them in the middle of her executing her ns.

    "We are going to talk once youe, right?" she asked him and Alex nodded. That made Abi feel reassured.

    "Okay. I will wait for you." She gave him a quick smile, tiptoed and kissed him before she finally turned to leave. Raven immediately followed her, maintaining a four step distance away behind her.

    Alex didn''t move or say a thing even when Abi had long gone, while Zeke just leaned against the wall waiting for him to react. Zeke could only deduce that he was waiting for Abi to be far enough to not hear what he was going to say or do next.

    Abi and Alex''s room was quite far from the watchtower. It would be harder for Abigail to listen once she reached their room without her focusing her powers. Of course, they knew she could still hear them if she wanted to but knowing Abigail, she wasn''t likely to do that since it was clear that Alex sent her away because he didn''t want her to hear their conversation.

    Once he was certain she was far enough, Alex abruptly moved and grabbed the bottle, surprising Zeke. Was that not enough?

    Alex was not like any of the other vampires in existence. While his vampire half needed blood, he would be fine to go for a long period of time without it because of his immortal body. He could function just fine even If he didn''t eat anything, even if he starved himself. But like other vampires, there woulde a time when his body craved for it. The difference was that he craved for it not because of hunger but for satisfaction.

    However, since the day he was stabbed in the heart, Alex''s need for blood had drastically increased. Zeke thought it was because he was not able to find something to satisfy his thirst but it seemed he was wrong.

    "Alex¡­" Zeke narrowed his eyes as he looked at him. "Don''t tell me you''re starting to feel hunger now as well?"

 Chapter 396 The difference

    <h4>Chapter 396 The difference</h4>

    Alex smashed the bottle on the floor before he charged towards Zeke, grabbing his cor.

    "Tell me, Zeke¡­ what the hell is going on with me?" he hissed. His fangs lengthened and his eyes were back to being red again. It almost looked like he was just one of them, a normal, pure blooded vampire. "And about Abigail¡­ is she really my wife? Am I the husband who left her? How? Why? Why did I forget her?!"

    He was raging, hissing at Zeke, looking so lost and utterly confused.

    "Answer me, Zeke!!"

    "Yes, you''re right. You are her husband who left her and then you forgot about her," Zeke finally told him, causing Alex to freeze, as if he was unsure how to react.

    He just stared at Zeke for a while, wide-eyed, shaking his head in disbelief as he mumbled. "So I¡­ already loved her before and even married her¡­ since when? How long ago did I leave her?"

    "Alex, isn''t it better if you ask her all these questions of yours?"

    "I can''t stand it!!!"

    Alex dropped his head as his grip on Zeke''s cor tightened. "I can''t stand seeing her cry. She''s been begging, crying, even doing all these things to¡­ She''s trying so hard¡­ and yet¡­ I still don''t remember a thing!" he exploded. "All I have are tiny fragments of memories shing in my head but they aren''ting together, even after all this!"

    Zeke sighed, pulling Alex''s hands off him. "Tell her about those tiny shes you remember. I''m certain hearing those would be enough to make her happy. And that is a good sign, Alex, that you might be able to remember more soon."

    Those words made Alex''s face look a little better and he closed his eyes, stepped back until he hit the wall and let himself slide down on the floor. His elbow rested on his folded knee as his fingers ran through his hair.

    "Tell me¡­ I want to know what happened. Don''t leave anything out," he ordered and Zeke could only give in.

    "Abigail is the girl in prophecy, Alex. The woman who would be born with the power to end your life. Somehow, fate drew you together and you started a thirty day contract with her. During that time, you started to fall in love with her and she with you. She was dying from a tumor in her brain and you asked me to save her, so I did. But before that, Xavier kidnapped her and used her to ckmail you into making her stab you. You let her stab you in order to save her life." Zeke exined, as straightforward as ever, causing Alex to look up at him with lips parted in shock. "After that night that you were stabbed, your body began to change. You didn''t die but you lost your memories of her and as I deduced before, it seems you are slowly dying. You''re even beginning to feel the hunger you never experienced since you became immortal. This is one solid proof that you are losing your immortality. You are a half-blooded vampire but ever since that night, there was almost no sign of the traits that made you different from us. You used to be able to eat vegetables before but since that night, you became exactly like us, who could only eat meat."

    "Are you saying that I''m no longer a half-blood?"

    "I am still unsure but my theory is that perhaps what died or is dying right now is the human part of yourself. That''s why you''re now craving blood, like us. I believe your vampire blood has now fully taken over as self-preservation. It is trying to keep you alive."

    A throaty chuckle escaped from Alex''s lips. "That''s someplicated sh*t, Zeke." Alex shook his head.

    "Not really. The only thingplicated are the things happening in your body. Alicia has already exined that you are still alive now because of a spell. And that spell is running out. Abigail knows this, too. That''s why she''s desperate to bring your memories back. The witch queen said that bringing your memories back is the key to save you, though that might be close to impossible," he exined. "But we might get some answers soon. Alicia has found some ces where we think the witch queen might be held in. She said that the queen knew one person who managed to bring his memories back. If we find her, we can get more information on how to bring your memories back."

    Alex threw his head back as he let out a sigh as he stared up at the sky, a small smile ying on his lips.

    "So in the end, I, of all creatures, ended up actually desperately trying to stay alive, huh¡­" Alex shook his head in disbelief. "This is funny," he added as his smile faded.

    Zeke nced down at him. "Indeed. Just because of one woman, you epted death just to crawl back out and search for life again."

    Alex also looked at him but this time, a yful smirk yed on his lips. "I epted death, huh¡­ I''m not really sure about that Zeke. Because I''ve never felt so alive like I feel right now. Before she came, I didn''t even know what the difference between life and death was. It felt the same to me. I felt like I was dead for thousands of years. But now I understand what it feels like to really be alive. I only started living when she came into my life because that''s when my heart finally started to beat again."

    A short silence followed his words before Zeke murmured to himself.

    "That''s good then. If I''d known you felt like you were dead all this time, I would''ve buried you for all those years and kept you underground."

    "Toote for you to think about that, Zeke," he smirked and Zeke finally moved to leave.

    "We will leave the country tomorrow. Of all the ces Alicia detected, I am certain that queen is being captive in that ce."

    "Where?"

    "Frost town."

    .

    Do dropments and reviews ^^

 Chapter 397 Thirs

    <h4>Chapter 397 Thirs</h4>

    "Frost town, huh?" Alex mumbled. He wasn''t surprised about that town being their of whoever the mastermind was because that was one of the few ces outside of Country V that was ideal for vampires and witches to live. In fact, Alex still remembered that that town was where an old leisure city had been thousands of years ago.

    It was a familiar ce to him but, once again, Alex felt like there was more to that town than what he remembered. Something niggled at the back of his mind when he heard its name. Were there memories that he forgot from that ce, too? That was the only exnation because the snow and northern lights that appeared in his head looked to have happened in that general area.

    Thinking about it, Alex thought that maybe going there would trigger some of his memories.

    "I want to go to that ce as soon as possible, Zeke," Alex suddenly uttered, causing Zeke to halt for a second right before he leapt onto the edge of the tower.

    "Don''t be in too much of a hurry, Alex. We still don''t know what is waiting for us there," Zeke told him, but Alex simply smirked.

    "Oh yeah, I almost forgot that we still need to catch that troublesome mastermind. But, I''m certain you already have your meticulous nsid out. I will leave that part to you because I don''t have time to think about that damn person."

    Zeke sighed. It seemed Alex''s head was truly upied by trying to regain his forgotten memories which Zeke thought was such a relief and was a very good thing.

    "You should go now. Stop sitting there like a problematic peasant. She''s waiting for you," was what Zeke told him but Alex still didn''t move. He just looked away as the deep lines appeared again on his forehead.

    "What is it?" Zeke asked, now facing him. He could tell Alex was still troubled because if he was alright, he would definitely have left by now to eagerly be with his woman. So what was wrong?

    Alex threw his head back, closed his eyes and pinched the skin between his brows. "I''m still not satisfied," he admitted. "I think I need to bite someone and drink their blood directly to quench this thirst. I can''t go to Abigail like this."

    "Are you saying you want me to bring you a woman?"

    Zeke''s words made Alex grit his teeth. In thest three months, he had been constantly craving for blood. He wasn''t used to drinking blood from a ss. Every time he craved for blood, he would just ask for a woman toe to offer him her blood. That was how it had always been for countless years but as Zeke said, his body kept changing during that time. The change was so rapid that, considering it only took three monthspared to the thousands of years he had been alive, he didn''t have time to ponder what these changes really meant.

    This thirst had always been around but he had not felt this kind of hunger. He used to feel satisfied with a woman''s offering, of him biting them and drinking their blood. That used to be enough. But now, something was still missing. It wasn''t as satisfying as before. He even tried to drink human blood to quench this thirst but it didn''t work. He always felt like he needed something more.

    It was dangerous for vampires if their thirst couldn''t be quenched. They would go mad and go on a rampage like a mad dog. Every vampire who had it needed to deal with it, or they would face the consequences if they were to create chaos and murdered someone during their rampage. That was why thew of vampires even required the vampire to immediately submit themselves to authorities where they would be confined in a facility when they start to feel this unquenchable thirst. The authorities then confine them in a secure ce where they could go on a rampage freely and they would be freed again when their rampage episode was over.

    The good thing was that this thirst syndrome was rare and only a few normal vampires suffered from this. The rampage also is only triggered during a full moon. Once the night was over, they would return to their usual self and the thirst would be gone after the overnight rampage.

    In Alex''s case, he was able to quench his thirst by drinking a woman''s blood while having sex. That was in fact the only reason why he was bedding women in the past three months. Alex had been wondering why he seemed to have lost interest in women since that night he woke up in that burnt down pce, but now, he finally understood why. Although, he still didn''t understand why he was suddenly unable to really feel satisfied by anyone''s blood anymore, but at least doing that meant he avoided going on a rampage - everyone knew how bad that would be - and it still made him calm down and be rational.

    But it still wasn''t enough

    and so that was why he was still going out hunting rogue vampires for half of the night; to seek more blood and spill them to finally fully satisfy himself.

    Letting out a sigh, Alex shook his head. Zeke''s words made him want to hit himself. He hated that idea now even though that was what he had been doing for a very long time.

    "Never mind¡­" he finally replied but Zeke didn''t look convinced.

    "No, Alex. You can''t go on a rampage at this point and I don''t think there are any rogue vampires left in this country for you to kill. You have killed them all in the past three months and the facility will definitely be unable to restrain you," Zeke told him. "I can''t use my men or myself to entertain you. We have more important things to deal with tomorrow. We need those men to be at their best. Besides, you know as well as I do that you would not stop until you spilled some blood."

    .

    I just wanted to say thanks to all of you who bought privilegest month. Thank you so much for the support. Please know that your supports are my energy to keep writing every day whatever situation I''m in.

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    Kazzenlx

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 Chapter 398 Falling dominoes

    <h4>Chapter 398 Falling dominoes</h4>

    Alex''s lips twitched, definitely not wanting to agree with Zeke even though he understood what Zeke was trying to say.

    "F*ck!" Alex cursed. Troublesome things just kepting like falling dominoes. They were alling at him at once! They were not giving him a moment to solve one problem before another one came tumbling down on him. What the hell was going on? Was the world so damn against him?! It was like all the gods who used to favor him were against him now!

    "Abigail would cry again if I did that. She ran away and I only talked about the possibility of marrying someone else. What would she do if I did this too?" Alex shook his head.

    "Then, how about you ask for her blood instead? The reason why none of the women can satisfy you anymore might be because of her."

    Alex''s gaze at him turned sharp. He looked shocked at this suggestion and his face became hard.

    "She''s not a meal, Zeke," Alex told him, firm and serious. He was even ring at Zeke like he would attack him if he ever mentioned that again.

    But Zeke wasn''t bothered. "It''s not like she''ll die from it, Alex. Just a taste might do. Besides I''m pretty sure she would rather let you drink her blood than go through with the other options," he exined. "If you don''t do anything and you end up going on a rampage, you know she will be the first toe to stop you. Don''t forget what she did in the forest and what you did to her."

    "How did you even know about that?"

    "Alicia told me."

    Alex bit his lips, looking down again. His hands started trembling. He knew this feeling all too well. It was starting.

    "Stop being stubborn, Alex. You will regret it if ¨C"

    "Shut up, Zeke. Leave," he ordered, not looking at him.

    Zeke sighed. Although he didn''t look surprised anymore. He had been dealing with this troublesome creature for a long time now, after all.

    "Fine. Do what you want. I am not going to waste my energy on you this time, Alex," Zeke countered and he finally left, leaving Alex sitting by himself, seemingly in deep contemtion.

    Zekended on a nted roof, away from the watchtower, and nced back once more when someone spoke from the shadows.

    "Are you sure about this, Your Highness? What if he destroys the pce?" One of his men was also on the roof, scratching the back of his head.

    "He won''t. Abigail is in there. He will most likely go to the forest so make sure not to lose him, Riev."

    "Oh, you''re noting? Are we just going to watch him?"

    "Yes. Don''t do anything. Let him do what he wants. I will stay here and watch over Abigail."

    "What if he goes to the city and kills people?"

    "He won''t."

    "But Your Highness¡­ Are we really just going to watch? Won''t it better if we at least entertain him? We could at least distract him so that he doesn''t end up going to the city?" Riev''s eyes were sparkling, like a child excited to fight the superhero he had always looked up to.

    But Zeke immediately killed those sparkles with just one nce and Riev was quick to drop his head. "I understand your highness. We will not do anything. We will just watch," he said like a good soldier and Zeke finally leapt away, leaving the poor Riev sighing in despair.

    "Idiot. When will you learn? When did anyone ever manage to negotiate with His Highness other than Alexander?" someone piped up behind him and Riev could only sigh again.

    ¡­

    Back on the watchtower, Alex was aware that he was being watched. Zeke''s men were not just anyone. They were even stronger than Kai or Xavier because those men have been trained by Zeke since they were young boys. The final test for them to actually make it to Zeke''s elite force was to survive a fight against Alex himself.

    Alex had fought with those men and since they already knew everything about him, his moves, his speed and even the extent of his power, somehow, they actually managed to survive. Since then, they have also be one of Alex''s entertainments. They were formidable and strong like their master, Zeke, after all, when they all came at him at once.

    Letting out a sigh, Alex smirked and lifted his hand in front of his face. He stared at the ring on his finger. It fit him really well and he couldn''t find any signs that it wasn''t made for him. A soft sigh escaped his lips and he stood up.

    He didn''t know what to do but what Zeke said bugged him. He never once imagined drinking Abigail''s blood. That never ever crossed his mind. But when she was with him a while ago, he stepped away from her because¡­ because he had looked at her with that intense hunger. He couldn''t believe it but a new kind of desire had awakened inside him, one that wanted to taste her blood. And that was something he could never ept. How could he do that? To his Abigail?

    He felt like he was going mad. None of this ever bothered him before. He never once even thought about this thirst. It was just something inevitable to him before, just a natural craving. But now it suddenly becameplicated as hell.

    Was this thing called karma finally catching up to him? Were all the things he did in the past nowing back to haunt him in these forms?

    The thought of it made him want tough out loud. But he didn''t because his thoughts returned to Abigail as he lit up the candle sitting on the table.

    He smiled, knowing that she had made all this for him while he was unconscious. His eyes turned red again, but he remained unmoving and his gaze just focused on the fire of the burning candle.

    The tiny fire reflected in his red eyes and they burned along with it. The next moment, Alex saw himself in the middle of a burning ce, holding two toys in his hand as he smiled before he threw the toys away.

 Chapter 399 Syndrome

    <h4>Chapter 399 Syndrome</h4>

    The men who were standing by watching Alex, all rose the moment they saw him stand up. They were all prepared to go after him. They could see his eyes burning red with hunger. He was supposed to be going on a rampage by now but he still looked calm despite his fangs and nails now fully lengthened.

    "Get ready, he''s going to leap now," one of the men said.

    "Hmm¡­ where do you think he will go? City or forest?"

    "City," Riev answered while the rest said, "forest."

    Before Riev couldin that none of hisrades actually thought the same as him, Alexander leapt away like lightning and everyone immediately followed suit. Like dark shadows under the moonlight, they all headed towards the forest.

    ¡­

    Meanwhile, Abigail was on her way back to the watchtower when she saw blurry shadows leaping away. She had heard Zeke talking to a man called Riev because they were closer to her than Alex was. She heard it while she was anxiously waiting for him inside the room. She didn''t mean to eavesdrop. She just wanted to find out if they were still out there talking and if that was why Alex wasn''t back yet. But what she heard was Zeke giving out orders to his men.

    She could only deduce from that conversation that Alex was going to go on a rampage again, so she quickly left the room and ran as fast as she could to the watchtower. That guy who escorted her, Raven, was not there anymore. She had looked for him hoping to ask him for a lift to get there as fast as possible.

    "No! Alex! Did they leave already?" Her shoulders dropped as she looked up at the sky. Her heart was beating wildly. She shouldn''t have left him. Why was he going on a rampage again? Was he alright? And why did Zeke not stop him?

    As she continued running, someonended from above in front of her. She was startled but the moment she saw who it was, she breathed out in relief.

    "Zeke! What''s going on? Why is Alex on a rampage again?" she asked, utterly worried as she panted.

    "He needs blood."

    "H-huh? Blood? Didn''t he already¡­"

    "That didn''t satisfy his thirst so he is going to go and kill to make up for it. Maybe then his thirst will subside."

    "M-maybe?"

    "Yes. Even if he kills something, that might not be enough. The only way for this to stop is for him to stay in the forest and go on a rampage overnight until the sun rises. Of course, we hope that he still keeps some of his rationality and not go to any viges and kill innocent people."

    Abi swallowed. "Zeke, why are you not stopping him? Please, let''s help him."

    "I can''t do anything about it," he said as his gaze at her intensified. "But you can."

    "How? Please tell me. I will do anything," Abi didn''t hesitate.

    Zeke stared at her for a long while before he suddenly gathered her into his arms without any prior warning. Hended on a roof on one of the watchtowers near therge gate.

    He put her down and faced her.

    "Listen, Alex''s situation is supposed to be normal for vampires but because he is too powerful to restrain, going through this episode can be dangerous for everyone else. The usual methods that used to work on him are no longer effective since the day you stabbed him. No, actually, I noticed it started since the day he met you," Zeke exined. "Alex never went through an episode since you came and lived with him. In fact, he hadn''t consumed blood since you appeared in his life. He originally didn''t need blood this badly and he used to be able to quench the thirst by his usual method easily.

    But it''s different now. It seems his body is starting to take on the same traits as a pure blooded vampire. Most of the vampires who experience this kind of thirst are vampires who have lost their mates. Once a vampire finds the person that is for him, and that person dies or disappears, the vampire will start to thirst for that person. Nothing can quench the thirst except for that person''s blood. The vampire who develops this thirst will be forced to go on a rampage every full moon. Sometimes, these vampires never get cured and they eventually die. I would say, it''s the same as the ''broken heart syndrome''* for humans."

    "Are you saying that my blood might cure him?"

    "Yes. That''s what I believe. Although, I don''t know when this thirst started for Alex. He already had this thirst since I first met him."

    Abi was silent for a moment. When she gazed at him again, her eyes intensified. "Zeke, please bring me to him."

    "Are you willing to give your blood to him?"

    "Yes."

    Zeke looked like he already saw thising.

    Without saying a word, Zeke swooped her up again, causing Abi to gasp in surprise. He carried her, princess-like, as he finally leapt into the darkness at lightning speed.

    "Uhm¡­ Zeke¡­ can you just carry me piggy back style?" she asked him and Zekended on top of a tree and looked at her, displeased.

    "I am a prince and I carry women like princesses. I don''t do piggybacks," he answered haughtily before he leapt again. Abi could only hold on to him.

    As they went deeper into the forest, Abi started to feel nervous. She was worried about Alex. She didn''t like it when he went on a rampage because he acted like someone else. That was why she would do everything she could for him.

    And as they travelled, a thought arose: what if her blood was the key for her to save him? He had spilled his blood to save her back then so maybe this was what it took for his memories to return?

    Abi bit her lips. She knew Alex wouldn''t like her spilling her blood for him but she really didn''t mind. Her giving him her blood was nothingpared to all the suffering he went through for her.

    Finally, Zeke halted. Abi opened her eyes and Zeke put her down.

    She looked around, searching for Alex. "Where is he?" she asked but before Zeke replied, Abi''s eyes widened from recognition. This looked like the ruin of that pce where Alex was burned alive.

    .

    *Dying of a "broken heart" is possible. This is known as "broken heart syndrome." It is brought on by stressful circumstances, like the death of a loved one.

 Chapter 400 Dark lake

    <h4>Chapter 400 Darkke</h4>

    Abigail¡¯s lips parted in shock as she looked at Zeke with wide eyes.

    "This ce... isn¡¯t this the pce where Alex... where Alex was..."

    "Yes. This is the pce that he burned that night he left you," Zeke responded, causing Abi¡¯s heart to pound harder against her chest.

    She looked around again, looking for Alex. Did he remember? He must have, right? That was why he came here!

    Hope surged inside Abi as she walked towards the debris. She was d the moon was shining down so brightly that night and she was able to clearly see everything. There was almost nothing left of the once formidable looking castle. It was deste and empty and Abigail knew that many bodies had been burned here that night because the scene that she saw was vividly shing in her mind again.

    But Abigail was not afraid. She didn¡¯t have time to think about ghosts in this haunted looking ruin because she was busy thinking about Alex and looking for him.

    "Where is he?" Abi turned to Zeke who didn¡¯t move from his spot when she still couldn¡¯t find Alex. "He came here, right?"

    Zeke didn¡¯t respond, his gaze just zeroed down theke. The ruined pce was situated by the legendary Darkke which was the ck dragon¡¯s favorite ce.

    Abi followed Zeke¡¯s line of sight, thinking that he had spotted Alex, but she saw nothing there but a calm body of water reflecting the moonlight.

    Thinking that Zeke must be still trying to spot him, Abi decided to find Alex by activating her hearing power but what she heard first were a number of vampire¡¯s heartbeats. Her heart thumped even faster inside her chest but the panic subsided when she remembered the shadows of the vampires that left the pce.

    "Your highness, he jumped into theke," a voice echoed and Abi snapped her head back to Zeke. That Raven guy was standing right next to Zeke and both men were looking in the direction of theke.

    "What? He jumped in theke?!" Abi¡¯s eyes stretched. "W-why?!" The worry and fear in her eyes burned as she approached them, seeking answers.

    Raven looked at her and politely nodded at her. "We followed him all the way here when all of a sudden, he jumped into the water."

    "Don¡¯t worry, even if he stays underwater for years, he will not drown," Zeke butted in, casually walking towards a tree and leaning on it, seemingly ready to wait for who knew how long it took for Alex to appear again. "Vampires that went through that type of craving reportedly described that what they felt was akin to burning. He must have just wanted to quench the heat."

    "Are you saying we are just doing to stand here and wait for him toe out?"

    "Yes, Abigail, that¡¯s what we are going to do."

    Abi swallowed as she silently clenched her fists. How could she just stand there and wait when Alex must be suffering underwater?

    She turned her back from them and ran towards theke.

    The water looked calm, so calm that no one would think there was somebody underwater. Not even a ripple could be seen. There definitely was no sign of anyone having actually jumped into it. Did this mean that Alex had been underwater for quite a long while now? For a quick second, her mind reminded her of that time in the snow where she had looked for Alex in the pool and she saw no ripples or movement in the water. She had thought then that it was strange and had even briefly wondered how long he had been underwater for. She didn¡¯t really stop to think about it in more detail but now it all made sense.

    However, it didn¡¯t stop the worry that cloaked her heart. She started to call out his name.

    "Alex!! Come out!! I¡¯m here!" she called out as she walked along the edge of theke. "Alex! It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m right here. I can help you."

    She stopped and waited for a response but there was none. The water remained still like an untouched well.

    "Please,e out now! Alex?"

    She continued calling out, her voice echoing in the dead silent and eerie forest.

    Time went by and Abi couldn¡¯t handle it anymore. Even though Zeke said he couldn¡¯t drown, Abi couldn¡¯t help but think about those moments where he suddenly lost his strength. What if something like that happened while he was underwater?

    She turned towards Zeke and his men who were standing around just meters away from her. They remained there, unmoving. They looked like they really nned to just wait for Alex even if it took the entire night!

    Biting her lips, Abi didn¡¯t call for them anymore. Instead, she started to remove her shoes and socks and ced them neatly on the grass.

    Seeing her preparing herself to jump in the water, Zeke just sighed while Raven looked at him with a troubled face.

    "Your highness," Raven spoke, his head darting back and forth between Zeke and the woman by theke. "I think she is actually going to really jump in there. We should stop her."

    "Tch!" Zeke¡¯s lips twitched. "This troublesome creature," he mumbledzily before he finally leapt towards Abigail, causing Raven to sigh in relief.

    Hended right next to her, grabbing her arm just before her feet could reach the water.

    "Don¡¯t even dare. You¡¯ll just hurt yourself," Zeke told as he pulled her back, still holding on to her arm.

    Abi grimaced at him. "Please let go. I can¡¯t just wait here. He might be unconscious down there!"

    "You can¡¯t just go and jump in there. Thiske is dangerous, not just for you. It is even dangerous for us. Add in the fact that it is dark and theke is extremely cold, you would be seeking certain death. Don¡¯t believe me?" Zeke squatted down, dipped his hand into the dark water and when he lifted it back up, a human skull was in his hand.

 Chapter 401 Under the moonligh

    <h4>Chapter 401 Under the moonligh</h4>

    The sight of it made Abi freeze in horror.

    "Thiske has been like a graveyard for thousands of years. Even now, rogue vampire¡¯s bodies are thrown into thiske. There are certain dangerous creatures living in thiske and all sorts of weapons have also been dumped here up to this day. You could lose your toe just by dipping your foot in the water," he exined, making Abi¡¯s face be even darker.

    "T-then... why did you say I shouldn¡¯t worry?" her lips trembled as she looked out at the water again.

    Knowing that she reacted like that because of her worry about the man who actually jumped into this dark pit that reeked of death, Zeke could only grab her again, just to make sure she wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid. She was as crazy stubborn as Alex after all.

    "This is not the first time Alex has jumped into thiske. When he was looking for ways to die, he tried to kill himself here not just once but many times, but to his disgust, he still emerged alive. So don¡¯t worry because even if he gets injured, his body will regenerate," he added, but what he said didn¡¯t make Abigail¡¯s face look any less worried. What he just revealed to her was too much for her to even think about.

    "Or maybe he jumped in there to spill his own blood. That guy has been doing something like this for a long time, either hurting himself or asking people to do all sorts of deadly things to him. An immortal being like him seems to find those things entertaining, something to pass the time to ovee his boredom. He has done even more crazy stunts before. This is just a walk in the park to himpared to the other things he has done before."

    When Abigail¡¯s eyes started to well with tears, Zeke was a little bit taken aback. He was telling her all these things to try and calm her down so why the hell was she crying? Why did his coaxing not work?

    He frowned at her. "I told you, this is nothing. For your information, that crazy husband of yours even let a pack of wolves devour ¨C"

    Abigail finally cried, causing Zeke to stop.

    His men, who were still standing by the trees, observed this interaction and they could only shake their heads.

    "Sigh... His Highness really sucks at this. Was that his aim all along? To make her cry with worry even more?" Riev was pressing his temples like a troubled grandfather.

    "Seems like our master now has two people under his care to babysit," a long haired guy piped up as well.

    "Looks like it. But he seems to be having a little bit more trouble with this one."

    "Well, he has never been good with girls."

    "But isn¡¯t this good? At least he has more on his te now. This is better than him sitting in the pce and being alone by himself. Who knows what¡¯s going on in that brain of his when he¡¯s alone?"

    "Agreed. His highness is scary when he¡¯s just sitting still and not doing anything but thinking or just plotting things with his monstrous pets in his head."

    The men all agreed and fell silent, a silence which was disrupted when the woman their master was coaxing, cried even harder. They saw her squat down on the grass and bury her head in her arms, sniffling, crying like she was in pain.

    "Man, what did he say to her this time?"

    "Don¡¯t tell me he told her about that time when Alexander asked him to chop his head and that he actually did it."

    "Geez... Why don¡¯t you go and help him out instead? This is bad. If Alexanderes out and sees his woman crying... he might throw all of us in theke!" Riev panicked as he nudged their leader, Raven to go and say something.

    But Raven remained immobile. And thus, all of them could only wait for their doom, although a part of them kind of wanted it to happen because they felt like it had been forever since they had fought alongside their master against Alexander in serious battle.

    ...

    Zeke let out a sigh and he didn¡¯t speak anymore. He just stood there and faced theke while Abigail cried next to him.

    He kept ncing at her, checking to see if she had stopped crying yet but when he saw that she hadn¡¯t, his lips twitched and a vein started to pop on his temple. He wondered how Alex actually managed to handle this crybaby.

    "Stop crying. He will note out even if you flood this entire nation with your tears," he mumbled, his voice somehow sounded a little gentler this time but what he said made Abi look up at him. She couldn¡¯t help but re at him.

    She bit her lips and wiped her tears with the back of her hand but her tears continued flowing nonstop until suddenly, she finally heard some movementsing from theke.

    Abigail suddenly rose, her eyes immediately focused on the water despite the raw tears still falling from her face.

    "Alex!" she uttered as Zeke grabbed her arm again in case she jumped in there without thinking.

    All eyes fell on the water as they waited for Alex to emerge. Everyone somehow held their breaths, especially Abigail. It seemed that the whole forest held its breath in anticipation for this moment. They all knew that it was Alex that wasing up from the dark water and the main question was what state he would be in.

    The water before them then moved and the next moment, Alex emerged from the ck water under the moonlight. His eyes burned red under the shadows making him look like the devil rising from hell.

    .

    Do dropments and reviews ^^

    Also, please dont forget out goal.

    Top1 = mass release

    Keep voting hellbounders ^^

 Chapter 402 Danger signs

    <h4>Chapter 402 Danger signs</h4>

    Frozen still, Abi¡¯s eyes widened as she looked at Alex. His eyes were even redder than before. Half of his body was still under water but Abi could see his shirt was ripped in many ces, or more like, they had been cut with sharp des.

    The airing from him was chilling and ominous. She could feel his bloodlust and it gave her goosebumps. But that didn¡¯t scare her and she immediately tried to pull her arm away from Zeke.

    "Alex..." she called him.

    He didn¡¯t respond, he just kept moving. Sounds of something crumbling down under his feet reached Abigail¡¯s ear, but the sound of her heartbeat was louder. She just wanted to run to him, to hold him. She wanted him to reach her as soon as possible.

    "Alex..." she called out again when suddenly, Zeke pulled her one step back as Alex approached them.

    Abi looked at Zeke and immediately protested.

    "Please let me go!"

    "No. Don¡¯t forget what might happen if he ends up hurting you again. It will only result in more problems," Zeke told her, firmly.

    Zeke wasn¡¯t just being extra careful. He felt that Alex¡¯s bloodlust at that moment was very strong and it seemed like Alex didn¡¯t even recognize them.

    Abigail understood what Zeke was saying. If Alex hurt her identally this time, he wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive himself.

    "Let¡¯s put some distance between Alex and us. Don¡¯t act rashly," Zeke warned her again and she could only let him pull her with him as he backed off slowly as Alex approached dry ground.

    Watching him finally stand on the ground, Abi bit her lips. It was taking all her self control not to run towards him and crash into him like she had done many times before without having to think about possibly being hurt by him. It was hard for her to restrain herself, especially when she saw him like that, acting like he was someone else again.

    "It seems he¡¯s in a dangerous mood now. Depending on the situation, I will have to keep you away until he recognizes us again."

    What Zeke said made Abi protest. No, that won¡¯t do. She won¡¯t stay away again and wait. She was tired of waiting!

    Abi was about to protest when she saw that Alex was holding something in his hand. Her eyes widened as she froze in ce.

    She felt like her heart stopped. Weren¡¯t those... did he jump in the water just to...

    Her heart felt like it had been ripped from her chest and before she knew it, she pulled her arm away from Zeke.

    Zeke was caught off guard. Abigail¡¯s slim hand was like a fragile twig to him so he was trying not to hurt her by keeping his grip as loose as he could. Unfortunately, that betrayed him. The sneaky, littlemb escaped his grasp and he didn¡¯t try catching her again. As always, she was like a moth flying towards the fire, fearlessly, despite all his warnings. Danger signs never worked on her. Well, what else was there to do when this little moth was in love with the fire?

    With a sigh, he could only prepare himself for what would happen next.

    "Alex!!!" Abigail called his name as loud as she could as she reached him.

    And dly, that made Alex lift his gaze and look at the person dashing towards him. His already red eyes burned with mes and his lips curved into a smile, like a beast mischievouslyughing at this na?ve prey who was actually racing to offer herself to him.

    What an interesting prey, he thought and finally, she crashed into him.

    Alex immediately smelled a refreshing yet intoxicating scent and a woman¡¯s face appeared in his head. In what seemed like a split second, his eyes cleared and he regained his rationality.

    ¡¯Abigail...¡¯ he uttered in his head and his eyes widened, realizing that the woman hugging him was indeed his Abigail.

    But before he could push her back, his thirst, which was somewhat appeased from his adventure into theke, started to burn his insides again. He smelled her scent, not the scent that he always loved but the scent of her blood. It started to smell so strong and it was wreaking havoc inside him.

    Abigail¡¯s scent was one of a kind. Although he could smell her blood¡¯s scent every time he kissed her, it never attacked his senses the way it did at that moment. And this time, it was worse than ever.

    "Alex..." she called his name as she pulled away to look at him, still gripping his waist tightly.

    "You came here to..." her tears fell. "You came here to get this..."

    She began crying as her hand lifted his hand. The moment he looked at what he was holding, he froze. That was right. He jumped in the water when he couldn¡¯t find those toys around the burnt ashes of the castle. The memories that appeared in his head were clear enough for him that he even knew what he was thinking back then. He had thought that the toys wouldnd in theke and that was why he immediately jumped in the water to look for them.

    He came here to get them because even though he could still not remember her, he thought that showing her these to her would at least make her happy. He wanted to show her that her efforts weren¡¯t wasted and that he at least remembered something.

    Alex stared at her as he wiped her tears away, giving the littlemb to her. "Yes. But... I couldn¡¯t find the jellyfish," he told her and Abigail cried with joy.

    "Oh, Alex..." she was going to hug him again when Alex suddenly held her shoulders, stopping her from hugging him. His hands began to tremble and his fangs were out, hungry for blood, her blood. That hunger was back, eating him whole.

    Abi held her breath at the sight of him.

    "Leave..." he told her forcefully but Abi grabbed him instead, causing him to hiss.

    "It¡¯s okay, Alex," she smiled and moved her hair to the other side to expose her neck to him. "You can satisfy yourself with my blood," she added.

    .

    I would like to thank you guys for all your supportsst month. Thank you so much. I hope you guys will support me again until the end.

    Your supports are my motivation to keep writing every single day.

    Again, thank you so. I love you all.

    Love,

    Kazzenlx

    P.s. there will be a bunos chapter tomorrow ^^

    Also, please dont forget our goal.

    Top 1= mass release

 Chapter 403 Useless

    <h4>Chapter 403 Useless</h4>

    Alex¡¯s face was filled with astonishment. Never in his life did he imagine Abigail offering herself to him like this. And this was exactly what his body was dying for right then. It made his body burn with a fire that he never felt before. Just the sight of her naked, slender neck was enough to elevate his thirst to the highest degree, making him feel that not drinking her blood right then would definitely make him burst into mes.

    His blood boiled in his veins, scorching hot, burning his throat. The loud thudding of his heart had turned into background music. His head was getting hazy and all his senses were screaming for her blood, his Abigail¡¯s blood.

    He cursed and cursed inside him, his rationality trying to ovee his demonic instincts, but his body still moved closer, and his head drew closer towards her nape. Her scent and the smell of her blood was so intoxicating that even his brain wavered as it registered how impossibly good it was.

    As he moved closer, Abi closed her eyes, taking in a sharp breath as she waited for him to bite her. Her heart was thudding hard but she wasn¡¯t scared. She felt like she was ready for this. She was somewhat thankful that Zeke had told her about this beforehand so that she could mentally prepare herself for this moment.

    Time seemed to have slowed down. His ragged breath now touched her skin. She felt him open his mouth and Abi held her breath as a pair of cold, sharp objects - his fangs, she deduced correctly - pressed against her skin.

    Abigail was ready to feel the sharp pain of her skin being pierced but nothing came. Abi was instead jolted backwards because Alex pushed her, causing her to crash into Zeke.

    When Abi opened her eyes due to shocked surprise, Alex was holding her at arm¡¯s length. His trembling hands were gripping her shoulders hard. He gnashed his teeth, his fangs were out and his eyes were glowing blood-red. He looked like he was in so much pain that Abi¡¯s heart could only break from seeing him look like this.

    "Take her away... Zeke..." he uttered, his voice deep and forced as he shoved her into Zeke¡¯s chest.

    Abi shook her head. "Alex please... it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m really fine with it. I¡¯ll be fine," Abi protested.

    "No!" he hissed, not giving in. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine once the sun rises," his voice died down before he peeked through his wet hair, shing a forced smirk at her. "I¡¯ll just go and... and search for that jellyfish. I¡¯ll be fine once... once I find him, I think," he said. He slowly let her go but Abi grabbed him once again and wrapped her arms around his waist, gripping him as tightly as she could.

    She was determined not to let him go. There were still many hours to go before the sun was due to make an appearance so she could tell that he was nning to stay underwater until that time. How could she let him do that, suffer like that when she could help him relieve his pain?

    "No, please. Quit it, Alex. Please stop hurting yourself. That¡¯s enough. I can¡¯t take it when you¡¯re hurting like this. It¡¯s killing me," Abi wept. Even though Alex couldn¡¯t die from those injuries he was inflicting on himself, even though he said he was used to it all, Abi couldn¡¯t ept it. She couldn¡¯t help but imagine his body covered with many cuts and scratches from his first dive. It wasn¡¯t hard when she saw his clothes already tattered like shredded paper. He had been going through all this pain over and over again for god knew how many years so enough was enough! She wanted to stop it. She wanted to put an end to this. She didn¡¯t want Alex to hurt himself anymore.

    She heard him groan and he reached out to Zeke, who was still standing behind Abigail. Alex grabbed Zeke¡¯s shoulder as he hissed at him.

    "Get her away from me, Zeke!" he ordered causing the girl between them to glue herself even more to Alex¡¯s torso.

    "I said no!! I¡¯m not going to let go!! Don¡¯t worry about the jellyfish, Alex. It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t need to look for it anymore."

    "No, Abigail. I have to find him. He¡¯ll be lonely if we leave him down there," Alex reasoned, smirking again despite his pitiful situation, but Abigail wasn¡¯t buying it and she retorted.

    "Then let Zeke and the others find it, Alex," she told him, saying whatever popped into her head to make him stop, but...

    "Hell no," Zeke suddenly piped in, causing the god of silence to pass by above them for a moment. "I¡¯m not going to risk myself or my men just to find a damn toy!" he added firmly.

    Alex let out a pained throaty chuckle. "See? Only I can save that little jellyfish so let go now, Abigail."

    Abi looked at him, eyes unwavering. "No. I¡¯m not going to let you go without you having a drink of my blood. Please, let¡¯s stop all this and just bite me. I won¡¯t let go. Never. Over my dead body."

    Herst line seemed to have made Alex finally realize it was futile. Besides, he had long reached his limit. His thirst for her was now beyond his control. He couldn¡¯t even leap away or push her away again because his body was now moving on its own. And he was really going for it now. Thest thread of his self-control finally snapped.

    No matter how much he struggled, it was all useless. He was losing against his body again and this was what he hated the most; when his body defeated him no matter how much he tried to go against it. He despised it because he felt like someone else owned his body and not him. And even now, even though this was about Abigail, he couldn¡¯t believe that his will could make no difference. He was still going to lose against himself once again.

 Chapter 404 Royal

    <h4>Chapter 404 Royal</h4>

    His fangs were already out and he almost salivated from imagining the taste of her blood on his tongue. He could tell from the smell of her blood that it would taste like heaven, and would possibly be the sweetest thing he had ever tasted.

    He bent down slowly, caressing her neck with his breath and touched his nose on that sweet spot where her pulse was most visible. He inhaled and he felt like he had been kicked in the guts as her sweetness hit him. It was so good. He opened his mouth and a secondter, his tongue escaped and he licked her, savouring the taste.

    Abigail¡¯s body shivered from the sensation. That part of her neck felt so sensitive because all her attention was on that one spot, anticipating his lips on her skin and his teeth sinking into her. She closed her eyes as she saw him bend down further and she bit her lips. This was it.

    His teeth scratched her skin and just as his fangs were about to pierce through her skin, Alex¡¯s hand flew like lightning to grab Zeke¡¯s cor, pulling him in without warning, and in a split second, Alex¡¯s fangs pierced through Zeke¡¯s skin.

    The world seemed to have stood still.

    Zeke¡¯s men saw what had happened but there was nothing they could do. They never expected that something like this would happen! Shock was too weak a word to describe what they were feeling at that moment.

    Abi also opened her eyes when she felt herself being sandwiched between them. The shock on her face was evident when she realized it wasn¡¯t her that Alex had bitten, but Zeke.

    "Shit!" Zeke groaned. He had utterly been caught off guard. He did not see thising. No, he did see Alex¡¯s hand reach out towards him but Alex was just too fast. That was probably the peak of Alex¡¯s speed that Zeke had witnessed until now. That move surprised Zeke that it took him a bit longer to register what was happening and in that split second, Alex had already grabbed him and pulled him in.

    He could only curse within him. This was bad!

    Zeke was aware of the many different stories about Alex¡¯s past. He had read them from the many books that were written about him and also through the previous king¡¯s stories. Alex never talked about his past but Zeke believed that the stories about him were real. He was even able to confirm it through the witches about a hundred or so years ago.

    It was said that during Alex¡¯s reign, he had turned the vampire¡¯s royal family into his servants. One of the reasons why he didn¡¯t execute them, despite his hatred of the royal family back then, was because of their blood. The royal family¡¯s blood was like a magic potion back then and he desired their blood because he considered it like the most luxurious wine for him. And unlike humans andmon vampires, where Alex only liked women¡¯s blood, the royal blood, whether it was men or women, tasted the same to him.

    Since then, the blood of the vampire¡¯s royal family was reserved only for him. No one was allowed to drink the royal family¡¯s blood, not even the vampire king, except for their mate, because their blood was for Alex alone. It was also said that the royal blood made him even stronger.

    When Alex finally left his throne and started to seek his death, he stopped drinking royal blood because he didn¡¯t want to be stronger. He made a pact with the royal family and since then, Alex hadn¡¯t consumed any of the royal family¡¯s blood directly, although there were times that he did ask for a ss or two of it asionally.

    However, Zeke knew that even their blood was not able to quench this kind of thirst. In one simr incident not so long ago, one of his cousins offered herself to Alex and the result was not much different to him bedding amon vampire or human.

    However, after going through more information, Zeke found the actual possible reason why Alex had stopped drinking their blood directly. It was because Alex didn¡¯t stop, or couldn¡¯t stop, and he ended up killing his meal.

    And that was why this situation was less than ideal for Zeke.

    Zeke had stayed close by in case Alex wasn¡¯t able to stop himself once he bit Abigail. He had nned to stop Alex from draining her fully and killing her and yet, this happened instead.

    "Shit! Enough!" Zeke groaned as he struggled from his grasp. He had to escape or this might be the end of him.

    Unfortunately for him, Alex¡¯s strength seemed to have tripled and he couldn¡¯t escape. What was worse was that the man was fast draining him of his blood.

    Zeke¡¯s men immediately circled them, not knowing what to do, but Zeke signaled them to step away. His eyes then turned red as his fangs grew. He was about to use his strength to shove Alex away when he realized theplication of having Abigail sandwiched between them. This girl would die if he did that. Shit!! Damn!!

    He cursed when...

    "Alex! Stop! He said that¡¯s enough!" The littlemb between them spoke and with just that, Alex was distracted for a moment by her voice. That single moment was enough of an opening for Zeke to escape without having to use too much power. Zeke put a hand over his neck as he stepped back, weakened due to the loss of so much blood.

    Alex also backed off and Abi saw the drastic change in his eyes. It wasn¡¯t blood-red anymore and his hunger seemed to have been satisfied a little.

    He wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. His rationality seemed to have fully returned and he didn¡¯t look like he was in so much pain anymore. But his eyes still didn¡¯t return to normal. It seemed he still needed a bit more.

 Chapter 405 Phantom

    <h4>Chapter 405 Phantom</h4>

    "Alex..." Abi called out and was about to approach him but Alex lifted his hand, stopping her.

    "I¡¯m fine now. I just need to cool down. Wait for me, Abigail. I¡¯ll be back," he told her and after ncing at Zeke onest time, he leapt and dove into the water, not giving Abi another chance to approach him.

    She retracted her hand and wiped the remnants of her tears from her eyes. She couldn¡¯t stop him from going back but she was a little relieved because he looked much betterpared to how he looked a while ago.

    Her feet were about to move closer to the water when someone suddenly grabbed her from behind. Abi¡¯s heart almost jumped out of her chest in surprise.

    "Z-zeke?!" she uttered as she turned. Abi turned back to look at him and she looked a little shaken when she saw his face. This time, Zeke was the one looking at her with that seemingly unquenchable hunger.

    The look he gave her made Abi shudder. "Z-zeke! Are you okay?" she asked him, trying her best to speak to him despite her fear.

    "Your highness, please let her go. Alexander will ¨C"

    "Shut up, Raven..." Zeke hissed under his breath. He seemed a little weaker than his usual self. This was the first time Abi saw this oh soposed man looking a little disheveled and weak.

    The next moment, he let go of her shoulders and looked at his men.

    "Stay with her," he ordered as firmly as he was able and he began to walk away.

    "But, your highness, at least have Riev apany you."

    "No need." His red eyes burned as he nced back at Raven before he finally leapt and disappeared into the darkness.

    "Will he be alright?" One of the men asked.

    "Sigh... don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll be fine. Whew! That surprised me. I still cannot believe his highness ended up the one being bitten."

    "Yeah. I definitely panicked for a moment."

    As the soldiers spoke with each other, Abigail sat on the edge of theke, gazing down at the water. Her mind was furiously wondering why Alex was determined not to drink her blood. She wondered why he refused to bite her that much. Was it because he didn¡¯t want to hurt her? Was there another reason?

    She stared at the littlemb in her hand. It was wet and covered with dirt but she still hugged it. She remembered how Alex struggled so much just to keep these toys from burning so she didn¡¯t call out for him anymore. She could only hope that he would find the jellyfish as fast as possible.

    Her thoughts also returned to Zeke and wondered if he was alright. As she sat there thinking, the water moved, causing her to rise. She waited for Alex to emerge but the water became calm again.

    Raven approached her when he saw the confused look on her face.

    "He must be fighting the man-eating creatures underwater while searching for that thing."

    "Man-eating creatures?!" Abi¡¯s eyes widened.

    "Uhm. Please don¡¯t worry. They are only animals and they could never do anything to him. He is immortal after all."

    Abi calmed down upon hearing his exnation and she sat on the ground again.

    She was silent for a long while, just staring at the water before she spoke again.

    "Zeke... Will he be alright?"

    "Yes, miss. He¡¯ll be fine once he replenishes the blood that he lost."

    Abi sighed with relief. Silence enveloped the area as they all looked towards the water, waiting for the man to finallye out.

    ..

    Meanwhile, Zekended on top of a tree. His eyes were blood-red and he was breathing heavily. His eyes focused on a house before him.

    It seemed he couldn¡¯t wait anymore. He was nning to go back to the pce but it seemed that was too much for him in his condition. He had no choice but to do this.

    He leapt silently andnded on the roof and then he leapt down. He opened the window in the attic. He could hear the sound of stable breathinging from inside the room.

    Like a phantom emerging from the darkness, he stepped inside the room. A young woman was on the bed, sleeping soundly. Her bedside light was on and a book was still clutched in her hand. It seemed the young woman had fallen asleep while reading.

    Zeke walked closer, his eyes glued on the young woman¡¯s face. She was fair and she looked so innocent and vulnerable. Her blonde hair was spread over her pillow and she was wearing a nightgown, exposing her neck and corbones. The sight of her was so inviting, almost as if she had been prepared for him.

    He sat on the edge of her bed and his fingers slowly tucked the strands of her hair away from her neck.

    And then, he closed in on her. He couldn¡¯t wait anymore. He needed blood, now!

    But a gasp halted him. The young woman woke up. Damn!

    Zeke cursed in his head again.

    "Shhh!" he put a finger on her lips. Drinking from women directly was no longer the norm, even for the royal family. He had gotten used to drinking blood from a ss. Zeke didn¡¯t find it less satisfying. In fact, to him, that method was better. That way, he didn¡¯t need to ask for permission or do anything unnecessary and just drink.

    "W-who are you?!" the young woman¡¯s eyes were wide open in shock. She looked terrified.

    Sigh... This was exactly why Zeke didn¡¯t like this method. But he had no choice and could only undergo the fastest negotiation technique he knew, otherwise, he might lose patience and just bite her by force.

    He started pulling his tie and unbuttoned his shirt, exposing his hard, chiseled chest. The young woman gasped once again and now looked even more terrified. She looked like she wanted to scream but her fear stopped her.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hurt you," Zeke whispered and then he showed her a mark on his left chest. That mark was known by all humans living in this country. That was the mark of a member of the Royal family.

    "I¡¯m Ezekiel, this kingdom¡¯s crown prince. Offer me your blood. I need it," he told her, as straightforward as ever, as their eyes locked.

    .

    I¡¯m sorry it¡¯ste. T^T

    I am so exhausted today so I am unable to write the bonus chapter. But tomorrow is Saturday so aspensation, I will give 2 bunos chapter tomorrow to make it five.

    Thank you so much for the patience.

 Chapter 406 Dont worry

    <h4>Chapter 406 Don¡°t worry</h4>

    The young woman stared at him, unmoving, as her brain tried to connect the dots. She knew that mark and she was well aware of who the rulers were of this kingdom. She had been told when she was a little child that their country was ruled by vampires and that they were living among them, but in all her years, she once never encountered anything like this.

    To them, the vampires were good people. They lived quietly, just like them, and she had yet to meet a vampire who treated a human badly. All her experiences with them were good, even somewhat mundane. They never had any issues and that was why she sometimes forgot that vampires were different from humans.

    This was why the humans in this country loved this ce. The only restriction for them was that they couldn¡¯t leave the country freely and they fully understood why. They were sworn to not reveal what they knew and in exchange, they would be allowed to live in this country under the protection of the royal family. What was perhaps more of an incentive was the fact that doing so would result in instant death.

    Thus, their life in this ce was peaceful and harmonious, and almost all of them never thought of going anywhere else. They have alsoe to love the rulers of this ce and were loyal to them almost as much as the vampires.

    The young woman had been to the pce once with her vampire friends and she had seen the princesses as well as the king and queen. However, she wasn¡¯t lucky enough to see any of the princes, so she didn¡¯t know what they looked like, especially the prince who was next in line to the throne. All she knew was that the crown prince, Ezekiel, was said to be the strongest and most feared royal vampire.

    "Y-your highness..." her lips trembled. She couldn¡¯t take her eyes off him. His red eyes were so vivid, she felt like she was seeing hellfire in them.

    She knew thatmon vampires didn¡¯t drink human blood anymore and she also knew that the royal family was an exemption. All the humans living in this country were pretty educated about vampires and the royal family. They weren¡¯t left in the dark and they knew almost everything about them. They even knew what to do if they met rogue vampires or rampaging vampires.

    She couldn¡¯t tear her gaze away from him and she knew that she couldn¡¯t refuse his request, not that she would have the chance to. However, that didn¡¯t stop her brain from scrambling to think of ways to get out of this situation. But in doing so, the expressions in her eyes gave her away.

    "Shhh, don¡¯t do anything you might regret," Zeke said as he correctly read the thoughts in her head. "This will be easier and faster if you just let it happen."

    His voice was mesmerising, almost like he was trying to hypnotise her with his words. It didn¡¯t help that he was looking into her eyes so intently, so full of hunger and desire for her blood.

    Thoughts of screaming or escaping vanished from her mind. There was no way she would be fast enough to do any of those things. If she tried to scream, he would merely cover her mouth before she could make a sound. Escape from him?! Ha! Who was she kidding? As if she could outrun a vampire!

    Left with no choice really, she finally tore her gaze from him and closed her eyes. She tried to tell herself it was okay, that she would be okay because he was part of the royal family, the family who had protected them all these years. That was evident from the mark on his chest. This man was definitely royalty and at that moment, she could see danger in his eyes. The fire and hunger in them was enough to freeze her soul. Even though he was so alluring and as gorgeous as the god of the darkness she had read about in a book just hours ago, her heart still trembled in fear.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I will not kill you," he whispered, his voice hoarse and deep.

    And without waiting for her to acknowledge his words, his hands snuck behind her and he pulled her up. She gasped once again as her heart raced like a horse inside her chest. His arm was strong and his smell was unexpectedly intoxicating. Her brain, despite her fear, registered that none of her vampire friends smelt like him. He smelt so much better than all of them.

    His finger touched her skin, brushing the strands of hair away from her neck. The temperature in the room suddenly skyrocketed the moment his fingers touched her skin. She felt like she was about to burn from his touch.

    He gazed into her eyes onest time before he finally buried his face on her neck. His lips touched her skin and goosebumps swept all over her body. The next moment, she felt something sharp pierce through her skin.

    She sucked in a sudden and sharp breath as she clutched his hair, tugging it hard. She whimpered in pain but Zeke pulled her even closer to him and kept sucking more of her blood.

    His grip on her was getting even tighter.

    "Ah! Y-your highness!! I... I¡¯m going to die if you keep going..." she cried, trying to push his head away from her. She, of course, didn¡¯t have the strength to push him back but she kept trying, nevertheless. She didn¡¯t want to die. She was scared.

    Zeke halted. He lifted his face and looked at her pained face and saw her tears flowing down her cheeks. "It¡¯ll be over soon..." he told her. "Just a little more."

    "Please... ah..."

    Once again, Zeke¡¯s fangs pierced through her.

    .

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 Chapter 407 Unromantic

    <h4>Chapter 407 Unromantic</h4>

    He sucked her like he couldn¡¯t get enough. He had sucked blood from a woman directly before but not from a human. He only drank human blood through sses. This was new to him and he found this woman¡¯s blood quite delicious. He had the instinctive urge to suck her dry but dly, his mind was still stronger than his hunger and he stopped before he put her life in danger.

    The woman fell limp in his arms the moment he stopped. He was breathing hard as if he had just finished a battle. His eyes slowly turned back to normal and his fangs retracted again.

    He held the woman and gentlyid her back on the bed. The loss of blood made her feel dizzy and numb, but she still opened her eyes to look up at him. She wanted to see his face once again but then a secondter, she lost consciousness.

    Zeke bent down and licked the wounds he inflicted on the young woman whoy unconscious on the bed. Her life wasn¡¯t in danger. She had merely fainted. Zeke stood up, stared down at her for a while and then, just like that, he left the room.

    He felt his strengthe back as his body absorbed her blood. In fact, he felt stronger than before. It seemed that fresh human blood really was a dangerous thing. Zeke was reminded once again of the danger if all vampires were still allowed to do this. No wonder the previous kings made aw forbidding themon vampires from drinking fresh human blood. They were indeed like drugs, irresistibly addictive and dangerous.

    The soldiers, who were still waiting near theke, immediately felt Zeke¡¯s presence.

    "Oh, he¡¯s back?" Riev was surprised. "Don¡¯t tell me... he went and drank human blood from the nearby vige?!"

    They were surprised. They knew their master was not a fan of drinking fresh human blood. He liked to sit leisurely with one leg folded over the other, as he twirled the blood in his ss before savoring it, very much like the way humans savored a good ss of wine.

    "It seemed he might have had no choice. Alexander seemed to have weakened him more than we thought."

    "Seems like it, or else I don¡¯t think his highness would actually barge into someone¡¯s house to drink blood."

    "I hope he didn¡¯t put the unlucky sleeping beauty he found to sleep forever ¨C"

    Zekended before them, causing the soldier who was talking to shut his mouth. However, it was obvious that Zeke had heard his words. Zeke looked at the man uponnding in front of the group.

    "She¡¯s still alive. Raven, I want to give her somepensation," he ordered, causing the men to look at each other silently.

    "Uhm, your highness. What exactly is thepensation you want to give her?" Raven asked. This was not something he was familiar with so he had no idea what to do. This was the first time Zeke asked him to do this kind of task. His missions normally includedbat and carnage, not this thing that was probably better suited for the butlers and maids at the castle.

    Besides, it wasmon knowledge that nopensation was ever given to the willing participants who donated blood to them. The pce didn¡¯tpensate the willing participants because they didn¡¯t want for that to be the norm. Besides, the royal family considered the blood as offerings, not just some food that they could buy with money. This tradition had remained unchanged for countless years.

    "She wasn¡¯t a willing participant. Although she didn¡¯t refuse, I basically forced her. Give her whatever she asks for," was what Zeke replied, causing his men to look at each other with meaningful gazes once again.

    "Yes, your highness. But, may I know her name?"

    Zeke didn¡¯t respond for a long while.

    "The young woman lives in the nearest house from here. Her room is in the attic," he answered before he walked away from them to approach Abigail, who was still waiting by the edge of theke.

    His soldiers could only watch his back with drooped shoulders. Raven scratched his head but did as he was ordered. He left to find the house his master talked about to find out what kind ofpensation the woman wanted, while the others remained and watched over their master and Alexander¡¯s woman.

    "Haha. Damn. Our prince is really so damn unromantic. He didn¡¯t even ask the woman¡¯s name? I feel sorry for the poor young woman," Riev blurted, shaking his head.

    "But it does seem like this young woman was able to satisfy him."

    "Yes, he seems to be back to his normal self, doesn¡¯t he?"

    ...

    Abi was dozing off when she felt someone approach from behind her. She turned to see who it was but that someone was already standing beside her when she moved.

    "It¡¯s already dawn," Zeke said as Abi looked up at him.

    "Are you alright now?" she asked him and Zeke nced down at her.

    "Do I look like I¡¯m not alright?"

    Abi pressed her lips tight and returned her attention to the calmke. Zeke sat down next to her.

    "You look pale," he told her. "You can¡¯t be that weak. We¡¯re heading out of the country once that guyes out."

    "I¡¯m fine."

    "No. Your fatigue is showing. Don¡¯t try to act all tough. Don¡¯t forget you¡¯re only human."

    Abi bit her lips. She was indeed feeling it. She was starting to feel the effects of the physical and mental fatigue especially because she had been awake all night.

    "Zeke... if Alex bites me, would I turn into a vampire?" she asked.

    Zeke¡¯s head snapped towards her, looking like what she said was a big shock to him.

    "You see..." she looked down and stared at her hands. "I¡¯ve been pretty useless. I am weak and... I can¡¯t do anything to help... if I am ¨C"

 Chapter 408 Heartless

    <h4>Chapter 408 Heartless</h4>

    "Don¡¯t even think about it. That¡¯s absolutely outrageous and impossible," he cut her off.

    Abi frowned at him. "You mean, I won¡¯t be a vampire if he bites me?"

    "No." His answer was firm and absolute. His tone was telling her there was no more room for argument over this topic. He even sounded like this topic was taboo, causing Abi to be even more curious.

    "They, why did Alex refuse to bite me?"

    Zeke let out a sigh. "You better ask him that question once you have the chance. All I want to tell you right now is rest so that you won¡¯t get sick and dy the journey. That guy needs you more than anyone else. Without you, Alex will leisurely wait right here for his death with immense pleasure. Remember that."

    Zeke¡¯s words, though he said it with a pinch of annoyance, made Abi feel better. She looked at him and smiled. Somehow, even though she felt like he didn¡¯t understand what she was feeling at all, Zeke had been nice to her and had been helping her - or at least he tried to. He exined things to her with a bored expression and listened to her sometimes which was a lot more than what she had expected him to do. He even ended up being bitten because of her.

    Thinking about all the things this guy had done for her and for Alex, regardless of all this mystery around him, Abi felt very grateful to him.

    "Zeke..." she faced him and Zeke looked at her. "Thank you," she continued as their eyes met, smiling at him.

    Zeke just blinked, wordless, as if he didn¡¯t expect what she just said. Abi looked out at theke again and he too averted his gaze.

    Both of them were silent for a while until Zeke finally moved to leave. However, before he could stand, Abi¡¯s body swayed.

    Zeke caught her head with his palm. He was at arms-length away from her so his hands were stretched out as he held her head.

    He craned his head slightly and when he saw she was asleep, he sighed again. He bent one knee and rested his elbow on it. His other hand was still stretched out, his palm acting like a wall for her head to lean on.

    Time ticked by and the men by the tree sighed in unison.

    "Is he nning to stay like that until the sun rises?"

    "Riev, go tell him to at least have the miss use hisp as her pillow!"

    "No way! That¡¯s Alexander¡¯s woman, idiot!"

    "It¡¯s not like his highness has feelings for her. And can you guys bear seeing that? That looks so ufortable for her!"

    "Well, his highness should at least have her lean on his shoulder instead of doing that. The miss looks pretty tired and sore. Not to mention she¡¯s a fragile human."

    "Yeah, his highness is pretty heartless ¨C"

    The soldiers suddenly felt chills and they mped their mouths. They knew that their prince could hear what they were saying if he wanted to listen but the soldiers thought he was thinking about something else and didn¡¯t bother to listen to their conversation. That was why they didn¡¯t hold back from talking especially because their, oh so serious leader, Raven, was not around. But it seemed they were unlucky this time. Their prince was actually listening!

    Zeke threw them a cold nce and they all stood still like statues, holding their breaths as if that would make them unnoticeable. They didn¡¯t dare look at their master as the chill surrounded them but then, they saw him move, causing their eyeballs to nce at him to see what he was doing. They could only pray that he wasn¡¯ting over to teach them a lesson!

    However, the scene that they encountered made them want to rub their eyes to make sure they were not hallucinating. However, they still didn¡¯t move, afraid to draw their master¡¯s attention again. They could only look at each other like they were talking through telepathy.

    They watched him scoot over closer to her and then finally, he let her head settle on his shoulder.

    The men¡¯s lips formed a small ¡¯o¡¯. They almost wanted to p at their cold hearted prince finally doing something humane.

    "Sigh... when will his highness¡¯ mate arrive?" Riev whispered and everyone shrugged. "I¡¯ve been waiting for hundreds of years now and she¡¯s still not here! I want to at least see his offspring before I die!"

    ...

    Dawn started to peek at the horizon. The calm darkke and the silent forest was now being bathed by streams of light which were bing brighter every minute.

    However, Abi was still asleep and Alex still hadn¡¯te out.

    Zeke remained sitting there, expressionless, as he waited.

    Impatience was evident in his face as his eyes zeroed in on the water. He looked like he wanted to move but was restrained because of the woman leaning into him.

    dly, he didn¡¯t have to wait much longer before the moment he was waiting for finally arrived. The water moved before him and atst, Alex emerged from it.

    His eyes were no longer red and he looked perfectly fine apart from the fact that his shirt was gone and he was half naked, making him look like the god of the water this time.

    He looked serious as he walked over to the shore. Although he looked like the god of water and the god of destruction mixed into one being in that moment, he didn¡¯t look as intimidating because of the presence of the toy in his hand.

    Lifting his other hand, Alex ran his fingers through his wet hair, swiping them back away from his face. His gorgeous forehead came into view and he almost looked like a godly model enjoying his photoshoot.

    However, the photoshoot vibe didn¡¯tst long.

    The moment his eyes fell on the shore, what weed him was a sight that made his face incredibly dark.

    His Abigail was sitting there, eyes closed and... and she was leaning on someone¡¯s shoulder?!

    .

    Don¡¯t forget our goal. Top 1=mass release. Keep voting ^^

 Chapter 409 Voice

    <h4>Chapter 409 Voice</h4>

    An even stronger chill crept through the air, causing the soldiers to react instinctively. It seemed like they had just dug their very own master¡¯s grave by spouting out their suggestions a while ago.

    But contrary to their reaction, Zeke didn¡¯t even flinch. He casually lifted his hand, cing his forefinger near his lips, gesturing Alex to hush.

    "She¡¯s been awake the entire night, waiting for you," he told Alex. "She needs sleep or else she might copse."

    dly, those words were enough to calm the storm. Alex still looked displeased but his dark aura was slowly dissipating.

    He was quick to leave the water and he headed straight towards Abigail, gently but hastily taking her away from Zeke.

    Once Abi was finally in his arms, Zeke rose and they immediately left the forest.

    ...

    When Abi woke up, she was surprised to find out that she was already inside Alex¡¯s room. She was quick to throw the covers away to climb off the bed to look for Alex. She wanted to know whether it was Zeke who brought her back once she fell asleep or if it was Alex.

    dly, Abi spotted the two toys resting next to her. They looked like they had already been washed and dried. Seeing the jellyfish made Abi feel emotional because it meant that Alex found it which means he was out of thatke. She picked them up and hugged them like they were her babies before she put them down and went outside to look for Alex.

    Despite knowing that he was finally out of theke, she was still worried. She wanted to see with her own eyes that he was alright.

    Just as she was about to hold the door handle, the door was pushed open from the other side, causing her to step back.

    Alex emerged and Abi¡¯s face immediately lit up.

    "Alex!!" she called out as she crashed herself into him, hugging him tightly.

    Alex hugged her back but he lifted her back inside the room and closed the door. "Are you alright? Don¡¯t you need more sleep?" he asked but Abi shook her head.

    "I¡¯m fine. How about you? Are you okay?" she checked his body as if to make sure he wasn¡¯t hiding any wounds anywhere.

    "I said I¡¯m fine." He pinched her chin and bent over her, surveying her face. "It seems you are indeed quite energized now. We are leaving."

    "Where?"

    "To the north. Zeke said we¡¯re heading to Frost Town and he¡¯s in haste."

    Abi¡¯s lips parted in surprise. Frost Town... that ce... she didn¡¯t expect that she would be going back to that ce anytime soon.

    Seeing her shocked expression, Alex tilted his head and asked with his eyes narrowed. "What¡¯s wrong? Have you been to that ce before? Have... we?"

    Abi bit her lips. She was trying not to be emotional despite her remembering the precious time they spent together in that ce.

    Once she nodded at him, Alex suddenly captured her lips, kissing her lightly and gently. And then, he smiled at her. "I am kind of excited to get there. I might remember more of the memories I lost. I wonder what we did there. Will you tell me? Abigail? It might make me remember."

    "You brought me to a gorgeous house. We stayed there for one week."

    "And?"

    "We watched the northern lights and we swam in an outdoor hot pool and we went fishing as well..."

    "Did we just watch the northern lights and go fishing in that one week?"

    "We... our first night..." she blushed. "We spent our first night in that ce, Alex."

    A short silence passed by before a mischievous yet alluring smile curved on Alex¡¯s face. His eyes glimmered with curiosity and anticipation at what he just heard.

    "It seems that Frost Town is definitely a special ce."

    "Yes. That¡¯s our special ce, Alex."

    "I see, I got it," he said, nodding, and then he suddenly swooped her up and brought her inside the bathroom. "Get ready. Zeke and Alicia are already waiting for us. Or do you want me to help you bathe?"

    Abi was quick to protest. If that happened, it would definitely take them longer to meet Zeke and Alicia.

    dly, Alex agreed to leave her and in no time, the two of them joined Zeke and Alicia inside the car.

    Abi didn¡¯t know that the ce they were going was actually Frost Town. She immediately found it a little suspicious because wasn¡¯t it too much of a coincidence? Was the enemy they were talking about really there of all the ces in the world?

    "Littlemb, what are you thinking?" Alex¡¯s voice jolted Abi. He was whispering so closely in her ears.

    "I am wondering why the enemy is in Frost Town," she responded. "Is that country the same as this country?"

    "No. It¡¯s just a human country like all the others. That ce is just ideal for vampires and witches to hide."

    "I see..."

    "I believe they might be hiding somewhere in those mountains with extreme conditions where humans don¡¯t usually visit," Alicia piped up as she nced at Abigail. "It will be not easy for you, Abigail."

    She looked a little worried when Alex spoke.

    "Don¡¯t worry, littlemb," he whispered in her ear. "I will cradle you like a baby and heat you up with my body during the entire journey." He yfully winked at her, causing Abi to fall speechless.

    Her reaction made him chuckle.

    "Y-you¡¯re too rxed, Alex." She puffed her cheeks.

    "You guys are just too serious. Don¡¯t get infected by Zeke¡¯s boring virus."

    Everyone: ". . ."

    ...

    Finally, the four boarded the ne. Zeke said that his men were already in Frost Town and were now waiting for them.

    As they reached the country, Abi couldn¡¯t help but feel tense. She was suddenly worried and she didn¡¯t know why. The pace of her heartbeats kept increasing the closer they got despite having Alex here right next to her.

    She couldn¡¯t stop thinking if this feeling she got was some kind of premonition and it was scaring her. To calm herself, she forced herself to sleep while cuddling with Alex and maybe because she was stillcking sleep, she sumbed to the world of dreams quite quick. No, this time, Abi had sumbed to the world of nightmares.

    "Abigail..." a woman¡¯s voice echoed. It was a voice so beautiful yet felt terrifying. "I¡¯ve been waiting for you..."

 Chapter 410 Frost Town

    <h4>Chapter 410 Frost Town</h4>

    Upon the nending on solid ground again, what weed the quartet was a pristine, snow whitendscape. Frost Town definitely lived up to its name. An endless view of snow coverednd, roads, buildings and mountains could be seen and all looked so magical. It was a big contrast to the mossy, green forests back in Country V.

    Zeke led them to a low key hotel located in the heart of the capital. The city wasn¡¯t that big but there was quite a bustle of people running around, trying to get to wherever they needed to go. For such a small ce, it seemed pretty busy but there was nothing unusual about it that they observed.

    In fact, the only thing that was a little unusual was how Abigail was acting. She desperately clung onto Alex¡¯s arm, not letting go at all since theynded on the airport all the way to the hotel room, where they were currently gathered. Her eyes had darted this way and that, as if she was expecting trouble toe at them from all directions.

    "This ce seems peaceful. If this is where the creator of those hybrid vampires is hiding, I would¡¯ve heard even one of them lurking around, don¡¯t you think?" Abigail said as the four of them made themselvesfortable inside the room where Alicia was preparing her magic ball. Now that they were inside the country, Alicia was now able to search the country itself to find which part of the country was not visible in her crystal ball.

    "This country is a pretty big ce, Abigail. Their base could be up high in the mountains or maybe even underground. They might not necessarily go to the main cities for risk of exposure. Besides, they would definitely not let us find them so easily," Alex answered.

    "Are we going to start looking for them today?" Abi asked again.

    Zeke lifted his face and looked at her. "Yes," he answered.

    "But... the sun is already setting. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if we wait until tomorrow?" Abi¡¯s voice was a mixture of hope and fear and worry; hopeful that they would listen to her suggestion and agree to wait and scared and worried for Alex.

    Everyone looked at her. Alex bent over her, staring deeply into her eyes. He had sensed her unease since they were in the ne but he didn¡¯t address it because he thought this littlemb was perhaps just being a worrywart. But from her actions right now, he could tell something was troubling and scaring her about this ce or maybe the country itself. He thought that she would have been a little bit more optimistic about this trip because this ce was obviously very special to her, to them, and this could bring him one step closer to regaining his memories. So why did she look so worried? Their party had Zeke and himself, the two strongest vampires in the world, plus a strong witch and their special elite force. It would be very hard for the enemy to even get close enough to all of them.

    Alex looked at his littlemb and he could not ignore it any longer.

    "Littlemb..." he uttered. "What is bugging you? Tell me..."

    Abi blinked, clearly flustered. "I... I am just worried, Alex. I know you are strong but... what if you suddenly be weak and lose consciousness while fighting them? What will happen to you then? That already happened to you twice in just a few days. Even if you don¡¯t die, they could still take you away from me and... and... I¡¯m just scared of..." Abi trailed off, unable to voice out her fear of losing him again.

    Worry and fear flooded her eyes and all of them knew that her fear wasn¡¯t baseless. There was a possibility that what she said could happen. In fact, when they were nning this trip, they looked at the different oues they could get and this was definitely the worst case scenario. Even Alex couldn¡¯t deny that fact. If that happened to him while he was amidst their enemy, he really might end up being captured.

    But Alex just smirked,pletely unbothered. He pinched Abi¡¯s cheeks lightly before he swooped her up in his arms.

    "I think my littlemb is still pretty tired because of the long trip. She needs to rest," he said, causing Abi to protest.

    "No, Alex. That¡¯s not..."

    "Shh... be good, littlemb. I don¡¯t like it when you worry this much. It¡¯s not good for your body," he cut her off as he began walking away. "That will take a while, right? Alicia?" he halted by the door, ncing back at the silver-haired witch.

    "Yes."

    "Then it¡¯s fine. Call us once it¡¯s time to go."

    The door was then closed and Alex walked over to the bed and put Abi down.

    "Alex, I¡¯m really..."

    Once again, Alex didn¡¯t let her speak. He devoured her lips instead, kissing her as he pinned her down on the bed.

    "I told you. Stop worrying and trust me. No one will ever take me away from you. Understand?" he told her as their lips parted before he kissed her again. He kissed her like he was determined to erase all of Abigail¡¯s worries, to make her forget about everything else but the fact that he was here with her at that moment in time.

    His kiss deepened causing Abi unable to resist and she could only kissed him back. She already missed kissing him like this; kissing him like there was no more tomorrow.

    And before she knew it, her thoughts were filled with only him. Her tensed body and the fear in her heart temporarily disappeared as she let herself get lost in his kisses. Being in his arms had always been her very own paradise, her very own haven in times of both happiness and distress.

    .

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 Chapter 411 Last chance

    <h4>Chapter 411 Last chance</h4>

    Meanwhile, Alicia was busy looking into the crystal ball, methodically looking down a map of the country and surveying each area, mentally memorising the ces where she was not able to see anything. Zeke merely sat on his chair, eyes closed as if he was asleep but Alicia knew that he wasn¡¯t. He was probably calcting their next move, as always.

    After some time, Zeke knocked on the door to the room where Alex had taken Abi. Zeke was expecting Alex but Abigail was actually the one who came out.

    With a slightly narrowed eyes, Zeke asked, "don¡¯t tell me that guy passed out?"

    Abi nodded. "Mm. He fell asleep."

    Zeke was speechless. Sleep was now necessary to the modernmon vampires but the vampires who still drank blood, like the royal family and Alex, should be fine even without sleep. They were able tost for days without having any sleep. Sleep was just a form of rxation for them, not to mention that Alex just slept for hours yesterday.

    "What did you do to him this time for him to fall asleep so easily like that?" Zeke nonchntly asked but Abi just walked over towards Alicia, unbothered by his words.

    "I didn¡¯t do anything!" she puffed her cheeks at him.

    "Are you sure? That guy seems to be doing all these unusual things whenever he¡¯s around you."

    "Fine. Yes, I cast a spell on him. Happy?"

    "So you want to be a witch, huh?"

    "That¡¯s right. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that, is there? I also want to be powerful like you guys!"

    She ranted when Alicia piped up. "It¡¯s okay, Abigail. You are powerful in your own way, believe me," she smiled so encouragingly at Abi that Abi couldn¡¯t help but feel better. Why did she feel like Zeke was riling her up for no reason sometimes?

    "Thank you, Alicia," she said to Alicia before her eyes fell on the crystal ball. "Did you finally find something?"

    "Mm. Almost."

    Abi focused her attention on the map. She had seen the map of this country from thest time she and Alex visited this ce.

    "So these unmarked ces are safe?"

    "Hmm... for now yes. I was able to spy on these ces and I couldn¡¯t find any unusual activities. The only ce I can¡¯t see is here." She pointed to the easternmost part of the country. "I believe they have a hideout somewhere out there. There¡¯s also a hidden ce here in this western part."

    Abi¡¯s gaze zeroed on the ces Alicia pointed to like she was looking for something and then she lifted her face and looked at Zeke. Gone was her rxed expression and the lines on her forehead appeared again along with her worried expression from a while ago. Both Alicia and Zeke felt her unease and fear once again.

    "Zeke... about what I said a while ago. I am really worried. I..." she stammered, causing Zeke to speak with impatience.

    "Just say it, Abigail. What are you trying to say?"

    Abi looked at him as she swallowed.

    "I think... it will be best if we can be sure that something like that will not happen to Alex before we go into the enemy¡¯sir."

    "We are already in the enemy¡¯sir, Abigail."

    "But they still don¡¯t know that we¡¯re here, right?"

    "If they have the witch queen, they will already know we are here. And they might even be waiting for us now."

    "So you are saying we are still going despite knowing that an ambush might be waiting for us?"

    Zeke sat back, folded on knee over the other and rested his face on his palm.

    "That¡¯s how we always work. Vampires don¡¯t y defensive wars. We are always the ones who attack," he told her as a matter of fact. "And Alex... this was how he had done things and that won¡¯t change."

    "But Alex isn¡¯t in his best condition, Zeke. And you don¡¯t know what kind of enemy is waiting for us. And like I said, what if they end up taking Alex from us?"

    "So you want to go back now? Retreat? And then what? Waste more time? Did you forget that Alex is running out of time, Abigail?"

    "I¡¯m not saying we should go back, Zeke. And no, I haven¡¯t forgotten. I am very well aware of that."

    "Then what exactly are you nning to do?"

    Their exchange of words finally paused. Abi¡¯s gaze at him was serious and her intensity actually surprised Zeke. ¡¯Such a little brave human talking back to him so fiercely like that... how amusing¡¯, he thought.

    "Speak."

    "I will bring his memories back first."

    Silence followed Abi¡¯s words. She had said those words with such conviction and unwavering will, but Zeke¡¯s lips simply lifted up slightly at the corners.

    "You¡¯ve been trying to do that for days now, Abigail, and he is still in the dark."

    "But it is working, Zeke. What happenedst night was a good sign. He even remembered where he threw the toys. Re-enacting the things that we did together seems to be paying off. I think that with a little bit more push, he might remember everything and once that happens, he will not be in danger anymore," Abi exined.

    "But what if that won¡¯t work?" Zeke retorted. "You know that things aren¡¯t always that simple and straightforward, right?"

    "I know," her voice weakened. "I know that this isn¡¯t simple or straightforward to solve. If it was, he would have his memories by now. I know there is no easy road. But..." she looked up, eyes filled with emotions. "I want to try it... onest time."

    The room was once again enveloped with silence. They could feel Abi¡¯s desperation. It was almost as if she was going all in on the cards she had been dealt, giving her everything to onest gamble, as if this was her veryst chance. The game was ending and she would either win big or lose everything on this bet.

    "Give me a day, Zeke. Just a day..." she added. "That¡¯s all I am asking."

 Chapter 412 Solo

    <h4>Chapter 412 Solo</h4>

    Zeke gazed at Abi with discerning eyes, as if he was trying to deduce something from her expression. He knew something must have happened to Abigail and that was why this woman was acting like this. She used to always trust his instructions and his ns or she would be cated by Alex¡¯s words offort and reassurance but it seemed that even Alex couldn¡¯t calm her down this time. Zeke finally confirmed that there must be a reason for her to do all this. That fear and unease she was exuding must certainly have some source and she just didn¡¯t want to say it, not even to Alex.

    "A day, huh?" he echoed and then added. "Fine. Do what you want."

    Abigail looked so relieved while Alicia quickly nced at Zeke. Both wonder and disbelief shed in her silver eyes for a moment. Zeke had just told her that they were not going to do anything for now and that they would wait until tomorrow night. He also said that she was to stay with Abi and Alex while he investigated that ce in the west.

    She had questioned Zeke when he told her about this n because he had told Abigail ¡¯yes¡¯ when she had asked if they were going to move that night but all Zeke replied was ¡¯don¡¯t worry about that¡¯.

    Suspicion began to flood Alicia¡¯s eyes as she looked at him. Had he anticipated this? Did he already know that Abigail would ask him to give them a day? But how did he even know? Or was this just a coincidence? Just his gut feeling?

    "Thank you. Once Alex wakes up, we will leave immediately," she said and Zeke didn¡¯t say anything.

    "Just the two of you?" Alicia asked and Abi nodded.

    "You said it¡¯s safe in this ce right?" she pointed at a ce in the north.

    "Yes, but, shouldn¡¯t I be there to conceal you two from the enemy¡¯s eyes?"

    "You will follow them. You¡¯re powerful enough to cover arge space, Alicia. You will stay along with my men in a nearby ce," Zeke butted in and this time, it was Alicia that asked him.

    "What about you? Are you noting with us?"

    "No."

    Alicia stared at him for a long while before a soft sigh escaped her lips. It was impossible even for her to read him. What he was truly nning to do right now was beyond her understanding. Will he really go to the west? Alone? He knew that without her, the enemy would be able to clearly see him approaching the ce, so why?

    Feeling like she would get a headache if she kept thinking about this prince and his chess moves, Alicia could only shake her head and look at her crystal ball again. Abi, on the other hand, was talking to Zeke about the ce where she wanted to take Alexander to, requesting for this and that.

    Abi was still talking to Zeke, while Zeke just nodded with a bored expression on his face, when the door to the room where Alex was in, opened.

    Alexander emerged, looking unhappy once he saw Abigail sitting next to Zeke talking to him so seriously.

    "Abigail," he called out and Abi was quick to approach him.

    "You¡¯re awake!" She smiled as she approached him. Her fierce expression disappeared at the sight of him.

    He bent down and gently bumped his forehead on her. "You actually ditched me while I was asleep? I think you deserve to be punished for that, Abigail. Did you forget that you¡¯re not supposed to let me out of your sight?" he whispered, his cool breath caressing her face. but Abi was unaffected and she instead grabbed his wrist.

    "Uhm... Alex... I want to take you somewhere tonight. Come with me," she quickly told him, smiling widely at him.

    Alex only lifted a brow when Zeke spoke.

    "We will start the mission tomorrow night instead, Alex. Alicia still needs to confirm some things," he said and Alex nced at him, obviously unconvinced by thatst line, but he smiled anyway as he returned his gaze to Abigail.

    "And where do you want to bring me?"

    Abi didn¡¯t answer and just grinned at him. The next moment, she dragged him out of the room.

    Zeke and Alicia stood up as well and followed the couple out of the hotel into the hotel¡¯s underground garage.

    There were a couple of cards ready and waiting for them when they stepped out of the elevator. Abi immediately rushed towards the first car and basically shoved Alex into it. Alex could only follow her lead.

    Once Abi and Alex¡¯s car was gone, Zeke faced his men.

    "You will follow them and stay with Alicia," he ordered them, earning him a look of shocked surprise from all the soldiers.

    "We are going to stay with the witch princess?" Riev asked, looking like he couldn¡¯t quite believe the order.

    "Yes. I am assigning you to protect her, Riev."

    Riev¡¯s mouth dropped. "W-w-why me?" he stammered. He was fine protecting the human girl but a witch? Riev knew this witch was not their enemy and she was powerful but still, a vampire protecting a witch was unheard off!

    But Zeke merely ignored Riev and looked at Raven. "Stay alert. If something happens, protect Abigail. Don¡¯t worry about Alex. She is your main priority. Don¡¯t forget she can die as easily as an ant. I don¡¯t believe anything will happen while they are there but don¡¯t rx your guard."

    "Yes, your highness. But what about you?"

    "I will go solo. We will part ways from here. I will follow suit."

    Raven hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded, knowing that all they could do was follow this man¡¯s orders.

    After watching Zeke disappear, the soldiers could only sigh and they all started leaping away as well, leaving Riev alone, standing beside the car where Alicia was seated.

    He scratched his head and sat in the driver¡¯s seat before he finally elerated the car, chasing after Alex and Abi.

 Chapter 413 In the snow

    <h4>Chapter 413 In the snow</h4>

    Abi had found out from Zeke that the little house in the snow was already ready for them. When Abi asked Zeke to send people to prepare everything because it had been three months since they werest there, the caretaker Zeke called had said that Alex had ordered them to attend to the house, even in their absence.

    Knowing that made Abi happy because it was like Alex had been maintaining the ce because he had nned for them to go back there again.

    However, she didn¡¯t intend on going straight to their little house in the snow. She wanted to replicate their journey as much as she could to give him as many triggers as possible. So she directed him towards the first ce they stopped at.

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to reach that three storey mansion. Back then, Alex drove fast but not as fast as how he drove right now; not even close. She was still not aware about who he was back then so Alex must have been driving like a normal human being to not scare her.

    Somehow, those thoughts made Abi smile subconsciously and seeing this fairytale-like house again made her feel so nostalgic. Back then, she thought she would never get to see this ce again because she thought she was going to die soon, but here she was still alive and kicking and back here again with the man she loved.

    Climbing out of the car, Abi held Alex¡¯s hand and she led him inside the house. She could remember all the things he did and said during this entire trip.

    "So this is the ce you wanted to bring me to?" Alex asked, his mischievous grin was shing so gorgeously as he pinned her against the door the moment they entered a room.

    They were in the same room they had used thest time there were there and everything looked the same as back then.

    Wanting to start re-enacting the things they did in this house, Abi pulled him towards the bed and made him sit on it. Alex was a little startled at being pushed onto the bed and he bit his lips as his mind started to churn. Did this littlemb really bring him here to...

    Suddenly, she pinched his chin and stared at his lips. Alex was supposed to be the one doing this but maybe if she did the things he did, it might be more effective. Besides she really couldn¡¯t just order him to do these things.

    The next moment, her thumb caressed his lower lips and then, she kissed him.

    She could still remember how intense their kiss was in this very room back then and she wanted for them to experience that again so she pinned him down on the bed as she continued kissing him. She did all the things he did to her, delving deeper inside and tasting every corner of his mouth.

    The only difference was that Alex immediately responded to her and he kissed her back like a hungry beast until, before she knew it, he flipped her in one swift movement, without breaking the kiss, and she ended up being under him.

    What happened that day was being repeated in almost exactly the same way; their intense and passionate kisses and even the way Alex¡¯s hand began to wander around her body until they slipped under her top.

    She also felt his bulge turn hard as a rock as he pressed it naughtily against her groin.

    Abi knew she had to stop it here because if she didn¡¯t then it wouldn¡¯t be a re-enactment anymore. She was determined to follow all the things from her memory. Unfortunately, there was no knock to interrupt them this time, so without a choice, Abi pulled away from his ravenous kisses and caught his face.

    Her resolve was very much stronger than her desire for him and even this would not make her forget her goal.

    "Alex... this is not the ce yet," she told him but Alex¡¯s eyes were already flooded with desire.

    "Oh, Abigail. You¡¯re the one who brought me here and seduced me. Now you want me to stop?" He didn¡¯t climb off her and instead buried his face in her corbone and began his onught downwards. Oh no! This was not supposed to happen...

    Before a moan could escape from her lips, Abi grabbed his head again and made him look at her.

    "We¡¯re leaving, Alex. At least, wait until we reach our destination," she told him, repeating exactly the same words he told her when she was worried about his Mount Everest that day.

    She saw him crease his brows and she could only hope that something triggered his memories again.

    Abi took that opportunity to slip away and she climbed off the bed. "Let¡¯s go, Alex," she said to him as she grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the door.

    Alex looked confused but before he closed the door, something shed in his eyes as he surveyed the room onest time.

    ...

    Finally, their car stopped on top of a certain hill.

    It was already dark so the teau-like, gigantic open space couldn¡¯t be seen anymore. Nevertheless, Abi still jumped out of the car, eximing the word ¡¯wow¡¯ as she ran with her arms spread wide and twirled around in the snow.

    The sight of her doing that made Alex smile and frown a little. In his mind, he saw a snowball being thrown at him.

    "Alex!" she called out and then she threw a snowball at him. The next moment, she dashed towards him, tiptoed and then, cupped his face with snow in her palms.

    Unlike the first time, Abi was unable to run away from him this time because Alex grabbed both of her wrists. His eyes narrowed and were filled with questions but that look made Abi happy, because she knew all this was having an effect on him, awakening something in him.

    "Abigail... you are re-enacting what we did here in the past, right?" he asked but no answer came out of Abi¡¯s lips. Her eyes just welled with unshed tears as she smiled. And then suddenly, she nted a kiss on his lips without warning.

    "Let¡¯s go, Alex. Let¡¯s go inside the house."

    .

    Don¡¯t forget our goal. Top 1=mass release. Keep voting ^^

    Pls consider buying privilege. Tier 1 only cost 1 coin.

 Chapter 414 Password

    <h4>Chapter 414 Password</h4>

    Before Abi could turn to lead him to their secluded house made of ss, Alex stopped her by grabbing her wrist. He was staring at the open space with narrowed eyes.

    "Alex?" she called his name and she craned her head to look at his face. He looked at her and then suddenly, he swooped her up and leapt from the ground.

    Once hended, Abi looked at where he brought her and she gazed at him in surprise.

    He slowly put her down after looking around as Abi just gaped at him. "This ce..." he started as his eyes fell on the octagonal tent in the middle of a vast meadow covered with snow. "This was where..." he paused to look into her eyes. "You and I watched those lights?"

    Abi took a while to respond. She was dumbstruck. "Y-you remember?!" she eximed, eyes opened wide.

    Alex¡¯s eyes roamed around once again, surveying the empty tent, the two outdoor chairs and the campfire. "I remember this ce, the small campfire, and the lights."

    "W-what else do you remember?" she asked, obviously thrilled, as she held her breath.

    Alex narrowed his eyes again. "The password for the lights to appear," he said, as the lines on his forehead deepened.

    "Do you remember what that was?" Abi¡¯s eyes began to well as she asked. She remembered what he said that night, so clearly and vividly in her mind.

    Silence reigned between them as their eyes locked on each other. The next moment, both of them spoke in unison.

    "I love you," they both said, surprising themselves.

    Abi gasped as she covered her mouth with her palm. Tears began to flow from her eyes. It really was happening. It really was working. It was finallying back to him and she felt like her heart was about to burst. She threw herself at him and hugged him as tight as she could.

    "Oh, Alex..." she cried and then, as if they were in a choreographed movie set, the sky began to light up. It was coincidentally the perfect time for the northern lights to appear but to them, it was magic. The password worked because they said it.

    Both of them looked up and the breathtaking lights began to dance above them, as if the sky too was celebrating with them.

    Alex hugged her from behind, heating her up with his body as they watched the brilliant light show majestically glowing above them. The memories began to sh within him. He started to hear some of his own voice as well but he still couldn¡¯t see Abigail or hear her voice in these images. It was as if there was a formidable wall that was blocking him from seeing everything that he still couldn¡¯t break through.

    But what was happening with him was making him hopeful, because just like Abi, he was desperate to remember everything. He wanted to remember her and everything that they had done, because since he found out about all of this, he had been cursing himself for actually forgetting her, for leaving her.

    After watching the northern lights for a bit longer, Alex carried Abigail and then leapt onto the ground, right next to the campfire. They lit up the campfire and sat on the chair, sitting in the very same position as they did back then as they watched the northern nights.

    "Let¡¯s go inside the tent, Abigail. It¡¯s getting too cold for you," he told her when he felt her body start to shiver in his arms.

    Abi immediately nodded and they both entered the tent. Alex began to turn on the lights, seemingly remembering where the light switches were and the memories of the two of them in this gorgeous little space shed in Abi¡¯s head. It felt like all those things happened just yesterday.

    They theny on the bed, cuddling each other as they looked up at the sky.

    "Abigail..." he uttered her name and Abi looked at him. "Was this the ce where we spent our first night together?" he asked her.

    His question made Abi blush but she shook her head, causing Alex to look at her with curiosity.

    "No Alex..." she answered, a little red. "W-we did spend a night here but, our first time happened in the house."

    "The house..." he echoed, thinking deeply like he was searching every corner of his brain.

    "Shall we go there?"

    Alex stared at her and since the lights were already starting to fade, Alex rose and climbed off the bed. They both stepped out of the tent and Alex gathered her in his arms again. Abi didn¡¯t tell him where to go and just let him go in whatever direction he wanted. She wanted him to find the ce himself. She wanted to force him to remember where the house was located.

    It didn¡¯t take too long before he leapt andnded just in front of the house. The lights were already on and they could see the interior of the house.

    Abi was happy because he seemed to have remembered this ce, too.

    "Come, Alex," she said as she took his hand and led him inside. As Alex looked around, he began to see himself, talking,ughing. But he remained alone, talking to someone invisible. Abigail was still not in the picture.

    "So this is where we spend our first night together..." he said as he leaned against the door frame, looking at the empty bed.

    Abi nodded at him, a blush of pink painting her cheeks again. Alex was dying to remember everything about that special night. To think that their first night actually happened here and not at White Falls Vige... Alex once again felt like hitting himself. It was frustrating him to no end, not remembering. And Abigail was blushing, making him feel like she was enjoying a private joke, making him curious to death.

    "This is frustrating..." he mumbled, causing Abi¡¯s head to snap at him.

    He walked over to her, eyes intense and he pinned her down on the bed. His fingers caressed her cheeks as he spoke with a voice full of need. "All the things we did here..." he started. "I want to know... make me remember, please."

 Chapter 415 Desperate

    <h4>Chapter 415 Desperate</h4>

    Seeing that earnest look in his eyes made Abi smile. She remembered how Alex had held himself back for her, how gentle and careful he had been and how he made her first time as painless as possible. She remembered how she told him she wanted to make him happy as well by giving herself, all of her, to him. She remembered their word exchange because Alex had refused to touch her, even telling her that he was crazy about sex and would not be able to stop at just one time. How true his words had been!

    As those memories yed like a movie in her head, Abigail held his face and pulled him closer.

    "I will do my best, Alex," she told him. Suddenly, she wrapped her hands around his neck. Their eyes locked for a while as sparks began to fly around them and then, Abi echoed the exact words she told him that night. "I want to do it with you here, Alex."

    Those words made Alex feel that feeling of d¨¦j¨¤ vu, and he was now certain that this was the second time he heard it. His body began to heat up and his member was already rock hard, resuming the hardness she gave him in that hotel where they had stopped by.

    His mind and body began to move in unison. He slowly recalled it - the things he had done in this ce. He remembered gently bumping his head onto someone¡¯s forehead, someone he still couldn¡¯t see. He filled the missing person in his memory with Abigail and everything just felt whole, he feltplete when she was in the picture, when it was her face, her body, her voice that he used to rece the missing pieces.

    Doing that made Alex feel like he was finally starting to solve the puzzle. The pieces were popping up one after another and the only thing missing now was Abigail.

    "Alex..." she uttered his name as she looked at him with her dreamy eyes; those seductive eyes that always drove him mad.

    With just that, Alex lost it and his lips mmed on hers. His tongue ravaged her mouth igniting the fire between them as his palm roamed all over her, feeling every corner of her body.

    In no time, Alex had her already undressed. He stopped thinking - no, his desire for her had beaten his mind. But the memories were there, popping up one after another in his subconscious mind, as if he was looking at a photo album created from their time in this house.

    The heat was a zing inferno between them. Even though Alex was trying to control himself, to notpletely get lost in this feeling, he felt like he couldn¡¯t do that this time. Their feelings and their desire were just too strong at that moment. Alex had always had this knack for making Abigail wild for him but she had never felt that feeling to be as intense as what she felt this time.

    She had been unable to keep up with his intensity and Alex understood becausepared to him, Abigail was a human. But this time, she was different. It was as if she was as desperate as he was. They were both desperate for something and that was what was driving her to this extreme.

    As Alex continued his onught, Abi didn¡¯t even try to stop her moans froming out anymore. Alex didn¡¯t need to beg her to let him hear her seductive moans anymore and he was damn aroused because of her willingness. Abigail seemed to have fully given into him with pure abandon and that thought increased his desire for her. Even though he still wasn¡¯t able to remember her fully, he now knew that she was his wife! That she loved him and he loved her, too. He couldn¡¯t believe how that fact was able to heighten his want for her, his need for her.

    Alex kissed her with a wildness that he had never felt before. He didn¡¯t need to hold back. He didn¡¯t need to worry about whether Abigail liked him or not because he now knew that she felt more than that. He was so overjoyed and that leaked out into his kisses. He just couldn¡¯t get enough of her.

    His eyes roamed downwards over her thighs before crawling back up to touch her there to find that she was already so damn ready for him. Her juices were flowing, inviting him toe inside. He pushed a finger inside her, as if to doubly make sure she was ready and he heard her moan through their kiss. She was more than ready. She wanted him bad. She even drew her leg back to give him better ess and Alex took that as confirmation that she wanted him inside her just as much as he wanted to be in there.

    "Abigail... I¡¯m going in," he whispered, moving his face an inch away from her to look at her face. When he didn¡¯t see anything but desire and need, he did as he said. His throbbing manhood finally entered her, inch by inch. He was damn big and hard but she was damn wet and slick and tight. Alex gasped and groaned as his jaw clenched.

    He wanted to go slow even if it was just to start off with but that was just not possible. She had turned him into a painfully impatient beast. "I¡¯m sorry, Abi, I¡¯m moving," he told her when Abi caught his face, pulled him and nted a kiss on his lips.

    She was smiling and tears were falling from her eyes. "You finally called me ¡¯Abi¡¯ again, Alex." she said, causing Alex¡¯s eyes to widen. "It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t hold back," she added and Alex¡¯s final restraint broke.

    He began to move, pulling his length and then pushing in, giving Abi the taste of pure heaven with every thrust.

    "Oh, god, Abi!" he moaned. He thought that he had experienced the peak of pleasure that night he first made love with her but this surpassed that; this surpassed everything and it made him wonder if this was exactly how he felt that night during their actual first time before he forgot her.

 Chapter 416 Everything but her

    <h4>Chapter 416 Everything but her</h4>

    Alex was sitting on the bed, staring at the sleeping Abigail. He had just experienced the best sex in all his life. Though those two nights he had spent with her before were heavenly, this night was truly exceptional. He never thought this kind of pleasure existed and he knew that the only one who could make him feel like this was this woman alone.

    He thought back to the reason that she had brought him here - to regain his memories - but even this didn¡¯t seem to be enough. Alex was troubled because Abigail was giving her all just for him. She even decided to go to these lengths just to do it and yet, the result was barely satisfactory for him. It seemed that the number of memories that he saw were increasing. He still wasn¡¯t sure if he remembered everything, he saw the many things they had done in thest three months. He remembered the ces they went to - the beach, the amusement park, the hospital. He remembered the y, his proposal, the wedding, the fight with Xavier, the surgery and even how he got those toys in a w machine; everything except the words he heard and said, everything but her. Why couldn¡¯t he remember the most important person to him? In his memories, he was talking to someone, looking at someone, holding someone who was invisible. He knew that was Abigail, so why? Why did she still not appear in his memories?

    Alex closed his eyes and tugged his hair. He didn¡¯t mind if he couldn¡¯t find the answer. All he wanted right now was to remember her. That was all he was asking because he could see the pain and despair in Abigail¡¯s eyes. If she woke up and found out that even this still didn¡¯t work, she would cry again. She would think that she had failed and that was something he didn¡¯t want to happen. All he wanted was to make her happy. For her not to cry again. He didn¡¯t like her being troubled because of him.

    Letting out a sigh as he let go of his hair, stared at Abigail again and carefully brushed the stray strands of hair away from her face. He bent and kissed her forehead and then, his eyes became intense as he looked outside the window.

    He clenched his fists tightly. He tried to force himself to remember more because he remembered Zeke saying that the answer to what was wrong with him might be in his forgotten memories but strangely, he found none. All he found were some blurry memories between that time he was in the hospital until the st happened in his mansion.

    Alex climbed off the bed and stood by the window, thinking as hard as he could. He just stood there for a long while, closing his eyes, unmoving like a statue. His aura was calm but heavy.

    When he opened his eyes again, their color was zing gold. He looked like something had awakened inside him.

    He swiftly moved like the wind towards Abigail and bent down once again to kiss her forehead, her eyes, her nose and her lips. A sweet smile curved on his face before he kissed her forehead again onest time.

    "I¡¯ll be back," he whispered before he left the room and leapt away from the house.

    ...

    "Abigail...e to me..." that beautiful voice was ringing again, calling her.

    Abigail knew this was the same dream - the same one she had while she slept in the ne. A woman was calling to her, telling Abigail she was waiting for her to find her. While this voice beckoned her, another woman¡¯s voice was speaking to her as well, telling her to leave, to note.

    The two voices echoed after one another like an angel and devil in her head but Abi couldn¡¯t tell which of the two was the angel or the devil. She couldn¡¯t see anything that time and just asked them ¡¯who are you¡¯, but none of the two voices spoke again.

    And then the nightmare started. Screams and cries began to echo in her ears. She knew who those cries came from, even if she couldn¡¯t see anything but blood. It was from her. She was crying in agony, calling for Alex the whole time, telling him not to leave her.

    Abi had experienced this before. When shest had these kinds of nightmares, she had somehow felt that they were telling her what wasing ahead and that feeling was proven true, judging from what had happened before where her nightmare actually became real.

    So this terrified her. Her gut was telling her that something bad would happen if they continued their attack. That was why Abi was determined to dy them. Abi was terrified that Alex would leave her again, that he would get hurt again and that was why she wanted to try onest time to bring his memories back. She thought that if she could bring Alex¡¯s memories back, whatever she saw in her nightmares might not happen because Alex would be invincible again. He wouldn¡¯te anywhere close to dying once he was back to his unbeatable self.

    She couldn¡¯t say all this to Alex before because she had the feeling that Alicia¡¯s power wasn¡¯t strong enough topletely shield them. It was as if someone stronger was able to break through the shield. The enemy already knew they were here and they might even be watching them, waiting for them.

    Despite that, Abi still nned to tell Alex about the nightmare. She decided to wait until morning to tell him because she thought that, like her nightmares before where it became more vivid when she dreamt about it a second or third time, that same thing might happen again. If that happened, she might be able to get more detail from the nightmares and she might be able to get some clues from it - clues about people, unique items or ces - something she could tell Alex in more detail so that he would be prepared for what might being.

    And it seemed she was right. The nightmare was here again and like as she thought, it was bing more vivid. This time, the woman began to appear in front of her.

    .

    Don¡¯t forget our goal ^^

    Top1 = mass release

    Keep voting!

    P.s. we are only top1 for female lead ranking guys. We are top 2 in overall ranking. You can see the real rank of the book whenever you vote. I am hoping hellbounders will bring this book to top 1 before it ends. ~_~

 Chapter 417 The right place

    <h4>Chapter 417 The right ce</h4>

    In her dream, a woman wearing a ck dress with a ck veil covering her face was sitting in a room, wearing an intricate golden crown filled with all sorts of precious stones. Her body was covered with gold jewels, from her ears, neck, wrists down to her ankles. The high slit of her back dress revealed her long and slender leg.

    She didn¡¯t look as surreal as Alicia had that first time that Abi had seen her. This woman looked like an ancient, human queen who was fond of gold and precious stones. Her face was hidden behind the veil but judging from her physique and the way she dressed, she looked like a seductive viin.

    Abigail also noted that her hair was jet ck, not an unusual color like Alicia¡¯s silver hair.

    "Who are you?" Abi asked. Abi knew that the woman she was looking at wasn¡¯t the witch queen that Alicia was looking for because the witch queen also had silver hair, like Alicia. She knew that from when Alicia had reyed the events leading up to Alex losing his memories.

    The woman rose from her golden throne and slowly walked towards her. And then, in a split second, she appeared right before Abigail, cupping her face, causing Abi¡¯s body to be paralyzed.

    "I am the one you¡¯re looking for," she answered, her beautiful voice sending shivers down Abi¡¯s spine. "Come to me and I will give you the answers you have been looking for."

    Abi tried to escape her grip but she couldn¡¯t even lift her hand to push the woman away.

    "Tell me who you are first!" Abi retorted but the woman didn¡¯t answer. Instead, she let go of Abi¡¯s face and turned her back from her.

    "If you really want Alexander¡¯s memories to return..." she nced at Abi over her shoulder. "Come to the old well in the forest. Alone. I will be waiting, Abigail. Or else, your Alexander will die."

    "Wait!"

    The woman disappeared, leaving Abi confused. She really wished that she had heard that other voice too - the one who told her to stay away - but no more words came. The next moment, she blinked and when she opened her eyes, she found herself bathing in a pool of blood.

    She trembled as she looked down at her hands. "Alex... Alex... where are you?" her lips trembled causing her voice to waver as she called out for her husband. The darkness started to be swallowed by the light and then, she saw herself crying. Alone. She looked around and saw no one.

    She was slightly relieved that she did not see Alex. She didn¡¯t want to see him covered in blood again.

    But where was she? Whose blood was this?

    Another sh blinded her and what she saw next was a throne room. The throne room was enormous and it seemed to have been carved underground. There was arge, round window high above where the throne sat, letting the light inside the room. The room glowed a bright golden yellow as the light hit the golden throne, so bright that Abi had to cover her eyes with her arms to stop the light from blinding her.

    She peeked from under her arm to look up at the throne, a colossal, magnificent looking thing sitting atop two flights of stairs. The throne¡¯s arms actually started from the bottom of the second flight of stairs which made the base of the throne. From afar, the throne actually looked akin to a giant, golden angel wearing a long, golden robe. However, the wings didn¡¯t look like feathers, they looked more like sharp, golden needles spread out into a winglike formation. They converged together to make up the backrest of the throne. There was even a small, circr halo design which started from the top of the backrest, ascending up towards the ceiling.

    Abi¡¯s eyes swept downwards and all she could see were the many steps which led up to the throne. There were at least a hundred of them, maybe more.

    She looked back up and she saw that woman sitting on it, being worshipped by countless hybrid vampires. She looked at all the hybrid creatures and to her surprise, they all suddenly turned towards her, staring right at her with those blood-red eyes.

    "No!!!" she heard her own scream.

    Abi gasped sharply as she suddenly sat up on the bed, finally freed from the nightmare.

    ...

    Alex swiftlynded on the snow. The golden hue of his eyes were zing as he stood there. He looked like he was silently trying to hear or feel something as he looked around.

    He was almost at the base of Frost town¡¯s mountain ranges where the wind and snow were brutal. But he wasn¡¯t bothered by the extreme conditions and he continued to stand there, unmoving like a statue.

    Alex didn¡¯t go there to scope the ce out - this was one of the ces that Alicia had mentioned might be the enemy¡¯sir. It seemed he had gone there knowing that this was the right ce.

    Closing his eyes, Alex calmly took a deep breath and when he opened his eyes again, countless of ck shadows appeared in the snow. A sea of red eyes had surrounded him.

    Alex¡¯s grin widened as his golden eyes intensified. He was excited about this fight. His fists were itching for blood.

    He felt incredibly powerful. The royal blood he had drunk seemed to have returned some of the vigor and power he lost due to purposely weakening and starving himself. And he felt so good. Fighting without going berserk was still the best because he could savor the fight as much as he could.

    And these hybrid creatures were also strong. Not to mention their numbers. Alex could tell that the enemy had raised an army of hybrid vampires. This number was something he didn¡¯t expect. He would even take a calcted guess and say that these hybrids might even surpass the number of rogue vampires.

    Where did this enemy find so many vampire hearts to create an army this big?

 Chapter 418 Unstoppable

    <h4>Chapter 418 Unstoppable</h4>

    Alex looked around him once again. His golden eyes zed with a raging fire. The corner of Alex¡¯s lips curved up and as if that was a signal, the creatures that surrounded him began to attack.

    The hybrid vampires had him surrounded in a tight circr formation and they jumped at him all at once, hovering over Alex like a dark nket about to smother him. However, before any of them couldnd on Alex, he squatted low to the ground and he leapt upwards, crashing through the small gap that was still there, hitting a few of the hybrid vampires in the face as he flew past them.

    Alexnded on a small, t area on the side of the mountain, crouched like a tiger, ready to attack. He didn¡¯t have to wait long before the hybrid vampires leapt up towards him but at least this time, he didn¡¯t have to watch his back.

    Clenching his fist tightly, he punched the rock next to him, causing the mountain to shudder a little. It wasn¡¯t his intention to smash the mountain, but he did want for it to shed some of its white coat down onto his enemies. A secondter, a rumble could be heard as the nket of snow, which had settled peacefully on the mountain, began to work its way down to the base of the mountain.

    He punched the faces of the first two hybrids with his fist, using more power than he normally would against rogue vampires and his punch crushed the hybrids¡¯ faces like it was made of y. He then threw a roundhouse kick to the next three that came along, kicking them up towards the rolling field of snow where they were instantly buried under.

    "This is fun..." Alex murmured as he watched his enemies being swallowed by nature and then he started to attack again.

    Because of their sheer number, Alex knew that hand to handbat would take too long so he opted for another strategy.

    He leapt from his position onto the ground, putting the hybrids between himself and the mountain. He stood up and spread his arms out wide, palms open, and then with burning eyes, he brought them together in a sh. With a sharp sound of a p, a strong gust of wind blew towards the line of hybridsing at him which blew them about a hundred meters back.

    The wind had actually brought countless of sharp ice crystals and they sliced through the bodies of the vampires, as if Alex had thrown a hundred shurikens at them. Their bodiesnded at the base of the mountain, just in time for the snow to reach the bottom and bury them swiftly.

    The scene made Alex smile. When was thest time he controlled the force of the wind? He couldn¡¯t remember and he didn¡¯t know doing this would actually felt this thrilling again. He had lost interest in all these things for thousands of years.

    Alex advanced as he continued to fight these hybrids. He was looking for the ce where the hybrids wereing from and he knew he was going in the right direction when he saw more and more hybrids appear before him.

    Still, he wasn¡¯t deterred. He didn¡¯t feel tired and he had barely depleted his stamina.

    However, these new sets of vampires seemed to have acquired some weapons and they weren¡¯t afraid to use them. Some even held guns. They aimed all their weapons at Alex but Alex was just too fast. He was faster than anything and nothing could touch him.

    When hended on the ground, Alex smashed the rock mountain with his fist, causing small debris to fall. He controlled the wind again, sending a wave of small stones and rocks at the army, along with the sharp ice crystals, causing mass damage to the army.

    The hybrids wobbled from the shaking ground and they didn¡¯t have time to recover before they were hit with the stones and rocks which were like bullets themselves.

    Dead bodies began to pile up in the god of ughter¡¯s trail.

    Alex kept going. He was unstoppable.

    "I can¡¯t wait to fight whoever created these minions," he again murmured to himself with a smile as he continued creating havoc. Until finally, his eyes zoomed in on an empty piece ofnd.

    His grin widened. "Found you," he said. The thrill in his eyes was gushing out like never before.

    However, before he could leap towards it, Abigail¡¯s voice suddenly echoed in his head, causing his body to freeze and his head instantly looked back.

    ----

    Meanwhile, in the small, wooden house a few miles away from where Abigail and Alex were staying, the elite vampires, along with Alicia, were making themselves at home.

    "Riev, go and get the fire going," Raven ordered when he saw Alicia go towards the firece to start piling the firewood in. The house was cold, especially now that the sun had set, and even though they as vampires didn¡¯t feel the cold, the same couldn¡¯t be said for witches. Although this woman was a witch, she was someone that their boss was closely working with so they had to respect her in the same way they respected him.

    Riev looked at his boss with a slight pout on his face but still did as he was bid. He was, after all, personally assigned to protect the witch princess by his master.

    "Thank you," Alicia said to the two men as she moved away from the firece to give Riev some room. Once Riev finished piling the firewood in the firece, he went to look for something to light the fire. "Does anyone have a match?" he called out to his fellow vampires, who all just shook their heads. They had no need for one so they didn¡¯t carry such things.

    "It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll light it up," Alicia said before she closed her eyes and started to chant. A secondter, the fire zed in the firece as if someone had put an elerant in there and lit it with a match. It was so big and bright and it immediately gave the room some much-needed warmth.

    Alicia grabbed her crystal ball and ced it on the small table set in front of the firece. When she started to work her magic, the vampires¡¯ eyes were all focused on her and her magic. They never thought watching a witch while doing her magic would actually this fascinating. All their lives, they thought, witches were disgusting but at that moment, all of them suddenly couldn¡¯t take their eyes off her.

    However, the vampires were jolted awake when Alicia gasped in shock and rmed at what she saw.

    All the men looked in her direction, instantly on alert, curious to know what had caused those expressions on her face.

    .

    I¡¯m sorry but I cannot give the third chapter today. ¡Á.¡Á

    I will give 4 chaps tomorrow instead.

    Thank you for understanding.

    \u003c3

    Please keep voting.

 Chapter 419 Fireplace

    <h4>Chapter 419 Firece</h4>

    Alicia¡¯s eyes glowed from the reflected light that came from her crystal ball. Her heart was thumping hard in her chest as she watched the scene before her. But she couldn¡¯t look away. She couldn¡¯t snap out of her trance. It was like she was being drawn into that world but she couldn¡¯t do anything about it. She was powerless.

    Alicia watched Abigail wandering out there, alone in the dark, cold, icy world. Alicia had no idea how long Abigail had been out there and she couldn¡¯t see her clearly through the crystal ball because ayer of mist had gathered around Abigail, obstructing her vision. Why? Why was she out there in the forest all alone? Where did Alexander go? And what was this thing that obstructed her vision? This had never happened before! Whatever that was, it was definitely not natural!

    "Abigail..." Alicia muttered causing all the vampires¡¯ eyes to snap and look at her. Raven finally spoke up, needing to know what was wrong.

    "Witch, what is it?" Raven asked, sounding very firm and calm. However, the witch was still watching, unable to break her concentration, unable to hear his questions. He didn¡¯t know if he should shake her awake or not because he didn¡¯t know what effect that might have on her if he interrupted her, so he decided to act.

    Feeling an urgency due to Alicia¡¯s outburst, Raven immediately gathered his troops.

    "We are going to check the perimeter of that ss house to make sure nothing bad has gone down there. If you see any anomalies, deal with it if it is an enemy, or report back to me if it is about Abigail or Alexander." He looked at each one of them before he turned to Riev. "Riev, you will stay here and protect the witch until wee back."

    Everyone nodded, and in the next second, everyone scattered out of the house, leaving Riev observing the silver-haired witch with a frown on his face. He definitely had a bad feeling about this.

    Alicia was still looking down the magic ball, searching Abigail¡¯s surroundings for any distinctndmarks that would help them track where she had gone before she finally expanded her view to see if Alexander was close by. There was no sign of him. Instead, she saw them; a line of red slowly approaching the log house she was in.

    Riev watched Alicia and waited for her to finish, anxious to know what she was seeing and his patience was soon rewarded. The witch finally snapped back to the present, her hazy eyes bing clearer with each second that passed by.

    "We need to get out of here. The enemies areing and Abigail needs us!" she frantically said to the almost empty room. In her panic, she hadn¡¯t realised that there was only herself and the vampire called Riev in the house. "Where is everyone?" she asked Riev, turning to face him.

    "When you said Miss Abigail¡¯s name, they all rushed out to check the house," Riev answered.

    Alicia¡¯s thudding heart somewhat calmed down after hearing that the troops had gone to check on the house. She knew that they would find an empty house and she hoped that they would then go out to look for Abigail. But, did they know where to look for her? What if, when they found the empty house, they assumed that she and Alex had left to go somewhere together? It didn¡¯t matter! She would just have to go find Abigail herself and if they encountered the elite vampires on the way, then all the better. She would then be able to lead them all to Abigail.

    "We have to go find Abigail! She is all alone out there but who knows how long for!" Alicia told Riev as she covered the crystal ball and quickly put it away. Her movements were rushed, as if there was no time to waste. "The enemies areing. I saw them, many of them, heading our way. There were hybrid vampires and also hybrid w-" Alicia was cut off when she heard loud thudsing from above, as if somethingnded on the roof.

    Alicia and Reiv looked up before they looked at each other. Alicia thought that Raven and the others hade back when they found the house empty, looking to get answers from her but Riev carefully put a finger over his lips, indicating for her to be quiet. If these weren¡¯t their allies, then it could only be their enemy. Had they already reached them? But that was way too fast! She thought they had at least five more minutes before they arrived!

    Alicia slowly bent down to pick up her bag which carried her potions, holding them close in case they were needed.

    They heard footsteps on the roof, many footsteps, spreading out to each corner of the roof, surrounding them and blocking off potential escape paths. Alicia walked closer to Riev. Riev pointed to the firece, gesturing to her in a way that told her that the firece was where they were going to escape from. It kind of made sense. The enemies wouldn¡¯te down from it while the fire was zing and they certainly wouldn¡¯t expect for them to use that to escape for the same reason.

    Alicia nodded at Riev and began to chant a spell. This was a spell for fire protection, so that both of them wouldn¡¯t get burned while they made their escape. Just as she finished chanting thest word of the spell, the enemies smashed through the roof down into the living area, surrounding the room with dust and rubble.

    The moment before the enemies¡¯ feetnded on solid ground, Riev grabbed Alicia in a bear hug and kicked them up the chimney to the roof. He then leapt out towards the forest with her in his arms but they weren¡¯t able to get a clean getaway. Many pairs of red eyes chased after them and Riev knew it was useless to run. They would have to fight their way out of this. Besides, he didn¡¯t want to be followed, especially if they were on their way to get Miss Abigail.

 Chapter 420 Footprints

    <h4>Chapter 420 Footprints</h4>

    Riev took them further into the forest, hoping to lose some of the hybrids. He thennded on a tree branch, high up on the trees and ced Alicia down.

    "I¡¯ll go deal with them," Riev told her, obviously telling her to stay put.

    "But there are too many of them! There¡¯s no wa-"

    "Please don¡¯t insult me, witch princess. I am not weak. Raven is our captain because he knows how to lead but I am just as strong as he is," Riev cut her off.

    Riev¡¯s red eyes zed as he made mincemeat of the hybrid vampires that came at them. Alicia provided back up by casting protection spells, healing spells and buffs on Riev. Riev felt unstoppable. His body felt light but stronger. He was somewhat amazed at the difference he felt with Alicia¡¯s spells running through his body. It was actually kind of scary.

    Alicia watched from the branch as Riev fought four hybrids at once. She saw him fling two small knives towards the foreheads of two of the hybrids and they made their mark with a swift sharp cut. The hybrids fell to the ground, dead. He then lunged towards the hybrid in front of him, savagely piercing this one in the throat with his sharp talons. The fourth one held a knife and lunged at Riev, aiming the point of the knife towards his heart, but Riev merely swatted the hybrid¡¯s arm away with his left wrist before stabbing the hybrid in the heart with his sharp w.

    Alicia saw that another hybrid was about to stab Riev from behind so she quickly threw a potion towards its head, getting her target. When Riev turned to see what had happened, he saw the hybrid already on the ground, with only half a head left.

    This was how they fought the hybrid vampires; Riev on the ground, with Alicia watching his back. He made sure that none of them passed by him to get to her - it was after all his mission to keep her alive - and she made sure to deal with the hybrids that crept up behind him.

    The number of enemies were slowly dwindling and arge number of dead bodies were scattered all over the forest floor.

    Riev looked up at where Alicia was standing. He was about to leap up to her when he heard another mob of hybrids running at him.

    Alicia looked at this group and she immediately called out to Riev.

    "Riev! Be careful. These are hybrid witches. Don¡¯t look them in the eyes!" Alicia yelled but her warning came toote. Riev had already turned around and was frozen in ce.

    She immediately jumped off the branch, throwing several potions towards the hybrid witches, andnded in front of Riev with a soft thud. She closed her eyes and chanted another spell and when she opened her eyes, they glowed green. The ground beneath them shook and cracked underneath the mob of hybrids. Suddenly, many sharpened tree roots appeared from the cracks, stabbing the hybrids all at once in the heart. Everyst one of the hybrids fell and a secondter, the roots retracted back underground as Alicia fell to the ground, breathing heavily. That spell took all of her power to cast and she felt like she had no strength left.

    However, she still had to save Riev. With what strength she had left, she pulled out a silver de from her bag and cut a small line on the back of his hand. In the next moment, Riev staggered backwards, awakened from the hybrid witches¡¯ spell.

    Alicia was still on the ground as she and Riev looked at the carnage around them. A crazy amount of dead hybridsy everywhere but it looked like they had finally finished them all off.

    Without waiting for more of the damn things to arrive, Riev picked Alicia up and they left to find Abigail.

    ---

    Dark shadows flew in the darkness, moving swiftly and silently towards the ss house. They surrounded the house and looked for any signs of enemies within the vicinity but all was silent. There was nobody out there and there was nobody inside or around the house.

    Raven looked for signs of a fight, or anything to indicate that Alexander and Abigail were attacked and had been taken, but he found none. His relief was short lived, however, when one of his men called him over to look at an imprint on the snow.

    He cursed and told everyone to quickly follow its course - the route that Abigail had taken towards the mountain - for it was her footsteps that were imprinted on the ground. What made him uneasy was the fact that Alexander¡¯s footprints were nowhere to be found.

    "Where are you going, Abigail? And where is Alexander?" he muttered to himself.

    Raven and his team didn¡¯t get very far before they had to suddenly stop because a sea of red eyes appeared before them.

    "Sh*t!" Raven cursed under his breath before he told his men to get into formation. He and his team have been on many missions and they knew how to work together as a team. They had grown stronger and more efficient over time but looking at the number of enemies gathered around them, he knew this fight would take more than a few minutes, minutes he couldn¡¯t afford to waste because he needed to find Abigail. He didn¡¯t want to do this, but he knew he had to leave his men here to deal with these hybrids because he had another mission to fulfil. He had to find Abigail and protect her.

    He turned to all his men and spoke in a voice full of authority. "I will leave these enemies for you to deal with. I will go ahead and look for Abigail. Follow after my trail once you¡¯ve dealt with these monsters."

    With that, Raven leapt up over the sea of red-eyed hybrids.

    However, the enemy wasn¡¯t going to let him leave that easily. A number of them leapt after him, intent on stopping his progression and he cursed again. Raven was about to stop to deal with them but when he looked back, he saw that his men had started to attack, starting with the ones that were following him. Raven¡¯s lips curved up with a slight smile of pride. His men really could be counted on.

    Thus, he leapt further away from the battleground, following the small footprints on the ground.

 Chapter 421 Mis

    <h4>Chapter 421 Mis</h4>

    Alex gritted his teeth. His gaze fell on that emptynd again and the ze in his eyes wavered. He knew what disturbed his mind might be a certain witch¡¯s mind maniption and he knew that Zeke and his men were watching over that ce but... seeing just how many of these creatures there were, Alex just couldn¡¯t ignore the feeling of unease in his heart.

    His fists clenched and he finally leapt again, but not to that ce he had finally discovered. He leapt back, as fast as lightning, toward the ss house where he had left his sleeping Abigail.

    It didn¡¯t take him long before he reached the forest, which was between the foot of the mountain and the ss house. His heart was troubled. As hended on top of a tree, where he could just make out the edges of the ss house, Alex was about to leap again when his head snapped to his right - towards the middle of the forest. What was that? Was there something there?

    Alex disappeared in a blink of an eye and hended on the ground. The mist surrounding him was thick but it only covered the ground up to his knees and were not climbing up higher at all. It was very strange.

    He walked closer towards what looked like a well and eyes narrowed and then they instantly became wide open as he realised who he was looking at. It was a sight that shook his entire being.

    He gripped the lip of the well and his grip crushed the bricks into rubble. His heart seemed to have stopped beating and his eyes zed intensely because the person he saw was none other than his Abigail. She stood there in the middle of the forest, unmoving, facing him. Abigail?What was she doing here all alone? Why did she leave the house? Why didn¡¯t she wait for him to get back?

    However, her eyes were nk, unseeing, almost as if they were dead.

    "Abigail..." Alex called her name as he slowly walked closer to her. His senses were on high alert. He was trying to feel if any enemies might appear out of nowhere and at the same time, he was trying to figure out what was wrong with her because with just one nce, Alex knew something was off. He had never seen his Abigail with nk and lifeless eyes like that. Her eyes had always, always, shone like the stars.

    Alex¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but tremble in fear. He couldn¡¯t stand to see those eyes be so lifeless. because as he looked at her more closely, he noticed that she was covered with blood. Was she...?!

    That thought alone made his body want to crumble. His mind was telling him that she had been injured because of the blood all over her and that lifeless look in her eyes. But no... She couldn¡¯t be... She was alright... she had to be alright. She had to be... that was just someone else¡¯s blood...

    Alex kept repeating those words in his head. He told himself anything and everything he could to get this feeling of dread to leave his body. He didn¡¯t want to think about it. There was no way that his Abigail was... Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! NO!

    One part of him wanted to go to her and shake her out of whatever this trance was - he desperately wanted to believe that she was just in a trance - but another part of him wanted to close his eyes from it, to pretend this was just a dream, afraid to find out the truth in case it wasn¡¯t the truth that he wanted.

    He would never forgive himself and the whole world if... if Abigail was...

    Finally reaching her, Alex slowly lifted his hand to touch her face. His hand was trembling as it got closer to her face. "A-Abi... Abigail... I¡¯m here," he said softly, his voice full of fear and despair mixed with hope. But she didn¡¯t move, not even to blink. "Abigail... please...e back to me," he whispered to her.

    His trembling hand paused in mid-air as he hesitated but then his hand moved forward again and the moment he touched her skin, she blinked. Her eyes began to go back to normal and she looked up at him. "A-alex!!" she called his name and she jumped on him, hugging him tightly.

    Alex hugged her back, much tighter than her grip. He breathed again. He didn¡¯t realise he had been holding his breath from the moment he saw her standing out there, all alone. He felt like he finally broke to the surface and inhaled some much needed oxygen after being underwater for a long time. She was alive! Oh god. She was alive! Alex hugged her like he was never going to let her go. He buried his face on her shoulder as tears of joy escaped from his eyes. Thank god she was alive.

    He didn¡¯t know what he would have done if she had actually... No, he could not bear even just the thought of it.

    He closed his eyes as he kissed her head and then, he spoke. "Are you o¨C"

    Alex, even though he was feeling very emotional at that moment, was shocked out of his painful thoughts. He couldn¡¯t even finish his words because when his eyes looked down, he saw that the mist hadpletely disappeared. There was nothing, not even a little trail of it was left. But that was not what shocked him. Now that the mist had disappeared, Alex saw the amount of dead bodies lying on the ground around them.

    "Alex... where have you been? I have been looking for you. I thought... I thought..." Abigail started crying and her body began to tremble from both her fear and the cold. It was only now that he realised that she was out here in the freezing cold wearing so little; just a thick, white robe and her nightgown.

    Her words and her trembling body pulled Alex¡¯s attention away from the dead bodies. He looked at her face and he realized just how pale she was. Her lips were trembling as well and they were colorless.

    Alex was quick to wrap his jacket around her but he knew that it wouldn¡¯t be enough. He had to bring her to a warm ce or she might freeze to death!

    Abi was about to look around them but Alex pressed her head to his chest and he lifted her up, not giving her a chance to see all the dead bodies. He leapt away towards the ss house and noticed that there seemed to be a fight happening quite close to their house. He leapt closer to the disturbance, wanting to make sure that it would be safe for him to take Abigail back to the house and when hended on a high branch and looked down, he saw Zeke¡¯s men fighting the hybrids.

    He saw Raven as well, who seemed to have gotten past the first enemy line, but it looked like he too had been ambushed not too far from his men. Alex made his presence known to the elite vampires and Raven leapt from the crowd of enemies to follow Alex. Raven¡¯s men made sure that none of the hybrids went after the trio.

    Alex and Ravennded on top of the ss house. "Make sure no one approaches this ce," was all Alex said and Raven immediately nodded and left to stand guard as Alex jumped down to the back of the ss house.

    Alex immediately went into the cupboard and took a few thick towels and then he went into the sauna and turned the temperature all the way down, but still kept it at a warm enough temperature to slowly warm Abigail up. He slowly took off her cold, wet clothes. He then took the chance to see if she was wounded anywhere and he was utterly relieved to find that there she did not have a single scratch on her.

    .

    Sorry guys, the fourth chapter will note tonight :(

    I will update it early tomorrow.

    P.s. I just want to celebrate my 450th day writing streak(u can see it on my profile ^^). I¡¯ve been writing for 450 days straight. Congratte me hellbounders XD

    I¡¯ve been working so hard T^T

 Chapter 422 His goal

    <h4>Chapter 422 His goal</h4>

    Abigail didn¡¯t protest. She was too cold to care. All she could think about, now that Alex was with her, was to get warm again to stop the shivering.

    Alex removed his shirt as well to give her more warmth and he used the towels to wrap around her and himself to keep her warm. He sat on the wooden bench, cradling her tightly. He rubbed her shoulders, took her hands in his and blew on them, trying to get her blood circting again.

    "Abigail... are you, okay?" he asked her.

    She nodded, but her eyes were closed. She was still trembling.

    "I¡¯m so sorry... I shouldn¡¯t have left you." His arms around her tightened and he kissed her head, his face filled with regret.

    "I-I¡¯m f-fine..." she stuttered softly and thankfully, her trembles started to die down. "Please, don¡¯t leave me again, Alex... I wouldn¡¯t be able to take it if you disappeared from my life again. I... I can¡¯t live without you. So please... never leave me like that again..." she cried and Alex¡¯s heart squeezed in pain.

    "I¡¯m sorry. I promise. I will not leave your side again," he vowed as he kissed her lips, trying to warm it up so it would be pink again. Regret was evident in his voice.

    He had acted too rashly. He had been too desperate to regain his memories, to find the witch queen and solve this problem all at once. He couldn¡¯t bear seeing her trying so hard just for him to remember and he couldn¡¯t ept that despite everything she had done, she still remained invisible in his head. But it seemed his decision ended up hurting her like this again. All he wanted was to make her happy but the world just kept on getting in the way, making Alex feel even more aggravated. That feeling of wanting to destroy everything was starting to bubble under the surface, getting ready to overflow if he let it. This time, Alex felt that he would destroy the world, not to conquer it. He wanted to destroy it so that he could create a ce for the two of them, a ce where no one would ever get in their way again, a ce where nothing would ever cause this girl to cry in pain again.

    That was his goal. From here on out, that would be his aim and if the world refused to give him that, then he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to destroy everything once again. If that was what it took, he was willing to be that monster again.

    Abi kissed him back before she buried her face on his neck, feeling his warmth, before she whispered weakly at him.

    "Alex... I am seeing nightmares again. And a woman is calling to me."

    "Nightmares?" The worry in Alex¡¯s eyes was momentarily reced with curiosity. And what did she mean by ¡¯again¡¯? Had she had nightmares like this before? What kind of nightmares did she have?

    Abi¡¯s grip on his neck tightened a little. "I never told you this but the things that happened that night... that night when you made me stab you... I had been having nightmares about it beforehand. It was as if... as if I saw the future, Alex. And it¡¯s happening again. That¡¯s why... I¡¯m scared. I¡¯m scared that something might happen to you again."

    "Shhh... nothing like that will happen to me again so don¡¯t think about that anymore," he consoled.

    The words she said made Alex frown hard. He now remembered what happened in that room except that Abigail was still not in the picture. He now knew that she was the girl in that prophecy; the one who was born to kill him.

    That truth never bothered him at all. What bothered him was what was currently happening to his Abigail. What he saw with the mist and the litter of dead bodies in the forest was an utter mystery and it seemed that she was also able to see the future through nightmares?

    Alex rubbed her back and when he felt that her body temperature was getting closer to normal, Alex lifted her up and brought her to their room. He was quick to do so and he helped her get changed. Alex also changed his clothes in haste before he carried her and tucked her in the bed, wrapping her with thick, warm nkets.

    He grabbed the blow dryer and dried her hair patiently. He wasn¡¯t bothered by the fact that the others were fighting just outside this house. Well, it was useless even if he was to take her away. The enemies would surely go after them no matter where they went.

    "Do you need something else?" Alex asked gently once he was done drying her hair.

    Abi shook her head and just stared at him.

    "Where did you go?" she asked.

    "I¡¯ve found theirir," answered Alex as he moved behind her and leaned on the headboard.

    Abi just quietly bit her lips. "Your nightmares... what did you see?" he asked her this time.

    "I saw a woman in a ck dress. She also wore a ck veil. She looks to be the queen of the hybrid vampires."

    "Was she the one calling out to you?"

    "Yes. And there are so very many of those creatures worshipping her. There¡¯s just too many of them, Alex."

    "What else did you see?"

    Silence reigned between them for a few seconds as Abi hesitated. "I saw... myself bathing in a pool of blood. And... me calling out for you..." she said weakly as she gripped his fingers. "And I also heard another voice telling me not to go. Telling me to leave. That woman in ck veil wanted me toe to that forest ¨C"

    Suddenly, Abi paused as if she just realized something important.

    Alex silently asked her through his eyes to spill what it was and Abi swallowed. "H-how did I... I don¡¯t remember going to the forest. How did I end up there?" she asked, her brows knotted and her eyes round and big with confusion. "After I woke up... I looked for you but, I never decided to leave the house. So howe I..."

    Seeing the questions and confusion in her eyes, Alex pulled her and buried her head on his chest. His eyes turned serious as he looked through the ss wall. "Don¡¯t worry about that, Abigail. Some witch must have hypnotized you and brought you there. dly, I was able to find you in time," he said, not telling her about the mist or the dead bodies. "Get some rest now, I won¡¯t leave your side."

 Chapter 423 Water and oil

    <h4>Chapter 423 Water and oil</h4>

    The chaotic fight outside the ss house slowly halted because it seemed the enemy had finally stopped sending his minions, or did that someone finally run out of minions to send?

    The elite vampires and Alicia were still in the forest, surrounded by many dead hybrids, looking exhausted but standing strong. Almost all of the elite vampires were wounded and some wounds that were inflicted on them didn¡¯t heal. Alicia knew that those were the wounds inflicted by the hybrid witches that used poisonous spells to stop the vampire¡¯s self-healing abilities.

    Zeke¡¯s men were used tobat. They were powerful but fighting a mob of zombie-like hybrids took quite a toll on them. That was their first time fighting this kind of battle, not to mention that the witches were casting spells as well. If Alicia was not around, one or two of them would have probably died in this battle.

    "Whew! That was... extreme... haha..." Riev was the first to fall on the ground and he sat there, exhausted.

    "Yeah. There were so many of them! I didn¡¯t see thating at all," another one sat down as well.

    "Where the hell did they alle from? It was like they kept multiplying. And these corpses... what the heck are we going to do with them?"

    "Well, I think we¡¯ll let the snow bury them... wait!" Riev suddenly straightened. "What about the miss?!"

    Before everyone could panic and move again, Ravennded before them.

    "She¡¯s with Alexander in the ss house," he said and everyone sighed in unison. They thought that the hybrids must have abducted the miss and that was why they stoppeding.

    Raven¡¯s eyes then fell on Alicia and he found her pouring out droplets of a pink potion on one of the vampire¡¯s wounds. The other vampires surrounded her, eyes filled with wonder and amazement.

    "That witch princess..." Riev started. "She¡¯s a badass. I didn¡¯t know witches could control trees!"

    "It¡¯s just that princess. Normal witches don¡¯t have such power," Raven told him.

    "Oh. So she¡¯s the only one who¡¯s amazing?!" Riev¡¯s eyes twinkled as he looked at her. "She¡¯s really amazing! I like her already!" he dered, causing everyone to look at him with a shocked expression.

    All of them knew that witches and vampires bing friends was just impossible. They were like water and oil, not meant to mix together, since the beginning of time.

    "What? Is it wrong to admire such a badass princess?!" Riev ranted. No one spoke and they just gazed back at the witch who was busy extracting the poison from the vampire¡¯s wounds.

    When she reached Riev, Alicia knelt before him and asked him to stretch out his hand.

    "We have to remove all the poison because it will spread all over your body over time. This is enough to kill you guys in the next two days if left untreated," Alicia exined.

    "You guys created this poison to go against us, right?" a man sitting at the back, asked.

    "This poison is ancient. During the time of the witches¡¯ very, some witches created this poison to silently kill their masters. It had been widely used during that time but as time passed, the previous queens ordered the destruction of all the books that contained information on the ingredients and processes for making this poison. They forbade its manufacture. Even I don¡¯t know how to make this poison. This was supposed to have been long forgotten so I am very surprised that these hybrid witches actually possessed this poison in this era."

    "Meaning, a book must have survived? Or could it be that your queen is the one who made these?"

    What followed that question was a deep silence. Alicia couldn¡¯t speak because no matter how much she hated it, that same thought also came to mind. It was impossible that one of those books had survived. The only possible thing was that they got the recipe from the queen. Witch queens inherited everything from their dead predecessors. All their knowledge - potion recipes, spells and everything else that had been created since the beginning of time will be known to them. And that was what made them powerful.

    Alicia also knew that it was impossible for anyone to get that knowledge except if the queen spouted it out herself. Their queen would never do that! She didn¡¯t believe that their queen would ever spill their secrets but... how else could they have gotten the recipe?

    "Witch princess," Raven pulled her back to the present once she finished treating thest one of them. She looked at him. "Alexander asked for you toe. It seems that something happened to the miss."

    "Okay," she immediately stood up. She wanted to see Abigail and she was really worried about her. She wanted to know what happened because she had failed to see much through her magic ball.

    She was quick to follow Raven as they headed to the ss house. Alicia was a little exhausted and she was extremely grateful that the vampires protected her during the fight. The moment Reiv and herself found the others, they had formed a circle around her and didn¡¯t let the vampires mob her. So, in her safe cocoon, she was able to safely support the vampires. It was a huge help because she was able to conserve energy and she didn¡¯t suffer any injuries.

    Finally reaching the ss house, Alicia was weed by Alex. There was an extremely troubled expression on his face.

    Alex¡¯s eyes wandered and he ran his fingers through his hair, feeling exasperated. Alicia had not seen Alexander looking so helpless and his expression made her heart thud nervously.

    "What¡¯s wrong? Is Abigail alright?" she asked him, eyes filled with worry as she quickly removed her cloak. She didn¡¯t know what would happen if Abigail was... oh no, please!

    Alicia started to panic. She hoped that she would be able to still save her.

    "What happened to her?" she asked again as she quickly followed him inside the room when...

    "She¡¯s burning. I think she caught a fever," Alexander said, causing Alicia to almost stumble over her own feet.

 Chapter 424 Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 424 Darkness</h4>

    Alicia was speechless. Oh my but he had scared her! She actually thought that something really bad had happened to Abi, like she was on her death bed or something, because of how Alexander looked!

    "Where is Zeke?" He asked her.

    "I¡¯m not sure. He went to scope out one of the potential areas by himself. He hasn¡¯te back yet, it seems," Alicia replied.

    "Didn¡¯t you see him in your crystal ball?" Alex probed.

    Alicia had walked over to the bed and sat next to Abigail, with her hand on Abi¡¯s forehead to check her temperature. When she heard Alex¡¯s questions, she looked back at him. "After he left, I didn¡¯t have the time to look for him because we were close to being surrounded," she answered and Alex¡¯s lips twitched, obviously displeased and angry but his displeasure wasn¡¯t pointed at her.

    "She¡¯s okay. She¡¯ll be fine after drinking some medicine," Alicia assured him and his expression somehow softened. The deep lines on his head also became smooth again.

    She then left the room and returned with a wet towel and a small basin with her. "Please use this. This will help lower her temperature," she told him and Alex took them from her.

    Alicia thought that Alex would prefer using the more natural way to help Abigail. Besides, she too didn¡¯t want to use magic on a human like her so she opted for this method. She would only use magic on Abigail if there was no other choice and thankfully, this was not a life or death matter.

    "I¡¯ll go prepare the medicine," she said before she left the room again.

    Alex immediately moved to sit next to Abigail. He wringed the wet, cool towel then gently dabbed it on her forehead. He knew this was normal for Abigail to get sick and catch a fever. She wasn¡¯t like them after all. But Alex couldn¡¯t help but worry. He couldn¡¯t stop thinking about that scene he saw in the forest. What if something actually happened to her at that moment? Was she really alright?

    When Alicia came back, Alex woke Abigail up and made her drink the medicine that Alicia had prepared. Abigail was barely awake as she gulped the medicine down, and not long after, she fell asleep again. Her hand held onto Alex¡¯s hand, as if she feared that he would leave again.

    "I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be fine once she wakes up," said Alicia and she was about to leave when Alex spoke.

    "Did you see what happened to Abigail in the forest?"

    Alicia halted and looked at him with a serious gaze. "Not really. A strange mist covered my vision. I couldn¡¯t see much."

    What she said made Alex frown again. It seemed there was no way currently for him to know exactly what had happened. Who killed those hybrid vampires and witches around her? Howe there was not even a single scratch on her if a battle ensued around her?

    The questions kepting. Did somebodye along and save Abigail?

    His eyes fell on Abi¡¯s face as he removed the wet cloth and dipped it into the water again.

    "What are we going to do next?" Alicia asked. Now that things were getting really serious, Alicia wasn¡¯t sure about what their next move should be now that this had happened. Their ns had disintegrated within a night and what was worse was that Ezekiel, the mastermind, just disappeared into thin air.

    "We¡¯re not going to move until Abigail is better," Alex responded.

    Of course, that was an answer Alicia had expected from this man. Ezekiel had tried to avoid something like this from happening when they were in Country V because he knew that if Abigail was in this kind of state, their trip would have definitely been dyed.

    "But what if they attack us again?" Alicia asked.

    A short silence enveloped the room and then, suddenly, an extremely dark and chilling sensation roused Alicia¡¯s defensive instincts. It made her want to step back but the moment she looked at Alexander¡¯s golden eyes, her body stiffened. His gaze was enough to paralyze her entire being. "Let theme," he said, his voice as deep as a rolling thunder in an endless abyss. "I will destroy them all. No one is allowed to disturb Abigail while she¡¯s resting."

    Alicia subconsciously swallowed. Why was he suddenly exuding this terrifying aura? This was apletely different sensation, different from that time he was in his berserk state. It had the same menacing feel to it but there was a calctive, controlled emotion behind it. It was almost as if Alex had mastered controlling the berserker within him. It was like he was now able to summon up that side of him without losing his mind and that thought was terrifying. Alicia had never been so terrified by someone¡¯s aura. She was a witch princess and she was immune to all kinds of mind maniption. She had the ability to control her emotions, even fear, and that was how she was able to always stay calm in any situation.

    But it seemed that the dark, ominous aura this man was exuding right then surpassed anything she had ever encountered before. When he was going berserk, he was like a terrifying, untamed beast. But this time, she felt like he was like the god of darkness, or darkness itself.

    "Mmm... Alex..." Abigail¡¯s moan was like a loud p, waking Alicia up from her waking nightmare.

    "Yes. I¡¯m here," Alex instantly replied. The darkness that had enveloped the room disappeared like it never existed.

    Alicia¡¯s throat was dry and she almost staggered, utterly confused at what just happened.

    "I... I¡¯m going back to the tent," she said and without waiting for Alex to respond, she quickly made her way out of the house. She stopped by a tree just outside the house and looked back.

    She knew that that feeling she felt was real. It wasn¡¯t an illusion. Was that the extent of the darkness Alexander had been hiding within him? It seemed that the Alexander that she and everyone knew was just the tip of the iceberg. It seemed that none of them have seen the real him yet.

    .

    .

    I just want to thank u all for the supports. I am so happy that my hard work is paying off. I love you all hellbounders. Please stay with me and apany me until the end of Abi and Alex¡¯s journey.

    Love,

    Kazzenlx

 Chapter 425 Before the storm

    <h4>Chapter 425 Before the storm</h4>

    The morning sun streamed through the ss windows and ceiling and kissed Abigail¡¯s face. Its warmth was a wee feeling, giving the room a somewhat calm, warm and peaceful ambience; a stark contrast to the cold, icy darkness from the night before.

    Abigail¡¯s eyshes fluttered like the soft wings of a butterfly, revealing her ck eyes. She blinked a few times to adjust to the almost blinding brightness that surrounded her. Shey unmoving, looking out of the ss ceiling onto the bright blue sky. There was not a cloud to be seen up there.

    Abi could only smile from seeing such a beautiful sight as soon as she opened her eyes. After taking a few more seconds to admire the beauty up above, she looked around the room and noticed the small basin and the wet towel sitting on top of the bedside table. ¡¯Alex!¡¯ she thought as her heart thumped loudly in her chest.

    Abi moved to leave the bed, only to discover that there was an arm around her waist, stopping her from doing so. Alex was lying next to her, spooning her, and her racing heart calmed down.

    She adjusted her position so that she could look at his sleeping face. It was a rare asion that she was able to admire him when he was still asleep so she took the chance to do so.

    She looked at him closely, as if trying to memorise every curve, every angle, every contour on his face. Had his face changed much since three months ago? She tried to remember what he looked like three months ago topare to this moment but she became distracted when his long eyshes fluttered.

    She smiled. She just couldn¡¯t help it. Her heart felt so full, so thankful that she had found him again. She just felt incredibly happy that she felt like her heart wouldn¡¯t be able to contain her happiness. She was back in this house again with the man she loved and regardless of whatever else was going on outside that, she was happy.

    In the next moment, she was reminded of what transpired the night before. Alex had found her wandering around in the forest and she had seen Zeke¡¯s men fighting arge horde of hybrids. The serenity and peace she felt at that moment was a stark contrast to the chaos and destruction that she sawst night.

    Was the fight over? Howe it felt peaceful again?

    All of a sudden, Abigail felt a foreboding feeling within her. This peace, this serenity somehow felt like the calm before the storm. Abi¡¯s snapped towards Alex again and this time, her ck eyes were met by his bottomless, dark eyes.

    Alex¡¯s face showed his concern and worry over her condition and the first thing he did was put a palm on her forehead to check her temperature. It seemed that her temperature had gone down during the night and he instantly felt relieved. The next thing he did was rece his hand with his lips, cing a kiss on her forehead.

    "Good morning, Alex," she murmured as she looked into his eyes.

    "Good morning, littlemb." he replied but then he frowned again when he saw that she still looked a little pale. "How are you feeling?" he added, his voice full of concern.

    "My body feels a little weak but I think I am good," she said with a smile before she leaned into him and ced a kiss on his lips. "Thank you for looking after mest night," she added, sessfully diverting his attention to her slightly less buoyantplexion.

    "Is that all I get for all my hardwork?" he teased, a wicked smile forming on his lips.

    "What kind of reward would you like?" Abi asked, knowing fully that this man was being shameless again. But she didn¡¯t care. Whatever he wanted, she would willingly give.

    He didn¡¯t answer and instead carried her to the bathroom and started to fill the bath. As the bath was filling up, he gently put her down and started to undress her. Abi felt a little shy but she didn¡¯t stop him. Once he had removed all her clothes, he carried her again and slowly submerged her body into the warm water.

    "I want to bathe my wife," he said as he grabbed the soap.

    He then started to rub the soap all over her body, trying to keep his little monster in check. As much as he wanted Abigail, she was in no shape to be doing those kinds of activities.

    Once he finished bathing her, he dried her body and made her wear a warm robe before he carried her back to the room to dry her hair.

    Abigail, who was getting this pamper treatment from her husband just let him be. She just enjoyed the attention he was giving her. This was nice. It was like they had cocooned themselves from the outside world for a while, as if nothing could burst the peaceful bubble they were in and she savored that feeling. She would just enjoy it and not worry about what was waiting for them out there. For now.

    Once he was done, he carried her again to the kitchen and sat her down on a chair. He made sure that she was facing him as he went about finding ingredients, chopping and cooking her breakfast.

    Alex re-enacted the exact same thing he did back then when he cooked for her. He used the same recipe, too.

    Abi was shocked because she of course clearly remembered all of what he did during thest time they were here.

    Did... did he finally remember everything?

    "Alex..." she called out his name to get this attention. "Have you..." she started as she got up from her chair to go to him. She held his face, eyes welling as she slowly spoke. "Do you finally..."

    Alex stared into her eyes.

    "Yes, my wife," he answered and Abi broke down from utter joy. "I remember almost everything now, Abigail."

    .

    Here¡¯s the bunos chapter ^^

    Thank you for waiting. Next three chaps willeter.

 Chapter 426 My everything

    <h4>Chapter 426 My everything</h4>

    Tears began to flow from Abi¡¯s eyes. She was in a trance, utterly surprised.

    Seeing that tears were already flowing down Abigail¡¯s face, Alex¡¯s gaze softened and he slowly cupped her face and wiped the tears from her eyes with his thumbs.

    "Shh... don¡¯t cry anymore, Abigail. Please," he begged. He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her forehead, as Abi sobbed in his chest.

    "T-this means you¡¯re finally alright, right? Alex?" she asked him, looking up.

    Alex nodded, shing a gentle smile at her. "Yes," he answered, kissing her eyes this time. "You did well, wife."

    His words were like soothing music. This single piece of amazing news was more than enough to erase all the confusion and fear she had feltst night. She couldn¡¯t believe it. She couldn¡¯t describe how happy and relieved she felt.

    "Oh god, Alex... I¡¯m so happy... I¡¯m so d..." she cried, hugging him tightly.

    "So you shouldn¡¯t be crying now, Abigail."

    "These are tears of joy, Alex."

    With that, Alex could only let her cry in his arms, rubbing her head and back. When she finally calmed down, Alex made her sit on the chair again. "You have to eat breakfast now. Let me finish this so that you can eat, okay?" he said and Abi obediently let go. Her smile was wide and her face was bright and filled with joy which belied the tears that were falling down her face..

    Seeing that expression made Alex¡¯s heavy heart lighten up tremendously. This was all he needed, to see his wife smile like this. He would do anything and everything just to make her smile like this.

    After some time, Alex finally finished preparing her breakfast. The spread of the dishes were made up of all the food that Alex had learned to cook. And just like that day, he did a perfect job.

    "Yummy!" she eximed as she looked at all the food. She couldn¡¯t help but feel emotional as she took her first bite. This taste...How long had it been since shest tasted food that had been cooked by Alex? She felt like it had been forever.

    Alex put a spoon filled with food near her lips again and she devoured it. "Eat more, Abigail. You need plenty of nutrients for you to recover quickly," he told her as he continued feeding her.

    The atmosphere inside the house was filled with nothing but bliss and love that morning. If anyone would see the couple at that moment, they wouldn¡¯t have believed that things were actually very chaotic just the night before.

    "Ahh, I¡¯m stuffed, Alex," Abi leaned back on her chair, unable to take in any more food. She took a deep breath, as if that would help expand her full tummy.

    A satisfied smile shed on Alex¡¯s face. "Good job, wife," he uttered, sounding like a proud husband, before nting a kiss on her cheek. That made Abi flush red and she too moved.

    She rose from her seat and sat on hisp.

    "Thank you for the food, Alex," she told him before she nted a sweet kiss on his lips.

    "My pleasure, my queen," he responded, grinning at her and Abi kissed him again. All this bliss just felt so unbelievable, like it was almost too good to be true, but Abi was determined not to waste a single second to show him her love. She wouldn¡¯t waste any opportunity, no matter how short it was and no matter what situation they were in. She decided to enjoy this bliss while itsted.

    "I love you so much, Alex," she whispered, causing Alex¡¯s gaze to turn serious.

    He cupped her face and stared deeply into her eyes. The next second, he rose as he cradled her. He made her sit on the sink, with her hands on his shoulders. His gaze smoldered through his thick eyshes and then he held her hand and stared at her wedding ring.

    He lifted her hand and kissed the ring, not averting his intense gaze from her.

    "You are my life, Abigail," he uttered. "My everything."

    His words were like a magic spell that made Abi¡¯s entire being feel like it was enveloped with nothing but pure love.

    "I love you," he then added and he kissed her passionately.

    Their kiss deepened. Both of them were aware of where they were and what had happened justst night. They knew they were in an unsafe ce and something not so pleasant was definitely waiting for them out there. They could both feel it, but that didn¡¯t stop them from letting themselves get lost in each other¡¯s embrace.

    ...

    Outside the house, Alicia and Zeke¡¯s elite men were gathered outside the tent. Alicia had used the tentst night while the vampires slept against the tree trunks, on guard in case of another enemy attack.

    Alicia had been looking for Zeke in her crystal ball but there was no sign of the man, not even a shadow of him.

    She had to know what their next move would be so she could start making preparations but without Zeke, who would know what to do next? Would Alexander now be the one to decide this? She wasn¡¯t sure if she quite liked that idea. It wasn¡¯t because Alicia didn¡¯t trust Alexander. It was just that she knew that Alexander¡¯s methods were almost always reckless. He didn¡¯t y mind games, never dabbled inplicated and strategic wars. He had used brute force ever since he first took his revenge against the family that cast him out, relying on nothing but his own power. He was theplete opposite of Ezekiel, whose every single move was calcted.

    But they had no choice now because that prince just disappeared into thin air. And during some very important turn of events, too! He basically left them after he brought them all to this ce.

    Alicia didn¡¯t want to doubt him but she couldn¡¯t help it. Even though she believed that he was on their side, she was still unable to shake this niggling suspicion she had since the first time she met him in the Dark forest.

    Letting out a sigh, Alicia put away her crystal ball and left the tent. She had to speak with Alexander now before the enemies returned to attack them again

 Chapter 427 Take over

    <h4>Chapter 427 Take over</h4>

    "Uhm... Alex," Abi started as she cupped Alex¡¯s face after their long and heated kiss. "What about you? Don¡¯t you feel hungry? Y-you have to eat, too."

    Alex blinked at her before he held her hand and entwined their fingers.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I am still quite satisfied from Zeke¡¯s blood," he said, smiling at her.

    Abi was relieved after hearing that, but a part of her wanted to insist for Alex to have a meal just to make doubly sure.

    However, before she could speak again, Abi looked up and spotted Alicia through the ss wall. "Alicia!" she called out and Alex turned as well. He finally put Abi down so she could get to the door to open it for the witch princess.

    "Alicia!" she eximed as she took Alicia¡¯s hand and led her inside.

    "How are you?" the witch princess asked as she sat next to Abigail.

    "I¡¯m alright now."

    "d to hear that."

    "Uhm... where is your crystal ball?" Abi asked when she saw that Alicia didn¡¯t have her crystal ball with her.

    "I left it in the tent. Why?"

    "I..." she paused and nced at Alex who was sitting across them. "I wanted you to show me what I didst night; to show me how I ended up in the forest."

    Alicia fell silent. She nced at Alex. It seemed this man didn¡¯t tell Abigail that she too was unable to shed any light to what really happened to Abigailst night. Sighing, Alicia could only exin to Abigail.

    "I am sorry, Abigail. I think someone blocked my visionst night because I actually couldn¡¯t see anything clearly. And then after that, we spent the time fighting with those creatures so I didn¡¯t really get to see what happened," she exined.

    Abigail¡¯s shoulders dropped but she didn¡¯t look disheartened. "I see. Alex said someone might have manipted me. It seems a likely exnation because I cannot remember anything."

    Alicia threw another quick nce at Alex and what she saw in his expression made her realize that he didn¡¯t want them talking about this topic any longer.

    "That is a possibility, Abigail," was Alicia¡¯s reply.

    "Yes, it is. By the way... do you think someone is watching us right now?" Abigail suddenly asks. "I mean, is it possible for someone to break through your barrier?"

    Alicia shook her head.

    "No, Abigail. Rest assured no one is able to watch what we are doing right now. Even our queen wouldn¡¯t be able to break through my barrier. The only way for others to break through is if they came to the area personally and overwrote my barrier. But I would definitely know if someone is doing that."

    "Then, how did they find out where we are? Were they using the same strategy that you are using?"

    "That¡¯s the only reason I could think of."

    "I see. That¡¯s a relief then. At least they are unable to watch and hear us."

    "Were you able to track where Zeke went?" Alex then piped up, causing Abigail to frown. Was Zeke missing?

    Alicia shook her head as she sighed. "I¡¯ve tried to locate him but I can¡¯t find any trace of him. He seems to have disappeared into thin air."

    Abi looked at Alex but his face didn¡¯t darken as she thought it would. He just leaned back and looked up at the ceiling, let out a sigh before he looked at Alicia.

    "I will take over this operation from him then. Where are his men?" he asked.

    "By the tent."

    Alex rose and Abi and Alicia also stood up. Alex was about to open the door when he looked at Abigail.

    "I think it¡¯s better if you stay here, Abigail," he said and Abi immediately puffed her cheeks.

    "No! You promised you would never leave my side ever again," she argued.

    Alex looked like he wanted to say something else but he decided against it. It would do him no good to upset his wife. Besides, she would be safe with him around. Alex rubbed the back of his neck and he walked passed Alicia towards his wife. He lifted her up, like she was as light as a doll, and brought her back to their room.

    Alex put her down on the bed and he quickly headed to the closet and rummaged for some very warm clothes as well as socks and ced them on the bed. As Abigail was putting on the clothes he had found for her, he was busy looking in the closet for a thick coat for Abigail. In the end, he chose a thick, furry, gray coat.

    Without a word, he helped her wear the coat when she was finished changing.

    "This is too big. This is your size," Abiined.

    "No. This suits you. With this, you won¡¯t catch a fever again," he said and he buttoned up therge coat. The coat was so big on her that she almost looked like she was wearing a gray-colored Spanish bread costume with a furry hoodie.

    He even smiled mischievously at the sight of her.

    "You¡¯re cute," he told her and before Abi couldin again, he gathered her into his arms and headed out of the room. He put her down by the door and because she was having a hard time moving in herrge coat, Alex knelt on one knee and helped her put on her snow boots.

    Abi¡¯s cheek turned red because of the warm clothes she was wearing and the fact that her husband was pampering her again. Her sweet husband was finally back. She giggled as she enjoyed watching him carefully put her snow boots on her. But he wasn¡¯t done yet.

    In the next second, he took a scarf from the small cupboard - yellow, of course - and wrapped it around her neck.

    He looked at her and smirked sexily before he let the scarf go and asked for his reward.

    "My reward, wife. Before we head out." he cheekily demanded. He leaned down and Abi was quick to nt a kiss on his lips.

 Chapter 428 Plan

    <h4>Chapter 428 n</h4>

    Raven had gathered the men the moment he heard word from Alicia that Alex wasing to speak with them. The men were back to their best form. In fact, they felt a little stronger than they did the day before. Was it because of the healing potion the witch princess gave them? Or did she put something in the food they ate?

    The men were not allowed to drink blood. They were not of royal blood so they were not exempt from thew. In fact, some of them, including Riev, had never tasted blood since they hadn¡¯t met their lifemate yet. But despite that, the men were still quite powerful, something that made Alicia wonder how strong these men would be if they actually drank blood.

    In no time, Alexandernded in their midst with Abigail wrapped from head to toe in a cozy, warm butrge coat. Alex put her down on the bench next to Alicia.

    Seeing that none of Zeke¡¯s men was in a bad condition, Alex correctly deduced that this was most likely because of the witch princess. He had seen just how many of those creatures had attacked themst night and these men fought with all their might. Coming out unscathed from that horde of strong hybrids was impossible, even for them, unless, of course, if they had the support of a powerful witch. This was why Alex seriously thought that vampires and witches weren¡¯t born to be enemies. If only these two races could join together, then they would be unstoppable. But then again, he thought that this probably wouldn¡¯t be ideal. A pairing like that would mean that groups would end up bing more and more powerful and they could go against the Reign family if they decided to. A civil war would break out for power and that was not something they wanted to happen. Of course, that would only happen if he and Zeke weren¡¯t around but even then, it wasn¡¯t a hand that they wanted to bet on.

    "We are going to attack them today," Alex dered, causing everyone to look at him with surprise. Even Abi and Alicia were shocked.

    "I have found theirir," he continued. His imposing aura was starting to ze uncontrobly despite him just talking calmly like that.

    "May I speak?" Alicia hesitantly rose from her seat.

    "Speak." Alex said, causing her to sigh in relief.

    "Are we not going to ask for help? Judging from the sheer number of those hybrid creatures, I believe we would need back-up. I can call on the witches living around this area to help," she suggested.

    There was a short silence after that but it was obvious that Alex didn¡¯t want any more people involved. However, he nced at Abigail and surprisingly agreed with Alicia¡¯s suggestion. It seemed he only agreed to lessen Abigail¡¯s worries.

    "Any more suggestions?" Alex asked.

    Alicia took her seat, indicating that she didn¡¯t have any more to say, so Alex nced at Raven.

    "We will follow your orders," Raven said. "May we hear about how you n to attack them?"

    Alex was silent. When he was still mortal, Alex was actually quite a renowned tactician. He was weak and powerless back then so he used his mind to fight his way up until he defeated all his enemies. He had an evil and monstrous mind that never hesitated to use anything or anyone to seed.

    But he had stopped doing that once he acquired his powers. He had changed entirely because his power had crushed everyone, whether they were strong or smart. He didn¡¯t need to use any sort of tactic from that moment on and that was why he was fond of Zeke¡¯s way of doing things, because Zeke somehow reminded him of his long forgotten mortal self, the person that he no longer was.

    "There is no n," Alex answered and the god of silence flew above them. Alicia was the only one who sighed like she already saw thising.

    While the men still looked dumbfounded, Alex¡¯s voice jolted them back to present.

    "All I want for all of you to do is protect my wife. I¡¯ll do all the fighting."

    Silence reigned once again. This guy truly was a lone wolf.

    "Alex!" This time, Abigail was the one who rose from her seat. Her brows pulled together as she looked at him. "You¡¯re not nning to leave me here again with them, are you?"

    Abigail was starting to look upset. This couldn¡¯t be happening again!

    Seeing that worried and upset expression on her face, Alex walked closer to her and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand.

    "Don¡¯t worry, my wife. Didn¡¯t I promise to never leave you again? Of course you wille with me," he told her and Abi felt like the hailstorm that started to fall on her immediately disappeared.

    "I will not let you out of my sight, Abigail," he added, voice filled with reassurance as he kissed her forehead. Abi blushed because they were in the middle of all these people.

    "So, as we advance, I want you to focus your attention on my wife. And Alicia, no matter what happens, stick to her. If your queen is in that ce, I will be the one to retrieve her."

    Alicia looked at him and she eventually nodded. "I understand."

    "Good. We are going to move now before theye at us," he dered and the elite men immediately said yes. Nobody asked where Ezekiel was even if they were itching to know where their prince had disappeared to.

    "Start preparing. We leave in an hour."

    The vampires then dispersed, leaving the three of them by the tent.

    Alex turned his attention back to Abigail. He lifted his hand and rested it just below her ear, cupping her face gently.

    "Listen, Abigail," he began. His eyes became utterly serious. "I will be seriously fighting today. Once I start... No matter what happens, don¡¯t evere near me, are we clear?"

    .

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 Chapter 429 Shield

    <h4>Chapter 429 Shield</h4>

    Abi¡¯s brows knitted together as she looked at him.

    "Are you going to go berserk?" she asked him.

    "I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s what I would call it. All I know is I might go all out. If in case you see me being in an unfavorable situation, don¡¯te out and try to save me, understand?"

    Abigail couldn¡¯t respond. She remembered the scene from her crystal ball dream of that night he went to the old castle alone. She remembered that he was bombarded with arrows and bullets and she didn¡¯t know if she could go through that again. Seeing him getting hurt was unbearable. If something like that happened again... she really didn¡¯t know if she would be able to just watch and not do something. She felt like he was asking for something that she may not be able to do.

    She looked down, unable to speak. She wanted to protest but she knew he wouldn¡¯t say this to her if it wasn¡¯t important.

    Seeing her expression, Alex held her face and made her look at him. "It¡¯s okay. Trust me," he assured her, caressing her cheek with his thumbs gently. "You don¡¯t need to watch if it¡¯s too hard for you. Do whatever you need to do to make this easier. I will try my best to not get hurt but in case something happens, please, please don¡¯te after me. I will be fine. I promise you that. Just trust me, okay?"

    Their eyes locked for a long while before Abi finally nodded, cing her hand over his.

    "I understand," was all she could say. She didn¡¯t know if she could take it but she had to listen to him. She had to trust him and do her best to not be a burden to him.

    The next moment, she wrapped her hands around his neck and hugged him, praying silently for Alex to be fine, that he wouldn¡¯t get hurt so severely again. She prayed for him, for them, to win this battle so that they could finally go home again.

    Once they pulled away from each other, Alicia arrived and was holding a silver, silk cloak in her hand. She had gone to the tent to grab this cloak while Alex and Abi were having their heart to heart conversation.

    "Her clothes will be a hassle for her," Alicia said to Alex as she showed him the silk cloak she brought with her. "This cloak will be easier for her to wear and I have put a spell on it to protect the wearer from the cold."

    Alex took the cloak from Alicia¡¯s hand and it was indeed warm despite the fabric being light. He acknowledged that this would indeed make it easier for Abigail to move than the clothes that he had wrapped her in.

    "This was my queen¡¯s gift to me when I was younger. It can also repel weapons so this can serve as her shield too," she added.

    Abigail¡¯s lips just formed a small ¡¯o¡¯. She was quite impressed. Now that she thought about it, wasn¡¯t this the cloak that Alicia wore that night when she first saw her?

    "But Alicia, shouldn¡¯t you be the one to wear this? This is yours," Abi protested but Alicia just smiled at her.

    "It¡¯s okay. I can protect myself with spells. You can¡¯t. You need this more than I. Besides, it will help me keep you safe, so you would be doing me a favor," Alicia exined.

    Alex, of course, was all for things that would help protect his dear wife so he was not going to take no for an answer. So before Abi could even ept it, Alex already started unbuttoning Abi¡¯s oversized coat. He removed it from her shoulders and then helped her put on the cloak, like a doting, protective husband.

    "Wow! It¡¯s really warm!" she eximed, looking at Alicia.

    "With this, we won¡¯t have to worry about you even if a hailstormes," Alicia replied and Alex just nodded like an old monk.

    "Thank you so much, Alicia," Abi gratefully epted.

    She moved around, even twirling around to try out her new cloak to see how it would move and handle. Alicia was right. The fabric was really light but very warm and she could actually move more freely than she thought. It was like this coat was pure magic. "I am going to try running with it."

    "Oh yes, definitely try to get used to moving with it," Alicia encouraged.

    Abigail then started running towards the open space. The silver cloak floated behind her and made her look like an ice princess, not to mention the striking contrast of her dark hair with the silver hood covering her head.

    Alicia and Alex watched her run as fast as she could and Alex was surprised that his littlemb didn¡¯t fall down or roll on the snow.

    "And... Alexander..." Alicia spoke and looked at Alex.

    Alex nced at her and said "yes" before he immediately returned his gaze to his littlemb who was still running around like a little girl who just received the best Christmas present ever!

    "Prince Ezekiel gave this to me."

    She handed him a long package that was wrapped in gold fabric. Alex¡¯s attention was pulled from Abigail for a quick moment. He didn¡¯t take it from her. He just unravelled the fabric and when he saw what it was, his lips twitched.

    "When did Zeke give this to you?" he asked her.

    "Before I left the dungeon. He told me to keep it. I think he wanted me to give this to you at some point during this trip and I think this is perhaps the most appropriate time."

    Alicia saw Alex¡¯s eyes glimmer at the sight of it. His golden eyes reflected in its golden sheath. She knew what this sword meant to this man. In the few of the important battles that she was able to see through the memories of the previous queens, this was the sword Alexander used to conquer the world. And this might even be the same sword he used to defeat that dragon. In almost all his battles in the past, Alexander didn¡¯t fight like a vampire. He fought like all the other human kings did because back then, he watched how humans fought and it intrigued him. So, he had someone create a sword for him. He watched and practised and it had been said that he was almost obsessed with this sword.

    "That guy. Didn¡¯t he beg me for this sword when he was younger? Did he get sick of it and is now returning it to me?" heined.

    Abigail, by this time, had skipped over to them again and when she saw the sword, she couldn¡¯t help but say something.

    "Wow! What a gorgeous sword!" she eximed. Her eyes shone with stars as she looked at it. The handle looked like it was made from gold and scales. But these scales looked quite unusual. "Are these scales?" she asked curiously.

    "Yes. I think that¡¯s a dragon scale," Alicia blurted, causing Abi¡¯s gaze to fly to Alex with disbelief as well as awe.

    .

    A/N: If you can, do consider buying privilege. It¡¯ll be a huge support to me.

    Thank u in advance hellbounders \u003c3

 Chapter 430 Something useful

    <h4>Chapter 430 Something useful</h4>

    Alicia was quick to look at Alex, afraid that what she blurted out might have displeased him. She wasn¡¯t really sure how much Alex wanted Abigail to know and she had spoken before she thought about it.

    dly, the man didn¡¯t seem to be too bothered by it.

    "D-dragon scales?!" Abigail still could not believe it and it was evident in her expression and tone.

    "Yes. The grip and the scabbard are made of dragon scales," Alex replied.

    Abi blinked at him and then she looked at the sword again. She noticed that its pommel and cross-guard were also made of gold.

    She gazed up at Alex again and asked. "Is this yours?"

    "It was. I gave it to Zeke but it seems it hase back into my possession yet again," Alex answered.

    "Can I hold it?"

    Alex didn¡¯t expect that she would be so interested in the sword so her words caught him off guard. He wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about that because that sword had killed countless lives. At first, Alex wanted to say ¡¯no¡¯, but his littlemb seemed to be so fascinated by it that he didn¡¯t have the heart to refuse her request.

    "Sure," he agreed. "Just be careful. Don¡¯t take it out of its scabbard. The de is extremely sharp," he couldn¡¯t help but add especially because he knew his wife was somewhatcking in coordination.

    A smile broke on Abi¡¯s face as soon as she heard Alex¡¯s eptance. She held the hilt first and then took it from Alicia.

    "Wow! I thought it¡¯d be heavy. I can lift it, Alex! Look!"

    Intrigue and excitement were gushing from Abi¡¯s eyes as she held the sword, while Alex and Alicia both had the same expression. They just looked confused and bewildered.

    "Are you going to use this to fight, Alex?" Abi asked as she tried to swing the sword.

    "Maybe," was all Alex replied. "Give the sword back to Alicia, Abigail."

    His words made Abi halt and she faced him. "You¡¯re not going to hold it?"

    "No. I will only touch that if it¡¯s absolutely required."

    "Then, let me keep it for you, Alex. I can watch over it. I promise I will take good care of it," she said excitedly.

    "No, I can¡¯t give you any extra baggage," was his swift reply.

    "It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not that heavy. And I should probably arm myself with something useful, don¡¯t you think?"

    Alex¡¯s brows pulled together before a sigh escaped from his lips. He held her arm and led her a few steps away from Alicia - not that it mattered as Alicia was a master at reading lips. But knowing that Alex wanted to have a private word with Abigail, Alicia turned and walked away from them to give them some space.

    Facing Abigail, Alex leaned his face closer to her. "Are you nning to fight, Abigail?" he asked. His gaze was serious and probing.

    Abi couldn¡¯t answer for a moment. "If... if needed, I would like to be able to help too," she answered honestly. Abi had been thinking about this for a while now. She hated the fact that she couldn¡¯t do anything; that she was just a mere human who could do nothing but watch and cry. Even before Alex had forgotten her, she had always wanted to learn how to fight for herself too, to save and help her loved ones, especially Alex. Or at the very least, she could learn how to defend herself. She didn¡¯t like that she was always the damsel in distress that needed protection. She didn¡¯t like it. She wished she could fight alongside them as well instead of being a burden.

    But Alex didn¡¯t seem to favor that idea. "So you¡¯re saying you want to kill?" he asked her, his expression firm and serious. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t like Abi holding the sword, let alone having her use it.

    "I..." Abi stammered.

    "If you want to fight, you will need to kill," he told her almost ruthlessly, but then his face became gentle as he held her free hand. "These hands of yours... I don¡¯t want them to be tainted. Leave the fight to us."

    Abi¡¯s grip on the sword tightened. Her heart actually shivered the moment she heard him say that she had to kill. But...

    "I will just use this like it¡¯s a wooden sword then," she didn¡¯t give in. "And at least I might be able to help by holding your weapon for you and to give it to you when you need it. I just want to help, Alex."

    The willful look in her eyes made Alex bite his lips and he put his hands on his waist.

    "Fine. Don¡¯t ever remove the scabbard," he warned.

    Abigail¡¯s face lit up upon hearing him.

    "And if I see that you¡¯re having trouble carrying it, I will ask Raven to take it from you."

    "I can carry it, Alex. Trust me. It¡¯s not really that heavy."

    Realizing that Abigail was determined not to let go of the sword, Alex could only sigh again in surrender. Why couldn¡¯t he say no to his wife? He shook his head, making fun of himself but when he saw her smile at him like he was the best husband in the world, he stopped berating himself. He really enjoyed it when his wife was happy.

    Abigail couldn¡¯t believe it. She was finally going to be able to do something useful!

    She walked a few steps away from Alex and she started to swing the sword against an invisible enemy. "We still have time right, Alex? How about you train me for a while?"

    "No, conserve your energy."

    "Just a few tips, then."

    "No."

    Abi puffed her cheeks and she looked away, eying the vampire men who seemed to have finished their preparations and were sitting idly by a tree. Of course, Alex immediately knew what she was thinking so before she could move, he pulled her towards him.

    He ced his hands over hers as he stood behind her.

    "This is the best thing I can teach you with the time we have so pay attention," he said, his lips so close to her ear.

    In the next moment, he helped her lift the sword.

 Chapter 431 Hidden

    <h4>Chapter 431 Hidden</h4>

    Time passed and it was finally time for them to make their move. It didn¡¯t take them long before they arrived at the ce that Alex found the night before.

    They looked around but the ce was empty. The area was a small hill at the foot of the towering, rocky mountains. There were no trees around so Alicia felt a little troubled. Theck of trees wasn¡¯t a favorable condition for her since she would no longer be able to use one of her trump cards during the fight.

    Alexnded and put Abigail down. The sword was secured on her waist.

    Zeke¡¯s men and the reinforcement witches, who had arrived just minutes ago, were gathered behind Alex and Abigail. All of them, except Alex, were looking around the empty and peaceful piece ofnd.

    "Is this the ce?" Alicia asked and Alex immediately said, "Yes."

    "Get ready, they¡¯reing," he added and just as he said, the hybrids suddenly appeared. They wereing from the top of the hill or was it from the back?

    Alex smirked, looked back, pulled Abi close to him and kissed her forehead.

    "Don¡¯t forget what I told you, my wife," he whispered and Abi held onto him tightly as she nodded.

    He then pulled away and smiled at her before he looked at Alicia and everyone else. He didn¡¯t say anything more but his gaze was enough for everyone to understand what he was trying to say. They knew he was reminding them about the job he ordered them all to do.

    Once everyone nodded at him, showing him that they were all aware of their task, Alex looked satisfied and he kissed Abi¡¯s forehead onest time before he finally disappeared.

    Abi watched him leap from her towards the horde of hybrids approaching them. She silently prayed again that he woulde back to her safe and sound.

    Everyone else also moved to form a tight,yered circle around her, with the witches making up the inner circle and the elite vampires on the outer circle.

    The cold wind started to blow even stronger as Alex charged at the oing hybrid army. Abi watched as the hybrids were scattered by his attack, some being thrown away like ragdolls. Alex was unstoppable.

    And then, a small tornado began to form from above him, causing Abi¡¯s mouth to hang open from shock. It was then followed by fear because if the tornado were tond on the ground at that moment, it wouldnd on top of Alex!

    "Don¡¯t worry, Alexander can control the wind," Alicia told her.

    That surprised Abigail. She didn¡¯t know Alex was capable of that. What else could he do?

    The tornado became bigger and it swallowed the vampires around Alex. However, it also swallowed him. Abi¡¯s heart thud harder against her chest. She couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous even though Alicia had told her this was Alex¡¯s doing. Things were happening too fast and her naked eyes could barely keep up! This feeling of being transported to another world was reigning inside her again. It was nerve-wracking. Was this why Alex didn¡¯t want her to approach him?

    Abi took a deep breath. She had to keep calm in this situation. She didn¡¯t want to put anyone in danger, especially Alex, by acting recklessly.

    The tornado became bigger and in the next second, it disappeared. Bodies began to fall like hails from above them and the scene was gruesome. It was like the tornado had shredded the hybrids¡¯ bodies while they were suspended. The snow white nket covering the hill was now tainted red. It happened way too fast.

    But then, another group of hybrids appeared, like endless minions. Some were able to reach them and the elite vampires and the witches dealt with them easily. With more witches on board, more of the elite vampires were able to be buffed with spells of agility, defense, power or health and they were a fierce force to contend with. Abi was utterly impressed.

    She felt like she was watching a movie and she was the only bystander. Her gaze looked at Alex from afar again and she gripped the sword hanging by her waist.

    Alex... her Alex was there, fighting alone. He looked like he was very much used to this - fighting on his own. He wasn¡¯t losing. In fact, he was formidable. He was a far cry from that night where the enemy was able to sh and shoot him countless times.

    Still, Abigail¡¯s chest felt heavy. It was hard for her to watch him fighting all alone. She wished she could fight alongside him to watch his back.

    The fight continued and Abi watched Alex control the wind again like a god of disaster. The hybrids were then attacked by ice crystal des. That move finished off the remaining hybrids from that second wave.

    It became quiet after that, as if they were in the eye of a tornado. Alex walked and stood on top of the hill.

    Everyone looked up in anticipation of what was going toe next. Was there another hordeing? Were they going to fight these hybrids nonstop?

    But then, Alexander knelt on one knee and put his palm on the ground.

    He closed his eyes and when he opened them, his eyes zed vivid gold. He lifted his arm and the next second, as if a lightning bolt just hit the ground, Alex punched the ground hard, causing an earthquake.

    The snow covering the hill began to tremble.

    Abigail was in a trance as she watched Alex with her lips parted, when she was suddenly lifted up off the ground.

    Raven was holding her around the waist and they backed out towards the forest again andnded on top of the trees. A loud sound echoed and they watched the avnche creep down, burying the dead bodies in its wake.

    The scene made Abi¡¯s heart stop as she looked for Alex. She was worried for him.

    dly, she was able to spot him and her heart beat again. He was standing on top of...

    Abi¡¯s eyes widened. Now that the snow had fallen away, what appeared before their eyes was something they never expected. An ancient Ziggurat was standing there, hidden under the snow all this time.

    .

    .

    I am sad. We¡¯re down to top 3 T^T

    We¡¯re not top 1 in female lead anymore so there¡¯s no more three chaps daily.

    We will go back to to three chapters daily again if we get top 1 again.

    Please don¡¯t stop voting hellbounders.

 Chapter 432 Underneath

    <h4>Chapter 432 Underneath</h4>

    As the monstrous building came into view, everyone had to blink twice to make sure they weren¡¯t seeing things. They felt like a mystical, ancient beast suddenly appeared before them and they were all dumbstruck. They all stared at the ancient structure in awe.

    The Ziggurat was in the shape of pyramid but instead the sides being smooth from the bottom to the top, this was ayered, rectangr building, something akin to lego blocks where arge rectangr piece made up the base and then smaller rectangr pieces ced on top. The stop of the structure wasn¡¯t pointed like a pyramid, it had a small dome which sat on top of a small, square building.

    On one face of the structure was the entrance with three stairways leading up to it, two stairways hugging the wall and one stairway in front of it.

    Alex was standing on top of the structure and in the next moment, Abi saw him jump down to the ground. Once the elite vampires and witches felt that the small quake was over and that the threat of the avnche was no more, they moved to get closer to Alex and the Ziggurat. Riev went out there first to make sure it was safe before Raven, still holding on to Abigail, and the others followed.

    They stopped about fifty meters away from Alex. They could see that Alex¡¯s eyes were still emitting its golden shade so they didn¡¯t dare get too close to him. The mission was not over yet, it seemed.

    The world around them had be quiet again. Nothing could be heard apart from their breathing.

    Abigail stepped away from Raven the moment theynded and she drew closer to Alicia. She could tell that Alex was not back to normal yet so she, too, didn¡¯t approach him.

    "Alicia, did you know that something like this was here?" she asked. She wondered if Alicia had seen this structure before in her crystal ball.

    Alicia just shook her head. She couldn¡¯t recall seeing it. But then again, she wasn¡¯t the witch queen yet so she didn¡¯t have ess to all the previous witch queens¡¯ memories.

    The group fell quiet after that and all eyes fell back towards Alex again.

    After staring at the structure for a while, Alex finally moved. He nced at them and looked at Abigail, as if to make sure she was okay, before he began to approach the ancient structure. He walked by the structure¡¯s outer wall, his hand dragging on the wall. He looked like he knew exactly where he was going as he carefully walked around its perimeter.

    When Alicia had shown them the ces where their enemies were possibly hiding, Alex had looked at one area in particr. When she had pointed to this ce on the map, something seemed to trigger within his mind, as if this area had some significance. At the time, he couldn¡¯t remember what that was or what it meant. When he was with Abigailst night, a very, very old memory surfaced and he remembered why this ce seemed so familiar. It was because of this Ziggurat.

    His mind yed a few images of this ce and he saw this ce in its prime. Countless years ago, before he became an immortal, he had somehow stumbled upon this ce. He couldn¡¯t remember how or why he hade to this ce - seeing as how it had been a few thousand years ago - but he recalled some of the details of this structure like its location and its entrance.

    He recalled that underneath this structurey arge cave-like space inside - ideal for anyone to use to create those creatures in secret, hidden from the eyes of the world.

    This was why he was so sure that he had the right location andst night¡¯s expedition had confirmed it.

    The elite vampires and witches saw that there was an entrance atop the stairs which led to a few more flights of stairs heading to the dome at the very top. It looked like an entrance to a temple. But Alex didn¡¯t seem to have any intention of heading up there. They looked at each other in bewilderment. What was Alex doing? Was he scoping the perimeter for any sign of trouble?

    They kept watching him as he kept walking along the wall. He didn¡¯t seem to be watching out for iing enemies. He seemed to be searching for something because with every step he took, he would brush his hand against the wall and pat the wall at several different ces. They didn¡¯t know how long they watched him do this for but finally, they saw him halt.

    They watched him push the wall and a loud groaning sound echoed as arge part of the wall opened.

    Everyone gasped in surprise but they didn¡¯t have time to wonder as Alex beckoned the group toe closer. Everyone immediately followed his order and made their way towards the opening.

    "Be prepared. We¡¯re going in," Alex told everyone. His voice was cold and emotionless.

    All the elite vampires nodded, muscles bing tense, ready to jump into action at any moment. The witches looked at each other and nodded as well, as if they weremunicating telepathically.

    Without another word, Alex led the way into the dark tunnel. Everyone was alert, tuning in to the slightest movements as they walked further into the tunnel. The door slowly closed behind them, leaving them in darkness.

    The vampires had the innate ability to see in the dark so they weren¡¯t hindered by the darkness. However, everyone else didn¡¯t have that skill. As Abi reached out her hands in front of her to stop banging into someone, she heard Alicia chant a small spell and just like that, Abigail, along with other witches, were able to see in the dark, although, there was really not much to see except for the nk, brown walls that surrounded them.

 Chapter 433 Above

    <h4>Chapter 433 Above</h4>

    The tunnel was silent. Everybody was on edge, clearly expecting another horde of hybrids to rush at them but it didn¡¯t happen. Even so, they didn¡¯t let down their guard, especially because they were making their way into the enemy¡¯sir. The witches did what they were good at and buffed the elite vampires, getting them ready for whatever they were going to face. They also cast a few spells of protection on Abigail.

    Alex led them deeper and deeper into the Ziggurat until they saw light up ahead, signifying the end of the tunnel. They kept going and once they reached the open space at the end of the tunnel, everyone stared in awe at what was before them, except for Alex and Abigail.

    Alex had already lived so long that nothing really surprised him in this life anymore except for his wife and as for Abigail, it was because this was the ce she had seen in hertest dream, the one with the woman in ck.

    Alex stood before the group, as if to shield them for a surprise attack that didn¡¯te. When his gaze roamed therge area down below, he found the witch queen. She was shackled between them and the throne, encased in what looked like an ice crystal. It looked like the witch queen had cocooned herself.

    When Alicia saw her, she gasped and her hand went to cover her mouth. She trembled slightly as the sight of her queen like that. Alicia knew that this was the state that queens put themselves in if they didn¡¯t want their enemies to torture or extract information from them. That was a spell they used to protect their power and knowledge when they were held captive. It was a first tier spell and it was only to be used as ast resort because the price of that spell was death. Once she broke out of that cocoon, she would die. So she was right after all. Her queen was dying. This was the reason why she had been getting the queen¡¯s powers slowly over time.

    But even with the truth before her, Alicia still found it hard to believe that her queen was in this state! How? Why? Their queen was the most powerful witch in thend so how did ite to this? Just who was this creature that managed to firstly, capture her and secondly, to drive her to do this?

    Alicia looked around but the ce was empty, except for her queen. She then pushed her way to the front and was about to jump down to go to her queen but an arm held her back.

    "What do you think you¡¯re doing?" Riev questioned.

    "I¡¯m going to my queen," Alicia replied with tears in her eyes. "I want to take her away from here. I want to take her back to where she belongs so she can... she can die with her people..." Alicia trailed off, her voice a mere whisper as she said thosest words.

    Riev didn¡¯t know what to do because Alicia started to break down. Thankfully, Abigail moved towards Alicia and gave her a hug, freeing Riev from his predicament.

    "It¡¯s okay, Alicia. We will get her. I promise. We will take her back so don¡¯t worry. I promise we won¡¯t leave her," Abiforted.

    Abi looked around the cave again as she held Alicia. Something felt off. She tried to recall the details from her dream to see if she could find why something felt odd. She remembered that the woman wearing the ck veil had sat on that throne. Where was she? And where was the legion of hybrid vampires that she had seen in her dream?

    Abi was starting to feel apprehensive because she couldn¡¯t shake this feeling of dread that she felt in her bones. Her eyes were focused on Alex and her heart was beating so wild that she couldn¡¯t speak anymore.

    "Abi, what¡¯s wrong?" Alicia said when she felt Abigail¡¯s heartbeat elerate, pulling away from Abigail¡¯s embrace.

    "Something isn¡¯t right..." Abigail trailed off as she looked up at the vast, pitch dark ceiling. Wait a minute! This room was fully lit up in dream. The light should¡¯ve reached the ceiling but it looked like a pitch dark sky. Why? Why was this different?

    Abigail closed her eyes and she concentrated. The moment she heard their heartbeats, she called out to Alex. "Alex, they are up there!"

    However, it was toote because by the time her words came out, Alexander was already standing by the witch queen, ready to take her from this ce.

    As thest word came out of her lips, the hybrids jumped down from the ceiling like falling spiders from above.

    They fell on Alex like a dark, heavy, covering him and the witch queen with their bodies. Many of the hybrids went for them as well and the battle ensued.

    Abigail felt scared and she berated herself.

    She could only look on in horror as the scene in her dream became reality. The horde of hybrids was here.

    Abi gripped the sword in her hand but what should she do? There were too many of them. She looked down at Alex who was fighting the mob that surrounded him with his bare hands.

    "Why is Alex not using his power to control the wind?" Abi eximed.

    "He can¡¯t. I think this is one of the reasons why the enemy chose this ce. There is very little draft in this enclosed space and even if it were possible, if Alex uses too much strength, he could very well destroy the entire structure and bury us along with it. Plus, my queen is down there too. He would break her cocoon and kill her if he did that," Alicia exined.

    Everything that Alicia said made sense but it didn¡¯t make her feel any better. Because she was here, Alex was forced to control his strength so that he didn¡¯t destroy the building. They were at a disadvantage but that didn¡¯t mean that Alex would be defeated, right?

 Chapter 434 Until the end

    <h4>Chapter 434 Until the end</h4>

    "Wouldn''t it better if you take me outside and just let Alex destroy this ce?"

    "No. We can''t do that. Not until we find out the answer to our questions. Either we capture the person who is behind this or we need to find a way to save our queen. She will definitely know."

    This ce wasn''t favorable for them. There was no wind, no trees and very little space. The men were doing their best to fend off the hybrids from entering the tunnel and Alex was also fighting them down below.

    He punched and kicked and wed and stabbed them but when one went down, another one came to take its ce. It was never ending. Abigail saw this and she turned to Alicia.

    "I think we need to give the sword to him, Alicia!" said Abi, panicking. But Alicia could no longer pay attention to her. The hybrids'' number seemed to have tripled and it looked like they now focused their attention on them instead of Alex.

    "Shit! It''s hard to fight! They''re trying to push us back into the tunnel" she heard one of the elite vampire curse and she realized he was right. They were being pushed back and it was getting more cramped.

    "Damn it! This is bad. We have to relocate!!" Raven said and he forced his way towards Abigail. However, Alex suddenlynded in front of Abi.

    He was smiling at her then his smile faded as he hugged her and nted a quick kiss on her forehead. His body was cold and his eyes looked like they were burning like a golden sun. "I''m sorry, Abigail. I don''t want to show you this but¡­ I have no choice," he whispered as he pulled the sword from its scabbard.

    The next moment, he was gone.

    He appeared in front of the elite vampires and with one sh, a number of bodies rolled on the floor, clearing the cramped spot. The vampires could finally move again and fight with ease.

    Alex continued taking down countless vampires, swinging his sword and fighting like a human. But he wasn''t human. He had his unrivalled speed and strength. The glow in his eyes was so bright that he looked so different. He had totally switched from a vampire to a demon in human form.

    He had be like a dark tornado himself and the atmosphere that was already tense and filled with bloodlust began to be enveloped with the kind of darkness that was enough to make anyone tremble in fear. It was almost like they had been transported to the underworld. Everyone knew, including Abi, that this darkness, this hellish atmosphere was created by Alex.

    The elite vampires and witches couldn''t help but freeze in awe and fear because it was like a beast was finally let loose. He wasn''t like his mindless rampaging self. He was aware of everything that was happening. But what made him so much more terrifying was the fact that he was smiling, as if he was truly enjoying his killing spree.

    The number of the hybrid creatures were decreasing because of Alex''s one-man ughter band. Abi could only watch silently. She didn''t know what to feel as she watched Alex swinging his sword like a terrifying demon.

    Even if she knew Alex had already killed countless lives before, seeing him doing it again now with her own two eyes made Abi''s heart go numb. She knew this was inevitable and that these creatures were dangerous. They could be used to harm humans next if they were allowed to be let loose. They were creatures that weren''t supposed to exist.

    Still, Abi wished that Alex didn''t need to do this anymore. He looked so different again, as if she was seeing another Alexander, the Alexander that had been long forgotten. He was like a living, breathing darkness. His eyes were merciless, ruthless even. There was no sign of her doting husband at all. This sight finally made Abi realize the extent of the hellish world that Alex had told her about. This was his real hell, the hell he didn''t want her to see, the hell she vowed she would embrace for her to be able to stay beside him.

    She felt like she was a statue, just watching her husband and herrades fighting with all their might. She could see Alicia joining in the fight as well, supporting the others beforeing back to her again. Some of the witches protecting her had fallen.

    This battle overwhelmed her. Her heart was trembling. She thought she was prepared enough after everything that she saw but she was wrong. This battle had shocked her entire being. So this was why Alex told her not to look. But then again, she couldn''t look away.

    Abi didn''t have the heart to do that. She wouldn''t blink even an eye. She would watch Alex, everyone, everything until the end. She wouldn''t look away even if her spirit broke.

    The seemingly endless battle seemed to finally reach its conclusion. The hybrids were finally dwindling in number. Alex seemed to have suffered few cuts, judging from the blood stains and cuts on his clothes. He stood there, his sword still dripping with dark blood.

    Most of the casualties from their side were the witches Alicia had called in. The scene was like something from a horror movie, grim, bloody and reeked of death. It happened too fast for Abi but she knew that to everyone who was fighting, time probably felt slow.

    She clenched her fists and returned her gaze to Alex. She didn''t have the luxury to feel relieved because despite seeing that the hybrids were running out, the unease and fear in her heart didn''t subside even a little.

    Alex walked up the stairs, effortlessly shing the few hybrids that were jumping on him.

    He walked slowly towards the shackled witch queen when a viinousugh of a woman echoed. The woman in ck came out from behind the throne.

    Abi froze in ce. That was the woman from her dream, the one who called for her toe.

    "Hahaha¡­ as expected of you, Alexander," her voice echoed as she elegantly sat on the throne leisurely, as if a battle hadn''t just happened.

    Her eyes then shot straight to Abigail. "And Abigail¡­ I''ve been waiting for you."

    .

    A\\N: We didn''t reach #01 but thank u hellbounders for the supports!! Let''s not give up and keep voting for Abi and Alex!

    Thank u for your gifts as well.

    Love u so much guys!!!

 Chapter 435 Masked

    <h4>Chapter 435 Masked</h4>

    Abi felt her body freeze the moment the woman in ck looked at her. The woman¡¯s gaze was piercing, as if she wanted to see into her mind. Who was this woman? How did she know who she was? What did she want from her?

    All these questions went round and round in Abigail¡¯s head. She didn¡¯t know why this woman would know someone as insignificant as her. Apart from being Alex¡¯s wife, there was really nothing out of the ordinary in her life. Or maybe that was how the woman came to know of her - as the woman who managed to tie down the great Alexander.

    An even darker aura cloaked Alex¡¯s body the moment he heard the woman in ck mention his wife¡¯s name. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the woman. With just one look, Alex could tell that she wasn¡¯t a vampire, nor a witch. He then recalled what Abigail had told himst night about her dream - about a woman wearing a ck veil. So this was the woman calling for his Abigail? Why? Who was she?

    The woman then gazed down at Alex again after her attention had been on Abigail for a while. "It¡¯s been a long time... Alexander," she suddenly said in azy drawl.

    Why did she talk like she and Alex had met before, as if she knew Alex personally? Abigail¡¯s eyes went to Alex¡¯s face to see what his reaction would be. Did he know this woman?

    Abigail didn¡¯t realise that she had been holding her breath as she searched Alex¡¯s face. Abigail had thought that the woman was quite ssically beautiful when she saw her in her dream, Even though her face was covered by the veil, Abi could tell that she was elegant and beautiful andposed just by the way she carried herself. As Abi searchd Alex¡¯s face, she felt immense relief when she saw that Alex had no recollection of this woman. His eyes were questioning, as if he was asking the same questions she was about this woman¡¯s identity.

    Alex didn¡¯t respond. His fiery eyes just red at the woman and the already heavy atmosphere became almost suffocating.

    Everyone was still in a trance when suddenly, like a lightning strike, Alex flew towards the woman sitting nonchntly on the golden, angel-like throne. He was so fast that he almost became just a shadow in everyone¡¯s eyes.

    Nobody expected Alex to immediately charge at the woman in ck and he did it before the others could even breathe again. Alex¡¯s move broke the spell that everyone was under and they all watched with wide eyes as Alex appeared in front of the woman, with his sword raised, prepared to sh her throat but...

    A deafening metallic clunk echoed in therge cavern. Alex¡¯s move was unexpected but what was even more unexpected was the fact that a man in ck had appeared in a blur in front of the woman in ck, stopping Alex¡¯s attack with his very own sword. The sh of their two swords created powerful sparks.

    Nobody had noticed this man¡¯s presence in the cave and then in the next second, he was there. It was as if he was able to move as fast at Alex. He would have had to move just as fast to catch that attack! What the heck was happening?!

    In that moment, Alex¡¯s eyes widened as his grin became even more devilish. The man who had stopped Alex was wearing a full silver mask with only his fiery red eyes visible from behind the mask.

    The two retracted their swords and they leapt away from each other with the masked man standing in front of the woman in ck, while Alex ended up before the cocooned witch queen. They stood meters away from each other, eyes glued on each other. Neither of them blinked, as if doing so would cause their death. And maybe that wasn¡¯t an exaggeration. If one of them let their guard down, even just by blinking, the other would be fast enough to take the other down.

    The atmosphere became electrifying, as if the tension between the two swordsmen was so intense that it manifested in the air around them.

    Everyone held their breath again. They were dumbfounded. Even the elite vampires had their mouths subconscious fall open. Someone actually managed to stop Alexander¡¯s attack?! Who was he?! What was he?! Was this man the secret weapon of this woman in ck? Could he be the strongest hybrid that the woman created? But no! The hybrid¡¯s eyes were a lighter shade of red, closer to orange, not the glowing, deep, bright red that this man had.

    Everyone could tell that this man was no ordinary vampire. They couldn¡¯t believe it. This was simply unthinkable. In all their life, they had never seen anyone who could stand against Alexander like this, nobody except for their... Prince Ezekiel...

    Silence fell upon the group and it was so silent that they would have been able to hear a pin drop. The elite vampires couldn¡¯t help but feel their hearts thud crazily against their chest with great unease. Even Alicia clenched her fists as she too drew the same conclusion as the others. Abi also heard it, that distinct heartbeat. The man in the silver mask was no doubt a member of the vampire royal family. But... how could that be...?

    The woman sitting on the throne leaned her head to the side as she rested her face on her knuckles, looking at Alex with an amused gaze. She had that peculiar calmness that felt way too familiar to Abi and the strangest thing was that her heartbeat was not unusual. In fact, it was a very normal heartbeat, like Abigail¡¯s. She had a human heartbeat.

    "I see that you haven¡¯t changed at all, Alexander. You are still as reckless a man as ever," the woman in ck said, nonchntly. She acted soidback, like she feared nothing in this world, not even death, somewhat akin to how Alex had behaved the first time Abi met him.

 Chapter 436 Kill them all

    <h4>Chapter 436 Kill them all</h4>

    "Shut up, woman," was all Alex replied, not even throwing her a nce. His eyes were still glued to the masked man before him.

    The woman seemed to be displeased by his remark that she straightened up and clenched her fists.

    "Catch him," she ordered and the masked man attacked without a second thought, causing Alex to smirk.

    In the next moment, the two engaged in a fierce battle of swords.

    The masked man had pointed his sword, ready to strike Alex through his abdomen. Alex defended himself by swinging his sword in front of him, swiping the other man¡¯s de away from his body, sparks flying from the contact. Alex then countered with an overhead slice, aiming to cut down the masked man in half lengthwise, but the masked man spun away from his impending doom, causing Alex¡¯s sword to smash on the ground, creating arge crack.

    Alex didn¡¯t have time to think as the masked man jumped up high in the air, replicating the attack he had just used and Alex quickly lifted his sword over his head, putting a hand under the t edge of the de for reinforcement, as the masked man¡¯s sword made contact, causing Alex¡¯s hold on his sword to waver. Alex managed to push the attacker off him and he leapt back, creating some space between them.

    The masked man didn¡¯t look like he was at a disadvantage. In fact, he was almost on par with Alexander and what was worse was that it was as if he knew everything about Alex¡¯s strength and speed. It was as if he could read his next move.

    The elite vampires continued ncing at each other. The masked man¡¯s movements looked way too familiar to them. It was way too identical to their master that even though they didn¡¯t want to believe it, suspicion had started to bloom within their hearts.

    The battle was extreme. Sparks and clunks from the sword were the only thing that could be heard, with neither of them gaining the upper hand. When one attacked, the other defended and countered just as swiftly. Even if Alex was as fast as lightning, the masked man was able to counter him through predicting his moves. This back and forth went on for a while with no one giving the other a chance to finish off the fight.

    Everyone was in a trance as they watched, and Alex was still smiling, obviously enjoying the dangerous, adrenaline-inducing, thrill.

    Alicia was the first to break out of the trance and she immediately went to work. She started to chant some spells that would increase Alex¡¯s strength and agility but before she could finish, she felt something whoosh past her cheek. Her hand went to her face and she felt the blood dripping from the cut that appeared. She was shocked. She didn¡¯t know where that attack came from. Was it the woman? Or was it her minion?

    "Tsk, tsk... don¡¯t interfere, little witch." They all heard that smooth, nonchnt voice again. "Or your queen is next," the woman in ck threatened.

    There was a small break in the fight as everyone woke up from their trance. They couldn¡¯t believe that they had let their guard down! If the witch had aimed for Alicia¡¯s heart, then she would have been seriously hurt! And what if it was Abigail that was attacked?! Oh god, they didn¡¯t even want to think about that possibility. They would be dead meat, for sure!

    As the elite vampires started to turn their attention to their task, Abigail started to hear heartbeats, many more heartbeats, and they weren¡¯t only the heartbeats of hybrid creatures. This time, she heard the heartbeats of normal vampires and normal witches, too.

    The woman in ck stretched out her hand, pointed at Abigail andmanded her army. "Catch her," she said and the vampires and witches appeared from behind the throne and immediately charged towards Abigail.

    The elite vampires were quick to position themselves and in a blink of an eye, the enemy reached them. Alicia and the other witches on their side started chanting spells.

    Another fierce battle broke out. The new army that came at them weren¡¯t as many as the horde of hybrids they faced, but they were strong. They were on par with the elite vampires and they knew the reason why. These vampires were normal rogue vampires and they were this strong because, unlike the elite vampires, these vampires had drunk human blood and not only that, they also witches on their side!

    As the fight broke out, Alex, who was fighting the masked man, became distracted. He was constantly ncing at Abi, checking to make sure she was fine. He saw that the new group of vampires and witches were even stronger and this had him slightly worried. Even though Zeke¡¯s men were battle hardened and well-trained, they still hadn¡¯t drunk blood. This was a different story to fighting the hybrids.

    Unfortunately, because Alex was distracted, the masked man took the opportunity and pieced his abdomen in a bold attack.

    Alex fell to the floor, his blood flowing like a river as his wound healed.

    "Alex!!!!" He heard Abi¡¯s scream and he looked up at her. She was crying as she looked at him, looking worried to death.

    "Geez. Don¡¯t cry, my love. I told you already. I won¡¯t die," he murmured, knowing that Abigail could hear him.

    The next second, he attacked the masked man as well and he made contact, causing the man tond against the wall, shaking the cavern due to the impact.

    And then in a blink of an eye, he was up there on the throne, capturing the woman in ck and holding his sword against her throat.

    "Get away from them or this woman¡¯s head will roll," Alex¡¯s voice thundered and everyone halted.

    The masked man was back and he stood before them, not caring about Alex¡¯s threat at all.

    The woman in ckughed.

    "Oh, Alexander... You¡¯re finally holding me," she uttered. The way she spoke was so seductive and everyone couldn¡¯t believe that she wasn¡¯t scared at all.

    Alex ignored the woman and his sword started slicing through her skin.

    "Get away from them, now!!" Alex¡¯s voice indicated thest warning.

    But to everyone¡¯s surprise, the woman continuedughing and she instead stretched her hand out again, pointing at Abi¡¯s direction.

    "Don¡¯t stop. Kill them all and get Abigail to me," she ordered, and the woman¡¯s minion started to attack again, causing Alex¡¯s eyes to ze. The next second, he shed the woman¡¯s neck without hesitation and he let her body fall to the floor.

    Alex didn¡¯t give her a second nce and leapt to go to Abigail when a voice halted him.

    "Where do you think you¡¯re going, Alexander?"

    Alex¡¯s eyes widened and Abi, who had seen the entire thing, had the same expression.

    Alex slowly turned, eyes filled with disbelief. The woman who was supposed to be dead, spoke and was standing again.

    .

    I am sad. We¡¯re down to top 3 T^T

    We¡¯re not top 1 in female lead anymore so there¡¯s no more three chaps daily. We will go back to to three chapters daily again if we get top 1 again. (Justkidding ^^)

    Please don¡¯t stop voting hellbounders.

 Chapter 437 Who are you?

    <h4>Chapter 437 Who are you?</h4>

    The world seemed to halt. Was she dreaming?

    Abi had seen it with her own eyes. Alex had shed the woman''s neck with his de. She should''ve been dead. So how was she still alive?! Wasn''t she just a human?!

    Her gaze fell on Alex. Though she could only see his back, Abi could tell he was as shocked as she was.

    Even Alicia and everyone who saw what happened felt overwhelmed. They couldn''t believe it. The only one who could still live after being shed like that was Alexander. No one else!

    They could only pray that this was just an illusion. It had to be. How could this woman still be alive? There was just no way! They waited for the illusion to fade but she didn''t disappear. She stayed there, looking as alive as any of them. If it wasn''t for her blood stained skin and blood soaked clothes, they would have believed that Alex hadn''t shed her throat.

    It seemed this was real and the woman who was supposed to be dead wasughing again, a twinkingugh that would haunt their nightmares.

    "Hahaha. Oh, Alexander¡­ don''t give me that look," her viinous yet hypnotic voice echoed again. The way she called Alex''s name made Abi feel a different kind of unease in the pit of her stomach. The woman was calling his name like she wanted him.

    Alex once again charged at her but the masked man confronted him again and with that, another round began between them.

    The woman in ck watched Alex and the masked man like she was amused at their intense battle. On Abi''s end, Alicia, Riev and Raven and five more of the other elites were left. All the other witches were dead.

    The men, including Alicia, surrounded Abigail.

    "Raven, I think it might be best if you guys escape this ce with Abigail," Alicia said, causing Abi to immediately panic.

    "No! Please. I can''t just leave while Alex is ¨C"

    "Abigail, we''re losing! If you don''t leave this ce, you will¡­ that woman will take you. And you know what will happen then, right? She will use you to make Alexander surrender!"

    What Alicia said made Abi''s lips tremble. She knew that that was probably that woman''s aim. But how could she just leave her Alex here? She was going to run away and leave her husband to fight alone?

    Abi shook her head. She was scared for Alex. And if she left like this, she would hate herself even more for being so useless. She had had enough of this. She was the only one standing around while everyone around her was dying to protect her. She hated this to her bones.

    But if she refused and the enemy really used her, she would be the cause of Alex''s downfall. How could she live with that? What would she do? What could she do then?

    Abi felt like she was going to burst. She wanted to cry and she couldn''t help but hate herself. Why couldn''t she be useful for once? Why couldn''t she help Alex in his battle? She didn''t choose toe to his hell just to watch. She wanted to do something for him too!

    While Abi''s insides were being torn apart from her internal battle, she saw Alex suddenly fall to his knees, clutching his chest. He looked like he was breathless. The masked man stood right before him, watching him closely.

    Abi''s body began to tremble. What happened? Didn''t he remember everything already? Why was he in that state again? No!! This couldn''t be happening! Not right at this moment!

    Tears flowed from Abi''s eyes. Alex looked like he was in pain. He was in danger. He lied. He had lied to her. He was not safe at all. He hadn''t regained all his memories yet.

    "Oh, Alexander¡­ how foolish you are to sacrifice your immortality just to save a girl," the woman in ck stood up from her throne and she started waltzing towards Alex.

    As she walked closer to him, she picked up Alex''s sword that was lying on the ground just out of Alex''s reach. She kept walking towards Alex, the sword''s tip creating sparks as she dragged it against the ground.

    Seeing that woman walk closer and closer to Alex, who was still in pain and gasping for breath, made Abi lose her senses. That crazy woman was going to kill him. She couldn''t just watch. She couldn''t take it anymore.

    And before she knew it, she forced her way out of the circle, her protection, and escaped. Alicia and Raven were toote to stop her because they were too focused on the vampires and witches they were fighting against.

    Abigail ran towards the stairs. "Alex!!!" she screamed, crying as she climbed up the stairs.

    Alex heard her scream and he gritted his teeth. "Don''t¡­ don''te¡­ leave¡­" he begged between his gasps.

    But Abigail didn''t stop.

    The woman in ck turned and when she saw Abigail, she let go of the sword and walked towards Abigail instead with open arms, as if to wee Abigail.

    Abi halted upon seeing the mad woman more than ten steps away from her.

    "Oh, Abigail. You''re finally being obedient," the woman said, her voice suddenly kind.

    "Who are you? What do you want from me?!" she asked. Abi was surprised that she didn''t feel scared. No, this woman didn''t scare her. What scared her was Alex being in danger. She would not be able to take it if something bad happened to him.

    The woman took another step closer to her and then stopped.

    She lifted her hand and began to remove her veil.

    The moment her ck veil fell on the floor, Abi''s eyes dimmed. She was so shocked. Her body felt like it turned into a statue.

    Hello guys... My heart just broke.. I was meant to surprise u and tell you I''m just kidding with my message in the previous chap. As an author, I would feel sad if the rank will fall. That means my readers might not liking the book anymore. Or they got tired voting for it and found a better book to vote.

    I am sorry that it offended you. As I told u before, I know you guys are the reason why I reached the top. And im very thankful for it. I am sorry that you need to pay and the book is not ending yet.

    I just want you guys to understand me too. I am working really hard... I am writing even when I''m sick. I''m really stressed. You saw it right? I''ve been writing nonstop for 460days. And now im giving u 3 chapters daily without break. I have to push my brain to create a content on the spot. And once I published I cant go back anymore. I could only continue writing even if there are things I wanted to change.

    I have a day job and immediately start writing once im home for 5-6 hours.

    But im happy because my hard work is paying off and you guys are supporting me and buying my book. Im truly thankful guys. I know there wille a day that I can''t entertain u anymore and if that day hase, I cant dont anything about it but feel sad. I cant force you guys to stay with me till the end.

    So even if its sad, its okay if you will stop from here. I understand.

    Thank you for everything.

    \u003c3

    Kazzen

 Chapter 438 One of a kind

    <h4>Chapter 438 One of a kind</h4>

    "No... this can¡¯t be..." Abi shook her head as her lips trembled. Her face was filled with denial. This woman. It couldn¡¯t be! This was not her mother! Her mother was dead!

    "Abigail, it¡¯s me. Don¡¯t you recognize me?" the woman asked, but Abi continued shaking her head, not wanting to believe what her eyes were clearly seeing. She couldn¡¯t speak. She felt like her brain had melted down. She closed her eyes and her body wobbled for a second before she opened up her eyes again. She looked at the woman again, determined to find something that would make sense.

    The woman¡¯s face was exactly her mother¡¯s. It was as if her mother had a twin they didn¡¯t know about. No, it was like her mother had been duplicated from head to toe. However, what Abi felt towards the woman was very different to what her eyes were telling her.

    This woman didn¡¯t feel like her mother. Abi couldn¡¯t really remember much as she was only a little girl when her mother died but she remembered that feeling of being in her mother¡¯s arms, the warmth, the sense of protection and love. She felt none of that from this woman.

    This wasn¡¯t her mother and yet...¡¯No, Abigail! Your mother was dead,¡¯ her mind fought.

    "M-my mother... she¡¯s dead. You¡¯re not her!" Abi clenched her fists. There was just no way, right?

    But the woman smiled at her so sweetly. "I won¡¯t force you to believe me, Abigail ¨C"

    "Leave!!!" Alex¡¯s voice pulled everyone¡¯s attention. Abi looked at Alex as he struggled to stand. When he was halfway up, he fell again. He really was losing his strength again. "Leave this ce, Abigail. Wait for me outside," he whispered with ragged breaths.

    "No, I won¡¯t leave you. We will leave this ce together, Alex," Abigail replied causing Alex to hiss.

    Abigail looked at the woman again but this time, her gaze was fierce. She wouldn¡¯t fall for this trap. She would never believe that she was her mother. Her sweet mother was dead.

    The woman¡¯s face looked displeased for a moment but she was quick to cover it up and her face became sweet again.

    "Abigail, didn¡¯t youe here to save him? Do you want to know what could save him?" the woman asked her.

    Abi looked at Alex again. The god of ughter just a while ago had turned into a seemingly vulnerable human.

    She couldn¡¯t speak but deep within her, she wanted to know the answer. It was her mission to save Alex. But before she could ask, the woman spoke again

    "The only thing that can save him is my blood, Abigail," she said causing Abi to crease her brows. "Once he drinks my blood, he will be saved. Simple, right?"

    Abi shook her head. She didn¡¯t know why but what the woman said made her heart squeeze in both fear and pain. She didn¡¯t know why but that idea felt off.

    "Y-your blood? Why would it be your blood?"

    "Because I¡¯m like him, Abigail."

    Confusion once again clouded Abi¡¯s eyes, even though she kind of understood the gist of what this woman was trying to say. But that couldn¡¯t be the answer. No, she refused to believe it.

    "Didn¡¯t you see it with your own two eyes? Like him, I have the dragon blood in my veins," she added and Abi¡¯s world seemed to copse around her.

    Abi had thought about this possibility when she saw the woman stand up again after being shed, but she ignored it. How could this be? There were two immortals in this world?

    "Y-you mean... you also drank the blood of the same dragon Alex had in?" Abi asked, her fingers slightly trembling.

    The woman looked at Alex and there was glint in her eyes that Abi didn¡¯t like.

    "Yes." She responded. "And that is why both Alexander and I are immortals."

    "H-how could ¨C"

    "That is why Alexander needs my blood, Abigail. My blood is what he needs to be saved."

    The look in the woman¡¯s eyes was serious and Abi couldn¡¯t find any more reason not to believe her. She had seen it with her own two eyes. And it made sense, somewhat. If Alex¡¯s immortality was disappearing, then wouldn¡¯t it make sense for him to drink the blood of an immortal to regain it?

    "You¡¯re going to let him drink your blood?"

    "Yes."

    "Why? What do you want in exchange?"

    The woman stared at her as silence reigned between them for a moment.

    "In exchange, give me your blood, Abigail," she answered and Alex groaned again, pulling Abi¡¯s attention back to him.

    "No!! Leave... Abi... please!!" he grunted. He looked weaker and weaker with each second that passed by. He was in pain. He should¡¯ve passed out by now. But he was still holding on despite the agonizing pain he must be feeling. She knew that the pain he was feeling was beyond extreme because, knowing Alex, he wouldn¡¯t even groan in pain like that while being burned.

    Abi forced herself to look away and looked back at the woman.

    "Why? Why would you want my blood? I am... I am just a weak human," Abi told her. She didn¡¯t understand. She was confused. Why would this woman need her blood when she was already this powerful? Humans were powerless against them; she could easily catch one and drink their blood whenever she wanted. So why would she ask for her blood in exchange for saving Alex?

    The woman¡¯s lips curved and she stretched out her hand.

    "Oh Abigail, yes, you are just a mere human," she told her, although Abi found her tone doubtful as she said that. "But your blood is special. The most special blood and one of a kind in this world."

    Her answer confused Abi even more. Why would a human like her have special blood?

    "I don¡¯t understand. I ¨C"

    "You will understand once everything is over, Abigail. You will see just what kind of special creature you are. You will see what I am talking about," the woman cut Abi off as Alex groaned again. This time, louder and more agonizing.

    Abi looked at him again and her heart was breaking apart. She couldn¡¯t watch him be like that anymore. Her mind was messed up. She knew this was suspicious, that she couldn¡¯t trust this woman at all. But what if Alex died right before her eyes? She would die, too, if that happened. All she wanted now was to save him. No matter what kind of method was required.

    "Nowe, Abigail. Give me your blood and I assure you, Alexander¡¯s suffering will end," the woman stretched out her hand to her. "Come, let¡¯s not make him suffer like this anymore. Only you can save him."

    "How about you save him first before I give my blood to you?" Abi negotiated at thest second.

    "I can¡¯t do that. Alexander will never let me drink your blood if he is back to his old self. It¡¯s okay, I promise, I will not kill you. Trust me. You will understand everything after this. Right now, he¡¯s dying. We have to save him first before it¡¯s toote."

    Abi¡¯s body was trembling. She nced at Alex again and he seemed to have stopped struggling, as if he was already on hisst breath. A tear fell from Abi¡¯s eyes and her feet began to move closer to the woman in ck.

    .

    Dear hellbounders, I read all yourments in the previous chapter and you guys soothed my spirit. Thank u so much for the kind and encouraging words. I love u guys. I will do my best! \u003e?\u003c

    Also, please know that my notes will not increase the chapter¡¯s price(except for the previous chap, cause that heartfelt message is quite long).

 Chapter 439 Wake up

    <h4>Chapter 439 Wake up</h4>

    Abi¡¯s heartbeats drummed in her ears, loud and fast.

    As she walked closer to the woman, the world seemed to move in slow motion. She didn¡¯t know if she was doing the right thing. She didn¡¯t know who this woman was but she had immortal blood, like Alex. What if she was right and that was indeed what he needed to get better? Nothing else that she had tried seemed to work so even though she didn¡¯t trust this woman, she had to try this out. She knew that this decision was a gamble and she hated that all she could do was this; to sacrifice herself but Alex was running out of time.

    Alicia and the rest of their troops were watching the scene unfold but they were kept upied by the vampires and witches who were determined to end them. How could they stop Abigail?! They all knew this was a bad idea, especially Alicia.

    "Abigail! Stop!! You don¡¯t have to do this. This isn¡¯t the way!" Alicia yelled but Abigail didn¡¯t hear a thing. It was as if Abigail was in a trance.

    Alicia was in a slight panic and she turned her attention to the enemies before them, looking for a way to slip through their defenses and reach Abigail. Fortunately, Raven and Riev were able to create a gap between the enemy line and Alicia quickly took the opportunity to escape and head towards Abigail.

    However, the moment Alicianded on the stairs and started running as fast as she could towards Abigail, the masked man blocked her way.

    Alicia looked up as she halted a few steps away from the masked man. She looked into his bright red eyes and in the next moment, Alicia pulled out her silver sword and held it up in front of her. It seemed she had to fight this man to get to Abigail. She knew that she was no match for him, after seeing him fight against the strongest vampire of them all. Even so, she couldn¡¯t let him stop her. She needed to get past him to stop Abigail!

    Taking a deep breath, she looked at her target. Her eyes were fierce with resolve as she lunged at the masked man, swinging her sword in a small arc towards his neck but the man easily blocked her attack and pushed her, causing Alicia to stumble a few steps backward. How the hell was she going to get past this man?! Her gaze went to Alex, who was slumped on the ground, then to Abigail who was only a few steps away from the woman in ck and then on her opponent.

    He really did seem familiar. Was he really Prince Ezekiel?

    "Ezekiel? Is that you?" Alicia asked him. "Let me through. I need to get to Abigail!" she pleaded, but the man remained stubbornly silent.

    His response to her words was to walk closer to her and Alicia braced herself for the attack that she knew woulde. She had used up most of her energy from the first two battles but she still had some strength left. Even if she had all of her energy, she would still be no match for this man. She would have to use her wits to get past this creature.

    She swung her sword at him again as she chanted a spell and in the next second, a very bright sh of light was released from the de of her sword, blinding the masked man for a split second. It was all she needed to get past him. She ran with all her might towards Abigail, not wasting a millisecond of time she had. She didn¡¯t look back as her legs fought against time, because she knew it was only a matter of time before the masked man caught up to her. She was getting closer and closer to Abigail. She could almost reach out to her. Only a few more steps and she would be able to drag Abigail away. She knew this was a trap because her queen was telling her to stop Abigail. Her queen was telling her that she had to stop that woman from drinking Abigail¡¯s blood!

    She took another step, reaching out her arms towards Abigail to pull her back but before she could reach Abigail, an arm grabbed her from behind and the edge of his sharp sword grazed her neck. The masked man caught her and she was now under his mercy.

    "No!" she screamed. Alicia gritted his teeth because she saw that Abigail was now in that woman¡¯s hands.

    "Abigail!! No!!!" Alicia screamed. Abi heard Alicia and she stopped and turned around but it was toote. The woman had Abigail in her grasp and pulled out a small dagger.

    Realizing that she couldn¡¯t stop the woman, Alicia looked at Alex and screamed at him.

    "Alexander!!! She will kill your wife!! Wake up!!!"

    Alicia¡¯s words seemed to have reached Alex¡¯s consciousness. ¡¯She will kill your wife...¡¯ those words echoed inside his dark world. Alex felt like he had been drowning in darkness and he was finding it very hard to breathe, as if the world he was in wascking in oxygen. He was floating, falling deeper and deeper. He felt like he could sumb to the darkness to make the pain go away. If he just closed his eyes forever, then he would never feel pain like this again.

    But those words jolted him out of the pitch ck world he wanted to drown in. He opened his eyes again.

    Alex forced himself to lift his face as he crawled on the ground. His wife was before him, with that woman holding her hostage and that was all it took. Just like when they had fallen from the roof of the castle, something in Alex awakened, despite his body feeling like it was on the brink of death.

    Abigail¡¯s face was reflected in his dark eyes and he saw her tears falling down her face as the woman in ck brought a dagger to her neck and started to sh her skin.

 Chapter 440 Darkes

    <h4>Chapter 440 Darkes</h4>

    Abigail¡¯s blood started to flow out from her wound, making its way down her neck and running over her corbone, staining her shirt.

    The world halted and Alex¡¯s blood that seemed to have turned into ice, began to boil like never before. His body began to surge with newfound energy and his dark eyes glowed golden with more intensity than anyone had ever seen before. It was like he became possessed by a powerful spirit and in the next moment, he disappeared from where he was like a phantom. Those who had their eyes on Alex only saw him disappear from his spot and they couldn¡¯t follow his movements. They couldn¡¯t see where he went but they knew where he was going.

    He appeared, like he had teleported, right next to Abigail, took the dagger from the she-devil¡¯s hand and plunged the dagger into her neck instead.

    He then grabbed Abigail and he took her away, leaping away from the queen. It all happened so quickly that even the masked man didn¡¯t have time to respond.

    "How dare you touch my woman," he hissed and Abi who had just realized what happened looked at Alex with bewildered eyes. She was in his arms again and she couldn¡¯t believe it.

    However, just as Alex put her down on the ground, Alex fell to his knees again. Abigail immediately bent down and put her hands on his face.

    "Alex!!" she called his name as she searched his face. His eyes were ck again.

    "Abigail... " Alex whispered her name so sweetly that Abigail couldn¡¯t stop the tears that fell from her eyes again. He looked at her with such sweet love written on his face and she could tell that he wanted to say something more. She didn¡¯t know what it was but she felt like she didn¡¯t want to hear him say it. She was afraid that he might have wanted to tell her ¡¯goodbye¡¯.

    "Shh... save your energy," she said, as she hugged him tightly, praying to heaven and hell to not take her Alex away from her! Her tears continued to flow and she hugged him as if she never wanted to let go.

    "Well, well, well. Isn¡¯t this a touching scene?" the woman sneered, her beautiful face twisted in anger as she pulled the dagger from her neck. Once the de was out, her wound healed immediately. She no longer bothered to conceal her true nature. y time was over.

    The woman¡¯s gaze was locked on Abigail, who had her back to her as she held Alex in her embrace. Her eyes zoomed in on the bloody wound that she inflicted on Abi¡¯s neck, on the blood that was trickling down. She licked her lips, as if she was famished and she had just stumbled upon a feast, as she walked towards Abigail. Once she was standing just behind Abigail, she clenched the dagger in her hand and brought her arm down to stab Abigail.

    What happened next was a blur.

    Abigail, with Alex¡¯s sword in her hand, swung around, slicing the woman in the abdomen even though she was quick to jump backwards.

    Alex had brought them back to where his sword had fallen. He had reached out to grab it when he fell to the floor. When she heard the woman walking towards her, she had sneakily picked up the sword and she shed out behind her when she thought the woman was close enough.

    Abi didn¡¯t know how she had the strength to do that but she managed to do it. Or at least, managed to make the woman jump away from her and Alex!

    "Don¡¯t hurt my Alex!!" Abi said, gripping the sword in her trembling hands as she stood up and faced this imposter.

    The woman in ck looked shocked and she looked down at her belly that Abi had wounded.

    The wound wasn¡¯t healing.

    The woman blinked a few times and her face looked bewildered, unable to believe that her wound wasn¡¯t healing.

    Abi was also just as shocked. Why wasn¡¯t she healing anymore? Was it because of this sword? But Alex used this to behead her and she still came out alive!

    The woman¡¯s hands trembled and the next second, she screamed. "Come out!! Kill her!!!" she shrieked and more men in ck, wearing the same mask as the one who fought Alex, appeared.

    "Kill her!!" she pointed at Abi with uncontrolled rage.

    Abigail stood her ground, holding the sword before her the way Alex had taught her just an hour or so ago. As the mob started to attack her, she swung her sword but the masked men easily evaded her attack and countered. Abi was just fast enough to block an attack but the force of the hit threw her back and shended on the ground, hard. The sword fell from her hand from the impact, close to Alex. She crawled towards it, towards Alex and quickly picked it up. She then knelt next to Alex who looked like all his strength had left him.

    "Alex..." she called out, crying and Alex opened his eyes. What appeared before him was his wife. She was crying again and...

    The moment he saw blood flowing down her neck, Alex¡¯s heart pulsated. His dark eyes became even dimmer; the darkest state it had ever been.

    "Take Alexander and kill her!! I will drink her blood as she dies!!" The woman ordered and the men were about to jump on her when suddenly, Alex pulled Abi into his embrace.

    In the next moment, he screamed.

    Everyone didn¡¯t know why they halted upon hearing his scream. Maybe because it sounded so agonized and terrifying that they even subconsciously felt shivers down their spines.

    The masked men could only watch him rise, his aura reeking with darkness, a darkness that was enough to paralyze them. It was as if the dark dragon had been awakened. Alex had turned into aplete beast, his eyes were like pure darkness, reeking with death.

 Chapter 441 Exi

    <h4>Chapter 441 Exi</h4>

    In a blink of an eye, four men were thrown away like they were ragdolls, and they hit the wall with a huge thus, breaking off part of the wall. The impact was so strong that the cavern started to shake. One of them hit the ceiling, causing small debris to fall from the above.

    The woman in ck stepped back as she watched Alex smash more of her men with one hit, creating more earthquakes inside the cavern. There was no doubt in everyone¡¯s minds that Alex could very well destroy this ce.

    The woman called more of her men to attack but the result was the same and the woman began to retreat, leaving most of her men inside - sacrificialmbs for her escape.

    Alex continued fighting like a mad beast, destroying everything. Stones began to fall and the dust created a haze inside the cave. The earth shook every time he attacked. It was like he was turning into a merciless, destructive creature, almost as if he was turning into a ck dragon himself.

    As the woman in ck escaped, the masked man followed her, leaving Alicia and the others behind. It seemed that the masked man was very loyal to his master.

    Once she felt his grip loosen up around her, she immediately went to her queen. Arge rock was falling from the ceiling straight on top of the cocoon, so Alicia jumped and used all her strength to move her queen but it was toote. She didn¡¯t have enough strength and the rocknded on top of the cocoon, creating arge crack along its face.

    "My queen!" Alicia called out. The cocoon was breaking and Alicia started to hear her queen¡¯s voice more strongly.

    The witch queen was dying. She was gasping for air, as if her lungs were giving out.

    "I will get you out of here!!" Alicia wept but the queen stopped her.

    The witch queen held Alicia¡¯s hand as he pulled her ne off with the other hand. She was very weak and she knew she didn¡¯t have much time left. "Alicia..." she uttered. I¡¯m so d you made it here. Take this..." the queen uttered as she put the ne in Alicia¡¯s hand. The ne held a small bottle containing a yellow potion inside it.

    "Leave me and go get Abigail. Save her. Don¡¯t... let her die..." the witch queen said, weakly. "My memories and powers will soon go to you... you will soon know everything... I leave everything to you, Alicia... This ne, give this to Abigail. This should only be given to her, understand? Don¡¯t let anyone else have it. Now go."

    "No, I will not leave you here," Alicia protested. She knew there was nothing she could do anymore for her queen. She knew that there was no way to reverse the spell. This was really happening. Her queen was really going to die, no matter how much she didn¡¯t want it to be true. In any case, she wasn¡¯t going to leave her queen to die here alone! She was going to bring her with them - well, that depended on whether they could even leave this ce.

    Alicia was about to speak again when a loud noise startled them. Doors seemed to have opened from underground and another horde of hybrids appeared. It seemed that the woman in ck had unleashed all her minions to give her time to escape.

    If those minions blocked their exit, they might not be able to leave the cavern anymore. Alicia and the remaining vampires were nearly running on empty. They had been fighting non-stop for a long time and they had no time to recover. They couldn¡¯t fight their way out anymore and what was worse was that Alex seemed to have lost his rationality.

    Alicia watched the scene before her, slowly losing hope.

    Raven, who was about to go and get Abigail, was almost killed by Alex. Alex wasn¡¯t letting anyone close to her, even those who were on his side.

    "Raven, get everyone and leave this ce. I¡¯ll be fine. Alex and I will follow you out. Go!!" Abi told Raven as she stood up from the ground.

    When Raven didn¡¯t move, Abi ordered him, her voice bing as hard as steel. "Listen to me and leave. Alex won¡¯t hurt me. You know that. So, take everyone and go before someone else dies."

    Raven assessed the situation and saw that the horde of hybrids were already blocking the exit where Riev, Alicia and the queen were heading towards.

    Raven knew there was no way he could fight Alexander so he could only back off and go fight the hybrids instead. At least he would be able to help Riev and the witch princess leave.

    But he, too, was on his veryst strength. The witches had managed to poison him and it was spreading around his body.

    ¡¯Damn,¡¯ he cursed but still, he went to fight.. Alicia came to his aid but there were too many of them. They couldn¡¯t force their way out. It was impossible.

    They could only look back again to Alexander when a light of hope sparked.

    Someone wasing from the tunnel and they were killing the hybrids. Had someone sent for reinforcements?

    It looked like whoever this someone was, was clearing a path to them and in no time, the horde of hybrids that was blocking the exit dwindled down as they were being killed.

    And then, a man had stepped inside.

    Kai.

    Everyone breathed a sigh of relief but they didn¡¯t have time to waste. They were about to move when a loud bang echoed inside as the earth shook. Riev and Alicia were caught unaware and they both fell on the ground due to the strong quake.

    The cavern was falling apart. It seemed Alex had destroyed the throne as well. Just one more casualty from his fierce attacks.

    "Come!!" Kai leapt towards Riev and Alicia and he both helped them up. He pulled them towards the exit but as Kai pulled them, the ne fell from Alicia¡¯s hand.

    Alicia pulled her hand from Kai¡¯s grip and she ran back inside the cavern to retrieve the ne.

    "Witch Prin ¨C!!!" Riev yelled as a huge rock dropped from above, blocking the exit tunnel.

    .

    Whew! I managed 3 chaps. Thank u for the patience my loyal hellbounders... This extra chap is for u guys. \u003c3

 Chapter 442 White lights

    <h4>Chapter 442 White lights</h4>

    Kai could only look at therge rock that separated them from Alex, Abi and Alicia. He felt the ground tremble beneath his feet and he could see the walls start to crumble around them. He quickly ordered his men to continue down the tunnel towards the exit. He and his men dragged the other vampires out along with the dying witch queen.

    As they headed out, the walls cracked and the entire structure started to shake. Falling debris,rge and small, started to bombard them and they knew they needed to get out as soon as possible. The moment they were out of the tunnel, the ancient structure crumbled behind them, covering them with dust.

    The vampires could only watch in horror. Riev and Raven¡¯s expressions were the same; filled with worry and dread. Their worry wasn¡¯t for Alex nor Abigail. Alexander was strong enough to survive that and they knew that he would do everything to save Abigail... but the witch princess ¨C who would save her?

    "F*ck!" Riev cursed, and all he could do was kneel on the snow as he held the dying witch queen.

    ...

    Inside the cavern, Alicia found herself trapped under a small mountain of loose rubble. When she jumped back to grab the ne, arge amount of debris had fallen from the ceiling and onerge rock had blocked her exit. However, Alicia still tried to make her way out, thinking that she could use all of her remaining energy to cast a spell to move therge rock but she was so weak that her spells weren¡¯t activating anymore.

    She was knocked to the ground by the falling fragments and that was how she became trapped. She tightly closed her fist over the ne, protecting it with what strength she had left. Unfortunately, when she looked up, the remaining hybrids who had avoided the falling debris, were nowing after her.

    Alicia gritted her teeth. Was she going to die here?

    She tried to w her way out of the mountain of rubble when another strong shake urred. Larger pieces of debris began to fall and thankfully, the hybrids were buried by the falling rocks.

    But Alicia just could not catch a break because the same thing was about to happen to her. Arge piece of the wall had broken away and was slowly falling over her.

    She could only clench her fists. Her legs were stuck and she didn¡¯t have the strength to move anymore. She tried to cast a spell but she knew it was useless. There was no way it would work judging from thest time she had tried. But what else could she do? Just give up? No, she had to try and stay alive. She still needed to give the ne to Abigail.

    Alicia closed her eyes and chanted as she held the ne close to her heart, curling her body over it. Protecting it was the most important thing for her to do now. She didn¡¯t open her eyes, knowing that therge wall was going to crush her any second now. She didn¡¯t want to watch it fall on her. She wasn¡¯t so brave as to stare death in the eye. There was still a little hope in her heart, hope that she might do the impossible and survive this.

    The next few seconds felt like hours and Alicia braced herself for the impact. However, the seconds kept ticking by with no sign of the wall crushing her. Did her spell work?! No, that was impossible!

    Her eyes flew open and the moment she opened her eyes, what came into her view was a masked man kneeling next to her, holding the wall up with his bare hand.

    Alicia looked up at him. His red eyes were zing. He reached out to her using his other hand and grabbed Alicia¡¯s arm, pulling her towards him to free her.

    The man didn¡¯t speak as Alicia just held onto him. "I knew it. It is you, Ezekiel!" she said to him, but the man still didn¡¯t speak.

    He held Alicia¡¯s waist and then pushed therge wall up and the masked man leapt away with Alicia in his arms. The next second, the huge debris hit the ground, making the dust swirl around them. Alicia barely had time to look around as the masked man leapt towards the huge hole in the ceiling where the sky could be seen. He leapt like a bullet, avoiding the falling debris with ease and Alicia could only clutch the ne in her hand, making sure it didn¡¯t fall from her hands again.

    In what seemed like no time at all, they finally leapt out to the outside world. In that instant, Alicia pulled the masked man¡¯s mask off as fast as she could. She knew that the moment theynded, this man would disappear so she took the only opportunity she would probably have to uncover this man¡¯s identity, to confirm once and for all whether this man really was Ezekiel.

    She had felt it back then when she had fought against this man. He had held back a lot when they shed. When he held his sword against her throat, he could have easily finished her off but he didn¡¯t. He obviously just let her slip away from him when the woman in ck was distracted.

    The man tried to move his face, and the mask, away from her reach but it was toote. He could have stopped her but he would have had to drop her to do that.

    His mask was pulled off and his face came into view as they finallynded on the snow. It was already dark but the moon was out. The northern lights were shining with the rare and breathtaking white lights in the sky.

    Alicia breathed out with great relief. "I knew it was you, Ezekiel," she uttered and Zeke¡¯s lips could only twitch as he put her down on the snow.

 Chapter 443 Goodbye

    <h4>Chapter 443 Goodbye</h4>

    He ced her sitting down on the snow, knowing that her legs were injured.

    "Where are you going?" she held onto his arm before he could move to rise.

    Zeke sighed, closing his eyes.

    "I didn¡¯t know that the witch queen-to-be would actually be defeated by falling rocks," he said, avoiding the question and causing Alicia to frown at him.

    "I got drained from trying to keep your men alive!!!" she retorted. She couldn¡¯t believe that those were the first words this man would say to her.

    "Well, you did do a good job keeping them alive," he nonchntly answered. "Now let go. I have to go."

    "Wait... where are you going?" She sped onto him even harder. "Are you going to that woman? Please, exin all this! Why? Why are you doing this?"

    Zeke looked up for a while, watching the rare white aurora dancing above them. Alicia looked up as well. The sky was truly beautiful. It almost looked like Alicia¡¯s silken silver-hair being spread over the night sky.

    When she looked at him again, Zeke was touching some strands of her silver hair, ying them with his thumb before he lifted his face and looked at her.

    "Why?" he echoed before the corner of his lips curved up. "Because I¡¯m the bad guy here, witch princess."

    Alicia almost held her breath because of the intensity he exuded as he said those words. But she didn¡¯t flinch and she narrowed her eyes.

    "Bad guy?" she shook her head. "Why would the bad guy save me then? Who are you trying to fool, vampire prince?"

    Zeke smirked at her answer. But his smirk soon faded as she blinked. He let go of her hair and pinched her chin.

    "Listen..." he replied, serious. He was looking into her eyes with extreme pressure. "All you need to know is that I¡¯m the bad guy, Alicia. Understand?" he pressed, before he held her hand. "Now it¡¯s time for you to let go."

    Alicia bit her lips. She looked back at him, returning his intense gaze.

    "Do you really expect me to believe that after saving me?" She shook her head. "But I understand. I knew there must be a reason why you¡¯re doing this," she added as she hesitantly let go of him.

    Zeke averted his gaze and he immediately rose and walked away. Alicia watched him silently until he halted. Thinking that he was going to leap away, Alicia diverted her attention to her injuries. She looked down, lifted her skirt and saw the huge gash that started from her thigh down to her ankle. She wouldn¡¯t be able to walk if she didn¡¯t heal it.

    She took a deep breath and tried to heal herself. A weak green glow appeared from her hand as she ced her trembling hands over her wound. But the wound wasn¡¯t healing. She was too weak. She felt like something was wrong with her. Her powers weren¡¯t as strong as they were since her queen broke out from her cocoon.

    But then she remembered what her queen told her; that her power would momentarily disappear before theplete transfer of the queen¡¯s power to her would start. She could only tear up because she could already tell that her queen was now leaving this world. She really wanted to go to her queen to be with her during herst moments on Earth. She was trying to heal herself so she could at least walk but... it wasn¡¯t working.

    She clenched her fist and hit the snow hard from frustration. But then she froze, realizing that someone was standing before her. It seemed that Zeke hadn¡¯t leapt away yet. Alicia was quick to wipe her tears. She was a witch and the next witch queen. She couldn¡¯t be seen crying before anyone, especially not in front of this man.

    "I thought you were in a hurry to leave," she told him as she looked up, acting all tough again.

    Zeke stared down at her and then his gaze went to her wounded leg. The next moment, Zeke sighed, put on his mask and bent over to gather her in his arms, not saying another word.

    Alicia was surprised. She truly thought he was long gone. She looked at him with millions of questions in her eyes, but she knew this man would not give her any answers.

    Hended on one of the tree branches. When Alicia looked down, she saw the vampire reinforcement, Riev and the others, including her queen. The vampires were watching the copsing structure silently. Nobody noticed their presence. It seemed he had concealed his presence.

    "Will you not appear before them?" Alicia asked him, expecting him not to answer.

    But Zeke spoke. "Not yet," he said and he jumped down. Hended as swift and silent as a cat and put her down, carefully.

    Before she could look back to thank him, he was already gone.

    The vampires then noticed her on the ground just a few meters away from them and they quickly approached her.

    "H-how... did you..." Riev was shocked.

    "Please bring me to my queen," Alicia asked, avoiding the question that was on everyone¡¯s mind. Riev bent down to pick her up and Alicia looked back into the dark forest onest time as she was brought to her queen.

    "My queen," Alicia called out as she gathered her queen into her arms.

    "Alicia," the queen uttered, smiling sweetly at her. The witch queen lifted her hand to touch Alicia¡¯s face.

    To Alicia, this woman wasn¡¯t just her queen, she was her family. A beloved mother figure to her.

    "I am d I was able to see you one thest time. You did well, little one," The witch queen said as she rubbed Alicia¡¯s cheek weakly, still smiling. "I am now leaving everything to you, Alicia. Goodbye, dearest..."

    As those words came out of the witch queen¡¯s lips, her hand slowly slid down and her eyes slowly closed. A tear fell from Alicia¡¯s eyes and she embrace her queen. A secondter, a silver light began to cloak them both.

 Chapter 444 Just a little

    <h4>Chapter 444 Just a little</h4>

    Meanwhile, inside the cavern, Abi was still standing there, her gaze on Alex. Alex was still fighting. All the normal vampires and witches that the woman in ck had left behind were all dead but the trapped hybrids were stilling at him like mindless zombies.

    The hybrids never stood a chance. It almost seemed like they were ordered to sacrifice themselves, that their mission was to keep attacking so that Alex would destroy this whole ce, leaving nothing left standing.

    Abi had been calling for him but Alex wasn¡¯t responding. Whenever she approached him, Alex kept on leaping away, either smashing debris away that was about to fall on her or kill the enemies that approached them.

    Abi could only watch him while he did that. It was like Alex had lost his sanity and the only thing on his mind was to protect her and to kill anyone and anything who dared to try and harm her. He didn¡¯t look like her Alex anymore. His nails had turned pitch ck and his veins looked darker, as if his blood had be ck.

    The change was so drastic that Abi could no longer take it. She needed to stop him now. But how?

    "Alex! Please. That¡¯s enough," she begged as she approached him again. Abi felt more uneasy as time went by because she felt like Alex was starting to transform into something else.

    But how could she stop him? It seemed like he couldn¡¯t hear anything anymore. The only thing she could think of was for her to touch him. Maybe, like all those other times before, she might be able to stop him once she hugged and kissed him. But how? He wasn¡¯t allowing her to get anywhere close to him!

    Abi ¡¯s throat felt raw and sore from trying to call Alex, to try and get his attention. She could hardly speak anymore and her energy was slowly disappearing.

    When Abi saw Alex¡¯s fingers start to turn ck as well, she could only resort to thisst idea. There were still remaining hybrids left and she knew that Alex was going to go after them instead of just waiting for those things to get to them.

    So she did the only thing left that she could think of to grab his attention.

    Abi suddenly ran towards the group of the vampires. She didn¡¯t know if this would work but all she knew was that Alex would definitelye and save her. And once that happened, she would finally be close enough to hold him.

    She ran as fast as she could towards the hybrids, hoping that Alex didn¡¯t jump before her and kill the hybrids first.

    However, that was exactly what happened. Alex was just too fast and he materialised between her and the hybrids. But, at the same moment, the ceiling fell apart and arge piece was falling straight on top of Abigail. Alex quickly turned around and he smashed that first, giving Abi time to reach the hybrids. That was her only opportunity.

    As she reached the hybrids, one of them grabbed her hand, pulling her into their small circle. Alex wouldn¡¯t dare to smash them all away with one swing because she was there with them. That meant that he would have to physically grab her and pull her away from the hybrids before he could kill them.

    And that was exactly what he did.

    The moment he grabbed her waist, her arms flew around his neck and she hugged him as tight as she could.

    "Enough, Alex, please," she begged. He felt hot, hot like a roaring fire. Abi felt like she was going to get burned by him but she didn¡¯t let go and hugged him even tighter.

    His breath was also just as hot. These changes that were happening to him made her heart tremble.

    "Please. Let¡¯s go home, Alex. That¡¯s enough. I am fine," she whispered so softly as if she was whispering to his heart. "Let¡¯s leave this ce now, okay?"

    Realizing that Alex had halted as soon as she embraced him, Abi slowly pulled back a little to look at his face. His eyes were all ck. What was happening to him?

    Shaking her head to remove these questions from her mind, she reached out to his face and tiptoed to kiss him.

    "Alex...e back to me," Abi told him. "Please stop now," she begged and kissed him again.

    The next moment, the darkness in Alex¡¯s eyes began to evaporate. The white in his eyes became visible again and his ck veins and nails slowly turned back to normal.

    Abi was so relieved but her relief didn¡¯tst because Alex fell to his knees again. He was back to his weak state.

    Abi held his face, making him look at her as the two of them knelt on top of the ruins.

    "Alex... look at me. Are you okay?" she asked him. Alex opened his eyes. They were dazed, almost lifeless.

    "My... wife..." he responded as he leaned his head on her shoulder. "I¡¯m sorry," he added, his voice so weak and Abi knew he was having a hard time talking.

    Abi panicked because Alex¡¯s breaths were bing shallow. Was he dying? Was that transformation a form of self-preservation?

    Her heart thudded so loudly in her ears from fear.

    At that moment, she remembered everything that woman had said. If her blood was special, maybe it could cure Alex? That imposter woman was so hellbent in wanting to drink her blood that she wondered if her blood could help Alex.

    Abi quickly brushed her hair away from her neck. She didn¡¯t know if this was the right thing to do. She really had no idea what would happen but it couldn¡¯t make him any worse, right?

    Holding his face, Abi bumped her forehead on his.

    "Alex... bite me. Have some of my blood," she told him and Alex gritted his teeth.

    "Please... just a little may do. If you don¡¯t, I will die here. This ce is copsing, Alex. If you want me to survive, just bite me and drink my blood. This will save you! Please. Just a little. You won¡¯t kill me," she begged him.

    The wound that the woman had inflicted on her neck was still fresh so Abi held Alex¡¯s face, cing his lips on her wound, knowing that being that close might make him unable to resist.

    Alex groaned but Abi held him firmly. "It¡¯s okay, trust me Alex. I¡¯ll be fine," she said and in the next second, she felt him drinking her blood.

 Chapter 445 New queen

    <h4>Chapter 445 New queen</h4>

    As Alex sucked her blood from her neck, her body stiffened and she subconsciously clutched his hair hard because she had expected it to be painful but surprisingly, it wasn¡¯t.

    She closed her eyes and her grip on his hair started to loosen up as her tensed body softened. She thought that she really shouldn¡¯t act like she was scared.

    Abi was kneeling on the ground with Alex in her arms, waiting patiently for him to have his fill. Abi had expected him to keep going but after just a few seconds, he stopped. Alex groaned and the next second, he suddenly pushed her away.

    Abi¡¯s eyes flew open in a shock. Why didn¡¯t he keep going? He didn¡¯t even drink much at all, just one gulp!

    Alex¡¯s hands were on Abi¡¯s shoulders, holding her at arm¡¯s length. His fangs had lengthened and his eyes looked fierce, wild and bloody red. His body was shaking hard and he gnashed his teeth, as if he was trying very hard to stop himself from doing something he knew he shouldn¡¯t.

    "A-alex... it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m fine," Abi told him but as she lifted her hands to touch his face, the ancient structure began topletely disintegrate around them.

    Alex looked up and then like lightning, he grabbed Abigail and held her close against his chest and then he bent his knees a little before he jumped upwards. As they made their way up, flying, he held his fist in the air above his head and he smashed the huge debris falling above them into pieces. They were on their way out of the crumbling structure and Abi felt immense relief, not because they were out of the building, but because Alex seemed to have regained his strength. Did the little blood he drank help him?

    Abi held tightly onto him, hugging him as hard as her human arms could, as she looked down at the copsing Ziggurat. Alex had taken them both so high above the ground, so high that the dust from therge, falling structure didn¡¯t reach them.

    The bright moon and the white aurora in the background as they flew midair was a breathtaking sight. The scene looked picture perfect.

    ...

    Alex ced Abigail gently down on the snow and he pulled her hands off his neck almost immediately, as if he couldn¡¯t wait to get away from her. Before she could blink, he was suddenly gone from in front of her.

    Alex suddenly appeared in front of Kai, who had seen them fly out of the building and had quickly headed to where Alex and Abi hadnded. However, he didn¡¯t expect the greeting he received from Alex. The moment he saw Alex appear in front of him, Alex¡¯s fangs had already pierced through his skin and sucked his blood so fiercely as if the man was trying to suck him dry.

    Kai was caught off guard because Alex had moved abnormally fast. He normally would have been able to at least evade Alex¡¯s fast attack but this time, he didn¡¯t see Alex lunge at him and therefore, he was unable to evade him.

    Abi was in a slight daze because she couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. Alex was there one second and then the next he was gone. She quickly looked around to see where he went. She found him, drinking Kai¡¯s blood and she quickly headed towards them. She knew the amount of blood Alex had taken from her was way too little. He had shoved her away too quickly so there was no way that amount of blood would have satisfied him.

    She didn¡¯t know how he still managed to hold himself back in that situation. She just couldn¡¯t understand why he still refused to drink her blood this much and now, he was using Kai the same way he had used Zeke! She remembered that thest time, Alex had a hard time stopping himself frompletely draining Zeke so she ran to him as fast as she could.

    She crashed against Alex¡¯s back and she hugged him tight, not saying anything, and to her surprise, Alex voluntarily let go of Kai, causing the very pale man to stumble backwards.

    Abi breathed out in relief, hugging him even tighter from behind. She felt his body finally loosen up and that made her rx as well. Was it finally over? Were they safe now? Abi closed her eyes because her eyelids suddenly felt heavy and her mind started to feel hazy. She felt like she was going to pass out. Because she knew that Kai and the others were out and safe, and that Alex wasn¡¯t in pain anymore, she finally let herself give in to her body¡¯s demands and she copsed.

    The adrenaline had run out and her body lost its strength. This whole thing had taken a huge toll on her mind and body.

    Alex turned around and caught her the moment he felt her grip on him waver. His eyes were finally back to normal but he still looked tense, especially when he stared at the wound on her neck.

    "Where¡¯s the witch?" Alex asked Kai. Thankfully, Alex hadn¡¯t drained him too much so he was able to recover quickly.

    "Do you need me to carry her?" Kai asked, noticing Alex¡¯s tensed bodynguage. Kai could see an unquenchable hunger in Alex¡¯s eyes.

    Alex gritted his teeth. He obviously didn¡¯t want to but had no choice.

    "Yes."

    Kai approached him, gathered Abigail in his arms and the three of them headed towards the rest of the group. Once theynded, the silver glow that had enveloped Alicia and the witch queen was gone. It seemed that the transfer process was done.

    Alicia was holding the lifeless witch queen in her arms but she wasn¡¯t crying anymore. She was surrounded by a few more witches who hade when they felt that their queen was dying.

    Their surroundings were very quiet as Alicia entrusted the queen¡¯s body to the witches. Alicia had cocooned her inside a crystal tomb and had ced a powerful spell on her and on the witches for protection. She instructed them to bring the queen back to the Dark Forest where she would follow. All former queens were buried in that ce so they had to take her back.

    The witches bowed at her, knowing that Alicia was now their new queen, before they finally left.

 Chapter 446 Remember tha

    <h4>Chapter 446 Remember tha</h4>

    Even though Alicia wanted to go and apany thete queen back home, she couldn¡¯t. All the previous queens¡¯ memories and knowledge were now within her. She finally knew everything and that was why she couldn¡¯t leave Abigail and Alexander¡¯s side until everything was settled.

    As the witches finally disappeared in the forest, Alex walked towards her.

    With just one look, Alex could already tell that the princess had now be a queen.

    Alicia didn¡¯t wait for him to speak because she could already tell what was wrong when she saw that he wasn¡¯t the one carrying Abigail.

    "We will go back to the ss house, Alexander. Abigail needs treatment for her injuries first," she said and Alex just nodded.

    "Uhm... What about the enemy? They are still out there," Raven said. His mind was still on that masked man so he couldn¡¯t stop himself from asking.

    Alicia looked at him. "They¡¯re gone. They¡¯re not in this ce anymore," she answered, causing everyone to fall silent.

    Riev and Raven and two more heavily wounded elite vampires sighed with great relief. It was one hell of a battle they will never forget. Theirrades had fallen. Too many things happened all at once that they couldn¡¯t believe they actually made it out alive.

    And even after all that, they still didn¡¯t manage to kill that woman. But at least they had aplished a lot of things bying to this ce. Theirrades¡¯ deaths weren¡¯t futile because they now knew that aside from Alexander, another immortal existed in this world. They had also managed to retrieve Alicia¡¯s queen, as Alex had promised, although the oue of that mission was not what they desired.

    ...

    Upon arriving at the ss house, Alex didn¡¯t speak. He also didn¡¯t enter the ss house and left Abi to Alicia¡¯s care.

    He was sitting outside on the snow, his head down, still holding the sword in his hand.

    The snow was falling on him silently but he wasn¡¯t bothered. He stayed there for hours, not moving at all until Alicia came out.

    Alicia walked over to him and stood next to him.

    "You shoulde inside. She will look for you once she wakes up," Alicia said.

    But Alex just ran his fingers through his hair and tugged them. "I can¡¯t, unless this thirst leaves me. My blood is still boiling, craving for her blood. My body now only wants her blood the moment I had a taste. Kai¡¯s blood didn¡¯t calm me down. I knew this would happen the moment I tasted her!" he responded under his gritted teeth.

    "Why are you so afraid to drink her blood? I know you won¡¯t kill her, Alexander, and so do you."

    Alex clenched his fist and looked up at her with a fierce gaze.

    "Are you saying you approve of me drinking her blood?" His voice reeked with displeasure.

    "Yes. I approve. Her blood is the cure we are looking for. This is what I received from thete queen. The reason why Abigail is the only one you can¡¯t remember is because the cure for that spell is her blood." Alicia exined, causing Alex¡¯s eyes to widen.

    What Alicia was saying was right because with just a little taste of Abi¡¯s blood, Alex finally remembered her face in his memories, and his body also became incredibly strong again despite the small amount of blood he had from her.

    "Think on this, Alex. You won¡¯t hurt her. Have some trust in yourself. Your love for her will help you control your urges."

    "You don¡¯t know how good she tasted Alicia! Even just the smell of her blood now makes my body tremble. It¡¯s making me lose my mind. What if I cannot stop myself? And that¡¯s not the only problem..." he gritted his teeth again. "Something strange has been happening to my body since I tasted her blood."

    Alicia creased her brows.

    "What do you mean?"

    "I don¡¯t know. I am still trying to figure out what the hell it is," he hissed. Anger and frustration filled his eyes. Alex couldn¡¯t tell what exactly it was that changed in him but all he knew was that something seemed to have awakened inside him. Alex wondered if it had something to do with the dragon¡¯s blood. He remembered what happened to him inside the cavern. When his eyes and nails turned ck, he felt like he was transforming into something else. Something even he couldn¡¯t even restrain or control. Alex couldn¡¯t help but think that turning into a beast in the end might be his real curse and not his immortality.

    That thought made him distrust himself. If he was still himself, he would be able to control his actions, but what if the beast residing inside him took over him and he ended up...

    He tugged his hair once again when Alicia spoke.

    "Listen, Alexander," Alicia looked intently at him. "You don¡¯t have the luxury to figure things out at this point. That woman is immortal, just like you. She¡¯s been alive all these years. She had all the time to prepare while all of us had no clue about her existence. Even myte queen couldn¡¯t fathom just how much power she had umted over that time. And there is definitely a reason why she¡¯s after Abigail¡¯s blood. Myte queen didn¡¯t know the reason why but she believed that all the answers to our questions lie in Abigail. All the answers are hidden within your wife," she exined. "I know that you already know, Alexander, that Abigail was never just a little, weak human. There is more to her that none of us knew, except for that immortal woman. Abigail herself doesn¡¯t know anything. So what I need you to do for now is drink her blood for yourself and finally get cured. Trust yourself, Alexander. You have topletely remember her now and make sure you will not be weak again. No one can save and protect Abigail from harm but you, remember that! You are the only one who can stand against an immortal like yourself."

    .

    [Sorry guys. Something came up so I failed to write the third chapter. I will update it early tomorrow. ]

 Chapter 447 Your love

    <h4>Chapter 447 Your love</h4>

    Alicia had plenty more to say. She had received a ton of important information from her queen that everyone needed to know but she knew this wasn¡¯t the time to do that yet. She had to make sure that Alexander was fully cured first before they returned to country V where they could deal with this matter efficiently. She also needed everyone to be around so they could make a n this time and not just charge into the enemy¡¯sir. They would not make the same mistakes again. All of them had not expected the existence of another immortal in this world. They thought that Alex was the only one. How that woman managed to hide her existence all this time was quite impressive in itself but that woman needed to be killed before everything took a turn for the worse. They needed to move now.

    "Abigail is alright. I have cured all her wounds and she is doing very well so you don¡¯t have anything to worry about," Alicia continued. "I will leave her to you. Go to her now before she wakes up and looks for you. Don¡¯t leave her alone again," she insisted before she finally left.

    Once Alicia was gone, Alex rose. He walked towards the door and hesitantly opened it. He was d the scent of Abigail¡¯s blood didn¡¯t linger anymore. He silently headed to the bed where he saw Abigail sleeping. Her wounds had been carefully wrapped with white bandages.

    She looked so peaceful. Alex lifted his hand to touch her face but he stopped midway, realizing that he was covered in blood - his clothes, his hair, his hands. He stared at his dirty hand and his jaws clenched.

    Retracting his hand, Alex headed to the bathroom. Things had gotten even moreplicated. He didn¡¯t know about the existence of another immortal. Howe that woman was able to conceal herself all these years from him? Where had she been hiding all this time?

    Alex¡¯s eyes sharpened as he stared at the marble wall, while the hot water fell on him. That immortal woman spoke like he knew him but he had no recollection of her at all. Was she someone he knew before he became an immortal? She must have been, otherwise how would she have been there when he had taken down the dragon?

    He tried to think but the scene of her shing Abi¡¯s neck appeared in his head instead and without thought, his fist hit the wall hard, smashing the bathroom tiles. He would never let that woman touch his Abigail again!

    Alex stepped out of the bathroom wearing his white robe as he silently dried his hair. He was quick to get dressed and immediately walked over to the bed.

    Abigail was still sleeping soundly so he sat on the edge of the bed, watching her face. Heid down next to her and was about to spoon her but he rose again, almost instantly. He had taken a whiff of that intoxicating scent of her blood and it almost made him salivate.

    He cursed within him. This change was too drastic. She wasn¡¯t bleeding anymore so he couldn¡¯t believe he was still able to smell her blood and that it would affect him this bad.

    He nced at her again and his desire for her blood increased by the second. It wasn¡¯t normal and he couldn¡¯t help but fear his own body¡¯s reaction towards her.

    Clenching his fists, Alex rose from the bed but before he could take a step away, a warm hand caught his wrist.

    "Where are you going?" Abigail asked.

    Alex¡¯s head snapped towards her. She was looking up at him with those lovely, big clear eyes of her.

    "Don¡¯t leave, Alex. Please stay with me," she uttered as she tugged his arm. Alex didn¡¯t budge for a while but he eventually sat next to her, although he didn¡¯t face her.

    Abi moved to hug him and she noticed his body immediately tensed up.

    "Are you... okay?" she asked him, worried and curious as to what could have made him react this way.

    She got up and knelt down next to him and gently cupped his face, making him look at her, but Alex held her wrists, as if he was preparing himself to push her away.

    "Abigail. I am dangerous for you right now. My thirst for you is too much. I can feel it. The urge is too strong and I don¡¯t know I am strong enough to stop myself. Right now, I just want to sink my teeth into your neck and suck your blood," he told her, looking grave and angry at himself. How could he crave for her blood like this?

    Abi¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Her eyes became even gentler and she ced her palm on his cheek, caressing them.

    "Alex..." she whispered his name. "I cannot even imagine all the struggles you are going through, but maybe you should stop fighting it now..."

    Alex¡¯s brows creased at her words but Abi continued talking, not giving him a chance to talk back as she gently bumped her forehead on his.

    "What I¡¯m saying is, don¡¯t fight your needs anymore, Alex. I willingly offer myself to you. You aren¡¯t forcing yourself on me so don¡¯t think that way. And I know you won¡¯t hurt me. I believe that with all of my being. You also need to trust yourself, okay?"

    "Abigail. I don¡¯t trust my body anymore. My body could betray me and you and I wouldn¡¯t forgive myself if I..."

    Abi smiled at him and nted a kiss on his lips, making Alex tense up even more, sping the bedsheet under his hands with great intensity.

    She pulled away and shook her head. "I trust you, Alex. Your love... your love for me is that strong that I know you would stop yourself from harming me. You have demonstrated this many, many times, Alex, so believe in that. If nothing else, believe in your love for me and my love for you." she smiled.

    .

    [Here¡¯s the third chap hellbounders. Thank you for waiting.]

 Chapter 448 Like the sun

    <h4>Chapter 448 Like the sun</h4>

    "Besides, your body and soul are mine, remember? They will not betray you. If you don¡¯t trust your body anymore, then trust your heart." She ced her hand on his chest as she looked at him. "This part of you will never lose because it loves me so much. Even more than its life."

    Abi¡¯s words pierced through the deepest chamber of Alex¡¯s heart. He felt her warmth slowly seeping inside him and just like that, the fear and distrust inside him slowly melted.

    Before he knew it, he pulled her towards him and kissed her. Their lips collided as Abi sat on hisp.

    "Oh, Abigail..." he uttered as he pulled away from their gentle and passionate kiss. He felt like his heart was swelling. And kissing her and holding her right then made Alex feel emotional. Everything he was feeling right now, his fears and worries and everything else in between, overwhelmed him to an unprecedented degree.

    When he drank her blood, he felt as if an ancient chain that imprisoned his dark side had broken and he was so sure that the monster within him had been released at that moment. He feared that her blood had awakened this monster from its long slumber, a monster he was unable to control. He had been so afraid that this was what was really happening that he hadn¡¯t let his mind think about it to decipher whether it was true or not. He let his fear drive the thoughts in his mind and he let himself drown in the negativity of his thoughts.

    Only now did he stop to think rationally about the changes he had been experiencing since he tasted her blood. When he let his mind drift and let the fear go, he was pleasantly surprised that he didn¡¯t feel the darkness that he thought would feel. Instead, he felt like it was his soul that had awakened inside him, not the monster, and for the first time in a long time, he didn¡¯t feel like he was a beast living inside a half-human body. For the first time, he felt human, human like her.

    That thought seemed to be the release he needed from the chains of fear and despair. He was no longer the anguished man but the man who was madly in love with his wife.

    "I love you..." he then added between their kisses.

    "I love you too, Alex. I love you so much," Abigail responded and their kiss deepened. The next moment, Alex¡¯s lips travelled from her lips down to her nape, slowly.

    His hand pulled down her shirt, revealing her corbone. His warm breath traced her skin, sending that tingling sensation down to her toes.

    Everything felt different to her. Her body didn¡¯t tense up this time possibly because this was no longer a life or death situation. His life was no longer in danger. This time, it felt so right and she found herself waiting and anticipating his bite.

    Alex¡¯s hands caressed her face to the back of her neck. His bare skin igniting fire on her skin, making her blood boil within her veins.

    "Abigail..." he called her name again as he sucked in his breath, as if savoring the scent of her. Abi just held his head, her fingers running through his damp hair.

    "I¡¯m ready, Alex," she told him as she turned her face away slightly, giving him full ess to her exposed neck.

    Alex groaned softly against her neck and the next moment, his fangs finally pierced through her skin. Alex felt like his mind and body would burst from the fire of her blood. The taste of her blood was indescribable, more than enough to drive him insane. He felt like he had been thirsty for thousands of years and her blood was the divine oasis he finally found.

    But then, it started to make his heart shake because he couldn¡¯t stop. His grip on her tightened but Abigail still hadn¡¯t protested to stop him.

    What felt like an eternity to Alex was just mere seconds to her. She didn¡¯t move to stop him because she thought that he still hadn¡¯t had enough. She didn¡¯t know that Alex had started his own internal battle, silently begging her to do something to stop him.

    As Alex continued to struggle to break free from this heavenly ce that Abi¡¯s blood had brought him, he started to see his memories flooding back in. The missing person in his mind was being filled with Abi¡¯s image one after another. He started to hear her voice; her ¡¯I love yous¡¯, herugh, her vows and her calling his name. He had finally found the missing link and his world began to be filled with nothing but their memories, as if this treasure chest from heaven had been opened for him and there was nothing there but himself and Abigail and every moment they had spent together.

    A single tear flowed down Alex¡¯s cheek and before her knew it, he pulled away.

    Abi was surprised because she felt like Alex had taken way too little an amount than she had expected. But at the same time, she was overjoyed because she didn¡¯t have to stop him. He was able to stop himself!

    She was about to smile when she noticed a stray tear rolling down his cheek. Abi¡¯s eyes welled as well but she smiled at him.

    "See? I told you you would not lose, Alex." she said as she wiped that single tear on his face.

    Alex snapped and he pulled her, embracing her as tight as he could, shutting his eyes closed. He didn¡¯t let go for a long while and just hugged her. Everything was back. His memories. Every single thing of it.

    When he opened his eyes again, his eyes were like the sun again, burning so vividly golden.

    .

    [Next chaps will be updated the usual time. ^^

    P.s. check out Abi¡¯s cute chibi on my Instagram or FB page -\u003e @author_kazzenlx

    Also, to the readers asking, this book is not published anywhere else and exclusive only on this app.]

 Chapter 449 The husband who left you

    <h4>Chapter 449 The husband who left you</h4>

    The sun was shining through the windows when Abi opened her eyes. Hershes fluttered as she moved, rolling over on the bed.

    She sat up dizzily, stretching out her hands and then her brows creased as she looked around the room. Her eyes slowly stretched wide and her lips parted when she saw where she was. There was no mistaking it. She could not believe she was here, in her room in Alex¡¯s mansion!

    Abi couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. Was she dreaming?! How did he manage to bring her back here without waking her up?

    She pinched her cheek hard and she winced in pain. It seemed like this wasn¡¯t a dream and that she was actually back in this ce again! She continued to look around, her face showing signs of utter confusion and surprise.

    But then, the images from the night before surfaced in her mind. She and Alex had been in the ss house and they had a very heart to heart conversation and in the end, Alex had...

    Her eyes flew wide open once again. With the scenes ying vividly in her mind, Abi was quick to leave the bed to look for Alex. What happenedst night after Alex had drunk her blood? She remembered him hugging her before she fell asleep and then nothing after that. Where was he? Was he alright? Did he finally remember everything? Was that why they were back in this house or was it because they needed to regroup to find that immortal woman?

    As Abi was about to pull on the door knob to leave the room to look for Alex, the door was pushed open. She hadn¡¯t expected the door to open suddenly and she almost fell backwards, but luckily she managed to maintain her bnce. She quickly looked at who had entered the room. Even though she knew that only Alex would enter her room without knocking, she still had to look to make sure it really was him. What she saw made her heart burst with great relief. It seemed she might be bing a bit of a nervous wreck when it came to Alex and making sure he was fine.

    "Alex!" she called out, not wasting any second and jumped on him, hugging him damn tight as if she wanted to make sure that he wasn¡¯t an illusion.

    "You¡¯re finally awake, my wife," Alex¡¯s voice rang in her ear and him calling her ¡¯my wife¡¯ again made her want to burst into tears.

    She pulled away and caught his face.

    "Tell me... you... you finally remember everything, right? Alex?" she asked him, her eyes filled with hope and overflowing emotions.

    Alex held her hands. His eyes smoldered as he stared at her, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it.

    A mischievous yet sweet smile curved on his lips before it faded and his gaze became serious. "Yes, my little, fruitymb. I remember everything now. You did well, bringing me back... wife," he uttered.

    Abi fell into a trance for a moment before she jumped on him again. Her tears began to flow. She was so happy! After months of living without him, of him not remembering her, he was finally back again. All the heartache she experienced during her time without him, and even when they were reunited again, dissipated as if she had just taken a strong healing potion. There were no words to describe the utter joy and relief that she was feeling at that moment. It was all too incredible!

    "Oh... Alex!" she cried and Alex smiled as he lifted her up and spun her around the room. "Oh god, I¡¯m so d. I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re back, Alex. I feel like I¡¯m dreaming."

    She sniffed once Alex stopped and leaned by the door, not letting her down. He just continued hugging her, as if he, too, did not want to let her go ever again.

    "Mm. It¡¯s like a dream. But don¡¯t worry anymore. You have brought me back fully, I promise. I¡¯m not lying this time," he confessed. His voice sounded a little emotional as well.

    Abi pulled away and looked at him and then suddenly, she pinched his cheek, hard. "That¡¯s right, you lied to me. You were almost killed, you stubborn oaf!" She puffed her cheeks, but Alex just smirked.

    "Well, I didn¡¯t have a choice that night when you looked like you were going to die from worrying too much, so..." he paused as he rubbed his nose on her cheek. "Don¡¯t worry, that will never happen again," he continued.

    "Good," Abi said as she nodded. Abi had a disapproving frown on her face, trying to make him feel sorry but in truth, all that didn¡¯t matter to her anymore. All that mattered now was that Alex was here, right next to her, and that he was finally back to his normal self.

    Their eyes met and they were about to kiss when a familiar sound made them stop. Abi¡¯s little monster was growling, calling for attention.

    "You have to eat now, wife," Alex said and in one swoop, he gathered her into his arms.

    Abi happily clung onto his neck. She couldn¡¯t help but smile. This felt too good to be true, considering what they had gone through justst night and thest few days. It was like they were finally back to earth after spending time in outer space fighting for their lives.

    "Uhm... Alex?" she spoke as he carried her out of the room.

    "Hm? And why are you not calling me husband yet?"

    Abi blinked. His question was unexpected.

    "The husband who left you is now back. So call me hubby, now," he demanded. His expression somehow made Abi chuckle. That was right, she hadn¡¯t called him ¡¯husband¡¯ for what felt like forever.

    But now that he brought this up, Abi couldn¡¯t help but chuckle when she remembered how Alex had urged her to forget about her husband and choose him instead. She looked at him with a mischievous smile.

    "Oh husband, do you remember how you begged me to forget about my husband who left me?" she asked, her voice full of mischief.

 Chapter 450 Mysteries left unanswered

    <h4>Chapter 450 Mysteries left unanswered</h4>

    Alex was quick to clear his throat. How could he forget? He actually ended up even wanting to skin the man and kill him too back then.

    Alex groaned. He shouldn¡¯t have brought this topic up. After a second, he cleared his throat again.

    "That was the stupid me. I am not that guy anymore so forget about it," he said sheepishly, not looking into her eyes. Abi chuckled again. Alex was cute when he was like this.

    Abi was about to tease him more but they had already reached the grand staircase. Looking at this vast, familiar ce made Abi fall silent and she leaned her head on his shoulder as she looked down. They had so many memories in this house. Abi didn¡¯t think that she would be back here again like this.

    "I¡¯ve missed you so much, Alex, and this ce, too," she uttered.

    "Me too, my wife. This ce is definitely special. It¡¯s where we spent our first days together after all. This is our house."

    "Why did we return here?" Before Alex could answer her question, Abi looked like something popped in his head and she gasped. "What about the others? Where is Alicia?!"

    Alex didn¡¯t answer and just looked at her. And then, he put her down.

    Abi was still waiting for his response when she heard someone¡¯s voice.

    The moment she turned around and looked at the sofa by the firece, she saw them all sitting there, smiling at her.

    Alicia, Kai, Raven, Riev and the others were there.

    Seeing them all looking well and smiling made Abi¡¯s eyes well with emotions. She ran towards Alicia and hugged her tight.

    "I¡¯m so d you¡¯re okay, Alicia," she uttered.

    "Me too, Abigail. I¡¯m d you are looking energetic again."

    However, before the girls could start getting into a serious conversation, Alex¡¯s hand wrapped around Abi¡¯s waist and he pulled her towards him. He had other priorities at that moment.

    "My wife is hungry. She needs to eat first," he simply said and just like that, he took Abigail away. "Let¡¯s all talkter."

    Everyone could only watch the two lovebirds as they headed towards the dining hall.

    "We should¡¯ve invited them to eat with us, Alex," Abi said.

    "Nope. No need. They have eaten already. Don¡¯t worry about them."

    Alex made her sit and Charles, the butler, was already there waiting for them. Abi had missed this old man, too. She thought she would never see this nice old man again.

    "Hello, Charles. I¡¯m very happy to see you again," she said to him and the butler smiled politely.

    "Me too, Miss. We have missed you, too," Charles replied with a doting smile.

    Alex started to pile the food on Abi¡¯s te, just like old times. The old Alex was definitely back, though she didn¡¯t really need the proof. He even started feeding her as well.

    "Hubby. You eat as well."

    "I am still full. Don¡¯t worry about me."

    Abi didn¡¯t protest anymore and she just enjoyed her breakfast. The small things that they had done before, the mundane things that they did with their time had never felt so amazing. The smile on her face just wouldn¡¯t go away, not that she wanted it to. She couldn¡¯t believe how good this felt.

    How long had it been since they ate together like this, on this table, in this very same house where they fell in love with each other? This house held so many memories; this was where he gave her the most magical first kiss and the even more unforgettable day of their wedding.

    As she thought about that, her gaze went to her ring finger, to her wedding ring, and then she looked at Alex¡¯s hand. He was also wearing his wedding ring. Her hand caressed his hand and then she intertwined her fingers between his. She looked deeply into his eyes, her shining brightly with all the love she felt for him and then she leaned in and gave him the softest, loving kiss ever.

    As she pulled away, her thumb caressed his wedding ring, making him look down at their hands. "They are finally back where they belong," Alex said. Even though he had been wearing it since Abi had told him that he was her husband, it fully held its meaning again now that he had his memories back.

    After the meal, Abi was stuffed. They spent a little while in the dining hall before they finally went back to the living room. They were all huddled around Alicia, and she could hear their soft murmurs.

    Abi knew that they were probably discussing the next n of attack. She took a deep breath. Their bliss would have to be put on hold for now because she was well aware that their fight wasn¡¯t over yet. Besides, she also wanted to know more about that woman, that immortal woman who looked like her mother. She wanted to know who she was and where she came from. She would not easily believe that that woman was her mother.

    Alex and Abi both walked towards the group. Even though Alex was now back to his immortal self, they still shouldn¡¯t rx, especially now that they know about the existence of someone like Alex. What was waiting for them next? What did that woman want from her and Alex? Who was she, really?

    There were still too many questions and mysteries left unanswered and Abi so badly wanted to speak with Alicia alone to get those answers, but she would have to wait for now and listen to what the group had to say.

    When they finally sat on the sofa, the other vampires left the living room, leaving just the five of them - Abi, Alex, Alicia, Raven and Kai. Riev also left with the others.

    However, before anyone could begin to speak, the butler came in and announced the arrival of someone probably none of them expected.

    The next moment, a male figure walked inside the room.

    It was Zeke.

    .

    [Thank you for your patience my lovely hellbounders ^^.]

 Chapter 451 Planned

    <h4>Chapter 451 nned</h4>

    Outside the mansion, Riev and the other vampires who just stepped out of the house were utterly shocked to see their master. They never expected him to arrive and show up.

    "Y-your highness," Riev blurted out and Zeke just nced at him, passing him by without a word.

    Riev and hisrades fell into a trance that Zeke had already walked through the entrance door before they snapped. Riev could never forget that masked man they saw fight against Alexander and his suspicion about that man being their Prince Ezekiel still lingered within him.

    But Zeke was his master and his loyalty to him wasn¡¯t something that was so easily broken from mere suspicions. Despite their doubts, Riev and the other vampires could never turn their back on their master and future king. Besides, they had no proof that the masked man was indeed their Prince Ezekiel. There was still the possibility that someone else out there studied their Prince Ezekiel and impersonated him the way that witch impersonated their Princess Mira. The possibility of there being another immortal was so small and yet, it had happened which made their theory seem not that far fetched after all.

    ...

    Charles, the butler, closed the door after Zeke walked into the living room.

    Everyone turned their heads in his direction. It was obvious in everyone¡¯s faces that they didn¡¯t expect his arrival. Only Alex, it seemed, wasn¡¯t as surprised or bothered by this unexpected visitor.

    Alex simply nced at Zeke as the man made himselffortable before them without saying a single word.

    The living room became silent. They all could have heard a pin dropping on thewn outside. Alicia was staring at Zeke while Abi¡¯s gaze looked at all their faces, waiting to see who would speak first. She felt that Zeke¡¯s arrival made the atmosphere somewhat awkward. She knew exactly what was on everyone¡¯s mind because she thought the same thing. If he had betrayed them, then why was he here, tantly unting his presence?

    After a minute of silence and people giving each other confused looks at the new arrival, Alex finally broke the silence.

    "So? Why don¡¯t you speak first, Zeke." Alex said. Abi was watching Alex as he spoke and then she looked at Zeke, expectantly waiting for his answer. It didn¡¯t escape her that everyone else¡¯s eyes were also locked onto Zeke, just as curious as she was.

    "I believe that the new witch queen definitely has more valuable pieces of information to ry than me, Alex. So why don¡¯t we start with her?" Zeke finally spoke as his gaze fell on Alicia.

    The new witch queen could only sigh. She somehow expected that this vampire prince wouldn¡¯t speak. But she wasn¡¯t bothered by Ezekiel¡¯s suspicious silence anymore. Alicia had already seen everything through the former queen¡¯s memories and she found out that almost everything that Ezekiel had been doing in thest three months had a reason. She now knew why he was doing all these things. Although there were still things that were questionable and incredibly shady about him that Alicia couldn¡¯t understand, Alicia decided not to stick her nose into Ezekiel¡¯s business because she was now more than convinced that everything that this man was doing had a purpose.

    Even now, she would bet her life on the fact that he was here for a reason. His actions were never uncalcted or impulsive and she was sure that this sudden appearance wasn¡¯t because he just felt like visiting.

    Moreover, Alicia now knew that Alexander was never unaware. The reason why Alexander had never forced Ezekiel to exin anything was because Alexander understood Ezekiel¡¯s way of dealing with things more than anyone else. Alexander knew that this man wouldn¡¯t do anything without a reason and hepletely trusted this man, even with his life, it seemed.

    The silence dragged on as Alex¡¯s gaze on Zeke became even sharper, causing Zeke to continue speaking. "Well, the only valuable piece of information we gathered fromst night¡¯s encounter is the fact that that woman can be killed and the one who can kill her is your dear wife," Zeke said, stating the obvious.

    Alicia and Alex weren¡¯t surprised with Zeke¡¯s words but Abi was, and so were Kai and Raven. The three of them creased their brows in confusion.

    Alex leaned his face on his knuckles, his eyes sharp as he gazed at Zeke.

    "Your n put my wife in grave dangerst night, Zeke," Alex told him with an unhappy and ominous voice but Zeke was unfazed and faced Alex¡¯s sharp gaze head on, as usual.

    "There was no other way, Alex. You know that. And don¡¯t forget that you entrusted me with this. If things didn¡¯t get to that pointst night, I don¡¯t think you would have ever drank Abigail¡¯s blood and finally got cured," Zeke argued. "Last night needed to happen for many different reasons. Don¡¯t expect me to easily fool that woman without fooling every single one of you first."

    Abigail¡¯s gaze could only dart back and forth between Alex and Zeke. What were they saying? What happenedst night was part of Zeke¡¯s n? Did Alex know about it? What the hell was going on? Abigail looked at Alicia and noticed that she didn¡¯t look confused or worried or anything of the sort. It seemed this really was all part of some grand n that Zeke and Alex cooked up.

    "That woman is shrewd. She would not easily fall into anything but a well nned trap. I have spent thest three months trying to bring her out of herir and nning this trap," Zeke continued.

    "So you gained her trust by experimenting with those hybrids?" Alex asked.

    Zeke fell silent for a while. "Yes. I used the bodies of the rogue vampires you killed in thest three months. But even that wasn¡¯t enough for her to fully trust me so I had to be careful and resort tost night¡¯s n. My only miscalction was that I didn¡¯t know that that woman actually wanted Abigail¡¯s blood. She wanted Abigail¡¯s blood and wanted you alive at the same time, Alex."

 Chapter 452 Change

    <h4>Chapter 452 Change</h4>

    "Wait!" Abigail finally cut him off. She was so confused at this whole conversation. "Are you guys saying that you both already knew about the existence of that immortal woman?" she asked both Alex and Zeke.

    "Yes. Alex told me that night of your surgery three months ago about that woman¡¯s existence before he lost his memories," Zeke answered her, causing Abi¡¯s jaw to drop in surprise.

    Abi looked at Alex. "Thete witch queen was the one who informed me about that woman," Alex said to Abi.

    Abi felt like her head was going to burst. "You mean, ever since I stabbed Alex, everything that happened next was already part of your n?" she asked, curious and confused to her bones.

    "Because I knew I would forget everything, I entrusted my life to you and everything else to Zeke, Abigail. Back then, we thought that that woman was waiting for the arrival of the girl in the prophecy to kill me. We thought that her ultimate n was to kill me using that girl in the prophecy. We thought that she¡¯d been hiding because of me and that when she saw that I had been stabbed and was finally dying, that it would eventually lure her out," Alex exined.

    Zeke also spoke after Alex. "That woman indeed made her presence known after that. I managed to cross paths with her and offered to be her ally. That was when I found out she was after you, Abigail. Back then, I thought she just wanted to eliminate you because you were the biggest threat to an immortal like her, after Alex. I managed to make her believe that Alex wasn¡¯t dying yet and that you might not be the girl in the prophecy but the woman still tried to look for you. The witch queen was the one who protected you thesest three months. She had concealed you from their sights using her powers and then she was captured by that woman. I couldn¡¯t save her. I didn¡¯t know where they were hiding the witch queen and when I found out, it was toote. So I had to keep going. What happened after that was an orchestrated n but all I did was bring you to ces of my choosing to make something happen. The rest is still the result of your actions."

    Abi could only listen, utterly speechless. This was just too unbelievable.

    "So your final n was to bring us to that Ziggurat?" Abi asked again.

    "Yes. Because that was where thete witch queen was held and also where all the hybrids I created were kept. I also had to push Alex to his limit. I had a hunch that the cure was in your blood but knowing him, he would never drink your blood unless you were put in a life and death situation. I also wanted to destroy everything I created for that woman and Alex was the perfect one to destroy it all. Now, she won¡¯t be able to use those minions to attack both humans and vampires. Andstly," he paused as he looked at Abigail. "I just wanted to confirm if she could be killed. And we got the answer to that most important question. Just like Alex, she can be killed by you."

    After Zeke¡¯s exnation, everyone was silent until Alicia piped up.

    "So are you going to go back to that woman after listening to our n?" she asked him.

    Zeke leaned back and tilted his head. "Yes," he answered, his expression one of indifference. "That woman is cautious. I think she¡¯s still hiding something big. But I think I will figure it out soon."

    "You¡¯re not going to advise us to attack her now, Zeke?" Alex smirked.

    "Don¡¯t underestimate her, Alex. Don¡¯t forget she managed to conceal herself from you all these years."

    Alex¡¯s eyes glimmered dangerously. "Well, she managed to do that because she was a coward hiding under the ground."

    "I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the only reason why she¡¯s hiding. In fact..." Zeke bent down and leaned his elbows on his knees as he peered through Alex with serious and keen eyes. "I think she¡¯s not really the one we should be worrying about. I feel like there is someone bigger behind her pulling the strings; as if that woman, too... is just another pawn."

    Alex looked to be contemting this new information and Abigail turned her attention to her husband, wondering how he would react to this piece of news.

    Abigail looked at Alex and she frowned. She didn¡¯t notice this for a while because of everything that was being revealed but now that she was observing him keenly, Abi began to notice that there seemed to be a very subtle change in Alex.

    The change was subtle but it was there. It was akin to the changes she felt with Alicia. In just one night, Abi had felt the drastic change within Alicia. Abi felt like Alicia was a wholly different person but she knew it was because she was now the all powerful witch queen. The most powerful witch in existence. It was only logical that this change would ur after she received her full powers.

    But why did she feel this same feeling towards Alex? Alex had been cured by drinking her blood. He now had his memories and soul back and consequently, his immortality. So he should be back to his normal old self, right? So howe he felt a little different? His aura was different and his heartbeat had also changed subtly, beating just a tiny fraction faster than other vampires. Did he gain some kind of power as well, like Alicia?

    Now that she looked at his eyes again, Abi noticed that golden shade in his eyes wasn¡¯t disappearing. His eyes used to turn ck when he wasn¡¯t using his powers. It wasn¡¯t vivid but the golden color was there, lingering, and it didn¡¯t seem to be disappearing anytime soon.

    What did that mean?

    .

    [Dear hellbounders, I am unwell again and forced myself to write these 2 chaps today. I dont know if I could update 4 chaps tomorrow but I will try. Hoping for your understanding. ~Kazzen]

 Chapter 453 Theory

    <h4>Chapter 453 Theory</h4>

    Abigail looked at Alicia and then Zeke to see if they had also noticed the difference in Alex but they didn¡¯t show any signs. Maybe they were all still too caught up with the conversation to even notice? When Alex started talking again, she directed her attention back to him. While she had questions of her own surrounding her husband, those questions would have to wait until this conversation was over.

    "Just another pawn, huh..." Alex¡¯s lips twitched as he echoed Zeke¡¯s words because he had thought the same thing as Zeke. He thought that this was a possibility because to Alex, that immortal woman wasn¡¯t a big threat to him. He was still stronger than her in terms of power and without Zeke¡¯s help, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to amass that army. And an even more important fact was that the woman could be killed by Abigail.

    Peering at Zeke, Alex¡¯s expression became challenging. "Mind telling me your theory about this big mastermind who is just using that woman as a pawn?" he asked.

    Everyone was curious so they all looked at Zeke with great interest, eagerly anticipating his next words of wisdom.

    Realizing that Alex would press for him to speak more, Zeke could only sigh. "That woman isn¡¯t as powerful as you are, Alex," he started. "She might be an immortal, but she is only a human immortal. The only thing she had going for her is the fact that she can¡¯t be killed. However, because she is immortal, others have started to follow her and she was able to gather a huge following of strong and loyal vampires and witches. She was able tomand these creatures and be the queen of the rogue vampires and witches because she promised them their freedom from your restrictive rules, rules that would go on forever as long as you lived. Even the current king and queen of vampires have to listen to you. So they listened to her, followed her because she gave them hope. She is very good at manipting others to get what she wants. I suppose that could also be considered as her kind of power.

    But mostly, to her followers, her existence is proof that the existence of other immortals is no longer impossible. There are endless possibilities now. Maybe she talked about a more powerful leader for these rogue vampires and witches, a new leader that could bring about a new kind of world.

    This person could be immortal and they could be a pure blooded vampire or a very powerful witch! They could be someone as powerful as you or possibly even stronger. I know that seems like it is an impossible thing but nothing is impossible anymore and even more possibilities have opened up. We just don¡¯t know. All we know is that they are using that woman as a pawn to find out everything about you while they sit back and watch the show. Meanwhile, we know nothing about them." Zeke exined, still as emotionless as ever.

    Silence followed Zeke¡¯s words. Indeed, the existence of other immortals was no longer impossible at this point.

    Abi looked at Alex and the golden shades in his eyes glimmered dangerously.

    "But if someone as strong as Alex existed all this time, why did they hide themselves, especially if they are immortal, too?" Kai finally spoke. His question was something that ran through everyone¡¯s minds.

    "That is something I have yet to figure out. Why would they wait so many centuries to make a move? If someone like that really exists then they should have made a move by now. I have a couple of theories. One is that perhaps they are not quite sure if they are more powerful than Alex. After all, I don¡¯t think even you really know the extent of your own power even now, Alex," Zeke paused, gazing at Alex so seriously. Zeke had closely watched Alex yesterday, for many reasons, and it didn¡¯t escape his notice the way Alex looked like he was about to transform into a different creature. His eyes, his talons, his aura were so different to the immortal vampire that was Alexander.

    "Another theory is that he did note out because even if he was able to defeat Alexander, the world would be a ce of constant chaos and destruction from a never ending war because, well, immortals are immortal. They cannot be killed. It would be an endless vicious cycle of one of them trying to gain the upper hand.

    "So myst theory is this: that they waited for the woman from the prophecy to be born to kill Alex. That theory makes the most sense especially since they only came out of the shadows the same night that Abigail stabbed Alex," Zeke finally finished.

    Another silence followed as everyone contemted Zeke¡¯s words. It was Raven who broke the silence with a frown on his face.

    "But if they wanted Alex dead, then why did the woman order to kill Abigail and not Alex?" Raven couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "Well, my best guess is that she saw that Alex was already dying so she had no more need for Abigail. Maybe she wanted Alex to watch Abigail di-"

    "Shut up, Zeke," Alex cut Zeke off sharply, not wanting to relive that moment. Alex¡¯s eyes zed like the golden sun. He would never let anything like that happen again. Now that he had his full power back, he would protect Abigail himself.

    Zeke could only sigh at being interrupted and then he looked up at Alicia.

    "Now it¡¯s time for you to speak, witch queen," Zeke said.

    Everyone looked at Alicia and she nodded.

    "Like all of us, my queen didn¡¯t have any more information about the existence of other immortals other than that woman so I know as much as you in this case. But," Alicia looked at Abi. "My queen told me that the answer to all our questions about the immortals might lie with Abigail."

 Chapter 454 Necklace

    <h4>Chapter 454 Ne</h4>

    Alex creased his brows and Abi just looked very confused. What could she possibly know? She didn¡¯t even know about the existence of vampires and witches until she bumped into Alex!

    In the next second, Alicia brought out the ne she had been keeping safely with her. Now was as good a time as any to hand this ne to its rightful owner.

    "Thete queen gave me this, Abigail. She ordered me to give this to you at all cost."

    Alicia ced the ne in Abigail¡¯s palm.

    Abi looked at the ne which held a small bottle and stared at the yellow liquid inside it.

    "What am I supposed to do with this?" Abi asked Alicia, unsure of what it was she was holding.

    "Unfortunately, the memories about this ne are quite protected so even I couldn¡¯t see anything about it yet. The former queen had sealed it so I need to perform a ritual to dissolve the protective spell first. I believe the memories could only be seen by you through your dreams." Alicia exined.

    Abi looked down and stared at the ne again before she lifted her face to Alicia. "Are you going to perform the ritual now?"

    Alicia nced at Alex. She knew just by seeing Alexander¡¯s expression that he was not happy with all these things involving Abigail. Alicia somehow felt that something huge will happen after this, especially to Abigail. In fact, she felt great unease about what was waiting for Abigail or what would happen to her after this. That was why she understood the displeasure that Alex was exuding. But they didn¡¯t have a choice. They had to know the truth and there was no time for them to dy.

    "I will need to perform the ritual once the full moon rises tonight." Alicia finally said and as expected, Alex¡¯s face turned even darker.

    sping the bottle in her hand, Abi took a deep breath. There were so many things going on and she could barely keep up. She was having a hard time digesting all this but she had to let everyone know about the fact that that woman also looked like her mother. She had to tell them now.

    "I... I still have something to say," she said weakly. Alex noticed her hesitation and he took her hand and held it in his.

    "Say it, my wife. Don¡¯t hide anything from us," Alex encouraged her.

    Abi nodded at him and she looked at everyone in the room.

    "That... that woman," she paused. "She looked exactly like my mother," she confessed. Everyone was shocked. "But I don¡¯t believe it is her. It can¡¯t be. My mother is dead."

    Alex nced at Zeke and the lines on his forehead deepened.

    "She¡¯s just an imposter, right?" Abi asked no one in particr.

    Everyone was surprised. They didn¡¯t know that the immortal woman actually looked like Abigail¡¯s mother. Even Alex¡¯s expression changed upon hearing her.

    "I was still very young when she died but I know what she looked like from the photos we had of her. But... that woman was calling my name like she knew who I was," Abi continued, almost in a trance, but then she shook her head again as she stared at Zeke, as if the answer was somehow written on his face. "Please tell me... she¡¯s just an imposter, right? Did she somehow make herself look like my mother so that she could fool me? That was just part of their ns, right?"

    Abigail was almost begging Zeke for the answers. A part of her didn¡¯t want to hear Zeke¡¯s answer. What if he said that the woman was her mother? She was so afraid that the woman might really be her mother because how could there be two people who looked exactly the same down to the scar on her hairline from her brain surgery?

    Zeke was silent for a while. "I am not certain if she is using a different appearance. It could be that a witch has cast a spell on her to make her look like that but I am not sure. She has looked like that ever since the first time I met her. But rest assured, I will investigate that. For now, don¡¯t let her trick you. Whether she¡¯s an imposter or not, don¡¯t forget that she tried to kill you and wanted you dead," Zeke answered, as blunt as ever.

    Alex held Abi¡¯s hand and intertwined their fingers together. Abi¡¯s heart felt heavy but she nodded.

    "I understand. Even if... even if she..." Abi stopped. She just couldn¡¯t bear the thought of that woman being her mother. "No, my mother is long dead," she said with a bit more certainty as she clenched the ne in her hand.

    The ne suddenly emitted a golden yellow light, blinding Abi and the others.

    The next moment, Abi¡¯s eyes turned nk and she passed out.

    Alex caught her in time but his heart started to race. He ced Abigail on hisp and he looked at her unconscious face. Alex instantly took the ne from Abi¡¯s hand because it was obviously this thing that made her pass out! One second she was fine and then this thing lit up and suddenly Abigail was unconscious!

    "Abigail!" he called out her name but there was no response. His hand went straight to her forehead and to his dismay, she was starting to burn up. Alex started to panic and his golden eyes zed at Alicia.

    "What is going on?!" Alex burst out, frustrated and angry and afraid. He didn¡¯t know what this ne did to his wife to make her like this!

    Alicia was just as shocked as everyone else but was still calm. She didn¡¯t know this would happen, however, she knew that her witch queen wouldn¡¯t have given that ne to Abigail if it was dangerous!

    She moved closer to Abigail to check her temperature and heart rate.

    Before anyone could say or do anything more, a strange mist began to appear inside the room! Alex¡¯s eyes widened in shock because he remembered this; this was the same white mist that had covered the forest floor that night he found her in the forest.

    "Give her the ne back, Alex," Alicia told him. When Alex remained hesitant, Alicia quickly took advantage of his shock and snatched the ne from Alex¡¯s hand and put it in Abigail¡¯s hand.

    Just like that, the mist began to disappear.

    Alex¡¯s gaze sharpened as he looked at Alicia.

    "What the hell is going on?"

    .

    [To my dearest hellbounders,

    I am still unwell ¡Á.¡Á

    Coughing right now but dont worry, it¡¯s not covid. (I will make sure to stay alive for u guys. Haha. Jk. ^^)

    Thank u for your concerns. I love you all. I will try to make up for myck of update once I¡¯m better.

    Love,

    Kazzen]

 Chapter 455 The Long Lost Tale Part I

    <h4>Chapter 455 The Long Lost Tale Part I</h4>

    Alicia looked at Alex. His face was full of concern and worry.

    "Alex, take her back to her room. Let me check on her there, okay?" Alicia tried to persuade Alex.

    The man gave her a hard stare but dly, he followed her instruction. Alex headed towards Abigail¡¯s room and Alicia followed, leaving the other men behind.

    Kai looked at Raven and Zeke with a frown on his face. He had no idea what was going on anymore so he couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    "Zeke, what just happened?"

    Zeke just shrugged as he stood up and left the room. Truth be told, he had no idea as well. For the first time in what seemed like a long time, he was actually just as in the dark as those two men he left behind.

    ---

    Back in Abi¡¯s room, Alex gently ced Abigail on her bed.

    The ne in her hand was still glowing and Alex still looked extremely worried.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Alex. She¡¯ll be alright. I trust thete queen and I know you do as well. She wouldn¡¯t have given that ne to Abigail if it was dangerous," Alicia assured him after she checked on Abigail.

    Alex was silent as he held Abi¡¯s hand, looking at her face. His face was dark, his unease evident in his expression and bodynguage. It was obvious that he didn¡¯t like this thing that was happening to Abigail. His reaction showed how much he disliked that Abigail was bing more deeply involved in his dangerous world, in this hell that he had inadvertently drawn her into.

    "I thought I needed to wait for the full moon toe out but it seems I don¡¯t need to do that anymore. This is the sign for me to perform the ritual now," Alicia exined.

    Alex nced at her, still hesitant despite her reassuring words earlier. He straightened up and still, he said nothing.

    "Please trust me, Alexander. We need to know why thete queen gave this ne to her. We need to know everything. We can¡¯t be stumbling around in the dark again not knowing what¡¯s waiting ahead of us. And I truly believe that Abigail herself would want to know everything as well. We all need answers or we will never be able to live peacefully, knowing there is an unknown threat looming over all of us. You know how badly she wants to help us so trust her this time, Alexander. This will not harm her. She will be alright."

    Alex¡¯s grip on Abigail¡¯s hand tightened. His golden eyes zing calmly like moltenva. Alex had been feeling this unease since that night he found Abigail in the forest with all those dead bodies around her. If he had a choice, he would have dly whisked Abigail away to a farawaynd where they both could live that peaceful and mundane, married life. But, she wouldn¡¯t be safe until this threat was eradicated.

    So, as much as he wanted to just spend the rest of his days with Abigail on an ind of their own, Alicia was right. As much as he wanted to keep Abigail from being more involved, what if keeping her out of it ended up hurting her instead?

    That thought made Alex clenched his jaws and he could only give in. He stood up and let go of Abigail¡¯s hand. He stepped away from the bed and gave way to Alicia.

    Alicia stood next to the bed with her hands over Abigail. She started to chant a spell and a silver light slowly enveloped Abigail. As Alicia kept chanting, the silver light became brighter and brighter and the ne glowed brighter as well. Then, the yellow potion inside the small bottle wove its way out of the container as if it turned into yellow smoke, and was now enveloping her along with the silver light.

    Abigail¡¯s face looked peaceful as Alicia continued with the ritual.

    After a while, Abigail¡¯s fingers twitched slightly and her eyes moved from under her eyelids as well.

    ...

    Abigail opened her eyes and the first thing she saw were yellow lights dancing before her eyes.

    She creased her brows in confusion, trying to figure out what these lights were and where they wereing from.

    She felt like she was floating. Was she dreaming? Where was she?

    Abigail looked around her when suddenly, her feetnded on the ground and the yellow lights were reced by darkness. She blinked and she saw a light appear in the darkness a hundred meters in front of her, getting closer and closer to by each passing second.

    With creased brows, Abi narrowed her eyes towards the light before her. She could see that the light wasing from amp in someone¡¯s hand.

    She realized she was in a forest. Was this another dream like the one she had when she met Alicia or that veiled woman?

    She waited for someone to call her name but it didn¡¯te so she focused her eyes on that person holding themp. She could tell that the person was a woman. She was wearing a golden-colored cloak as she walked in the forest alone.

    Abigail observed the woman, waiting for her to approach or speak with her, but the girl in the golden cloak didn¡¯t even look at her and just continued to walk past Abigail.

    Curious, Abi went after her. At first, she was careful but when the girl seemed to not notice her, she began to move without hiding her presence.

    When the girl still seemed oblivious, Abi ran after her and stopped right before her to show herself. She didn¡¯t know why she was doing this but she was curious to see who the girl was and why she was seeing her in this dream.

    However, the moment the girl lifted her face, Abigail was stunned in shocked surprise.

    Her eyes stretched out and her lips opened and then closed in utter astonishment.

    How? Why? Why was she looking at herself?

 Chapter 456 The Long Lost Tale Part II

    <h4>Chapter 456 The Long Lost Tale Part II</h4>

    Abigail was frozen as she stood in front of the cloaked girl, simply staring at her face. This girl looked exactly like her when she was 17 or 18 years old.

    Abigail was mesmerised and couldn¡¯t help but just study this girl¡¯s face. She looked at the cloaked girl¡¯s face closely, looking to confirm her suspicions and although the girl¡¯s hair was longer than hers had been at that age, the color of her eyes, the fullness of her cheeks, the length of her nose were exactly the same! She was her exact replica! There was no way this girl could be someone else. Was this girl supposed to be her?

    But how? And why was she wearing such an ancient looking cloak?

    It made Abigail look back through her memories of when she was 17 or 18 and wondered if she had ever worn a cloak like that before. But she had no recollection of such a thing. She didn¡¯t own anything remotely like the clothes this girl was wearing and she never went to any dress up parties at all.

    Abigail was certain this wasn¡¯t her memory.

    Confusion struck Abi once again. What was she seeing?

    "W-who are you?" Abigail asked the girl, stammering. The girl didn¡¯t answer her question but shock suddenly registered on the girl¡¯s face as if she just saw a ghost.

    Abi thought that the girl was shocked to see her but then she, all of the sudden, ran forward and went through Abigail¡¯s body.

    It was Abigail¡¯s turn to look shocked. It seemed that Abigail was invisible to this girl. Abi felt a feeling of deja vu. This dream now felt like that time Alicia¡¯s showed her memories of Alex using the crystal ball, meaning, she was just watching someone¡¯s memory this time? But this girl was her!

    Abi¡¯s head snapped towards the girl and what she saw this time made her freeze again. She felt like her body had been bitten by a snake, paralyzing her, as she looked at the girl kneeling on the ground as she helped a wounded man who was leaning against the tree trunk.

    Abigail¡¯s eyes zeroed in on the man¡¯s face and one nce was enough for her to tell that the man was none other than Alex.

    Abi stumbled backwards, the shock releasing her from her paralysis.

    This dream was so weird. It was so strange! Just like her younger self, this Alex looked to be younger as well. Although his face looked younger and he had longer hair, his facial structures, the color of his eyes and the angles of his face and nose, were exactly the same. There was no mistaking it. What was going on?

    "Are you alright?" the girl¡¯s voice pulled Abi¡¯s attention back to the scene unfolding before her.

    The young Alex seemed badly hurt. "Here. Let me help you take that arrow out," the girl added. An arrow was stuck on his left shoulder, with the arrow protruding behind him and the tail end of the arrow protruding in front of him. The girl held the arrow with both hands on the shaft and with a quick movement, broke the arrow in two.

    "Okay, I¡¯m going to pull this out now," she warned and in the next second, she quickly pulled the arrow out behind him.

    He gritted his teeth and didn¡¯t say a word. She then took a bottle out and poured its contents over his wound, causing him to hiss from the pain, before she ripped up a long piece of fabric from her skirt to use as a tourniquet for his wound.

    "Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll be alright," the girl said, and the young Alex slowly opened his eyes to look at her.

    The moment her face registered in his blurry eyes, the young Alex suddenly pushed her away.

    The girl was surprised but she was quick to crawl back to him. "It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t be afraid. I won¡¯t hurt you," she told him gently, like a little rabbit coaxing a fox.

    The young Alex smirked. "Human, you are definitely getting the wrong idea here. I¡¯m the one who is supposed to be telling you that. Get away from me if you want to live," he hissed but the girl just blinked at him and retracted her hand.

    "I know you¡¯re a vampire but... you¡¯re not a normal vampire, are you?"

    The girl¡¯s question made his eyes widen and then narrow, instantly suspicious of her.

    "How do you know?" he asked, his gaze at her now sharp as that arrow she just pulled out of him.

    "I can hear it... your heartbeat. It is different to normal vampires but you¡¯re also not a royal blooded vampire. I know what their heartbeats sound like too," she admitted and then she looked at him with deep, contemtive eyes. "Hmm, so if you¡¯re not a full vampire, does that mean you¡¯re a half vampire? Half human, maybe?" the girl spoke, more to herself than to him as she pondered the reason for why his heartbeat sounded different.

    Alex kept silent.

    "Well, it doesn¡¯t matter because vampire or not, you¡¯re still wounded and it looks like you¡¯ve been poisoned too. That¡¯s most likely why you are not healing," the girl continued.

    The girl slowly moved closer to him again but the young man forced himself to stand to get away.

    "I told you. Get away from me before I make you my dinner," he warned her but in the next second, he fell on his knees and passed out. It seemed his body couldn¡¯t take it anymore.

    The girl helped him lie under the tree. She checked on his wounds again and started pouring liquid potions and what looked like medicinal herbs on them. She seemed very skilled in treating wounds.

    As Abi just stood there, watching quietly, unable to figure out what was happening yet, someone suddenlynded behind the girl.

    Another young man appeared. This young man was so good looking with his smooth, angelic face and silver hair - the male equivalent of Alicia¡¯s goddess-like beauty.

    The silver-haired young man wore a grave and displeased expression as he spoke. "Abigail. What do you think you¡¯re doing?"

 Chapter 457 The Long Lost Tale Part III

    <h4>Chapter 457 The Long Lost Tale Part III</h4>

    "Zeres," the young Abigail said as she turned to look at the silver haired young man. "Let¡¯s take him to my house," she continued.

    However, the young man, named Zeres, didn¡¯t move. His beautiful face was filled with displeasure. "No," he told her, looking away. "We will not take him with us."

    Young Abigail was quick to puff her cheeks and she immediately walked towards him, cupping her hands together in front of her as she looked up at him. "Please Zeres, we can¡¯t just leave him here. He¡¯s going to die if we don¡¯t do anything!"

    "You already helped him Abigail. That¡¯s enough. Besides, that guy is... he¡¯s a vampire! He¡¯s dangerous!" Zeres argued, still avoiding looking at the young Abigail¡¯s pleading face.

    "Look at me, Zeres," she urged.

    "No," he refused, even closing his eyes to avoid seeing her face.

    The young Abigail bit her lip but there was no sign of her giving in. She nced at the wounded young man before she returned her gaze to the silver haired man before her. "Fine," she puffed her cheeks like a willful little girl, turned around and walked away.

    Zeres slowly opened his eyes when he felt her leave but what he saw made him clench his fists. It was because the stubborn girl was trying to carry the young man on her own.

    Utterly frustrated, Zeres could only give in and he hastily took the man from her. He carried the wounded vampire on his back silently which made the young Abigail smile.

    "Thank you, Zeres!" She thanked him happily as she began to lead the way, looking back every now and then to check on the two men.

    "This guy is dangerous, Abigail. Please listen to me and don¡¯t take him home," Zeres urged but Abigail just couldn¡¯t be persuaded.

    "It¡¯s okay, Zeres. He¡¯s not a pure blooded vampire. He¡¯s just like you," she told him, her eyes twinkling while the silver-haired young man creased his brows and halted.

    "Just like me? What do you mean?"

    "He¡¯s half human too, just like you. You¡¯re a half-witch while he¡¯s half-vampire."

    What the young Abigail exined made Zeres look at her with a shocked expression. He looked like he was having a hard time believing what she just said. Half vampire? He had never heard of such a thing! It wasmon knowledge that if a vampire mated with a human, the human would always die from the vampire¡¯s thirst for blood.

    "I think you two could be good friends, Zeres," the girl continued and Zeres¡¯ attention was pulled back to her. He just frowned at her words, not convinced that what she said would ever be reality.

    "Why would you say that?" he asked, his tone extremely doubtful.

    "Hmm... cause you guys are simr. He could be going through the same thing as you because of who you are. It isn¡¯t verymon for a half witch to be born and I have never heard of a half vampire being in existence. He might be feeling ostracised and it could even be that the ones who attacked him were vampires!"

    "You know nothing about him, Abigail. Regardless of whether your theories are true or not, he is still a half vampire and vampires are dangerous. What if he bites you?"

    "Hehe," the young Abigail grinned at him as she twirled. "Don¡¯t worry, he won¡¯t," she said inly, sounding very certain.

    "How can you say that?!"

    "Well... I can just feel it, you know? He¡¯s different from the rest. He seems... nice."

    Zeres could only shake his head and didn¡¯t speak anymore, as if he knew that once the girl made up her mind, no one could change her decision anymore.

    They arrived in an old house made of stone and wood. The house was situated near a small stream at the foot of rocky Hills. The mountain rocks were so ck that they looked like they were made of ck crystals.

    Zeres helped young Abigail by changing the wounded young man while the girl prepared some more ointments.

    When she entered the room where the wounded many, young Abigail started cleaning his wound and treating them while Zeres just sat there, leaning against the wall as he watched. Jealousy and displeasure were evident in his eyes.

    However, when his eyes were drawn towards the quiet moon peeking through the window, his expression changed again.

    "It¡¯s okay, Zeres. Don¡¯t worry about me and go home. This person will not harm me, I promise," the young Abigail suddenly said. "And even if he tries to do something bad, I can take care of myself. You know I don¡¯t like ying the damsel in distress."

    Zeres pressed his lips. He stared at the sleeping half vampire and his expression darkened again. But in the end, he still stood up to leave.

    "If he does anything funny, I wille back and kill him, Abigail," he warned her seriously but Abigail just walked towards him and yfully pushed him out of the door.

    "Geez. I said it¡¯s fine. Go, your family is probably looking for you right now."

    She smiled encouragingly at him but Zeres didn¡¯t look relieved at all. He looked like he didn¡¯t want to leave.

    "I don¡¯t even know if I can call them family," he mumbled when the girl held his hand and pressed them.

    "Hey, don¡¯t say that. They¡¯re your family, so you have to be there for them. Understand?"

    Zeres silently stared at her before he finally sighed.

    "I¡¯ll be back as soon as everything is over," he said and afternding his hand on her head, he finally disappeared like a phantom.

    Abigail watched her younger version walk back inside and stare at the wounded young Alex. The young girl¡¯s eyes werepletely focused on the young man¡¯s face as she sat next to him. She brushed his hair away from his face and made sure everything was as it should be before she also closed her eyes to sleep.

 Chapter 458 The Long Lost Tale Part IV

    <h4>Chapter 458 The Long Lost Tale Part IV</h4>

    Abigail walked closer to the sleeping figures. She couldn¡¯t exin what she felt as she looked at them. She didn¡¯t know what was going on. She attempted to touch them but her hand just went through them. Her body didn¡¯t have any substance to it. She wished she could speak to them, or at least to this younger version of herself. Was the girl really her? She still found it hard to believe.

    She could tell from the style of their clothes and the way their houses were built that she had been drawn back into the past, way, way, way back in the past - she had watched many old era movies.

    She was sure that what she was seeing weren¡¯t her forgotten memories because when she was this young, Abi spent most of her days at the hospital after her diagnosis. So these really weren¡¯t her memories at all. But... How was Alex here?

    Abi tugged her hair in frustration and her eyes fell on the young Alex¡¯s face. His face looked more humanpared to her husband¡¯s face now, as if this Alex was his human version. He also looked vulnerable and pretty darn cute in her eyes. Even in this life, she still couldn¡¯t help but admire her husband¡¯s handsome features. She felt so giddy that she wanted to pinch his cheek.

    But the longer Abi stared at him, a realization finally dawned to her. She remembered the story Alex had told her before. About the outcast prince. Were these memories of Alex before he became immortal?

    Abi gasped. It seemed pretty logical, but then, why was her younger self here? How? Was this girl actually someone else?

    Questions just kept piling up. Abi recalled the story Alex had told her but none of those things he said helped her answer any of her questions. She remembered that he had told her that the prince was ruthless but he never mentioned meeting a girl that looked like her.

    Abi could only crouch down beside the bed. It seemed all she could do now was wait and see how things unfolded. She knew there must be a reason why she was seeing all this so all she could do now was wait patiently for the story to continue.

    By the time Abi lifted her face again, the sunlight had already painted the morning sky. Sounds of chirping birds could be heard. She looked around and the young Abigail was no longer inside the small house.

    Her eyes fell on the still sleeping young Alex. Hisplexion was a lot better than the night before. That girl seemed really skilled in the art of healing because Alex¡¯s wound had already healed.

    The young man woke up groggily, looked around and then looked down at his body. His wounds were gone.

    "You¡¯re awake!" The young Abigail emerged from the door, holding a small bowl. Her smile was bright as she approached him.

    "Here, have some of this soup. This will help to remove all the remaining poison left in your body," young Abigail said as she offered him the bowl, her eyes glimmering like the clearestke in existence.

    The young man just stared at her and didn¡¯t ept the bowl. The girl blinked at him and when he still didn¡¯t move, she slowly put the bowl down on top of the small table next to her.

    "I guess I need to introduce myself fir ¨C"

    Before the girl could finish her sentence, the young man pinned her down on the bed, his eyes turning slightly red.

    "Where am I?" he asked with an authoritative tone.

    "My house," she replied, fearless.

    "So you, a human girl, actually brought a vampire like me home and even cured my wounds?" he said, his tone incredulous and his eyes burning as he questioned the obvious.

    "Yes. Is there a problem with me doing that?" Abigail rebutted, lifting her chin a little in a show of defiance.

    Her innocent eyes made him bite his lips but the next second, a wicked smirk shed on his face.

    "What a little na?ve rabbit..." he whispered as he brushed her hair away from her neck. "Next time, don¡¯t ever try picking up a wolf and bringing it home, okay?" he added as his fangs lengthened.

    He moved to bite her neck but...

    "Your heart... it¡¯s beating so fast and loud," she suddenly said. She didn¡¯t even look scared at all, not even a little. And what she said made the young man¡¯s eyes stretch. "Is this your first time biting a human?" she innocently asked.

    "Of course not."

    "Then why are you so nervous? Is it because you don¡¯t really want to bite me?"

    "Who said I¡¯m nervous?!"

    The girl stretched her hand and ced it on his chest. "Don¡¯t lie. I can hear it clearly. Your heartbeats are messed up. Look, it even skipped a beat!"

    The young man¡¯s ears flushed red and he suddenly jumped off the bed.

    "Are you a witch disguised as human?" he asked as he backed off, grabbing his sword.

    The girl sat up and shook her head innocently.

    "No. I¡¯m human. I¡¯m not a half-blood like you."

    The young Alex didn¡¯t seem to be pleased hearing her call him a ¡¯half-blood¡¯ and his lips twitched. He turned and without a word, he stepped out of the room.

    "Hey, wait!" The young girl chased after him.

    However, the moment he set foot outside the small house and his eyes fell on the ck hills before him, he stopped, frozen on the spot.

    "This... t-this is the ck hills?" he stammered as he looked at her.

    "Yes."

    "And... you live here?"

    She nodded.

    "All alone?"

    "Hmm... I havepany," she answered and then she stared up at the ck hills before them.

    The young man looked at her like he just realized something terrifying.

    "Don¡¯t tell me... you¡¯re living with a dragon," he uttered, eyes filled with disbelief.

    The young Abigail stared into his eyes and smiled brightly.

    "That¡¯s right!"

    .

    [Dear readers, thank you so much for your supports. I also want to thank you for buying privilege chapters. We are firstst month for female leads so this book is being featured now. Again, thank u so much hellbounders! You guys are the best. Love you all.

    Love,

    Kazzen]

 Chapter 459 The Long Lost Tale Part V

    <h4>Chapter 459 The Long Lost Tale Part V</h4>

    The young Alex looked petrified. He couldn¡¯t believe it but as his gaze flew back to the obsidian hills, any hint of doubt was eradicated. This location and the infamous feature of the ck, crystal-like mountain range was proof enough and this was it. There was no mistaking it because this was the only ce in the world like it.

    Dark Dragon Hills.

    This part of the world, and most especially the Dark Dragon Hills, was known to everyone in this kingdom and even to people living in the farawaynds. This was the one ce no one dared to approach because everybody feared the dragon that resided here.

    Everybody except for this girl before him.

    He looked at the girl again and he couldn¡¯t say a word. His thoughts were a mess. He just couldn¡¯t believe that this seemingly weak and harmless human girl was actually the one living with the dragon! It seemed he was very wrong when he thought of her as a harmless little rabbit. His mouth opened and closed as if he was about to say something but nothing came out.

    "By the way, I¡¯m Abigail. What¡¯s your name?" she asked him, shing that innocent and alluring smile of hers.

    The young man clenched the hilt of his sword hanging by his right hip, averting his gaze from her. He looked around again and he had a faraway look in his eyes as they fell on the thick forest where he had encountered the girl.

    "If you have nowhere to go, you can stay here for now," she offered as she moved and stood before him, facing him.

    "You want a stranger like me to stay here with you?" his eyes narrowed.

    "If I am able to help you in that way, why not? It won¡¯t be the first time I have let my friends stay with me for a while. There have been quite a few before you, you know," she said, matter of factly.

    "Quite a few... so I am not the only one you have brought home..."

    "Not at all! Mm. Let¡¯s see... there was a wounded piglet, a rabbit, an eagle, a fawn and a half-witch," she listed off, counting with her fingers.

    Young Alex looked speechless at her list. He didn¡¯t think that she had been talking about animals when she had said ¡¯friends¡¯. He was beginning to think that this girl probably thought of him as a certain animal as well if she didn¡¯t mention thatst ¡¯friend¡¯ on her list. Even so , what she said made his brows knot.

    "Half-witch?" he echoed, curiously.

    The girl smiled widely as if she had expected his reaction.

    "Yep. And he is now my friend, too. He is probably on his way over soon! I want you to meet him, too. He¡¯s the one who helped me carry you back here," she said, sounding so excited as if she couldn¡¯t wait for the two men to meet. "I think you two will be good friends."

    "I¡¯m not good at making friends. And you should know, witches and vampires don¡¯t get along."

    "But you both aren¡¯t pureblooded. You¡¯re both halflings! You guys have something that is extremely rare in this world inmon! I never thought a half-witch existed before I met Zeres. And now, I¡¯ve also met a half-vampire. I heard that this was an impossible thing but it appears that everyone was wrong because you guys exist. It¡¯s really amazing, don¡¯t you think?"

    Young Abigail¡¯s eyes were almost twinkling as she spoke, causing the young man to look at her with such deep curiosity.

    "You¡¯re a strange girl. Nobody else would think that being a halfling was an amazing thing other than you," he muttered as he leaned against the wooden wall like he had lost most of his energy. His eyes were nk and unhappy.

    "But it is!" Abigail insisted.

    "It¡¯s not!" he gritted his teeth. "Because I was born a halfling, I am an outcast. The world doesn¡¯t see me as a vampire or a human. I don¡¯t belong anywhere. Even my family wants nothing to do with me. What¡¯s so amazing about that? What¡¯s so amazing about being alone?!"

    The young man bit his lips upon realizing what he just blurted out. He looked away, looking regretful.

    But the girl suddenly held his hand, squeezing them, causing the young man to look at her with surprise. She showed him a kind smile and then hugged him silently.

    What she did made him freeze. What was she doing this? Why was she hugging a stranger like him? He was beyond surprised but his stunned face eventually rxed and before he knew it, he buried his head on her shoulder.

    They stayed like that for a long while until the girl pulled away and they stared into each other¡¯s eyes. The hatred and pain in his eyes were gone.

    "You really are strange..." he mumbled. "You¡¯re the first person who has ever hugged me as far as I remember," he confessed, causing the girl to lift her brows in surprise.

    "Really? Ever?" She didn¡¯t look convinced.

    But the young man looked away again. There was a glint of sadness mixed with hatred in his eyes. "I told you. Everyone hates me and pushes me away. My father most certainly sent me to fight in the frontlines of this war hoping that I would die," he mumbled, leaning back on the wall again as he closed his eyes.

    The girl looked down and held his hand again.

    "If... if you want, you can stay here with me if you have nowhere to go. Who knows, you might find that there is one ce in this world that you might belong," she suddenly said, serious. The young man¡¯s eyes flew open.

    Before he could say another word, she pulled him and led him back inside the house. "Your body is still weak because of the lingering poison inside your body. You need to drink this soup to neutralise it," she said and this time, the young man finally let himself be dragged back inside the house.

 Chapter 460 The Long Lost Tale Part VI

    <h4>Chapter 460 The Long Lost Tale Part VI</h4>

    Young Abigail sat the young Alex down by the small table and pushed the small bowl of soup towards him.

    Young Alex took the spoon without a word and started to drink the soup. The room was silent and the only thing that could be heard was the young man¡¯s spoon hitting the bowl as he scooped up the soup. Abigail looked pleased at the young man as she sat across him with her face in her palm just watching him. "How is it? Does it taste good?" she eventually asked when he was halfway done, breaking the silence.

    "It¡¯s not bad," the young man replied as he peered at her. "My name is Alexander," he introduced himself casually.

    "Alexander... what a nice name," she uttered, still staring at him as she tilted her head slightly. "Wait. Alexander... are you a prince?!" her eyes became round. "When I was a kid, I went to the city of Ashteria with my mother. And while we were there, I heard that one of the vampire princes is named Alexander!" she eximed.

    "You went to Ashteria?" Young Alex seemed surprised.

    "Yes. I went there. So, is it really you? You¡¯re a prince, right?"

    The young man dropped his gaze and stared at the bowl as he replied. "Yes." His brief reply was emotionless, as if he hated admitting it, but his expression immediately changed as he diverted the topic back to her.

    "So does that mean you didn¡¯t grow up in this ce?" he asked her.

    The girl shook her head. "My family decided to leave me here three years ago," she exined. There was nothing in her tone to indicate that she felt like she had been abandoned.

    His gaze at her deepened. He knew about her, or at least about her family. It wasmon knowledge that there was a noble human family with the title of ¡¯guardians¡¯ and ¡¯keepers¡¯ of the dragon. They were mere humans but they were the only ones who had the ability to control andmand dragons. It was said that someone in that noble family bloodline would be born to be the master of dragons and when that master died, another one would be born from that family to take their ce.

    For years, the young prince had heard stories about how each ruler of vampires and humans and witches plotted and tried to abduct the dragon keeper. Each one of them wanted to take control of these dragons, the most powerful creatures in existence, to dominate the world. Young Alex had heard that humans were the first to try their luck. They tried to control the old master and used him to gain the upper hand against the other races. This move created so much chaos and for the first time since their existence, the vampires felt threatened by these inferior humans.

    They too started to plot their schemes on how to catch the dragon keeper. The three forces collided, resulting in the death of the old master. When the new dragon keeper was born, the noble family kept their identity hidden, learning from the past.

    A few years ago, young Alex had heard about another attack targeting the noble family because the guardian seemed to always choose to ally themselves with humans. The humans used the dragon to fight against the vampires and the vampires were no match for it. The humans started to gain the upper hand, suppressing the vampire race and this didn¡¯t sit well with them at all.

    Three years ago, the vampire king had nned to annihte the members of this noble family until there was nobody left, saying that it was better for the dragon to be left without a master. Without a master, the dragon couldn¡¯t then be controlled to go against them anymore and the bnce of power would switch back to them again. They plotted against this noble family and unfortunately, the king couldn¡¯t be stopped. The result was the massacre of everyone from that noble family line.

    From that day forward, everyone thought that the line of the dragon keepers was finally eradicated. Everyone made sure to keep away from this ce because without a master to control the dragon, who knew what it would do if it was woken from its slumber. It wouldn¡¯t just be chaos they would have to deal with but most likely the end of all their races!

    As Alex peeked at the girl before him, he immediately thought of one question. Did she not know about what had happened to her family? That she was the only one left?

    He studied her face and he thought that she might not have known, and the young Alex didn¡¯t know what to say.

    "You... what you¡¯re doing right now, picking up people and bringing them home like this... don¡¯t you think you are being too careless? What if they actually had ulterior motives and ended up... hurting you?" he asked her, his voice filled with concern. This girl was too kind and he was afraid her kindness would be the thing that would bring about her demise one day. He couldn¡¯t help but think that way because this world was a cruel one and the weak and kind people were always the first to get trampled on.

    "Don¡¯t worry. I am not that naive. I don¡¯t take home every person I see in the forest. You and Zeres are just kind of... different. I don¡¯t know why I couldn¡¯t make myself leave you out there. I am usually able to turn others away. Maybe I just knew that you wouldn¡¯t hurt me," she admitted. "But, if it was an animal, any animal, I always take them home." She grinned.

    "Could it be that you¡¯re feeding them to yourpanion?"

    The young girl chuckled.

    "Don¡¯t worry. Lexus doesn¡¯t eat such things," she told him.

    "Lexus..." he echoed.

    "Yes. Do you want to see him?" she was excited while the young man was once again stunned by her offer. He truly thought this not so weak little rabbit was way too trusting of strangers!

    "Are you sure you want me to see him?"

    "Of course!" she stood and grabbed his hand. "Come, Alexander, let¡¯s go and say hello to Lexus."

    .

    [Dear hellbounders,

    I am better now but I am trying to give myself a break. I think its impossible for me to keep updating 3 chapters daily for months. so I decided to slow down and will only release two chapters daily from now on. Im sorry guys. I¡¯ve been losing sleep for months and I think my body finally reached its limit. But I will give bunos chapters during weekends and holidays.

    Thank u for understanding.

    ~Kazzen]

 Chapter 461 The Long Lost Tale Part VII

    <h4>Chapter 461 The Long Lost Tale Part VII</h4>

    The young Abigail led the young man towards the foot of the Dark Hills. They climbed to the rocky edges until they reached a cave-like entrance.

    Young Alex could only follow the girl. He was a little hesitant but he couldn¡¯t help but feel intrigued. He had always wanted to see this legendaryst dragon with his own two eyes.

    The path was made of crystalized ck stones, almost as if it was coated with ck diamonds. But the path wasn¡¯t as dark as he expected it to be. It was pretty bright as there seemed to be a light sourceing from the inside, reflecting the lights through the crystalized stones. He didn¡¯t expect that the ce would actually look like a fairy¡¯sir rather than a monster den.

    Once they were nearing the end of the tunnel, the girl turned to him as she smiled, offering her hand for him to take.

    "Lexus might think you¡¯re an enemy so hold my hand Alexander," she said. The young man stared at her hand for a while before he finally reached out. "This way, Lexus will think of you as my friend," she added, grinning at him as she squeezed his hand.

    The young man couldn¡¯t help but stare at their hands entwined together that he stumbled. The girl immediately looked back but the young man was quick to correct himself, pretending that he didn¡¯t just stumble.

    She smiled at him and finally, they stepped out of the tunnel into a bigger open area inside the mountain.

    Young Alex¡¯s eyes widened with what he saw. It seemed the inside of the ck Hill was arge empty space, almost like a huge crater filled with cloud-like white mist. He had expected a dark, dangerous looking ce with melted walls and burn marks everywhere, but he could see nothing that matched his expectations. This was totally unexpected.

    "Lexus!!!" the girl called out, not letting go of young Alex¡¯s hand.

    The next moment, a dark figure emerged from the white mist, itsrge wings spreading out causing the white mists to rise and then fall from its body like a silky white waterfall. The vision was breathtaking and the young man found himself holding his breath. In his eyes, the creature was simply magnificent and terrifyingly beautiful. He found himself being mesmerised by this gigantic, graceful creature before him and he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off it. He felt like if he blinked, the creature might disappear.

    It stood still, with only half of its body emerging from the sea of mists. When the dragon¡¯s eyes opened, the young Alex subconsciously squeezed the girl¡¯s hand. The dragon¡¯s eyes were like a pair of bright suns, zing like an eternal inferno inside a crystal ball.

    "Lexus! I¡¯ve found a new friend! His name is Alexander!" young Abigail yelled. Her sweet voice echoed inside the cavernous room, filling it with a .

    The dragon¡¯s eyeballs moved slightly, as if it shifted his gaze to the young man next to his human. Young Alex froze as he looked into the beast¡¯s eyes. He couldn¡¯t move or say a word. He was simply overwhelmed and paralyzed.

    However, the dragon seemed to be uninterested. It closed its eyes and then it silently disappeared back into the mist.

    "Geez, Lexus..." Young Abi puffed her cheeks at the seemingly unfriendly dragon but when she faced Alex, she smiled at him. "Lexus is not so friendly today it seems. If I¡¯m alone, he usually stretches out his tail over to this ledge and lets me climb on him. But don¡¯t worry, he might be more friendly with you next time."

    "You... you y with him? Do you ride on him too as he flies?!" the young man suddenly looked thrilled, his eyes filled with sparkling interest. He just couldn¡¯t believe that in the space of one day, he went from a dying vampire and in the next, he actually ended up here and got to see thest living dragon!

    "Yes. But we only fly at night and only above these hills. I don¡¯t want Lexus to go to the nearby viges."

    "Why?"

    "I don¡¯t want other people to see him. Besides, everybody is scared of him. It is best that he stays here so that he doesn¡¯t get attacked by those who may want to harm him. Fear does funny things to people."

    "I see... So does it- I mean, does he listen to all yourmands?"

    "Yes. He¡¯s a very good boy," she said proudly, sounding like a proud and protective mother.

    Young Alex could only watch her expressions. He knew this girl was indeed the new dragon keeper, and it seemed that she was thest one of her family line. If and when she died, this dragon would be left without a human master. And when she was gone, what would happen? Will this dragon create havoc on earth? Or will he stay in this ce forever?

    "Okay, let¡¯s go back for now. We wille back again tomorrow. Maybe Lexus will be in a more hospitable mood and if you¡¯re very lucky, you might get to ride on him, too."

    "Yeah, well, I have never been on the good side of luck..." he mumbled softly to himself.

    Luckily Abigail distracted him from his solemn thoughts as she dragged him back towards the exit. Shaking his head from hismiserations, he found himself asking more questions, more curious now than ever about this girl and her dragon friend.

    "How many people have you brought here to see him?" the young man asked.

    "Just you."

    Young Alex halted, halting her progress as well. "What about that half-witch friend of yours?"

    "He didn¡¯t want to see Lexus. Zeres is a scaredy cat, you see?" She chuckled before her face became serious. "But I think there must be a reason why he refused to see Lexus. He knows that I know something is up but he didn¡¯t spill the beans," she added with a pout.

    But her face brightened up again, almost too quickly, as she faced him. "That¡¯s why I am so happy you¡¯re brave enough to meet Lexus. You¡¯re not scared of him, right?"

    "I¡¯m... not."

 Chapter 462 The Long Lost Tale Part VIII

    <h4>Chapter 462 The Long Lost Tale Part VIII</h4>

    By the time the two climbed down the ck Hill, the silver-haired young man was already by the house, waiting for them. His expression was sour as he red at the young Alex.

    "Zeres! You¡¯re here!" young Abigail eximed,pletely missing the half-witch¡¯s displeased face. "Ah!" Abigail pulled young Alex with her and made the two halflings face each other.

    "Zeres, this is Alexander. Alexander, this is Zeres," The young woman introduced them to each other. But contrary to what she was expecting, the two young men didn¡¯t seem to want anything to do with one another. Zeres red at Alex and Alex was quick to give it back to Zeres.

    "Alright, shall we go look for food?" she said to try and break the ice. Her eyes nced back and forth between them. When no one budged from staring at each other, Abigail could only sigh with disappointment. She felt like knocking their heads together to put some sense into their brains but she didn¡¯t. Instead, she turned around to leave them to their staring contest. Eventually, the two followed her.

    "Abigail, why is this vampire still not leaving?" Zeres asked Abigail. But before Abigail could respond to him, the young Alex piped in.

    "She asked me to stay here until I find the ce that I belong," he muttered, causing Zeres to re at him again.

    "Did you seriously tell him that?" Zeres continued speaking to Abigail, trying his best to ignore the young Alex.

    But when Abigail nodded, Zeres halted, utterly speechless. He bit his lips, obviously displeased. "Why would you ask him to stay at your ce? He¡¯s a vampire, Abigail. This guy will get hungry sooner orter and you could end us as his meal," Zeres said, not bothering to attempt to keep his voice down.

    Young Abigail simply smiled at Zeres as she patted his shoulder. "Don¡¯t worry, Zeres. He knows not to do that because Lexus will roast him alive if he ever attempts it," she answered yfully as she nced at the young Alexander.

    Zeres could only sigh, knowing that his words didn¡¯t have the power to change this woman¡¯s mind. He would have better luck trying to persuade a waterfall to run up the mountain cliff instead of falling to the ground.

    That day, the trio went to the small river to find food for the young girl. The half-witch and half-vampire acted like a cat and a dog, determined not to get along. But the young Abigail was simply enjoying theirpany and to her, these two halflings were her newfound treasures.

    "Okay, let¡¯s head to the forest this time," Young Abigail then dered and the trio was quick to head to the thick forest.

    Young Alex and Zeres parted ways to find food for themselves, leaving the young girl in their rendezvous spot as per her instruction.

    The two were gone for a long while while Abi stayed in the meadow, looking for anything edible.

    Young Abigail was busy picking up berries and herbs as she hummed when suddenly, a figure grabbed her from the side, as fast as lightning, just as she saw an arrow flying fast towards her.

    They fell on the ground and she looked to see who had saved her. It was Alexander. He had saved her from being hit with that arrow.

    The young man was quick to cover her body with his as he pulled her up and led her towards arge tree trunk where they hid behind.

    "Humans are here," he whispered to her.

    "Yes, I know... but why are they targeting me?" she asked, confused. She had heard a few people¡¯s footsteps but young Abigail ignored it, thinking that they were just hunters passing by in the forest. She also knew that they were humans so she didn¡¯t expect that they would suddenly attack her!

    "I don¡¯t know," Young Alex responded. "Maybe they want something from you or maybe they want to capture you. Anyway, go back to your house. I will deal with them," Alex quickly said as he looked back at where the humans wereing from.

    "Wai-" Abi started but he was already gone.

    The next thing she heard was the sound of shing swords.

    Zeres had also appeared and started fighting with the humans. The two fought against the humans using the same weapons ¨C swords.

    Young Abigail knew Zeres wasn¡¯t that powerful yet as a witch, but he was exceptionally good when it came to swordsmanship. She peeked around the tree trunk to watch them and she was awed at their seemingly blended dynamic. They were both so damn good at fighting using their swords. As she looked at Alexander, young Abigail realized that just like Zeres, he didn¡¯t have the strength that normal vampires had. All the two of them had was their exceptional skill with the sword, a human skill.

    But for some reason, young Abigail found it hard to believe that they didn¡¯t have more power than this. She could just sense that these two had dormant powers lying within them that just needed to be awakened.

    "What¡¯s wrong with you, little vampire? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be using your fangs and ws to fight?" Zeres taunted as the two continued fighting.

    "And what¡¯s wrong with you, little witch? Aren¡¯t you supposed to be using your spells and curses?" Young Alex retorted and they both attacked again, finally taking down thest of the group.

    The two were about to leave to check on Abigail but to their surprise, another set of enemies appeared. It seemed there was an army of humans after them.

    "Damn, where did these humanse from? Why are they here?" Zeres cursed when suddenly, arrows with fire burning on their tips began to rain on them. Zeres and Alex shed the first batch of arrows but some arrows still got through their defenses. Zeres was shot in the thigh while an arrow grazed Alex¡¯s sword arm.

    "This is bad. We need to leave!" Young Alex said but then, another set of arrows fell like rain over them.

    The two, who stood back to back, facing their enemies, could only grit their teeth. They were surrounded and there was no way they could escape these number of arrows.

    Were they going to die here? Shit!

    But before the arrows couldnd on them, a thick mist suddenly appeared.

 Chapter 463 The Long Lost Tale Part IX

    <h4>Chapter 463 The Long Lost Tale Part IX</h4>

    As the sea of arrows were about to rain on Zeres and Alex, a thick mist suddenly appeared like smoke being fanned at them out of nowhere. The fast-moving mist enveloped the two halflings before they realized what was happening and within a second, they were lost inside it. Even though the two of them stood so close to each other, the fog was that thick that they couldn¡¯t see each other anymore.

    The sound of arrows flying above them drew their attention but it was futile to try and dodge the arrows as they could see nothing. Without thinking, they both immediately raised their arms over their head, shut their eyes and crouched down in a defensive position, expecting the volley of arrows to cut through the thick fog and pierce into them at any moment.

    But... nothing came. The sound of the arrows disappeared and the world became very still and very quiet.

    Young Alex and Zeres opened their eyes in shocked surprise before confusion set in. What just happened? Where did all those arrows go? Wait! They could see each other again! Their eyes were the only part of them that moved as they carefully looked up to find that the mist had formed a small bubble around them. They could see each other again, but they could see nothing of the world outside their bubble. They both sighed in relief because they really thought that that was it for them.

    They moved to put their arms down and the mist seemed to move along with them, as if it was avoiding them this time. A frown crossed Zeres¡¯ face and Alex¡¯s expression was one of curiosity. They slowly stood up from their crouched positions and that was when they felt something warm wrapped around their waists. Alex was the first to notice and look down and he saw that it was someone¡¯s arm.

    The moment Alex turned around, his heart almost stopped beating from the shock.

    "A-abigail?" Alex uttered in disbelief but then a secondter, relief flooded his body. Thank goodness she was safe!

    Zeres was also just as shocked. The two of them didn¡¯t sense her presence at all! What, how? Didn¡¯t Alex tell her to run back towards the house? Why didn¡¯t she go? What was she still doing here? How did she slip close to them unnoticed? When did she even get close enough to them to be able to hug them like this? So many questions passed through their minds.

    Did they not notice because they were too distracted by the thought that they were about to die? Or was it because the mist covered up her movements? Both theories seemed usible.

    They both looked at Abigail and saw that she had her eyes closed but it wasn¡¯t because she was taking a nap, obviously. They could tell she was concentrating... concentrating on what? What was she doing?

    The two looked at each other and then back at Abigail but then they noticed that the thick mist was slowly thinning out, exposing the forest around them slowly. Their gaze immediately flew towards the horde of attackers but what appeared before their eyes shocked them once more.

    They thought that the mist was disappearing but that wasn¡¯t the case at all! It was as if the tiny, tiny particles drew together into tiny droplets which then stretched out into long, thin needles suspended in the air. These crystal-like needles were floating in the air around them, forming a protective shield. But these weren¡¯t just a protective barrier, these were weapons, too. The duo¡¯s eyes fell on the ground before them and the sea of arrows that were aimed at them finally came into view. These were lying on the ground, broken into fragments, as if they had been cut into a thousand pieces.

    And these needles were now pointing at their human attackers, who all looked terrified. They dropped their weapons as they backed away slowly, as if they couldn¡¯t believe what they were seeing.

    "Retreat!!" a deep voice echoed and they finally heard the humans footsteps running away as if they had seen a monster.

    Young Alex and Zeres were in total awe. Was this Abigail¡¯s doing? Was this her power?

    They nced at Abigail again to see that her eyes were still closed and the two halflings didn¡¯t dare move as they nced at each other with questioning eyes, as if asking the other what they should do.

    dly, the young woman sucked in a deep breath and finally opened her eyes. The needles hanging in the air seemed to have dissolved and turned into a thick mist once again. The mist fell downwards, enveloping the ground before it slowly disappeared.

    "Are you guys okay?" Abigail asked, checking on both of them. When she saw that they were wounded, a worried look immediately appeared on her face. "Let¡¯s go back to my house. We need to treat your wounds," she said to both of them. She then knelt in front of Zeres as she studied his wound. An arrow had pierced through his leg. "Can you walk?" she asked as she looked up at him.

    "Of course I can walk," Zeres said indignantly. He straightened up and the moment he tried to put his weight on the wounded leg, it gave out from under him.

    Alex went over to him and held his hand out, offering his help but Zeres swatted it away, determined to show Abigail that he wasn¡¯t a weakling. However, from that short show to pride, he knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to walk with it.

    "Look," Alex said. "Just let me help you. I don¡¯t like owing anybody. We can call it even after this, alright?"

    Zeres looked at Alex with some resentment. Unfortunately, Zeres had no choice. It was either ept this vampire¡¯s help or be a burden to Abigail, so Zeres pushed his pride down and took Alex¡¯s hand. He stood up and leaned on Alex, putting all his weight on his good leg, and Alex acted as a crutch.

    Thus, the trio headed home.

 Chapter 464 The Long Lost Tale Part X

    <h4>Chapter 464 The Long Lost Tale Part X</h4>

    Inside the house, while Abi was treating Zeres¡¯ wound, Alex was staring at Abigail with curiosity and wonder in his eyes.

    "Abigail..." he called to get her attention. "May I ask you something?"

    "Hmm? Of course."

    Alex hesitated. "Are you really just... just a human?"

    Zeres looked up at Alex at his question while Abi paused, as if she was thinking about how to respond.

    "I mean... I know you are the Keeper of the ck dragon but..." Alex tried to exin but he couldn¡¯t continue what he wanted to say because he was worried that his words might hurt her.

    But Abigail just smiled and her kind eyes told him she didn¡¯t mind his words.

    "Are you talking about the mist?" she asked and Alex nodded.

    Zeres sat up in his chair, suddenly alert and paying close attention. He was just as equally curious as Alex was about it.

    "Hmm... how should I exin it. Firstly... yes, I am just a human, Alexander," she started, grinning at them. "I am not a fairy or a witch or a vampire or a halfling like you guys. The mist is Lexus¡¯ power. Actually, I don¡¯t really know how or why but since I became the new keeper of dragons, the mist always appears every time I am in danger," she continued.

    Her face then turned sad and regretful. "Back when my family and I were travelling to a different city, a day into our journey, we were attacked by assassins. I really didn¡¯t know what was happening but when I saw my family getting attacked, I closed my eyes and yelled at the assassins to stop. I don¡¯t know what happened but once I opened my eyes again, the assassins were dead. Ever since then, whenever I was in danger, the mist came to save me. I had no control over it but over time, since I have been living here with Lexus, I have learned to control it bymanding it the way Imand Lexus."

    Young Alex and Zeres were speechless. They didn¡¯t know that this young human girl also had this kind of deadly power. That was pretty darn impressive! Being able tomand an element like that was just incredible to them, especially because they, as a half witch and a half vampire, werecking in many aspects that their full blooded counterparts were naturally blessed with.

    "Do..." Alex peered at Abigail, "all dragon keepers have this power?"

    Abigail shook her head.

    The two halflings nced at each other again because they found this extremely unbelievable. This was definitely new information to them. They had heard many tales of the former dragon keepers and people boasted about how strong they were but they were only strong because they had a dragon to protect them. They themselves were only human and had human capabilities. None of the former dragon keepers had ever had power like this because if they did, they would certainly have heard about it. Another solid proof was the fact that thest dragon keeper was murdered. If he had had this kind of power, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to be killed so easily like that. He would have died of old age.

    "No, I don¡¯t think so. My mother said she had never seen or heard anything like it before. What was happening to me was very strange. They had no idea what was happening and why it seemed to happen to me. Not long after, I was brought here by my family. They told me that I needed to learn how to survive on my own and that was how I would be a great dragon keeper. So I stayed here and learned to live on my own."

    Alex creased his brows. For some reason, he felt sad for Abigail. From her story, he thought that the reason why she was left to fend for herself in these mountains alone was because her family must have feared her powers. They must have been frightened for their lives especially because Abigail had no control over her power. It seemed this girl wasn¡¯t cast out because she was weak and useless and hated like him, she might have been cast out because her family felt she was dangerous.

    "But since I have met ande to know Lexus, I believe this is his power. The mist in his home is exactly the same as the mist that appears when I¡¯m in danger. The mist in his home also listens to me," Abigail continued, unaware of Alex¡¯s thoughts about her past.

    "Could it be that the bl-, uhm, Lexus adores you and that¡¯s why he gave you such a powerful tool..." Alex mumbled and Abigail¡¯s face brightened.

    "You think so, too? That¡¯s what I like to think. Lexus has been a very greatpanion to me over thest few years. I would have been very lonely without him."

    A small silence fell among the group as they all processed her words. She must have been very lonely being here all by herself. Luckily, she had Lexus here to keep herpany.

    The silence didn¡¯tst long as Zeres¡¯ curiosity got the better of him. "But does that mist really appear just when your life is in danger? Does it not appear beforehand?" Zeres asked.

    Abigail shook her head. "Nope. I tried it to summon it before. I thought I could use it to catch some fish in the river but the mist just won¡¯t appear, sadly." Abigail sounded so dejected, as if someone had taken her favourite toy away from her.

    Young Alex and Zeres were speechless once again. She wanted to use that deadly power to catch fish?! They were at a loss for words.

    But then, as they looked at her, they couldn¡¯t believe that this little rabbit who looked so harmless was actually the most dangerous creature they had ever met in their lives. She was someone more fearsome than the vampire king or the dragon itself! She was someone nobody could kill!

    "Done," she eximed when she was finally finished treating Zeres¡¯ wound. She then moved towards Alex. "Your turn, Alexander."

    Abi treated Alex¡¯s arm while Zeres sat there, watching them.

    "At least I no longer need to worry about this vampire being a threat," he suddenly said, raising a brow as he looked at Alex. "And by the way, I think you need to go back home, vampire prince. I heard your king is looking for you."

 Chapter 465 The Long Lost Tale Part XI

    <h4>Chapter 465 The Long Lost Tale Part XI</h4>

    Alex¡¯s gaze flew to Zeres¡¯ face, eyes narrowed with suspicion as his heart thudded in his chest. Alex clenched his fists but kept his face and tone neutral, as if those words bore no weight.

    "Don¡¯t fabricate things, witch. The king would never look for me," Alex replied, seemingly unbothered. Alex knew that there was no way his father would ever look for him. He was the ck sheep of the family, a waste of space and time. But even so, a small light of hope flickered inside of him. Even though his brain knew for a fact that he was nothing in his father¡¯s eyes, Alex still wasn¡¯t able to crush that hope that maybe his father did care, that maybe his father was actually looking for him. And he hated himself for it. He hated the fact that he couldn¡¯t seem to stop himself from hoping. He loathed himself for giving his father this kind of control over him, hated the fact that even after what his family had put him through, he still wanted their eptance.

    Silence enveloped the small room. It was obvious that young Alex wasn¡¯t pleased with what Zeres said.

    "Well, it¡¯s not my problem if you don¡¯t believe me," Zeres simply shrugged.

    But, young Abigail looked like she didn¡¯t like the news Zeres had brought, causing Alex to feel surprised when he saw that look on Abigail¡¯s face.

    Young Alex stared at her, with the thought that he was probably just reading too much into her expression, but the longer he observed her sad face, the more he wanted to see her smile.

    "I am not going back even if that¡¯s true," he mumbled, his eyes never leaving her face, waiting for the reaction she would show upon hearing him.

    The girl¡¯s eyes slightly widened as she looked up at him. Her bright eyes glimmered and he could tell that what he said made her happy. A small smile was about to form on young Alex¡¯s face when suddenly, a ball of silver light passed by between them in a whoosh!

    Young Alex immediately looked at Zeres and the two halflings continued their ringpetition.

    "Okay. You two stay here for a bit and let your wounds heal. I¡¯ll go make some food for us," Young Abigail said and she left the room, leaving the two wounded halflings by themselves.

    The two were quiet for a long while until Zeres spoke. "Are you here to befriend Abigail so that you can use her? Is that what you¡¯re after, bloodsucker?"

    Young Alex simply nced at him. He didn¡¯t say anything and just leaned against the wall, closing his eyes andpletely ignoring the silver-haired young man next to him.

    Zeres¡¯ veins popped in annoyance. How could this little half-vampire ignore him like this?!

    "I am warning you. Don¡¯t even think about betraying her. Hmmm, on second thought, if you want to turn into ash, please be my guest and do so," Zeres continued, giving Alex a smug smirk.

    Even then, young Alex just remained quiet, seemingly not paying Zeres any attention at all.

    "Tch! What a boring bloodsucker!" the half-witch mumbled, obviously displeased.

    Time was quick to pass by. Abigail hade back with three bowls of soup and everyone ate in silence. The rest of the day was spent inside the house with Abigail cleaning and prepping the food that they gathered, and the two wounded halflings resting in the room. There was no further conversation between the two.

    Zeres¡¯ wound eventually healed by the time the sun dropped below the horizon to be reced by the moon. Unfortunately for Zeres, he needed to leave again. He was visibly upset that he had to leave, but he had no choice.

    "Once everything settles down at my end. I am going to stay here, too, Abigail," he suddenly dered, ring at Alex with obvious jealousy, before he finally left.

    Young Abi sighed and sat on the bench outside the wooden house, her eyes looking out into the forest where Zeres had disappeared into.

    "I wish I could help Zeres," Abi said, causing the young man next to her to crease his brows.

    "Is he in big trouble?"

    "Mm. Zeres said he had to stay with his queen mother to protect her from the witch hunters. It seems that even the witch queen is being targeted. It must be hard for him."

    Alex didn¡¯t say a word. He knew about the witches¡¯ situation. He knew that Zeres had to go at night because nighttime was the vampires¡¯ favorite time to attack because they were stronger at night than during the day.

    In the pce, young Alex had seen many of the witches be ves. In fact, he knew about the vampire royal family¡¯s n to catch the witch queen or any of the rare silver-haired witches. They had been trying for years and they still hadn¡¯t managed to catch a single silver-haired witch, which made Alex think that the witches were equally powerful to be able to evade the grasp of his ruthless father, who didn¡¯t care for anything or anyone but himself.

    "I¡¯m certain he can manage, especially since he¡¯s the witch queen¡¯s son. I¡¯m sure they will be just fine," Alex could only say and his words were enough to make the girl smile.

    "Mm, that¡¯s right. Zeres is strong in his own way, too," she replied.

    She stretched her arms out and looked up at the starry night sky. Young Alex followed her gaze and the two of them just sat infortable silence, just staring at the sky.

    "The sky is really beautiful tonight," young Abi mumbled as she looked at Alex.

    "Yeah. I never thought the sky could be this beautiful."

    Young Abigail smiled at him. "You just need to gaze up at the sky sometimes when you¡¯re alone, Alexander. You will see that the sky is always beautiful."

    He averted his gaze from her and a slight smile curved on his lips. "I have been doing that often Abigail, gazing up at the stars every time I¡¯m alone, wondering if there is a ce out there for me. It has never looked this beautiful to me, though... it used to look dark, empty and even the stars looked dull..." His smile faded. "I think the sky became beautiful because I¡¯m gazing at it next to you."

 Chapter 466 The Long Lost Tale Part XII

    <h4>Chapter 466 The Long Lost Tale Part XII</h4>

    His words surprised the girl and her lips parted slightly. Their gaze deepened with their faces being reflected in each other¡¯s eyes so clearly. The next moment, his hand moved and before he knew it, his hand was on her cheek, caressing it with the back of his fingers.

    The mood became solemn and intense and in the next second, young Abigail turned to face the Dark Dragon Hills as she cleared her throat. Young Alex realized what he was doing and he was quick to retract his hand.

    "W-what¡¯s wrong?" he asked as he too followed her line of sight.

    "I think I should go say goodnight to Lexus. Want toe with me?"

    Alex didn¡¯t even hesitate and he immediately stood up, ready to apany her.

    "You like Lexus, don¡¯t you?" she giggled.

    "He¡¯s cool," he replied and the two of them climbed the mountain again, hand in hand.

    "Lexus?" The young woman¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t as loud as this morning but the dragon immediately came out, as if he had been waiting for them. The ck dragon was so close to them, so close that Alex found himself frozen on the spot. He didn¡¯t dare move a muscle.

    The magnificent ck dragon lowered its head and young Abigail excitedly reached out to touch it while her other hand held Alex¡¯s hand.

    "What¡¯s wrong? Were you lonely? How about we go and fly around for a bit tonight?" she kindly asked the dragon, like a sweet mother.

    The dragon blinked slowly. His sun-like eyes burned calmly as he gazed at her, at them. His every move was graceful, almost making no sound at all. He was like a tamed domestic pet, contrary to an aggressive and ruthless monster he had heard many stories about.

    "My friend wants to fly with you, Lexus. Will you allow it?" she asked again, pulling Alex to stand closer to Lexus.

    The dragon¡¯s magnificent eyeballs moved and looked at him for what seemed like a long time. The next moment, the dragon turned, stretching out his tail for them.

    Young Abigail smiled so widely as she faced Alex. "He agreed! I think Lexus likes you!" she said excitedly and before Alex could reveal a reaction, Abi pulled him and they both climbed on the ck dragon. They sat on his back, Abi holding onto a spike on the dragon¡¯s neck while Alex sat right behind her.

    "Are you ready?" Abi asked Alex and once Alex nodded, she happily yelled, "Let¡¯s go, Lexus!"

    The dragon¡¯s wings spread out wide with a whoosh and then, without much warning, took off with such incredibly graceful power. Young Alex was utterly awed and before he knew it they were soaring in the night sky. The flight wasn¡¯t rough or scary. It was incredibly calm.

    "Lexus learned to fly gently like this because back then, I was so scared and nearly fell so I ordered him to be more gentle. Hahaha. He¡¯s so amazing, right?" she boasted and Alex could only agree. This was just incredible. He never thought he would ever experience anything like this.

    "Yeah, he¡¯s amazing. And you¡¯re incredible, too," he said. The dragon was no doubt cool but this girl who could tame this monster into this kind of gentle creature was the most amazing thing.

    As he looked down, the young man could no longer contain the thrill and he spread his arms out wide. "This is just so amazing, Abigail!" he eximed.

    The dragon flew for many rounds until it finallynded back in the crater of mist.

    Young Abigail and Alex climbed down. She gently bumped her forehead on the dragon¡¯s cheek and uttered lovingly, "Goodnight, Lexus."

    Just after hearing that, the dragon disappeared into the mist again.

    ...

    After dinner, Alex was busy sharpening and cleaning his sword when he finally noticed that Abigail was not inside the house. He was still buzzing from the electrifying experience. He couldn¡¯t believe that he had actually ridden a dragon! The adrenaline rush he felt was indescribable and he had been reying the scene over and over in his head that he didn¡¯t notice that Abigail left.

    Alexander didn¡¯t have the superb hearing of normal vampires so he could only go out to look for her. When he couldn¡¯t see her outside the house, he started to feel worried, but he was quick to tell himself that no one could hurt Abigail. But... what if she didn¡¯t encounter an enemy... what if she fell in a hole or slipped down the mountain or tripped over and hit her head on the ground or something? Could the mist save her from these things?

    That thought made Alex move in haste.

    Alex walked further away from the house and was walking along the river when he froze.

    Abigail was in the river, bathing in the water.

    Abi didn¡¯t hear himing. Her hearing was very exceptional but it wasn¡¯t something that was pleasant for her to use all the time. She would often get headaches from it and so she had learned to shut that power off whenever she didn¡¯t need it.

    Alex saw her figure as she bathed under the moonlight. He was utterly mesmerized as he stood there, unable to look away from this goddess before him.

    But Abigail soon noticed his presence and the moment she turned, their eyes met. Abi froze as her blood shot up to her cheeks.

    "Ahh!" she yelled, her arms covered her upper body as crouched down, hiding her body under the water.

    Alex woke up from his reverie and quickly turned around, clearing his throat.

    "I¡¯m sorry," he said, covering his mouth with the back of his hand. "I¡¯m going to go back inside now," he added and he hastily walked back to the house.

    Alex was already lying down on the bed, trying to force himself to sleep, but Abigail¡¯s image floated in his mind, hindering his efforts. The image of her was like a tease, not letting him turn his brain off and instead consumed his mind.

    He felt her enter the house but he pretended to be asleep, not daring to open his eyes. The night was already deep so Abi went straight to bed, sighing gratefully when she saw that Alex had already fallen asleep.

    Time passed, yet Alex remained awake. It was past midnight when he rose and grabbed his sword.

    Like a careful and swift cat, Alex walked over to Abigail¡¯s bed. He stood there silently as he gazed down at her sleeping face. He reached out and was about to touch her face but he quickly retracted his hand. His eyes glimmering in the dark.

    He stepped out of the house, his eyes turned red as he stared at the ck mountain and then he leapt away andnded on top of a tree. He looked back once again to the small wooden house and the ck mountain before he finally disappeared into forest.

    .

    [Dear hellbounders, I¡¯m sorry but I cant deliver the 3rd chap today. Something unexpected came up so I only managed to write 2 chaps. But dont worry I will include today¡¯s bunos chap tomorrow so u will get 4 chaps tom. Thank u for understanding.

    ~kazzen]

    p.s. I just want to thank u guys for the candies. I just saw the Halloween event and hellbound is second. I¡¯m so happy. Thank u so much hellbounders!! You guys are the best!!!

 Chapter 467 The Long Lost Tale Part XIII

    <h4>Chapter 467 The Long Lost Tale Part XIII</h4>

    Young Abigail waste to wake up the next morning. It seemed that the activities from the day before had taken its toll on her. The moment she got out of bed, she immediately went in search of the young Alex. Her heart felt a little bit panicked because she had dreamt that he had left herst night. She really hoped it was only a dream.

    She rushed towards the bed and was instantly dismayed when she saw that he was no longer there. Did he really leave? But he said that he wouldn¡¯t go back.

    Young Abigail couldn¡¯t believe how her heart behaved just from the thought of him not being around anymore. Her shoulders fell and she felt sad and hurt.

    She walked dejectedly towards the door with a sullen expression on her face. She couldn¡¯t.

    However, when she lifted her face, she saw him standing before her. His presence shocked her in a good way and her sullen expression immediately disappeared and her face brightened like a shining star.

    "Where did you go?!" she asked, approaching him as she puffed her cheeks.

    The young man lifted his hand, showing her a big fish that he had just caught. "I went to catch some fish for you," he replied, causing the young Abigail to just blink as her gaze fell on the small basket filled with fish that he had caught.

    She looked up again and stared at him. "Sorry... I thought, I thought that you left," she confessed.

    Young Alex just froze and stared at her without blinking. It was as if he had forgotten how to respond until the fish in his hand moved, jolting him awake. He cleared his throat.

    "Would you be sad if I left?" was the first thing that came out of his lips.

    It was the young woman¡¯s turn to fall silent for a while. She nced down at the fish again before she looked at him and smiled. "Yes," she answered. "When I saw that you weren¡¯t in the house, I felt sad. I know it has only been a couple of days since we met but... I think that having you around makes me happy."

    Once again, the young man froze. Her words were so straightforward and honest, hiding nothing from him, that he didn¡¯t know how to respond. Her honest words shook him to his very core. That was so unexpected and he was utterly affected. He didn¡¯t even notice that he had let go of the big fish until young Abigail yelled "ah!" as she crouched down to pick up the still wriggling fish from the ground.

    Young Alex subconsciously stepped back, covering his lips with the back of his hand as he looked down at her.

    "I¡¯ll bring these inside. We are going to have a very yummy breakfast," she said, shing him a sweet smile before she walked back inside the house.

    The young man just stood there, watching her retreating back, with his ears flushed red.

    ---

    Later that day, Zeres arrived again and the three of them spent the day together. Young Alex and Zeres ended up sparring while Abigail watched them, trying to learn from their exceptional skills.

    After that, Abigail cooked dinner for them and then Zeres would head back home again.

    This was a sort of routine that the three of them developed over the next few weeks. Young Alex and Zeres continued their cat and dog rtionship while Abigail watched over them.

    These were the happiest days of young Abigail¡¯s life since she had moved to this secluded area because she finally had people whom she could talk,ugh, eat and share her time with. Even though she had Lexus before the two halflings came into her life, she didn¡¯t quite feel the same kind of happiness as what she was feeling now. This was a different kind of bliss and she wished that things would stay like that forever.

    However, the peaceful days that went by only drew them closer to its ending.

    About a month after Abigail found the wounded young Alex, an army of vampires arrived in the forest while the three of them were hunting for food.

    The forest near the ck Dragon Hill was dense. The thick leaves from the tall trees blocked the sunlight so it was an ideal ce for vampires to make their move.

    Young Abigail and the two halflings were surrounded.

    Zeres and young Alexander weren¡¯t quite strong enough to fight these vampires, especially because these vampires were the vampire king¡¯s personal elite men.

    Young Alex was surprised when he saw these mighty vampires in this ce. There was no reason for them to be here so why were they here?

    "What are you guys doing here?!" Alexander asked, standing tall and proud like the prince that he was. He tried to soundmanding, talking to them as if he was their superior - technically, he was but of course, no one cared about that because he was a weak half-blood.

    He and Zeres were standing right next to Abigail, protecting her as they pointed their swords at them alertly.

    One of the vampires stepped forward and stared at Alex. Alex knew his face. This elite vampire was one of his father¡¯s most trusted men.

    "Prince Alexander, His majesty sent us to survey this ce to look for you. We are d that we finally found you," the elite vampire said.

    However, his words weren¡¯t convincing at all and just made Alex frown darkly at them all.

    Then, a cold smirk shed on Alex¡¯s face. "Look for me? Really?" he shook his head. "Why would my almighty father send you, his most important soldier, to look for someone like me?"

    "The king truly wants you back your highness. He is ill."

    The soldier¡¯sst sentence made Alex¡¯s eyes narrow but his gaze eventually turned cold again.

    "Pleasee with us your highness. We¡¯ve been looking for you for a long time. The king wants to see you."

    Alex¡¯s grip on his sword tightened, ready to fight if he needed to. "And if I refuse to go with you?"

 Chapter 468 The Long Lost Tale Part XIV

    <h4>Chapter 468 The Long Lost Tale Part XIV</h4>

    "Then we won¡¯t have a choice but to take you by force."

    "Tch!" Alex twitched his lips. He looked around and he knew there was no way he and Zeres could win against them. They were able to fight those humans but these were vampires and not ordinary vampires at that! What should he do?

    "Do you want to go?" young Abigail suddenly asked, causing Alex¡¯s head to snap towards her.

    Their eyes met. Alex didn¡¯t want to go. He didn¡¯t want to leave this ce. He didn¡¯t know why but he felt like he had found that one ce where he belonged and that ce was next to her. Now that he had finally found his ce in the world, why would he still want to leave?

    Remembering what she told him that day, that staying with her made her happy, Alex shed a slight smile at her. "No," he told her.

    His answer was, of course, loud enough to be heard by the vampire army and the man who stepped forward sighed. He lifted his hand and pointed at Alex. "Take him," he ordered and the next second, the horde of vampires jumped at them.

    The young Abigail closed her eyes, waiting for mist toe. The fight had started. She heard steel sh against ws and flesh but the mist didn¡¯te. She was confused but when she opened her eyes, she realized why the mist didn¡¯t appear. She wasn¡¯t in danger because no one was attacking her.

    Shock filled her eyes. Why were they not attacking her at all?

    She looked at Alex, he was already losing and so was Zeres. Their human skills could not stand against these vampires. She could only watch as Alex swung his sword against the vampiresing at him, struggling to hold them off. Then she saw Zeres being kicked in the stomach, causing him to fall backwards by her feet. She immediately crouched down and held him.

    "Zeres! Are you okay?"

    "Damn. They are way too strong!" Zeres cursed. His body was already covered with wounds. These vampires were a lot stronger than the vampires he used to fight against every night.

    "Ugh!!!"

    Their attention was pulled to Alex as he groaned. Abi¡¯s eyes flew towards him and she saw that he waspletely surrounded.

    "Give it up, your highness. Please drop your sword ande with us now. You and I both know your efforts are wasted here," the elite vampire coaxed.

    But Alex just straightened up and nced at Abigail. He looked at her desperate expression and he could see it in her eyes; that if this didn¡¯t end soon, she would call for Lexus. Alex didn¡¯t want that to happen because he knew that these vampires were not here because of him. They were definitely here for a bigger purpose. He wouldn¡¯t let himself believe that his father sent his strongest force just to bring him back. It was just too absurd. Who was his father trying to fool? Alexander knew exactly what his father was like because he had been around long enough to know that the vampire king only wanted one thing; more power.

    The fact that they never approached Abigail was enough for him to doubt their real purpose. If Abigail were to call Lexus out to deal with these men, they would know that a dragon master still lived and that it was her. That knowledge would put Abigail¡¯s life in danger and that was something he would never let happen. Even though she had Lexus¡¯ protection, Alex had observed that she wasn¡¯t invincible. She had her very own Achilles heel that the enemies will soon exploit, especially the vampire king.

    But what should he do? He couldn¡¯t tell Abigail not to summon Lexus! That would just as equally give it away.

    Gnashing his teeth, Alex closed his eyes as he looked up at the sky. He felt so powerless and he hated it. He was sick of this. He would rather die than be the reason for the end of Abigail¡¯s peaceful, happy life. He didn¡¯t want her smile to fade. He would do anything to keep her world peaceful like it was before he stumbled into it.

    The vampires nced at each other. Seeing Alex just standing there, immobile like stone, made them think that he had finally given up, so that man signaled for them to capture him.

    However, out of the blue, his sword swung like lightning, shing the vampires who were in midair with one strike. They fell to the ground, dead.

    Everyone was stunned. When Alex opened his eyes, his eyes were bloody red, but his fangs and nails didn¡¯t lengthen.

    The next moment, Alex attacked them all. Everyone was caught off guard. They all knew that this prince didn¡¯t have the strength and power of a vampire but howe he was so fast? And the way he used his sword was almost insane. His skill was beyond human.

    The vampires were angered. It seemed they couldn¡¯t ept that a half human was suddenly putting up a fight against them.

    A big elite vampire with fiery eyes, obviously the strongest one in the bunch, stepped in. He threw a strong uppercut and itnded on Alex¡¯s jaw, throwing Alex back from its force.

    However, Alex¡¯s feetnded on the ground with knees bent and he used his sword to slow himself down by piercing it through the ground. When he stopped, he was kneeling on one knee as he peered at the enemies through his hair. His eyes were still zing red. His aura changed making him seem like he wasn¡¯t the weakest vampire in the kingdom anymore.

    Alexander himself was surprised. He didn¡¯t know why or how but he suddenly felt tremendous power surging inside him. Where did thise from?

    He felt like a gate was forced open inside him. He couldn¡¯t tell what was happening to him. All he knew was that he needed to fight with his life on the line to protect Abigail.

    With his mind filled with nothing but that, Alex rose and flew towards the vampires again. That man jumped to meet Alex¡¯s attack midair but this time, Alex didn¡¯t swing his sword at him. He didn¡¯t face him head on; that would have been a foolish move. He knew that this vampire¡¯s strength was his brute strength and powerful fists, thus, Alex swerved to the right, evading the vampire¡¯s fist rather than attacking. He had seen this vampire fight many times and he knew what this man¡¯s weaknesses were. All he needed to do was wait for that opening he knew would eventuallye.

    He watched him like an eagle, swiftly focusing his senses to evade the strong attacks. Once he saw that most awaited opening, Alex purposely let his guard down and the man saw that as his opportunity. Alex knew he would use a few moments to gather all his strength to strike because this man liked the glory of taking down an opponent with a single hit.

    But Alex was going to use that against him. Those few milliseconds that the vampire took to gather all his strength was enough for Alex tounch his attack.

    Before the vampire knew it, Alex disappeared before him and appeared crouched down by his side with Alex¡¯s sword already dripping with his blood.

    .

    Next two chaps willeter ^^

 Chapter 469 The Long Lost Tale Part XV

    <h4>Chapter 469 The Long Lost Tale Part XV</h4>

    Everyone couldn¡¯t believe their eyes. That vampire had fallen to the ground with one swift attack. He didn¡¯t die but the gash that Alex inflicted on his neck was too deep for it to immediately heal. It was obvious to everyone that Alexander had held back at the veryst second and didn¡¯t kill the man.

    Young Alex had decided not to kill him because the situation might just end up turning into another chaotic scene. The worst case scenario was that his father would certainly send more armies to this ce. And that was not something he would allow.

    Standing in the middle of them, Alexander looked at the wounded man who was still struggling to heal himself.

    "Go back and don¡¯te here again. I will go back to the pce on my own to see the king," young Alex told them.

    The wounded man looked up. The way he looked at Alex seemed to have changed and it seemed that it was for the better. What he showed them just now may have changed their original view that he was nothing but a weak half-blood. He wasn¡¯t weak at all.

    "The king wants you toe as soon as possible. Please know that he will send more men if you don¡¯t appear before him within three days," the man responded. "We will go back and tell him you will arrive soon."

    And just like that, everyone disappeared from their sight and left.

    Young Alex was surprised that the elite vampire seemed to have changed his mind about forcing him to leave with them but he didn¡¯t take too long to ponder over it. What mattered was that he had managed to protect Abigail¡¯s secret and her peaceful life.

    However, after the relief, doubt started to creep inside him again. Was he really all that those vampires wanted? If not, then why did they leave just like that? Did his father really want to see him? Why?

    "Alexander!" young Abi¡¯s voice pulled his attention back to her and Zeres.

    She had already attended to Zeres¡¯ wounds. Luckily, he only suffered minor wounds from those vampires.

    Abigail ran towards Alex, checking his body to make sure he was alright. He had few wounds as well but they were slowly healing on their own. "Are you okay?" she asked.

    "Mm." Alex just nodded.

    Alex looked back out into the thick forest, his eyes returning to its normal color before his gaze went to Abigail and Zeres again.

    "Let¡¯s go back," he said and the other two just nodded.

    The three returned to Abigail¡¯s house in silence, their thoughts full of images of what they had just gone through.

    When they arrived home, Zeres was quick to head off to the witch queen knowing that there were elite vampires in the area. He had been living with them for thest few days but this may have put a spanner in the works around that.

    Young Abigail and Alex were left alone again and they sat on the bench outside the house, looking up at the stars again. Her thoughts were about how amazing Alex had been in the forest. It seemed that she was right, after all. This man wasn¡¯t weak at all and she felt like he could still grow stronger. In fact, the domineering and powerful aura that he had exuded in the forest still coated him, as if he was now unable to hide it away. She felt that a permanent change had happened out there with Alex and that this was only the beginning.

    "When will you go?" she asked, her voice soft.

    "I think I better go tomorrow. I don¡¯t want theming out here again."

    "I see..." she averted her eyes from the sky and looked at him. "You wille back, right?"

    Young Alex faced her as well. Their eyes met and his heart began to thud. These past days he spent with her had made Alex¡¯s feelings for her deepen to a depth he could never imagine. Only the devil knew how much he had held himself back in thesest few days. In fact, he was d that Zeres came to live with them. Had he not been there always getting in his way, Alex didn¡¯t know if he would have survived living in the same house with her alone.

    "Abigail..." he uttered her name, his gaze bing intense. "I believe I already found the ce where I belong."

    Abigail blinked, waiting for what he would say next.

    "That ce is here," he continued. "Right next to you. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no way I will note back. You are my home now."

    His words rendered Abigail speechless as her face turned red. Her eyes became blurry as tears threatened to fall. Thest few weeks had been bliss and almost too good to be true. She couldn¡¯t exin what she was feeling and she just didn¡¯t know how to react. All she did was stare at him,pletely stupefied.

    The next moment, she felt his lipsnd on hers. She was jolted, shocked but Alex¡¯s hand was already cupping her cheek, pulling her closer.

    "I like you..." he confessed, gently bumping his head on hers. "No... I... love you, Abigail."

    The mixture of those words, his warm lips, and his touch made Abi¡¯s world spin around. Her heartbeat became incredibly fast and loud. These foreign feelings made her body heat up and she couldn¡¯t make him stop kissing her. She liked it, these feelings and the warmth of his lips. She didn¡¯t know what she felt towards him before. She knew she liked him a lot, much more than Zeres. He made her heart flutter but she didn¡¯t know if what she felt was the so-called love.

    However, what happened today made her realize the extent of her feeling towards him. Just the thought of him leaving her devastated and broke her heart. She was so scared when they were in the forest, so scared that she was willing to summon Lexus to stop them from taking Alexander away. She never felt that kind of fear before. She wanted to tie him to her and keep him by her side forever. And now, he was telling her that he loved her and it made her heart swell in an indescribable way. The feeling of riding on Lexus in the sky couldn¡¯tpare to this emotion that she was feeling.

    When their lips parted, Abi felt like she wanted to kiss him more.

    "W-w-hat about you? How do you feel about me?" he asked her, his voice hoarse as he whispered and his eyes filled with intense emotions.

    Abi looked at him, returning his intense gaze back. "I... like you," she answered.

    Alex tilted his head. "Just like?" he asked, probing.

    But before Abi could speak, he simply smiled andy his head on the nook of her neck. "I¡¯m sorry. I am being too forceful and greedy. I am truly happy that you like me too, Abigail. I will wait for the day when you tell me you love me more than anyone and anything."

    .

    [PLEASE READ.

    The next five chapters are under privilege or advance chapters. I am NOT forcing anyone to buy it. It is only for the fans who are willing to support me more. Don¡¯t worry because you can always wait for my daily update to ess them.

    Also, this book is long for one book so consider it as a series.

    And please guys, spare a moment and read my notes so I won¡¯t have to exin things over and over again. I know I should be used to this already but I cant help but get distracted and disturbed and demotivated when I read yourints. I am not tough enough to ignore and act like I am not affected at all. I am just a human who gets affected by every little things. I hope u guys understand this little fragile author.]

 Chapter 470 The Long Lost Tale Part XVI

    <h4>Chapter 470 The Long Lost Tale Part XVI</h4>

    The next day, Alex left the Dark Dragon Hills.

    He knew that it would be hard for him to go. He looked back so many times before he was able to finally leave. In just a month, he had grown so attached to this ce. No, it wasn¡¯t this ce that he couldn¡¯t leave, it was her. It fascinated him how quickly his world had changed. He hadn¡¯t even gone that far from her yet and he already wanted to go back.

    He looked back at the Dark Dragon Hills from afar once again, pressing his lips tight.

    "I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible, Abigail. Wait for me," he mumbled to himself before he leapt away, moving fast. The quicker he finished this, the quicker he would be back.

    The sun was setting when he finally arrived in front of an enormous and gothic-looking pce. This was the great pce where he grew up. The ce that he was supposed to call home, the ce he was supposed to belong.

    As he stood there, he realized just how distant this ce was to him. There were no pleasant memories that he could remember from being in this ce. Nothing at all.

    The young man remembered what the soldiers told him - that the king was ill - so he went straight to the king¡¯s chamber. Vampires didn¡¯t fall ill like humans. To them, the word ¡¯ill¡¯ meant finally getting weaker because of reaching the age limit. The king was already 900 years old and it seemed that this was his personal limit. Once a vampire started to weaken, he would start to grow old and eventually die like a human.

    When he entered his father¡¯s chamber, he was surprised to see that the news was true. The almighty, ice cold demon king that he had left nearly a month ago was now lying on the bed looking frail and weak, but the coldness and heartlessness in his eyes didn¡¯t change, not even a little. There was just no warmth in them and Alexander wondered if there ever had been.

    He was surrounded by his loyal men, looking as if they were really waiting for him.

    "You¡¯re finally here, my son," the vampire king said. His words made young Alex halt in shocked surprise.

    Alex couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists because this was the first time this man had ever called him ¡¯my son¡¯. How dare his father call him that when he had ignored his existence since the day he was born?

    "I am back, your majesty," he simply greeted.

    "Call me ¡¯father¡¯, Alexander."

    Those words once again shocked young Alex. Father? Was this man serious? Ha!

    Young Alex was speechless. He stared into the king¡¯s eyes and then at the other vampires inside the room. When Alex realized that the oldest vampire was present in the room, his eyes narrowed. This old woman was the vampire¡¯s prophetess. Whoever had lived the longest among the vampires somehow received this strange power and they were able to prophesize.

    "Your highness, his majesty summoned you here because he wants you to be the next king," the prophetess stated.

    The young man¡¯s eyes widened. He was unable to keep up and couldn¡¯t speak because of all these crazy things they were saying. What? Him? The next King? He was the youngest prince and the weakest one of them all. Not only that, he was also only a half-blood vampire. Everyone knew only pure blooded vampires were able to seed to the throne! So what the hell were they saying?

    "We know it¡¯s hard for you to believe but the king has chosen you," the old woman continued.

    Young Alex looked at the king with disbelieving eyes. "Why? Why would you choose me? I am the weakest of all your sons. I am not even pure-blooded," Alex challenged.

    The king rose and walked slowly towards him. His handnded on Alex¡¯s shoulder - this was the very first time his father had ever touched him with seeming care.

    "Listen, son. You are not weak. You are special," the king said, causing the lines on Alex¡¯s forehead to deepen even more. "You are the man destined to kill thest dragon."

    Alex felt as if time suddenly stood still. He couldn¡¯t believe this man just spouted out.

    He... was destined to kill Lexus?! He shook his head, refusing to believe it.

    "You are the one in the prophecy, Your Highness. Thest dragon will fall by your hands. Whether you ept it or not, you can never escape your fate."

    Confusion, disbelief and denial were drowning Alex. If he had heard all these things before he met Abigail, he would have been feeling ecstatic by now. All his life he had dreamt for something like this to happen.He wanted to be special and powerful so that his father would finally take notice of him. He had also yearned to be the next king, even though the likelihood of that happening was almost zero, because once that happened, no one would ever treat him like an insignificant extra - he wasn¡¯t even a side character in this story. It would mean that no one would cast him away anymore.

    However, things were different now. He was different. All those things didn¡¯t matter to him anymore. He no longer desired to be noticed and worshipped by anyone else. He didn¡¯t care about those useless things anymore. All he wanted now was to leave this ce and go back to his Abigail.

    So why? Why did it all end up like this?

    He wanted to tug his hair in despair. He didn¡¯t want any of this anymore but he knew that this prophetess would never tell lies like this and he also knew that all prophecies that the vampire¡¯s prophets said out loud always came to pass. None of the prophecies ever told by them has failed to happen.

    Alex wanted to scream. He didn¡¯t want to kill Lexus. How could he kill Lexus knowing that Abigail loved it so much? How the hell could he do that to Abigail¡¯s dragon?

    .

    [Here¡¯s the 4th chap. Sorry, It¡¯ste ¡Á.¡Á]

    [Don¡¯t forget to vote ^^]

 Chapter 471 The Long Lost Tale Part XVII

    <h4>Chapter 471 The Long Lost Tale Part XVII</h4>

    Sitting on the roof of the castle, Alex was staring nkly at the sky. He didn¡¯t know what to think about what he found out. He wanted to rage and go berserk just so he could unleash all the heaviness he felt within him.

    When Alex asked for the details of the prophecy, the prophetess told him that the vision only showed him killing the dragon using his sword. She also saw his legion of soldiers and that was it.

    They also encouraged him to start this conquest now because they all feared the dragon. To them, it was a ticking time bomb that could blow up at any moment once it was triggered, with the potential to destroy everything. These were their thoughts because they didn¡¯t know that a dragon master still existed so they were terrified that without a master to control it, the dragon would go on a rampage and destroy everything in its wake.

    The vampires dreaded the dragon more than any other creature in this world. The vampires controlled the other creatures, apart from dragons, through fear because of their superior strength, but unfortunately for them, they couldn¡¯t produce offspring as fast as humans. Their birth rate was extremely low and that was why their poption remained smallpared to humans. If the dragon annihted them, the vampires would fall in number and when that happened, they would no longer be able to control the other, less superior races.

    This was why the vampires were itching to kill the dragon at all cost because that would mean that they would reign supreme over everyone else in this world.

    Thinking about all these things, Alex started to hate himself again. Everything was just too much. How could he still go back to Abigail when this prophecy was hanging above his head? How could he face her knowing that her beloved dragon would fall by his sword? What should he do?

    His thoughts were a mess and he stayed on the roof for a long time, letting the rain fall over him. When he felt his thoughts going nowhere, he then leapt to the forest and vented his emotions, screaming as he uprootedrge trees from the ground and hurled them towards another. How could fate do this to him?

    "Abigail... tell me... what should I do?" he mumbled as he fell to his knees on the sodden ground, tugging his hair hard.

    He stayed on the forest floor, unmoving until the sun peeked out of the horizon again. When the sun hit his face, he finally looked up, as if the sun woke him up from a nightmare. Alex returned to the pce, cleaned himself up and headed straight to the king¡¯s room. It was a strange feeling, walking down the corridors with the other vampires bowing to him as he passed them by. Everyone treated him like he was already the king, but Alex couldn¡¯t feel even a tiny semnce of happiness. He hated it deep within him because all of these people bowing at the sight of him were the same individuals who treated him like trash since he was a young boy. He just knew that these people were all hypocrites, including his father, the king.

    Oh, the irony of it all. The moment he had been craving for for most of his life had finallye true and yet, he wanted none of it. Why is it that fate ys such games with his life?

    He entered his father¡¯s room again and stood a few meters from the foot of the bed.

    "I am here to state my n, your majesty," young Alex said as soon as he stood before the king. His eyes, which had revealed an unsure, disbelieving expression the day before, now looked fierce, decisive and cold.

    "Speak, Alexander."

    "The prophetess said she saw me leading a legion of soldiers. Our kingdom¡¯s army could never form that number and as we are trying to avoid our species from being annihted, a pure vampire army is not an option. So that means that the legion I would form would be made mainly of humans. I will need this kingdom¡¯s army to conquer many human kingdoms and take their best soldiers with me. And in order for me tomand the vampire army, you need to make me king now."

    Everyone was shocked. They did not expect him to make a decision so quickly and even devise a n to act on the prophecy. They were suitably impressed, not only with his decisiveness but also at how he was able toe up with such a strategy. His n was well thought out and even looked into the preservation of their race.

    They also felt the change in the young prince¡¯s aura and they couldn¡¯t help but begin to feel intimidated by him. They couldn¡¯t believe that this young man was that same useless and hateful half blood they used to treat like an invisible wallflower.

    But, in the back of their minds, they still couldn¡¯t ept that this half blood would ascend the throne.

    There was silence inside the room for a long time until the king spoke up.

    "I will crown you king once you kill the dragon, Alexander," the king said.

    Alexander wasn¡¯t surprised by his father¡¯s words. He looked like he had expected such an answer.

    "Then, release an order giving me absolute power to lead the kingdom¡¯s army."

    The room went quiet again. Alexander and the king had stared hard at each other, but eventually, the King could only do as Alex requested, even though he was obviously unwilling. His father¡¯s acquiescence made Alex¡¯s lips curve up into a wicked smile as he turned to leave.

    The king released this decree and the moment the order was released, Alex went and personally chose the vampire soldiers he wanted to take with him. He chose not the best of best but the soldiers that weren¡¯t under the king¡¯s or the other princes¡¯ thumbs.

    He was going to build an army that would be loyal only to him.

 Chapter 472 The Long Lost Tale Part XIX

    <h4>Chapter 472 The Long Lost Tale Part XIX</h4>

    Back in ck Dragon Hills.

    Sitting on the bench, young Abigail was staring nkly at the forest, waiting again. It had been many days since Alexander had gone and he had not returned yet. She was devastated and so damn sad but she never stopped believing that one day, Alex woulde back to her. He had promised her that he would return so until that time, she would wait for him.

    But she was missing him very much. She missed his smile, his voice, those nights they both just sat on the bench staring at the sky, and all those times they spent together. Why? Why was he not back yet? How long was she going to miss him like this for?

    She felt like there was a lump in her throat. She didn¡¯t know that missing him would feel this awful. It was a misery she was unprepared for.

    "Abigail!" She was jolted by Zeres¡¯ voice. When she looked at him, his face was utterly displeased. "Please stop thinking about him already," Zeres said, his jaws clenching. "He¡¯s noting back so forget about him."

    The young woman bit her lips and her eyes started to well. She couldn¡¯t ept what he said. ¡¯Alexander was going toe back!¡¯ she told herself strongly.

    "No. Please don¡¯t say that. He promised me he woulde back, Zeres. So I will wait for him," she told him.

    Zeres rose, clenching his fists tightly as he stood before her, locking his eyes with hers.

    "Listen, Abigail. I heard from my mother that he is leading an army to go north. The vampire king is ill and I heard that he offered Alexander the crown. You know what that means right? A vampire, especially a royal and a crown prince like him will never marry a human like you," he told her and Abigail just looked at him, shocked, as her tears silently flowed down her cheeks.

    Seeing her tears, Zeres¡¯ gaze softened and he knelt before her. He lifted his hand to wipe the tears on her face.

    "I¡¯m sorry. But... I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I hate watching you looking so sad like this every day. I am saying this because I don¡¯t want you to wait for something that isn¡¯t going to happen. Please, can you just forget about him and let¡¯s go back to how it was before he came?" Zeres¡¯ eyes became pleading as his other hand held her hand.

    But the young woman didn¡¯t stop crying. "But Zeres... I can¡¯t do that anymore," she replied as she clutched her chest. "I already love him... more than anyone and anything."

    Zeres eyes dimmed and his head slowly sunk as he stared at the ground.

    "I... I was here with you before him, Abigail. I have been here with you much longer than he has so why didn¡¯t you fall for me?" he mumbled. "Why him? I always..." he paused, choking, as he looked up at her again. "I have always liked you, Abigail. I fell for you since the day you found me in the forest."

    The girl just sat there, still like stone as she looked at him with widened eyes. She was shocked by Zeres¡¯ sudden confession and no words came out of her lips.

    Zeres smiled bitterly and he looked down again before he rose and turned. The moon was shining bright again. "I am going home now, Abigail. I wille back early tomorrow."

    Zeres nced back and then he stepped forward, ready to leave, but he halted. "I will not stop liking you and loving you. I will not give up, Abigail."

    After saying those words, the silver-haired young man disappeared, leaving Abigail dumbfounded as she sat there. That night she ran up the hill and called out for Lexus, looking forfort. The dragon immediately came out and Abigail hugged him as she bawled her eyes out.

    ...

    The days went by fast, with the sun setting and rising more than two hundred times already. Young Alexander and his armies had already conquered three human kingdoms. The kingdom before his eyes would be the fourth and thergest kingdom yet.

    He stood in front of his growing army, taking in the enemy¡¯s posting with his careful eyes, gauging, searching for weakness and for that vulnerable ce where he would strike that lethal blow that would render his enemy unconscious.

    This kingdom he was about to seize had refused to surrender. They were going to fight him head on with their splendid army and cavalry that were spread as far as the eyes could see. The enemy¡¯s army had ten times more soldierspared to Alexander¡¯s army, but these numbers didn¡¯t scare him. A glint of thrill shed in his eyes instead. He had changed tremendously during this time, almost as if he had be apletely different person. His whole army, especially the vampires, were utterly awed by him. They had seen in thest three battles just how extraordinary this prince was. They were awed beyond belief with his military tactics and the way he led his army of both humans and vampires.

    In just a short period of time, Alexander had gained the utmost loyalty from his soldiers. To them, he wasn¡¯t just a prince, he had already be their King. He was their master whom they would follow and sacrifice their life for because under hismand, they were invincible.

    The war started. Blood slowly painted the ground. Alexander and his armies stormed forward, raging like beasts as blood was forced out of their enemies bodies. Many fell, but with Alexander leading the helm, they rode once again to victory. It was his fourth victory in a row.

    After the second victory, his name had already started to pour out of everybody¡¯s lips. The invincible Alexander and his legion. The undefeatable Alexander.

    He had led his army to one victory after another but even so, his armies still didn¡¯t know to what end he was doing all this for, not even his generals. But they knew that wherever Alexander went, they would be victorious.

    The young prince then started to march his army eastward toward another great empire led by a powerful human king.

    As they marched, Alex could see the Dark Dragon Hills from afar.

    Young Alexander kept looking in its direction the entire day, and when night came and his armies settled, he disappeared like phantom from their midst.

    .

    [Don¡¯t forget to vote ^^]

    [Also, keep droppingments, I am enjoying reading your theories ^¡Á^]

 Chapter 472 The Long Lost Tale Part XVIII

    <h4>Chapter 472 The Long Lost Tale Part XVIII</h4>

    Back in ck Dragon Hills.

    Sitting on the bench, young Abigail was staring nkly at the forest, waiting again. It had been many days since Alexander had gone and he had not returned yet. She was devastated and so damn sad but she never stopped believing that one day, Alex woulde back to her. He had promised her that he would return so until that time, she would wait for him.

    But she was missing him very much. She missed his smile, his voice, those nights they both just sat on the bench staring at the sky, and all those times they spent together. Why? Why was he not back yet? How long was she going to miss him like this for?

    She felt like there was a lump in her throat. She didn¡¯t know that missing him would feel this awful. It was a misery she was unprepared for.

    "Abigail!" She was jolted by Zeres¡¯ voice. When she looked at him, his face was utterly displeased. "Please stop thinking about him already," Zeres said, his jaws clenching. "He¡¯s noting back so forget about him."

    The young woman bit her lips and her eyes started to well. She couldn¡¯t ept what he said. ¡¯Alexander was going toe back!¡¯ she told herself strongly.

    "No. Please don¡¯t say that. He promised me he woulde back, Zeres. So I will wait for him," she told him.

    Zeres rose, clenching his fists tightly as he stood before her, locking his eyes with hers.

    "Listen, Abigail. I heard from my mother that he is leading an army to go north. The vampire king is ill and I heard that he offered Alexander the crown. You know what that means right? A vampire, especially a royal and a crown prince like him will never marry a human like you," he told her and Abigail just looked at him, shocked, as her tears silently flowed down her cheeks.

    Seeing her tears, Zeres¡¯ gaze softened and he knelt before her. He lifted his hand to wipe the tears on her face.

    "I¡¯m sorry. But... I couldn¡¯t take it anymore. I hate watching you looking so sad like this every day. I am saying this because I don¡¯t want you to wait for something that isn¡¯t going to happen. Please, can you just forget about him and let¡¯s go back to how it was before he came?" Zeres¡¯ eyes became pleading as his other hand held her hand.

    But the young woman didn¡¯t stop crying. "But Zeres... I can¡¯t do that anymore," she replied as she clutched her chest. "I already love him... more than anyone and anything."

    Zeres eyes dimmed and his head slowly sunk as he stared at the ground.

    "I... I was here with you before him, Abigail. I have been here with you much longer than he has so why didn¡¯t you fall for me?" he mumbled. "Why him? I always..." he paused, choking, as he looked up at her again. "I have always liked you, Abigail. I fell for you since the day you found me in the forest."

    The girl just sat there, still like stone as she looked at him with widened eyes. She was shocked by Zeres¡¯ sudden confession and no words came out of her lips.

    Zeres smiled bitterly and he looked down again before he rose and turned. The moon was shining bright again. "I am going home now, Abigail. I wille back early tomorrow."

    Zeres nced back and then he stepped forward, ready to leave, but he halted. "I will not stop liking you and loving you. I will not give up, Abigail."

    After saying those words, the silver-haired young man disappeared, leaving Abigail dumbfounded as she sat there. That night she ran up the hill and called out for Lexus, looking forfort. The dragon immediately came out and Abigail hugged him as she bawled her eyes out.

    ...

    The days went by fast, with the sun setting and rising more than two hundred times already. Young Alexander and his armies had already conquered three human kingdoms. The kingdom before his eyes would be the fourth and thergest kingdom yet.

    He stood in front of his growing army, taking in the enemy¡¯s posting with his careful eyes, gauging, searching for weakness and for that vulnerable ce where he would strike that lethal blow that would render his enemy unconscious.

    This kingdom he was about to seize had refused to surrender. They were going to fight him head on with their splendid army and cavalry that were spread as far as the eyes could see. The enemy¡¯s army had ten times more soldierspared to Alexander¡¯s army, but these numbers didn¡¯t scare him. A glint of thrill shed in his eyes instead. He had changed tremendously during this time, almost as if he had be apletely different person. His whole army, especially the vampires, were utterly awed by him. They had seen in thest three battles just how extraordinary this prince was. They were awed beyond belief with his military tactics and the way he led his army of both humans and vampires.

    In just a short period of time, Alexander had gained the utmost loyalty from his soldiers. To them, he wasn¡¯t just a prince, he had already be their King. He was their master whom they would follow and sacrifice their life for because under hismand, they were invincible.

    The war started. Blood slowly painted the ground. Alexander and his armies stormed forward, raging like beasts as blood was forced out of their enemies bodies. Many fell, but with Alexander leading the helm, they rode once again to victory. It was his fourth victory in a row.

    After the second victory, his name had already started to pour out of everybody¡¯s lips. The invincible Alexander and his legion. The undefeatable Alexander.

    He had led his army to one victory after another but even so, his armies still didn¡¯t know to what end he was doing all this for, not even his generals. But they knew that wherever Alexander went, they would be victorious.

    The young prince then started to march his army eastward toward another great empire led by a powerful human king.

    As they marched, Alex could see the Dark Dragon Hills from afar.

    Young Alexander kept looking in its direction the entire day, and when night came and his armies settled, he disappeared like phantom from their midst.

    .

    [Don¡¯t forget to vote ^^]

    [Also, keep droppingments, I am enjoying reading your theories ^¡Á^]

 Chapter 473 The Long Lost Tale Part XIX

    <h4>Chapter 473 The Long Lost Tale Part XIX</h4>

    Standing on the tree branch, Alex stared at the all too familiar wooden house, his eyes glimmering in the darkness and the ice that had formed around them started to melt.

    He jumped off the tree branch,nding on the ground with a soft thud, and started walking towards the house. He looked up at the ck hills ahead and he clenched his fists and he halted, suddenly unsure if he should take another step closer. But when he looked at the small house again, he couldn¡¯t stop himself from moving forward. He let out a deep and quiet sigh, letting his emotions get the better of him.

    Swift and silent as a cat, Alex approached the house and finally entered. The lights were off so he knew that Abigail had gone already to bed.

    His heart was beating wildly in his chest, thudding hard against his ribs from the anticipation of being able to see her face again. Oh how he had missed her beautiful eyes and her sweet, sweet smiles.

    The moment he stood beside her bed, Alex simply watched her sleeping face. The moonlight was shining on her, kissing her jade skin as she slept so peacefully. He didn¡¯t move. He just let himself bask in this feeling of being able to see her face finally, after being away for so long.

    His hand inched closer to face, wanting to caress her cheeks like he used to, but it was shaking so he stopped and let his hand fall to his side. Just the sight of her was enough to shake his world. His iron-like fa?ade crumbled in the darkness. How many nights had he been dreaming to see her? How many times did he freeze his heart to stop himself from running back to this ce, to her arms?

    His days had be cold and dark since he left her. Thest time he saw his world being bright and sunny was that day before he left her. Every day since then was winter, where blizzards and storms raged without mercy causing him to be numb and cold from their torment. He had be so cold that he was afraid he could no longer give her any warmth.

    Yet here he was, eyes welling as he slowly sat down on the edge of her bed, taking care not to move the bed too much in case it woke her up. He was so close to her and he wanted to hug her so damn bad. He had missed her so much. Every night, every silent moment, was nothing but torture for him.

    His handsnded on either side of her face, holding him up as he leaned down. Their faces were so close that he could smell that familiar sweet and flowery scent of hers. He leaned ever closer but Alex stopped himself. He didn¡¯t want to wake her because he knew he would only have to leave her again, so he just stayed there, silent as the night with his eyes glued to her face.

    But a few secondster, the sleeping girl¡¯s brows creased and she moved, causing Alexander to immediately pull away. He was about to step back when suddenly...

    "Alex... Alexander..." she uttered in her sleep. "I miss you."

    Those words made Alex halt and his entire body froze.

    And then, as if something in her dream jolted Abigail awake, she suddenly sat up with eyes wide open.

    "Alexander!" she eximed. Her eyes flew towards him. The moonlight was very bright and it illuminated Alex¡¯s face as Abi gazed at him. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if she had conjured him up and when he turned to leave, Abigail immediately jumped on him, hugging his back tightly.

    "Y-you¡¯re finally here!" she cried as her grip tightened around him. "Where have you been? Why did you take so long? I thought... I thought you weren¡¯t going toe back anymore," she sobbed and Alex turned to face her and hugged her back just as hard.

    As she hugged him, she noticed that he had grown even taller and that his body had be so chiseled. His strong arms embraced her and she couldn¡¯t help but bury her face in his chest. She could feel his warmth enveloping her, warming her up like nothing else had done since the day he left her.

    She had no idea that Alex felt exactly the same. She didn¡¯t know how much he had missed this. Even though Abigail had hugged him only a few times before, he could never forget how warm her embraces were. She was like his lone fire in winter.

    He didn¡¯t speak and just let his actions do the talking. He leaned against the wall not letting her go and then he slid down to the ground, taking Abigail along with him. He suddenly felt like his strength had left him. No, it was like his body was finally able to rx again, as if he was a frozen ice that had finally been melted. His numb heart and soul started to feel these sweet emotions and life finally glimmered in his eyes again.

    "Abigail..." he uttered her namealmost religiously.

    She pulled away slightly to look at his face. Cupping his face, she stared at him. His appearance had be more masculine and his aura felt so strong and dominant. Even the look in his eyes screamed power and vigor. He had changed so much in such a short period of time that he was almost unrecognizable but under all that, he was still the Alex that she knew.

    She smiled at him. She felt like she was dreaming as she touched his face. "Oh Alexander, I missed you so much," she uttered and then she suddenly kissed him. Oh, how she missed his warm lips.

    Alex was surprised for a moment. But then, he pulled her into him and kissed her back. Their lips collided and tasted each other like two souls that were indescribably starved of each other.

 Chapter 475 The Long Lost Tale Part XXI

    <h4>Chapter 475 The Long Lost Tale Part XXI</h4>

    Young Alex looked down at her face and he kissed her irresistible lips again. He teased her tongue, ying tag with it, easing what apprehension she may have been feeling.

    He then lowered his body over her, slowly and gently to let her get used to the feeling of his body on hers. He kept kissing her, as his hand roamed over her delicate skin until it made its way to her centre. She jolted slightly at his touch. Her blood seemed to have travelled down to her groin, making it even more sensitive to the touch and causing her shiver with desire.

    He was patient, letting her heat up as if he had all the time in the world, making sure that she was ready for him as his member continued twitching against her until eventually, her insides becamepletely wet and slippery.

    A moan escaped her lips. Abi couldn¡¯t help it. Even though she felt shy, her desire for him overcame all her inhibitions. She started to move her hands over his shoulders, chest and abdomen, all the while kissing him passionately. She wanted to feel all of him, too.

    He wanted her so much and he couldn¡¯t wait anymore. Spreading her legs slightly apart, he ced himself between them and then slowly, he entered her.

    He reigned in his desire because he didn¡¯t want to hurt her. Even though she was very wet and ready for him, he couldn¡¯t take for granted that this might be her first time and he wanted the experience to be a good one for her. So he inched inside slowly and when he was halfway in, he stopped and he let her get used to him. She was damn tight. Doing this was taking all of his self-control but he would rather torture himself than hurt her.

    "Are you okay?" he asked when he heard her breath hitch. "Does it hurt?"

    Abi looked at him and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I¡¯m fine," she answered.

    "You can tell me to stop if it gets too much, okay?" he assured her.

    "Mn." She nodded as she looked deeply into his eyes. She could tell that Alex was holding himself back and her heart melted. He really was so thoughtful and caring and his actions told her that he really did love her. She thought that she really was so lucky to have someone love her like this and that made her love him even more.

    Abigail smiled at him, her love for him shining brightly in her eyes and then she pulled him down and kissed him. Their kiss was gentle at first but then became rougher and wilder as their desire for each other blossomed.

    Alex groaned from her torment and he pulled away to bump his forehead against her. "Abigail, you are my one and only love. I love you so much," he whispered, his gaze as intense as her was.

    He kissed her and he started mmoving again. He inched inside her again and then he pulled out just as slowly, repeating this movement until her muscles rxed and he was able to slide in and out more easily.

    His lips trailed downwards to her neck and shoulders and then her breasts, giving them some attention. He licked and sucked on one while he massaged the other with his hand, earning a moan of pleasure from Abigail.

    Abigail was bombarded with new sensations from her breasts and her groin and she didn¡¯t know which way was up anymore. Her mind had be a swirl of desire and pleasure and that was all she could think about. As Alex moved inside and out of her, her hips arched to meet him, begging for him to enter her fully. She wanted him, all of him, just as much as he wanted her.

    Alex looked at her one more time and when he thought she was finally ready, he finally fully thrust himself inside her as he kissed her at the same time, stifling the sharp hiss that came out of her lips. Her eyes closed from the pain and Alex didn¡¯t move apart from cing gentle kisses over her eyelids, then her cheeks and then her lips. He knew that he had hurt her from hearing that hiss but the worst part was over. Even so, he didn¡¯t move until Abigail finally opened her eyes.

    She looked up at him and he had to ask. "Are you okay, my love?"

    Abi had felt the pain as he pushed inside her but after a few seconds, the pain slowly subsided. After the initial shock, she forgot about the pain as her mind brought her attention to the fact that she and Alex were now one. Their bodies were connected in the most intimate way possible and that thought made her unbelievably happy. She was his now. And he was hers. They had be one.

    "Yes. I am more than okay," she said as she smiled at him, reassuring him.

    As the seconds ticked by, Abi¡¯s body started to rx and Alex started moving again. He started with slow, short motions, pulling back a little and then pushing in again in short bursts and then he pulled back further and further and thrust inside her harder and harder as he developed his rhythm.

    Abi danced along with him, moving her body in unison with his and they both felt that increasing pressure build up.

    Her body arched and she moaned louder and louder as she held onto his shoulders. A strange feeling started to build up inside of her and she couldn¡¯t exin it but she wanted to race towards the finish line. She didn¡¯t know what was waiting for her at the end but the sensation was incredible. The feeling intensified and she started to climb up higher and higher.

    Her fingers dug into his skin as she climaxed and when Alex felt that, he bit his lips and closed his eyes and with one final thrust, fireworks exploded in a myriad of many wonderful colours.

 Chapter 476 The Long Lost Tale Part XXII

    <h4>Chapter 476 The Long Lost Tale Part XXII</h4>

    Abigail and Alexy on the bed, chests heaving, drawing much needed air.

    Even though Abigail was tired, she didn¡¯t want to sumb to sleep, afraid that he would disappear once she closed her eyes. She raised herself up slightly and rested on her elbow, gazing down at his gorgeous face.

    Silently, she traced every contour of his face with a featherlike touch of her finger, as if she was engraving everything to her memory. She did just that for a while until Alex spoke. "Abigail..." he uttered her name as he lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. Emotions were swirling around in his tantalizing eyes. His eyes were more beautiful and mesmerising than the starry night sky that Abi didn¡¯t want to look away.

    "Hmm?" she smiled slightly but when she saw the serious look in his face, her smile slowly faded.

    "I..." he paused, looking torn, as if he was making a decision right then on whether to tell her the truth or not. "I have something important to tell you."

    Looking down at him, Abigail didn¡¯t know why but she couldn¡¯t even respond. For some reason, fear started to creep inside her heart. She was afraid, hideously afraid, that he would say goodbye to her and would disappear again. Deep within her, she didn¡¯t want to hear it, this important thing he was going to tell her. But she would listen to what he had to say, even though it might not be what she wanted to hear.

    Swallowing, she retracted her hand from his face. "Okay, go ahead." Her voice was calm but there was a hint of obvious sadness and fear within them.

    That tone of her voice didn¡¯t escape his notice and his brows creased. He rose and faced her. He held her hand and kissed them, his gentle gaze peering through his darkshes and then he said it, the words she had been dreading.

    "I¡¯m sorry but... I have to leave again," he uttered so weakly, a hint of guilt and sadness in his voice.

    The grief that was threatening to overpower her finally won after hearing his words and her tears fell from her eyes. She looked away from his face, trying to find her words.

    "I¡¯m sorry," He pulled her into his embrace. His voice burned with regret and pain. He nted kisses on her forehead before he gently bumped his forehead on hers. "Please, don¡¯t cry, Abigail. Listen to me," he murmured as he ced his hand below her ears and rubbed her cheeks.

    "Listen. This will be temporary. I will keep my promise to you ande back home. Just wait for me a little longer, okay?" he coaxed, trying his best to make her feel a little better.

    But those words were enough to make a tiny spark of hope light up inside her. She thought he was going to say his final goodbye, so hearing him make this promise that he would return to her, breathed life into her soul again.

    However, how long was he going to take this time? How long must she wait this time? And why did he have to leave again? What was he nning to do? She had heard rumors about him from the human hunters in the forests and Zeres also told her about what he was doing.

    "Tell me. What are you nning to do? I heard you are conquering human kingdoms. Why? Is it because you really want the throne?" she asked. Abigail wasn¡¯t against this if this was truly what he wanted but if he became king, what would that mean for the both of them? Abigail knew she couldn¡¯t leave Lexus behind and she also would never bring him to the vampire pce. Alex also wouldn¡¯t be able to live in this ce with Lexus if he became the vampire king. Moreover, his people would never ept it if they find out that their king had befriended a dragon, the beast that both humans and vampires considered their enemy and the biggest threat to this world.

    Alex wiped her tears. "Yes. I want to be king so I can protect you and Lexus too."

    His response made her look at him with surprise. But the questions in her eyes multiplied. Protect Lexus? Why did he think that Lexus needed protecting?

    Seeing the questions in her eyes, Alex let out a sigh as he looked out the window and stared at the moon above. "Abigail... " He then returned his gaze to her. He looked serious and decisive. "My father wants me to kill Lexus," he confessed and as expected, Abi looked at him with disbelief and shock. "They are afraid, Abigail, afraid that Lexus would one day go berserk and destroy everything. They see him as a major threat and it would only be a matter of time before theye for him.

    So I took charge. I told my father that I would need a legion of soldiers to be able to kill him. That¡¯s why I have been conquering kingdoms, taking their best soldiers. But that is just a decoy. My real n is... that once I am strong enough, I will start a rebellion and go against him. I will forcefully overthrow him and take the throne for myself. I want to be so damn powerful until no one would dare go against me. That¡¯s the only way I can protect you and your dragon," exined Alex.

    He refrained from telling her the truth about her family and the prophecy because telling her those things would only disturb her to no end, especially when he was going to leave her here alone. He didn¡¯t want her to worry. That was why he decided that he would tell her that once he returned, once everything was settled.

    "So wait for me, okay? I will make sure toe back to you and make you my queen. That¡¯s a promise," he vowed as he hugged her.

    ¡¯I will go against fate, against the gods and against the world if that¡¯s what it takes. I will do everything to bend this destiny for you.¡¯

 Chapter 477 The Long Lost Tale Part XXIII

    <h4>Chapter 477 The Long Lost Tale Part XXIII</h4>

    That night, the lovers poured their heart and soul to each other once again. Saying goodbye for the second time around was much harder than the first.

    Abigail could see the determination and will in Alex¡¯s eyes and she believed in him. She believed that he would fulfil his promise again. But there was something in her chest that didn¡¯t want to let him go.

    She tried her best to cast it aside and to put all her hope, trust and faith in him but the feeling was persistent and she couldn¡¯t help but feel scared. She thought about why she was feeling this unease but she couldn¡¯t quite figure out the reason.

    Before Alex left that day, they both climbed up the hill to watch the sunrise together. A new day dawned and they felt like this sunrise symbolized the start of a whole new life for them both. They had confessed their love for each other and they had given each other everything the night before; their minds, hearts and souls.

    As Alex watched the sunrise, his eyes zed as intensely as the sun, looking even more determined to finish what he had started with his father so that he could finally get back to her and start the rest of their lives together.

    They both made their way inside the mountain to where Lexus was resting.

    When Lexus noticed their presence, he immediately rose up from the mist without Abigail calling him which surprised both Abigail and Alex, as if sensing that something was in the air.

    Alex touched Lexus and didn¡¯t say anything but that one touch was filled with many emotions. It was almost as if Alex was wordlesslymunicating with Lexus through that touch.

    When it was time for him to go, Abi did her best not to cry. She smiled bravely at him instead and they kissed onest time before he finally disappeared from her sight.

    ...

    Weeks passed by.

    Alex had finally conquered the 5th kingdom. His army had be even bigger because of the number of soldiers he had taken from this 5th kingdom. But the strong human soldiers weren¡¯t the only prize he gained from this kingdom. He also found a woman named Dinah.

    Dinah was about to be sold but she begged and pleaded and said that the blood of the dragon keepers ran through her veins. She imed that she could be the next dragon keeper.

    When Alex heard the woman¡¯s rantings, he immediately saved her and took her with him. Of course, Alex was very skeptical at first, but when Alex questioned her, his doubts slowly faded. Alex asked her to name the members of the family to start with. Although most of this wasmon knowledge, there were some members of the family who weren¡¯t well known and the first check was to see if this woman could name these obscure members. The woman passed this test as included in her list were the names of these more obscure members. She even mentioned Abigail¡¯s name which surprised him because he knew that Abigail¡¯s identity had been kept from the world by the family, afraid that others would try to harm her.

    He then moved on to asking her to name the different types of dragons and again, she was able to answer him, surprising him again by even going as far as listing the names of the dragons. This was another solid piece of evidence because he knew that only the dragon keepers named their dragons. Any other person would usually describe a dragon by the color of their scales or their temperment. There had been a few famous dragons in the past, mainly famous for the destruction they caused so the fact that she had named the lesser known dragons was another plus.

    Alex himself wouldn¡¯t have known any of this information if he hadn¡¯t met and spent all that time with Abigail. During the short month he had spent with her, she had told him all about her family and all about the dragons that they had looked after. In turn, he had told her about his family and his experiences.

    As Alex questioned Dinah further, his doubts disappeared. He decided to take her in and shelter her for Abigail¡¯s sake. Alex didn¡¯t know how she had escaped the fate that had befallen the rest of Abigail¡¯s family but at least Abigail still had family left in this world. He thought this woman would lessen his beloved¡¯s grief once she found out the truth about her family.

    Since Alex had still notpleted his goal, he took Dinah along with him as they marched to the next andst kingdom he would conquer. Once he conquered this kingdom, he nned to finally march towards Ashteria. He thought that he had enough people in his army now but he needed one more battle to hone the new soldiers he acquired and to make them bepletely loyal to him. He would not take any more soldiers from thisst kingdom.

    However, the journey to this next kingdom took longer than anticipated and because Alex had been treating Dinah nicely during that time, the woman had fallen head over heels for Alex. She obviously misunderstood his gesture of kindness.

    She started to be obsessed with him, deluding herself into thinking that she was special to Alex. She tried hard to get his attention and even went as far as doing stupid things just to get it. She was desperate for him despite Alex beingpletely oblivious to her advances.

    Dinah eventually begged him to be his personal attendant saying that she would like to work as well. Alex could only agree to her wishes because he didn¡¯t have time to deal with her petty matters. He had more important things to concentrate on. Thus, she ended up being the one bringing his clothes and foods to his tent, getting more chances to seduce him. But Alex was still oblivious and never looked twice at her. She waspletely invisible in his eyes.

    *

    [PLEASE READ. (0ct 31)

    There¡¯s a strong typhoon approaching us here in Ph and the forecast said its the world¡¯s strongest typhoon this year so we¡¯re currently preparing for it. It willndfall tomorrow night but our ce is already under storm signal. Don¡¯t worry, I am in a safe ce but I just want to give you guys a heads up in case the typhoon will cause ck out for days and I won¡¯t be able to write or update anything. I am going to write as much as I can tonight and put the chapters under timer so u can still read a single chapter daily. But I am not sure how much I can manage to write. Hopefully this storm will not cause too much destruction. I am hoping for your understanding my dear hellbounders. I hope all of you will still be here when I return.

    Love,

    Kazzen.

    P.s. I just want to thank you all guys for buying the privilege this month of october. We are first overall in the win-win 2 event. Thank u so much hellbounders!]

 Chapter 478 The Long Lost Tale Part XXIV

    <h4>Chapter 478 The Long Lost Tale Part XXIV</h4>

    Soon, it was time for hisst battle. After this, he would return to Ashteria to finally achieve his real goal and finally get to be with Abigail again.

    Alexander led his army as strongly and as fearlessly as he had previously. His strength and power overwhelmed the enemy and he and his army crushed the enemy into dust. They were unstoppable, invincible. Alexander and his army were a force to be reckoned with, an army that no one had ever witnessed before. Alex had earned himself the title of the god of war.

    After this huge and victorious battle, Alexander let his men celebrate and so did he. He joined his men that night and drank and ate with them to his heart content. The real reason behind his joy that night wasn¡¯t just because of this victory, but also because he could finally start his journey back to his beloved. He kept drinking with his men and Dinah kept his cup full but what Alex didn¡¯t know was that Dinah had drugged his drinks.

    That night, when the drunk and drugged Alex returned to his bed, Dinah quickly followed him. She immediately climbed on his bed and started to touch him intimately. Alex, who was halfway between reality and thend of dreams, was missing Abigail so much that he thought he had conjured up Abigail. He saw Abigail on his bed with him, her hands touching his body and he let himself continue this wonderful dream he was having.

    When ¡¯Abigail¡¯ leaned in to kiss him, he kissed her back with a hunger he felt for her. He had been longing for Abigail every night that he had been away, thinking of her face, her voice, her warmth and that passionate night they spent together. He kissed her back, letting himself fall into the abyss of pleasure and called out her name with longing.

    But then he frowned. Why did this dream feel so real?

    Somewhere, somehow, his consciousness struggled for dominance. He found this dream a bit strange. He was dreaming of Abigail but her actions were definitely not something his beloved would do. This vision of Abigail wasing at him like a wild vixen.

    This vision of Abigail took the lead and Alex struggled to make sense of her actions in his mind. Something inside his drunk mind screamed at him but his head throbbed from all the alcohol he had consumed. As the woman sat on top of him, Abigail¡¯s face started to morph in front of him. The woman wasn¡¯t Abigail! He snapped out of his dreamlike state and he immediately pushed the woman away.

    He ordered her to leave as he tugged his hair. His drunk eyes were fierce and filled with disgust as he red at her.

    When the woman tried toe at him again, Alex called his men and ordered them to bring her back to her tent and from that day on, Alex never let her near him again.

    On their trip back to Ashteria, the woman started to be desperate. She couldn¡¯t go near him anymore and she needed to think of something to get his attention.

    Dinah had heard him calling out Abigail¡¯s name that night. Being part of the noble family, the woman knew that the current keeper was Abigail and she wondered if that woman was the same Abigail she knew - the current dragon keeper Abigail who was also her half-sister. Dinah knew that Abigail¡¯s family had hidden her in the Dark Dragon Hills, so she used this information to get to Alexander.

    She demanded to see Alexander and when she was turned away again, she yelled outside his tent.

    "Abigail!! I want to go to Abigail! I want to go to the Dar-"

    She couldn¡¯t finish her sentence because Alex immediately pulled her inside the tent to stop her from spilling out more information on Abigail. Even though he knew his army was loyal to him, he was overly cautious about anything to do with his beloved. His main priority was to keep her safe.

    A cunning smile formed on Dinah¡¯s face for a short second. She somehow knew that using Abigail¡¯s name would work. In the next second, her cunning smile was immediately reced with a pleading look as she looked up at Alex.

    "Alexander, I... I¡¯m sorry I did that to you. I had drunk too much that night too and I just, I thought..." Dinah trailed off as she started to sob. "I know you don¡¯t want to see me anymore. You made that clear. So, can I ask you to take me to Abigail instead? I... I want to see my sister... Please..." she continued, begging him with her words and expressions.

    Alex listened to her and studied her for a while until he finally agreed. He had been avoiding this woman for many days now and her suggestion was a wee one. Her request meant that he would no longer have to deal with her unrequited attention and Abigail would most likely love to see a rtive again. Alex thought that this would make Abigail happy.

    However, Alex couldn¡¯t afford to divert his whole army¡¯s course to take Dinah there so he ordered some of his most trusted men to apany Dinah to Dark Dragon Hills. Even though the men had many questions over this order, they were as loyal as can be and did as they were ordered. The next day, their group split off from the main army to escort the woman to Dark Dragon Hills, while Alex continued to advance towards Ashteria.

    Alexander so badly wanted to go to Abigail to see her again but he was doing this for her. He was going to take the vampire throne for her and for him, so that they could both finally live together in peace. That was all he wanted so he quickly shook off his selfish desire to see her and focused onpleting the final task in his n.

    The final battle was only a week or so away and he needed to finalise his strategies for defeating his father¡¯s vampire army.

    Little did he know that Dinah also had ns of her own.

 Chapter 479 The Long Lost Tale Part XV

    <h4>Chapter 479 The Long Lost Tale Part XV</h4>

    Dinah and her escorts headed towards Dark Dragon Hills. It took them a few days¡¯ journey to get there, resting only at night. The small party was mainly silent during their journey, focusing only on their goal. On the final day of their journey, they finally arrived in the thick forest where Dinah turned to herpanions and said, "I think I can find my way from here. There¡¯s no need for you to escort me any longer. Thank you for keeping me safe all this time but I should be alright to go on by myself."

    Herpanions looked at each other. They knew this was thest leg of their journey and that the Dark Dragon Hills were only a few hours away but they were still unsure if it was alright for them to leave her like this.

    The leader of the group was about to protest but Dinah just smiled at him and spoke before he could. "I will be fine, really. I have been here before and know my way around this area. Besides, I know that you are probably eager to get back to your master, so this will give you a few hours¡¯ head start."

    Dinah convinced them to go and used the fact that they were itching to get back to where the action was. As she expected, they agreed and they immediately left.

    Dinah¡¯s smile faded the moment herpanions disappeared from her sight. During their journey, her heart hadpletely turned ck with hatred and utter jealousy. She had be so obsessed with Alexander, almost to the point of being unhinged. All her thoughts were about him and how to get him to love her back. She needed to find a way to remove Abigail from his heart so that she could ce herself there and for that to happen, Abigail had to die. After that, Alex would finally be hers.

    She continued her way towards the foot of Dark Dragon Hills, all the while plotting Abigail¡¯s demise. She knew she would have to tread carefully because she was aware of Abigail¡¯s powers.

    When Dinah emerged from the thick forest, the small hut came into view. She could also see a small figure in the river holding a spear in her hand. ¡¯Ah, that must be my beloved sister,¡¯ she thought hatefully. With a change in her demeanour and expression, she walked towards Abigail, who immediately turned her head at the sound of a human heartbeating her way.

    Abigail had spent the first part of her day as normal, cooking breakfast, cleaning and then looking for food. She had been fishing for almost an hour and she was using her excellent hearing skills to track and locate the fish. She had been sessful in her endeavor so far, having caught five of them so far. She was just about to spear another one when she heard the distinct sound of a human heartbeat.

    She looked up and she could see a small, cloaked figure walking towards her. Her eyes narrowed because this heartbeat felt familiar. Those footsteps too. Abi stopped what she was doing and left the water, hastily drying herself as she quickly walked towards the cloaked figure. A wide smile spread across her face the closer she got the cloaked girl. Dinah! She was here!

    Abigail ran the rest of the way towards her sister, calling out her name in excitement, and she gave Dinah a huge hug when she got there. She couldn¡¯t believe it! It had been years since she had seen her half-sister but they had been very close when they were little girls and she was so happy to see her again.

    "Dinah! What are you doing here? How is everyone? How are mother and father?" Abigail excitedly chattered, somewhat taking Dinah aback for a few reasons.

    Firstly, Dinah hadn¡¯t expected that Abigail would wee her so wholehearted like this and secondly, she was shocked to hear that Abigail still didn¡¯t know that all of their family was gone. However, her shock didn¡¯tst long. This was good. She could use this information to her advantage.

    "Abi! Look how much you¡¯ve grown! I was sent here to see how you are doing. Everyone is doing very well," Dinah replied, feigning an excited expression.

    Abigail smiled at her response and pulled Dinah in for another hug. She just couldn¡¯t help it. It had been years since she had seen or heard from any of her family and she so badly wanted to know how they were doing. Abigail quickly pulled Dinah into her house and sat her down by the table.

    "You must be hungry from your long journey. Here, have some of this," Abigail said as she scooped up some food into a bowl and ced it in front of her sister.

    Abigail chatted the whole time, asking so many questions that made Dinah¡¯s head spin. They were mostly questions about their family so Dinah basically made up all the answers to Abi¡¯s questions.

    Thankfully, a small knock interrupted this reunion and a silver-haired witch entered.

    Abigail jumped up and quickly dragged Zeres towards the small table and sat him next to Dinah. "Zeres! Meet my sister, Dinah. Dinah, this is Zeres, my friend," Abi introduced.

    Dinah faced him and smiled before she held her hand out for him to shake. "Hi. I¡¯m really happy to know that Abi has a friend around here. This ce is so isted I was afraid that she would be all by herself here," Dinah said, smiling at Abi too.

    The trio spent the rest of the day together and after dinner, after Zeres went on his way, it was Dinah¡¯s turn to quiz Abigail. Dinah had noticed the way Zeres looked at Abi and she was sure that he was in love with her so she probed Abigail.

    "Well, isn¡¯t Zeres such a gentleman? Handsome, too!" Dinah said, nudging Abigail with her shoulders the way good friends did when they teased each other. "I can tell he likes you," Dinah continued, trying to probe where Abigail¡¯s affectionsy. Maybe, hopefully, Abigail actually liked this Zeres and that Alexander¡¯s feelings for Abigail were unrequited.

    "I... Zeres is a very good friend. That¡¯s all," Abi said.

    "Oh, really? Don¡¯t you like him more than that? He¡¯s so good looking with that silver hair and intense eyes. And he seems to care about you a lot," Dinah kept going, needing answers.

    "He is very kind but I just... it¡¯s just that I..." Abigail trailed off, unsure how much she should say because she didn¡¯t want her family to worry and worse yet, take her away.

    "It¡¯s alright. You can tell me. I¡¯m good at keeping secrets," Dinah whispered, trying to coax those words out of Abigail.

    Abigail blushed and sighed. She sumbed because it has been a long time since she had a girl to talk to about something like this. "I have someone else that I love," she replied shyly.

    Dinah leaned in closer to Abigail and then asked the burning question, "Who? What¡¯s his name?"

    Abigail stared at Dinah for a long while before she finally said his name. "Alexander."

 Chapter 480 The Long Lost Tale Part XXVI

    <h4>Chapter 480 The Long Lost Tale Part XXVI</h4>

    Dinah¡¯s smile faded in the darkness at Abigail¡¯s words. She had hoped that she had it wrong, that the Abigail Alexander loved wasn¡¯t this same girl that was sitting next to her. But there it was, her proof. And now, there was no going back.

    That night, the two girls went to bed. Abi slept peacefully with a small smile on her face, while Dinahy awake in the darkness, her mind churning with many different ways to execute her n.

    It was after midnight when Dinah got out of bed and approached Abigail¡¯s sleeping figure. She carefully sat on the bed and her hand went to touch Abigail¡¯s cheek. However, a thinyer of mist suddenly appeared around her and Dinah immediately retracted her hand and left her room in a hurry. Luckily, the mist disappeared and didn¡¯t follow her.

    Her heart raced inside her chest as the adrenaline flowed through her veins. It seemed that Abi still had her powers after all. Dinah went back to her bed and waited for her heartbeat to go back to normal again before she, too, fell asleep.

    The next morning, Abi went to the river again to catch more fish, leaving Zeres and Dinah sitting on the bench, watching her.

    Dinah didn¡¯t waste any time and immediately started the first phase of her n.

    "Zeres, I know we haven¡¯t known each other long but... I can tell that you like my sister. Have you told her how you feel?"

    Zeres looked at her with serious, intense eyes. "Let¡¯s not y these games, Dinah. Your goal is to get him, isn¡¯t it? So what are you doing here?"

    Dinah was slightly taken aback. She never thought that this witch would call her out like this. Before she could form a reply, Zeres leaned in closer, his gaze sharp and clear.

    "Don¡¯t even think about harming her. Whatever your n is, leave her out of it or I will hunt you down and make your life a living hell," Zeres threatened.

    Zeres had seen this woman with Alex and his army. He had seen how obsessed this woman was with Alexander and the moment that she directed her attention to Abigail, he was instantly suspicious, so he kept an eye on her and, of course, on Abigail.

    Dinah couldn¡¯t believe the turn of events. She thought she could manipte this young man into doing her bidding but it appeared she was wrong. Dinah swallowed and just nodded. She would have to find another way.

    Dinah now knew that her movements were being watched so she had to tread carefully. Her thoughts were in chaos but after a while, another n formed in her mind.

    After lunch, Dinah announced that she would be leaving that afternoon. She said to Abi that she needed to get back to the family to bring them news of her and that they were expecting her back soon.

    Abi was devastated but she understood. In the end, Abi was just d that she got to spend some time with her sister and that her family was doing well.

    ...

    Meanwhile, Alexander and his legion,posed mainly of strong, able-bodied humans, were close to reaching their final destination. They were only about a day¡¯s march from entering the city gates. His army marched following their legendary leader, excited about their next conquest.

    Seeing such a huge army made everybody in Ashteria tremble. Even the vampires felt shivers run down their spine as they watched them marching towards their city. Alexander, the half-blood prince, was leading such a huge army and he looked ever so majestic.

    All the towns and viges they passed by stared in awe and they found themselves bowing to him as if he was their one and only ruler, already submitting to him.

    The vampires looked down in awe and a small feeling of fear crept into their beings. Even the superior vampires knew that they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against this wave of soldiers. Even though they were stronger than humans, they didn¡¯t have nearly as many soldiers. If a battle broke out, they would take down many but they would eventually be swallowed down by their sheer number.

    Nobody knew the purpose behind this army, except for the select few that were present in the king¡¯s chamber that day, and the clueless vampires could only think that this was some kind of invasion and that this could spell the end of the rule of the pure blooded royals. They all thought that this was definitely a rebellion of this half-blood prince against his own family and they didn¡¯t know why but they already felt like they had lost the war before it had even begun.

    However, in the pce, everyone was strangely calm.

    Alexander halted his march when they were half a day¡¯s march to the city gates. He stopped his march because something felt odd. Theplete absence of any movement from the royal family and their army was unexpected.

    Were they going to surrender just like that? Alex shook his head. No, that couldn¡¯t be right. His father, that stubborn old, heartless man, would never surrender without a fight. He would rather die than do that. Alex knew that if the king gathered all the vampires within the city, including women and children, the odds would be more even and the oue of the fight would be anyone¡¯s guess, but despite that, he was still confident that he would be the victor because he was fighting for love, for her.

    Alex was wary of the king and his cunning ways so a day ago, he had sent two of his best men ahead to spy on the pce. He had expected them to be back by now but even now, there was still no sign of them.

    Alex wondered what happened to his men. He thought that they must have been captured which made him even more wary and determined to proceed because that meant that the vampires were definitely going to fight back.

    So at dawn, they continued their advance.

    However, what weed them at the city¡¯s gate was Lexus, thest dragon.

    .

    [I think this tale might end in two days. So by Monday, we¡¯ll be back to present.

    Thank u for your patience. ^^]

 Chapter 481 The Long Lost Tale Part XXVII

    <h4>Chapter 481 The Long Lost Tale Part XXVII</h4>

    The dragon stood before the city¡¯s gate, like he was the gate keeper of the vampire city.

    Alex was shocked. He couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing. What was Lexus doing here? Where was Abigail?!

    The sight of therge, ck dragon that blocked their way caused a slight panic within Alex¡¯s army. Many of them had only ever heard of these creatures in stories before and all of those stories were filled with chaos and destruction along with the annihtion of whole kingdoms. Many of them trembled within their boots as they faced this scary monster who could no doubt kill them all with one fiery breath. His army was starting to fall apart.

    "HALT!" Alex¡¯s shout thundered, halting the chaos that was about to ensue. He then focused his full attention on the ck dragon in front of them.

    With a frown on his face, Alex slowly walked closer to the dragon. His men tried to stop him but Alex assured them that he would be alright and told them to stay back. His men looked at each other with shock and fear. Their gaze then immediately switched back to their fearless leader as he approached the deadliest creature on Earth.

    Alex drew closer but Lexus weed him with fire. Alex managed to evade the dragon¡¯s attack using his speed. He was only a blur, a dark shadow, as if he had mastered the art of teleportation. His soldiers could only watch him with awe and admiration.

    Alex appeared only a few steps away from the ck dragon. "Lexus! It¡¯s me, Alexander! Where is Abigail?" Alex said to the dragon. The dragon stopped, tilted his head at Alex and just watched Alex for a while. Alex let out a deep breath and pressed on, walking closer towards Lexus but, as if the dragon was triggered, another fiery breath stopped his advance.

    Alex gracefully jumped high up above the mes andnded lightly on his feet, on top of the dragon¡¯s neck, evading the deathly fire with ease.

    The speed, splendor and ease at which Alexander evaded the dragon¡¯s attacks motivated his army. The fear in all their hearts was reced with fierce determination and they were ready to follow their leader to the very end.

    However, their leader still hadn¡¯t given them the signal to start attacking.

    They could only watch as Alex crouched down on the dragon¡¯s neck. They were shocked when they saw Alex pat the dragon as if it were a pet. They had to stop themselves from rubbing their eyes to make sure they weren¡¯t seeing things.

    Alex¡¯s attention was solely focused on Lexus. He felt that Lexus was holding back. Lexus¡¯ attacks could have been more powerful and more urate than what he had been dishing out so far. Lexus was definitely being lenient and Alex knew that something was very wrong.

    Alex asked Lexus again, "where is Abigail..." Alex trailed off as Lexus turned his head and Alex caught sight of two small figures standing on top of the huge city gate.

    There she was - his Abigail - standing up there with a silver-haired woman, the witch queen. His heart started to beat again the moment he saw his beloved but in the next second, his whole body turned rigid and his hands clenched into tight fists. Alex¡¯s eyes narrowed and rage started to burn within them.

    There was no way Abigail would do this on her own volition. She would never take Lexus away from his safe haven and ce him in this kind of situation. So it seemed that he now had another enemy to destroy. The Witch Queen. It seemed that the witch queen had captured Abigail and that Abigail was now under some sort of spell. They were manipting Abigail to control the dragon.

    Alex gnashed his teeth as his eyes burned with anger. Abigail had always been very careful and she had heightened hearing which meant that sneak attacks were futile. Not only that, she also had the mist to protect her if she was in danger. This could only mean that someone close to her betrayed her. Zeres was the first person that came to Alex¡¯s mind and he clenched his fist, wanting to punch something hard, preferably Zeres¡¯ face.

    Alex closed his eyes and when he opened them again, his eyes were no longer burning with rage. Instead, there was a cool, calmness within them and his whole being was coated with a dark blue aura which was no less intense than the raging fire that burned within him just a second ago. In fact, this felt like Alexander had reached a whole new level of terrifying.

    Alex calmly murmured ¡¯thank you¡¯ to Lexus and then he jumped down and withdrew, uncaring that he was turning his back on his enemy. It didn¡¯t matter. Lexus was dangerous yet but he was not the biggest threat right now.

    He returned to his men to n their attack and devise a n on how to rescue Abigail.

    Alex asked his best general who had a simr build to him, to switch with him. He made the general wear his armor, creating a double. The general would lead the army to attack the dragon, creating a distraction so that Alexander could sneak inside and save Abigail from the witch queen¡¯s hands.

    Thankfully, during one of his raids, he had also managed to add a witch to his army. This witch, while she wasn¡¯t as powerful as the witch queen - no witch could ever surpass the witch queen¡¯s powers - was stronger than most. She knew that Alex was a vampire and yet, she followed him anyway. It wasn¡¯t because she was in love with him, but because she believed that he could bring their worlds together and finally create peace in this chaotic world. She felt that he was just the kind of ruler that this world needed.

    Half of Alexander¡¯s army, led by the general in disguise, started the first wave of assault and they attacked the dragon. This kept the witch queen upied and Alex, along with the witch, separated themselves from the main army and snuck inside the pce.

 Chapter 482 The Long Lost Tale Part XXVIII

    <h4>Chapter 482 The Long Lost Tale Part XXVIII</h4>

    Alex was able to sessfully enter the pce, taking just a few of his men with him inside.

    But Dinah, being the only one among them who had closely witnessed Alex¡¯s movements and physique in the battlefield realized that the man leading the army wasn¡¯t Alexander. She alerted the vampire king and thus Alex and his team were greeted in the courtyard by the royal family and the elite vampires.

    The princes and princesses were there to wee him. He could see in their eyes and feel their killing intent. He was not wee here and his betrayal sealed his fate. They were all ready and willing to kill him. The sight of them made Alex¡¯s lips curved up wickedly. Who would have thought that his perfectly crafted n would go awry in this way? He hadn¡¯t nned on annihting the royal family or even killing a single one of his so-called family. He only nned to rule over them but it seemed that that wasn¡¯t an option now. He could see that at this point, a bloodbath was inevitable.

    "Good to see you again, Alexander," his oldest sibling who should have been the crown prince said with eyes filled with hatred as he looked at Alex.

    Alex couldn¡¯t really me his brother for his hatred towards him. He had jumped the line after all, even if it wasn¡¯t really his choice.

    "Give me back the girl and I will spare you all," Alex said but like always, his haughty brothers considered his words a joke.

    "Spare us all, he says. Ha!" the oldest prince snarled. "Shouldn¡¯t you be the one kneeling and begging us right now? Don¡¯t you see how badly disadvantaged you are?"

    Alex realized it was useless and a waste of time to try and talk some sense to any of them. ncing at his men, Alex¡¯s eyes glimmered with pure danger.

    He didn¡¯t speak anymore and with a single signal, he and his troops rushed forward to attack those who stood in his way.

    An evil smile shed on his face as Alex fought like the untouchable god of war that he was. His movements were so precise and cold-blooded, not giving an inch to his opponents. His aura was so intense that his men also fought with the same intensity, as if this power that Alex emitted enveloped his men, giving them some of his willpower and strength.

    The royal vampires found themselves overwhelmed. They had heard of Alexander¡¯s five glorious victories but all of them simply shrugged it off, fooling themselves into thinking that it was because Alexander¡¯s opponents were mere humans. Little did they know that the sheer number of the human soldiers and his intelligent war tactics were more than equal to the vampire¡¯s brute force. They had belittled humans for so long that they had forgotten what these humans were really capable of doing.

    Only Alexander, who had fought against them, knew the real power of these ¡¯weak¡¯ humans. He had learned a lot from his battles and the experiences he gained from those battles made him stronger and smarter than ever, something that none of these pure blooded vampires would never understand.

    As the fierce battle between Alex and his men against the royal family unfolded, Dinah was anxiously watching on the sideline beside the weakened king and his officials.

    "What¡¯s going on? Why are they fighting Alexander like they want to kill him?!" Dinahined.

    "Silence, human. Can¡¯t you see how fierce he is? There is no way that man will surrender. They need to fight him with all they have until he falls to his knees. Don¡¯t worry, he heals fast and I ordered them not to kill him," the king replied and Dinah finally shut her mouth.

    When Dinah left Abigail¡¯s house that day, she actually went to Astheria to make a deal with the vampire king. She knew that the vampires valued their promises so she made the king vow to give her Alexander in exchange for the information she had about thest dragon and its dragon keeper. She was quite convincing. She told the king that she was a member of the noble family of dragon keepers. She told the king about the current dragon keeper and her powers and said that once the current keeper died, she would take over that position and be able to control the dragon. The deal was that if he killed Abigail and gave her Alexander, then she would give him the dragon in return.

    The greedy vampire king couldn¡¯t resist this offer. To have themand of a dragon under his rule would be the ultimate kind of power. He would be able to rule over the world. However, there was one w in his n. He wouldn¡¯t be able to get close to Abigail because of that strange power she possessed so he sought help from the witch queen and both of them made a deal with each other.

    The king vowed that if the witch queen helped him, he would be willing to give the witches half of the world to rule and the witch queen¡¯s thirst for power got the better of her and she agreed.

    The alliance had been formed quickly and now all they needed was to devise a n to get to Abigail. They still couldn¡¯t quite figure out how to do this until Dinah revealed that Zeres was very good friends with the current dragon keeper. The witch queen was shocked as she had no idea that her son even knew this dragon keeper but she didn¡¯t waste time in finding out everything about this girl by forcefully reading his memories. That was when she found out that her son was in love with this Abigail.

    The witch queen immediately thought of using her son to get close enough to Abigail to put her under a spell. Unbeknownst to Dinah, the witch queen spoke to Zeres about their n to destroy Alexander. She told Zeres that once Alexander was out of the picture, then Abigail would be his. She also promised that she would keep Abigail safe and that all they needed was her power to control the dragon in order to defeat Alexander.

    Zeres still refused. However, his mother had another ace up her sleeve.

    She revealed to Zeres the vampire prophetess¡¯ prophecy - that Alexander was destined to kill the dragon. She showed him a fake conversation between the vampire prophetess and the king, where in the prophetess revealed that Alexander wasn¡¯t just destined to kill the dragon, he was also destined to kill thest dragon keeper.

    Those words broke thest string of Zeres¡¯ resistance. There was no way he would let Alexander kill his Abigail. After that, Zeres went back to Abigail and taking advantage of her trust, he easily managed to hypnotize her, using the most powerful spell his mother taught him.

    And with just one order, Zeres managed to make Lexus fly her to Ashteria.

    *

    [PLEASE READ. (0ct 31)

    There¡¯s a strong typhoon approaching us here in Ph and the forecast said its the world¡¯s strongest typhoon this year so we¡¯re currently preparing for it. It willndfall tomorrow night but our ce is already under storm signal. Don¡¯t worry, I am in a safe ce but I just want to give you guys a heads up in case the typhoon will cause ck out for days and I won¡¯t be able to write or update anything. I am going to write as much as I can tonight and put the chapters under timer so u can still read a single chapter daily. But I am not sure how much I can manage to write. Hopefully this storm will not cause too much destruction. I am hoping for your understanding my dear hellbounders. I hope all of you will still be here when I return.

    Love,

    Kazzen.

    P.s. I just want to thank you all guys for buying the privilege this month of october. We are first overall in the win-win 2 event. Thank u so much hellbounders!]

 Chapter 483 The Long Lost Tale Part XXIX

    <h4>Chapter 483 The Long Lost Tale Part XXIX</h4>

    The battle continued and Alex and his men fought against the vampires. Alex exceeded the splendor he had shown in all the previous battles he fought. His men had exceeded their limits as well, giving everything they had to back their leader, all with the help of the witch they had on their side.

    Soon, the tide turned. Alex and his men were winning. It was hard for the blue-blooded vampires to believe that they actually couldn¡¯t stand against this Alexander. Who was this man? How the hell was he so strong? Wasn¡¯t he the weakest vampire that ever existed?

    Alexander was going all out. He knew that they couldn¡¯t use Abigail to threaten him because of the power of the mist that still protected her. Thus, he advanced without reservation, taking down everyone who stood in his way. Just before he was about to finish them off, another figure appeared before him.

    Zeres.

    Alex¡¯s eyes zed with hellfire upon the sight of him. Without wasting a moment, Alex leapt and attacked him. Their swords shed and sparks flew from the impact.

    Alex still couldn¡¯t believe that Zeres had actually betrayed Abigail like this. Despite their cat and dog rtionship, Alex hade to trust Zeres when it came to Abigail¡¯s safety. He knew that Zeres would never do anything to harm Abigail because he knew that the man cared about her too. Alex had never doubted Zeres until he saw Abigail being controlled by the witch queen.

    "You, traitor! How could you betray Abigail like this?!" Alex hissed as they pushed their swords against each other.

    Zeres responded with a wicked smile. "Traitor? Don¡¯t make meugh, Alexander. I can tolerate the fact that she chose you. I can ept that you have taken her heart..." he gritted his teeth. "But I won¡¯t let you take her life as well... over my dead body, Alexander!" he yelled and his silver eyes glowed as his power began to intensify.

    Alex was shocked by what he just heard but he didn¡¯t have the luxury to ask Zeres about it. He didn¡¯t have the time to even speak. The half-witch had also unleashed his power and in a blink of an eye, he had be Alex¡¯s most dangerous opponent. They had sparred against each other almost every day back at Dark Dragon Hills, and now here they were fighting against each other with their lives on the line. Both of them knew that unless one of them fell, the fight would never stop.

    Alexander had never thought of killing this person. Even though they always red at each other, this half-witch was the first person, apart from Abigail, who had taken him seriously. The half-witch had even helped him fend off his father¡¯s elite vampires when they tried to forcefully take him back. Zeres could have easily just left him on his own at that time but he didn¡¯t. Alex had never seen this man as an enemy. In fact, Alex thought of him more as a brother, despite their differences. Alex had gotten used to the halfling¡¯s seemingly cold and disagreeable attitude and thought that somehow, they had be somewhat like friends.

    Alex hade to enjoy their sparring sessions, because he finally had someone to do this kind of thing with. Back in the pce, he had to practice and hone his swordsmanship in secret and on his own because if the others found out, he would only be theughing stock yet again. No vampire had ever fought using a sword, let alone a vampire prince. Alex never imagined that he would ever be faced with this scenario where he would have to go against his friend, perhaps even to the point of having to kill each other.

    Nobody could approach the duo. It was like the stage was set just for the both of them. Their sh of power left everyone in awe, even the royal vampires. They never thought that a male witch could actually be that powerful and to be able to go against Alexander like that was beyond their expectations.

    The two men jumped back from each other, their eyes never leaving their opponent. In the next second, Zeres rushed towards Alexander with the tip of his sword aimed at Alexander¡¯s abdomen. Alex deflected the attack by swinging his sword to the right just before Zeres¡¯ sword plunged into his body. Alex then moved swiftly behind Zeres, sword ready toe down hard on Zeres¡¯ back but surprisingly, Zeres was able to turn himself around just in time to raise his sword above his head, stopping Alex¡¯s sword filling the air with more sparks.

    Zeres was pushed backwards and was almost on his knees as he tried to bear the weight of Alex¡¯s attack. He red at Alex and then with all his might, he pushed against Alex and managed to throw Alex back a few steps. They circled each other, both waiting for the other to make the first move.

    This time, it was Alex who lunged towards Zeres, swinging his sword into an arc across Zeres¡¯ midsection at thest moment but Zeres jumped backwards with a small flip,nded crouched on the ground and then leapt forward. Zeres used Alex¡¯s momentum against him and his sword hit their target. Zeres managed to wound Alexander on his thigh.

    Alex looked down at the wound and then at Zeres and a devilish smile curved on his lips. Alex¡¯s eyes hardened and y time was over. It was time to get serious.

    In a blink of an eye, Alex seemed to have teleported behind Zeres and shed Zeres¡¯ back, wounding the male witch. Zeres staggered forward, holding onto his sword with all his might. He wasn¡¯t going to give up. He couldn¡¯t¡¯! Not until he saved Abigail from her would-be killer.

    Zeres turned to face Alex but Alex had disappeared again, this time appearing on his right. Zeres didn¡¯t react fast enough and before he knew it, his sword ttered loudly on the ground after Alex sliced his right arm, rendering it useless. He could no longer use his sword.

 Chapter 484 The Long Lost Tale Part XXX

    <h4>Chapter 484 The Long Lost Tale Part XXX</h4>

    It was over. Alex was the victor, again. He had once again disyed his tactical skills when it came to battle. With two strikes, he managed to subdue his opponent, choosing the most logical path to sess - by disabling his opponent¡¯s fighting arm.

    The witch-queen saw her son bleeding from his multiple wounds but she didn¡¯t evene down to help him. She stayed where she was, ncing at her son onest time beforepletely ignoring him and focusing her attention on Alexander.

    Unfortunately for Alex, he also suffered wounds from the vampires. Little did he know that the blue-bloods had used poison on him, so his wounds weren¡¯t healing. This was the same poison that he had been inflicted with when Abigail had found him close to death in that forest. Now, Alex finally knew that it wasn¡¯t the enemy that had poisoned him back then; it was these people, his people. He had tried to tell himself back then that his father and brothers wouldn¡¯t do something like that to him, but it seemed that his gut feeling was right. They really did want him dead.

    Alex continued to fight, advancing like a zombie towards the top of the gate. His men were all dead. He was the only one left. He was bathing with blood. And yet, his eyes were still burning red.

    The poison in his body was spreading like wildfire, and he continued to go berserk. The remaining vampires stopped going after him. They didn¡¯t need to fight him anymore. All they had to do was wait for the poison to do its work or wait for the girl he was desperately trying to save to kill him herself. The vampires and the witch knew how deadly the dragon keeper was, and they all had the same thought - how fitting his end would be if this girl were the one to kill Alexander.

    Once Alexander stood on top of the enormous gate where Abigail and the witch queen were standing, Alex stumbled and fell, but he stood up, dragging his sword behind him, its tip causing sparks to fly as it scratched against the floor. His body was bing weaker and weaker from the effects of the poison, and his lungs struggled to breathe in some much-needed oxygen.

    "Abigail..." Alex uttered as he slowly approached her. His eyes were on Abigail, and he ignored the witch queen as if she wasn¡¯t there.

    The witch queen stepped back from Abigail and ordered her. "Kill him!" she said, and Abigail turned to face him. Her eyes were pitch ck, dull, and lifeless. However, she didn¡¯t move.

    Alex smiled as he continued to approach her. "Abigail..." he called out again. His fiery eyes were filled with so many emotions - pain, hatred, regret, hopelessness, remorse. He had failed miserably to protect her. Where... where did it all go wrong?

    He was at his limit. It seemed that this was it. He had lost the most crucial battle of his life. As always, it appeared that the world was still intent on going against him. The gods must really hate him to the depths of their bones. But he somehow felt a little better at this result. At least if he died now, he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill Lexus with his own hands. It seemed the price for wanting to alter his fate was his own life, which wasn¡¯t that bad, he thought.

    But then, what about his promise to the only person he had ever loved?

    "I¡¯m sorry..." he uttered, smiling bitterly as he continued walking towards her. All he wanted now was to hold her. His body had gonepletely numb, and it would only be a matter of time before he would fall again, so all he wanted was to hold her in his arms again¡ªonest time.

    "I said kill him, Abigail!" the witch¡¯s voice echoed. But still, the girl remained on the spot, surprising everyone.

    The witch looked too shocked. Was she trying to break the spell?

    "Don¡¯t try to resist the spell, Abigail! That spell could take your life if it is forcefully broken!" she warned. The witch queen was d she used this kind of spell because she had somehow felt that regr spells wouldn¡¯t work on a powerful human like her. Besides, even if this girl died, they still had that other noble blooded woman up their sleeves.

    Upon hearing what the witch queen said, Alex halted, unsure what to do. He could see Abi¡¯s fingers moving, clenching into fists as if she was fighting her very own internal battle.

    "N-no..." Alex didn¡¯t know what to do. Why? Why would they cast such a spell on her? "Stop resisting Abigail, please," he began to plead.

    The vampire king, who saw that the girl was resisting them, sent a signal to his men.

    The remaining vampires took their bows and prepared to shoot at Abigail. The king wanted to activate her power since Alex was close enough to be coteral damage to it.

    However, nothing happened. The mist didn¡¯t appear.

    Angered by the stubbornness of the human keeper, the king ordered his men to shoot.

    Seeing the arrows approaching them, the weakened Alex gathered all his strength and jumped towards Abigail, shing the arrows before they could reach her. Some of the arrows got past him and pierced his body as he shielded her from the assault.

    Everyone was shocked again. Alexander was supposed to have fallen by now. How was he still able to move?

    Another wave of arrows came as a result of the king¡¯s anger.

    Alex growled, his eyes burning with fury and vengeance. This world, he really hated it so much. He hated how much suffering this world had to inflict on him before it was satisfied. He finally found the only person who gave him the warmth he never knew he had been looking for, and all he wanted was to keep her safe in his arms. Why couldn¡¯t he have it? Why was this world so heartless and cruel to him? He cursed and cursed within him. If something bad happened to his beloved, he swore he would burn this world with hellfire. They all better kill him now because if he somehow managed to live through all of this, he was going to destroy everything.

 Chapter 485 The Long Lost Tale Part XXXI

    <h4>Chapter 485 The Long Lost Tale Part XXXI</h4>

    Knowing that he couldn¡¯t stop the next wave of arrows anymore, Alex turned around and hugged Abigail, shielding her again.

    His lipsnded on her forehead as a tear fell from his eye. "I¡¯m sorry... I love you..." was all he could utter as his grip on her tightened. His body was rigid as he closed his eyes and prepared to die. He couldn¡¯t feel his body anymore, but his heart was bleeding. All he wished right then was for Abigail to stay alive.

    Alex closed his eyes, waiting for the arrows to pierce through him.

    However, the arrows never came. Instead, he could feel a scorching heat waveing from above them, and when he opened his eyes again, Alex could see that Lexus had burned all the arrows to ashes, along with part of the castle.

    Lexus hade, but Alex couldn¡¯t even feel d as he looked at the dragon raging from above.

    His eyes slowly fell on Abigail, and his heart filled with fear.

    "A-Alex..." Abigail uttered as their eyes met. She had broken the spell by calling Lexus. Abigail smiled at him as blood began to flow slowly from the corner of her lips.

    They both fell to their knees with Alex cradling Abigail in his arms.

    "Are you okay?" she asked, reaching out to touch his face. Worry was written all over her face as she looked at him.

    Alex couldn¡¯t speak. His tears just fell silently as he looked at her. Abigail lifted her arms and hugged him tightly.

    "Don¡¯t cry," she told him before she pulled away and looked at his face again. She caressed his face as gently as she could and pushed his hair away from his eyes. "I finally get to see your face again. I¡¯ve missed you," she whispered as she nted soft kisses on his lips and forehead.

    And then she coughed, and blood came out of her lips. Her energy seemed to have left her, and her arms fell to her sides.

    Alex trembled as he held her. His tears were flowing even more. He could tell that the witch queen didn¡¯t lie when she said that breaking the spell forcefully could cost Abigail her life. Her heartbeat was weakening, and she was gasping for air.

    Abigail was dying and, as if the dragon had sensed it, Lexus began to go berserk, flying around aimlessly and burning everything. It was as if, like Alex, he didn¡¯t know what to do anymore, and he fell into a rage, destroying everything in his path.

    Opening her eyes, Abi looked at Alex, and she weakly raised her hand to wipe Alex¡¯s tears. He had be a broken statue, just trembling and crying silently as he held her in his arms.

    Still, she smiled. That smile, his sunshine, was slowly dying. "Don¡¯t... don¡¯t leave me, please. Living without you will be like dying every day. Please, I can¡¯t... I don¡¯t think I can bear to be without you..."

    Hearing his agonized voice, Abigail¡¯s eyes watered as well. She knew how much he was hurting because she too couldn¡¯t imagine living without him.

    "I¡¯m sorry..." she could only utter before her eyes fell on her beloved Lexus, raging like a monster from hell. She then looked at Alex again and smiled.

    "Listen, Alex. I am thest dragon keeper," she told him.

    Dinah didn¡¯t know this secret, but Abigail was the only female dragon keeper. All the previous dragon keepers in their family were male, and the male dragon keepers needed to have a son to be the sessor. The sessor could onlye from the direct predecessor. Thest keeper, Abi¡¯s father, had failed to have a son. They thought the sessor would change to another line or be gone forever, but to everyone¡¯s surprise, Abigail had inherited it.

    She didn¡¯t tell Alex this, but that night she found him in the forest, Abigail had already envisioned Alexander¡¯s destiny that he was the destined man to kill thest dragon and finally end the dragon era.

    She grabbed his sword and let her blood drip on its de before giving it to him.

    "Kill Lexus, Alex, with this so that Lexus and I can die together. I don¡¯t want to leave him all alone in this world. Without me, he will burn the world into ash. Kill him so he can finally rest, and so can I," she told him. "Then... drink his blood, Alex. You will be invincible and be immortal."

    Alex couldn¡¯t even speak. He was utterly devastated and broken.

    Abi smiled again.

    "It¡¯s okay. Our tale will not end here. One day, our hearts will find each other again. No matter how long it takes, I will find my way back to you, at the right time and in the right ce. So don¡¯t cry. Smile for me so that next time, our story won¡¯t end with sadness."

    Abigail didn¡¯t tell him that whoever killed the dragon and drank its blood had to pay the price. The person¡¯s mortal body will die, and he will be immortal. More than that, the memories from when they were mortal would be erased; they would be reborn again without any memories of his previous life. Abigail told him to drink the dragon¡¯s blood because that was the only way for them to meet again. She knew that as long as the dragon¡¯s blood was flowing in someone¡¯s veins, one day, thest dragon keeper would be reborn.

    "I love you. I will miss you, Alexander. Wait for me, my love."

    As Abi finally closed her eyes, Alex screamed in agony, calling out her name. But he wasn¡¯t the only one who screamed in pain. A terrifying sound roared in the night sky, and Lexus went on a rampage like never before.

    The beast had been let loose, and it was going to burn the world with his wrath.

    .

    [Dear hellbounders, thank you for the prayers and understanding. I am alright but still unable to write. Please give me few more days.]

 Chapter 486 The Long Lost Tale Part XXXII *

    <h4>Chapter 486 The Long Lost Tale Part XXXII *</h4>

    The sky roared, and then, rain fell, as if the heavens too began to mourn. Lexus continued his rampage, and the once formidable castle had turned into an inferno.

    Alex was still there, kneeling as he held her in his arms. She was gone. His sun was no more. She would never shine again, leaving his world into total darkness forever.

    He was broken, in and out. Hisplexion was ashen, so lifeless as if his heart and soul had died along with her.

    The zing furnace continued eating the castle, but the chaos didn¡¯t even bother Alex anymore. He couldn¡¯t hear anything. He would no longer care even if the world would crumble right then and there.

    After staring at her face for an immeasurable amount of time, Alex¡¯s hands moved, and he gently brushed the strands of hair away from her pale face. And then, he pulled her up and hugged her. His body shook as he cried, calling her name over and over again.

    Zeres, who had just escaped the fire after confronting his mother,nded behind Alexander. Zeres was still bleeding. The futile confrontation he had had with the witch queen finally made him realize that his very own mother had lied to him. And he saw it with his own two eyes, how Alexander gave his everything to save Abigail, that Alexander was never here to kill her.

    Clenching his fists, Zeres walked closer to them, dragging his wounded body. His eyes filled with nothing but grief and guilt, knowing that Abigail was dead. This all happened because of him, because he believed his mother¡¯s words. The girl he loved had died because of his betrayal, and he would never forgive himself for that.

    He looked at the raging beast in the sky before his gaze fell to Alexander¡¯s shaking body. He too, wanted to hug her onest time, just one more time. But he felt like he didn¡¯t even deserve to touch her anymore. His regret and guilt were killing him.

    After just standing there and watching Alexander¡¯s agony, Zeres noticed that the color of Alexander¡¯s skin had be greenish, indicating that the poison had already spread in his body and that he was now beyond saving.

    Zeres felt his throat constricted, and he clenched his fists even tighter. Knowing that Alexander would also die soon at this rate, Zeres looked down and stared at his hands. He moved one step closer but halted. He was hesitant if it was the right move for him to try and save Alexander. Wouldn¡¯t it better if he will die too? He had seen how much this man had loved Abigail. No matter how much he hated it, he couldn¡¯t deny the fact that Alexander¡¯s love for Abigail was greater than what he could ever offer. So he knew that his pain was something indescribable. He understood what Alexander was feeling right then. He could tell that living or dying didn¡¯t make any difference to him anymore. Because that was how he felt, and he knew this man must have had it worse. This was why he thought that saving Alexander might be a bad idea.

    However, when Zeres thought about Abigail, he moved again and crouched behind Alexander. Thinking about Abigail made Zeres realize that Abigail would definitely wish for this man to stay alive. He knew that if Abigail was around, she would definitely beg him to save Alexander. Thus, he decided to do it. This way, he could at least do something even though this will never be enough to atone for his sin.

    Zeres knew about this poison because witches originally created this. He knew that Alex couldn¡¯t even feel his body anymore, so Zeres didn¡¯t hesitate to touch him. He ced his hands on the huge wound in his back as he closed his eyes.

    A chant began to roll out from his lips, and green and silver light began to glow from his palm to Alexander¡¯s wound. Zeres frowned as he gritted his teeth, as if he was in pain. Alexander was supposedly beyond saving, but there was a spell powerful enough to save him. But like all of the powerful spells, this would also require something huge in return ¨C the life of the spellcaster.

    The green and silver glow intensified. Alexander still didn¡¯t notice anything. He was still numbed, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

    As the raging rain and fire fell around them, the green and silver glow from Zeres¡¯ hands seemed to have exploded before it slowly disappeared.

    Alexander¡¯s skin was back to its normal pale color, but Zeres¡¯ skin turned greenish. The poison had been transferred to him.

    Utterly weakened, Zeres¡¯ forced himself to stand and quickly left. He didn¡¯t want Alexander to see him. He hid behind a wall and fell on his knees. He sat and leaned on the wall, smiling bitterly as he clutched his chest. ¡¯What a damn fate.¡¯ He murmured as he closed his eyes. ¡¯I¡¯m sorry, Abigail. But no... don¡¯t ever forgive me.¡¯

    Zeres didn¡¯t know that Alexander had seen him leave. Alexander could feel his body again, and he saw his wounds had healed. But that didn¡¯t even make him feel a little better. He just stared at the wall where Zeres had disappeared from for a long while before he looked at Abigail again.

    He was swallowed entirely by nothing but pain and agony. His tears wouldn¡¯t roll down, and no sound could even escape from his lips anymore.

    But his hands moved, and he began to stroke her hair with all the gentleness in the world. He did just that for an immeasurable amount of time until someone came and approached him.

    "Alexander!" A woman¡¯s voice called out as she knelt before him; it was Dinah. He had escaped from the vampire King while they were upied with the dragon because she realized that the dragon keeper¡¯s power wasn¡¯t transferred to her. She knew that Abigail was dead, and she knew that all of the dragon keepers received the dragon keeper¡¯s ability the moment the previous dragon keeper took hisst breath. But nothing happened to her. She tried to call out for Lexus but the dragon didn¡¯t listen to her. That was why, she immediately ran away to find Alexander. "Alexander! Let¡¯s go. The dragon ising!" she frantically told him.

    When Alexander didn¡¯t even look at her, Dinah lifted her hands to hold his face and make him look at her. However, she was shocked when Alexander¡¯s hand suddenly gripped her neck. When he looked at her, his eyes were dark as an abyss. There was no warm emotion in them anymore. His beautiful eyes had be colorless andpletely lifeless, like a sky with no stars, no moon, nor sun¡ªjust apletely ck canvas.

    He slowly ced Abigail down without letting go of Dinah¡¯s neck.

    Dinah struggled to break free from his grip. She was scared of this man. This wasn¡¯t the Alexander she knew. The way he looked at her that moment sent shivers down her spine. As if he was scarier than the monster dragon from above. She never thought this man could be this terrifying.

    "L-let go, Alexander." She begged, struggling. But Alexander didn¡¯t even loosen his grip. He stood up and dragged her a few steps away from Abigail¡¯s body.

    Dinah began to tremble. The danger and ominous aura she was feeling from Alexander that moment was enough to freeze her soul. It was almost as if a demon had possessed him.

    "Please... I¡¯m... beg ¨C"

    Dinah couldn¡¯t even finish her words because Alexander¡¯s grip on her neck tightened as he lifted her in the air. Tears began to flow from her eyes as she struggled futilely with all he might. She never thought that she would die in this man¡¯s hand. No, this wasn¡¯t the Alexander she knew. This man was a monster!

    Heartlessly, Alexander dropped the lifeless Dinah on the floor.

    He didn¡¯t even look down at her. He simply looked up and watched the raging dragon in the sky before he turned and walked towards Abigail¡¯s body.

    Slowly, he crouched down and gathered her in his arms, holding her so gently, like she was a fragile vase. He faced outside the castle. His legion was still there. Lexus hadn¡¯t attacked them yet as the beast was still busy burning the vampire pces.

    Alexander turned, and onest time, he looked at the wall where Zeres had disappeared from before he finally jumped down the gate. Hended gracefully on the ground with Abigail in his hand and approached his army.

    The rain didn¡¯t stop falling as Alexander continued walking in the midst of his soldiers, heading back to ck Dragon Hills with Abigail in his arms.

    .

    [Sorry it¡¯ste T^T

    P.s. this chap is unedited]

 Chapter 487 The Long Lost Tale Part XXXIII *

    <h4>Chapter 487 The Long Lost Tale Part XXXIII *</h4>

    Time passed by, but the storm continued raging overnight.

    It was already morning, but Alex was still sitting on the bench outside Abigail¡¯s small house, with her in his arms. The two of them used to sit there quietly and watch the sky. But this time, none of them were looking up anymore.

    Once Alex¡¯s army caught up and also arrived at the foot of the ck Dragon Hill, they saw their master still grieving, and they could only watch until Alex¡¯s generals and the witch approached him.

    The witch could tell that Alexander¡¯s spirit was entirely broken, and no word could ever make him feel better anymore. However, she needed to speak and tell him to let her go.

    "Your highness," she started, "please let her go now. You have to let her rest now, your highness."

    Her kind words somehow reached Alex, and he slowly looked up. His dark and lifeless eyes nced at the sky, and he saw it was already morning. He looked down at Abigail again for a while as he finally spoke.

    "I... I want to give her a proper resting ce." He said, his gaze not leaving her face. It was then that he noticed that his Abigail was wearing that golden-colored dress she was wearing that night when they first met.

    His eyes started to well as he kissed her forehead onest time. "Fine, Abigail..." he uttered. "I will wait for you, no matter how long it takes. I promise." His tears fell as he gently bumped his forehead on hers. "Just please promise me... that the next time we meet, don¡¯t ever leave me like this again, okay?"

    As he said those words, the rain stopped. That day, Alex finally let go of her and buried his heart and soul along with her.

    ...

    Alexander and his men then headed back to Ashteria the next day. When they arrived at the vampire¡¯srgest city, the entire ce was already turned into ash, along with the neighboring vampire towns and viges and the forests where the witches live. There was nothing left, and the only thing standing right then was the gate where Abigail had died.

    Lexus was flying aimlessly in the sky, as if he didn¡¯t know where to go, just looking for something to burn.

    But the moment he saw Alex and his army. The dragon majesticallynded in the ruins. It was as if he was waiting for Alexander to arrive ande after him.

    Gripping his sword, Alex¡¯s lifeless eyes zeroed on him. All he could think right then was Abigail¡¯s wish. He couldn¡¯t even feel his heart anymore. His emotion was broken entirely.

    That day, his war against Lexus started. He attacked him without reservation, and the dragon fought back furiously.

    Both of them turned into beasts with no heart and soul¡ªmonsters who knew and want nothing but to kill and kill to no end.

    The war went on for days. Half of Alexander¡¯s army had fallen, but he had managed to wound Lexus with the help of huge arrows and spears. The moment Lexus fell on the ground, Alex climbed on Lexus back and stabbed him with his sword.

    Lexus didn¡¯t die, and he fled away. But Alexander didn¡¯t stop and pursued him.

    He knew he would return to the ck Dragon Hills. Back to Abigail¡¯s ce.

    But Alex¡¯s heart had gone entirely ck. He had be a coldblooded monster since he left the hill that day. He had killed his emotions,passion, and soul because that was the only way for him to win against the dragon.

    When Alexander and his army arrived at the hill, the battle continued. Alex¡¯s men fell one after another. Thousands of his men had fallen before his sword finally pierced through Lexus¡¯s heart.

    The two of them were in the middle of the crater, on top of the teau-like colossal rock. The sea of mist had disappeared when Abigail died, so all that could be seen around was nothing but deep canyons.

    Alex was in his veryst strength because of the endless long battle and because the burns Lexus inflicted wasn¡¯t healing at all.

    As Lexus fell, Alex knelt on the ground, still holding the sword¡¯s hilt tightly.

    His body began to tremble as he rested his head on his arm. He stayed there unmoving for a long while before a murmur escaped from his lips. "I¡¯m sorry... Lexus," he uttered. He touched him as if he was putting him to sleep, and then, he pulled the sword.

    Blood gushed out of the dragon¡¯s heart. Trembling, Alex reached out. He knew he was about to die. He must drink the dragon¡¯s blood right then, or else he wouldn¡¯t make it.

    Thus, Alexander didn¡¯t waste any more moment and finally drank Lexus blood as a single tear fell from his cold eyes.

    At that moment, the sky thundered, and lightning struck everywhere. Alexander screamed as the mist reappeared once again, swallowing him and the dead dragon.

    The sea of mist covered the crater once again as the sky raged on.

    The remaining soldiers waited for their master toe out, but no one emerged from the most. None of them had any more strength to go and look for their master, so they just stayed there, waiting.

    Once the sky stopped raging, everyone¡¯s eyes fell to the thick moving mist, and the next moment, they saw their master emerged. His eyes no longer ck nor red. They were golden, exactly the same as the dragon¡¯s eyes. Everyone celebrated as Alexandernded before them.

    The air around him had changed. He didn¡¯t feel like a human or a vampire anymore. He had be the most superior being any of them, humans, vampires, and witches alike, had ever seen. He had be a terrifying creature.

    After leaving the ck Dragon Hill, Alexander sought the help of the witch, asking her why he couldn¡¯t remember a thing. Because the witch had seen and heard Abigail¡¯sst words to him, the witch couldn¡¯t tell him the truth. She thought that it would be torture for him if he remembered that girl again. Thus, she gave him a false memory. She showed him his memories but omitted everything from that night that girl found him in the forest until the start of his battle with the dragon.

    Alexander didn¡¯t ask any more after that. As they headed back to the ruined kingdom of Ashteria, the witch queen, Zeres¡¯ mother, arrived in ck Dragon Hill. She, too, heard Abigail¡¯sst wish, so she went to ck dragon hill after finding out that Alexander had killed the dragon.

    Landing on the teau-like rock where the dead dragony, the witch queen slowly approached the dragon. The mist had disappeared. The ce was now deste, filled with nothing but rocks and dead bodies.

    The witch queen brought out a bottle and filled it with the dead dragon¡¯s blood before she quickly left. As the witch queen flew away, steams began to appear in the crater as if the volcano was awakened, and it was now about to blow.

    When the witch queen arrived at a certain crystal cave, she entered a room where two bodiesy. Zeres heart was still beating, but it was already weakening. No spell could save him anymore.

    The witch queen made the unconscious Zeres drink the blood. She wanted to see if the blood would still work as it did with Alexander. However, to her dismay, nothing happened, and Zeres still died.

    Utterly frustrated, the witch gritted her teeth, and her eyes fell to Dinah¡¯s body. Half of Dinah¡¯s face was burned. The witch took her because she still believed that she might not be that useless. She thought that maybe, the dragon blood could revive her and make her powerful since she was still a descendant of the dragon keepers.

    However, just like with Zeres, nothing happened. The witch was so angered that he smashed the useless bottle in the ground.

    ...

    Back in Ashteria, Alexander began to make his move. He and his men marched to the Hidden City located at the south, where the royal family had escaped during the dragon¡¯s rampage and conquered it.

    His ruthless journey had started after that, and time went by as fast as the wind.

    Thousands of years then pass by, and the fated day arrived. Abigail Chen was born. However, at that same moment, inside a deeply buried crystal cave, two bodies moved their hands and opened their eyes.

    .... ~End of The Long Lost Tale~....

    [I hope you enjoyed Alex and Abi¡¯s past. We¡¯re back to the present in the next chapter.]

    [The next five chapters are under privilege. You have to buy the privilege in order for you to read the advance chapters. Please know that it is notpulsory to buy but buying privilege is a huge help to me, the author. Again, privilege is only for willing fans. You can buy the first tier that only cost 1 coin. Thank you.]

 Chapter 488 Thousands of years*

    <h4>Chapter 488 Thousands of years*</h4>

    Abigail¡¯sshes fluttered like butterfly wings as she finally woke up. The room was bright, so she ced her arm across her eyes. She rolled on her side and blinked groggily. Her head was throbbing with pain, but the second something yellow, a sunflower, registered in her vision, Abigail¡¯s dazed eyes widened as everything she saw in her dream flooded back into her awareness.

    She sat up immediately, eyes still wide and filled with utter disbelief. Her heartbeat raced as she clenched her chest. She knew that wasn¡¯t a dream. That was her and Alex¡¯s past life!

    Before she realized it, a silent tear fell from her eyes, and she looked around the room, looking for her Alex. Her heart was still aching. It was as if she had just watched the most heartbreaking movie she had ever seen in her life.

    Climbing out of bed, Abi called out for Alex. She felt like it had been forever since shest saw him. She missed him, so damn bad as if thousands of years had gone by thest time she saw him.

    "Alex..." she called as she frantically headed to the door. She must see him and hold him, or else the pain in her chest won¡¯t subside.

    As if a killer was chasing her, Abigail descended the grand staircase as fast as she could. Everyone who was sitting by the firece turned, and Alex immediately stood upon seeing her.

    His brows creased with worry and surprise as he walked towards her in haste. However, Abigail ran, and she threw herself in his arms, surprising Alex. She gripped him hard as she buried her face on his chest. Her body was trembling, and she was sobbing.

    "Oh, Alex," she uttered. "I¡¯ve missed you so much."

    Her words confused Alex, and he held her shoulders as he bent and looked into her eyes. "Are you alright? What¡¯s wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked, worried sick.

    "I¡¯m fine. I just... I just missed you." She replied, and she hugged him again.

    Realizing that Abigail was too emotional, Alex lifted her up, and he carried her back upstairs.

    Last night, he never left her side. Alicia told him that Abigail was inside a dream that she must be seeing someone¡¯s memories.

    Alicia said that the things she was seeing would be the answer they were looking for, so Alex didn¡¯t expect that Abigail¡¯s first reaction upon waking up was this. He was expecting that she would wake up scared like how she acted when she had nightmares, so he stayed with her all night. So why was she crying? And why was she saying that she missed him? Just what kind of memories did she see?

    Upon reaching the room, Alex put her down, and they both sat on the bed. Though Abigail still didn¡¯t let go of him. She was acting like she hadn¡¯t seen him for a very long time.

    "My wife, tell me. What did you see in your dream for you to cry like this?" he asked as he gently wiped her tears.

    Abi looked up at him reached out to touch his face as well.

    "You," she answered as her tears fell again.

    Her answer made the lines in his forehead deepen. His puzzled eyes slightly circled.

    "Me..." was all he could utter, and Abigail nodded.

    "Mm, you and I, Alex," she bit her lower lip. "I saw our long lost tale."

    Alex opened his lips, but nothing came out. He didn¡¯t know what to say as confusion glimmered in his eyes.

    Seeing the questions and confusion in his eyes, Abigail knelt on the bed, straddled him, and then hugged him tight before their eyes locked.

    "Would you believe me if I tell you that..." she paused, gazing at him intently, "that you and I have met and were in love thousands of years ago?"

    Alex was speechless, still utterly confused. But her question made him think. Would he believe it? As he thought about it, ¡¯no¡¯ was never an option. He would definitely believe it even if it was just a fairytale.

    He nodded at her, and Abigail finally smiled.

    "I remember Alicia said that you couldn¡¯t see memories through witches¡¯ crystal ball, right?"

    "Yes. Vampires can¡¯t."

    "Then, do you want to hear it? Our long lost tale?"

    Alex stared deeply into her eyes, trying to see if she was just kidding. But she was extremely serious. And for some reason, Alex suddenly felt his heartbeat elerate, and he found himself waiting in anticipation of what she would say next.

    Abi gently stroked his hair, remembering how Alex continued stroking the hair of the dead girl in his arm. That broke her heart into a million pieces, seeing Alex¡¯s agony because of her death.

    Taking a deep breath, Abi held her ne without averting her eyes away, and she finally started to speak. She narrated from the very beginning until the very end. From that night she saved her in the forest until he drunk Lexus¡¯ blood and left the ck dragon hill.

    She smiled and then cried throughout her narration. Her emotions were raw, and she was telling the story in a way that Alex could see and feel everything she was feeling and seeing. And then, he started to see a single hazy memory in his head. He saw young Abigail, wearing a golden yellow dress, smiling at him. Telling him to wait for her no matter how long it takes. And then, the memories flooded in as if a dam broke.

    When the story ended, Alex just sat there, still as stone. He couldn¡¯t describe what he was feeling. Atst, the missing link in his memory was found. Who would have thought that everything that had happened all this time was for a reason?

    Alex suddenly pulled her and hugged her tight. His heart was squeezing in pain, remembering about Abigail¡¯s death in the past. It made his body shook again, just like that day when he was holding her lifeless body.

    But at that moment, Alex finally felt that the world might not hate him as bad as he thought. Despite all the pain and suffering, it seemed the world still wasn¡¯t that bad. Because at the very least, they were still able to find each other again.

    "Thank you for waiting for me, Alex," Abi told him, her emotion overflowing. "I am so d I approached you bravely that night in the garage," she smiled with tears, remembering her crazy stunt that night.

    Alex held her face and gently bumped his forehead on hers.

    "Mm. I am d you didn¡¯t chicken out and persistently came after me despite how I treated you the first time we again, Abigail." He replied, trying to lighten up the heaviness in his heart.

    The two chuckled at each other, and then, they kissed passionately. They felt like their already almost excessive love for each other reached another level. And it was just amazing, how their hearts forever beat only for each other.

    But Alex knew that they can¡¯t even fully celebrate yet. He knew he couldn¡¯t let their guard down at all or have any break from all of this. He can¡¯t rest and breathe until all this was over. Because dread now filled Alex¡¯s heart. He feared that what happened in the past will be repeated, and he would lose Abigail again. No, he will never let that happen. Never again. Over his dead body!

    .

    [Dear hellbounders, please be patient with me. I will try to write two chapters starting tomorrow but I still can¡¯t promise. :(

 Chapter 489 What else she can do*

    <h4>Chapter 489 What else she can do*</h4>

    In the living room, everyone was silent as they listened to Abigail. They all looked utterly serious. The revtions they heard were too much; it was simply mind boggling. Who would have thought that all this was far moreplicated than they thought? Who would have thought that Abigail was actually the reincarnated dragon keeper?

    "I believe that Dinah is that woman who looked like my mother. I saw that her face is still burned when she woke up inside that crystal-cave," Abigail said, looking down.

    "Might be a stic surgery," Alicia responded, and Abigail nodded. Although Alicia knew that stic surgery wasn¡¯t the only way for that Dinah to acquire Abigail¡¯s mom¡¯s face, Alicia didn¡¯t mention those other possibilities anymore. "And... the man that Zeke was talking aboutst night should be... the half-witch Zeres..." she continued.

    Abi and Alex just fell silent. They both knew that Zeres was never a traitor. He was just another victim of maniption back then. And he was the one who saved Alex, even sacrificing his life. Abi and Alex both believe that there was no way Zeres was behind Dinah. But then, if Zeres lost his memory like Alex, that would be a different story.

    "I think Zeres might have lost his memories as well. That¡¯s why he was backing Dinah," Abi broke the silence.

    "But Dinah didn¡¯t?" Alex promptly asked, intrigued and perturbed.

    Alex and Abi¡¯s eyes met. They both knew that Dinah knew them. Abigail would never forget how Dinah looked and spoke to Alex back inside that Ziggurat. There was no doubt that she remembered Alex.

    Looking at their puzzled expression, Alicia piped in. "We still don¡¯t know if Zeke¡¯s theory is really on point. Maybe, the half-witch has nothing to do with Dinah¡¯s doing at all."

    Abi immediately nodded. "That¡¯s right. Maybe Zeres don¡¯t really have anything to do with what Dinah is doing right now, Alex," she said, looking at Alex with a relieved expression.

    However, Alex¡¯s face remained nk, and he didn¡¯t react. He just silently listened as if some other serious matter was upying his mind.

    ...

    After their talk, the group then traveled back to country V. They decided to go back because that was Zeke¡¯s order before he left themst night. All of them didn¡¯t protest because they knew that it would be bad if they create any mess in this country. They had to be somewhere secluded in case a battle broke out again.

    Once they arrived, Abi, Alex, and Kai boarded the same car while Alicia, Raven, and his men boarded another. Alicia was going back to the ck Forest for the previous queen¡¯s funeral. Abi wanted to go with her, but Alicia refused her. All of them knew that Abigail was thest person they would want to put in any danger now. And besides, Abigail had something much more important to do right now, while the storm wasn¡¯t there yet.

    With a sad expression, Abi watched the other car through the window as it headed in a different direction. She sighed in regret when Alex¡¯s handnded on her head and gently pulled her to him. He kissed her head and rubbed her back, coaxing her.

    That was enough to make Abi felt a little better.

    Upon arriving at the castle, Abi¡¯s attention fell on Kai as they walked on the corridor. She didn¡¯t have any time to ask Kai about Kelly because of all the serious topics they had to talk about sincest night.

    "Kai, did Kelly went back home?" she asked him.

    For a fraction of a second, Kai¡¯s face turned a little indifferent. He peeked sideways at her as he responded. "I sent her back home before I came to Frost Town. She¡¯s alright, don¡¯t worry. Your friend Chris is also back in your country."

    Abi was relieved hearing that her two friends were alright. With all these things happening, Abi decided not to go and check on them. She didn¡¯t even drop by to check on her family because she was scared that she would only bring trouble to them. She decided that she will not go back and see them until she was certain that the danger was gone.

    "I am d to hear that, Kai. Thank you for taking care of Kelly," she smiled at him.

    A small and quick smile just touched Kai¡¯s lips, causing Abi to frown a little. It was apparent that there was something wrong with Kai. This guy wasn¡¯t talkative, but sincest night, Kai barely talked. And he was obviously acting a little strange when she brought up Kelly. What happened? Did something happen between them?

    Curious and a little worried, Abi was about to ask again, but Kai seemed to have sensed that she would ask for more, so he swiftly excused himself and walked away.

    Abi could only blink as she watched him disappear. It seemed she had to call Kelly as soon as she could.

    However, that day, as soon as they arrived in Alex¡¯s room and got changed, Alex didn¡¯t waste a moment and immediately brought her to the forest near the castle.

    "Okay, it¡¯s time to check." He said as he put her down on the ground, in the middle of the towering birch trees.

    "Check? Check what?" she asked, curious.

    "Check if the mist is still protecting you." He answered, causing Abigail to blink at him. "Remember when I found you all alone in the forest in Frost Town? I am certain that the mist had protected you that night when I left you alone in the sshouse."

    She frowned at him. "I didn¡¯t see any mist that night."

    "I saw. You were surrounded by mists, and there were dead bodies around you."

    Abi¡¯s eyes widened.

    This morning, Alicia said that aside from being the only one who could kill all immortals who drunk the dragon¡¯s blood, there might still be more power that Abi possessed as the reincarnatedst dragon keeper. That¡¯s why she asked Alex to try to find out if she still had those abilities and also find out what else she can do.

    .

    [Q. Should I write a short spin off for Kelly and Kai once this story ends?

    Please like myment. Thement with most like will decide whether I will write a spin off or not.^^]

 Chapter 490 Believe in yourself*

    <h4>Chapter 490 Believe in yourself*</h4>

    Abi couldn¡¯t speak. Although she didn¡¯t look as bad as Alex thought, Abi was still shocked, and she shuddered at the thought that she had already killed.

    Alex pulled her in his embrace and coaxed her. He didn¡¯t say anything, but Abi knew that he wanted her to calm down and understand that she was no longer just the normal human girl she thought she was.

    "You did that to survive, Abigail." He uttered. "Because this time, you are hell-bent not to leave me all alone again."

    Somehow, his words soothed her trembling heart, and she was able to calm down. Abi knew that it was a little easier for her to ept something like this now because of all the memories of her past self that she saw. The memories of Alex holding her dead body made her heart toughen. It made her realized that if she wanted to survive, if she wanted to keep her promise and will never leave Alex all alone again, she must ept who she really was, and she must do anything and everything to stay alive and be with him forever. She would never leave him and let him go through that pain again.

    "Better?" he asked as he pulled away. Abi nodded. She took a deep breath and forced herself to focus on him.

    "Mn. So how are you going to check if the mist is still protecting me? Are you going to try harming me?"

    "No. During the battle, the mist didn¡¯te when that woman tried to harm you and when those hybrids tried to attack you. But it came when you were wandering in the forest alone. It is almost as if the mist onlyes out now when you are unconscious."

    "Maybe because the mist didn¡¯t really sense real danger, that¡¯s why it didn¡¯t appear all those times? Or maybe because you were there? Like... when you¡¯re not around, the mist will protect me..." Abi trailed off the moment she realized what she was spouting.

    But Alex was silenced because what she said definitely made sense.

    "That time in Ashteria... the mist didn¡¯te because Lexus was there," she hesitantly added.

    She was right. That was the only exnation about it. And it was such a relief to know that. However, still, it would be nice if Abigail could control the mist on her own will. Because Alex just couldn¡¯t rx, and he wanted to find anything that could double Abi¡¯s protection. If she could control the existing mists, that would be a great protection for her. Alex thought that since he could control the wind, he could easily bring fogs to her location if needed.

    As they stood there, the natural fog that Alex was waiting for finally appeared.

    "Wife, you can control the mist in the crater back then. How about you try controlling these mists? I believe you can do it." He said.

    Abi looked around, and when she saw the mists around her, she swallowed. She then looked at Alex with a troubled expression. She honestly didn¡¯t have any idea how to do it because the only time Abi had seen her past self controlled the mist on her own will was that time when she went into the crater. Moreover, her past self only yed with the mists and didn¡¯t try turning them into weapons.

    Seeing her troubled expression, Alex¡¯s gaze softened as he bent and caressed her cheek. "It¡¯s okay. Believe in yourself, Abigail," he uttered, his beautiful eyes flickering with faith and confidence. "Remember, you have to learn how to protect yourself."

    His words and faith in his eyes made Abi took a deep breath. She knew she had to do this. She could feel Alex¡¯s immense unease since his old memories returned. The fear in his eyes didn¡¯t escape her notice, and she understood why. He was the one who suffered most and experienced a heartbreak she knew she could never handle if she were in his shoes.

    When a glimmer of intense fighting spirit appeared in her eyes, a smile crossed Alex¡¯s face. "Okay, I¡¯ll give you some space." He said, and the next second he was up there, standing at the branches as he looked down on her with encouragement.

    Abi forced a smile at him before she averted her eyes away from him. She looked around at the mists around her, and she took another deep breath. She moved her hands as if to scoop the mists. After a long while of silence, Abi swallowed, and she closed her eyes.

    She didn¡¯t have any idea what to do, but she thought this might be the same as activating her hearing ability. The noises then began to fill her head. But she didn¡¯t even need to try so hard anymore to sort out the sound she wanted to hear. It seemed she was finally used to this now.

    Her world became quiet. The unnecessary sound had been filtered out. She focused her senses on the white-colored strings, looking for something, anything. She didn¡¯t even know what she was looking for because she was already hearing nothing but sound the mists were creating. She didn¡¯t know how long did she stand there silently before she finally found something strange. Something out of ce.

    Alex, whose gaze never left her noticed her brows pulled together. The sun was already setting, and she had been standing there, unmoving like a statue for hours. He was surprised because he didn¡¯t expect his wife to immerse herselfpletely like that immediately. He could tell just how intense her concentration, and she actually maintained it for hours. He¡¯s been waiting for her to give up for today and try it again tomorrow, but there was no sign of her stopping at all. A smirk shed on his lips as he shook his head. How could he forget how persistent this wife of his?

    However, he didn¡¯t want her to force herself too much. So once twilight came and Abi still didn¡¯t move, Alex decided to finally jump down and stop her.

    The moment Alexnded on the ground, his eyes widened. A sheet of ice was about to crush on him.

 Chapter 491 Trespasser*

    <h4>Chapter 491 Trespasser*</h4>

    The mists around Abigail was gone. The ice sheets were scattered around her like white nkets. They were all over the ce, crushing against each other and crumbling into pieces.

    Alex smiled, seeing that it was finally working. Although Abi still couldn¡¯t transform the ice into weapons, her first try was an absolutely huge sess. His eyes glimmered with pride as he looked at her.

    After another long while, Abi¡¯s concertation broke, and the floating ice sheets fell on the ground before they turned back into mists again.

    "Good job, wife." Alex was already standing before her when she opened her eyes. She looked a little upset, but when she saw the look in Alex¡¯s eyes, a smile broke on her face. "See? I told you, you can do it. You did such an amazing job for a first try." He grinned, still looking proud of her.

    The smile on Abi¡¯s face widened, and she hugged him, suddenly feeling a little sore for standing for hours. "Thank you, Alex. I thought it¡¯s not working."

    "No, you did well, Abigail. All you have to do now is practice how to control them. And how to turn them into weapons that you can easily control. Once you can do that..." he paused and gently bumped his head on hers. "As long as we¡¯re in an open ce, you¡¯ll be untouchable."

    Abi nodded at him, excitedly. Her determination and fighting spirit intensified. She could finally be useful. Gone are the days when all she could do was watch and cry. From here on, she would fight alongside him. She would do everything to be useful, and she wouldn¡¯t let Alex fight all alone again. She must be stronger.

    "Come, let¡¯s go back to the castle. We will continue your training tomorrow." Alex took her hand and was about to lift her up, but Abi protested.

    "But Alex... I think I can still practice for a while. It¡¯s still early," she said, persuading him. "And If something unexpected happens tomorrow, I might not get any chance to practice anymore."

    A hint of disapproval shed in Alex¡¯s eyes. But he eventually relented, knowing that she was right. Any time soon and a storm mighte.

    "Okay, just one more hour." He told her with a firm voice, but Abi still smiled, ignoring the fact that Alex was obviously forced to agree with her wish.

    Once Alex returned to his spot, Abi didn¡¯t waste any moment, and she closed her eyes again.

    ...

    Meanwhile, in the Dark Forest, the witches had just finished their rituals for the former queen¡¯s funeral. Alicia was standing before the entrance of another secret crystal cavern. This cavern had been the grave of all the previous queens of witches.

    The witches were all dressed in a white cloak as they formed two lines in front of the entrance while Alicia was chanting. Her mystic voice echoed in the quiet, dark forest. It was mournful and filled with sorrow.

    Few teardrops quietly fell from Alicia¡¯s eyes as the entrance slowly closed. The tomb was now shielded by a powerful spell that could only be opened again once another queen dies.

    Sorrow enveloped the entire Dark Forest that night until the witches slowly dispersed. But before Alicia had let them leave the forest, she had ordered everyone to prepare themselves for an uing battle and wait for her call. All of the witches already knew about the immortal woman who had captured and killed their former queen, so they all bowed their heads to Alicia, showing her that they were more than prepared to aid her in any battle and protect her.

    Once most of the witches were gone, Alicia asked the remaining witches who were living in the Dark Forest with her to leave her. The witches then immediately nodded and left Alicia alone in front of the queens¡¯ grave.

    Alicia looked around and saw a little white flower blooming near a rock. She walked towards it and took the little flower and nted it in front of the grave. She then ced her palm above it, and a silver glow appeared from her hands.

    The next moment, the small flower began to grow. Its vines crawled up, enveloping the entrance of the tomb as it¡¯s little flowers bloomed in the dark.

    Alicia took a step back and stared at the beautiful wall of flowers. "Rest in peace, my queen," she then uttered, and she wiped her tears before she finally turned to leave.

    However, Alicia hadn¡¯t even taken three steps when something halted her. A cold breeze blew her long silver hair, and she lifted her face. Her eyes slightly widen as she looked straight ahead. She could sense it. The danger wasing her way.

    She grabbed the hilt of her sword as her eyes glowed in the dark. She didn¡¯t move and just stood there. The atmosphere in the forest had changed. It had be tensed and heavy. The strangest thing was that Alicia couldn¡¯t sense any fight going on. The witches had already sensed the invasion. She knew they were already at the forest entrance. So why was everything still so quiet?

    The witches should be fighting the trespasser by now, no matter who it was. Could it be that Alexander came? That was why her witches weren¡¯t fighting him?

    Alicia creased her brows. There was no reason for Alexander toe to this ce. Moreover, she wouldn¡¯t have felt this danger and strange unease if the oneing was Alexander.

    With an extremely alert expression, Alicia kept her calm. Her eyes turned fierce but patient. She knew they wereing, and nothing would change if she charged or ran away from them now. So she decided to wait for them in this very ce instead because this forbidden ce in the forest will give her a huge advantage, even if the oneing was that immortal woman.

    Finally, the enemy seemed to have reached her. She could finally see her witches, and her brows creased in surprise. The witches were retreating as if they were unsure whether to attack or not. They almost looked like they were hypnotized.

    Narrowing her eyes, Alicia unsheathed her sword, and then, the creature she was waiting for finally appeared. Her intuition was right. It was indeed him¡ªthe silver-haired half-witch named Zeres.

 Chapter 492 Silver-haired man*

    <h4>Chapter 492 Silver-haired man*</h4>

    The witches weren¡¯t actually hypnotized. They were merely shocked and were unable to believe what they were seeing.

    In all the history of witches, there was never a silver-haired male witch. And there was only one silver-haired witch at a time. Unlike the vampires, witches didn¡¯t have a royal bloodline. Once the current queen starts to weaken, the queen¡¯s power will be slowly transferred to someone among the witches. The current queen cannot choose her sessor either because the witch queen¡¯s power would be the one to choose its next host. The witch who will receive the power will start to have some changes in appearance. Her eyes and hair would turn silver, which would be the ultimate proof that she was the next chosen queen. To the witches, the silver hair was the crown of their ruler. A crown no one could take away by any force.

    Over the past countless years, the queen¡¯s power never chose a male host, and it had been like that until now, so why was this man had silver hair?

    They knew he was a witch, and he had the same aura as the witch queens. The witches could sense if he were an imposter, but they could tell his silver hair wasn¡¯t an illusion or a result of any underhanded methods. It was real!

    Confusion and wonder could only paint everyone¡¯s face. They had never seen a male witch with silver hair in their existence. Moreover, there was no way their new queen, Alicia, was already starting to weaken. Her reign had just begun, and her power was currently at its prime! This man was someone who shouldn¡¯t exist!

    "Where is the queen?" his deep voice echoed, jolting the witches back to reality.

    The man looked as ethereal as their queen. Every single part of his body was a definition of perfection nobody could ever ignore. Even his voice was as mystifying and breathtaking as his look. But the witches couldn¡¯t feel any animosity from him. As if he just came here like an old friend and he was definitely not looking for a fight. He even came all by himself and didn¡¯t have any weapon at all.

    When everyone couldn¡¯t say a word due to hesitation, whether they should answer him or not, the man faced forward, and a soft breeze blew.

    A smile suddenly crept on his ethereal face. "I think she¡¯s already waiting for me," he said, seemingly thrilled. He began to walk forward, nonchnt and calm as ever despite the heavy atmosphere between the witches.

    He was looking around as he walked. "Ah... this ce is almost unrecognizable. I remember this ce is quite livelier back in the day."

    The silver-haired man continued talking, almost like a carefree child who got lost in wondend. As the witches were moving backward while maintaining their alertness, they finally realized that there was something different with him. There seemed to be something off with his aura. As if he wasn¡¯t just a silver-haired witch. His appearance was also a little strange because of his long hair, and he was dressed in an ancient ck robe. He looked like someone who came from the ancient world. Just who the hell was he?!

    Upon arriving at the heart of the forest where Alicia was waiting, the witches finally took their eyes off him and faced their queen. They were surprised to see that their queen didn¡¯t seem as shocked as they were upon the sight of him.

    But the moment the witches took their eyes off the man, he disappeared, and in the next second, hended in front of Alicia. Alicia was quick, and she trusted her sword at him, creating an air that blew his long silver hair.

    The man¡¯s eyes circled as he halted, looking at the sword that was now pointed at his throat. But then, a smile still broke from his face next. "What a warm wee. It seemed witch queens in this era are quite aggressive." He jested, grinning.

    Frowning, Alicia ignored his still unbothered reaction. "Zeres, right?" she asked as her grip on her sword tightened, not daring to let her guard down at all.

    The man slightly creased his brows. "Oh, as expected of the witch queen. It seemed I don¡¯t need to introduce myself anymore."

    "Why are you here? Are you here to capture me?" Alicia questioned, and her res at him intensified.

    Zeres was silent for a moment. "No. I¡¯m not here to capture you." He replied. "How about you introduce yourself first, queen? I want to know your name."

    Alicia narrowed her eyes. She had been trying to decipher something, anything from his face for a while now, but she couldn¡¯t find what she was looking for. Now that Alicia was the queen, she could now decipher lies and pretension in anyone¡¯s face. She could feel the darkness and evil motives within someone¡¯s heart. So why can¡¯t she feel anything from this man? Wasn¡¯t he supposed to be an enemy? And more importantly, why the hell did he have such an angel face?!

    The way he spoke and the seemingly genuine smile made Alicia want to facepalm. If this man appeared before her before she heard Abigail¡¯s story, Alicia would have never doubted him like this, especially since she couldn¡¯t even sense a single sign of darknessing from within him.

    But in the end, Alicia decided not to trust her own power and forced herself to believe that this man was just impossible for her to figure out because he was like her, or he was using an ancient kind of spell no one ever knew about.

    "If you¡¯re not here to capture me, then why are you here?" Alicia asked again, ignoring his request to tell him her name.

    The man slightly tilted his head, and his face became a little serious. "I am here to borrow you for a day or two."

    Alicia: ". . ."

    The god of silence seemed to have passed by above them. The breeze blew, and everyone just parted their lips in disbelief.

    A deep frown appeared on Alicia¡¯s face again, and her deadly re was back.

    Seeing her expression, the silver-haired man scratched his head. "Uh... Could youe with me? I need your help," he added.

    "Help? And why should I help you?"

    The man¡¯s eyes wandered. "Hmm... because I¡¯m a witch."

    "Because you¡¯re a witch, I should help you?" Alicia echoed, and the man nodded. "And if I refuse?"

    Zeres blinked, looking quite surprised. "I¡¯ll stay here and persuade you, I guess."

    "And if I still refuse?"

    "Then, I don¡¯t have a choice but kidnap you."

    At his answer, Alicia¡¯s intense eyes immediately began to glow into something dangerous. Her hair danced behind her back as a silver glow appeared from her body.

    Zeres seemed to realize that he had angered her immediately, so he took a step back as he forced a smile. "Hey queen, calm down. Don¡¯t be so violent. I am not here to start a fight. I said that because you don¡¯t seem to like the proper and gentle method ¨C"

    Not letting him finish his statement, Alicia attacked him, and in one sh, Zeres fell on the ground. Blood gushed out of his abdomen as Alicia stood before him like the badass queen that she was.

    However, Zeres still shed a smile and bit his lower lip as he looked up at her. "Geez," he uttered as he stood. As expected, his wound already healed.

    Alicia leaped back upon seeing that his wound had healed. She confirmed it. This man really was the immortal half which. What should she do with him? Even if she will fight him now, she would eventually lose. There was no way she could win against an immortal. She¡¯ll just exhaust herself! Then, should she just let him capture her? No way! She will fight him and find a way to escape!

    Determined to fight, Alicia spread her arms wide. The glowing from her body strengthened. Her cloak danced along with her silver hair, and the green-colored lights also began to envelop her.

    The wind blew harder around her, and then, the trees began to move.

    Zeres didn¡¯t move from his spot and just watched her silently, even looking amazed.

    When Alicia opened her eyes, she saw that the man still didn¡¯t try to bring any weapon. He was just watching her. However, Alicia didn¡¯t falter. This was the best time for her to attack him and escape. She must give her all in this one attack while he still didn¡¯t know what she was capable of.

    Gathering an even more substantial power, Alicia was giving her all. This attack would definitely pierce him into pieces. Even if he didn¡¯t die, she would get enough time to escape while his bodyes together again and heal. Thus, closing his eyes, Alicia opened her mouth to finally chant the curse when out of nowhere, someonended before her, daring to enter inside the cloak of lights moving like a slow tornado around her. It wasn¡¯t Zeres.

    Alicia was surprised, but this man could no longer stop her. This man will get pierced into pieces along with Zeres. However, when the man¡¯s face registered in Alicia¡¯s vision, her eyes widened, and her lips instantly halted. E-Ezekiel?!

    .

    (Please don¡¯t be bothered with the ¡¯*¡¯ I put on the chap titles since chap 486. They are indicators that the chaps are unedited.)

    I think this is my longest chapter since chapter 1. Don¡¯t forget to vote and leavements hellbounders ^^

 Chapter 493 Cheese in a mousetrap

    <h4>Chapter 493 Cheese in a mousetrap</h4>

    Zeke¡¯s ck cloak was dancing in the wind, circling Alicia. His hood suddenly fell away, revealing the man¡¯s face. Just the sight of his face was enough for Alicia to stop her attack.

    In a blink of an eye, Zeke appeared only inches away from her, taking advantage of Alicia¡¯s short pause caused by her surprise. He bent forward and he whispered in her ear. "Don¡¯t try to fight him seriously, Alicia." His voice was filled with a serious warning, causing Alicia¡¯s brows to crease.

    "Don¡¯t fight back and just go with the flow," he added and before Alicia could react, Zeke took her sword from her. He then swiftly moved behind her and wrapped an arm around her, putting the de of her sword near her throat.

    Everything happened so fast. The green and silver glow of light slowly dispersed. Leaves began to fall slowly and the dancing trees stood still again.

    The witches were shocked to see that their queen had been caught. What just happened? Their queen could have escaped easily. Why did she stop when she already had the upper hand?!

    Confused with their queen¡¯s action, the witches could only circle around them on the perimeter. They couldn¡¯t attack anymore because their queen was held captive!

    As their surroundings became calm again, Alicia didn¡¯t say a word and just red at Zeres.

    Zeres walked towards them, ignoring the witches. He tilted his head and looked at the man in the ck cloak before he let out a helpless sigh. "How did you even find me, huh? Kiel?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at him. "Are you sure you¡¯re not a witch in disguise?"

    The man in the cloak didn¡¯t respond, so Zeres just sighed again, averting his gaze to Alicia. "You are quite powerful, queen. Previous queens weren¡¯t as powerful as you, you know?" he told her. His voice was still gentle and melodic, very pleasant and soothing to the ears, almost hypnotic. His seemingly kind eyes and genuine smile were a little disturbing for Alicia. How could he still look at her and smile at her like this after she shed him without hesitation and even tried to unleash her full power to destroy him? No, he must be absolutely faking it. Damn, how was he so good at this? He was the absolute perfect bait of cheese in a mousetrap! No one would be able to resist him if he kept acting like this!

    Alicia¡¯s frustration made her re at him again. She was usually calm but this Zeres was just frustrating her. And it was not just Zeres. She was equally frustrated with this damn vampire behind her. How the hell did he know toe here? And this Zeres even called him Kiel? It seemed that both men already knew each other which meant that Ezekiel still didn¡¯t tell them the truth when he had the chancest night!

    The questions kept piling up along with Alicia¡¯s frustration, maybe because these two were kind of the same. They were the only ones she couldn¡¯t read at all. The difference between them was that even though Alicia couldn¡¯t sense the darkness in Zeres, she could at least feel a lighting from him, something she couldn¡¯t even sense in Ezekiel. In fact, Alicia couldn¡¯t feel anything in Exekiel as if there was nothing inside him but a void.

    "Queen, I¡¯m sorry, but I have to kidnap you," Zeres said, looking regretful. "I¡¯ll have to put a spell on you so you can¡¯t use your power, in case you try to escape."

    "No need. I won¡¯t escape. I will follow you." Alicia¡¯s serious tone made Zeres pause in surprise.

    Alicia had said those words out of frustration. She had decided to go with the flow as per this vampire¡¯s words. Alicia didn¡¯t know what Ezekiel was nning, but once again, she chose to believe in him. She was sure that this man was embroiled in another chess game and this time, she must be one of his sacrificial pawns again. Even though Alicia was a queen now, she couldn¡¯t protest because Alicia knew she wasn¡¯t the only one ying this game. She was certain that Abigail and Alexander were already a part of this and even this half-witch beside her. Alicia wasn¡¯t fond of Ezekiel¡¯s method, but if this was the only way to win the battle, she could only oblige because she was aware that their opponents were immortals. She knew power alone could not bring them down. Moreover, Alicia herself was curious about the kind of help this half-witch would ask of her. Will he ask her to be his ally and join that Dinah?

    "Okay, let her go, Kiel." Just like that, Zeres ordered the man in the ck cloak to let go. However, the man didn¡¯t move. It seemed that just like Alicia, he was speechless too. "Let her go. Don¡¯t worry, she will not escape," he added, and the man in ck cloak finally let her go.

    Zeres even took the sword from the cloaked man and gave it back to Alicia, causing Alicia to look at him in disbelief.

    "You¡¯re even giving my weapon back?" she asked.

    "You already said you wouldn¡¯t escape so why not?"

    "And you actually believe me?"

    Zeres didn¡¯t look bothered at all. "Of course. You¡¯re a queen and queens don¡¯t go back on their words."

    Alicia¡¯s lips parted. She wanted tough but seeing how serious Zeres was as he said those words, she couldn¡¯t even react anymore. What the hell was wrong with this half-witch?

    "Okay, let¡¯s go." He then turned his back from her and looked at the witches. "Don¡¯t worry. I will take care of her. I will bring her back after two days, safe and sound," he told them with a smile before he started to walk away.

    The utterly speechless queen could only shake her head and signaled the witches to stay.

    ...

    Shortly after stepping out of the Dark Forest, Zeres and Alicia arrived in front of an ancient castle made of rocks. It wasn¡¯t asrge as other castles but it was a quaint little ce. The rock walls of the three part building were faded, ckened around the edges and the walls were reddish in color. The old castle looked like it had seen better days but despite its weathered look, Alicia felt that there was something special about it. The air was filled with energy she couldn¡¯t quite fathom.

    Ezekiel still hadn¡¯t caught up with them, so the two silver-haired witches walked alongside each other, stepping foot on an ancient stone bridge leading to the ancient castle.

    Alicia remained quiet when all of a sudden, Zeres leaned in on her. "Queen, you and Kiel know each other, right?" he asked, whispering.

    His question made Alicia halt but she didn¡¯t respond and just continued walking. But Zeres didn¡¯t take the hint and kept prodding. "You stopped your attack because you don¡¯t want to hurt him, right? Even if he¡¯s a blue-blooded vampire, your attack would have definitely harm him real bad with all those poisonous and powerful spells you¡¯re about to use. I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s not just someone you know, right, queen?"

    Once again, Alicia halted and let out a deep sigh. "Did you bring me here just to ask this?"

    He shook his head.

    "Then stop asking, or else your head might roll on the floor before I realize it."

    Zeres simply chuckled. He stepped ahead of her, faced her as he walked backward. "It seemed I was right. Are you two friends?" he asked.

    Alicia pressed her lips in a tight line and tried to ignore him. But Zeres was persistent.

    "Not friends either, huh? Hmm... could it be that you like him?"

 Chapter 494 Someone*

    <h4>Chapter 494 Someone*</h4>

    Suddenly, blood gushed out from Zeres¡¯ neck. His eyes widened as his hand flew to his neck, touching his deep wound.

    "Oops, I¡¯m sorry. My hand slipped." Alicia said as she put down her sword.

    Zeres¡¯ veins popped in exasperation as he bit his lower lips hard. "Stop doing that, you..."

    Alicia simply tilted her head, ignoring the man¡¯s words as her eyes zeroed on his healing wound. She couldn¡¯t help but be fascinated. She noticed that he was taking a tad bit slower to healpared to Alexander.

    "Are you listening? How did someone like you became the queen when you¡¯re this violent? You can¡¯t just sh someone¡¯s throat like that when they¡¯re talking to you so nicely!" He scolded. "Act like a queen, will you?"

    Alicia: ". . ."

    Speechless, Alicia could only blink at him. She had shed him for a reason. She wanted him to start showing his real self or any darkness he was hiding and suppressing behind his angel face, but all he did was scold her, like a frustrated old man? Was this still not a big deal to him?

    Alicia¡¯s eyes narrowed as she stared at him, watching his every expression closely, when Zeres sighed, pressing his temples like he was dealing with a problematic child.

    "Well, you became queen just a few days ago, right? And I think you¡¯re still too young," he looked at her, and his frustrated eyes suddenly became gentle as he lifted his hand and patted her head softly. "Okay, I think I need to lend you a hand and help you act like a real queen." He smiled encouragingly at her. "Don¡¯t worry. I will help you be a good queen the best I can."

    Once again, Alicia was rendered speechless. Her lips parted in both surprise and disbelief. But at the same time, she also couldn¡¯t help but pop a vein. What the hell was this immortal talking about? Was he treating her like a child? Sure, he¡¯s thousands of years old but still...

    "Please take your hand off me before my hand slip again and cut it." She told him, coldly, not pleased with how he was treating her. She was a queen now. She refused to be treated by anyone like she was a child.

    "Geez." He bent closer, his hand still on her head. "A good queen shouldn¡¯t talk so coldly like that, got it? Or else, you¡¯ll end up being like that guy." He pointed behind her, to the approaching man in the ck cloak. "What I mean is, at least, don¡¯t be so cold to your allies. That guy right there is always spitting ice whether he spoke with anyone, friend or foe. He¡¯s definitely a bad example, so don¡¯t be like him."

    A deep sigh escaped from Alicia¡¯s lips. ¡¯When did you even be my ally?¡¯ she muttered inside as she nced at the man in the ck cloak before she finally grabbed Zeres¡¯ hand away from her head. She realized that it was impossible to decipher this Zeres just by observing his words, expressions, and action. She also realized that he seemed to be tooid back. Was he like this to everyone? Was this really how he was?

    Alicia shook her head inwardly. It was too early for her to judge, but for now, no matter how confusing he acts, she will not trust him, even if he was literally the only one in this world now that shared the same physical features and ability as her. Alicia also thought that she might as well go along with the flow as the vampire prince said and let Zeres think that she was a naive, cold, and violent queen. Maybe this was the fastest way for him to drop his guard down and finally show her who he really was.

    Once the three of them were inside the castle, Alicia¡¯s brows were creased the entire time. It was because, contrary to what she was expecting, the interior of the old castle they entered was utterly shocking. It was an abandoned castle that was taken over by nature. There was a garden inside and a clear stream flowing in the middle. The sunrays that were peeking through the windows were giving the interior¡¯s view so picturesque. The castle was definitely looking nothing like a witch¡¯s den at all. It was like a fairy¡¯sir instead.

    "This is where you live?" Alicia asked Zeres.

    "Yes. A nice ce, isn¡¯t it?"

    "So, you lived here for 22 years?" Alicia wondered what Zeres had been doing since he awakened 22 years ago.

    "No, not 22 years. I came here just three months ago."

    His answer immediately made Alicia tear her eyes off the beautiful view before her and looked at him with questions in her eyes.

    "Where did you live beforeing here?" she asked, a little hesitant.

    Zeres leaned against a wall. "I don¡¯t know. Thest thing I remembered is that Dinah and I stepped out of a crystal cave in the middle of a desert. We wandered for days until a sandstorm came and separated us. The next thing I remember after that is waking up somewhere I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t see anything and..." he trailed off as he flicked a deliberate nce at the ceiling. "After that, I woke up outside this abandoned castle." He then grinned.

    Alicia narrowed her eyes again. ¡¯He couldn¡¯t see anything and what?¡¯ She could only ask herself. She wanted to ask more, but maybe this was not the time for that yet. She will wait patiently.

    "So? Why did you kidnap me and brought me here?" Alicia finally changed the topic. She needed to know why he brought her to this ce first.

    Zeres averted his gaze from her and fell quiet for a while before facing her again. "Because I need your power."

    Alicia frowned. "I don¡¯t understand. What power exactly are you referring to? Don¡¯t you already have every ability and power that I possess?"

    "I cannot use crystals balls. I don¡¯t have that ability."

    What he said made Alicia remember Abigail¡¯s story, that this half-witch was like Alexander. The two halflings bothck abilities that an average vampire and normal witch have.

    "You only need me for that? Any normal witch can do that for you."

    Zeres shook his head. "I tried. The normal witches couldn¡¯t see the person I am looking for. They said someone powerful is blocking their vision."

    Alicia silently swallowed. "You¡¯re looking for someone? Who?"

    A smile crept on his angel face as he happily spoke. "My wife."

 Chapter 495 False*

    <h4>Chapter 495 False*</h4>

    Alicia¡¯s mouth hung with her lips slightly parted. She was temporarily incapacitated, and her face washed nk with utter confusion. Wife? Could it be that he was talking about Abigail?!

    "A wife? What¡¯s her name?" she asked. Her eyes intrigued and expectant as she started at him.

    Zeres¡¯s smile slowly faded, but his expression turned soft and nostalgic. "Abigail," he then uttered, rendering Alicia speechless once again.

    Her gaze flew to the cloaked man, but she couldn¡¯t even see his face because of his hood. He didn¡¯t even move nor nce at her despite clearly hearing what Zeres just said. It seemed this vampire prince already know everything for him to act like he heard nothing.

    Trying her best to hide her expression, Alicia¡¯s eyes wandered around. She tried to refocus and secretly took a deep breath before she looked at Zeres again.

    Alicia was sure that something was so wrong with all this. There was no way that was true. She had heard Abi¡¯s story, and it was clear that Zeres love for Abigail remained unrequited until the day he died. Zeres, marrying Abigail, was just impossible. Did Dinah lie to him?

    However, looking at his thoughtful expression, Alicia shook her head inwardly. She could tell that he seemed to be recalling some sweet memories, so the only possible reason that Alicia could think right then was someone definitely gave him false memories. And a powerful spell like that can¡¯t be performed just by any witch. That thought made Alicia clenched her fists. Because aside from the former queen, there were only two witches that she knew who could perform that spell.

    "I want you to help me locate her." Zeres moved closer to her and held her hand, his eyes pleading. "Once I¡¯m reunited with her, I will bring you back to the Dark Forest and will not bother you again. I promise."

    Alicia peered at him through her beautiful silvershes, surveying his face again. After a long while, she let out a sigh.

    "Let me look at her face first," she said, and Zeres immediately nodded.

    "Of course," he grabbed her wrist and dragged her towards the room at the end of the corridor.

    Somehow, Alicia was d that his room at least didn¡¯t look like a fairy¡¯s room again. A crystal ball was shining on the bedside table, and there were old books piled up on the floor in almost every corner.

    Zeres led her towards the crystal ball, and they both stood before it. "This crystal ball is good enough for you to use, right?" he asked her. Alicia could only nod. She knew that this crystal ball was one of the previous queen¡¯s important possession that was stolen from Dark Forest a few months ago. Of course, Alicia already knew who the culprit was and she was still hunting them.

    "A witch gave you this?" she still asked.

    "Yes. That witch used this to locate my wife, but when she failed to see anything, she left it here."

    "I see." Alicia¡¯s gaze turned cold for a fraction of a second. "Okay, shall we start?"

    Zeres then sat on a chair, facing the crystal ball while Alicia stood behind him. She took another deep breath and closed her eyes before she slowly ced her hands an inch above his head.

    Once the silver glow appeared from her hands, Alicia opened her eyes and stared at the crystal ball. A hazy image was being formed in the crystal ball.

    And then there it was, his false memories. The false memories were showing Abigail and Zeres¡¯ simple wedding in a forest and then their happy moments together. Everything was aplete lie from the beginning to the end that Alicia felt pissed and angered just by watching. She was angry because it was not easy to break this spell. The only way to break this spell was if the individual remembered his real memories. In fact, this was one of the hardest and trickiest spell to undo because the trigger in remembering the real memories differs from each individual.

    In Alex¡¯s case, it seemed Abigail easily made him remember. But would that work with Zeres? What if meeting Abi will make him remember?

    As Zeres¡¯ false memories continued appearing in the crystal ball, Alicia sneakily tried to delve somewhere else. Normally, witches could only see the memories that the owner would allow them to see. But witch queens could forcefully see what they wanted to see, whether or not the individual allow it. And the good thing was that they could do it without the invididual realizing it.

    Alicia was certain that Zeres knew thismon knowledge, yet he let her do this with no hesitation. Was he really not hiding anything from her? Or did he really trust her this much?

    She closed her eyes again. Something was bugging her since a while ago. Just what happened to this half-witch before he woke up outside this castle three months ago?

    The crystal ball then blinked and something else reced the false memories. However, what she saw first was nothing but pure darkness. Alicia frowned, but she didn¡¯t give up. She knew that finding the memories she wanted to see wasn¡¯t easy since the owner wasn¡¯t thinking about it at the moment. She didn¡¯t have the time to start from the very beginning for her to see everything, so her only choice was to pick randomly where to start.

    For the second time, the crystal ball blinked again, but to Alicia¡¯s dismay, what she saw was again the same pitch ck image. What was wrong? Could it be that Zeres was sleeping in the past 22 years after he got separated from Dinah?

    Alicia made the crystal ball blink once again, but there was still nothing. She gritted her teeth because Zeres was now moving. He might open his eyes real soon yet she still couldn¡¯t see a thing!

    Onest time, Alicia made the crystal ball blink again. Her eyes stared hard at it with great anticipation, hoping that it will finally show something, anything. But then, what appeared was another pure darkness.

    Disappointment painted Alicia¡¯s face, and she was finally about to stop when her eyes widened. She couldn¡¯t see anything, but she heard Zeres¡¯ voice. Witches couldn¡¯t listen to voices when they were watching someone from afar using their crystal ball, but what Alicia was doing with Zeres was a different story. Powerful witches, especially the queens, could also hear voices in someone¡¯s memories.

    "Stop..." said the voice in her head. Although the voice sounded weak and forced, Alicia knew the voice was definitely Zeres¡¯. Why did he sound like he¡¯s in pain?

    Alicia¡¯s expression turned grave as she started to hear faint sounds from the background. Soft sounds of metals and voices of men echoed. She couldn¡¯t understand anything because the sounds were just barely reaching Zeres¡¯ consciousness. What was going on? Where was he? Were people surrounding him?

    Questions were piling up as Alicia anxiously waited for what she would hear next. She was already running out of time! Zeres will realize what she was doing if she takes any longer than this!

    She was almost holding her breath when finally, she heard Zeres¡¯ voice again.

    "Stop cutting me... it¡¯s painful..." he uttered in an agonized voice.

 Chapter 496 Rigid and cold

    <h4>Chapter 496 Rigid and cold</h4>

    Zeres opened his eyes, and the crystal ball that initially showed nothing but pitch-ck darkness abruptly returned to its normal silver state.

    He swiveled around, looking up at Alicia with an expectant look on his face. With neither a sign of suspicion nor a sliver of doubt that existed on his unquestioning face ¨C Alicia honestly and truly felt like she was tantly taking his absolute trust in her for granted. Was this man serious? Was he really not suspicious of her at all? He didn¡¯t even spare a second nce at the crystal ball!

    Alicia found herself not being able to control her own body actions ¨C and ended pursing her lips quite tightly ¨C as she tried her best to act normal, like she had done nothing wrong. She was feeling a little sorry, but she was left with no other choice! This was the only way for her to find out about his secrets!

    Zeres literally jumped from his seat and faced her. He was excited, to the point of grabbing her shoulders as he leaned closer to her. She could tell from the stars and sparkles in his eyes at how excited and impatient he was to know the whereabouts of his so called wife.

    But before those lips could form any word, the door swung open, causing both persons in the room to divert their attention towards the door immediately.

    The man in the ck cloak was already standing before the door, looking at them. "She¡¯s here," he said, and Alicia felt Zeres froze in surprise.

    Zeres¡¯ brows creased. "H-huh? Dinah?" he asked, and when the cloaked man nodded, the look in Zeres¡¯ eyes suddenly turned peculiar and that threw Alicia off. His grip on Alicia¡¯s shoulders tightened before he slowly looked at her with a troubled expression. "Queen, conceal yourself and stay here," he firmly told her before gently letting go of her. He hastily went toward the door but paused and looked over his shoulder. "Never let them know you¡¯re here, understand?"

    Before Alicia could respond, Zeres already stepped out of the room. She then stared at the man in the ck cloak, but the man only afforded her a sharp nce from the corner of his eyes before allowing the door to silently close behind him, leaving Alicia standing there, looking at the closed door with a stunned look on her face. What? Dinah? That immortal woman wasing? Or was she already here!? And why did Zeres showed such a reaction? They were supposed to be allies, yet Zeres looked so troubled just by Dinah¡¯s presence? What was going on?!

    Alicia¡¯s brain was in a mad whirl of activity. The voices she heard in Zeres¡¯ memories were still boggling her, and now this! What the hell was happening?

    Since Alicia already had herself concealed from the moment she stepped out of the Dark Forest, she really didn¡¯t need to expand any extra effort but just quietly stay in the room. As long as there was no powerful witch with Dinah, no one could ever detect the presence of a witch inside this castle.

    Alicia¡¯s curiosity will never let her just stand there and wait. So she sat on the chair and closed her eyes. She activated the crystal ball again and when she opened her eyes, she saw Dinah and her minions appeared in the crystal ball.

    ...

    Outside the room, Zeres and the man in the ck cloak halted midway in the corridor. They were nning to meet them outside, but it seemed they can¡¯t do that anymore. Dinah was already inside the castle, approaching them. She was nked on her right and left by two powerful looking witches and numerous men in a ck cloaks were moving as one behind her.

    It seemed her wound from the other day had healed, thanks to the formidable witches next to her. Dinah was wearing another revealing red gown under her ck cloak. Her face was delicately and beautifully crafted that it even bore a slight resemnce to Abi¡¯s innocent features. However, those eyes full of malice and malevolence betrayed her deceptively delicate look. Nothing she did could ever hide the evil glint in her sharp eyes.

    "Zeres," she called out as a smile crept across her face at the sight of Zeres.

    But Zeres might have been a marble statue. There was not an ounce of response from him. The gentle look in his eyes was gone, and his bright face turned serious.

    "Why are you here?" Zeres asked ¨C voice emotionless.

    "Of course, I came to check on you, Zeres."

    Zeres¡¯ eyes narrowed suspiciously at her statement. "Why? You don¡¯t trust Kiel anymore?"

    A low and sensual yet sinisterugh echoed. "What are you saying, Zeres? Of course not. I personally came to ask you toe with me."

    "Dinah..." Zeres gave a tiny sigh of displeasure after a short silence. "Didn¡¯t we already talk about this? We already agreed that I¡¯d be there in two days."

    Dinah¡¯s smile faded. "Well, the truth is I am just a little worried because I couldn¡¯t locate youst night." She said as she nced at the cloaked man beside Zeres. Despite her pleasant voice, she couldn¡¯t fully conceal that sinister look in her eyes. It was obvious that she was suspicious of them.

    But Zeres remained calm, and he simply let out a more obvious sigh ¨C tantly showing his obvious displeasure at her current actions and behavior.

    "I am a witch, Dinah. I can hide myself from anyone whenever, however, or in whatever way I choose to ¨C if the need ever arises." Zeres said.

    "Well yes, you are right, Zeres..." she trailed off as she nodded while the two witches beside her were looking around, as if something suspicious had caught their attention.

    Noticing the witches¡¯ actions, Zeres could only resign himself to the situation as it is developing. "Fine, Kiel, and I will be there tomorrow." He said, hoping to distract the two apanying witches and causing Dinah to smile in triumph for a fraction of a second before she tilted her head slightly.

    "Why not now? Do you have another n today?"

    Before Zeres could respond, the two witches next to Dinah suddenly disappeared. When Zeres turned behind him, he saw the two witches appeared in front of his room, hands reaching for the door handle. Zeres¡¯ eyes widened in surprise, and the next moment, he too disappeared and materialized before the two witches in a very menacing manner ¨C even causing those two powerful witches to flinch back a fraction.

    "What are you two doing? Who allowed you to approach my room?" The usual warm glimmers in his eyes were gone. Instead, his eyes were narrowed, rigid, and cold ¨C shooting very visible threats like vicious ice spears. His piercing re was lethal, but it seemed the threatening look in his eyes was not enough to cause the witches to stop their advance. However, when his irises began to turn gold, the witches immediately leapt back away from him.

    The atmosphere turned heavy in that split second. The witches even subconsciously prepared themselves for a fight, but Dinah gestured them to stop.

    Dinah then calmly stepped forward, locking eyes with Zeres¡¯ as she asked him with a misleadingly soft tone.

    "Are you hiding something... or someone from me? Zeres?"

 Chapter 497 Follower

    <h4>Chapter 497 Follower</h4>

    The golden hue in Zeres¡¯ eyes slowly dissipated, but his gaze on Dinah remained rigid.

    "So what if I am? Can¡¯t I hide someone in my own room?" he replied. His voice was back to being calm but the air around him was still a little heavy.

    Dinah threw a nce at the door behind him and a smile formed on her face. "Of course, you can, Zeres. It just makes me wonder at what manner of a person must it be for you to be acting so defensive like this."

    A short but weighty silence reigned between them before Zeres momentarily averted his gaze from her as he spoke. "She¡¯s just another witch I spent the night with. She¡¯s still sleeping, so I don¡¯t want anyone disturbing her," he said. His ears even turned slightly red.

    Zeres cannot help but feel embarrassed with the words that tumbled out of his own mouth ¨C though done willingly. Even though it was a lie, it still made his ears turned hot. It seemed he wasn¡¯t used in lying his way out, and he also knew that the queen inside was definitely listening in to whatever that was happening outside here.

    However, the reaction Zeres was trying so hard to hide actually worked itself to his favor and killed the suspicions in Dinah¡¯s eyes. Dinah lifted a very arched brow at him ¨C luscious, pouty lips forming a small and perfectly rounded ¡¯o¡¯. It seemed the woman herself wasn¡¯t expecting what Zeres just revealed.

    "Oh, I see. So that¡¯s why you concealed yourselfst night," she muttered, nodding as she looked him over with a meaningful gaze. She stared intently at him for another long while before she finally gave in. "Fine. See you tomorrow then, Zeres." She said and majestically whirled around to her many followers, having her back facing him. She took a few steps forward but halted beside the man in the ck cloak.

    Her eyes peered at him sideways. "I hope this is not your doing, Kiel." She murmured, her eyes sharpened as if she was dissecting him.

    "He found the woman himself," the man answered simply.

    "Which is strange."

    "He¡¯s a man."

    "But he¡¯s a witch. Not a vampire who¡¯s exceptionally fond of women, Kiel."

    "But witches aren¡¯t immune from the very real temptations of the flesh, Lady Dinah ¨C as you also are very much aware of. They too, can elope with someone they don¡¯t love. And don¡¯t forget he¡¯s been alone in this lonely and forsaken ce for a very long time."

    "Well, you are right... I wouldn¡¯t worry if she¡¯s someone he doesn¡¯t love... but don¡¯t you think he¡¯s a little too overprotective of someone he¡¯s simply eloping with?"

    "You know what kind of man Zeres is. He¡¯s simply doing what he thought is the right thing for him to do. That¡¯s just how he is. Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s not going to fall for anyone else. Everything will go as nned, I can assure you of that."

    Dinah fell silent. Her intent gaze on the man named Kiel turned even sharper. But eventually, she dragged her gaze away from his face and to the other two witches who apanied her, and she smiled with satisfaction.

    "Of course, I will always believe in your reassurance, Kiel," she told him without looking at the man in the ck cloak. She then took another step forward but paused again. "Ah, I almost forgot." She peered over her shoulder, her voice floating over to him. "I need your presence tonight. Notter than twilight, aye, Kiel?"

    Without waiting for Kiel¡¯s response, Dinah gestured at her minions and they all finally left the old castle.

    Upon making sure that they were gone, Zeres¡¯ shoulders drooped and he leaned his sturdy frame against the door. He let out a deep sigh of relief as his gaze fell to the man in the ck cloak.

    "That was close," Zeres uttered. "What¡¯s with her? Barging in unannounced like that?"

    "Don¡¯t mind her, she¡¯s simply suspicious. I believe those two witches must have signaled the rm to her."

    The door was suddenly pulled open, causing Zeres to fall a step back before catching himself from falling over. How mortifying that would be ¨C him, a witch in his own right, toppling over due to a door opening behind him. Heposed himself before ncing over his shoulders. Alicia emerged from behind him, looking at Zeres with a raised brow.

    "So you¡¯re actually bedding women in this room of yours knowing full well that you have a wife?" she asked him, straightforwardly. Of course, Alicia was aware he had lied about her presence. However, regarding the matter with the previous witches that he imed he brought in this ce was a whole different ballgame!

    Witches weren¡¯t like vampires who normally are in rtionships with multiple women throughout their lifetime. In fact, since the ancient times, male witches were one-woman men because upon marriage, they would both be bound by a spell where both parties have to be in full agreement with. That spell was akin to the couple¡¯s vows in human weddings, but for the witches, it is a spell that no one could break. With that, the couple will never fall for anyone else aside from their husband and wife until they die.

    Alicia realized from the cloaked man and Dinah¡¯s conversation, that Dinah is well aware of this fact. However, just by seeing her being worried and considering her over-the-top actions, was a very telling to Alicia. There was only one reason for Dinah¡¯s unsolicited and unreasonable worries ¨C her very actions are spotlights on the fact that confirms Zeres was never and still wasn¡¯t bound with anyone yet.

    "Y-you..." Her words flustered Zeres. "Stop saying such ugly things, queen. I will never betray my wife." He argued. He waspletely thrown off by Alicia¡¯s words.

    "Oh, really? How about the previous witches you said you brought here?" Alicia couldn¡¯t help but to continue baiting him.

    "I just took those witches here to help me locate my wife."

    "But that man said, you¡¯re just a man and you¡¯re not immune from fleshly temptations too. It seemed he was a witness that you have sumbed to temptation at least once." Alicia pointed at the man named Kiel with a mocking expression. "...if not more..." Alicia added that quietly, but it was enough for two other pairs of ears to pick it up.

    Zeres¡¯ mouth hung open and he could only pinch the skin between his brows. "Queen, if you keep this up, I will stop calling you ¡¯queen¡¯. A good queen shouldn¡¯t be judging someone with such haste like what you are doing now without any evidence."

    "Well, apologies for not being the stoic and ideal queen, oh great ancestor, Zeres," Alicia responded, with an exaggerated roll of her eyes, causing Zeres to be rendered speechless. She waited for him to get angry or at least re at her, but none of that happened.

    He stomped over to the cloaked man andnded his hand heavily on the man¡¯s shoulder. "I don¡¯t think I can deal with this new generation¡¯s queen. Maybe our age gap is just too much." Heined.

    The man in ck cloak stood still, unmoving, but he also let out a quiet sigh. "She¡¯s just ying around. Don¡¯t take her words seriously," he said with an almost monotonous voice.

    "Well yeah," Zeres expression changed back to a calm one. "She¡¯s young and new to power, I should be patient with her," he continued before facing her with a patient smile. "Now....why don¡¯t we just forget about that whole fiasco and move on, queen. I need you to locate my wife now so I could ¨C"

    "I have a question first, Zeres." She cut him off. The game seemed to be over now because her expression turned fierce, and she was ring at him with such intensity again.

    "Okay, go ahead," Zeres immediately relented, and Alicia¡¯s eyes narrowed even further as she continued.

    "I was expecting that you should be that woman¡¯s master, Zeres. But it seemed I was wrong because from how it was ying out earlier, somehow, it¡¯s actually the other way around. Why? How?" Her voice was filled with wonder and disbelief. "How did a powerful and immortal witch like you came to be at her beck and call? Have you been reduced to being only a mere human follower?"

    .

    [Second chap willeter before midnight ^^]

 Chapter 498 The best move*

    <h4>Chapter 498 The best move*</h4>

    Zeres¡¯ gaze sharpened for a moment, and his jaw had contracted. He stood entirely still, saying nothing, as he continued staring back at her.

    But Alicia persisted and refused to give in. She waited for his response with her earnest and fierce eyes. Eyes that were screaming her refusal to ept his silence as an answer to her question.

    Realizing that Alicia was more than determined to hear his answer, Zeres¡¯s gaze eventually softened. To him, this witch queen was really hard to deal with, and her intensity was actually troubling him. He could not resist her probing and stubborn gazes.

    "Sigh... listen to me, queen." Zeres finally started. "I believe it¡¯s better if you won¡¯t be involved with this. I don¡¯t want you to ¨C"

    "Oh please," Alicia cut him off once again as the corner of her lips curved up. "I am already involved with all these matters about you immortals, much more than you think, Zeres." She pressed, narrowing her eyes. "And I don¡¯t get it. Why do you sound like you know nothing about all the things that are happening all this time?"

    Silence reigned between them again.

    "Did you even know that the previous queen died because of that Dinah?" As these words slipped from Alicia¡¯s mouth, Zeres looked at her with surprise, causing Alicia to shake her head. Was this guy serious? He really knew nothing? What was he doing all this time? Was he really just staying in this castle like some caged bird?

    Alicia let out a deep sigh. She refused to believe that he really knew nothing but she just felt that he wasn¡¯t acting at all. The emotions in his eyes right then were just too real to be fake.

    "I will not tell you the whereabouts of your so-called wife." She suddenly told him with a decisive expression.

    Her words made the man looked rmed. He walked closer to her, but Alicia turned her back from him. "I am leaving," she said, but Zeres caught her wrist.

    "Wait. Don¡¯t leave." He blocked her, looking a little anxious. He closed his eyes and sighed with surrender in his eyes. "Fine. I will tell you why. That¡¯s all you wanted to know, right? But you have to promise me first that you will help me locate my wife."

    Alicia stared at him. "No, I don¡¯t want you to tell me." She told him, causing Zeres to frown hard at her. "Let me see everything myself."

    The first thing Zeres did upon hearing herst statement was to shake his head in disbelief. "You really are one hell of a queen," he mumbled under his breath. He knew what she was talking about. She wanted to look at his memories directly rather than hearing his exnation.

    "Don¡¯t get me wrong, Zeres. Don¡¯t expect me to trust you. How could I trust someone who¡¯s friends with the person who killed my queen? If you wanted me to speak, then allow me to see everything for myself."

    Zeres¡¯ gaze flew towards the opened window. There were little birdsing in and out, chirping as if they were enjoying their freedom to fly as they want. A far off look glimmered in his eyes as he silently watched the flying birds.

    And then, a small smile curved on his angel face. "Fine," he said softly before he met her gaze again. "But I won¡¯t let you do that right now. Please don¡¯t get me wrong, queen. I am just a little wary because I think you¡¯re too mischievous for me to trust fully."

    "So you¡¯re telling me to bring you to her first before you let me see your memories?" she smirked. "Didn¡¯t I already tell you I don¡¯t trust you?"

    "I knew you would say that," Zeres scratch the back of his neck. He let go of her wrist and smiled at her.

    The next second, he suddenly chanted a curse towards himself.

    Surprise immediately painted Alicia¡¯s face. Zeres had just cast a spell on himself. Judging from the chant, Alicia could tell that he cursed himself to be immobile for a day if he breaks his promise. This spell was definitely not a joke, and it was one of the most powerful witch¡¯s spells that no one could break, especially when the caster was the cursed one himself!

    Before Alicia could react, he already sessfully cast the spell to himself.

    "Happy now, queen? With this, you can freely do what you wanted with me while I¡¯m immobile," he said with a smile, and Alicia was so dumbfounded that she could only press her temples. She really couldn¡¯t fathom this man as well!

    Knowing that there was no more turning back, Alicia nced at the muted man in the ck cloak. She really wanted to talk to him. Even though Alicia knew that this vampire prince would never say anything about his ns, she at least wanted to receive any signal from him if this was the right thing to do. Was letting Zeres and Abi meet really the best move?

    Alicia thought that maybe letting Zeres and Abi meet was the right thing she could do at this moment. Now that she felt like Zeres could actually be innocent, she thought that maybe they could still get him to their side. That was not an impossibility if Abi will manage to bring Zeres¡¯ memories back. If Zeres will find out that Dinah manipted him, he would surely turn his back from her and be Abi and Alexander¡¯s ally once again.

    That may seem a little too good to happen, but what if it would really work?

    Alicia tried to gauge any reaction from the man in the ck cloak, but he remained still like a lifeless statue.

    "Now, shall we go? We can¡¯t waste any more time. I already told Dinah that I¡¯d be there for her tomorrow." Zeres words pulled Alicia¡¯s attention back to him.

    After a moment of hesitation, Alicia nced at the cloaked man for thest time. When he still didn¡¯t give her any sign of disagreement, Alicia finally nodded at Zeres thinking that the meaning behind Ezekiel¡¯s silence was that he supported her decision.

    Thus, with no farther ado, they finally left Zeres¡¯ir and headed to the Hidden Kingdom.

    .

    [Thank you for waiting. From today, I will try to write two chaps daily again.

    Also, I just want to announce that this is thest arc.]

 Chapter 499 Not so wonderful*

    <h4>Chapter 499 Not so wonderful*</h4>

    When Alicia, Zeres, and the man in the ck cloak finally arrived in the vampire¡¯s country, the sun was already setting.

    "I am leaving," said the man in the ck cloak, and Zeres just nodded at him.

    "Okay, I will see you tomorrow, Kiel."

    Alicia had been continuously ncing at Ezekiel during their entire trip. She was still waiting for any sort of signal from him. But as expected, she received nothing from the man. And now, he was leaving. Alicia so wanted to ask, but she knew that wasn¡¯t an option when the man himself didn¡¯t even look at her at all the entire time. It seemed he really wad supporting this decision and was now leaving this immortal witch in her care. But what if something will happen? What if Alexander and Zeres will end up fighting tonight the moment they met? Ezekiel¡¯s presence was definitely needed in this crucial moment, and yet he¡¯s leaving because of that woman¡¯s order? Was that woman¡¯s order really more important than this?

    Alicia couldn¡¯t help but feel dismayed.

    Even though Alicia still doesn¡¯t know the extent of Zeres¡¯ power, that color in his eyes that was so much akin to Alexander was enough to make him another dangerous creature. That was why the thought that this man and Alexander might end up fighting tonight rmed her.

    However, since that vampire prince was so carefree leaving them like this, maybe she didn¡¯t need to worry this much. Moreover, Abi was there. Abi¡¯s presence would be enough to calm Alexander and perhaps, Zeres as well.

    Ezekiel was long gone, but Alicia was still staring at the direction where he had disappeared. She was thinking so deep that she didn¡¯t notice she¡¯d been staring with a far off look in her eyes for a long while now until Zeres¡¯ angel face appeared just inches away from her face.

    "Queen, tell me, do you seriously like that guy?" he asked, gazing at her with intense curiosity.

    Alicia simply sighed, unbothered by his words.

    "Zeres, I think you should stop minding such kind of silly things right now. If I were you, I would start preparing myself for what¡¯sing ahead, instead." She told him. An obvious warning resonated in her tone.

    But Zeres didn¡¯t seem to take her warning seriously. "Geez, I am just worried about you." He mumbled.

    Alicia raised a brow. "Worried about what? About that man, you called Kiel?"

    Zeres hesitated for a moment. "Well, even I could feel something is off with Kiel. I mean, I am not against a rtionship between a witch and a vampire. Although I still never heard about such a rtionship happening in my life until now... but anyway, I am not talking about the forbidden love between a vampire and a witch. It¡¯s just that..." he trailed off and peered at her through his thickshes, shing that seemingly genuine kindness in his eyes again. "It¡¯s just that... I think Kiel is too heartless for you and, in fact, for anyone looking for love. How should I say this... anyway, you¡¯re the queen, I¡¯m sure you already know what I am trying to say."

    Averting her gaze away from his earnest eyes, Alicia calmly spoke. "Don¡¯t worry. I am not liking that vampire nor falling for him. It¡¯s just your imagination," her voice was soft as she told him those words before she moved forward. Alicia didn¡¯t want this conversation. But she honestly thought that Zeres was right. She was a queen now, so she already knew what Zeres was trying to tell her. And it was funny, but Zeres¡¯ definition of Ezekiel was precisely how she would describe that vampire prince. Heartless. Yes, she too thought that it seemed impossible for Ezekiel to love anyone because there was nothing inside him but a void radiating no light nor warmth nor darkness.

    But then, whenever that memory of that vampire saving her that night in the Ziggurat popped in her head, Alicia couldn¡¯t help but...

    "Really? Are you sure? Queen?" Zeres¡¯ voice abruptly pulled her attention back to him, and a deep sigh escaped her lips again. And then, she just continued walking ahead, ignoring him.

    "Sigh... I am just truly worried about you, okay? You¡¯re young and ¨C"

    Abruptly, Alicia halted and swirled towards him. "Actually, I am the one who¡¯s damn worried about your fate, Zeres!" Alicia almost yelled at him, but again, Zeres reacted differently.

    A smile crept on his angel face, and his eyes glimmered. "Eh? Really? You¡¯re worried about me?" he asked with slightly widened eyes, causing Alicia to fall speechless for a moment. Why did he look like he was delighted? This guy...

    "Just a little," she replied. "I hate to tell you this, but I am sensing a... not so wonderful future for you."

    Zeres let out a pleasant chuckle. "A not so wonderful future, huh..." he echoed. "Even if that¡¯s true, no need to worry about me, queen. And I¡¯ve been preparing myself in thest three months, so stop getting worried and just smile, okay?"

    ...

    It was exactly twilight when Zeres and Alicia arrived at the forest near the Reign¡¯s castle.

    Alicia knew that Abi and Alexander frequently stayed in the forest since they arrived in this country. She also saw that Abi awakened the dragon keeper¡¯s power, and she was doing her best to control it perfectly now.

    Abigail¡¯s dedication and will power amazed Alicia. She was confident that Abi would definitely y a crucial role if the war they were preparing for will finally break out.

    But right now, things might go in apletely different direction from what they initially expected. Because Zeres was here and he¡¯s about to meet them now. Alicia believed that if they could take Zeres to their side, the winner of this war would already be decided and that Dinah would never have a chance.

    Once the two were about to reach Abi and Alexander, Alicia halted and turned to face him. She wanted to speak to him onest time before they appear in front of the couple. However, Alicia momentarily froze, and her eyes widened upon realizing that Zeres¡¯ irises had already turned gold.

    .

    [There¡¯s a second chapter ^^]

 Chapter 500 Reunion*

    <h4>Chapter 500 Reunion*</h4>

    Alicia¡¯s heartbeat hastened. Her body subconsciously froze at the sight of Zeres¡¯ golden eyes. She could sense a foreign and powerful aura oozing from him. He wasn¡¯t just a witch anymore.

    But somehow, Alicia was d because she didn¡¯t feel that intense fear she always felt around Alexander when his eyes turned this golden. Or maybe, was she less scared around Zeres because she was queen now? Or was it because Zeres was a witch?

    Making no movement, Alicia watched him as he focused his gaze forward. She could tell that something had triggered him. Did he already sense Alexander, or was it Abi that triggered something in him, so his eyes turned golden?

    Zeres moved, but Alicia was quick to block him. "Wait, Zeres!" she ced her hands on his chest to stop his advance. The man looked at her, his eyes still alert and the golden hue in his eyes was dancing in chaos.

    "I could sense someone nearby," he said.

    "Someone?"

    "Mm. I feel strange. I suddenly feel like my blood is boiling. Let me go see who it is."

    He moved again, but Alicia held on to him.

    "Wait." She told him, firmly. But this time, the man didn¡¯t seem to hear her and tried to dodge Alicia. Without a choice, Alicia grabbed his cors and pulled him close, forcing him to look at her. She was surprised by her own bold move. Even if Zeres was a witch, she knew he was undoubtedly like Alexander. There might be some gap in power between them, but Zeres was indeed powerful. Who knows if he would lose himself and go berserk like Alexander? And yet, here she was, grabbing a dangerous creature¡¯s cor like this.

    "Listen to me first, Zeres." She pressed, trying her best to keep her calm.

    The man dly halted and stared back at her, so Alicia immediately continued. "Whatever you will see and find out, please promise you will stay calm, okay?" she pleaded.

    For the first time since they met, Alicia looked at him with genuine concern. Her gaze on him no longer hard and doubtful.

    But deep lines appeared on his forehead upon hearing her words, and he looked at her with questioning eyes.

    "Don¡¯t ask me why right now. Just promise me you won¡¯t start a fight. I mean, whatever happens, please don¡¯t fight anyone. Just do your best to stay calm and don¡¯t do anything rash, understand? I assure you, everything will be alright if we do this peacefully. Yes?"

    Alicia¡¯s effort and the way she spoke to him at that moment somehow made the atmosphere less heavy. His hand softlynded on her head, causing Alicia to freeze in surprise again. She didn¡¯t expect him to do that. And why was he doing that to her, anyway?!

    "It seemed deep down, you are truly a good queen." He uttered smoothly, and Alicia immediately let go of his cor. He took a deep breath as if he was calming himself before he dragged his gaze back to the thick forest ahead. "I got it, queen. I will stay calm. I won¡¯t do anything rash. Now shall we go?"

    His eyes didn¡¯t return to its normal silver hue, so Alicia didn¡¯t dare drop her guard down. "Please stay behind me." She told him, and when the man nodded, they finally moved forward. She could do nothing now but hope that this reunion will not cause a disaster.

    Zeres was obediently following her, but he was obviously holding himself back. Impatience painted his angel face, and his grips had turned into tight balls.

    As they were getting closer and closer, the atmosphere became grave again. The next second, Alicia¡¯s palmnded on Zeres¡¯ chest, and she pushed him back. Her sword swung in the air like lightning, creating silver glows as she cut through the air before her. Sharp and thin ice crystals fell on the ground as Alicia continued swinging her sword with ease and power.

    Zeres, who was stunned by the sudden attack, was now awed as he stood there, watching Alicia and her silver hair that was dancing fiercely behind her. He looked amazed at this witch queen¡¯s skill.

    The deadly sharp ice crystals didn¡¯t stoping. Alicia didn¡¯t mind dealing with this. In fact, she wanted Abi to keep attacking because she wanted to check how strong she had be in just a couple of days. But Alicia was worried about Zeres. She didn¡¯t want to give Zeres a reason to ignite a fire within him and fight alongside her, especially now that his eyes were already zing like a sun.

    Thus, Alicia called for her. "Abigail, it¡¯s me," she said softly, knowing that Abi could hear her from this distance.

    The ice crystals abruptly disappeared and turned to mists.

    As the mists gathered on the ground, Alicia lifted her gaze, and Abi was right there, standing in the middle of a thick mist. She opened her eyes and when she saw Alicia, a smile broke on her face. "Alicia!" she called out.

    "So, your name is Alicia. It¡¯s a beautiful name." Zeres smiled at Alicia before lifting his gaze and looked ahead while someone suddenly blocked Abigail, who was about to run towards Alicia.

    Alexander hadnded right in front of Abigail like a phantom that appeared out of nowhere.

    The world seemed to turn to a halt. Alicia felt Zeres¡¯ body became immobile as he looked at Alexander with utter shock.

    Alicia dragged her gaze from Zeres to Alexander, and she couldn¡¯t help but hold her breath with what she saw. Just like Zeres, Alexander¡¯s eyes were zing like a golden furnace as he stared back at Zeres.

    The atmosphere became tensed and heavy. The mists dissipated, and the quiet surrounding became almost deafening. It was so quiet and still that a single sound and movement might spark something dangerous.

    At that moment, Abigail¡¯s head craned from Alexander¡¯s side, and when she lifted her face and looked ahead, her eyes widened.

    "Ze-zeres?"

    .

    [Happy 500 chapters hellbounders!!! Are you guys still here with me? Please stay with Abi and Alex until the end of their journey. Love you guys!]

 Chapter 501 Bottom line*

    <h4>Chapter 501 Bottom line*</h4>

    Abi couldn¡¯t believe her eyes. Even though she knew that she would see Zeres again soon, his presence still shocked her.

    Zeres was the same as the silver-haired young man in her past self¡¯s memories. His ancient fashion, long silver hair, and that ethereal face remained precisely the same, except for his now golden-colored eyes.

    "Zeres," she uttered his name. Abigail had seen how Zeres cared for and loved her past self. She had watched how he sacrificed himself to save Alex and how he remained in her side until hisst breath. She had also heard hisst words, begging her never to forgive him, and that made her heart ached for him. He was always such a selfless friend who had loved her past self unconditionally.

    The thought of Zeres¡¯st moments had broken Abi¡¯s heart into pieces again, and all she wanted that moment was to hug him.

    Abi stepped forward. Alex remained rooted on the ground, his jaw clenching, but he didn¡¯t stop Abigail from approaching him. However,

    "M-my wife?" Zeres¡¯ said, and the hellfire in Alex¡¯s eyes zed mercilessly. He grabbed Abigail and pulled her back towards him, wrapping her with his mighty arm.

    Abi was as shocked as Alex. But Zeres reacted the same the moment he watched Alex pulled Abi in his embrace. His burning gaze also intensified as both men red at each other with unbearable intensity.

    Alicia and Abi could now feel the extreme danger in the air. The already heavy atmosphere turned even heavier. The intense tension was making it hard to move.

    "Alex, calm down. Please." Abi said, and dly, she could immediately pull Alex¡¯s attention to her.

    "I can¡¯t calm down when he¡¯s not, Abigail. What if he attacks?" Alex replied, and he returned his alert and dangerous gaze back to Zeres.

    "Alex, he¡¯s your friend."

    Her words made Alex¡¯s jaws clenched again. "I know," he replied, not tearing his eyes off him. His eyes momentarily softened, but too soon, they returned to its fierce and dangerous state. "But if he¡¯s here intending to take you away from me..." his voice hardened, "then, I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s my bottom line."

    Abi could only bite her lips. She heard what Zeres just said, so she understood why Alex was now acting like this. Why on earth did Zeres call her that?

    Alicia, on the other hand, was having a hard time dealing with Zeres. She¡¯s been calling out his name, but the man wasn¡¯t responding at all. She could feel that his situation was getting more and more dangerous. A little bit more and something terrible might happen!

    "Zeres!" she called out again. When the man began to move forward, Alicia gritted her teeth, and she cupped his face with both of her hands. His skin was hot. So hot, Alicia felt like she was touching a ball of fire. But she didn¡¯t let go. She can¡¯t let this happen. She brought him here so the three of them could sort things out and reconcile, not to worsen the situation. If these two immortals fight here, no one might be able to stop them. Even if Abi was here, would Zeres listen to her?

    "Zeres!! You promised me that you¡¯d calm down!!" Alicia yelled at him, but the man continued stepping forward. "Listen to your queen, damn it!!"

    Alicia had used the curse that would force any witch to submit to her, the queen. This was one of the witch¡¯s queen¡¯s most potent abilities. As long as she could touch the witch directly, she could make them listen to hermand. And rogue witches weren¡¯t an exception. This was why rogue witches always try to run away from the witch queen as far as they could.

    Even though Zeres was someone ancient and also a half-human, he was still a witch. Her power could at least affect him.

    To her relief, the man halted, and hisshes dropped to meet her gaze. "Stop! This is an order. Don¡¯t attack them and calm down." Shemanded in a firm yet careful voice.

    Zeres closed his eyes, and he gritted his teeth. "I¡¯m sorry," he mumbled, "I can¡¯t. I¡¯m burning. I can¡¯t stop myself. I need to..." he held her wrists. "Move, Alicia. I might hurt you."

    "No! If you move one more step, the spell you cast on yourself will activate! You¡¯re supposed to be fulfilling your promise to me now that I¡¯ve brought you to her!"

    His grip on her tightened. She felt like her wrist was burning.

    "Zeres! Please calm down!" Abi called out, causing Zeres to look at her the moment he heard Abi¡¯s voice. A deep groan escaped from his lips, and suddenly, he looked like he was in pain.

    Alicia¡¯s eyes widened because his nails began to turn ck. She remembered when Alexander went through a change like this back in that Ziggurat. Oh no, this was terrible!

    Left without a choice, Alicia stepped back and pulled him, causing the man to take another step. Zeres eyes dted, and he swayed. He fell on his one knee as if every fiber of strength had left his body. The curse was working!

    The next moment, he became utterly still, as if he had turned into a statue. Looking at him, Alicia let out a deep breath of relief. She was afraid that the spell wouldn¡¯t work on him.

    Without wasting a moment, Alicia turned to Alexander and Abi. "Alexander, Abigail. Please listen. Zeres don¡¯t remember a thing. Just like you, he remembers nothing about the times you three had spent together." She immediately exined.

    Alexander creased his brows. "Then why the hell did he call Abigail his wife?" he asked, his eyes still golden.

    "Just like you, someone also nted false memories in Zeres. I saw his false memories myself. They made him believed that Abigail is his wife."

    Anger and frustration painted Alexander¡¯s face. "That¡¯s why please try not to fight him. I brought him here for a reason, not for you guys to fight."

    "But he looked like he couldn¡¯t even control himself, Alicia. It¡¯s impossible not to fight him if he attacks." Alexander argued, and Alicia could only fall silent. Alexander seemed in control of his body, but Zeres definitely wasn¡¯t. Zeres was acting like the old Alexander who always loses control of himself and goes berserk.

    Alicia turned to the immobilized man and clenched her fists. She fully understood what Alexander was saying. She didn¡¯t expect that Zeres would react like that just by the sight of Alexander and Abigail. Or did his body voluntarily respond like that because of Alexander? But why? Was it because of the dragon blood in their veins? Could it be that the creatures who had drunk the dragon blood were not meant to ever get along?

    Questions kept piling up again. As Alicia stared at Zeres, she finally remembered a way to find some answer. Maybe the answers to her questions lie in Zeres¡¯ memories!

    With a willful eye, Alicia nced at Abi and Alexander. "I am going to look into Zeres¡¯ memories now while he¡¯s still under a spell." She told them, and she stood behind Zeres.

    The silver glow from her hand then appeared, and she ced them above his head. She closed her eyes, and in a matter of minutes, she saw Zeres wandering alone in the desert.

    .

    (One more chapterter ^^)

 Chapter 502 Unrecognizable*

    <h4>Chapter 502 Unrecognizable*</h4>

    After what seemed to be a very long time, Alicia finally opened her eyes. All sorts of emotions filled her eyes as if she just woke up from an unbelievably horrific nightmare.

    "Alicia, are you okay?" Abi said as she approached her. Worry etched on her face as she gently squeezed Alicia¡¯s hand. "What did you see in Zeres¡¯ memories?"

    "Abigail." Alicia took a deep breath as if to calm herself. However, before she could say a word, Zeres moved. The curse was already lifted, shocking Alicia. He¡¯s supposed to stay immobile for a day!

    Disbelief could only color Alicia¡¯s face. It seemed spells and curses only work on Zeres for a very short time. Or was he able to break such a powerful spell so quickly on his own will?

    As if someone had pressed the y button, Zeres continued groaning. The ckened portion of his fingers that halted when the spell activated continued, spreading fast from his hands up to his forearms.

    "Zeres!" Both Abi and Alicia called his name. But the man didn¡¯t react.

    Alex, who was silently watching a few steps away from them, emitted a dangerous and suffocating aura - the exact same aura currently oozing out from Zeres. Alex¡¯s red eyes that were peering through the strands of his jet ck hair like a pair of blood moons slowly turned gold again. He looked like he was at the edge as his gaze was 100% focused on Zeres, as if Alex knew full well what was happening to Zeres.

    An agonizing scream broke the deep silence in the forest. And at that same moment, Alexander had already taken Abi and Alicia, and hended along with them few meters away from Zeres. Alexander was too fast that Abi and Alicia felt like a lightning had blown them away.

    When they looked at Zeres again, Abi and Alicia¡¯s lips could only part in shocked surprise. Zeres had stopped groaning in pain. He was standing there and didn¡¯t seem in pain anymore. But his appearance was almost unrecognizable. His skin had turned ck, and they could see scales on his shoulders. The only thing that remained the same was his silver-white hair and his golden eyes. What was going on? Why did he look like he had turned into a ck dragon in a man¡¯s form?

    Slowly, his gaze fell on them. His eyes had turned so vividly golden, like suns burning intensely in the dark. The sight of him had made Abi and Alicia immobile. Alicia was utterly shocked, but Zeres¡¯ appearance at that moment had reminded Abi of Lexus, and her eyes welled. She suddenly missed that majestic dragon that had been her past self¡¯s onlypany for years.

    Abi had the urge to hug him, so she took a step forward. However, Alex blocked her way, and Alicia grabbed her hand, both stopping her.

    "Don¡¯t Abigail," Alicia said as she shook her head.

    "But Alicia, we can¡¯t just leave him like that. I need to do something."

    "It¡¯s toote, Abigail." Alex piped in, not looking back at her. His gaze remained glued on Zeres, more than prepared to fight.

    "He¡¯s right, Abigail. I don¡¯t think you can do anything to ¨C"

    Before Alicia could evenplete her sentence, creatures in a ck cloak materialized across them. They stood a few meters behind Zeres. And they¡¯re presence immediately disrupted the extreme danger Zeres¡¯ was emitting. It almost as if they just put on an invisible cor on Zeres, preventing him from attacking.

    Alicia narrowed her eyes. She could tell who these creatures were. They were the witches who came with Dinah to Zeres¡¯ castle. If Zeres weren¡¯t in this state right now, Alicia wouldn¡¯t even hesitate to attack those witches and bring them to their knees.

    "They¡¯re Dinah¡¯s minion. They¡¯re here to take Zeres." Said Alicia between her gritted teeth. "Zeres is under Dinah¡¯s maniption."

    Hearing Dinah¡¯s name, a glint of anger appeared in Abi¡¯s eyes. She couldn¡¯t believe that Zeres was being manipted again. She would never forget how Zeres¡¯ very own mother manipted him in the past, and now, it was happening again.

    Her heart broke for him, and she couldn¡¯t bear just watching this happen to him again.

    "Dinah¡¯s calling him now through the witches," Alicia continued, and as Alicia spoke, Zeres¡¯ finally moved. He tore his menacing gaze at Alexander and turned his back from them.

    "He¡¯s listening to her?" Abi looked at Alicia with a shocked and rmed face. Why was he listening to Dinah even when he¡¯s in this state? She remembered how Alex behaved when he had gone through something like this. Even though Alex¡¯s body didn¡¯t transform entirely, Abi remembered how he didn¡¯t even listen to her and just went on a rampage and simply protected her like a mad beast. So why? Why was he listening to that woman?

    Before she knew it, Abigail brushed past Alex and called out. "Zeres!!" she yelled, and the man halted.

    "It¡¯s me. Abigail. Don¡¯t go to them, please." She added, pleading. She can¡¯t just watch anymore. This time, she would do anything she could to at least prevent the same thing happen to Zeres again.

    When Zeres looked over his shoulder, hope bloomed in Abi¡¯s heart. She stretched out her hand carefully. "Come, Zeres. Don¡¯t go. Stay with us. It¡¯s okay. We¡¯re not your enemy," she told him. Her voice so gentle and her eyes glimmering with so much care and worry for him.

    But again, as if someone forcefully pulled his attention away from her, Zeres returned his gaze to the creatures in the ck cloak.

    "Zeres. Stop! Please. Don¡¯t go. You can¡¯t go to them. They will hurt you!" Abi was desperate. How could she bear it if Zeres would end up going through the same thing again? Abi was certain that Alex thought the same thing too. Even though he was cautious against him, Abigail just knew that Alex cared about Zeres more than what he himself thought.

    After taking a few steps closer to the creatures in the ck cloak, Zeres halted again.

    "Come over here, Zeres. Don¡¯t worry. Everything will be fine. I promise." Abi also took another step closer, still reaching out her hand when the menacing voice supposedly only the witches could hear echoed in Abigail¡¯s head.

    She could hear Dinah¡¯s voice.

    .

    [Sorry it¡¯ste ¡Á.¡Á]

 Chapter 503 Cruel*

    <h4>Chapter 503 Cruel*</h4>

    The atmosphere was rigid, so intense it was almost suffocating.

    Everyone was stiff as they waited for Zeres¡¯ response.

    "Zeres, don¡¯t listen to her. Come to me now!" Dinah¡¯s voice reached Abi¡¯s ears. She was speaking to Zeres with such an oppressive tone, as if Zeres was some lowly beast under hermand and control.

    Abi swallowed. Unease had filled her heart as she stared at Zeres¡¯ back.

    "Please, Zeres. Don¡¯t¨C"

    Before Abi could evenplete her statement, Zeres took another step. Abi¡¯s eyes widen, and her stretched out hand trembled a little.

    "Zeres! Don¡¯t go!" she yelled. She moved to run after him, but Alex grabbed her arm, stopping her.

    Despite Abi¡¯s call for him, Zeres never looked back again until he disappeared along with the creatures in the ck cloak.

    Abi¡¯s hand fell on her side, and everyone fell silent. Alex¡¯s face was emotionless while Alicia just stood there, quietly closing her eyes.

    The deafening silence crept through the night as the three remained rooted in the ground for another long while until Alex finally spoke. "Let¡¯s go back to the castle," he said, and without waiting for Abi¡¯s response, he lifted her in his arms and leaped away.

    Uponnding at the top of the northern watch tower, Alex put Abi down before facing Alicia.

    "I believe you have answers for this, Alicia. What the hell happened to Zeres?" he asked, his face hard.

    Abi also looked at her with millions of questions in her eyes. "What did you see in Zeres¡¯ memories?"

    Alicia took a deep breath before she gazed at the couple. "When Zeres and Dinah got separated, native settlers found Zeres. They took him to their vige, and he stayed there for over a year. Zeres had no memories at all when the natives found him." She looked at Abi. "But his memories before he met you in the ck Dragon Hill started to return to him by and by. When all his memories returned, he left the vige to find Dinah¡ªthinking that Dinah could exin to him why he couldn¡¯t remember the rest of his memories and why he was still alive to this day. But while searching, Zeres let himself hit by a car due to ignorance with the modern vehicles. Everything after that was pitch ck, but I could tell that the humans who hit him saw how his body healed and freaked out. I am not sure because I could only hear voices, but the humans seemed to have brought Zeres to a certain facility. Iter found out that those men Dinah¡¯s men, and they were sent by Dinah to bring him to her." Alicia paused, her expression now bing grave.

    "While I was trying my best to understand the jumbled sounds and voices in Zeres¡¯ memories..." she continued. "I started to see the memories of the witch queen during that time."

    "The witch queen during that time isn¡¯t the one before you," Alex said, and Alicia nodded.

    "It appeared that that queen¡¯s memories were sealed. That¡¯s why the queen before me saw nothing. I believe that that queen cast a spell on herself to seal the memories before she died. But the seal broke when I essed Zeres¡¯ memories. It appeared that Dinah sought the witch queen¡¯s aid by using Zeres. Dinah made her believe that Zeres would be a magnificent weapon for the witches against you, Alexander. Of course, thinking that having Zeres would bnce the power between witches and vampires, the queen eventually agreed. She listened to everything that Dinah told her to do until Dinah convinced her to put Zeres under a powerful spell. That queen used her ultimate power and put Zeres toplete immobility for over twenty-two years."

    Alex narrowed his eyes, looking like he was having doubts. "Zeres didn¡¯t manage to break that spell for such a long time?" Alex couldn¡¯t seem to believe it.

    "Don¡¯t underestimate the witch queen¡¯s power, Alexander. That spell is powerful because the price of that spell was that queen¡¯s life. In fact, that spell¡¯s supposed tost for a far longer period of time," she exined, and a short silence passed by between them.

    "Why would she sacrifice her life for something like that?"

    "Because Dinah promised her that she¡¯d be immortal too once she drinks Zeres blood."

    "How foolish." Alex hissed, shaking his head.

    "That queen was desperate. She¡¯s old and was reaching her time limit."

    "So? Why did Dinah do that to Zeres?" Alex asked again.

    Alicia swallowed. Her face was a little indifferent as she spoke again. "Dinah had him experimented for more than 20 years."

    "Experimented?" Alex¡¯s face darkened.

    Alicia nodded. "They brought him in an underground facility, and the humans did all sort of nasty thing to him to study his body," she trailed off, gritting her teeth in anger. Alicia had seen all the brutal things that they did to Zeres. She saw how the humans cut him over and over and over. She heard Zeres¡¯ voice begging them to stop because even though he was under a spell and even though his body kept on healing anding together again every time they cut him, he still felt the pain. The scene that Alicia watched was just too cruel that her heart even darkened with rage and hate because of how evil those humans were. Her heart broke and bled for Zeres. He didn¡¯t deserve to go through all those cruel tortures.

    "Dinah had learned about your power Alexander, so she thought that Zeres must have had the same power as you. Because she knew she was powerless, Dinah wanted to do anything to gain the power she didn¡¯t receive. She tried everything. She even drank Zeres¡¯ blood, but nothing changed. So she asked her human minions to create something or anything that could be useful, of course, using Zeres¡¯ body as their key resource. But for many years, no experiment seeded.

    However, Dinah didn¡¯t give up. Because she finally epted that it¡¯s impossible for her to get Zeres¡¯s power, she started to desire to turn Zeres into her obedient pet instead."

 Chapter 504 Lets save him*

    <h4>Chapter 504 Let¡°s save him*</h4>

    Alex¡¯s lips twitched.

    "What an idiot," he said through his teeth, utterly pissed. "Why the hell did he make himself endure something like that for so long? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s a weakling," he added, controlling his anger.

    Alicia looked away and stared at the city lights below them. "When he was under that spell, Zeres¡¯ consciousness was like drifting clouds wandering about aimlessly." She started. "He couldn¡¯t even listen and understand the voices. The pain was the only thing reaching his consciousness, maybe because it was too intense for his body to ignore. The spell had shackled him tight, not just his body but his heart and soul too. Dinah knew that, so she didn¡¯t hold back at all. Until eventually, she started feeding Zeres her blood. I don¡¯t know where she got that idea, but it seemed it worked."

    Abi¡¯s eyes widened and looked at Alicia in horror. "She knew the forbidden secret of the family," Abi said, causing Alicia and Alex to look at her with curious gazes.

    The memories of her past self yed in her head as she spoke. "There was that time when the dragon keeper had twin sons." She began, telling them the same story her past self had heard from her mother. "When the dragon keeper died, the younger twin was unexpectedly chosen as the new dragon keeper. The older twin was furious because first-born sons had always been the one being chosen. He couldn¡¯t ept it. He became hostile until he eventually tried to do something crazy. He desired to steal the dragon¡¯s loyalty from its keeper by feeding the dragon with his own blood. Dragons don¡¯t drink blood, but it seemed they would drink it as long as the blood belongs to a member of the noble family of dragon keepers. And it worked. The dragon began to obey the older twin instead of the real keeper. But the dragon slowly became violent and uncontroble. Once the blood he drank runs out, it will go on a rampage and will not stop until it gets its fill. The older twin seeded, but the price for that was the older twin¡¯s life."

    Abi¡¯s story made Alicia¡¯s lips parted in disbelief. She was speechless. "So, that¡¯s where Dinah got the idea." She shook her head. "And Dinah did that without fear because she wasn¡¯t just a mere human anymore. She is now an immortal, so death was something she need not fear anymore. What a crazy woman." She scowled before she took a deep breath to calm herself.

    "What happened to the dragon after he died?" Alicia then asked again after a momentary silence.

    "He went on a rampage," Abi answered. "But the real keeper was able to tame him again by giving his blood to the dragon. It appeared the keeper¡¯s blood could calm dragons."

    "So that¡¯s why Alexander can control himself now since he drunk your blood."

    They both looked at Alex with eyes asking for confirmation.

    "I believe what you said is right. That¡¯s the only exnation I could think about." Alex said to Alicia before his gaze return to Abi. "Since I drank your blood, I don¡¯t feel like my body is owned by someone else¡¯s anymore. I can control everything with my own will now."

    "Wait," Alicia eximed as her eyes stretched slightly wide as she looked at Abi. "Dinah wanted your blood, right, Abi? Why? I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll use it for Zeres because back in the Ziggurat, she wanted to drink your blood herself. Does this mean she couldn¡¯t control herself? That¡¯s why she wanted your blood so she could take full control of her body!"

    Abi creased her brows. "But you said, she didn¡¯t have any power," she argued.

    "The memories I saw were only from the perspective of that witch queen. And it stopped when she died years ago. I couldn¡¯t see anything more from Zeres¡¯ memories because Dinah had kept Zeres away from her and never told him anything about her ns. Because to her, Zeres was just her weapon in a stock room that she¡¯ll only call when war breaks out." Alicia exined. "That Dinah must be hiding something. Or else, why would she want Abigail¡¯s blood?"

    After another brief silence, Alex spoke. "I believe that woman wanted Abigail¡¯s blood to keep her human form. You saw what happened to Zeres¡¯ body a while ago. That¡¯s the same thing that was about to happen to me back in the Ziggurat. I knew I was transforming into something else..." he trailed off. "I believe the dragon blood was trying to take over my body at that time."

    "So you mean, if Zeres don¡¯t drink Abi¡¯s blood, he will turn to a dragon?"

    "I don¡¯t know." Alex leaned against the wall, and his face became grave. "But I think his body will not transform into something like the actual dragons from ancient times. He could only grow scales or wings. But the real problem here is that once he fully transforms, he might not return to his original form again, even if we could manage to give him Abigail¡¯s blood. And it would be harder for us to save him once that happens. Because once he fully transforms, he will lose his rationality. He¡¯ll turn to a beast that knows nothing but to protect his master like a pet."

    Silence reigned after those words left Alex¡¯s mouth until Abi moved and hugged Alex.

    "Alex... let¡¯s save him." She whispered with a hoarse and pained voice.

    Alex caressed her back as he hugged her, knowing full well that Abigail was now beyond worried about Zeres. "We will." He assured her. Determination and revenge filled his dark eyes. But at the same time, uncertainty and fear crept through his skin. The unease in his heart dramatically increased again, not because he was uncertain if they could save Zeres or not but because he just couldn¡¯t help but worry about Abigail¡¯s safety in this impending battle.

    At that moment, Rievnded before them, looking as though he was in haste to deliver an urgent message. Did Zeke finally send them a signal?

 Chapter 505 Unease*

    <h4>Chapter 505 Unease*</h4>

    Lying in bed, Alex spooned Abi and nted a soft kiss on her forehead.

    "Sleep. You need a rest," he whispered.

    Abi turned to face him. Riev had told them that Ezekiel had signaled an attack to Dinah¡¯s hiding ce tomorrow evening. But as expected, Zeke didn¡¯t give them any other information, causing Abi to feel worried because Ezekiel was doing it again. He was luring them into the enemy¡¯sir without telling them anything. Even though Zeke¡¯s n deemed sessfulst time and their group only suffered a minimal casualty, would that work again this time? Was it really alright for them to put all their trust in Ezekiel¡¯s n again? What if...

    The unease that kept weighing Abi¡¯s heart refused to leave her, and Alex seemed to notice it already. He ran his fingers through the strands of her hair and tucked them behind her ears.

    "It seemed your all-day training didn¡¯t tire you out, my wife. You¡¯ve be much stronger." He said, looking at her with proud eyes. "You used to fall asleep so easily when you¡¯re tired. Could it be that..." the corner of his lips pulled up, and a mischievous yet sexy glint shed in his dark eyes. "I believe what you need is exercise."

    Speechless, Abi reached out and pinched his cheek. She was about to speak when her knee touched something hard as she moved. With widened eyes, she peered up at him, and he bit his lips. She thought Alex was simply trying to distract her from her thoughts and was just trying to calm her so she could finally sleep, but it seemed she was partly wrong.

    "It seemed, I¡¯m not really the one who¡¯s in dire need of an exercise," she told him, raising a brow.

    "Your fault, wife," he added before he swiftly moved on top of her. He gazed down at her, his gaze now filled with a seemingly unquenchable desire. "I was trying to behave because I thought the training had been tough for you, but..." he trailed off as he caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "But here you are, looking like you¡¯re not tired at all."

    Now that he mentioned it, Abi did feel tougher than before. Despite the entire day of training, she didn¡¯t feel weak or drained at all. Aside from controlling the mists, Alex also taught her some necessary skills in fighting with a sword.

    "And it¡¯s been a while since west did it, Abigail." His kisses began tond softly on her skin. "I missed being inside you," he whispered with a hoarse voice as his warm hands already started roaming around under her nightgown. "Don¡¯t you miss me inside you, my wife?"

    Abi still couldn¡¯t help but blush whenever he started to talk like this. "No." she lied.

    But Alex¡¯s lips curved up, and his one hand cupped her face. His warm lips devoured hers until the only thing that could be heard inside the room was the smacking sounds of kissing and their heavy breaths. They shared a rough and passionate kiss, and before Abi knew it, her heart and mind were momentarily freed from her worries.

    When their lips parted, Alex¡¯s was shing his glorious smirk at her. "You¡¯re already soaked, my wife, and you actually said you don¡¯t miss me inside you?" he asked as his hand touched her down there. How could he look even sexier when he was this mischievous?

    "Tell me, Abigail, do you really don¡¯t miss me inside you?" He asked again, as his skilled fingers and lips worked their magic, making her body finally felt weak.

    "Mmm... Alex," she uttered as his continued fingers stimting her insides. Her entire body heated up.

    "Hmm? What is it, my wife?" he slowed down, not giving her the release that she so wanted. When Abi didn¡¯t speak, he pulled out his fingers and licked them as he gazed down at her.

    Abi so wanted to pull him now and pin him down on the bed, but her body already weakened, and she felt like her bones had turned into jellies. So she could only give in and let him hear what he wanted. "I want you, Alex, inside me..."

    A triumphant smile colored his face, and without wasting a moment, he entered her wet insides, slowly at first before he moved faster and faster. He was rough, as though he couldn¡¯t get enough of her.

    Shifting a little more weight down, Alex trusted in deeper into her, causing him to grunt in pleasure as Abi¡¯s insides squeezed and clenched on him.

    As the moonlight peeked through the windows, the couple continued drowning themselves in another passionate and intense lovemaking until Abi finally closed her eyes and fell asleep.

    Alex climbed off the bed after covering Abi with the warm nket. He stared at his wife¡¯s face and then kissed her forehead as he gazed down at her. He was d that she finally fell asleep because he would worry if she won¡¯t be in her best state tomorrow.

    He then stood and walked towards the window and stared at the darkness outside. The unease he had been trying so hard to ignore was back again, and he wondered if this was the same feelings that were boggling his wife. He tried to calm himself, but it was not working.

    Alex couldn¡¯t stop himself from wanting to take Abi away and ran away to a ce no one could find. He could swear to protect her with all he had. He would be willing to give up everything for her, even his life. But he had two immortals to deal with. What if that woman will go after his wife while he was upied with Zeres? Even though Alicia and the others would be there for her, and even if Abi now had a powerful weapon up her sleeve, was that enough to keep her safe?

    For the first time in millenniums, Alex tried to think about strategies again. Countless strategies formed in his head as he tried to simte the best way for him to fight while making sure that Abigail would be safe.

    He didn¡¯t even notice how long he¡¯s been standing in that very same spot until he saw that colors began to appear on the horizon. He hade up with few best solutions, but his heart still remained ill at ease because that image of his young self holding Abigail¡¯s lifeless body kept popping in his head. As though he was having a nightmare even when he was awake.

    "Alex!!!" in the middle of his deep thoughts, Abi¡¯s voice suddenly echoed inside the room, jolting him.

    Alex immediately turned and saw his wife already sitting on the bed.

    "Abigail, I¡¯m here." He said as he quickly approached her. "Are you okay?" he asked when he noticed her heavy sweats and awful expression.

    With a narrowed and worried look in his eyes, Alex¡¯s hugged her, gently rubbing her back to help her calm down. Once Abi¡¯s heavy breaths slowly calmed down, Alex pulled away and stared into her eyes. "Another nightmare? Tell me, what did you see this time?"

 Chapter 506 Realization*

    <h4>Chapter 506 Realization*</h4>

    What Abi saw in her dream had her heart trembled in fear. In her dream, she saw herself in Alex¡¯s arms and he was hugging her as he cried. The scene was just too familiar to her that she forced herself to believe that it was that same memory she saw in the memories of her past self. But it clearly wasn¡¯t. What she saw wasn¡¯t the same memory of herst self. This time, what she saw was the future.

    Abi felt like she was choking. It was getting harder for her to breathe. She couldn¡¯t believe that the past might happen again. Why? Was she destined to die this time as well? She shook her head in fear, unable to ept nor believe it. This couldn¡¯t be happening. She can¡¯t leave Alex all alone again! She can¡¯t put him through that pain all over again!

    Gripping Alex¡¯s harder, Abi¡¯s body quivered. But as Alex embrace her with his soothing arms, she somehow managed to calm down slowly.

    "Tell me, Abigail. What did you see?" Alex asked her. His eyes were gentle but utterly worried.

    Abi didn¡¯t know what to say. How could she tell him? This would definitely engulf Alex¡¯s heart with nothing but fear. And If Alex woulde to know, he will never let her go with him to join the battle. It may be the best solution to keep her safe, but if she can¡¯t go and fight with him, this will never end. Even if Alex was strong, he couldn¡¯t kill Dinah, and Dinah had Zeres up her sleeve. What if Dinah captures Alex and does to him the same thing that she did to Zeres?

    That thought made Abi shudder, and her heart throbbed in fear again. She could already foresee Alex going there to fight while leaving her in this pce to keep her safe, and that was why she couldn¡¯t make herself tell him. She was not going to let him fight without her!

    Cupping her face with both of his hands and caressing her cheeks with his thumbs, Alex¡¯s gaze turned grave and pleading. "Please, don¡¯t hide anything from me. Tell me, Abigail. Please." His voice was so persuasive, it was almost impossible for Abi to resist.

    The look in his eyes weakened Abi¡¯s resolve. But she just didn¡¯t have the heart to watch him suffer anymore. She knew that if she tells him, he will definitely lose his focus and might even dy this battle. And that was something Abi couldn¡¯t let happen. She understood why Ezekiel had sent them a signal. Perhaps this had something to do with Zeres¡¯ transformation. Maybe Ezekiel hastened them to attack now and save Zeres before it¡¯s toote. Even if fear was gripping her heart, she also felt like they shouldn¡¯t dy anymore. This had to end now, or else something much more terrible might happen in the future. This was why she couldn¡¯t afford to mess up Alex¡¯s focus now. She knew that Alex wouldn¡¯t be able to fight with everything he had if he was distracted and worried to death about her. Worse was that it could lead him to lose and end up getting captured.

    Abi knew how crazy Dinah was. She had seen how evil she had be just so she could get Alex to herself, so how could she let Alex go alone?

    "I... I saw you..." she forced herself to speak, doing her best not to avert her eyes away from him. "You got hurt so badly, Alex. I was crying trying to wake you up, but you¡¯re not responding."

    For a short while, Alex¡¯s just stared deeply into her eyes. Did he already see through her fabricated lie?

    To her relief, Alex pulled her again and buried her face in his chest. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he caressed her back. "Don¡¯t worry Abigail, did you forget I am immortal?"

    "But what if Dinah found a way to have you killed?" she reasoned. She just said this to make her lie believable, but her own words worried her as well because it might not be something that was impossible. They still don¡¯t know what else Dinah was hiding, so Alex still needed to be very careful.

    Alex kissed her forehead. "Don¡¯t worry, you know that¡¯s impossible. And it¡¯s no big deal if I get hurt. I might just be unconscious when you saw me in your dreams." He exined, still trying to soothe her troubled heart. "Did you see anything more, other than that?"

    Abi shook her head.

    "I see," he nodded and gently bumped his forehead against hers. "It¡¯s okay. Everything will be fine. We will end all these once and for all tonight. And then, we¡¯ll leave this ce and go somewhere far for our still dyed honeymoon." He smirked with excitement in his eyes.

    Hisst sentence made Abi feel a little distracted from the fear and worry in her heart. Even though she was hellbent to stay with him no matter what happens, Abi always dreamt about a peaceful life with Alex.

    "And where is that faraway ce you¡¯re talking about?"

    "Hmm... it¡¯s a secret, my wife. But it¡¯s a ce where no one could bother us. We might even live there forever if you want. But... you might get bored if we stay in one ce for too long, so maybe we¡¯ll move somewhere else every one hundred years? How¡¯s that?" Alex¡¯s eyes were bright and filled with joy as he spoke about their future.

    Abi¡¯s heart couldn¡¯t help but swell, she momentrily forget about her fears. However, as she thought about his words and the future he had just envisioned, the smile on Abi¡¯s face slowly faded. She never once thought about this before, but when Alex mentioned they would move somewhere else every one hundred years, a realization suddenly struck her.

    Alex was an immortal, and she was human. Unlike him, she wasn¡¯t immune to death or illnesses, and one day, she would... she would grow old like all the mortals in this world.

    A new kind of fear instantly gripped her heart. Even if she would survive this battle, what would happen to them next? The thought of Alex watching her growing older and weaker every day while he remained young gave her the kind of fright she never knew would be worse than what saw in her dream. She didn¡¯t want to die, but at that moment, she felt like she¡¯d rather die early than having Alex watch her grow old and grey until she eventually die.

    "Wife... Abigail, are you listening?" Alex pulled her attention back to him. His eyes narrowed as he surveyed her expression. "You¡¯re not happy with what I¨C"

    "T-that¡¯s not it." She pulled away from him. She stood and started pacing back and forth before him. She pressed her lips in an effort to keep her lips from trembling. "Alex. You know how much I love you." She faced him. "I love you more than anything¡ªmore than my life. Being with you and loving you forever has always been my wish since the day I fell in love with you. But..." her eyes welled. "But Alex, I¡¯m a human. One day I... I will grow old and die."

 Chapter 507 Isolated*

    <h4>Chapter 507 Isted*</h4>

    Silence crept inside the room and Alex¡¯s expression became unreadable. Abi turned her back from him, trying to calm down. She knew she shouldn¡¯t have brought this topic into this situation because they had something much more important to deal with for now, but she couldn¡¯t help it.

    As she let out a sigh, warm and strong arms wrapped around her waist from behind her. She felt Alex¡¯s face rested at the de of her shoulder and silently hugged her. And that was enough to soothe Abi¡¯s troubled heart.

    "Better?" his gorgeous deep voice echoed softly in her ear. Before she knew it, she turned and hugged him back.

    "Hmm," she mumbled against his chest when a knock pulled their attention towards the door.

    Kai emerged from the door. "The witch queen said we¡¯re leaving in an hour."

    ...

    In the courtyard, the elite vampires were already gathered.

    "I can¡¯t believe all of us finally gathered like this again," Riev was grinning. There was excitement and thrill in his eyes as he looked at all the other vampires. "Haha, look at them. Everyone is way too serious."

    "Isn¡¯t this your fault?" Raven replied as he leaned against the pir. His hands folded across his chest while Riev was squatting on the floor.

    "Hey. Don¡¯t me your almighty subordinate like that." Riev looked up, his lips twisted.

    Raven¡¯sshes dropped to nce at him. "Your story is ridiculously exaggerated. Now they look tensed because they think they can¡¯t afford to rx at all," Raven¡¯s re at Riev turned sharp. "Did you forget that most of them never engaged in this type of battle yet?"

    Riev eyes wandered, avoiding Raven¡¯s gaze. The elite vampires were all trained by Ezekiel and Alex, so they have been considered as the strongest army. However, in the past hundreds of years, the vampires never engaged in any big and serious battles because the era of wars had long ended for them. This battle would be the first for most of them. They were thrilled, but at the same time, they were too tensed. And the main reason was because of Riev¡¯s over the top story.

    "Y-you heard my made-up story?" Riev stammered as he stood. "Haha," he forced augh, but when Raven¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, Riev cleared his throat and scratched his head. "Don¡¯t worry, boss, I will now go and rify everything."

    The man dashed away, and after a short while, the tensed soldiers dly loosened up.

    However, a minute didn¡¯t even pass, and a voice made the soldiers¡¯ immediately tensed up once again. Though this time, even Riev reacted the same.

    "Your story isn¡¯t actually exaggerated, Riev," Alicia said. "You guys might really end up fighting a dragon."

    The soldiers looked at each other with slightly widened eyes. They have fought against Alexander, but they really couldn¡¯t brag about it because they knew that when Alexander fought against them, he didn¡¯t even use his full power. They were well aware that if Alexander turns into the dragon mode that Riev talked about, there¡¯s no way they could even stand a chance! And now the witch queen was telling them this?

    "Haha, don¡¯t scare us like that witch prin- I mean, queen." Riev replied, grinning. "That immortal woman is not that powerful. The powerful one is her countless minions."

    Alicia looked at him and Riev¡¯s smile slowly faded. "D-don¡¯t tell me... that woman could turn into a dragon?!" Riev suddenly eximed. None of the elite vampires knew about Zeres yet, so their reaction was understandable. Alicia wanted these men to be prepared because she didn¡¯t want them to be overwhelmed like what happened back in that Ziggurat.

    "We don¡¯t know if that woman really is as powerless as she looked. But there is someone like Alexander under her control," her voice saddened. "He might transform into a dragon, and if that happens, we will have to fight him."

    Everyone fell silent, speechless.

    "So I want everyone to be prepared enough," Alicia added, and then her expression changed as she looked at them all. "But don¡¯t falter. We have Alexander on our side. And not just him..." she smiled. "We will fight together."

    Alex and Abigail had just arrived, but they too heard Alicia¡¯s statement. Abi had a look of admiration as she gazed at Alicia. She was indeed an amazing queen, and Abi was d that Alicia had be their ally.

    A slight smirk just curved on Alex¡¯s face while the elite vampires¡¯ eyes lit up as if a fire started to burn inside their hearts.

    ...

    At sunset, the group had arrived at their destination. They regrouped deep within the rainforest of an isted ind somewhere in the north.

    When they climbed and reached the top of a certain mountain, they were fascinated with what they saw, especially Abigail. They saw a series of teaus rise up around 1500 feet from the surrounding terrain like tabletops. The teaus would undoubtedly look like inds in the sky if one looked from above.

    The ce was like a lost world. But despite its mystical appearance, the ce that was isted atop the teaus was almost deste and lonely. There was nothing but rocks everywhere, and the sky was gloomy, as though a fierce storm was about toe.

    Abi¡¯s unease worsened. Her gaze was focused on Alex as the man spoke with the elite vampires. Alex was so serious that Abi didn¡¯t want to disrupt his intense concentration. This was the first time Alex acted all serious like this. She remembered how carefree and excited Alex was at times like this, but today, he was different. And he just looked even cooler than ever before.

    "Are you okay?" Alicia¡¯s voice pulled Abi back to the present, and Abi dragged her gaze from Alex to the queen next to her. "Do you have something you want to tell your husband?"

    It seemed Alicia had been observing her for a while now. "Abigail, I know something is boggling you. If you can¡¯t tell your husband, you can tell me. Maybe, I can help." Alicia added.

    Abi swallowed. The weight in her chest had turned so heavy she felt she was going to burst anytime soon. And now that Alicia had asked her, she could no longer hide her fear.

    "Alicia..." Abi bit her lips. "I... I had a dreamst night."

 Chapter 508: Tonight*

    <h4>Chapter 508: Tonight*</h4>

    Shock flitted across Alicia''s face. She didn''t expect that Abi was hiding something this grave. And she actually didn''t tell this to her husband?

    Alicia couldn''t help but feel the same immense unease that Abigail was feeling. She knew that Abigail''s dreams were never just nightmares. They were prophecies that never goes wrong!

    "Abigail, did Alexander ask you about what is bothering you?" Alicia asked as she held her arms.

    "He did, but I lied to him." Abigail looked down, and guilt painted her face. "I told him that I saw him so badly hurt and unconscious in my nightmare."

    "And he believed it?" Alicia narrowed her eyes. When Abi nodded, Alicia nced at the still serious Alexander, who was busy speaking with Kai and the rest of the vampires.

    "Look, I didn''t tell Alex because I am sure he will not let me join this battle. If I told him, I might be in Reign''s castle right now. He will do everything to keep me safe! I don''t have a choice, Alicia."

    "But now that there''s no more turning back, you are nning to tell him?"

    "Yes, but¡­" Abi trailed off. "I am afraid this will destroy Alex''s focus. I don''t want him to¡­"

    Alicia squeezed Abi''s arms. She understood Abi''s fear. And even though Alexander will know about her dream, could they change Abigail''s future? Could they prevent this from happening? What if Abigail''s decision of not telling Alexander about her dream was the right decision that could save Abi? Did Alexander really believe Abigail''s lie?

    For some reason, Alicia couldn''t believe that Alexander was really unaware. Alicia had been observing the couple''s actions since they left Country V because both of them were a little different from usual. Alexander was never this serious. He was always the reckless type who don''t care about ns and strategies, but here he was, being all serious and finally acting like the almighty king that he used to be. Alicia heard his ns, and she was surprised at how cautious and guarded Alexander was for this battle. And Alicia could tell that his priority was not to kill the enemy; it was protecting Abigail. This gave Alicia the feeling that Alex must have known that something would happen to his wife. That was why he was doing his best toe up with a n that would let him both fight the enemy and, at the same time, protect his wife.

    ncing at Alexander again, Alicia took a deep breath and stared intently into Abi''s eyes. She had to do something too. They will be doomed if Abi''s dream will really happen. In fact, the whole world will be put in grave danger if Abigail will die in this battle. She was thest person they would ever let get hurt!

    "Abigail, did you see anything else in your dream? Anything that happened before that?" Alicia asked her. "If we can alter the event before something happens to you, we might be able to prevent it."

    What Alicia said made sense. So Abi tried to think about her dream again. She closed her eyes, knotting her brows tightly as she revisited the dream she hadst night.

    But time passed, and she found nothing. Her dream started and ended in that same scene, and she couldn''t see anything before that.

    When Abi opened her eyes and shook her head, Alicia pressed her lips tightly. She was afraid that Abi''s death might be something that they couldn''t prevent even if they were to back off now. This was huge trouble! What should they do to save Abigail? There must be something they could do!

    Troubled, Alicia closed her eyes to calm herself and think of something or anything that she could do to help prevent Abi''s death.

    ...

    "Wife," Alex walked towards the twodies. His intense gaze was locked on Abigail as he stood inches away from her. "Are you okay?" he asked, caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers.

    Abi forced a smile at him. "I''m fine," she told him. "Just a little uneasy."

    Alex stared at her as if he could already tell the truth behind her words. He pulled her in his embrace and kissed her head. Abi didn''t see it, but Alex''s eyes momentarily turned golden as he hugged her. But when he pulled away, his eyes were back to its dark color. He bumped his forehead gently against hers as he whispered, "don''t worry, I am here. I will protect you. Here," Alex unsheathed his sword -the same sword that she used to wound Dinah - and gave it to her.

    "Take this, from now on, this is yours," he added.

    Abi held the hilt and lifted it with her right hand. She shed it delicately at the air, and the reflection of the fading light danced within the cool steel.

    As always, the sword felt light in her hands. And for some reason, the moment she held it, the unease inside her chest seemed to have evaporated. It almost felt like the sword had given herfort and whispered to her that she had nothing to fear.

    Her eyes finally lit up. She gripped the hilt of her sword harder before she looked up at her husband with willful eyes.

    "I''m ready, Alex. I will put all the things you taught me to use," she said, her eyes burning with fierce determination. Alex''s lips curved up in satisfaction as he lifted his wife''s left hand and kissed them. He peered at her with his intense eyes.

    "Good. As expected with my wife," he uttered, proudly. And then, he finally faced Alicia and the rest of the vampires with an authoritative gaze. Even though Alex''s eyes were still ck as night, the unspoken fierceness in them was enough to empower everyone. He didn''t even need to give them any piece of speech because Alexander''s eyes and the tremendous change in his aura were more than enough to fuel the fire in their eyes.

    This man was no longer the reckless and bored immortal who knew nothing but treat them like his entertainment for many years. Tonight, they just knew that they would finally witness with their own two eyes just who this man really was and what he''s really like when he became serious.

 Chapter 509: Slow*

    <h4>Chapter 509: Slow*</h4>

    In that alien and destendscape, the rain finally came as the group continued moving forward.

    Alex turned to check on Abigail, who was standing behind the front line. When he saw that she was already wearing the silver cloak Alicia had given her and that the rain didn''t seem to bother her, his dark eyes glimmered before he returned his gaze ahead of him.

    They knew that Dinah''sir was situated somewhere under one of these teaus. But because of a strong barrier protecting the whole ce, Alicia couldn''t pinpoint the exact spot. She could tell what kind of spell the witches on Dinah''s side had used to create this powerful barrier. This was another forbidden spell because this spell requires a few stages of bloody rituals. And in each of those rituals, the caster would need the fresh blood of virgin human girls. The practice was brutal, and the number of sacrificed lives was simply too cruel. This made Alicia finally understood just what kind of a monster Dinah was. She was simply the definition of pure evil.

    She had already seen how she tortured Zeres, and now, this. Alicia could only gnash her teeth silently in anger. She nced at Abigail and clenched her fists. Abigail needed to be protected because she was the only one who could kill that evil woman. If they lose Abigail, that woman might destroy the peaceful world all their ancestors tried so hard to protect. Dinah must die now before she could spread her darkness in the whole world.

    ¡­

    Inside a seemingly ancient underground temple, a loud and low groan echoed. The sound came from the man kneeling in the middle of the main chamber. His hands were tugging his hair as if he was in so much pain.

    A woman in a red dress stood before him while numbers of men in ck cloak circled the chamber that was lit up by torches hanging around the massive pirs.

    The woman bent and pinched the man''s chin, forcing him to look at her. "It''s okay, Zeres," she uttered. Her voice was sweet like honey, but her gaze at him filled with nothing but coldness. "Didn''t I tell you not to fight it? Come on. You can do it. A little bit more. If you want the pain to stop, don''t fight it, and just let the darkness consumes you."

    When Zeres didn''t move and just continued groaning in pain, Dinah straightened. Her nk eyes deepened, and a dangerous and evil re shed across them.

    She faced her minions and the two witches stepped forward. "He''s supposed to be fully transformed by now. I already gave him the blood he needed," she narrowed her eyes. "Something is fighting the transformation. Are you certain that that witch queen did nothing to Zeres while he''s with her? Answer."

    The two witches looked at each other before one of them immediately spoke. "My queen, we didn''t see nor sense anything strange, but we only caught up with them when they were already near the vampire''s castle. We are not certain, but maybe, that queen did something to him before we arrived."

    Dinah''s eyes turned even sharper, like the eyes of a venomous snake. "Kiel," she called out, her voice became smooth as honey again.

    A man in a ck cloak stepped forward, and Dinah sauntered, circling the man for a long while. She stopped before him and stepped closer to him until they were only inches apart. Her hand moved, and her long nails painted fiery red gently poked his chest as she looked up at him.

    "You know that I am still suspicious of you, right? Kiel?" she uttered. "That woman in Zeres room was the witch queen in disguise, and you im you didn''t recognize her? You know I will never believe that you, the mighty Kiel, will be fooled by a mere witch queen."

    "You are underestimating the witch''s queen''s power, Dinah. She''s a queen while I''m a mere prince."

    A sarcasticugh echoed. "Oh, Kiel. Do you expect me to believe that? You are the most powerful non-immortal creature in existence, Kiel."

    Dinah started circling him again. Her movement was silent, akin to a serpent moving around him and waiting for the right moment to attack and bite him. She halted before him again, but after staring at Kiel''s face for a while, she continued circling him. She looked like she was plotting something evil in her head.

    The chamber was filled with both malevolence and venomous darkness. No one dared make a noise aside from Zeres. Zeres skin was already cloaked with ck scales. Something that seemed to be wings was growing very slowly from his back, and horn-like spikes were also growing in his head. He looked like the unbearable pain had already numbed him, and he doesn''t seem to own his mind anymore. But none of the creatures inside the temple cared about his scream of pain. All their eyes were focused on Dinah.

    When Dinah finally halted, a malicious smirk momentarily shed on her face before she stepped towards Kiel again. She moved close enough and made the man bent over to hear her whisper.

    "Kiel¡­" Dinah traced his perfect jawline with her forefinger. "Do you want to erase my doubt in you?" she asked, and Kiel met her gaze. She smiled at him. "Then¡­ go capture that witch and bring her to me."

    Kiel slightly narrowed his eyes. "Why? Are you sure you want me to go? You know they''re already here."

    "I don''t care if they''re here. They won''t find us without that witch."

    "I don''t understand. We nned not to wait for them here."

    "I changed my mind, Kiel. I need that witch to remove whatever spell she cast on my pet that is slowing down his transformation."

    A silent sigh escaped Kiel''s lips.

    "Zeres is already transforming, Dinah. I don''t think ¨C"

    "I can''t wait anymore, Kiel." She cut him off and her gaze at him sharpened. "And didn''t I tell you that I still doubt you? Bring that witch to me¡­ now... and I''ll trust you again, Ezekiel."

    Kiel stared at her. "Are you expecting me to go against Alexander?"

    "Of course not." Her eyes darkened and then an evil smirk formed on her face as if she had another hidden agenda. "Alexander will be busy protecting that woman. So, capturing that witch is easy for you to do, Kiel. That is... If you want to."

    As soon as those words left Dinah''s lips, Kiel turned his back from her. A strange glint shed across his eyes as he replied without ncing back at her.

    "I will bring her to you."

 Chapter 510: The right time*

    <h4>Chapter 510: The right time*</h4>

    Alex finally halted. They didn''t find anything in thest three teaus they had searched, so Alex''s pause made everyone think they finally found the right ce.

    "Is this the right ce?" Kai, who was right behind Abigail, asked Alicia, but Alicia shook her head.

    "I don''t think so," she said, causing Kai''s brows to knot as his gaze flew towards Alex. ''Then, why did he stop?''

    "Someone''sing."

    As Alicia spoke, a man in a ck cloak appeared ahead of them. The falling raindrops seemingly turned heavier as everyone prepared to battle. The air turned exceptionally intense.

    More and more silhouettes appeared behind the cloaked man, and just like him, everyone behind him wore the same ck cloak. Raven and the others who were present during the battle in the Ziggurat days before had their eyes widen. Because they could tell that the man leading the group of the rogue vampires was no other than their master, Ezekiel.

    Alex, Kai, Alicia, Abi, and Raven were the only ones who knew that Ezekiel had been acting like a mole on the enemy''s side. The rest of the soldiers didn''t know about this, so they were a little shaken when they felt the familiar aura of their master. It was faint, but there was no way the elite vampires will not recognize the man who trained them for almost a hundred years. Confusion immediately painted their faces, but they didn''t lose focus. All of them immediately thought that the man who had the same aura as their master must be an illusion someone powerful was using so they would drop their guards down.

    And with that, the soldiers retained their utmost focus and intensity,pletely ignoring the confusion and doubts caused by that man''s presence. But to the ones who knew that the man before them was indeed Ezekiel, couldn''t help but narrow their eyes at him.

    Alicia tried to spot the witches or that woman, Dinah, if she was close but failed. She couldn''t see anyone else but Ezekiel and the strong rogue vampires behind him. Why did that woman send out Ezekiel this early? Alicia knew that this teau wasn''t Dinah''s hiding ce. She thought that, like what happened in Frost Town, Dinah will keep Ezekiel beside her again and will only send her weaker minions in the front line to serve as her sacrificial pawns. So she changed her n? Why? Was that woman nning to use Ezekiel to exhaust Alexander? Or did Zeke convinced Dinah to let him lead the front lines?

    The same questions were ying in Abi, Kai, and Raven''s head except for Alex. They were wondering if Ezekiel was nning something else that could benefit them. Maybe, Zeke was nning to let some of them to easily advance purposely?

    While Alicia and the others were trying to figure out the real purpose of Zeke''s early appearance, a roaring thunder echoed.

    And then, as fast as lightning, everyone moved, except Abigail.

    The rogue vampires led by Zeke had attacked without warning, but the elite vampires were also quick to react. They already formed a formation around Abigail. They circled her. It was the same formation they did back in the battle in Frost Town, but this time, their circle was so muchrger because the elite vampires gave enough space for each other''s so their movement won''t be restricted.

    Alex had already crushed two rogue vampires on the rocky ground with his bare hands. His hands were still on their crushed heads as he lifted his face. His dark eyes peered through his dripping wet hair. His eyes zeroed onto the man still standing far ahead of him.

    As if time slowed, the raindrops fell in a slow motion. And in a blink of an eye, a powerful sh of two des echoed. The attack was too strong that their locked swords almost created tiny lightning. Their eyes gleamed, and then a burning red color swallowed their pupils as they stared at each other.

    No word came out of their lips. They retracted their swords and attacked each other again, with every swing bing more and more powerful.

    The fight between the rogue and the elite vampires were as fierce as Alex and Ezekiel''s. They werepletely wrong when they thought that the first wave of the enemy they will be fighting would be easy. These rogue vampires were incredibly strong, but that wasn''t why they were a formidable opponent. They were dangerous because they all seemed like they were possessed. They were fighting with all they''ve got like madmen who do not fear death.

    "Shit, this is bad." Kai cursed. No one could break inside their formation yet, but he was worried because this was just the first battle. They didn''t even reach the ce where that woman was hiding yet! At this rate, the soldiers will use most of their strengths before they could even reach Dinah.

    Shifting his gaze at the two men having an insane sh away from them, Kai couldn''t help but frown. Doubts were shing across his eyes. He didn''t understand. Wasn''t this the time for Ezekiel to join them now? Now that they were here, this was now the right time for Zeke to reveal his true self and turn his back from that woman. Why was he still fighting against them? Did he still need to go back to that woman? For what?

    As the sky roared once again, Kai saw Ezekiel being pushed back by Alex''s powerful attack. However, before Alex could charge again, many vampires arrived, adding to the group attacking the circle that was protecting Abigail.

    "Alicia!" Abigail called out. Her eyes wide as she looked at the witch queen. Abigail looked like she was itching to do something and was now impatiently asking for the queen''s permission If it was finally the right time.

    Alicia looked around. The number of rogue vampires had drastically increased. They never nned to reveal Abi''s power this early because they knew they were being watched. But they had to deal with these vampires as early as they could or in one strike so they won''t waste any more time and strength.

    "Alicia!" Abigail called out again. Alicia met her gaze, and she saw something shocking. Abigail''s eyes were zing and a golden hue faintly danced in them. Was that her imagination? Alicia was so shocked and she didn''t know why but she felt like she was momentarily hypnotized, and before she knew it, she nodded.

 Chapter 511 Goddess*

    <h4>Chapter 511 Goddess*</h4>

    Alex had just turned to check on Abigail when he saw it, that shocking glow in Abi''s eyes. That instant, Alex''s heart pulsated loudly, and his body suddenly became hot. He didn''t know why seeing her eyes like that made his body reacted strangely. Why? Why did the color of his wife''s eyes turn golden? How did this happen? What was going on?

    Before he knew it, Alex turned his back from the enemy to go back to Abigail. He was about to leap towards her, but the rogue vampires mobbed him from behind, taking advantage of him getting distracted.

    In a split second, blood gushed out of Alex''s body as the multiple attacks pierced through his flesh. A victorious gleam shed across the vampires'' eyes upon seeing the great Alexander was being mobbed and was now in a bloody state.

    However, before the rogue vampires could smirk in triumph, as if something exploded in their midst, the vampires surrounding Alex were thrown away from him like rag dolls. Their bodies were in pieces as they fall to the ground.

    Alex then emerged, his eyes that were peering through his dripping wet hair didn''t turn gold. They remained bloody red, but they had gonepletely catastrophic, cold, and ruthless.

    His feet moved again as if nothing happened as he approached the circle protecting his wife. The rogue vampire hade after him from behind again, but he effortlessly shed them all with his bloodthirsty de, as if he had an extra eye at the back of his head.

    Upon reaching the circle, Alex cleared his way through the rogue vampires, killing anyone who dared block his path. His gaze locked on Abi''s face as the thick mists began to envelop them. Alex knew she was about to do it, so he leaped towards her before he would lose sight of her because of the thick mists.

    When Alex was training Abi, he had realized that his sight couldn''t prate through the thick white mists thAt Abi was controlling. He thought that it might be because he was a halfling, but he had called Kai that day, and the result was the same. It appeared that even though vampires could see through the darkness, their power of sight couldn''t get through Abigail''s mists.

    This was why Alex didn''t want her to use her power when he wasn''t right next to her. Because he was worried to death, he didn''t want to lose sight of her, even for a second. dly, he was able to make it.

    The thick mists already enveloped them when Alexnded before her. And then, abruptly, the mists turned into deadly, sharp weapons floating still in the air. They were in the form of small needles and knives, and there were also bigger des.

    Abi''s eyes were closed as she controlled the sharp silver-bluish crystals to move and attack the rogue vampires. The moment the weapons moved, blood poured out from the bodies of rogue vampires outside their circle. The rogue vampires fell on the ground, one after another.

    The sight had the elite vampires utterly shocked. They were immobilized when the thick mist suddenly appeared and blocked their vision. Their hearts panicked because they thought it was another sorcery from the enemy and because they knew there was no way they could fight without even seeing anything but mists. Vampires we''re creatures bestowed with powerful sight, they could see in the dark as if it was a day, so they never experienced having their vision blocked like this while they were in the middle of a battle.

    So when they saw that the mists turned into weapons and killed the enemies, they let out the breaths they didn''t know they were holding in since the mists appeared.

    As the enemies'' bodies covered the ground, the elite vampires turned to the middle of their circle. Their eyes glowed with nothing but wonder and disbelief as they looked at Alexander''s wife.

    Abigail still had her arms wide open as Alexander stood behind her. Her dark hair was floating behind her like ck silk, reflecting against her silver cloak. Her eyes were closed, but her face seemed to be glowing. At that moment, everyone felt like they saw a goddess.

    When she opened her eyes, the crystals that were already painted red disappeared and turned to mists again. The mists crawled on the ground, covering the dead bodies from their sights.

    Silence reigned as the mists settled right below the knees. None of the enemies were left standing.

    The elite vampires realized that the source of the power wasn''t Alexander, nor the witch queen. It was this human they thought was someone powerless. Just who the hell was she?

    They began to question why they had to protect someone this powerful, especially since they had just witnessed her protecting them all instead.

    "Good job, wife," Alex whispered from behind Abi. He knew that this was the perfect time for Abi to use her power because Alex could already tell that Dinah was hiding in a closed ce again. After all, that woman certainly knew about Alex''s capability of controlling the wind and Alicia''s ability to control nts. That woman was staying underground for these reasons, so using Abi''s power now was the best decision. They needed the elite vampires'' strength once they reached underground, and aside from that, they need to get through this quickly.

    Abi let out a deep breath. She didn''t feel right, but she was d she could finally help. Her heart was in chaos. She didn''t know what she was feeling, but her brain kept telling her that she had to do this. This was what she always wanted. To help Alex and fight alongside him, so she had to toughen her heart.

    "Are they all gone?" she asked as she buried her face in Alex''s chest.

    "Mm. They''re gone." The mists were disappearing, so she tried not to look at the bodies she had just killed. Alex knew that, so he pulled her in his embrace, and he signaled everyone to move a little farther from the dead bodies.

    "Alex," Kai immediately pulled their attention as soon as theynded on the ground again. "The witch¡­ the witch queen''s gone," he said, and everyone''s eyes widened.

    "What? Alicia?" Abi was shocked. She looked around, and she really couldn''t see the queen. "H-how? She was just standing right next to me!" she panicked when Raven, who was left standing where the dead bodies lie, as he faced another teau from afar, spoke.

    "Riev disappeared as well."

    [Dear hellbounders, I know these one chapter updates are frustrating you, but I''m sorry because this is all I can manage right now. As I''ve said, this book is nearing the end, so I am giving my best to give you guys the best climax and ending. However, things aren''t always sunshine on my end, and I feel like my brain is pretty drained, maybe because I exhausted my dear brain too much in the past months by releasing three or more chapters daily. I feel like I reached my limit, and I couldn''t pump the same amount of chapters anymore, no matter how much I tried. So I hope you will understand, and please let me stick with one chapter update for now. I will still try to write more and will update more if I could. I''m so thankful that you guys are still sticking with me, and I hope you will stay until the end.

    Thank you for all the love and support hellbounders,. Youguys are he best. Love y''all.

    ~kazzen

    P.s. you might want to try reading my first ever novel while waiting for the update. The title is ''I love you monster'' you can see it in my profile. The book''s main story ispleted but the after story is still on hold so I suggest that you stop at chapter 512.

    It may not be as good as hellbound but I assure u its a fun read.]

 Chapter 512 Gut*

    <h4>Chapter 512 Gut*</h4>

    Moments ago, as the mists started to block their visions, someone appeared behind Alicia. But Alicia immediately sensed the disturbing presence, and she swiftly turned, her sword already trusted into the neck of the man in a ck cloak, stopping his advance.

    Alicia''s eyes widen. She knew this was Ezekiel. Was he finally here to join them? Alicia was about to drop her sword when her brows suddenly pulled together in a tight knot. Ezekiel was hiding his presence, and that was why Alicia failed to recognize him. Why? If he was here to join them, he shouldn''t be hiding his presence as if he just sneaked in the midst of them to do something bad!

    Her lips opened to speak when the man moved closer, not minding Alicia''s sword at all. Alicia gritted her teeth in hesitation. She didn''t know why, but her gut told her to fight him and not let him get closer to her, as if her body recognized him as an enemy. But Alicia didn''t listen to the whispers in her head and let him approach her.

    Her sword was in between them as the man bent closer to whisper. "Come with me," he said, causing Alicia to look at him with eyes filled with suspicions and questions.

    "Tell m ¨C"

    "Hush, " he cut her off, cing his forefinger on her lips. And before Alicia could even react, his hands were already wrapped around her waist, and leaped away, taking her.

    Alicia struggled, not knowing what to do. She tried to break free from him without using deadly magic, but the man''s arms were like iron chaining him.

    "Ezekiel! I''m warning you! Let go of me! Now!" she said. She knew they were already far from where the group because of this vampire prince''s insane speed.

    But Ezekiel remained unbothered as if he didn''t hear anything. When Alicia saw that they were leaving the teau, her palms started to glow because she realized he was trying to kidnap her, to separate her from the group. "Where are you bringing me? Why are you doing this?! Speak now, Ezekiel!"

    In seconds, they already reached another teau, far from where Abi and others were. Ezekiel remained silent as if he had gone mute. Alicia could no longer contain herself, and she finally used magic to break free from him. A strong silver glow hit Ezekiel''s chin, forcing him to let go of her. The twonded on the ground, and Ezekiel''s face was finally visible. The impact of Alicia''s attack blew his hood, and it settled behind him.

    A glint of anger shed in Alicia''s eyes as she looked at him. "Please don''t anger me, Ezekiel. What the hell are you nning to do? At least say something! If this is a part of your n, then tell me, and I will cooperate! No one can hear and see you right now that you''re with me. There is no more reason for you not to speak!"

    Ezekiel didn''t respond, and he walked closer to her again, causing Alicia to step back. "Speak, damn it!" she yelled at him. Alicia really wanted to trust this man at all cost, but right then, the chill that his eyes conveyed made her feel that feeling of doubt she used to feel towards him before he saved her that night in the Ziggurat.

    She tried not to listen to her instinct, but his eyes that moment held no warmth at all. Ezekiel was always like this since the first time she met him. He was always cold and shrouded with mystery, but this time, the look in his eyes made her feel scared of him. No matter how much she denies it, her body was reacting. She was a queen now, and she thought no one would scare her like this anymore. But it seemed she was wrong, and she didn''t know why but at that moment, to her, those cold, calcting, and emotionless calm eyes of his were scarier than those immortals.

    Gripping the hilt of her sword, Alicia tried her best to calm down as she continued stepping back. She wanted to think rationally. Why? Why was Ezekiel acting like this? She tried to see if he was under hypnotism or spell, but he wasn''t. Anyone''s magic wasn''t controlling him, meaning he knew what exactly he was doing.

    "Please¡­ just tell me this is a part of your n, and I will follow," she uttered, raising her sword as she prepared herself to fight. But then again, Ezekiel still didn''t say a word.

    "I¡­ I want to trust you, Ezekiel, but what you''re doing right now makes no sense to me. Or¡­" Alicia swallowed. "Could it be that you wanted me to fight you?"

    The pitter-patter of the rain was the only sound that could be heard for a short while. And then, like a lightning strike, Ezekiel charged at her to seize her. But Alicia defended herself with her mighty silver sword. Her eyes glowed, and magic surrounded her. She looked like a breathtaking porcin doll glowing under the rain when she was standing still. But the moment she wielded her sword and attacked him seriously, the doll turned into a warrior.

    She was fast, and her sword skill was superb, but Ezekiel caught her hand and tried to disarm her, but Alicia used her other hand to punch his stomach. Of course, the intense magic cloaking her fists turned the hit ten times stronger.

    Ezekiel had been pushed away from her, and hended on the ground meters away from her. His eyes peered at her through his dripping wet locks. A slight smirk shed on his face that didn''t reach his eyes as he licked the little blood that flowed out of his lips.

    Alicia had wounded him with her sword, but she didn''t put any poison that could harm vampires, so his wound instantly healed. Despite Ezekiel''s actions, she didn''t want to hurt him, although she knew that the man wasn''t even using half of his power yet because his eyes were still ck.

    He cracked his neck as he nonchntly approached Alicia again. Alicia immediately lifted her sword when Ezekiel halted a few steps away from her. The silver glow she was emitting reflected in his eyes, creating a beautiful glimmer in them, but his stoic face remained as unchangeable as marble as he finally opened his lips.

    "If you wanted to escape,e at me like you wanted to kill me, Alicia."

    Please consider buying privilege chapters.

    Tier 1 only costs 1coin for 5 advance chapters. It is notpulsory but buying them is a huge support for me, the author. Thank u \u003c3

 Chapter 513 Dont...*

    <h4>Chapter 513: Dont...* </h4>

    Alicia¡¯s eyes scrunched in confusion. She hadn¡¯t been expecting those words toe out of Ezekiel¡¯s mouth. She was clearly at a loss as she stared at him as if trying to figure out a puzzle.

    Even though she always knew it was futile to try figuring out anything from his stoic face, Alicia still tried and, as expected, failed.

    Gripping the hilt of her sword, Alicia steeled herself as she spoke. "Is this what you really wanted?" she asked. This was thest time she¡¯d ask him. If she still receives no response, then...

    As she waited, Alicia¡¯s heartbeat pounded against her chest as second ticked by. She realized that she really had no choice but to decide now whether to still put her trust in him or not. The dark grey sky thundered once again as lightning strike a tree meters away from them.

    None of them flinch, but the color in Ezekiel¡¯s eyes started to change. The lightless moons in his eyes turned red, causing Alicia¡¯s eyes to widen slightly.

    Her gaze on him turned fierce. Her long silver hair danced behind her back like ck silk. It was dripping wet just a while ago, but now, it was flying like silver silk. She whispered some words under her breath, and lights once again surrounded her.

    She always knew there was only one way to deal with this man, and that was to listen to whatever he says. No matter how insane it sounded, defying him was not an option because, in the end, what he wanted to happen will eventually happen.

    As power spread out in Alicia¡¯s body, the silver glow gushing out of her skin was a sight to behold. But her power and beauty that moment was something that would make any halfhearted man fall to their knees, not to worship her beauty but to ask for her mercy.

    A high-pitched ng echoed in the deste piece ofnd. Alicia had finally attacked, but as expected, Ezekiel defended himself with ease.

    "Too weak," Ezekiel said. "Are you even trying?"

    His tone was void with emotion, but what he said made Alicia¡¯s blood boil. Was he trying to aggravate her? If this were his aim, then Alicia would dly show him what he was asking!

    Her de locked onto Ezekiel¡¯s sword, but she didn¡¯t retreat. Instead, out of nowhere, another silver sword appeared in her free hand. She lunged her new weapon at him, but he was too fast. Alicia ended up cutting not him but the air.

    "Not bad." A smirk shed across Ezekiel¡¯s stoic face. He was already a few steps away from her.

    Alicia attacked again, shing and whipping both the swords in her hands at him. She was nning to distract him with the new sword in her left hand, but as expected, Ezekiel could block both of her raging des.

    The sound of shing swords continued until Alicia¡¯s twin des were like a whirling tornado. Ezekiel¡¯s eyes glimmered. She managed to push him back more than three steps. And then, a silver glow shed across her moonlit eyes as her power increased. Her de finally touched Ezekiel¡¯s skin, wounding his neck.

    But the sight of his blood flowing down his pale skin seemed to distract Alicia instantly, and she was stunned to stillness for a split second. That was more than enough for Ezekiel to turn the table around.

    Before Alicia knew it, her back was against Ezekiel¡¯s chest, and his de was already pointed at her neck.

    It was too sudden, but Alicia wasn¡¯t even surprised anymore. Her chest heaving as her other de disappeared, a sign that she had conceded.

    "Didn¡¯t I tell you toe at me like you wanted to kill me?" his deep voice rang in her ear, causing Alicia to frown. She decided to fight because she was still trying to figure out if he really wanted her to fight him to death. As she fought him, her gut told her to listen and fight him with all she got, but once again, she decided to go against herself. For the first time, Alicia chose to trust someone else more than her own intuition. She didn¡¯t know why, but maybe, this was all because he saved her that night. Moreover, as she attacked him, he merely defended and didn¡¯t lunge an attack at all.

    "I don¡¯t want to waste any more energy on you, Ezekiel. I¡¯d rather save my power for Dinah." Alicia reasoned. She couldn¡¯t see his face, but his grip on her tightened a little. Alicia could only think that he might be displeased.

    "What, you think I am not strong enough to go against her?" she narrowed her eyes.

    "You want to go against an immortal, huh... isn¡¯t that the same as wasting your energy?" he asked nkly, now grabbing her sword, disarming her.

    "Even if I couldn¡¯t kill her, there¡¯s a lot of things I can do to assist Abigail."

    "If you want to assist Abigail, then why aren¡¯t you escaping from me?"

    Alicia felt like her head was about to explode. She gave up. There was no way she could understand what the hell this man really wanted!

    A long silence reigned between them as Alicia¡¯s heavy breaths slowly calmed down. "Because I know you¡¯re doing this for a reason," she then uttered.

    Ezekiel didn¡¯t respond, and Alicia so wanted to turn to look at him, but Ezekiel didn¡¯t let her. However, she felt him bent closer and whispered. "Don¡¯t... trust me too much, Alicia."

    Before Alicia could digest what he just said, Ezekiel grabbed her tiny waist with his iron arm and leaped along with her.

    Alicia was speechless. His voice... those words kept resonating in her head. She didn¡¯t understand. Why? Why was this man like this? Why the hell was he suddenly saying that?!

    All she could do is hold onto him as he continued leaping in the air, fast as a bullet. Alicia refused to believe thosest words of his and told herself that there must be another reason again behind those words. She wanted to speak, but she wasn¡¯t going to confront him on it anymore because she knew she¡¯d never get anything out of him.

    A sigh escaped her lips as she braced herself. She felt that unease again, and she couldn¡¯t help but feel tense. What was going to happen next?

    .

    [Thank you so much for waiting, my dearest hellbounders!]

 Chapter 514 Spark*

    <h4>Chapter 514 Spark*</h4>

    The cave where Ezekiel and Alicia entered started to open up, both wider and taller until they reached arge cavern that must have been the teau''s center. The cavern was well lit by countless torches hanging by the massive pirs. But the ominous atmosphere was dark and heavy. It was almost suffocating. Men in ck cloak were everywhere in every corner of the cavern. There were too many of them, and she couldn''t see any other path. The cave was also too deep that escaping from this ce might not be possible even for her.

    A loud groan wees them as it filled the vastness of the cavern, and Alicia''s calm heart hastened because she knew who''s the owner of these agonizing groans. It was definitely Zeres.

    ncing at Ezekiel, Alicia steeled herself as they finallynded in arge chamber, behind therge circle of men in the ck cloak. His de was still at her throat when everyone turned to look at them. Upon seeing them, the men in ck cloaks cleared a way for them to enter the circle.

    Alicia''s eyes immediately fell on the man in the middle, and she felt her heart slightly trembled at the sight of Zeres. He was kneeling on the floor, and he looked like he was in so much pain. His untamed silver hair cascaded from her head, past her shoulders were damp with sweat. The nails on her fingers and toes were ck and long, and ck horns jutted from beneath his silver hair. Pitch ck scales had covered his skin, and a leathered wing was jutting past his broad shoulders.

    He no longer looked like a human nor a witch.

    Subconsciously, Alicia clenched her fists as her silver eyes zed as she dragged her gaze away from the man to look at the woman who was circling Zeres like she was a merchant trader assessing a piece of artwork. Alicia''s gaze at her was sharp and deadly. At that moment, all she wanted to do was to sh her throat.

    As Ezekiel walked towards the center with her, Dinah finally stopped circling Zeres. She faced them, and finally, Alicia met her gaze. Alicia didn''t flinch. She red at Dinah with a challenging and raging look.

    But Dinah''s face lit up with a devious smile, and she finally broke the silence.

    "Good job, Kiel," Dinah said as soon as Ezekiel halted a few steps before her. "I wonder what smart trick you used to grab this witch and made her follow you so easily." She lifted a brow as she looked Alicia from her head to toe and then back again. But soon enough, a glint of jealousy seemed to sh across Dinah''s eyes, as if she was jealous of Alicia''s otherworldly beauty.

    Not letting Ezekiel respond, Dinah''s eyes turned sharp as she continued speaking. "It seemed you sacrificed everyone. I''m not really impressed with you this time, Kiel. I expected you to do something more impressive," she said. "But oh well, never mind."

    Dinah then turned her back from them and touched Zeres'' chin with her forefinger.

    "Zeres," she called his name. "Do you want the pain to finally stop?" Her voice was smooth as honey ¨C honey that was filled with venoms. "Here''s the food for you." She cupped his face and made him look at Alicia. "Drink her blood, Zeres. She''s the cure of all your pain."

    Shock immediately painted Alicia''s face. She never expected this at all! Did Ezekiel brought her here for this?!

    "Release her, Kiel," Dinah ordered.

    Ezekiel didn''t drop his sword, causing Dinah to straighten and walk towards them.

    "Why are you disobeying me again? Huh? Kiel?"

    "Dinah, didn''t you say ¨C"

    "He needed more blood toplete the transformation," Dinah cut Ezekiel off.

    "It''s your blood that he needed, Dinah," Ezekiel replied. His tone was emotionless but firm.

    "I can''t give him any more of my blood, Kiel. Can''t you see he already drained my blood to itsst bits?"

    Now that she mentioned it, Dinah looked like a corpse. Unlike the skin of vampires, her skin was now worse than themon witch''s skin. There was no more blood flowing in her veins. "It''s not enough, Kiel," Dinah added.

    "But she''s just a witch. She can''t ¨C"

    "She can, Kiel." She cut Ezekiel''s words again. "He had enough of my blood. He is more than ready now. All he needed now is a spark to ignite the fire inside him."

    "And you''re saying the witch queen''s blood is the spark?"

    "Yes, Kiel."

    Silence crawled through the ancient pirs and walls until Ezekiel spoke again.

    "You''re not doing some experiment in this situation, are you?" he asked, and a burst of sinisterughter echoed.

    "Oh no, Kiel. You''re making meugh," she said, but her eyes were filled with malice. She reached out and held Ezekiel''s hand. She slowly pushed his hand down as she spoke. "Don''t worry. This is not an experiment. I am certain for this one because I was able to sessfully turn Zeres into a full dragon using the previous witch queen three months ago," she exined, causing Alicia''s eyes to widen in utter shock again.

    "Y-you¡­" as Alicia stammered, Dinah shed an evil smile at her.

    "Yes." Dinah suddenly said. "I managed to draw blood from that stubborn queen before she enveloped herself with that damn crystal."

    Disbelief and anger filled Alicia''s eyes as she gritted her teeth.

    "It appeared that Zeres will only fully transform if he consumes blood that is much more powerful than his original blood. And the only blood that is more powerful than his blood is the blood of a pure blooded witch queen." As Dinah said these words, she grabbed Alicia from Ezekiel and pushed her towards Zeres.

    "Now, Zeres! Drink her blood. Now!" Dinah ordered, shouting to be heard.

    As if awoken from his deep, intense state of painful meditation, Zeres opened his eyes and looked at Alicia with those glistening golden eyes.

    "Do it now!" Dinah ordered, once again. And this time, Zeres growled low in his throat, and he finally rose.

 Chapter 515 Something unexpected

    <h4>Chapter 515: Something unexpected </h4>

    Alicia gasped, further startled by the sudden and forceful action. Her heart slightly wavered the moment she realized she was few inches right in front of Zeres.

    Their eyes met. The golden hue in his eyes was moving as if the fire in them were zing in utter chaos.

    They stood there staring at each other with Alicia holding her breath. Was he going to attack her? She felt like Zeres still have some rationality left in him. She could tell by the way he looked at her, giving her a little reassurance that she wasn¡¯t in a totally hopeless situation yet.

    However, that word yet was the very thing that gave her both assurance and fear at the same time. Assurance because perhaps he was still able to fight back or even ovee whatever influences that was overwhelming him at this particr time. But on the flip side of this very finicky coin, was that fear ¨C thates from "what ifs". What if Zeres was truly going to attack her? What if he was not acting but truly and wholly being overcame by what was forced onto him. What if she couldn¡¯t wriggle herself out of this very big problem that she has gotten herself into?

    So many questions, so many doubts, so many thoughts ¨C all whirling about in her head in that split second. But on the outside, she maintained her stance. Keeping emotions off her face, ice-cool andposed. However, only she knows that every single nerve fibre in her body was fired up and all on edge to respond to whatever stimulus that woulde her way.

    Time ticked by but Zeres didn¡¯t attack Alicia. He remained rooted on the ground, gazing up at her before he groaned in pain once again.

    It was then that Dinah burst in anger. She was gritting her teeth, seeing that Zeres wasn¡¯t listening to her order. Curses were overflowing within her ¨C just dammed up by those lips, tightly pressed together into a straight and unttering line. Dinah knew that she could only fully control Zeres once he haspletely transformed. However, he first needed to transform! That¡¯s why she had to make him drink the witch blood now!

    With a face twisted in anger, Dinah grabbed her sword and started walking towards Alicia when she suddenly halted. Her head slowly tilted slightly to her left and there was that short pause that gave everyone chills running up and down their skin if they looked at her. Those facing her could see very clearly that a slow and bone chilling smile was spreading across that usually elegant face, turning it into a twisted visage of a hidden psychopath which is currently revealing itself. Alicia who was facing her suddenly had a feeling that she might not get out of this situation totally unscathed ¨C if she even manages to be lucky enough to squeeze herself out of this.

    Dinah turned and faced Ezekiel. A dagger flew from her hand towards him. As Ezekiel caught the dagger, Dinah spoke. "You do it, Kiel," she said. "Draw her blood and feed it to him."

    Alicia¡¯s head snapped towards Ezekiel. Though she managed to restrain her emotions, she could not help but have her eyes widen a little, slightly thrown off ¨C not by the request itself but by the person that was asked to do the deed. But the man wasn¡¯t looking at her. His eyes locked towards Dinah.

    "What? Don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t do it," she added, her brows raised, obviously taunting and provoking Ezekiel into making a move and acting in haste.

    When Ezekiel remained silent, her arched brows pushed towards one another and with sudden fake concerned expression, she dragged her gaze from Ezekiel to one of the men in ck cloak. "Fine. It seems like our Kiel here is not in the mood for some fun, so you do it for him instead, Darwin."

    Before the man named Darwin could take a step closer to Alicia, Ezekiel suddenly moved, saying in a blunt deadpan voice, "No need. I¡¯ll do it."

    That made Dinah smirk with a triumphant smile.

    Ezekiel moved forward, cautiously, as he approached Alicia. The atmosphere turned incredibly tense as their eyes met.

    Alicia didn¡¯t know what to do or think. She tried to calmly search for something in his eyes to settle her heart but as always, it just wasn¡¯t possible for her to decipher anything from those unfathomable eyes. What exactly was happening? Did Ezekiel really had no idea that Dinah would do this to her?

    It was hard for Alicia to believe but she didn¡¯t have the luxury to think about that anymore. Because here he was again, approaching her like he wouldn¡¯t hesitate to stab her. His steps were heavy, slow, but measured ¨C each one seemingly thudding in the same cadence as her heart was beating, which was excruciatingly agonising. Was this the reason why her gut feelings kept nagging at her? It had seemed to be telling her something, boggling her mind ¨C what it was, she did not know, as she had ignored it initially, and chose to trust him. For a split second she wished she had just taken the time to stop and think more about it. But regretting now when the milk is already spilt is truly of no point. Was trusting Ezekiel really a mistake?

    Alicia clenched her fists as those words Ezekiel whispered to her just minutes ago when she let him seize her echoed in her head. But still, she shook her head inwardly. Still wanting to believe that she didn¡¯t make a grave mistake.

    Their eyes remained glued on each other until Ezekiel finally halted before her.

    Alicia was holding her breath as she waited for what he would do next, hoping that it would be something unexpected. A good kind of something unexpected, of course.

    However, Alicia¡¯s hope was shattered the moment Ezekiel lifted his sword. The tip of his de almost pierced the skin at her throat. She wanted to scream at him but she managed to get by with clenching her jaw and gritting her teeth, ring daggers at him.

 Chapter 516 One condition

    <h4>Chapter 516: One condition </h4>

    Alicia was utterly speechless as she took a step back, closer to Zeres. When Ezekiel also took a step, Alicia¡¯s expression changed and she smirked at him, not to mock him, but to prove she was not afraid of him.

    A strange light flicked in Ezekiel¡¯s eyes the instant Alicia gave him that smirk. But then, he retracted his sword, raised it again to sh at her when...

    A gasp of surprise escaped from Alicia¡¯s lips as something metallic and cold grabbed her from behind. She fell on the ground, leaning against a hard as steel object. She turned and realized that it was Zeres who pulled on her and he was now sheltering her from Ezekiel.

    As Alicia returned her gaze to the man in front of her, her eyes widened in shocked surprise. Zeres growled and his powerful arm that was almost like a dragon¡¯s w hit Ezekiel, sending him flying. The hit was so strong that the pir where Ezekiel hadnded broke into pieces, creating a strong earthquake.

    Everyone¡¯s jaw fell open as they looked at the crumbling pir.

    When the dust settled down, their gazes fell back to Zeres. Dinah screamed in anger. Bloodlust consumed her as she stared at Alicia.

    Alicia¡¯s instinct told her that the insane woman was prepared to kill her. She saw her sword that Ezekiel had dropped, and she immediately grabbed it, thankful that the sword was right within her reach.

    Dinah pointed her sword at her Alicia but Alicia didn¡¯t even flinch. Having Zeres right behind her calmed her down like nothing else ever did.

    "You think Zeres will save you from me?" Dinah asked, her voice shaking with anger. "In your dreams, witch." She snorted. "Zeres will never hurt me. I am his master, after all. Wanna see for yourself?"

    Without a warning, Dinah swung her sword at her. Alicia dodged her but because she was trapped within the confines of Zeres¡¯ chest and arms, she couldn¡¯t move back. And she was right, Zeres didn¡¯t shield her from Dinah.

    Blood started to drip down Alicia¡¯s cheek. It appeared that Dinah¡¯s de managed to reach her skin.

    "I always wanted to destroy that face of yours, witch." Dinah said,ughing like a maniac and she swung her sword again.

    This time, Alicia blocked her attack. Anger zed in Dinah¡¯s eyes and she swung even harder. Knowing that the uing attack was definitely strong, Alicia¡¯s other de appeared from her other hand and moving as fast as she was able, she raised both of her des and crossed them.

    Dinah¡¯s sword stopped in the intersection of Alicia¡¯s de.

    Gnashing her teeth, Dinah looked down at her. "So, you wanted to fight? Huh? Witch? You think you can defeat me? You think you can still escape?" she asked.

    Alicia¡¯s eyes fell to the men in ck and saw their eyes zing red as they stared down at her like she was a their prey to be devoured. Looking at them, Alicia knew Dinah was right. There was no way she could defeat everyone. It was basically a suicide mission fighting them by herself.

    It was hard for her to utilize her power¡¯s full potential in this ce because it was too cramped. She needed space to fight but there were too many of them. She could already imagine these horde jumping at her before she could even finish uttering her chants. It appeared that Dinah was well aware of the witches¡¯ powers. It was obvious that she knew that witch queen¡¯s weakness were close range battles.

    Thankfully, Alicia was exceptional in swordfight. She could fight them with her sword but with these numbers, she didn¡¯t know how long she couldst. If only she had even one ally who would watch her back, she might stand a chance and buy more time until Abi and the rest will arrive.

    But she had no one. What should she do? She nced at the crumpled pir. Ezekiel seemed to be buried inside the debris and there was no sign of himing out.

    Alicia gritted her teeth. How could she still think that Ezekiel would help her?

    "Now give in and give me your blood, witch." Dinah whispered. "There¡¯s no hope for you," sheughed contemptuously.

    However, Alicia¡¯s silver eyes suddenly glimmered and a devilish smile curved on her angel face. "You¡¯re right, Monster. There might be no more hope for me," she trailed off, still smiling. "But let me remind you that I am the witch queen. I still have a trump card that would totally screw you over."

    The smile on Dinah¡¯s face slowly faded.

    "D-don¡¯t do it, witch," Dinah looked shaken. She knew that if this queen cocooned herself, Zeres would never transformpletely. Her ns will be doomed if that happens!

    "Why can¡¯t I?" It was Alicia¡¯s turn to smirk as if she already won the fight.

    "You will die if you do that!"

    "What¡¯s the difference? You will kill me anyway."

    "No!" Dinah shook her head. Her expression changed again. From a serpent to a saint. "I promise you witch queen. I will not kill you. I only needed a few drops of blood from you."

    "You¡¯re expecting me to trust you?" Alicia chuckled, causing Dinah to slightly waver once again.

    "You¡¯re still too young queen," Dinah forced her smooth voice out. "Think about this carefully, and if you don¡¯t give Zeres your blood, he¡¯ll be in pain forever."

    Alicia¡¯s eyes moved sideways. She could hear Zeres groaning again, in pain.

    "Fine," Alicia stared at Dinah intensely. "I will give you my blood," she added, causing Dinah¡¯s face to light up. "However, there is one condition."

    Dinah lifted her brow.

    Aliciaughed, the sound was clear and tinkling like silver bells. "Don¡¯t tell me a person like you expects to get a free lunch?" an amused smile apanied that statement. "Come on...now you¡¯re making meugh!"

    Dinah gave a small sniff and narrowed her eyes suspiciously. However, she still went along with Alicia¡¯s request. "State what you want then, witch queen."

    "Let¡¯s fight." Alicia replied. "If you defeat me, I will give you my blood."

 Chapter 517 Many times over

    <h4>Chapter 517 Many times over</h4>

    The request seemed to startle Dinah and gave her significant pause. But Dinah eventually forced a smirk. "How foolish," she said. "You want to fight an immortal like ¨C"

    "My condition is not to kill you," Alicia cut her off. "It¡¯s for you to defeat me," she added, her gaze at Dinah was unwavering and fierce.

    It was a staring contest Dinah eventually lost. Her serpent eyes turned to a slit before she finally agreed. "Fine. I shall let you taste the ¨C"

    Before Dinah could evenplete her statement, Alicia used both of her swords to pull Dinah¡¯s de sharply to the left, throwing her off bnce and sending the woman a few steps back.

    Dinah¡¯s eyes widened in shocked surprise. She hadn¡¯t expected this witch to attack her while she was talking and she was surprised at the sneak attack. Her eyes zed in anger and she suddenly lunged at Alicia like a madwoman. Alicia didn¡¯t let that opportunity slip and she shed one of her des against the iing weapon and stabbed the other sword straight through Dinah¡¯s stomach.

    The silver de pierced through Dinah, causing the woman to halt and look down at her stomach. There was almost no blood dripping from the wound but the pain seemed to be there, twisting Dinah¡¯s corpse-like face into an expression of fury. A silence filled the room for one short second before a bone-chilling scream echoed inside therge cavern, as if a monster burst out from Dinah¡¯s insides. And then a maniacalugh followed. Dinah was definitely riled up and she had a crazy look in her eyes as she walked forward, pushing Alicia¡¯s de deeper into her stomach.

    Alicia knew what this madwoman was nning - to trap her between Zeres and herself in order to kill her.

    So before Dinah could proceed with her ns, Alicia pulled her de out of Dinah¡¯s body and she swung it again towards Dinah with all her might, pushing the madwoman back once again. Zeres¡¯ hold on her loosened with her movements and she found an opening from his hold. She immediately left Zeres¡¯ shield, leaping towards the staggering Dinah andnding before the woman with her des crossed in front of her. Her stance was perfect and graceful, more than ready to attack.

    Zeres staggered backward from herunch and his back hit the wall. He looked up to see the witch queen surrounded by a silver glow of light, giving off a calm aura, like delicate snow circling around her. Zeres¡¯ mind was still jumbled from the pain. He had instinctively moved to shield her from that vampire¡¯s attack but he couldn¡¯t protect her from Dinah¡¯s attack.

    Alicia¡¯s gaze never left Dinah in her crouched position. "Is that all you¡¯ve got, Dinah?" Alicia asked, her tone condescending and mocking, trying to anger this woman even more. Her n was to make this womansh out at her violently without thinking about what she was doing and that way, she would have the upper hand. This also meant that Dinah¡¯s attention would be focused solely on her.

    The woman who was consumed by her anger cracked her head and for the very first time, Alicia saw Dinah¡¯s eyes turn golden. The atmosphere turned darker as pure bloodlust enveloped the entire cavern.

    Alicia¡¯s grip on the hilt of her de tightened. It seemed they were initially wrong when they thought that this woman was a mere immortal who was powerless. Damn! This woman definitely had something up her sleeve that she¡¯d been hiding from them all. What power was she hiding from them?

    "I¡¯ve lost my patience. Well, never mind. Now it¡¯s time for me to teach you a lesson about respecting your elders, bitch queen!" Dinah said as sheughed and one hand began to turn ck. Unlike Zeres and Alexander, Dinah didn¡¯t groan in pain. She looked like she was in full control of herself. How? Why? How could she freely control herself like that when even Alexander couldn¡¯t?

    Her left hand transformed in the way as Zeres¡¯ arms did. ck metal-like scales enveloped her arm, bingrger in size, and her nails grew into sharpened ws.

    Holding her de with her other hand, Dinah¡¯s sardonicugh died and she looked at Alicia with a triumphant expression.

    "Move!" she ordered her minions and the circle expanded, giving them enough space for an all-out battle. Alicia was d that this Dinah was now taking her seriously. She had actually been dreading the moment when this woman decided that she couldn¡¯t be bothered with this anymore and just signal her minions instead to attack her while she was busy fighting Dinah. She was d that this woman seemed to really hate her and that she was easily aggravated by her. She needed this woman to fight her so she could buy time for herrades to arrive. She believed that Abi and Alexander were getting close. She just needed to hang in there a bit longer.

    She was not afraid of this woman. Even if this woman was much more powerful than she had expected - more than anyone of them had expected - she would show them all what she was capable of. Even if her opponent was unkible, she would defeat her many times over, to buy time for herrades and to give herself the strongest chance of survival. She would cut this deranged woman countless times and make her feel all the pain and suffering she caused on others - all the pain she inflicted to her queen, Zeres, and everyone else who suffered because of her. Alicia swore that she would give this woman a taste of her own medicine, a taste of how it feels to be cut over and over and over again without mercy.

    "Nowe at me, witch," Dinah challenged, smiling evilly.

    The delicate and calm snow-like particles that were floating around Alicia began to move faster and in a blink of an eye, a deafening clunk echoed.

 Chapter 518 Goddesses show

    <h4>Chapter 518 Goddesses show</h4>

    Alicia¡¯s de smashed onto Dinah¡¯s but the woman wasn¡¯t pushed back this time. It was apparent that Dinah¡¯s strength dramatically increased with the transformation. It seemed that she wasn¡¯t just a mere immortal lunatic human that they thought she was. Alicia didn¡¯t know why they hadn¡¯t thought of this possibility! If Alexander and Zeres were exhibiting the same symptoms, then surely it would have been logical to think that this woman would be as well. But then again, Alexander and Zeres were not just humans. They had powers from their lineage; a witch and a vampire and halflings at that. It was easy to assume that the transformation was because of their inherent powers.

    It seemed it was a mistake to assume that just because this woman was human, she wouldn¡¯t have any special powers.

    "Haha, try harder, witch!" Dinah¡¯s loud mocking voice echoed inside the cavern as she swung her w at Alicia.

    Alicia instinctively blocked it with her other sword. However, the moment her de hit her dragon¡¯s w, the de exploded into tiny crystals, showering them both with sparkling dust, as if a glitter bomb had exploded above them.

    For a split second Alicia fell in a trance unable to believe that her de exploded so easily like that. It seemed she underestimated the power of that dragon w. How strong could she be that she was able to shatter her sword into a million tiny pieces like that?!

    Now that she thought about it, Ezekiel, who was directly hit by Zeres¡¯ w, was still buried under the rubble. It would take a whole lot of power to knock a man like Ezekiel out like that - that was if the man was indeed knocked out. Perhaps, he could also just be pretending in order to not draw Dinah¡¯s unwanted attention again. Well, whatever his reasons, Alicia no longer cared. She was done thinking about him. Her thoughts were now focused on no one else but this troublesome woman.

    "Ha! Is that all you¡¯ve got, you cocky bitch?" Dinah snorted but thanks to her bbering, Alicia was able to react quickly and she leapt back, away from Dinah¡¯s reach. She put her original de to her left and a new de appeared in her right hand. She eyed the woman, like a wary prey, as she readied herself.

    "I have to end this now and quickly. I¡¯m done wasting my time on you, ugly witch. I will crush that face of yours!" Dinah said with utter disdain as she looked at Alicia¡¯s face and this time, Dinah was the one to attack.

    Their des collided and Alicia was now being pushed back, overwhelmed by Dinah¡¯s inhuman power. But in that single attack, Alicia realized something. Dinah was not faster than her. Even though Dinah¡¯s strength had increased, her agility remained on par with Alicia¡¯s. She wasn¡¯t quick enough to catch Alicia off guard, giving Alicia enough time to react and defend herself.

    Alicia smiled, her lips moving slightly as she chanted a quick spell, one that would increase her strength and also her agility. While her strength would not be nearly on par with the dragon woman, Alicia¡¯s agility would be greater than hers. Alicia was able to easily dodge Dinah¡¯s dragon w with one swift and elegant movement. She was like a floating white thread, dancing elegantly in the wind.

    Feeling her frustration increase because she was unable to deal any damage to Alicia, Dinah grunted in anger once again and she suddenly swung her ws aimlessly like she had lost her mind.

    Alicia took a hit, barely, but she was still thrown to the ground hard. This woman¡¯s strength was unbelievable! And what was worse was that it seemed to increase when she was angry!

    Alicia hissed in pain but she immediately rose. Her heart was beating erratically. The power within her was like boiling water, making her body feel hot. She took a moment to collect herself and steel her resolve at what she was about to do. She took a couple of deep breaths and without wasting another second, Alicia screamed as she charged at Dinah with everything she had. She impulsivelyunched an almost choreographed sequence of attacks. She shed using both swords at the woman, one arm swinging above her head and the other swinging across her body. She twirled around, her hair dancing from the movement as she swung down with her swords towards the woman¡¯s shoulders. Alicia bombarded her with one attack after another, not giving Dinah a chance to counter.

    Alicia¡¯s attack almost looked like a silver whirlwind, giving Dinah no chance to swing her w at all because she was busy shielding herself.

    Alicia¡¯s twin des were moving even faster. This was a now or never type of situation for Alicia. Even if she wanted to drag out this battle, she couldn¡¯t because Dinah was bing too impatient and would probably end up killing her before her friends arrived. She was better off fighting Dinah to death now than give that woman a chance to bring her to her knees.

    Moreover, Alicia also knew that her using two des would soon tax her, so she needed to unleash her full attack now while she still had the strength!

    Dinah lost her temper once again but Alicia¡¯s de met her anger with an even more intense rage Alicia didn¡¯t know she had. It could be because she was still unable to really weep for her dead queen, her dead mother figure, and only now was she able to release that pain and anger on the woman who had taken her mother from her.

    Her intensity forced Dinah to step backwards. Her blows smashed down harder and harder and nothing could be heard anymore but the sound of metal shing against each other. The minions were in a trance, mouths agape as they watched the exhrating attack. They never thought that a raging witch queen would fight so damn intensely. They never thought that a fight would actually look like a goddesses show to entertain mortals.

    But their awe didn¡¯tst because a sword finally fell on the ground with a sliced hand still gripping its hilt.

    The minions in ck cloaks looked at it and their eyes widened in horror because the sword that fell wasn¡¯t silver and the hand wasn¡¯t the witch¡¯s.

    It was their immortal queen¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 519 Chopped potato

    <h4>Chapter 519 Chopped potato</h4>

    In an instant, there was a multitude of sizzling light balls with ckened auras which appeared in the air circling the dueling pair. These bolts of ck light balls whizzed towards their target and hit Alicia from behind. The strong ck magic was from the two witches on Dinah¡¯s sides. However, the heart wrenching thing was that these two witches were Alicia¡¯s childhood friends. They had grown up together as how true siblings would and learned and even fought together, side by side until the three of them became the new generation¡¯s most powerful witches.

    It really was not any hidden secret but was considered asmon knowledge that every single witch knew that ultimately, it would be only one of the three who will soon be crowned queen. But on the exact day that Alicia¡¯s hair started to turn silver and everyone had acknowledged her to be the next queen, her two friends, her bosom buddies, started to change. They turned green-eyed with jealousy which had, in due course consumed them until they eventually rebelled and left the ck Forest. Alicia saw it in thete queen¡¯s memories that these two were the reason why thete queen was captured and they were also the ones who drew blood from thete queen.

    Gritting her teeth in anger, she shot a deadly re at the two witches who were once her so-called, sisters, her best friends. She swore that she would surely make them pay ¨C and her payback would not be something small and itty-bitty.

    "Oh, hell no," Alicia whispered silently, those words only audible to her own ears. These green-eyed bitches truly have crossed the line. Betraying their long-time friendship, their sisterhood ¨C that is still something that was done perhaps due to personal feelings and their own private covetousness over what she had, and they did not receive. That she could still ept. Alicia would perhaps deal with it with just some personal revenge and getting back on even terms. However, this type of betrayal is more than personal. It involved their loyalty to the family that raised them, their oath they had vowed to their witch n and above all, it involves the numerous lives that depended on thete queen¡¯s influence and power. They had basically betrayed their own nation! And if that ¨C Alicia viciously thought ¨C was not considered high treason with the oue of the cruelest form of punishment or death, she really do not know what is.

    With the earlier duel, Alicia had focused all her senses on Dinah that she was careless and failed to protect herself from the sneaky attack of her fellow witches. Those ck magic balls were lethal. They were spells made to weaken their target as the ck magic will suck the strength that is contained inside one¡¯s body.

    If Alicia was not queen, she would have been forced onto her knees right now. Quickly, she chanted a spell to counter the ck magic, to at least minimize the effect on her. As she was chanting, she returned her gaze back to Dinah who finally snapped, breaking the spell Alicia had casted on her right before she leapt back and away from her.

    Dinah¡¯s body was covered with wounds. When Dinah looked down and saw her body being shed like it was some kind of chopped potato, a high-pitch scream filled the vastness of the cavern. Dinah finally started to feel the pain from the hundreds of cuts Alicia had inflicted on her. Her face too was not spared, and she suffered some cuts. Even though the wounds have already started healing, Alicia made to thoroughly coat her de in a various concoction of poisons to slow the enemy¡¯s healing and give them the most agonizing pain they deserved.

    While standing there silently watching Dinah throw her tantrums and having a bitch-fit, she gave an internal shrug. "Well, whoever can force me to draw my swords will definitely deserve this torment caused by the des as well as the poisons," she thought. She was not one who draws her swords out on a whim. Only in distressing or harrowing circumstances is she willing to pull out her twin des ¨C reason being, those poisons she coats her twin de with, were not the usual run-of-the-mill ones. These were only privy to the queen witch that is seeded when the mantle of queen is passed down. And the best thing was, there are no antidotes for the poisons that she concocts. The only way one can survive was by having enough magic power to ovee the toxins running in their bodies ¨C but at an exceedingly high price. They would lose half of their inner power if not more.

    Dinah continued screaming as Alicia wordlessly observed her from her spot. "I will kill you, bitch!!! I will goddamn kill you!!!"

    "Be my guest...if you can..." she drawled her reply and just had her sentence trail off, driving Dinah into an even heightened screaming frenzy. That scene was something she didn¡¯t regret watching, even though she knew she was not in a much favorable position herself.

    Dinah lifted her right hand to attack her with her sword, and it was only then that she realized that she had lost her right hand. Another scream echoed as the hand on the ground slowly flew back to its original ce.

    The intense pain seemed to have killed thest bits of her sanity and she roared like a beast. Her fiery golden eyes, zeroed at Alicia, now more than prepared to take her life.

    Alicia breathed deep. She managed to counter the ck magic and it had left her body. But the magic had also drained quite a lot of her energy. The all-out attack sheunched at Dinah also consumed her body¡¯s power. Alicia knew she wouldn¡¯t be able tost for much longer. But she would never give up.

    Gripping her sword again, the witch queen raised her twin des and was prepared to fight until the end. She uttered another short series of chants and Dinah started to gnash her teeth and fall on her knees. The poison Alicia put on her de was still circting on the inside of Dinah¡¯s body. Even though her wounds have already somewhat healed, the poison was still trapped inside.

 Chapter 520 So cool

    <h4>Chapter 520 So cool</h4>

    Even though no poison could kill Dinah, she could still feel the same level of pain mortals felt. Unlike Alexander who wouldn¡¯t even flinch from pain like this, Dinah looked like she was going crazy. It appeared that this was the first time she was ever cut and poisoned like this.

    Seeing her, Alicia forced a smiled. She finally made her taste her own medicine.

    The two rebel witches jumped behind Dinah as Dinah screamed at them to help her deal with the pain.

    The witches immediately helped her but they couldn¡¯t counter a witch queen¡¯s spell. They could only give Dinah an illusion that the pain wasn¡¯t there anymore.

    "Kill her!!! Now!!!" Dinah screamed at her minions while the witches were dealing with her pain.

    Here ites, Alicia thought. She knew that once she defeated that lowly woman, she would order her minions toe after her.

    The lights started enveloping her. But this time, the glow was dramatically weaker.

    Rogue vampires jumped at her, three at a time. Alicia swung her de, killing two vampires in one strike. But the following attacks came after her like a horde. Charging in every sides of her. Alicia swung her twin des harder, and swifter than she had ever done in her entire life ¨C using everything that she had.

    As those silver, razor sharp des were slicing back and forth, bodies of vampires toppled over and piled around her as she fell on her one knee, resting her hand on top of her des. She was exhausted. An errant de from one of the vampires had managed to get in a lucky strike at her from behind, tainting her snow-white dress scarlet. She forced herself up, her silver hair now damped with sweat and blood.

    Her body swayed a little but she steadied herself. A smile curved on her beautiful warrior¡¯s face as she challenged the vampires.

    And then, they came at her. Alicia could no longer watch her back. She knew she can no longer protect herself. It was getting hopeless for her. All she could hear now was her blood pumping in her veins and the thumping of her heartbeat. She never thought she would ever fight a battle like this in her life, in her reign. The era of battles was long over that it was almost useless for witches to learn fighting skills in the past hundreds of years. Who would have thought that she will end up fighting a battle so intense like this?

    Ironically, she didn¡¯t feel the regret she thought she would feel. Maybe because she had been dreaming to fight with everything being put on the line. When she was young, the possibility of bing queen didn¡¯t excite her. Alicia always like action and adventure. She liked peace of course, but the thought of bing the queen and sitting there on her throne, watching over her people and waiting for the day she will reach her age limit was... utterly boring. This was why she insisted on learning how to fight, without relying on magic and she sometimes thought if she was the right person to sit on the throne. But this kind of battle, having gamble it all ¨C her position, her power, her life and everything she held dear ¨C this exhration is undeniable! Her eyes sparkled even in this dire situation that she has found herself in. Even in the event that she perished, there truly was nothing to regret in her mind ¨C at least this was what she thought at this moment in time.

    But now, it seemed that she was indeed the right person to be chosen as the rightful queen after all. Because she happened to be the queen during this chaotic time the immortals created. This battle pushed her potential to the very edge, and she managed to break through the limitations and exhibited the power she thought she never had. That¡¯s why she wouldn¡¯t regret. She would fight until everyone falls, or she fall.

    As Alicia sunk deeper and deeper in her own battlefield, she saw the vampires behind her on the de of her sword, about to strike her. It was toote for her to move and her de was upied with the enemies in front of her. She chanted a quick spell but the magic was too weak.

    Knowing that it was hopeless, she gritted her teeth and lunged at the enemies before her. This was it, she uttered to herself. But... the strike she was waiting for didn¡¯te.

    Someone slightly brushed her back as the vampires stepped back in retreat.

    Alicia who was holding her breath wanted to look back but she couldn¡¯t remove her eyes from her enemies.

    "Thank you for holding on, witch prin- I mean queen." The man behind him said and Alicia let out a breath of salvation.

    "R-riev," she uttered his name as she panted. She could see him wearing a ck cloak.

    "I followed you. I already sent the signal to Alexander. They¡¯re about to reach us. I only managed to infiltrate by acting like one of these rogue vampires. I am sorry for beingte," Riev said, his voice filled with regret and worry.

    "Don¡¯t mention it. You came here just in time Riev."

    "Thank you." Riev¡¯s voice lightened a few notches. "You¡¯re so cool, queen. You¡¯re amazing! Such a badass as always!" he suddenly showered her with praises, causing Alicia to chuckle.

    But their conversation was cut short when the vampires attacked them once again.

    "Please hold on a little longer," Riev said and Alicia just smiled despite her battered situation.

    "Of course, I¡¯m a queen after all," Alicia¡¯s regal response came and the fight went on.

    Riev was at his peak, doing everything he could to destroy her opponents and at the same time support the weakened witch queen. He was mesmerized andpletely awed by the witch queen. He never saw a woman as cool and awesome as her. Her fight gave him a tremendous boost in power and his determination deepened even further causing his strength and power to be doubled, no, it tripled, and it was all thanks to her. To this amazing woman they all call the queen of the witches.

 Chapter 521 Last order

    <h4>Chapter 521 Last order</h4>

    Riev and Alicia fought intensely, each watching the other¡¯s back. Their enemies came at them in non-stop waves but back-to-back, Riev fought valiantly while Alicia persevered on with gritted teeth ¨C even as she is already at herst dregs.

    Bodies were continually being piled up all around them, creating some sort of dark and gruesome parody of flowers arranged around a very attention-grabbing couple ¨C but it was as if the enemies had this never ending supply and inexhaustible source of manpower. Riev knew just how many rogue vampires and witches were inside this cavern ¨C which were just,t too many of them. There was no way that just the two of them could kill even a half of them. Their only hope now was to hang in there and wait for Alexander and the others to arrive. Of course, provided they could hang on with their lives still intact until helpes.

    "Ugh!" Alicia, who all these times managed to reign in all the difort she had endured, finally grunted out in pain, causing Riev to quickly snap his eyes over and immediately shifted his attention in front of Alicia. He swung his sword fiercely at the enemies as he grabbed Alicia and pulled her closer to him.

    She was wounded again, and her other de had disappeared sometime during the intense fight. It seemed she was swiftly reaching her limit. She¡¯s been fighting for too long!

    "F*cking idiots!! What the hell are you doing? Catch the witch now and kill her!!!" Dinah¡¯s voice thundered, and the vampires, like dogs who heard their master, immediately jumped at them.

    Alicia sluggishly looked over to Dinah. She wanted to continue to push Dinah¡¯s buttons even if she could not do it physically. And coincidentally, she knew how to do that.

    "Aren¡¯t you feeling a little tired out? Guess that is truly all you have in you. Once you get a little beaten, you hide behind those brainless toadies of yours. Hah!" Alicia taunted Dinah, continuing to egg her on with the hopes of throwing her off focus and prolonging their waiting time for help to turn up.

    "That is all you can give? Just some little scratches on your pretty little face, and you go crying in pain? Hmm...I had wondered what kind of leader you are. You know what? I know you judge me and how I am an ipetent queen witch. But perhaps you¡¯d better keep in mind that if I am all that...you probably are a piece of shit too," Alicia was truly giving her all in insulting Dinah. She was not usually this wordy. However, desperate times demands for desperate measures. She was willing to try anything to just dy and drag time.

    To her surprise, her taunting worked. Those vampires under Dinah¡¯smand had paused under her confident jesting and mocking of their leader. Dinah¡¯s face had since turned fascinatingly blotchy red and was visibly shaking in anger. She stomped her feet, balled her fists so hard her nails pierced her skin, and she shrieked so loud even her own minions cringed away from her.

    "I. WANT. YOU. TO KILL. HER. NOW!!" Dinah¡¯s eyes were zing with fury unsuppressed. Her horde of vampires were triggered into action once more and roared as they swarmed towards that duo who had that few seconds of breathing space.

    Alicia tried to force herself to fight, but Riev stopped her and motioned that he would be protecting her this time.

    "Damn rogues! Come at me, you bastards!" Riev said, eyes blood red, as his yful smirk shed across his charming face.

    The fight continued, but soon enough, the horde of vampires came at them all at once. Riev knew he couldn¡¯tst much longer. When he turned to Alicia, his eyes stretched out in horror. Her sword had fallen, and Dinah was lunging herself towards Alicia. Quick as lightning, Riev pulled Alicia back into the protective circle, which were his arms, and used his body as her shield.

    "Hang in there, queen. Alexander ising." He whispered, and Alicia¡¯s eyes widened, seeing the vampires now about to lunge at Riev from all directions.

    "No! Riev!" she screamed when...

    A voice echoed loudly.

    "Stop," a deep familiar voice made all the rogue vampires halt. Reiv mildly dropped his protective stance over Alicia and took a relieved breath. However, he remained vignt and watchful in case some rogue vampires decided to be brave and try their luck.

    "Don¡¯t you dare interrupt, Kiel!" Dinah hissed as Ezekielnded softly right behind her.

    He bent closer and whispered something to Dinah, which was only privy to the both of them, causing the woman to narrow her eyes. At first, doubt danced in her cold, bloodshot eyes, but eventually, she lifted her chin up as if she was trying to control her anger.

    And then, her lips opened as she finally nodded. "Fine," Dinah said, and Ezekiel made his way towards Alicia and Riev.

    The rogue vampires open up a path for him.

    Riev, who was still holding onto Alicia, had his eyes stretched in shocked surprise. He saw it, how Ezekiel went and whispered to the enemy as if he just made a deal with her. How? Why? Why was his master right here, mingling with their ultimate enemy? He was here, and yet, he had allowed the witch queen to fight for her life all by herself?

    "Alicia," Ezekiel called Alicia¡¯s name.

    Alicia tried to pull away from Riev, but Riev was extremely reluctant and also hesitant to let her go. His grip on Alicia even tightened as he looked at Ezekiel with wary eyes.

    "Riev, it¡¯s okay," Alicia told him. Riev had his qualms about it but eventually loosened up his grip on her. He let her face Ezekiel, but he still stood close enough behind her, tensed and wary.

    Ezekiel paid no attention to him as he stared at Alicia.

    Their eyes held each other¡¯s gaze for several seconds until Ezekiel finally spoke.

    "Give your blood to Zeres, Alicia." He said.

    Shock immediately painted Alicia¡¯s face, unable to believe what this man had just said.

    Alicia¡¯s lips almost trembled. She was utterly at a loss. Why? Why the hell was this man saying this?!

    Riev¡¯s first move was to grab Alicia back to his arm, shielding her, as he bared his fangs at Ezekiel. Riev couldn¡¯t believe he was actually doing this, baring his fangs towards the man he swore to protect since he was young. But he reasoned things out for himself. This was Ezekiel¡¯s fault because he was suddenly appearing to be siding with the enemy. Something that Riev couldn¡¯t ept and believe. Moreover, this same man was the one who ordered him to protect the witch queen. In fact, since the battle in Frost Town, thest order that Ezekiel had ordered and entrusted to his elite army was to protect Abigail, and he personally appointed Riev to protect and assist Alicia.

    And now, this was happening. How did it end up like this in the first ce? Was he really going to protect the witch queen against the same man who gave him that order? He felt his whole mind spin and tilt ¨C still trying to grasp on to the reality of the situation which is confronting him. Is there some hidden agenda that Ezekiel is gunning for? What the hell is going on?

    ...

    [Thank you for buying the privilege again my dear bellbounders. Your support is really my huge motivation. Its been a he long journey so i¡¯m happy that you guys are still here with me.

    I will do my best to give you more satisfying content until the end.

    ~ kazzen]

 Chapter 522 When everything is over

    <h4>Chapter 522 When everything is over</h4>

    Ezekiel held his hand towards Alicia but Alicia just stared down at his palm, still speechless.

    The groans and growlsing from Zeres intensified. It was as if someone was torturing him to the most excruciating degree. Alicia couldn¡¯t help but nce at him and she saw his wings spreading out as he screamed in pain.

    "Alicia," Ezekiel spoke again, this time his tone signified haste.

    Alicia returned her gaze towards Ezekiel, staring intensely into the man¡¯s eyes. When Alicia still didn¡¯t make a move, Ezekiel took a step closer towards her, causing Riev to subconsciously tighten his hold on Alicia, drawing her closer to his chest at the same time.

    Ezekiel finally nced at the wary Riev but he didn¡¯t say a word as he kept walking closer to them. Ezekiel didn¡¯t stop until he was only inches away from Alicia.

    And then he leaned in to whisper in Alicia¡¯s ear. "Your blood will end Zeres¡¯ suffering. Dinah¡¯s lying. She is merely experimenting. She doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s doing. If you feed him your blood, Zeres will go back to his original form and he will no longer listen to Dinah. He will listen to you instead," Ezekiel uttered these convincing words, words that Riev also heard. "Do as I say, or the two of you will be killed," he added before he straightened up and locked eyes with Alicia again.

    Alicia didn¡¯t know what to say. She just couldn¡¯t believe this. Her eyes darted towards Dinah and the witches and the rogue vampires surrounding her. Ezekiel was right. If Ezekiel hadn¡¯t done what he did, she and Riev would have most likely been dead by now and Dinah would have been forcefully feeding her blood to Zeres.

    However, were Ezekiel¡¯s words really the truth? Or was he just saying this so that Dinah could get her way?

    She had just seen him whisper something to Dinah and now, he was whispering to her right in front of Dinah. Could she still trust this man? Whose side was he really on? Who was he really trying to fool? Was it Dinah? Or was it her?

    No matter how much she tried, she could no longer understand Ezekiel and she really hated it. She hated that he did not give her any reassurance, something that would sway her into trusting him - anything! Why? Was it because he didn¡¯t trust her enough? Or was it because he really was on Dinah¡¯s side? She was losing her mind trying to decipher this enigmatic creature and she was at her wits end! Would she be a fool to trust him? Would she pay that trust with her life?

    Ezekiel leaned in once again. "There¡¯s no time. Trust me," he whispered as he took her hand.

    Alicia pressed her lips so tight as she clenched her fists. After telling her not to trust him, he was now telling her to trust him again? Ugh!! These mind games were going to be the end of her, not Dinah!

    "E-ezekiel... you know what? If I had enough strength right now..." she bit her lips hard as she red at him. "Your face would be so ck and blue that even your own mother would not recognize you," she uttered through gritted teeth.

    A slight smile shed on Ezekiel¡¯s face but it vanished almost at the same instant that it appeared.

    "Hmm. You talk a big game, witch queen. How about this, I¡¯ll let you punch me once when everything is over," he responded. "For now,e and listen to me."

    Ezekiel pulled her and Alicia no longer hesitated. In the end, she still chose to trust this man. She didn¡¯t understand it herself - why she still kept choosing to trust this damn man - but there it was. No matter how damned confusing and infuriating he was, she still gave in to him.

    As she was being pulled away, her progress was halted by a hand that was still holding on to her arm. Riev hadn¡¯t let her arm go so Alicia turned to him and nodded, giving him a slight smile of reassurance. "It¡¯s okay, Riev," she said calmly, surely. The man¡¯s grip loosened and he finally let go, letting his arm fall to his side.

    Holding Alicia¡¯s hand, Ezekiel quickly led her to the groaning Zeres.

    Ezekiel faced Alicia and then he let her go. Alicia immediately knelt down before Zeres.

    She reached out her hands and cupped Zeres¡¯ face. She could see his suffering and pain etched on his face and the agony in his eyes. She could not even begin to imagine just what kind of pain he had been enduring and her heart broke at his unfortunate fate. The world had been so unfair to him, making him suffer beyond anything she could ever imagine and yet, he was a good man. How could this world treat a good man like Zeres in this way? He didn¡¯t deserve any of it. He deserved all the good things that life had to offer; love and joy and happiness, not this tortured hell he was living.

    "Zeres," she called his name as her eyes locked on his inferno eyes.

    The man was gnashing his teeth. She noticed he had also grown fangs and his skin felt hot like moltenva.

    "Drink my blood now, Zeres," she urged him but Zeres just moved his face away as he groaned. It was obvious he didn¡¯t like that idea.

    It was then that Dinah¡¯s voice thundered. "I am losing my patience!!! I will fucking kill her if you don¡¯t do it, Zeres!!!" the woman screamed.

    Zeres froze and his deep groans roared.

    Alicia cupped his face again. "It¡¯s okay, Zeres. Drink my blood so your pain will finally disappear. Everything will be alright, Zeres," she said as she nced at Ezekiel for a moment.

    She brushed the hair cascading down his neck and pulled his head closer to her. "It¡¯s okay. This is the only way. I¡¯ll be fine," she whispered and the moment Zeres¡¯ lips touched her skin, the man stiffened. And then, a secondter, his sharp fangs pierced through her skin.

 Chapter 523 Soulless

    <h4>Chapter 523 Soulless</h4>

    A sharp breath escaped Alicia¡¯s lips as Zeres¡¯ fangs slowly sank into her.

    She couldn¡¯t exin the feeling, maybe because her battered body was a little numb now. It wasn¡¯t as painful as she had initially thought it would be. It was less painfulpared to the throbbing pain from her deep wounds. But maybe, it was all because his lips and breath were just too hot that all her senses were forced to downy everything else but the scorching heat on her neck.

    But Alicia was soon jolted back to reality as she felt the heat get even more intensepared to a minute ago. It felt as if Zeres was turning into a literal burning furnace. She briefly entertained the thought of perhaps she herself might get burned along with him any time soon because the fire on her neck seemed to be spreading in her body. It still did not cause her any kind of pain surprisingly with the increasing heat, but her throat began to dry up as if she was suddenly brought to a desert and he was the merciless sun. There was that sudden thought that it could be any time that she was going to pass out, not from pain but from thirst and heat.

    Her body started to lose the little strength left in her. It was then that she realized she was being silly and could have just pulled away after giving that few drops of blood that Zeres needed. However, as she was trying to act on her decision, she noticed with slight rm that she couldn¡¯t move. That feeling of rm could not even take root quick enough before she suddenly started feeling like her body and mind were floating ¨C like an extremely light and fluffy cloud drifting away on a light summer breeze.

    A sudden presence of someone¡¯s hand mping down firmly on her shoulder had her refocus on the situation and she fought to get her eyes opened. Without warning, her eyes snapped open ¨C bright and alert ¨C as if awoken from a deep, intense state of meditation.

    And then, she was pulled back. "That¡¯s enough. He¡¯ll kill her!" Alicia heard Riev¡¯s voice rumbling next to her ear. It appeared that he was the one who pulled her back from that limbo and was now letting her weakened body lean against his chest.

    Riev took a step back, with Alicia in his arms. Ezekiel didn¡¯t stop him, so he presumed that the amount of blood Zeres had consumed directly from Alicia was indeed enough.

    Giving Alicia a once-over and then looking at her with a worried gaze, Riev asked. "Are you okay?"

    Alicia took a moment to have a mental check of her internal well-being as well as how she was coping physically, then bringing herself back to reality before giving an affirmative nod at Riev. Her gaze then fell to Ezekiel who was still standing close to Zeres, looking at the man when...

    A loud and bone-chilling growl reverberated and filled the vastness of the cavern. The source of that rumble was very close to where Riev and Alicia stood.

    Everyone¡¯s gaze fell on Zeres, frozen still in shock and anticipation.

    Riev subconsciously took a few more discreet steps back when he realised that even Ezekiel also moved back, away from Zeres.

    Alicia¡¯s eyes were wide in shock as she watched Zeres rose and screamed even louder in utter pain. As if he was being burned alive on a stake. Her lips trembled as she couldn¡¯t bear watching him continue to be tortured and enduring this suffering any longer.

    With confused and terrified eyes, she looked at Ezekiel. She wished she could speak and confront him, but Ezekiel¡¯s back was facing her. His attention was focused on Zeres.

    Alicia wanted to believe that this might be a painful process for Zeres¡¯ transformation. That his pain would soon stop, and he will finally return to his original form as what that damned Ezekiel had lured her into believing. But as seconds ticked by, she couldn¡¯t fool herself anymore. She could see that he wasn¡¯t transforming back to his original form. He was transforming into a full dragon.

    "Hahaha! Now transform, my great dragon, Zeres!!!" Dinah¡¯s sinister voice thundered, causing Alicia¡¯s heart to tremble and her body weakened even further. Her feet gave way but thanks to Riev, he was her steadfast pir of support and didn¡¯t let her fall to the ground.

    A ck smoke began to rise and cloud the cavern. Everyone knew it was about to begin ¨C that long-awaited transformation.

    Gritting her teeth, Alicia could not hold it in any longer and finally burst out. She tried to struggle out of Riev¡¯s solid grasp to confront Ezekiel. She knew it¡¯s futile now. Zeres was already transforming. She wanted to scream as hard as she could. But even if she did that, what was the use? What¡¯s done is already done. It truly gave a bitter feeling in her as she remembered that saying ¨C there is no use crying over spilt milk. Was this truly it? After all her struggles and the fight she and Riev had given with their lives on the line ¨C it all only amounted to these extreme feelings of hopelessness?

    "Good job, Kiel!!! You really are worthy of my trust." Dinah added with a triumphant voice, and sheughed out loud again as she approached them.

    Ezekiel finally turned to face Dinah but with all the strength she could muster, Alicia moved away from Riev and grabbed Ezekiel¡¯s cor.

    "Y-y-you..." she stammered. "How could you lie to me like this?" she asked. Her silver eyes were welling up, but not a single drop of tear fell from them. "Why? Why did you... how could you..." her voice was broken and scratchy.

    Alicia couldn¡¯t even form a coherent sentence. She was too devastated. Her hands were trembling. And yet, Ezekiel was like a statue made of marble, no reaction appeared on that icy mask he called his face at all. It was as if he was truly a soulless creature.

 Chapter 524 At las

    <h4>Chapter 524 Ats</h4>

    Alicia could only tremble when Ezekiel didn¡¯t say a single word. Was she trembling out of incredulity? Or was the trembling caused by the thought that she was utterly foolish in trusting this person? She was awfully remorseful in taking that step of granting Ezekiel that final bit of trust ¨C hoping that his emotionless face was only a ruse for tricking Dinah ¨C but at her own risk. Unfortunately, from how matters are developing at the moment, it seems as if the trick was on her! A mockingughter rang behind her as Dinah stood there, looking at Alicia like she was some pitiful object.

    "My bad witch..." Dinah said. "Let me enlighten the pitiful you..." she uttered as Alicia let go of Ezekiel and faced the woman.

    Riev immediately grabbed Alicia and once again pulled her close to him while Dinah stood next to Ezekiel.

    The look in Dinah¡¯s eyes were filled with nothing but pride as she gazed up at Ezekiel. "Ezekiel here has been my most important aid," she started before looking at Alicia. "He¡¯s been my loyal follower for a long time and his loyalty is only dedicated to me..." she enunciated every word. "Alone."

    After those words left her lips, sheughed again.

    Alicia could practically hear her heart crack and break into pieces. Why?! She thought back of all their interactions previously, turning them one by one ¨C trying to determine if he had even once given her a hint that he was on Dinah¡¯s side. Was she so blind to have missed any clues? Earlier she had just thought she truly was fated to be the witch queen. But now, she did not dare to be so sure anymore. She dragged her watery eyes up and courageously confronted Ezekiel¡¯s emotionless and cold ones.

    Whatever words Alicia wanted to say were lost. What else could she say? All she could do now was to only helplessly stare at Ezekiel.

    "What. Still couldn¡¯t ept the reality?" Dinah spoke again. "Shall I enlighten you more about Kiel¡¯s loyalty to me?"

    Alicia didn¡¯t want to hear anything anymore. She no longer care. She no longer know what to even feel at that moment. And her body began to ache. She felt like if she could just shut down even for a moment ¨C that would be utter bliss, even if that blissfulness was just in forced ignorance.

    But as she closed her eyes, Zeres¡¯ growl pulled her attention back to the ck smoke. His growls and deep guttural roar intensified like never before.

    Everyone stepped back once again as something which seemed to be just innocent little sparks of lights slowly morphed into numerous small but powerful lightning bolts that were being formed within the ck cloud. From the outside, the view was fear-provoking and there seemed to be a vacuum force within that ck mass which was trying to pull anyone not strong enough to withstand into that tempestuous electrical storm being generated as fuel for it to grow bigger.

    Alicia¡¯s heart hammered against her chest as she watched the cloud grew thicker and the atmosphere turned so damned ominous, it was almost suffocating. Everyone looked up, eyes wide with a mixture of terror, wonder and disbelief.

    Within that cloud, they could dimly make out a massive shadow moving and undting. The roars and growls had stopped, and the ck cloud moved in a chaotic manner which is unpredictable ¨C causing friend and foe both to be on edge. A series of otherworldly lights, changing its hue ever so often were mixing with the ck clouds. And when the lights were gone, a shadow of a massive pair of wings appeared.

    Alicia felt her heart nearly stammered to a stop. Everyone held their breaths as the ck cloud slowly dissipate.

    A ck-as-night dragon came into view, with glowing golden eyes. The light caused its ck scales to gleam as his jeweled chest scales glistened and glimmered.

    "Z-zeres..." Alicia could only utter as she gazed up at the terrifying ck creature. They never thought they could ever transform into a real dragon. But they were utterly wrong because Zeres had really turn into one.

    An earth-shaking rumble came from the ck dragon when it growled, and the cavern trembled greatly, and little stones and pebbles were shaken loose from their positions by his sound alone.

    Dinahughed hysterically like a mad woman, spreading her arms wide as she faced the dragon.

    "Hahaha, atst!!!" she screamed when all of a sudden...

    The onyx dragon bared its mouth wide, showing rows of razor sharp teeth ¨C all serrated on one side, ready to slice the unlucky ones ¨C and took a deep breath, its long, elegant and glistening neck curved back before letting lose a tremendous noise which sounded like a cross between a boom and a wailing snarl. The effects were not only seen but also felt by all who were present in the area. Alicia felt her skin crawl and the marrow of her bones shrivel up from that horrifying sound.

    Another earthquake shook the cavern. The massive wall behind the dragon which seemed to be the dead end of therge cavern broke and crumbled into pieces, as if a bomb had sted it.

    All eyes were dragged from the ck dragon to the crumbling wall. They all looked confused and shocked. It seemed, even they thought the massive wall was the dead end of this cavern and that they were inside the deepest part of this mountain. No other path would lead outside but the entrance. So howe the wall was crumbling?

    The aura was growing ever so ominous as the debris fell. The dust produced from the copsing of the wall rose like clouds, but everyone could see the darkness across the broken wall that even the light couldn¡¯t reach, much less prate through. They¡¯re eyes widened, seeing that there seemed to be another abyss so massive on the other side.

    Once the dust and smoke settled, it was apparent that there was a reason why that colossal wall had to be destroyed. On top of the debris, standing majestically ¨C there stood a godly being.

    .

    [Whew!! 3rd chap!! Oh God. I¡¯ll have to say sorry again T^T

    This is my limit today guys. I¡¯m 2 chapters short T^T

    Thank u and I love u guys. Don¡¯t forget to leave ament ^^]

 Chapter 525 Preparation

    <h4>Chapter 525 Preparation</h4>

    Dinah was shocked as she looked at the man who appeared on top of the debris. The man had eyes which were glowing like the totality of the majesty of the five Aztec suns, fierce and deadly, that it seemed enough to not only burn ones¡¯ body, but also their spirit and soul.

    This vision of glory was nothing like the majestic ebony dragon before them except his vivid golden eyes. He neither have the form of a monster nor one of a beast, but his presence alone was enough to send all and every weak hearted enemies fleeing for their lives. He simply had that aura of an ancient god as he stood there, unmoving.

    This man really hasn¡¯t changed. When Dinah saw him for the first time in the modern day in the Ziggurat, she thought that this man had finally changed. It somewhat seemed that he had be more human nowpared to thatst time she saw him thousands of years ago. She still remembered his monstrous gaze as he had so effortlessly killed her, so she thought that Alexander had mellowed down after so many millennia had passed. But now, it seemed he¡¯s back to being that man she once knew. Or perhaps it would be more apt to say that he never actually changed ¨C but had his immense power and wicked strength kept hidden away ¨C until certain dire reasons or situations triggered him to release that awe-inspiring and horrifying power.

    An army of Vampires appeared behind Alexander.

    But Dinah¡¯s shocked expression eventually changed into an evil smile.

    "Oh, hello there, Alexander. We meet again." She drawled. "But I am not nning to go easy on you this time. Don¡¯t worry though... just sit pretty and tight over there and in a little bit more than a candle mark, I¡¯ll be your master as well." She added as sheughed, despite knowing that Alexander couldn¡¯t hear her words.

    But Abi from afar could hear her. She frowned and her beautifully elegant and arched brows furrowed slightly. Even with this minor change in her facial expression, Alexander swung his eyes to quickly scan over Abi¡¯s face and dangerously narrowed those golden eyes of his. That cold aura of his condensed further, giving even more pressure to those who are nearer.

    Dinah then spread her arms wide ¨C too caught up in her own agenda, thoroughly missing out on that minor but very key and crucial point. However, with her missing the cues would perhaps be the biggest regret in her life, even to the point of being the bane of her existence.

    "Now my dragon, Zeres!!! Listen to your master and turn them all to dust as they rightfully deserve!!" she yelled, pointing at the destroyed wall, towards Alex and the army of vampires who were with him.

    The majestic creature growled, and he moved to face the direction Dinah was pointing at.

    The cavern shook again as Dinah¡¯s sardonicugh intensified. Seeing that the dragon was listening to her every single order drove her to behave wilder and more confident, as if she had already won the war.

    "Go! My dragon!!! Do it!!" she screamed again, and the dragon spread itsrge, majestic wings.

    The elite vampires standing behind Alexander shivered a little upon seeing a dragon with their own two eyes. They couldn¡¯t believe it. They all felt like they were transported back to when it this was amon scene, thousands of years ago.

    Despite having Alexander on their side, they couldn¡¯t help but gulp. Alexander was immortal and powerful but they¡¯re up against a real dragon now. Do they even stand a fighting chance? Can¡¯t Alexander transform into full dragon as well? Perhaps as how he hid his strength all these millennia, it might be that he was also hiding other skills and secret techniques which would be brought out when only necessary? As much as they trust and believe in Alexander, all of them were desperately hoping that what they were thinking were true.

    "F*ck!! That is really an honest to goodness real dragon, damn it!!! How could we even fight such a creature?" one of the elite vampires uttered between his breath when Raven, the leader of the elite vampire army spoke calmly.

    "Calm down you bumbling idiot. Did you forget that the same man who killed thest dragon thousands of years ago is standing right before you right now?" Raven said and the idiot vampire¡¯s eyes lowered in shame, mortified due to the awareness of his own idiocy. Raven was right. How could they forget the story of Alexander leading his army to defeat a dragon?

    The vampire¡¯s eyes fell on the golden-eyed man before them and an even stronger chill crept through the air causing the soldiers to react instinctively.

    Alexander was dreadful when he was angry and reckless but this man in his calm and serious state was apletely different story. He was beyond terrifying! The vampires ¨C friend and foe alike ¨C actually felt like he had turned into a full dragon himself, without actually physically turning into one.

    But the vampires were jolted back to the present scene that was disying itself before all of them ¨C and their eyes darted back-and-forth from Alexander to the dragon. Their instincts immediately had them brace themselves as the dragon growled once again facing them as it spread its massive wings and gave a mighty p, kicking up a ruckus within the cavern and causing multiple dust storms from all the dust and debris produced earlier.

    "Dammit! I think he¡¯s nning on going all volcanic on us!" the vampires gritted their teeth, bracing themselves for the inevitable all the while, looking imploringly at Alexander, hoping that he would create a miracle as always at thest second.

    Zeres, the dragon then moved his powerful wings and came shuttling at them, as its muzzle opened in preparation to rain down fire on whoever was in its way.

    The vampires¡¯ eyes widened in horror. They waited for Alexander¡¯s order but none came. But as everyone subconsciously held their breaths, Abigail stepped forward and stood right in front of Alexander as if to wee the dragon.

 Chapter 526 Torn

    <h4>Chapter 526 Torn</h4>

    Everyone held their breaths as therge and majestic creature opened its mouth in preparation to breath a fire on them. Their faces registered the fear and horror they felt within their hearts as they looked at Abigail, fearlessly standing before the approaching dragon.

    The dragon did not look like it was going to stop and they were fast running out of time to leave. In fact, they all knew it was toote to make a move. No matter how fast they were, they would not be able to outrun the dragon¡¯s fiery breath. ¡¯This dragon¡¯s fire was going to turn them all into ashes!¡¯ the vampires thought.

    The vampires looked at each other with panicked expressions. Some of them trembled at their imminent fate and some of them subconsciously closed their eyes. In a moment, they would breathe theirst.

    However, a name suddenly echoed inside the cavern.

    "Zeres!" Abigail called the dragon¡¯s name and the fire didn¡¯te.

    The dragon halted before Abigail, his golden eyes staring at her and because of that, they were able to stay in thend of the living for a bit longer.

    Dinah became infuriated. She couldn¡¯t believe Zeres stopped just because that damn girl called out his name!

    "Damn it!!! Listen to me Zeres!!!" Dinah screamed, trying to get control of the dragon once again.

    A loud bone-chilling groan filled the vastness of the cavern again. Zeres didn¡¯t look like he was in pain; it was as if he was torn.

    Dinah kept ordering him like a mad woman. Again and again.

    "Damn, damn, damn!! Why? Why is he not listening to me?!" Dinah¡¯s veins were almost bursting from utter anger. Her corpse-like face distorted and became even uglier.

    "I think he is trying to listen to you but it¡¯s just that Abigail is the reincarnation of thest dragon keeper. She still has that power and is able to affect him. Zeres is now torn between you and her. The trouble wille If he consumes Abigail¡¯s blood because Abigail will then haveplete control of him," Ezekiel calmly said.

    Dinah shook her head in horror, unable to ept that Abigail¡¯s presence was enough to affect the dragon she created, the dragon who was supposed to be listening to her alone. The woman screamed but when Ezekiel bent closer to Dinah and whispered something in her ear, the woman¡¯s twisted face returned to normal and her anger suddenly died down.

    Abigail was so busy with Zeres that she couldn¡¯t pay attention to what Ezekiel whispered to Dinah. Or could it be that Ezekiel took that opportunity knowing that Abigail was upied?

    The dragon who didn¡¯t know which voice to obey, rose and aimlessly flew towards the abyss, as if it was losing its mind. The dragon was obviously not in control of himself, as if he was a broken machine who had lost its function.

    With Zeres now aimlessly flying and blowing fireballs on the walls of the abyss, the atmosphere between two armies were tense.

    Everyone prepared for the battle that was about to ur.

    Abi¡¯s eyes fell on Alicia as Alex¡¯s gaze was locked on Zeke.

    For a moment, there was utter silence - the calm before the storm - before all hell broke loose.

    In a blink of an eye, Alex and Zeke¡¯s des shed against each other in midair, right in the middle between the two armies. They looked at each other steadily, as if each man was weighing up their opponent, before they leapt away from each other.

    Then they both leapt towards each other and this time, there was a series of attacks and parries as the two of them crossed swords. Alex attacked with precision and confidence while Zeke defended with ease, almost as if he knew what Alex was going to do. After a few seconds, Zeke managed to counterattack and started attacking Alex with practised movements, while Alex blocked and deflected just as easily as Zeke had done.

    While the two vampires fought each other, Raven was first to tear his gaze away from them and without wasting another second, he yelled out an order. "Attack!!" he cried, before leaping into the enemy line.

    The rogue and the elite vampires fought each other and there was utter chaos. The floor and walls of the cavern were soon painted with blood from both sides as the room filled with bloodlust. Everyone was fighting for their lives.

    Amidst the chaos, Dinah found Alicia and Riev, who were watching the scene before them, and Dinah weaved her way over to them with the intention of taking their lives. Dinah had snuck up behind them, a dagger in her hand, and was about to stab Alicia when Kai jumped in between them and kicked her hard in the stomach.

    Alicia and Riev turned around to see what themotion was about and they were shocked when they saw Dinah behind them. But then their expressions turned to relief when they saw a familiar face. The rest of Kai¡¯s team managed to push through the horde of rogue vampires to get to Alicia and Riev and they formed a small circle around their weakenedrades to protect them. It seemed that he and his group entered from the other entrance by disguising themselves as rogue vampires.

    "You¡¯re wee," Kai said to Alicia and Riev with a cheeky smirk before he turned to face the enraged Dinah again.

    More rogue vampires came over to their spot and surrounded them all but they didn¡¯t attack. Their eyes were on their master and her opponent. But even so, the vampires didn¡¯t let their guards down.

    "Ha! You dare want a duel with an immortal, little pest?" Dinah snorted as she rolled her eyes at Kai.

    Kai narrowed his eyes and immediately lunged at Dinah, catching her off guard and making her stumble backwards. Kai was about tond a punch on her but a woman jumped in between and blocked his attack.

 Chapter 527 Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 527 Chaos</h4>

    "Careful, mydy! That¡¯s a blue-blooded vampire!" screamed the witch who came to Dinah¡¯s aid. She rushed over, hair flying out like a frenzied psycho, all in the hopes of getting into the good graces of Dinah.

    Dinah red angrily at Kai ¨C eyes all aze with fury and swiftly raised her sword with a sharp swishing sound. But a secondter, her expression became wary. She seemed to pause in her movements and deliberately lowered her arm that held the sword ¨C the raging mes in her eyes cooling off slightly and her gaze turned shrewd.

    "Deal with him!" her orders were barked out tersely at her two witch minions who gave a little jump and snapped to attention to follow Dinah¡¯s words ¨C which were like thew for them. It seemed the immortal woman did not want to be wounded again. She wised-up and didn¡¯t seem to want to repeat the same mistake in going through the same pain she suffered in Alicia¡¯s hands.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the cavern, Alex and Zeke continued circling one another ¨C both wary of the other and not giving an inch of opportunity for the other to get first blood. Zeke seemed to have twice as strong. He was able to keep up with Alex, despite Alex¡¯s hidden power being unleashed which was evidenced in his eyes glowing golden.

    For the first time, Ezekiel was finally fighting seriously. The two fought with an inhuman intensity that led those surrounding them to be left staring stupefied at their attacks on each other. Each Herculean strike reverberated through the hearts of those watching. Those who were watching closely felt that as if every single collision followed by another in session were in fact a conversation between these warriors. Both men were deadly serious and hell-bent on getting the strike which would draw first blood and both were going at the other like demon gods.

    Alex had always been waiting for Zeke to unleash his real power, but he never had done so all these years ¨C until now. So why now?

    Alex knew that Zeke had this powerful strength hidden within him. He could sense that massive potential just bubbling away beneath the surface since a long time ago ¨C that Zeke had his own beast living within him. No, that wasn¡¯t right. Zeke was the beast itself and had absolute full control over the man and beast part of himself. This was the first time he had let the beast out of its leash. The reason? Alex still couldn¡¯t decipher.

    The fight was so heated that there was no room for error. Alex couldn¡¯t get a word in even if he wanted to. Well, Alex already knew that Zeke had no ns to talk to him at all.

    Alex concentrated on the fight. If Zeke wasn¡¯t going to speak to him, then he wouldmunicate using his actions. Alex was on the offence again, shing and hitting Zeke¡¯s sword each time Zeke blocked his attack. Alex¡¯s next move was to bring his sword down towards Zeke¡¯s head which Zeke blocked with his sword, but then Alex drew his leg up and kicked Zeke in the chest before drawing his sword back and shing Zeke in his abdomen, wounding him.

    Zeke¡¯s crimson eyes burned even brighter after being wounded and he attacked again with more vigour. However, Alex again got the upper hand and again, Alex managed tond a kick on Zeke¡¯s abdomen, sending him flying backwards, hitting a pir and breaking it. Alex was about to charge at him when suddenly, the dragon cut in between them, creating a huge hole on the ground. The ground under Zeke broke apart and fell away, falling into the abyss along with Zeke, leaving Alex to face the dragon.

    ---

    During all themotion, Dinah had taken the golden opportunity to furtively sneak away, leaving her minions to deal with Kai and his army of vampires. When she saw the dragon appear without warning from the abyss, she quickly thought of an alternative n. She had already replenished some of her blood during this time, so she cut her wrist to get the dragon¡¯s attention.

    Abi, who was busy fighting alongside the vampires, also saw that Zeres was back and she tried to get his attention as well, but it was toote. Dinah had already approached the dragon and fed him her blood. That seemed to have won Zeres over and Dinahughed triumphantly.

    Dinah climbed on the dragon¡¯s back before crowing out triumphantly, "Kill them!" Dinah ordered and the dragon started pping its gigantic pitch-ck wings while opening its mouth wide.

    He jetted out a wave of fire towards the vampires, burning both foe and ally alike. Dinah seemed to have lost her mind. She ordered the dragon to keep burning as if she was nning to burn everything until there was nothing left.

    Everyone ran to seek whatever refuge they could find behind pirs, fallen beams and stones. But many had been hit by the sts, most of them rogue vampires.

    Chaos ensued. The stench was unbelievable.

    All around the battlefield, small fires were burning, and thick smoke rose to the cavern¡¯s ceiling ¨C creating a cloud of ckened haze.

    The smokebined with the light from the fires bathed the entire battlefield with a sombre dark red hue.

    The only spot Zeres refused to hit with his fire was the spot where Abigail stood. This caused the mad woman riding the dragon to screech in anger once more. She hit the dragon with her w as she burst out in anger, ordering him to incinerate Abigail immediately.

    But at that moment, Alexander suddenly shed before Dinah.

    Dinah trembled severely, eyes widening in horror as she could not help but just freeze on the spot, looking at Alexander. Alexander was still in human form ¨C all gorgeous and burning in fury, but he had somehow grown dragon wings.

    In the next second, before Dinah could even blink, Alexander¡¯s sword shed across her neck, separating her head from her body. Dinah¡¯s head toppled over, falling with a sick thud onto the ground, followed by the ungainly crumbing of her body onto the filthy ground.

 Chapter 528 Mere human girl

    <h4>Chapter 528 Mere human girl</h4>

    Zeres still had Dinah¡¯s blood coursing through his veins ¨C thus, he was still under the control of Dinah¡¯s blood so despite Dinah no longer being there to give him orders, the dragon still continued breathing fire. Alex didn¡¯t have a choice but to find a way to deal with him. He had to send him back to the abyss before he burns everyone and everything to a crisp.

    Zeres spewed fire again from his mouth and nostrils, arcing the inferno across the cavern when Alex¡¯s de aimed for a cut at the dragon¡¯s head. The dragon swerved and narrowly avoided the sharp point of his de and snapped his dangerously serrated teeth back at him. Alex dodged nimbly spun to his left with just enough space to spare and brought his sword piercing through that massive pitch-ck wing on the right and then dragged his de downwards ¨C making a skin-crawling ripping sound that caused everyone nearby to halt their advances in stunned surprise. The dragon¡¯s wing was damaged, causing him immeasurable amounts of pain ¨C which was not unexpected as a dragon¡¯s wing is one of the more sensitive areas, with the membranous skin stretching taut across that bony frame. Zeres was brought to his knees by this unsuspecting pain ¨C which was understandable as he had never had the chance of finding out or experiencing the sharpncing pain which crippled his mind from the tear on his wing ¨C causing him to sway and fall over.

    The dragon growled and gave a shake of its head which was unexpectedly adorable. Every pair of eyes looking on at the scene blinked and felt taken aback at that very canine characteristic. However, when it refocussed its zing gaze, fully aimed at Alex, they took a sharp intake of breath as it shot its neck out all of a sudden with jaws wide open, fully intended to snap some body part off ¨C not caring which one. But as before, Alex easily dodged the attack as if he had eyes at every angle of his head, fully prepared to retaliate. Alex flew towards the dark abyss and Zeres followed in his wake.

    While everyone¡¯s eyes were as wide as saucers, they watched the dragon lit up the abyss with his fire, as he relentlessly chased after Alexander. No one seemed to notice something amiss ¨C the fact that Dinah¡¯s head that had fallen to the ground had all of a sudden, moved, finding its way back to her body.

    Abigail was the first to notice her. Gripping her de, Abigail ran towards Dinah. She could no longer bear this bloodshed. She had to end this battle now and the only way was to kill this woman with her own two hands ¨C giving no further chance of resurrection ¨C this woman who still wore the face of herte mother. And kill Dinah, she would, if it was thest thing she¡¯d do!

    This was her final opportunity. She had to stab Dinah now while she was still helpless and focussed on recovering.

    However, before Abi¡¯s de could reach Dinah, two rogue vampires blocked her.

    They didn¡¯t hesitate to attack Abigail, but their de never reached her. Raven had appeared and shed at those two rogue vampires. Blood painted the ground red before Abi and her heart jarred a little, watching the scene so close to her face and the tangy iron smell of blood floated like a mist surrounding her head, causing her to be slightly light-headed. More rogue vampires came out to face Raven but her path towards Dinah was now cleared.

    Her grip on her long, thin sword tightened, the whites showing on her knuckles and her jaw clenched stubbornly but she dauntlessly moved a step closer to Dinah. But as she moved, an arrow swooshed before her face, barely missing her.

    She turned to the direction where the arrow came from and she saw a witch with her bow, another arrow poised and knocked, aimed directly at her heart. Abi tried to call the mists but it seemed it was impossible inside this cavern. She tried again for thest time, hoping that she could battle that witch even in that distance.

    The mists didn¡¯te. Abi gritted her teeth but then, she saw Alicia abruptly appearing behind the witch and viciously shing into her ¨C cutting cleanly from top right to bottom left, with both hands on the hilt of her long sword. The witch stood no chance against that move and tumbled forward in death ¨C not even realising it until her top thudded on the ground.

    Abi and Alicia held each other¡¯s eyes for a split second as Alicia nodded at her, gratefulness and camaraderie shining in her bright eyes.

    That gave Abi a boost of encouragement. But the moment she faced Dinah again, the merging was alreadyplete.

    Dinah red at Abi.

    "Oh, Abigail... so you¡¯re going to kill your own mother?" Dinah asked, mocking her.

    Abi gritted her teeth. Dinah didn¡¯t have a weapon and Abi knew she was still reeling from pain, judging from the different expressions that were shing across her face. She wasn¡¯t fully healed up yet ¨C she might be fine on the outside, but she could feel the connective tissues and muscles knitting together on the inside ¨C inflicting sharp, piercing pain which she could only grit her teeth and endure.

    Applying the basic skills Alex had taught her, without any preamble, Abi charged at Dinah. Dinah was caught off guard as she never would have thought that this frail little human girl would actually dare to charge at her. It seemed she was different nowpared to the weak and helpless girl she met back in the Ziggurat.

    Dinah blocked Abi¡¯s sword with her dragon w, but Abi didn¡¯t falter and she attacked again. Though her attacks were weak but she was heavy with determination. Abi¡¯s eyes were fierce and radiating her resolve in seeing this through. She had steeled herself and she repeated in her mind like a mantra that she will get it done. She knew it was her lot to end this. If she wavered now, this battle would never end. She didn¡¯t want that! She had to do it and kill this woman with her own two hands.

    Her attack was blocked by Dinah¡¯s w again and this time, Dinah had her fall on the ground.

    "Ha! What a weakling! You really daree at me when you¡¯re nothing but a useless weak human?" Dinah snorted and she looked down at Abi. She raised her dragon w, but Abi stopped it with her sword.

    The vampires were prepared toe to her aid but Abi yelled, "Don¡¯t!" causing the men to halt as the rogue vampires engaged them once again. Raven was fighting but his attention was all on Abi. He was ever prepared to jump in and save her.

    Abi knew it would be bad if Dinah continued to put distance between them again. This was her chance, and she would NOT let it go to waste, as she didn¡¯t know if there would ever be another chance like this ever again.

    Dinah used her dragon w to hit her sword again. She was obviously toying with her, underestimating the mere human girl before her.

    "Now it¡¯s time to get serious." Dinah snarled, causing her face to twist into a semnce of pure evil and such revolting mien that it even disgusted Abi, who do not judge others from their looks. Dinah shed her paw at Abi like it was a sword, and this time, Abi could tell that this would be a real blow. A fatal blow that her human physique could never take and survive to tell the tale.

    Abi¡¯s pulse hammered in her chest. And as Dinah attacked, she found an opening and managed to slipped to Dinah¡¯s side, causing Dinah to lose her bnce. Abigail was quick to find the advantageous spot right behind her, much quicker than she had ever thought she could. By the time Dinah regained her bnce and turned over to look at Abi, that weak human girl had already lunged at her, de stretched out in front, tightly clutched and resolute. There was no way Dinah is escaping this.

    They collided and Abi shut her eyes as she felt the give of her de as it plunged and sliced with little difficulty into the fleshy confines of Dinah¡¯s chest.

 Chapter 529 Another*

    <h4>Chapter 529 Another*</h4>

    Abigail was shaking. It took her a few seconds to get her bearings. She did it. She couldn¡¯t believe she really did it. Was it finally over? She prayed within her as she slowly opened her eyes - that everything was over now.

    She didn¡¯t dare look at the woman she just stabbed to death. Her body was still trembling.

    It took her a few seconds to get her bearings. The pulse in her vein was racing, thudding in her ears as she forced herself to move so that she could pull the sword off Dinah. However, before Abi could start pulling her de, a hand suddenly grabbed the back of her head, pulling her.

    The hand was strong, catching the trembling Abipletely off guard. Dinah was still alive! Or was she still clinging to her dear life?

    Abi immediately struggled, and the woman was shockingly strong. What worse was that the woman was already sucking blood from the wound on Abi¡¯s neck. Shock registered on Abi¡¯s face. She was wounded on her neck during their fight a while ago.

    Abi struggled with all her might. But Dinah¡¯s dragon arm was too strong for her to shake off.

    Another hand grabbed Abi from behind as someone¡¯s sword shed Dinah¡¯s head from behind. And finally, Abi was freed from the woman¡¯s grasp, pulling the de at the same time as Raven pulled her.

    Raven held Abi away from Dinah as Kai attacked the woman again. Kai was about to sh Dinah but Dinah¡¯s w suddenly flew towards him. Dinah¡¯s attack was too fast, almost as fast as Alexander¡¯s. Dinah¡¯s dragon w hit Kai¡¯s sword, and the vampire prince was thrown away like a ragdoll, his back hitting the cavern¡¯s wall. It appeared that Dinah¡¯s speed wasn¡¯t the only thing that dramatically increased. Her strength boosted as well.

    An ominous ck smoke started to appear as Dinah began tough. Her monstrousugh was chilling, and everyone looked at theughing woman in utter shock. ¡¯Why? Why she¡¯s not dying yet?¡¯ Abi could only ask herself.

    "Hahaha. Atst! This power!!!" Dinah said as she continuedughing hysterically, spreading her arms wide, as if the battle was over and that she was the victor. "I am now the true keeper!! Finally!!! The dragons are mine!! Completely mine!!!"

    Everyone was frozen in utter shock. What was this mad woman talking about?

    Dinah began to scream in pain, but she was stillughing like a lunatic. She was looking at her dragon w as if waiting for something to happen. Her eyes stretched out with great anticipation.

    But when her skin began to be painted ck, her hystericughter died down. ck scales grew in her skin as her wings began to grow as well. Dinah screamed and she fell on her knees. Her face now filled with confusion as she watched her hands in disgust.

    "No!!!" Her voice suddenly thundered. "Why?!!! Kiel!!! Why am I turning to a dragon?!!" she asked, screaming. Intense panic and confusion were etched on her corpse-like face.

    Everyone who was watching her was also confused. What did this woman think will happen? She didn¡¯t think she¡¯ll turn into a dragon?! She didn¡¯t want to turn into a dragon?

    The ck smoke began to consume Dinah. The same massive smoke that appeared when Zeres transformed into a dragon.

    As lightning bolts began to form within the ck clouds, Dinah screamed even louder, filling the vastness of the cavern.

    "Kiel!!!" she roared. Her voice was now filled with hatred. "You said I wouldn¡¯t turn into a dragon!!! You said I¡¯ll be a true... Dragon keeper..." Dinah¡¯s voice trailed off and what reced her voice were deep, chilling growls.

    Unable to believe her eyes, Abigail could only gulp, opened her mouth, then shut it. Why? Why didn¡¯t Dinah die? What had gone wrong? She was supposed to be the only one who could kill immortals, but it was not happening. Dinah transformed into a dragon instead of dying! Why?

    And what¡¯s with Dinah¡¯sst words? Did Ezekiel tell Dinah that her blood would turn Dinah into a real dragon keeper? What was going on?!

    Questions kept piling up, and Abi didn¡¯t know what to think even anymore. She didn¡¯t know what was going on anymore.

    Raven grabbed her and they leaped away. They all knew what wasing. Dinah was transforming into a real dragon. They should find a ce to hide now. But where? Everything was already burning!

    The moment Ravennded on the ground, the massive ck cloud finally dissipated, and an earth-shattering rumble came next.

    Another ck-as-night dragon came into view.

    The sheer amount of powering from her was staggering.

    Crouched in a predatory stance, the dragon¡¯s scales glinted in the firelight and her teeth looked like they could rip through steel. Her eyes were gold but they spoke only of darkness and death.

    And then, she roared. It was the roar of a great beast that chilled everyone to their very bones. Abi could only feel her heart freezing in her chest. What was going to happen now?

    At that moment, another earthquake shook the cavern. Something huge seemed to have fallen into the abyss. But no one could even avert their gaze from the new dragon before them because it¡¯s muzzle was now opened in preparation to breathe fire. She was going to burn them!

    The dragon faced where Abigail stood. Raven held Abigail and leaped but the dragon followed them. Unlike Zeres, who never aimed his fire towards Abi, Dinah was obviously aiming at Abigail. Why? Was Dinah able to control herself?

    As Dinah released her fire, a shadow that was fast as a bullet swept over Abi.

    The fire came but missed them. The firended just a couple of meters away from where Abigail stood. And as the fire sted on the ground, a blood-curdling growl thundered.

    Abi opened her eyes and saw Alex in front of Dinah with his sword already stabbed into the dragon¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 530 Against the dragons

    <h4>Chapter 530 Against the dragons</h4>

    The dragon wailed as Alex pushed the de even deeper until the hilt of his sword touched her eyeball but Alex knew that no matter how many times he shed and stabbed these two dragons, they would not die. They bled and growled in pain but he would not be able to kill them. It appeared that they were immortals even in their dragon forms, and this was something that was totally unexpected.

    Alex didn¡¯t have time to think of how to defeat these dragons permanently. He was too busy trying to immobilize them. He stabbed them with his sword every chance he got to find their weakness. He went for their legs, their wings, their heads, but even a sword in the eye didn¡¯t do the trick.

    Alex was a little hesitant to go against Zeres because he could still feel the dragon¡¯s confusion. He could feel that Zeres, the dragon, was just confused. His rationality and thoughts had disappeared, and he was basically just an animal now who didn¡¯t understand what was happening. His human nature had been drowned out and the animal instincts took over.

    But this woman was different. He could see raw emotion in this dragon¡¯s eyes. Alex could see rage and hate and bloodlust, emotions that were driven by her human nature. Dinah was fully conscious and entirely in control of herself, unlike Zeres, but just like him. Alex knew exactly why that was. He was certain that it was because this woman had drunk Abigail¡¯s blood, the dragon keeper¡¯s blood, and that was why she was able to keep her human consciousness on the foreground, stomping down the dragon¡¯s animalistic instincts from taking over.

    Alex was still on Dinah, still holding onto the sword, which was deeply rooted in Dinah¡¯s eyeball. Dinah, the dragon, shook her head from side to side, trying to dislodge Alex from her head but Alex held on tight. With a loud growl, she dropped down on all fours then gave an almighty push with her hind legs. She catapulted herself upwards, wings pping hurriedly as she tried to gather as much speed as she could as she headed towards the ceiling of the cavern.

    Everyone watched as the she-dragon flew upwards, purposely smashing one side of her face on the ceiling with the intent to squash Alexander against the hard surface. However, Alexander predicted what she was going to do and he swiftly dodged, jumping from the dragon¡¯s cheek towards her head, catching hold of one of the protruding scales. The frustrated dragon then dove, spiraling toward the abyss as she shook her head vigorously, trying to shake Alexander off of her.

    Alex held on, managing to catch hold of his sword again. He gripped it hard and he used it as an anchor against the sharp, sudden movements of the dragon, even hoping that all her movements would help him dislodge it from her eye. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t help. His sword was well and truly stuck.

    As they spiraled down into the abyss, Alex could hear Zeres¡¯ moans, which meant they were getting close to hitting the ground. Alex instantly knew what Dinah was nning - to smash her head on the ground to bury Alex and herself under the rubble before letting loose a hot, fiery st of fire. Alex prepared himself for this and held onto his sword until the veryst second.

    Before the dragon¡¯s head could touch the ground, Alex let go of his sword and jumped away,nding gracefully on the ground in a crouching position, facing the she-dragon. He watched as she smashed her head on the rocky ground before she breathed out a fiery breath, melting the rocks around her. Dinah raised her head from the molten rubble, and Alex saw that she didn¡¯t even suffer any damage from the collision. She looked fine, apart from the fact that Alex¡¯s sword was stillpletely pierced through one of her eyes.

    So, while Alex was safe from that attack, he no longer had his weapon.

    Alex could feel Dinah¡¯s power. This woman, this dragon, was very powerful. Her power gave him a sense of deja vu. Alex felt that her power seemed to be simr to that of Lexus when Lexus had gone berserk after Abi-

    No, he couldn¡¯t think of that now. He had to keep those kinds of thoughts at bay. He looked at Dinah again and he confirmed his thoughts. Her power felt simr to Lexus¡¯ strength, and the difference between her and Zeres¡¯ power was great. That difference was most likely because, unlike Zeres, this woman waspletely evil. She was attacking to destroy, to kill. She was a real monster from hell with no remorse and no conscience and because of that, she didn¡¯t hold back. That was why she was that powerful.

    For a moment, the thrill of fighting against something this powerful began to fuel the fire within Alex. He had not fought a real battle like this for thousands of years, and he felt the excitement flow through his veins. However, he fought this feeling because that wasn¡¯t why he was here. All this time, he had been focusing so hard not to lose himself and let himself be consumed by the thrill of the fight because if he did, he might forget the most important thing that he had to do. He wasn¡¯t here because he wanted a fight or to defeat the most powerful creature on Earth. He was here for one thing - to keep his dear wife, Abigail, safe. There was no way he would lose her again. Defeating these dragons would be meaningless if...

    He remembered how he was when he fought Lexus. Back then, he lost sight of everything and everyone but the dragon before him that when the battle was over, he was shocked by the mountain of dead bodies around him.

    Aside from that fear, Alex also couldn¡¯t fully focus himself on the fight because he was watching Abigail all these times. He was beyond wary, careful as if he knew that something might happen the moment hisplete attention would be focused on his fight against the dragons.

 Chapter 531 Shield

    <h4>Chapter 531 Shield</h4>

    A thunderous roar escaped Dinah¡¯s throat, drawing Alex back to his present predicament.

    Alex knew he could dodge the dragon¡¯s fireballs all day if he had to but dodging wasn¡¯t going to help him defeat this dragon. He had to attack, but how? Should he let his w grow? Alex shook his head. No, a w wouldn¡¯t be enough and he really preferred to use a sword even when fighting a dragon but how could he get another one? Alex really didn¡¯t want to go back up to the cavern because he was certain that Dinah would burn everyone to ashes. It was best to keep her down here, away from his wife and the others for now until he could think of a n of attack.

    He was kept busy in the next second as Dinah sted a few fireballs at him. Alex easily dodged them but he knew this was only the start. When none of the fireballs hit their target, Dinah¡¯s next move was to make it rain with fire and then she attacked with a massive fireball as a surprise.

    "Damn woman," Alex cursed as he leapt backward from the oing ball of fire. However, just as hended, Dinah¡¯s attack collided with another fireball that came from the dragon behind him.

    Alex turned to see Zeres behind him on all fours, ready to form another fireball. Alex understood what was happening and he quickly looked up at the opening high above him. He saw his wife standing there, d in her silver cloak, her dark silky hair dancing behind her. Her eyes were closed and despite the dirt and blood sttered all over her skin, his beloved was shining so brightly like a fiery star on a dark, dark night.

    A proud smile curved on Alex¡¯s face. He could tell that his wife was now doing what she was naturally born to do-, tomand the dragon and make them listen to her. While he was admiring his wife from afar, Zeres threw another fireball at Dinah and in the next second, the two great dragons flew up from the ground and collided above Alex.

    This was Alex¡¯s opportunity to exploit Dinah¡¯s Achilles heel. Alex looked up again and mumbled a few words, knowing that his wife could hear him.

    The next second, Alex saw Kai throw a de down and Alex caught it with ease. The sword he had in his hand was the dragon-scaled de he had given to Abigail.

    Alex gripped it tightly and with onest look at Abigail, Alex joined the fight.

    The fight was heated. Dinah was like a mad beast, wing and scratching and hitting Zeres with everything she had. While she had more power than Zeres, with Alex in the mix, she was on the losing end. Realising this, Dinah roared and pped her wings, zooming upwards as if to make her way to the cavern. Alex quickly told Abigail to have Zeres block her exit and with surprising speed, Zeres flew past Dinah and came between her and the exit.

    Zeres kept Dinah upied while Alex tried to draw closer towards Dinah¡¯s jewelled chest. His aim to pierce her heart with his sword, hoping that it would wound her enough to stop her raging antics. Alex held onto Dinah and she tried again to shake him off but Alex didn¡¯t stop and kept climbing up towards her chest, stabbing her again and again on his way there.

    The dragons¡¯ battle was fierce and bone-shattering, burning the walls and melting everything.

    Dinah was bing more panicked so she kept trying to go back to the cavern to take refuge, knowing that Zeres and Alex would not attack her all out up there for fear that everyone up there might get hurt. Her reasoning was sound but that was also the reason why Zeres¡¯ and Alex¡¯s main aim was to keep the mad dragon in the abyss.

    The fight continued with Zeres blocking her exit while Alex continued searching for her weakness.

    ---------

    Meanwhile, far from where Abi and the others stood, Alicia was in a duel with thest witch standing. Riev was with her standing a few meters away. Alicia wanted to kill this witch with her own two hands so Riev stepped back, still watching her closely if in case she needed help and at the same time looking out for any hint of danger that might suddenlye.

    Alicia looked battered and weak and her heart felt the same. She looked at her enemy in the eye onest time before she thrust her sword through the witch¡¯s heart. When she withdrew her sword, she saw the witch finally fall to the ground, lifeless.

    The witch - the childhood friend who betrayed her - was finally dead.

    Stabbing her bloody sword on the ground, Alicia closed her eyes and lifted her face towards the sky. Her chest was heaving as she stood there, utterly exhausted. Her heart ached but she refused to shed a tear. Her friends had been long dead to her since the day they betrayed her. This witch before her now was her enemy.

    Her sword dropped to the ground and she was about to drop on her knees too when...

    "Alicia!!!"

    Alicia heard her name being called out. It was Abi. Alicia turned around and what she saw had made her eyes widen. A burning dragon was going tond on her, as fast as a falling meteor.

    She no longer had any strength or magic to move herself. Nothing was left for her to save herself and her feet just stayed rooted to the ground. Fire painted her silver eyes as they reflected what was about to crash on her.

    But then, Riev appeared, shielding her from the oing danger, barely in time.

    He grabbed Alicia and tried to leap away but...

    .

    [Whew! I managed to write 2 chapters today. Please don¡¯t forget to vote and drop ament hellbounders! Let me know that you guys are still here with me. *grin*]

 Chapter 532 Final reques

    <h4>Chapter 532 Final reques</h4>

    Alicia heard a ripping sound and a groan of paining from the man holding her.

    Next thing she realised was that they were both airborne due to being thrown far enough that someone came hurtling after them in order to catch them so they wouldn¡¯t crash against the wall. The man who caught them was Kai.

    Kai brought the two towards the ce where Abi and the others stood. Riev who was bleeding from his fresh injuries was being carried by Kai, while Alicia hung over Kai¡¯s broad shoulders, both arms wrapped around his neck to prevent herself from slipping to the ground. Alex and Zeres had tried to stop Dinah from entering the cavern but the dragon was hellbent in getting herself out of the abyss and into the cavern. Dinah had gone berserk as if she had lost her mind. Any attack wouldn¡¯t work on her anymore so all Alex could do was tell Abi and the others to avoid her. However, when he noticed the surroundings, it was toote as Alex saw that Alicia and Riev were in the exact spot where Dinah was going to burst through.

    Kai set them down on the ground and it was then that Alicia saw the measure of the damage that was done to Riev ¨C Dinah¡¯s w had cleanly pierced through Riev¡¯s back, creating arge gaping hole.

    They both knelt on the ground as Riev reached for her. His hands now shook with weakness as he held her, but he still held on to Alicia¡¯s shoulders at arms-length, stubbornly not letting go. He was able to straighten up a little when Alicia called his name.

    "R-riev..." she called softly, her voice a little shaky, shock and disbelief pooling in her eyes.

    He lifted his face with much effort to look at her, but even that little action proved too much for his battered body, causing him to cough, blood dripping down the sides of his mouth.

    "Are you okay?" Was the first words Riev asked Alicia after opening his mouth, causing Alicia to bite her lips as she lifted her hands to touch him.

    "I¡¯m fine." she answered. Her voice now a little panicky. "L-let¡¯s see your wound."

    Even with just a cursory nce down at Riev¡¯s condition, Alicia could already tell how grave his wound was. Her mind immediately told her she couldn¡¯t save him anymore, even if she had strength left to use magic. Because his wound was just too big! It could not even be considered a wound that needs healing anymore. Dinah¡¯srge w literally gouged out a hole in his body. Riev was a vampire and he naturally could heal his own wounds, but vampires can¡¯t regenerate like the immortals to survive this ¨C especially an injury such as this one.

    But even in her own mind, knowing what she did, Alicia didn¡¯t listen to what it was telling her. So when Riev held her firmly in ce, Alicia desperately looked at Kai. And when she found no help there, her head swung over with glistening eyes to look to the others to help her so that she could do something about Riev¡¯s wound. But not only had Kai looked away previously, avoiding her gaze. Everyone else looked away too ¨C hearts aching but helpless.

    "It¡¯s okay, queen. You don¡¯t need to do anything anymore." Riev grinned at her.

    Alicia¡¯s hands visibly shook. Her eyes tearing up even more.

    "D-don¡¯t say that. Let me ¨C"

    "Please..." Riev cut her off. "Please, listen to me instead." He begged, coughing again.

    Alicia¡¯s numb body could only freeze, seeing that look in Riev¡¯s eyes. She knew it was hopeless and she tried not to believe it.

    "I¡¯m..." Riev smiled. "I am happy that... this is how I leave this world... protecting someone like you." He said and Alicia¡¯s eyes began to blur, Riev¡¯s face no longer clear and sharp in front of her. "It was... It was fun, fighting alongside you."

    As those words left Riev lips, the tears overflowed and tracked twin clear paths down Alicia¡¯s dusty cheek.

    "R-ri-i-ev..." she could only utter his name brokenly but the man grinned at her again, as if he was genuinely happy.

    "Sorry... I am really happy." His smile faded. "I never thought you would cry for me... you¡¯re really such a kind woman."

    Alicia couldn¡¯t even speak. She now could not even say his name ¨C as she felt arge lump choking her throat up. What else could she say when she couldn¡¯t even do anything for him? Since the day she met this man, he had been protecting her with all his life. And now, he did this... and she could neither save him nor could she do anything for him.

    "W-why? Why..." she finally managed to choke out, her silent tears kept falling. "You didn¡¯t need to do that... I am not your queen... you don¡¯t need to sacrifice yourself for me..."

    Riev grinned at her again. "Yes. You¡¯re not our queen, but... you¡¯re the most amazing queen I¡¯ve ever seen in my life."

    His weak hands reached out and wiped her tears. "Please know that I will never regret... dying for you... for me... This is an honor..."

    He coughed blood again and his breath seemed toe in short bursts which sapped much of his remaining energy.

    "May... may I ask you to hug me?" he asked but he forced himself to chuckle next. "I¡¯m sorry... that was a ¨C"

    Riev couldn¡¯t finish his words because Alicia had swiftly moved and hugged him, shocking the man.

    Riev soon let out a sigh of relief as he finally let himself rx in Alicia¡¯s arms. "I couldn¡¯t ask for more, queen Alicia. Survive this battle for me ¨C that¡¯s my final selfish request. Promise?"

    "I promise."

    "Thank you. Can... I call you by your name?"

    "Sure." Alicia tried her best to respond.

    "Thank you. You really are one hell of a queen. I wish I have met you sooner." He grinned once again. "But still, even if its just for a while, fighting alongside you and protecting you was really exciting."

    "You¡¯re the amazing one, Riev." Her lips trembled.

    Their eyes met as Riev lifted his hand to touch Alicia¡¯s face again, but he hesitated. Alicia held his hand and ced it to her cheek.

    Riev smiled at her onest time.

    "Thank you." His voice now a whisper. "I just want you to know that... you¡¯re also the coolest woman I¡¯ve ever met in my life. Goodbye... Alicia."

    "Riev!!" Alicia cried out as the man finally closed his eyes and died in her embrace.

 Chapter 533 - Fury

    <h4>Chapter 533 - Fury</h4>

    A deafening roar shook the cavern but Alicia merely sat on the ground, silent and unmoving, with Riev¡¯s head resting on herp.

    Alicia was well aware of the chaos surrounding her but, apart from being drained and weakened from her fight, Alicia just couldn¡¯t or just didn¡¯t want to move anymore. Her heart and soul felt like it had been ripped to pieces and her whole body was bing numb.

    Despite being pinned down by Zeres and Alex on the ground, Dinah kept attacking, raining fire over everyone and everything. Her body was full of cuts and open wounds from being stabbed by Alex¡¯s sword that rage and vengeance filled her entire being. The rage and hate seemed to have fueled her attacks and the fire that came out of her mouth became even bigger and hotter than before.

    Zeres could pin Dinah down but could not stop her from breathing out fire and what was worse was that Dinah seemed to be ignoring the pain from the endless attack being inflicted on her.

    The she-dragon¡¯s eyes were locked onto Abigail and the bloodl.u.s.t in her eyes burst with fury, ring at Abigail as if all these things that were happening to her was Abigail¡¯s fault. She became so engrossed in that thought that all she could think of now was to kill Abigail and nothing else.

    Alex felt the change in Dinah or at least, the change in her target. She no longer cared about fighting him or Zeres. Dinah¡¯s focus was now directed at his wife!

    "Leave! Leave the cavern! Now!" Alexander¡¯s voice thundered. Kai quickly followed his instructions and went to grab Abigail.

    The other remaining vampires were either wounded or exhausted. Even Raven had a burn on his arm, causing him to be unable to hold Abigail anymore. All the others could do now was to try and save themselves and head down the abyss. They all jumped into the abyss to escape the iing danger.

    Abigail, who was in Kai¡¯s arms, looked back at the burning cavern and she yelled out in a panic.

    "Wait! Alicia¡¯s still in there!" Abi eximed. Everyone was leaping down into the abyss to escape the fire. The abyss was also burning but it was much bigger than the cavern and they could still see huge rocks that could shield them from Dinah¡¯s fires.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Miss, we can¡¯t go back there anymore," Kai replied as he continued leaping away, moving as fast as he could to find refuge.

    "No! Please... Alicia is..."

    Abi could only bite her lips. She could see the other vampires following them and they all looked very weak. They could barely move their bodies to escape. Raven was being supported by one of the other vampires. He suffered a burn because he had shielded her from Dinah¡¯s sudden attack a while ago. She was very d that he was still alive but even that small burn was harsh enough to render Raven useless.

    "Alicia..." Abi could only utter in dismay.

    Up above her, Dinah kept raging, thinking that if she could just kill Abigail, then that would be a win for her. All along, this was what Dinah wanted since the beginning. ¡¯If only Abigail never existed then and now, then Alexander would be hers¡¯ was the mantra that Dinah¡¯s thoughts kept spouting in her mind. But here was Abigail, alive again, taunting her in her second life. But this time, Dinah vowed to herself that she would kill Abigail with her mes. She would turn Abigail to ashes. She thought that that would be quite a fitting end forst Dragon Keeper.

    So when she saw that Abigail was gone, fire burst from her mouth, burning everything, melting the walls of the cavern. Even the entrance had been blocked by a moltenva. The she-dragon had gonepletely and utterly mad beyond redemption.

    Alex and Zeres finally went all out in response to Dinah¡¯s fury with more merciless attacks, knowing that Abigail and others were out of harm¡¯s way.

    They still didn¡¯t know how to kill this she-dragon, so for now, their n was to beat her up to a pulp until she couldn¡¯t move anymore. That would at least give them time to think of their next move and to give the others time to escape.

    However, Dinah seemed to catch onto Alex¡¯s n. She knew that they were trying to pin her down for Abigail to escape and the thought that Abigail mighte out of this ce unscathed while she was being tortured, made her volcanic fury erupt.

    As if it was now or never, thergest ball of fire came bursting forth from her mouth aimed at both Zeres and Alex. Dinah¡¯s fire could burn the entire cavern but Alex and Zeres were unfazed.

    "Zeres! Alicia¡¯s still there!!" a voice echoed in Zeres¡¯ blurry consciousness and his dragon eyes wandered around the cavern. As Dinah¡¯s fire erupted, Alicia¡¯s image was reflected in Zeres¡¯ golden eyes. She was still in the same spot, with Riev¡¯s head on herp, as she looked back at Zeres. Her golden eyes weren¡¯t helpless but still fierce, almost as if Alicia was trying to encourage Zeres through her eyes to keep fighting.

    The next moment, Zeres suddenly let go of Dinah and flew towards Alicia, protecting her using his wings.

    "F*ck!" Alex was caught off guard. There was no way he could restrain Dinah on his own.

    Dinah didn¡¯t waste a moment and broke free. Alex could only grit his teeth. Knowing that Dinah would go after Abi, Alex immediately catapulted from the cavern down the abyss to look for his wife. He knew what Dinah wanted, but he would never let it happen. Not again. Never again!

    Alex dove and spiraled into the abyss and took Abi from Kai as he yelled at them to spread out and hide. Dinah¡¯s fire followed him down. Seeing that Alexander had her target, Dinah flew towards the exit that the vampires were heading to. It was still very far away from them and Alex knew Dinah would get there before them.

    Dinah burned the small exit making it impossible for the mortals to cross. The soil and rocks melted and turned tova before she smashed herself into it to block it entirely with burning debris.

    "Alex..." Abi uttered.

    The situation was dire. The cavern had turned into a zing inferno. It would only be a matter of time until Dinah turned this massive abyss into her own hell as well.

    Alex looked at her and kissed Abi¡¯s head.

    "I will get you out of here," he said when Abi heard a voice calling for her.

    .

    [Hello hellbounders! Please im your hellbounder badges before it expires. I love seeing that dragon near your names so don¡¯t forget to equip it. ??]

 Chapter 534 - Only hope*

    <h4>Chapter 534 - Only hope*</h4>

    Alex continued dodging Dinah''s ferocious attacks. With Abi in his arms, Alex could do nothing but dodge, making sure that Dinah''s fire will never touch his wife.

    "Alex!" Abi called him, but Alex couldn''t even look at his wife. He can''t afford to get distracted even for a moment. He wouldn''t mind ying with the dragon''s fire, but it waspletely different when his wife was in his arms. He can''t be reckless anymore. He can''t even attack.

    "I''m listening." He could only reply, his gaze burning as his focus remained fixated on the dragon''s attacks.

    "Zeke''s speaking with me!" Abi told him, and Alex hissed under his breath.

    "Zeke? Where the f.u.c.k is he?" he cursed, frustration evident in his voice. "What is he saying?" he then asked as he dodged another fireball, causing Abi to yelp in surprise because of Alex''s sudden and utterly fast movement.

    But she quickly gathered her wits, and her grip on Alex tightened as she spoke. "He said he found an exit!"

    "Where?"

    "He said I must order Zeres to break the ceiling to make a hole."

    She saw Alex''s brows creased. "We can''t do that!" he said as he dodged another series of attacks. "The cavern will copse and bury everyone if Zeres break it by force. The ceiling is thick! And we can''t let that woman get out of this abyss, or it''ll be harder to restrain her." Alex exined. Abi looked down and saw that the abyss was slowly being devoured by nothing but fire.

    And she could see theirrades still down there. There was no escape for them. Vampires don''t have wings to fly. They could leap, but the ceiling was too high, and they were all battered and weakened to their knees.

    "He said it''s okay," Abi answered. "He said there''s an ideal spot at the left side of the ceiling that Zeres could break. He said the ceiling wouldn''t copse if Zeres will go for that spot. It''s that spot where his voice ising from." Abi pointed not at the center of the ceiling but the ceiling''s far left side.

    Alex had just nced at where Abi was pointing when Dinah almost got them with her massive wings.

    "F*ck." Alex cursed. Knowing that they had no choice, Alex could only agree before even seeing the spot Abi was talking about. "Okay, call Zeres now!"

    With Alex''s approval, Abi didn''t hesitate anymore and she closed her eyes. It didn''t take long for her to be able to speak with the dragon. And while speaking with Zeres, Abi heard Alicia''s voice. She''s alive!

    A momentter, Zeres emerged from the burning cavern. Abigail never heard Zeres'' voice, but the dragon was listening to her call without hesitation.

    ''Hurry, Zeres¡­ ourrades are dying¡­ we need to get them out of this ce¡­ Alicia too¡­'' she pleaded, and as she opened her eyes, she saw the ck dragon catapulted to the ceiling at an almost impossible speed.

    The cavern shook, and a hole finally appeared in the ceiling. Zeke was right. The roof of the massive cave didn''t copse despite the impact.

    Dinah''s attention was pulled towards the hole in the ceiling, and a deafening roar filled the vast abyss. The she-dragon seemed to immediately realize their n and her bloodshot eyes red at Abigail with an even more intense bloodl.u.s.t. She looked at Abi as if she was telling her that she will never let Abi leave the abyss alive.

    Zeres, on the other hand, immediately flew back to the cavern. Hended before Alicia and tried to pick her with his w when Alicia looked up at him with pleading eyes.

    "Let''s take Riev out of here too, Zeres. Please." She begged. "This is all I could do for him. Please, Zeres. I want to give him a proper resting ce. Let''s not leave him here. Please."

    Alicia didn''t know if the dragon could even hear her, but she begged anyway. She couldn''t bear leaving Riev''s body in this inferno.

    "Please. I can''t leave him here. This is all I could do for him¡­" she continued, and before she could even finish her sentence, Zeres moved and picked Riev''s body as well before he flew out of the cavern towards the hole in the ceiling.

    Dinah was too upied with Alex and Abi that she ignored Zeres flying towards the hole. Her fire intensified. She was trying to block Alex from approaching the ceiling as she continued raining endless fire.

    A little bit more and the vampires on the abyss'' floor would soon get burnt to death. There was no more ce left for them to hide. Everything was about to be melted by Dinah''s fire. Seeing theirrades below, Abi looked at Alex. She knew she couldn''t disturb him, but there was no way she''d let their friends die like this.

    "Alex! Kai and the others are still there!" Abi told him but Alex could only curse.

    "I know." He replied. He could see that the situation was getting hopeless for the vampires that were trapped on the abyss'' floor. He couldn''t save them because he had to save his wife first. It would be toote even if he returns for them as fast as he could. Their only hope now was Zeres, but they needed a little bit more time, and they had to distract this mad woman because Alex could tell that she will definitely refuse to let anyone leave the abyss alive. She will rain more fire and finally burn everyone once she saw that Zeres was going to transport everyone out of the abyss. That was why they needed something to keep her upied while Zeres pick the others. They had to attack her. But how?

    "But Alex ¨C"

    Abi''s words were cut because of Alex''s sharp and unexpected shift. Her eyes caught sight of the hole at the ceiling, and Abi''s eyes widened.

    "Mists!" she yelled. Now that there was a hole in this abyss, Alex could now control the wind to bring her the mists she needed. "Alex! Bring me the mists now!"

    ___

    *unedited chapter

 Chapter 535 - Howl

    <h4>Chapter 535 - Howl</h4>

    A gush of wind began to enter the hole, carrying thick mists along with it.

    Abi didn¡¯t waste a second and called the mists towards her and then directed it to the vampires on the abyss¡¯ floor. She had to save theirrades first before the fire killed them all. Keeping them alive was currently her top priority until Zeres finallyes to pick them up.

    With that thought in mind, Abi didn¡¯t turn the mists into weapons. Instead, she focused her thoughts and directed the thick mists to extinguish the fire that was about to devour the vampires.

    But Dinah would not just stand idle and watch her do that. The she-dragon then breathed more fire, so Abi was forced to face her as inferno at the same time, still trying to extinguish the fires which were aze all around the abyss floor. Perhaps, it was out of desperation, but Abi actually managed to do two things at the same time. She was able to continue making the mists extinguish some fires on the ground while turning some of the other mists in the air into weapons. Abi never tried this before so even she was shocked that she could actually pull this out.

    Even Alex¡¯s lips curved up, looking at his wife with proud eyes.

    Dinah growled and she started to aim her mes at Abi again. Abi saw that there was now a safe spot for the vampires to stay so she finally focused her full attention to the raging dragon.

    With the help of Alex, Abi called on more mists and it seemed like a stream of white clouds continued entering the hole. Abi turned the mists into more weapons. They had to distract her now so Zeres coulde down and pick everyone.

    Completely surrounded with thousands of crystalized weapons, the she-dragon¡¯s muzzle opened even wider to breathe an evenrger ball of fire to melt the weapons that were surrounding. However, before the fire came out, Abi¡¯s crystalized ice weapon hurtled towards Dinah.

    Knowing that the fire waste ining, Dinah used her wings to stop the weapons from reaching her. But many still managed to pierce through her leathered wings and before she could gather her wits, another batch of crystalized ice weapon appeared again.

    The she-dragon tried to burn down everything and anything that was in her sight before they could even reach her. But many survived her fire and those razor-sharp ice spears managed to pierce through her body, causing the she-dragon to rumble out another series of earth-shattering growls as she tried to dodge and let out more fire everywhere.

    The crystalized weapons didn¡¯t stoping. Abi wasn¡¯t going to give her a chance to recuperate. And their n was working. The dragon was now preupied in her focus on burning and melting the hundreds of weapons attacking her and didn¡¯t seem to notice Zeres flying behind her.

    The vampires on the ground were awed by the incredibly overwhelming and jaw-dropping show they were seeing. The couple above them were just too powerful when they fight together. But too bad, the vampires did not have the luxury to admire the fight any further because they had to leave now. They knew that that she-dragon was a ticking time bomb. They also knew that Abigail and Alexander were trying to save their asses before they all would be turned into ashes.

    As Abi continued the attack, Zeres finallynded down in the abyss¡¯ floor. The vampires didn¡¯t waste a moment and quickly climbed onto the dragon¡¯s back, holding on to its ck spikes. They couldn¡¯t believe they were going to ride a real dragon! But they neither have the luxury nor the time to feel the thrill and they were too weak to even yell. All they could do now was cling onto the dragon with whatever little strength left that they could muster.

    A stray ball of fire that came from the raging she-dragon headed towards them but thankfully, Zeres managed to dodge it and if flew up towards the hole in the ceiling.

    "Alex. How can we kill her? I have stabbed her with your sword. I am certain it pierced her heart but she didn¡¯t die! It somehow seems like I can¡¯t kill her, Alex!" Abi told Alex. Her eyes still focused on Dinah as she continued creating more crystal weapons to attack her.

    Alex¡¯s brows furrowed. "Maybe, there¡¯s something we must do in order for it work!" Alex could only reply but it was obvious, he was as clueless as Abi on what it was.

    But what Alex said made Abi remember something and her eyes widened. She momentarily lost focus, giving Dinah a chance to spit fire towards them, which Alex immediately dodged.

    "My blood! Remember when I gave you the sword to kill Lexus?" she said and Alex narrowed his eyes. That was right. Back then, Abigail spilled her blood on the sword¡¯s de before giving it to him.

    Without waiting for Alex¡¯s approval, Abi took the sword from him. Abi wounded her own arm and let her blood drip on the de.

    She looked at Alex with a fierce and brave gaze.

    "Help me stab this to her chest, Alex. And we need to be sure to drive it deep," she said but Alex looked hesitant. Having Abi get close to that mad dragon was thest thing Alex wanted to do. No, he would never want to let her get close to her. But his wife¡¯s eyes were determined and pleading.

    "I can do this Alex. Don¡¯t worry. Aren¡¯t you here to keep me safe?"

    "That¡¯s too risky Abigail. I can survive her fire but you can¡¯t!"

    "But Alex, this might be the only way!"

    "No." Alex argued. "Let¡¯s wait for Zeres. He¡¯ll distract Dinah and I¡¯ll help you attack her."

    As Alex said those, Zeres dide back and he crashednded on Dinah. The two dragons fell, and the earth shook tremendously. Zeres pinned the she-dragon down to the ground.

    And that was the opportunity Alex was waiting for. Alex moved with Abi in his arms, fast as a lightning and before the dust could even settle down, they were already standing on top of Dinah¡¯s bejeweled chest.

    A blood-curling howl followed the quake as Abi shoved the sword on the she-dragon¡¯s chest with Alex helping her to push it deeper with his hands at the base of the hilt.

 Chapter 536 - Dance

    <h4>Chapter 536 - Dance</h4>

    A horrifying and blood-curdling roar filled the abyss as the she-dragon trashed and wailed. Perhaps, due to her desperation in struggling to free herself from the sword impaled deep in her bejewelled chest, Dinah¡¯s power seemed to be dramatically increased that Alex had to quickly pull Abi away to safety.

    The she-dragon¡¯s fire sted at them and Alex used his body to shield Abigail. As the fire hit them, Alex¡¯s powerful aura sparked silver with bits of amber around their bodies ¨C protecting them from not just the mes but also the intense heat wave that shimmered around. They didn¡¯t even have the time to pull the sword out of the dragon¡¯s chest.

    As Alex flew upwards with Abi, they nced back to the dragons on the abyss floor. Zeres was doing a good job in his effort in restraining Dinah but they could tell that Dinah¡¯s strength do not seem to be decreasing in the least. She instead seemed to be growing even stronger. Fury and desperation consumed her, and she was now nothing but a mindless killing monster.

    "I-it¡¯s not working?" Abi stammered. This was truly theirst hope. If this could not even kill Dinah, what on earth could kill her? Was it really impossible?

    "I don¡¯t know. But perhaps, there is onest thing we can try. We need to find an opportunity to get close and pull the sword out." Alex replied. They could see that Zeres was showing signs of him struggling to keep Dinah under control. Dinah¡¯s power suddenly became too overwhelming. "I¡¯ll get you out of here now before that woman escape Zeres¡¯ grip."

    Alex emerged from the hole with Abi held securely in his arms andnded on the ground. No matter what, she is the most precious thing in this existence to him, thus her safety is his utmost priority ¨C without her, he might as well destroy everything and drag everyone and everything to hell in eternal damnation. They saw the others scattered around,ying on their back.

    He put Abi down, and kissed her forehead.

    "I¡¯ll go and end her. Stay here. Don¡¯t ever go close to the hole." Alex whispered.

    "Please take care, Alex." Abi replied and a seductive smirk shed on Alex¡¯s face ¨C one only reserved for Abi.

    "I will. Zeres and I will bury her here." Cupping her face in assurance, he gave her another quick kiss thatcked no affection despite it being brief, one more time. "Stay here and wait for me." stressing on the word ¡¯wait¡¯ and giving Abi a meaningful nce.

    No longer waiting for Abi¡¯s response, Alex picked up a stray sword on the ground and leapt towards the hole. He stared down, eyes now burning brighter than the sun. It seemed he had no choice but to go all out now. Now that Abi¡¯s in a safe ce. He thought that it was time for him to end this.

    He lifted his sword and his body zed with staggering power. Everyone couldn¡¯t see his expression but at that moment, even Abi felt goosebumps covered her skin as she watched his back. He looked as though, power from the underworld hade and enveloped him. And then, the de of his sword suddenly turned fiery as it had just been dipped inva. With those fiery des, he jumped down into the abyss.

    He whirled and spiralled towards the two dragons on the abyss¡¯ floor, glowing like a meteor entering the earth¡¯s atmosphere. Alex reached the she-dragon who had just broke free from Zeres¡¯ grasp and he thrust and swung mightily, moving as fast as he was able, striking without reservation.

    Alex felt power screaming within him, trying to consume his entire being. This time, confident in the knowledge that his beloved is safe, he allowed it to spread through his entire being without any restraints. He didn¡¯t need to hold back anymore.

    His fiery de cut through the arm of the she-dragon and then sliced across her legs countless time over. Alex was smiling as he did that. He looked as though the god of ughter, residing within him had taken over. He swung again, every attack too powerful, too fast, it was like a choreograph dance of the war gods, as Dinah didn¡¯t even know where to aim anymore. And then out of nowhere he was in her chest again, stabbing her again with another sword and pulling both the swords out of her chest.

    The abyss shook again as Dinah roared, but she didn¡¯t fall. She let out fire like she was prepared to explode and burn the world along with her. She tried to fly aiming to leave the abyss. But Zeres blocked her way and Alex relentlessly attacked her. All Dinah could do now was burn and burn, until the abyss had finally turned into an inferno.

    ..

    It was already daylight, but it was still drizzling and the clouds were dark ¨C contributing to the sombre mood. Everyone was on the ground lying on their back except Alicia and Abigail. The men were all covered with wounds all over, even Alicia was not spared of it.

    Abi just stood there, looking at the hole where her husband had jumped into. She could tell that fire had swallowed the abyss as if it had be hell itself. They could feel the constant earthquakes and they could only imagine how fierce the battle was inside the hole.

    The thought that the sword couldn¡¯t kill Dinah made Abi felt fear inside her chest. What should they do? Why can¡¯t she kill the dragon? Was it because she was no longer a real dragon keeper? But she was! She could control Zeres and the mists too. Or could it be that her blood was no longer effective because the blood flowing in her veins wasn¡¯t pure keeper¡¯s blood anymore?

    She was utterly at an unease. They must kill Dinah. They must find a way to kill that immortal woman or this battle will never, ever, end.

    As Abi tugged on her hair, someone¡¯s presence pulled at her attention and when she lifted her face and looked at him, her hands on her hair slowly dropped.

    "E-ezekiel." she stuttered in a broken whisper as their eyes met.

 Chapter 537 - Lifeline

    <h4>Chapter 537 - Lifeline</h4>

    Zeke stood there, no longer wearing that ck coat. He didn¡¯t look weakened nor hurt despite his intense fight against Alex hours ago. It seemed he was fully healed now.

    Abi had so much to say and ask him but Zeke¡¯s cold eyes were full of intensity. They were calm as always, but why did Abi feel like something was wrong with him?

    He took a step towards her. Abi didn¡¯t know why but her heart started to race. She felt the need to step back. ¡¯Why?¡¯ she asked herself but Abi quickly shook her head. Why would she feel scared? Even though Abi¡¯s trust in him was a little shaken when she saw how he fought against Alex hours ago, she couldn¡¯t forget that this man was Zeke, the man Alex trusted the most. They never would have gotten to this point if it wasn¡¯t for him. He was also the one who helped them out of the abyss.

    But then, why was she flinching right now as he stepped closer? She could only scold herself, telling herself that this man was not an enemy.

    "Zeke," Abi tried her best to meet his gaze and spoke to him calmly. "It seems Dinah can¡¯t be killed."

    He didn¡¯t look surprised. "It¡¯s because she¡¯s immortal, Abigail," was his calm response, causing Abi to narrow her eyes.

    "I know but... I am supposed to be the one who can kill her," she argued. "And yet she¡¯s not dying even though I stabbed her heart with the de that had my blood!"

    A hint of desperation shed in Abi¡¯s eyes.

    "Tell me, Zeke. Why is it not working? Why can¡¯t I kill her? Didn¡¯t it work for Alex when I stabbed him?"

    Zeke finally reached her and he halted close enough to her.

    "No," Zeke said. "When you stabbed Alex, it was his memories and his human body that almost died and disappeared forever. If you didn¡¯t give him your blood, he¡¯d be a full dragon by now without being able to return to his original form ever again."

    Abi was speechless and confused.

    "Are you saying that I turned Dinah into a dragon when I first stabbed her? Then how about Zeres? I didn¡¯t stab him but he turned into a full dragon!"

    "Because Alex is different from Dinah and Zeres, Abigail. Unlike Alex, Dinah and Zeres can transform into dragons just by drinking superior blood from their race and your de does not affect them. Their wound simply heals or regenerate very slowly."

    Confusion clouded Abi¡¯s eyes. "That... that doesn¡¯t make sense. I don¡¯t understand ¨C"

    Suddenly, Ezekiel leaned in on her. "I know. But you don¡¯t need to understand everything now, Abigail. Besides, we don¡¯t have the luxury to care about the reasons behind what is happening to you and the dragons and why things aren¡¯t working because right now, we have a bigger problem. We need to think about how to kill the dragon. We can¡¯t let the world know about them."

    He was right. All this time, they really didn¡¯t have exact answers. Most of their knowledge were only based on theories and logic since the beginning ¨C theories and logic that were soon proven correct or wrong. There was nobody who could really exin the exact truth about everything and she understood that.

    "But how?" Abi asked. "How are we going to kill Dinah?"

    Her eyes wandered around before she looked at him and when she did, she saw his frightening dark eyes ring with such intensity that she couldn¡¯t help but swallow as she opened her mouth. "Tell me, you know how to do it, right?"

    The man just stared at her. His eyes seemed to gleam with a baleful fire but his stoic face remained as unchangeable as marble.

    Zeke stepped even closer to her. For the first time in a long time, Abi felt genuinely terrified of this man. "You¡¯re right. There is a way to end all this. And there¡¯s no other choice."

    She felt her throat run dry.

    And then the earth shook, stronger than ever that Abi almost fell to the ground if Zeke hadn¡¯t caught her.

    The earth before them was sted into pieces as the two dragons catapulted into the sky. The earth crumbled, creating arge crater.

    Everyone looked up. One of the dragons stayed in the air while one fell back, falling like a fireless asteroid. It was Dinah. Someone was attacking her as she fell. They couldn¡¯t see him because he was a blur, but they knew it was none other than Alexander. The she-dragon was utterly unmatched and they couldn¡¯t believe it.

    The next second, the earth shook again and when the dust settled, the she-dragon could be seen lying on the ground, seemingly half-dead as Alex stood on top of its body.

    "A-alex defeated her!" Abi eximed, stuttering.

    "She¡¯s not dead. No matter how powerful Alexander is, she can¡¯t die. This war will never end. She¡¯ll rise again soon, you know that."

    The hope in Abigail¡¯s eyes faded and as she met Zeke¡¯s gaze again, her body and soul seemed to freeze. He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear.

    "This is the only way, Abigail," he whispered and before Abi could register what he did, she felt a sharp paining from her abdomen as blood started to flow from the corner of her lips. Zeke¡¯s de pierced her body with one swift movement, so fast that no one saw his hand move. There wasn¡¯t even time for her to flinch.

    "W-why?" was all Abi could utter.

    "Because we need all the dragons to die. These dragons¡¯ lifeline is you, Abigail." Ezekiel answered. "All of you aren¡¯t suppose to exist in this world. You and your dragons don¡¯t belong in this world anymore so I have to do this. You¡¯re the sole reason why the dragons rose from the dead and that is why they will only die once you die."

    As Zeke said those words, Abi¡¯s eyes looked straight ahead and she saw Alex.

    He was there, now looking at her. His triumphant and devious smile slowly faded as his eyes followed the trail of blood dripping down her body.

    "A-alex..." she whispered and tears flowed silently from the corner of her eyes as their gazes locked on each other.

    _______

    Please im your hell bound badge now guys. Tomorrow is yourst chance.

    ?How to im the loyal hellbounder badge.

    Go to your INBOX then go to EVENTS. scroll down and look for HELLBOUND WITH YOU EVENT/GIFTS. tap it and then scroll down until you see the CLAIM button.

    If you unlocked 480 chapter of hell bound with you, you can have the badge. ^^

    ?How to equip

    Go to your profile. Look for the BADGES and then tap the HWY Loyal Reader badge. Once you will see EQUIP, tap it.

    ____

    Don¡¯t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 538: His heart

    <strong>Chapter 538: His heart</strong>

    Ezekiel pulled the sword out of Abigail ¨C the sword once bright and gleaming now coated deep red with lifeblood. Alexander could see it clearly - the blood-soaked sword Zeke pulled out of her.

    Alex¡¯s eyes were like two bright suns that were suddenly swallowed by darkness. His heart shook violently within him, his frame trembling as his mind was still partially registering what his eyes were looking at.

    His feet moved and he ran. Fast as he could as his Abigail staggered backwards, clutching her wound, about to fall. He managed to catch her just as she was falling backwards.

    "A-a-bi..." Alex¡¯s lips trembled as he held her in his arms.

    "A-Alex... I¡¯m sorry..." she uttered, and Abi¡¯s breath hitched. She reached out a hand to touch his face but before it couldnd on his face, her arm fell to her sides as if she didn¡¯t have any more strength left in her. Her eyelids fluttered closed, shedding a tear in the corner of her eye. "I love you..." came out of her lips in barely a whisper and too soon, her body became limp.

    Alex¡¯s legs gave out. He crumpled to the ground, his whole body shaking. This cannot be happening. How could it be? She was just there a moment ago. He left her far above the abyss and away from the heat of the fight so nothing like this would happen to her. Everything seemed to be happening too fast, yet there was this weirdg that is affecting him ¨C causing his mind to be moving in slow-motion.

    "No! No!!!" A deep, bloodcurdling scream echoed across the teau. Without realizing that he was doing it, Alex screamed his lungs out. In just one moment, his body, heart and soul crumbled into pieces.

    "Open your eyes, Abigail!!" he begged. "You can¡¯t... no!!!"

    He was broken,pletely broken. It happened again. Why? He did everything. Why couldn¡¯t he protect her? Why did this happen again?

    The world turned into pitch ck hell.

    The thunder roared but he could no longer hear anything.

    The dragons started roaring. Zeres fell to the ground. He, too, wailed like Dinah but they wailed because of the physical, agonizing pain, as if they were being tortured by an invisible force inside out.

    However, both their screams of agony were nothingpared to the roar Alex let out next. He roared the most terrifying roar anyone had ever heard ¨C it made their skin crawl. Those who were weaker felt their marrows retract and as if it dried up within them and their heartbeat became erratic and felt as if it were going to explode out of their very chest. Even the dead might tremble in fear. It was an agonizing battle cry.

    Zeke who was still standing there watching them without expression, was then hit by something.

    The next thing he knew; he was pinned to the ground. The impact was so strong that it created a small crater. Blood spurted out from Zeke¡¯s mouth.

    "Bring her back!!! Bring her back!!" Alex screamed as he hit Zeke again and again like a mad man. Bloodlust and despair were the only things that seemed to drive him. "I¡¯ll kill you!!! Bring her back!!!"

    Zeke was thrown to the ground again. Alex had gone mad and he was too strong, beyond powerful, like a mindless, killing creature. He did not seem to be able to control himself, mming Zeke into the ground over and over ¨C screaming at Zeke to bring Abigail back.

    But Zeke didn¡¯t bother fighting back.

    Zeke merely looked up at the sky, at the sunlight peeking through the thick gray clouds. He smirked and thenughed despite the pain theughter brought him.

    "Ah, I¡¯m tired of this," heined, as the madman kepting at him, breaking his bones and forcing more blood out of his body.

    "Bring her back!!!" was all Alex was saying, again and again, like a broken machine.

    Zeke closed his eyes. He wanted to speak. Now that his mission was done, he knew it was time for him to tell Alex everything but... it seemed Alex could no longer hear him. He knew this would happen and he thought he had prepared himself well enough for this, but this man really became nothing but a monster without Abigail. And Zeke knew that no one would be able to bring this monster back to himself but Abigail herself. She was like the light to his dark. If he was hell, she was heaven. She was all things good and beautiful to bnce out the bad and ugly in Alex. That was how important she is to him ¨C Abi was basically the heart to this monster they call Alex. Without his heart, he could only be reduced to being a mindless monster.

    Between Zeke¡¯s groans from the hits he took, a voice echoed.

    "Alex!! Stop!!" the voice gently persisted but the monster didn¡¯t stop.

    Zeke forced his eyes open. Blood was dripping from hisshes too. From his blood-filled vision, he saw Abigail hug Alex from behind and the mad man finally halted. He seemed to perceive something from the red haze of bloodlust clouding his mind, in that madness of him losing the only precious thing in his life.

    "Stop now, Alex. Please. I¡¯m here," Abigail¡¯s soothing voice begged, and Zeke could see the shock registering in Alex¡¯s face. Now that the man halted, Zeke could now see just how much of a mess Alex looked. Alex had been crying the whole time he was hitting Zeke that Zeke found it hard to believe that this man was really the Alexander he knew.

    Zeke watched as Alexander trembled as his fingers finally let go of Zeke¡¯s clothes which had been bunched up in his fists, causing Zeke to drop heavily on the ground. Alex turned to look at the woman behind him and like magic, just the sight of her made the monster running rampant within him instantly subside and turn into a human again. In the next moment, Alex fell to his knees, pulled Abigail into his arms, and broke down.

    The half dead Zeke let out a sigh and looked up. He was truly fascinated and mystified beyond belief. How did such a fragile woman turn such a monster into an emotional man?

    "Tch! Damn immortals! Get a grip of yourselves already!" Zekeined onest time before he gave a deep, tired sigh and closed his eyes again.

    ...

    [Feel free to drop questions that¡¯re bugging you. ^^]

    [P.s. Please im your hellbounder badges before it expires. I love seeing that dragon near your names so don¡¯t forget to equip it. ??]

 Chapter 539: Prophecy

    <strong>Chapter 539: Prophecy</strong>

    Just bare moments ago, Alicia who was still shocked at what she witnessed, came crawling towards Abigail. Disbelief colored her pale face when she saw Abigail wasn¡¯t breathing anymore. Was she really dead? The earth shook and Alicia looked at the raging Alexander, screaming at Ezekiel to bring Abigail back.

    With shaking hands, Alicia cradled Abi¡¯s head and gently rested it on herp. She was too numb to cry now. What was going to happen now? How did it manage to end this way?

    Roars and cries echoed and yet, strangely, the morning sunlight peeked through the clouds.

    "Abigail... wake up." She begged with her hoarse voice when someone stood before her.

    Alicia looked up. A woman in ck cloak ¨C the same cloak Dinah¡¯s minions wear ¨C stood before her. The woman looked like she was in her fifties, yet she had that grace and elegance around her. Alicia knew her. This woman was one of the most important figures to the vampires. She was only next to the vampire king. She was the oldest of all vampires alive in this world and she was what they called, the prophetess.

    "Prophetess..." Alicia said with surprise. What was she doing here? She¡¯s wearing that cloak. Does this mean she¡¯s been here all this time?

    The prophetess stared back at Alicia for a while and then slowly shifted her gaze to Abigail.

    That was when the dragons¡¯ roars thundered even louder. Their eyes fell towards the dragons. Dinah was wailing, a dust-like particles were gathering around her in a spiral pattern, strangely moving upwards. It looked like the she-dragon was decaying ¨C or to better put it, she was disintegrating. It was as if her body was slowly turning into ck dust.

    Alicia turned her head towards Zeres. The same thing was happening to him.

    "What is happening? Are they dying?" Alicia asked, her eyes still locked onto the agonizing Zeres.

    "Yes." The prophetess replied.

    "Z-zeres too?"

    "Yes."

    Alicia dropped her eyes, biting down on her slightly trembling lips and looked at Zeres again. He was in pain, wailing in agony. Was he going to die just like that? In so much pain again? He didn¡¯t even remember his real memories yet. Why did he have to live again just to die an even more painful death?

    Alicia¡¯s heart throbbed in more pain than she could handle. It was suffocating. She could hardly breathe. First Riev, then Abi, and now... Zeres too? Even though Zeres was someone she only met for a very short time, Alicia had seen his past, his pain, and his agony. He¡¯s been suffering all these while, for so long.

    But when she looked down at Abi¡¯s face, Alicia finally cried. Maybe, it was better this way. That Zeres will die just like that because Abi was already gone. She thought it¡¯s better than having him see Abigail¡¯s dead body once again.

    "Prophetess..." Alicia called out, not looking up at the woman. "Is this the end? I believe you¡¯re here because you¡¯ve seen some prophesies, right?"

    "Yes."

    "Is... is Abi really meant to die?"

    "Yes."

    "And Ezekiel was the one prophesized to..."

    "You¡¯re right. His highness must kill her."

    Alicia gritted her teeth. "Why? Because the only way for the dragons to die is if Abigail dies?"

    "That¡¯s right."

    A cynical smile curved on Alicia¡¯s face as she looked up. "But Alexander is still alive. What¡¯s the point of getting rid of Abigail and the two dragons if Alexander is still alive? You all know Alexander will never ept this. He will not forgive Ezekiel, the vampires and the world. He will destroy the world again. And we are all well aware that he¡¯s fully capable of doing that and even more."

    The prophetess looked up, staring up the peeking light.

    "We know that witch queen." The woman replied.

    "Yet you still went ahead and killed Abigail, just so the dragons die. Despite knowing that without Abigail, the dragons aren¡¯t the biggest treat, but Alexander."

    Silence followed Alicia¡¯s voice for a moment.

    "You¡¯re right. But we have no choice but to fulfill the prophecy. His highness is aware more than anyone else what will happen if Abigail dies. Still, he decided to do it, knowing that he might very well lose his life in Alexander¡¯s hands."

    Alicia shook her head, having a hard time to believe.

    "His highness believes that fulfilling the prophecy is the only choice. We don¡¯t know what will happen next once the prophecy is fulfilled but his highness believes that killing Abigail is the key to end everything."

    While the prophetess was still speaking, Abigail¡¯s body began to glow. A pale, golden color enveloped her as the roars of the dragons echoed like endless thunderstorms rumbling across the sky.

    Alicia¡¯s eyes were wide. "What¡¯s happening?"

    She looked up to the prophetess and followed the prophetess¡¯ line of sight. The she-dragon was almost no more. Golden yellow glitter-like particles were mixing in a stream with the ck dust that were surrounding her. And with onest roar, the she-dragon literallybusted andpletely turned into dust and Dinah¡¯s human body could be seen lying on the ground where the dragon once was. However, the next second, Dinah¡¯s human body withered in a blink of an eye, turning into nothing but bones. The ck dust particles disappeared but the yellow particles didn¡¯t, but flew towards them and settled on Abigail¡¯s body as if someone hadmanded them to go into Abigail.

    Alicia¡¯s head snapped towards Zeres and her heart stopped beating, afraid that Zeres had also turned into bones like how Dinah did. He didn¡¯t. His dragon form was gone but his body was there. Alicia let out the breath she was holding in. But was he still alive?

    "Abigail!"

    Alicia¡¯s attention was pulled back towards the woman who eximed Abigail¡¯s name. Her eyes wide as she looked down.

    When Alicia¡¯s gaze fell towards Abi, her mouth opened in shock.

    Abigail eyes were open. She was alive!

    Before Alicia could even snap from the shock, the earth shook. They knew it wasn¡¯t from the dragons because the dragons were gone. It could onlye from one other person. The raging Alexander.

    "Alex!!" Abi immediately called out as she rose. "Where is he?!" she asked, as if just waking from a dream.

    Alicia couldn¡¯t speak and she just pointed to where Alex and Ezekiel were.

    Abigail¡¯s eyes widened. Hearing Alex¡¯s agonizing roar as he screamed at Zeke to bring her back. Abigail stood and fell but she stood again and ran shakily towards Alex.

    "Alex!! Stop!!" she begged, but the man was blind and deaf to everything ¨C lost in his grief and anger. Abi reached them, falling on her knees and hugging her husband from behind, knowing that her touch would be the thing to pierce that maddened haze of sorrow and rage he had trapped himself in.

    .

    [Sorry itste. I just want to thank everyone for all your support. I started writing hellbound because I joined ¡¯s spirity awardst may and the result is now out. Hellbound won silver so i¡¯d like to thank everyone for without you guys, this book will never win anything.

    I¡¯m just sad that we didn¡¯t win gold. Becaue I just believed that hellbound deserve to win gold too. I cried seeing the result. I dont know why. It seemed I am morepetitive than I thought. And maybe because I expected too much and worked too hard. I was really confident that hellbound will win gold too since this book reached number 1 in fl for months and was the best selling for many weeks. But I was wrong and I didn¡¯t know this will affect me so much. Its never about the money. It just made me feel like I am never good enough and my confidence crushed T.T

    But because of this I realize a lot of things. I think I am growing as an author now because I am crying over this and I¡¯m not even a crybaby. I rarely cry and I never thought this will make me cry. It seemed I cared more than I thought.

    And really, expectation is the root of all heartaches. I expected too much. Thats why I am hurt.

    Again. I¡¯d like to thank everyone for the support, thank u hellbounders.]

 Chapter 540 - Shut up

    <h4>Chapter 540 - Shut up</h4>

    Alicia watched Alexander hug his wife. His face buried in the nook of her neck and everyone could see his still trembling shoulders.

    Tears silently fell from Alicia¡¯s eyes again, realizing that they were all saved from the impending doom that must have happened had Abigail not open her eyes ever again. She was goddamned relieved and d that those two were back in each other¡¯s arms again.

    Was it really over now?

    She still didn¡¯t understand what just happened but the answers and exnations that she wanted could wait forter. Because right then, even she felt like passing out. She saw the prophetess ran towards the beaten Ezekiel and she prayed that that prince better still be alive and kicking. He still had so many things to exin and she still need to punch him at least once.

    "Your highness!" the prophetess fell on her knees and when Alicia saw that Ezekiel lifted his hand andzily waved it to the prophetess, indicating that he was fine, Alicia breathed out a sigh of relief that she didn¡¯t know she was holding in.

    Her eyes then caught Riev¡¯s body and her heart ached and then, she dragged her eyes towards Zeres. Alicia forced herself up and dragged herself towards the silver-haired man lying on the ground.

    Once she reached him, she just stood there, looking down at him. His silver hair scattered on the ground. His angel face was so peaceful. As if he was only sleeping.

    ¡¯Poor guy... you¡¯ve suffered a lot, Zeres. I¡¯m sorry you had to suffer in this life too.¡¯ She could only whisper inwardly as she knelt beside him. It pained her that this man had to suffer such a tragic end twice. It wasn¡¯t fair. He deserved better. He didn¡¯t deserve a tragic end.

    Lifting her hand, she was about to brush the stray strands of his silver hair from his face when the man suddenly winced. Alicia froze. He¡¯s alive?

    "Ah... it hurts..." he groaned. The shocked Alicia failed to react for a moment. Wait!

    "Z-z-zeres!! Y-you¡¯re alive?!" she eximed. She didn¡¯t even realize that she blurted those words out.

    The man forced his eyes opened just enough to see her and shut it close again. "T-that¡¯s so rude, queen..." he said between his gritted pain. He started to twist, clutching his shirt. He looked like he¡¯s in so much pain.

    "H-howe?!" Alicia blurted again.

    "D-don¡¯t know but... you¡¯re really rude... ah, it hurts..." he forced his broken words and he twisted to the other side.

    Alicia finally snapped. She was goddamned confused and shocked. Someone had better have an exnation ready or all this will drive her insane real soon!

    "Hurt? Where? I don¡¯t see any wound!" she said as she frantically checked his body. "Tell me, what¡¯s wrong?"

    "I think... it¡¯s poison..."

    He coughed and blood flowed down the corner of his lips. His skin began to be tainted with a greenish hue.

    Alicia gasped in surprise. How did he get poisoned? And this poison was from witches. There were no more witches who could create poison like this in age! So howe ¨C

    A realization dawned on Alicia. She remembered that back then, Zeres died because of the poison he extracted from Alexander¡¯s body. Could it be that Zeres was still alive right now because he was still alive when his mother gave him the dragon blood? That¡¯s why Dinah immediately turned into bones because Dinah was already dead when she consumed the dragon¡¯s blood?!

    Zeres¡¯ groans became weaker. The poison spread so quickly that his skin had gone fully green. His breathing hitched and was bing shallower. He was dying!

    "Damn it!" Alicia swore. She had to save him. She could. If it was thousands of years ago, it was impossible to save someone if the poison already spread to this extent. But now, she could. However, she had no more strength left to bring out her magic.

    No. She had to save him. She would have been dead by now without Zeres. He¡¯d save her and not just once. So how could she let him die? How could she watch him die? She was unable to save Riev. If she failed to save Zeres as well...

    Alicia shook her head and closed her eyes. She must save him. Those words echoed in her head over and over again and a weak green glow appeared from her eyes.

    Please. Let me save him. She uttered inwardly. Her body was way past its limit. She felt like her body was dehydrated and empty, no more strength nor power. But she still forced herself, desperately. As if to squeeze more water from an already dry piece of cloth. It felt impossible but she tried, gritting her teeth.

    "No... s... stop!" she heard him spoke. But Alicia ignored him. "Don¡¯t do this... I... it¡¯s toote... it¡¯s okay, Alicia..."

    Zeres¡¯ broken pleas continued but Alicia still didn¡¯t listen ¨C rather, she couldn¡¯t listen as her focus was so deep that her mind had closed off all distractions. His weak trembling hands gripped her wrist in the hopes of stopping her. However, the jerking motion of Alicia¡¯s arm had him rolling away from her in pain.

    Alicia¡¯s concentration broke and she opened her eyes in anger. She forced herself up and straddled the man, locking him under her. "Stop struggling you, idiot!! Can¡¯t you see I am trying to save you?!!" She didn¡¯t even know how she still had the energy to yell.

    "Please. Don¡¯t. The poison will ¨C"

    "Who do you think I am? I am the witch queen!"

    "E-even if... it¡¯s useless... too dangerous for you... you can¡¯t sacrifice... yourself for me... it¡¯s okay... I¡¯m already ¨C"

    "Shut up and let me concentrate or I¡¯ll smack you so hard you¡¯ll be wishing you were dead instead!!! This is not the ancient times so I can save you without killing myself!! Understand?!" she yelled at Zeres, rolling her eyes in exasperation. He just wasted precious time when she could have healed him.

    Zeres looked surprised and a little doubtful if what she said was true. But he didn¡¯t have the luxury to even speak or even think anymore. The pain was killing him. This familiar pain that once killed him was eating him alive all over again.

    The glow of green shone even brighter on the surface of his skin. Alicia could feel the power. She was surprised. Where did this powere from? Did she already recover? No. That was impossible! She almost felt as if someone was transmitting her energy.

    When the magic was working and Zeres¡¯ groans became louder, Alicia opened her eyes. It was then that she realized, her energy wasn¡¯ting from herself, it wasing from Zeres. How did this happen?

    She could see silver lights emitting from Zeres¡¯ body and entering hers. In exchange, the magicing from her hands got stronger. Alicia had never seen nor experienced anything like this before, not even in the memories and knowledge of the past queens that was stored in her. It was truly shocking. She didn¡¯t know this was even possible. Was it because Zeres was a silver-haired witch like her?

    Abi and the rest came towards them, upon seeing that she was trying to save Zeres. However, they stopped at a distance and did not try continuing in their approach as they didn¡¯t dare disturb Alicia in her endeavours until Zeres¡¯ pain slowly subsided ¨C evidenced by the lessening groans of pain.

    The green glow grew into a dome-like shield around them before suddenly shattering and the green liquid that had been gathering in Alicia¡¯s palm flowed like honey to the ground. Everyone was still and deadly silent, observing what had just happened, when Alicia crumpled ¨C right on top of Zeres.

    .

    [I¡¯ve read all yourments and I cried again. *Sigh*. Thank u so much hellbounders. I love you guys. Know that you guys are the reason why I¡¯m still writing.]

 Chapter 541: Devil

    <strong>Chapter 541: Devil</strong>

    Zeres¡¯ rugged breathing slowly settled. The pain was gone, and he was still very much alive. He felt the weight on top of him and his eyes widened.

    He lifted his body up and held the woman who was slumped on him securely in hisp, both arms surrounding her. Fear etched on his face as he slid his hands to Alicia¡¯s shoulders, giving her a gentle shake. He won¡¯t forgive himself if the queen died because of him!

    "Q-queen..." he uttered, praying that what she said earlier was true ¨C not for his sake but for hers! That she could save him without sacrificing herself.

    Fortunately, she was still breathing. Her chest still moved up and down slightly, showing that she was just knocked out from exhaustion. He let his tensed shoulders droop a little as the queen rested on his chest. A deep and long sigh of relief escaped his lips.

    "Zeres." Someone called him and he looked up.

    The sight of the woman looking down at him made Zeres¡¯ body froze again. Abigail smiled gently at him as she knelt beside him.

    Zeres¡¯ lips parted, but no words came out. He just stared at her, eyes filled with overflowing emotions.

    "I am so d you¡¯re fine, Zeres." Abi said and she hugged him, along with Alicia. "I¡¯m so d." She teared up.

    The man closed his eyes. He already remembered. Everything. He didn¡¯t know how and what made him remember but they were back, his real memories were back.

    And that was why he couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing right then. He remembered that Abigail died and he couldn¡¯t even hug her. But now, here she was, alive and hugging him.

    "I..." he started. "I am so happy to see you again... Abigail." He said and Abi pulled away, wiping her tears as she smiled at him.

    "Me too." She replied and then she turned. "Alex too." She added and Zeres followed her line of sight.

    Alexander was there, sitting on a small rock. His elbows on his knees and those familiar dark eyes peering through the strands of his hair, meeting Zeres¡¯ gaze.

    A sigh escaped Zeres¡¯ lips.

    "He isn¡¯t looking very happy though." He said, a little yfully.

    "He is. He¡¯s just... he¡¯s been crying for a long while so... he can¡¯t smile right ¨C" Abi couldn¡¯t finish her sentence because Alex suddenly appeared to be standing behind her.

    "It¡¯s good that you managed to stay alive this time." He told Zeres dryly.

    "I diedst time because of you." Zeres retorted with a snort and they red at each other.

    "No one asked you to do that."

    "H-how ungrateful."

    Abi looked incredulously at one then to the other and felt like bashing both their heads together. Why were they at each other¡¯s throats again? They were fighting together so damned well just moments ago. It seemed their cat-and-dog rtionship from the ancient times just resumed.

    Abi was about to speak when Alex moved and suddenly ruffled Zeres¡¯ silver hair, causing the man¡¯s veins to pop.

    "Stop doing that!" he eximed and wanted to punch back at him but having his arms full of an unconscious Alicia stopped all that. Alex only smirked at him.

    "Shut up. I am thousands of years older than you now. You¡¯re basically like a great great great grandson to me now." Alex said before he left them and headed towards where Ezekiel and the prophetess were.

    Zeres groaned in frustration.

    "I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s still so annoying even after a few millennia has passed!" Heined when he heard Abigail¡¯s chuckle.

    Zeres looked at her and his expression softened. His eyes nced at Alexander¡¯s back before returning to her.

    There was a short few seconds of silence before Zeres abruptly blurted, "The two of you..." he trailed off, reluctance evident on his face.

    But despite his unfinished sentence, Abi nodded at him, smiling gently. "Mmm... Alex and I..." Abi paused for a moment. "We got married three months ago."

    Zeres blinked and then looked down. "I see..." he uttered, nodding.

    Abi watched his expression and waited for what he would say next when Alicia moaned, pulling both Abi and Zeres¡¯ attention back to her.

    "Alicia," Abi said but then, they realized that the queen just moaned in her sleep and was now back to her deep slumber once again.

    Zeres and Abigail sighed simultaneously.

    Meanwhile, not far from them, Alex sat across Zeke. The vampire prince was leaning on the rock. He suffered too many injuries inside and out that he still needed more time to heal himself. But despite his condition, his wounds were healing damned fast, faster than anyone else that Alex had seen before.

    "I think you should be with your old friend, Alex." Zeke said, his eyes still closed but a smirk was dancing on his face.

    "Shut up and heal faster so you can finally start talking."

    Another smirk curved on Zeke¡¯s lips. "Whose fault do you think this is?"

    "Yours, of course." Alex snorted with a roll of his eyes.

    "Tsk. I don¡¯t agree with that." His lips twitched. "If you¡¯re too eager to know, just ask the prophetess everything you wanted to know. I¡¯ll need to sleep. I¡¯ll heal faster this way. Don¡¯t disturb me." He added weakly before resting his head against the rock behind him and just drifted off to sleep.

    Alex sighed and stood. He looked around and noticed the wounded vampires were slowly healing themselves. They needed a little more time until everyone could stand again.

    Looking up at the sky, Alex let out another deep sigh. All he could feel now was dness and relief.

    ...

    Later that night, the group arrived in Hidden Kingdom.

    Zeke was already awake, but Alicia was still in deep in healing slumber. The cars halted in the courtyard and everyone climbed off except for Zeres. Alicia was lying beside him, her head resting on hisp.

    Alexander opened the door for him and bent over.

    "Come out." He said but Zeres¡¯ gaze surveyed the surrounding with wariness in his eyes. He knew, he and Alicia were the only witches in there. And they were in the pce of the vampires and country ruled by vampires.

    Alex knew the reason behind Zeres¡¯ hesitation. The man must still believe that the war between vampires and witches from ancient times were still the same until now.

    "Zeres, it¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry. The vampires will not attempt anything. Alicia¡¯s been here many times before." Abigail chimed behind Alex when the door on the other side was opened. It was Zeke. He was already fully healed.

    "I¡¯ll carry her," Zeke said when Zeres suddenly moved, quickly gathering Alicia up in his arms as he red warily at Zeke.

    "I can carry her myself." He said and he stepped out of the car with Alicia firmly embraced in his arms. He stood next to Alexander, obviously putting some distance between them and Zeke. He still didn¡¯t know anything about Ezekiel. All he knew was that Ezekiel was dangerous because like Dinah, he knew he had manipted him as well.

    Everyone of course noticed Zeres¡¯ action. Alex smirked at Zeke.

    "What¡¯s this, is the white dragon scared of a mere vampire like me?" Zeke taunted as they walked along the corridor.

    "Who¡¯s afraid of you? I just don¡¯t trust you anymore Kiel. And stop calling me that!" Zeres retorted, voice a little chilly. "Also... you are no mere vampire. You¡¯re a devil too!"

    .

    [Please follow or like my social media ounts so that you will be informed about the books I might be working on in the future. Thank you hellbounders.

    Instagram > author_kazzenlx

    FB page > Author_kazzenlx]

    Also, i¡¯d like to announce that this book will end on Christmas day. After that, a short volume for Kai and Kelly wille next. ]

 Chapter 542 Interview

    <h4>Chapter 542 Interview</h4>

    A deep and carefree chuckle echoed in all through the corridor, causing the silver-haired man to re at Zeke.

    "I am just stating the truth! You¡¯re too heartless. I¡¯m certain you¡¯re the most cunning creature I¡¯ve ever met in my life! Right, Alexander?" Zeres blurted as he looked at Alex in the hopes of seeking for an ally.

    Alex just nced at him with a raised brow and then looked over to Zeke. He tilted his head and looked at Abigail. "I¡¯ll let my wife answer for me." He said with a yful smirk.

    Now that Zeres looked at them, he finally noticed that the two were holding each other¡¯s hands and Alexander was all over Abigail like a moth that is inescapably drawn to the me. His eyes were glued on her alone the entire time.

    A hopeless sigh escaped Zeres¡¯ lips and he immediately looked ahead, dragging his eyes away from them as his grip on Alicia slightly tightened.

    "I think... I would have to agree with Zeres," he heard Abigail¡¯s voice drift over and his attention was back on Ezekiel.

    "See?" Zeres lifted a brow at him, feeling smug that Abigail concurred with his statement that Alex brushed off earlier. Zeke smirked but as always, his eyes remained t and emotionless.

    Finally, the group arrived inside Zeke¡¯srge study.

    "My room¡¯s just on the other side of this study, Zeres. Why don¡¯t you go ahead and tuck the queen in to bed first?" Zeke said as everyone moved to seat themselves on the luxurious chairs arranged around the low mahogany table in the centre of the magnificent study room. Abigail had initially asked Zeres to bring Alicia to one of the vacant rooms in Alexander¡¯s wing, but the man was obviously wary. He argued that he couldn¡¯t leave the queen anywhere in this pce of vampires alone, unguarded and far from his reach.

    Everyone understood why Zeres was being overly cautious. Alicia was in a very vulnerable state and he was the only witch around in a pce filled with vampires. Abi tried to exin but she understood that it would still be hard for Zeres to trust the vampires fully on his own ord. Only time can prove to him that things are now different than they were likepared to the ancient times.

    "No. She¡¯sfortable enough in my arms. Can¡¯t you see she¡¯s sleeping well?" Zeres replied. His distrust was obvious.

    Everyone could only relent. They prepared a couch in the study and Zeres finally put Alicia down.

    Sitting across of each other, Zeke had his long legs crossed as he sat in the middle, utterly rxed and unbothered with the slight hostility that wasing off if spades from Zeres.

    The room was silent for a moment until Zeke opened his lips.

    "So? What did you guys want to know?" he nonchntly asked, almost acting like a haughty king that was about to be interviewed by the media.

    "When did you find out about the prophecy?" Abigail was the first to ask.

    "Three months ago."

    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened except for Alex who had his eyes narrowed at Zeke¡¯s answer.

    "The prophetess had seen it that night you stabbed Alex." Zeke continued. "The prophecy is a little cryptic though at that time. The prophetess only saw you being killed by me as the dragons disappeared. The situation surrounding it and how it would turn out after, those were unclear."

    "Why didn¡¯t you tell us anything about it?" Abi asked again.

    Zeke shot a nce at Alex and gave an almost silent snort. "Do you think I¡¯d still be here right now had I told you about it? Your mad husband would definitely have killed me in the worse way possible the moment had he gotten wind of any of it. And had I died, the prophecy would never be fulfilled."

    "So, what¡¯s the point of you siding with Dinah?" Alicia¡¯s voice suddenly echoed from behind ¨C giving everyone a shock. Wasn¡¯t she unconscious just a moment ago? All eyes fell on the witch queen as she stood from the couch she had been lying on and walked over to sit next to Zeres. She looked straight into Zeke¡¯s eyes. "What was the reason in creating those hybrids? Why were you so hellbent on gaining Dinah¡¯s trust?" she continued.

    Zeke was stared back at her. "Because I had to know how to turn her and Zeres into full dragons. It was an experiment. The only thing I knew from the prophecy was that the dragons die if and when Abigail dies. The problem was, I had no idea what it took for them to reach to that point." He exined. "That woman was truly cunning and extremely careful. Even with all the maniptions and tactics I used to gain her trust were futile. She was sly enough not to be fooled. That¡¯s why I had to up my game."

    "By using not just your foes but your friends as well as your pawns." Alicia made that statement and a short period of silence followed with everyone else mulling over all that had been said.

    "Yes." Zeke finally replied after that very pregnant pause in the conversation. "Powerful and trustworthy pawns." Something glimmered in his dark eyes as he said those words and then too doon, those glimmers disappeared. "I always knew that Alex would trust me ... Just as long as he does not get the details rted to Abigail and the prophecy. What surprised me was that everyone ¨C even you, Alicia ¨C decided to trust me until the end."

    Alicia pressed her lips tight. "You¡¯re wrong." Alicia averted her gaze. "My trust in you didn¡¯tst until the end. It shattered when..." Alicia trailed off.

    "When Zeres turned into a dragon?" Zeke continued. "That was the end of your job in the game Alicia."

    "Y-you... stop being so ¨C" Zeres was about to rise from his seat but Alicia held his arm and pulled him back down.

    Alicia sighed, not surprised anymore on how straightforward and heartless Zeke spoke.

    "You had trusted me until then. If you had not, there might have been more sacrifices that would be needed for Zeres to turn into a dragon. Not forgetting, Dinah could¡¯ve killed you right there and then had you not listened to me."

    "So, if I hadn¡¯t listen to you that time, you¡¯d let her kill me?"

    Their eyes met for what seemed to be a very long time.

    "I don¡¯t know." He could only speak honestly. "I was still on high alert all that time because I still couldn¡¯t verify the authenticity of the information I gathered from her. One wrong move and the flow of the game will be ruined, and everything will crumble. But... I knew you¡¯d listen to me without a doubt."

    "So, you¡¯re saying my trust... our trust in you was a part of your perfect game n too?"

    "Yes."

    Alicia¡¯s lips twitched into a disbelieving smile. "A devil, indeed." She could only murmur to herself.

    _____

    ANNOUNCEMENT (JANUARY 3, 2021)

    [Dear hellbounders, I am sorry for the scarce update. I think I pretty burned myself out T^T. I¡¯ve been writing every day since Februaryst year and I think hell bound pretty burned me out. I am feeling the effect on me now and it¡¯s very bad. I thought 3 days rest is enough but I was wrong. I am still stressed and I¡¯ve been suffering from excessive hair loss since December. My family is worried about me, so I am sorry but I need to go slowly. I will be updating 1 chapter every other day. I will make sure toe back once I¡¯m better.

    Please give me time to recharge. Again, my update will be 1 chapter every other day.

    Thank you so much hellbounders! Love you guys.

    ?Kazzen]

    P.S. I hope my loyal hellbounders will still vote for me everyday even without daily updates.

 Chapter 543 Explanation

    <h4>Chapter 543 Exnation</h4>

    A somewhat awkward silence descended over the spacious study for a short while until Alicia broke the stillness again.

    "When you stabbed Abigail..." she started and then paused with a slight narrowing of her eyes at Zeke. "Were you certain that she would not have stayed dead? Had you some kind of guarantee or proof that Abi will rise again after you killed her? You said the only thing the prophetess saw was you killing Abi and the dragons disappearing." Alicia was relentless in her pursuit of questioning Zeke, leaving no grounds unturned.

    Ezekiel nced at Alex and Abi before he returned his gaze to Alicia. "No. I was not certain." He replied ¨C answer short and to the point.

    The air suddenly turned chilly and everyone already knew that the frosty aura sting out wasing from Alex. Abi immediately faced her husband, but she eventually rxed because despite the grim look and the darkness clearly evident on Alex¡¯s face, he was calm.

    "I was not certain about anything." But he held up his hands in a show of surrender before Alicia could rip into him verbally ¨C and Alex would do the same literally ¨C to get that pause. "But I did wait for a sign." Zeke added.

    "A sign?"

    "The mist. When I was approaching Abigail, the mists didn¡¯te to protect her. The dragons and Alex didn¡¯te either. I deliberately give them a moment toe. But no one came, not even the mists. The mists and the dragons, especially Alex, were supposed to sense any possible kind of danger befalling Abigail. But no one seemed to sense it, even the mists. I took that as the signal that Abigail¡¯s death was really meant to happen ¨C temporary or permanent. I knew it was a gamble. I knew that its useless to kill the dragons if Abigail will die. But I¡¯ve been having a theory for a long time since, which I believe will be proven true once the prophecy is fulfilled."

    "Theory?" it was Abigail who spoke next.

    Zeke looked at her, nonchntly resting his chin on his knuckles.

    "I¡¯ve been thinking about how long you can stay beside Alexander, Abigail." Zeke said, meeting Abigail¡¯s eyes. "Even if you¡¯re the incarnation of thest dragon keeper, you¡¯re still a human. You will eventually grow old, get sick and die. There was never a prophecy about Alex dying so I presumed he will forever be an immortal. Once you die..." he trailed off and averted his gaze to Alex. "I can¡¯t even imagine what this guy will do."

    Azy sigh then escaped Zeke¡¯s lips and continued. "My theory was that Abigail had to die for the second time around so that she could be immortal. I believe that Abigail was about to be immortal when she remembered the memories of her past self ¨C and that was the other sign I was looking out for."

    Everyone looked at Zeke with probing eyes, wanting to know more about what he will say next. "I believed that the ne thete witch queen gave her was extracted from the dead body of the original dragon Alex had killed. You saw it was the same golden particles that came out from Dinah when she disappeared. I can only presume that a witch must¡¯ve gathered those golden particles back then. However, it seemed that wasn¡¯t enough toplete the process. I believe the immortality that was bestowed to Dinah was transferred to Abigail when Dinah died ¨C through the transfer of those particles. We can never know if that¡¯s really the truth behind it all, but I couldn¡¯t think of any other usible exnation that made sense other than that." He ended with an elegant shrug of his shoulders.

    No one spoke. They all thought that there was indeed no other better exnation that what was said by Ezekiel. Those yellow golden lights that came from the ne was really the same from what came out from Dinah at that time.

    "So, you¡¯re saying that I am... that I am immortal now?" Abi stammered. She initially thought that Zeke must have asked some witch to put spells on her so she wouldn¡¯t die. She never thought about the possibility of her bing immortal.

    "Yes. Why would you still be alive right now if you¡¯re still a mortal?" Zeke replied, his voice remained t.

    Abi¡¯s head snapped at Alex. She didn¡¯t know what to feel or how to react.

    But Alex smiled at her and pulled her in his embrace and then kissed her forehead, showing her how pleased he was about this news.

    "How about Zeres? Is he still an immortal?" Alicia piped in and everyone¡¯s eyes fell to the silver-haired man seated next to Alicia.

    "Why don¡¯t you try shing his throat like what you did to him when you two first met?" Zeke drawled dryly, causing Alicia to fire up almost instantly. Instead, she bit down on her bottom lip and took a deep calming breath as she expressed her anger by ring at Zeke for not taking her question seriously.

    Zeke smirked. "He¡¯s still a white dragon Alicia, so his immortality is still with him."

    Alicia creased her brows. "But he almost died by the poison. He was dying."

    "Yes. He was dying but he¡¯ll certainly rise again. He¡¯ll just be tortured by the pain to his core. Abigail didn¡¯t im his immortality, am I right? White dragon?"

    Zeres red at Zeke. He really didn¡¯t like that he¡¯s calling him ¡¯white dragon¡¯. But then, he averted his gaze as he looked at his own palms. Zeres knew that the man was right. He could still feel it inside him. He still had it, the dragon¡¯s blood within him.

    "So? Are we done?" Zeke said, almost like a tyrant who wanted the boring interview to finally end when a soft knock sounded at the door.

    The intricately carved, heavy double doors slowly swung open, showing a figure dressed in elegant military formalities ¨C standing at attention. The king¡¯s own personal guard entered and apologetically bowed.

    "I am sorry for the intrusion, Your Highness, but the king is expecting you to go to him immediately. It¡¯s urgent."

    .

    [There will be an announcement this 25th. Please stay tuned hellbounders ^^]

 Chapter 544 Burial grounds

    <h4>Chapter 544 Burial grounds</h4>

    The silence in the room pulsed with its own life as everyone waited for Zeke to move from his seat. But the man neither moved nor said anything but just sat there and eyed the guard before them.

    It was obvious that the mighty looking guard stiffened up even without a single word from Zeke. He looked as though Ezekiel had just said something dreadfully harsh without giving him any consideration.

    "Don¡¯t make your fathere here Zeke, you can¡¯t let him and the queen see two silvered-haired witches in the crown prince¡¯s study." Alex said, ncing at the unmoving Zeke.

    Finally, Zeke stood with a long, deep sigh ¨C one that shows how long-suffering he was by going through with that summon from his King father.

    "You can ask the prophetess if you have more to ask." He spoke without looking at any of them and silently headed towards the door. As soon as he reached the door that was already opened for him, theidback, unbothered and almost taunting look on his face disappeared and that horrible nkness took its ce.

    Everyone watched his back until he disappeared from their view.

    The old prophetess then entered and joined the group. But everyone didn¡¯t seem to have any more question left or they just don¡¯t want to ask anymore until Alicia spoke, facing the prophetess.

    "I have a question." She asked and the old prophetess nodded at her, acknowledging the request.

    "How did..." Alicia hesitated but continued anyway. "Did Dinah knew that Ezekiel is the crown prince of the vampires and that he¡¯s Alexander¡¯s very close ally since the beginning?"

    "Yes."

    "And yet, she agreed to take him to her side, just by Ezekiel making an army of hybrids for her?"

    "No, Alicia. The prince bargained with her since the very first day they met. His Highness made her believe that his ultimate aim was to be the real king of the vampires."

    Alicia narrowed her eyes and the prophetess continued exining. "Everyone knew that Alexander had and will always be the real ruler in the vampire¡¯s eyes. Alexander is always that figure that the vampires feared, not the king nor the vampire royals. Dinah knew that as well, thus she took that bait and believed the prince¡¯s desire to be her ally. Dinah wanted to take control of Alexander and once that happens, Alexander will no longer be that almighty creature everyone feared because someone is now able to leash him."

    A slight weary smile painted Alicia¡¯s lips. "Sly fox," she breathed.

    "I understand that this battle was cruel because he used everyone as pawns so heartlessly. I know His Highness¡¯ method was never the most humane way. But he was always thinking about the best oue. And if he had told you that he didn¡¯t know that Abigail would live again, please don¡¯t believe him. I was the one who tried to stop him many times from killing Abigail, knowing that Alexander¡¯s wrath would be much worse than the dragons. But he was very confident that she will not die. He was confident that the war will end exactly as how he predicted, and the world will not fall into chaos. I do not know for sure what is going on in his mind, but one thing I can assure you is that the prince¡¯s only interest is to keep the peace. You always know this right, Alexander?" The prophetess turned from Alicia and directed her gaze on Alexander. "And that¡¯s why you never questioned him. You knew all along and you allowed him to control you."

    Alex simply tilted his head. "That¡¯s right. I didn¡¯t mind it that much because I knew he¡¯d always win no matter what. And he wouldn¡¯t mess up because he knew I¡¯d havee after him and im his head if he loses."

    "You still went after him, though. Almost killing him." Zeres raised a brow at him, emphasizing the word, almost.

    "Oh well. I didn¡¯t mean to kill him. I just gave him a really good beating."

    "Lies."

    Alex¡¯s only response was to sh a shit-eating grin and that was the end of the conversation.

    ...

    Later that night, everyone gathered at the top of a small hill near the Reign castle.

    It was time for the funeral.

    The wounded soldiers were present. Everyone was still weary and weak but they could at least stand without any more support.

    Alicia and Zeres stayed behind in Zeke¡¯s study because they didn¡¯t want to their presence to cause amotion during this mournful night.

    Standing by the window and looking up the hill where everyone had gone to, Alicia had a far off look in her eyes. She wanted to be there and honor the men whom she fought alongside with, especially Riev. The thought of him made her heart heavy again.

    "It¡¯s okay, we¡¯ll go there once everyone is gone," she heard Zeres¡¯ voice and she nodded.

    Time passed and finally, Abigail and Alexander were back in the study with them.

    After hearing from Abigail that the funeral had ended and that no one was at the burial grounds anymore, Alicia told them that she would go and pay her final respects. Of course, Zeres followed her, still wary and alert about this witch queen wandering in the midst of the vampires.

    Abigail offered to apany them but Alicia told her that it was unnecessary. She could see that Abigail was weary and having asional dizzy spells. She was not a creature of the night like them, after all. And she hadn¡¯t rested since the battle. It was truly a relief that Abi was now an immortal, but she still functions simrly like the human that she was before turning immortal.

    But since the two witches really needed a vampire to apany them in case some vampire spot them, Alex asked one of the elite vampires that survived the battle to go along with them. It was not easy to exin the whys and hows these silver-haired witches were in the vicinity of the pce, so Alex could only ask for a vampire who already knew.

    It didn¡¯t take the two witches much time to reach the top of the hill. The vampire that apanied them stood far behind them, just watching.

    Alicia and Zeres walked silently but as the graves appeared in their views, they halted.

    Someone was still there, standing before a certain grave. His hands jammed deep into his pocket as he stared into space but seemed to be seeing nothing.

    Alicia could immediately tell who it was, and thus, she and Zeres continued on.

    The man obviously noticed them but he didn¡¯t look at them even until Alicia stood next to him, now looking at Riev¡¯s grave.

 Chapter 545 Babysitter

    <h4>Chapter 545 Babysitter</h4>

    The ck sky finally began to be painted over with the color of dawn. But the two figures standing before Riev¡¯s grave had yet to move or say a single word.

    Alicia had kept her head down, finally whispering her prayer, herst goodbye to Riev in silence. The sadness that had weighed heavily in her heart hadn¡¯t subside one bit but when she opened her eyes, she lifted her head and looked at the horizon.

    It was already dawn. A slight and emotional smile curved on her face as Riev¡¯s grinning face appeared in her imagination, waving goodbye, slowly disappearing, as the rising sunshine swallowed him.

    ¡¯Goodbye, Riev,¡¯ she whispered within her and then, she turned to leave.

    Ezekiel walked past her in silence and Alicia followed him. She stared at the man¡¯s broad back that spoke of so much authority and mystery. He was only a few steps away from her but in Alicia¡¯s eyes, the man was way out of reach. He¡¯s been that way ever since the first time she met him, cold, calcting and... distant.

    They descended the hill in silence but once they were out of the burial ground, Zeke slowed until Alicia caught up to him and walked beside him. She didn¡¯t turn to look at him.

    "My job is finally over," Zeke suddenly started, his deep voice echoed like cold breeze in the morning. "It¡¯s your turn now, Alicia."

    His words made her halt and she finally looked at him.

    Zeke also halted and his nk stare turned to her. Alicia studied him in return with a slightly narrowed eyes, seeking for an exnation about what he just said.

    The man cocked his head to the side and a yful smirk curved on his face. "I mean... it¡¯s your turn now to babysit a dragon."

    Alicia blinked, creasing her brows even harder. "Babysit?" was all she could say.

    "That¡¯s right." Zeke nodded; sarcasm was obviously evident on his face, but she knew there was an underlying truth behind his words. "I¡¯ve been babysitting Alexander for god knows how long. And babysitting that immortal ck dragon was such a major pain. Now that he finally found the woman that will finally take my ce, my job is done. It¡¯s Abigail¡¯s job now to leash that man forever."

    Augh escaped her throat. "I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re calling that babysitting."

    "Don¡¯t jest, witch queen. I know you think that word is very fitting. And I don¡¯t think you should beughing right now..." he looked at her, smirking, as if she was doomed.

    Alicia cleared her throat, trying to regain herposure again.

    "I shall pass that job to you and Abigail now." He added, causing Alicia to blink and then her jaw dropped. What was he saying? He¡¯s passing the job to Abigail, yes, she understood but why did he include her?!

    "Don¡¯t give me that look. Who would look for that white dragon if not you?" Zeke told her, now serious.

    "Hey. Wait. How can I possibly ¨C" Alicia protested but Zeke cut her off.

    "Are you saying that Abigail and Alex should do the job? Or were you expecting me to watch over him?"

    Alicia couldn¡¯t respond. Ezekiel had been watching over Alexander over these countless years because Alexander was a half vampire and half-royal too. And there was literally no one aside from Ezekiel that could do that job. He was the only one who was capable to keep Alexander under control. He had done such a great job. But Zeres... he was a witch... Abi and Alex were married. And this man... he¡¯s the prince of the vampires, the next king. It wasn¡¯t his responsibility to watch over a witch.

    "Now that there¡¯s an immortal half witch, the bnce of power is finally restored. The witches will not need to live in fear anymore. They¡¯re no longer inferior. And there¡¯s that full human immortal too. With Abigail beside him, Alexander is no longer a ticking time bomb, but I am not sure about that white dragon. One day, Zeres might cause problems. Well, there¡¯s Alex and Abigail but he might still cause another unnecessary bloodshed and possibly, a huge war." He paused and then sighed. "Zeres is harmless for now. He¡¯s not like Dinah but... time can and may change everything, Alicia. It can turn anyone into monsters or saints." His voice as he said those twost lines, sounded dead serious.

    "There is no one else to watch over him but you, witch queen." Zeke continued. "Keep him going on the right path. Because if you fail and he ends up turning into an enemy..." Zeke paused again, his eyes that were like the steel of a deadly sword, utterly serious. "I¡¯ll find a way to get him dead and stay dead the next time, too. And if he dies, the witches will lose their newfound power and your people will have to go into hiding again."

    Silence reigned between them for a while until Alicia finally let out a sigh. She understood what Zeke was trying to say. She understood what he wanted her to do and there was really no other choice. Whether Zeres like it or not, he needed someone to watch over him, someone whom he would listen to. And Ezekiel was right. There was no one who could do it but her, the witch queen.

    "I fully understand what you want, Ezekiel. But..." her gaze at him became intense. "I¡¯m not really worried about Zeres right now. Actually, I believe, you¡¯re the one who needs a ¡¯babysitter¡¯ here the most, Ezekiel." She said as she stepped closer to him, unfazed by his overwhelming presence. "Yes, you¡¯re not an enemy right now but you¡¯re the one who said that time can change everything... that it can turn anyone into monsters or saints." She halted, just inches apart from him, her gaze even more intense, returning his serious gaze double fold. "I don¡¯t know what is going on in your head, future king of vampires. But right now, I feel that there¡¯s a monster within you that needs to be tamed, that needs to be leashed forever or else, one day..." she trailed off and swallowed. "I think... you are... much more dangerous than the dragons... Ezekiel."

 Chapter 546 One day*

    <h4>Chapter 546 One day*</h4>

    As if the god of silence had just passed by between them, no one spoke for a moment. They just stared at each other until Ezekiel moved forward.

    Alicia subconsciously leaned back, finally realizing how close their faces were.

    "Alicia..." said Ezekiel, slightly tilting his head as he gazed deeply into her eyes, leaning even closer. "Do you like me?" he asked, a glint of mischief ying at the corner of his thin lips.

    The witch queen had her eyes widen for a split second but recovered immediately and answered. "Oh yes, Ezekiel." She blurted. "I like to punch you..." she continued, and like a lightning strike, her small fistnded on Zeke¡¯s jaw. "I always wanted to punch that emotionless face of yours!"

    Ezekiel was pushed two steps back. Alicia¡¯s punch was strong enough that Zeke¡¯s lower lip bled.

    Touching his lip with his thumb, Ezekiel let out a small chuckle as he peered at her. Looking amazed and amused at the same time.

    "As expected of you, queen Alicia... that was one hard punch." He said, licking his lower lip.

    Alicia let out a deep sigh. "I¡¯m being serious here, Ezekiel. And yet you¡¯re..." She sighed again, shaking her head as she tried to calm herself. She didn¡¯t like that Ezekiel was always like this. He was always acting like nothing could affect him. Making her feel like he was not taking her words seriously at all.

    She was beyond serious about what she said about him being the most dangerous. She still couldn¡¯t move on from the fact that all these times, Ezekiel had basically orchestrated everything. He¡¯d been that mastermind who controlled both his friends and foes to win his game. She remembered when Ezekiel said that there was someone bigger behind Dinah. Who would¡¯ve thought that he was actually talking about himself? Alicia would never ever imagine that someone could do something like this. He had basically killed an immortal and saved the world from falling into unimaginable chaos. She had heard from the prophetess that Ezekiel was the one who convinced Dinah not to attack anyone. He was the one who chose the two battlegrounds, telling Dinah that the underground ces were ideal so Alexander, Abigail and Alicia couldn¡¯t use their power. But his main goal was actually to hide the battle from the world. If Ezekiel didn¡¯t do all those, even if Alex and Abi could win the battle against Dinah in the end, Alicia couldn¡¯t imagine the destruction the war would have caused. Perhaps, humans might even be involved by now.

    Just the thought of the whole world finding out about the existence of the dragons and vampires and witches made Alicia¡¯s stomach churn. This man was truly beyond words to define. He could save the world without even using his physical powers. And that was why he was genuinely terrifying. He definitely could destroy the world too just by his out of the world maniption. If one day... this man would be an enemy... can anyone win against him?

    Suddenly, arge handnded on her head. Alicia¡¯s eyes widened, speechless at what Ezekiel was doing.

    "It seemed... your trust in me had really crumbled." He said.

    "It has nothing to do with my trust in you. And take your hand off my head, Ezekiel." She ordered and the man smirked. He patted her head gently and then quickly pulled his hand off her, almost as if afraid that another hard punch willnd on his face.

    He turned and started to walk silently ahead of her. But Alicia followed and continued talking. "You were the one who said that time could change everything. Now that your hard task is over, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll get bored one day, and... your monstrous brain might think of something really crazy."

    Ezekiel halted. He lifted his face and looked up. His hands in his pockets, looking utterly rxed as he watched the swaying leaves above them.

    "That¡¯s right. My task is finally over." He uttered, his eyes had a far off look again. "You¡¯re right. I might really get bored after this."

    "Please don¡¯t plot anything crazy to destroy the world just because you¡¯re bored. Restrain the devil inside you. I mean, chain him forever."

    "I wonder if that¡¯s possible but..." he replied and then looked over his shoulder. Their eyes met as he spoke with a mischievous smile on his face. "I¡¯ll try."

    His words sent chills down Alicia¡¯s spine, and she knew why. This man was really unbelievable.

    "I really think you needed a babysitter, Ezekiel. Just in case ¨C"

    "Are you applying for the job? Huh, queen?" That smirk was back again, and Alicia was rendered speechless. Her? Babysitting this terrifying devil?

    Before Alicia could even form a response, "Just kidding," he said and then he turned his gaze back in front of him. "I wish you luck, Alicia, for your new task. Don¡¯t worry too much. The devil within me is well behaved." He told her as he continued walking.

    Alicia didn¡¯t follow him anymore, but she called out and Ezekiel halted. "Alexander is a notorious beast but Abigail had tamed him. I wish that the one destined for you will arrive soon so that she could look over you before you do something crazy. I am afraid that one day, you¡¯ll just pop out of nowhere and dere a war just because youre bored to death or because you decided to finally die as a real viin of this story."

    His shoulders moved, and she could tell that the manughed.

    "A real viin, huh." He echoed, turning back at her again. Looking like he seriously pondered about it. "That sounds fun."

    "I¡¯m serious, Ezekiel. I really hope that person wille soon."

    "That person, huh..." he paused and turned back. "Too bad, but your hope is not possible, Alicia." He added as he walked away.

    Alicia creased her brows in confusion and curiosity, but he was gone. What did he mean by that? Not possible? He must be just kidding again, right?

    "Queen." Zeres¡¯ voice almost jolted her. She was too focused on Ezekiel¡¯sst line that she didn¡¯t feel Zeres¡¯ presence at all! "You like that devil, right?" he asked, craning his neck as he looked at her and Alicia choked.

    ...

    *unedited chapter

    [NOTE: The next 15 chapters are under privilege.

    If you buy 1st tier(hellbounder), you can read 5 chapters in advance (cost= 1 coin)

    2nd tier (ultimate hellbounder)= 15 advance chapters (cost =299 coins)

    Please note that the privilege will expire every month, meaning you have to buy the same privilege tier again next month for you to readtest chapters. THIS IS NOT COMPULSARY. I suggest that you guys buy the first tier that cost only 1 coin. Second tier is only for the readers who are willing to support the author more.]

 Chapter 547 Fool*

    <h4>Chapter 547 Fool*</h4>

    Zeres waited. His gaze on her intense, and Alicia could tell that Zeres seemed to be worried about her.

    She cleared her throat, regaining herposure.

    "You think I like him?" she asked him instead of answering, slightly raising a brow.

    Zeres sighed and leaned against the tree. "I won¡¯t me you if you like him. After all, Kiel is a charming man despite the fact that he¡¯s a devil." He shrugged but then, he sighed again. "But... As your ancestor, I¡¯m just worried about you."

    Alicia faced him, both her brows now lifted at him, her chin was up as well.

    "Err..." Zeres scratched his neck with his forefinger as his eyes wandered. "I just think you¡¯re too good for him," he exined. Alicia remained silent, slightly tilting her head, without taking her eyes off her. "And he¡¯s really too cold, Alicia. It¡¯s like it¡¯s impossible for him to fall for anyone..." he trailed off, and he looked like he regretted what he just said.

    He straightened and walked towards her as he spoke. "I¡¯m sorry I shouldn¡¯t be saying that." He halted before her and bent over, concern painting his angel face. "Please know that all I want is for you to be happy because you deserve it." He smiled as hended his hand on her head. "I wish you will fall for a man whose heart sees no one but you."

    As those words left Zeres¡¯ lips, emotions suddenly flooded his eyes, and he quickly bent, leaning his forehead on Alicia¡¯s shoulder de. Perhaps to hide his emotions from her.

    Alicia stood still, and then slowly, she lifted her hand and patted his back.

    But too soon, Zeres pulled away. "Don¡¯t get the wrong idea, queen." He said, suddenly. "I mean, Abigail will always be my first love, but..." he paused and let out a sigh. "I am happy for her now. Long ago, I already epted that I am not the man for her. It¡¯s always been Alexander... he¡¯s the one who deserved Abigail... they both deserve each other. Back then and now. And I¡¯m genuinely happy for them."

    "O-okay." Alicia could only nod at him. She observed him closely and it seemed the man was telling the truth. She could see his sincerity as he stated his eptance and happiness for Abi and Alexander. And it made Alicia smile. She was d this man had already moved on.

    His shoulders rxed, and he looked up. "Loving someone is beautiful, but if you fall for the person that couldn¡¯t love you back, it hurts." He said, but he didn¡¯t sound like a brokenhearted manmenting about his unrequited love story. He sounded like an old man stating words of wisdom instead. "So if your choice is Kiel, I¡¯m sorry, my queen, but I¡¯m not going to help you." He grinned again, but this time a little apologetic. "His heart is iron. And he didn¡¯t seem to want anyone to melt his heart. He¡¯s a tough nut to crack, so if you want him, you¡¯d probably need to work extra hard to..." Zeres trailed off once again and pressed his lips tightly. "I¡¯m sorry I¡¯ll stop now." He added, and he moved forward, ahead of her.

    A quiet sigh escaped her lips and she walked behind him. She understood what Zeres was talking about. She already knew since the first time she met Ezekiel. Ezekiel was an enigma. He was a man who didn¡¯t seem to need anyone. He always had that dark, ominous shell around him. He never let his guard down. And Zeres was right. Ezekiel doesn¡¯t seem to wee anyone who reaches out for him.

    Even when Ezekiel was shing those smirks and sometimesughed like he was amused, Alicia could still see nothing in his eyes. They held no warmth but cold, calcting calm as if something was missing inside him ¨C a heart.

    She always wondered why. What made Ezekiel like this? Did something happen to him in the past? Alicia just couldn¡¯t believe that Ezekiel was initially like the way he was now. No one could be born like that.

    As the Reign Castle appeared before their eyes, Alicia and Zeres halted.

    "Don¡¯t worry about me, Zeres." She said without looking at him. Her eyes fixated on the great castle.

    Zeres head snapped towards her. "You mean you¡¯re not going to chase after Ezekiel?" he eximed, causing Alicia to cough.

    She sighed and faced the man. "Chase?" she echoed, and then a small smile curved on her lips. "Why should I? I¡¯m a queen Zeres." The air around her suddenly changed. Regalness and serenity and power oozed around her. "Queens don¡¯t chase after men, Zeres." She ended with a smile and walked away.

    Zeres watched her back, and he smiled. ¡¯What a queen.¡¯ He mumbled and followed after her.

    ...

    Meanwhile, inside Alexander¡¯s room, Alex¡¯s expression was tensed with worry as he sat at the side of the bed. His eyes focused on the face of his wife.

    Abigail had rested the night before, and she was very fine. They were even up for hours and she was very energetic. So howe she was suddenly weak and ill the instant she woke up? Wasn¡¯t she already an immortal? How could she still get ill?

    His brows were pulled together in a hard knot as the unease and restlessness filled his mind. He couldnt help but question if what Zeke said the night before was just a dream. Was it a lie? No!

    He was holding Abigail¡¯s hand, gently squeezing them, when finally, the door opened. Ezekiel emerged, and Alex instantly stood.

    "There are many other doctors, Alex ¨C"

    "Tell me Zeke, what is the meaning of this?!" he grabbed Zeke¡¯s shoulders as he asked in an angry whisper.

    "She¡¯s an immortal Alexander. She won¡¯t die anymore. No need to ¨C"

    "That¡¯s right. She¡¯s supposed to be an immortal now. So why the hell is she still being affected by human disease?!"

    "It¡¯s not a disease, fool. She¡¯s pregnant."

    ___

    ANNOUNCEMENT (JANUARY 3, 2021)

    [Dear hellbounders, I am sorry for the scarce update. I think I pretty burned myself out T^T. I¡¯ve been writing every day since Februaryst year and I think hell bound pretty burned me out. I am feeling the effect on me now and it¡¯s very bad. I thought 3 days rest is enough but I was wrong. I am still stressed and I¡¯ve been suffering from excessive hair loss since December. My family is worried about me, so I am sorry but I need to go slowly. I will be updating 1 chapter every other day. I will make sure toe back once I¡¯m better.

    Please give me time to recharge. Again, my update will be 1 chapter every other day.

    Thank you so much hellbounders! Love you guys.

    ?Kazzen]

    P.S. I hope my loyal hellbounders will still vote for me everyday even without daily updates.

    *unedited chapter.

 Chapter 548 One last round

    <h4>Chapter 548 Onest round</h4>

    Last night...

    Alex¡¯s hands were wrapped around Abi¡¯s waist, spooning her. His lips kissing her hair gently.

    "Get some rest now, my wife." He whispered, although his lips were already nting butterfly kisses at the back of her neck.

    Abi immediately shivered. Those little puffs of air were so hot, it jolted her dizzy senses awake. She turned and faced him.

    "My dear husband, do you really want me to rest?" she asked, slightly raising a brow.

    Alex took a little while to respond. "Are you tired?" he asked instead of giving her an answer. But then, too soon, he looked like he regretted what he just spouted and then, "Yes." he finally answered. "I know the battle must have tired you out tremendously."

    Abi tried her best not to smile. On one hand, he was telling her to rest but on the other, she could see that longing and intense desire in his eyes. It was obvious that he was waging a war against himself inside him.

    Lifting her hands, Abi cupped his face and nted a kiss on his hot lips. "Do you really want me to rest?" she repeated, the corner of her lips curved up into a mischievous smile.

    An imaginary sound of a string being broke apart could be heard inside the quiet room and reasonpletely fled Alex¡¯s mind.

    "Can we do it once?" He asked, his eyes glimmered with desire but then, immediately, he groaned, running his fingers through his hair. "Ugh. My self-control when ites to you is in the negative numbers, Abi."

    He pulled away andid on his back when Abi rose. She moved on top of Alex, surprising the man.

    Suddenly, she bent and kissed him hard, and just like that, he lost himself in her until he knew he would not be able to control anymore. When their lips parted, they stared into each other eyes.

    "I love you," she told him. "I love so much. I am so happy that I can finally be with you forever, Alex."

    Emotions began to fill Abi¡¯s eyes as she uttered those heartfelt words. So many things happened since that night she met him in the garage. It was still surreal that after all that had happened, in the end, she was now in Alex¡¯s arms, and they were going to be with each other not until they die but forever. She could not ask for more.

    She still couldn¡¯t believe it the fact that their love didn¡¯t just conquer death, but time too. Their love won. Despite all those agonizing pain, and the long sufferings, their love didn¡¯t drown from their tears. It fought so desperately to not only be kept afloat but to soar despite the dangerous currents and the seemingly endless troubles ¨C never, ever giving up.

    "I am so happy that I will not leave you here all alone again." She added and kissed him again. Her kiss was passionate, filled with all the emotions she was feeling.

    Alex stayed still for a long while, savoring every bit of warmth and passion his wife was giving him. He will never ever get used to the kind of heat his Abigail was stirring inside of his body, heart and soul.

    Hisrge hands, cupped her face this time.

    "I love you too, my wife." he said softly, looking into her eyes. "I am beyond happy. We are meant to love each other forever, Abigail. No one... nothing can separate us."

    As Alex said those words, she pulled Abi and pressed her against him. He kissed her lips, and then her jaw and then her throat. The fire between them sent beads of sweat slipping down their skin. His hand wandered down her side, cupping her hip and pulling her more firmly against him all the while dipping his head and nuzzled, just beneath her corbone.

    Abi clenched her fingers in his hair, closing her eyes and feeling him against her body. His tongue trailed down her breast and then gently sucked her nipple. The pleasure made Abi bit her bottom lip.

    She opened her eyes and looked down at her husband. It was a moment of stillness; his eyes glimmered as he stared up at her through his thick gorgeousshes. Her desire for him increased to an unprecedented degree and suddenly, she pushed him. She wanted him now. She was shocked by her own desire and impatience. Was it because they hadn¡¯t done it for quite some time?

    Abi took the lead and slid herself unto him. Her eyes drifted shut, her head bent backward as Alex groaned in pleasure, holding his breath, afraid he might spill his seed at any moment. He really couldn¡¯t get enough of his wife. It was always like this every time they make love.

    "Faster, Abi. Please." He begged as he reached out for her beautiful breast. Abi immediately granted her husband¡¯s wish and moved faster, causing him to groan. He pulled her towards him and took her tongue deeper into his mouth as his hands clutching her hips.

    Every part of them, their tongues, their sexes, their hearts moved in a perfect rhythm. They were truly one now, heart, mind, body and soul.

    Moans and gasp echoed in the room and then... hard and fast, he felt himself convulse and pulse inside his wife as Abi moaned and shivered as she reached her mind-blowing peak. And then she came down upon him and buried her face in his neck.

    "You¡¯ve improved so drastically, Abigail." He whispered between his ragged breath. "I shall teach you more in the future." He added with a yful tone as he smoothed her hair.

    And then, he rose and he lowered her to the bed gently.

    "One more round, please?" he whispered in her ear, already kissing her earlobe.

    "You said we¡¯ll do it just once." Abi replied softly.

    "One more. I promise, this is thest round." Alex looked pleadingly at Abi with eyes burning with desire for her. How could she say no to such outpouring of love from the husband she loved more than her life?

    Abi knew this would happen and at the same time, she knew she couldn¡¯t resist him. And thus, she could only surrender to her husband¡¯s touch and melted against him.

    "I love you... Alex." she whispered once again as she drifted to sleep and Alex¡¯s smiled, watching her face.

    "Thank you, Abigail." He uttered, pulling her in his embrace. "I will love you forever."

    .

    [Let¡¯s give thest chapters to our beloved couple, okay?

    One more day and it¡¯s 25th. What kind of announcement do you want to read on Christmas day my dear hellbounders? Comment down ^^ My announcement is already prepared but I¡¯m just curious. Don¡¯t hesitate and let me know guys.

    P.s. please im your hellbounder badges before it expires. I love seeing that dragon near your names ??

    And thank you for the lovely notes on the hwy event. Lovebu guys ??]

 Chapter 549 Domesticated pe

    <h4>Chapter 549 Domesticated pe</h4>

    After spending a passionate night, worry and panic greeted Alex the next morning. He was rudely awakened to the sounds of his wife throwing up in the bathroom and looking very ill. He immediately called for Zeke, but the maids told him that the prince wasn¡¯t in the pce.

    Left without a choice, Alex had to call upon human doctors to check on her while he went out and ordered the guards to look for Zeke. His worry was eating him, driving him to the brink of insanity. He remembered the feeling he had those times when he found out that Abigail had a serious illness that couldn¡¯t be cured, and fear gripped his heart. Did her illnesse back? How could that even be possible anymore? She¡¯s already an immortal! These questions repeated again and again in Alex¡¯s head. His expression grew darker and graver as the seconds ticked by that the doctors who were checking on Abi couldn¡¯t find their voice to talk to the almighty Alexander.

    In the end, the doctors left the room and Alex didn¡¯t even seem to notice. Abi fell asleep again so he calmed down, but the worry and unease remain painted on his face.

    The doctors who were standing by the door just outside their rooms finally saw the prince approaching and they sighed in relief. The prince was equally terrifying, but the doctors thought that the prince wasn¡¯t like the unpredictable and wild Alexander. None of them ever thought that their so-called calm and serene crown prince might probably be the most untamed creature in the whole wide world at the moment.

    They showed him the result of their tests on Abigail and also reported that they couldn¡¯t tell anything to Alex.

    With that, Zeke dismissed them, and he finally entered the room, only to be weed by the panicking Alex.

    Zeke wasn¡¯t even surprised anymore with Alex¡¯s reaction. And when he told him about Abigail¡¯s pregnancy, Alex showed him the reaction Zeke had anticipated. Zeke thought that Alex had truly be such a simple, predictable being now. The savage, unfeeling and untamed beast had be a domesticated pet ¨C only when dealing with anything concerning his beloved Abi.

    Looking at the still frozen Alex, Zeke simply leaned against the door behind him, crossing his arms against his chest so nonchntly as he waited for something to magically press the ON button of the now shut down Alexander.

    His waitsted for a long while before Alex moved again. Shock still had himgging like aputer that was invaded by a powerful virus.

    "P-pregnant?" he stuttered, finally talking ¨C eyes blinking in disbelief.

    "Yes. Why are you so surprised? You two are married."

    Alex blinked and his hand cupped his own face. His other hand on his hip.

    Zeke observed him. He could tell that apart from the surprise, Alex wanted to say or ask something but decided not to. However, Zeke could tell what it was that Alex wanted to ask. Though Alex never fell or get attached to any other woman aside from Abigail, he had spent what he called his boring thousands of years of existence with many women. And yet despite living for thousands of years, nobody ever bore his child. Not just Alex, but Zeke too thought that immortals probably couldn¡¯t produce an offspring.

    But now, Abi was pregnant, and the only possible exnation was because...

    "I think... it¡¯s because of Abigail¡¯s connection with the ancient dragon or because of her connection with the dragon keeper. She¡¯s the only woman in this world that has connection with the ancient dragon that is the source of your immortality. And because of that, she is the only one who can bear your child." Zeke exined, answering Alex¡¯s question without him even asking.

    Alex didn¡¯t even doubt what Zeke said.

    "You¡¯re right." Alex agreed. "It¡¯s because Abigail is the only one for me. Of course, she¡¯ll be the only one who would bear my child." He added as he bit down on his lower lip to stop himself from grinning. But then, he couldn¡¯t stop, and a wide smile still ended up sneaking onto his lips. His handsnded on Zeke¡¯s shoulders as he looked down, not in embarrassment but because he was trying to control his excitement.

    "Damn, I¡¯m so happy, Zeke." He confessed. His fingers gripped Zeke¡¯s shoulders and then patted them before he let go. Now pacing back and forth before Zeke with a wide grin, filled with disbelief, excitement, and nervousness.

    Running his fingers through his hair, Alex halted and looked at Zeke. "I am... going to be a father..." he said, and he was the one most surprised at his own words.

    Zeke could only watch Alex bing more and more unrecognizable.

    "Ah," Alex groaned in exitement again and then he dashed towards his wife¡¯s bed.

    Zeke watched, predicting his next move. Was he going to grab his sleeping wife and hug her? No, he wouldn¡¯t wake her up...

    And he was right. Alex gave his all not to jump on his wife. He instead dashed back towards Zeke. "Damn. I can¡¯t calm down, Zeke!" he told him.

    "You better calm yourself before she wakes up. She¡¯ll think you¡¯re not ready to be a father if you keep going on like this. Also, you¡¯ll be the one who will tell her the news."

    Upon hearing Zeke¡¯s words, Alex sucked in air and let out a very deep sigh. Determination quickly reced the nervousness in his eyes. "That¡¯s right. I should calm down." He said, talking to himself when suddenly, he snapped at Zeke in horror. "But you... you stabbed ¨C"

    "Calm down, Alex." Zeke lifted his hand. "The baby is fine. Her wound is far from her womb."

    A sigh of relief came next and then followed by a moan. He turned towards his wife and when he saw her waking up, Alex almost flew towards her.

    "Alex..."

    "I¡¯m here. Do you feel better?"

    "A little. I can¡¯t exin what I¡¯m feeling Alex... I¡¯m sorry for making you worry but I assure you this is not ¨C"

    "Hush my love, I know this is not your past illnessing back... you¡¯re pregnant Abigail. Our child¡¯s growing inside of you!!"

 Chapter 550 Breaking news!

    <h4>Chapter 550 Breaking news!</h4>

    That day had been added to one of the happiest days for Alex and Abi. Abi was so shocked by the news that she shed tears of joy.

    Everyone was surprised by the news, Zeres, being the one who was the most shocked. He then went on to congratte his old friends and was genuinely happy for them. Unexpectedly, he felt excited when he thought about a little cute Abi smiling at him or a little Alex ring at him.

    It was a bright and happy morning. The good news about Abi¡¯s pregnancy had soothed the body aches and heart aches from the battle that had just ended. It was like Abi and Alex¡¯s baby was a blessing from the heavens, telling them that a new beginning had just started.

    However, every beautiful day alwayse to an end. At sunset, the group were already gathered in the pce¡¯s courtyard. It was time for everyone to go back to their own homes.

    Abi hugged Alicia. The two spoke for a long time that afternoon and Alicia promised Abi that she will visit her.

    And then, Abi walked over to Zeres. She held his hands as she looked at him, smiling. "Zeres..." she said and then she hugged him.

    Zeres returned the hug. "Please take care and be happy forever Abigail." The silver-haired man whispered. "I will definitelye and visit you two especially when the babyes."

    "Yes, Zeres. Thank you so much." Abi replied and their hug tightened before letting each other go. "Please be happy, Zeres. And know that Alex and I will always be here for you."

    A smile shed on Zeres¡¯ angelic face and he nodded. "Mm, I know. Please don¡¯t worry about me."

    "Don¡¯t create trouble for your queen. Listen to her." Alex piped in. Zeres snapped at him and as expected, the bickering started.

    "Don¡¯t worry Alexander. I am not a troublemaker like you."

    "Really?¡¯ Alexander leaned closer to him. "We shall see about that," he smirked.

    "You shall see, Alexander. And I don¡¯t think you¡¯re even in the position to worry about me creating trouble." Zeres also leaned forward. "You have to take extra good care of Abigail and her child ¨C"

    "Our child ¨C"

    "My niece or nephew."

    Alex paused and leaned back. "Yes." A very satisfied smile curved on his face. "My children will be your niece and nephew, Zeres." He patted Zeres¡¯ shoulder as if he were the big brother Zeres never had. "Rest assured, even if you turn yourself into dragon and wreak havoc on earth because you¡¯re bored, I won¡¯t even bother to deal with you. My attention is only for my wife and child now. Of course, as long as you don¡¯t get too close to our house, it¡¯s all good."

    "You¡¯re basically asking your friend to dig his own grave, Alex." Zeke was the one who butted in this time.

    With a yful smirk, Alex nced at Zeke and just shrugged. "Well, if Zeres wants to die, I definitely couldn¡¯t do anything about it." He looked at Zeres again and leaned his elbow on the man¡¯s shoulder. "If one day you feel like dying out of boredom, just go trouble Zeke, he will definitely entertain you." Alex whispered mischievously.

    "Ha! You¡¯re saying those words to the wrong person Alex. Tell that to Kiel instead. Now that he don¡¯t have to babysit you anymore, I feel that sooner orter, that guy will burst because of boredom and start plotting something crazy to entertain himself." Zeres retorted, calmly but serious.

    Alex chuckled. "Now that you mention it...." He didn¡¯t even seem to doubt.

    "See? He¡¯s the real future threat here Alexander. His inner devil might consume him soon and he wille after us just because he¡¯s bored or because he finally want to die in a war or in the hands of a dragon. No one can tell what¡¯s going on in that head of his, after all."

    This time, it was Ezekiel who let out a tiny and quickugh. He looked at Zeres, sideways and spoke. "That¡¯s right white dragon..." the look in Zeke¡¯s eyes became intense. "That¡¯s why I really hope you would stay as pure and white as you look. Because once you misbehave and be hopelessly tainted, I will definitelye at you."

    Zeres was speechless for a while. "See that? This prince is really dangerous! I feel like he¡¯s really going to plot something unbelievable again soon!"

    With a smile, the elegant and annoyingly calm prince tilted his head slightly as if he was pondering about something. "Should I create chaos for you right now as a parting gift ¨C"

    "That¡¯s enough crown prince Ezekiel," Alicia cut him off. "This guy suffered enough already. Give him a break." She added and Zeke¡¯s gaze fell on her. A slight smile shed on his marble-like face.

    "As you say, Queen Alicia." He said and Alicia sighed while Zeres¡¯ face suddenly blocked Zeke¡¯s vision.

    Zeres had his eyes slightly narrowed as if he was trying to decipher something in the man¡¯s stoic and unchangeable expressions. But before he could figure anything out, Alicia pulled at him from behind.

    "That¡¯s enough Zeres. Alex and Abi are leaving." She said and the men finally looked at the couple who were now in the car.

    Abi waved at them and with onest goodbye, Alicia waved back. They watched the car drive off in silence until it finally disappeared from their eyes.

    "Now let¡¯s go Zeres." Alicia¡¯s voice broke the silence. She looked at Zeke and their eyes met for a long while. She gave him a small nod and she finally turned her back.

    Too soon, the two silver-haired witches were gone as well. Zeke and the few elites behind him were left in therge courtyard. He lifted his face and looked up at the blindingly clear sky. The corner of his lips curved up slightly as the colour of his unfathomable eyes changed into something nobody had ever seen before.

    ...

    Afternding in Abi¡¯s home country, their butler, Charles, came to pick them up. While the couple were in the car, they talked about Abi¡¯s family. Alex told Abi that the family will not remember the lost memories anymore. And thus, the couple nned to re-do their wedding but first, Alex should go to Andrew to ask for his blessings once again.

    "So, will you propose to me again, my husband?" she asked, smiling, and Alex kissed her forehead.

    "I can court you every day, propose to you every year and then marry you every ten years. How about that?"

    Abi chuckled and she hugged Alex. "Let¡¯s never tire of loving each other, okay?" she whispered, and Alex¡¯s only response was to kiss her deeply.

    "Never," he echoed and then he buried her in his embrace.

    As their car passed through the metro, Alex¡¯s eyes caught the breaking news shing on the TV¡¯s screens. [Breaking News: Tycoon Ezekiel Qin is confirmed dead!] [Breaking News: Tycoon Ezekiel Qin private ne crash!]

    Abi saw that too and she looked at Alex with wide eyes. However, when she saw that her husband was wearing that smirk, Abi could already tell the truth behind the news and didn¡¯t ask anymore. She returned her attention to her husband until atst, they were back at the mansion where everything truly started ¨C where their love story bloomed and blossomed the second time around.

    ~ The End ~

    ___________

    This is the official ending of Abi and Alex¡¯s story. Thank you for everything my dearest hellbounders.

    But this is not goodbye yet. There¡¯s 2 bunos chaps and then the second volume for Kai and Kelly in the next chapters. Go read them now!! ^^

    And finally the ANOUNCEMENT!

    There will be a sequel after Kelly and Kai story. The hellbound series will continue.

    I will only give few info about it.

    1. It¡¯s a separate book. Not a new volume.

    2. The ML is Ezekiel.

    3. The title is <HELLBOUND HEART>.

    4. It will be released soon. -- Follow my social media ounts so you will get notified once the book is published

    FB ount > @author_kazzenlx

    Instagram ount> @kazzenlx.x

    I hope hellbounders will look forward for Hell bound Heart. I will keep doing my best.

 Chapter 551 Bunos Chapter Part I*

    <h4>551 Bunos Chapter Part I*</h4>

    "Ugh! Where the hell is he?!" Alicia cursed as she looked around. She couldn¡¯t find Zeres. Abi and Alexander had sent them an invitation for their second wedding tomorrow, so Alicia and Zeres traveled to Abi¡¯s country.

    Alicia had found out that Zeres had never seen the real modern world yet. He was ignorant of many things about the modern world, so Alicia decided that the two would travel like ordinary humans. She nned to teach and show Zeres about the things he still didn¡¯t know.

    The viges close to the ck Forest were not even close to the cities with all those towering skyscrapers. Country V was also a country that wasn¡¯t as modern as the other countries. Alicia was confident that Zeres would be shocked if he sees the world outside Country V, just like what happened when he first boarded a ne after that battle.

    She wanted him to learn about the modern world he was living in and see everything for himself. And this was now the best opportunity to show the world to him because the country where Abi and Alexander lived was the most advanced and modern in the world.

    Of course, their very first problem was how the two of them blend in the crowd with their unusual appearances. Unlike the normal witches, silver-haired witches cannot disguise their appearances. The disguise spell will never work on them anymore. Alicia wondered about this before, but since she became queen, she finally understood why. There was once a witch who would be the next queen. But she didn¡¯t want to be queen because she was too young, and she always thought that she was the weakest, her peers bullied her because she couldn¡¯t even do a simple spell. She didn¡¯t understand why a weak and young witch like her was the one chosen. Because of fear that the other witches will never ept her to be their next queen, she disguised herself and hid her silver-hair. The dying queen had searched for her sessor but couldn¡¯t find her. Because the only sign for them to find the next queen was through their appearance. Thankfully, the young womanter revealed herself, but what the young woman did cause a lot of unease and fear. That was why the dying queen did everything to ban the next sessors from using any disguise spells. Since then, all silver-haired witches can never disguise. They were forbidden to use the spell. That was also why Alicia hadn¡¯t left the ck Forest and Country V since her appearance began to change.

    They considered wearing a cloak, but that would only make it harder for them to blend in with the crowd. In the end, Alicia decided that they will simply change their clothes. She knew about the humans dyeing their hairs. And she also learned about the fake contacts that they used. Apart from that, she even knew about the humans who were born with a rare disease the humans called albinism. So she thought that they don¡¯t need to disguise anymore.

    Ezekiel already dealt with everything during their first flight, so Alicia didn¡¯t need to deal with those things anymore.

    Thus, without any trouble, Alicia and Zeres hadnded in Abi and Alexander¡¯s country. Of course, their hair and eyes wouldn¡¯t help them keep a low profile. Heads kept turning towards them wherever they went.

    The travel was smooth and Zeres was beyond thrilled about everything. Alicia answered all of his questions patiently as they went on.

    However, once they were about to leave the airport, things suddenly went out of control. The airport was suddenly swarmed with so many people, yelling and pushing each other. Alicia and Zeres were shocked. Alicia even thought at first that there was an enemy and almost activated her power to locate the source of this chaos. To her confused surprise, Alicia saw a group of young men being surrounded and chased by countless humans, mostly girls.

    "What¡¯s going on?" Zeres asked, trying his very best to stay calm.

    "Don¡¯t ever use your magic Zeres, remember what I said. We¡¯re in a ce where humans could see our every move." Alicia warned as she grasped his hand, worried that the man will be forced to use his power to disappear and escape the crowd.

    "But... they¡¯re hitting us from everywhere. What is this? It¡¯s like a horde is attacking us."

    "Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not like they can harm us."

    "Are you sure? Everyone is pushing us. They can¡¯t push a queen so disrespectfully like this!"

    Alicia heard the seriousness in Zeres voice and she sighed. "I said it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m their queen. Remember, we¡¯re just humans right now, Zeres."

    But then, the crowd bumped at Zeres hard enough that his body crushed against Alicia. He gritted his teeth in anger. "T-these humans ¨C" before Zeres could evenplete her angry line, the situation seemed to worsen, and before Alicia knew it, the silver-haired man beside her was no longer there.

    "Ugh," she groaned as she looked around, looking for him. But he was nowhere to be found.

    Sheter managed to get out of the crazy crowd. The experience was unbelievable. But she didn¡¯t have the time to get annoyed because Zeres was gone. She still couldn¡¯t locate him. Alicia can¡¯t use her power in this ce. She didn¡¯t have a crystal ball, and if she uses her vision, lights would definitely leak from her body.

    Alicia looked up, and she immediately ran up the stairs to look for him from up there.

    As soon as she reached the second floor, Alicia immediately scanned the crowd. She was looking for a silver-haired, but then, she remembered that they were both wearing ck caps.

    "Ugh!" Alicia was frustrated. She never thought that trouble this big would befall them upon arriving. It seemed she was wrong when she thought that the human world was the safest and calmest. It was not! They¡¯re wild! And it was so overwhelming because she and Zeres were suddenly rendered helpless.

    Alicia scanned the crowd again, hoping that Zeres listened to her and didn¡¯t use his power to escape the crowd.

    "Come on, Zeres, where are you? Show up!"

    She moved from her spot, eyes focused on the crowd that was now slowly dispersing. Still, Zeres was nowhere to be seen.

    Gritting her teeth, Alicia was about to run back downstairs to search for him when her eyes caught something silver. She halted, and her eyes widened in disbelief as her silver gaze focused on that silver thing that was now surrounded by a crowd.

    "Zeres, didn¡¯t I braid your hair?! Did you throw your hat?!" she could only face palmed herself.

    Zeres was there, frozen still in confusion as the girls around him were taking photos of him like he was some superstar, ambushed by his diehard fans. His long silver hair and matching eyes gleamed in the light of the cameras.

    Alicia dashed downstairs. As she made her way through the crowd, she heard every word the girls were saying. But no, not just girls; there were also men in the crowd that was surrounding him.

    "Wow! Who¡¯s he?! I don¡¯t remember a celebrity with that kind of beauty! Oh my gosh!"

    "Maybe, a cosyer? But wow, oh, wow! He literally looked like a game character!!"

    "He didn¡¯t look human, my god! And what¡¯s with his hair?! God, I swear it¡¯s not a wig!"

    "Where did he get that kind of color job? I wanted one!"

    "Oh, look at his eyes! I¡¯m dying!! Who the hell is he?!!"

    "That¡¯s definitely a contact idiot."

    "I know, but... just look at him, oh my god!! Is he even human?!"

    _________

    Please im your hell bound badge now guys. Tomorrow is yourst chance.

    ?How to im the loyal hellbounder badge.

    Go to your INBOX then go to EVENTS. scroll down and look for HELLBOUND WITH YOU EVENT/GIFTS. tap it and then scroll down until you see the CLAIM button.

    If you unlocked 480 chapter of hell bound with you, you can have the badge. ^^

    ?How to equip

    Go to your profile. Look for the BADGES and then tap the HWY Loyal Reader badge. Once you will see EQUIP, tap it.

 Chapter 552 Bunos Chapter Part II*

    <h4>552 Bunos Chapter Part II*</h4>

    The lights of the cameras obviously made Zeres utterly ufortable. Confusion and wonder filled his angel-like face as everyone continued shing their cameras at him and kept asking who he was.

    He didn¡¯t even know what to do. His fists were curved into tight balls as he struggled to calm down. All he wanted at that moment was to escape these strange humans, but his mind kept on repeating what Alicia had told him. What should he do? He couldn¡¯t bear it anymore! These strange lights were blinding him.

    A deep sigh escaped his lips, and suddenly, someone stepped closer and touched him. Zeres¡¯ eyes widened. The human girl who had clung to his arm was squealing and he didn¡¯t know why.

    "Oh, God!! I¡¯m touching him!!!" she screamed as she jumped.

    Zeres was so confused, and he didn¡¯t like that this woman he didn¡¯t even know was suddenly touching him. His angel face darkened and his jaw clenched.

    "Please let go," he finally spoke as he tried to pull his arm from her grasp. But the girl tightened her grip and even wrapped her arms around Zeres¡¯ waist.

    It was then that a beautiful and ear-catching voice made everyone fall silent. "Let him go, woman," Alicia said. She finally stood inside the circle. Her voice also stopped thedies who were about to mob Zeres and touch him too.

    Their eyes fell on Alicia. "And who are you?" they asked.

    Alicia eyed them and then she took her hat off. Her silver-hair cascaded over her shoulders like a silver waterfall and everyone gaped at her out of this world beauty.

    Gracefully, Alicia walked towards Zeres like the queen that she was and stopped right before the woman who was still gaping at her.

    The woman was smaller than her, so she had bent over. "Didn¡¯t you hear what I just said?" she asked, and with just that, the woman immediately unsped her hands off Zeres and stepped back.

    "W-who are you? Are you his girlfriend?" one of thedies asked.

    Alicia nced at thedy who spoke, and a small smile curved on her face - a smile that dazzled everyone looking at her.

    She then grabbed Zeres arms and nodded at them. "Yes. We¡¯re a couple, and we¡¯re into cosy," she said, and taking advantage of the crowd¡¯s stillness, she pulled Zeres out of the group. As if someone just bewitched them, the crowd could only turn their heads as their line of sight followed the silver-haired couple making their way out.

    When Alicia and Zeres were gone, the spell broke, and everyone gasped in disbelief. They looked at their cameras as if they wanted to find any evidence that what they saw was not an illusion. When they saw the pictures, they could only gasp. Some of them even continued taking videos despite being utterly mesmerized a while ago, so they were able to capture the entire scene since they noticed the silver-haired man.

    All of them posted the photos and videos on social media tforms asking if anyone knew about the angel-faced couple that appeared in the airport. And in no time, the talk about the silver-haired couple would soon dominate the social media tforms.

    ...

    In Alex and Abi¡¯s mansion...

    The ceremony had already started. Abigail was wearing a beautiful gown as she walked down the aisle. Their second wedding took ce inside therge ballroom. There were only a few guests, mostly from Abi¡¯s side.

    Abi¡¯s family was tearing up with joy as they watched their princess getting married. Nobody remembered that this was already the second time they were attending Abigail¡¯s wedding.

    When Abi brought Alex¡¯s home, Andrew and Abi¡¯s grandparents were shocked. They were utterly surprised and were also worried because the man their daughter had chosen was someone extraordinary. As expected, Abi¡¯s family could sense that Alex wasn¡¯t an ordinary man. But Alex already won their approval before, and he vowed to win them again.

    However, before Alex could even start his n on how to win Abi¡¯s family¡¯s approval, Abi broke the news to them that she was pregnant. Her family was overwhelmed and shocked, but then, Alex told them he¡¯s going to marry Abi, and just like that, their happiness overshadowed their worry about Abigail.

    Abi¡¯s family was epting, and it didn¡¯t take them a long time to notice just how much Alexander loved their Abi. Of course, they also noticed that something had changed about their princess. But because of the news that Abi was pregnant, the family could only think that this might be the cause of the difference they were feeling. Their princess was about to be a mother after all.

    And now, seeing their lovely Abigail brimming with nothing but happiness and love as she married the man she loved was all they could ask for. They were beyond happy for her, and at the same time, they were excited for the future little one who will soon join their small family.

    "Congrattions," Alicia said as she hugged Abi while Zeres and Alex we¡¯re shaking hands.

    "Thank you, Alicia. Thank you foring." Abi smiled, so happy and d that her friends made it. Abi was actually a little worried because Alicia and Zeres¡¯ arrival got dyed. They were supposed to arrive at the mansion before the wedding starts, but that didn¡¯t happen.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Abigail. We¡¯re a littlete. He kept getting lost on our way here, and he took too long choosing a gift that I had to drag him here. Everything distracted him..." Alicia exined as she nced at Zeres like she wanted to scold the guy but decided not to.

    Abi chuckled. "It¡¯s okay, Alicia. I really understand. I know Zeres still need to get used to the modern world."

    As everyone enjoyed the reception, Abi and Alex then walked to the dancefloor. The sweet dance started, and the love birds danced in the center of the ballroom. They were the stars of the night, and they were shining damn so bright. Their love was overflowing, that their happiness had influenced everyone around them. That night, Alexander and Abigail were the loveliest and most beautiful couple everyone in the event had ever seen in their lives.

    Andrew danced with Abi next after Abi and Alex¡¯s song ended, and then Zeres also danced with her after Andrew. It was a delightful and wonderful evening that everyone had enjoyed to their heart¡¯s content, most especially Abi and Alex.

    The only thing missing on that asion was that some of the important people who were present in Abi and Alex¡¯s first wedding were absent this time. Kai, Kelly, and Ezekiel were unable to attend and only Abi and Alex knew why.

    _____

    [Atst, it¡¯s Kai and Kelly¡¯s moment!! Please go to the next chapters and let¡¯s apany Kai and Kelly in their very own journey.

    Let¡¯s us find out how they will fight for their love. What kind of story is waiting for them? Can they break the curse of forbidden love and be together forever?

    I hope you will enjoy their story as well. And don¡¯t worry hellbounders, Abi and Alex will be in the 2nd volume so you won¡¯t miss them.

    I think I might include more surprises in this second volume as well. So look forward to it. ^^]

    P.s. since this is thest chapter for the first volume, please do leave a review for Alex and Abi¡¯s story. I would really appreciate it if you leave one. Thank you <3

    (Follow my social media ounts so u will be notified once the book is published FB ount > @author_kazzenlx and Instagram ount @kazzenlx.x )

 Chapter 553 Jerk

    <h4>Chapter 553 Jerk</h4>

    Young¡¯s Residence...

    "Dad! You can¡¯t be serious!" Kelly rose from her seat. Her expression darkened with shock and fury.

    "I am very serious, Kelly. This talk was over more than a year ago and don¡¯t ever forget that you agreed with this deal. We gave you the total freedom you asked! Now it¡¯s time for you to obey without question." Said the oh-so-strict Mathew Young, Kelly¡¯s father. His voice domineering and authoritative.

    "But dad, why Tristan?!" Kelly gritted her teeth. "You know what that bastard did to me! Why him of all men in this world?!" Kelly was almost trembling. Both with fear and anger. She had never retorted back at her dad like this before. Her father was always a busy person as far as she could remember that she rarely saw him at home. And Kelly was always scared to displease him because she knew that her existence was already a disappointment to him. All because she wasn¡¯t born male.

    Mathew rose from his seat. His expression remained decisive and firm. "That will be enough from you, Kelly." He lifted his hand to stop her from talking as he sighed wearily. "Tristan is just a teenager back then. He¡¯s an adult now, a fully grown man. He¡¯s now a very responsible gentleman and no one is more suitable for you in this world but him. He is the man I wanted to take over ourpany. Once the Flynn and Young family¡¯s wealth merge, we will finally take the throne Ezekiel Qin left. Tristan will be the next Ezekiel Qin and you will be his wife."

    As soon as he said those words, Mathew strode off, leaving Kelly clenching her fists into tight balls. "The next Ezekiel Qin? Ha! Ezekiel Qin is a self-made billionaire. Tristan is nowhere near Ezekiel Qin. That lucky spoiled brat only inherited his parent¡¯s wealth and now, he¡¯s going to take my wealth too?" Kellyughed softly, hysterically.

    Tristan Flynn was Kelly¡¯s first ever boyfriend. He was the son of her father¡¯s best friend and since they were young, their parents were already pushing them to be together, telling them that she and Tristan were perfect for each other.

    Kelly liked Tristan because apart from being the person her family approved for her, he was handsome, and nice to her. She grew up believing that Tristan was the right one for her. They eventually dated when Kelly was sixteen. That made her parents happy.

    And then, on Kelly¡¯s 18th birthday, Tristan did something she could never ever forget. He was still her boyfriend back then when Kelly caught her boyfriend cheating on her. The bastard was eloping with some bitches on the very night of Kelly¡¯s debut. She didn¡¯t cry. Without a word, she left. She finally believed the rumors about Tristan being a real jerk. Then she found out about the bitches her damned two-faced boyfriend was hiding behind her back all those times. Kelly felt betrayed and anger darkened her heart. Tristan didn¡¯t like her at all. He only dated her because of her fortune, and she was the princess his family chose for him. She couldn¡¯t believe that he had herpletely fooled for two whole years. She thought Tristan was her first love but after meeting Kai, Kelly realized what she felt towards Tristan back then wasn¡¯t love. It was infatuation or probably what they called puppy love.

    Kelly broke up with him, but Tristan was persistent in seeking for her forgiveness. Too bad for him because Kelly knew it was only because his family most certainly had threatened him.

    Her anger towards this person whom she had once trusted whole-heartedly for two years didn¡¯t subside. She had wasted her precious two years on him while he was bitching around all those times. Utterly annoyed with Tristan¡¯s persistence, Kelly told him that she will forgive him if he let her beat him. Tristan agreed and Kelly beat him into a pulp, not sparing his handsome face.

    She had forgiven him after that, but she never trusted him again. Tristan then left the country and never appeared before her ever since then. Although she still heard from her friends that the bastard had never changed. He was a womanizer through and through. Kelly had dated many others after Tristan but unfortunately for her, all the good-looking men she dated cheated behind her back. Thus, they too, suffered a good beating as Kelly¡¯s parting gift for them. Since then, whenever Kelly was angry, she always went after good looking men and beat them up. Because in her eyes, they were all cheating bastards.

    And now, she¡¯s going to marry that same bastard?! No way in hell was she allowing that to happen!!!

    "Kelly dear," she heard her mother¡¯s voice as she patted her back. "I know what you feel but ¨C"

    "Mom, you don¡¯t. How could I marry that guy? He already cheated on me not once but countless times back then! He will definitely do that to me again!"

    "Give him a chance darling. I¡¯ve met him twice just the other day. He¡¯s so different now. He¡¯s not the old Tristan anymore. So, give him a chance okay?"

    Kelly opened her mouth in annoyance, but closed it before any words could spill out. She didn¡¯t want to argue with her mother. Her mother had juste from the hospital, so she didn¡¯t want to stress her out. So, without a word, Kelly dashed towards the front door.

    Riding her favorite ck bike, Kelly left the Young¡¯s Residence at full speed. She wanted to cool her head, or she will burst. She couldn¡¯t believe that all these things were happening.

    The engagement was something that Kelly was expecting. She knew she had to deal with this once she reached home. But she was still surprised to her bones because her father wasn¡¯t talking about engagement. He was already talking about the wedding, iming that she and Tristan were long engaged and it was high time for them to tie the knot.

    Kelly thought that she could still do something to change her family¡¯s mind. She had ns on how to postpone the engagement they were nning. And if her n A fails, she nned to make her fianc¨¦ ran away from her instead. She had many ns on how to do that.

    But things were going against her. She never thought that her father still chose Tristan of all people. She could already imagine what was waiting for her. Tristan will definitely do anything to get her, no, to get her wealth. He was such a jerk who only thinks about money after all. She knew he never changed because she heard about all his women after her and they were all rich kids. He never dated anyone who wasn¡¯t some heiress of a huge fortune. Kelly knew because even if she doesn¡¯t care, some of her friends still talk about Tristan in front of her. After all, the man was always second to Ezekiel Qin.

    Gritting her teeth, Kelly elerated until she halted in front of a bar.

 Chapter 554 Damned Jerk

    <h4>Chapter 554 Damned Jerk</h4>

    Follow my social media ounts so you will get notified once Hellbound Heart is published

    FB ount > @author_kazzenlx

    Instagram ount > @kazzenlx.x

    .

    Wearing a ck leather outfit which perfectly hugged her every curve, leaving nothing to the imagination, Kelly walked confidently inside. She clearly had an athletic body, and her breasts were perfectly sized for her body. Her wavy jet-ck hair with hints of midnight blue looked like a silk waterfall at night.

    Her expression was serious as she almost looked like a woman with a mission ¨C a do or die mission. And she looked damned badass and just utterly sexy.

    Multiple eyes were glued on her, but the men could tell that the gorgeous female tigress wasn¡¯t in the mood. Few of them also knew her, not as the sole heiress of the Young family, but as the badass woman who beat-up good-looking men.

    Sitting at the dimly lit corner, Kelly ran her fingers through her hair as she sipped on her drink. She had too many thoughts racing around in her head that she couldn¡¯t even care about anything else. She had to think about how to get away from this. How could she deal with that damned jerk? What should she do?

    Her mind was buzzing around like a bee, looking for solutions but nothing was popping up. As she drunk more, her mind wandered back to Country V, back to Kai, and she became a little emotional. Thinking about that night and the day when shest saw Kai made her felt like a needle was piercing her chest.

    Days ago, she and Kai spent one more day and a night together. Those days were among the few precious moments in her life. In Kai¡¯s world, Kelly felt fulfilled and content. To her, his world was the world she wanted. She knew it was not a world that would always be filled with sunshine and adventure, but it was the world and life that she thought would make her happy.

    She didn¡¯t want to be anyone¡¯s trophy wife. She didn¡¯t want to grow old thinking and doing nothing but how to grow or keep the family¡¯s wealth and legacy. She didn¡¯t want to marry without love. She didn¡¯t want anything or anyone but her pretty prince.

    A bitter smile curved on her lips as Kelly shook her head, reminding herself that she and Kai were hopeless. The two of them will never work and she had hurt Kai for being so stubborn, for wanting the impossible. Still, it was hard for her to ept. She never thought it would be this painful and she knew she could never get over him. Never.

    "It¡¯s unfair! Why can¡¯t I get the only man I ever truly wanted?" she murmured as she lifted her ss and emptied it. Her eyes were fierce, but pain and longing were dancing beneath those eyes.

    At that moment, Kelly¡¯s eyes caught a familiar figure standing not far from her. His back was facing her but there was no way ¨C either on earth or in hell ¨C that Kelly would not recognize this asshole.

    Tristan was there, bitching again, despite the fact that the two of them were set to meet tomorrow to talk about their marriage.

    "Asshole! I will break your neck!" she mumbled as her eyes narrowed.

    The man was holding two sexy girls in each arm. They seemed to just walk out of the private rooms above. Did this asshole just had a threesome?

    Her lips twitched in disgust. All she wanted that moment was attack him and hit him ck and blue until no woman will ever look at him anymore.

    With a wicked smile, Kelly brought out her cellphone and snapped a photo of him. If she shows this photo to her parents, this marriage was doomed. She didn¡¯t know what this damned man did to make her parents believe that he has changed. This jerk will never change, and she was right.

    ¡¯You¡¯re doomed bastard, I will make you regret that you still dared toe after me and my wealth,¡¯ she whispered within her.

    However, the triumphant smile on Kelly¡¯s face faded when a man suddenly snatched her phone. Kelly was slow to react because of all the alcohol she had downed earlier and because she was too busy celebrating with the picture as "evidence".

    She looked up; anger shed in her eyes as she rose. The man who got her phone was bulky and he looked like... damn... he was a bodyguard! Was he Tristan¡¯s bodyguard?

    "I¡¯m sorry miss, but we can¡¯t allow anyone to take a photo of our boss. We will return your phone once the image is gone." The man said as he gave her phone to another man in ck behind him. Damn. What a sly fox. No wonder there was no scandalous news about this jerk all these times.

    "Give me back my phone." Kelly demanded, unfazed. "Now!"

    The bodyguard looked at her with warning and threat. And that was it. Kellynded a punch on the man¡¯s nose. Elusive and fast as ever, Kelly attempted to snatch back her phone from the other man behind the man she just punched when, someone grabbed her wrist.

    More men came and before she knew it, she was surrounded by four men in ck. The other man gripped her other wrist very tight.

    ¡¯Damn!¡¯ Kelly cursed. She was a little drunk and these men were definitely elite bodyguards. There was no way she could go against them!

    "What¡¯s going on?" a voice echoed, and the men turned.

    "We caught a paparazzi, boss." One of the guard said as Kelly struggled from their grip.

    The moment they pulled Kelly and made her face their boss, Tristan¡¯s eyes slightly widen.

    Kelly always saw his damned face in magazines and on the television, so she wasn¡¯t surprised with the changes in Tristan¡¯s appearance anymore. He indeed changed from a boy to a man. His pretty face now looked hard and his body was muscr but not bulky. His overwhelming sensuality that everyone kept praising about him also dramatically levelled up. But his jerk factor and asshole vibes also increased to the highest level. She could see it in those lusty eyes of his as he assessed her from her head to toe.

    "Long time no see, Jerk," she greeted with a mocking smile. "I see you¡¯re still bitching around as always." She looked at him with utter disgust.

    What she said immediately aggravated Tristan and he sent away the girls he was holding.

    "What are you doing here?" he stepped closer to her as he signaled his men to let her go. And as soon as they let go of her wrist, a hard punchnded on Tristan¡¯s jaw, causing the guards to immediately seize her again.

    "You still dare want to marry me? What a damned jerk! I will break your damned nose at the altar before you could even say ¡¯I do¡¯!" Kelly said in anger.

 Chapter 555 Little brother

    <h4>Chapter 555 Little brother</h4>

    Tristan simply licked the corner of his lips as he rubbed his jaw. It seemed like he wasn¡¯t the same young boy whom Kelly easily beat up back then.

    "What a surprising greeting Kelly," he said although he didn¡¯t look like he was surprised at all. "Did youe here to spy on your future husband?"

    "Future husband! Ha!" she snorted in disgust. "I will never marry you Tristan Flynn. Over my dead body!" she dered. Tristan¡¯s eyes red with something dangerous at what she said but too soon, his expression softened.

    He stretched out his hand and his guard gave him her phone. He stared at it before looking at her. "So you¡¯re nning to show this to your parents to stop the wedding." He nodded as if he was amazed. "You¡¯re as smart as always, Kelly."

    And then he stepped closer, his eyes were hard and dangerous as he cupped her chin. "But too bad my girl, because your parents will never dislike me. Did you know? They already considered me as their son. So stop being a brat Kelly. Grow up. What I¡¯m doing is normal. There is no such thing as a one-woman man in this world anymore, you understand? I will marry you." He stressed. "Even if I will have thousands of mistresses, you¡¯ll be the ONLY wife! So be satisfied with that and use your brain. Don¡¯t even think about making this harder and ept reality, this is how the world works now. And you already know this long ago, Kelly. In our world, an arrange marriage is normal and inevitable. You are born rich so ept your fate. Understand?"

    "Bastard ¨C"

    "Hush now Kelly. Or could it be that you¡¯re like this because you¡¯re jealous?" he smiled. "You can have me tonight my dear fianc¨¦e. Or any nights you wanted." He added as his lecherous gaze zoomed in on her chests.

    "F*ck you ¨C"

    "You¡¯ve grown to be such a gorgeous woman Kelly." He ignored her curses and he signaled his men to let her go again.

    "Give me my phone." Kelly immediately demanded, ignoring the faint ache on her wrists.

    "Come with me, to my house, and I¡¯ll return it to you."

    Her fist flew towards his face again but this time, Tristan dodged it. "What¡¯s wrong with it? We¡¯re engaged, Kelly and will get married in five days. Our parents will be delighted if we arrived together ¨C"

    "Go f*ck yourself, asshole!" Kelly cut him off and leaving her phone, she turned her back on him and left.

    Tristan¡¯s eyes were focused on Kelly¡¯s cute little bottom and lust red in his eyes. He hadn¡¯t seen Kelly for a very long time. He never thought she¡¯s be this gorgeous, this deadly sexy. Kelly was already good looking back then but she was very different now. She had grown up into the type of woman in his fantasies. He never thought she would easily outshine all his other women.

    And the most interesting thing was that her disgust and hate towards him was real. The fact that she didn¡¯t swoon at his feet ignited something within him. She used to be a little shy around him back then and he knew she truly liked him. But now, she didn¡¯t even seem affected by anything about him. And unexpectedly, he was extremely attracted to her.

    "She¡¯s my future wife so if she wanted to beat you guys, let her." He said to his guards with a thrilled smile and his guards nodded after looking at each other in confusion.

    "And if she tries to attack you?"

    "Let her. She¡¯s just a girl. I can handle her now. She¡¯s the reason why I learned to fight after all," he smirked as if he was looking forward for something interesting.

    "Let¡¯s go. I have something more interesting thing to do now." Tristan added and they left the bar.

    Kelly¡¯s bike screeched to a halt as soon as she was far enough from that bar. She was so angry; she was literally burning up. Hastily, Kelly climbed off her bike and kicked a tree on the road side.

    "Damn you!! Just you wait you jerk!!" she snarled at the tree as if the tree was Tristan. "Ouch!" she crouched down and rubbed her feet.

    That was when a worried male voice rang from behind her.

    "Miss, are you okay?" he said. Kelly snapped at him.

    "No! Do I look okay?" she answered as she winced in pain.

    "What can I help you with?" he asked, and Kelly looked at him again. She finally realized how good looking the young man was. He had the same chocte brown hair like her Kai and his features were unearthly. Despite wearing a simple jeans and t-shirt, clothes just won¡¯t downgrade his breathtaking good looks.

    With a narrowed gaze, Kelly rose and suddenly grabbed his cor. The boy looked eighteen but he was still taller than her. "You want to help me?" Kelly asked and the young man creased her brows, lost for a while before he nodded.

    Kelly smiled. "Then, will you let me beat you? I will pay you and... I won¡¯t harm your gorgeous face."

    Unexpectedly, the young man didn¡¯t look surprised. After a short while of silence, he tilted his head slightly and then nodded.

    Without a moment of hesitation, Kelly¡¯s fistnded on the young man¡¯s abdomen. And then to his chest. She kicked him and then punched him again, venting her anger on him, until she was satisfied. The young man groaned as he crouched down. Kelly grabbed the young man¡¯s cor and whispered in his ear. "You¡¯re a vampire, right?" she asked.

    The young man stilled. So still that she couldn¡¯t tell if he was still breathing. That was enough for Kelly. She knew the young man was acting like he¡¯s in pain a while ago when she was hitting him. "Don¡¯t tell me, you¡¯re a royal vampire. That hair of yours is exactly the same as my beloved, you know?" she raised a brow. "Prince Kai¡¯s little brother?"

    The young man choked. "I... I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about Miss." He said, averting his gaze away.

    Kelly sighed. This little cutie pie was obviously flustered. Why did the royal family let this little cutie go out in the world without training him how to lie?

    "Did Kai sent you to spy on me or something?" she asked again and the young shook his head like a rattle.

    "No. I just saw you while you¡¯re riding your bike and thought you look like ¨C"

    "Your brother¡¯s woman?" Kelly smiled confidently and the young man nodded. He suddenly froze as his eyes widened and he sheepishly cleared his throat. Regret shed on his face as if he wanted to take back his reaction. But it was toote now. It¡¯s already confirmed.

    Another deep sigh escaped Kelly¡¯s lips. "What¡¯s your name?"

    "Kyle."

    Kelly suddenly rubbed her forehead. She almost heard that as ¡¯Kai¡¯.

    "You already know my name?" she asked and he nodded. "So? Why are you here?"

 Chapter 556 What happened

    <h4>Chapter 556 What happened</h4>

    Kyle looked around. "Just... doing some sight-seeing. It¡¯s my first time here. This ce is cool. I want to go up there," he pointed at the tallest building. "But I think I can¡¯t enter."

    "Why don¡¯t you just climb? That¡¯s way too easy for you to do."

    Kyle shook his head. "No. I am supposed to be a human right now. I can¡¯t do something crazy and risk exposing my true identity."

    Kelly gave a wry smile. Ah, so obedient. A civilized vampire prince, exactly like the man she knew.

    "That building is owned by your brother though." Kelly said and as expected, the innocent cutie pie didn¡¯t even know.

    "My brother... Kai?"

    "No. Ezekiel."

    "Oh," was all the young man said.

    "But I don¡¯t know what is happening now with the empire he left. He had killed himself without announcing an heir." Kelly said. She knew that Ezekiel was alive and kicking in Country V.

    "Do you want to go? I can take you there." She offered but the young man politely declined.

    "I want to, but I have to leave in ten minutes. I have others with me and we¡¯re going back to our kingdom."

    "I see..." Kelly nodded and after a long awkward silence, Kelly looked at him. "Kai... how is he?"

    The young man met her gaze. "I¡¯m sorry but I do not know. I haven¡¯t seen him for days now."

    Kelly¡¯s brows knotted. But looking at the boy¡¯s eyes, she knew he was telling the truth. "I see..." was all Kelly uttered. "Well then, be safe on your way home. Although I am still speechless that you are roaming around alone like this. I am worried some naughty bitches might catch you."

    Kyle smiled. He had such a beautiful smile like his brother. "Don¡¯t worry Miss, I won¡¯t let bitches catch me."

    A shortugh echoed. "Good boy," Kelly said. "If you visit here again, juste to me. I¡¯ll be your tour guide."

    The boy nodded with a pleased and warm smile, making him look even cuter.

    He waved at her and then turned when Kelly called out to him a few secondster.

    "Kyle!"

    The boy looked over his shoulder.

    "Tell Kai... I¡¯m getting married in five days." She said, smiling. But Kyle saw how her lips trembled as she said those words.

    Kyle looked shocked but before he could say a word, Kelly climbed on her bike and left.

    ...

    Kelly arrived at Alex and Abi¡¯s houseter that night.

    Charles had let her in and led her to the sofa by the firece. The ancient looking mansion was quiet, but the atmosphere was pleasant. And she knew why thisrge ce didn¡¯t look cold and cavernous anymore. Because the couple living here was happy and in love. Their love was the sunshine warming up this ancient and quiet ce.

    "Kelly!" Abi¡¯s voice echoed and Kelly rose from her seat. The first thing she did was dashed towards Abi and hugged her.

    Abi silently rubbed her back softly, knowing that her friend was in a dire situation. Once Kelly calmed down, she took a deep breath and saw Alexander descending the grand staircase. He was wearing a sky blue printed pyjamas that matched Abi¡¯s.

    This Alexander wearing something like that was shocking but cute at the same time. And the most frustrating thing was that the man still managed toe across as wickedly good looking. Something that made Kelly wanted to roll her eyes. This couple was making her damned jealous. She imagined Kai in those pyjamas, and she bit her bottom lip. Her Kai would still look delicious in those clothes.

    Pulling away from Abi, Kelly took another deep sigh.

    "Kelly, what happened?" Abi asked her as she led her back to the couch. Kelly sat next to her, but her eyes looked for Alexander. The man was gone. "Do you want us to speak upstairs?"

    "No, it¡¯s fine," Kelly rxed and leaned back on the couch. "You looked and feel different now, Abi." She muttered as she looked up at the ceiling before she turned to her.

    Abi was creasing her brows slightly and Kelly smiled. "You looked even prettier now," she added. "Okay, you¡¯re always beautiful but there¡¯s definitely something different now." She moved and leaned closer to Abi. "Did you turn into a vampire?"

    Abi blinked. She didn¡¯t tell Kelly about the fact that she was now an immortal. Kelly didn¡¯t know that she was the reincarnated dragon keeper. Her family also don¡¯t know anything about this. Abi talked about this to Alex and they both knew that this was something that must be kept a secret to from everyone. They knew they could keep it a secret but as time went by, everyone will start to question why are they not getting older. This issue was something they must think about seriously, but Alex told Abi that there was still plenty of time for them to deal with this issue. For now, Abi decided not to tell Kelly or her family about these things.

    "I think... it¡¯s because I¡¯m pregnant." Abi shrugged. Kelly inclined her head and Abi could tell that she was considering it. After all, Kelly knew that Alex was a half vampire. "Okay, enough about me Kelly." Abi quickly changed the topic. "What happened? I know you¡¯re here for a reason. Is it... is it about Kai?"

    Kelly looked away. And then, she told Abi about everything that had happened since she came back home.

    Abi was shocked and angry.

    "Ugh! I don¡¯t know what to do Abi." Kelly uttered helplessly. "I want to run away."

    Speechless, Abi held her friend¡¯s hand. "D-does Kai knew about this?" she asked, hesitantly.

    A small smile curved on Kelly¡¯s face and her eyes looked hurt. "Nope."

    "Why don¡¯t you tell him, Kelly? He might ¨C"

    "Abi, Kai and I..." Kelly trailed off, biting the inside of her bottom lip. "It didn¡¯t work out."

    Abi¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.

    "Huh? What do you mean? D-did Kai reject you?"

    "No... but..."

    "Kelly. Can you tell me what actually happened between you two? I might... I might be able to help."

    .

    [HAPPY NEW YEAR HELLBOUNDERS!! I WISH ALL OF YOU THE BEST THIS YEAR. PLEASE STAY HEALTHY AND SAFE. I love you all. ??]

 Chapter 557 Call*

    <h4>Chapter 557 Call*</h4>

    Kelly looked down and stared at her hands on herp. It took her a while before she lifted her face again and looked at Abi.

    The concern in Abi¡¯s eyes soothed Kelly¡¯s heart, and she finally began to speak and told Abi what happened between them.

    Days ago, after spending a night with Kai in his vi, Kelly didn¡¯t go home. She stayed with Kai for another day. Kai had brought Kelly around the city, and to Kelly, that was one special day she could never forget. Kai had made her happy, and she knew that her feelings for him grew even stronger. The love she felt for him was so overwhelming that she actually thought about breaking her promise to her parents. She didn¡¯t want to go home. She didn¡¯t want to wake up from this dream-like world she had found. She wanted to stay in this fantasynd where she could fly freely with the man she fell in love with.

    But when the night came, Kelly was forcefully awakened from her sweet, sweet dream, and reality pped her. Hard.

    Kelly had continued her erotic exploration that night. Doing even naughtier and wilder moves on Kai. They let themselves drown in pleasure. Their unquenchable cravings for each other was too much reason, and worries had left them. Everything else washed away that they both couldn¡¯t stop themselves frommitting the forbidden act.

    And they did it... and the price was heavy. They climb up thedder of maddening pleasure, but before they could even reach the heavens, Kai¡¯s instinct consumed him, and warning bells deafened Kelly. Kelly had called out for his name over and over again, but the man couldn¡¯t hear anything. His eyes were vivid blood moons. The warmth and love in his eyes were gone. They turned into the eyes of a starved predator.

    Kelly tried to pull away, but Kai was too strong; any wrong movement and he could crush her bones. It was toote. Kelly felt it. And she could only utter ¡¯I¡¯m sorry¡¯ and ¡¯I love you,¡¯ knowing that after this, Kai could never forgive himself. Never. And it was all her fault.

    However, as Kelly braced herself for what would happen next, Kai suddenly stopped and let go of her. Kelly opened her eyes and saw that Kai¡¯s eyes were no longer bloody red. But they didn¡¯t return to normal. A pitch-ck smoke seemed to have covered his eyes, and he silently climbed off her.

    The still shocked Kelly rose and watched him grabbed his robe at the foot of the bed and wore it. Kelly called out, but the man didn¡¯t speak. He walked away from the bed but he fell on his knees before he could even reach the ss window. He looked as though he just vomited.

    Kelly scrambled out of bed towards him, but before she could reach him, Kai stood again and broke the window with his fist. And then he was gone.

    When Kelly looked down where Kai had fallen, she saw blood on the floor. She knew the blood came from Kai, and he most probably vomited them.

    That night, Kelly waited for Kai, but when the man didn¡¯t return, she drove out of the vi back to the castle. She couldn¡¯t reach Abi, so her only choice was to go back. She knew something happened with Kai and that he¡¯s in grave danger. Luckily, Kelly found a beautiful bike in the garage and she had the key she took from Kai¡¯s room.

    Ezekiel Qin was the one who weed her. The terrifying man made Kelly flinch almost every time he spoke, but Kelly held her ground and asked him where Kai was.

    Despite feeling like she was in front of Lucifer, the devil, Kelly still spoke to him, telling him what happened to Kai before he disappeared. To her surprise, the man already knew everything, and he told her she could not see Kai.

    Ezekiel told Kelly that Kai was injured but was already recovering and that Kai wished Kelly to go back home. Kelly was suspicious. She pleaded to Ezekiel that she wanted to see Kai, but the oh-so-cold Ezekiel didn¡¯t budge.

    And then, she was escorted to the airport. The sun was already out when Kelly reached the airport. She dialed Kai¡¯s number multiple times until finally, he answered it.

    Kelly cried hearing his voice as she asked him if he was fine. When Kai said he¡¯s doing good, Kelly asked him to show up before she go, but Kai said he couldn¡¯t fulfill her wish. Kelly was hurt, but she didn¡¯t say anything. She said sorry , but Kai said she didn¡¯t have anything to apologize for. And then, she said ¡¯I love you,¡¯ but Kai¡¯s response was, ¡¯I love you, goodbye.¡¯¡¯

    The call was cut after that because Kelly¡¯s phone died. She tried to find somewhere to charge, but two royal guards escorted her until she was inside the ne. She tried to call Kai again, but she could no longer reach him.

    And just like that, Kelly was back to the real world. To the world she so wanted to escape from.

    ...

    Abi could only hug Kelly. She didn¡¯t know that all these happened to Kelly while she was in White Falls Vige.

    "I am worried about Kai. I don¡¯t know why but when Ist spoke to him... I feel like something is wrong with him." Kelly said as she fiddled with her fingers.

    "I think Kai is fine. He is very healthy thest time I saw him. He even helped us. I didn¡¯t see anything wrong with him during the battle."

    "Battle?"

    Abi caught her lower lips between her teeth. "It¡¯s just a fight between Alex and the rogue vampires. Kai helped us, and he was as strong as before. So I think he might be already cured." Abi managed to bring Kelly¡¯s attention to Kai.

    What Abi said made Kelly sighed in relief, and she rxed a little.

    "Do you want me to help you tell Kai about the wedding your parents arranged for you?"

    Kelly shook her head. "I already told his brother, Abi."

    "Brother? Ezekiel?"

    "No. I just met a teenager named Kyle before I came here, so I told him."

    At that moment, Alex was approaching them, holding the tray of tea Charles had prepared for Abi and Kelly. His brows creased upon hearing the name Kelly mentioned.

    "Kyle? Who¡¯s with him?" Alex asked as he put down the tray.

    "He¡¯s alone." As soon as those words left Kelly¡¯s lips, Alex¡¯s eyes widened. "He said he had apanion, and he¡¯s going to meet them soon. But when I found him, he¡¯s wandering alone in the street."

    Alex rubbed his forehead.

    "That brat!" he hissed as he straightened and Kelly realized that that young prince didn¡¯t seem to be allowed wandering alone.

    "Well... I do think it¡¯s dangerous for that boy wondering like that. He didn¡¯t even know how to lie, and that¡¯s why I quickly realized he¡¯s a vampire ¨C"

    "Where is he?"

    As soon as Kelly told him the ce, Alex hastily leaned down towards his wife, kissed her forehead, and told her he needed to check on the troublesome kid.

    Once Alex was gone, Abi faced Kelly again. She looked at her best friend¡¯s eyes intently.

    "Kelly... What are you nning to do now? Do you have a n?"

    .

    ANNOUNCEMENT (January 3, 2021)

    [Dear hellbounders, I am sorry for the scarce update. I think I pretty burned myself out T^T. I¡¯ve been writing every day since Februaryst year and I think hell bound pretty burned me out. I am feeling the effect on me now and it¡¯s very bad. I thought 3 days rest is enough but I was wrong. I am still stressed and I¡¯ve been suffering from excessive hair loss since December. My family is worried about me, so I am sorry but I need to go slowly for this volume. Please don¡¯t worry, I will never drop it. I will be updating 1 chapter every other day. I will make sure toe back once I¡¯m better.

    But for now. Please give me time to recharge. Again, my update will be 1 chapter every other day.

    Thank you so much hellbounders! Love you guys.

    ?Kazzen]

    *unedited

    P.s. I hope my loyal hellbounders still votes for this book everyday even without daily update.

 Chapter 558 Plan B*

    <h4>Chapter 558 n B*</h4>

    My n?" Kelly looked at her best friend. Her eyes lit by a glint of mischief, not the yfulness of an innocent child, but something crazy and... dangerously rming.

    Abi waited patiently. Knowing that Kelly wasn¡¯t the type who just sit there and ept everything, Abi was intrigued at what she was nning to do next.

    "Running away." Kelly grinned, but Abi couldn¡¯t see the determination she was expecting in Kelly¡¯s eyes. The stubbornness and wildness Kelly usually possessed were gone.

    "But I can¡¯t run away," she added. "My family... all they have is me. I understand why my father is doing this. Since I was young, I was raised to ept my fate. That one day, I will get married, not for the sake of love but the sake of my family and thepany. And I knew I couldn¡¯t escape this... and that¡¯s why I asked for a year ofplete independence. They gave it to me. I promised them I would abide by whatever they want after that. If I ran away... I will betray them, and without me, their one and only heir, my family... thepany will eventually...." Kelly leaned back and rubbed her face with her hands. "My mother is ill and my father... I could already foresee what would happen if I run away... he¡¯ll go mad and might have a heart attack. Thepany is everything to him. He¡¯ll do everything to find me, and even if he would fail to find me, I don¡¯t want to be the cause of the family¡¯s fall."

    "How about n B?" Abi asked softly after a long while of silence. She knew how serious andplicated Kelly¡¯s situation. Before Kelly met Kai, Abi knew that Kelly was never really serious about finding the love of her life. It was because of this. Had she not meet Kai, Kelly might be sitting there now, with her legs folded as she drinks her wine elegantly, like a savage queen,pletely unfazed. She might even willingly marry Tristan, but of course, with meticulous ns and conditions that would never make her emerged victorious in the end. Kelly had been a little too callous to men back then. But now, meeting Kai changed her.

    There was a long pause before Kelly responded. "The n B is..." she forced a grin again. "I need to find a man in the next four days to wed."

    "Oh," Abi¡¯s lips formed a small ¡¯o¡¯. "Alex and I can help Kelly. Alex can call Kai ¨C"

    "No, Abi." Kelly cut her off. "Not Kai." She shook her head as she shed a bitter smile.

    "But Kelly ¨C"

    "Any man can do as long as it¡¯s not Kai and not Tristan."

    Abi creased her brows with worry. Kelly¡¯s voice had gone cold and unfeeling.

    "All I have to do is find a man who does not like me and will abide by my conditions. Of course, he needs to be a big fish, so my family approves of him."

    "W-what conditions?"

    "That we¡¯re going to get married just in papers and get a divorceter... that we shall not live together..." Kelly paused while Abi¡¯s lips hang open.

    Seeing Abi¡¯s dumbfounded reaction made Kelly smile. This time not forced. "Don¡¯t worry, Abi. A marriage of convenience like that is no longer umon." She exined as she shrugged. But then, her eyes sharpened, and she gritted her teeth. "Tristan, that bastard will never agree with my condition. He would want me to be his baby-making machine. Over my dead body," she hissed.

    Abi was speechless. She didn¡¯t know what to say. Kelly had been such a strong-willed woman that she never once seek for Abi¡¯s advice. Since they became friends, Kelly rarely vented out her frustrations and problems but never sought advice. Kelly always decided for herself. And the look of her now, Abi knew that whatever she would say would be useless because it seemed Kelly had already made up her mind, and she¡¯s going for her n B.

    "I already have a list of prospects. And I¡¯m going to start hunting them tomorrow. One of the men on my list is Chris, haha." Sheughed, shaking her head a little in disbelief. "He¡¯s quite a wealthy superstar, and thepany he just started is very promising. My parents wouldn¡¯t mind as long the man is wealthy enough. Though I can already imagine the look on that guy¡¯s face upon hearing my proposal. But there¡¯s a possibility that he¡¯ll agree."

    "Why would you think that he¡¯ll agree?"

    "Because he¡¯s heartbroken, like me." Kelly grinned and then waved her hand. "Kidding. I heard a piece of interesting news about him. Unfortunately, the poor guy is like me, Abi. He also has an inheritance he couldn¡¯t im unless he gets married. Hopefully, he¡¯s not too scared of me, haha. My next prospect is..."

    As Kelly continued talking about the men on her list, Abi could only listen to her. But after a long while, Abi finally opened her mouth to speak.

    "Kelly..." Abi reached out and held her dear friend¡¯s hand, pressing it gently, as if to convey her support to her. Abi still didn¡¯t want to give up. The thought that Kelly will marry a man she didn¡¯t love was breaking her heart. Kelly deserved to be happy. "Are you..." Abi was careful and her voice filled with concern and hesitation, "are you really sure... I mean... Kai ¨C"

    "Kai will refuse even if I fall to my knees and propose to him, Abi." Kelly bit her lower lip. "He thinks he will be the death of me... He had given up on us, Abi." Abi could hear the ache and struggle in Kelly¡¯s voice. She was trying so hard to bury the emotions within her. "And I understand why... if I were the one in his shoes..." she paused and smiled bitterly. "I¡¯d rather send my love away than stay with him and constantly being on guard... and afraid that I¡¯ll kill him with my own hands."

    The room fell silent again. Abi fought the tears that threatening to cloud her eyes. This was too much. She could see the overwhelming emotions in Kelly¡¯s eyes. She was breaking within, but there were no tears in her eyes.

    "Don¡¯t worry about me, Abi. I will be alright." Kelly still managed to smile. "I can handle this. I¡¯ve been preparing myself for this for many years, you know. And Kai... he¡¯s way too beautiful, way too otherworldly to suffer for the likes of worldly woman like me. He deserves a woman that will not make him tremble in fear and horror every time he makes love with her." She looked up, and a wishful glimmer covered the pain in her eyes, "I am letting him go..."

 Chapter 559 Gangster

    <h4>Chapter 559 Gangster</h4>

    When Alex entered their bedroom, he found Abigail standing by the window.

    She turned with a sheepish smile, and her heart tripped a little at the sight of him. His hair was disheveled and a little damp. His fingers were already busy unbuttoning his shirt, revealing the delicious and lithe muscrity of his godly body. His eyes, his lips, his face riveting in their sensuous perfection. This god of seduction was doing it again, and Abigail knew she could never ever get tired of watching him do this. Much more get used to it.

    His gaze swept over her. Despite wearing a pajama pair, Alex¡¯s looked at her as if she was wearing a seductive nightgown.

    "Did you see the boy?" Abi asked as Alex put his shirt on the chair and approached her.

    "Yes, the brat is alone. Thepanions he was talking about are nonexistent." He answered.

    "Nonexistent?"

    "He insisted that two elite vampires had escorted him, but the names he gave are unheard of. I called Zeke and confirmed there¡¯s no vampire with those names and features." He exined as he unbuckled his belt. "And Kyle didn¡¯t seem to be lying. I think an imposter had lured him out."

    Abi¡¯s brows creased. "But for what purpose?"

    "Perhaps, someone wanted to expose the presence of vampires to the world. I¡¯m not certain yet but don¡¯t worry, Zeke¡¯s already dealing with this, my love." He held her from behind and kissed the side of her throat.

    "Alex..." She drew in a breath at the hot touch of his breath. "I am worried about Kelly." She added, causing Alex¡¯s lips on her skin to pause. "Is there really no hope for them? I want to help them, Alex. I don¡¯t want Kelly to marry a man she didn¡¯t love."

    Gently, Alex turned her to face him. He stared into her eyes and saw the troubled and worried look in her lovely eyes. He drew her in his embrace and kissed her head.

    "Okay, we will help them. I shall see what we can do for them," he said, and he felt Abi sighed in relief.

    "Thank you," she whispered.

    Alex swooped her into his arms. He gently put her down on the bed and then kissed her lips. "Anything for you, my love," he uttered.

    ...

    The next morning.

    Kelly arrived at the Young residence, wearing a pure ck outfit.

    She deliberately came homete despite the endless callsing from her parents, telling her that Tristan and his parents had arrived long ago. Kelly didn¡¯t care, and she didn¡¯t want to go but knowing her parents, Kelly decided to appear still. She was afraid that her father might do something stupid because of rage and probably end up locking her home. She can¡¯t afford to be restrained or locked in the next few days. She still had to go and hunt for the men on her list.

    As soon as she entered the mansion, she was weed with a seemingly happy and pleasant conversation. Her eyes immediately narrowed at the sight of the man she despised to her very core. He was shamelessly speaking so politely to her parents, like how a doting son-inw should act before his inws. He was dazzling, and she damned hated it. It was obvious this man had already won the hearts of her parents. The worst thing was that Kelly already felt that Tristan had won and had already even stolen her parents from her, especially her father, who had been dreaming of having a son.

    Silently, Kelly approached them. Her father red at her at the sight of her outfit. She wished he would send her away and get change, but he didn¡¯t. He was too eager to get over the talk.

    Kelly was mute the entire conversation. Her father spoke for her as if she was someone not capable of talking for herself. Rage quietly crashed and swirled inside her, but Kelly had managed to keep an unfeeling, expressionless face.

    Once everything was over, Kelly was the first to rise. Her eyes cold as she took a step to leave without a word. But Tristan¡¯s voice halted her.

    "You forgot this in my car, Kelly."

    Kelly¡¯s head whipped around, and she stared at Tristan with narrowed eyes. Her cellphone in his hand. The look on her parents¡¯ face was beyond pleased, and Kelly cursed within her.

    She grabbed the phone from him and stormed out of the mansion.

    It didn¡¯t take long until a gorgeous ck bike left the mansion¡¯s gate at a bullet speed. Kelly was so angry she felt like exploding.

    It was already sunset when Kelly finally found Chris. The man had just finished his taping when Kelly appeared, dressed in that badass and sexy leather outfit of hers.

    Everyone in the set, both male and female, looked at her with awe. They couldn¡¯t help but gape at how perfect her body was. She dressed and looked like a perfect antagonist of a badass action movie. While everyone was curious about her identity, the first thing Chris did was call for the security.

    Kelly immediately frowned and red at him as she approached him.

    "Wait, wait, wait." Chris stepped back. "Don¡¯t me me for impulsively calling the guards Kelly. Don¡¯t you know how you look right now? You look like an assassin! And god, why you¡¯re looking at me as if you¡¯re after my head? At least let the security check if you¡¯re hiding weapons!"

    Realizing the rage that was still oozing in her eyes, Kelly halted and took a deep breath. She fought to calm herself, and once she did, she shed a smile towards Chris.

    But the tall, lean, and swoon-worthy superstar obviously didn¡¯t buy her smile. "Don¡¯t smile, damn it. You look even scarier!"

    Kelly closed her eyes, pressing her lips tight as she sighed again. "I don¡¯t have any weapon, and I am certainly not here to take your head Mr. Superstar. In fact, I don¡¯t even care about your head or any part of your body."

    "You... don¡¯t tell me you ran out of good-looking men to beat, and I¡¯m the only one left."

    "No, no, Chris. Just for you to know, you¡¯re not good-looking enough to deserve the power of my fists."

    Chris strode towards her and grabbed Kelly¡¯s forearm. "Come here, you, gangster." He dragged her towards the make-up room, and as soon as he closed the door, he faced her with an exasperated look. "Then, what do you want from me?"

    Kelly nonchntly sat on the chair and crossed her impossibly long legs. She stared at him, and without any preamble, Kelly spoke.

    "I came to propose to you. Let¡¯s get married."

 Chapter 560 Maddening

    <h4>Chapter 560 Maddening</h4>

    A deafening silence enveloped the makeup room. Chris was gaping at Kelly, blinking and utterly speechless. He looked like he was preparing tough the moment he sees even a little sign of mischief on Kelly¡¯s face. But the woman was damn serious. She had the look of a heroine in a movie proposing a do or die mission. She was so intense that Chris couldn¡¯t help but feel goosebumps.

    "Haha..." He shook his head with a forced disbelievingugh. "A-are you out of your mind?!" he asked. He couldn¡¯t help but tense up because he knew this woman. She was the type of a girl who would do everything and anything to achieve her goal, and she does it in a way that made her look like there was no task beneath her and no amount of adversity could deter her.

    When Kelly just gave him a steady stare that was evidence of her seriousness, Chris raked his lean hand roughly through his blond hair. The rings in his lean fingers and the ck stud in his one ear, which suited him, glimmered.

    "I know your situation Chris," Kelly said calmly. Chris bit his lower lip as he looked away, but he didn¡¯t look offended that Kelly knew about his dilemma. He knew that the Youngs would know about his secret because of their connection to his grandmother.

    "This will be beneficial for both of us," Kelly added, her voice and expression remained pure business-like.

    "W-why would I marry an amazon like you? I am a sessful superstar! I know I am depressed sometimes and heartbroken but definitely not suicidal, Kelly!" he argued as he sighed and faced her.

    "Oh, c¡¯mon, dude. As I said, this will be a marriage of convenience. No one will ever know that we got married aside from the two of us, my parents, and your grandmother. After months or a year, we¡¯ll file a divorce and settle it as quietly as possible."

    "God, no, Kelly. Don¡¯t tempt me." Chris groaned. He knew there was no better choice for him than this. If it¡¯s this woman, he would no longer need to worry about many things that could go wrong. He knew that the Youngs would never let anything to damn their oh-so-clean reputation. If it¡¯s Kelly, he was confident that there wouldn¡¯t be any scandal that would ruin his career. But still... Kelly? Is he going to marry this woman of all people in this world?

    Chris shook his head again and ran his fingers through his hair. "I think I better go hunt for a girl too. Anyone can do except you, Miss Kelly."

    "Ha!" Kelly gave him a mocking snort.

    "There¡¯re countless girls who¡¯re dying to marry me even if it¡¯s only a fake union!" he retorted.

    Finally, Kelly rose from her seat. "You, idiot," she red at him. "None of those girls is powerful enough to control the media. Only I can do that."

    Chris was immediately silenced.

    "Use your brain." Kelly sighed. "Whether you believe it or not, I am your best choice. I¡¯m telling you, any other girl other than me will cause you unimaginable trouble that could eventually end your stardom."

    "Ugh! Fine!" Chris¡¯s shoulders dropped. He hated to admit it, but Kelly was right. In fact, he knew this was an opportunity he knew he would regret if he let slip away from his grasp. "But wait. At least give me a day or two to think about this, will you?"

    "I¡¯ll give you a day, Christian. Remember, you¡¯ll be damned if you refuse my offer. And just for you to know, unlike you, I have other choices."

    "Then, why did youe to me first?"

    "Well, because you¡¯re probably the only one who doesn¡¯t see me as a woman out of all the men on my list..." Kelly smirked at him. "If it¡¯s you, it¡¯ll be less troublesome," she concluded and walked towards the door. "I¡¯ll wait until tomorrow."

    Once Kelly was gone, Chris let out a deep sigh.

    ...

    That night, Kelly arrived at Abi and Alex¡¯s house. Kelly told Abi about Chris, and the two spoke for a long time before they went to bed.

    At midnight, Alex silently climbed off the bed. He donned his robe and bent to kiss his wife¡¯s forehead before he walked out of the room. Alex headed to the spacious terrace and leaned his elbows on the intricately designed railing.

    A cold breeze blew his messy hair as he peered towards his side without moving. The man he¡¯s waiting for had just arrived.

    "Did your brother reach home?" he asked.

    "Yes. He¡¯s now in Zeke¡¯s custody," answered Kai. His voice was t.

    Kai looked disheveled, looking like a gorgeous ouw on the run. Well, he had sped up all the way from the kingdom because of Alex¡¯s urgent call.

    "You don¡¯t look good, Kai," Alex said as he faced him. "Is it because of the news you received from Kyle?"

    Kai didn¡¯t respond. He simply stared at the dark space.

    "Why did you summon me? What¡¯s the urgent matter?" Kai asked instead.

    "Well, my wife wanted to help her best friend, and I promised her I¡¯d help."

    Kai tensed up. Muscles in his jaws clenched in a quiet rage. But there was no way Kai would even say a word ofint to Alex.

    "I don¡¯t know how, though." Alex continued. Ignoring Kai¡¯s reactions. "Even I who¡¯s a half-blooded have no idea how would it even work for a pure-blooded vampire and a human. And I am certain you already tried looking for answers. I presumed you even asked the prophetess."

    Kai remained silent.

    "So this is all I can do. Call you here and talk to you." Alex sighed when the man didn¡¯t even bother letting out any sound.

    The silence reigned between them for a long time until Alex decided to leave the guy alone. It seemed he should speak with Zeke about this instead. Perhaps, that man can do something about this too. Alex was aware that it was hopeless, but he had already promised Abigail that he¡¯d see what he could do, so he must try, no matter how futile it was.

    "Stay here for the night, Kai."

    "No. I¡¯m going back, Alex."

    "You will stay for the night, Kai." Alex¡¯s voice was an order. "My wife is troubled about her friend, and you know I can never let my pregnant wife worry. So at least have some words with her. My wife must see you first before you go."

    Alex didn¡¯t even give Kai a moment to protest. He left Kai standing on the terrace with his fists clenched into tight balls.

    Once Alex was gone, Kai looked up and closed his eyes. But eventually, his feet moved, and he entered the house.

    His mind was a chaotic hell as he walked. He didn¡¯t even know how he got to his room until his heart suddenly hammered inside his chest, causing him to lift his face.

    The bedsidemp was on, and... a figure was sitting on his bed.

    The world seemed to stop. His eyes widened, darkened, and a strong emotion rose in his face.

    Kelly, the woman who made her taste both heaven and hell, was right before him. He had missed her so much that looking at her long damp hair, her plump seductive lips, her expressiverge beautiful eyes, her nose, and her cheeks made his heart ache mercilessly. It¡¯s driving him mad.

    He watched her stood slowly, her face colored with shock and disbelief. And then, he realized... she was wearing his shirt.

    The sight of her was maddening.

    When she left, Kai was utterly devastated. He almost couldn¡¯t recognize himself. Her absence and knowing he had lost her for good gave him pain and grief so intense that at times he thought his heart would stop from beating.

    He didn¡¯t know how it all started, but this wild, seductive, and dazzling woman had rooted herself in the deepest chamber of his heart, body, and soul that when she was gone, every nook of his being searched and longed for nothing but her, so desperately, as if losing her was the same as losing the only source of his life.

    Now that she was here, right within his reach, all he wanted was to pounce on her. Hold her, kiss that ever so seductive lips, and touch her, leaving no part of her voluptuous body untouched.

    But before he could even move, the memories from that night shed in his mind, and he becamepletely immobile.

    "K-kai?!" she called out, and Kai caught his breath. How many times did he hear that sound in both his nightmares and sweet dreams?

    Kelly took a step closer, slow, and utterly careful. As if Kai was a stray wild animal that she was afraid to startle for fear that he might run away and disappear from her reach.

 Chapter 561 Advances and retreats*

    <h4>Chapter 561 Advances and retreats*</h4>

    Kelly fought the emotions that were threatening to overwhelm her. She silently swallowed, struggling not to let the tears flood her eyes.

    Her eyes locked on him as she continued stepping closer, very slowly and carefully as if she was walking on a ground with buriedndmines.

    The man standing before her took her breath away. He looked like an ouw on the run, and oh god, his disheveled appearance looked sinuously sexier than his usual oh-so-neat andposed gentleman look. She couldn¡¯t pinpoint what it was, but Kelly could tell that there was something that changed in him. And it seemed she couldn¡¯t call him her little soft cutie pie right then because that moment, he was. . . wickedly beautiful and... dangerous.

    Before Kelly could reach him, Kai gritted his teeth, as small muscle in his jaw clenched. She could see the war waging within him, and he turned towards the door.

    A thrill of desperation shook Kelly¡¯s body. She felt that if she let him get away right now, she might never see him again. If only she had the strength to seize him and chain him in her arms. But that wasn¡¯t possible.

    "Don¡¯t go," she struggled to keep her voice calm. And her insides rxed a bit when he halted.

    That moment of hesitation was enough for Kelly to seize and she jumped on him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She buried her face on his broad and hard back as her grip on him tightened.

    "Don¡¯t you dare... escape from me..." she threatened, but her voice shook despite her struggles to keep her emotions from getting the better of her.

    But seeing him made her heart swell and then squeezed at the same time. She thought she would never see this man again. And god, how she wanted him. His sheer presence was enough to paralyze her with need. She wanted him, kiss him, this time, harder, wilder, and deeper than any kisses they shared before. Oh, how she missed this feeling of his body against her. Even though it was only days since shest touched him, to Kelly, it felt like years.

    "Let go, Kelly..." he said, so softly that she almost didn¡¯t hear him.

    "No! I won¡¯t let go." Her firm and defiant words echoed as her grip on him tightened even more.

    He didn¡¯t move, but a dangerous ferocity glittered in his eyes and without warning, he grabbed Kelly¡¯s wrists, peeled her hands off him and the next thing Kelly knew, she was pinned against the door.

    Kai¡¯s grip on her wrist was hard. It¡¯s hurting her. This was the first time Kai acted like this. He was always gentle to her, always in-control every time he touches her. But now, he was different. The look in his eyes wasn¡¯t all like him.

    She winced in pain, not saying a word about how he was hurting her.

    "Are you trying to scare me? Kai?" she asked. Her gaze on him remained defiant. And then, despair surged within her. She couldn¡¯t stand seeing that unfamiliar cold and indifferent look in his eyes. "I love you," she told him, not holding back anymore.

    "S-stop," Kai growled.

    "Nothing can scare away my love for you... not even you, Kai."

    Silent tears fell from her eyes, and she felt his grip on her loosened up. His eyes widened at the sight of her tears and the coldness in his eyes thawed.

    "Don¡¯t ¨C"

    "I¡¯ve missed you." She tiptoed to move her face closer to his. He was still holding her hands, so even if she wanted to touch him, she couldn¡¯t. "I missed you so much," she added. Before she could catch his lips, Kai backed away.

    "Stop, Kelly. Please..." he begged, and Kelly hated the pain in his voice. She wondered when will these advances and retreats ever end. Why did she fell in love with this forbidden fruit? Why did she want him so much? Why was she so hellbent to have him? Why can¡¯t she just let him go?

    "I can¡¯t stop because I love you!" she said wretchedly. "I never..." she choked. "I never fought for anyone to stay in my life, so desperately like this. No matter how much I tell myself it¡¯s futile... I can¡¯t stop fighting because I really, really love you ¨C"

    Without warning, Kai¡¯s lips covered Kelly¡¯s mouth. His hands sunk into her hair, her head between his palms. Kelly¡¯s arms immediately moved around him, and then everything ignited.

    He kissed her with unrestrained hunger. It was apparent that just like her, Kai too wanted her so bad, so desperately. He had never kissed her with this kind of intensity before. But even though she could feel the obvious need and longing, she also felt rage oozing from him. And she knew that that rage was directed towards no one but himself.

    Kelly wanted to melt the anger and every negative emotion he was fighting within him. She knew he was waging a mighty battle against himself and he was struggling so damn hard. Kelly¡¯s heart ached for him. She could tell he was scared to his bones, and she hated it. For the first time, Kelly hated that he was a vampire, and she was human. And she prayed silently that a miracle would happen.

    Their kiss deepened. Both were kissing each other with savage hunger that their own fears couldn¡¯t seem to extinguish. It was rough and luscious and ruthless. She didn¡¯t know Kai could be this savage. But she liked it. She loved it. The unrestrained and raging Kai was so irresistibly seductive. And she wanted him even more. Every side of him, gentle or ferocious, she wanted it all.

    "Oh, Kai," she moaned against his lips. Her hands were already on his scalp and the back of his neck¡ªher body arching against him. Inviting him to touch her, and he did. Without breaking their wild and deep kiss, Kai¡¯s hands moved downwards and then slid them beneath her shirt.

    Kelly¡¯s hand also went to his chest and then traveled downwards in a sensual slowness until she encountered his hardness. Kai groaned in her mouth as she touched him. The fire had long spread and they were once again swallowed in the middle of it. Escape was no longer a choice because they were already on fire. And at that moment, they were holding each other as if all they could do now was let the fire consume them and kill them both.

 Chapter 562 Something wrong*

    <h4>Chapter 562 Something wrong*</h4>

    Kai¡¯s hunger escted. His pulse thudded harder, his breath faster and hotter. The savage way he kissed Kelly was sinuously maddening. And Kelly realized he was close to losing all control.

    The memories from that night shed in her mind but she couldn¡¯t even feel any fear at all. All she wanted was for this fire to continue burning her. She didn¡¯t want it to stop. She wanted Kai to burn her with his fiery touches, wreck her with his savage kisses and then send her to the realms of ecstasy once again. She wanted him inside her. So bad. So damn bad.

    "Oh, Kai..." she moaned as she arched her back, pulling his head to kiss her now sensitive and aroused breast. Heplied, shockingly easily. There was no hesitation in his every action at all.

    Without removing Kelly¡¯s shirt, Kai¡¯s lips found her erect tips and he licked and sucked it. He did it like a hungry beast and his wicked, not-so-gentle attacks drove Kelly¡¯s sanity floating above the clouds. She whimpered in ecstasy and subconsciously, she jerked her hips against him. Feeling his hardness thrusting against her was enough to make her shiver. The need and desire were just... too much.

    Kai grabbed her hands and ced them against the door, above her head. He continued his erotic onught and all Kelly could do was surrender to the pleasure. Kai had never been this aggressive, this desperate for her. She used to always be the one doing the wild moves to push him to his limit, but now, the table was turned and she couldn¡¯t get enough of him. She wanted this savage Kai to ravage her.

    Wanting to touch him back, Kelly tried to pull her hand off his grip but he didn¡¯t let her. "Kai... I want to touch you... let me ¨C" she uttered between her gasps. But then, she was silenced when his lips captured her mouth again. His tongue slid inside her mouth and Kelly delightedly sucked him in. His wild and fiery tongue prated deeper while his hands finally let go of her wrists and they traveled down to her waist and her buttocks, pulling her against him.

    Kelly immediately ran her now free hands on his hard chest, frantically searching for the buttons. His mouth moved downwards again and licked and kissed her throat like he wanted to consume her. And then, he cupped her squirming bottom and lifted her with ease, settling her right against his rock hard member. The exquisite tension rose to an unprecedented degree as they both reflexively trust against each other.

    "Oh, Kai... take me... I love you..." she uttered in her ecstatic state when suddenly, the man holding her froze. And before she could realize what had just happened, she found herself standing wobbly next to the bed and Kai...

    He was there, steps away from her, bracing his hands against the door as he flung his head, gasping, and shivering like a drenched dog in the middle of a cold winter night.

    Kelly was dazed for a long while, her eyes locked on him. Her knees so weak she felt like copsing on the floor. But the sight of Kai made her reflexively steeled herself and cautiously, she started to approach him.

    "Don¡¯t..." his hoarse and deep voice halted her.

    "K-kai... I..."

    "Enough, Kelly." She heard him grit his teeth and his head whipped towards her. The darkness in his eyes shocked her. "Let¡¯s..." his voice softened it¡¯s almost a whisper and he looked at her like he was saying goodbye and this time, it was real and beyond serious. "Let¡¯s end this madness now... because the next time I¡¯ll touch you again..." he paused and his eyes glimmered with both bitter rage and pain. "You will surely die in my hands."

    Kelly shook her head and she took another step. "Don¡¯t!" his voice thundered and his eyes went blood red.

    The room then went silent; it was almost suffocating. Kelly¡¯s heart was breaking. She didn¡¯t know what to do. She was afraid to speak, knowing that she would break down in front of him once she opened her lips again. The red color in his eyes slowly disappeared but it was reced with a look that bled Kelly¡¯s insides with pain. "Forget me, Kelly," he said and he turned towards the door.

    "Kai," she called out and he halted. "I¡¯m getting married in 3 days."

    She saw his back stiffened, apanied by a sound of something crumbling, but then, he opened the door and left. Kelly stared at the door and her eyes fell at the crumpled doorknob as tears began to fall from her eyes and she sunk to her knees.

    ...

    Abi cried as she hugged Alex.

    "He left Alex," she said and Alex bent and kissed his wife¡¯s tears. "Poor Kelly," she sobbed. Abi knew how much Kelly loved Kai. And she knew full well how it felt when the person you love leaves and might nevere back again.

    Rubbing Abi¡¯s back, Alex spoke to her gently. "Kai is leaving her because he didn¡¯t want to hurt her ¨C"

    "I know, but... still... he can¡¯t give up just like that. If he loves her, he must fight."

    "He¡¯s fighting Abi. He nearly killed her not once but twice. He must¡¯ve scared to death that this time, he¡¯d really kill her. And I think something happened to him. There¡¯s something wrong about Kai..." Alex trailed off. His brows creased as he stared through the window.

    Abi lifted her face and looked at her husband with curiosity. "Something wrong with him?" she asked as she wiped her tears.

    "Mm." Alex nodded. "I first sensed it during that battle in the Ziggurat. That was right after Kelly left the kingdom... I think I must speak with Zeke about this."

    "Are we going to travel back to Country V?" Abi¡¯s eyes circled.

    "Yes. We¡¯ll try to help them." He smiled and Abi hugged him.

    "Thank you, love."

    "Anything for you," he kissed her head. "So sleep now. Tomorrow-"

    "No, Alex. I must go check on Kelly first, okay? Give me a moment."

    Before Alex could say anything, Abi already escaped from his grasp and left the bed.

    Upon reaching Kelly¡¯s room, Abi lifted her hand to knock but hesitated.

    She listened and when it seemed Kelly already stopped crying, she finally knocked.

    After a short while, Kelly opened the door and let Abi in. Abi wanted to hug her but Kelly looked like she didn¡¯t want Abi to notice her pain. She was hiding her emotion and she was doing it so well. Still, Abi silently hugged her.

    Kelly eventually hugged her back but she didn¡¯t say a word. Until finally, the two sat down. Abi told Kelly that Alex had something to deal with in Country V and she had to go with him. Kelly simply nodded. She remained silent until a beep from her phone pulled her attention.

    Kelly grabbed her phone and when she read the message, an unhappy smile curved on her lips as she turned to Abi.

    "It¡¯s Chris," she said. "He finally agreed, Abi."

    .

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 Chapter 563 Docile*

    <h4>Chapter 563 Docile*</h4>

    It was noontime when Alex and Abi arrived at Reign¡¯s castle. The royal family weed them, but when Alex heard Kai and Zeke were not in the castle, the couple immediately left and headed to Alex¡¯s old house.

    The ancient house no longer looked deste like before. It was renovated and it now looked like a beautiful and elegant ancient mini-hotel.

    "You think we¡¯ll be able to meet them tonight?" Abi asked Alex. They were sitting leisurely at an outside table as the calm and rxing afternoon breeze blew gently on them.

    "I¡¯m certain Zeke already knew about our arrival. He¡¯s just probably uninterested. That guy only appears if there¡¯s trouble interesting enough to catch his attention." Alex said as he nced heavenward.

    Abi creased her brows. "Are you saying he is trying to avoid us?"

    "He¡¯s not trying to avoid us. He¡¯s just probably toozy or too unmotivated toe to us. That guy tends to disappear when everything¡¯s peaceful."

    "But there¡¯s a problem, a serious one, Alex. This isn¡¯t just about Kelly. This is about his younger brother too. And... you said there might be something wrong about Kai. Did he not care if Kai will..." Abi bit her lower lip, realizing that she was starting to feel upset.

    Alex held her hand and pulled her towards him, making her sit on herp. He wrapped his arms around Abi¡¯s waist as he sniffed Abi¡¯s scent, his favorite perfume. "Calm down, my love." He whispered lovingly before his voice became serious. "Zeke is... well, Zeke. He doesn¡¯t like dealing with things that involve emotions. But don¡¯t worry, I know where he is." He smirked mischievously. "I¡¯ll hunt him once the nightes."

    "Would he help?"

    "I will make sure of it." He assured.

    Abi stared at him. "You¡¯re leaving me here?"

    "Hunting Zeke is not easy, Abi. And..." his gaze traveled downwards and settled to Abi¡¯s tummy. He gently rubbed her t belly and smiled at her. "I¡¯d prefer if you stay here, my love. And besides, you said you want to talk to Kai, right?"

    "Yes, I wanted to talk to him. You won¡¯t mind me going to look for him alone?"

    "No. But not alone, my love."

    Abi raised a brow. "I¡¯m an immortal now, Alex. Just like you."

    "Yes. But immortal or not, I never want you getting hurt. I¡¯d be at ease if someone can apany you."

    "Someone..."

    "I can ask for Raven toe ¨C"

    "No, Alex. Not Raven. How about you bring me to the ck Forest? I can find Kai easily with the help of Alicia, and she could also apany me to look for him afterward." Abi negotiated.

    Alex considered her suggestion for a moment, and after a short while, he finally agreed, causing Abi to beam in delight. She had missed her friend and Zeres too. She wanted to see how Zeres was doing.

    Thus, that afternoon, the couple traveled to the ck Forest and arrived at the forest¡¯ entrance before sunset.

    "Abi!" Alicia, who just emerged from the entrance, looked ted at the sight of Abigail.

    As the twodies began to chatter, Alex nced at the dark entrance as if waiting for someone toe out.

    "Zeres is ¨C"

    "I¡¯m leaving my wife in your care, Alicia." Alex cut her off, and without waiting for Alicia¡¯s response, he pulled Abi close to him and gently bumped his forehead on hers. "I¡¯ll be back," he kissed her, and then, abruptly, he disappeared.

    "It¡¯s a relief that Alexander can now leave you to someone¡¯s care this easily." Alicia shed a yful smile.

    Abi smiled back. "Well, he¡¯s at ease now that I¡¯m immortal," she shrugged, looking pleased. Abi was d because Alex could finally roam around freely without worrying too much about her. He still worries, of course, but he was a lot more rxed now. "Where¡¯s Zeres?" she asked as they walked deeper in the forest when Alicia halted.

    A hint of worry glimmered in Alicia¡¯s eyes that made Abi looked puzzled.

    Slightly creasing her brows, Abi faced Alicia. "Is there... is there something wrong? Is Zeres giving you a hard time?" Abi hesitantly asked, now looking a little worried as well. "Is he causing you trouble, Alicia?"

    Alicia shook her head. "Actually, he¡¯s... how should I put this," Alicia hesitated, but after a moment, she eventually continued. "It¡¯s the opposite, Abi. He¡¯s too docile¡ªway too, docile. Since the day we came back, he never... he never even tried to cause any trouble at all. You know, he¡¯s like... a super well-behaved pet! No, at least, a pet troubles its owner about some things like food and attention but Zeres... he¡¯s just... I don¡¯t know. He¡¯s too well-behaved, toopliant. It¡¯s getting eerie, Abigail."

    Abi could only blink as she listened to Alicia¡¯s unexpectedints.

    "Tell me, Abi. Is he always like that? I asked him if there¡¯s something he wanted to do or somewhere he wanted to visit, but he asked the question back to me instead. I tried to speak with him multiple times, but it seemed he really doesn¡¯t have anything he wanted to do at all. And..." she paused, and her face became a little grave. "I think he¡¯s trying to avoid me or distance himself from me."

    "What? He¡¯s avoiding you?"

    "He never approaches me on his own, Abi. I was always the one trying to reach out to him. And he only speaks when I ask. And whenever he answers, he always sounded like all he wanted was to end the conversation. I so wanted to read his mind to know what the hell he is thinking about. I¡¯m worried he¡¯s already bored, and..." Alicia paused and shook her head. She couldn¡¯t help but think about the words Ezekiel had told her, about Zeres being a threat. "I was nning to visit you to talk to you about this, so I am really d that you came Abi. I¡¯d like you to speak to him. Maybe, he¡¯ll open up if it¡¯s you."

    Abi could see that Alicia seemed to be in a real pinch. She didn¡¯t expect this queen, who used to be so regal and calm even in dire situations, was actually quite troubled because of someone¡¯s docile behavior. But she couldn¡¯t me her. Zeke spent many years to understand Alex after all.

    shing Alicia an encouraging smile, Abi gently pressed Alicia¡¯s hand and nodded at her. "Okay, I will speak to him. I¡¯ll see what I can do," she told her, and Alicia sighed in relief.

    Without dy, Alicia brought Abi to Zeres¡¯ favorite spot. "I¡¯ll wait for you two in the house, Abi. You go talk to him and bring him back for dinnerter," she whispered before she left.

    Zeres was lying on a t stone in the middle of a small meadow. His one knee bent and his head on top of his folded arm. His eyes were gazing at the sky, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was watching the stars. His white snow robe and his silver hair were scattered on top of the t ck stone, and they seemed glowing in the dark.

    "Zeres," Abi called as she stepped closer to him, and abruptly, the man rose, and his head whipped towards Abi.

 Chapter 564 Far Better*

    <h4>Chapter 564 Far Better*</h4>

    Zeres rose in surprise. He had felt someone¡¯s presence, but he thought Alicia just dropped by to check on him like she usually does. He never thought it was actually Abigail! Why was she here?

    "Abigail..." he murmured as he watched her walked closer to him. She looked around the small meadow before she gave him a warm smile.

    "This ce is nice and quiet," shemented as she climbed on top of the fine t rock, sat next to Zeres, and then faced him. "How are you?"

    "I¡¯m good," he answered calmly. "How about you? Is everything alright?" he added as he looked around, looking for someone.

    "Alex¡¯s not here," Abi told him. "He went to look for Ezekiel."

    Zeres slowly turned to her, curious.

    "Alex and I are doing great, Zeres." She continued, making Zeres rx. With a smile, he casually threw his head back and gazed up at the dark sky. His silver hair tumbled then settled behind him.

    "I¡¯m surprised he left you here." He said, seemingly amused.

    Abi chuckled as she brushed away the hair that fell into her eyes. "Alicia said the same thing," Abi grinned at him, and for some reason, Zeres¡¯ smile slowly faded.

    Then his eyes suddenly became direct. "Did..." he hesitated. "Did Alicia called you toe here?"

    "Nope. I came here for a different reason, Zeres. I need Alicia¡¯s help to look for Kai¡¯s whereabouts."

    "Oh. I see," he nodded, and before Zeres could speak again, Abi changed the topic.

    "I hope you¡¯re not giving Alicia a hard time Zeres," she tried her best to speak to him like she had no hidden agenda. A glint of tease even shed in her eyes as she looked at him.

    "I am well-behaved."

    "I know. But If you¡¯re too well-behaved, Alicia might worry. Especially if she always sees you just staring at the sky like this."

    He lifted a brow, but the next second, a humorous smile curved on his angel face. "Okay, I¡¯ll try to misbehave sometimes."

    Abi chuckled again, but too soon, her smile faded because Zeres suddenly stood and jumped on the ground.

    "Time for dinner, Abigail. And I believe you have an important mission so we better go and get it done," he said as he offered his hand.

    Abi could only ce her hand in his, and she let him help her down. She felt Zeres¡¯ reluctance. Now she understood what Alicia was talking about. He seemed alright, but Abi felt that there¡¯s something he was trying to hide, and obviously, he didn¡¯t want to talk about it to anyone. And that¡¯s why he was cutting every conversation short.

    They spoke very little on their way to Alicia¡¯s house. But once the house was in their view, Abi halted and faced him.

    She studied him for a moment before she hesitantly spoke. "Zeres... if... if you ever need someone to talk to, Alex and I are just here. Call us or visit us whenever you want. And Alicia¡¯s here too. We¡¯re all here for you," she said gently as she looked up at him.

    Zeres¡¯ expression was unreadable, but his lips curved into a half smile. She noticed him breathing out very slowly. It was apparent to Abi that something was bugging him. But Abi decided not to push him further. She thought about telling this to Alex first. She felt that it might be best if Alex would be the one to speak with him. Because despite Alex and Zeres¡¯ bickering and their cat and dog rtionship back then, they were friends.

    "Yes, I know," was all he said, sending her an easy smile. And with that, they finally entered the house.

    At dinner, Abi told Alicia about Kai, so as soon as dinner¡¯s over, Alicia brought out her crystal ball and searched for Kai. It wasn¡¯t hard to find him because it appeared that the man wasn¡¯t trying to hide.

    Abi and Alicia asked Zeres to go with them and the man willingly obliged.

    "I told you. He¡¯d never say ¡¯no¡¯." Alicia had said to Abi before they departed.

    Alicia had spotted Kai inside his luxurious vi, so the three headed there. Once they arrived, Abi decided that she would go alone to speak with Kai first.

    "No, we can¡¯t let you go alone, Abi."

    "No, we can¡¯t let you go alone, Abigail."

    The two silver-haired witches simultaneously said the exact same words, causing Abi tough, while the two simply nced at each other.

    "It¡¯s fine. Kai¡¯s a really nice man. And I doubt he¡¯ll face me if he sees that the witch queen and an immortal which were watching behind me." Abi argued.

    "But you said he¡¯s brokenhearted, Abi. What if he¡¯s not in his right mind right now? Even if you¡¯re immortal, we definitely can¡¯t let you get hurt." Alicia said while Zeres was nodding like an old man.

    "Now you both sounded like Alex," Abi raised a brow. When the two fell silent, she turned towards the modern-looking vi. "You can see me through the ss walls, so both of you stay here. Just give me a few minutes."

    And without waiting for the witches¡¯ approval, Abi stepped forward and headed straight towards the door.

    ...

    Meanwhile, Alex had just arrived in one of the kingdom¡¯s oldest chateau, located near the famous and scenic Fallen Lake.

    This ce was known as the kingdom¡¯s pleasure haven and Alex had been visiting this ce for a long time before he met Abigail. Countless years ago, the chateau was the house of the king¡¯s harem. Vampire kings kept their mistresses in this ce and showered them with luxury. It had turned to a pleasure house now, and it was no longer just for the royals.

    Vampires can enter the chateau except for the highest floor, which was only reserved for Alex and the royalties. Alex had forgotten about the existence of this ce since she met his Abigail again. He never thought he¡¯d ever set foot in this ce again. But the most shocking thing was that, he never thought that Zeke was actually here.

    The man was never fond of these things. He sometimes appeared in this ce before whenever Alex create trouble but that was all. He never lingered in the ce more than necessary.

    Staring at the entrance, Alex rubbed his chin with his fingers, contemting. "Hmm... this is unexpected, Zeke. When did he starting here?" He asked Raven, who had quietlynded next to him.

    "Just a couple of days ago." The man answered.

    "Oh. And what can you say about this matter? Raven?"

    "I... I think this is good. It¡¯s high time for him to shift his interest in this matter."

    "Hmm... I don¡¯t think he¡¯s interested, Raven. I believe he¡¯s here simply because he¡¯s bored. But then... you¡¯re right. Finding him here is definitely far better than finding him simply sitting still inside some shady and deste secret underground." Alex then smirked evilly to himself before he inclined his head slightly and murmured. "Now shall I go for a dramatic entrance and surprise him?"

    ...

    Alex and Abi¡¯s child is _____.

    A. Girl

    B. Boy

    C. Twin

    ??Just a little survey. Author just wanted to know. Maybe the result will affect my decision too. ?? So don¡¯t hesitate to tell me your choice hellbounders.

 Chapter 565 Forbidden practice*

    <h4>Chapter 565 Forbidden practice*</h4>

    With a devilish grin shing proudly on his face, Alex leaped andnded at the roof of the chateau. His eyes filled with mischief as he imagined the shock on Zeke¡¯s oh-so-stoic face the moment he appeared before him.

    A short chuckle escaped from his throat, and then, his eyes turned into pale gold. "Here Ie, Zeke!" he murmured, then he became a blur and disappeared from the spot where he was standing.

    The next moment, a loud sound apanied by a small quake shook the chateau. Alex had crashed himself on the window, creating his very own entrance so he could enter Zeke¡¯s room in surprise. The window and the walls around it crumbled as if a man-sized meteor crashed into it.

    Landing coolly on the floor, Alex lifted his smug face as some of the debris still falling behind him like a dramatic background effect.

    "Yo, Ze ¨C" Alex couldn¡¯t even finish his greeting. His mischievous smirk abruptly faded the moment he looked at the man before him.

    The man, Zeke, whom Alex thought he would finally catch in grante delicto, was right there, sitting in a fine antique chair with his legs folded and elegantly swirling a ss of blood. He was facing the window Alex just crashed, and it was damn obvious the man was expecting Alex¡¯s dramatic and explosive entrance. The most annoying thing was that he didn¡¯t even blink.

    "Damn you, boring stone!" Alex grunted as he expelled a breath and ran a hand through his hair. However, Alex was actually not surprised. He was disappointed and pissed that this Zeke predicted his move yet again. "Tch! Now I regret not destroying the roof. I should¡¯vended right on top of your stone face." Alex muttered as he walked towards Zeke, who was sipping elegantly on his ss, seemingly savoring the taste of the blood, andpletely unbothered by anything Alex says or does.

    "You didn¡¯t do that because you thought I am with a girl. You have mellowed, Alex." Zeke said but his voice and face remained annoyingly t, twirling his ss again.

    "I heard you¡¯ve been here for two days straight." Alex lifted a brow as he looked at him with yful directing gazes. Finding Zeke in this ce was surprising because this man always settled on the vampires in his pce. "This is the first time you stayed this long inside a brothel, Zeke. I¡¯m not curious about you finallying here. I¡¯m curious about what made you stay here this long..." he paused and narrowed his eyes slightly. "I wonder what kind of girl finally awakened your carnal desires and made you stay."

    Alex waited with an expectant look on his face, but Zeke maintained his nk expression. There was no reaction at all. This only meant two things - the girl Alex was talking about was still nonexistent, and this dull stone just forced himself to stay just to past time.

    "Did youe here to talk about carnal desires, Alex?" he spoke, and hearing the tantck of interest in his tone, Alex fought the urge to smack him. He could only pinch the skin between his brows and eventually answered him with a resigned shrug. Alex knew it was impossible to rile this guy up with words. Back then, he could only force Zeke to react if he attacks him physically, and it appeared that didn¡¯t change until now.

    "I know you know why I¡¯m here." Alex finally became serious.

    Zeke gazed through the broken window and stared in the dark space. "Alex, you know more than anyone else that there¡¯s nothing we could do about that. It¡¯s a forbidden rtionship, to begin with."

    "But there¡¯s a possibility that It¡¯ll work. I am a living example."

    "You¡¯re someone from thousands of years ago, Alex. And no one could go back to the past and ask your mother how it even worked, Alex. You already know the tragic ends of those who tried in thest thousands of years after you were born. And it only worked for your parents because the vampire is your mother. She must¡¯ve ended up killing your father as they climaxed, and thus you were born. There are already cases like that, and the female vampires always killed the human."

    "Well, you¡¯re right. But then again, the mystery is, no one of those vampires ever conceived a child of the humans they mated with. And Zeke..." Alex¡¯s eyes became direct and intense for a moment. "My mother¡¯s the human."

    Zeke¡¯s brows lifted and then narrowed.

    "You said ¨C"

    "That was because of the false memories nted in me. Though I have no idea about it because my mother died early," Alex exined. "So I believe there¡¯s hope. There must be an answer somewhere, and my parents were the first and only ones who are able to find it until now."

    Zeke remained quiet, but he couldn¡¯t deny Alex¡¯s words. What he said made sense, and it was actually the only logical exnation right now. He couldn¡¯t deny no matter how impossible it seemed because Alex was here, the living example that this forbidden rtionship once worked.

    "I will try to look into it, but don¡¯t give them hope. It¡¯s been thousands of years, Alex. Even if we would find the answer, chances are your parents might be the only exception. We don¡¯t want to give them false hope, so don¡¯t mention this to them. We might find the answer, but it might still don¡¯t work for them. Or worse, it might work, but... there must be some sort of a price. Forbidden things are forbidden for a reason, after all."

    Alex rested his chin on his knuckles. He could somehow feel that Zeke was right. His parents must have paid a price, a huge price. The atmosphere became strangely quiet until Zeke spoke again.

    "And Kai..." Zeke broke the silence. "He is actually in danger right now."

    "What?" As Alex absorbed the information, his eyes narrowed.

    "He self-destructed, Alex. To stop himself from killing Kelly, he chose to self-destruct and harmed himself instead. You know what¡¯s the price of doing that forbidden practice."

 Chapter 566 The most powerful thing*

    <h4>Chapter 566 The most powerful thing*</h4>

    Alex¡¯s jaw dropped, and then he rubbed his forehead with his hand. He didn¡¯t know Kai had done something that grave. He thought no one could do that practice anymore. Some vampire royal guards in the past were trained to do that to kill themselves in case an enemy captures them to spill secrets or confidential matters. But it was a practice that was supposed to be long forbidden and forgotten.

    "I don¡¯t know how he did it. Even you, the oldest vampire, doesn¡¯t know the secret behind that practice." Zeke said as he sipped in his drink again.

    Zeke was right. Alex knew about that practice, but he never once paid any attention to it before. It was already a secret and forbidden practice even before he became immortal. Hence, it only made sense that vampires nowadays only had very little to no knowledge about it. It was definitely a shock that Kai managed to execute it and also miraculously managed to survive it.

    "Did you confront him about it?"

    "I did. But he couldn¡¯t answer. It seemed it wasn¡¯t something that could be exined in words. And he was clearly shocked about it as well," Zeke¡¯s eyes locked onto the blood in his ss as he spoke. "It was a surprise he managed to stay alive."

    "That¡¯s a so-called miracle, Zeke," Alex said, and Zeke¡¯s eyes lifted from the ss to him. His face didn¡¯t give anything away, but he didn¡¯t seem convinced. At all.

    "He loved her." Alex continued anyway as he shrugged. "It¡¯s all for the sake of Kelly. If he had let himself die in front of her..." Alex shook his head as if he didn¡¯t even want to imagine what could¡¯ve happened had Kai died in front of Kelly that night. He sighed, leaning against the cushion behind him. "I think that practice might only work if someone¡¯s will is strong enough. He would rather die than kill her. That alone is enough. His love for her made him do the impossible."

    Zeke looked like he was about to gape at Alex¡¯s words. But he abruptly shook his head and gulped the blood in his ss, emptying it. He was absolutely not used to these kinds of talks. He already knew Alex had changed to the point that he was sometimes wholly unrecognizable, but to think that he¡¯s casually talking about those things to him of all creatures. Zeke wanted to end the conversation right there and then.

    "He is foolish, Alex." Zeke¡¯s voice hardened. "He shouldn¡¯t have let it reach that point. As I said, he is still alive, but barely... he barely escaped death. And the price of that is his shortened lifespan. At this rate, his lifespan will nowst for several years. He no longer has any difference from the short-lived humans."

    "Well, I personally think that¡¯s better for him."

    "Alexander." Zeke shot him a sharp nce.

    "Sigh, Zeke. You will never understand what I¡¯m saying until you find someone who will breathe life in that dead heart of yours. I really want to exin to you, but I doubt you¡¯ll understand. We¡¯ll talk about that again once you¡¯re really alive. You¡¯re still a living dead to me right now," he smirked as Zeke just shook his head again. "For now, let¡¯s help them, shall we?" Alex then rubbed his chin with his thumb as he continued contemtively. "But I think they will go through this somehow. With or without our help."

    The quiet sound of the ssnding on top of the table seemed loud because of the silence that reigned between them. "You think so?"

    Alex looked at Zeke with a smug face, and then his eyes turned serious. "Don¡¯t underestimate love, Zeke. It¡¯s the most powerful thing I¡¯ve ever known in this world."

    Abruptly but in a graceful manner, Zeke rose from his seat and grabbed the wine ss.

    "Go back to your wife, Alex. Don¡¯t forget this ce is a brothel."

    Knowing that Zeke was trying to send him away obviously because he couldn¡¯t stand this kind of talk, Alex chuckled in amusement.

    "Haha. Tsk. Do I sound like I¡¯m speaking an aliennguage you can¡¯t understand, Zeke?"

    The man pouring more blood on his ss halted, indicating that Alex had hit the jackpot.

    "Sigh. I can¡¯t wait for the day when you finally ¨C"

    "Shut up and ¨C"

    "You actually dared tell me to shut up, huh? Zeke?"

    Alex was still smiling, but his eyes had started to turn gold. A yful and thrilled yet dangerous look danced in his eyes while Zeke faced him with his uninterested gaze.

    "You¡¯re itching for a fight. Zeke?" Alex challenged as he rose, folding the sleeves of his shirt. However...

    "Shall I call Abigail and tell her you¡¯re inside a brothel right now?" Zeke calmly said as he half sat on the table behind, raising his ss and leisurely sipping on it again,pletely unbothered by the fact that Alex¡¯s had turn gold.

    Those words made Alex halt, but he inclined his head and then smiled at Zeke with confidence. "My wife knows the reason why I¡¯m here, and she ¨C"

    "She¡¯s pregnant, Alex." Zeke cut him off. "Pregnant women are sensitive. They easily get riled up and get worried. Even if you did nothing wrong, the fact that you stayed longer than necessary inside a brothel is enough to..." Zeke trailed off because Alex already started to panic.

    "Is... is that true?"

    "I¡¯m humans¡¯ doctor..." Zeke once again couldn¡¯t finish his sentence because Alex already turned towards the hole in the wall he had created.

    "Well then, Zeke. I must go. Make sure you¡¯re back in the castle tomorrow, or else I wille here again, and I will make sure to burn this chateau into ashes. If you continue this hide and seek and refuse to help Kai, all brothels in this kingdom shall be burned by the almighty Alexander." Alex said with a serious and smug warning before he smirked at him and disappeared.

    "Idiot. Who the hell¡¯s ying hide and seek?" was all Zeke murmured as he threw his head back and gulped the blood in his ss.

 Chapter 567 Desperately*

    <h4>Chapter 567 Desperately*</h4>

    After leaving Kai¡¯s vi, the trio headed to a ce Alex called ¡¯Human only zone.¡¯ It was a ce where humans, sober or drunk, could freely roam around the area the whole night because vampires were restricted from going there. In the past, there were cases about drunk humans who had thrown themselves to the vampires. Of course, the result of such action was a disaster, so the government had thought of this solution.

    Alex was already waiting in their rendezvous when the trio arrived. Humans were familiar with witches, but they were not aware of the existence of silver-haired ones. The vampires did not see any reason to educate them about the witches, so the humans only knew that witches exist, and they often disguise themselves as humans to blend in.

    As expected, Alicia and Zeres had caught all eyes and caused a littlemotion as they entered the bar. Their eyes and hair just wouldn¡¯t help them keep a low profile. The humans couldn¡¯t help but gasp and gape at their unusual appearance. Thankfully, none of them dared to approach the two witches.

    The bar was clean, spacious, and harmonious. A woman was singing a chill and mellow song on the stage.

    As soon as the four sat around a table near the ss wall overlooking a cityscape, Abi and Alicia dominated the chat while the two men quietly drank their alcohol. Abi hadn¡¯t had a fun chit-chat with her female friends for a while, so she didn¡¯t want to waste a moment talking about all sorts of topics with Alicia. Abi knew they would soon leave the kingdom and go back to her country the next day once Alex¡¯s business with Zeke was over.

    "How about you two get your own table so you can have your manly talk?" Abi suggested after a long while, causing Alex to lift his brow at her. "We¡¯d feel bad if you two just sit there and listen to us. Our girls¡¯ talk will not end any time soon, you know?"

    As if Abi and Alex had exchanged words through their eyes, Alex nodded and rose.

    "Your wish is mymand, my wife." Alex winked at her, causing Abi to blush before he faced Zeres slightly. "Let¡¯s go, Zeres." He told him, and the silver-haired man nced at Alicia before he too rose and followed Alex quietly.

    Alex led him to a table where they could watch over the two girls who had already resumed their chat.

    "So? How¡¯s everything?" Alex asked as he brought the ss to his lips. His gaze intent as he surveyed Zeres.

    "Not bad." That was all Zeres replied before he gulped the alcohol in his ss.

    "You looked like you¡¯re dying with boredom, though."

    "I don¡¯t think so. Did you forget watching over a witch queen had been my job since I was born?"

    Alex rested his chin on his knuckles before his gaze flew towards Abigail. He drank from his ss before he spoke without averting his gaze from Abi. "Well, I really don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve been doing back then. All I know was that you¡¯re leaving every time the day ends to protect your queen. You didn¡¯t tell me anything about it. I¡¯m not asking you to talk about it now, though. What I¡¯m saying is," he paused and looked at Zeres, "that time and now is definitely not the same."

    Zeres¡¯ response was a soft sigh. He ced his ss on the table and stared at the moving liquid. "I know," he said simply. Alex narrowed his eyes, then leaned back as he regarded the other man with another expert assessment.

    "I don¡¯t remember you being this quiet. You¡¯re a bloody annoying creature back then." Alex rubbed her chin with his fingers, looking as though he was considering how best to provoke him.

    But there was no response from Zeres. Not even a nce.

    "You, when did you even learn how to ignore people?"

    When Zeres just calmly drunk his alcohol, Alex nced heavenward.

    "Say something," he told his old friend. Alex was on the verge of challenging him in a fight, but at the veryst second, Zeke¡¯s voice, telling him that pregnant women were sensitive, echoed in Alex¡¯s head, and it miraculously killed all the thrill that just awakened inside him.

    dly, Zeres finally reacted. He let out a sigh and looked at Alex. "I learned it from you, Alexander. Did you forget you used to ignore me back then?"

    "Well, that¡¯s because you were an annoying brat back then."

    "You¡¯re the one acting like a brat now, Alexander."

    "I¡¯m just concerned about my mncholic younger brother."

    Zeres choked. He red at the smirking Alex as he coughed.

    "What. I am telling the truth. As I said, I am thousands of years older than you now, Zeres. Ah, don¡¯t even argue that we¡¯re the same age. The times of your slumber doesn¡¯t count." Alex was shing a smug smile, looking so proud of himself that Zeres could only shake his head.

    "It seemed, living for so many years turned you into an annoying and arrogant creature, Alexander."

    "Thanks. I don¡¯t mind being annoying and arrogant. My wife loves me anyway."

    Zeres shook his head again, speechless. And silence reigned between them again until Alex burst.

    "What. Bloody hell Zeres, when did you catch Zeke¡¯s boring virus? Sigh, listen to your old man Zeres, one day ¨C"

    "Enough, Alexander." Zeres pinched the skin between his brows. "I don¡¯t want to listen to an arrogant old man right now." He threw his head back and finished his drink.

    But Alex chuckled. His eyes glinted in amusement, looking very satisfied to have unsettled Zeres¡¯posure finally. He then nodded like an old man as he muttered. "You and Zeke are desperately in need of someone who will breathe sense in your hearts. This old man is worried about this world¡¯s future if that won¡¯t happen anytime soon."

    Zeres gaped at him, entirely at a loss for words.

 Chapter 568 Breathless*

    <h4>Chapter 568 Breathless*</h4>

    Atst, it was time for them to leave the bar. As the quartet stood outside, Alex draped his arm around Zeres¡¯ shoulders as he leaned on him and whispered. "I will visit you in the ck Forest one of these days." He grinned. The gold in his eyes glimmered momentarily before turning ck again. "So better sharpen your sword, Zeres. Don¡¯t you dare disappoint me."

    "I¡¯d be happy to entertain you, Alexander." Zeres finally smiled. It was that challenging smile that used to always rile up Alex back then.

    "I¡¯ll be looking forward to it." Alex patted his shoulder, then, before letting go, he again whispered on Zeres. "And you better spill out what the hell¡¯s bugging you the next time I see you. Or else... I¡¯ll bring you down and then force Alicia to read your mind."

    Zeres¡¯s expression darkened at Alex¡¯s words. He red at him, but Alex just haughtily smirked.

    "So for now," Alex ignored Zeres¡¯ reaction and walked towards his wife as he continued talking. "Why don¡¯t you go trouble Zeke while waiting for me? It¡¯ll be a great exercise for you. You¡¯ve been in a deep slumber for thousands of years after all."

    When Zeres didn¡¯t respond, Alex halted and inclined his head slightly, thinking. ¡¯It seemed I need to order Zeke to provoke Zeres for the time being,¡¯ he thought. But then, he remembered that Zeke might no longer listen to him. Zeke had only been obeying Alex because Zeke didn¡¯t want him to cause any trouble in the present world. Before Abi came back to his life, Alex had managed to order the stoic prince like he was his underling by threatening him. Often, Alex threatens to start a war against humans for fun or wreak havoc in the middle of a famous city and reveal his existence in the whole world. But now, Alex could no longer do that. He wouldn¡¯t, and Zeke knows that. And that was why Zeke doesn¡¯t even bother to appear before him anymore.

    Thinking deeper, Alex narrowed his eyes, but eventually, his mischievous smirk reappeared. It seemed he had thought of an interesting idea. ¡¯Well, well... I think this one could work,¡¯ he muttered as if having fun before he finally reached his wife.

    Abi had just pulled away from Alicia¡¯s embrace when Alex stood right behind her. "See you soon, Abigail," the witch queen said, and once Abi nodded, she walked towards Zeres and stood beside him.

    Abi smiled at Zeres, and the man nodded at her before the two witches turned and slowly disappeared from their eyes.

    A long sigh escaped Abi¡¯s lips. "I wish you two happiness," she whispered as if she wished upon a shooting star that had just appeared in the dark sky. Alex, whose eyes were glued on her face, smiled, and he gently swooped Abi in his arms.

    "I didn¡¯t bring a car, so we¡¯re going to fly." He said, and before Abi could speak, he leaped and in not time, he quietlynded on the roof of a building. Abi¡¯s hands were wrapped around his neck as she enjoyed the magnificent view of the city.

    "Ah, I love this, Alex." Abi closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the gentle and cool breeze of the night.

    "Me too, Abigail. I love you."

    His words immediately opened Abi¡¯s eyes, and her reaction made Alex chuckle. Suddenly, Abi pulled herself up and captured his lips. She slid her tongue inside his mouth and kissed him passionately.

    "God, you¡¯re getting bolder by the day, littlemb. And I love it." He muttered when their lips parted before he mmed his lips on hers and kissed her in a hungry kiss that had weakened Abi¡¯s knees. "Alexander..." Abi moaned against his lips, causing Alex to immediately pull away.

    "Damn... I¡¯m already hard," he cursed.

    "Oh," Abi bit her lips as she stared at his gorgeous face that was now screaming with need and desire. "Hang in there, husband. We¡¯re almost there."

    Alex groaned. He gripped her harder and leaped again. He did his best not to increase his speed. "Abigail..." he called out as he continued leaping. "Next time, don¡¯t seduce me like that when we¡¯re outside, unless... you want me to make love with you outdoor."

    Abi was speechless. "I just kissed you, Alex. Can¡¯t I kiss you outdoor?"

    "But my wife..." he looked at her with a gaze filled with both mischievousness and helplessness. "You already know that your kiss alone is enough to drive my sanity away, sometimes. And you purposely called my name that way."

    Abi was about to retort, but the moment she looked at his face, she could only chuckle.

    "Damn, why does our house suddenly seem so far?" heined. His expression desperate, and Abi chuckled again. Alex nced at her and upon seeing the sparkling yfulness in her eyes. His lips twitched. "You¡¯re actually having fun, watching me like this, huh? My wife? Just you wait, Abigail. I will make you cry for me tonight." He smirked.

    Abi: ". . .!" Oh no.

    ...

    "Ah, Alex... please... ah," Abi looked at Alex¡¯s muscr body that was glistening with erotic sweat with misty eyes. His eyes filled with overwhelming desire, like a starved beast, as he looked down at her. He had been torturing her with pleasure for a while now, and it was unbearable. Whenever Abi felt the wave of ecstasy that was about to st inside her, Alex¡¯s movement suddenly stopped and then stayed still for a while inside her.

    "Oh, please... don¡¯t stop..." she could only beg once again, pulling him, wrapping her legs around his waist. "Stop teasing me... Alex..."

    Alex¡¯s eyes glimmered in appreciation as he watched his wife begging for him. He always found her pleasured expression cute and, at the same time, so damn arousing. Damn, he almost gave in, but he held back. He wanted to tease her more and savor that lovely look on her face. A face that was screaming her intense need and desire for him.

    "Not yet, Abigail." He whispered as he nted kisses on her sweaty skin. And then, his tongue entangled with hers. He drove deeper inside her mouth and sucked her hot, sensuous tongue as if he wanted to swallow her whole. He repeatedly sucked on her soft lips that when the long fiery kiss came to an end, they were both breathless.

    ____

    I failed to update yesterday so here¡¯s 2 chapters. Scroll down to read the next chapter ^^

 Chapter 569 Master of disguise*

    <h4>Chapter 569 Master of disguise*</h4>

    When Alex stubbornly continued his teasing, Abi began to lose it, and before she knew it, she had started to move her waist against him, making Alex¡¯s eyes burst into me. "Oh, Abi," he groaned. His rock-hard member inside her throbbed, and he lost his senses. He had wanted to tease her more a little, just a little longer, but it seemed she was not going to let him. God, this woman... this wife of his... his desire for her was insatiable.

    "Abigail..."

    "Ah, Alex... More... please..."

    He trusted deeper and her inner walls squeezed him, aggressively reacting to him. Her insides throbbed and squeezed tighter, causing him to shot his eyes with a frown, and gasped for breath.

    The feeling of her insides filled him with ecstasy and thrill. Alex entered all the way to the hilt, and the ce deep inside of her body tingled and ached for him. He began to move faster. His hard member repeatedly prated her, ravaged her. The room was filled with erotic sounds as her stimted insides tightened again. Alex swallowed a groan as her insides squeezed him tight and spasmed as it mped down on him. A shuddering sense of pleasure struck her entire body, and with onest powerful thrust, they both flew to thend of ecstasy together.

    After they bothe down from the high, Alex propped himself up on his elbow and stared at his wife. He nted loving kisses on her face before he scooped her. Abi ced her hand on top of his, then entwining their fingers together.

    "How¡¯s Kai?" he asked after a long while of silence. Abi slowly opened her eyes, and she turned, facing her husband. The look on her face made Alex¡¯s brows creased.

    "He didn¡¯t even say a word, Alex. I exined to him Kelly¡¯s situation. I also told him about that jerk Tristan." Abi told him. "But he just sat there and listened to everything that I said... I am really worried about him, Alex."

    "Did you tell him about Kelly¡¯s offer to Chris?"

    "I didn¡¯t mention that. But I told him she¡¯s going to get married a day earlier than scheduled."

    "Good." Alex reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Don¡¯t worry, love. Kai is stronger than he looked. And it¡¯s nowhere near over yet for them. There¡¯s still time for him to make a move."

    "Mm." Abi nodded, understanding that Kai and Kelly¡¯s situation was veryplicated. She wouldn¡¯t know what to do either if she was in Kai¡¯s shoes. "How about, Zeres? Do you think he¡¯s fine?"

    "Hmm. I think he¡¯s fine for now. But I did feel like he¡¯s hiding something."

    "Do you think he¡¯s already bored?"

    "Nope. I don¡¯t think it has something to do with boredom. But next time, I¡¯ll try to make him speak. This is not the right time yet, and I assure you, he¡¯s fine for now. So don¡¯t worry about him."

    "I see... I understand... And how about the talk with Zeke? Is there anything that we can do to help Kai and Kelly?"

    "We¡¯re going to meet him in the pce tomorrow, so sleep now, Abigail." He kissed her forehead, and Abi¡¯s lips curved a little before she obediently closed her eyes and fell asleep in his arms.

    ...

    The couple had arrived in the Reign Castle early the next morning. It was summer, and the weather was lovely. The castle was quiet, emitting a serene atmosphere. Lately, everything had been so peaceful that it almost felt too good to be true.

    Raven had weed the couple and led them towards Zeke¡¯s study.

    Once they entered, Abi¡¯s eyes immediately fell towards the man sitting on the grandest chair inside the luxurious and regal room. The man¡¯s physique was entirely identical to Zeke¡¯s that Abi thought it was him. But as she approached him and looked at the man¡¯s face, she blinked in surprise. Abi couldn¡¯t help but stare at his face. If heavenly gods crafted Alex¡¯s beauty, Abi would describe this man as someone molded by Lucifer into perfection to possess the epitome of dangerous male beauty. Who was this man?

    Abi was expecting to see Zeke, that she didn¡¯t think about seeing anyone else inside the room. Where was Zeke?

    Curious, Abi turned and looked at her husband. "Ah," Alex sounded like he just remembered something as soon as she saw Abi¡¯s expression. "I forgot to tell you, Abi. That¡¯s Zeke."

    "Huh?" Abi¡¯s eyes widened, and then her brows creased together in a hard knot.

    "That¡¯s his real appearance. His previous face belongs to Ezekiel Qin, and since that guy¡¯s dead, he didn¡¯t need that face anymore." As Alex exined, Abi¡¯s lips parted in shock. Disbelief colored her face as she nced at the man and then back to Alex, demanding more exnation. "He chose to be a famous man, so he had to do that. He can¡¯t go out there revealing his real face." Alex held her hand as they sat across Zeke.

    Abi was still shocked as her gaze surveyed Zeke. And now that she looked closer, the man indeed had the very same air around him that Zeke always possesses - cold, assessing, and always with that deadly calm. His eyes precisely the duplicate of Zeke¡¯s intense and ice-cold grey ice. Those beautiful eyes that showed no emotion even when he smiled were definitely no other than Ezekiel¡¯s.

    Befuddled, Abi leaned in towards the man. "Oh god, it¡¯s really you?!"

    "Yes, it¡¯s me." That was all he said.

    "H-how?! I would never even imagine that Ezekiel Qin¡¯s face is fake!" She shook her head when Alex butted in.

    "Well, he¡¯s a master of disguise. He¡¯s been doing that for countless years, and he¡¯s enjoying it, right?" Alex smirked at Zeke, but the man simply shrugged.

    Abi assessed Zeke¡¯s face again andpared it to his previous appearance. She noticed that most of his prominent features hadn¡¯t been altered at all. But he changed a few minor details that made him looked older and looked very much like a humanpared to his real face. His previous appearance was very handsome but in a savage, human way. Now, his face was different. She could now put him in the same category as Alex because, like Alex, Ezekiel now had that kind of unearthly beauty that was almost indescribable.

    "I¡¯ve spoken with the prophetess again," Zeke started. Abi still wanted to ask more questions about Ezekiel¡¯s disguise, but upon hearing Zeke¡¯s words, she immediately turned her attention to what he was about to say. The talk about Kai and Kelly was the most important now.

    "And? Is there any good news this time?" Alex asked as Abi looked at Ezekiel, silently hoping and praying that the prophetess had seen any vision or whatsoever that could help solve Kai and Kelly¡¯s problem.

 Chapter 570 A sign*

    <h4>Chapter 570 A sign*</h4>

    The study was silent for a while. Abi waited with an expectant look on her face as she stared at Zeke. She was still a little distracted by Zeke¡¯s new, or rather, real appearance that she didn¡¯t notice Zeke¡¯s quick nce towards her before returning his gaze to Alex. Abi also overlooked the seemingly wordlessmunication that briefly passed between the two men as they stared at each other.

    "The prophetess didn¡¯t see anything, unfortunately." Zeke then said, his gaze now on Abi, and immediately, disappointment and worry shed in Abi¡¯s eyes.

    "Oh, dear," she uttered softly, biting her lips as she worriedly faced Alex. Abi couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart ache for Kelly. If even the prophetess couldn¡¯t help, then who could? Abi knew that the prophetess and Ezekiel were theirst hope. So if these two couldn¡¯t help as well, what would happen with Kelly and Kai? Was it really hopeless?

    The solemn and sad look on Abi¡¯s face made Alex worry. He grabbed Abi¡¯s hands that were resting on herp, and squeezed them gently,forting her. Because Abi was looking down, she didn¡¯t see how Alex was ring at Zeke, silently urging the man to say something that could lift Abi¡¯s spirit.

    Zeke stared at Alex, maintaining his rxed posture on his chair. Zeke could almost hear Alex¡¯s pissed voice as he told him to remember that Abigail was pregnant and that she was sensitive - the very words he said to Alex to send him away. But Zeke remained unbothered despite Alex¡¯s intensifying re for a short while, until eventually, he spoke, just right before a sound could leave Alex¡¯s mouth.

    "But..." Zeke said. Abi¡¯s head lifted almost immediately, and she looked at him with an expectant look again. "Because of what happened to Kai, I believe there must be some changes in his body now."

    Confused, Abi eyes darted between Alex and Zeke. "What happened to Kai?" she asked Alex.

    "He self-destructed. He did that so he could stop himself from killing Kelly," Alex told her, and Abi¡¯s lips parted in shock again. "What he did was something that supposed to kill him, but miraculously, he survived. Though it appeared he still suffered a huge price."

    "Price?"

    "Yes. His lifespan has tremendously decreased. He now has a lifespan of a human."

    For a moment, silence hung over the room. While Abi was still speechless and processing the shocking news, Zeke started to speak.

    "He¡¯ll grow old like humans and die of old age." Zeke¡¯s voice was serious. Although his face still remained expressionless, Abi was sure that this was something that¡¯s uneptable to him. Kai was Zeke¡¯s younger brother, after all. It was hard to believe and ept that Kai, who was supposed to still live for a few more hundreds of years, would soon die a few decadester.

    Abi didn¡¯t know what to say. She had never expected that Kai had paid such a huge price that night. She knew Kelly didn¡¯t know about this. She thought Kelly would break down if she¡¯d learn what had happened to Kai. And if she found out about the price that Kai had to pay, she might me herself, and worse was, Kelly might refuse to touch him again. God, what should she do?

    "My theory is that Kai managed to survive the self-destruction because of his royal blood." Zeke resumed the conversation.

    "Must be. No royalty ever tried to do that before. As far as I can remember, he¡¯s the first." Alex replied as he continued gently rubbing Abi¡¯s hand with his thumb.

    "I am still not certain if there are more changes in Kai¡¯s body aside from his lifespan, but there¡¯s a possibility that this could be the answer we are looking for. Perhaps, his sacrifice opened a way for them to be together."

    Alex creased his brows. He was about to retort when his wife leaned in on him and looked at him with her huge eyes that were now filled with hope. He mped his lips and swallowed his words because what he was about to say might extinguish the hope in her eyes again. Alex didn¡¯t like seeing her being worried and troubled, so he decided not to speak anymore.

    "Of course, that¡¯s just a possibility. But if Kai¡¯s sacrifice is indeed the answer, I guess, the two should reconcile to find it out themselves," Zeke added, causing Abi to nod in great approval.

    "I think I need to speak with Kelly, Alex." Abi grabbed Alex¡¯s hand. "She must know. She deserved to know what happened with Kai. If I were her, I would want to know. So I really need to speak with her about all this. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll fight for Kai again!"

    Alex threw a quick nce at Zeke before he smiled at Abi and caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "Sure, my love. You¡¯re going to talk to her once we¡¯re home." He said, and as soon as Alex said those words, Abi rose from her seat. Obviously, she wanted to go home now and speak with her best friend as quickly as possible.

    And thus, after thanking Zeke and saying goodbye to him, Abi grabbed her husband¡¯s hand, and they walked out of Zeke¡¯s study and went straight to their car parked in the pce¡¯s courtyard.

    However, before Alex could start the car¡¯s engine, Zeke called him. Alex wasn¡¯t surprised. He knew that Zeke had something else he wanted to tell him, so he immediately asked his wife to stay in the car and wait for him.

    "I won¡¯t take long," Alex promised, and when Abi nodded at him, he leaped and disappeared from the courtyard. He reached Zeke¡¯s study in no time, entering the room through the window.

    "What is it?" Alex asked, not beating around the bush as he looked at Zeke, who was now half-sitting at the edge of his desk.

    Zeke¡¯s serious eyes stared back at him before he spoke. "The prophetess actually saw something."

    "She did?"

    "Yes."

    "And what did she see?" Alex approached him. His expression was now curious and grave. He had noticed the hardness in Zeke¡¯s voice, and he knew it was a sign of bad news.

    Zeke gazed outside the opened window as he sipped blood from his ss and answered. "Kelly and Kai¡¯s gravestones."

 Chapter 571 Unlucky*

    <h4>Chapter 571 Unlucky*</h4>

    Inside Kelly¡¯s apartment...

    "I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re doing this kind of nonsense, Kelly!" A raging voice thundered and echoed inside the luxurious apartment as Kelly looked at her father with an utter shock etched on her face. Her father had never yelled at her so furiously like this before. Her father was always that strict and unapproachable dad to her since she was young, but he was not the type to yell so loudly when angered. This was the first time Kelly had seen him this furious, so she couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous.

    "D-dad ¨C"

    "Shut up! Did you think I wouldn¡¯t find out?" he was shaking in rage that Kelly forced herself to press her lips tightly. She didn¡¯t want to infuriate him even more for fear that he might end up copsing.

    "How dare you do this. You agreed with the deal. I gave you everything you wanted and needed... everything... and this is how you repay me?!" He continued, still trembling in anger, grabbing onto his bodyguard¡¯s arm for support.

    Kelly¡¯s lips parted, but no voice came out of her lips. ¡¯Everything? Really? When did that happen?¡¯ she asked inwardly. Then she fought the urge to sh a mocking and bitter smile. The lump in her throat was getting more and more unbearable, but all she could do was dug her nails on her palm and took a deep breath to find her voice again.

    "Dad..." her voice was weak and pained. "May I ask?" she looked at him with all the courage she could muster. "Are love and attention included in the ¡¯everything¡¯ you are talking about?" her eyes became hot as those words leave her lips. But she didn¡¯t let any tears fall. "Of course, the answer is no, right?" she answered her own question, "because I don¡¯t remember you giving me any of those two. Since I was a child, all I ever receive from you were... money, money, and more money."

    At that moment, some of her childhood memories sh in her head. Kelly remembered how she longed for her father¡¯s attention when she was little until she grew up. But her father was rarely home, and most of the time, he couldn¡¯t even attend his own daughter¡¯s birthday. And when he did, he would immediately leave as soon as he handed her his expensive gifts. His attention was focused entirely on hispany that he barely nced at Kelly. He had always been a cold and distant figure to Kelly because no matter how much Kelly tried, he would never give her the attention she deserved as his daughter.

    Silence reigned between the father and daughter as they stared at each other until Kelly spoke again. "Of course, I am very grateful. Your money gave me afortable life after all. But dad, money is not my everything. I never nned to break my promise. I came back home as I promised, but dad... I can¡¯t ept Tristan. Not him, please ¨C"

    "Enough! Enough, Kelly..." the old man pinched the skin between his brows and took several deep breaths. He didn¡¯t look good. "Your mother... she¡¯s rushed in the hospital this afternoon after hearing the news from Tristan."

    Kelly gasped in shock.

    "Your mother was so hurt you actually nned to get married behind her back. You know how much she dreamt about watching you walk in the aisle. You know how much she¡¯s working on this uing wedding of yours. But look at what you did..." he shook his head in utter disappointment.

    "Dad, it¡¯s all because you gave me no choice. I knew you would never let me marry Chris. That¡¯s why I... that¡¯s why I nned to marry him first before introducing him to the both of you."

    Her father acted as though he didn¡¯t hear her and just continued talking. "You actually went and searched for a man that will agree to have a contracted marriage with you. A fake husband that will agree to divorce you after a year? Do you think your mother will ever tolerate such a ridiculous thing?!"

    Kelly¡¯s face went very white. How? How did they found out about all these?

    As though her father had read her mind, he scowled and continued talking. "Don¡¯t you even try to deny it, Kelly. Tristan showed me a voice record of you talking to that man."

    "T-tristan sent someone to spy on me? And then followed me all the way to Chris¡¯ ¨C" Kelly couldn¡¯t even finish her statement anymore. Her knees weakened. There was no way Chris would reveal anything, much more record their conversation. Chris was a passionate actor, and he loved acting. He would never do anything that could potentially ruin his career. He would never do something like that. Kelly could only curse and curse inside her. She knew it was Tristan. She had underestimated him. She should¡¯ve known since Tristan¡¯s men snatched her phone in that bar. Tristan was a man who would never let anyone beat him in his own game. He was a bastard who would do anything and everything to get what he wanted. And he wouldn¡¯t hold back at all until he gets thestugh.

    "Do not me Tristan. He saved you from doing something idiotic, Kelly." Her father said, and Kelly almostughed hysterically.

    "Dad. You know how much I hate him. How could you force your own daughter to marry the person she hated the most in this world? I did that to save myself!"

    "You are young, Kelly. And yes, you hate him now, but your hatred is just temporary. It will thaw over time, I assure you. Your mother... she too hated me before. Yet look at us now."

    Kelly was at a loss for words. She couldn¡¯t believe what her father was telling her? Really? Her mother hated him? And he was using themselves as examples now? Kelly felt like her heart was going to burst.

    "Believe me, Kelly. If you ept things, your viewpoint and feelings will eventually change. Give Tristan a chance. Learn to ept what¡¯s for you and whatnot. Tristan..." he shook his head before staring at Kelly with that firm and almost absolute gaze that was telling her it was futile to reason and resist. "If you won¡¯t marry Tristan, thepany will copse. While you were out there enjoying your life, when thepany is struggling, Tristan came to aid me. I already gave him so much authority and power over thepany. If you refuse to marry him and he will cut ties with us, thepany will fall and will never recover again. So please... do this for your family, for your mother and me. Your mother is safe for now, but if you continue this nonsense, I doubt she can handle any more than this."

    With that, her father turned and left, leaving Kelly staring at his back in utter helplessness. She sank to her knees as soon as the door was closed. Fury and hopelessness filler her eyes as her hands went to her head and tugged her hair.

    Her lips trembled. Her heart felt like darkness was starting to corrupt it whole. Her apartment became so eerily silent as she remained on the floor, and then, sheughed ¨C the bitterestugh she had ever heard.

    It seemed Tristan had already started his game years before. He had bewitched her parents and then drove them to the point of no return, without them even knowing.

    "Oh god, Kelly. Just what did you do to be this unlucky in everything? You didn¡¯t just fall in love with a man you couldn¡¯t be with, you also have an enemy you couldn¡¯t beat? Ha.ha.ha." She trembled as she spoke to herself andughed at herself. It was too much. Everything was too much. She felt like she was going mad.

    She didn¡¯t know how long she had stayed on the floor, but she eventually rose and headed to the door. But as soon as she opened it, a huge bulky man blocked her doorway. She felt another miserableugh knotting in her throat as she looked at the man because she knew she was now locked in her own house until her wedding day.

    "I¡¯m sorry, Miss, but you cannot leave. If you needed something, please tell me." He said, and Kelly just nced behind him. When she saw that there were more men outside, she wordlessly retreated and shut the door closed. A bitter smirk curved on her lips, and she headed to her fridge. She didn¡¯t shed even a single tear, but she looked utterly devastated. The light in her eyes was gone as she grabbed a beer and gulped them down. She sank on the floor again and leaned against the wall as she continued drinking a bottle of alcohol in her hand.

    Her eyes fell towards the opened door leading to the veranda. She could see the endless lights that lit up the cityscape below, but Kelly¡¯s eyes appreciated nothing. That moment, she looked as though she hated the world and all its inhabitants.

    Time passed, but Kelly never moved from her spot. She had already emptied the bottle when her eyes caught her phone lighting up. She knew someone was calling, but she didn¡¯t want to move. It seemed she was finally drunk. All she wanted was to forget everything, even for a moment. She wanted to drown herself into nothingness until everything in her world, her emotions included, disappear.

    And somehow, her world turnedpletely dark and quiet for what seemed to be a long time, but when a cold breeze came and touched her skin, Kelly¡¯s brows creased, and she opened her eyes. At first, she looked like she immediately regretted opening her eyes, but then, tears slowly pooled in her eyes upon seeing the figure standing by the veranda¡¯s door.

    ___

    [A/N: I will start updating daily again. ]

 Chapter 572 Colder*

    <h4>Chapter 572 Colder*</h4>

    Kai was frozen still as he gazed down at Kelly. He never nned to appear before her. After Abigail left, Kai had stormed out of his vi, and he didn¡¯t know how he ended upnding at the top of the building where Kelly resides.

    He felt like the world had turned dark, hellish. His life had always been ordinary, mundane, and quiet. He never felt so empty and fulfilled until this woman came into his life. He never disliked being alone, he was used to it, and he never found it boring before. But now, everything had changed. He felt like he could no longer bear being alone again. She had be everything to him. He never thought forcing himself to leave her and forget her would destroy him like this. Even though he knew it was the only choice he had, he couldn¡¯t believe the extent of pain and torture he had felt. He knew that letting her go wouldn¡¯t be easy, but he never knew it would be this hard.

    And now, he was staring at her in this dim-lit room, and she was a mess. Looking at her thin frame as she sat on the floor barefooted and looking as miserable as he was made his heart convulsed in both pain and anger. He realized his pain was much more tolerable than watching her like this. No pain was greater than seeing her crying and hurting like this. He couldn¡¯t help but me the world and himself for hurting her.

    Slowly, Kai walked towards her. All he wanted was to touch her, stroke her messy hair, andfort her. He wanted to embrace her and ease her pain so she would return being that annoying hooligan again. When Kai came into his senses and found himself at the building¡¯s rooftop, Kai had fought an intense battle against himself whether to appear before her or not. He had thought about the things Abigail said to him, and he clenched his fists into tight balls. He had thought about going to that bastard Tristan and kill him. But then what would¡¯ve changed if he did that? Kelly was better of marrying a womanizer than marrying a man who would kill her. These thoughts steeled Kai¡¯s heart again, and he decided to go back. He thought he would just threaten the bastard or probably beat him up until he¡¯s half-dead once he catches him cheating on Kelly. That was all he could do for her because he knew that his love couldn¡¯t do anything good to her but her inevitable death.

    He had waited for the night to deepen, nning to sneak inside her room and watch her sleeping face onest time, but what he saw shattered his resolve to leave.

    "Oh, god..." her voice was soft as she watched him approach her. She blinked her eyes to let the tears flow from her blurry eyes and to have a clearer view of the angel approaching her. "It seemed drinking is a very wise choice," she added, a pleased smile now shing on her face.

    When Kai squatted before her, she lifted her hand and touched his face. Kai¡¯s body shook a little at her touch. Her palm was so warm. Her familiar scent made him hold his breath, and it took him an inconsiderable control to keep himself still.

    "Not if it¡¯s too much," he said, shaking his head as he nced at the bottles on the floor.

    She chuckled. Kai swallowed as his eyes remained glued on her. She was drunk, but her drunkenughter still sounded very sad and pained.

    "I¡¯ll have to disagree with you, babe." She narrowed her eyes at him. Her other hand touched the other side of his cheek. "Because look... you¡¯re here." Her smile widened. "If I know you¡¯d appear before me like this when I¡¯m drunk enough, I should¡¯ve got drunk in the past few days too."

    Kai lifted his hands and held her wrists. Their eyes met, and Kelly¡¯s smile slowly died down. Her fingers began to caress his cheek.

    "Did you... did youe here to congratte me on my wedding?" she asked without masking the pain in her voice. It appeared she wasn¡¯t as drunk as he thought. The look in her eyes was serious and sober.

    Kai could only shake his head. He began to feel the unbearable pain again.

    "You¡¯re not going to congratte me?"

    "No," he said raggedly.

    "Why? Because you¡¯re against it? Me, marrying another man?"

    When Kai couldn¡¯t respond, a sweet smile curved on Kelly¡¯s face again. Watching his utterly miserable expression at that moment made Kelly¡¯s heart swell. Even in her state, his emotions were clear as the day to her. He was devastated, and she was selfishly so d.

    "Kelly." He breathed before his gaze became serious. "Why? Why are you crying? Did something happen?"

    "Kai," she uttered as she leaned in closer to him, acting as though she didn¡¯t hear him at all. Her eyes were now surveying his face as though she was looking for something. "You looked like you¡¯ve matured so much since thest time I saw you. Or is it because I¡¯m a little drunk?"

    Her remark made him stiffen for a moment.

    "You looked so weary, and these shadows beneath your eyes aren¡¯t very good," she continued as her thumb gently traced the skin below his eyes. "But... why do you look even more appealing and more delicious like this?" She cocked her head as she said those words.

    Kai didn¡¯t speak. He just stared at her face as though he was memorizing the way she looked at him with desire and admiration until she leaned in and brushed her lips against his. Sparks immediately flew between them with that little quick collision.

    "I love how rugged and human you looked tonight, Kai," she whispered when Kai suddenly let go of her hands and stood.

    Raking his lean hand roughly through the disorderedyers of his chocte-brown hair, Kai forced his gaze away from her and stared out the window, trying to concentrate on the city lights as he seemingly struggled to calm himself.

    He looked down at her after a while just to be met with her huge eyes staring up at him. His eyes fell on her bare feet, and he took a sharp breath.

    "The floor is cold, Kelly. You can¡¯t stay there," he said, his voice gentle as he bent and attempted to touch her to lift her up when Kelly shoved his hand.

    Kai pressed his lips tight together. That mere action was enough to make his heart burn with stinging pain. Kelly had never pushed him away before. He was always... always the one who¡¯s pushing her away ever since. He didn¡¯t know it would feel like this.

    "Are you going to tuck me on my bed and then leave?" Kelly said as she rose. She wobbled, but Kai was quick to catch her. His strong hands were carefully gripping her shoulders. "Tell me, why did youe here?" she asked again, her eyes determined and sharp.

    Kai stilled and remained silent.

    "Did youe tonight to see me onest time and say your final goodbye?"

    "Kelly."

    "Tell me!" She demanded. Her eyes narrowed.

    "I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know why I ended up here!" he said with such a force, enough to make any girl jump in fright. But Kelly didn¡¯t. She was surprised but never frightened. Kai never spoke like this to her before.

    Moreover, Kelly couldn¡¯t ignore what he just said, and her heart began to thump.

    "You don¡¯t know? What does ¨C" Kelly couldn¡¯t finish her statement because of a sudden surge of dangerous alertness that surged in Kai¡¯s eyes. His head whipped towards the entrance door, and his eyes narrowed. Kelly knew he heard the men outside.

    His eyes widened as he returned his gaze to Kelly. "You are being locked up?!"

    His eyes glimmered with a ferocity that wasn¡¯t like him at all. His negative emotions were closer to the surface than she had ever seen before. He was angry, so angry. She could see the fury in his eyes, and Kelly found herself in a trance as she watched the new expression he never showed her before. Kelly thought that he really did change tremendously in the past days. It was hard for her to believe that this man was the oh-so-well-mannered and controlled soft cutie pie she used to know. Becausetely, he didn¡¯t just be harder and colder, he also became a little untamed, and now, he was acting like a bad-tempered beast. Kelly couldn¡¯t help but wonder if this was the result of their desperate love. Or did she do this to him?

    The air in the living room became incredibly heavy. And then, Kai¡¯s eyes began to turn red as he gritted his teeth. His aura darkened that Kelly couldn¡¯t help but felt chills running down her spine.

    "I¡¯ll kill them," he hissed.

 Chapter 573 Youre worth dying for*

    <h4>Chapter 573 You¡°re worth dying for*</h4>

    "No!" Kelly yelled as she frantically wrapped her arms around him. She couldn¡¯t believe how murderous he looked at that moment. He was no longer her soft pretty boy! She knew that if she let him leave, he¡¯ll definitely do something severely wrong. She can never let that happen.

    "Calm down, Kai!" her voice became louder as her grip on him tightened. No matter how much she hated the world right now, Kelly could never let Kai im anyone¡¯s life. "Please."

    "They¡¯re treating you like you¡¯re a prisoner!"

    The look in his eyes was bing more and more dangerous. She could feel his stiffness, his uncontroble anger. "Please, Kai. Don¡¯t do anything stupid." Kelly struggled to stay calm because she was also starting to feel nervous. She didn¡¯t know if she could stop him and if she had the power to calm his rage. "Those men are my father¡¯s. They¡¯re simply doing their job. My father is angry with me, so he had me locked up here."

    Kai¡¯s jaws clenched, then slowly, he forced himself to rx. But for some reason, he was having a hard time calming down. His eyes remained red despite his struggles.

    "Are you okay?" Kelly asked as she pulled away from him. She reached out to touch his face, but Kai stepped back, leaving Kelly¡¯s hand hanging midair.

    There was a long silence before Kai spoke again.

    "So this is why you¡¯re drinking, crying, and miserable? Because your father locked you up here," he muttered, and then Kelly burst.

    "No, you, idiot!" she red at him. Anger and anguish suddenly rose from the depths of her soul. And before she knew it, the words she didn¡¯t want to say came out. "I¡¯m drinking and crying because I realized I don¡¯t have any choice but marry that bastard! I am miserable because I am not going to be your wife but his!"

    Kelly immediately mped her lips as soon as those words left her mouth. Because she finally realized that he had said those words to convince himself so he could calm down. He could see it clearly in his eyes now, but her realization was toote.

    Her words echoed in Kai¡¯s head over and over again, making him feel a sickening weight in his stomach. He felt as though his heart ruptured, and the pain was unbearable. The thought of her being kissed and held by another man who¡¯s calling her ¡¯wife¡¯ killed him. And he couldn¡¯t help but feel his body burn. He wasn¡¯t aware how his eyes became so vividly red and so terrifying.

    Kelly couldn¡¯t help but flinch subconsciously. He emitted a dark and dangerous aura that seemed to be beyond bloodlust. And then, as though something had shut him down, he turned away from her.

    Despite the chill running down her spine, Kelly didn¡¯t hesitate to seize him again. She was more than certain now that the moment he left her room, he was going to do something horrifying. When... when did her Kai be like this?

    "Let go." He snarled, his hand already began peeling her off him.

    "No! You can¡¯t leave this ce unless you calm down!"

    He acted as though he couldn¡¯t hear her.

    "My god, Kai! Please! Listen to me!" she begged because he was determined to shake her off. This was the first time he was forcefully peeling her off him. He used never to do this because he was afraid to hurt her. But now, here he was... no! She can¡¯t let him leave!

    Just as Kai finally managed to peel her off him, Kelly did something unthinkable. Her tightly clenched fists suddenlynded on Kai¡¯s jaw.

    Silence followed. Even though Kelly¡¯s hard punch wasn¡¯t enough to move his body even for an inch, it seemed to be enough to move something inside him that had somehow awakened his senses.

    Kelly swallowed, and then, taking advantage of his momentary stillness, she moved her hands around his neck, and then she jumped on him and clung on him like a ko.

    He caught his breath and then gritted his teeth. "Damn it, Kelly." He groaned in a suppressed anger and utter exasperation. "Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m in a very dangerous state right now?"

    "And that¡¯s why I can¡¯t let you leave!"

    "You must! Are you not afraid about what I might end up doing to you?"

    "I will never fear you, you little bad-tempered beast!"

    Kai was silenced, causing Kelly to hesitantly pull away to look at his face. When she saw how surprised he looked, she couldn¡¯t help but bit her lips to stop herself from smiling. She didn¡¯t know why she could still manage to smile despite how scary Kai¡¯s eyes as he looked at her.

    "What. No one ever called you a bad-tempered beast before?" she raised a brow. "Well, right now, you are. I can¡¯t deny I¡¯m shocked too, but," she suddenly nted a kiss on his forehead, and her voice softened, "I am d you¡¯re finally showing me this side of you."

    He stilled. So still that Kelly thought he stopped breathing. She was about to panic when she felt his bloodlust slowly disappearing. Kelly stared at him, and the hellfire in his eyes was also dying. She let out a deep breath before she buried her face at the nook of his neck and uttered wearily. "I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re hiding a dangerous little beast inside you. You¡¯ve hidden it too well all this time, Kai."

    Suddenly, Kai stumbled back until his back hit against the wall. Kelly felt him weakened, so she finally loosened her ko grip on him and climbed off him as he leaned against the wall. Kai buried his face in his palms. "I... I didn¡¯t know too... I was never this angry before." His voice was hoarse as he spoke. "This is the first time I ever..." he trailed off as he threw his head back and ran his fingers through his hair before tugging them.

    Kelly swallowed as she watched him. But then, a smile eventually crept through her face. She couldn¡¯t help it.

    When he saw her smiling, Kai groaned. He swiftly gripped her head and pressed his forehead to hers. "You¡¯re enjoying this, Kelly? Me, like this? Did I finally turn you off ¨C"

    "You? Turning me off? Impossible," she shook her head, "you are savagely, ridiculously, deliciously handsome right now. Damn, I don¡¯t even know how to describe you anymore. And, you¡¯re angered because of me being locked up. You lost control of your emotions and revealed your inner beast because you realized I¡¯d soon be someone else¡¯s wife. Tell me, how could such thing a turn off?" she found herself clinging on him again, her warm breath caressing his lips as she spoke. "My god, Kai. I¡¯m telling you, it¡¯s the opposite. You¡¯ve turned me so damn on, and now I can¡¯t help but want to fight for you all over again."

    His eyes widened, and Kelly could tell he stiffened again. A forced smile curved on her lips as she raised her hand and caressed his cheek.

    "Don¡¯t worry, that was..." she trailed off. Her eyes surveyed the wretched yet gorgeous look on his face, and her heart ached for him again, for them. At that moment, she could almost read the words ¡¯I would rather see you living in the arms of a womanizing bastard than die in mine¡¯ shing in his tortured eyes. And all she could do was swallow the grief and hopelessness that surged within her. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to make you suffer anymore." She told him with a heavy heart. "I will let you go, but before that, can I ask for onest selfish request?"

    She waited for a long moment until Kai managed to let out a sound. "Say it," his voice was a low whisper.

    "Can you stay with me until my day wedding day? I will be locked up here for two more days... can you stay and be locked up here with me? Once my wedding daye... I¡¯ll let you go for good." She felt tears rising, and she held them back with an effort. "I promise."

    Kai felt his world crumbling down. But he nodded numbly, and before he knew it, Kelly seized his mouth and all he could do was bury an agonized groan as he helplessly, desperately kissed her back. One kiss and every anguish and anger evaporated. One kiss and god, he was suddenly in heaven again, even though he had just fallen in the deepest corner of hell only a heartbeat ago. How could a woman ruin him like this? He already lost his future because of his love for her. He had already lost his long life because of his desire for her, and yet here he was again, unable to pull away, unable to stop.

    "Kelly... you will be the death of me." He murmured against her lips. ¡¯But I don¡¯t even mind right now because you¡¯re worth dying for,¡¯ he added inwardly as he pulled her and kissed her with savage hunger.

    ___

    A/N: I just want to thank everyone who signed up on my patreon to read Spellbound. Thank u so much guys. I promise that the money there goes back into more things like the cover for Hellbound Heart.

    If anyone here still didn¡¯t know about Spellbound you can visit my Facebook page and see my post there. You can also message me on Instagram or Facebook if you have questions about it. Again, thank you so much.

 Chapter 574 Ruined*

    <h4>Chapter 574 Ruined*</h4>

    Inside the quiet room, smacking sounds of kissing echoed. Every rational thought was starting to dissolve.

    Kai¡¯s mouth ted deeper over hers and he sucked and teased Kelly¡¯s luscious lips for a long while before his tongue pushed between her lips. She weed him and let him explore every corner of her mouth. She liked how wild and hot he was that moment. She liked that he was kissing her like a starved beast. The heat and intensity between them as their tongues mated were beyond reason. They were being swallowed whole again in the inescapable whirlwind of their desperate desire for each other.

    When Kai eased back, both of them were breathless. Their breath mingling in steamy puffs as Kai pressed his forehead against hers. Both of them felt so unsatisfied. Their eyes were burning with an insatiable need for more.

    Kelly was about to pull him when Kai started to nt light kisses across her cheek to the intricate hollow of her ear. Sensation streaked down to her breast and then down her intimate and aroused sex. She knew she was already damn so wet for him.

    Her naughty free hand then traveled down his abdomen and farther, but the moment she touched Kai¡¯s stiff and more than excited length, he grabbed her wrist and pressed her hand against the wall.

    "Oh, Kai... let me ¨C"

    Another kiss silenced Kelly, and he ate at her mouth again. Kelly couldn¡¯t help but submit to him. His savageness thrilled her beyondprehension and she could only moan and quiver in pleasure under his mercy.

    He had hauled her fully against his body, his feet pushing between her thighs as he continued ravaging her mouth and Kelly couldn¡¯t help but move her hips and rub herself against him. It felt so good she felt her insides throbbed deliciously.

    She wanted more. She wanted him inside again. She wanted to experience that inexplicable pleasure again, and this time, she didn¡¯t want any interruption. This time, she wanted to really reach that still unreachable peak, both of them almost... almost reached that night back in Hidden Kingdom.

    "Kai..." she uttered his name as both of their chests rising and falling unsteadily.

    Without warning, Kai ced his free hand on her breast. He caressed her softness, and then, a gasp escaped Kelly¡¯s lips the moment he tore her nightgown. But too soon, as soon as she realized what her savage beast had done, her lips curved into a wicked sensuous smile. All she could do was wait in agonizingly great anticipation on what he will do to her next.

    He threw her torn piece of clothes on the floor, and his mouth captured her nipple. Gone was the gentle and in-control Kai. His tongue flicked out as he licked her peak and then stroked and sucked in an erotic rhythm. He that again and again, as Kelly moaned and gasped in pleasure.

    When he palmed her between her thighs, Kelly cried out, and she began to move wildly against his hand.

    "Oh, Kai. More, please. Give me more," she begged. Kai nced at her aroused and lovely face before he slowly dropped down on his knees.

    Kelly was about to protest when she felt his body moved away, but before any sound could leave her lips, Kelly felt Kai¡¯s ruthless tongue licked her folds, and all she could do was grab his messy hair, pulling him closer.

    He looked up, and there was a hint of mischief in his fiery eyes that Kelly found deliciously hot.

    "More, please, Kai. Pleasure me... ah!" His fingers entered her as his mouth relentlessly kissed, sucked, and licked her sensitive folds. He stroked and ravaged her inner softness until Kelly¡¯s face was contorted and flushed.

    When he increased the delicious rhythm, the level of pleasure also dramatically soared. He continued the merciless onught that she liked. His fingers skillfully thrust inside her as his mouth danced across her swollen flesh until her head fell back and began to shudder violently. She squirmed over him, and fireworks shot out before her very eyes.

    Shaking, Kelly¡¯s knees finally lost their strength, and she slumped into him. Kai caught her and he put her in hisp as he sat on the floor where she had been and leaned on the wall.

    He didn¡¯t speak. He simply sat in silence, listening to Kelly¡¯s heavy breaths as she came down from the high as if they were music in his ears. His arms wrapped around her and his head settled on her shoulder, hiding his face from her.

    When Kelly was finally back in her senses, she lifted her hand and caressed his scalp gently. She could feel his throbbing hardness under her and she moved to return the favor. She wanted to please him too and send him to heaven like what he just did to her.

    But Kai held her and didn¡¯t let her escape his grasp.

    "Kai, let me ¨C"

    "Kelly," he broke off. He didn¡¯t raise his face to look at her. "You want me to stay with you for two days. What do you want me to do here if I stay?"

    Kelly stilled and fell quiet for a long while. But eventually, a determined sigh left her lips before she spoke. "Look at me first," she demanded. Kai took a while to move and lift his face.

    With a smile, she lifted her hands and cupped his face. "Just stay and hold me... and love me more." She said without any hesitation. But unexpectedly, Kai¡¯s lips curved up into a smirk. Kelly¡¯s eyes immediately widened. Her Kai does not smirk like this. He does not smirk like a bad boy!

    She was speechless and couldn¡¯t find her voice for a moment.

    "My god, Kelly..." he muttered as he threw his head back, even lightly hitting against the wall. "I love you enough already. I love you more than anything, more than anyone, more than my life. My love for you is already too much it¡¯s killing me. What else do you want me to do? Ruin me?"

    Kelly took a while to respond. His words shocked her entire being. Her heart began to swell uncontrobly with so many emotions. But she had to respond to keep him from leaving. "Okay, fine. Yes, that¡¯s what I want to do to you in two days, Kai, ruin you."

    There was a momentary silence before another smirk curved on Kai¡¯s face. He shook his head and ruffled his own hair before he stared at her. "That would be fun, but... I forgot that I¡¯m already ruined. You¡¯ve already ruined me, Kelly. So you better think of something else aside from that."

    A chain filled with thorns seemed to squeezed Kelly¡¯s heart as she heard his words. She knew he was right. Just one look at him now, and she could tell he was right. Because all semnce of the elegant Prince Kelly used to know had vanished. He was right, she had already ruined him.

    "Then..." Kelly swallowed the ached and responded mischievously. "Since you¡¯re already ruined. Maybe, I¡¯ll try to kill you instead?"

    Kai stilled, not averting his still fiery gaze off her. He didn¡¯t smirk this time. "Good, I think that¡¯s what I want you to do. You have two days to kill me." He said as he cradled her face with his hand.

    "You¡¯re crazy."

    "I know."

    "But I¡¯m crazy too."

    "I know that too."

    ***

    ***

    [I decided to keep Spellbound¡¯s first chapter here so that others can read it too. Note: Spellbound is not Hellbound Heart and it has nothing to do with hellbound.]

    Title: Spellbound

    Chapter 1. In the middle of the night

    "Mdy, they¡¯re here... the prince is here."

    Evie¡¯s shoulders immediately tensed up when she heard the shaken voice of her maid. Cold sweat dripped on her back as she shot a nervous look at her mother who had just arrived to check in on her.

    "Mother, I..." Evie subconsciously grabbed her mother¡¯s skirt. She couldn¡¯t help it. She thought she had prepared herself enough in thest few days but it seemed the fear and uncertainty still threatened to crash her resolve now that the moment had arrived.

    "Hush, dear," her mother said as she gave her daughter a reassuring hug, but the concern in her eyes gave her away. "Don¡¯t worry, you can do this, my dear," she whispered as she gently rubbed Evie¡¯s back. "Don¡¯t forget the reason you have to do this, Evie..."

    Her mother kissed her head, and though she didn¡¯t look shaken, Evie could sense the anxiousness and distress within her mother.

    Evie took a deep breath. "Yes, mother," she replied, as she shed a forced smile toward her mother. "I can do this."

    "Good girl..." Her mother¡¯s arms wrapped around her again for onest hug and after a second, her mother nodded at her maid.

    "I am going to meet the guests now while you get ready," she told Evie and after giving her daughter onest encouraging smile, Evie¡¯s mother finally left the room.

    Evie closed her eyes and her maid immediately hovered around her. She tried her best to calm her pounding heart, talking to herself inwardly and telling herself it would be alright, that everything would be alright. She was so focused on hardening her resolve that she was a little startled when the maid finally spoke.

    "You look stunning, mdy." Evie¡¯s eyes flew towards the mirror and she studied her reflection. Her hair was so beautifully arranged; her face painted just enough to emphasize her natural, innocent, maiden features.

    Evie stared at herself quietly. It had finally arrived, the day of her wedding. She used to fantasize about this day when she was younger, daydreaming about how magical and wonderful it would be to marry the man of her dreams. She had seen herself smiling with so much happiness and excitement and delight as she marched down the aisle towards her dream groom.

    But none of these fantasies of hers were going to happen. Instead of excitement and delight, her heart was filled with dread and unease. Well, nobody could me her because like most of thedies in the highest echelon of power, Evie couldn¡¯t choose whom to marry. She had mistakenly, stupidly thought she was safe from all these things because she wasn¡¯t a princess. However, she was the daughter of the most powerful noble family in the entire Empire. In the end, she couldn¡¯t escape this fate. In fact, she couldn¡¯t believe she actually had it worse than anyone else she knew, probably even more than the princesses of any Empire in existence. At least those princesses were married off to emperors and high ranking military generals from their neighboring human empires.

    Yes, she too, was about to marry a prince but... unlike those princesses, her husband-to-be wasn¡¯t human... he was a vampire. And vampires were their enemy, the human¡¯s mortal enemies.

    "It¡¯s time, mdy." The handmaid¡¯s voice almost made her jump from her seat again. She let out another long and deep sigh - nobledies like her did not express their dissatisfaction audibly - before she stood up with her head held high, and walked towards the door.

    The door at the entrance was opened for her and she stepped gracefully over the sill before proceeding calmly along the corridor. She couldn¡¯t count how many times she had taken a deep breath as she walked towards those doors, doors which looked more daunting with each step she took. With onest step, she finally stood just before therge double doors leading towards the wedding hall.

    ¡¯Be strong, Evie. For the sake of your family and the entire empire,¡¯ she whispered to herself again and again. She squared her shoulders and looked up once again as she waited for the doors to open. The moon and the stars were brightly shining down on her.

    In her daydreams, her wedding day always took ce on a fine sunny day where she would be surrounded by falling petals dancing in the wind. Who would¡¯ve thought she was going to get married in the middle of the night and to a creature of the night?

    The sky was clear and calm and peaceful. The stars blinked at her but even the calmness of the sky couldn¡¯t ease the turmoil that was bubbling inside her. Her pulse was racing and all she could do was take deep breaths, again and again. Her hands were shaking and it took all her strength to keep them still again.

    Her presence was then announced and at longst, the procession began.

    The hall she walked into screamed of luxury and was a feast to the eyes, but contrary to all the beautiful grandeur that filled the room, the atmosphere was, as expected, tense and heavy. It was extremely rare for vampires and humans to be present under one roof. There were asions, of course, where the two races stood under the same roof but the difference this time was that they weren¡¯t intent on killing each other. Because of this wedding, the vampires and humans agreed to a ceasefire, the first one in history.

    As she walked closer to the altar, her long, tapered fingers clutched her dress hard - an action that went unnoticed by the guests because her hands were swallowed by the voluminous folds of her gown - but Evie¡¯s eyes remained fixated on the floor. Her face was still facing forward but her eyes were trained on that single spot, always 5 feet away in front of her on the floor. She couldn¡¯t rx. She felt like she was walking on a small, thin stretch of road between vampire and human armies on the battlefield right before they collided and killed each other. Above all, she felt like a small, innocent littlemb voluntarily walking to the butcher¡¯s house to be sacrificed, despite being promised that her soon-to-be husband and the vampires would never hurt her.

    The tension was so thick in the air that all she wanted to do was turn around and run away, but she didn¡¯t. She couldn¡¯t.

    Evie couldn¡¯t hear anything but the loud pounding of her own heartbeat. She couldn¡¯t even raise her

    eyes to take a peek at her husband-to-be because she was terrified! All her encounters with vampires terrified her to the core. Granted, she hadn¡¯t seen that many of them, but five years ago, she hade across a captured vampire. The vampire had had his sharp teeth bared, snarling with disgust and rage at his captors, and his eyes had glowed blood red which was a stark contrast to his overly pale skin. This vampire¡¯s appearance had horrified Evie. The same was true of the vampires who attacked her carriage a year ago.

    She was scared of all vampires. All humans feared vampires. Vampires were the viinous monsters that mothers always used to scare their children. And yet, here she was, about to marry one of them.

    Lost in her own fears, Evie didn¡¯t realize that she had reached the altar and she was instantly pulled back to the present when a hand appeared in her view. She almost stumbled in shock. Staring at the hand, Evie swallowed. She just knew this was the hand of the vampire prince she was going to marry.

    Slowly, she lifted her eyes, her gaze moving from his hand, up to his elbow, across to his abdomen before stopping on his chest. She breathed in silently before she continued upwards, finally stopping on his face.

    And the moment their eyes met... Evie¡¯s heart momentarily stopped.

    ___

    Do you like the story? If you want to read more just go to this link /kazzenlx or dm me if you have questions. 8 chapters are already out.

    ___

    I can¡¯t post <Spellbound> here on  because I am working with an artist for it¡¯sic version. So it will only be avable on patreon.

 Chapter 575 Eclipse*

    <h4>Chapter 575 Eclipse*</h4>

    Kelly let out a soft but humorous chuckle. She didn¡¯t know if keeping him with her was a good idea but she just didn¡¯t care anymore. ¡¯Come what may,¡¯ she thought because, in these two days, there would be no one in the universe but just the two of them.

    Finally climbing off him, Kelly knelt between his long legs. She kept her eyes smoldering towards him as she moved. The heat immediately resumed when Kelly naughtily eyed the mighty bulge in his groin. She licked her lips in a very slow and sensuous way as her gaze traveled from his bulge to his eyes in an oh so seductive way.

    Kai could do nothing but groan at the sight of her erotic face and her naked body because his already stiff length started to ache with need. He bit his lips and looked away, his body so damn tense, and Kelly could tell that at that moment, he was trying his hardest not to seize her. At the very least, his cautiousness was still there. However, Kelly was confident that a little push was all that¡¯s needed and this little beast will definitely lose it.

    She leaned in on him and waited for a moment for him to look at her. But when the man remained facing away, Kelly raised a brow, and then her lipsnded on his nape. And then suddenly, she bit him hard. She heard him grit his teeth and shuddered a little. His reaction pleased Kelly, and she let go of his skin. She knew her teeth left a mark, so she started to lick it gently as if to soothe the pain she had inflicted. Low groans escaped from Kai¡¯s throat, which Kelly thought was damn sexy.

    Her fingers traveled down, and she cupped his bulge. As she continued kissing his neck, Kelly¡¯s hand started to rub him through his trouser. She sucked his flesh hard as if she was trying to mark every exposed skin of his neck.

    When she was finally satisfied, she pulled away and admired her work of art. Beads of sweat were scattered on his temples, some already flowing down his neck. His eyes so dreamy and were flooded with lust and desire.

    Kelly then bent, and she unbuckled his belt without breaking eye contact. She returned the same gaze back to him and their lust and desire for each other collided. That moment, they felt the moon and the sun was about to be one. Would it finally happen? Could they finally get their very own eclipse they¡¯ve been longing for so long?

    Hastily, Kelly freed him, and Kai grunted. His manhood had risen so stiff it was touching his navel. The sight of the moist in his tip made Kelly swallow and licked her lips. She was damn pleased to see how aroused he was as she gently pulled his sex away from his stomach.

    "Kelly..." was all he could say and without wasting a moment, Kelly lowered her lips and nuzzled the tip of it. Kai groaned and his breath snagged in his throat at the contact. She pressed tiny kisses along his sensitive length and lingered when she heard him groan with pleasure.

    Kelly loved how he responds to her. She loved drowning him in pleasure. As her tongue progressed all the way back to the throbbing head of his hardness, she looked up into his face. His face flushed but his long darkshes were lowered to his cheeks, concealing the look in his eyes.

    Returning her full attention to his throbbing sex, Kelly opened her lips and slowly swallowed him. Kai clenched his fists so tight his knuckles turned white as the sensual pleasure raced inside his entire being. When she started to move, his brainpletely turned into a mush, making it impossible for him to think clearly.

    Her wicked and naughty mouth caused him an agony of pleasure he could never ever get tired of. She was so wild, like a lioness.

    "Oh god, Kelly... right, like that..." he uttered between his gasps and Kelly made a little satisfied hum in her throat before she concentrated on taking him inside her deeper. She ravished him with her mouth and tongue until he swelled even harder.

    And then, his head fell back as his gasps of pleasure resonated inside the quiet room, followed by an almost unbearable sensation that racked his entire body.

    After he had calmed down from the extreme high, Kai pulled her in his embrace again. He held her tight and as his breath slowly stabilize.

    "So, is this the killing you¡¯re talking about?" he whispered after a long while of silence.

    "Of course not."

    Her response made him look her in the eyes, his brow raised.

    "Oh c¡¯mon, love. I simply returned the favor. I haven¡¯t even started trying to kill you yet, babe." The mischievous and devilish look in her eyes as she said those words made Kai catch his lower lip between his teeth. He knew he was crazy to feel this surge of great anticipation and thrill inside him. He truly had gone mad.

    "I am looking forward to it," he replied, and Kelly smiled.

    "I will not disappoint you. I¡¯ll make sure you will never get bored in your two days stay here with me. I promise. In fact, I wanted to start now."

    "Now..." he echoed.

    "Yes, now. I don¡¯t want to waste even a single second, Kai."

    When he fell silent and just stared at her, Kelly traced his strong jaw with the tip of her forefinger. "Scared?" she asked yfully, and he smirked. "I always love your smile. But I think I am loving your smirks too." She giggled before she became serious andmanded her prince. "Now, my prince, shall we go get a rxing shower first?"

    Without a word, Kai stood with her in his arms and they both entered inside the bathroom. As soon as Kai put her down, Kelly immediately filled the tub with warm water.

    When she looked back, her handsome man was already fully naked before her. He was a sight to behold and she couldn¡¯t help but lust over him again. ¡¯Behave, Kelly.¡¯ She managed to stop herself from pounding on him by focusing her attention on tying her hair. After that, she dipped herself in the tub.

    The warm water rxed her tensed muscle as she watched Kai wash himself under the shower. She couldn¡¯t help but swallow and hold back her droll. How could he be so delicious? She wanted to eat him all night all day.

    Noticing her intent gaze on him, Kai nced at her through his wet, dark locks. Kelly gestured him to approach her and he didn¡¯t even hesitate to obey. The little beast seemed to be behaving himself for now as well.

    But once he joined her in the tub, the behaving lioness lost it. Kelly stretched out her long legs until she touched his mighty length. She relentlessly teased him and when she felt him getting close, she stopped and left the tub.

    "Time to leave the bathroom and go to bed, babe." She said, and Kai groaned but didn¡¯t protest.

    She was already lying on the bed, tucked under the sheet, when Kai entered her bedroom. His lower half was wrapped with a towel as he approached her.

    "I don¡¯t have any clothes for you, so I¡¯m sorry, but you¡¯ll sleep naked with me tonight, my prince." She told him but her eyes were fixated on his groin. "Did you relieve yourself?" she asked with a naughty smile.

    Kai wordlessly climbed on the bed andy next to her before he answered. "I wanted to survive the first night at least."

    A soft chuckle echoed, and Kelly moved closer to him. The next moment, she was on all four over him. Her eyes were brooding as she stared down at him.

    Kai held his breath, waiting for what she was about to do next. However, Kelly did something unexpected. She lowered her lips but not to ravage his mouth again. Her lipsnded softly on his forehead before she uttered a sweet and sleepy ¡¯good night.¡¯

    That little action made Kai¡¯s body stiffen. He was so surprised that he failed even to say a word. He was expecting her to attack him again and he knew he was anticipating it. Yet, here she was now, leaning her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arm around his waist in a possessive manner after kissing his forehead. He felt an indescribable feeling inside him as he kept imagining the look in her eyes after shended that innocent kiss.

    For a long time, he was silent. And Kelly didn¡¯t move again. She fell asleep hugging him. He carefully turned to face her and watched her sleeping face. The lioness looked like a cute little cub when she was asleep that Kai couldn¡¯t help but caress her face gently. Oh, how he loved this woman.

    Kai never slept. He just watched her. He didn¡¯t even notice that it was nearly dawn until a vibrating sound broke the silence inside the room.

    Kelly¡¯s brows creased, and she opened her eyes. Kai didn¡¯t know why he closed his eyes and pretended to be asleep. He felt her rolled away before he opened his eyes. But the moment he saw the screen of her phone and saw that Abi was calling her, Kai suddenly grabbed the phone away from Kelly¡¯s hand before she could answer the call.

    ___

    Something came up so I failed to post two chapters but this chapter is long(1600words, my usual word count per chap is 1000). I will try two chaps tomorrow instead.

 Chapter 576 Always*

    <h4>Chapter 576 Always*</h4>

    Kai saw the shock on her face and he silently berated himself. But it was no use regretting now that the did was done. When he saw Abigail¡¯s name on her phone¡¯s screen, Kai immediately thought that Abigail must be calling Kelly to tell her about him. Kai was certain that by now, Alex already knew what had happened to his body, and knowing Alex, he would definitely tell his wife about it. And Abi would certainly tell everything to her best friend.

    The thought that Kelly would hear about his self-destruction and his reduced lifespan made Kai¡¯s heart jumped with unease. He didn¡¯t want her to know. Not now. Because once this woman realized that she wasn¡¯t the only one in danger, Kai could already foresee her sending him away. She wouldn¡¯t ask him to stay with her anymore once she found out that he could harm himself and die in her arms. He knew she deserved to know, but Kai forced himself to believe that it was fine. It was fine for her not to know anything about it for now. He would give his everything within these two days. He would do everything to make her happy. No matter how momentary it was, Kai decided to make these two days a paradise for her, for them, before both of them finally jumped down to their very own kind of hells and live there for the rest of their lives.

    "I¡¯ve met Abigail before I came here," he said calmly.

    "Oh," was all Kelly uttered after the shock of the moment passed through her. Her eyes were still questioning as she eyed her phone in his hand.

    "I think she¡¯s calling to tell you something unnecessary."

    "Unnecessary?" Kelly raised a brow, now looking at him with curiosity.

    Kai stopped himself from looking around and just stared at her eyes. He didn¡¯t want her to suspect anything. He didn¡¯t want to ruin this moment because he knew this could be theirst. "She had barged in in my vi, and... she saw how messed up I am," he exined, carefully. "I¡¯m certain she¡¯s calling to tell you how miserable I was when she saw me."

    "And you don¡¯t want me to hear it?"

    "Yes. And if you answer your phone now, there¡¯s a possibility that Abigail might invite you out to speak with you personally."

    "And you don¡¯t want that to happen?"

    "Yes."

    "Why?"

    "Because that would disturb us. We¡¯re supposed to be locked up in here for two short days without any contact to the outside world." As he said those words, Kai pressed the phone¡¯s shutdown button.

    Kelly watched her phone die in his hand, and she could only gape, speechless. She never expected him to say such words! Eventually, a giggle escaped her throat as she shook her head in disbelief.

    "I can¡¯t believe what you just said." She told him, and she climbed on top of him to look into his eyes closer and deeper as she could. "I am feeling guilty because I think that I bloody forced you to stay, you know? Yet you said those..." Kelly bit her lips to stop herself from smiling widely like an idiot. "You¡¯re actually dying to stay with me, are you?" she whispered as she lowered her lips and yfully kissed the corner of his lips.

    The tips of her breasts dragged through his chest before she pulled up a little and looked into his eyes again. "You even dared deny my opportunity to speak with my best friend, Kai." Her finger trailed on his chest as she lowered her face down once more. But this time, her lipsnded at the hollow beneath his ear before she caught his earlobe between her tender lips. "Do you know how daring you are to do that? Huh, my prince?"

    Kai was already aroused. Now her lips and hot breaths on his ear seduced him even more.

    "I am not sorry." He replied with a serious expression. "Because in these two days... you are mine alone... and I am yours, Kelly. You were the one who gave me that impression when you asked me to be locked up here with you."

    ¡¯And yes, I am always... always dying to stay with you. There is nothing in this world that is bigger than my desire to be with you, except your death.¡¯ He added inwardly.

    Kelly could only blink, once again surprised by his words.

    "What. Am I wrong, Kelly?"

    Before Kelly could form a response, Kai suddenly moved, and in the next instant, Kelly was under him. His eyes were smoldering as he stared down at her, and then he did the exact same thing Kelly just did to him, kissing the hollow below her ear before gently biting her earlobe.

    "Forget about Abigail and think of no one but me," he then whispered, his voice husky and hypnotic. And for the nth time that night, his words rendered her dumbstruck again.

    "Oh god, are you jealous?!" she eximed in utter disbelief.

    "If that¡¯s how it sounds, then so be it." He replied thoughtfully, and Kelly couldn¡¯t even form an immediate response that sheughed instead.

    "My god, Kai." She looked genuinely happy as she continued chuckling, her eyes twinkling in delight. "Why am I so happy?"

    But her chuckles were cut short because, without warning, Kai captured her lips. He seized the insides of her mouth, and he licked and sucked her tongue as though it had been so long since thest time he had kissed her. He didn¡¯t stop until Kelly was breathless from his savage attack.

    When he finally pulled away, Kelly was panting hard. "Y-you... are you trying to kill me? Who¡¯s going to kill you if you kill me first? And... I am supposed to be the one to kill you!" she burst out with both fake anger and genuine thrill as she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. She tried to push him, nning to be in control again, but Kai didn¡¯t let her. Oh, my... what is he nning to do... don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s going to...

    ___

    One more chapter today.

    P.s. to my patrons, I will be updating new chapters for Spellbound tomorrow. ^^

 Chapter 577 Surrender*

    <h4>Chapter 577 Surrender*</h4>

    Kai¡¯s eyes blurred with need and unspeakable desire as he loomed over her. She could see the hunger that made the muscles in his face tightened, making her drew one finger on the side of his jaw. But abruptly, Kai seized her hands and pinned them above her head.

    His eyes burned, and then his lips mmed against hers. The moment their lips collided, every suppressed emotion seemed to have exploded in one focused and intense attack.

    He ravaged her mouth, kissing her so deep and hard as if his tongue was demanding an unconditional surrender from her. His free hand took the stiff peak of her breast in his fingers, and he squeezed and groped it in an almost wicked way that caused Kelly to writhe and moan in pleasure.

    Kelly couldn¡¯t help but reached up, tangled her fingers in his hair, and pulled him closer. She couldn¡¯t help but match his intensity. She kissed him back, lewd and deep, until she was breathing in moans, and his hot breath was shivering against her.

    The st of desire between them at that moment was too much; it was enough to make her already incredibly wet and clenching. The once quiet room was once again filled with erotic sounds of licking and sucking.

    When he finally broke the kiss, they were both gasping hard. He didn¡¯t speak. She could see his senses ruled him.

    He began to move his body over hers, lightly scraping his torso over her breast as he supported his weight on his forearms. The hot and delicious friction against her nipples and stomach drew a moan from her, and she began to lift herself eagerly against him, anticipating the very moment when he finally invades her deep again.

    But then, to her dismay, Kai pulled away and knelt. Kelly was about to protest when Kai suddenly lifted her legs over his shoulders, and his ruthless mouth found her pulsing flesh. Kelly¡¯s eyes widened, mouth agape as she arched, bending her back.

    Her breathing came hard, but Kai didn¡¯t give her the chance to do anything except dig her nails into his scalp, tugging his hair and hang on.

    "Oh, Kai!" she moaned and trashed at his ruthless onught. She could feel her orgasm gathering low in her belly while his tongue tortured her, but despite the unbearable and maddening pleasure he was giving her, part of Kelly wanted to slow down.

    But Kai was unstoppable. There was no more yfulness and teasing forey. His carnal desire utterly consumed him.

    When he moved and settled himself into the taut slip of her thighs, Kelly¡¯s heart began to thud even louder. She looked up at him, and their eyes met. His eyes dted, but there were no signs of them going red. Kelly couldn¡¯t help but feel both nervousness and excitement. But once she remembered the look in Kai¡¯s eyes that night, Kelly¡¯s excitement began to be overshadowed by her unease. So she was unsure whether she should let him keep going when he was in this uncontroble state. Should she just let him? Should she stop him? What if this time, he won¡¯t be able to control himself and... kill her?

    The thought made her heart convulse with worry and panic. She couldn¡¯t let that happen. Kai will never forgive himself if that happens.

    "K-kai, wait." She finally said between her gasps. Her voice was breathy. She decided she had to stop him and calm him down. She wasn¡¯t nning to stop, not when she was already dying for him, but Kelly must do something. She remembered what happened that night. She had let herself get lost with the pleasure of finally having him inside her that before she knew it, she let him took the reign. Maybe, that was the secret. Perhaps, if she didn¡¯t let him took control that night, the result might be different. So this time, she was not going to let him take control again. She will do it.

    "Kai." She called out again just as Kai pressed his hardness against hers. She cupped his face and forced him to look at her.

    Within the blink of an eye, Kai wentpletely still as though someone hadpletely shut him down. However, one part of him was an exception because that one part remained long, hard, and eager.

    She frantically tried to think of something to say. "I... I think you¡¯re being too rough," she said, and then she nibbled the inside of her lips. She didn¡¯t know if that was the right thing to say but seeing how his eyes widened and seemed to have regained his senses, Kelly sighed in relief because it worked. "So I..." She paused, trying to think of how to say this in a way he won¡¯t misunderstand. "I want to be the onepletely in control this time. Can you let me do the rest?"

    In the silence that followed her words, Kelly could tell he already realized why she was saying this. She knew how hard it must have been to obey her, but Kelly didn¡¯t want that experience happening again. Even though nothing happened to her in the end, she didn¡¯t want to see that look in his eyes again, she didn¡¯t want him to leave her hanging again, and most of all, she was afraid about the result if they fail this time as well.

    Without waiting for Kai¡¯s response, Kelly pushed him, and to her relief, Kai obediently rolled off her andid on his back, letting her turn the table around.

    Kelly breathed in relief, and at the same time, a new kind of excitement rose within her as she quickly climbed on top of him. She straddled him and her wet sex settled on top of her chiseled abs.

    As their eyes met, Kelly shed a confident, loving, and wicked smile as she looked down at him. She lowered her face and pressed her forehead against him. "I will do my best, love." She whispered, and Kai¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple bobbed up and down as he looked at her and surrendered himself to her.

    ___

    [Here¡¯s the second chap ^^]

 Chapter 578 Little demoness*

    <h4>Chapter 578 Little demoness*</h4>

    A glint of deviltry shed across Kelly¡¯s eyes the moment Kai rxed beneath her. She could feel hisplete surrender, and she licked her lips in delight, showing him how ready she was to take him fully.

    An acute lust rolled through Kai at the sight of her. Her naked body, her exposed breasts, her every curve, those glimmering eyes which were filled with lust and desire for him, and the way she licked her lips took every particle of his will to keep his body still.

    Kai knew what she was thinking. The intense determination behind her lustful gazes made him realize that she has never forgotten what had happened that night. He could tell she was nervous and uneasy, but it was apparent she wasn¡¯t feeling that way because she was afraid to die in his hands. This girl never feared him, even during that very moment when he nearly killed her. He knew she must be uneasy because of the possibility that this time too would be likest time, and both of them were once again get pped by the reality that they were simply impossible.

    He used to feel quietly infuriated whenever she acts as though she didn¡¯t care about her life, but now Kai finally understood what she had been feeling. Because right then, despite knowing the fact that he could die in her arms, there wasn¡¯t even a tiny glint of fear that surged within him. It was as if he didn¡¯t care at all if he dies as if it didn¡¯t even matter anymore whether what they¡¯re about to do was wrong or right.

    Finally, he understood why Kelly had been so bold and fearless. He finally understood why she carelessly and relentlessly came after him despite the danger signs. Because now that she too had officially be his very own danger zone wrapped with all the vividly clear warning signs, he would still jump into her as if he was blind, as if he never saw any danger signs at all.

    He loved her despite the danger signs. He loved her so much he would rather choose death than a future without her.

    "What are you thinking?" his attention immediately returned to her when she spoke. Her face was hovering over him as she searched his eyes. "You¡¯re not plotting about how to take over the moment I let my guard down, are you?"

    "If my answer is yes, what will you do?"

    "I will have to force you to swear. Promise me you won¡¯t do that. Promise me you will let me takeplete control over you until the end!" The intensity in her voice nearly made Kai smile, but he held it.

    "But even if I were to promise that, you should know that sometimes even I cannot control myself."

    "You can. For my sake." Her eyes zed as she said those words while Kai admired how breathtaking she looked when she was on fire with both determination and desire.

    She reached out and yed with his dark locks as she whispered like a little demoness seducing him to his demise. "Promise me, Kai. I know you can do it. Please?"

    And he couldn¡¯t resist the temptation. No, there was actually no need for her to tempt him because he was already tempted and prepared to surrender before she even asked.

    "I will try, I promise." He said, and despite purposely including the words ¡¯I will try¡¯ in his response, Kelly beamed in delight, and she kissed him.

    "I love you," she whispered against his lips, and she delved inside his mouth as deep as could. All the while, she was rubbing her body against him. The feeling of her wet flower rubbing slowly against his hard abs was enough to threaten Kai¡¯s self-control.

    He was already so hard and aroused that Kelly had to gently pull his hardness away from his navel before she could ce it between her thighs. When he felt her hot and wet sex against him, he held his breath and clenched his teeth together. It was finally happening again. Finally, he was going to be one with her again.

    Kelly supported herself for a moment on her knees as she guided his hard shaft between the hot folds of her sex.

    Kai never moved. But when she had pushed the head of his manhood into her entrance, Kai¡¯s breaths hitched. He was only barely an inch inside her, and the pleasure was already taking his breath away.

    A deep groan escaped from within his lungs as Kelly writhed a little. Her hand was still grasping the length of his manhood, slowly guiding him deeper. And then, she stilled and looked at him.

    He struggled to hold himself still, waiting for her to resume. But the little demoness took her time, and when she finally lowered herself, it was only another inch deeper. My god! Would he live through this? She was really going to kill him for real!

    Kai¡¯s head could only fall back to the pillow. All he wanted that moment was to thrust forward and prate her as deep as he could.

    Again, another inch and Kai could no longer hold his voice back, and he groaned in utter exasperation.

    Looking at his face, the little demoness reached out and cupped his cheek without moving down on him. "Easy, babe. Be patient, okay? It¡¯s not easy to amodate your uhm... bi ¨C"

    "You¡¯re going to kill me, Kelly."

    "Hush, love. I¡¯m just testing your self-control, and so far, you¡¯re doing very well."

    "My god..."

    His reaction made Kelly let out a satisfied hum, and she finally started to move. She rocked slightly forward and then back in a very slow rhythm. She didn¡¯t even take him inside her fully, and it was maddening how sweet the way she tortured him. He wanted to reach deeper. Deeper. He wanted to be buried deep inside her.

    He looked at her, and the torture became even more unbearable. He could see her erotic breasts moving with her body and her mouth-watering throat exposedpletely. Yet he could reach neither, and the agony only made his manhood swell even harder. She would really kill him this time. He knew she would!

 Chapter 579 I promise*

    <h4>Chapter 579 I promise*</h4>

    Kelly continued with her torture, sliding forward then withdrawing just as he thought she would finally straddle himpletely. The agony of keeping himself from grabbing her was consuming him he didn¡¯t know how long he could hold on.

    He tried to move his hips, but the little demoness seemed to have anticipated it, and she raised herself, causing him to slip out of her.

    "Oh my god, Kelly," he could only utter as Kelly pushed him down. "Don¡¯t... be so cruel."

    Kelly bit her lips to stop herself from grinning. She was surprised to see his every expression, his every reaction, and how badly he wanted her. That night in his vi, Kelly hadn¡¯t seen his expressions when they first had sex because Kai never gave her a chance, or she never had the opportunity to pay attention to his expressions. And she was too lost in pleasure to watch his face. But now that she was watching him, Kelly couldn¡¯t help but want to see more because she found herself enjoying the feeling of him being crazy for her, begging her. She knew she was being bad, so bad, but she had told him she¡¯d kill him, and he said that¡¯s what he wanted her to do.

    "But you told me this is what you wanted me to do," she retorted as she grasped his length again and guided it inside her. "You asked me to kill you, darling. And this is my very own way to fulfill your desire. So don¡¯t move again, okay? Or else, I¡¯ll pull away again."

    His response was a loud groan, and he could only tug his hair. His body was now glistening with sweat as his hardness twitched when she slowly swallowed him again.

    Kelly smiled then licked her lips, and finally, she lowered herself when he least expected it. She slid all the way, straddling himpletely, causing Kai¡¯s eyes to widen for a moment before they abruptly drifted shut as he felt her took him to the hilt.

    The feeling of him filling herpletely nearly drove Kelly to insanity. She struggled so hard not to throw her head back and shut her eyes. She must not take her eyes off him. She had to watch him close. She must not lose herselfpletely or else...

    "Oh, Kelly, that¡¯s it... like that... please move your hips..." he uttered shakily. Kelly was panting as she looked down at him. She was proud of herself for managing to regain her senses. Her eyes immediately searched his eyes, and she was relieved to see that there was still no sign of them going red. His eyes remained normal.

    She began to rock against him, but still in an excruciatingly slow rhythm. She didn¡¯t forget to stay wicked as she swallowed him, then retreated very slowly and making him wait, and wait until he clutched handfuls of the bedclothes. He had gripped the clothes so hard that it didn¡¯t take long for the sound of ripping fabric to resonate inside the room. His body was slightly arched, and he felt as though he were being stretched on a torture rake.

    This was seriously killing him. This was the worse torture he had ever gone through. And he was shocked himself because his body was still not betraying him despite how wicked this little demoness was treating him right then. It was hard to believe even for him that he managed to hold on this long.

    When he closed his eyes, the voice of the demoness he loved resonated in his consciousness. "Don¡¯t close your eyes, babe. Look at me," she urged. "I¡¯ll go faster if you open your eyes."

    Immediately, Kai looked at her. She smirked devilishly as she bent forward and kissed him lightly. "Okay, I¡¯ll move now. But if you close your eyes or try to pull me, I¡¯ll stop."

    He couldn¡¯t believe she was threatening him in bed while he was sheathed inside her, but he nodded anyway. His desire for her was greater than anything else.

    "Yes, please. Move on me, yes... faster Kelly..." he uttered as her lush body lifted and settled, deepening his pration. She gripped and stroked him by her wet depths until he was muttering endearments and sex words.

    "Oh, Kai," she inhaled sharply as his hips began to ram against her. She was about to force herself to move away, but when she saw that the color of his eyes still didn¡¯t change, Kelly couldn¡¯t make herself stop the impossible ecstasy they were sharing at the moment. She thought it was okay because his eyes were still normal. She told herself that once his eyes start to turn red, she would immediately pull away and stop. But it didn¡¯t, and so she let him nudged deeper with steady strokes until her sex mped so tightly around him.

    She could no longer stop herself from rocking harder and faster. She was starting to get lostpletely. It took every fiber of her consciousness never to close her eyes. And she remained locking her eyes to his all the while, hoping and praying deep within her consciousness that his eyes wouldn¡¯t turn red.

    "Kelly..." Kai uttered her name, worshipping her. Every part of him moved along with her, his manhood, his heart, his body, and soul. He was lost,pletely, drowning in her.

    His mind filled with nothing but her and the beyond heavenly pleasure they were currently sharing. The pleasure had long taken over him ultimately, he could no longer think at all. He just thrust faster, harder, and deeper until, atst, he felt himself convulse and pulse inside of her as Kelly clenched him spasmodically.

    "Ah," she moaned and shivered on top of him, unable to keep her eyes open anymore. The long-awaited eclipse had finally happened.

    Kelly looked down and searched for his eyes, and when she saw they weren¡¯t red, she finally copsed over him. Kai drew his hands over her back and filled his hand with her damp hair as he pressed his lips against her head.

    "We did it..." she uttered between her gasps, and Kai stilled as if he just realized something extremely crucial.

    It took him a long while to respond. "Yes. You did well..." he said, but Kelly¡¯s breathing had already lengthened and slept on top of him.

    Kai silently swallowed as he carefullyy her on the bed. He looked at her sleeping face before he reached out and smoothed the strands of her hair away from her face. He could now see the weariness on her face. It was apparent she¡¯d been through hell since the day he sent her away. The pain surged within his heart, but they disappeared almost immediately. An intense emotion kicked all the dark emotions, and his eyes burned with the kind of hellfire that wasn¡¯t rted to any destruction.

    He bent and gave her an emotional and long forehead kiss before he pulled away and whispered, "I¡¯ll be back, Kelly. And once I return, I will im you all over again, this time, wholly and surely. I won¡¯t bete, I promise."

    ___

    [Hurray, at longst. Lol. I did my best. I hope I am improving writing smuts. ??

    This author is still learning and I know I still have a lotttt to learn. Hope you liked it. And I hope you¡¯re enjoying Kelly and Kai¡¯s moments.

    P.s. chapter 9 and 10 for Spellbound is out.]

 Chapter 580 *Irresponsible

    <h4>Chapter 580 *Irresponsible</h4>

    It was raining hard when Kai arrived at the Reign Castle. He had spotted Raven in the courtyard, so he was about to approach him and ask Zeke¡¯s whereabouts when he noticed the man next to Raven. The man was leaning against the pir and facing away, but Kai could recognize him just by seeing that fiery red hair of his even in the shadows. That man was definitely Lucas, Zeke¡¯s personal guard. All crown princes in the past until now always had a personal guard assigned to stay by their side since they were little. These guards were the strongest of all non-royal vampires, so of course, this Lucas was strong. In fact, even Kai himself, a prince, never stood a chance against him. Lucas was entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the next king, so his skill was only second and even almost on par with Zeke himself.

    Kai knew that Zeke had long ordered Lucas not to stay beside him anymore because Zeke didn¡¯t need any protection now. So it had been so long since Kai saw Lucas. He didn¡¯t know where did Lucas spent thest hundred years because he never appeared since Zeke dismissed him. And that was why it was such a surprise seeing him in the pce now. Why? Did Zeke call him back?

    The lines on Kai¡¯s forehead deepened as he leaped away and immediately headed to Zeke¡¯s room.

    Before he could even announce his presence, he heard Zeke¡¯s voice.

    "It¡¯s open," he said, and Kai turned the knob and stepped into Zeke¡¯s room.

    Zeke was standing by therge window and staring out. But it seemed he was expecting Kai to arrive.

    There was a long silence after Kai closed the door. He just stared hard at Zeke¡¯s back before he finally spoke.

    "Why¡¯s Lucas here?" This wasn¡¯t what Kai had thought he¡¯d say first as soon as he met Zeke. The reason why he came had nothing to do with Lucas.

    Zeke finally swung and faced him. He shot him a calm look before he moved and sat on his chair, crossing his legs.

    "You came here to ask me that?" Zeke asked. His expression was as usual, calm and detached.

    "No, I came here for a different reason," Kai replied. "But I spotted him on my way here. Why did you call him back?"

    The only reason why Lucas was back must be because Zeke now needed his protection. That was the only reason Kai coulde up with, even though he couldn¡¯t believe that Zeke would ever need anyone¡¯s protection. There were no more enemies alive that was stronger than him, so why?

    Zeke didn¡¯t respond instantly. His finger tapped on the arm of his chair in a slow, deliberate beat as he spoke. "I have a business to deal with."

    "Business..." Kai echoed, narrowing his eyes, wanting Zeke to borate more of it.

    But the man leaned back in his chair. His expression never showed anything but calm.

    "You don¡¯t need to know." He said. His tone telling Kai that he wouldn¡¯t say anything more about it and whenever Zeke sounded like this, it would always be the final verdict. "You better get to your business with me now, Kai, while I¡¯m still here."

    Kai¡¯s brows pulled together in a hard knot. "You¡¯re leaving?"

    "Yes."

    Kai¡¯s eyes widened. For some reason, Kai felt that Zeke wasn¡¯t just talking about going somewhere else. He could tell Zeke was talking about leaving the kingdom and wouldn¡¯te back any time soon.

    "You¡¯re leaving the kingdom?"

    "Yes."

    "Where?"

    "Somewhere far."

    "And you won¡¯te back any time soon..."

    "Correct. I might take more than ten years."

    "T-ten years..." Kai was speechless. He couldn¡¯t believe he would take that long. Well, he realized that ten years wasn¡¯t really that long for Zeke but, just what kind of business was it that he needed more than ten years to deal with it?

    "Now enough with the questions, and tell me why you¡¯re here." Zeke¡¯s tone became severe that Kai could only force himself to stop pressing his nose on this man¡¯s business anymore. He knew he¡¯d only waste his time if he kept asking. And he also knew his opinion wouldn¡¯t even change Zeke¡¯s decision. No one could stop him from doing anything he wanted. Not even Alex.

    Finally focusing his thought on his very own business, Kai sighed and looked through the window. The sky was still grey, and the rain kept falling even heavier.

    "I..." Kai hesitated for a moment. "I believe I have found the answer." He said finally, not looking at Zeke. Kai¡¯s rtionship with Zeke wasn¡¯t that great but also wasn¡¯t bad. Even though Zeke was his older brother, Kai had always felt closer with Alex than with Zeke. He had never talk with Zeke about personal matters before, so it was a little hard for him toe to him and talk about things that weren¡¯t rted to Alex, the kingdom, or the vampires.

    "You finally had a sessful sex with her without you self-destructive midway?" came Zeke¡¯s voice. His words surprised Kai that he cleared his throat. It surprised him that Zeke didn¡¯t seem to have any problem talking about this at all. Did he get used to this kind of talk now because of Alex?

    "Yes." Kai finally faced him. "And... I didn¡¯t crave for her blood..." he confessed.

    Zeke stopped tapping his fingers. His face remained expressionless, but he seemed as though a thought had just hit him.

    "So you¡¯ve be almost the same as a half-blooded vampire." He muttered. "Well, you¡¯re now a vampire with a life span of a human..." he trailed off and fell silent for a while. "So it seemed self-destruction is the key, huh." He then concluded.

    "Maybe, but..." Kai looked at him intently, "I didn¡¯t even know anything about self-destruction before. It just happened. I believe my love for her and my desire to never hurt her triggered my body to self-destruct."

    "So are you saying that the human and vampire lovers before you and Kelly did not love each other¡¯s enough? That¡¯s why they failed to self-destruct and ended up killing their partner?"

    His questions silenced Kai. Kai knew about the tragic end of those rtionships. It wouldn¡¯t be fair for him to even think that those lovers failed because they didn¡¯t love each other¡¯s enough. But Kai still believed that he was able to self-destruct because of how powerful his feelings for her. Kai had never known or felt anything stronger than his love for Kelly. He was his own witness. The feelings within him were so strong it could overpower anything, everything. And he couldn¡¯t think of anything else that could have pushed him to that point but the power of this so-called ¡¯love.¡¯

    Kai returned his gaze to Zeke again, and he was about to speak when Zeke suddenly mumbled.

    "I see," he nodded, but at that moment, he looked as though he was talking to himself. After a while, he lifted his face and continued. "You might be right. The strong emotions could be the trigger since there was actually one or two records of vampires suddenly dying while mating with their human partners. We could never tell if the cause of death was self-destruction since no one really investigated, and most vampires now don¡¯t even know about it. But it now made sense." Zeke said. "The only difference between you and them is that you¡¯re still alive. The reason is that you¡¯re a royal." He seemed satisfied with his conclusion but too soon, a new thought seemed to hit him again. "Did you ever craved blood since that night you self-destruct?"

    The question made Kai stiffen. He had finally realized that he hadn¡¯t drunk a single drop of blood since that night.

    His silence was enough for Zeke to deduce Kai¡¯s answer.

    "It appeared self-destruction didn¡¯t just reduce your lifespan; it also took away your craving for blood," Zekemented, and Kai¡¯s eyes glimmered. A sudden surge of great relief filled his entire being. He was so d knowing that he would never have to crave for Kelly¡¯s blood again.

    However, Zeke seemed to be displeased. His expression never showed anything but his god-level calmness. Only the change in his aura hinted that he might be a little ticked.

    "You¡¯re going to die after a few decades, Kai." Zeke¡¯s voice hardened.

    Kai knew this wouldn¡¯t be a piece of good news to everyone. In fact, he might be the only one feeling d. He still didn¡¯t know how would Kelly react to this once she heard the truth, once she heard what it took and what kind of sacrifice had been offered for their rtionship to finally work. But for now, Kai wouldn¡¯t think about that yet. He was the second in line on the throne, so this news wouldn¡¯t be easy for his family and everyone to ept. Even though Zeke would surely be the next king, the loss of one royal would still be a huge blow. There were only five males in the family left. The king would soon take his rest, and now Kai would eventually go next. That will leave only four left. He knew the king would surely rage, but Kai was more worried about Zeke than the king. Even though Zeke was calm now, his calmness was always one of the most terrifying of all. Because Kai knew Zeke¡¯s serenity was like the eye of the storm.

    "I know this is me being irresponsible, Zeke." Kai¡¯s voice echoed softly but firmly. "But... I love her¡ªmore than my life. And I don¡¯t regret it. I will never regret it."

 Chapter 581 That idiot*

    <h4>Chapter 581 That idiot*</h4>

    Silence followed Kai¡¯s statement. Zeke didn¡¯tment for a long while and just stared out the window while tapping out a rhythm on the arm of his chair again.

    "It¡¯s good that you acknowledge how irresponsible you¡¯ve be, Kai." Zeke then said. His gaze sharpened, but as usual, nothing of what he could be feeling reached his eyes. "It appeared Alex is a bad influence to you."

    "Alex has nothing to do ¨C"

    "You have forgotten that Alexander is nothing like us. It¡¯s alright for him to choose anyone he wanted, human or witch... anyone he desired," Zeke paused, his grey eyes frightening in their intensity, "you know we can¡¯t do that. Yet you¡¯ve challenged the impossible, and somehow you managed to win it. But the sacrifice is too huge."

    "You think it¡¯s not worth it."

    "Correct." Zeke didn¡¯t even hesitate. "You have forgotten who you are, Kai."

    Those words made Kai clenched his fists as tight as he could. Only one thought yed in his head, that no matter what he¡¯ll say Zeke would never understand. Because even at that moment, Kai only saw what he always saw in his calm eyes. Nothing.

    "Don¡¯t even think I am incapable of understanding your circumstances because that is not the point here," Zeke added, and Kai wearily closed his eyes. There it goes again, him, acting as though he could read his mind and know everything. "This situation could¡¯ve been avoided. A sprout will never grow if you stop watering it. It¡¯ll eventually die over time."

    Kai pressed his lips tight before he could respond. "I fully understand where you¡¯reing from, Zeke." Kai said in a careful manner. "I tried to ¨C"

    "You only decided to stop when the sprout has already grown to a tree." Zeke once again cut him off. "You¡¯ve let it reached that point and then made a move when it¡¯s toote."

    Another long silence passed.

    "But there is no use telling you these now. And I must admit most of this is my fault." Zeke continued as hezily rested his head back on his chair.

    Kai, on the other hand, clenched his jaws tight. "You have nothing to do with this Zeke." Kai struggled to keep his calm. "This is all my..."

    Without moving a muscle in his face, Zeke suddenly became frightening enough to force Kai to shut his mouth.

    "You, the rest of the royal family, and every single vampire in this world is my responsibility. I was too focused on Alex that I became too lenient on you. Well, you¡¯re thest person I ever thought who would ever break a forbidden rule no royalty ever dared to do. I thought Alex is the only one capable of making such an irresponsible and suicidal move." Zeke rose from his seat and walked towards the window. He stared outside, his back facing Kai as he began again. "Thanks to you, I now see the grave need to tighten my watch over the remaining brothers of ours. From today onwards, I will not allow them to interact with any human, witches included. It is such a ridiculous move, but it¡¯s better than letting the royal family¡¯s bloodline reach its end. Also, I need to banish you from this kingdom as soon as possible. You must serve as an example to them. You will live your remaining years as a human with the woman you chose and grow old with her. This is the path you¡¯ve chosen for yourself after all."

    Guilt shed in Kai¡¯s eyes. He knew Zeke was right. Everything he said had hit him hard to the core. But Kai had already prepared himself for this as soon as he left Kelly in her apartment. And again, Zeke was right; it¡¯s already done. Kai was more than aware of the gravity of what he did. That¡¯s why he had been a wreck since that night he self-destructed. He was overwhelmed with too many thoughts and emotions. The only thing that had kept him from falling apart was the fact that he never felt any regret. He never regretted loving her. He never regretted choosing to sacrifice himself over killing her.

    Perhaps, Zeke was right too when he said that he had forgotten who he was. But he would disagree about him being influenced by Alex. Deep within Kai, he knew that Zeke was indeed one of the biggest reasons why Kai subconsciously let himself stray from the path that was created for him to follow. Because in Kai¡¯s eyes, his position and presence weren¡¯t really that needed nor important. He always thought that Zeke was all the royal family and the whole vampire race ever needed. And he strongly believed that that would remain an undeniable fact even until the far future.

    "Also, I have already arranged some papers for you. All you have to do now is meet that humanwyer once you leave the kingdom." Zeke nced at Kai, and when he saw Kai¡¯s expression, he turned his gaze back outside the window and resumed talking. "Your woman¡¯s family is rich, and you know you can never use your status as a prince to win her parent¡¯s approval."

    "I don¡¯t need to win anyone¡¯s approval. All I need is Kelly¡¯s."

    Kai heard Zeke let out a dryugh. "You still have a lot to learn about how the human world revolves, Kai. If you think their upper society is simple, you better kick that thought away from your head now. Keep in mind that humans areplicated creatures. Don¡¯t even try dealing with them your way. Deal with them in their own human way."

    The words Kai was about to say never had the chance to leave his mouth because Kai felt the sudden change in Zeke¡¯s aura. The entire room became incredibly heavy.

    "That idiot." He murmured as if he was seeing someone across the dark space.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" Kai asked when Zeke moved, calmly grabbed his coat, and stepped out of the room. Kai followed him as they headed to the veranda. It was already morning, but the sky remained gloomy and it was drizzling.

    "You and I still have some things to settle after this, so you¡¯re not allowed to leave just yet," Zeke told him, and then he leaped away. Kai had no choice but to follow him, curious about who the idiot he was talking about.

    As they went deeper inside the thick forest far behind the Reign Castle, Kai started to feel a dangerous situation ahead of them. It seemed a fight had broken out, and it wasn¡¯t just a normal fight. It¡¯s a fight between two powerful creatures. Was it Alex? No. It¡¯s not him.

    Sounds of shing metals began to reach Kai¡¯s ears, and the moment they arrive at the ce, Kai fell speechless.

    "What is he doing here?" he could only ask Zeke as theynd on a tree branch.

    Zeke was quiet, but he didn¡¯t seem to approve of the scene they were watching. The immortal silver-haired witch was shing against Lucas, and the two of them were fighting to the death. Zeres didn¡¯t seem to be using his dragonic power, but his speed, strength, and senses would still be influenced by the dragon blood running in his veins. It was a huge surprise that Lucas was able to fight against him and didn¡¯t seem to be losing.

    "Why did those two even ended up fighting?"

    "Lucas probably felt his presence and went after him." Zeke finally replied, still no sign of him intervening any time soon when Raven appeared before them.

    "I tried to stop Lucas, but I don¡¯t know if he even heard what I told him," Raven looked apologetic.

    "No, Lucas still didn¡¯t know about Zeres¡¯ existence. His reaction is inevitable. The one at fault here is this white dragon who¡¯s actually wandering around the vampire¡¯s territory."

    "Don¡¯t you think he might be here to meet you? Abigail and Alex came here just the other day. I think Alex must have told Zeres toe here and trouble you."

    Zeke fell silent. He knew that what Kai said must be the reason why Zeres was here.

    "You¡¯re not going to stop them?" Kai asked after a while, curious as his gaze darted back and forth between the fighting duo and Zeke.

    "Not yet."

    Kai wanted to question why but he refrained when he realized how focused Zeke was on the fight. He wasn¡¯t watching Zeres. It was Lucas he was observing.

    Curious, Kai locked his focus on Lucas as well, and the longer he watches the man, the more Kai felt something strange in his actions. This Lucas... did he became even stronger? And what was this peculiar thing about him? Kai tried to figure out what was this unusual change about him, but he just couldn¡¯t point it out.

    He returned his gaze towards Zeke, and his eyes were no longer intent. It seemed the man had already seen what he needed and wanted to see and he finally moved. Zeke disappeared just as Zeres and Lucas¡¯s swords were about to collide. He appeared between the two, and immediately, as if the world screeched into a halt, Zeres and Lucas paused and became immobile.

    "Enough, Lucas." Zeke¡¯s voice echoed as he nced at Lucas before facing Zeres.

    "And why are you here?"

    Zeres blinked, and slowly, he dropped his sword. The gold color in his eyes slowly disappeared and became silver again. He nced a serious gaze towards the red-haired man behind Zeke before he finally respond to Zeke.

    "A little birdy told me you¡¯re leaving, so I came to stop you."

    Zeke: ". . ."

 Chapter 582 Marks*

    <h4>Chapter 582 Marks*</h4>

    "It seemed Alex does not approve of you are leaving the kingdom, Zeke," Kai said uponnding on the ground. But Zeke didn¡¯t even react to Kai¡¯s words. His gaze remained locked on Zeres for a while before he spoke.

    "Did the little birdy asked you to stop me?" he asked.

    "Yes, I guess." Answered Zeres, shrugging.

    "And you think you are capable of stopping me? It seemed the little birdy didn¡¯t mention that his attempt to stop me failed."

    "How about we try?" a smirk curved on Zeres¡¯ face. His silver hair started to glow and float behind him. "I believe the little birdy didn¡¯t deal with you his usual way, and that¡¯s why he failed. That little birdy has be docile and soft now, after all."

    When Zeke just stood there, looking at him with his usual poker face, Zeres raised a brow. "What. Are you scared to go against me?" he tried his best to provoke him. Back then, this very same line was enough to rile up and infuriate Alexander.

    "Go home, Zeres. I don¡¯t have time to y with you." Zeke turned and faced Lucas after saying those words while Zeres pinched the bridge of his nose. He should¡¯ve known that this vampire prince wasn¡¯t like Alexander at all. Was there anything in this world that could provoke this man? And did he just called fighting with me a ¡¯y¡¯?

    "You think I am not going to take the fight seriously? You know I don¡¯t hold back when I fight, Kiel."

    Zeke nced back over his shoulder. "That¡¯s exactly the reason why Zeres. A serious fight against you is a waste of time and unnecessarily. You know I don¡¯t fight without reason."

    "Sigh, Kiel." Zeres sheathed his sword. He could only sigh in surrender. "Stop being too uptight every single time. Have some fun once in a while, will you?"

    "You think It¡¯ll be fun for me to fight you?" Zeke shed a quick smirk. "Well, indeed... I think It would really be fun. But such would only happen once you or I decide to be the evil viin."

    Speechless, Zeres sighed again. "Seriously... ah, never mind." Zeres finally decided to drop the topic, knowing how useless it was to keep pressing on something that this bloody prince found uninteresting. "By the way, who is he?" he then asked, casually moving to Zeke¡¯s side as he looked at the red-haired man. One look at him was enough for anyone to tell that he was powerful. And Zeres had just confirmed it. His skill was beyond terrific, and he was not even a vampire royalty.

    "He¡¯s Lucas, my personal guard," Zeke answered before introducing Zeres to the man.

    Lucas looked surprised when he heard Zeres was like Alex. He just nodded and didn¡¯t speak, but at least, he wasn¡¯t like his expressionless master.

    "He is powerful." Commented Zeres while silently assessing the man. For some reason, Zeres felt that there was something unknown and mysteriously intriguing about him.

    "He is." Zeke simply agreed as they finally move to head back to the castle when Zeke nced at Zeres. "So? Are you still not leaving?"

    There was a short silence before Zeres finally burst. "How cold! How could you just kick me away like that?"

    "I told you. I don¡¯t have time to entertain you. And I believe your queen might be looking for you now."

    "My queen is..." Zeres suddenly paused and then cleared his throat. "Actually, Alicia wanted me to misbehave and cause trouble sometimes."

    Zeke: ". . ."

    "What. Don¡¯t you believe me? Alicia is not a heartless puppeteer like you, Zeke."

    "Well, I agree with that. But I think she¡¯s making a bad move if she wants you to cause trouble and letting you off her sight."

    "As I said, she¡¯s not a puppeteer. She knows I have a brain of my own."

    "Still, a bad move."

    "Geez. Alicia knows what she¡¯s doing."

    "She¡¯s tooidback."

    "She¡¯s not. Alicia is..."

    As the two continued talking, Lucas silently moved away from them and waited for Kai to catch up with him. He bowed and greeted Kai before casually leaning on him. "Your highness, can I ask a question?" Lucas whispered.

    "O-of course." Kai didn¡¯t expect this man to speak to him so casually. He had only spoken to this man when he was young.

    "Who is the queen they¡¯re talking about?"

    ...

    Meanwhile, in Kelly¡¯s apartment.

    The sun was streaming through the curtains when Kelly finally opened her eyes. She shut her eyes tight and then blinked multiple times to adjust her eyes with the light. Slowly, her brain began to recall the things that happened the night before, and her nerves immediately got jolted away.

    Kelly rolled to look at the side of her bed, and when she saw it was empty, her heart sunk. She looked around, hoping that Kai had just left the bed. When she couldn¡¯t see him inside the room, she frantically climbed off the bed and headed to the living room. Still no sign of Kai. Her feet moved to the kitchen, hoping, praying that he might be there, making coffee.

    Her heart was thudding hard as she entered the kitchen, and when she saw he wasn¡¯t there, Kelly began to feel her knees weaken. "Kai? Where are you?" she whispered. Did he leave her?

    She was about to sink on the floor when she remembered there was one more room she didn¡¯t check. The bathroom. ¡¯Maybe, he was taking a shower.¡¯ She told herself. She dashed towards the bathroom, and the moment she held the door handle and felt no presence of anyone inside, her grip on the door tightened. She began to feel that painful lump in her throat, but she still pushed the door opened and entered the bathroom. Her eyes scanned every nook as she stood by the door.

    It seemed he had left her. Why? He promised to stay with her for two days. And they did it. She was alive! So why? Why did he leave?

    Kelly sunk on the floor. Her heart hurt. She didn¡¯t understand why he left. He should be here with her, smiling with joy because they can finally be together. They have found the answer, and there was no more reason for them to feel scared and give up their love. So why? Why did he leave?

    Drowning in her own questions and pain, Kelly could no longer hold back the tears in her eyes. And then, doubt came to her mind. She was drunkst night when he arrived. And everything that happenedst night seemed too good to be true. Were they even real? Could it be that... everything was just a dream?

    Her eyes widened, and she struggled to get up. No! It¡¯s not a dream! She screamed to herself. She was about to rush out of the bathroom to find the evidence that everything that happenedst night wasn¡¯t a dream when she caught herself in the mirror. She swallowed as she approached the mirror slowly.

    Once she was close enough, she raised her hand and touched the marks on her neck. They were kiss marks ¨C Kai¡¯s kiss marks. A shortugh filled with both relief and dness echoed inside the bathroom. Knowing thatst night was real and not a dream was enough to make Kelly¡¯s heart swell with so many emotions. Even though she was still hurt and confuse that Kai was gone, the fact thatst night¡¯s event happened made her feel hopeful once again. Their love isn¡¯t over yet. It¡¯s not over yet.

    With a newly awakened fighting spirit inside her, Kelly rushed out of the bathroom and looked for her phone. She remembered that Abi was calling her before Kai had killed the phone. She must tell Abi about this news, and then she could ask them to help her escape. She might be able to knock the guards outside, but she didn¡¯t want to rm her parents. It would be better for her to move silently and make them think she was still inside the apartment and behaving herself.

    Once the call was connected, Kelly could not contain her enthusiasm.

    "Kelly?"

    "Abi!"

    "God, Kelly. I was so worriedst night. I couldn¡¯t contact you! Where are you? Are you alright?"

    "I am fine, Abi. Kai turned off my phonest night when you were calling me."

    "Oh, so Kai¡¯s with you? Whew! I am d my husband stopped me. I almost came barging on your door."

    Kelly¡¯s jaw dropped. Shemented a ¡¯thank god she didn¡¯te¡¯ inside her head before she quickly averted the topic.

    "Abi, I have something important to tell you." Said Kelly after taking one deep breath.

    "Do I need toe over there or you¡¯ll tell me now?"

    "I¡¯ll tell you now, so listen. We ¨C" Kelly suddenly paused, and her head whipped towards the door. Her eyes widened in horror when she saw someone was opening it. Oh god!

    Before she could even react, the door opened, and a man stepped inside.

    "T-Tristan?!"

    ____

    To my patrons: New chaps for spellbound are out. ^^

 Chapter 583 Lunatic*

    <h4>Chapter 583 Lunatic*</h4>

    Kelly was so shocked her body instantly froze.

    "Kelly? Kelly?! What¡¯s wrong?" Abi¡¯s voice had be faint background noise as she stared in horror at the man standing by the door. H-how could he...

    The man¡¯s gaze swept lustily over her, and Kelly finally realized her nakedness. She gasped in shock, but fear had immediately reced every shame she felt at that very moment. Because Tristan¡¯s eyes had settled on her neck and chest and the piercing, sharp res told Kelly he was staring at her kiss marks. Warning bells frantically rang inside her head, and her survival instinct immediately kicked in.

    She ran towards the bathroom as fast as she could and locked it behind her. She was breathless as her whole body mmed against the door with a loud sound. She couldn¡¯t help but tremble. The look in Tristan¡¯s eyes terrified her. He had the eyes of a maniac zing with utter anger. Kelly even felt the kind of danger powerful enough to make her feel nauseated. She knew she was in grave danger. She must escape, or else Tristan will...

    Frantically, Kelly grabbed the bathrobe. Her clothes were all in her closet, and there¡¯s nothing inside the bathroom but robes. She tied the bathrobe tightly with trembling hands and then looked for something to use as a weapon.

    She couldn¡¯t see anything useful. Damn it!

    As she cursed, she finally remembered the phone she¡¯d been gripping so hard in her hand. Abi still didn¡¯t end the call.

    "Kelly! What¡¯s wrong?!" Yelled Abi, and Kelly¡¯s fear began to ease up a little.

    "Abi, Tristan is ¨C"

    A loud bang echoed. It was as if the man outside had arge and powerful hammer. She knew the door would soon break. Kelly¡¯s eyes widened, and she gritted her teeth.

    "What¡¯s going on? Where are you?! Tell me, Kelly!"

    Kelly struggled to find her voice. "I¡¯m inside my apartment, Abi." She said. Somehow, she managed to speak clearly.

    Even though Alexander was a vampire, she didn¡¯t think that the man would arrive before Tristan breaks the door. She could see Tristan¡¯s about to break in. If she wanted to survive this without him touching her, she had to escape on her own. If she could escape from this room, even if they chase her, at least she could give Alexander time to arrive. But how? How could she escape?

    Another bang and the door began to crack open forcefully. Kelly looked around, looking for something. And then another series of deafening loud bangs, and the door finally opened.

    Kelly stood there frozen as the maniac entered. His eyes were the most terrifying thing Kelly had seen in her life. Why? Why was this person like this?

    He searched the bathroom as if he was looking for someone.

    "That¡¯s strange," his stomach-churning voice echoed, "where did he go? Your marks are fresh. The men never let anyone inside your house."

    He took a step closer, and Kelly struggled to keep breathing. She could feel both lust and bloodlusting from him. He was a womanizer, so there was no way Kelly could fool him by saying that she didn¡¯t get her marksst night.

    "I think..." Kelly steeled herself. "didn¡¯t you check every corner of my house?" she said cautiously. If she could make him check the veranda, she¡¯ll have time to escape.

    But he smirked, a sickening smirk. "How slow do you think I am. Your house isn¡¯t big, so this is thest ce I haven¡¯t checked."

    "Are you sure you checked properly?" Kelly didn¡¯t know how but she found herself brave talking back, and her voice didn¡¯t sound strange. "Are you saying that he¡¯s not here inside my house?"

    Tristan scoffed. Kelly was praying he would go and check again, but suddenly, Tristan attacked her. He was fast, elusive, and strong that Kelly¡¯s hardened nerves failed to react fast.

    His hands grabbed her shoulders, and he pushed her against the wall. The impact was so strong Kelly felt like fainting. The phone in her hand fell on the floor.

    "Only a cat searches for a rat, Kelly. I¡¯m a man, and how do men deal with rats? They lure them out. I¡¯ll make you scream for him toe out and save you." He whispered as he cupped her jaw very tightly. "And if the rat¡¯s a coward, it¡¯s all good. He couldn¡¯t leave the house anyway. He¡¯s afraid of my men outside. In the end, I could search for the poor coward rat after I punish you to my heart contents. I¡¯ll make him hear your screams."

    "Bastard. Let go of me. Why do you care if I¡¯ve slept with another man? You¡¯re sleeping with countless women, Tristan. And we¡¯re not married yet. I still have time bitch around myself just like what you¡¯re doing!" she countered. Her voice became even more challenging. She didn¡¯t know where she¡¯s getting all this courage. Perhaps, her resolve to escape, to never let this man do what he was nning to do to her, made her harden up.

    But the man was a maniac, and she knew words would never be enough to stop him. Heughed sardonically. His fingers dug on her cheeks. "Listen, Kelly. I am allowed to bitch around, but you¡¯re not. Today, I will make sure that you will never ever dare to bed another man again. You are mine. I¡¯m the only one allowed to f*ck you!" he roared, and then his other hand grabbed her hair, pulling towards him.

    His thumb fell on her lips, and Kelly instinctively bit his finger hard. The man roared, and he hit her face.

    "Bitch!" he said as Kelly smiled despite the pain he inflicted, blood dripping down her lips. He grabbed her hair again and pushed her against the wall. Then his hands moved to his belt and began frantically unbuckling them. He was like a beast - a mad monster. Kelly would rather die than let him touch her.

    The moment Tristan freed his belt, he smiled at her sardonically. He was about to grab Kelly¡¯s hand when Kelly suddenly lifted her hands together above her head. Her face now looked docile as if she had given up.

    The monsterughed. And he seemed to be pleased. "So this is your face when you¡¯re not such a domineering bitch. F*ck! I always dreamed about you bing my obedient personal doll. That¡¯s it, Kelly, don¡¯t dare fight me. Submit to me and let me use your perfect body. I will turn you into my personal bitch." He said, and then he stepped forward. He licked Kelly¡¯s cheek before he straightened and lifted his hands above her head to tied her hands together.

    As Tristan began to tie her, Kelly¡¯s knee flew upward between Tristan¡¯s legs. The man immediately groaned in utter pain and fall to his knees. Kelly made sure the hit would be her strongest. She prayed his balls had burst!

    Without wasting a second, Kelly left the bathroom. She was so d she managed to make him move. That he fell on her trap to tie her hand in that unlikely position. She was d he didn¡¯t grab her hand and tied them in front of her, or she wouldn¡¯t have gotten the chance to kneed him hard enough to immobilize him. Now, she needed to escape.

    Grabbing the main door¡¯s door handle, Kelly yelled. "Guards!! Please go help Tristan. In the bathroom!!" she had let out all the fear that had been umted inside her that the guards were all startled and panicked.

    Three of the men immediately rushed inside, leaving just the two of them.

    Just as the door behind her closed and the two guards approached her, Kelly¡¯s fist flew to the first¡¯s man¡¯s jaw, and then she kicked the other approaching on in the stomach. She hadpletely caught them off guard while they¡¯re worried about her.

    Kelly ran like the wind towards the elevator. She could see the men now running after her as the elevator closed. Her heart was beating so loud. She wasn¡¯t safe yet. If Tristan¡¯s men catch her, she¡¯s doomed. The man might kill her instantly. He was a lunatic monster, after all.

    Upon arriving in the garage, Kelly ran towards the exit. She didn¡¯t have her keys, so her only choice was to grab any leaving car. When Kelly saw a leaving car, she ran in the middle of the road to stop the car.

    The car screeched to a halt. Kelly approached the car and repeatedly pped on the car window. She didn¡¯t care that she was wearing a robe and barefooted. She must escape at all cost.

    The driver nced at the door in front of him, his face cold and utterly annoyed as he opened the door to scold the damn girl he nearly hit. However, before the man could speak, his jaw dropped at the sight of the gorgeous disheveleddy in front of him. His eyes traveled from her face down to her toes, gaping, that he could no longer hear what Kelly was saying.

    Kelly gritted her teeth. She didn¡¯t have the luxury to be civil anymore at that moment. And so, she grabbed the man and pulled him out of his car. She was surprised how easily she pulled him out.

    "I will pay youter and buy you a new car. I promise." She said and as she entered the car and sped up, leaving the man who was still in shock standing in the middle of the road.

    Kelly¡¯s heart was still thumping hard. Was she safe now? Please! She kept ncing at the rare view mirror, fearing that they¡¯re already behind her when...

    Out of the blue, a car blocked her way, causing her car to screech from the brake.

 Chapter 584 I dont think so*

    <h4>Chapter 584 I don¡°t think so*</h4>

    Time seemed to momentarily stop when Kelly saw the men-in-ck stepping out of the car that blocked her way. She cursed, gritting her teeth as she held the wheel to back up. But before the car could even move, she realized that another car was already right behind, blocking her way. She cursed again under her breath. How did they move so fast? There was only one exnation; Tristan¡¯s men were already standing by as soon as she had escaped him!

    The intense panic threatened to swallow her entire being once again and she froze in utter defeat. She was done for. All she could do was bit her trembling lips as she stared at the man pointing a gun at her. He was signaling her to step out. And while Kelly was still desperately trying to think whether she should step out or not, the windshield shattered. Kelly was shocked to her bones as she looked with wide eyes. The man had fired his gun without hesitation.

    He signaled her to climb out of the car again. Realizing how serious her situation was, Kelly could only obey. She swallowed hard as her shaking hand pushed the door open. As she rose, two men were quick to seize her, not even giving her the chance to stand up fully. One covered her face with a wet towel, and one swiftly tied her up before dragging her into a car.

    The men did their job so quickly and efficiently as if they were so used to doing something like this. Kelly could also tell they were no ordinary bodyguards just by their movements and presence. She knew there was no way she could fight back and escape again and a weak smile shed on Kelly¡¯s pale face.

    As the car elerated, one of the men on her sides wrapped Kelly¡¯s eyes with a ck cloth while the other one was speaking with someone. Kelly could tell he was speaking with that monster through a phone.

    "Yes, Boss... we got her. We are on our way. Yes. Understood." She heard the man said before the anesthetics started to kick in. ¡¯Kai...¡¯ She uttered, and her world turned dark as she slipped further and further into unconsciousness.

    ...

    When Kelly opened her eyes again, she found herself being tied up in a chair. The rope around her was so tight, and even her hands were still tied together. Her heart began to drum in her ears upon realizing her situation. Her eyes were also still blindfolded, so she couldn¡¯t even see where she was. All she knew was that no one seemed to be with her. It was quiet, so quiet the silence made her heartbeats sounded so much louder in her ears. Where was she? How long had she been unconscious?

    She panicked when she thought that those men might have done something to her but when she realized her robe was still wrapped around her, and nothing seemed to happen to her, she breathed a long sigh of relief.

    Kelly moved her body, thinking that she might be able to loosen the ropes up. But the rope was tight, and no matter how much she tried, her struggles seemed to be hopeless. Her gasps started to echo inside the room, and her body was already drenched with sweat. But her mind still told her to keep moving. Even though Kelly knew it might be futile, she can¡¯t just sit still and wait for her demise. She should at least try while she still had strength.

    However, before she could start moving again, she heard something that made her entire being froze. The sound of a door opening and then closing silently reached her ears. She subconsciously flinched.

    The person who entered didn¡¯t speak, but Kelly could tell it might be no other than the bastard monster because goosebumps had started to crawl under her skin as she listened to the sound of shoes approaching her. No one could ever creep her out like this with his mere presence than Tristan.

    When he finally stopped, Kelly could feel him in front of her. She felt him bent forward, and she flinched again.

    "Look at you, Kelly." His sarcastic voice echoed, and Kelly¡¯s heart sunk in despair. She had hoped that it wasn¡¯t him, but she was once again disappointed.

    Tristan pulled Kelly¡¯s blindfold then watched her with a sickening gaze. His eyes were looking at Kelly with dark amusement, his gaze sweeping over every part of her body.

    "W-where am I?" Kelly forced herself to speak. Her voice was hoarse. "Let me go!"

    The man ignored her words. His eyes became more and more intense and dangerously lustful as he slowly extended his hand towards Kelly.

    He tried to touch her lips but immediately pulled his fingers away before Kelly could bite him again. His expression changed as he roughly held Kelly¡¯s jaw. With a cold and angry face, he spoke in a dangerous tone. "Dare bite me again, and I¡¯ll hit you ck and blue."

    His demonic eyes locked onto her as he threatened her, causing Kelly to feel the fear starting to paralyze her.

    "Why? Why are you doing this? Why did you bring me here? Where is this ce?" Kelly asked again as she finally looked around, not only to find out where she was but also to stop herself from spitting on his damned face. She wanted to spit on him, but she was afraid of what this monster would do if she did that. To her shocked surprise, she realized she was in the middle of a spacious living room. Did he bring her to his house?!

    "Why?" he narrowed his eyes before he cackled at the sight of her widened eyes. "Yes, Kelly. You¡¯re inside my apartment. I told your parents I managed to coax you and that¡¯s why you¡¯re now here with me. I told them you were bored to death for being imprisoned that you begged me to take you home."

    Tristan¡¯s expression as he said those words made Kelly felt nauseated.

    "Your father really trusted me a lot, Kelly. He trusted me more than himself, so don¡¯t even expect anyone to rescue you from me." His calm voice crept Kelly so much she began to feel her body shiver.

    The man raised his eyebrows, and his filthy fingers ran through her hair.

    "Untie me, please." She begged, but the man simply smirked sardonically. His eyes even gleamed with lust at the sight of her begging. But still, he didn¡¯t listen.

    "No, Kelly." He shook his head. "I will f*ck you like this. I shall punish you and destroy you in the most shameful way possible until you learn your lesson. A woman like you deserved to be treated like a bitch." Heughed again, victoriously, as his fingersnded on her jaw, dragging them to her neck, then further down.

    Kelly began to feel numb and sick. Her mouth was running dry because of raw fear and utter disgust. The moment he grabbed the neckline of her robe, Kelly yelped.

    "Wait!" her trembling lips stilled. "Did you catch the rat inside my house?" she suddenly asked, perhaps, her survival instinct kicking in again.

    Tristan halted. His eyes turned dark, and Kelly could feel anger and bloodlust in them. He grabbed her chin and pulled her face closer to him. "Of course I did, and street dogs are now actually eating the rat." He told her as he smiled at her with pure dark delight. If Kelly didn¡¯t know that Kai was a vampire, she might¡¯ve believed what this man had just said purely due to his expression. It was as if he had mastered the art of lying. No wonder he had managed to fool her father. This man was simply evil. Aplete liar.

    "I don¡¯t think so. You didn¡¯t catch him. You didn¡¯t even see a portion of his shadow." Kelly replied. Her words had affected him tremendously. He could not stop the rage and bloodlust oozing from him.

    "Bitch, do you think you can distract me?" his fingers dug on her cheeks so hard she felt like his short nails would pierce through her skin. The madman was starting to lose his sanity. "Didn¡¯t I tell you he¡¯s already dead?!" he growled, and Kelly knew the monster had gone mad.

    He backed off and clenched his fist. She knew he was going to hit her hard. She would lose consciousness if his fist hit her. Who knows what this madman does to her once she fell unconscious? She would rather make him kill her in an instant than let him do what he was nning to do to her. Her inside began to convulse with despair and horror. What had gone wrong? Why was she in this kind of situation? Why the hell was this happening to her? What did she do wrong to deserve all this?

    Kelly clenched her teeth so hard before frantically yelling. "I¡¯m going to be your bride the day after tomorrow. If you hit me, my parents, everyone will see me...!"

    "Oh, yes. That¡¯s right." He straightened. "I shouldn¡¯t harm your lovely face at least." He added, and he began to unbuckle her belt. Kelly¡¯s eyes went wide again, realizing what he was going to do next. "I have whips in my room, but... I think my belt is more suitable this time. This is your punishment for kneading me, Kelly." His eyes zed, and then he raised his hand, causing Kelly to shut her eyes instinctively.

    She held her breath, expecting pain, when suddenly, a loud bang thundered.

 Chapter 585 Slow torture*

    <h4>Chapter 585 Slow torture*</h4>

    Tristan¡¯s head whipped behind him, and when he saw a man standing by the door, his body stiffened. He moved and faced the man in ck, his eyes scanning the door he knew was opened forcefully. How? How did he open the door? Tristan never gave the password of this apartment to anyone, not even his most trusted guard. And judging from the loud bang, he knew something inhumanly powerful had hit the door for it to be opened in one bang. He would¡¯ve noticed if the man messed up with the door¡¯s lock first. No, there was no way he could mess up with a door like this! How? How did he...

    When he looked at the man wearing pure ck from head to toe, Tristan subconsciously swallowed. The man was wearing a ck baseball cap covering his eyes. He reeked with unbelievable power and bloodthirst that Tristan¡¯s nerves began to cower. No man ever intimidated him to his very core like this, aside from that devil Ezekiel Qinn.

    At the thought of that devil, Tristan suddenly felt goosebumps ran under his skin. His eyes widened. The man before him almost gives off the same vibe he felt towards that devil. No one in this world could be like that man! Could it be that this man is... no! Ezekiel Qinn was dead! He¡¯s dead! That devil¡¯s dead!!!

    The news about Ezekiel Qinn¡¯s death was the best news Tristan had ever heard his entire life. He had been trying to kill Ezekiel for a long time, ever since he met him. He did everything to im the devil¡¯s head... everything. But he failed every single time, and the man never even look at him, not even a nce. And that was what infuriated him the most. The fact that Ezekiel had never even noticed him despite everything he had done. Tristan could never forget the humiliation when he approached the bastard Ezekiel, and the bastard didn¡¯t even know his name.

    He had vowed since then that he¡¯d kill him, but in the end, the damn man actually died in a ne crash. Heughed for a very long time, his longestugh ever when he heard the news. Tristan had shamelessly imed that it was his victory. Ever since that day, nobody ever made him inferior in everything anymore, not even in power and demeanor.

    So who was this man? How could he...

    Gnashing his teeth, Tristan¡¯s hand moved. A gun was in his hand. He had instinctively pulled it from his waist the moment he felt the intense bloodlusting from the door, the same moment the loud noise thundered. He pointed it not towards the man but on Kelly¡¯s head. Tristan had felt the extreme dangering from him. He would never dare take risks with a man like this. Just like Ezekiel Qinn, this man¡¯s also put the auras of all the underground criminal, even the most notorious killer he had ever met, to shame.

    But realizing that he was here for this woman, Tristan felt like he had gained the upper hand. He noticed how Kelly reacted when she saw the man. He knew she obviously knew him, and she even looked as though she¡¯d been expecting him. She didn¡¯t even flinch by the brooding and suffocating airing from the man.

    "Who are you?" Tristan asked as he pressed the gun on Kelly¡¯s head. He had moved behind her as if he was trying to use Kelly as a shield against him.

    The man didn¡¯t speak. Instead, he took a step closer, causing Tristan to panic.

    "Stop, or I will blow this woman¡¯s head!" he panicked. Was he wrong? Did this mane here for him?

    The man didn¡¯t stop, he sauntered, and the darkness and bloodthirst were getting thicker and thicker every time he took a step closer.

    "F*ck! I will kill this woman!" Tristan¡¯s hands and body began to tremble with panic and dread. He lifted his hand and mindlessly fired at the man approaching him.

    He smirked the moment he heard the gunshot, but when he saw that the man had dodged his bullet, his sardonic smile died. Terror began to consume him. How? How did he... his gun was...

    Series of gunshots echoed inside the room. Tristan fired at Kai like a madman. His fear had gotten the best of him, and before he realized it, the gun was no longer in his hand.

    Because Kelly was tied on the chair, she could see Kai¡¯s eyes under his ck cap. Her heart was still beating so wild. She felt her eyes heat up the moment she saw him, and as he approached her, Kelly wanted nothing but to touch him, to hug him. She had never cared about the gun pointed at her head, knowing very well that her Kai would never let Tristan fire it on her. What Kelly cared about that moment were Kai¡¯s suffocating bloodlust and his demonic aura. She saw the fire burning in his crimson red eyes, and she couldn¡¯t deny that even she couldn¡¯t help but shiver from his bloodlust that was practically sttering everywhere. She knew he would kill Tristan. She wanted the maniac dead but not in Kai¡¯s hand.

    As she looked up, Kai¡¯srge and strong hand was already grabbing Tristan¡¯s neck. Tristan was futilely scratching at Kai¡¯s arm, like some pitiful ant in Kai¡¯s solid arm.

    Kelly struggled to find her voice. She couldn¡¯t believe she would feel like this around Kai. The fear she always felt from that god of the darkness, Ezekiel, started to mute and immobilize her. But Kelly persevered. This was her Kai, and she was one who drove him to be like this. He was like this because of her. How could she fear him?

    "K-kai!" she finally made a sound. "Please... don¡¯t kill him," she begged. She didn¡¯t know if he could hear her, but she continued anyway, hoping she could reach him before he snaps Tristan¡¯s neck. "If you kill him, the police will get involved. Please don¡¯t kill him, Kai. Please."

    Kelly knew that if Tristan dies, things might get out of hand. And she knew Kai hade here knowing full well that he must not kill Tristan. If he really wanted him dead, Tristan¡¯s neck would¡¯ve been broken the moment he grabbed his neck. Kai wouldn¡¯t have bothered to use the door to enter. And most of all, he wouldn¡¯t have worn a cap to hid his face. No matter how Kelly sees it, Kai was trying so hard to deal with Tristan as a human and not as a vampire.

    The next moment, Kelly watched Kai¡¯s fist smashed into Tristan¡¯s face. She heard bones crack and then followed by Tristan¡¯s pitiful whimpers. Blood began to gush out of his nose and mouth before he fell on his knees.

    Kai grabbed Tristan¡¯s hair and pulled Tristan up before he kicked his stomach hard enough that he was mmed on the cold, hard wall. Blood dripped down to the floor.

    Kelly could only watch as Kai destroyed Tristan over and over again. Kai had never said a word. He was like a demon torturing his prey in silence. He didn¡¯t hit Tristan hard enough for him to lose consciousness. Kelly felt her heart squeeze. It was hard to watch Kai act like a cold and heartless man who enjoyed torturing his prey. But Tristan deserved this, and she could not me Kai. However, she must stop him now. Tristan was probably numb already. His harrowing noise had stopped, and he was now bathed with his own blood. If this continues, he might die from Kai¡¯s slow torture.

    "K-kai!" Kelly forced a sound. Her throat was so dry that the sound of her voice came out weird.

    Thankfully, the man stiffened, and when he finally turned and looked at her, Kelly¡¯s lips began to tremble.

    A deep silence, akin to that moment when a raging super typhoon finally passed by, reigned in the room.

    Kai saw the look on her face, and he gritted his teeth. He nced at the man on the floor, good as dead, before he let out a deep breath, and finally, he strode towards Kelly. No word came out of his lips as he untied Kelly. He didn¡¯t even notice Kelly staring at his trembling hands.

    "Kai..." she whispered, but he could not look at her in the eyes. He couldn¡¯t stop his body from trembling the moment his hand touched her.

    Once the tight ropes fell on the floor, Kelly¡¯s eyes quickly misted over with tears as she looked at him. And then, as if the walls that were holding all the emotions within her broke,rge drops of tears rolled down her face one after another, in a seemingly endless rainfall.

    Kai was utterly flustered by Kelly¡¯s outburst. He knelt before her. "W-what¡¯s wrong?" Atst, she finally heard his voice. "Are you hurt? Where? I¡¯ll take you to the hospital." He said. His voice was cracking as his trembling hand hesitantly touched her.

    Kelly forced herself to stop her tears but couldn¡¯t, so she just leaned in on him, wrapped her hands around his neck, and she slumped in his embrace. She felt him stiffened for a moment before his hands went on her back and hair. He pulled her so close to him in a very tight hug and hugged her until the trembling of his body stopped.

    "I¡¯m sorry..." he uttered with a low voice filled with pain and self-loathing as he gently rubbed her hair and back. "I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯mte... I¡¯m sorry..."

 Chapter 586 Willing*

    <h4>Chapter 586 Willing*</h4>

    Burrowing her head in Kai¡¯s shoulder, Kelly cried hard, her body shaking, and her tears flowed nonstop, quickly making his clothes wet. Kelly had never cried in front of any man before. She was always that girl who acted and looked tough and all cool, but once she¡¯s inside her room alone, she would sometimes cry silently. No matter what the situation was, she was used to toughening herself and hold back every tear when someone was around.

    But now, she couldn¡¯t stop crying in this man¡¯s arms. She knew that the extreme panic and fear had overwhelmed her entire being, but she also knew that she was unable to stop the tears because of this man holding her. The moment he held her, her walls and defenses crumbled. His embrace and touch were so gentle they seemed to be whispering to her it was okay for her to cry. She never even cried this long before. She would always, always force herself to stop, a voice inside her telling her the words, ¡¯okay, that¡¯s enough, it¡¯s time to wipe the tears and rise again,¡¯ even during the times when she felt like she hadn¡¯t had cried enough. But this time, the voice didn¡¯te.

    All she could feel was Kai¡¯s wide palm patting her back so gently as if to him, she was some fragile vase.

    After what seemed to be a very long time, Kelly¡¯s tears finally stopped. She started to hup as she pulled her face away from his shoulder. She hadn¡¯t heard him spoke again after saying he was sorry.

    "You should¡¯ve told me to stop crying," she uttered between her hups as she looked at him. His eyes still pained, but they were no longer mixed with those dark and dangerous emotions.

    He lifted his hand to her face, and his fingers shook a little as he wiped the remnants of tears on her face. "You can... cry on me all you want. I won¡¯t stop you even if you drown me with your tears." His voice was low and still filled with hurt.

    His words made Kelly smile. She reached out and settled her hand below his ear. Her thumb was caressing his strong jaw. "Thank you foring for me... for saving me... for being here, holding me..." she uttered, and she nted a kiss on his lips.

    Kai¡¯s grip on her tightened, and he was about to kiss her hard when a sound made him pull away. He had knocked the guards on his way inside the house. It seemed some of them finally regained consciousness.

    "I need to take you away from here, now." He said, and after ncing at the bloodied man on the floor, Kai stood and dashed out of the ce as he carried Kelly in his arms.

    Kai headed to a red sports car and was about to put Kelly on the passenger seat when Kelly refused to let him go. He looked at her, and upon seeing Kelly¡¯s yful smile, he sat on the driver¡¯s seat, with her on hisp.

    "You used this car toe here, right?"

    "Yes."

    "I¡¯m relieved. I thought you came here flying, and some CCTVs caught you in action." Kelly let out a deep breath as Kai started to drive. They were silent for a long while.

    "Where are we going?" Kelly broke the silence.

    "To the hospital."

    "But I¡¯m alright."

    "You¡¯re not."

    Kelly bit her lips. She wanted to insist but seeing the look on Kai¡¯s face, she stopped herself. She could tell that he might be ming himself for what happened to her. She wanted to coax him, soothe whatever it was that he was feeling, but she knew the first thing she must do was listen to him. If he heard from the doctor that she was alright, it would definitely make him feel better. And so, she fell quiet and let him drove quietly at a breakneck speed while she glued herself to him.

    They had briefly stopped in a store where Kai had quickly gone to buy Kelly clothes before they went straight to the hospital. And once they get there, everything went on so smoothly.

    "See? I told you I am fine. Did you forget you used to call me a ¡¯hooligan¡¯?" Kelly teased, a smirk curved on her lips as they returned to the car. Kai nced at her, and he pressed his lips together as he looked away.

    "What. What¡¯s with that expression?"

    "I¡¯m not going to call you that again."

    "Oh, really? Is it because you want to call me something else? Something a loottt better and sweeter? Maybe, like..."

    Kai halted in his track. He looked at her as if he was waiting for what she¡¯d say next. But Kelly simply chuckled. "I¡¯m not going to say it."

    For a while, he just stood there, watching herugh. His face finally softened a little, seeing that Kelly was smiling again,ughing again. When he heard the news from Alex, Kai had almost lost his mind. And when she saw her tied on the chair in front of that bastard holding a belt, he almost went insane. Words were not enough to describe everything that he had felt at that moment. It was indeed a miracle how he managed to keep his sanity intact. If he had arrived secondster and that bastard had managed to sh her with his belt, Kai was certain that man would be dead by now.

    Once they reached the car, Kai didn¡¯t try to put her on the passenger anymore. He just sat on the driver¡¯s seat with her in his arms.

    "Where are we going this time?" Kelly then asked as they leave the hospital¡¯s garage.

    "Do you have any ce you want to go?"

    His question made Kelly look up at him.

    "If I tell you, will you bring me there?"

    Kai swallowed. She watched how his Adam¡¯s apple moved.

    "Yes." He answered. But Kelly didn¡¯t respond. She fell quiet and still in his arms that Kai looked down to look at her face.

    "What¡¯s wrong?" His voice was a whisper. It was obvious to Kelly that he was worried again. She could somehow tell it through the change in voice. She thought that he was being so cute again. She didn¡¯t like him worrying like this, but she could not smile at the moment because she had something in her mind that she wanted to say.

    "Kai..." she began, her tone hesitant. Her voice made Kai frown, and he pulled the car in the roadside.

    "Look at me," he said, and Kelly pulled herself up. She knelt in front of him, his hands cupping his face. "Say it, Kelly." He urged when Kelly just stared deep into his eyes.

    She breathed deep.

    "I want you to..." she paused, "If I ask you to kidnap me, would you agree?"

    Silence enveloped the car for a long while. Her words seemed to shock him, mainly because she was not kidding. She was more than serious. He knew that what she really wanted him to do. But...

    "You want me to be a kidnapper?" he tried to lighten up the mood.

    "Yes. But you¡¯re not really a bad kidnapper because your victim is a willing participant." She replied, her smile alluring, and Kai threw back his head. "I want you to kidnap and bring me to your world. It¡¯s okay if you won¡¯t return me to this world again."

    She leaned in and kissed him. The softness of her lips and her scent was making Kai¡¯s head spin.

    "I can¡¯t do that, Kelly." He then said, causing Kelly to stiffen. She pulled back, her eyes slightly wide. There were a little pain and disbelief dancing in them.

    Kai reached out, and his hand rested below her ear. And then, a slight smile curved on his face. "And, don¡¯t you think something like that is a little clich¨¦ and boring?"

    The look on Kelly¡¯s face immediately changed again. She looked at him with utter confusion.

    "What... what do you mean?"

    "I mean... how about we make it a little different from the norm?" his smile became a little hesitant as if he was worried that she would find his suggestion something stupid. Kai knew this was probably a funny thing to say, but he didn¡¯t want to reject her by refusing. He didn¡¯t have the heart to hurt her again after what had just happened. He wanted to say ¡¯no¡¯ because he had already chosen to live in her world, but it wasn¡¯t the time yet for him to tell her everything. He was prepared to tell her everything, not leaving any secrets from her anymore, but not today.

    Kelly¡¯s eyes narrowed as she waited for him to continue. "I mean... why don¡¯t we do it the other way around? Why don¡¯t you kidnap me instead and bring me to your world? If you agree... I would be a very willing participant."

    ___

    Happy Valentines Hellbounder!!

 Chapter 587 Not today*

    <h4>Chapter 587 Not today*</h4>

    Kelly¡¯s gaze on him was intense. Surprise and disbelief dancing in her eyes. Was this real? Kai wanted to be kidnapped by her?! Was this a dream? Was he serious?!

    "You¡¯re kidding, right?" she asked as she searched his eyes. Kai didn¡¯t answer and just kept his steady gaze towards her until Kelly gasped. "My god, you¡¯re not kidding!!" she eximed, her eyes wide open. She hugged him tight and then immediately pulled back. "Are you really certain? Once I take you, I will never return you back, even if your king wille here to get you!"

    A tender amusement glimmered in Kai¡¯s eyes as he pulled her, resting her head on his shoulder. "I am certain." He answered without hesitation, and Kelly pushed herself away from him to look into his eyes.

    It was hard for her to believe. He had been pulling away from her since the day she showed an interest towards him that Kelly couldn¡¯t help but feel like she was dreaming now that he was willingly pushing himself into her. The feeling was incredibly good, so utterly pleasing she suddenly felt she was the happiest girl in the world at that moment.

    "Oh, Kai... you don¡¯t know how happy I am right now." When tears started to pool in her eyes, Kelly quickly rubbed her eyelids with the back of her fingers.

    Kai gripped her hand and pulled it away from her eyes. His tender lips kissed her eyes. Then his hands moved to her hips as his lips slowly moved down her cheek. Before he could capture her lips, Kelly pulled away.

    She grabbed the tie of the folded robe on the passenger seat and then changed position. She sat on Kai¡¯sp, facing the wheel before she pulled Kai¡¯s hands together. A yful smile curved on her face as she tied Kai¡¯s hands. "I¡¯m not going to give you any chance to change your mind, so I¡¯m going to abduct you now," she said as she excitedly grabbed the wheel.

    When the car sped up, Kai found himself silently calling himself an idiot. It seemed he had done such a grave mistake because of his desperate attempt to please her. He didn¡¯t want to reject her and make her sad, so he suggested that. He would love being abducted by her like this but not now. Because he still had a lot of things to deal with.

    "Where are we going?" he asked after a long while.

    "To my secret ce." She hummed. He could feel how excited she was, making it harder for him to ask her to postpone her dramatic abduction.

    "Is it far?"

    She chuckled. "Patience, my prince. We¡¯ll get there soon. It¡¯s not that far, don¡¯t worry."

    Kai forced himself to think. What should he do?

    After thirty minutes, Kai spoke. "Kelly..."

    "Hm?"

    "I think you should be resting. You just... you just went through something horrible." The words finally came out. He had held his breath as he waited for her reaction.

    The car slowed down, and Kai¡¯s heart thudded nervously. "You can always abduct me whenever you wanted," he added, his tone hesitant and careful. "Just not today. I want you to rest."

    She pulled the car on the roadside and faced him. Her expression was confused, and he could see questions in her eyes. She opened her mouth and was about to speak, but Kai spoke first. "I won¡¯t run away from you again, I promise. Besides..." he grabbed her wrist with his already freed hands and ced her palm on his chest.

    Whatever she wanted to say was lost when she felt his strong heartbeats under her palm. "You already seeded in abducting this part of me. My heart is already your captive."

    Kelly blinked, and her jaw fell as she gazed at him. Her heart even began to skip a beat. She was speechless and she couldn¡¯t help but blush. She couldn¡¯t believe this prince had a way with cheesy words too. It was a surprise!

    However, she cleared her throat to gather herposure. "But I also want to abduct your body right now, Kai."

    "This body is already yours, Kelly." His hand cupped her face, and taking advantage of the impact of his words to her, Kai¡¯s lips seized hers. Her lips were gently pried open, and his tongue entered inside her mouth. His kiss was fiery, but it was slow and passionate. It wasn¡¯t like his fierce kisses the night before. He was gentle, and it was as if he was giving her every chance to pull away and stop the kiss.

    But Kelly didn¡¯t pull away. He couldn¡¯t. How could she when he was kissing her like this? She knew he wanted her to give in. She felt there was a reason why he didn¡¯t want her to kidnap him today. She thought it was because of his worry, but she just knew there was more to it. Fine then, she would postpone the abduction but before that...

    The seat was suddenly lowered, surprising Kai.

    "Ke ¨C" Kai couldn¡¯t even finish saying her name because Kelly had already captured his lips as her burning hot body followed him down.

    She returned his passionate kiss, and in no time, the car was filled with soundsing from their mating mouth. When they pulled away, they were gasping hard, their eyes transfixed and helpless as they stared at each other. And then, Kelly kissed him again, this time, wilder, deeper, longer.

    Their kiss was so heated that Kelly¡¯s hips began to move on their own, rubbing herself against him. Kai buried a low moan inside her mouth. Her hot body rubbing against him, and the prating strokes of her tongue quickly flooded Kai with pleasure.

    He felt her urgency. Her body was radiating with heat that seemed to burn his entire being. She didn¡¯t stop kissing him as her naughty hand traveled down his body and settled on his erection. She eased her hand along the stiff length of him, her fingers boldly molding over the hardness, making Kai groan.

    ___

    There¡¯s a second chap ^^

 Chapter 588 Once im back*

    <h4>Chapter 588 Once i¡°m back*</h4>

    When Kelly¡¯s lips moved downwards, and she licked and sucked at his throat, Kai stiffened.

    "Kelly... wait..." he uttered, his voice sounded like he was in pain - an utterly pleasurable pain. Kelly had started to slip her hand under his jeans, and the devil knows what would happen if she...

    The memories of her wildnessst night flooded Kai¡¯s head, and he could no longer take it.

    "Kelly ¨C"

    His jaws tightened. "Kelly, let¡¯s st¨C"

    "Make love." She broke off, and her hands quickly wrapped around his neck, pulling him. "I want you inside me again, Kai." Her voice was so seductive Kai could no longer take it. He could see her hunger for him¡ªboth of them dying for each other right there and then.

    Kai nced outside the car and realized the road was empty. He didn¡¯t know where they were because he was too engrossed in his own thoughts while Kelly was driving.

    "It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind doing it here, Kai." She said, pulling herself up so she could seize his lips again.

    "God, Kelly." He hissed, and in the next second, he opened the car door, and with her clinging on him like a ko, he stepped out and immediately opened the back seat door.

    Heid her on the back seat, and Kelly smiled in delicious delight as she looked up at him. Her hair spread like ck silk on the seat, and her flushed face and wet lips were just so seductive Kai was losing his mind. Their lovemakingst night was not enough to sate his hunger for her. If she didn¡¯t pass outst night after one round...

    "Kai," she stretched her hands, "take me, now..." she said, and with those words and that look in his eyes, all hell broke loose. Kai bent over and seized her throat as his hand caressed her breasts, causing Kelly¡¯s body to shiver. Her entire body was aching for the pleasure of his touch, and she couldn¡¯t stop herself from being so impatiently wild.

    He unbuttoned her shirt and yanked her bra, earning a gasp and an aroused smile from Kelly. Kai¡¯s mouth immediately closed over her nipple. His tongue licked her bud and then tugged it lightly until Kelly¡¯s body quivered and moaned a little louder. Oh, how he loved to hear her lovely erotic moans.

    Kelly reached for his jeans, her movements showing how impatient she was, how much she ached for him. She wanted to feel that divine feeling of fullness when he was inside her, filling her. She wanted to reach heaven once again together with him.

    "Give it to me now, Kai. Please." She found herself begging. She didn¡¯t care how horny and shameless she was. She just wanted him inside her, so the two of them be one again. She needed him to show her once again that their love had conquered the impossible. That they were now allowed to be together forever, and nothing could stop them anymore.

    His hands traveled under her skirt and quickly gained ess to her already damp panties. Kai was so d he had decided to buy a skirt instead of jeans for her. He smiled when Kelly arched up to him, pressing herself closer, urging him to hasten and finally take her.

    "Hurry, Kai..."

    Her voice. The sight of her aroused face and body and knowing that she wanted him as much as he wanted her dissolved all Kai¡¯s reservation. His every movement was no longer careful nor hesitant. There were no more signs of fear and doubts.

    He positioned himself against her wet sex and then entered her in one thrust. Kelly almost came from the devastating pleasure. She felt so full and so hot, and the feeling seemed to be even better than she remembered.

    Forgetting everything, Kai pushed deeper as her flesh weed him, gripped him. He stared down at her with dted eyes and pressed even harder. Kelly was gasping as she lifted her body, eagerly epting every thrust. She cried out as the intense pleasure overwhelmed her entire being.

    Kai groaned and ground his teeth at the incredible sensations. He couldn¡¯t contain his instinct to ravage her. He wanted to be gentle, but he was having a hard time controlling his body, and most importantly, Kelly...

    "More, faster, Kai. I¡¯m close... I¡¯m..."

    It was impossible to hold back. She was driving him insane, smashing every single strand of self-control he was trying so hard to keep. A deep groan came out of his mouth, and his ravenous thrusts continued, faster, deeper, harder.

    He bent and seized her mouth in a frantic kiss, and then he growled low in his throat as he delivered onest, deep thrust and shuddered in her arms as she tightened and twisted around him.

    He copsed on top of her, but he immediately held her and changed their position so she would be the one resting on top of him. Hey there,pletely spent as he held her. Their gasps filled the car as they waited to drift back down from heaven into their bodies.

    Kelly felt like she was going to pass out. She never thought Kai could be that intense. Who would¡¯ve thought that her softie Kai was hiding a wild beast inside? Or could it be that he was initially like this when nothing¡¯s holding him back anymore? Oh my... He was unbelievable, and she felt like she still had a lot of him that she had yet to discover.

    ...

    Kai was driving the car while Kelly slumped on the passenger seat. When the car stopped in front of Abi and Alex¡¯s home, Kai looked at her. His ears were red when his gaze fell on his mark on her neck.

    He cleared his throat and spoke. "I am going to leave you here with Abigail, Kelly. Please don¡¯t ever go anywhere and wait for me."

    "You¡¯re not going to tell me where you¡¯re heading?"

    Kai opened the door and climbed off the car. He helped her out, and he entwined his hand on hers as they walked towards the mansion¡¯s entrance.

    "I will tell you once I¡¯m back." He told her once they stopped by the door. And then he kissed her forehead. "I¡¯ll be back soon."

    Before Kelly could speak, Abi emerged from the door and hugged Kelly.

    "I¡¯m leaving her to you," Kai told Abi and when Abi nodded, the man finally turned and left.

    ___

    These chaps supposed to be for valentines day, but I failed to write it in time. Sigh ??

 Chapter 589 Sure*

    <h4>Chapter 589 Sure*</h4>

    Kelly was asleep the whole afternoon. The stress and fatigue from the previous days and then everything that happened this morning had finally made her sumb to her body¡¯s need for rest. She had wanted to chat with Abi, but after taking a shower, Kelly dozed off in Kai¡¯s bedroom and didn¡¯t wake up in the next six hours.

    It was already evening when she opened her eyes. She had joined the sweet couple for dinner, and after that, Abi and Kelly headed to the veranda overlooking the spacious backyard.

    When Kelly told Abi about everything that happened, Abi hugged her andforted her. At the same time, she was d that Kelly had already regained her fighting spirit and was doing her best to move on from the traumatic event. She was really a strong woman. Abi had nned to tell her about Kai that night but hearing her story, Abi decided not to say anything to her anymore. She thought that it was best if she heard the news from Kai himself.

    Abi was also pleased and d for Kelly when she heard that they had finally done it. Their love had turned the impossible possible! Kai and Kelly¡¯s love conquered something everyone thought was unconquerable.

    The happiness Abi felt for the couple made her want to throw a little celebration, but before Abi could call the butler to bring the wine, amotion broke their blissful night.

    ck cars had arrived at the front of the mansion. When Kelly peaked through the window from the third floor, she could already tell the men were her father¡¯s.

    "They¡¯re my father¡¯s men," Kelly told Abi as Alex approached them. "I believe they¡¯ve been looking for me for a while now. My father¡¯s intelligence agency is topnotch, so it¡¯s not a surprise they already know that I am here."

    "So what do you wanted me to do? Shall I get rid of them?" Alex nonchntly asked.

    "H-how?"

    "Hmm..." Alex slightly tilted his head and looked at Abi. That one look was enough for Abi to tell what Alex¡¯s answer was, and of course, it¡¯s to get rid of them by force. Alex couldn¡¯t stand coaxing or negotiating with anyone. He always said he¡¯ll only do that for one person - his wife.

    "You must not kill them, Alex. They¡¯re men who¡¯re only obeying someone¡¯s word." Abi said when the butler came with a little anxious look. The butler wouldn¡¯t look like that if those men were vampires because it would be easier for the master to deal with vampires than the humans. He knew that Alexander does not know how to deal with human trouble seekers. He¡¯d definitely kill them, and prince Ezekiel was no longer here to clean up his mess.

    "Alright," Alex¡¯s expression remained chill, "I will go and send them away without killing them."

    Kelly and Abi then watched the man walked away, looking like an annoyed dad heading downstairs to silence and beat up, if necessary, the noisy and scandalous gangs in the street and send them home ck and blue.

    "Is he going to be alright? What if he lost control?" Kelly looked at Abi with worried eyes. She remembered how Kai had beaten up Tristan in what he called a ¡¯human way,¡¯ and she couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy. What if Alexander beat up those men that way, and along the way, he would show them his inhuman strength and even his fangs? "I think I should go and aid him. I should be able to knock a few, and someone has to remind him to fight the human way just in case..."

    "It¡¯s alright, Kelly. You don¡¯t need to go. Let¡¯s stay here and wait. Alex knows what he¡¯s doing." Abi smiled, and Kelly was amazed at how calm Abi was. It was as if nothing in this world could scare her anymore. This girl really had changed a lot. She was still the soft and kind Abi, but since she returned from Country V... there were times when she felt like apletely different being.

    ...

    The men outside the mansion were bulky and massive. They were part of the underground organization working with the Young family for a long time now. These men were one of the most feared because of their capabilities and notorious skills.

    "If the door still won¡¯t open in five seconds, we¡¯ll break inside and take the Miss." Said the one who looked the most imposing of all. He had arge scar on his face that made his look alone terrifying.

    After everyone nodded at the man¡¯s words, they all began to move closer towards therge double door.

    But they halted on the steps when they heard it creaked opened.

    Everyone looked as someone emerged from therge door. The man was tall but not bulky as them. He even looked so good-looking, and there was no trace of imperfection or scars on his face. At first, the men immediately thought he was one of those celebrities who were born with nothing but beauty. But the moment they looked into his smoky grey eyes, they immediately realized he was not just some beautiful man. Their instinct felt the danger around him, and they couldn¡¯t believe that one man¡¯s aura had easily overshadowed their supposedly extremely imposing presence. All of a sudden, the man felt like a giant as he stood before them. W-who was this man? Was he the ultimate boss of the most prominent underground organization in the world?

    "First, I shall apud you, men, for bravelying here unannounced," Alex said, his voice calm but the sarcastic smirk on his face sent chills down everyone¡¯s spine. "Now tell me, what do you want? I will give you five seconds to answer."

    "We¡¯re... we¡¯re here to get Miss Young." The man with a scar spoke. "Her father sent us to bring her home."

    Alex craned his head. "Hmm... Miss Young, huh. She¡¯s not here."

    "We know she is inside. We must take her now."

    The men began to tense up, and Alex knew they were preparing to attack. ¡¯Geez, stubborn humans,¡¯ was all he could say inside him.

    "And if I insist that she¡¯s not here?"

    "We will search the house."

    Alex smirked again. "Oh, how bold." Hemented before he raised a brow. "Sure... that¡¯s if any of you can get past me."

 Chapter 590 Greatest weakness*

    <h4>Chapter 590 Greatest weakness*</h4>

    Reign¡¯s Castle, Country V.

    Inside Zeke¡¯s spacious study, Zeres was leisurely half lying on the gray couch as if he owned the castle. He had been watching the busy prince who¡¯s sitting behind the big desk, doing things Zeres did not know about. The only time Zeke stood from his leather seat was when he received someone¡¯s call.

    Zeres¡¯ gaze fell to therge window and saw that it was already dark. He threw his head back and sighed. His hair was spread out like silver silk on the gray couch.

    A whileter, Zeke, who had been standing by the window and talking to Kai on his phone, finally ended the long call. He moved and was about to go back to his desk when his gaze caught the silver thing lying on the couch.

    "And why are you still here?" Zeke asked. "I told you, I don¡¯t have time to y with you. Go home." His voice had a low,manding aura despite the tness.

    "How rude. I¡¯m your guest, you know?" Zeres didn¡¯t rise and just raised his brow at Zeke. "And I¡¯m not here to y with you, you stone prince."

    Zeke stared down at him, and after a short silence, he finally sat across Zeres. "What is it that you have to say?"

    "Are you finally done with your work?"

    "Almost."

    "Why don¡¯t you finish ¨C"

    "Just get the hell down to business, Zeres."

    Zeres rose and faced Zeke. "Fine, but first," Zeres raised his hand and pointed at Lucas, who was sitting in the window frame. Just like Zeres, the red-haired guy had been quiet the entire time. "Tell him to leave the room."

    Lucas¡¯s gaze quickly snapped towards Zeres. The look he threw was as sharp as his de. And when he moved his gaze to Zeke, his eyes screamed with a strong protest.

    "Your Highness, I cannot leave ¨C"

    "Leave the room, Lucas." As soon as these words left Zeke¡¯s mouth, the room was suddenly filled with the raging auraing from Lucas. The red-haired man red at Zeres once again, but eventually, he left without much of a fight.

    "How nice. I didn¡¯t know you have such an overprotective guard, Kiel." Zeres lips curved up into a teasing smile. But behind his amusement, Zeres found it surprising that Lucas was tantly showing his emotions in the presence of Ezekiel. He didn¡¯t even try to suppress his rage and disapproval towards Ezekiel¡¯s decision.

    "Now get to the point, Zeres," Ezekiel said the moment the door was closed. His gaze toward Zeres was severe, looking at him with his ¡¯I won¡¯t tolerate any beating around the bush talk¡¯ look that Zeres found both amusing and irritating.

    "I think I know where you¡¯re heading." Zeres finally started. The atmosphere inside the room had changed as Zeres¡¯ expression abruptly became a little gray and dark. "I would like to go with you."

    There was a moment of silence before Zeke uttered a word. "Why?"

    "Well, I think I just want some adventure."

    The room was silent again, and Zeres knew that the devil was busy dissecting him inside his monstrous brain. "I believe that¡¯s the best choice for me," Zeres added, but Zeke still remained quiet for another short moment.

    "And if I say no?"

    "Then it can¡¯t be helped. With or without your permission, I¡¯ll follow you anyway." Zeres shrugged, and then he smiled. "ying hide and seek with you will definitely entertain me for a few years."

    "White dragon..." Zeke leaned back, closing his eyes in a very peaceful manner. But such a change in Zeke¡¯s demeanor made Zeres scratch the back of his neck. "Didn¡¯t I tell you to get straight to the point? Don¡¯t test my patience."

    A silent sigh escaped Zeres¡¯ mouth. As expected, nothing could deceive this man even though what he said wasn¡¯t a lie. "Tsk. I think I¡¯d like to try testing that patience of yours. Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t seen you get mad at all, Kiel."

    "Tell me, does this have something to do with Alicia?" Zeke suddenly asked as he opened his eyes, causing Zeres to blink at him.

    "She has nothing to do with this."

    His answer made Zeke¡¯s eyes narrow a little. "Really? Then why do you want to leave? Exin yourself."

    Zeres let out another sigh. As much as he wanted to try and see if he could piss Zeke off, he somehow knew that this man would just go back to his desk and ignore him if he continued his pursuit.

    "It¡¯s not because I wanted to leave the ck Forest," Zeres said as his gaze moved from Zeke to the dark night outside the window. "I just want to start seeking death as early as possible."

    A heavy silence crept inside the room. Zeke was staring at Zeres steadily. He didn¡¯t even blink and just stared at the silver-haired man harder and harder until his gaze became a sharp re. "Why?"

    "C¡¯mon, Kiel. You know why."

    "No, I don¡¯t."

    Zereszily leaned his back against the couch. "I am not supposed to be living in this world anymore. The witches really don¡¯t need my existence at all. The world has changed so much, and everyone¡¯s already living peacefully. No matter what you say, there is really no purpose for my existence. I know there is only one thing I should be doing right now, and that¡¯s to search for a way how to end my immortal life." Zeres said these words calmly, almost as if he was merely talking about something mundane. "This is what I want to do, Kiel. I wanted to die as soon as possible, and I know that the fastest way to fulfill my wish is to seek your help. You were the one who told me you can always find a way to have me dead. And ah, I just want to rify... I am doing it this way because I at least don¡¯t want to die as a viin, and if possible, I don¡¯t want another miserable death. I¡¯d love to have a peaceful death if that¡¯s not too much to ask."

    Zeke closed his eyes again, his fingers itching to pinch the muscle between his brows because he could tell Zeres was serious. And the damn white dragon had already made up his mind. Why were these damn immortals so troublesome?

    Since the day he met Zeres, Zeke already knew that this man, even though he wasn¡¯t the type to nplicated schemes, he wasn¡¯t stupid. The only major w that Zeke had seen in Zeres was his selflessness. He was too selfless for his own good that it was hard for Zeke to believe that this creature hade up with this decision because of him thinking about himself. It just didn¡¯t feel right. This creature¡¯s greatest weakness was his selflessness, and Zeke knew he had never changed until now. There had to be a real reason behind all this. Zeke wasn¡¯t certain, but at that moment, there was only one theory he coulde up with. Someone was probably in grave danger because of Zeres¡¯ existence.

    "Zeres," Zeke¡¯s gaze on him became intense. He didn¡¯t know why but Zeke had a feeling this was not a simple matter at all. He had to make this man spill out the truth he¡¯s hiding.

    However, before Zeke could continue, Zeres suddenly rose. His eyes snapped towards the window as his silver eyes glowed like the moon.

    Zeke stood as well, following Zeres¡¯ gaze. "Oh, she¡¯s here..."

 Chapter 591 Trivial*

    <h4>Chapter 591 Trivial*</h4>

    Zeres¡¯ long, silver hair glowed as it floated around him on a nonexistent breeze. His silver eyes widening at the same time as though he had seen or sensed something shocking. And then, without warning, he disappeared from the room.

    He materialized in the forest where he and Lucas just fought this morning. It was already dark, but the intense sparksing from shing swords like series of small lightning strikes ahead of him had made the forest bright.

    Without hesitation, Zeres jumped in the middle of the heated sh between Alicia and Lucas. The silver glow in his eyes began to be reced by a vivid gold hue.

    Lucas and Alicia were too focused on their opponent, knowing that one moment of distraction will cost them a major injury that it was toote when they realized that someone had dared jump in the midst of a serious fight. Alicia¡¯s eyes widened, knowing that the foolish someone was no other than Zeres. She knew it was toote to stop her swing, so she dissolved her sword at the veryst moment. Her de barely missed Zeres, but she knew the red-head man¡¯s sword got him.

    The scent of blood filled the air as the three finally stood still. Lucas had his eyes circled at the sight of his sword buried deep in Zeres¡¯ body. The cut started from the de of Zeres¡¯ shoulder down to his chest. If Lucas didn¡¯t force himself to stop at the veryst moment, his de would¡¯ve cut the man in half!

    Shock registered in Lucas¡¯s eyes, but before he could even take a breath, Zeres grabbed his cor and yelled at him.

    "You ginger head! Are you an idiot? Why are you attacking a woman so fiercely like that?!" the words that came out of Zeres¡¯ mouth seemed to have made even the crickets in the forest fall speechless. Lucas could only blink at the fuming man who still didn¡¯t seem to know that he was cut.

    The next moment, someone grabbed Zeres¡¯ cor. It was the silver-haired woman.

    "You are the idiot one, you stupid! How could you just mindlessly jump amid a fight like that?!!!" Another frustrated yell echoed in the dark.

    It was Zeres¡¯ turn to simply blink and couldn¡¯t speak as he stared down at Alicia¡¯s angry face. Though, he still didn¡¯t let go of Lucas¡¯ cor.

    Alicia was so angry she was about to yell at him again when Zeres coughed. Blood came out from his lips. Alicia gritted her teeth while Zeres casually looked down and looked at the de in his body.

    "Oh, I got cut," he said simply before he shot a re towards Lucas, ignoring Alicia. "Look what you did, you ginger-head!"

    "Your fault for..." Lucas finally spoke, but Zeres quickly cut him off.

    "It¡¯s because you¡¯re attacking a woman so fiercely. You aren¡¯t that fierce when you attacked me this morning." Zeres¡¯ said, his voice grave and his expression darker. "Were you trying to kill her?"

    Lucas had quickly regained hisposure, and he stared back at Zeres without faltering, despite seeing those golden eyes ¨C the eyes of an immortal. "You didn¡¯t take me seriously this morning, so how could you expect me to attack you seriously?" Lucas replied calmly. "And no, I am not trying to kill her. She¡¯s not that easy to kill and more thing... she was the one who attacked me first."

    Those words rendered Zeres speechless he could almost hear the sound of a crow cawing from above. He tilted his head and finally nced at Alicia again. "Is he telling the truth? You attacked him first?" he asked once he found his voice.

    "Yes. Because he¡¯s blocking my way, and he refused to let me pass," Alicia replied. Her gaze was serious, and she still looked angry.

    Zeres finally let go of Lucas¡¯s cor. He took a step back, closed his eyes, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You can¡¯t do that, Queen, especially when you¡¯re alone," he sighed. "There¡¯s no way you didn¡¯t feel that this man is more than dangerous. What if he ¨C"

    "Shut up." Alicia¡¯s voice was cold and hard. The re she threw at him made Zeres¡¯s eyes slightly widened in surprise. But after the first shock passed, Zeres¡¯s expression became unfathomable before he looked away from Alicia.

    Without saying anything, Zeres grabbed the hilt of the sword in his body, and he winced in pain the moment he pulled it out. More blood gushed out, painting his white clothes scarlet.

    No one spoke while Zeres underwent the painful process of immediate healing. He didn¡¯t make any sound, though.

    Once his wound healed, he threw the sword back to Lucas.

    "So you two are the king and queen of witches," Lucas suddenly said.

    The question made the two witches whipped their gazes towards Lucas. "Witches only have one ruler, and it¡¯s the queen. You know witches don¡¯t have kings." Zeres was the one who answered. There was no hint of uncertainty in his voice. He said those words as if he was stating a fact and reality that no one could question. The way Zeres said it wasn¡¯t enough to stop the red-haired man from lingering on the topic.

    "But I heard witches¡¯ rulers all have silver eyes and hair, and you certainly have that quality."

    Alicia bit the inside of her lower lip. She tried to avoid this topic because even she didn¡¯t really know what to call Zeres. Lucas was right. Zeres was just like her, and he had the quality that was only bestowed to queens. Moreover, he was an immortal and now the most powerful witch. Yet the witches couldn¡¯t call him one of their rulers, and even Zeres himself never consider himself as one. Alicia had already nned to address this matter, but when she mentioned this to Zeres just the other day, the man firmly refused to cooperate, saying that there was no need to discuss such a trivial matter. Alicia, of course, disagrees. This wasn¡¯t a trivial matter at all, and Alicia knew that the witches were thinking the same. And as the queen, it was her job to deal with this.

    Before any of the two witches could respond to Lucas, a familiar voice yanked their attention away from the topic. "Lucas..." Zeke called out, and immediately, Lucas faced the man who had appeared like a phantom or probably had been there for a while now, concealing his presence.

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    "I advise you not to stick your nose in the witches¡¯ business."

    "Yes."

    Alicia finally turned around to look at Zeke, and the moment she saw the man leaning against a tree trunk, her brows creased in confusion and then, shock and terror shed in her eyes. That face...

    ____

    *unedited chapter

 Chapter 592 Haste*

    <h4>Chapter 592 Haste*</h4>

    With all her might, Alicia fought for calmness. She tried her best to hide the shock and horror that struck her as fast and efficient as she could, all the while hoping that Ezekiel noticed nothing yet.

    "E-Ezekiel?" she managed to say, her eyes now narrowed, questioning.

    Zeke said nothing and just stared at her. It seemed he had noticed despite Alicia¡¯s effort. Of course, she should¡¯ve known that nothing could escape this man¡¯s eyes so easily like that. She sighed silently. She was not going to say anything about it even if he asks why she had that look in her eyes at the sight of his face.

    "So that¡¯s your real appearance," Alicia added, acting cool as if the sh of horror in her eyes just a moment ago was nothing but an illusion.

    Ezekiel¡¯s response was a t "yes."

    "Impressive." Alicia walked closer to him but maintained a wide distance between them. "I never thought you¡¯ve been disguising all this time. I knew you are the one behind the vampire king and queen¡¯s disguise but you... actually disguising as well is really unexpected."

    Unlike the vampire princes, the vampire king and queen¡¯s face were known to the world. The king and queen of the vampires were public figures, after all. So since the beginning of theputer era, the king and queen had been disguising themselves very well. They needed to look like they were getting older like normal humans. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t seem to have any problem while wearing their disguise all the time. Well, they were vampires. Things that human finds ufortable and tedious would probably just felt like a thick make up for them or nothing.

    Alicia knew that their disguise must be an advanced invention because of how realistic it looked. She was sure it wasn¡¯t made out of anything magical also because if the guise were a work of magic, Alicia would¡¯ve certainly seen through the disguise the moment she saw it.

    After a while of silence, Ezekiel suddenly appeared just a few inches in front of Alicia. His head bent closer as his deep voice echoed near her ear. "What did you see?" he whispered.

    His sudden action, his unexpected closeness, and that question nearly made Alicia step back. She even almost thought that the one who whispered in her ear wasn¡¯t Ezekiel but the devil himself. Still, Alicia steeled herself and squared her shoulders before she tilted her face to look up and meet his eyes. His eyes weren¡¯t a sharp and threatening de, but they were probing and intense.

    "Are you going to force me to tell you whatever it is that I saw?" she challenged, her silver eyes steely. Alicia refused to be overpowered by this vampire prince. But it wasn¡¯t easy because looking at his face this close gave her another sh of memories she wished she wasn¡¯t seeing. That face was like a dreamy painting that reminded her of nothing but a nightmarish, disturbing scene.

    Ezekiel stilled, and Alicia began to feel the rise of tension in her nerves. There was something eerie with his stillness, and she knew she couldn¡¯t keep her cool any longer than this. His sheer aura was affecting Alicia, and she could feel something dark and dangerous leaking from within him. Despite hisck of expression, Alicia could only think that he might be struggling to contain himself because his body and his aura werepletely reacting opposite each other.

    But then, he answered "no," and he pulled away without breaking eye contact. He blinked, and the usual calmness around him was back.

    At that moment, Zeres grabbed Alicia¡¯s arm and gently pulled her behind him, putting himself between Ezekiel and Alicia. "We are leaving, Kiel." He said simply, but his gaze on Zeke was alert and intense. And without waiting for the vampire prince¡¯s response, Zeres immediately turned to face Alicia.

    Zeres¡¯s gaze was a little grave as he looked at her. "We¡¯re leaving," he told her, his hand still not letting go of her arm. Alicia was immediately reminded about why she came to this ce, and she forced herself to bring her attention back to Zeres. He was right. They had to leave now. She was afraid she could no longer keep a straight face if she sees more of those memories.

    Alicia threw a nce at Ezekiel before she nodded at Zeres, and just like that, the two witches disappeared from the scene in apparent haste.

    The glow of lighting from the bodies of the two witches had disappeared along with them, turning the forest pitch ck. Silence crawled on the ground and lingered in the frigid air for a while before Ezekiel finally moved.

    "Let¡¯s go," he said, and Lucas nodded.

    "Are we going to leave the kingdom tonight as nned?" Lucas asked as they leave the forest.

    The prince didn¡¯t answer immediately. When theynded on the castle¡¯s watchtower, Zeke halted. He stood there looking over the city light. He let his midnight hair and his dark coat danced with the wind before he uttered an answer. "No. We¡¯ll stay for a while."

    "May I ask why?"

    "No."

    "Then how long is the ¡¯while¡¯ you¡¯re talking about?"

    Zeke nced back at the red-haired man behind him. "A hundred years certainly changed you a lot, but it seemed it did nothing about your nosiness, Lucas."

    "If that¡¯s apliment, then thank you, Your Highness."

    In a heartbeat, Lucas caught a dagger that suddenly wooshed in the air like a stray bullet aimed at his heart. "If you want mypliment, then stop engaging with any form of fight against the witches... especially the silver-haired ones, even if you find them in the vampire castle¡¯s premise."

    The red-haired man tilted his head slightly as he stared at the prince¡¯s dagger he caught. "Okay, I understand. But may I know why..."

    Lucas couldn¡¯t even finish his question because the prince he was talking to was already gone. Scratching his head, Lucas sighed and followed after Zeke¡¯s trails.

 Chapter 593 Petty*

    <h4>Chapter 593 Petty*</h4>

    As soon as the two witches arrived in the ck forest, Alicia hastily headed to the crystal cavern. She had nned to speak with Zeres the moment they were back, but at that moment, Alicia had to deal with the chaos in her head. She needed to calm down and settle her mind first and foremost, or else Zeres would also begin to question what was going on with her and what was it that she had seen.

    However, before Alicia could start the chant to open the secret door towards the crystal cavern, Zeres caught her wrist.

    "Let go, Zeres. We will talk once I step out. Just give me a moment, please," she said, and dly, even though Zeres was hesitant, he let go of her hand.

    When the door opened, Zeres just stood there, silently watching Alicia¡¯s back as the secret door closed behind her. Zeres sunk on the ground and put his hands on his head as if he suddenly had a sudden throbbing headache.

    Inside the cavern, Alicia sat on the majestic crystal throne. Her hands were on the armrests while she rested her head on the backrest. She had her eyes closed, and her silver hair was glowing around her. She looked like a moon goddess carved or preserved in the crystalized throne.

    The memories that witch queens receive from their predecessor weren¡¯t something that could flow like a river in the current host¡¯s mind anytime. They were akin to water inside a pipe. If the host doesn¡¯t turn on the faucet, the memories will not flow out. However, there were times when something triggers the memories toe out before the host could even do a thing. And when such a thing happens without warning, it would be dangerous for the host because it could overwhelm their mind and could even mess up the host¡¯s mental process.

    As time ticked by, the lines between Alicia¡¯s brows slowly disappeared. Her face was starting to rx, and it seemed she had seeded in controlling the chaos in her head. But she still didn¡¯t open her eyes for another long while and remained sitting there,pletely unmoving.

    After an hour, her long silvershes finally fluttered, and she opened her eyes. Her hands gripped the armrests, and the look on her face showed many contradicting emotions. She looked as though she had just watched an intense, confusing, heartbreaking, and horrifying movie she wished she never came across with.

    But as the initial shock passed, Alicia looked as though she still couldn¡¯t figure out how to feel about it. She was horrified, yes. But there were too many questions and confusing things that made her think something was missing, that something was wrong.

    Alicia could tell that the flow of the memories she saw wasn¡¯t normal. All the memories she had seen before were very clear, so why was Ezekiel¡¯s was like confusing, tangled treads? Why did it seem like someone had deleted too many scenes? What was going on?

    Pressing her temples, Alicia sighed and then finally stood. She knew she had already spent too much time inside the cavern, and she still needed to deal with Zeres. "What¡¯s with all these bad timings?" she murmured before she took one more long deep breath and then walked towards the exit.

    When she stepped out, Alicia was surprised to see Zeres still standing at the same spot where she left him. She thought he had left and gone to his favorite hiding spot again.

    Looking at him, Alicia somehow managed to yank her attention away from the memories bugging her to the man before her. She stared at him, and once again, he looked away.

    "We need to talk," Alicia calmly said as she approached him.

    "About Ezekiel?"

    His response made Alicia halt in her track. Her brows slightly knotted. "What do you mean? Why should we talk about Ezekiel?" Alicia asked these because she wasn¡¯t sure what Zeres was trying to say. She thought that there was no way Zeres knew about the memories she saw!

    "Because you¡¯re thinking about him. Didn¡¯t you enter the cavern because of him?"

    Alicia¡¯s lips slightly parted, and before she knew it, she moved close to Zeres with her eyes narrowing. "And how did you even know I am thinking about him and enter the cavern because of him?"

    Silence followed Alicia¡¯s words. Her eyes filled with questions as she looked up into Zeres¡¯s eyes. Alicia had always felt Zeres was hiding something crucial to her, and now, her suspicions were growing. "Answer me, Zeres!" she demanded. She didn¡¯t know why, but at that moment, she couldn¡¯t help but think that maybe, this man could actually see the things only she was supposed to see and knows the things only she supposed to know.

    For a moment, something strange flickered in his silver eyes before he abruptly blinked it away. "Well, you liked Ezekiel, right?"

    Alicia: ". . ."

    Speechless, Alicia¡¯s shoulders dropped, and she pinched the skin between her brows. However, she found herself feeling very d because it seemed her hunch was wrong. She wouldn¡¯t know what to do if her thoughts were actually true.

    "Okay, let¡¯s be serious here, Zeres. This talk isn¡¯t about anyone else but you," she said. She waited for him to say something, but the man had fallen silent. "What are you thinking? You didn¡¯t go to Ezekiel for something petty as creating trouble for him to ease your boredom, are you?"

    "Why would you think I didn¡¯t go there because of such a petty thing?"

    "Don¡¯t even try to y words with me, Zeres. I knew you¡¯re not the type of being to do something idiotic and unnecessarily dangerous just for fun. You¡¯re not the type to cause trouble for others."

    Zeres looked away. "You are thinking way too highly of me, Alicia."

    Alicia closed her eyes and fell silent for a moment. "Listen." She paused and stared deep into his eyes. "I have no n to control you or cage you here in the ck Forest. If you wanted to leave this forest, I would not stop you. But only if that¡¯s really what you wanted to do and you are doing it for yourself. However, if you want to leave because of some uneptable reasons, like you just don¡¯t want your existence to cause any problem and disrupt the peacefulness between me and my subjects, then... I¡¯m telling you now...

    I will not let you leave if that¡¯s the only reason you have."

 Chapter 594 Fair and square*

    <h4>Chapter 594 Fair and square*</h4>

    Cautiously, Zeres just stared at Alicia for an immeasurable amount of time. As she waited for him to speak, Alicia could see the muscles in his jaw clenching and then rxing.

    "Okay," he sighed, nodding. "You don¡¯t have to worry, Alicia. I am not leaving because of that petty reason you¡¯re talking about." He told her. His tone was sure and firmer than usual.

    Still, Alicia¡¯s eyes narrowed, and she leaned closer onto him, causing Zeres to immediately take a step back. "Really? That¡¯s not the reason?" she questioned, her silver eyes dissecting his expressions.

    He nodded, and Alicia could tell he wasn¡¯t lying. However, she didn¡¯t back off. "Then, what¡¯s the reason? Is this something you really wanted to do?"

    "Yes." Again, his eyes were utterly sincere, giving her nothing that could arouse her doubt. Alicia could only nod. It seemed this man really want to leave, and she wasn¡¯t forcing himself at all. But why did she still felt uneasy about letting him go? Wait...

    As if a light bulb appeared in her head, Alicia suddenly looked suspicious. She took a step closer once again but then again, Zeres also took a step back. "And you¡¯re doing this solely for yourself and not because of someone else, right?" She watched him carefully as she spoke.

    Zeres¡¯s face stiffened, but he still answered her almost immediately. "Yes," he said, but this time, Alicia had seen the lie in his eyes and heard it in his voice. This man wasn¡¯t good at lying.

    When Alicia didn¡¯t say a thing and just red at him, he looked away. "I must... I must leave now, Alicia ¨C"

    "Who allowed you to leave?" she cut him off. Zeres whipped his gaze towards her. His brows creased as he looked at her with questions in his eyes. "You think I will let you go if you lie to me like that?"

    "I didn¡¯t ¨C"

    "You did. Your answer to myst question is a lie." She stepped forward, and when Zeres took a step back again, she continued stepping forward, forcing Zeres to keep on stepping back as she spoke. "Now tell me. You¡¯re doing this for whom? I know you¡¯re not doing this for yourself, so don¡¯t even try to insist on it."

    Finally, a tree trunk stopped Zeres¡¯s retreat. His back now against the tree. He was about to move sideways, but Alicia had mmed her palms against the tree trunk, even shaking the huge tree slightly because of the impact. Trapped between the queen¡¯s hands, Zeres bit his lips and rested his head back against the tree. He let out a quiet sigh as his gaze settled in the darkness above.

    "Queen... are you really going to corner a man this way?" he spoke slowly and unwillingly.

    "Don¡¯t try to change the topic. Look at me and answer me."

    "I must admit, you¡¯re acting a little scarier than Ezekiel right now."

    "Don¡¯t make me repeat myself, Zeres."

    "You¡¯re even reacting as serious as him now ¨C"

    Alicia grabbed his cor, forcing him to meet her gaze. "Tell me, is it me? Are you perhaps doing this for me?"

    Something strange flickered in his eyes as his lips opened and then closed. It was apparent he was wavering, torn whether or not to answer her. His struggle and that look in his eyes were enough for Alicia. The answer was obvious, no matter how much he tried to hide it.

    "Why? I need you to exin ¨C"

    Suddenly, Zeres¡¯s hands were on Alicia¡¯s shoulders. He pushed her back at arm¡¯s length, and without letting go of her shoulders, Zeres dropped his head and looked on the ground. His silver hair was cascading down like a silver silk waterfall hiding his face from her.

    "Please..." was all he said. His hands on her shoulders trembled a little.

    Alicia pressed her lips tight. It seemed like whatever he was hiding was beyond simple. Could it be something even she couldn¡¯t imagine? Why can¡¯t he just say it? Why was this person like this?

    "You¡¯re not going to exin anything, are you?" Alicia¡¯s voice softened. Looking at Zeres that moment made her feel a little guilty as if she was a naughty devil cornering a poor angel. She sighed and said "fine," as she turned, facing away from him. "But if you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll assume it¡¯s something much worse than I could even imagine. Don¡¯t expect me to let you leave if you won¡¯t tell me what you are hiding." Her voice was firm and decisive.

    When the man behind her didn¡¯t speak, she was about to leave when she felt him touched a strand of her hair.

    Alicia was stunned, but Zeres didn¡¯t give her a chance to turn and suddenly hugged her from behind her. The shock immobilized Alicia for a moment.

    "Wha... what are you ¨C"

    "I¡¯m sorry," he whispered as his arms around her tightened slightly. The words he said and his pained voice confused Alicia even more.

    "W-what the hell¡¯s wrong with you?!"

    Zeres let go of her. When Alicia whipped around, he already had his back towards her. "I¡¯m leaving, Queen. Please, don¡¯te after me again."

    The moment he said those, he was gone, leaving Alicia utterly frustrated and confused.

    "Wait, you little!!" she yelled, angered before she too immediately disappeared.

    The ck Forest was always the most special ce for the witches. It was the only ce where some of the witches¡¯ powers were restricted, like their teleportation power. No one, even the queen, could leave or enter the forest without passing through the entrance in their original forms.

    Thus, Zeres had to materialize right before the exit for him to be able to leave. To his surprise, Alicia was already guarding the exit. She was glowing like a bright moon, and her twin des were in her hands. One nce, and Zeres knew she was ready for a serious battle.

    "I already told you I couldn¡¯t let you go." Her voice echoed. "You¡¯ll have to defeat me first if you want to leave. I must at least show the witches proof that I did my very best to stop you. And this is the only way for us to let them know I didn¡¯t kick you out of here."

    Zeres¡¯s eyes slightly opened wide. "Alicia, there is no need for this, please. You can just tell them the truth, that I left on my own and that you really tried to stop me."

    "Zeres... words without proof will only cause endless doubts and suspicions. Some of them will definitely think I see you as a threat to my reign, and so I coerced you to leave. So since it seemed you¡¯re leaving for my sake, it won¡¯t be a problem for you to fight me because this is also for my own benefit. If you leave by force, the witches won¡¯t question me if they see you hanging out with the vampire prince."

    "Alicia... Please - "

    "If you refuse to fight me, I will keeping after you. So don¡¯t be stubborn. If you want to leave, fight me for real. I¡¯m not letting you leave unless you defeat me fair and square."

 Chapter 595 Settled*

    <h4>Chapter 595 Settled*</h4>

    Zeres shook his head. His long silvershes half lowering over his eyes. "You know I can never ¨C"

    "Then, just spill out the truth. I¡¯ll let you go regardless of the implication and deal with the witches¡¯ questions and doubts."

    When he shook his head again, Alicia lifted her swords and pointed them towards him. Her silver hair was lifting in the slight breeze around her. "It¡¯s settled then. You can now leave, but get past me by force first." Alicia didn¡¯t make it sound as if he had a choice, and Zeres knew how serious she was.

    The look in her eyes showed him a steely decision that no word could change. But Zeres had to leave. He knew that Zeke was leaving that night, and he also thought that this was his only opportunity to leave. If he dys, Alicia would never stop trying to know the truth. Knowing how stubborn and willful this queen was, she would definitely do everything and anything to find what he was hiding from her. He would never let that happen. He must not stay in this forest any longer. He must leave as soon as possible.

    With a pained look, Zeres uttered a silent apology as he finally advanced towards her. He didn¡¯t unsheathe his sword. He didn¡¯t even hold the hilt. He simply approached her bare-handed.

    Alicia waited, faltering a little because she knew the man didn¡¯t have any n to fight her. When he reached her, he grabbed Alicia¡¯s de with his bare hands. His blood began to drip on the ground.

    "Let me through, Alicia." He urged, and Alicia gritted her teeth. She kicked him in the stomach, hard enough for him to be thrown away a few steps from her.

    She kept her faceposed and steely as she looked down at him. "Don¡¯t y with me, Zeres. Just so you know... I am not as soft-hearted as you. I could be cold as the devil, too, if someone is not taking me seriously."

    Zeres rose from the ground. Unexpectedly, a genuine smile was ying on his face. "That was a hard kick, Queen." He innocently held his stomach like he was a hungry white puppy, causing Alicia¡¯s stern gaze to almost crack. Damn. Was he really going to use such a dirty trick for her to let her guard down?! You¡¯re a low-key little devil, Zeres... but I won¡¯t fall for it.

    "C¡¯mon. Don¡¯t waste our time and be serious because if you don¡¯t, I¡¯m telling you I can stand here and kick you all night."

    He ignored her words and approached her once again, still not pulling out his sword. Alicia didn¡¯t let him touch her de this time and simply kicked him back before he could grab her sword. Still, he did the same thing the third time and then the seventh time.

    The anger and frustration inside Alicia was starting to boil. She never thought she would do something like this. What the hell¡¯s wrong with this man?! Why the hell¡¯s he like this?!

    She struggled to keep her calm. "How dare you do this to me," she swallowed hard as they stared at each other, and Zeres looked like something not physical kicked him hard again. Only this time, he didn¡¯t fall, and the pain was ten times stronger.

    "I¡¯m sorry." Was all he said as he looked away and his grip on her de tightened. He tried to reach for her hand, probably so he could push her to the side, but Alicia didn¡¯t let him. She dropped the sword in her right hand and punched his jaw hard. He stumbled back. His lips were bleeding.

    "You are a stubborn little devil, Zeres. But too bad, I am stubborn too. Don¡¯t even think that this petty tactic would work for me. I told you, I¡¯m not as soft-hearted as you."

    Alicia wanted to read his expression, but she refrained. She had been trying not to look into his eyes because she didn¡¯t want her resolve to be swayed. Alicia had never done anything like this before. She would never hurt anyone who wasn¡¯t putting up any fight. So doing this to this man was honestly the most maddening thing she had ever done. Her blood was boiling, threatening to burst. She knew that if this continues, she will lose because she would rather fight to the death than do something like this.

    When he came to her again, and Alicia brought him down with a hard punch on his chest, Alicia¡¯s breathing became a little erratic. She felt as though she had fought a thousand enemies, and she couldn¡¯t help butugh a little hysterically. This man is driving her insane. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder just what kind of secret was he hiding from her that he had to go to this extent.

    Herugh seemed to surprise Zeres. His expression changed as he stood there silently staring at the exit behind her and then at her. He clenched his fists tight. Zeres never want to hurt her, so he was trying to make her give up on her own by letting her best him, but it seemed doing this was crueler than fighting her. He didn¡¯t like the sound of herughter. He didn¡¯t want herughing like that. ¡¯Why? Why does it need toe to this? Why is it always like this?¡¯

    Suddenly, Zeres¡¯s eyes turned gold, and in a blink of an eye, a deafening sound of two swords shing shook the peaceful forest. Alicia finally smiled at his attack despite the fact that she was pushed back even though she defended herself on time. One of her swords had already disappeared.

    As though he was suddenly in haste, he attacked again, and their intense battle had brought many witches in the scene. They watched in shock and horror, not knowing what to do.

    But it didn¡¯t take long and the heart-stopping battle suddenly halted. Zeres was standing behind Alicia. His one arm wrapped around her shoulders and the other holding his de against her throat. "I¡¯m sorry," for the nth time; he apologized again. ¡¯I cannot tell you because once you find out the truth, I know you¡¯ll never let me go.¡¯ He continued within him, and with one more ¡¯sorry,¡¯ he backed off and finally dissapeared.

    ___

    A\\N: I posted an announcement about hell bound heart in my Facebook group. If you want to read it, you have to join the group. Please use this code to enter the group ?? 200k

 Chapter 596 If its you*

    <h4>Chapter 596 If it¡°s you*</h4>

    As soon as Zeres arrived in Reigns Castle, he went straight inside Zeke¡¯s study. When he saw Lucas standing in one of the watchtowers, he was relieved because he thought they already left the kingdom.

    "Kiel!" his voice was a little loud as he strode towards Zeke, cing his palms on top of the prince¡¯s massive desk.

    Zeke, who was busy with hisputer, simply nced at Zeres and continued tapping on hisptop again. "You are not leaving yet?" Zeres asked, his voice mellowed out, seeing that the prince seemed still very busy.

    "Not yet."

    "Why? I thought you were in haste."

    "Well, something came up. I need to deal with it first."

    "Is it because of what Alicia saw in the memories stored within her?"

    These words made Zeke¡¯s fingers halt. He finally lifted his face and leaned his head against the back of his seat. His gaze on Zeres was calm, but something sharp and dangerous was ying in them.

    Zeres¡¯ hands clenched. "If that¡¯s what you¡¯re worried about right now, you don¡¯t have to be worried about it. She didn¡¯t see everything."

    "And how did you know?"

    Biting his lips hard, Zeres paced in front of Zeke¡¯s desk. His hand tugging his hair while Zeke watched him, waiting for the exnation that bettere soon.

    When Zeres stopped, he took a deep breath and faced Zeke. He looked around and then closed his eyes as if to make sure no one was listening. He even put on a barrier to keep other witches from watching the conversation in their crystal balls.

    "She didn¡¯t see the worse part of it, Kiel. So, no matter how much Alicia tries to understand the memories she saw, she will fail to put all the puzzles together. All she could do is specte based on the fragments she saw, but it would remain a confusing mystery to her." Zeres said. His words sparked interest in Zeke¡¯s t gaze. "I know because half of the memories are inside me."

    Zeke was silenced, but his eyes were demanding Zeres to continue.

    "Alicia is danger, Kiel." He struggled for words. "I am sucking the memories from her, her powers... everything... even her life..." Zeres choked, his eyes miserable. He looked as though arge old wound reopened, and he started bleeding heavily.

    He turned his back towards Zeke before he continued. "This happened before... I was born like this, but I was a weakling when I was young, so the witches, even the queen back then, thought there was nothing special with me. However, when I reached a certain age, I felt power began to surge within me. I was slowly getting stronger while the queen was getting weaker. I realized that her power was being transferred to me even without me doing anything..." he paused and looked at the darkness outside the window. Misery and pain colored his silver eyes for a moment, but he quickly blinked it away. He sounded as though he didn¡¯t want to tell more about the story more than what he had said. "I thought things would be different this time. But I was wrong. Nothing changed, Kiel..."

    "So you wanted to die to save Alicia..." Zeke¡¯s tone was severe but neutral.

    Zeres turned and faced him. "Yes." He answered, without any hesitation. "She doesn¡¯t deserve this. This is all my fault for being here... for being alive again. I am not supposed to be in this world anymore, Kiel. I can¡¯t... I can¡¯t let this happen!"

    Zeke pinched the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes. He had thought of the worst-case scenario when he first suspected Zeres¡¯ reason for wanting to die, but this was far graver andplicated than he thought.

    "How did you know that what happened in the past is going to happen again? Is it only because of the memories you received? What I¡¯m trying to say is... Alicia is still powerful and strong. I didn¡¯t notice any change in her." Zeke reasoned as his gaze on Zeres deepened.

    "I know it¡¯s going to happen again. I just confirmed it a while ago." Zeres¡¯ jaws clenched tightly. "I saw some strands of her hair darkening. That¡¯s the first sign."

    The room went silent for a long while before Zeres spoke again.

    "That¡¯s why... please, Kiel. I need your help. You managed to find a way to kill Dinah... I believe there¡¯s definitely a way for me to die too."

    "It¡¯s not that easy, Zeres. And I am not the one who found the way to kill her. The prophecy led the way. I simply made sure it would happen."

    "Then let¡¯s ask the prophetess."

    Their eyes met as silence reigned between them again. Zeres knew that the prophetess might disagree with this. He knew about the vows of the vampire¡¯s prophetess that they would never use their power for anything that wasn¡¯t rted to the vampires. Zeres also knew that the vampires had nothing to do with his problem and that the prophetess¡¯ power might refuse to work even if she tries. Apart from the fact that Dinah was a threat to the vampires, Alexander was a half-vampire, so the vampire prophetess was obliged to help. But he wasn¡¯t. He was a witch, and there was no guarantee that the prophetess could see anything. However, Zeres refused to give in. This was the easiest and fastest way. He needed the prophetess¡¯ help before it¡¯s toote.

    "I hate to say this but," Zeres hesitated for a moment. "Don¡¯t you think this is now your opportunity to pay your debt to the witches? I saw everything, Ezekiel..."

    Zeke¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change, but the air around him darkened. His eyes grew intent but, too soon, faded back to their usual calmness.

    "That is not the problem here, Zeres," Zeke said. "You know that it might not work. The possibility that the prophetess could see a thing about this is very... close to zero. The prophetess couldn¡¯t even help in a lot of things rted to the vampires no matter how huge the problem is."

    "I know." Zeres straightened. There was no sign of surrender or doubt in his willful eyes. "But if it¡¯s you... it¡¯ll work. I know you¡¯ll make it work, Kiel."

 Chapter 597 Today*

    <h4>Chapter 597 Today*</h4>

    At dawn, in Abi and Alex¡¯s mansion.

    The sound of a descending helicopter awakened everyone in the mansion. Alex¡¯s face was dark with anger as he rose from their bed, looking as though he was more than ready to go and crumple the damn noisy helicopter like it was made of paper. He had gotten a little exercise hours ago by beating all those men to a pulp then sending them all away ck and blue. And yet, it seemed Kelly¡¯s father was such a stubborn old man. Did he send the military this time to retrieve his daughter?

    Alex cracked his knuckles as he grabbed his robe and covered his perfect naked torso. His gun-metal grey eyes gleamed in the dark. How dare they disturb his wife¡¯s beauty rest!

    "Alex." Abi caught his wrist before he could walk away.

    "Yes?" he turned. His hardened face immediately went soft.

    "Don¡¯t be too worked up, okay? Remember, they¡¯re humans." She said, and Alex scratched his neck. "I think I shoulde with you."

    "No way, my love. They might be some high caliber tugs or the military." He bent and kissed the tip of Abi¡¯s nose. "Don¡¯t worry. I will never let anyone fire a gun. I can¡¯t let anything or anyone startle our little one¡¯s precious rest." He added as he ced his hand on her belly. "Stay here."

    "No. I¡¯ll go check on Kelly, Alex."

    Alex sighed, knowing he couldn¡¯t make his wife stay still as he wished. "Okay."

    The couple then walked out of their room. Because Alex was in haste, worried that the men outside would invade the house before he could step out to meet them, he carried Abi and leaped down the grand stairs. He put Abi down in the middle of the living room while Kelly ran towards them.

    "Stay here, you two. I¡¯ll deal with them," said Alex, and then, he was gone.

    The instant Alex pushed the door open and stepped out; he raised a brow. It seemed he was wrong thinking that Kelly¡¯s father had sent another group of men for him to beat up.

    A man around his fifties was walking towards him with two men in ck on his sides.

    "I believe you are the man who singlehandedly beat up my elite menst night." The old man said. He was dressed in a fine business suit and wearing a stern face. "Who are you?" he asked when Alex remained quiet.

    "I am the husband of your daughter¡¯s best friend," Alex replied in a proud tone.

    "My daughter¡¯s best friend... oh, Abigail."

    "Correct. What can I do for you?"

    The old man¡¯s gaze at Alex was cautious. He was already old, and he had met all kinds of powerful men throughout his lifetime. He wasn¡¯t stupid not to feel and notice that this man was no ordinary. The old man could only think one thing at the sight of Alex. ¡¯No wonder my men stood no chance against him. This man is dangerous. Just who is he?¡¯

    He wanted to ask. It was rare to find someone with such a presence. The old man immediately thought of that unfortunate god of the business world, Ezekiel Qinn. This man gives off the same aura that forces any human being to suddenly feel inferior in their presence. He noticed that this man also had the same eyes as that Ezekiel Qinn, though it seemed this man¡¯s eyes were brighterpared to that dead man. Was this man rted to that person? Or was this a coincidence?

    "I came to fetch my daughter." The old man didn¡¯t dare act foolishly. He didn¡¯t know anything about this man, so he better be careful. "Tell her I¡¯m here. Her mother¡¯s looking for her."

    When Alex looked as though he wouldn¡¯t budge, the old man continued. "My wife is very sick right now. She wanted to see Kelly."

    Alex sighed. It seemed he really need to tell this to Kelly first. "Fine. Wait here."

    Hastily, Alex entered the house and approached the twodies sitting in front of the firece.

    "How¡¯s it?" Abi asked as she stood.

    Alex looked at Kelly. "Your father is here. He said your mother is very sick, and she wanted to see you."

    The room went silent after Alex said those words. Kelly looked worried, but there was also doubt in her eyes.

    "What do you want me to do? If you want me to send them away, just say it." Alex said, and after a long moment, Kelly shook her head.

    "No. I will go with him."

    Abi creased her brows as she worriedly held Kelly¡¯s hand. "Kelly..."

    "My father might be lying, but he could be saying the truth as well. I haven¡¯t seen my mother since dad told me she was rushed to the hospital."

    "Are you sure?" Alex was skeptical. "I can go and confirm things first if you want. It¡¯s safer that way."

    Kelly smiled at the couple. "It¡¯s fine. Thank you for protecting me here. But I can¡¯t hide here like this forever. I¡¯m going to face this myself. Don¡¯t worry. Nothing will happen to me. Even though my father loves money more than me, he never abused me physically. As long as he brings me to our home and not in Tristan¡¯s ce, I¡¯ll be fine." Kelly assured them. "I think this is now my chance to speak up to them. I will try to tell them everything and convince them."

    "Then, I¡¯ll send someone to make sure he will bring you home," Alex said, and Kelly nodded before she hugged Abi.

    "Thanks, Abi. Please tell Kai I¡¯ll wait for him."

    "Mm. Be careful. Call me once your home, okay?"

    "Okay."

    With that, Kelly left with her father. She didn¡¯t say anything the whole trip until the helicopternded in the Young residence¡¯s spacious backyard.

    "Who is that man?" Kelly¡¯s father immediately asked. "Is that man really that girl¡¯s husband?"

    "Yes. He¡¯s Abigail¡¯s husband." Kelly answered coldly. Alexander must have piqued his interest, and Kelly was irked that that was the first thing he¡¯ll ask her.

    "Where¡¯s mom?" she then asked as the entrance door closed behind them.

    The old man casually took off his jacket. "She¡¯s upstairs, busy calling the guests."

    Kelly gritted her teeth. "You said she¡¯s very sick!"

    "She is. But your mother is stubborn! You know just how much she¡¯s dreaming for this. She wanted nothing but the best for you, so despite being told by the doctors that she must rest, she just won¡¯t stay still. She wanted to make sure that all special guest will arrive ¨C"

    "Wait. What special guest are you talking about?"

    "Don¡¯t y dumb." The old man red at her. "No matter what you will say, you will marry Tristan today. And no one, not even you, can postpone it."

 Chapter 598 Damsel in distress*

    <h4>Chapter 598 Damsel in distress*</h4>

    Kelly¡¯s eyes red with shock. Then they narrowed in utter fury. But she didn¡¯t speak anymore. She had expected this, but deep within her, she had hoped that her father would not stoop this low. Kelly was angry and mad at herself for still hoping despite all the things her father showed and did to her. He would never care about her, ever.

    Clenching her fists tight, Kelly swallowed all the words she had been nning to say. She had thought well-scripted words to convince her father, but she understood now that it does not matter anymore. This man would never listen to her or consider any consequences.

    "Take her to her room." The man then ordered his guards. "Lock her inside with the stylists. Don¡¯t open the door unless I order it."

    The man¡¯s stern and absolute words made the guards immediately moved. Kelly didn¡¯t fight anymore. She simply red at the men and started walking towards the staircase before the men could touch her.

    When she entered her room, an elegant designer wedding dress weed her. Stylists and make-up artists were already waiting for her inside. She just stood by the door, looking at the dress with a cold expression as the door behind her shut closed.

    The people inside smiled at her as one of them approached her. Before she knew it, she was sitting in front of the mirror. Kelly was outwardly calm, but her insides were in turmoil. They didn¡¯t let her give Abi a call because the guards had seized her cellphone.

    But despite the situation, there was no sign of surrender in Kelly¡¯s eyes. She knew she could not stop this. If she tries to run away, her mother will surely copse again, and her father... Kelly was afraid of what her father will do next. She didn¡¯t want to be the cause of him doing more horrible things than what he had already done.

    Weighing the pros and cons, Kelly decided to trust Kai. She knew that by now, Abi and Alexander had already told Kai that her father came took her home. She thought that maybe, fighting by herself and running away on her own was never the right move. Because she¡¯d been doing that for so long, and yet nothing changed. She would always end up being caught and defeated no matter how much she tried to fight and run. Perhaps, it was better for her to act like the damsel and distress this time and wait for her knight in shining armor.

    The thought made Kelly bit her lower lip. Being the damsel in distress was never cool to her. She liked being her own hero because since she was young, she had already learned that no one woulde and save her. She had been her very own hero for so long that when Kai saved her from Tristan, Kelly couldn¡¯t exin the feeling she had felt that time. She realized she wanted to be treated by someone as his beloved heroine too. She realized that she also wanted her own hero, her very own knight in shining armor.

    Time went by unnoticed, and someone finally opened the door. Kelly looked at herself in the mirror, but her expression remained t. Her mother came to see her, and despite her apparent weakness, Kelly thought that this was the biggest smile her mother ever showed her for a very long. She was happy, probably the happiest mother on Earth that day.

    Kelly could only clench her fists tight secretly. She was not sure what will happen today, but one thing she was sure of was that disappointment and tears might rece the happiness in her mother¡¯s eyester. Kelly hoped and wished she could make her mother¡¯s happinessst a little longer. If only her mother would be happy regardless of who her choice was.

    When her mother left, Kelly was surrounded by men in ck. It was time for her to go to the wedding venue. She heard that her mother had dealt with everything. She had chosen a church wedding on a private ind owned by the Young family. Her mother happily told Kelly that the old church on the ind was where her great grandparents wedded.

    A helicopter descended in the backyard, and Kelly was immediately escorted towards it. She didn¡¯t know the wedding will be held on an ind, and she didn¡¯t know that she would be transported through a helicopter. Her parents deliberately hid that information from her until the veryst minute.

    Kelly took a sharp and deep breath. Her will started to waver a little. She had been expecting her knight in shining armor to suddenly appear in the middle of the road and kidnap her, the bride. But now that she would actually travel by air, how could Kai even reach her?

    Shaking her head, Kelly breathed deeply again. ¡¯No, my Kai is a vampire. He¡¯s unstoppable. She would definitely arrive in time. He¡¯s faster than a chopper.¡¯ She told herself with a haughty smile, and with just that, Kelly began to feel incredibly confident again. She just needed to trust in Kai now and wait for him. After all, that¡¯s hisst word to her before he left her yesterday. He asked her to wait for him.

    The small ind looked luxuriously decorated. Luxurious yachts were everywhere around the ind. It seemed the guests came in the ind by water. Kelly looked around as the men in ck escorted her towards the small church.

    The guests seemed to be already waiting inside the church now.

    Realizing that the wedding might begin as soon as she reached the church¡¯s door, Kelly couldn¡¯t help but look around. Her heart started to thud inside her ribcage. All she could see outside the church were men in ck. They were the guards of the rich people inside!

    ¡¯Kai,¡¯ she uttered to herself. ¡¯Where are you? Are you still on your way here?¡¯

    As she was talking to herself, her escorts made her stand right in front of the church¡¯s double door.

 Chapter 599 Wedding day

    <h4>Chapter 599 Wedding day</h4>

    Dread began to grip Kelly¡¯s heart. There was only one thing reverberating in her mind at that moment and it was the thought that she must do something ¨C anything ¨C to dy this wedding. She had to buy time for her knight in shining armor to arrive. But how? What should she possibly do to cause a ruckus big enough to dy a wedding?

    Kelly started panicking when she saw two of the men in ck approach the door and stood on both sides and then simultaneously held the door handles. Her heart was pounding so loudly, it was rumbling so deafeningly in her ears and making her feel so overwhelmed. No! Wait! Wait a second! Kai isn¡¯t here yet!

    Unable to exercise logic and sense properly perhaps due to all that panic and dread filling her heart and mind, the best option Kelly could think of doing at that moment was to scream at the men to stop. However, before a sound could escape from her lips, the men abruptly let go of the door handles. One of them seemed to be talking to someone who was speaking into his Bluetooth earphone while the other one was looking at his wristwatch.

    Having this god sent interruption without her needing to embarrass herself, Kelly¡¯s hysterical panic dropped down just a notch and curiosity began to momentarily rece the desperate look in her eyes. "What¡¯s wrong? Is there a problem?" she asked.

    The men turned towards her and then stared at each other, silentlymunicating amongst themselves if it was a wise thing for them to answer her queries or not. Kelly¡¯s expression hardened at their reluctance and she squared her shoulders. "Did you not hear me?! Is there a problem?!" Kelly¡¯s voice was fiery and sounded out her temper, causing the men to blink in surprise. How did the poor damsel in distress suddenly looked like a fierce viiness?

    "Er... It¡¯s not a major problem, Miss Young. It¡¯s just that..." The man paused and looked at hisrade again.

    "What?! Spit it out!" Kelly demanded and the man sighed.

    "Mr. Young told us to have you stand by for a little while longer."

    Kelly creased her brows in surprise. They were proceeding with so much haste just a while ago so why the sudden hold up? "Why? Is there a problem?"

    "It seemed Mr. Flynn has not arrived yet, but don¡¯t worry Miss Young, I¡¯m certain he¡¯s already on his way here. Something major must have dyed him."

    The surprise was so shocking Kelly momentarily fell into a trance. However, the next moment, the corners of her lips curved up slightly.

    "So... you¡¯re saying that the groom isn¡¯t here yet?" She mumbled to herself. Her voice had a tinge of amusement to it. "And you men want me ¨C the star of the show ¨C to continue standing and waiting, in front of the church¡¯s door to wait for him?"

    "Uhm... yes, Miss. The procession was supposed to start by now, but Mr. Young said, we can dy for another five to ten minutes." The men¡¯s tone was hesitant. Their faces were filled with confusion and puzzlement upon seeing the smile suddenly blooming upon Kelly¡¯s face.

    "Hahaha." Kelly¡¯sughter echoed, surprising and disorientating the men in ck even more. "Men..." she said as soon as herughter stopped and she took small, measured steps towards them, taking advantage of their bewilderment. She stood between the two men in ck and looked at them. "On a wedding day, grooms are supposed to be the ones who wait for their brides, not the other way around. A man who fails to arrive on time for his wedding day fails as a man. And a woman who willingly waits for herte groom will only be called as... stupid. And I refuse to be acknowledged as a stupid person."

    Before the men could even process what Kelly had just said, Kelly lifted her gown and kicked the door open. She had given all her strength in that one strong kick that the door made a dramatic loud bang when it flew open. All heads turned as the bride entered with a wide smile.

    The shocked men didn¡¯t know what to do as Kelly didn¡¯t give them a chance to react ¨C much less to seize her. She started her own march without warning. She could see confusion and shock in everyone¡¯s faces. She saw her father and his eyes almost bulging out of their sockets.

    And then, suddenly, the music started. Kelly couldn¡¯t stop the huge smile on her face. Because she knew that Tristan was not going to arrive. He must be with her Kai, right now. Her knight in shining armor must¡¯ve held him captive to stop the wedding. Oh god... she felt so happy. Her knight saved her once again and she was so right. She was so d she had trusted him. Kai would never let her marry that bastard!

    Kelly didn¡¯t stop and continued walking down the aisle. The audience were so confused because they knew that the groom was not there and had yet to arrive. So why was the bride smiling like she was the happiest bride in the world?

    Her parents were so frozen in their shock that they were extremely dyed in their reaction. When her father realized what his daughter had done, Kelly was already reaching the end of the aisle and about to step onto the stage.

    The man strode towards her and just as she ced her foot on the first step leading to the stage, her father caught her arm. Rage made his eyes turn incredibly dangerous, as if he was prepared to drag Kelly out of the church. However, before the infuriated Mr. Young could speak or yank on Kelly, someone stood in front of them.

    A tall and gorgeous man in tailored wedding suit made everyone catch their breaths. Even Kelly¡¯s father was forced to halt at the sight of this good-looking stranger while Kelly literally turned into a statue and had her lips parted as she stared at him.

    The man faced Kelly¡¯s father and with a serious expression, he spoke. "Since the groom has decided to forfeit, I would like to be the groom instead and marry your daughter."

    Kelly¡¯s father gritted his teeth in anger, face turning an interesting shade of deep red. "Who the fuc ¨C"

    "Please let me introduce myself." Kai cut him off as he announced firmly and confidently, "I am Skyler Qinn, CEO of Qinn Enterprise. The one and only heir of myte brother, Ezekiel Qinn."

    ____

    I hope you¡¯re liking the climax of Kai and Kelly¡¯s story. ^^

 Chapter 600 The most bizarre wedding of the year

    <h4>Chapter 600 The most bizarre wedding of the year</h4>

    Mr. Young was shocked to his core and his mind was in a buzz just hearing the man¡¯s introduction that it took him quite a while to gather his wits again. This old but experienced business man didn¡¯t want to believe this im right at the drop of a hat or at least there first needed to be confirmation of identity if what this person before him had said was true. But one look into this young man¡¯s eyes rendered Mr. Young speechless. The face of the man he met at dawn and Ezekiel Qinn¡¯s cold eyes suddenly appeared in the old man¡¯s mind at the sight of the younger man in front of him. This person didn¡¯t have the unfathomable and staggering aura those other two had but he could feel this man was just like them, someone extraordinary and not one he could mess up.

    He couldn¡¯t even doubt even if he wanted to as he could tell that this person was definitely rted to Ezekiel Qinn. How did his daughter get acquainted with these people? And howe Ezekiel Qinn managed to hide his rtives like these? He had tried to investigate Ezekiel Qinn¡¯s origins for a long time and he couldn¡¯t even find a single rtive. So where did this man came from? And more importantly, how could this practical stranger request ¨C if that way of speaking can be even said to be a request ¨C to marry his daughter like this? Why was he even here in the first ce?

    Mr. Young then turned around to observe Kelly and when he saw the manner his daughter looked at the man and the gaze she had in her eyes, he realized she indeed knew the man. But in the very next second, a regrettable expression colored the old man¡¯s face. He looked as though he had just watched his chance to win the ultimate lottery slip right down the drain.

    The old man also knew for a fact that there was no way on God¡¯s green earth that Tristan would back out from this wedding. Thoughte, he would surely arrive and marry Kelly. But wait...

    "How did you know that Mr. Flynn has forfeited?" Mr. Young asked Kai with eyes filled with suspicion.

    Calmly, Kai leaned a little closer to him. "Because I just met him a few hours ago. He told me he¡¯s not going to marry Kelly."

    "Impossible. Why would he suddenly back ¨C"

    "Sir," Kai cut him off and he moved an inch closer to whisper right into the ears of the old man. "I¡¯m sorry to inform you this, but Mr. Flynn sold all his rights in yourpany to me. His shares are also mine now. So he¡¯s not going to arrive anymore, Mr. Young. You can go confirm the things I have said with whoever you need to, if you are doubting my words."

    Mr. Young¡¯s eyes widened like saucers. He took a moment to think before seeming to have made a decision. He then slipped his hand into his pocket, pulled out a cellphone and made a call whilst walking towards the corner of the hall.

    As soon as the old man left, Kai¡¯s attention instantly returned to Kelly. His serious gaze immediately melted the moment their eyes met as Kelly¡¯s glimmered with tears threatening to fall.

    "K-kai..." she uttered and Kai gently caressed her cheek.

    "You¡¯re so beautiful, Kelly." He fought the urge to hug her and kiss her.

    "I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re here."

    The look in her eyes made Kai swallow hard and he almost kissed her right then and there. Thankfully, the murmurs of the guest¡¯s confusion brought him back to his senses.

    He pulled his eyes off Kelly and looked at all the guests congregating in the hall¡¯s pews. His gaze also fell to the old man to the side of the hall, whose attention was nowpletely focused on his call.

    When he turned his gentled gaze to Kelly again, a mischievous and sweet smile curved on his lips.

    The next second, he knelt on one knee in front of Kelly and popped open a small box as he looked up at her. His eyes glimmering, fully focused on her as though she was magic.

    "Kelly, will you marry me?" he asked and for a few too many heartbeats, Kelly didn¡¯t breathe at all. When she finally did resume breathing, it was with hard gasp and tears of joy.

    The audience also gasped in shocked surprise. Everyone¡¯s confusion and murmurs were reced with excitement as they watched a beautiful fairytale unfold right before their very eyes.

    Kelly couldn¡¯t speak. She felt like her heart was about to burst with overwhelming and extreme happiness. She never thought Kai would do this. He was truly unbelievable.

    Fighting the urge to jump on him and kiss him like there was no tomorrow, Kelly frantically nodded. She didn¡¯t speak as she was trying her very best not to cry ¨C and most probably ruin her makeup in the process. She was also very much aware that they were in a not-so-favorable situation. She was afraid that her father might just walk back into the scene at any moment and ruin this most perfect moment in her entire life.

    Looking at Kai¡¯s wide and beautiful smile, Kelly¡¯s heart swelled with myriads of emotions. She felt like she was dreaming as Kai slipped the diamond ring onto her finger.

    "I love you, Kelly." He dered as he kissed the ring on her finger before he rose and hugged her tight. The crowd unexpectedly gave them a roar of approval and an approving apuse, causing the couple to look at them. Theyughed happily together and just as Kelly thought Kai would lift her up and take her out of the church, he took Kelly¡¯s hand and led her towards the altar.

    Gasps of shock filled the church hall.

    "Now that we¡¯re already engaged, it¡¯s time to get married, Kelly." He told her and Kelly didn¡¯t even need to think anymore as she immediately and happily said "Yes! Yes! Let¡¯s get married now!", earning another round of surprised gasps from the guests. This event would probably be recorded as the ¡¯most bizarre wedding of the year¡¯.

    The priest was blinking in disbelief when Kai¡¯s voice jolted him to his senses. "As you can see, me and my fianc¨¦e are quite in need of some haste here." He said as he threw a nce towards Kelly¡¯s father who was stillpletely oblivious about what was happening in the church as he was zing in anger in the corner while speaking on his phone. "Please start now, sir, before the not-so-divine intervention appear to stop our wedding."

    ___

    Happy 600 chapters helbounders!!! This is my first time reaching this milestone. Thank you for all the supports guys. I love you all.

    P.s. This saga will not end yet. There¡¯s a third volume after Kai and Kelly¡¯s story.

 Chapter 601 Officially mine

    <h4>Chapter 601 Officially mine</h4>

    The priest was extremely hesitant to make a move. There was an obvious doubtful look stered all over his face but when he turned to look at the bride and saw the apparent excitement, pure happiness and unbridled eagerness that were overflowing from her expressive eyes, the priest could not help but heave a big sigh. He could only do what was due to him. "Are you absolutely certain about this, Miss Young? I ¨C"

    "Very. Very, utterly,pletely certain, sir." Kelly¡¯s immediate response with all the supetives almost made the priestugh out aloud right on the spot and with thatst doubt dispelled, he finally relented.

    As the ceremony started, Kelly¡¯s heart was thumping so loudly in her chest. She couldn¡¯t deny that she was somewhat agitated and restless. She was nervous that her father¡¯s voice would suddenly crash through this dreame-true for her with a bang and ruin both their magical moment. However, as she looked at Kai, Kelly¡¯s heart just began to feel like somehow and someway, everything was going to be all right in the end. It was amazing how he could calm her so easily, without doing anything or saying a single word to ease her troubled heart and mind.

    But despite the calmness Kai had inspired in her, Kelly couldn¡¯t stop herself from making little hand gestures in urging the priest to hasten the proceedings. Her request made the priest blink while Kai leaned in on her slightly with a smile and whispered, "Rx, my bride."

    "But I can¡¯t help it. I... I..."

    "Can no longer wait?"

    "Yes. I can¡¯t wait anymore."

    The priest cleared his throat, while sporting a slight blush, looking as though he was trying to stop himself from smiling. The couple didn¡¯t notice it because their eyes were locked onto each other, but they missed how the priest had thrown a furtive nce at Kelly¡¯s father. Knowing what kind of situation this couple before him was in at that moment, the priest finally nodded and gave in. He could see the remarkable love in both the bride and groom¡¯s eyes, and he didn¡¯t wish for anyone to ruin their holy union.

    And thus, to everyone¡¯s surprise, including the bride and groom, the priest went on in haste, as requested, and in what seemed to be just a few moments, it was already time for them to recite their wedding vows.

    "Kelly Young, do you take Skyler Qinn to be yourwful husband, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for as long as you both shall live?"

    "I do!" Kelly eximed with a wide and emotional smile.

    "Skyler Qinn, do you take Kelly Young to be yourwful wedded wife, to have and to hold, for better or for worse, for as long as you both shall live?"

    "I do." Kai replied immediately as he gazed deeply into Kelly¡¯s eyes.

    "With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, husband and wife. Skyler, you may now kiss ¨C"

    The priest was not even given the chance to even finish his sentence because the bride had surprisingly made her move in advance and kissed the groom. The audience¡¯s eyes widened, including the priest, but after a second, they all cheered happily for the newlyweds. Some of the older guests were chuckling amongst themselves and shaking their heads as they witnessed the enthusiasm of the new wife.

    Everyone was in awe. They had just witnessed a real shotgun wedding and they all thought it was utterly exciting. Every single one of the guests were convinced and had the same thoughts that this wedding would probably go down in history, as the most unforgettable wedding of the century from all that they have witnessed earlier.

    "Kai... Oh god, I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re my husband now." Kelly said when their lips parted. The world around them had be a blur and they could no longer hear anything but each other¡¯s voice.

    "Yes. You¡¯re my wife now, Kelly." Kai uttered and this time, he was the one who kissed her. They kissed for a long time that they were breathless when their lips parted.

    "My wife... princess or piggy?" he asked yfully and Kelly¡¯s eyes glimmered as sheughed and pped him yfully on his arm, remembering that time when he asked her this before.

    "What do you think I¡¯ll choose, huh? Hubby?"

    Without answering, Kai lifted his wife princess style and stepped down from the stage. Kelly caught her mom and she nearly burst into tears when she saw her radiant smiling face. She never thought that her mother would actually looked pleased and smiling as though she was happy for her. Kelly even blink as if to confirm if what she saw was real.

    When her mother nodded at her Kelly smiled. She was so happy that her mother seemed to finally approved of her choice. Kelly dragged her gaze towards her father and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Standing majestically next to her father was Abi and Alexander. It was pretty obvious that Alexander was there to stop her father from doing anything ¨C stupid and unwanted, that is. And she couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart being overwhelmed and overflowing with emotions.

    "Oh my god!" Kelly could no longer stop her tears of joy and a few teardrops fall from her eyes. "Thank you," Kelly uttered under her breath and Abi winked at her as though she had heard her. She even gestured a good luck sign towards her before Kai finally whisked her swiftly out of the church building.

    A helicopter was already idling outside the church, waiting for them.

    "Did Abi and Alexandere with you?" Kelly asked as they approached the helicopter.

    "Yes. They tagged along."

    "Damn. You¡¯re so..." she trailed off, unable to speak anymore because of all the emotions and adrenaline so she just hugged him tight.

    Kai kissed her head and proceeded to climb into the helicopter before helping Kelly in after him. Like a ko, Kelly clung tightly onto Kai as the helicopter ascended.

    Lifting her face to face him, Kai wiped the remnants of her tears that was still decorating her cheek. "You¡¯re my wife now, Kelly. You¡¯re officially mine now." It came out as a small possessive growl that did things to her insides. His eyes glimmered with overflowing emotions.

    "I have always been yours, Kai. I love you. Thank you for saving me. I love you. My husband. I will love you forever." As soon as she said those words, her lips met his passionately and devoured Kai¡¯s mouth. Her wild mouth nearly kicked Kai¡¯s sanity out of the window. Thankfully, Kai managed to stopped her.

    "Please wait a little longer until wend, my dear wife. I¡¯m afraid, our pilot will end up crashing this helicopter if we..." he trailed off as Kelly bit her lip, flushing red at the realization that someone else was also with them, witnessing that little hot scene earlier.

    "Where are we going?" she asked, trying to distract herself from jumping him ¨C again.

    "Taking you on a honeymoon." He replied as he shed her a seductive grin, yet again causing her brain to overheat and malfunction.

 Chapter 602 Honeymoon Part I *

    <h4>Chapter 602 Honeymoon Part I *</h4>

    The helicopter thennded at a certain white beach far from the ind where they wedded. This ind was bigger than the one owned by the Youngs, and Kelly, of course, knew who owned this beautiful piece ofnd. Ezekiel Qinn owned it.

    Kelly was still in Kai¡¯s arms as he walked away from the helicopter. When Kelly looked ahead, she noticed that petals were scattered on the white sand creating a path.

    "Oh my!" Kelly gasped in surprise. Her smile widened, seeing the romantic setting. She didn¡¯t expect something like this since she knew that their wedding was not nned.

    "Abigail and Alex prepared this," Kai said suddenly, probably noticing the curiosity in Kelly¡¯s eyes. "They both came and told me that Mr. Young had taken you away from their house this dawn. When I told them about my n of crashing the wedding, they both supported me. But then, after I dealt with Tristan and headed to the ind, they just disappeared on me. I didn¡¯t know where they went. It appeared they were here all along, preparing the venue. Alex told me that this is their gift to us."

    Kelly couldn¡¯t help but feel touched. Her best friend was really the best friend she ever had.

    "We¡¯re blessed because you have amazing brothers, and I have an amazing best friend."

    "Yes."

    "Damn, they¡¯re so sweet."

    "They are." Kai agreed, and Kelly grasped Kai tighter around the neck and lift her lips to his.

    "But to me, you¡¯re still the sweetest, darling. I love you," she whispered against his lips, and before they knew it, they were kissing passionately - the hot, exciting waft of their breaths filling each other¡¯s mouth.

    "Kai..." Kelly uttered, her hand reaching naughtily for the buttons of Kai¡¯s shirt without breaking their first wild and passionate kiss as a married couple. She seemed to have forgotten that they were still on the beach.

    Kai groaned as he felt her warm hands already roaming around his torso. And then, all of a sudden, he lifted her again. But this time, he didn¡¯t walk anymore. He leaped with her in his arms, and in just a few moments, theynded on the veranda of a stunning vi.

    Petals were also scattered on the veranda¡¯s floor as though someone had predicted that Kai wouldn¡¯t enter the house through the door. "They knew you¡¯re not going to enter through the door," Kelly chuckled as Kai finally put her down. But she didn¡¯t remove her arms on his neck, and impatiently, she rammed her lips on his again, not letting him speak at all.

    Another helpless groan vibrated through Kai¡¯s throat that made Kelly smiled. "You are driving me insane, Kelly." He uttered in a husky voice as his hands grabbed her hips and pulled her close against him. And then, he hugged her, so very tight as his lips kissed the hollow below her ear.

    But then, suddenly, he pulled away and held her shoulders at arm¡¯s length. His temples were already wet with sweat, but he was fighting his desire so well.

    Before Kelly could ask what was wrong, he spoke. "I¡¯m sorry. I should be asking you if you¡¯re alright, first," he asked worriedly as his gaze searched her.

    She blinked at him. "Huh? I am fine ¨C"

    "They didn¡¯t do anything to you, right? I was so worried when I heard your father take you away. I was worried you¡¯ve fought him, and he¡¯d end up doing..." he paused, and, realizing what he was trying to say, Kelly lifted her hand and touched his cheek gently. It pained her that she had made this man worry for her like this.

    "I am fine, Kai. Why don¡¯t we go inside so you can check every part of my body yourself?" she asked, and though she didn¡¯t intend to tell him that to seduce him, Kai swallowed, and the worry in his eyes was immediately reced with fiery desire.

    He flushed, and Kelly marveled at the sight of this gorgeous man¡¯s reddened face. His grey eyes were fierce and hot on Kelly¡¯s face that the world seemed to turn many degrees hotter. Thrilled and seduced, Kelly could no longer wait, and she grabbed her husband¡¯s hand and dragged him inside the vi. She followed the petals on the floor, and atst, they reached the door of a certain room.

    When Kelly opened it, she couldn¡¯t help but bite her lower lip. The bed was decorated with red petals. There was also wine prepared on the table. It was beautiful and romantic. She couldn¡¯t ask for more.

    She whipped towards Kai, and he had an interesting expression as his gaze settle on the bed filled with petals. Kelly yanked him, causing him to turn back his eyes on her. She tiptoed as if to kiss him, but to Kai¡¯s dismay, she didn¡¯t. She simply rubbed their noses as she pushed him back until they reached the bed, and Kelly pushed him down.

    Kai looked up as he sat at the edge of the bed. Their eyes met, and Kai could only swallow again when she backed away from him.

    "You want to check my body, right? My darling?" she asked in a seductive voice, and she started to undress in front of him.

    When her wedding dress hit the floor, Kai inhaled sharply. She wasn¡¯t even fully naked yet, and he was already reacting. Kelly always loved Kai¡¯s reaction in every little thing she does.

    "Do you believe now?" she asked him, naughtily, and as she reached for her panties, Kai lost it and he stood and grabbed her, lifting her from the circle of the discarded white dress.

    There was a glitter of devil¡¯s fire in his eyes as he stared at her before he devoured her mouth. His hand impatiently took off her bra, and when his hands moved to her panties, she heard the sound of ripping fabric. Kelly¡¯s eyes widened slightly and then smiled as she felt her panties slid down between her legs.

    He gripped her hips, and as her breast crashed against him, a sudden rush of sensation made Kelly¡¯s breathing became even harsher.

 Chapter 603 Honeymoon Part II *

    <h4>Chapter 603 Honeymoon Part II *</h4>

    The next moment, she was on the bed, fully naked and surrounded by red petals. The vivid red petals were a beautiful contrast against her smooth white skin.

    "God, you¡¯re so beautiful..." he uttered. His voice incredibly deep and filled with nothing but love and lustful desire. His gaze never left her as he stripped with urgency.

    It didn¡¯t take long, and he stood before her naked. Despite seeing his nude perfection many times before, Kelly couldn¡¯t help but still worship every part of him. From his gorgeous face to the sleek, tightly muscled surface of his torso, and then down to his... ah... she couldn¡¯t stop herself from licking her lips as her insides began to ache and quiver in need at the sight of his mighty sword. She wanted him inside her so bad even though they had just done it yesterday. She really, crazily craved for this man now.

    While Kai was standing there, slowly touching his hardness as he looked at her, Kelly¡¯s desire for him heightened to an excruciating degree. He seemed to be savoring the sight of her lying on top of the petals. She could see the look in his eyes, and he was worshipping her body the same way she worshipped his. But Kelly could no longer bear it, so she moved, nning to grab him. But Kai didn¡¯t even let her sit.

    He was suddenly on top of her, pinning her down. His hands were holding her wrists gently against the mattress as he looked down at her.

    "Don¡¯t... my wife..." he whispered huskily as he bent and showered kisses on her face. "Please let me... this time... It¡¯s my turn to make you feel good." He added, and Kelly felt utterly thrilled and aroused. She always loved it when this man showed her his beastly side in bed. She loved the gentle and submissive Kai, but she also loved it when he¡¯s dominant.

    She nodded as she moaned in anticipation, and his mouth was on her breast before she knew it, sucking her greedily as though he had been so starved for her. His lips soft and warm against her skin as his hands roamed around her possessively.

    After devouring her breast and making Kelly whimper and moaned beneath him, Kai then pushed her thighs wide. His lips abandoned her breast and moved downwards.

    When he reached her sex, he didn¡¯t waste a moment and kissed her tenderly at first, licking, circling, and drawing lightly before he hastened his pace and devoured her ravenously. Kelly gasped at the sudden change of pace, and he grabbed his hair. Her scandalous moans had started to fill the room.

    "Ah, god... Kai... I can¡¯t..." Kelly strained beneath him, and he slowed down again. It was like the sudden strong wind became a mere breeze. "No... don¡¯t stop... please." She uttered in dismay. "Please, I¡¯m wet enough, Kai. Take me, now. Inside me, please." She pleaded, and Kai looked up. His eyes were so damned vivid and deep. The way he looked at her that moment made him looked even hotter and irresistible.

    His handnded gently over her stomach and rubbed her there in soothing circles as his hypnotic sexy voice echoed. "Patience, my wife. We¡¯re on honeymoon. We can take our ti ¨C"

    "Oh no. I can¡¯t wait anymore, husband." Sheined as she grabbed his hand and weakly pulled him.

    But Kai didn¡¯t budge and chuckled softly instead against her sex. Kelly shivered at the sensation of his breath andughter. "Oh god, kai... I can¡¯t bear much more of this."

    The beast didn¡¯t listen, but he did resume his ravenous pace as he continued licking over her before his tongue entered inside her, lewd and deep, until she was breathing love words and screaming his name.

    And then, finally, Kai moved upward and seized her mouth. His hardness hot and hard against her, and she voluntarily spread her legs to wee him inside. When he entered her in a thick slide, Kelly gasped and then moaned at the incredible feeling of him finally filling her again.

    He paused, staring down at her with dted eyes. "I love you, Kelly." He uttered, and Kelly¡¯s hands reached out for him.

    "I love you too... very much..." She pulled him into her as she arched her hips to meet his thrust, causing Kai to close his eyes and quiver in pleasure.

    He lifted her head and clenching her hair, he kissed her again, wildly and almost desperately.

    "More." she moaned against his lips as her fingers linking behind his neck. "Please." Gasping, she arched to take him deeper, harder.

    Kelly began to clutch at his hair hard, too impassioned to be gentle. Her legs wrapped around his waist as her insides quivered and clenched and tightened around his hardness with ravenous greed.

    "Ugh! Kelly!" he growled. His handsome face was ravaged by extreme lust and desire that was flooding them both.

    He continued his onught until his steady hard thrusts brought her to the edge of release when he suddenly withdrew and turned her over, surprising Kelly once again. Oh my...

    "May I?" he whispered in haste as his body covered her. "I won¡¯t hurt you... this will ¨C"

    "Yes. Yes. Take me!" Kelly could no longer take it, and she lifted her buttocks as she gracelessly uttered her answer. She was dying for him to go back inside her and fill the sudden emptiness.

    Kai¡¯s eyes glimmered at her enthusiastic approval, and the next moment, he was sliding impossibly deep inside her. He growled as he hit her deepest part and felt her shudder uncontrobly every time he thrusts. Their flesh mming against each other echoed inside the room with their moans and groans. They were so damn wild they almost couldn¡¯t breathe because of the intense pleasure. She had possessed him, and he had possessed her, wholly.

    "Ah, Kelly!" he said in a guttural whisper as his thrusts from behind her came even harder, deeper, thicker. "I¡¯m..."

    Instinct took over, and Kelly¡¯s hips moved on their own until her thighs began to clenched. She fisted in the mattress as Kai¡¯s jaw and neck taut with strain. And then, with onest thrust, he starteding, spurting hot and hard inside her as Kelly mped tightly around him, squeezing him harder than ever before.

    ____

    A\\N: One more chapter before the 3rd volume starts. ^^

 Chapter 604 Honeymoon Part III

    <h4>Chapter 604 Honeymoon Part III</h4>

    Completely limp from the intensity of their love making, the newlyweds took minutes, just lying there basking in the aftermath and catching their breaths before either of them spoke.

    "I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re such a beast." She chuckled softly. They were still wrapped around each other, unwilling to part.

    The vi was so quiet and calm that the both of them could feel nothing but peace just being there. Kai stared down at her, his eyes glimmering in his flushed face. "You don¡¯t like it?" he asked yfully, despite knowing full well that his wife loved his roughness and wildness in bed. Her moans and erotic pleas to ravage her harder and deeper was still resoundingly fresh in his mind and he just felt incredibly pleased and could not help but sensed within himself the renewed twinges of arousal once again.

    "Do I look like I don¡¯t like it?"

    He shook his head as he smiled at her in a way that almost made her heart stop. Kelly returned his smile and then nuzzled herself closer to him, hugging him even tighter in the process. They were silent once again, both listening to each other¡¯s heartbeats ¨C revelling in the simple fact that they are both alive, well and together, in the way that mattered most.

    Kelly began to recall everything that happened ¨C before, during and after the wedding, their honeymoon ¨C when suddenly, Tristan¡¯s unpleasant face popped up in her mind, causing her to grimace and Kai arched his brows at her unexpected reaction. She didn¡¯t know why but a chill went through her just thinking about him.

    "What happened to Tristan?" she asked, as a response to Kai¡¯s silent questioning. She then felt Kai¡¯s body tensed up and bristle a little. It seemed he didn¡¯t like hearing Tristan¡¯s name voiced out from her lips. Seeing Kai¡¯s reaction, Kelly felt slightly regretful as well, knowing that by the mere mention of that bastard¡¯s name was enough to ruin their peaceful moment. However, she needed to know. She wanted to know if everything was truly alright now. She threw Kai an apologetic smile and shrugged her bare shoulders, hoping he would understand the reason she needed to ask that necessary question.

    Thankfully, Kai willingly spoke after a few moments. He told her everything that happenedst night. How he kidnapped Tristan and forced him to give up his rights and shares in the Young¡¯spany. He also revealed to her that he used a scandalous information, that Ezekiel gave him, to ckmail Tristan.

    Kelly was surprised because she knew how the Flynns deal with things when it is rted to business. They were extremely careful, and they could also be described as perfectionists. That was why the Flynns¡¯ records were as white as snow ¨C up till now, at least ¨C despite all the dirty things they¡¯ve been doing in the shadows. But then again, Kelly understood that there was no way any human could hide anything from a superior creature like Ezekiel. He would know anyone¡¯s deepest secret and use it against them. And even if he did not already know, it would be as easy as pie for him to find out all he needed to know.

    "I threatened him to never cross paths with you or me or your parents ever again. But knowing him, he might continue his investigation." Kai continued.

    "Investigation?"

    "He is trying to dig into my background and my rtionship with Zeke. I threatened him to stop because if he continues... Zeke will definitely deal with him. But it seems like he does not intend to heed any of my warnings. If he managed to find out something about the vampires, he¡¯ll die."

    Kelly was silent. The bastard was an awful monster, but she didn¡¯t wish for him to be killed. She was thinking that maybe in the future, he¡¯ll change or regret his actions. However, Kai was right, knowing what kind of person Tristan was, it might already be toote and hopeless for him.

    A long sigh escaped Kelly¡¯s lips. Now that she was certain Tristan was no longer a threat in her life, Kelly felt relieved. But then, suddenly, another important thing popped into her head again. "How about your family?" she asked, wide-eyed as she pulled away to look at him. "D-did they even know what you did? That you got married..." Kelly trailed off as she covered her lips with her palm.

    She had forgotten that this man was a prince. A second-in-line to the throne of the whole vampire kingdom. Did they agree with Kai¡¯s decision to marry a human?! Could it be that they don¡¯t even know?

    Seeing the odd expression on his face, Kelly stared at him intently before she sat up. She couldn¡¯t help but feel a little anxious because of the look in his eyes.

    "Tell me," she whispered, and she saw hesitation in his bodynguage as he sat up as well. "I want to know everything, Kai. I¡¯m your wife now..." she urged again as her hand slipped around the nape of his neck.

    "Did they even know that you married me? They knew, right? Everything¡¯s going to be fine, right Kai?" She added a wavery smile on top of her already weak voice. Kelly didn¡¯t know why but her heart began to feel something unpleasant.

    Kai stared into her eyes, feeling her warm touches and despite his worry and hesitation, he could no longer withhold anything from her. He was worried to death about her reaction, but he knew she had the right to know everything as his wife. More so, she was intricately involved in it.

    "Kelly... I¡¯m..." he paused, taking her hand and rubbed it softly against his cheek. "They already knew."

    She should¡¯ve let out a relieved sigh, but she didn¡¯t. For some reason she couldn¡¯t ¨C especially when he said it in that tone. So, she just looked at him, waiting for him to tell her more.

    "My family are against it, but they could no longer do anything about it so..." he paused again, as he carefully watched her expressions. "They exiled me."

    The shock was too much that Kelly couldn¡¯t even gasp. Utter disbelief simply filled her eyes.

    "It¡¯s alright, love. Being exiled is not a big problem for me. The truth is... I personally think that it was the best course of action. Zeke gave me all the things he had left behind in this country so ¨C"

    "W-why? Why did they have to exile you? Y-you¡¯re a prince. You¡¯re their family."

    Kai swallowed silently seeing the look on Kelly¡¯s eyes. He could see she was hurting for him. Her eyes began to glimmer with tears threatening to fall so he eased back onto the bed and drew her down into his warm embrace, givingfort to both himself and her as well.

    "Shhh..." He tightened his arms around her. "Hush, my wife. It¡¯s alright. You are my family now. And yes, they exiled me but they¡¯re still my family and I honestly don¡¯t think I¡¯m an exile at all. Because you are my home now, Kelly. Exile or not doesn¡¯t matter to me, as long as I¡¯m with you."

    What he said made Kelly¡¯s heart feel so full, it was as if her heart would burst. She could hear his heartbeat and she felt utterly moved. She should¡¯ve known. Their rtionship was forbidden after all... of course, he must have had to sacrifice something huge in exchange...

    "I love you, Kelly. Please know that I had never regretted anything... and I never will." He kissed her forehead and Kelly cupped his face and nted her lips on his, transmitting with everything that she had, all the passion and love she felt for her husband right at that moment. She made a silent vow deep within herself that she would love this man all her life. She would take care of him, please him, love him with everything she had.

    "I love you, too, my husband... thank you for choosing me. I love you so much."

    Before they knew it, the couple were again entwined in another intense love making session once again with Kelly being the one on top this time as she rode her husband with an intensity she never had before...

    Not knowing that her beloved still withheld one more secret he had yet to reveal.

    ___

    A/N: I know I said there¡¯s just one more chap but it seemed there¡¯s a couple more. ??

 Chapter 605 With you Part I

    <h4>Chapter 605 With you Part I</h4>

    The couple quickly went to sleep after theirtest round of intense exercise. When Kelly opened her eyes, it was already dark. She blinked and quietly rolled on the bed. But when she realized that she was the only one on the bed, she rose in panic, looking around for Kai.

    Her eyes widened. She had always dreaded waking up when they slept together because in the few times that it had happened before, she always... always found out that he¡¯s already gone every time she wakes up.

    Kelly¡¯s heart hammered inside her and she quickly climbed off the bed. Desperation and panic overwhelmed her as she scrambled out of the room to look for him. She wanted to call out his name, but her throat just would not seem to cooperate, and she could not find her voice.

    After running down the stairs as if the house were on fire, Kelly immediately reached the vi¡¯s living room. Her eyes searched around and when she couldn¡¯t find him inside, her eyes flew towards the entrance door. She was about to rush out the door when a delicious aroma wafted over and tickled her nostrils.

    That made her halt in her mad dash immediately as she whipped her body towards the source of the scent. Her eyes widened as she recognized and ran towards the door that she knew leads to the dining room.

    She stood just inside the door, frozen, as she stood there staring as Kai was standing right there, preparing something on the table. The next second, she ran to him and mmed into him, hugging him as tightly as she could from behind.

    Kai had sensed her presence just a while ago, but he was surprised at her sudden actions and the tightness of her arms around him. He could also sense the fear emanating from her trembling body. "Are you okay? What¡¯s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" he asked, worried, as he turned to face her.

    Kelly shook her head and just buried her face on his hard chest, breathing in his unique scent that helped her calm her overstrung nerves. "I thought you¡¯re gone again. I was so scared when I woke up alone on the bed." She confessed. Her voice tight and emotional.

    His handsnded on her head and back and he stroked her gently. "I¡¯m sorry for scaring you." he uttered, and he cupped her face to make her look at him. "I¡¯m here. I will never leave you again. I¡¯m your husband and you¡¯re my home now, Kelly."

    What he said made Kelly¡¯s body finally rxed and she kissed him. That was right... this man was hers now...pletely hers now!

    Kai sighed in relief when he could feel Kelly¡¯s body rxing in his arms and her expression became better. He then made her sit and paused at the realization that his wife was wearing nothing but his shirt that he made her put on after cleaning her body. He cleared his throat and reddened before he quickly stood and brought his attention back to feeding her, knowing that she was exhausted and hungry.

    While the two of them enjoyed their dinner, Kelly took pleasure in watching him, eating with him. She couldn¡¯t help but smile because of the near-magical atmosphere that his presence had created for her.

    After their pleasant dinner, Kelly found herself sitting on Kai¡¯sp. As she watched him a while ago, Kelly was entertaining the thoughts on how her husband was such a wicked appetizer. While watching him eat made Kelly think of one thing the whole time, ¡¯when did eating became intimate?!¡¯.

    She scolded herself for being so naughty and tried reigning in her cravings but in the end, she just couldn¡¯t go against her desires. With her legs parted and straddling him, Kelly naughtily ran her fingers through his thick hair.

    "When we return, what do you want to do?" she asked him a serious question despite feeling his hardness already hitting her down there.

    Kai who hadn¡¯t resisted or protested with all his wife¡¯s naughtiness tilted his head. "Continue doing my duties as your husband, of course." He smiled and Kelly smiled wide as she snickered at his response. "How about you?"

    "I¡¯ll do my duty as your wife, of course."

    The two of chuckled and kissed each other and passion filled the atmosphere again. But Kai broke the kiss just as Kelly was beginning to rub herself against him.

    "Shall we go for a walk?" Kai asked, causing Kelly to blink. But then, she ground downwards on him with increasing demand, making him groan and then smiled innocently as she pulled away again.

    "Kelly... easy, my wife." he urged in amusement.

    "What. You¡¯re tired? Or, you have had enough of me already?" the naughty vixen licked her lips sexily and Kai nearly stood and swept all the tes on the table aside to devour her right then and there. But he held himself back with an iron will and pinched her cheek instead.

    "Do I look like I¡¯ve had enough of you?"

    "Hmm..." Kelly acted like she was thinking. And then, with a wicked smile, she circled her buttocks as if to provoke the raging beast that had been so eager for a while now. "At least, this beast down there knows explicitly well it still hasn¡¯t had enough."

    He nodded shamelessly.

    "Then why you¡¯re trying to stop me?" Kelly raised a brow.

    "Because I needed to tell you something important first."

    When his expression became grave, Kelly blinked and stopped grinding herself on him. Her eyes now filled with curiosity.

    "Okay." Her voice was no longer erotic. "But afterwards, it¡¯s back to bed, mister."

    Kai chuckled in amusement and desire. "Yes. We can do it till morning if you want."

    "That¡¯s not a bad idea." She agreed with a smug smile and theyughed again.

    Kai grabbed his robe and with Kelly in his arms, he leapt with her andnded on the beach.

 Chapter 606 With you Part II

    <h4>Chapter 606 With you Part II</h4>

    "Wear this, I can¡¯t let you catch a cold." Kai attempted to drape the robe around her, but Kelly protested.

    "But it¡¯s not cold."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Yes, my love. It¡¯s not cold. You¡¯re the cold one so you wear it instead." Kelly said sarcastically and she draped the robe on him.

    Afterwards, Kelly faced him and looked deeply into his eyes. "So? What is it?" she asked.

    Kai stared back at her and after a short moment of silence, he took her hand and lead her closer to the water. Small wavespped at their bare feet as they walked hand in hand along the shoreline.

    They stopped and looked at the softly shining moonlight. The world was so quiet and tranquil at that moment, it felt like they were the only ones in the world. This ce was truly a paradise for them.

    Feeling Kai¡¯s grip tightening on her hand, Kelly dragged her gaze away from the moon and looked at her husband. He looked so handsome with his dishevelled hair and she couldn¡¯t help but tiptoe tond a deep kiss on his lips. They kissed passionately for a long time as the waves crashed at their feet and the moonlight caressed their skin. She could hear his heartbeat and the love in his kisses and touches.

    When their lips parted, Kelly caught his face and bumped her forehead against his lightly. "Would you... would you still love me even when I grow old and grey?"

    Her question seemed to not only surprise Kai but Kelly, herself as well. She had thought about this issue multiple times before, but she never thought she would ask him this.

    The fire between them was quickly extinguished by that single question and the magic seemed to have ended and they were now back to the real world.

    Kai¡¯s hands curled along her jawline and rested below her ears as he stared into her eyes and Kelly didn¡¯t know why but the look in his eyes made her heart suddenly feel suffocated.

    "Kelly... you don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore." He said in a careful voice.

    "That?"

    "About getting old and grey."

    She creased her brows. Confusion hit her. Why wouldn¡¯t she worry? Could it be that he¡¯s nning to turn her to a vampire? Wait! Kelly shook her head and berated herself. She already knows that vampires aren¡¯t like the undead creatures in movies. So, turning a human into a vampire is impossible if you are not born as one.

    Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Kai swallowed. "Kelly... I can grow old with you now."

    "Wha ¨C what do you mean?" Kelly¡¯s heartbeat began to speed up in turmoil. "You¡¯re a vampire. Of course, you won¡¯t grow old with me... you can¡¯t!"

    "I... my lifespan has been shortened to match a human¡¯s lifespan." He finally said quietly.

    Kelly shook her head slightly. "I don¡¯t understand. W-why? Why would your lifespan be shortened?"

    Suddenly, Kelly remembered when she was in Abi and Alexander¡¯s mansion. She overheard the couple talking about something and they mentioned the word sacrifice. When she approached them, they stopped, and Alexander had asked her if Kai had told her about what happened to him when he left her that night in Country V.

    Now that Kelly thought about it, she remembered Kai coughing out blood back then as if he was hurt. She remembered his darkened eyes. And she began to feel even more suffocated.

    "Listen..." Kai struggled to stay calm, but he held her so gently but possessively and finally, he started to tell her everything. His eyes were wary and nervous as he told her what had happened to him and about the self-destruction.

    Once she knew the whole story, Kai¡¯s heartbeat was beating loudly. Mainly because of the reaction he was seeing in Kelly¡¯s face.

    He had never seen her look so devastated before and it pained him and scared him seeing her like this. Rigid and trembling, Kelly stared into his eyes until she was drowning in darkness. Why? She didn¡¯t know. Why? How could he sacrifice his life for her like that? How could he...

    Kelly wasn¡¯t aware that she was crying until she felt like she could no longer breathe. Her knees weakened and she struggled to break free from him. But Kai didn¡¯t let go and just pulled her to his embrace. She could only weep, asking him why ¨C over and over like a broken record. She thought they won against the world. But she was wrong. Kai had sacrificed literally everything... even his life for her...

    "Why? Why..." she asked while crying as Kai held her even tighter. Trying his very best to soothe her pain.

    When she didn¡¯t stop weeping, Kai kissed her desperately, ravaging her mouth with a wildness that made her quiver. Forcing her to stop her agonized weeping. When their lips parted, both of them were breathless.

    "Listen... Kelly." His chest rose and fell in a long, deep breath as he held her face. His expression extremely grave. "When you left the kingdom that day, I thought I would go mad. I was there at the airport watching you from afar. I was hurt and weak and yet I felt like I¡¯m going to die if I don¡¯t see you. I told myself that was thest I¡¯ll see you but when you were really gone..." he paused, his eyes glimmering with overflowing emotions. "When you were gone, everything turned dark for me. I tried to forget about you. I really... really tried. But I couldn¡¯t. it was impossible. There was no ce I could go to feel better. No person I wanted to be with. I began to hate myself, hate my heart for beating for you alone. I came to hate everything and even ended up hating you for being a human. I was miserable. In the end... I couldn¡¯t take it anymore and I found myself crawling back to you, using every excuse I could think about.

    "When we did it and I found out what had happened and that I can no longer live long... did you know what I felt?" he smiled bitterly. "I was happy, Kelly. There was never even a single iota or hint of regret. Nothing at all. I will never regret, Kelly. Because this is what I wanted. I wanted to live with you, spend the remaining time of my life with you, then grow old and die with you."

    He was breathing hard after saying all those words, fully expressing his deepest feelings and Kelly could only tear up as she listened to him. She was guilty and yet she was happy and thrilled to be loved by someone this way. To be loved so strongly, more than his own life. Hearing all his words made Kelly realize that if she were in his shoes, she would have done the same and felt the same. She would rather trade everything ¨C even her own life ¨C to be with him.

    ___

    A\\N: okay, so third volume is going to start tomorrow. Hope you enjoyed the prince and the hooligan¡¯s story. And now, lets move on to the third andst volume of this book. Please stay with me hellbounders. ?

    This third volume will be adventurous and yes it is an important part of the book. Also, if you¡¯re looking forward to Hellbound heart, you must not miss this volume. There are vital matters that will be revealed at the end of this volume about our Zeke.

 Chapter 607 Little witch

    <h4>Chapter 607 Little witch</h4>

    ck Forest.

    "Queen Alicia is still in the crystal cavern." A witch standing just inside the entrance of the great forest said with a worried look on her face. "I am starting to worry. She never hid herself that long. It¡¯s been four days and we have yet to see signs of hering out of her seclusion."

    The other witch sighed. "I wonder what is wrong this time. She had been confining herself since Zeres left."

    "You¡¯re right. It started on that very same day..."

    "But wasn¡¯t she looking fine even after their fight? She even told us to let him do whatever it is that he wanted."

    "Then why did she suddenly end up going into solitary confinement all on her own? This is the first time she had ever stayed hidden from everyone since she became queen. It¡¯s not like her to act like this."

    The other witches nodded. They knew that their queen wasn¡¯t the type to shut herself away from her subjects. She would alwayse out and would meet up with them even when she had other important things to deal with. And that was why the witches adored her.

    "Could it be that something really bad happened to her inside?" One of them said and everyone began to look distressed. They could not even force their way to go in and check on their queen because only the queens could enter the secret crystal cavern.

    "What should we do? It¡¯s really been too long. This is not something we can overlook. Someone must go in and check if she is fine."

    "But how? Nobody can enter the cavern!"

    "I think there¡¯s only one person we could ask to open the cavern." One of them finally said this and the witches¡¯ eyes widened. They all thought the same. He was no different from their queen so he must be capable of opening the cavern.

    "I¡¯ll go." A young witch that had grown up in Alicia¡¯s care, named Lilith, said. "I know where to find him."

    After a long moment of indecision, the witches agreed that Lilith should go. Though she was young, she was very skilled in infiltrating and disguising herself. Moreover, if the vampires happen to catch her, they will not harm her because they will think that the young witch was just lost, or she was moving on her own out of ignorance and curiosity. The witches knew that because there have been cases like that in the past. And sometimes, there were even young vampires who actually dared enter the ck Forest out of curiosity. The witch queen always released the youngsters unharmed and that¡¯s probably why the vampires also did the same.

    And thus, the witches all agreed to let go Lilith go.

    It didn¡¯t take her long before Lilith manage to arrive at the forest near the Reign¡¯s castle. She had disguised herself as one of the human maids and sessfully entered therge castle. Lilith had tried infiltrating other vampires¡¯ castles before, but not with the intention of doing anything bad or stealing anything. She simply did it to see if someone would actually take notice and end up catching her. If the vampires were truly superior and more powerful than the witches, as they always imed they were, shouldn¡¯t she have been caught multiple times already by now? The young girl was driven by curiosity and starving for adventures that she had be so skilled in her hobby of infiltrating into the ces where there are vampires. And now that she had actually managed to infiltrate the dreaded Reign Castle, Lilith couldn¡¯t help but smile triumphantly to herself.

    It seemed she had overestimated the vampires. Getting herself into this ce was supposed to be a challenge, but it ended up being a piece of cake.

    However, her triumph and pleased thoughts onlysted a whole minute. She had just left the kitchen to go and look for Zeres when someone suddenly grabbed her, causing her heart to almost stop. A powerful arm lifted her, and she couldn¡¯t even resist.

    "What are you doing here, little witch?" the voice whispered in her ear and when she looked up, Lilith was startled. The first thing she saw were grey eyes. But what she at least knows is that those eyes belonged to a vampire royal. Oh no!

    Lilith had always been told to avoid the royals at all cost because they were the ones who could recognize the witches with just one nce. Gritting her teeth, Lilith clenched her fist. She can¡¯t be caught now. She must find that man and tell him about Queen Alicia.

    While berating herself for being too careless, Lilith finally realized that royal vampire who caught her was as young as her. She thought that though he¡¯s royalty, he was just a young boy. With that thought, Lilith silently chanted a spell and green-like light red between them.

    The boy stumbled backwards, Lilith was ready as she scrambled away and disappeared in a sh. "Ugh!" he cursed but his lips curved into a smirk and his eyes turned red. "How dare you escape from me, little witch!" he said, and he leapt.

    Lilith had lost her disguise. Her blond hair now turned to the brightest shade of red and her appearance returned to her normal self ¨C fair skinned and a spattering of freckles on the nose and cheeks. She hid herself behind a pir as she steadied and slowed down her breathing. She was already on the third floor, but she still couldn¡¯t see the silver-haired man.

    Realizing that she didn¡¯t have much time to spare, Lilith peeked at the guards at the end of the corridor and was about to move when someone grabbed her ¨C again. What is with today and people grabbing her? That hand holding her from behind stopped her from disappearing since witches couldn¡¯t disappear when someone that isn¡¯t a witch was holding them.

    "Gotcha!!" It was the royal boy again.

 Chapter 608 My friend

    <h4>Chapter 608 My friend</h4>

    Lilith whipped her head towards him, anger colored her freckled face. "You are good in ying hide and seek, little witch. Just like a mouse." He chuckled mischievously. "But too bad for you, mousey...Coz I¡¯m good at seeking, like a cat."

    "L-let go!" Lilith tried tugging her hand out of his grasp, but the boy gripped her harder.

    "Nope. I caught you. So, from now on, you are my pet." He said in a matter-of-fact manner.

    Lilith swallowed and she was about to chant a spell again when the boy¡¯s hand covered her lips. She hadn¡¯t brought a sword because she knew she could not hide it. What should she do?

    "I never saw a witch with red hair and green eyes before." Hemented, tilting his head. His dark hair a stark contrast with his mischievous bright eyes.

    Lilith sank her dainty sharp teeth into his hand that was gripping her until the boy groaned in pain. "Ah! Stop! I¡¯ll hit you if you don¡¯t!" he said as he winced in pain. However, his grip was still tight on her arm. Knowing that she couldn¡¯t escape unless he let go of her, Lilith didn¡¯t release her bite and her jaws mped down even harder. "I said let go you little...! I will really hurt you! I¡¯m not kidding!"

    The royal boy was now gritting his teeth and Lilith knew he¡¯s in pain because she was starting to taste his blood. But why was he still not letting go? Stubborn little vampire!

    "Ugh!!! I said I¡¯ll hit you!!"

    When the witch girl still persisted and even bit him even harder, the boy¡¯s movement was a blur and it seem to be moving to her neck. She didn¡¯t have the chance to disappear because he was too fast.

    Lilith¡¯s eyes widened and she felt her heart thud in nervousness the moment she felt his hand sp around her neck. She shut her eyes closed but sunk her teeth deeper onto his hand, expecting him to strangle her. But he didn¡¯t and she slowly cracked open one eye.

    When their eyes met, his face was still twisted in pain, but his eyes filled with disbelief. "I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still not letting go. Seems you¡¯re less of a mouse, but more of a dog. A mad, crazy little dog!" he was now exasperated. "Let go, now before I hurt you. Are you nning to eat my hand?!"

    Despite his threats, the boy didn¡¯t even tighten his grip on her neck. Realizing that the royal didn¡¯t seem on nning to hurt her at all, Lilith¡¯s feet moved, dragging him along with her. She nned to move herself away from the pir and then bring him to the open space where she could finally kick him away.

    "You... you!!" The boy groaned in pain. "I will punish you! I will really punish you after this. Heed my word ¨C"

    "Kyle." A deep voice made the two freeze and halt. "What are you doing?"

    Lilith felt the boy stiffen up. He seemed to be so startled or even scared that he had forgotten about the pain her bite was causing him.

    Blinking, she watched the boy straighten his posture and steadily turned to face the source of the voice.

    "Brother," he bowed. "I... I caught a..." he paused and looked at Lilith as if he were unsure whether to continue speaking or not.

    When Lilith looked up at the man the boy was talking too, she also flinched in fear. She didn¡¯t know why but the man¡¯s aura scared her even though he was so good looking and didn¡¯t look angry at all. Lilith subconsciously let go of the boy¡¯s hand and with blood painting her lips, her fear made her inch closer to the boy she had just bitten, even trying to hide behind him.

    The scary man narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing here?" he asked Lilith and the sheer auraing from him made the young girl swallow hard. She had never been so scared before. She thought that the scariest person in this world was her Queen Alicia when she¡¯s really angry. But this man wasn¡¯t even angry yet and he¡¯s already making her tremble in fear just by looking down at her. Oh no. Could it be that this man is the vampire king? Was he going to kill her?

    "She¡¯s my friend..." the boy suddenly said. She was so scared she didn¡¯t realize that the boy¡¯s hand was no longer on her neck until she felt him pull her behind him, shielding her from that scary gaze.

    Lilith was surprised. Was he protecting her? Why? She could feel him stiff and scared as well, yet he mentioned that she¡¯s his friend?

    Slowly, Lilith peeked out at the man and he looked like he wasn¡¯t pleased with what the boy said.

    "Friend?" he repeated.

    "Yes. I... brought her here."

    A short silence followed that statement, and the man closed his eyes as if he was suddenly weary about something.

    "Lucas." He spoke and a huge red-haired man appeared. Lilith found the red-haired vampire to be another scary person and she moved even closer to the boy holding her hand. She had seen so many vampires, but never had she ever met scary vampires like these here, and that¡¯s why she never thought vampires were scary. Were these scary vampires hiding in this castle all along? That moment, Lilith told herself that she will never enter this castle of scary vampires again... that¡¯s if she could still leave the ce alive.

    "Take Kyle away. Bring him to his room." He ordered and the boy¡¯s grip on her hand tightened.

    However, just as the red-haired man was about to grab the boy, someone appeared, and Lilith¡¯s eyes widened. The man she was looking for finally appeared.

    "What¡¯s wrong? Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m starting to think that you¡¯re deliberately dying this journey Zeke." the silver-haired man said, and Lilith gasped.

    "Zeres!!!" she eximed in shock and Zeres¡¯ attention fell on the girl behind the youngest vampire prince. That red hair and freckles....

    "Lilith!" Zeres was surprised. This sweet young girl was his favorite back in the ck Forest and he had actually taught her swordsmanship for a while.

    Zeres approached her and his face became worried at the sight of blood on her lips. He looked at Kyle with a frown. "Did he hurt you?"

    "Oh, no.... I ... I hurt him. I bit his hand because he didn¡¯t want to let me go." Lilith confessed and Zeres pressed his temples as he sighed, relieved.

    "Why are you here? You shouldn¡¯t be here, Lilith." Zeres¡¯s expression changed as his voice changed into sounding as a voice of a father scolding his child. "How did you even manage to enter the castle?"

    Lilith blinked and then she looked at the boy beside her. Their eyes met and then Lilith pressed her lips tight. Even though she was proud of her infiltrating skill, she knew that like Queen Alicia, Zeres won¡¯t be happy hearing about her dangerous hobby as well. Queen Alicia had scolded her when she heard about it. She liked Zeres so she didn¡¯t want Zeres to scold her and probably dislike her. And thus, she held Kyle¡¯s hand and spoke. "He¡¯s my friend. He helped me enter the castle." She said and Zeres nced at Zeke¡¯s darkened face.

    "I... I have something important to tell you." she suddenly blurted, pulling Zeres¡¯ attention back to her. "Queen Alicia... she needs you. Urgently!"

    ___

    A\\N: and another journey started again. ??

 Chapter 609 My pe

    <h4>Chapter 609 My pe</h4>

    Zeres¡¯ eyes constricted at what he just heard from Lilith and then, before they knew it, he was gone, leaving everyone blinking at his sudden disappearance. His action was too sudden and unexpected that Lilith wasn¡¯t even given the chance to tell him to take her with him.

    The young girl had her eyes wide and mouth gaping open when she realized that the silver-haired witch was already gone and that he had left her with these scary vampires, and in the midst of their headquarters! She didn¡¯t expect him to disappear just like that and forget about her. It seemed he was truly more worried of their queen than anyone else. But what should she do now that she was left behind? Oh no! Did he think she was fine because she told him the little vampire royal was her friend?

    Realizing her mistake, Lilith risked a nce at the scary man that was still standing like a statue before her. The only movement he made was to look at the darkness outside as if his gaze were following Zeres¡¯ invisible trails.

    When he returned his gaze to her, Lilith¡¯s heart skipped a beat and she involuntarily flinched as her grip on the boy¡¯s hand tightened.

    "What happened? Is the witch queen in danger?" he asked calmly.

    There seemed to be something in those grey eyes of his that made Lilith answer him before she could even realize she was already doing so. "The queen went into the crystal cavern and never came out of it for a more than three days already ¨C" she mped her lips shut but it was toote.

    What she said seemed to have eased the slight tension forming in the air. "I see," the man said and then, the air around him changed as his gaze swept across the two youngsters holding each other¡¯s hands like they never wanted to be apart. His eyes were unfathomable, but Lilith could clearly feel his displeasure like a physical force.

    Suddenly, the boy pulled her towards him and hugged her as if to lock her in his arms, causing Lilith to gasp in surprise. Before she could protest, the boy spoke. "Brother, I... I want to keep this girl."

    Lilith¡¯s mind was blown, and she could not even squeak, much less speak up on her own behalf. W-what the hell¡¯s this royal boy saying?!

    A chill then ran down her spine and she knew that the source was the scary man because she felt the vampire boy who was hugging her flinching as well. Why was he doing this when he¡¯s scared too?

    Lilith was so confused but she didn¡¯t dare move or even breathe too heavily. She would rather stay still in this boy¡¯s arms than have him let go of her and leave her with the two big and scary vampires. She didn¡¯t know why but she felt safe in this boy¡¯s arms even as she was still confused and could not understand why he was taking this stance in protecting her this way.

    "I mean..." the boy spoke again, regardless of his obvious fear and hesitation to keep talking. "I know we don¡¯t do very anymore. I¡¯m not going to make her my ve or anything of that sort."

    When Lilith didn¡¯t hear any response to that statement for a few agonizing seconds, she forced herself to peek at the man as the boy¡¯s arms around her tightened. She could also hear his heartbeat beating so ferociously.

    "I will take care of her... like she¡¯s my..." Kyle paused, struggling. He knew the girl couldn¡¯t stay in the castle if he tells Zeke to keep her as his friend. "She¡¯ll be like... my pet."

    The red-haired man who had kept a stoic face, choked. But Zeke¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at all.

    "I mean... a beloved pet." Kyle continued, swallowing hard as he subconsciously hugged the girl even tighter. "I won¡¯t enve her. I will treat her really well ¨C much... much better than other pets. So, please let me keep her."

    "No." His brother¡¯s deep voice rumbled, and it was filled with absolute authority.

    The boy¡¯s heart raced even faster. But still, he stubbornly persisted, taking a deep breath. "But ¨C "

    "No buts, Kyle. You can¡¯t keep a witch with you."

    "Why?"

    "If you needpany, there are other vampires out ¨C"

    "But I don¡¯t want other vampires. This girl is what I want." Kyle sounded belligerent and pouted his lips.

    The air became chilly. "No. Give me the girl." The man didn¡¯t raise his voice. But he didn¡¯t have to as what he said were the scariest thing Lilith have ever heard. She found herself clinging to the boy as if begging him not hand her over to his scary brother.

    She felt the boy stiffen as well but as she clung to him, she didn¡¯t see the hostility that had burned in Kyle¡¯s eyes.

    Even Lucas was surprised at the look Kyle gave to his brother. No one ever dared look at Zeke that way, except Alexander, back then.

    "You forbid me to go to ces I like. At least let me keep someone I like beside me."

    "You can keep anyone you like, with the exceptions of humans and witches, Kyle." Zeke still looked calm but he sounded like his patience was already wearing thin.

    "I told you, I don¡¯t like vamp ¨C" Zeke held up a hand to stop Kyle from saying more. His hard stare said talking more wouldn¡¯t be a smart idea.

    "Give her to me. I¡¯ll bring her back to the ck Forest." Zeke stretched out his arm to Lilith, but the boy stepped back, hugging the girl even tighter. "Are you really going to disobey me?"

    "I... I..." the boy gritted his teeth. His eyes burning with emotions as he looked at Zeke with a painful expression. "I¡¯ll bring her there myself."

    Kyle grabbed her and carrying her in his arms, Kyle took the girl away as fast as he could. Obviously scared to death that Zeke would stop him.

    Watching the young prince disappear, Zeke closed his eyes and his fingers twitched.

    "Should we consider that... one royalty down?" Lucas¡¯ concerned voice sounded out and Zeke¡¯s eyes fell on him. Something in Zeke made the air unbelievably thick that Lucas had to lean away from him because breathing had gotten tough.

    After a few moments, he retracted his aura, and the surroundings went back to normal. Zeke then leapt forward and Lucas immediately followed.

    "Where are we going? Are we leaving Zeres behind?" Lucas asked.

    "No. We¡¯re going to the ck Forest, first."

    "Why? To get prince Kyle or to check on the witch queen?"

 Chapter 610 Place

    <h4>Chapter 610 ce</h4>

    The witches at the forest¡¯s entrance who were anxiously waiting for Lilith¡¯s return were baffled at the sudden intrusion. They almost attacked the man but thankfully, they immediately stopped themselves upon seeing the man¡¯s silver hair.

    He was breathing fast, his eyes wide, and it was apparent that he had rushed over at a dead run. His gaze was alert and filled with worry as he shed his gaze around, taking in the situation.

    "Where¡¯s the queen?" he asked in urgent tone. "What happened?!"

    "She¡¯s... we don¡¯t know. But she has already confined herself inside the cavern for four days now." One of the witches answered hesitantly and before they could even ask him where was Lilith, the man had already disappeared.

    The witches were speechless. They had felt a dangerous airing from the man ever since the first time that they have met him. When they were first brought to meet Zeres in the forest and he was introduced to them, the witches all have one thought in their heads, Zeres was not as scary as they thought. They knew he was an immortal, like the dreaded half-vampire immortal, Alexander. The witches were scared at first because they thought he might be someone evil who would enve the witches like what Alexander did to the vampires, a long time ago.

    However, when they met him, they were surprised because the man seemed to have a heart and intentions that were as pure as snow. He was kind and the air around him never scared them. His pure white garments and his silver hair and eyes were as clear as his soul ¨C this was what they all thought on the first impression. So his appearance that moment stunned everyone.

    He was no longer d in his pure white robes. He was dressed in ck garments and he had his long silver hair tied behind him. That was the very first time they saw him wearing clothes that wasn¡¯t white. They didn¡¯t know if it was because of his clothes but at that moment, they all felt something different in him.

    ...

    Zeres didn¡¯t waste another moment and dashed in to enter the cavern. His body was tensed as he entered the magical and ancient cavern. When the entrance closed behind him, he halted. The cavern still remained the same ¨C even after all the thousands of years that has passed.

    Some memories came rushing back to him and his expression turned a few shades darker. He shook his head ¨C hoping that with the actions, he would be able to shake off that old recollections that came back to haunt him ¨C and took a deep breath. There were no sounds inside the cavern, the silence was almost deafening.

    He began to worry as he silently made his way further into the inside of the cavern. His expression was wretched because he could remember himself doing this exact same thing in the past. As he walked deeper into the depths, he felt like there was a doubled image of himself going through the same motions as he did in the past.

    Clenching his fists tight, Zeres finally reached the throne hall and as he had expected, there she was, sitting on her throne. Her eyes closed, a faint light glowing around her.

    She looked like the moon goddess herself, slowly diffusing her glow about her. Zeres just stood there, staring at her for a long while, looking as though he was fighting something overpowering deep within himself. He had closed his eyes as well, and after a seemingly eternal moment, he opened his eyes and the turmoil in them were gone, as if they were never there in the first ce. His lean frame rxed.

    "Alicia." he called out and as though she was awakened from a dream, Alicia¡¯s body jolted, and her eyelids fluttered open.

    She blinked for a while, trying to dispel the haze from her mind, and when she realized that a man was standing before her, her eyes widened. Abruptly, she stood. Her gaze narrowing at the sight of Zeres.

    "Zeres. What are you doing here?!" she nced behind him as if to see if he hadpany. Alicia didn¡¯t know that Zeres could enter the cavern. She had thought he might have the capabilities but since he¡¯s not a queen, she thought he never knew about the chant that could open the secret ce.

    "A girl came to fetch me. The witches are worried about you." he ignored her question and approached her.

    "Stop right there." Alicia¡¯s tone was an order. "Don¡¯te closer, Zeres."

    But Zeres didn¡¯t listen to her, causing Alicia to narrow her eyes at him. He stopped just a couple of steps short of being directly in her face. His eyes fell on her hair. Her pure silver hair was now highlighted with shades of greyish color.

    When Zeres lifted his hand to touch them, Alicia pped his hand away. "Why are you here? You were so eager to leave, why did youe back?"

    Zeres looked away. "You¡¯re in danger, Alicia." He said in an almost inaudible voice.

    There was a long stretch of silence before Alicia could respond. "You know what¡¯s happening to me."

    "Yes."

    "Then... can you tell me what¡¯s going on? Is my reign over because you¡¯re here?"

    Zeres turned his back from her and ran his fingers through his hair. "Your reign won¡¯t end here, Alicia. You know that queens¡¯ reigns willst as long as their lifetimes." He said.

    "Then why am I losing my powers this early? Could it be that you were so hellbent on leaving because you already knew that this would happen? Is your presence really the reason why? There shouldn¡¯t be two silver haired witches living at the same time. Could it be that..."

    Zeres almost flinched but thankfully, he managed not to show any reaction. "No. That¡¯s not it, Alicia." He turned and faced her. "You are right; my existence here would bring about the weakening of your powers, but it¡¯s not the same as the weakening previous dying queens had undergone. You¡¯re not dying, you¡¯re simply losing power. And there is a way you can regain it all back."

    Alicia¡¯s gaze on Zeres was odd and Zeres knew she was doubting his words.

    "I knew this would happen and that¡¯s why I insisted on leaving to go on a journey and find that ce that could bring your power back." He continued anyway.

    "ce?"

    "Yes. There are caverns all around this world that are simr as this ce. You stayed here because you thought this ce could replenish your power, right? Normally, this ce is the haven of queens because this ce empowers you. But since my arrival, I have drained all the powers from this ce that were meant to be yours. It was never my intention to take it from you, but somehow it all just got transferred to me, even when I am not doing anything."

    "So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re going to look for crystal caverns that could bring back my lost powers?"

    "Yes."

    Alicia pressed her temples as she smiled in disbelief and confusion.

    "I know it doesn¡¯t make sense to you right now. But you¡¯ll believe me once we get there and you¡¯ll get your powers back."

 Chapter 611 Lie

    <h4>Chapter 611 Lie</h4>

    Wide-eyed, Alicia looked at him in surprise.

    "Yes. I decided to take you with me to look for that ce. I meant to go alone and then bring you there once I found it. But after receiving news on how you¡¯re locking yourself up in here, I believe it¡¯s better if you were toe along with me."

    The doubts and suspicions in Alicia¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t subside as she kept her eyes on him.

    "This has happened before, Alicia. So even if you find my exnation illogical, you don¡¯t have a choice but to believe it. Your powers didn¡¯t disappear, they were just drawn out of you and stored somewhere else..." Zeres sighed when Alicia¡¯s eyes narrowed even more. "Fine, I¡¯m not going to say any more about it. You¡¯ll see it all for yourself soon anyway. Now please get ready so we can leave as soon as possible. I¡¯ll wait for you outside."

    With that, Zeres walked away, leaving Alicia standing there, frowning hard as she stared at Zeres¡¯ back.

    Once the secret entrance closed, Zeres looked around and when he saw that now witches were around the area, his shoulders drooped as he leaned weakly against the tree. He sighed several times as if he had juste out from under water.

    However, too soon, he straightened again when he felt someoneing. "What is it?" he asked to the witch who had just appeared.

    "There¡¯s trouble. I need to speak with the Queen."

    "Trouble?" Zeres¡¯ eyes became alert.

    "Yes. A powerful vampire prince had just arrived. He¡¯s ¨C"

    "Ezekiel?"

    "Yes."

    A long sigh escaped Zeres lips and he lifted his hand. "It¡¯s alright. No need to bother the queen. I¡¯ll deal with him."

    "But Queen Alicia ¨C"

    "She wille out soon, don¡¯t worry." He smiled at the witch before he disappeared and materialized near the forest¡¯s entrance.

    Zeke and Lucas were standing in the middle of countless witches who were prepared to attack them if they take even a step closer.

    "It¡¯s alright. They¡¯re not here to fight." Zeres¡¯ voice echoed as he appeared in the middle of the circle and the tension was immediately broken. The witches looked at Zeres with questioning eyes and when they saw him approach the vampires, they could only rx.

    "Kiel, I need to speak with you," Zeres said in haste. "Come with me. You stay here, ginger head."

    Lucas simply blinked and the two disappeared from the scene, leaving the witches confused as to what they should do now.

    As soon as Zeres and Ezekiel arrived in a certain ce inside the ck Forest, Zeres didn¡¯t waste a moment and scanned the surrounding. He knew that Alicia was still inside the cavern, so he had to speak with Zeke now while she was not around.

    "Let¡¯s take Alicia with us." He told Zeke in a grave tone.

    "Why?"

    "I lied to her. I told her that were looking for a crystal cavern that¡¯s akin to the cavern here. I told her that bringing her in that particr cavern will bring back all her powers. I believe this is better than having her lock herself up inside the cavern, causing more worries and troubles to the others outside. Having her along might also trigger some clues if she were toe with us."

    Zeke was silent but he was not objecting. His gaze simply settled on the worry in Zeres¡¯ eyes.

    "Are you certain that it¡¯s best for us to bring her?" Zeke asked and when Zeres didn¡¯t even hesitate to nod, he asked again. "Why? Is she already ¨C"

    "She¡¯s already weakening, Kiel. Someone must watch over her, so it¡¯s better if we take her with us."

    There was a short silence. "I see..."

    "So never tell her the real reason behind this journey Zeke. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll think of a more reasonable reason why Lucas and you are joining in the journey as well." His face became severe. "She must not know the real reason why we¡¯re looking for a crystal cavern."

    When Zeke remained silent, Zeres grabbed Zeke¡¯s cor out of desperation. "Please. Don¡¯t tell her. I¡¯m begging you. If she knew, she would definitely be against it... she will... she must not know no matter what..."

    Zeke could only close his eyes. "Fine. I won¡¯t tell her."

    As if a huge thorn was pulled from Zeres¡¯ chest, he let go of Zeke¡¯s cor and weakly stumbled back.

    "Thanks." He muttered as he struggled to settle himself, knowing that he should act as normal as he could once Aliciaes out. He knew she was exceptionally perceptive but if Kiel supported him well, Alicia would most likely believe and fall for his lie. She wouldn¡¯t suspect anything. She wouldn¡¯t know that the cavern they were looking for was actually the very first thing that the prophetess had seen that would lead to Zeres¡¯ death.

    "Let¡¯s go back to Lucas. I¡¯m afraid that ginger head will start a fight. We¡¯ll wait for Alicia there." Zeres said and in few moment, they were back in the entrance.

    Lucas was still standing at the same spot. He didn¡¯t even move an inch.

    "Are we leaving now?" the red-haired man asked Zeke. "How about the young prince and the little witch girl?"

    "He¡¯s not here." Zeke answered.

    "Young prince? Who? Kyle? Wait... Lilith is with him, right?" Zeres finally remembered the girl he had left behind. He saw how Lilith clung to Kyle so he assumed that the two were really close friends.

    When Zeke nodded, Zeres breathed in relief. He was about to ask more about the girl¡¯s whereabouts when amotion attracted his attention.

    The witches surrounding them had opened a path for someone approaching. Zeke and Zeres¡¯ gaze fell on the approaching someone in shimmery ck cloak. Everyone knew it was Alicia despite not seeing her face because of the hood that fully concealed her face. This would be the first time the witches saw their queen d with nothing but ck colored garments from head to toe.

 Chapter 612 Love?

    <h4>Chapter 612 Love?</h4>

    Alicia had decided to wear a ck cloak to conceal her hair. She didn¡¯t want other witches to see the changes in her. That would furtherplicate matters, as even she did not know what was truly happening, much less exining to the others in detail. There would definitely be loads of questionsing her way if she were to allow it. Everything was getting confusing and what Zeres told her bugged her to no end. She found it extremely hard to believe. But then, the fact that he was willing to take her with him to see for herself if he¡¯s saying the truth made her feel even more confused.

    In the end, despite the suspicion and confusion, she could only decide to go along with him in search for that fabled cave that would restore all her lost powers. She had no choice and she had no reason not to go. It was better than confining herself inside the cavern and let her body weaken day after day as more of her powers are drawn out.

    However, what she didn¡¯t expect was the presence of Ezekiel in the ck Forest. She heard he was leaving his kingdom a few days ago so why was he here?

    With a questioning gaze, Alicia approached the men. Her eyes fell on the red-haired vampire for a moment. "I didn¡¯t know you havepany, Zeres." She said as she returned her gaze back to the stoic man nonchntly standing before her.

    "They¡¯re going to join us in this journey, Alicia." Zeres answered, causing Alicia to whip her head towards him, even more surprised, confused and suspicious now.

    Questions filled her eyes but she didn¡¯t dare to probe further right there and then, knowing that the witches were still gathered around them and their eyes and ears are all on Zeres, Her and the vampires. She would speak more on this with Zeres and this vampire princeter once they were without prying eyes and ears. Slightly lifting her hood, she raised her eyes to look at her subjects and Alicia slowly swept her gaze over everyone, looking at their faces as ifmitting them to memory.

    The witch queen then spoke and told the witches that she would be leaving the forest to embark on a special journey. When a witch suggested that she should be taking along the two best fighters of their tribe with her, Alicia declined, telling them that there was no need as she had Zeres with her. The witches could only agree, knowing that there was no one else that could protect their queen better than the immortal Zeres.

    While Alicia was talking with the witches, Zeke and Lucas had already left the ck Forest.

    "So this group will now consist of two witches and two vampires..." Lucas started. "Pretty unexpected."

    But Zeke remained silent, looking as though he was in his own world again, plotting somethingplicated or probably seeing something ahead no one could even imagine at the moment.

    Realizing that the prince won¡¯t even bother response to him, Lucas sighed and leaned against a tree just outside the ck Forest. That is just so like Prince Ezekiel ¨C cold, aloof but having so much on is mind. Somehow one has to truly wonder if he is even something more than just a vampire royal. The way his mind works, and his ns fall into ce are truly an amazing feat to behold.

    After a long moment, Zeke finally moved. "You wait for them here, Lucas. I¡¯ll join you guyster." He said and before Lucas could even ask where he was headed to, Zeke already disappeared from sight, leaving therge red-haired raking his hair in annoyance.

    "Tsk, tsk, tsk...There he goes... the lone wolf is moving on his own again." He could only mutter and shake his head at Zeke¡¯s vtile temperament.

    ...

    Somewhere else in the vampire kingdom¡¯s capital.

    "What are we doing here? Why did you bring me here?! You said you¡¯ll bring me back to the ck Forest!" Lilith protested as Kyle finally put her down in what looks to be the living room of an old Victorian house they had just entered. "And what is the meaning of this?!" she yelled at him as she lifted her hand and pulled on the chain that was connecting her to him.

    That moment Kyle leapt and took her away from the scary vampires, Kyle hadnded at the roof of a certain antique shop and then brought her there. She was still trying to calm herself thinking that the other two vampires were pursuing them, so she did not realize what that little royal vampire was doing to her until she felt the chains that were linking their hands together ¨C and by then, it was already toote.

    After scrutinising the chains for a few moments, she recognised it from a memory she had where it was from a book she had flipped through once before. She knew about this certain chain. This was the infamous chain that vampires in the past had used to restrain the witches that they caught. This chain was able to bind the witches¡¯ powers and stop them from escaping from their masters ¨C the vampires.

    "So that you can¡¯t escape from me, pet." He said with a smile while Lilith puffed her cheeks in anger.

    "I am NOT your pet!" Lilith spat out in anger, not unlike a kitten that got her little fur stroked the wrong way.

    His eyes widened before a crease appeared between his brows. A secondter, he was touching her hair as if to coax her. "I¡¯m sorry. You don¡¯t like me calling you ¡¯pet¡¯? I thought it should have sounded like a sweet endearment."

    "Wha- what are you -"

    "Then what do you want me to call you?" he asked sweetly, his face unnecessarily close to hers. "Sweetheart? Dear? Darling? Hmm... Love?"

    Lilith felt her face burn red. She didn¡¯t understand what was wrong with this little vampire.

    "You¡¯re blushing," he whispered and as his breath blew past her ear, Lilith jumped back ¨C as far as she could, given the chains binding her ¨C blushing again in embarrassment, and feeling goosebumps crawling over her skin.

    "W-w-what are you doing? You, idiot vampire!" she stammered.

 Chapter 613 Like

    <h4>Chapter 613 Like</h4>

    His eyes showed surprised but in the next second, amusement sparkled brightly in his ashen eyes. "No vampire had ever called me an idiot and talked to me in that manner, you know?"

    "I don¡¯t care! Let me go!"

    "You really are amusing, my love." He chuckled while the young girl gasped again in both embarrassment and surprise.

    "You... you... you pervert! Stop calling me that. I¡¯m not your... your love! I think you¡¯re crazy ¨C"

    "You don¡¯t like that too?" Kyle was seriously thinking and thought of a better pet name to call Lilith with. One that she would like this time. "I was certain you liked it. You even blushed when ¨C"

    Lilith chanted a spell and a smoke appeared between them. The next second, Kyle began to cough.

    "Release me from this chain, or else..."

    Kyle caught her slim wrists in his hands and Lilith lost her bnce in shocked surprise. She fell back but the vampire was quick to catch her. Due to the smoke and partly also to his coughs, the vampire just let his body go along with the motion, causing the two of them to fall on the floor, trapping her beneath him.

    Shock coloured Lilith¡¯s face as she went passive in his hold for a while. As he fell on her, his weight naturally pinned her down to the ground, causing Lilith to start wriggling under him, determined to get out from this extremelypromising position. Though she was young, she was a proper youngdy and should conduct herself in a proper manner. The young vampire¡¯s eyes widened slightly, and he stayed still as if paralyzed as he looked down at her. She gradually went still too, when it dawned on her that he seemed to have gone frozen.

    "G-get off me." Lilith said, looking up at him, cheeks red as apples. He made a low sound in his throat.

    "Alright, I¡¯m not going to tease you anymore." He said in a low but tender voice, still not moving off her. "But I can¡¯t let you go yet. Let¡¯s stay here for a while, okay?"

    For a moment, Lilith saw what seemed like sadness in his eyes.

    "But why? What are we going to do in here?"

    "Well..." he paused, thinking. "Nothing... just stay with me."

    Lilith¡¯s lips parted, speechless. She really couldn¡¯t understand this weird vampire at all. The only thing that was keeping her from having a panicked escape from his grasp that moment was the fact that she wasn¡¯t scared of him and the fact that she can¡¯t escape anymore because of the chain. She also didn¡¯t know why but she had the intuitively felt like he would never hurt her. There was something in him that seemed to be restraining her, that has nothing to do with the chains and his strong hands. Did this vampire boy do something strange to her without her realizing?

    "I think you¡¯re just lonely..." she said, not knowing why she suddenly felt concerned for him. Out of a sudden impulse, she stretched out her hand and patted his head, giving him somefort and care.

    "Lonely..." he repeated and for a while he seemed lost in his own thoughts. However, the next moment, his thin lips curved up into a tantalizing smile and he pinched her nose yfully before finally rolling off of her and letting his back rest t on the floor right next to her.

    Both of them ended up just lying there in quietpanionship, staring at the antique chandelier hanging beautifully from the ceiling and the house was still and peaceful. "If I don¡¯t return, Queen Alicia will send someone to look for me. Also, the other witches will worry." She then broke the long stretch ofpanionable silence.

    She heard him give a long-suffering sigh and when she turned to look at him, he was already facing her. His grey eyes seemed incredibly intense as he stared at her. "I promise I will bring you back there myselfter."

    "When ister? I don¡¯t want anyone to worry about me. I have left for quite a long while and they are expecting my return. I have to ¨C"

    "You really don¡¯t like me, do you?"

    Lilith didn¡¯t know what to say so she ended up sitting there and frowning at him. Did she like him? She didn¡¯t know. She only saw him for the first time today! How would she be able to tell? However, she certainly knew was that she¡¯s not afraid of him. When she didn¡¯t respond even after a few minutes, gloom seemed to set in his grey eyes, causing Lilith to swallow that lump that suddenly appeared in her throat, not understanding why he was reacting that way.

    "W-why are you doing this? It¡¯s not like you like me either. You¡¯re just lonely and it seems you don¡¯t have any friends and that¡¯s why ¨C"

    "I have many friends." He cut her off. Lilith was about to retort again when his face suddenly inched closer to hers, causing her to suddenly pull back to make space between them. "And you¡¯re wrong. I like you. I wouldn¡¯t keep you with me for longer than one minute if I don¡¯t."

    The girl was so stunned she waspletely tongue-tied. But after the initial shock had passed, she sighed and pushed herself up to a sitting position. "The like you¡¯re talking about is the same as that feeling when you see a really, really cute little puppy in the market and you liked it very much that you want to buy it at all cost and take it home right away, right?"

    He rose and sat next to her as well. He rested his elbows on top of his knees and then leaned his cheek on his palm. When he looked at her, his expression was serene. "How could youpare yourself to a puppy? You¡¯re not a puppy so you¡¯re wrong. That¡¯s not the kind of like I¡¯m talking about. It¡¯s definitely not that way. I really like you."

 Chapter 614 Small boa

    <h4>Chapter 614 Small boa</h4>

    Lilith couldn¡¯t help but gape at him again. While Lilith was still in a daze and at a loss for words, Kyle slowly but naturally stretched out his hand to tuck some strands of her unruly red hair that had gone rouge to the back of her ear. What he did made her eyes grow wide and then, out of the blue, her palms made a sound as theynded on both sides of his cheeks, effectively giving him something between a p and squeeze of his cheeks between her hands.

    "If you think your cheesy lines will make me stay with you, then you¡¯re wrong. Those words of yours just makes people feel more embarrassed and want to hide their faces, and that is about it. So stop..." Lilith trailed off because for the first time, the vampire showed her a really bemused expression. His expressive eyes even shed such a strong displeasure after hearing all that she had said.

    Blinking, Lilith nibbled on the inside of her lower lip, not knowing what else to say or add to express her stand.

    "Why don¡¯t you believe me?" he asked, his expression serious, his voice sounding exasperated.

    Lilith eased back, about to pull her hands away from his face, but Kyle grabbed her wrists, stopping her movements and keeping her palms there on his cheeks.

    "Answer me. Can you tell me why you don¡¯t believe me?" he probed, and Lilith¡¯s eyes was focusing on everything and looked everywhere but his face.

    "Well, because... I¡¯m a witch and we just met a while ago... we¡¯re just strangers."

    "Strangers..." he echoed her words and Lilith was forced to look at his unusual eyes. His brows were knitted tightly together. "We stood up for each other, held each other¡¯s hands, embraced each other for many minutes, and now were talking to each other like this..." his voice died down and he closed his eyes and smiled awkwardly. "Since I held your hand for the first time a while ago until now, I never thought or felt you¡¯re a stranger." He sighed. "When you let me hold your hand and clung to me, I thought you felt the same way."

    Speechless, Lilith didn¡¯t know how to react but used this opportunity to gently ease her hands from his grasp and back into herp. Why was she in this awkward situation? And how could this vampire... what was he even... Suddenly, she was unable to think properly. She was never caught in situations like these before. She had a lot of friends who were witches and even some human and a few vampire friends as well that were around the same age as her. When she was with them, their chats were usually light-hearted and carefree. There were times when they did get into arguments, but they tend to be childish ones and end up with either parties forgiving the other or justughing it off. They were all about fun and trying out wild and adventurous stunts. And when they talk about the opposite sex, it was all jokes to her, and she never took it seriously. Maybe because she was never interested in that kind of topic yet, even though she had already turned sixteen just yesterday. It was almost never that they spoke in a serious manner such as how this vampire royal did to her. It truly was the first time.

    That was why she was so thrown off and found this vampire incredibly weird and strange. Was it because he is of royal blood? When she thought of the other scary vampire he had called as ¡¯brother¡¯, Lilith couldn¡¯t help but think that the vampire royals were weird and so very different from the rest, even from the normal vampires.

    But as she thought about hisst few statements, Lilith realized that in just that short period of time, she had done things with him which she had never done with anyone else before. Remembering that she indeed had let him hold her hand ¨C multiple times, at that ¨C and had allowed him to embrace her for so long. She even recalled having thrown herself at him and clinging so desperately to him that the memory of it now made her face burn red. The most unnerving thing was that she too, never felt or thought of him as stranger until she said it as an excuse ¨C not because it was what she truly felt but because that was the logical thing that she was supposed to say and feel for a person she had just met.

    "What is it that got you thinking so hard?" he pulled her out of her thoughts. When her attention was back on him, she realized that he was now leaning against the wall, and she could not help but notice he was a little further from her than before. The chain that bound their hands together was a meter long, so he was able to move somewhat freely away from her and put some distance between them.

    "N-nothing," she lied. She wasn¡¯t sure what to say to him.

    "You look like you¡¯re thinking somethingplicated." His voice became light and chilly again as he spoke with a smile ying at the corner of his lips. "It¡¯s fine, you don¡¯t have to think any longer on the matter. Even if I¡¯m just a stranger to you, I still like you."

    This time, Lilith choked. She really couldn¡¯t take the way this vampire deals and speaks with her. Every time he opens his mouth and say something, her entire system would short-circuit and malfunction. His words and actions pulled at her on all sides and confuses her. It felt as if she were a small boat without and oar that is being tossed about in the stormy seas. She really did not know if this little boat ¨C namely, her ¨C would be able to survive more tossing and turning of the waves which was this little highness the vampire prince.

    Suddenly, he was next to her, looking worried. His hand in mid-air but it seemed he didn¡¯t know where to touch. "Are you okay?"

 Chapter 615 Chase

    <h4>Chapter 615 Chase</h4>

    "I, I¡¯m fine... I¡¯m just... I¡¯m fine." Wasn¡¯t he as far as he could be from her, just a second ago? Didn¡¯t he want to stay away from her? Why did he suddenlye near her again? ¡¯Ugh!! He truly is going to be the death of me!!¡¯ Lilith groaned inwardly, feeling her mind reeling from his erratic behaviour.

    Rising to his feet, he reached down to grab her wrists and pulled her upward without warning nor permission. Lilith could only widen her eyes and took a second to regain herposure before rolling her eyes at his high-handedness.

    He led her towards the kitchen and poured both Lilith and him two sses of water. They both sat on the chair next to each other as Lilith gulped down the ss of water as it had been almost a day since shest had a drink.

    After a long silence, Kyle spoke again. "Is it really that unbelievable to like someone the very first time you saw her?" he asked in thoughtful voice, supporting his head with his palm while his elbow was on the table.

    ...

    Lilith bit her lower lip. For some reason, she was starting to feel something strange. Usually, she¡¯d justugh or divert the topic if someone brought up certain topics that she was ufortable discussing or threw her off. So why can¡¯t she react like usual? Was it because she actually didn¡¯t find this ufortable? Or was it because she didn¡¯t dislike it?

    She found herself nodding at him as she peeked at him over her ss, at the same time observing his reactions to her response.

    He looked thoughtful again for a long while. "I see..." was all he uttered, and Lilith found herself waiting for him to talk again. But this time, he didn¡¯t. He rose from his seat and opened the fridge that was right behind him. He reached out for something and put it on the table.

    "Have some first before we go." He said as he offered her a cake and some juice.

    "Whose house is this?" Lilith could not help but feel that he was a little too familiar with the things andyout of this ce for it to be a random house they justnded into.

    "This used to be my grandmother¡¯s house. My mother¡¯s mom. She¡¯s not a royal so she died quite early." Though he mentioned it in a light-hearted voice, she caught a glint of sadness that flickered in his eyes for a moment that faded away too soon.

    "I¡¯m sorry to hear that."

    He smiled. "Grandma said 200 years is a pretty long time. She said she didn¡¯t need any more than that because she¡¯s already more than satisfied with her life. She died without regrets."

    Listening to him, Lilith didn¡¯t realize that she smiled. She also had a grandmother that died years ago and she remembered how her grandma too, had told her that she had lived a fulfilling life and that it was time for her to go. Her heart warmed at the thought that those loved ones, even though they were gone, could still bring smile to the people they had left behind. Lilith never thought that vampires were just like them even though they lived much longer lifespanspared to them witches.

    Lilith was momentarily lost in her own thoughts again that she didn¡¯t see how Kyle¡¯s eyes lit up at their brightest ever at the sight of her smile. That was the first time she smiled that day.

    And then, something softnded on her lips that seemed to have sent electric shocks all over her, jolting her back to the present. Her eyes widened, realizing that the royal vampire¡¯s lips were lightly pressed against hers. She froze on her seat as time seemed to stand still.

    He pulled away quickly and he looked as shocked as she was at what he did, as if he was not the one in control of his own actions. Their eyes met and their heartbeats began to drum in their ears. But that moment didn¡¯tst because before they could even process what just happened, Kyle suddenly pulled her towards him and held her in a possessive but protective manner.

    Lilith felt something powerful suddenly surging from deep within Kyle that made her catch her breath.

    "I¡¯m sorry Your Highness but we have to take you back to the castle." A deep voice echoed and when Lilith looked up, she saw three vampires ¨C scary ones ¨C standing at the threshold. They were not as scary as the other two she saw in the Reign¡¯s castle earlier, but theye a close second. These three were still scarier than any other vampires she had ever met before.

    "Raven, I will return to the castle on my own a littleter. I am not a child. I didn¡¯t leave the country or wandered into the witch¡¯ forest. I know how to head back without getting lost." Kyle¡¯s voice wasn¡¯t loud, but the intensity and graveness were clearly heard.

    "His Highness Ezekiel ordered us to escort you back immediately."

    "He still has not left? I thought he¡¯s ¨C"

    "He¡¯s back, Your Highness. You must be the reason why he¡¯s dying. So please hand the girl over to me and head back to the castle. I swear I will personally bring her back to the ck Forest and make sure she¡¯s safe." Raven said but the moment he moved a step to approach the youngsters, it was as if something snapped within the young vampire, he bared his teeth, and his eyes turned red.

    The next instant, the table flew towards the three ¡¯intruders¡¯ and sses shattered. The youngsters were gone by the time the table and ssnded on the floor.

    "Go after him." Raven ordered and the chase began. They chased after Kyle who had escaped along with the girl in his arms.

    Kyle was as fast as a bullet, but the vampires still managed to catch up with him obviously because of the girl in his arms. He had grabbed a sword from a store as he was running off so once the vampires had cornered him on top of a building, he was already armed.

    He had let Lilith down, but his chained arm held her tight against him as his free hand pointed the sword to the other vampires.

    ____

    A\\N: Yes, guys. This volume will be mainly about Zeres and yes Alicia and Zeke included. ^^ Just remember that there¡¯s always a reason why I am writing about other characters. <3

 Chapter 616 Shattered

    <h4>Chapter 616 Shattered</h4>

    "Please, Your Highness. Let¡¯s stop this and..." Raven trailed off. He could see the look in the young man¡¯s eyes, and he knew that no amount of talk would get through to him now. It¡¯s going to be useless to spout more words to him. Kyle was the gentlest and most innocent of all the royal princes. He was young and kind and was always obedient. The only trouble he had caused so far was whenever he escaped to visit the human world on his own.

    Raven knew about Kyle¡¯s potential. He was the youngest of the vampire royals, but he was hiding an immense power that was far stronger than the other three of his brothers with the exception of Ezekiel. The young man had grown up under the loving care of his mother and maternal grandparents for some time before he was taken to live in the Reign¡¯s castle. There he found it hard to fit in a family that was seemingly all about formality, power and responsibility. He had also refused to drink blood even when Ezekiel ordered him to do so and that was why Kyle was the only royal who never drunk blood yet since birth. Even Raven shivers as he imagines just how powerful this young royal would be by now if he did give in to the order and started drinking blood since then.

    He knew that this was probably the reason why this young prince was the most restrained and protected out of all the other four younger brothers of the crown prince. Even Ezekiel himself had been pretty tight and protective of him.

    "Brace yourselves, men. This won¡¯t be easy." Raven could only sigh as he had his eyes turned red as well. It is going to be a tough fight as they did not genuinely want to hurt His Highness but needed to just put in enough strength and opposition to subdue him and drag him back to the pce.

    "How about the witch girl?"

    "Focus on His Highness. I don¡¯t think he¡¯d let us hurt the girl anyway."

    The three of them attacked all at once but they ended up hitting nothing. Raven gritted his teeth, impressed and filled with disbelief, yet agitated as he thought of how three grown vampires could not match up to one half-grown vampire teen. How could they catch someone like this? No wonder his men did not manage to catch him back when he escaped thatst time. He should have known that this prince was much stronger than he had given credit for, upon receiving the news that Alexander was the one who finally got him thest time he escaped to adventure out in that human city.

    The vampires attacked the young prince again but despite having Lilith in his arms, he managed to dodge and block all their attacks beautifully without breaking a sweat ¨C much to their chagrin. Lilith was shocked and she could no longer deny that she found this royal vampire whom she thought was weird and gentle in nature was actually so powerful. She knew he is definitely strong because he¡¯s a royal, but she never thought that he was this powerful. Even three fully grown vampires in the service of the pce could not overpower him. The aura emanating from him was so strong it was making her insides tremble in fear. There was only one thing in Lilith had in mind as she felt his power and saw him fight ¨C there was something terrifying hidden inside his gentle and innocent exterior.

    The nks of swords jarred Lilith¡¯s ears and something in her mind was telling her to stop Kyle. But how could she stop him when she almost couldn¡¯t even breath with the speed of his movements?

    Out of the blue, she felt like they were airborne again but faster than a blink, Kylended them on the ground and within the next second, she heard groans and then thuds sounding nearby. That was the sound of bodies falling on the floor ¨C hard.

    "Kyle." A familiar voice immediately reached Lilith¡¯s ears next despite all the chaos and the vampire holding her stilled. She couldn¡¯t even hear his heartbeat for a long while. It was as if the voice had turned him into a stone statue.

    She finally looked at him and when she saw his eyes, there was no trace of those expressive eyes that she found fascinatingly beautiful. His eyes that moment was nothing but horrifying.

    Still, she found herself calling his name between her breaths. "K-k-kyle. Stop. That¡¯s enough." She realized that that was the first time she used his name.

    He moved and she saw how those beautiful dove-grey eyes darkened into a more iron-grey when he looked at her. Some sense seemed to return to his consciousness, and he gripped her harder when he looked ahead, towards the neer who had just arrived.

    Lilith finally saw the three vampires he fought and the two of them were almost as good as dead. Except that they were already healing. If they were witches, they would definitely be dead by now.

    Zeke approached them and Kyle stepped back, gripping his sword. His gaze swept to the two elite vampires that were bloodied all over savagely by the earlier fight, before returning his emotionless eyes to his youngest brother.

    He did not stop in his tracks but continued walking towards them despite Kyle¡¯s retreat. Kyle¡¯s eyes remained red, but he was more wary and fearful.

    "Please... don¡¯t take her away from me, brother." He requested. Though his words were polite, his gaze towards Zeke was hostile and cautious, tantly showing his distrust in Zeke, behaving as if that the crown prince would hurt the witch in his arms.

    "If you don¡¯t want the girl to get hurt, drop your sword and let her go." Zeke¡¯s voice was authoritative and cold as ice. And then, before they could even realize it, Kyle¡¯s sword was already taken away from him and the chain connecting the youngsters abruptly shattered without hurting either of the party connected by the chain.

    Lilith was separated from Kyle too suddenly and without his support, she fell onto the floor. Her knees had weakened from all the chaos and her fear towards the scary man was also a big part of it.

    Kyle was about to go to her when suddenly, Zeke hit him hard.

 Chapter 617 Dont make me wai

    <h4>Chapter 617 Don¡°t make me wai</h4>

    Lilith gasped. But Kyle did not even make a single noise, much less gave any reaction to it. He only gave a hard re to his eldest brother. It was as if the strong hit was just a p to him which was obviously not the case.

    "Are you trying to provoke me? Huh, Kyle? Are you acting like this because I exiled your beloved brother Kai?" Zeke¡¯s voice was emotionless but even the ground was almost trembling at the sheer amount of pressure he was exerting.

    At the mention of Kai, the young vampire stiffened. Zeke grabbed the back of his neck roughly and pulled him closer to him.

    "I guess it was a mistake that I refrained from telling you the truth. I¡¯d understand that you¡¯re in your rebellious age, but this is something I can no longer tolerate. Listen..." he bent to whisper in his ear. "Your brother is not exiled because he loved and married a human. I banished him to this country because he will live and die as a human from now and can no longer live as a vampire..." As Zeke narrated the truth about Kai and the price he had to pay for his choice, the young prince trembled, and clenched his fists so tight his knuckles started to turn pure white, and his blood began to drip on the floor. Kai had been his favourite brother.

    When he was a child, Kai often visited him and had taught him most of his fighting skills. He loved Kai the most within the royal family. In fact, he was the only one he could feel reallyfortable with and let down his guard around. He was always tensed up in the presence of his other brothers, especially towards this eldest brother of his. That was why when Kyle heard that Kai was exiled and could never return to the kingdom again, he was devastated. He had asked Ezekiel the reason why when it just happened, and the answer he got at that time was because Kai fell in love with a human.

    "You have to understand our reality Kyle. Your beloved brother is already a huge loss so don¡¯t ever try to repeat the same mistake. Yes, Kai managed to keep her alive by sacrificing himself, but he only managed to make it work for them because he loved her more than anything else in this world. Even more than you, his family, his status, his power, his people, this kingdom and more than his own life! I will never allow anyone ¨C especially you to trade all these things just for a woman again, you hear me? It would do you well to heed my warnings and keep that in mind. I will do whatever it takes this time. I don¡¯t care if you hate me for the rest of your life. Do you understand?"

    Kyle was trembling uncontrobly for a while but as time ticked by, he began to calm down and his shoulders finally rxed. The blood dripping from his tight fists had stopped and he loosened up as a weak voice finally escaped from his mouth. "Yes, I understand. Please just let me bring her back to the ck Forest, and then I wille back and... I... I will never see her again. I promise."

    Zeke stared at him for a few heartbeats before letting him go. "I¡¯ll wait for you in the castle. There are still some things you need to know. The king had told me to wait for you to turn 18 ... but I was right, waiting for you to reach such an age first before getting to know about serious matters is ridiculous. I should¡¯ve told you everything sooner." Zeke said and after throwing a neutral nce at the witch girl, he motioned to Raven and the still healing elite vampires not to stop Kyle. "Don¡¯t make me wait, Kyle." He added and then disappeared.

    Raven sighed and leaned against the wall as he too, waited for his wounds to heal. He knew about most of the royal family¡¯s issues, and he understood why the royal bloodline must be kept pure. Back then, Raven found it strange that Ezekiel seemed a little obsessed about the safety of his younger brothers. No one could question that he would be the next king so wasn¡¯t it fine for him to go a little lenient on his brothers? Logically speaking, his future son would inherit the throne anyway, right? When Raven bravely questioned Ezekiel that one time when he ordered them to carry out the most ridiculous order he ever gave ¨C that his other three brothers especially Kyle would be under 24/7 surveince ¨C he had received a seemingly reasonable but still barely eptable answer.

    "You seem to have forgotten that I am not an immortal." Was all Ezekiel said to him. It was a reasonable answer but who could kill the invincible Ezekiel? He could not imagine the crown prince being killed by anyone. If this world shall end, Raven could even see him as thest mortal standing. To him and probably to everyone else ¨C even the great Alexander ¨C Ezekiel¡¯s death was something almost impossible toprehend.

    Thus, it had been bugging Raven for a while now and he also knew that Ezekiel would never do something out of a whim. There definitely is a very concrete reason why he is doing this, why he had to be acting in this manner. Raven did not know why, but he had a gut feeling that Ezekiel seemed to be preparing for something very serious. He wasn¡¯t certain but he started to feel such a strange thing since that very day Alexander met Abigail. Maybe because it was around that time when Ezekiel suddenly began to tighten the security around his brothers and even took the step of forbidding them to leave the kingdom except for Kai who had been stuck with Alexander. What exactly was going on in the crown prince¡¯s mind? What was the real reason behind all these ns and precautions?

    ____

    P.s. to my patrons, I will release three chapters for Spellbound tonight ^^

 Chapter 618 Just a little

    <h4>Chapter 618 Just a little</h4>

    Kyle stood as still as a statue, looking off silently into the same direction for a long while even after Zeke had left. Heter dropped and fixed his eyes on the floor, motionless, as Lilith watched him. The chain was broken but she didn¡¯t leave or escape. It was not a result of her still recovering from the intense event that had happened earlier, but it was on the grounds that something within her seemed to be telling that it is not the appropriate time for her to leave yet.

    After a while, Kyle moved and looked down at her. A wretched expression was etched on his face for a while and then too soon it was reced with an awkward smile. He approached her quietly and squatted before her. His eyes were bright grey again.

    "Are you okay? Did I... hurt you?" he asked as his eyes surveyed her from head to toe and Lilith shook her head.

    "You just nearly gave me a heart attack but I¡¯m fine now." she said and a smile hovered on his thin lips despite his apologetic look.

    "I¡¯m sorry. I lost control of myself. I shouldn¡¯t have allowed myself to be provoked so easily like that." He lowered his head and ruffled his own dark hair.

    It fascinated her how vulnerable and harmless he looked on the outside. Looking at his face now, she already felt sorry for the people who would think this vampire wasn¡¯t dangerous. He was, in her eyes, the definition of dangerous. Just viewing his exterior, that innocent face would fool anyone. There was just no sign of the power and danger that lurked beneath his gentle surface.

    A light breeze blew, and Lilith¡¯s red hair was gently lifted to the side. Suddenly, his expression dimmed. "You¡¯re not fine." His voice a little husky and then Lilith felt the back of his hand lightly brush over her corbones. She felt a sting there and remembered that she might have gotten hurt when the ss shattered in the house as they were making their getaway. It seemed some shards did end up wounding her. "Let me..." he uttered and before she could protest, his head was already bent towards her neck and all she could see was a head of wavy dark hair. When she felt his lips and then, his tongue running over her skin ¨C her wounds ¨C Lilith¡¯s breath got caught in her throat.

    But before Lilith could formte a response to that bizarre action, he backed off almost immediately, looking shocked. For a moment, Lilith saw hunger in his eyes. "That would help it heal faster." He said looking away but his body seemed to have stiffened again.

    He rose to his feet and took in a deep breath before offering her his hand. Lilith epted his outstretched hand, as he grabbed it and pulled her to her feet. As she brushed the bottoms of her pants off, her eyes filled with curiosity and confusion as she looked at him. He could tell she was trying so hard to read him.

    "I¡¯m bringing you to your home now." He smiled and then he gathered her in his arms and finally leapt.

    The trip this time was slow. If she wouldpare his speed now from the speed he employed during the chase, this speed cannot even hold a candle to it.

    Lilith could only hang onto to him. She could already feel her face hot, a sure hint that it must be flushed red. His arms around her were gentle. No one ever held her like this before ¨C like a piece of precious treasure that could break at any time. She never thought she would experience so many of her firsts with a vampire and within a span of just a few hours. And to think he was a prince too. She had never allowed any male carry her in this manner, hold her hand, embrace her and even... kiss her.

    Realizing all this made Lilith blush harder, if that was even possible.

    When they finally arrived at the entrance to the ck Forest, Lilith found herself unable to feel the dness and relief she was supposed to feel. She had a different and strange emotion instead that had made her expression a little sullen.

    The moment her feet touched the ground, he ensured she was stable before letting go. Lilith, however, almost did not want to let go. Looking up at him, she silently stared at his face in puzzlement, but to her delight, found him seemingly feeling the same from the expression ying on his face. He was gazing down at her as if mesmerized and looking as though he was trying to memorize how she looked like.

    "Your freckles... they¡¯re lovely." He said and before he knew it, his finger already touching them with great care, as if he was touching something extremely fragile.

    She nibbled the inside of her lower lip to stop herself from grinning and making aplete fool of herself. "You¡¯re probably the only who thinks they¡¯re lovely." She replied and he shook his head slightly, still unable to take his eyes off her, hands slowlying down to his sides.

    "Whoever told you they¡¯re not lovely have a serious eyes problem. And... your eyes too... they¡¯re the most beautiful eyes I¡¯ve ever seen."

    When she just stood there, red-faced, and wide-eyed, Kyle chuckled. But a momentter, his smile slowly faded, and he took a step back. He was initially only nning to cause a problem for his brother, Ezekiel, because he found out that he was leaving. Kyle was angry about what happened to his big brother, Kai and he wanted to know the truth. He did not want Ezekiel to leave while he was still harbouring hate towards him. And perhaps, he just wanted Ezekiel to pay a little more attention to him ¨C just a little. The truth was that Kyle actually adored and admired Ezekiel since he was young. He knew that this crown prince brother of his was the most powerful vampire so he had been looking up to him. But Ezekiel was too distant. He never visited him even once, before he was brought into the Reign¡¯s castle. However, once he was already in the Castle, Ezekiel only threw him a nce from time to time. He was so unapproachable.

    He had longed to be a part of his elite men and hone his skills under him. His brother Kai was very good. He had been a very good and kind teacher to him. But Kai always felt that he wanted more, and he longed to learn from the strongest vampire personally.

    But all that Kyle got when he lived in the castle was to study. He was not allowed to do many things and he eventually felt like a caged bird. He resented Ezekiel for his orders to restrain him, personally opposing the fact that the crown prince didn¡¯t have the right to cage him when all he did was ignore him. He also hated that there were secrets that was kept from him by virtue of iming that he was still too young. Kyle did not believe their reasoning and he had that inkling that they just wanted to keep it a secret from him.

 Chapter 619 First and las

    <h4>Chapter 619 First ands</h4>

    So, when he heard what Ezekiel said a while ago, he felt awful. It seemed that Ezekiel wasn¡¯t the one who wanted to keep him in the dark but the King. And though the truth he had heard was too devastating, he still had a hard time to believe it. It never did cross his mind that the problem wasn¡¯t as shallow and insignificant as he had thought and that... his brother, Kai, would soon die in the near future.

    And now... it seemed not only did he just manage to get to the ugly truth as well as gaining Ezekiel¡¯s attention by causing trouble... unfortunately, there was also the need to bear the consequences and pay a price for these things. An unforeseen and unbelievable one.

    When he saw this girl sneaking into the pce, he thought to himself that he had found a forbidden fruit that Ezekiel had ordered him to never even set eye on ¨C ever. His rebellious thoughts got the better of him and he was desperate to find out the truth before he leaves.

    But the moment he had seen her beautiful green eyes, circling wide as she looked at him, Kyle was dumbstruck. That single moment was enough to burn his ns right to the ground. He didn¡¯t know why but his entire being was suddenly responding so acutely to her that when he touched her, he no longer wanted to let her go. He had truly liked her.

    And as he spent more time with her in his arms, multiple times to boot, he had be more and more fascinated with her until he found himself confessing to her and even kissing her. He knew that it was wrong. It was forbidden. But those thoughts becamepletely abandoned when he was holding her in his arms, looking at her and talking to her... until Ezekiel came and woke him from this beautiful dream, forcing him to face reality again. And when Ezekiel revealed to him the truth, everything just shattered.

    His brother was right, he had to let her go because she was forbidden. Aside from the danger, the consequences they had to bear would be too great. It was something unimaginable for his young mind. And he would never want to put this girl to risk because of his beautiful albeit forbidden dream.

    shing a charming yet sad smile, Kyle stroked aside the red locks over her face and tucked them behind her ear.

    "Can I hug you, onest time?" he asked, and Lilith blinked. She did not seem to be overly shocked. Her eyes simply locked on his for a while before she nodded.

    She opened her arms and his lips curved up again, and this time, his smile was obviously wider. Their bodies collided and Kyle settled his head into the cradle of her shoulder with a bold familiarity. He hugged her as if he were nning to embrace her like that forever.

    But after a long while, he pulled away. He bit his lower lip when he saw that she seemed as reluctant as he was in letting go of the other.

    They stared at each other again. Kyle forced his feet to move backwards, away from the ck Forest and her hands flinched as if to stop him from leaving.

    The young vampire stood still after taking more than ten steps away, his right hand brought up nervously to rake at his dark hair. His face severe and his eyes were emotional. He sighed before he looked at her again. A hesitant smile yed on his face. "May I ... may I kiss you, onest time?" he asked, looking nervous. ¡¯This will be thest time, I promise.¡¯ He hadn¡¯t said those words aloud, but she reacted as though she had heard them. And then, she nodded, quietly.

    Kyle¡¯s eyes glimmered in surprise but the sadness that appeared the next second overpowered it. He shed to be standing in front of her suddenly and slowly, he leaned closer. His heart was beating hard. He remembered how soft and warm her lips were when he brushed his lips against hers in his grandmother¡¯s house. When Ezekiel forced him toe to his senses, he never thought he would ever kiss her again.

    His breath came out in a puff as his face move closer to hers, her eyes seemed to be sucking him into that green vortex. And when she closed that emerald gaze of hers, he did the same.

    The moment their lips pressed lightly against each other¡¯s; time stood still for them. A cool breeze blew on them and her red hair danced like little red mes behind her. Their innocent kisssted for what seemed like forever, which suddenly ended when they pulled apart.

    Kyle pressed his forehead against hers and whispered, "Thank you." He stared deep into her eyes next as his hand cradled her face and then nted another feathery kiss on her forehead. "Goodbye, Lilith." He uttered her name for the first andst time before he turned and disappeared. She could never be his. Except in his heart for a few hours, like she was just a dream. This dream was like how one could feel the cool morning mists surrounding them but for a fleeting moment only, until the harsh reality evaporates it the instant the sun appears.

    Lilith silently stared at the horizon where he had disappeared to for a long time and stood there unmoving. "Goodbye, Kyle." she uttered brokenly because she just knew that their goodbye would be forever.

    ...

    It was already night when a private jetnded on the airstrip of one of the most secluded town of a certain country in the west. Ezekiel came out and Zeres, Alicia and Lucas who had been waiting inside a car sighed in relief. They had been waiting for him because he was the leader of the group and the man had simply instructed them to fly to the town and wait for him at the airport. As usual, he was so inconsiderate to make them wait for such a long time without notifying anyone of his exact time of arrival and now it seemed he had brought along an additional baggage with the group. It was his youngest brother, Kyle.

    *****

    A\\N: For those asking, my new book SPELLBOUND is exclusive only on p.a.tr.e.o.n. If you want to read it and support me at the same time, visit my p.a.t.r.e.o.n: kazzenlx (tap this paragraph to see the link or go to my profile).

    You can also read the first chapter of theic version there. (New chapter for theic will be uploaded soon)

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 Chapter 620 That thing again

    <h4>Chapter 620 That thing again</h4>

    The group soon arrived at an old vige called Mapple. They headed to the centre of the vige and checked into a hotel to rest while waiting for night-time toe.

    Alicia, having fallen asleep immediately in her bed for hours since the moment she checked into her room, was startled when she finally woke up and noticed that the sun was already setting. She had slept as though she had been so tired, almost simrly to her justing home from a few days of going through a long and exhausting battle. It bothered her greatly that she berated herself quite harshly as she rose and speedily washed up and prepared herself to leave her room.

    After some looking about, she found herrades already gathered and sitting around arge table at the hotel¡¯s terrace. Gracefully, Alicia navigated herself towards the only empty chair next to Zeres.

    "Did you have a good rest?" Zeres asked and Alicia nodded frankly. She could not quite ept that she, a queen, had actually overslept in a situation like this. She was not here for vacation, for heaven¡¯s sake! None of them were. However, embarrassing as it may be, she would not lie to justify saving her face ¨C thus the reason she just nodded instead ofing up with some exnations to save her face.

    "Okay, let¡¯s eat!" Zeres¡¯ cheerful voice echoed, breaking the awkward silence. He knew that Alicia had been sleeping all day and knowing her, he knew that she was criticizing herself to no end right now. Alicia was the fourth witch queen he had met in his lifetime, so he knew that like all the other three queens he had met before her, Alicia too, had that same ego and pride the other witch queens have. They never wanted to show their weakness or appear weak to anyone, even when they were in the direst of situations. They would fight fiercely, with their heads held up proudly, even in the most hopeless situation. Because they hated powerlessness to their bones to the point that they would prefer weing death than being reduced to someone weak, helpless and useless. It seemed as that was one of the main qualities a witch should possess in order to be chosen as queen. A great quality a queen should have but... Zeres thought was also a dangerous one.

    The proof of that was Alicia¡¯s mood right now. She already looked angry at herself just by oversleeping. How much more would she react if...

    Zeres¡¯ attention was back on Alicia when he heard her drawing in a long deep breath. And what he saw made him rx as well because the queen¡¯s expression became much better, and it seemed her anger towards herself was gone. Looks like she managed to clear her mind and calm her thoughts. Zeres doubted for a moment but when she started to eat animatedly, he thought that maybe, Alicia wasn¡¯t as hard toward herself as those previous queens were on themselves.

    By the time they were almost done with dinner, Alicia finally diverted her attention from the food and looked at herrades. Her eyesnded first on the boy whom she had yet to hear speak and next was the red-haired man seated right opposite her. Her curious eyes lingered on these two beings she had wanted to talk to since she saw themst night when they were gathered at the airstrip. However, the timing was not quite right, and they needed to move with haste, consequently resulting in her holding off her curiosity. Now is the time, if not ever.

    When the two raised their eyes to meet her questioning look, Alicia straightened. "So? Why are the crown prince and the youngest prince of the vampires along with their strongest and most elite bodyguard here with us? Don¡¯t tell me they came so they could help us search for a crystal cavern." Alicia¡¯s brow was slightly raised. There was no way these vampires were here just for that reason. These few individuals were too high-profile to tag along just for some simple reasoning like searching for crystal caverns.

    "That¡¯s right." Zeke suddenly answered before any words could leave Zeres¡¯ mouth.

    Alicia smirked, pressing her temples as her elbow rested on the table. "It seemed you finally learned how to kid now, Ezekiel."

    "I¡¯m not kidding, Alicia."

    Her smirk faded and her gaze became serious as she stared at Zeke. Her eyes demanding for an exnation.

    "I still don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a coincidence, but we are also here to look for a certain crystal cavern. Our reasoning has nothing to do with the witches." Zeke exined, causing Alicia¡¯s brows to knot.

    "And what reason is that if you don¡¯t mind me asking?"

    Zeke picked his ss of blood and twirled it gracefully before drinking it. His gaze then settled to Alicia before he answered. "I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t tell you anything yet right now. Because unfortunately, the cavern we¡¯re looking for is also something prophesized."

    ¡¯Prophecy. That thing again.¡¯ Alicia thought to herself and she could only sigh, knowing that she could not pry too much into it any longer much less it causes more animosity and unwanted disagreements within the group. She was still having some doubts she would like cleared before going on the search, but she also knew that it was not her ce to interfere on this topic any more than she already had. Especially when he had clearly stated that it has nothing to do with the witches and it was rted to the prophecy. And if that was truly prophesized, Alicia could only wait and see. For she knew that Ezekiel would never reveal anything and as things go, she also knew that propheciesing from the vampires only meant one thing and one thing only ¨C it spelled trouble ¨C a very serious trouble that could cause unimaginable chaos.

    After their dinner, the group finally left the hotel and continued with their journey to the first destination Ezekiel had identified where a huge crystal cavern was imed to be situated. It was located in a mountainous area a few miles north of Mapple Vige, so the group travelled there through the darkness.

 Chapter 621 A girl?

    <h4>Chapter 621 A girl?</h4>

    It was midnight when they arrived at the ce. It was a breath-taking cavern with blue crystals embedded into its walls, giving it an ethereal feel. But they did not even spend a few minutes inside the cavern because Ezekiel stated that this ce was not the cavern they were looking for. Alicia also did not feel anything unusual, nor did she feel any resonance as she explored the inside of the cavern, so she immediately agreed with the vampire prince.

    Thus, the group left and went straight to the airport. It seemed their journey this time would not be simple and straightforward as they did not have any clues about the exact location of the cavern they were looking for.

    The ne left the town that very same night and arrived in another country a few hourster. They had spent days visiting every crystal cavern in the west, moving from one country to another but their search always resulted in more disappointments.

    "We¡¯ll target the south next." Zeke had said as they decided to love on from the west. And thus, the group ended up in another continent. This time, the next cavern was not located in a mountainous area but in a scorching desert.

    ...

    The group had settled for the day in a beautiful town situated around a scenic oasis in the middle of the desert.

    It was a quiet and hot ce. Alicia had just left her room to have a look and tour around the tavern when she saw the young vampire sitting alone by arge window overlooking the oasis.

    Alicia had been distancing herself from herrades whenever they settled in a human ce to rest for the day. It was mainly because she did not want them to notice the amount of power she had lost in the past days since their journey started. She knew that Zeres might have already noticed since he was always the one who stayed close to her whenever they travel on their journey towards the caverns. Alicia already found that unbearable, but she could still take it if it was only Zeres who knew how weak she had already be. If these vampires knew as well, especially the vampire crown prince... her ego as the witch queen would really suffer a blow and might be seriously damaged. That was why she was so hellbent in trying to hide her weakness from them in the past days until now.

    "Thinking about someone special?" Alicia smiled in a friendly manner as she probed the young vampire who had been silently staring at the sky. Aside from Zeres, she hung out with this boy most of the time since it seemed that the both of them were avoiding Ezekiel¡¯spany. Alicia thought that Kyle was a really nice and gentle boy, and it was hard to believe that he was that oh-so-serious and cold Ezekiel¡¯s younger brother.

    She had liked how polite and gentle the boy was and she hadughed when he first talked to her and called her ¡¯Your Majesty¡¯. He had argued back then that he must address her that way because she was a queen, causing Alicia to be unable to refute and she ended up smiling. She had told himter that he can address her as ¡¯Queen Alicia¡¯ because witches do not address their queens as ¡¯Your Majesty¡¯. And then he came to reply that since he was not a witch, he should still address proper protocols and refer to her as ¡¯Your Majesty¡¯. And thus, the boy started to address her the way he wanted. The other vampires did not seem to mind as well so Alicia could only shrug it off with a smile.

    "Uhm..." Kyle looked a little embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yes."

    "Is it your family? Or a girl?" Alicia asked gently, smiling mischievously. "From the looks of it, I have a sneaking suspicion it¡¯s a girl. Wanna talk about her?"

    The young man¡¯s eyes widened slightly, looking hesitant. "It¡¯s okay, Kyle. You can talk to me. I¡¯ll keep it a secret. How does she look like? I bet she¡¯s cute." The witch queen¡¯s smile turned into an excited grin. She never thought she would have a young man she could tease to ease her boredom. And perhaps, her teasing would help him out of his mncholy as well since it appeared that he was notfortable with his own brother yet.

    Kyle bit his lips and looked away again. The sky was starting to darken, and the moon was already out. It had lit up the oasis and the beauty of the ce became even more serenely eye catching. "She has beautiful green eyes..." he started. "And her hair is like fire. She also has lovely freckles. She¡¯s... beautiful."

    Alicia¡¯s lips formed a small ¡¯o¡¯ as she nodded. She had pictured a certain cute but somewhat wild girl in the ck Forest that curiously fit his descriptions, but Alicia brushed that thought away, thinking that there was no way this young prince was talking about Lilith.

    "Hmm... beautiful indeed and very rare. I haven¡¯t seen a vampire with freckles as of yet."

    "She¡¯s not a vampire."

    "Oh," Alicia was surprised. "So, she¡¯s a human?"

    When Kyle shook his head again, Alicia almost gasped. "Could you be talking about Lilith?"

    He nced at her and nodded shyly and then gazed at the sky again with a longing look in his eyes. Oh my, has he already fallen head over heels in love with Lilith?

    With her hand on her mouth, Alicia could only watch the boy. Worry starting to etch on her face because she knew that he was not allowed to fall in love with a witch. And if Lilith liked this boy too, oh no... this rtionship will only end as a tragedy.

    "But I can¡¯t have her..." the boy said sadly while Alicia was still thinking about what she could say tofort him. And then, she watched him smile ¨C a bitter smile. "I thought I¡¯d forget about her easily as we have only known each other for such a short time, but it seemed I was wrong." He paused and looked at Alicia, a faint glint of sorrow shing quickly across his innocent eyes. "How can I make myself forget her? Do you know how to? Your Majesty?"

    ****

    A\\N: For those asking, my new book SPELLBOUND is exclusive only on p.a.tr.e.o.n. If you want to read it and support me at the same time, visit this link w_w_w.p_a_t_r_e_o_n.c_o_m\\kazzenlx (remove the underscores when you type the link)

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 Chapter 622 Trace

    <h4>Chapter 622 Trace</h4>

    Alicia was struck dumb andpletely silenced by the pained look in the boy¡¯s eyes. If she had not seen it for herself, she would not have believed a young one such as Kyle would be able to feel and go through such agony rted to rtionships. Most people tend to look down on rtionships between youths as they seem young and do not take things seriously. After some time, she could only reach out and patted his shoulder as her face became tender like a mother who was consoling her child. But before a word could leave her mouth, someone appeared before them. It was the ginger head, Lucas.

    "His Highness said, we¡¯re leaving immediately. We¡¯ll wait for you two downstairs." He said and then disappeared. Kyle also politely bowed to Alicia and hurried to his room to get changed and packed up to leave.

    Alicia was already prepared, so she stayed outside Kyle¡¯s room and waited for him. She was still thinking about the boy¡¯s confession and she could not help but think that Ezekiel must have brought Kyle along with him to keep him away from Lilith.

    While Alicia¡¯s mind was upied with thoughts about Kyle and Lilith, the boy emerged from the door and they both headed downstairs where the rest of theirpany were waiting.

    They boarded a car and traveled for a couple of hours before stopping somewhere in the middle of a desert. Upon making sure that there were no other humans around, the group started to move. The moon was full and bright that night and there were no trees in the desert like the ces they had visited before, thus making their movements swift and visuals clear. It was in that way that thepany moved speedily towards the agreed destination, each hoping that this would be it for various personal reasons only known to each one¡¯s hearts.

    The ce was a stretch of tnd, barren of any dips and curves but one could only view sand ¨C tonnes of it ¨C as far as the eyes could see. The three vampires continued leaping forwards at high speed while Zeres and Alicia used their teleportation to reach the crystal cave. It was easier for them to go faster than usual because they do not need to be vignt for any hidden enemies that could pop out of nowhere, unlike in the forests. That was one of the benefits of traveling in terrains such as the desert. Enemies need toe out at you directly instead of being able to ambush from various hidden locations.

    However, as the men seemed to be enjoying running freely like bullets in the seemingly endless emptynd, Zeres and Ezekiel suddenly halted. Lucas and Kyle also stopped a few steps behind Zeke, and they saw him looking behind them. The witch queen still had yet to catch up.

    "You guys can go ahead. We¡¯ll follow you immediately," Zeres said, ncing at Zeke ¨C a silent conversation seemed to be happening between them ¨C before disappearing.

    Lucas and Kyle looked at Zeke and the man just stood there, staring silently behind them. The two thought that they¡¯re going to wait for the witches, but Zeke moved and turned back to face forward. "Let¡¯s go." He said, causing Kyle to whip his head towards him in utter disapproval.

    "B-brother... can¡¯t we at least wait for her? What if something bad happened?" Kyle looked extremely worried, and it seemed like he was already itching to go after Zeres.

    "No." The prince¡¯s response came so quickly as if it was made without thought that Kyle gritted his teeth. "She won¡¯t like it if we wait for her," Zeke added and Kyle¡¯s jaw loosened. He creased his brow, confused.

    "Why would ¨C"

    Zeke raised his hand to stop Kyle. "That¡¯s enough, Kyle. Zeres is already there for her. Let¡¯s go."

    Kyle stood there, unable to understand when Lucas patted his back and whispered in his ear. "Don¡¯t worry about the witch queen, that Zeres is an immortal like Alexander so he can protect her better than anyone of us can."

    The young prince¡¯s eyes widened. He was not aware that Zeres was actually the other immortal he had heard about before. He had met Alexander many times and though the man liked to tease him, he was as scary as his brother. And that¡¯s why Kyle would have never thought that the silver-haired man he had been hanging out with for so many days now was actually an immortal with dragon blood!

    "Now, let¡¯s go."

    Kyle looked back one more time but eventually followed after his brother.

    Meanwhile, Zeres silently gritted his teeth the moment he materialized a few steps away from Alicia and saw her panting. Her hands were on her knees as support, and she looked weak and out of breath. Zeres had been noticing Alicia¡¯s slowing pace for a while now and he also had noticed the weakness she had been trying so hard to hide. She had been acting fine in front of the others during thest few days, even though Zeres could almost not feel any power from her anymore.

    He was growing anxious as he watched her weaken day by day and god knows how many times he had stopped himself from reaching out and offering his help. The only thing stopping him from doing that was due to his certainty that his proffered help would be rejected thoroughly and adamantly. For he knew Alicia would not budge as long as she could still manage things on her own.

    Slowly, Zeres approached her, and he saw her stiffening up and gritting her teeth, looking down at the sand ¨C either in anger or irritation at her own helplessness. Her hood had been blown off by the wind and Zeres saw that there were more strands of her hair turning ash-greypared to the previous time before they left the ck Forest.

    Finally offering her his hand, Zeres calmly spoke. "Don¡¯t use whatever that¡¯s left in you anymore, Queen. Hold on to me." There was no sign of worry in his voice.

    When she lifted her face to look at him, Zeres was shocked that her eyes had also begun to turn greyish. He could hardly contain his reaction to those silvery grey eyes, but he ruthlessly mped down on his turbulent emotions and persevered in keeping his face impassive. "Take my hand, Alicia, or else those three vampires wille back to check on us."

    Alicia bit down hard on her dry and slightly cracked lips but it seemed Zeres¡¯st line had pushed her to ept his offer. She reluctantly put her weak hand in his, and Zeres immediately sped it as if making sure never to let her hand go even if she decided,ter on, to pull away. He could detect almost no trace of the strong power she once had and now she even felt weaker than a normal human. Unable to hide his expression anymore, Zeres used his power to make them both disappear and followed the traces of the vampires that are now ahead of them.

    ****

    A\\N: My new book SPELLBOUND is exclusive only on p.a.tr.e.o.n. If you want to read it and support me at the same time, visit this link w_w_w.p_a_t_r_e_o_n.c_o_m\\kazzenlx (remove the underscores when you type the link)

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 Chapter 623 What if

    <h4>Chapter 623 What if</h4>

    When the two witches finally caught up with the rest of the group, Alicia somehow manage to regain some of her strength, and she wasn¡¯t panting and trembling that visibly anymore. Even if she was, her determination to hide it was enough to fool those looking with their eyes. As soon as they stopped on a deeper part of an area which was surrounded by tall sand dunes, Kyle immediately approached the two witches at the back.

    "Your Majesty are you alright?" the boy looked worried.

    "Oh, I¡¯m fine. No need to worry, Kyle." She smiled, looking as though nothing had happened. The boy sighed in relief, but his eyes soon fell on the witches intertwined hands and blinked. As though he had seen something he shouldn¡¯t have, the young prince blushed lightly and hurriedly turned and dashed back to the two vampires ahead of them.

    Zeres attempted to let go of Alicia¡¯s hand but Alicia stared at him as she grasped his hand. Alicia saw the surprise in his eyes, but she can¡¯t let go of him right now. She had stopped feeling breathless and even the trembling in her knees had also stopped but she could feel that there seemed to be no more power left in her. She saw that the young vampire did not seem to notice this anomaly about her, and she was quite certain that it was because of Zeres¡¯ powerful presence that was ovepping the symptoms she was experiencing. His power was literally oozing out of his pores that she surmised that as long as she sticks close to him, the vampires wouldn¡¯t notice. And besides, in the event something unexpected happens, she did not want to be left out there, useless and just waiting around for them to rescue her again like a damsel in distress ¨C which she was not! She could not take it ¨C no ¨C she refused to ept it. A helpless and powerless queen was something not just herself, but others would not ept as well.

    "Bear with it, Zeres. I don¡¯t think I can keep going without your support yet." She said those words like usual, with her head up proudly and voice sounding firm.

    "Understood, my queen." Was all Zeres said and they both approached the vampires, hand in hand. And then they all entered into an entrance that Zeke found. He had asked Lucas to clear the mound of sand covering it and the strong man did just that in a matter of minutes.

    The inside of the cavern was otherworldly. The crystals this time were abination of white and ice blue. This was probably thergest cavern out of all the others they have seen and gone into during the whole journey. They could just tell due to the huge path that seems to be leading them into a deeper andrger space inside.

    Alicia still could not feel any resonance with the cavern even when she let go of Zeres¡¯ hand for a minute to see if something would be triggered inside of her. But there was nothing. She thought that this cavern seemed to not be as ordinary as it seems, so they needed to go deeper inside.

    But suddenly, Zeke halted. "This is not the ce," he said, and Alicia was about to protest and insist that they should at least go a little deeper to make sure it was the case, when the atmosphere suddenly turned heavy.

    Lucas and Kyle seemed to have sensed it and their weapons were already shed out, all poised and ready for battle. But Zeke and Zeres did not even move to touch the hilts of their swords.

    "Alright," Zeke sighed and sat on one of the t blue crystals. His expression as dead and t as usual as he motioned Lucas and Kyle to fight.

    The next moment, crystals shattered all around them and a fierce fight broke out. Alicia was shocked and felt extremely awful again. She had lost even her sense to detect danger.

    "What are they?" Zeres asked Zeke after watching the battle between Lucas and Kyle and their opponents for a while. The enemies were wearing cloaks that were the same colour as the crystals in the cavern.

    "Rogues."

    "Not normal ones..."

    "Yes."

    "They look strong. They¡¯re stronger than Dinah¡¯s men." Zeresmented as they watched Lucas smashed one of them against the crystals, then proceeded to sh one of the creature many times before beheading it. "But your bodyguard is stronger and... savage."

    Zeke didn¡¯t respond. His gaze now was on his younger brother. He was exceptional and too strong for his age but there was huge difference between him and Lucas. Kyle was fighting in a somewhat honourable way andcked the intent to kill. What his younger brothercked right now was real life experience and the encounter of fighting for his life ¨C kill or be killed.

    "Why are these rogues here? I thought Alexander had killed all rogue vampires already." Zeres said again.

    "Alex didn¡¯t set foot in this continent for hundreds of years. So, this ce had be the haven for the rogues."

    "But don¡¯t you think these rogues are strange? There¡¯s something different about them."

    The vampire prince was silenced again. His unfathomable eyes never strayed from the fight, but he suddenly did not feel like just watching anymore and being a mere bystander.

    "There¡¯s more of them." He said as he stood before calling out to Lucas and Kyle. "We¡¯re leaving."

    "H-huh? Hey, wait. What?" Zeres protested. Even Lucas and Kyle were taken aback by the sudden and unexpected order, especially Kyle who was not used to being interrupted in the middle of a fight. Due to the sudden distraction, he had suffered a minor cut on his arm.

    "This is not the ce." Zeke merely said.

    "Are you certain about that?" Alicia was the one who spoke this time, pulling Zeke¡¯s attention to her. "This is the only ce where we actually encountered any enemies. And there are strange and extraordinarily strong vampires present too. Don¡¯t you think there¡¯s a reason why they¡¯re here? What if they¡¯re guarding something inside?"

 Chapter 624 Journey

    <h4>Chapter 624 Journey</h4>

    Zeke only stood there and looked at Alicia while she struggled to run things through her mind and rationalise out the things that he had pointed out. A few beats of silence passed between them ¨C both just staring at each other, each not willing to give in. "This is only a trap to further dy us." Zeke finally spoke to exin further, causing Alicia to crease her brows tighter.

    "But... how did you know... I mean..." Hesitation made Alicia unable to say out the many things she wanted to say. She is not a stranger to the way how Ezekiel deals with things and she should have known better now that it was useless for her to question his decisions, especially once he has thought though on it in his mind and more so after saying it out loud. It was already a given that this man knew things none of them were even aware about.

    "It seems as though ... your trust in me has dwindled quite a lot these days, Alicia." Hemented when Alicia pressed her lips tight, adamant on not letting anything bad pass her lips if she has nothing good to say. She met his gaze coolly and held it for a couple seconds before turning her head and looking away, unwilling to get into an argument with him.

    "Didn¡¯t you remember what you told me thest time? It was you, yourself, who told me not to trust you too much, Ezekiel." She retorted and a small smirk lifted the corner of his lips.

    "Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it... I do remember telling you that." He uttered as his gaze swept through Alicia.

    Feeling his scrutinizing gaze, Alicia¡¯s grip on Zeres¡¯ hand tightened and suddenly, she whipped around.

    "Fine. I will trust you on this then, Ezekiel." She said as she tugged on Zeres¡¯ hand, urging him to leave the cavern with her immediately. Zeres could only throw a nce at Zeke before allowing himself to be pulled out by Alicia.

    Once the two witches disappeared, Zeke¡¯s eyes remained fixated on the empty spot the two had upied a moment ago. His gaze looked calcting and intense.

    A rogue had jumped towards him from above but before the rogue even realises it, he was already knocked back and viciously smashed against therge crystal where Zeke was sitting on a while ago. A strong hand then reached out for the back of his neck, gripping it securely and with one sure snap, the rouge¡¯s head rolled across the cavern floor.

    When Zeke lifted his gaze, he caught Kyle¡¯s bewildered eyes. And as if nothing extraordinary had happened, Zeke straightened and brushed off his hands, turning around calmly to stare at the approaching enemies without any hint of interest or feelings in his cid eyes. He gestured for Lucas and Kyle to leave and they could only obey.

    As soon as Lucas and Kyle emerged from the cavern, there was a loud noise and a boom that echoed from inside where they recently took off from. It seemed that Zeke had settled the remaining rouges and did something to the cavern that it was now copsing. What on earth did his brother do?

    A shadow grabbed him while he was looking back, a little dazed. When he got his orientation back, he noticed he hadnded on top of a sand dune, with both his brother and Lucas already standing on either side of him.

    "...." Did they really had to give him such an ungracefulnding? He could only smile bitterly at his own ipetence whenpared to the other two vampires ¨C one, an upper elite bodyguard and the other, his very own brother, the vampire crown prince himself.

    ...

    The group had then travelled on by ne to another country that very same night and continued their journey as soon as they hadnded because unbeknownst to Alicia, Zeres had been bugging Zeke to no end. He was bing and more desperate, even worse than Alicia ever since that night in the desert.

    Alicia had stopped asking questions and talking with anyone. She had distanced herself from the rest of her travel mates and even though she was stuck with Zeres since that night in the desert, the two witches almost never spoke to each other.

    As the days went by, Zeres had also stopped bugging Zeke with questions about why they still could not find that damned cavern. The witch duo had gone utterly quiet, one dying with weakness and helplessness and the other with guilt and anger towards himself.

    Enemies had also started popping up everywhere they journeyed. This urrence was somon to the point that the three vampires had already killed countless of them throughout the long journey. Even the youngest of them, Kyle, had gotten so used to it and had made such great improvements in his fighting abilities that sometimes, Zeke had allowed him to fight the enemies all on his own while they all sat by the side and watched as bystanders. The once delicate boy had finally grown up to be tougher and had already honed his killing skills. He had learned to fight and kill, and he was growing stronger day by day. The concept of kill or be killed ¨C which was missing in him earlier on ¨C had been instilled into his very bones from all the fights and attacks the group had to endure while on this journey.

    Zeres had asked Zeke once before about the reason why were the rogue vampiresing after and attacking them. Zeke did not give him a specific answer but just told him they were probably closely linked or even the exact same thing to whatever it was that they were looking and searching for in the cavern. They even went to the extent of capturing some of the rouge vampires and torturing them for more information, but unfortunately, they got nothing. Zeres had also used his powers on them to read their minds countless times now, but all he could see in his vision was dark thick smoke. There was nothing in the rogues¡¯ minds that would give them more clues or lead them on to the correct destination.

 Chapter 625 Just a dream

    <h4>Chapter 625 Just a dream</h4>

    Zeke still couldn¡¯t exin the reasons why, but he did tell Zeres that the one theory he had was that those rogues they had fought were dead vampires. It did not make sense to Zeres but he could do nothing but listen and ept whatever Zeke said for the moment.

    But things were getting from bad to worse for the witch duo the longer the journey continued. Alicia especially did not seem to be holding up welltely, and Zeres was extremely worried for her condition.

    They had just encountered another group of rogues inside the first cavern they had visited in the third continent they had reached in this journey, when Alicia suddenly passed out.

    "Take her back to the hotel." Zeke quickly instructed; his eyes locked on the unconscious Alicia in Zeres¡¯ arms. He did not look surprised at all and Zeres knew that he had long suspected and sensed Alicia¡¯s weakness. Despite Alicia¡¯s efforts in acting normal and hiding her condition, Zeres knew that there was just no way anyone could hide anything from Zeke.

    "Go and put her to bed. She shouldn¡¯t be here in that state of hers." Zeke added and Zeres could only agree as it reflects what he personally felt as well. Though he did not want to leave when theirrades were still fighting, but Zeke was right. Alicia is the priority at the moment, and he had to take her away from the battlefield now. He had no choice but dly, he was not too worried as those three vampires did not even need his or anyone¡¯s help with the insane strength and monstrous capabilities that they possess. He had just taken a step to leave when he hesitated for a moment due to the sudden surge of enemies flooding in. However, when he turned back to look at Zeke, and found the man still standing to the side, calmly watching the other two fighting but still not joining the fight personally, Zeres turned and finally disappeared.

    Zeres materialized inside Alicia¡¯s room with her cradled securely in his arms. He knew she had fainted all due to weakness. He acknowledged just how hard and resolutely she fought to stay standing all this while. But this time, her body had finally beaten her.

    It had crushed him hard every time he felt her grip in his hand tighten and how she would cling tightly onto him for support. He had long stopped asking her if she was alright ¨C how could she be with the way she was hanging on to his hands? He would be hurting her more by asking her. It was better if he just provided her with the support needed in silence. He even stopped turning around to check on her even when he felt her breathless as she hid herself behind him in the vain hopes that the vampires would not see her nor realise her worsening condition. And his guilt was growing so big, it was almost consuming him whole.

    Gently, Zeres quietly removed her cloak. Her once bright and glowing hair had turned dull andpletely ashen now. Even her brows and curlyshes darkened as well. He carefully ced her on the bed before removing her shoes.

    After covering her with a nket, Zeres sat at the edge of the bed, his head bent low. For what felt like forever, he didn¡¯t move. He had kept his gaze on the floor and his fists were clenched into tight balls. Before long, he started to grit his teeth, his body tensing up as his moon-lit eyes slowly turn gold. He looked like something was taking over him.

    A soft moan jolted him and as if a pail of ice water were poured over him, the gold in his eyes abruptly disappeared and he whipped his head towards the woman on the bed.

    She looked ufortable. She was moving restlessly, and her pale face was frowning.

    Zeres panicked. He rose from his seat and attempted to go look for help because he did not know what to do. But then he remembered hisrades were still in the cavern, fighting.

    Bending closer, Zeres asked worriedly. "What is it? Are you in pain?"

    Alicia¡¯s eyes cracked opened slightly, and she looked at Zeres. She opened her mouth to speak but her voice came out raspy and broken. But Zeres understood it and he immediately disappeared. He returned quickly with a ss of water in his hand.

    He helped her sit and leaned her against his shoulder before handing her the water, supporting the base just in case her strength gave way.

    Once Alicia sipped just enough water to moisten her throat and quench her thirst, Zeres took the ss away and put it on the table. He gently held her shoulder and was about to ease her back on the bed when Alicia suddenlyughed, a bitter and softugh that faded quickly.

    With her eyes closed, she sped Zeres¡¯ shirt weakly, her grip trembling as she spoke without opening her eyes. "Tell me, Zeres... that this is just a bad dream. This is not happening to me... this is just a long... long nightmare that... that would be forgotten the moment I wake up."

    As short silent passed.

    "Yes, my queen. This is... just a dream." He said and this time she smiled, a bitter self-mocking smile.

    "Thank you. Don¡¯t let them... see me like this... especially..." She could not even finish her statement and her whole body fell limp again, drained from what little energy she regained from her short slumber.

    Zeres stayed still, letting her lean against him in her sleep. A long whileter, he hugged her and whispered a heart-wrenching ¡¯I¡¯m sorry¡¯ before easing her down. He watched her for a long time until he felt the vampires¡¯ presence.

    His gaze fell to the moon peeking through the windows before looking at Alicia again. Something changed in his soft eyes.

    When he turned to leave the room, his eyes were unfathomable, no longer the eyes of an angel.

 Chapter 626 Discerning

    <h4>Chapter 626 Discerning</h4>

    The group had settled in an isted vi that seemed recently abandoned in the middle of a scenic forest at the base of a range of towering mountains. It had been more than a month since they left and started on this journey. All this time passed, and they have still yet to find the ce they were looking for. All they have aplished until now was the ever-increasing surge of enemies that seemed to be getting stronger every timepared to the previous batch they have gone against. It was as if the enemies they had encountered earlier were novices, and their levels keeps increasing as each group kepting.

    Even Ezekiel who had simply watched leisurely in previous battles hadtely been forced to make a move as well to watch over his younger brother¡¯s back.

    The journey was bing more dangerous and savage and confusing by the day and they all knew that they were getting closer to their destination. There was no more talk about when they would reach the damned cavern not only because the two witches had stopped talking but because Ezekiel also became even quieter than his usual reticent self. That left Kyle and Lucas as the only ones making any sounds for the past few days.

    "I am worried about the queen," Kyle said as the three vampires sat around an antique table by the firece. "Is she really alright? I haven¡¯t spoken to her for weeks now and I¡¯m barely able to see her face for many days now. I don¡¯t think she¡¯s alright at all. And Zeres... he also started acting really weird. He used to be energetic and chatty. But now, it feels like he¡¯s angry with the world."

    Kyle couldn¡¯t help but worry. He had been meaning to ask but Ezekiel wouldn¡¯t allow him to bother the witches and they have been quite upied since they¡¯ve been moving in haste thesest few days. But now that there was a slight lull in their travels, it was the perfect chance for him to ask, and the boy couldn¡¯t hold his tongue anymore.

    "What¡¯s happening to Her Majesty? Is she in grave danger?" His gaze was darting back and forth between Ezekiel and Lucas, hoping for either of them to fill him in on the situation surrounding the witch queen.

    "I don¡¯t know what is going on but she¡¯s obviously unwell." It was Lucas who answered as Ezekiel remained silent as if he hadn¡¯t heard Kyle¡¯s question but continued staring at the fire which was consuming the log in the firece. The reflection of the fire in his dark eyes lent him the look of the devil himself burning in hell, that Kyle swallowed the words he was about to direct to his brother in the hopes of making him listen to what he was saying.

    Kyle had been bothered by his brother¡¯s frequent calm silence as well because he seemed to be always enveloping himself with something powerful and impregnable to keep anyone from bothering him.

    "And what¡¯s going on with Zeres?" Kyle could only ask Lucas and the red-haired could only shrug, indicating his ignorance in the matter.

    "I¡¯m as clueless as you, Your Highness so don¡¯t look at me. All I know is there is definitely something wrong with himtely." As Lucas said those words, their eyes were pulled by the materializing person across the table.

    Zeres appeared with Alicia in his arms. Both were wrapped in an all-ck cloak and Alicia¡¯s face was hidden by her hood as always.

    "Which room can Alicia use?" Zeres asked. His voice still softly pleasing to the ears but somehow sounded almost lifeless.

    "The room overlooking the back yard is the tidiest." Lucas replied and unceremoniously, Zeres disappeared again.

    The vampires¡¯ eyes, even Zeke¡¯s, were drawn to the conspicuous three drops of blood that were left on the floor.

    "That¡¯s... Zeres¡¯ blood?" Kyle creased his brows in confusion. "Is he wounded? Howe? He never joined any fight."

    Lucas and Kyle whipped towards Zeke and the man rose and spoke. "He must be performing spells that requires his blood."

    "Spells?! Whatever for?"

    Zeke said nothing and simply walked away.

    "I told you, stop asking so many questions. His Highness only answers once." Lucas slumped on his chair and Kyle couldn¡¯t help but pout childishly.

    "I don¡¯t like this."

    "Don¡¯t worry. Just trust your brother. He doesn¡¯t like talking while the game is still going on. If you want to ask questions, you have to wait until the game¡¯s over. He¡¯ll only lift his silence after he has his ¡¯checkmate¡¯ so don¡¯t waste your time asking. Don¡¯t even try understanding his motives and actions, you¡¯ll get nothing but massive headaches and more confusion."

    "So you¡¯re saying, I should do nothing but shut my mouth and obey..."

    "Ditto." Lucas smirked and Kyle¡¯s shoulders dropped as he sighed heavily.

    "I really don¡¯t really like this." The boyined rather petntly, shutting his eyes closed. Lucas gave a lopsided droll smile looking at the very promising and powerful vampire prince acting like a child just because he could not get his older brother¡¯s exnation.

    "I like the adventure and... the fights. But I don¡¯t like the way everyone¡¯s behaving." Kyle muttered.

    When he opened his eyes again, he stared at the blood on the floor. And Kyle remembered that this wasn¡¯t the first time he had seen a droplet of blooding from Zeres. "Lucas..." he spoke without averting his gaze from the blood.

    "Witches can heal themselves, right?"

    "Yes. They don¡¯t heal naturally like us but they can heal fast with the use of their healing spells."

    "Then why is Zeres bleeding? This is not the first time and I always smell fresh blooding from him for days now. It¡¯s like he has a wound that¡¯s not healing for days. He has also kept his cloak on for a long while now. He used to remove them immediately the moment we¡¯re indoor."

    Lucas was silent this time. He noticed this young prince had the same discerning eyes that notices almost everything like Ezekiel did. Only difference was that he had no restrictions in saying them out loud and not keeping his observations to himself.

 Chapter 627 Empty

    <h4>Chapter 627 Empty</h4>

    The sun was already setting when Alicia finally opened her eyes and woke up. She remembered that she had fainted again as they were making their way to this ce. But somehow, like what seems to be the norm now, happened again where she always felt better every time she wakes up. It seemed she at least regained some strength after being out for hours.

    Pushing herself up, Alicia sat and stared at her hands. She clenched them as tightly as she could into a fist as if to check if the strength that she had regained this time improved a little. To her dismay, nothing changed. It had been like this for a while now. She would faint from weakness and then after waking up, she would regained just enough strength to stand and move around on her own.

    She put her palms over her face. The awful feeling in her chest started to boil again when she finally noticed arge ck figure slumped to one side on the floor. It was Zeres. And he was sitting on the floor with his back against the door, sleeping.

    Surprised, Alicia climbed off the bed and approached him. He was still wearing his cloak and his hood covered the half of his face.

    The sight of him sleeping there made Alicia frown hard. Why was he sleeping there?

    Bending over, Alicia reached out for his hood when his strong hand suddenly grabbed her wrist as he moved and looked up.

    As his hood fell off his head, Alicia had frozen in the act of lifting his hood, her eyes round with rm. Because his gaze had be so intense and cold and dark, the kind of gaze Alicia never thought would belong to this particr man.

    "Zeres..." she whispered, and the darkness quickly dissipated as if it was never there in the first ce. He looked away almost immediately.

    "I¡¯m sorry." He apologized as he loosened his grip on her wrist and let go.

    Silence reigned between them for a moment before Alicia managed to speak again.

    "Why are you sleeping on the floor?" she asked but he didn¡¯t answer. He rose instead and reached for the door knob.

    "I¡¯ll go get you some food to eat. We¡¯ll be leaving again in an hour."

    Without giving her the chance to respond, he silently and swiftly closed the door behind him. With confused and troubled expression, Alicia just stood there, staring at the door.

    He returned after a short while with her food and Alicia ate in silence. Since she noticed her darkening hair and even her brows andshes, Alicia had long since stopped eating with the group. Zeres had been bringing her food and she ate alone in her room. Lately, he had been joining her in having their meals in the room and they ate in silence, both entertaining heavy thoughts.

    Having Zeres acting like her personal servant had her feeling upset toward herself but she knew there was no other avable options ¨C at least for now. Also, he had been quite insistent. Knowing and seeing that the man was feeling guilty and responsible for her also made Alicia relent albeit a little grudgingly buttely, their situation was getting more and more unbearable.

    She had never thought she would find herself in this state, depending on someone to do every little thing like she was an invalid. She was beaten enough, and she had stopped thinking. That was a mercy she could do for herself. But now, this man started to bother her.

    Now that she stopped thinking about her own predicaments and finally took a good look at him ¨C really looked at him ¨C she realized just how much he had changed. Nothing in his docile and angel-like appearance had changed but for some reason, he now felt like a different person. He didn¡¯t even look into her eyes when he speaks to her anymore.

    "Have you eaten?" she asked, observing him. She realized this was the first time she was voluntarily talking to him again in a long time.

    He responded with a nod, saying nothing.

    "Zeres." She called his name, hoping that he would look up at her. When he didn¡¯t, she pressed her lips tight and quietly exhaled. "Look at me." She demanded.

    This time, he listened and when their eyes met, Alicia could not speak. When did his eyes be so empty like that? His eyes had always been expressive that Alicia could easily read his emotions before, but now she could not read anything, could not find any emotions in them. They were... frighteningly empty. What had happened to him that caused this? Her heart shook a little thinking of it.

    "Please finish your meal now, Queen Alicia." He rose and then approached her. He grabbed the pitcher and poured her a ss of water as Alicia watched, realizing that this man had been doing all these small yet necessary tasks for her for many days now ¨C all without anyints.

    Silently, Alicia forced herself to continue eating. She had no appetite and the only reason she was eating now was because she was desperate to gain more strength, hoping that she could at least lessen the burden she was giving him.

    They both went downstairs once Alicia was done with her meal and freshened up sufficiently, wearing her ck cloak with hood covering her face again. The vampires were already waiting for them, except Zeke.

    "His Highness said we must not leave until he arrives." The ginger-head said before Zeres could even ask about the whereabouts of their group¡¯s leader.

    Zeres¡¯ eyes narrowed. "When did he leave?"

    "About six hours ago."

    Surprised, Zeres stilled and then, his face darkened.

    Feeling the quiet but heavy auraing from Zeres, Alicia squeezed his hand a little. "Let¡¯s just wait for him. Ezekiel always like to move solo when things gets serious. I¡¯m certain he¡¯d be back soon with valuable information." She said.

    Kyle, who had not heard her voice in a long time, only smiled and happily nodded his agreement with her. "Shall we wait for him outside?" he suggested, and the rest agreed to it by moving out of the house.

 Chapter 628 At las

    <h4>Chapter 628 Ats</h4>

    "Shall we wait for him outside?" Kyle had suggested, and the rest agreed to it by moving out of the house.

    However, an hour had passed, and Ezekiel was yet to return. Lucas and Kyle had gotten bored just standing around waiting for Zeke, so they decided on some beneficial activity to pass their time and started sparing intensely in the nearby forest while Zeres and Alicia stayed at the house¡¯s doorway. There was a long-backed bench that Zeres had ced Alicia to sit and rest while waiting.

    Alicia had been trying to initiate a conversation with Zeres for the first few minutes after he had put her on the bench, but eventually, she stopped. It was not due to Zeres¡¯ short and blunt responses but for the only reason that she was already starting to feel weak again. This evidence of weakness totally disgusted her. For her to be so weak to the point that she could not even sustain a simple conversation was making her even more miserable.

    This had not happened before. Usually, she was able to at least remain standing until they reached their next destination. But now, they have yet to even move out and already, her knees were giving out as if she was some sickly old humandy. She had sat weakly on the floor thirty minutes ago and now her breathing was starting to be moreboured and louder.

    Sitting across her on a tree stump that was conveniently lying around, with his wrist on top of his bended knee, Zeres silently gritted his teeth. The tendons and muscles in his fists and neck appearing as his gaze sharpened in rage ¨C a rage directed towards himself and the world.

    But he loosened up after closing his eyes, taking a deep calming breath before he finally stood and approached her.

    Without a word, Zeres gathered her in his arms and Alicia could not even mutter a protest. She scoffed at herself internally. What was there for her to be all proud and uptight in protesting on the way he is caring her and seeing to her needs? She could not even sit and talkfortably, much less stand up and walk on her own strength. It was all she could do to hold her head upright instead of leaning it against Zeres¡¯ chest, while he carried her. The sound of her own breathlessness filled the silent atmosphere since the two vampires had already long stopped their sparring and had headed back to where they were.

    Kyle saw Zeres picking Alicia up in his arms and was about to rush over towards them, but Lucas grabbed onto his shoulder, effectively stopping him from barging into something that might cause more awkwardness than it already was.

    "Don¡¯t. You can¡¯t do anything for her even if you do go rushing over." Lucas said, causing Kyle to frown at him. He shrugged off Lucas¡¯ hold on his shoulder and brushed past him and approached the two witches, but at a more sedate pace rather than at a dead run like he wanted to do so earlier.

    "Zeres. What¡¯s going on?" the boy asked but Zeres simply nced at him and looked at Lucas.

    "Inform me the moment Kiel arrives." He said and without waiting for Lucas¡¯ response, he was gone ¨C Alicia along with him.

    He materialized inside the room they both shared earlier and gentlyid Alicia on the bed.

    Alicia forced her eyes to remain open and fighting hard to keep herself conscious and not drift off into oblivion. She refused to faint ¨C again ¨C and this time when they have yet to even start their journey. And yet her will could not do anything in fighting her body condition and eventually, even if she was bitter and reluctant about it, all she could do was utter one final curse in her mind before she felt her body falling into the pit of darkness.

    Staring at her unhappy face, slightly pouted lips and long curledshes closed against lids that hid expressive eyes in rest, Zeres just sat at the edge of the bed for a long time, like a statue until he felt someone¡¯s presence outside the door.

    "I¡¯ming in." he heard Zeke¡¯s voice and as soon as he entered the room, Zeres shed over from his sitting position and had him pinned against the door frame.

    Zeres¡¯ hands were grabbing Zeke¡¯s cor. His eyes vivid gold, burning bright.

    "Please..." his voice came out in a controlled hiss. "Tell me you¡¯ve found it, Kiel."

    It was obvious that he was at the very edge of his control. A little more push and he would have lost control of himself. Zeke had dealt with something like this many times before, but Zeres¡¯ was different from Alex¡¯s temper tantrums. Zeke could feel nothing but utter desperation in Zeres. And he thought at that moment, Zeres was bing more and more dangerous ¨C a ticking time bomb. A bomb that would certainly detonate if Zeke said ¡¯no¡¯.

    Zeke calmly pulled Zeres¡¯ hands off him as he answered. "Yes." He said and the golden hue burning in Zeres¡¯ eyes slowly dissipated. "I¡¯ve just confirmed it. It¡¯s the cavern we have been searching for."

    Zeres stepped back, his eyes locked on Zeke¡¯s for a moment, as if to determine whether or not what he said was true. And then, without further questions, something in Zeres¡¯ eyes and aura changed.

    "Atst." He muttered, smiling.

    He then turned toward the sleeping girl on the bed and his smile dimmed. As his gaze lingered on Alicia¡¯s face, he approached her and stood close to her, not taking his eyes off her now peacefully sleeping face.

    For a few moments, he just stood there, not saying anything.

    "Take care of her, Kiel." He said suddenly without turning towards Zeke and then, without another word, he disappeared.

    A quiet sigh escaped Zeke¡¯s lips and walked slowly closer to Alicia¡¯s bed. He stood there gazing down at her face for a while before he stared out the window and gazed at the moon that was shining so brightly in the dark starless sky.

    By the time he stepped out of Alicia¡¯s room, Kyle immediately approached him.

    "Zeres¡¯ presence is gone. Where did he go?" asked the boy.

    "I¡¯ll go after him."

    "What? Just you? How about ¨C"

    "You two stay here and watched over Alicia. Kyle, I need you to stay with her in her room. Lucas will be on guard outside." Zeke ordered and without giving them any chance to protest or say anything, he too was gone.

 Chapter 629 Madman

    <h4>Chapter 629 Madman</h4>

    Inside a cavern that looked exactly the same as the cavern in the ck Forest, Zeres was standing in the middle of a pile of dead bodies. A viinous smirk curved on his lips as he looked around the massive ce with an uninterested gaze.

    The fact that it was the exact replica of the Queen¡¯s cavern in ck Forest was enough for Zeres to think that the one behind all this trouble was a witch. He had long felt strong dark magicing from the rogue vampires they had encountered all along their journey and now, he had finally confirmed the lingering thought he had been harboring for a while now ¨C that this time, the mastermind wasn¡¯t a human or a vampire but a witch.

    At that moment, there was only one thing in Zeres¡¯ mind. And it was the thought that one of his own kind ¨C a witch ¨C would be the one to kill him. It made him smile because he had never thought of this possibility in the countless times that he had thought about the one who could kill him. Somehow, it relieved him because it appeared that the one to end his life would not be Alexander, or Abigail, or Ezekiel. He could only think that fate must have really pitied him this time and he was d ¨C really d. He did think it was quite appropriate that a witch ¨C not human nor vampire ¨C would be the one to take his life.

    Staring at the group of witches standing in front of the crystal throne, Zeres¡¯ eyes glowed golden. He could see a man in silver cloak. His hair long and onyx ck. One nce and Zeres knew he was a powerful male witch. Definitely the most powerful male witch he had encountered so far. However, no matter how powerful he is, Zeres could even tell just by observing that the male witch still was not strong enough to defeat Ezekiel.

    However, Zeres didn¡¯t mind. He knew about the possibility that his killer¡¯s strength didn¡¯t matter. He wouldn¡¯t fight anyway.

    So without even defending himself, Zeres walked idly towards the witches. The vampires jumped over him like zombies and Zeres just let them attack, allowing them to tear into him, piece by piece. It was painful, he thought. But it appeared that he had grown immune to pain now thanks to Dinah who had him brutally experimented on like a guinea pig for many years.

    The attacks could not even stop his feet from advancing. Because no matter how much they tear him to pieces, he just kept healing. He couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly at just how indestructible his body had be. And he wondered why he had ended up being this powerful, being this invincible when he had never... ever desired power in his entire existence.

    He thought it was funny that the world couldn¡¯t give him anything he wanted but could generously give him the one thing he never desired.

    Zeres couldn¡¯t help butugh hysterically like a madman, while the witches couldn¡¯t believe their eyes.

    Even the male witch in the center looked utterly shaken as he watched the silver-haired man approaching them like an indestructible god that nothing and no one could kill.

    Realizing the futility of everything his minions were doing to stop the ancient witch, the dark-haired male witch lifted his hand and the mindless vampires immediately stopped their actions. They were like puppets he could control with a single snap of his fingers.

    "Ancient witch Zeres..." the man started. His voice powerful and sinister. "I never thought that the one who woulde to foil my ns is my very own fellow witch. I was expecting the vampire royalties toe."

    Zeres tilted his head slightly and stared into the man¡¯s eyes as he finally took the first step up the crystallized stairs leading to the crystal throne where the witches stood. "Foil your ns?"

    "Yes!" The male witch roared but Zeres clearly detected fear in his voice. "That useless and weak queen found a powerful pawn at her disposal now, I see." he barked in rage and hate.

    "Disposal?" Zeres echoed as he halted in his steps. A bemused smirk shed on his angel-like face. "For your information... the queen is not the one who sent me here. And I didn¡¯te here to foil whatever silly n you have. Also..."

    Like a lightning strike, a loud sound echoed inside the cavern. And the male witch unexpectedly found himself pinned against the crystal throne while Zeres¡¯ hand gripped his neck.

    "Queen Alicia can defend herself against an attack like this," Zeres said in a controlled but ice hard voice. "An attack you can¡¯t even dodge. And yet you dare call her weak and useless?" Zeres¡¯ grip on his neck tightened. "Did you know that if she¡¯s the one in my ce now, your head would already be rolling down these crystalized stairs?"

    The male witch looked shocked but still obviously disbelieving.

    "I see you¡¯re just an ignorant fool." Zeres continued before letting go of the male witch¡¯s neck and pushing him off, realizing that he reeked of nothing but madness.

    Zeres had already seen everything in that short amount of time he invaded the male witch¡¯s memories. This ce was indeed the headquarters of the rogue vampires they had been fighting and the boss was no other than this male witch. And Zeke was right. These vampires were all dead. He had been collecting dead bodies, mostly, the ones Alexander had killed in the past, many decades ago, and brought them to this ce. The male witch had awakened the dead by performing a forbidden witchcraft. He had also made the dead vampires more powerful through another forbidden spell that made the dead vampires utilize the power of dark magic. The male witch seemed a master of spells and terrifyingly intelligent and insane. Every forbidden and powerful spell requires bigger sacrifices and this insane witch had sacrificed many rogue witches just to create this undead vampire army to be at his disposal.

    He had taken advantage of that time when the witch queen was captured by Dinah. While everyone¡¯s attention was distracted, even as the vampires were focused on the immortals, this man had recruited and lured countless female witches and then used them as the sacrifice to perform these forbidden spells.

 Chapter 630 Naive fool

    <h4>Chapter 630 Naive fool</h4>

    The reason why this somewhat powerful male witch did all these for the sake of his longing to be king of the witches. He had always hated the thought and felt it was biased and unfair that only female witches are given the opportunity to be chosen and could rule the witches. He also loathed the fact that within the many kinds of non-humans currently alive, the witches remained the weakest of the creatures. And in his impression, it was due to this fact that until now, they ended up living in the dark, hidden from the eyes of the vampires and even humans. So the mad witch created a strong army. His n was to create an army so huge that was strong enough to lead the world into chaos. Since he could not change anything, he nned to be the viin instead. He wanted to expose the existence of vampires and witches to everyone living in the world and this would then drag the world down into chaos. He was nning was to lead an attack on a few major human cities all at once using his countless minions and undead vampire army that no living vampire nor witch, could stop nor cover up. He thought that this was the most dramatic and thrilling way of exposing the world to the knowledge of the existence of creatures such as vampires and witches.

    And his ns were almost carried out topletion. A little bit more and he¡¯dplete the number of required resurrected vampire soldiers he desired.

    "I will not let you stop me. I already stationed many of my minions in a few major human cities around the world. They¡¯re simply waiting for a single order from me and they¡¯ll attack."

    "Oh... are you talking about those rogues we found in some of the caverns we found in several countries?"

    "H-how did you ¨C"

    The male witch seemed shocked and Zeres could onlyugh, finally realizing something. "Damn you, Kiel." Zeres muttered under his breath before he returned his attention to the male witch.

    "I am not here to stop you," he said finally as he let go of the insane male witch. "You are free to do what you wish."

    "Could it be that you¡¯re here to join me?" The male witch¡¯s eyes widenedically as they sparkled with sudden joy, thinking he had gotten another powerful male witch to be on board with his campaign. He could not believe his luck as he grinned gleefully. "Do you wanted to be king too?!"

    Suddenly, an ecstatic and thrilledughter filled the massive cavern. Zeres simply watched as the insane witch rejoiced on his own.

    "You made the best choice in this, ancient witch Zeres. I will step aside and make you king. It¡¯s time for the witches to rule by a man. And I believe this is meant to happen. The existence of a male witch with silver hair is the proof that it¡¯s time for a change. Hahaha!!"

    Zeres didn¡¯t even bother to respond much less take the effort to speak to this ridiculous person. His gaze was nk as he watched the insane witch and his minions. But after a while, he lifted his hand to silence the mad man. "Why? You don¡¯t want to be the king anymore?" Zeres asked. "The truth is I am not here to stop you. I am here to because I wanted to die." he continued with a sardonic smile, causing everyone to look at him in surprise. "If you can kill me, you¡¯d probably inherit my immortality, and you can be the king. So why don¡¯t you find a way to kill me instead?"

    The mad witch looked at Zeres in disbelief and scepticism but eventually, his greed and desire for power filled his eyes and his madness seemed to have totally consumed him. "Sure, ancient witch. I¡¯ll thank you first for the opportunity to be the one in taking the honour to kill you!" he roared and without wasting a moment, the mad witch rushed at Zeres.

    That night was the longest and the most agonizing night in Zeres¡¯ existence. He had let the mad witch do anything to him, not caring if it was humane or barbaric or brutal. He remembered what he had told Ezekiel before this journey. Zeres had asked for a peaceful death but it appeared that was too much for him to ask. It appeared it was just a wishful thinking.

    And as the night slowly came to its end, the agony of still breathing despite everything caused Zeres to growl in misery.

    The mad witch who had been ecstatic and thrilled as hell at first was now slumped on the floor, hair dishevelled and looking in all the world as if he was also taking the torture along with Zeres. Utter surrender already etched on his face. He had done everything. Even the things no sane man could think of doing. And yet, it was futile.

    Zeres had fell on his knees,ughing hysterically. And then, he slumped on the ground, one hand fisting his previously silky silvery hair that had long since turned scarlet. He didn¡¯t stopughing as tears began to fall from his eyes.

    "Of course..." he uttered between his hystericughter, talking to himself and shaking his head. "Of course, it was truly too much for you to hope for it to be this easy. When did the world ever let you have what you wanted? When will you ever learn? You¡¯re a na?ve fool, Zeres. Haha..."

    Like a mindless, broken doll, Zeres resignedly rose with a heavy sigh and turned around to leave the cavern. It was already dawn when he stepped out at the entrance. He looked up at the brightening sky, his eyes empty as he watched the beautiful colours of dawn being syed across the expanse.

    He was soaked naked in ake a few momentster. His eyes were closed, looking up the sky. He remained unmoving, statue-like for hours that way and when he finally made a move, a smile curved on his lips. It was the kind of smile that had never graced his lips before.

    As the sunshine kissed his face, his eyshes fluttered open, revealing deep unfathomable pools that were his eyes. They were gold and bright as the morning sun. The only difference was that Zeres¡¯ eyes no longer have any trace of warmth left in them ¨C bright gold and freezingly cold.

 Chapter 631 If

    <h4>Chapter 631 If</h4>

    By the time Zeres stood and walked out of the water, there was a new set of clothes sitting neatly, already ced on top of arge t stone nearby. He lifted his gaze and saw Zeke leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree, his one hand ying with a dagger and the other inside his pocket.

    Zeres silently got dressed, ignoring Zeke.

    "I¡¯m going to go back to the kingdom." Zeke broke the silence and Zeres simply paused his movement for a moment and still didn¡¯t say a thing.

    "Now that we have found the cavern, it¡¯s time for us to get the next clue. I¡¯lle back with the prophetess as soon as possible."

    "Yes." Was all Zeres said. His voice emotionless and eyes nk, as if he genuinely did not care about Zeke¡¯s words and ns any longer.

    Zeke already knew. He could tell that Zeres was no longer interested about what he was saying or nning to do because it was apparent to him that Zeres now had a n of his own ¨C a n Zeke could never agree with. However, in Zeres¡¯ thinking, that was the only path left for him to travel. Zeke also knew that he could not stop Zeres, not that he did not want to but it was more of the fact that he knew it was toote to do anything now.

    After leveling one hard and heavy stare at Zeres, Zeke left with an inaudible sigh.

    ...

    When Zeres returned to the vi, Zeke was already long gone. Lucas was busy cooking up a storm for everyone¡¯s breakfast in the kitchen. Since the young prince still refused to drink blood, Lucas had to cook nutritious food for him to supplement the necessary nutrients needed for a growing vampire teen and also for the witches three times daily. This happens every single time they stopped to stay over in a ce far from human towns. The ginger head had been a huge help and he was unexpectedly a good cook too.

    Kyle was outside the house on guard duty to keep watch for any unforeseen dangers or stray rogue vampires while Lucas was upied with cooking when he felt Zeres¡¯ presence. He immediately leaped to the window of Alicia¡¯s room and saw Zeres already inside, already gathering Alicia up carefully in his arms.

    "Zeres!" the boy called out as he entered through the window and approached them. But for a split second, he paused in his tracks when he suddenly felt something in the air that made his defensive instincts kick into high gear. He frowned hard, confused but continued approaching them after that short moment of hesitation. "She¡¯s still not waking up. Where are you taking her?" he asked, cautiously.

    Zeres nced at him and to the boy¡¯s relief, he responded. "I need to wake her up."

    The boy¡¯s brows creased. "H-how? I mean, why would you need to ¨C"

    "She¡¯ll sleep forever if I don¡¯t wake her up. We¡¯ll be back in a few minutes."

    "O- okay..." Kyle could only nod and stood there feeling useless while watching the witches disappear from his sight.

    Worried and confused, Kyle left the room with a heavy heart and headed back down to the kitchen where Lucas was still in the midst of his food prep. His brother had just left with a single order. They were to stay put in this house until his return. Kyle was also worried sick about Queen Alicia. When he watched over herst night, the queen didn¡¯t even make a single move or twitched in her sleep or made any sounds that he had to approach her bed a few times to check on her closely, just to assure himself that she was still alive and sleeping and not dead. Her breathing was so weak and hard to sense it out that he was scared she had actually stopped breathing.

    He had noticed her weakness long ago, but it still shocked him how much she had deteriorated and how weak she had be. Her silver hair had now turned dark grey and even hershes and brows were a darker colour. Though she wasn¡¯t shining as bright as the moonlight anymore, she was still the most beautiful queen he had ever met.

    With a deep anxious sigh, Kyle slumped onto one of the kitchen chairs. Even the delicious smells wafting off the food Lucas had prepared failed to elevate his mood this time.

    "Zeres felt scary just now..." he muttered, half talking to himself and half telling Lucas what had happened earlier. "But knowing that he is the one who cares the most about Alicia, I couldn¡¯t stop him but only let him take her away."

    "You did the right thing, Your Highness. And besides, you don¡¯t have the right to stop him from taking her away." Lucas replied, facing the stove. The pale pink apron he wore was a ring contrast against his pure ck clothes and big frame.

    "But... Zeres really felt different this time. I¡¯m starting to feel wary of him."

    Lucas didn¡¯t speak this time and silence reigned for a long while until Kyle said again.

    "If... if Zeres suddenly bes an enemy... our enemy, can we deal with him?"

    The young prince¡¯s question had taken Lucas by surprise, rendering him frozen to the spot and at a loss for words for a few seconds before finally asking, "Why would you think something like that?"

    Kyle¡¯s eyes widened as if he had just realized what he had blurted out. "I... I don¡¯t know. I think I¡¯m imagining too much." He sighed, raking his hand over his hair hard. "Zeres is one of the nicest I know and he¡¯s very caring and kind too. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll be an enemy, right?"

    When Lucas said nothing, Kyle noisily stood from his chair. "Ugh. I don¡¯t like these crazy thoughts. I¡¯ll take a breather outside to clear my head."

    "Remember to remain within a five-meter radius of the house. Or else your breakfast¨C" Lucas nagged.

    "Yes, boss. I know. Rest assured I¡¯ll listen obediently." Kyle rolled his eyes and smirked at how Lucas was ying the nanny role perfectly.

    Once the boy was gone, Lucas¡¯ expression changed. His hands slowly dropped to his sides as he leaned against the table behind him, staring absent-mindedly at the foodid on the table and that which was still on the stove.

 Chapter 632 One purpose

    <h4>Chapter 632 One purpose</h4>

    It was alreadyte in the morning when Alicia regained her consciousness. After gaining her bearings, as usual, the first thing she did was to take stock and feel out thetest condition of her body, clench her fists to see how much strength she had left this time around before the memories from herst waking moments caught up with her.

    With wide eyes she whipped her head towards the spot where she had seen Zeres sleeping at yesterday. Seeing that the spot on the floor was empty, Alicia sighed out in relief. However, she did wonder where did Zeres run off to this time.

    Her gaze fell on the window and the moment she realized the sun was already high and beaming brightly through the opened curtains, she slipped off the bed, wore her cloak and hastily grabbed her things for washing up before heading off to the bathroom downstairs.

    The men were all lounging outside the house. Lucas was sitting leisurely on the bench while Zeres and Kyle were having an intense sparring session. It had surprised Lucas when Zeres suddenly asked the young prince if he wanted to spar with him.

    Of course, Kyle was overjoyed. He had been itching to ask Zeres for a long time now and it seemed the witch himself had long noticed the young prince¡¯s obvious desire to fight him. The only question was, what made Zeres even consider offering to do so now when he had ignored the young prince for so long? There have been many other chances previously and Zeres had not even bothered with the young prince other than just giving the cursory greetings or nces.

    Lucas also noticed that the silver-haired witch seemed to have somehow changed overnight. But all he could do was rest his head on his palm and watch. He didn¡¯t like thinking too deeply into things that much. But it seemed he could not avoid thinking after all, as his brain already started nning on what he should be cooking for the prince and the other two witches for their lunch which wasing up soon.

    "Ugh!!" Kyle fell on the ground hard. His sword was flung far away from him and he felt his sword hand going numb with the strong impact of Zeres¡¯ earlier attack.

    Zeres walked towards him and offered him a hand to pull him up. The boy smiled, thrilled and happy as he epted Zeres¡¯ hand.

    "That move was so strong! And I¡¯m pretty sure that¡¯s not even your full strength! Right?" Kyle said animatedly as he stood and brushed off his pants.

    "Kiel can easily block and counter that attack though. If your brother¡¯s an immortal, he could probably beat both me and Alexander at once." Zeres replied as a matter of fact, causing the boy to widen his eyes in amazement.

    "R-really? That¡¯s..." Kyle trailed off because something had already caught and pulled the immortal witch¡¯s attention. When the boy followed his line of sight, his gaze fell towards Alicia¡¯s room.

    Kyle still wanted to talk to him. This was the first time they had sparred and chatted, and Kyle really liked him too. He wanted them to chat and fight a little bit more, but he also knew that this immortal¡¯s priority was Alicia. He had seen it since the very beginning, how this man seemed to have only one purpose in existing and that was to take care of the witch queen.

    "You¡¯re strong, Kyle." Zeres said. A small smile curved on his lips. "If you don¡¯t stop improving yourself, one day, you could be as strong as your brother. Maybe even stronger, who knows? I¡¯m not encouraging you to be like him though. You¡¯re still so young, don¡¯t focus on getting stronger so early."

    "Why? Is that a bad thing? I heard my brother Ezekiel was already as strong as hell that he could beat every living vampire to pulp when he was my age."

    "And that¡¯s why Kiel¡¯s bored as hell and as cold as ice now." Zeres smirked. "Or do you actually want to be like him?"

    Kyle blinked and he looked away. "I do want to be as powerful as him. But... I don¡¯t want to be following in his footsteps in the matter of personality and attitude."

    "That¡¯s great then. But remember there¡¯s always a price for everything." Zeres ruffled Kyle¡¯s hair and before Kyle could open his mouth again, the immortal witch was already gone.

    Slightly pressing on the back of his neck, Kyle walked towards his sword and picked it up. He stared at it and muttered towards himself. "So... you¡¯re saying that if I want power, I need to pay something for it... I wonder just how much my brother had to pay for the power he has now?"

    ...

    In the house, Alicia was done freshening up and already gotten dressed when Zeres entered her room with a tray of food for her.

    "I am d you finally entertained the boy. He looked happy." Alicia said with a pleased tone, turning away from the window and towards him.

    "Yes. He¡¯s really strong." He smiled, surprising Alicia. It felt like forever since shest saw him smiling that she could not help but feel somewhat weirded out and stared at him.

    "What happenedst night?"

    "Eat first. I¡¯ll tell you once you finish all your food."

    Her gaze darted between him and the tray of food for a while before she sighed in defeat and sat down to eat. She knew it was futile in arguing with him as she has yet to win in any of their arguments since they started the journey. She still could not taste the food but without a word, she silently forced herself to finish it bit by bit.

    "So? What happenedst night? You guys didn¡¯t dy the journey because of me, right?" Alicia asked as soon as she finished all her food on her tray.

    Zeres quietly collected the tes and tray to set it aside. She reached out for the pitcher but Zeres was quicker than her.

    "Kiel and I went to the cavern and..." he looked straight into her eyes after pouring a ss of cool water for her. "We finally found it."

 Chapter 633 Curious

    <h4>Chapter 633 Curious</h4>

    Alicia¡¯s eyes were wide with disbelief. It felt quite surreal that she didn¡¯t know how to react. Did they really, finally found it?! They have been travelling for so long,bing through different continents, visiting cavern after cavern, only to be disappointed and let down time and again. It somehow didn¡¯t feel quite real that they finally managed to track down the ever-elusive cavern. Alicia¡¯s initial thought was to burst out in joy, but for some reason, the joy wasn¡¯t there.

    "But there is a problem Kiel needs to deal with first and foremost before we can head over and get to attack the cavern." Zeres continued.

    "A-attack? There are rogue vampires there too?"

    "Yes. Apparently, that ce is where they had set up their headquarters. We must clear the ce before bringing you there. We needed back up."

    Alicia frowned. It was hard for her to believe that they needed a back-up against a group of rogue vampires. These vampires and Zeres that she travels with are not your everyday run-of-the-mill ordinary vampires or witch. To be fair, they are as far from ordinary as can be. Ezekiel alone could deal with thousands and Zeres can ignite countless rouge vampires in one go. Not to mention the added strength of Lucas and Kyle. Their group was invincible and yet Ezekiel had left to ensure that they had sufficient back-up?

    She was about to shake her head when a solemn thought popped into her head. Wait... could it be that there was another enemy who was like Dinah, or God-forbid, someone even stronger than her!? This thought that had seemed so random, was now making more sense as in her mind, it was the only usible reason Alicia coulde up with the reason why they needed to fetch more people as back-ups. But who was this enemy? Just where did theye from?

    With wide eyes, Alicia stared at Zeres as if she was waiting for him to suddenly burst outughing and finally tell her that he was just kidding. But the man was serious, and she couldn¡¯t see even a hint that he was lying. His words rang clearly with the truth.

    "So, let me get this straight. Are you saying that we have a new enemy right now?" she finally managed to ask after arranging her thoughts, and when he nodded, Alicia frowned even harder. "Who are they? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s another immortal." Alicia could feel her skin crawl as she asked thatst question. She remembered that many of them barely survived with the incident of thest immortal getting on their case. Riev¡¯s face also appeared in her head which she tried to immediately erase in her thoughts.

    "I still don¡¯t know but Kiel left to fetch the vampire prophetess over and probably, Alexander as well. I¡¯m sorry but I cannot say any more on this yet, Alicia. Kiel still have yet to exin the details to me properly. He just told us to wait for him here. He should be arriving back here tomorrow morning."

    Alicia¡¯s gaze remained locked onto his. At first, her gaze seemed to hold nothing more than a disbelieving inquiry, but as it continued to hold on, he realized that she was attempting her hardest to read him.

    Zeres casually collected the now empty food tray and with a small smile, he said, "So we¡¯ll just hang around here for the rest of the day."

    He turned to leave the room, holding the tray in his hand when Alicia reached out and grabbed a fistful of his cloak, causing Zeres to halt mid step. "Hold on... Make sure youe back here after leaving the things in the kitchen. I still have many questions for you."

    "I will be back soon." He replied and disappeared as soon as she let go of his cloak.

    For some reason, unease had suddenly gripped her insides. The worse thing was she knew Zeres wasn¡¯t lying. And yet she could not feel the dness and relief she was supposed to be feeling now that they finally found what they were looking for. And even if there was indeed an immortal enemy, it shouldn¡¯t be enough to make her feel like this. Right? They have with them three immortals on their side, plus there¡¯s Ezekiel too. There was absolutely no need for these uneasy feelings to bubble out. So why was her instincts screaming bloody murder at her?

    Alicia took a deep breath and then shook her head as though by doing so, she could ease those feelings that had started to overwhelm her. Forcing herself to believe that perhaps, she had weakened emotionally as well and that was why she was having this seemingly exaggerated emotional reaction.

    "Why don¡¯t youe out of the room and take a nice stroll outside? Anyway, time is what we have at the moment. We have a day and a night to spare." Zeres suggested as soon as he was back.

    Staring at him again, Alicia shook her head. "Nope. I don¡¯t want to waste any strength left in me. I had better sit and rest in the room here all day to preserve whatever little strength I have left."

    "You¡¯re right..." Zeres walked towards the window and stood there. His gaze focused on the mountain ranges towering across the thick forest, while Alicia¡¯s gaze remained locked on him. He could feel her eyes boring into his back, observing him intently.

    "What happenedst night?" she finally asked.

    "Hm?" he looked at her over his shoulder. "I already answered tha ¨C"

    "Yes. You and Ezekiel ventured outst night and found the cavern. But I¡¯m curious... did something happen to youst night?"

    "Nothing much, I just fought against a horde of undead vampires." He shrugged. Alicia¡¯s eyes twitched slightly but she eventually eased back against the headboard and sighed.

    "I don¡¯t know. Somehow you feel... different..." she muttered, not realizing she had said it out loud until Zeres¡¯ expression changed. "Uh... I meant... well, you¡¯re talking to me again. You¡¯re even smiling again."

    He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. "I¡¯m just... d we finally found the cavern."

    "Oh, right." Alicia nodded in agreement. Of course, that could be the reason why he seemed to be his usual self again. But...

    "By the way," Zeres broke off and her attention was pulled from her own thoughts back to him. "Would you like to do the honours of cutting my hair?"

 Chapter 634 Differen

    <h4>Chapter 634 Differen</h4>

    Alicia blinked as Zeres lifted a pair of scissors he found lying on the make-up stand by the window. "What? Why would you want to ¨C"

    "Well, I think I¡¯m the only male here with long hair now." He said innocently as his fingers worked harshly on his silver hair. "Even Alexander cut his hair short quite a long while back, didn¡¯t he? I think it¡¯s time for me to cut mine too. You know, to keep up with the times?" Zeres nonchntly shrugged his shoulders and threw a lopsided smile.

    "Oh," was all Alicia could say. She stared at his long, luscious hair that looked like a silvery silken waterfall. It was beautiful and shimmering like moonlight when viewed from certain angles.

    Without waiting for her to agree, Zeres grabbed a stool and put it in front of Alicia. He then sat down, his back facing her while his hand that was holding the scissor andb was stretched out towards her.

    "You can do it, right? Or is it too hard for you?" he asked without ncing back, his voice seemed a little worried.

    "No, no... of course I can do it. I think I am quite good at this you know. I¡¯ve helped cut a few little boy¡¯s hair back in the days." She told him as she took the scissors andb from his hand. "It¡¯s just that... are you really sure about this, Zeres?"

    "As sure as I know my own name, my queen." He didn¡¯t even hesitate.

    "You¡¯re not sacrificing your hair just because you think I¡¯m dying of boredom and you¡¯re providing an extra service here are you?"

    His shoulders suddenly started moving up and down repetitively and she realized after a few seconds that he wasughing. "Please don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s definitely not the reason. It¡¯s not out of a whim either, I¡¯ve been thinking about having it cut for a while now. So just go ahead and cut it, Alicia. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s ugly."

    A long sigh escaped Alicia¡¯s lips as she started to work on his hair. "I know you recognise how precious having silver hair is to us witches."

    "I know. But... it doesn¡¯t really mean anything to me. And it¡¯s not like it¡¯ll turn dark, or I¡¯ll suddenly get bald, if it was cut. I just want it short form now on."

    Alicia was silent for a moment. For some reason, she felt like Zeres truly despised his hair and she didn¡¯t know what to feel about it.

    She stared at his hair as she used her fingers to pull apart the little snarls with great care. She couldn¡¯t help but want to coax him to not cut it off, but she could sense that this was something he really wanted. Due to that, she didn¡¯t have the heart to order him not to cut it. Especially when she thought back on everything that he had done for the useless her since the beginning of this bloody journey.

    "Alright," she eventually gave in and drew a deep breath. "I¡¯ll cut it."

    "Thank you." He sounded pleased and Alicia let out another deep sigh before finally startedbing his hair.

    Every time theb got caught within the tangles, he could not help but flinch no matter how careful and slowly Alicia did it.

    "Hold still." She said, biting on her lower lip to stop the smile threatening to form and identally bursting out inughter. "I didn¡¯t know your scalp was so sensitive. Could it be that this is one of the reasons why you wanted to cut them... You should¡¯ve told me earlier."

    Zeres said nothing. He had caught his lower lip between his teeth. Both embarrassment and rm were etched on his face.

    And when theb tugged a little too hard this time, he flinched harder, giving her a little re through the mirror in front of him.

    "Oh, sorry." Amusement was heavy in her voice as she gently rubbed the smarting spot with her fingertips. She did not realise the bewildered and disquieted look Zeres had on his face when she did what she was doing.

    "Okay, I¡¯m going to cut it now. I must ask you onest time, Zeres ¨C"

    "Cut it." He broke off and his voice came out a little weird. He cleared his throat, and his voice was back to normal. "I won¡¯t change my mind no matter how many times you ask. So just cut it please."

    "Alright, alright. Here we go." He heard her say and when he felt the scissors slice carefully through his hair, he closed his eyes and stayed a little tense and quite passive as Alicia continued her task with dedication.

    "Is there a particr hair style you want?" she asked after a while but Zeres shook his head and simply replied "up to you."

    And thus, Zeres sat like a lifeless statue and didn¡¯t speak anymore until Alicia moved to his front. When she touched the tip of his chin to indicate him to lift his head, she didn¡¯t notice how stunned he was at her simple touch. Alicia blissfully continued in her task like a pro. She had done this a few times before she was chosen to be the next queen, so she was quite confident with her skills.

    "I think it¡¯s done," she finally dered after a long time. She stepped back and narrowed her eyes to critically inspect her work of art before giving a pleased nod. When Zeres opened his eyes and looked at her, she was wearing a satisfied and proud smile. "You end up looking ten times more handsome now with short hair," she said, smiling widely.

    Zeres wasn¡¯t ttered at all because his attention was fully focused on her. She had finally smiled after such a long time ¨C a genuine and happy smile, not those fake and forced ones that she gave previously.

    "You don¡¯t believe me, do you? Why don¡¯t you take a look for yourself?" Before she could start urging him to approach the mirror, Zeres already started cleaning the floor.

    A sigh left Alicia¡¯s lips as she bent to help him when Zeres grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back gently until the back of her knees hit the bed. He made her sit on the bed next before letting go. "I¡¯ll do the cleaning. Please rest." He said and he turned to continue in his task.

    Looking at his back, Alicia had yet to get used to the sight of him no longer having that long silvery hair and she thought that he truly looked and felt even more different now.

 Chapter 635 The only way

    <h4>Chapter 635 The only way</h4>

    "Whoah!" Kyle rose noisily in surprise when Zeres appeared in the kitchen. His eyes rounded out at the sight of the now short-haired Zeres. Even Lucas who was facing the stove turned around at Kyle¡¯s exmation and was currently looking as surprised if not more than the young vampire prince. "You cut your hair!" the boy eximed.

    For some reason, even though Zeres now indeed looked much more handsome than before and so fresh to the eyes, the young prince was a slight bit disappointed. Maybe it was due to the thought that he had where Zeres¡¯ long and silver hair lent him that fascinating and so magical aura around him, that in his eyes, Zeres was actually an ethereal being which was disguised as a witch. But now that his long hair was gone, Kyle personally thought that his otherworldliness had been dramatically reduced. Of course, he kept that thought to himself.

    "Queen Alicia did it," came his short response and Kyle blinked, taken aback at that revtion.

    "She didn¡¯t force you ¨C" Lucas butted in almost immediately after Zeres exined how his hair came to be that way.

    "I was the one who forced her to cut it." Zeres cut Lucas¡¯s words off before he could utter more, obviously not pleased at what his red-hairedrade had said about his queen. Kyle observed that and was d he kept his thoughts to himself. It would be a very bad idea to tick Zeres off.

    "Oh, right." Lucas showed both palms to Zeres in surrender and apology before turning around and putting his attention back to the food on the stove. "Nowe over and help me out a little here. I definitely can¡¯t ask His Highness to wash the dishes and I¡¯m so busy manning the stove, so you do it." he gestured to the sink with his lips and all eyes fell on the stack of dishes that were piled up in the sink.

    Zeres moved towards the sink obediently without expression when the young prince blocked him. "I think I should be doing this. I am the youngest one here after all." The boy said, causing Lucas to whip his head towards them.

    "Your Highness! Please, just take a seat." The cook eximed, his face inexplicable.

    "It¡¯s fine Lucas. Really. It¡¯s even more uneptable to have Zeres wash the dishes, you know!"

    "Your Highne ¨C"

    "Would you ever tell Alexander to wash the dishes?"

    Lucas was instantly silenced for a while before he answered. "Of course not. How would I dare ask Alexander? Not unless I am looking to die."

    "Then how could you ask Zeres to wash the dishes? I¡¯ll do it. It¡¯s not like washing dishes kills a prince." Kyle started to fold his sleeves up. "I personally think that washing the dishes is an honorable task." He added with quite the conviction as he finally approached the sink, leaving Lucas dumbstruck.

    Quietly, Zeres had already walked up to stand next to the young prince¡¯s side. "Wait, please ¨C"

    "I also want to be part of this honorable task you have mentioned..." The witch stated simply with a small smile.

    And thus, the two began washing up. A momentter, something broke and Lucas whipped his head towards them. His brows scrunched together as his face darkened at the sight of the broken ss on the floor.

    "I¡¯m sorry," Kyle said sheepishly, as he quickly bent to gather the broken shards.

    The next second, another simr sound echoed, and Lucas again whipped his head to look at them. It was Zeres this time who ended up breaking a bowl. Zeres only looked up at Lucas, hands frozen in the air and eyes blinking innocently as he nced at the red-haired who was now wearing a grim face.

    "I¡¯ll be more careful with the next one." Zeres said even though the big man did not make a singlement at all. While Kyle was setting aside the broken shards, he identally knocked another ss Zeres had ced at the edge of the sink and another familiar crash echoed through the kitchen.

    The young prince and the silver-haired witch stiffened. Their heads slowly turning to look at Lucas.

    Before they knew it, they were gently but firmly pushed out of the kitchen, the door mming shut in front of their faces. They could only blink at the door and turned to look at each other, sweat dropping.

    "I think I must show more respect towards Lucas from now on." Kyle said and Zeres immediately nodded in agreement. Both silently agreeing in their hearts that Lucas was a warrior above warriors to be able to conquer both battlefield and the dangerous terrain called the kitchen!

    ...

    It was already night in Alex¡¯s country when Zeke finally arrived at his destination.

    Alex and Abi were in Abi¡¯s family house that night, so Alex and Zeke had to bring their discussion outside the house. Zeke quickly brought Alex up to speed on everything that has happened so far.

    "So, you¡¯re saying there¡¯s really no other way out for him? Has he exhausted all other possible options?" Alex asked, his voice grave as he stared at the lightsing from the windows of Abi¡¯s parent¡¯s house.

    "You must not forget that you failed to die even after seeking death for thousands of years, Alex." Zeke replied, leaning leisurely against the tree and staring at the dark space above them. "It¡¯s always a given that it will never be easy for an immortal to seek death. And that¡¯s why Zeres has decided to resort to that. He knows it¡¯s the only way forward. And he has already made up his mind. I don¡¯t think anyone can stop him at this point."

    A long drawn out sigh escaped Alex¡¯s lips. There was a troubled look in his eyes as he remembered the past. He would never, ever forget that time where Zeres had sacrificed himself for him.

    "Give me a moment. I have already talked to my wife about this, so I won¡¯t take long." Alex then told Zeke and he returned to the small but warm house not far from where they were standing.

 Chapter 636 Stubborn

    <h4>Chapter 636 Stubborn</h4>

    Back in the vi, Alicia was standing by the window. Her deep contemting gaze focused on the bright moon hanging in the sky. She noticed the drain on her powers and was starting to feel weak again, so she thought it was better if she headed off to bed now. Tomorrow, Ezekiel will be arriving with the others and they will finally make their move. She was going to regain her strength, her powers and everything will be fine and back to normal again.

    But that tiny nagging ball of unease inside her kept growing by the minute no matter how much she tried to distract herself or ignore it. This seems to bring the premonition of worse thingsing.

    Heaving a sigh, she sat down heavily on her bed. Zeres had not returned after he left to take the food tray back down to the kitchen. She didn¡¯t know why but she realized that unexinable feeling of unease tends to calm down a little when Zeres was around her. She found it strange.

    Shaking her head, Alicia fell back on the bed, forcing herself to sleep. But momentster, she rose again. She grabbed her ck cloak and stepped out of her room.

    The house was quiet, and she could no longer sense where everyone is. Thankfully, just as Alicia was about to descend the stairs, she saw Lucas stepping out of the room at the far end of the walkway.

    She waited for him toe nearer before greeting him. "Good evening, Lucas."

    "Good evening, Queen Alicia." The red-haired responded.

    "Have you seen Zeres?" Alicia asked. She peeked at him through her hood and she saw him looking to the door right next to her room. "Oh, thank you." she added upon understanding the vampire¡¯s gaze and the man just silently nodded at her before descending the stairs.

    Alicia sighed and approached the door. Standing there with her right hand raised and curled, she paused a moment, but before she could knock, the door suddenly swung open. Zeres looked surprised. He had sensed her leaving her room, but he had thought she was just heading to the bathroom, so he didn¡¯t move to check on her.

    "Is there something you ¨C" Zeres started asking and Alicia spoke at the same time.

    "May Ie in?" Alicia broke off and Zeres blinked at her before answering her question by stepping back, making way for her to enter. As she quickly nced around, she noticed that his room was shabby. It seems that her room was probably the tidiest one in this house.

    Since there was no chair anywhere in the room, Alicia pulled down her hood perched at the edge of his bed while Zeres remained standing by the door, looking at her with curious gaze. His eyes silently asking her what she was doing here.

    "What is it?" he finally asked her, and Alicia lifted her face. She had sought him out as there was something that she needed him to confirm. And she was right. That unknown feeling of unease did settle now that she was physically present with him.

    Her brows knotted hard in confusion and curiosity. Why? What is it that is causing this weird urrence? Is there a reason for it? Could it be that her unease has something to do with him?

    "Zeres, why are you still wearing your cloak?" That was not the question she had been meaning to ask but she didn¡¯t know if she should straight up tell him about her suspicions and what was troubling her. Thus, she ended up asking random questions instead.

    But her question unexpectedly made him looked ufortable and that alerted Alicia that something else was going on ¨C something was off. Her eyes focused and did a swift scan of him and then narrowed into slits as she realized that she had never seen Zeres take off his cloak since they left the desert.

    "I... just don¡¯t want to take it off. Um... this is so that I won¡¯t forget to put it on in case something sudden or an emergency happens." He reasoned but unfortunately, Alicia wasn¡¯t buying a single word of it.

    She stood and approached him steadily, eyes still narrowed on him. But Zeres hastily walked away from the door and towards the window and leaned there, obviously trying to avoid her. "You should go back to your room now Alicia. Kiel will probably arrive at dawn so you should..." he trailed off as he saw that Alicia was firm in her decision ofing towards him.

    He straightened and began to move sideways. Alicia advanced and he retreated, moving away from her as if it would result in fatal harm, the moment she caught him. They continued this awkward dance for a few seconds.

    Alicia abruptly halted, staring hard at him. "Zeres! Stop moving away, damn it." she breathed because she could already feel her knees weakening, with just those few steps she had taken to approach him. Even her lungs started to heave and burn as though she had just chased Zeres for miles when in fact, they were only moving around inside a small room. And to make it worse, she couldn¡¯t even catch him with all that stepping around! She couldn¡¯t help but curse her failing body though she ended up making it look like she was cursing at him.

    "Are you alright?" Zeres ended up being the one who approached her this time, worry visibly etched on his face. "Please, you have to go back to your room and rest." He attempted to hold onto her shoulders to support her when suddenly, Alicia reached out to tightly grasp onto his cloak ¨C as much as her meagre strength allowed her to.

    He jolted back, wide-eyed ¨C as the cloak pulled out of her weak grasp. Alicia was as shocked as he was at his reaction. And the queen¡¯s stubborn will to find out what she wanted to know kicked into higher gear and despite her breathlessness, she reached out again for his cloak.

    However, Zeres also stubbornly stepped back despite the worry for Alicia¡¯s depleting energy and alertness in his eyes. Refusing to be caught yet prepared to catch her if ever she falls. But that was until the back of his knees hit the frame of the bed and Alicia grabbed that chance to attack.

    Her hands sped onto his cloak hard, but her body finally lost its strength and as Zeres reached out to catch her from toppling over, Alicia flung his cloak off.

 Chapter 637 Not much

    <h4>Chapter 637 Not much</h4>

    As the cloak fluttered to the ground andnded, Alicia gasped in horror. Her eyes went wide, as her body was paralyzed in utter shock.

    Zeres wore no shirt under his cloak and his torso was covered with deep andrge wounds that seemed to pulse angrily with a life of their own.

    Alicia could not even form a word and she felt like she was going to faint now both from weakness and shock at the sight of Zeres¡¯ horrendous wounds. How on earth did he ever get to this state? What had happened during those times that she was unconscious and weakened? Those wounds do not look normal and though witches do not possess the speedy healing abilities the vampires do, it would still heal given time and help with spells. They had not left the house the past couple of days, so where did those ugly woundse from? They looked so raw and angry, as if only being inflicted recently. That could not be possible, right? Alicia¡¯s head was spinning, and her heart shivered with a chill.

    After letting out a low groan, Zeres held her and made her sit on the bed. Alicia didn¡¯t let go of the edge of his cloak as her weak hands were still hanging onto them, trembling hard. She finally realized that without a doubt his wounds were the result of a spell. A spell that could save someone dying from grave illness or life-threatening injury but would require something severe in return ¨C the price the caster had to pay. The caster needed to cut himself and let their blood flow while doing the ritual. The caster will not die but the wounds inflicted as payment for the spell can never be healed until their death. The price the caster had to pay for performing this spell was too cruel that no one had dared use this secret spell for a very long time now. Because aside from the unbearable pain they must bear, the wounds will also growrger when the spell is cast over and over again. The caster is also not allowed to cut and use the same wounded flesh twice. So, every time the spell is recast, the cut has to be made on wound-free skin.

    Knowing all these, Alicia cannot even imagine the physical pain he had to go through, much less the mental torture of enduring the ever erging wounds and agony of not having these wounds heal. Judging from the number of wounds that she could see on him; he must have been doing this many times now. Since that night she first fainted. And these were just wounds that she could see exposed. What about those unexposed ones? Her fingers grew cold, and she could not even bring herself to think of it.

    "Wh ¨C why... why... why are you doing this?" it was so hard for her to speak. "How could... how you... could you..." she knew she was starting to trip over her words as she started to gasp harder, breathing heavily. Tears began to pool in her eyes as she looked at him. Pain and sorrow, guilt and anger, confusion and bewilderment ¨C so many emotions were rushing through her ¨C all etched on her pale face which was rming Zeres who was looking at her. "How could you ¨C"

    "Hush, please, Alicia." He fell on his knees and tenderly gathered her icy cold hands between hisrge, warmer ones. Even through her muddled mind and trembling heart ¨C though small and currently being overwhelmed by the situation ¨C she could feel the undercurrent of calm and care being transferred from his hands that were holding onto hers. His eyes flooded with worry as he stared at her. "Please don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m really fine. I¡¯m an immortal. This is really nothing to me. Unlike the mortals, my body will eventually heal. It take a longer time, but it will heal. Look," he showed her his arms that were wounded from his wrist up to his shoulders. It was as he imed that the wounds on his wrist, which appeared to be the very first wound he had inflicted to himself, were truly starting to heal. "They¡¯re healing. It¡¯s a very slow process. But they will eventually heal. So please ¨C" Zeres kept reassuring Alicia that the wounds were on the mend.

    "So, this is why I always manage to wake up with some strength in me every day." She softly muttered between her harsh breaths, just loud enough for Zeres to catch it. Her face was miserable, and a bitter wobbly smile was on her lips. "You were casting a spell every day, hurting yourself, enduring excruciating pain...for me..." she trailed off and the tears that were pooling finally fell from her eyes like waterfalls as her lips trembled in anger and misery. "And you¡¯re telling me it¡¯s nothing... how... how am I supposed to... how could you do this..."

    His hands came up to the sides of her face and his thumbs wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Enough please. Don¡¯t cry." He said, his deep voice was shaken. And when she still didn¡¯t stop ¨C couldn¡¯t stop ¨C he pulled her in his arms and hugged her as she wept, not caring about the intense pain that electrified his body the moment her body rubbed against his wounded skin. All he cared about was tofort and reassure this person who was crying in his arms.

    "Stop doing this... never... again... please... I beg you..." she forced those words out brokenly as she fought for consciousness.

    He knew her body was failing again, and she was already sumbing to it despite her struggles to stay awake. Watching her struggle like this every single day had been more torturous to Zeres than the wounds all over him. "Sleep now, Alicia. You need to rest. Do not worry about me. I¡¯m really fine. I¡¯ll take care of you." he uttered as he smoothed her hair as if to lull her to sleep. "I¡¯ve done this before, so I¡¯m pretty used to it already. Now that I think about it, it was more agonizing back then. I don¡¯t really even feel the pain this time ¨C not much anyways. But I can promise you this won¡¯t even be enough to kill me." He continued, knowing that she wasn¡¯t listening anymore, because she had finally lost consciousness again. "I don¡¯t know why it¡¯s not as painful this timepared to thest. Back then, I was screaming in pain every time and I never healed until the day I finally died. Maybe because unlike back then, I am willingly doing it this time..." he trailed off and pulled away to look at her face.

    He carefully wiped off her tears and an ironic smile curved on his lips. "I never thought you¡¯d cry for me. The queen I suffered for back then never shed a single tear even if I screamed my lungs out all day."

    Standing up with Alicia gently cradled in his arms, Zeres pulled her hood up to cover her head and the two of them disappeared from the room before materializing at a small meadow in the middle of the forest.

    ____

    Add ¡¯Spellbound¡¯ in your library now guys. Just go to my profile to see it. ^^

 Chapter 638 Goodbye

    <h4>Chapter 638 Goodbye</h4>

    The little meadow was calm, and silvery moonlight was streaming down from the moon softly glowing in the dark sky. The surroundings were so tranquil and peaceful, which was the exact opposite of the range of emotions that was recently experienced by the two people who were currently upying the meadow. A gentle balmy breeze blew on them as Zeres slowly approached a fine t stone lying right in the middle of the meadow.

    Zeres carefully removed Alicia¡¯s cloak and spread it on top of the t stone before gently cing her down on it.

    He bent and carefully brushed off the rouge strands of the ashen hair that was on her face and then wiped the remnants of her tears which were still flowing down her cheeks. Her peaceful face looked sad and pained even though she was unconscious. Zeres felt his heart clench painfully as he looked at her. This pain was greater than the physical pain that was inflicted on his flesh.

    And all Zeres could say was "I¡¯m sorry," as he stared down at her. The look in his eyes were soft and the tone of his voice was miserable. However, the look on his face would cause onlookers to feel as if that this person is seemingly unrepentant of his actions. He could not repent for something he truly believed in. As things stand, he was not sorry for doing all this for someone like her. He was sorry however, for the fact that she had to go through all this because of him. This was all his fault. And he wished she was not dragged into this. He could endure and take all the pain in the world, but he would never let anyone suffer the same because of his existence. And the saddest thing was that Alicia really does not deserve this. She was the most amazing queen he had ever met in his long lifetime and yet, of all the queens, she had to be the one reigning when he appeared.

    "Don¡¯t worry... this is thest time, My Queen. I promise." He whispered as he reached out to caress her face again.

    But his hand halted in mid-air and he eventually retracted them. He suddenly had the doubt whether or not he should be touching his queen so freely. He had hurt her, caused her so much sadness and even the reason for her losing her powers. Though unintentional, it was still all due to him being there. His existence was perhaps the bane of hers ¨C that was what held his hand back. His gaze fell to the ground before lifting them towards the sky. After some minutes, he drew a deep breath before straightening himself and removing his cloak.

    He took a look at himself, taking note on which section of his flesh he should cut on this time. There was almost nowhere else left for him cut, but the small expanse of skin on his left shoulder and that which was over his heart that were left untouched. Every other part of him was already sacrificed as payment over the multiple times he had to cast the spell for Alicia to gain some strength. It did not even cross his mind that what he did was a sacrifice. A sacrifice would mean that his health and well-being is more important than Alicia¡¯s, but since he never thought of it as such, then this could not be counted as a sacrifice. It was without a doubt, a voluntary and willing act on his part.

    Without any hesitation, he started the ritual. He uttered a spell and lights began to envelop them. The greenish lights angrily whipped like waves through the air, getting stronger by the second. The forest had gone utterly silent, and the only sounds that could be heard was his low chants and the wheezing waves of the lights enveloping them.

    Lifting a dagger, Zeres stabbed deeply into his flesh over his heart and bright scarlet blood gushed out. He didn¡¯t even wince. The light surrounding them slowly turned reddish.

    Alicia¡¯s brows creased as her eyshes fluttered and she began to struggle violently as if she was having a nightmare. Zeres had to hold her still lest she identally injured herself. She was already so weak, she does not need more wounds to weaken her.

    The blood taken straight from the caster¡¯s heart was the strongest and most potent, so Zeres knew that this would give Alicia strength tost her for a few days straight. She would still remain weak and powerless, but at the very least, she wouldn¡¯t be copsing every time. The amount of blood he is giving her this time would be enough to keep her alive until... until Zeres finally dies, and her powers would finally be returned to her.

    "N... no... please..." she uttered even in her unconscious state and Zeres could not help but feel a warm flutter in his heart and he bent down to lightly press his forehead against hers.

    A bitter smile slowly curved on his lips. "Please don¡¯t fight it, Alicia. I¡¯m begging you." He pleaded. "Let me do this or you¡¯ll die." His voice became hoarse and strangled. "I can¡¯t let you die. If you die, I won¡¯t be able to forgive myself and the world... please... for me... ept it."

    She eventually calmed down and her struggles lessened until she finally stopped moving, the only sign showing she was still alive was the gentle rise and fall of her chest, signalling her breathing. A single tear fell from the corner of her eyes and Zeres was finally able to breathe easy. "Thank you," he whispered.

    Once the ritual wasplete, blood can be seen to be dripping from the side of Zeres¡¯ lips. He stared at Alicia as her condition slowly improved, herplexion bing better by the minute. Her breathing also no longer sounded weak andboured but was back to normal.

    A small smile graced his face and he looked up the sky again. After taking a long and deep breath, he put on his cloak and then gently picked Alicia up in his arms once again.

    Moving with much haste, Zeres immediately disappeared along with her and they both materialized in Alicia¡¯s room.

    Zeresid her on the bed before tucking her under the covers, ensuring that she would not catch a cold. His eyes never leaving her as he smoothed the nket down and checking to see that other than her face, nowhere else was exposed to the cool air. His hand then reached out, wanting to caress her face again. But he stopped himself at the veryst moment.

    Instead, he bent over and nted a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you for crying for me." He whispered, smiling slightly. "Goodbye, Alicia." He added and then, he was gone.

 Chapter 639 Twice*

    <h4>Chapter 639 Twice*</h4>

    "Brother!!" Kyle¡¯s eyes were wide as he hastily rose from sitting on the bench in front of the house. His face severe and worried as he approached Zeke. "Zeres is gone!" he eximed, ignoring the presence of Alexander and the prophetess.

    "Calm down, Kyle." That was all Zeke said. He didn¡¯t look surprised at all, causing Kyle to frown hard.

    "You already know he¡¯s gone? Did you see him?"

    "Yes, I already know he¡¯s gone. No, we didn¡¯t." Zeke¡¯s gaze lifted to the window of Alicia¡¯s room. "How is Alicia?"

    The confused young prince could only answer. "She¡¯s already awake, but... she¡¯s not eating. I think she¡¯s waiting for you."

    "I¡¯ll have to speak with Alicia first," Zeke turned to Alex, and once Alex nodded, he entered the house.

    Blinking, Kyle finally looked at his brother¡¯spanion and the shock on his face intensified. Thest time he met Alexander was when he wandered into the human city, and Alexander caught him. Kyle still remembered clearly how terrified he was when this man caught him and then scolded him. Alexander had said that Kyle should pay for disturbing his precious time with his wife.

    And now that he was before him again, Kyle could only shrink away and silently nodded at him. Alexander was truly different from Zeres, even though they were both immortal. Kyle could now confirm that he really liked Zeres more than Alexander or his very own brother, Ezekiel.

    "So you¡¯ve grown quite stronger now, eh, Little prince." Alexander shed his mischievous and challenging smile, his gaze assessing Kyle thoroughly.

    "Uhm... yes, I guess..." the young prince still found it quite awkward talking to Alexander mainly because he did not know what to call him. He knew that to the vampires, Alexander was someone even higher than the king, and yet this man had no title or whatsoever.

    "Shall we spar? I think you¡¯re strong enough to serve as my warm-up partner now." Alexander smirked, and Kyle swallowed. He was a little taken aback by the sudden offer, but thrill and excitement quickly overshadowed his fear and hesitation.

    "My pleasure," he bowed at him again before pulling his sword without wasting a moment, causing Alexander to smile.

    Kyle wanted to know why Alexander already wanted to warm up or why he was even here. Many questions were filling his mind, but he knew it was not his ce to ask question from this man. It seemed all he must do right now was entertain him the best way he could.

    As the two-headed toward the nearby forest, Zeke had just ascended the stairs after exchanging few words with Lucas.

    He halted for a second beat the moment he touched the doorknob of Alicia¡¯s room before pushing it open.

    Alicia was sitting on the edge of the bed, her food on the tray untouched. She was already wearing her cloak and she seemed prepared to leave.

    Lifting her face, Alicia immediately rose at the sight of Zeke. She rushed towards him, nearly knocking on the table where her food was ced in her haste.

    Her hands clutched Zeke¡¯s cloak as she looked up at him, not minding that her hood was falling behind her.

    "Where is Zeres?" she asked, her voice and gaze desperate.

    Zeke¡¯s eyes fell on her hair for a moment before his eyes met hers. He could feel she had more strength left in her than yesterday, though she still remained powerless. He could only deduce that Zeres must have cast a stronger spell on her this time.

    "I¡¯ll answer your question. But..." his gaze flew past her and settled on the untouched food on the small table. "Eat your meal first, Queen Alicia."

    Alicia pressed her lips tight, and her grip on his cloak tightened. His voice wasn¡¯t soft nor coaxing, his face stern, and his eyes were unfathomable as always. It was as if he didn¡¯t know how to coax at all. But his approach made Alicia move almost instantly.

    Without a word, she turned and sat on the bed and began eating.

    "Easy, Alicia. The food is not going to run away." Zeke said those words with a straight face as he leaned leisurely against the door, watching her.

    Alicia slowed down a little as she threw a nce at him. "But you might run away without even answering me." She told him, and the corner of Zeke¡¯s lips tipped up a little.

    "I won¡¯t."

    "I don¡¯t trust you now."

    He smiled again. "Then why do you still want me to answer your question? You don¡¯t trust me, yet you¡¯re going to trust my answer?"

    She stopped chewing, and her gaze flew from the food to him, looking as though she didn¡¯t expect what he just said. Her gaze fixed on him before she returned her attention to her food. She was not used to him talking this way and even smiling. Aside from being not in the mood and situation to bicker with him, Alicia just found the smiling Ezekiel quite unsettling. This vampire smiles too rarely that seeing him smile twice in a row made her feel slightly suspicious and distracted. Was he trying to cheer her up or something by smiling? No way. Wait, was he trying to distract her?

    She sighed, forcing herself to focus on her food again. She couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted in this situation.

    "Yes. I still want your answer." Alicia answered, and she continued devouring the food that she could not even taste. She refused to appear petty before this man.

    He approached her and grabbed the pitcher to pour water into her ss. She wanted to protest, but her mouth was full, so she could only watch him as he poured the water and then looked at her with his expressionless stare.

    "I just told you there is no need to haste."

    ___

    *unedited chapter

    ___

    Hello hellbounders. I just uploaded Spellbound here on we.b.no.vel (this book has nothing to do with hellbound with you). If you want to read it, just go to my profile and check it out in my reading list.

    About hellbound heart, I still cannot announce anything right now because as I said before it cannot start if hellbound with you is still ongoing. I am going to make an announcement about it soon.

    Also, did you see theic strip of Abi and Alex ying super Mario on my Instagram? Please follow @romantic.littledeviIs to see it. i will be uploading more cute scenes from hellbound with you in that ount soon. You can alsoment there the next scene you want to see next. ^^

 Chapter 640 Helpless

    <h4>Chapter 640 Helpless</h4>

    Alicia immediately started shooting off questions at Zeke as soon as she finished her meal. Her gaze towards him was severe and impatient.

    "Well? Where is Zeres?" she demanded. "When I woke up, he¡¯s not there anymore...and not the kind that is temporary. I can feel that he is already gone away somece... where that ce is, that¡¯s what I would like to know. I knew what he did to mest night before he left..." she trailed off, tugging her lip hard between her teeth. The image of Zeres¡¯ body filled with horrendous wounds shed in her head and a sickening feeling came over her once again. Alicia knew he had casted that horrible spell on her again despite her pleas before he left her, and it was obvious to her the severity of what he did this time. "He had cast the ultimate power of that spell on me so the energy I gained would be able tost me for a few days. As if... as if he¡¯s noting back anymore..."

    Zeke said nothing and just kept his eyes on her while listening to her as he casually leaned against the wall.

    "He told me that the both of you have found the cavern we were searching for all these while and we are going to attack the cavern once you¡¯re back." She paused and swallowed. Her gaze now filled with doubts and questions. "Is that even true?"

    "It¡¯s true." He confirmed her statement and Alicia was silent for a moment, still unsure if she should be d for that one piece of good news or doubt his words. He is not saying those words just to lull her into a false sense of security, right? Her gaze searched him thoroughly, doing her hardest to find any sign of lies in his unfathomable face.

    "Then why did he leave so suddenly? Could it be that he could no longer wait and attacked the cavern by himself? And why did you need to go and fetch the prophetess? What kind of enemies are we even up against in that cavern that there is a need for you to go and get back-ups?"

    Zeke shifted his gaze from her to the window and answered. "He already attacked the cavern by himself that night before I left." He said and Alicia¡¯s eyes widened in shock. "As for your other three questions, I cannot answer them right now."

    She clenched her fists tight, but somehow this piece of news did note as much of a surprise to her. It was a given that it is impossible for this vampire prince to reveal everything. He always had somethings that was held back, or some kind of secret he needed to keep.

    Shaking her head slightly, Alicia let out a deep breath before standing up from where she was seated. "Fine." she said, decisively. "Zeres must be in that cavern right now. We must go to his aid. Now, Ezekiel." Her tone was firm and booked no disagreements. It was now that Zeke saw how she would have been like, as the queen of the witches back when she was in her element in the ck Forest.

    Without speaking anymore, she brushed past him and stepped out the room.

    By the time she was outside the house, she saw Alexander and Kyle emerging from the forest. Kyle had an amazed look on his face while Alexander was smirking at him.

    "You¡¯re good, brat." Alexander said as they approached the house. "I can tell you have sparred against Zeres."

    "Yes. We sparred for the first time yesterday and I learned that technique I used on you from him." The boy said proudly.

    "Just yesterday?" Alex raised a brow, seemingly surprised. He thought that Zeres and this boy had been fighting and training with each other since the beginning of their journey because this boy copied Zeres¡¯ fighting style almost perfectly when he came against him in their mock fight earlier. To think that he just fought with Zeres once. How interesting, Alex thought as his gaze flew to Zeke who had just emerged from the door. It seemed; the next future Zeke was finally here. And now that Alex thought about it, it was indeed about time.

    "Yes. It was only once but we shed for quite a long while and it was amazing! I wish we could have sparred for a little longer too ¨C" Kyle abruptly stopped the moment he saw his brother.

    "We¡¯re leaving now," Zeke announced, and everyone nodded except Alex who now wore a serious face. All trace of his earlier yfulness lost, as if it were never there in the first ce.

    Without wasting another moment, Lucas leapt into action and everyone followed instantly without a word, except Zeke who was left standing in his spot as Alicia also disappeared. He let out a sigh and leapt off at a slower pace.

    A few minutes passed and he spotted Alicia in the forest, her hand against a tree trunk, leaning against it for support. His sharp eyes saw her heaving and trying to catch her breath and he slowed his approach to her, hoping to give her some sort of respect to her condition as he knew she was wary of him being privy to her waning strength.

    Hended silently on the ground and approaching Alicia in audible measured steps, he extended his hand in a wordless offer of assistance.

    Alicia stared at his hand as she panted, trying her best to steady and regte her breathing. She gritted her teeth as she scowled very udylike, under her hood before finally cing her thankfully, no longer trembling hand in his.

    He gathered her in his arms and in no time, they were leaping into the air. Alicia did not know how to feel about this situation. She never would have thought she was going to be at the mercy of a vampire as well. But she had long surrendered her pride as a queen. Because right now, she was nothing but a helpless and powerless witch who cannot even move around by herself. She was currently someone even weaker than an average human.

 Chapter 641 Nothing

    <h4>Chapter 641 Nothing</h4>

    "I¡¯m sorry for all the trouble," she whispered, albeit a little bitterly, knowing that he could hear every single word despite the speed they were travelling at.

    He said nothing except for giving her a quick nce. And for the first time, Alicia was d that he chose not to respond.

    When they arrived at the front of arge cavern, Alex was already inside while the rest waited outside for Zeke to arrive before doing anything.

    Alicia let him support her as he put her down on the ground while she assessed her uncertain bnce.

    "I¡¯m steady now, thank you." She thanked Zeke politely. She did not hesitate to hold onto his arm anymore, knowing that it would be more of a shameful disaster if she stubbornly let go and ended up crumbling into a disgraceful heap onto the ground.

    Zeke signaled everyone to enter the cavern and the three vampires immediately obeyed. The old prophetess¡¯ gaze lingered on Alicia for a moment.

    "I can walk now." Alicia informed Zeke and he simply nced at her before nodding and led the way forward.

    As they entered the cavern, Alicia began to realize the uncanny familiarity of the ce even though they were still at the cavern¡¯s entrance. Her heart began to thud ¨C whether in anticipation or nervousness ¨C she was not sure yet at the moment.

    "This ce..." she gasped as soon as they went further inside. This crystal cavern was a bigger version of the Queen¡¯s cavern which was back in the ck Forest. "What... is this ce?"

    Looking around in shock, Alicia could not even form words anymore and she found herself buried in an avnche of questions in her own mind.

    "Zeres is not here." Alexander¡¯s voice jolted her back to the present and she finally remembered Zeres. That¡¯s right. Zeres. Where was he? And this ce... wasn¡¯t she supposed to get all her powers back now that she¡¯s here?

    She let go of Zeke and walked towards the throne. Hoping, praying, that she could feel something... even a small sign that this ce could really give her back the strength and power that she had lost. She remembered clearly what Zeres had told her back when he looked for her in the crystal cavern in the ck Forest. All they needed to do was look for this cavern and everything will return to normal. And Zeres said that this was it. Ezekiel even confirmed that this was the ce they were searching for.

    So why? Why can¡¯t she feel anything? Why weren¡¯t her powers returning to her? And more importantly, why was Zeres not here?

    Dread began to grip her heart as she felt that something was really wrong. But she still pushed on despite the feeling of wrongness permeating her every fibre. Every step she took stole her breath away, little by little, not because of her weakness but because nothing was happening. Nothing at all! This was not how it was supposed to pan out!

    Atst, she reached the crystal throne, her heart beating rapidly in desperation.

    Anxiety churned inside her as she stood in front of it, putting in immense effort to maintain the appearance of being outwardly calm, which was utterly excruciating to her both emotionally and mentally.

    The vampires were keeping a close watch on her, scrutinising her every move as she slowly and hesitantly sat on the throne that was obviously made for her, the ruler of the witches. If only she would take off her cloak, Kyle had that thought as in his mind, he could already picture Alicia in her glorious silver hair, sitting on that crystal throne, looking all majestic and breath taking ¨C a vision of a goddess.

    Zeke on the other hand nodded to the prophetess before turning to look at Alex.

    "You said there were legions of undead vampires here." Alex voiced out.

    "He must have taken them with him. We need to find the location of their new hideout."

    "Do you have any clue?"

    Zeke nced at the prophetess who was already heading deeper inside the cavern as if on a quest to look for something. "No clue. You know witches can teleport in a blink of an eye. We can only follow the trails of the undead vampires."

    "Alright. I¡¯ll go ¨C"

    "We¡¯ll have to wait for the prophetess to do her job here. I¡¯m certain, she¡¯ll see something."

    "You wait for her. I¡¯ll go ahead and find him. We don¡¯t have much time to waste here, Zeke. You know that time is of the essence right now." Alex obviously looked very edgy. He had been since he heard about Zeke¡¯s theory on what Zeres was trying to do.

    "Fine," Zeke could only relent, knowing that he could not stop him. "But don¡¯t do anything rashly when you find him. Remember what¡¯s at stake here."

    "Yes. Yes." Alex waved his hands impatiently and was about to leave when Zeke stopped him.

    "Take Kyle with you." He said, causing Alex to whip around and raise a brow at him. But Zeke ignored his response and gestured for Kyle to approach them. "Go with Alex to look for Zeres." He told his younger brother and Kyle immediately nodded enthusiastically. "Make sure to watch over him." He added, gesturing with his head towards Alex, causing Kyle to blink but nodded anyway.

    Alex smirked. "You¡¯re supposed to ask me to watch over your precious younger brother, not the other way around Zeke."

    Zeke ignored Alex again and continued speaking with Kyle. "If you find Zeres, don¡¯t let Alex do anything rash."

    "Y-yes brother."

    "Good."

    Once the two were gone, Lucas headed outside to watch over the entrance.

    Still sitting on the throne, Alicia¡¯s shoulders were trembling. Her face buried in her palms. Tears andughter were both threatening to burst out from inside her. She finally understood what her gut had been telling her all these while since Zeres spoke to her way back during the time they were still in the ck Forest. It was all a lie. Zeres had lied to her...

    ___

    A\\N: (04-16-2021) I¡¯m so sorry for not updating much this week guys. I¡¯ve been unwell thest few days and I¡¯m still in a bad shape rn. I¡¯m getting better but I¡¯m still weak and coughing(dw, it¡¯s not covid ^^).

    I forced myself to write this chapter because today is Hellbound¡¯s anniversary. ??It¡¯s been exactly 1 year since I uploaded the first chapter of this book.

    I just want to thank you guys for staying with me until now. To those who were with me since chapter 1 and to everyone who came midway, thank you so much ??

    Today is very special for me so I posted a cute anniversary photo of the major characters on my Instagram so make sure to follow me there @kazzenlx.x to see it.

    You can also show me anything - thank you message, fanart doodles etc. You canment here or dm or tag them to me on insta so I can put them all to my Instagram story. ^^

    HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HELLBOUNDERS!!!

 Chapter 642 Decision

    <h4>Chapter 642 Decision</h4>

    The misery inside her heart was bubbling over so much she found it hard to even breathe. She had foolishly hoped, trusted... and now, here she was, barely breathing in utter defeat. The hope that she had been desperately holding onto was slowly crumbling into pieces, being scattered by the wind. Why? Why did he lie to her? What was the point in trying so hard to bring her to this ce then? Was there even any point to all this?

    In the midst of her agony, Alicia suddenly stilled. That¡¯s right. If the reason Zeres told her was a lie, then what¡¯s the real purpose of their journey?

    She lifted her face and the moment she saw Ezekiel standing below, Alicia rose from the crystal throne. A long and deep breath escaped her lips as she forced herself to suppress the misery that was threatening to swallow her whole.

    Descending the crystal stairs, Alicia didn¡¯t take her eyes off Zeke as she approached him in quick but measured steps. Ezekiel straightened as he waited for her to reach him, not moving from his spot.

    Alicia reached out and grabbed onto thepels of Zeke¡¯s cloak as she looked up at him, not minding that her hood was not hiding her face anymore.

    "Ezekiel..." she said in a hoarse and pleading voice. "I need you to tell me the truth. What is the real purpose of this journey? Why are we here? What is the purpose in us searching for this cavern?" she bombarded him with questions. The only sign of her crumbling emotional state was the trembling of her hands that she could not hide.

    When the man just stared at her, Alicia¡¯s grip on his cloak tightened and she hated how desperate her voice sounded as it came tumbling from her lips. "Talk. Now. Please."

    A strange glimmer shed in his grey eyes that disappeared almost immediately before he spoke. And finally, she got the answers to her questions. Zeres had been seeking for a way to die and the whole purpose of this journey was solely for that.

    "W-why?" she still asked even though her gut had already told her the reason why.

    "He said he must die cause that¡¯s the only way for you to live. It appeared that this same situation happened before, thousands of years ago. He didn¡¯t mention the details about what had happened in the past, but he is certain that as long as he is alive, he¡¯d suck all your powers and then eventually, your life too."

    A sickening and stomach-dropping feeling came over her once again, and this time it was more severe than the previous one. She shook her head slightly in disbelief because it all made sense to her now.

    "We sought for the prophetess¡¯ help per his request and the only thing the prophetess saw in her vision was this cavern." He continued and Alicia did her hardest to speak again.

    "That day I woke up before you left..." she cleared her throat for her voice toe out clearly. "Zeres felt different... you said he already came here. What happened? And you said this is the cavern we were searching for... so why is he not here?"

    "Since this is the ce the prophetess saw in her vision, Zeres thought that he¡¯d die here. But it¡¯s apparently not the case. I told him this cavern is probably just the first clue but... after he attacked this cavern and still ended up leaving it alive, as you have also noticed, something in him changed. He most probably realized one thing and thus made his own decision."

    "Decision? What decision?" Alicia asked hesitantly. Her heartbeat began to beat in fear and the unease she had been feeling had grown so strong it was threatening to shut her already weak body down.

    Zeke was silent for a moment as if weighing whether to answer her or not.

    "Please... answer me. Don¡¯t hide anything anymore, Ezekiel." She could no longer keep her fa?ade.

    A small sigh left Zeke¡¯s lips as he averted his gaze away from her and stared at the throne. His gaze was distant, as if he were staring all the way through the crystal cavern to the farthest edge of the world. Seeing things only he could.

    "I believe he had decided to be the viin, Alicia." He said and Alicia just looked at him, frozen.

    "What? What did you say?" a forced bitter smile curved on her lips, as she spoke. Her heart still in denial.

    "Zeres had asked me once about Alex in the past when he was still seeking death. He had asked about all the methods Alex had tried out. And then he asked what method Alex had yet to try. I didn¡¯t answer him, but he somehow began topare Alex with Dinah. And he had realized that the reason why Alex failed to die is most probably because he didn¡¯t do this one thing that Dinah did. Alex never tried to go against the world, and never attempted to threaten the peace after he left his throne. He didn¡¯t try to be the enemy again. And this theory is the most logical exnation why Dinah ended up dying despite being an immortal. The reason the prophetess¡¯s power worked on Dinah was because she was a threat to the world... and Zeres knew that. In fact, I believe Zeres already found the answer even before this journey began. He just tried to find another way, perhaps, for your sake... but he found out that it was futile, and he decided that there is actually no other way."

    Alicia shook her head in dazed misery. Unable to believe what she had just heard. Zeres, choosing to be the enemy so that he could die... and so she could live... how could she ept this?

    "Tell me... Ezekiel," Alicia¡¯s voice had be just a weak whisper as she held on to him to keep her feet standing. "There¡¯s no way he¡¯s serious about this right? Because look... he¡¯s Zeres... he¡¯s not an evil man. He¡¯s a good man. Someone like him can never... be a viin..."

    "I know you already felt it, Alicia. When you felt that something changed in him... when you felt he suddenly seemed different... do you think a good man cannot be evil? The devil was once an angel, Alicia."

    Suddenly, Alicia¡¯s weak hands moved on Zeke¡¯s cors, tears began pooling in her eyes. "Why... why did you let him go? Why didn¡¯t you stop him?" she asked. She knew she had no right to ask this of him, but she did not know what else to do or say at that moment. Her emotions were getting the better of her.

    "Let¡¯s stop him, Ezekiel. We must stop him ¨C" She paused, the words jamming at the back of her throat, refusing to emerge. As she tried, all she could seem to do was repeat numbly, "Let¡¯s stop him."

    ___

    Add ¡¯Spellbound¡¯ in your library now guys. Just go to my profile to see it. ^^

 Chapter 643 Want me to try?*

    <h4>Chapter 643 Want me to try?*</h4>

    Outside the cavern, Alicia was sitting across Lucas as they waited for Ezekiel and the prophetess. When Ezekiel had brought her outside, Alicia wanted to protest because she also wanted to know what the prophetess would see. But she knew she didn¡¯t have the right to object if Ezekiel didn¡¯t want her there.

    She quickly rose upon seeing the two vampires finally stepped out of the cavern. Her eyes filled with questions and desperate curiosity as she looked at Ezekiel and the prophetess.

    Ezekiel stretched out his hand towards her. "We need to move now. We found where he is." He said and the moment Alicia ced her hand in his, he immediately gathered her in his arms and nodded at theirrades.

    Immediately, everyone left the cavern.

    "What else did she see?" Alicia asked as her arms around Zeke¡¯s neck tightened. Their speed was so fast Alicia had to cling to him and face against the wind to speak.

    When he did not respond, she bit her lower lip hard. Suddenly, she pulled away to look at him and her sudden movement caused Zeke to slow down a bit.

    "Be still, Alicia." He said, but Alicia¡¯s eyes were determined.

    "Answer me. I know you are a man of secret and there are always reasons why you don¡¯t want to speak. But this matter is beyond important to me. I am the reason why all this is happening right now, so please, tell me, Ezekiel." She begged. Not caring how she sounded and if she didn¡¯t look and sounded like a queen anymore. Maybe because she was truly exhausted now, so exhausted she didn¡¯t even have the strength to fake her emotions anymore. Now she knew how tough it was to act tough. It was just not possible for anyone to act tough all the time.

    Ezekiel nced at her for a moment before he returned his gaze ahead and didn¡¯t stop his advance.

    "I¡¯ll tell you when we get there. So stay still so I could speed up." He said, and Alicia frowned at him. She didn¡¯t want to act stubbornly, but... would this man really speak if they were with everyone? There was no way Alicia would dare beg him to talk when everyone was watching, so this was the only time for her to speak with him.

    "No. I want you to tell me now, Prince Ezekiel." She demanded and finally, the prince halted just as hended on a branch of a tall tree.

    Alicia pressed her lips tight because she knew there¡¯s a possibility that she had pissed him off, even though his expression remained unfathomable.

    "I thought you¡¯d be more obedient but it appeared you¡¯re even more stubborn when you¡¯re in a vulnerable state Queen Alicia." He told her.

    "Well, sorry to burst your bubble then, prince. But my stubbornness is all that¡¯s left in me right now, so if you don¡¯t want to deal with a stubborn woman, just answer me, and I¡¯ll shut up and be as docile as you like."

    Ezekiel caught his lower lip between his perfect white teeth, smiling in what seemed to be both amusement and exasperation.

    "What if I told you I don¡¯t want to answer because I wanted to deal with a stubborn woman?" he said. Something wicked shed in his eyes that made Alicia blinked twice.

    "Wha... what did you just say?" was all she could say,pletely dumbfounded with what the prince was suddenly saying. What? Did he just say he wanted to deal with a stubborn woman? This Ezekiel? No way... right?

    Certain that Ezekiel was probably ying mind games with her again to divert her attention, Alicia red at him, puffing her cheeks slightly to show him she¡¯s not going to fall to his tricks.

    "I said I think I wanted to deal with a stubborn woman right now." He repeated, causing Alicia¡¯s lips to part in another speechless surprise. This was the kind of statement Alicia never imagined toe out in this man¡¯s lips. What the hell¡¯s wrong with him right now? Was this how he behaves when he¡¯s pissed? No... don¡¯t fall for it. This man was definitely just diverting your attention. There was no way in hell the ever so serious Ezekiel wanted to deal with a stubborn woman, especially in this dire situation!!

    "Want me to try now? Alicia?" he added, and Alicia¡¯s eyes became wide as saucer as she looked at him as though she was seeing something unbelievable. Wait... don¡¯t tell me... was he going to just leave her in this tree?

    In Alicia¡¯s imagination, that was definitely what a man like Ezekiel would do to deal with a stubborn and annoying woman, especially one that was so weak and yet demanding.

    She swallowed. Not knowing what to do now. She wanted the truth but if this man decided to leave her here, then ask the others toe back and take her... how could she handle such shame? She would also probably lose any chances of hearing what this man would say once he decided to reveal some information. Oh, no... did she make a mistake? How could she thought that she could win against this man?

    Troubled and afraid that he¡¯d really leave her, Alicia unwillingly tightened her arms around his neck. She looked at him in frustrated but controlled anger. "No... no need. Let¡¯s go." She said as she settled her head closer to his shoulder, indicating that she¡¯s now prepared to leave with him.

    However, she felt his chest moved as if he had justughed shortly. She immediately pulled away to look. Her eyes narrowing. "Did you justugh at me?"

    "So what if I did?" he asked instead of answering, "What did you think I would do? Did you think I¡¯d hurt you?"

    She stared at him, and a small glimmer of mischief shed in her eyes. "You really want to know what I thought you would do? I¡¯ll tell you, but first... tell me what the prophetess saw."

    ___

    Check out <Spellbound> and add it in your library. Just go to my profile to see it.

 Chapter 644 Ill go

    <h4>Chapter 644 I¡°ll go</h4>

    It was just as Alicia had thought it would happen. As soon as they caught up with theirrades, she did not get any more chances to make Ezekiel speak. Even though she had already expected it, it still frustrated her to no end that what she predicted ended up happening. So, for now, all she could do was to hang on and wait until he had finally decided to speak.

    Moreover, Alicia did not have the luxury to even ask anymore as the pace they were travelling at was incredibly fast and she was getting more and more uneasy the closer they get to their destination. Maybe it was due to her being able to tell that they were definitely not heading to a ce she was expecting.

    And her unease continued to build up until it reached its very peak the very moment that they finally halted on top of a hill overlooking a human city. Everyone was shocked that their destination was not a secluded ce but an actual bustling city.

    "Don¡¯t tell me... Zeres is in this city?" Lucas asked in disbelief as Ezekiel put Alicia down.

    "Yes. He¡¯s here." Zeke replied and Alicia could not even speak anymore.

    Horror filled their eyes as all of them, except Zeke and the prophetess, looked around in a dazed stupor over the seemingly peaceful and lively human city before them. Even Alexander who had arrived in this ce first was rooted to the ground. His fists were balled up and clenched together so tightly, that blood could be seen dripping a little from those clenched fists of his ¨C an obvious testament to the very real struggle of him trying to control himself, his bloodlust.

    "I can¡¯t believe he of all people would..." Alex was beyond furious; he was so worked up that he could not evenplete his statement. He truly could not believe that Zeres actually chose this ce which was teeming with lives ¨C innocent human lives ¨C and not another random secluded ce but arge, popted city of all ces!

    "This is probably his way of showing us how seriously he is taking this. Guess he is that determined about his decision..." Zekemented, and Alex gritted his teeth. The only thing that had stopped Alex from barging directly into Zeres¡¯ hideout the moment he arrived was the fact that Alex knew what could and would happen if a fight between two over-powered immortals suddenly broke out in the middle of a city filled with humans.

    "It appeared that Zeres had fully taken over that male witch¡¯s leadership." Zeke continued and everyone looked at him.

    "Male witch? That same one who was responsible for creating those undead vampires?" Alex asked in a controlled but still ominous voice.

    "Yes. That male witch had actually been nning for a long time since to find an opportunity to create chaos and reveal to the world that vampires and witches truly exists. He created countless undead vampires and ced them in various ces around the world because he nned tomand them to attack cities simultaneously if and when the opportunity arises. And it seems as if that now would be quite the perfect chance for him to execute that long drawn-out n of his."

    "But didn¡¯t you guys manage to intervene and kill so many of those undead vampires he was preparing for his attack during your journey?"

    "Yes. But I have found out that Zeres is now nning to continue on with that witch¡¯s n, and it seems as if that he¡¯s going to make it happen for real. If..." Zeke paused and turned to fix his eyes into the heart of the city, "we fail to kill him."

    Everyone fell into an ufortable silence. The fact that Zeres chose a human city was enough for them to realize the severity of their situation. This was not a choice a man who was not hell bent and serious would do. Some of them could not even help but think that this was a move only an extremely evil person could hatch up and knowing this was more devastating for them. Because it was hard for them to ept that Zeres, of all people, had decided to go ahead with this. Though they knew the reason behind it, still... it was a really cruel thing that he had done.

    "Didn¡¯t you guys already kill off most of the undead vampires just within this past month?" Alex asked after a long while of heavy silence.

    "Yes." Zeke nodded. "However, the prophetess saw a massive influx of undead vampires in Zeres¡¯ hideout. Meaning, they are awakening more undead vampires even now. I can only deduce that more witches had since aided Zeres¡¯ as it requires more witches to be sacrificed for them to create more undead vampires in such a short period of time. Even though this ce is not one of the world¡¯s major city, a fight breaking out here will cause ¨C"

    "You know we can never let that happen." Alex cut Zeke off, gnashing his teeth in anger. There was no way they would let the world know. It will end the years of peace and would probably start an era of great chaos in this world. "I¡¯ll go speak with him." Alex decided. "I will not fight him."

    "No, Alex. I doubt he¡¯d entertain any attempt to talk to him now. If he found out that you went there without the intention of killing him, it will only trigger him to do something even more impulsive that could spark off the beginning of that chaos we¡¯re trying to avoid at all costs. If he thinks we¡¯re not taking him seriously, he is not above doing whatever it takes. Worst case scenario is, he¡¯ll unleash the vampires to wreak havoc in this city until we are forced to attack and kill him."

    "Then what the hell are we going to do? If we attack him, the result is the same." Alex burst out in exasperation. His eyes turning molten gold as he looked at Zeke. He never thought this problem would evere to this point. Never would he have thought that Zeres... would finally resort to doing something so drastic such as this.

    "I¡¯ll go." Alicia who had been so silent all the while, suddenly butted in and everyone¡¯s attention shifted to her. "I¡¯ll go..."

    ___

    A\\N: Don¡¯t forget to add <Spellbound> in your libraries guys. ^^

 Chapter 645 Before sunse

    <h4>Chapter 645 Before sunse</h4>

    The sun was already a red ball, kissing the horizon when Alicia rose from her seat to leave. The group had just finished their short discussion that was mainly revolving around Zeres¡¯ hideout and how would Alicia safely infiltrate the enemy¡¯s camp without fighting the undead vampires at the front line.

    Aside from Alicia insisting that she be the one to go, everyone else knew deep down as well that her offer was the most logical thing they could do at the moment.

    "But will she be alright?" Kyle asked, unable to hide his worry anymore. Even though he somehow knew as surely as he knew his own name that Zeres would not hurt Alicia, it is undeniable that the witch queen was currently in a very vulnerable state. Letting her go alone troubled him so much that he kept ncing at his brother, waiting for him to give that assurance that he will be following Alicia along but in secret.

    Kyle felt that his heart was going to explode out of frustration and anticipation waiting for his brother¡¯s announcement. But it never came. Ezekiel only remained quiet and didn¡¯t say anything.

    "Don¡¯t worry, Zeres will not harm me." Alicia shed a small but reassuring smile towards the young prince, touched at his obvious care and worry for her well-being.

    "I know, but... someone should at least apany you in secret," Kyle responded, giving his brother a quick look hoping it would be hint enough for him to say something. Though he was well aware that it was a bad idea to let anyone of them go with Alicia as it could trigger Zeres in alerting his minions to move and start the fight in advance, so he enunciated the words ¡¯in secret¡¯. Though he did not know how, he was somewhat certain that there must be a way that they can carry it out. And the one who could make something like that possible would be no one else than his brother.

    "It¡¯s alright, Kyle. I¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s too risky for any of you to approach any closer." Alicia said reaching out to pat Kyle¡¯s shoulder.

    Realizing that it was useless for him to keep talking or persuading, Kyle could only drop his eyes to the ground in disappointment and kept his mouth shut petntly. They all knew that Alicia was the only one who even had an inkling of a chance of approaching and speaking with Zeres right now. They had seen just how important Alicia was to Zeres that he would stop at nothing to save her. There was no one better and who had the best chance possible of changing his mind but her.

    "I¡¯ll see you soon..." she smiled at the boy again and Kyle forced himself to nod.

    "P...please be careful ande back to us safely... with Zeres..." there was a trace of liquid shine in Kyle¡¯s eyes as he choked out.

    "Mm." Alicia hugged the boy. And then nodded at the others before Zeke gathered her in his arms and leapt with her down the hill to the highway bellow.

    "Do not attack him, Ezekiel." Alicia told him as they both stood by the road, waiting for the taxi that would bring Alicia to her destination. "I will do my best to persuade him to change his mind." Alicia sounded confident as she said that to Ezekiel however, deep in her heart, she was nowhere near as confident as she sounded. She could only pray and desperately cling onto the hope that Zeres would be willing to listen and seriously consider her words.

    Zeke was silent for a moment as he silently stared at her, his face a nk page that Alicia could not read at all. "I will only give you a night and a day Alicia." He eventually responded. "If you cannot return with good news before sunset tomorrow, we¡¯ll be forced to make our move. There is no other choice." He added decisively.

    Even though Alicia wanted to protest, she couldn¡¯t, knowing that it would be ridiculous of her to do that. She understood that the conditions Ezekiel had just mentioned was already quite a generouspromise on his part with the current situation they were all facing as they knew how dangerous the state of affairs could turn out to be if Zeres truly mobilise all those undead vampires. All she could do now was to try and stop Zeres and if possible, to change his mind whatever the cost before sunset tomorrow. She knew that Ezekiel would not wait any longer than the stipted time that he had given her.

    At that moment, a car finally halted before them. "Well then, I¡¯m going..." Alicia said and when Zeke didn¡¯t say anything, she turned but paused after taking just a couple of steps and looked back at him.

    "You really won¡¯t tell me anything about what the prophetess had seen?" She asked, her gaze intent as she waited for him to respond. During their talk with the group a while ago, Alicia had been waiting for the prophetess to speak, but the woman said nothing until the very end. Neither did Ezekiel mention anything of much importance as well, causing Alicia to suspect even more.

    Realizing that it was truly impossible to make him say anything, Alicia sighed in disappointment.

    "Alright, I understand." She then said and turned around to open the door.

    She sat in the back seat and was about to pull the door close when Ezekiel suddenly appeared beside the car and held the door from closing. Surprised and curious, Alicia looked up at him.

    Ezekiel¡¯s eyes were trained on the driver and was talking to him as his hand grab Alicia¡¯s hand, and she felt something touching her palms and then his hands were closing her grip on something.

    "Yes, boss. I will definitely deliver her to her destination safely." The driver said, smiling and gave Zeke a confident thumbs up, and Zeke finally pulled away and closed the door.

    He stared back at Alicia through the window as the car elerated.

    With creased brows, Alicia looked down at the thing he had pushed into her hand and was surprised to see a small silver dagger.

 Chapter 646 Altar

    <h4>Chapter 646 Altar</h4>

    The taxi arrived at a building that was still under construction right in the heart of the city. The road was barricaded and there was a huge notice indicating that the construction was suspended for the next five days.

    Once the taxi driver ensured that Alicia got off fine and confirmed the destination was the correct one, he drove off, leaving Alicia to stare at the dark and eerie ce ahead of her. The ce looked deste and was deafeningly quiet.

    Using the remaining bit of power left in her, Alicia did not waste a single moment and made herself disappear from the dark roadside. When she materialized again, she was already inside the building she was just looking up at a moment ago. She did just as what Ezekiel had instructed her to do, and it appeared that the vampire prince was right ¨C as usual ¨C that the undead vampires were all at the entrance preparing to attack any vampire that arrives at their doorstep.

    Their defenses were solely made specifically to go against vampires, thus Alicia found that she easily entered their headquarters without having anyone notice her presence.

    The inside of the ce was even quieter. Just like what Ezekiel said, the undead vampires were indeed like puppets who remained still as statues, just waiting for orders. They will not make any move, nor noises without anymand, as if they were programmed. The only way they would move on their own was if the situation developed ording to an instruction given earlier to them.

    Since Zeres never was in the habit of using crystal balls, it was not possible for him to see her. And Ezekiel said that the other witches were too busy creating more undead vampires, so it was unlikely for anyone to have anticipated or already seen her arrival.

    Quietly, Alicia looked around the lightless building as fast as she could. She needed to find where Zeres was before any witches notice her. Where was he?

    Because Alicia had already lost too much power, she could not even sense Zeres¡¯ or any witches¡¯ presence around. So, all she could do was wander and check all ces, hoping she could find Zeres. She thought that maybe, he would be found inside a room, alone, somewhere in this ce. Her guts told her that he was probably at the highest floor, so she nned to materialize there. But her power was too weak to bring her up there and it only managed to transport her three floors below where she had aimed.

    Carefully heading towards the stairs, Alicia remained vignt but unfortunately, her senses were truly useless and extremely dulled now that she did not even feel the presence of a witch already standing behind her.

    "Oh, were you trying to escape? You changed your mind right at the veryst minute?" a male witch tauntingly asked as he grabbed her. "Too bad, but it¡¯s toote for you to change your mind." He continued and the next second, they disappeared.

    When they materialized, the male witch let go of her and she found herself standing on top of a round altar surrounded with candles prepared for rituals. She did not resist a while ago thinking that perhaps the witch would have brought her over to Zeres first. But it seems that her assumptions were wrong and totally off the bat.

    She should have known that there was no way any witch would think that she was the queen at this moment, with how weak she was. They would more likely be thinking she was just a weak witch ¨C the weakest one it seems.

    Trying to search for Zeres, Alicia frantically looked around but all she saw were the rotting bodies of dead vampires surrounding the altar and the witches in cloaks forming a circle around them. The altar where they were standing on was covered with blood. So, she already knew what had been happening at this very ce. How many witches have they already sacrifice here?

    Her stomach began to knot up when she heard someone yell out.

    "Now let¡¯s begin. Make her bleed." Came an order and when Alicia followed the voice, she saw a man that was somewhat familiar to her. This male witch was the man the previous queen had banished from the Dark Forest due to his rebellious mind. It appeared he hadpletely turned mad now.

    But Alicia did not have even a moment to spare a thought towards that mad witch. She needed to find Zeres urgently. Just where was he?

    The witch who approached her did not even let her pull down her hood. He attacked her without any preamble that Alicia was caught off guard. The man¡¯s de shed her cheek. She had dodged but because of her weakened powers, he still managed to wound her.

    She cursed and red sharply at the male witch. The witch looked shocked for a moment, looking at Alicia. He seemed to recognize her but there was an obvious denial in his eyes.

    "Oh, you almost fooled me. Are you perhaps the queen¡¯s twin?" the male witch mocked. "Impossible. You even feel weaker than a mere human. How could someone as weak as you be the queen¡¯s kin? Oh well, whatever." Heughed, madness evident in his eyes as well.

    He lifted his sword and Alicia pointed the dagger Zeke gave her towards him. If she had power right now, she would have already destroyed every one of these insane idiots.

    "You bitch. You voluntarily came here to offer yourself and now you¡¯re going to fight?" the man sneered.

    "I am not here to offer myself. Where is Zeres?" Alicia asked. Despite her weakness, she clearly exuded the bearing and mannerisms of a queen and the man was momentarily halted in his actions. But his madness took over again almost immediately.

    "How dare you call our king like you¡¯re at his level, you weakling!" he screamed and attacked her.

    Alicia dodged and stopped his first attack with the dagger Zeke gave her. However, she did not manage to dodge the second attack in time and she was shed again. Blood gushed out from her body. But she had managed to return a counterattack and had shed the witch¡¯s throat in the process.

    "What the hell is going on? She killed him!" One of the witches yelled.

    "Damn it! How dare she interrupt our work. We don¡¯t have the time for this! Someone, get rid of that witch, now! We can¡¯t afford to waste any more time here!"

    Alicia could feel the blood flowing down her body ¨C and with it, whatever little power that was left in her. Damn. No. She have yet to meet up with Zeres!

    Gritting her teeth, Alicia¡¯s eyes became icy, and a glint of silver appeared in her eyes as she saw a de flying towards her.

    ____

    A\\N: (04-16-2021) I¡¯m so sorry for not updating much this week guys. I¡¯ve been unwell thest few days and I¡¯m still in a bad shape rn. I¡¯m getting better but I¡¯m still weak and coughing(dw, it¡¯s not covid ^^).

    I forced myself to write this chapter because today is Hellbound¡¯s anniversary. ??It¡¯s been exactly 1 year since I uploaded the first chapter of this book.

    I just want to thank you guys for staying with me until now. To those who are with me since chapter 1 and to everyone who came midway, thank you so much ??

    Today is very special for me so I posted a cute anniversary group photo of the major characters on my Instagram so make sure to follow me there @kazzenlx.x to see it.

    You can also show me anything - thank you message, fanart doodles etc. You canment here or dm or tag them to me on insta so I can put them all to my Instagram story. ^^

    HAPPY ANNIVERSARY HELLBOUNDERS!!!

 Chapter 647 Frost King

    <h4>Chapter 647 Frost King</h4>

    Alicia knew that it was toote for her to dodge the attack, nor had she any strength left to do anything to save herself. But as the bullet-like de travelled towards her, she did not flinch nor close her eyes because strangely, despite her hopeless situation, there was no fear of death that came rushing to her.

    And then, just as the de was about to reach her, it was stopped. The tip of the de barely missed cutting into Alicia¡¯s face as though someone had caught it with their bare hand.

    Alicia¡¯s gaze travelled from the bleeding hand right in front of her face that was holding the de to the person¡¯s face and she sagged back in relief. Her weakness and the wound she suffered from the witch she had just killed seemed to suck whatever remaining strength left that she just slumped over. However, before she could crumple to the ground, she was held up by strong arms.

    The witches were shocked as they watched Zeres holding the woman.

    "My King..." Someone spoke, pulling Zeres¡¯ attention towards them. Everyone was silenced at the sight of Zeres¡¯ eyes as his gaze swept over them. His gaze was frightening in their intensity, causing everyone to subconsciously flinch back at the sheer amount of power radiating out from him. What¡¯s going on? Did they do something wrong?

    This was the first time the witches saw such intensity in the silver-haired witch¡¯s eyes. It was as if he was preparing to ughter them all at that moment, had the woman got killed before he came right in the nick of time.

    In the midst of the witches¡¯ fear and confusion, Zeres lifted the woman and turned his back from them.

    "I¡¯ll take this woman." Was all he said before disappearing along with the woman from the altar.

    "Wha... what was that?"

    "I don¡¯t know. I thought we were done for." The witches around the altar mumbled to each other.

    "Yeah. It looked like he was almost on the verge of killing us." One witchmented as the rest felt the tremors from that powerful aura still wrecking their bodies.

    "Could it be because of that woman?" another witch hazarded a guess.

    "Seems like it. Do you think he¡¯s in love with that woman?"

    "Perhaps, or it might be because that woman looked exactly like queen Alicia?"

    The mad male witch from the back butted in. "Silence! Go take another one from the cell now. We don¡¯t have any more time to waste!" he barked out his orders and one of them immediately moved out of the circle while another dragged the dead male witch¡¯ body away from the altar.

    "What the hell are you doing here?!" Zeres growled as he gently put Alicia down on a couch as soon as they materialized inside a dark room lit up with candles. His tone greatly contrasted with the way he was handling her.

    Alicia forced her eyes to open and when she finally looked up at Zeres¡¯ face, she felt her chest constrict as her heart was heavy and sad, all due to how different he looked right now. His bright silver eyes were cold, and he felt like a different person. Dark fury sharpened the lines on his face as he looked at her wounds.

    "Damn!!" he cursed as he ripped her clothes until the huge wound that extended from her shoulder all the way to her corbones was bared to his view and fully uncovered.

    Without wasting a moment, he ced his hands over her wounds and greenish powerful lights immediately cloaked her. The wounds on her shoulder started to heal, and the one on her face was gone in seconds.

    While he was busy healing her, Alicia did not take her eyes off him even for a second. His hair was shimmering bright like the moonlight, but somehow, he did note across as an angel of light anymore like how he used to be. He seemed more like the frost king of darkness now.

    "Zeres..." she uttered once she felt a little strengthing back to her.

    He met her gaze and his silver eyes glittered like a rare jewel from the ne of an ancient evil empress.

    Alicia was momentarily distracted by theparison in her mind, and she could not speak. She just felt that this just was not the Zeres she knew anymore.

    He did not say anything. The moment the healing waspleted, he abruptly pulled away when he saw Alicia¡¯s hand reached out to him.

    The next second, he disappeared from her sight.

    "Wait!" Alicia yelled as she frantically mbered off the couch. But her knees gave out and she was forced to sit still to allow her legs to regain their strength as well as to gain her bearings.

    To her relief, he appeared again, holding a clean set of clothes in his hands. He threw the clothes onto the empty couch next to her as he turned his back.

    "Get change and leave. NOW." He snapped at her; his cold voice still cloaked with quiet rage.

    Staring at his back and the clothes, Alicia finally realized that the clothes she was wearing were ripped beyond help. She grabbed her ripped and bloodied cor of her top and held them together with her hands to cover her exposed skin.

    "I¡¯m not leaving." She answered stubbornly. The determination in her voice seemed to rile him up and he whipped his head towards her, a threatening gaze exploding in his cold eyes.

    "You will leave after you get changed, Alicia!" his voice brooked no arguments, his fists and face bing so taut. He looked like he was ready to explode in rage.

    "No. I am here to speak with you. I will not leave, even if you drag me out."

    He gritted his teeth and raked his silver hair before a short quietugh escaped his lips. It was a really scaryugher; Alicia couldn¡¯t help but feel shivers even though she was not scared of him.

    Suddenly, he was looming over her, his hands against the back of the couch behind her as he looked down at her. A low and threatening voice came from his throat. "Listen to me and get changed now, or else I¡¯ll strip you myself and dress you up."

    Alicia could not help but stiffen at his threat. She was powerless right now and the coldness in his eyes made her heart cower a little. However, she steeled herself and did not show him any fear. For some reason, Alicia felt like he was going to order someone to drag her out and return her to herrades once she was done getting changed. She just knew that this man would never throw her out or let anyone see her wearing ripped clothes.

    "You wouldn¡¯t do that." She retorted, looking at him without any hint of doubt.

    He went still for a long while, just staring back at her. Until a predatory gleam swiftly lit his eyes, and he pinned her down on the couch.

    ___

    A/N: Thank you so much for your patience and understanding guys. I¡¯m still not fully recovered but getting better.

 Chapter 648 Never you

    <h4>Chapter 648 Never you</h4>

    His sudden action made Alicia gasp in shock as he hovered over her. Something odd gleamed in his icy eyes as he red hard at her. His gaze and action at that moment should have elicited genuine and strong fear from the deepest part of her bones, but something inside Alicia told her she had no need to be frightened and there was no need to cower before him. Thus, she red back at him with a challenging gaze and with everything that she had.

    "If you¡¯re trying to scare me by acting this way... I¡¯m sorry to disappoint you but a bluff like this won¡¯t ¨C"

    "Shut up." He gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing into cold, brilliant slits as his grip on her hands above her head tightened. "This is not a bluff, Alicia." His heart nearly exploded as he told her that, when suddenly there was a wicked and devious smile which shed across his face. "It seems that... you¡¯re still unable to understand a thing..." his voice became soft, the tone containing something rming that caused Alicia¡¯s nerves to prickle in warning.

    She did not know what made her swallow hard and her body turn rigid. But still, she refused to shrink back and avert her gaze from him.

    "You¡¯ve forgotten how vulnerable you are right now, Alicia. I can do whatever I want with you right now and you cannot do a single thing to retaliate or stop me." He taunted Alicia with bared teeth, his jaw hardening as he moved his face closer to hers, until she could feel his breaths that were fanning across her face. "Or did you think I couldn¡¯t do something this evil?"

    Alicia did not once forget that she had lost all her magic. Neither did she forget that even her strength was so greatly reduced to the point she was currently weaker than an average human even. However, there was no way she was going to back off in the face of Zeres¡¯ taunts no matter how scary it seems. She was willing to bet that deep down, he still genuinely cares for her and holds her well-being of high importance to him as he did previously. Why else would he go to the extent of going through all these just to keep her alive?

    Zeres now had one hand grabbing onto both her wrists as he moved his other hand towards her face and traced her delicate jaw with the back of his fingers.

    Alicia involuntarily flinched and he smiled at her response. "Shall I tell you how many witches I¡¯ve already killed now?" he asked. "I can¡¯t even remember the numbers anymore. I¡¯ve watched them bleed and plead for their lives one after another on that altar and..." his fingers paused as his smile widened wickedly, "... I felt nothing. It appeared I was truly born to be like this. This is how I truly am ¨C"

    "No." Alicia cut him off. "You¡¯re not. I heard those witches came here on their own volition." She calmly said, her voice firm. "I deduced that that mad witch had summoned everyone toe here to serve you, their new ruler. But everyone who came here are actually traitors in your eyes, because by theming here to aid you means they¡¯re turning their backs on me ¨C the true witch queen. That¡¯s why you killed them, you ¨C" Alicia confidently narrated what she felt was truly on Zeres¡¯ mind.

    "Enough." he gave her the slightest hint of a shake, his ice cold eyes beginning to waver. "You¡¯re wrong," he denied, but Alicia knew she was right.

    "Yes, I am right ¨C" Alicia smiled at him self-assuredly, causing Zeres to narrow his eyes again.

    "I said, shut up!" he burst. She could feel his strong hand around her wrists trembling a little. "Fine." he breathed savagely. "It seems like there¡¯s no other way for me to make you understand but to just show you how na?ve you are to still think of me as the same old Zeres you knew." He said with cold rage. Then as if she were just a doll light as feathers, he lifted her so easily and the next thing she knew, she was roughlyid on a bed.

    Alicia¡¯s heart quickened as she looked at him, standing by the bed, staring down at her and unbuttoning his dark shirt.

    The rm and fear that Alicia did not seem to register in her mind a moment ago was now creeping up rapidly inside of her. Was he really going to... this person...

    Her lips trembled slightly as she watched him ¨C holding herself still and silent ¨C her resolve swiftly dissolving as he threw his shirt on the floor. But the moment Alicia saw the healing scars all over his body and the huge wound over his heart, she found herself rxing. Those wounds were the price that he had to pay for her to still be breathing right now.

    Moreover, no matter how steely his face seems at that moment, Alicia could feel that just behind those callous eyes, he seemed to be begging her to just climb off the bed, put on the clothes he brought her and run away from him screaming.

    And she knew she was right again, as he red in anger the moment Alicia let her back fall onto the bed.

    He was half naked and hovering on top of her, the muscles of his body all taut as his hands mmed against the mattress on both her sides in exasperation.

    "Go on," she challenged as she stared deep into his eyes. "Do it. Do what you want." .

    Shock instantly flickered in his eyes and she could see his throat working and his body seemed to turn into stone. She could hear the gnashing of his teeth. And she could feel how the mattress moved at her sides as he balled his hands into fists as hard as he could.

    "You can¡¯t... I knew you will never..." she said, her eyes bing blurry with tears, her heart was just filled with sadness. "You could never do something like this, Zeres. Never you..." Her lips lifted into a faint watery smile as she slowly lifted her hands to caress his face. "You¡¯re never the viin you think you are."

 Chapter 649 Go back

    <h4>Chapter 649 Go back</h4>

    Before Alicia could touch him, Zeres caught her slim wrist. He shot a sharp gaze at her and then shut his eyes in exasperation. His muscles seemed to be turning to steel as he began to pant, furious with her and at a loss in how to deal with her.

    After staring at her for a long while, a soft, humorlessugh that sounded totally unlike him escaped his lips. "I don¡¯t care what you think of me now, Alicia. You can go ahead and think of me as the freaking angel you think I am all you want." He said, his voice dropping deeper, darker and colder.

    "Yes. Because that¡¯s what you really are." Alicia retorted, not backing off. "You are not ¨C"

    "Shut up!" He hissed, a disturbing hint of cruelty was dancing in his expression. "Shut up..." he gritted his teeth, his nostrils red from the force of his breathing as he pinned her down a little harder using just his weight.

    Then his expression changed ¨C an expression that hinted to her of the things he was capable of doing but those that she thought the Zeres she knew could and would never do.

    She stared up into the fiery threat that were his eyes. And it amazed her how she could hold herself perfectly still. rms had definitely started ringing in her head and yet she wondered how she still could not make herself feel the fear necessary for her to give in and give up on him. Was it because she could just tell that he was expecting her to struggle and fight against him at this very moment? Or could it be due to the fact that he looked even angrier when she went fully passive in his hold instead?

    Suddenly, he let his head fall heavily on her shoulder. His breathing was rough as it fanned hotly against the skin of her neck as he seemed to struggle for control.

    Then a voice filled with sorrow echoed in Alicia¡¯s ear. "Please... leave me alone, Alicia. I don¡¯t want to hurt you... don¡¯t make me hurt you..."

    The agony in his voice made Alicia¡¯s heart contract painfully. "Go back to them and... just let me do what I want... please..."

    For at least a minute, there was no other sound or movement from either of them. Alicia could not help but smile miserably. He wanted her to just let him do what he wanted? He wanted her to just let him be the viin he never wanted to be and then die in the hands of his own friends?

    "I can¡¯t, Zeres." she answered as her handnded gently on the back of his head. "I¡¯m not going to let you do what you¡¯re nning to do. I¡¯m not going anywhere without you... so please, stop this ande back with me. Don¡¯t do this Zeres. Come with me. Let¡¯s go back -"

    Alicia broke off as he jerked her hand off from his head and he suddenly flung himself away from her.

    She immediately rose and looked at him and saw him already at the opposite side of the room. His hands were against the wall as he hung his head, shivering like a drenched dog, shaking his head.

    The sight of him made Alicia feel a little more hopeful. Perhaps it was not toote yet. She could still change his mind. ¡¯He is obviously wavering now. A little bit more.¡¯ Alicia whispered to herself as she approached him cautiously.

    "Stay back." He growled with such a force before he turned, resting his back against the wall.

    His face had changed again, his eyes now dangerous and predatory as he looked at her. A gaze that should be enough to paralyze any woman with fear.

    "You¡¯re wrong. There¡¯s no more turning back, Alicia. It¡¯s toote." His voice was stony and unfeeling.

    "No ¨C" In a sh, he moved, and his hand was covering her mouth as if to muffle her from speaking further, then snatched back as though he was scalded.

    In the silence that followed, Zeres picked up his clothes and Alicia watched him put on his shirt all brooding and almost trembling with undirected rage. His mouth hardening as he gave her a threatening nce, discouraging her to open her mouth again.

    But Alicia had no other choice. She was utterly helpless. All she had right now was her voice. All she could do for him right now was to continue speaking. But just as she opened her lips again, a sudden dizziness came to her.

    Her eyes widened, knowing that Zeres had cast a spell on her. "No... you can¡¯t... don¡¯t do this... no... listen to me... we need to talk..." she fought hard to maintain her consciousness as she swayed where she stood before Zeres caught her.

    Scooping her up in his arms, Zeres felt his throat tightening up at the feel of her fragile body now even lighter than before. He ced her gently on the bed and stared at her pale face.

    "You called, my king?" a woman¡¯s voice echoed and Zeres turned.

    A young female witch appeared before him and Zeres handed her clothes. "Help her change her clothes," he ordered stoically as he nced at Alicia.

    The witch nced at the woman on the bed curiously before she immediately nodded and epted the clothes.

    Now that the witch stood by the bed and saw the woman¡¯s face, she almost gasped in surprise. She heard the others talking about a woman who looked like queen Alicia. Was this woman really not the queen herself? But she is so weak, almost like she is at the brink of dying! There is no way this is Queen Alicia, right?

    "She¡¯s fragile and unwell, make sure to be careful." Zeres¡¯ voice was full of warning and the female witch frowned. She looked at him only to find him already facing the dark window.

    "Y-yes, my king." She could only say as she felt the dark and heavy airing from him. Who is this woman that is able to make him care for her like this?

    As soon as the witch finished her task, Zeres immediately dismissed her. He stood by the bed and stared at Alicia¡¯s face silently. He recalled the look on her face and the words she said to him, telling him to go back with her made Zeres¡¯ lips curved into a bitter smile.

    He bent and gently pulled the nket all the way up to her neck. Then his fingers quietly brushed the strands of her hair from her face, careful not to touch her skin. "There¡¯s no way I¡¯d go back with you, Alicia..." he uttered, and gently ced his forehead against hers. "If I do that... you¡¯ll die... and I don¡¯t want that. You don¡¯t deserve to die like this. I don¡¯t mind if you won¡¯t forgive me... All I want is for you to live..."

    ___

    A\\N: Thank you for waiting.

 Chapter 650 Before Midnigh

    <h4>Chapter 650 Before Midnigh</h4>

    As though she was awakened from a nightmare, Alicia jumped up from the bed, eyes wide-opened.

    She looked around. After scanning the room and taking note that Zeres was nowhere to be seen, her heartbeat quickened. What time was it now?

    Her head whipped towards the window and her shoulders sagged in relief when she saw that it was still night-time. But the moment she realized that it was close to midnight, she climbed off the bed in haste.

    She remembered what Ezekiel told her hours ago. He had told her that if there was still no possibility of Zeres¡¯ changing his mind before midnight, she must do her best to distract him and to make sure that he does not leave his hideout until morning. Ezekiel had repeatedly reminded her that she must not let Zeres leave so he would not know what was happening outside.

    Since Zeres¡¯ hideout was located at arge, uninhabited space surrounded by huge unfinished buildings, the only way for him to find out what themotion going on in the city was, could only be done by personally leaving the hideout or by looking through a crystal ball.

    Ezekiel had been quite confident that the witches will not take the time to look at their crystal balls as they were all extremely focused on creating more undead vampires. This is especially so in the case where, when manipting the crystal balls requires more effort, concentration, and power for them to use. The only thing Ezekiel was wary about was Zeres. Even without using crystal balls, the ancient man could still sense amotion going on even at ces that were farther away from where he was. However, provided that he was distracted enough, Ezekiel had been fairly certain that Zeres would fail to realize whatever that was happening.

    "Why? What are you nning to do at midnight?" Alicia had asked him as they gathered, facing each other. Like Alicia, everyone had also looked at Ezekiel with curiosity.

    "We will evacuate the people out of the city by midnight." He had answered, causing everyone to look at him with confusion.

    "How the hell are you going to do such a thing?" Alexander had butted in as all of them looked at Ezekiel with the same questioning gazes.

    "There¡¯s actually a power nt in this city and coincidentally, the prophetess saw that there was going to be a nuclear disaster caused by an explosion in the near future. She didn¡¯t manage to foresee the details on how that would happen but nevertheless, I am going to make that disaster happen. Thus, at midnight, I¡¯ll cause the ident and force the people to leave this ce." He had exined and everyone was speechless.

    "I thought the prophetess couldn¡¯t see anything not rted to the vampires." Alicia said as she nced at the quiet vampiress.

    "I can see some mundane things from time to time whenever I try to use my power." The old woman spoke up. "Sometimes, I can see both minor and major events happening around the world. But I usually never speak about any of it since vampires were not supposed to interfere with the humans¡¯ problem."

    Alicia understood. Because witches had been doing the same and followed the same unspoken code of conduct. Witches also knew many things and they were expected to do nothing about it if it was of no consequence to them. Both races were always doing their best never to get involved in the matters of the humans.

    Shifting her gaze towards Ezekiel, Alicia¡¯s gaze became severe. "Tell me. Are you nning to evacuate the people because you already knew the oue of all this? Are you saying that ¨C"

    "No." Ezekiel had cut her off, meeting her gaze. "This is only a precautionary measure I¡¯m taking. Unfortunately, the prophetess could not see anything that is able to verify and tell us that a fight between us and Zeres will definitely break out in this ce. So, we need to do something beforehand just in case you fail to change his mind. Because we can predict that the fight that will be happening would be of unprecedented proportions."

    "But even if we send all the humans away from this ce, wouldn¡¯t the human authorities stille over and check things out to identify what was happening? The human government might even send out their military troops."

    "You don¡¯t have to worry about it. I¡¯ll be dealing with that issue while you try to get to Zeres. There won¡¯t be any information that would leak out while we¡¯re still here. Humans are usually slow creatures and will take time toe to any major decision making, so their actions won¡¯t be immediate." Ezekiel¡¯s tone held a hint of derision as he exined, giving the impressions that he despised ¨C not the humans themselves, but ¨C theirck of quick wit and response to emergency circumstances.

    "It¡¯s a good thing this city isn¡¯t that big and is quite far from this country¡¯s capital. Moreover, no one will dare freely approach a ce imed to be filled with radioactive radiation. They will need time to sort everything out before entering this ce. Even if an intense fight were to break out, there¡¯d be enough time for us to settle everything and clear out way before the humans even arrive at the scene." Ezekiel had said with certainty. "So, all you have to do is to make sure that Zeres does not notice anything. He¡¯d probably release his minions the moment he realizes what is going on and we would be forced to fight by then while the humans are still evacuating."

    What Ezekiel had said troubled her. Even though the vampire prince was calling this as only a precaution, Alicia could not help but think of the worst-case scenario. ¡¯Is it really hopeless now? Could it be that I really couldn¡¯t do anything anymore?¡¯ she had asked herself but, in the end, she could not give up on Zeres. She won¡¯t give up on him.

    But what Zeres did truly crushed her hope. He did not even give her a chance to speak to him properly. She could not believe that Zeres had cast a spell on her just to keep her silent.

    Clenching her fists tight, Alicia headed towards the door. She cannot afford to stay here. She must find him at all costs before midnight strikes and she only had few precious minutes left.

 Chapter 651 Its time

    <h4>Chapter 651 It¡°s time</h4>

    Realizing that the door of the room she was in was securely locked, Alicia forced herself to use every ounce of the remaining strength left in her and she sessfully disappeared from within the room. She did not know how but she somehow managed to, maybe because of the healing magic Zeres had cast on her. However, she did not manage to make it far from the door of the room she was previously in.

    She materialized just a few steps from the room where she was confined and she was already feeling so weak.

    A curse escaped her lips when she had to hold onto the wall to bnce herself.

    Alicia had never known weakness before until she started losing her magic and energy as she had beentely. She had always been strong since she was young, even when she wasn¡¯t queen yet. She had never known what it felt to be utterly helpless and powerless. She had never known how it felt to be reduced to the point of relying to someone¡¯s healing powers to survive. She never thought it was nothing but unbearable.

    Shaking her head to clear her mind, Alicia looked around. She had to find Zeres and she only had a limited time left to get to him. Where was he?

    As she struggled to advance, she saw someone approaching. She was about to sigh in relief, thinking that it was Zeres but her eyes widened instead at the sight of the man approaching. It was that mad male witch named Philip.

    Alicia¡¯s eyes narrowed as the man stood before her.

    "Woman, just who are you?" he asked. One nce and Alicia could tell that the man had no more sanity left in him, just pure madness. She knew he was dangerous. He could attack her right now and she would not be able to do anything in her current weakened state.

    Cautiously, Alicia gripped her dagger. Her gaze never leaving him, her body tensed up in preparation for any sudden moves from him.

    "My king seemed to be in a very foul mood since you appeared. No, I wouldn¡¯t call it a foul mood... he seemed to be greatly... ardently troubled." Philip started to pace slowly in front of Alicia as he spoke with quiet but sinister voice, his eyes fully fastened on her as if he were trying to figure her out. "Was it you?" he halted, and his eyes red dangerously at her, causing Alicia to immediately hear warning bells ringing inside her head. Her grip on her dagger tightened. "I believe it¡¯s you... there is no one else to me here but you. You did something to my king, right? Woman? What did you do to him?"

    When the man started to step closer to her in rage, Alicia could only stretch her hands out, one hand pointing her dagger towards him, the other gesturing for him to stop and not take another step closer.

    Philipughed. "How stupid. You think someone like you who¡¯s as good as a dead fish can fight me?" he sneered, mocking. "I¡¯m asking you again, for thest time, woman. Who are you and what did you do to my king?"

    Sensing that the man was here with the express intention of annihting her, Alicia immediately replied. "Do you really not know who I am? Or are you just pretending not to recognize the queen of witches?" Alicia said. She had thought about hiding the truth, but she realized from the look in the mad witch¡¯s eyes that who she was did not actually matter. He was here because of that sole reason and that is to destroy the cause of Zeres¡¯ trouble.

    Philip¡¯s obsession in trying to protect his king did not surprise Alicia as she knew of some witches who tended to be overly protective of their chosen ruler. Sometimes, there were witches that develops a dangerous obsession towards their ruler, to the point that they would do everything, even sacrificing their own lives for their ruler. Most of these kinds of witches ended up being toxic and dangerous subjects once they start to do unforgivable things, fully believing that their actions would make their ruler happy. This was why many queens in the past had to force themselves to kill subjects who turn out this way. Alicia could still remember the scene she witnessed when she was young, when the former queen had to kill her beloved subject with her own hands. It was one of the most painful thing she had seen.

    They had to kill them because such a witch will eventually fall into madness, endangering more than themselves in the end. Almost all of them rebelled in the end once their queen tries to restrain them. And they would look for someone else whom they would redirect their obsession to. They would be one of the most dangerous enemy of their former ruler. That was why witch queens since the beginning of time had to deal with such witches. Because their obsession was considered a curse. If the witch crossed a certain line, there was no other way to deal with them but to kill them.

    "Queen..." the mad witch echoed, rubbing his chin. He craned his head and then a hystericugh echoed. "You think you can fool me? How dare you even try speaking those words... you... weakling!" he roared.

    His hand flew towards her face but his hit didn¡¯t reach her. Because Alicia had already taken the initiative to stab at his chest with her dagger. Gritting her teeth, Alicia fought for strength. She knew the dagger wound was not deep enough to kill him.

    Suddenly, Alicia was mmed against the concrete wall. She slumped to the floor. Her arms and knees shaking as she tried in vain to get up.

    But in the next moment, she was suspended in the air. The mad witch used his magic to immobilize her, stretching her arms wide.

    Alicia¡¯s fingers trembled as if she were trying hard to resist the magic, but she refused to drop the dagger. Stillughing, the mad witch moved Alicia until she was brought before him. "Alright, it¡¯s time for me to end you, woman. I will annihte anyone who dare try cause trouble to my king. I will kill everyone even if it¡¯s the quee ¨C "

    Before Philip could even finish his statement, Alicia¡¯s dagger flew speedily to be found embedded into his left eye. The mad witch screeched frantically like a banshee as he backed off, shocked and in pain from the sudden and unexpected attack. He had no idea that the magic he had used earlier was in actual fact useless when casted on the queen. A witch can never restrain a queen using such power unless she allows him to.

    She was dropped hard on the floor as the suspension spell broke due to the make witch¡¯s distraction from his pain. However, her body was so weak she could hardly seem to register any feelings in her hands and feet anymore.

    The mad witch refocused from his screaming fit and grabbed onto Alicia¡¯s hair with one of his hand as he had his other hand covering his injured eye, trying to heal it.

    "I¡¯ll kill you!!" he roared and another crushing blow struck her. Alicia was thrown hard on the floor again, blood flowing from her broken lips and wounded head.

    Her eyes peeked through her long messy ashen hair and despite her already hopeless situation, her eyes glowed intensely, the dark grey color suddenly seemingly pulsing with something silvery. The strange gleam moving like drifting clouds in her pupils ¨C all which the mad witch failed to notice.

 Chapter 652 - Brutal

    <h4>Chapter 652 - Brutal</h4>

    Pulling his own de from his belt, Philip expectantly approached her and lifted his hand to sh at her. Yet his de never reached her because before he knew it, he was being thrown backwards. The wall crumbled as his back smashed into it, creating an earthquake.

    Alicia looked up and saw Zeres looking down at her. His eyes wide with mixed horror and barely suppressed anger.

    And then, he turned and she watched him walked towards Philip. The mad witch was already stumbling over, trying to stand.

    "My King... what did ¨C" Philip was thrown to the ground this time even before he could fully straighten up. Zeres¡¯ had kicked him over and over again without a single word, never allowing the male witch even a single break.

    The mad witch eventually tried to fight back using his forbidden curses, but they were futile against Zeres. Because at that moment, Zeres looked like Lucifer himself incarnated. The torture continued until Philip was scrambling on his hands and knees, crawling towards Zeres and begging for mercy.

    But Zeres lifted him, suspending him in the air. The mad witch who was already drenched in his own blood smiled, thinking that his king is finally appeased from the beatings given and willing to hear his plea.

    Zeres¡¯ eyes gleamed with frosty hellfire and the next moment, blood sttered around. Using his b.a.r.e hand, Zeres had gripped Philip¡¯s neck, and in a blink of an eye, his head rolled on the floor followed by his body.

    Alicia could hardly believe that the brutal man before her was Zeres. She never expected him to kill someone that way. Effortless and brutal. Without any hesitation.

    When he turned to her, his silver hair and pale skin was painted in scarlet. The contrast was so vivid and the color of his eyes had changed too.

    Slowly, he approached her and crouched before her. His hand reached out to brush her hair away from her face, but he halted the moment he saw his own blood-soaked hand in his field of vision. Gritting his teeth, he clenched his hand and dropped it.

    He wiped his hand on his clothes and then ced them to be hovering above her head. Greenish and silverish glow enveloped Alicia once again. Zeres¡¯ healing power was unusually warm and strong that Alicia could not even feel any more pain nor difort during the process.

    Slowly feeling better, Alicia opened her eyes and looked at Zeres. His eyes were back to their normal colour but the bloodl.u.s.t that was emitting from his body still cloaked around him heavily like a living creature. Even if he was quiet, his rage was obvious. She could tell he was angry ¨C but not at her or the mad witch he just brutally killed ¨C but towards himself.

    He had yet to look her in the eyes,pletely focused on her healing, first and foremost. It was then that Alicia remembered the time. She was certain it was past midnight now and she felt utterly relieved. Now she had to keep him here. Because she now realized something ¨C that Zeres would not hesitate to kill to save her. Though the thought of it made her throat run dry and her heart squeeze hard. She could not help but feel afraid at the extent he was willing to go.

    What would happen if he shed against Alexander or Ezekiel? Alicia¡¯s unease suddenly became so intense she began to feel extremely awful.

    When she felt that he was about to finish his task, Alicia lifted her hand to touch him. She had to hold onto him. She must not let him go, no matter what. But he caught her wrist, his gaze sharp.

    Alicia grabbed onto the sleeve of his shirt as she red back at him. When suddenly, Zeres whipped his head towards the window.

    His sudden reaction made Alicia panic. No! Did he feel something? Had he caught onto something already? She cannot let him notice the activities that were happening outside. The lights from his hand started to disappear and Alicia knew it was because he was going to shift his focus towards something else. He would definitely notice something if...

    Fueled by her anxiety, Alicia suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck. She hated that she had to resort to something so basic and female such as this, but she had no other choice.

    Zeres instantly became still,pletely shocked while Alicia tightened her arms around his neck. She was not going to let him go. If all her efforts in trying to change Zeres¡¯ mind is futile, she would at least try to help Ezekiel and the others to make their ns work. She could not ept on how useless she was anymore so she must do everything to keep this person with her.

    "Let go," his cold voice echoed after a long while.

    "No... Don¡¯t leave me, please." She tightened her hold on his neck and begged softly. She then felt Zeres stilled again. "If you leave me again... I¡¯m certain I¡¯d be killed many times over when youe back."

    Another long silence went by before he moved. His hands held her forearms, trying to peel her off him. "No one will harm you again. I¡¯ll kill them all if they try to ¨C"

    "I don¡¯t believe you. I am lucky because you arrived right at the veryst second. If you werete even for a secondter, I¡¯d be dead by now. And you know full well ... with my current condition ..." She cut him off, her grip on him tightening a little more. She was thankful he had just healed her, and he deliberately gave her more strength with his strong magic.

    She heard a low groan vibrated in his throat. "I said let go!" his voice was controlled. "I won¡¯t leave, so just let go, Alicia or else..."

    "Or else? What? Are you telling me you¡¯re going to rip my arms off you?"

    He fell silent for a moment, but she felt him smile, and she was quite certain it was not the pleasant smile that suited him. "Yes. So let go of me now while I¡¯m still sane."

    "Go ahead then. I still won¡¯t let go ¨C"

    "Alicia!!!" he roared, angry. That was the first time he had yelled at her and uttered her name with such cold and angry voice. This should be enough to scare her especially at the way he killed that mad witch before her shed in her vision. But how could she feel any ounce of fear when his hands on her arms were trembling as he tried to tug at them in great hesitation and obviously unable to make himself harm her?

 Chapter 653 - Youre mad*

    <h4>Chapter 653 - You''re mad*</h4>

    Zeres stayed very still and quiet after he roared her name. There was nothing but silence for a few moments.

    He let out a shaky, vehement breath and he spoke again, now seemingly calm. "Alicia... stop doing this -"

    "You are the one who should stop." She argued firmly.

    "Why won¡¯t you just listen to me?" another vehement sigh came from him before he continued with a muted, velvety voice, "why are you doing this to me?"

    A disbelieving smile tugged at Alicia¡¯s lips. "I am the one who should ask you that..." she said, trying to control herself from bursting out. "Why are you doing this?!"

    Taking a deep breath, she clutched at his shirt and pulled away just enough to look at his face. She didn¡¯t seem to realize how close their faces were. But Zeres did and he immediately faced sideways.

    "Stop looking away when I¡¯m talking..." she paused and sighed again. "Alright... if you don¡¯t want to look at me, at least speak to me properly."

    She saw his throat worked, his jaw clenching. He didn¡¯t speak, but his hand moved and Alicia¡¯s eyes flew wide. Her hands sped both sides of his head and forced him to look at her.

    "Don¡¯t you dare put me to sleep again!" she hissed, ring hard at him.

    He stared back at her. "You¡¯re giving me no choice," he said, looking away again as his hands held her wrists.

    "Don¡¯t you dare, Zeres!" Her voice intensified. "If you do that, I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll kill you!" she eximed in panic. She knew it¡¯d be over for her if he put her to sleep again. Ezekiel¡¯s n... no... she can¡¯t fail in this too!

    He shed that smile she didn¡¯t like before facing her again. "How I wish you could." He said in a whisper and before Alicia knew it, his hand was over her hand that was holding the dagger. He had already pointed the dagger over his heart. "How about you try?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

    Alicia¡¯s eyes widened in horror. An inexplicable wave of emotions shook her entire being ¨C anger, frustration, fear, terror, and utter defeat. "H-how could you..." she struggled to speak as her body shook, "how could you ask me that?"

    Seeing her reaction, Zeres slowly took his hand off hers. "I¡¯m sorry..." he said weakly. He let himself fell back and sat on the floor in front of her. "You should know by now how desperate I am to die." He said in a miserable voice. His elbows rested on his bended knees as his fingers tugged his hair.

    "You are not desperate to die," Alicia said, swallowing to control her emotions. "You are desperate to save me."

    He shook his head, keeping his gaze on the floor. "You¡¯re wrong." He denied firmly.

    "Yes, you are. I am the cause of this. You are doing all this madness because of me. I don¡¯t... I don¡¯t deserve your sacrifice." Her breathing began to be heavy, and the corner of her eyes was burning. "Why would you do all this... go through all these for my sake?! I am just someone you met not too long ago. Why would you do this for someone... for someone who¡¯s not even special in your life?"

    For some reason, what she said seemed to broke through him. Then he was suddenly a few steps away from her, looking as though he was desperately stopping himself from destroying something.

    When he swung back to her, the look in his eyes changed. He seemed to be staring at her as if she was a stranger.

    "Yes. You¡¯re right." Came his cold hard voice that sounded nothing like the Zeres she knew. "You are nothing special to me, Alicia. That¡¯s why you are wrong if you think I¡¯m doing this because of you. I would do this even if it¡¯s not you." He sauntered towards her and then squatted before her. "I told you, I¡¯m desperate to die. I never wanted to live... again... because, for me, life has always been hell. So please don¡¯t stop me anymore. This is really what I want. Please understand that not everyone in this world wanted life. There¡¯s someone out there who wanted nothing but death."

    He pinched her chin and moved closer. "I¡¯m telling you again... I¡¯d do the same even if it¡¯s not you, Alicia. So don¡¯t feel bad, don¡¯t feel guilty, never me yourself... you never did anything wrong. You just happened to be the unlucky one. And yes... you are nothing to me."

    "You are mad, Zeres." she said in a weak voice, her eyes starting to blur.

    He smiled, letting go of her chin. "I know. So you better leave now. You know what a mad witch can do."

    "You are mad," she repeated, ignoring what just said, "if you think I would believe what you said."

    Zeres¡¯ smile faded and his temper finally exploded. His eyes turned gold and then his palm mmed against the wall behind her. The wall crumbled because of the powerful impact and when he saw the debris about tond on her, he pulled her in his arms and both of them disappeared before anything could touch her.

    When they materialized, they were at the topmost floor of the under-construction building.

    Zeres was still holding her and he was breathing hard. She had seen the look in his eyes before he pulled her. No matter how she looked at it, his actions contradicted his words. How could someone do all this for someone who¡¯s nothing to them?

    "You... stubborn woman!" He g.r.o.a.n.e.d, still angered. "Why? Why do you..."

    A wind blew against them and Alicia finally realized they were at the top of the building. She pulled away from him and followed his line of sight. The moon was bright and the city was lively... no, it was in chaos. The streets were filled with cars leaving the city.

    Alicia swallowed and looked at him. Her arms around him tightened.

    "I see..." he said after a chilling silence. His gaze met hers, and a surge of emotions so strong Alicia almost felt like she could not stand it shed in his eyes. "You¡¯re here to distract me and hide what is going on from me."

    A chuckle that sounded painful and bitter echoed. "Ah, Kiel is really incredible... no wonder you like him."

 Chapter 654 - Wishful thinking*

    <h4>Chapter 654 - Wishful thinking*</h4>

    With startling abruptness, Zeres pried her arms from his neck. Alicia was caught off guard and could not tighten her grip on him in time as he had already set her aside and stood away from her before she could make any move. He was just too fast, too strongpared to her utterly slow and weak movements.

    A protest slipped from Alicia¡¯s lips when she thought he was going to disappear. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t. He turned away and focused his gaze on the distant instead.

    Watching his back, Alicia felt an overwhelming defeat. She didn¡¯t just fail from both of her missions; she also felt like she only made things worse. Zeres wasn¡¯t a fool. She could understand why he¡¯d think she came just to distract him. Even though that was not the only reason, she dide to do that. Would he still believe it if she tells him she came because she genuinely cared for him and that she didn¡¯t want him to die?

    "Zeres," she called out as she struggled to stand. "Listen ¨C"

    A thud forced Zeres to whip around. When he saw Alicia slumped on the hard floor, he abruptly walked back to her. But he halted and froze upon reaching her.

    Looking down at her, panic shed in his eyes. She looked wilted already. Her hair... they had turned even darker. His fingers twitched and then he clenched them. He knew she¡¯s running out of time. This was a sign that she wouldn¡¯tst long. She might not evenst for another day.

    "Listen..." he heard her say, looking up at him. But Zeres bent and picked her up.

    "Hush." He silenced her, his voice no longer cold.

    He settled her slowly in a morefortable spot and made her lean against the wall. Silently, he grabbed the dagger in Alicia¡¯s hand, and blood gushed out from a wound he had suddenly inflicted without any hesitation on his face. Then he chanted the spell.

    As the light began to envelop her, Zeres looked into her eyes and his jaw clenched at the sight of her miserable expression. She looked like she was about to cry.

    The spell didn¡¯t seem to be working anymore. It was strong, but her body had long reached its limit.

    Cursing beneath his breath, Zeres grabbed the dagger again, but this time, Alicia screamed at him. "Stop! Just stop, please!" she choked back her tears. Reaching out, she weakly pulled Zeke¡¯s dagger in his hand.

    Zeres stilled as Alicia settled her breaths. The sound of her heavy breaths and the soft wind seemed so loud in their ears as they both fell silent for a long moment.

    Just as Alicia was about to speak again, Zeres said first. "Tell me," his voice became cold again and his gaze turned emotionless. "how long until theyplete the evacuation?" he asked without looking at her.

    Alicia stared at the bloody wound on his face. "What... are you going to do if I tell you?" she asked weakly. Her voice sounded resigned, wholly defeated. "I came here to stop you... because I want you to live. I can¡¯t stand that you are suffering like this... I don¡¯t want you to die. Ezekiel gave me a task I¡¯ll to do if I fail to change your mind, and that¡¯s to distract you until the humans in this city are gone."

    She let out a shaky breath, and then a bitter smile tugged at her lips as she looked at the city lights below them. "I can¡¯t believe how useless I¡¯ve be." She muttered in a weak, surrendered voice.

    Another long moment passed by before Zeres broke the silence. "I won¡¯t attack until everyone is evacuated." He said, causing Alicia¡¯s eyes to widen as she returned her gaze to him. "But in one condition..." he added when their eyes met, "leave. You don¡¯t belong here. If you still insist, I will prompt my minions to attack now." He threatened and the look in his eyes told her he was serious.

    Alicia couldn¡¯t help but let out a miserableugh. She looked up and herughter slowly died as she stared at the moon shining brightly in the sky. There were no stars, making the moon looked so alone in the dark.

    "Have you ever thought what would happen to me when you die?" she asked.

    "You will live. That is all that matters."

    "I¡¯d live with guilt knowing that someone had to die for me to live ¨C"

    "No. I told you this is never your fault. You¡¯re the victim here. My existence ruined everything. Not only this time but in the past as well. You already know... That witches in the past consider me as a curse that would bring nothing but disaster. They were right. I always knew my existence would bring nothing but disaster. If I¡¯m gone, everything will go back to normal again... back to how it was had I never awakened... if I live, you will die and not just you... as long I exist, all queens after you will die because of me..." He paused, thinking how wrong it was for him to ever hoped that fate had given him a second chance to live the life he never had in the past. He should¡¯ve known what wishful thinking that was. Because on some elemental level, he always knew that something about him had destined him for a miserable life and a painful death.

    But somehow, he thought that at least, just likest time, his death won¡¯t be meaningless. And the person he had to save this time was someone who had cried for his pain. If it¡¯s her, he wouldn¡¯t mind dying a few times over, as long as she¡¯d live.

    "There had to be another way to solve ¨C"

    "There is no other way, Alicia! I know you already know that. Kiel knows that too since the beginning. There is no other way." He stressed, cutting her off. Zeres had realized this even before they started the journey. That Alexander and Ezekiel were the only ones in this world capable of ending his life. He had chosen to be the viin because he knew that was the only way they would take him seriously. If he threatened the peace in this human world, like what Dinah did, the universe would be forced to end him. Viins always die in the end, after all.

    He just hoped that he would die in Ezekiel¡¯s hand instead of Alexander.

    ___

    A\N: do try to check out my new book <Spellbound> and add it in your library. The book won¡¯t be a very long one like hellbound so you don¡¯t really need to wait for many chapters before reading it.

    P.s. I will be making an announcement about Hellbound Heart soon.

    *unedited

 Chapter 655 - If only*

    <h4>Chapter 655 - If only*</h4>

    It was nearly dawn when a witch joined Alicia and Zeres at the top of the building.

    "Find Ezekiel," Zeres ordered and the witch immediately obeyed. Alicia had agreed to leave. She had no choice but agreed because she realized Zeres wouldn¡¯t hesitate to send his minions towards the leaving humans if she continued persisting. And even though it was hard to ept, she had also understood that she could not change his mind anymore. He had made up his mind, and no one, not even her, could do anything to stop him.

    "I found him, my king." The witch said to Zeres.

    "Is he alone?"

    "No."

    Zeres frowned. His gaze remained fixated on the part of the city where there was heavy traffic. More than half of the city seemed emptied already. It would not take long, and this city would bepletely emptied. "Watch him. Tell me once he¡¯s alone." Zeres said and the witch¡¯s crystal ball lit up again.

    The sky slowly began to color when the witch finally spoke again. "He¡¯s finally alone, my king." She said, and after ncing at the crystal ball, Zeres sent the witch away.

    He approached Alicia and then took off his coat. Without saying anything, he bent and dr.a.p.ed the coat on her before unceremoniously taking her hand. He put her arm around his neck and then lifted her with ease.

    Not giving her any chance to speak, the two of them disappeared.

    They materialized in the middle of an empty za where the city¡¯s famous blue tower was located. Police cars were speeding in the street, checking if there were still people left behind. Zeres had already cast a spell so the humans couldn¡¯t see them.

    He put her down, but his hand was still around Alicia¡¯s back as he gave her the time she needed to steady herself. She had grown so weak she could barely stand now. But Zeres had been quietly trying to force even a little of his energy on her by using an ancient spell only he knew about for a while now. Her body kept rejecting it, but he kept on persistently forcing it, and it somehow stopped the trembling in her knees.

    Zeres¡¯ gaze then whipped towards the empty space right in front of the tower, and a cold and dangerous gleam danced in his silver eyes.

    Zeke stood there, staring back at him and wearing the same unfeeling expression Zeres knew so well.

    For a long while, they stared at each other. Some kind of wordless conversation seemed to be going on between them that seemed to have turned the city¡¯s atmosphere even heavier and chillier until Zeres was certain Alicia could now at least stand on her own.

    Averting his gaze from Ezekiel, Zeres looked at Alicia. His eyes were no longer cold but still extremely alert and dangerous.

    Carefully, he eased Alicia away, gently encouraging her to stand on her own.

    "Go," he said as he retracted his hand off her.

    Alicia nced behind her and saw a man¡¯s silhouette standing there. She could tell it was Ezekiel.

    "Go to him now. If Alexander arrives, a fight will definitely break out right here, right now." Zeres added. He had waited for Zeke to be alone and away from Alexander because he knew that Zeke wouldn¡¯t do anything while the humans were still around. Knowing Alexander¡¯s recklessness, Zeres was certain that if he were in this ce right now, he would¡¯ve been attacking him by now. Not to kill him, though.

    Suddenly, Alicia weakly hit Zeres¡¯ c.h.e.s.t. Her face was emotional again, miserable. But no word came out from her lips.

    Zeres caught her wrist, and silently, he stared deep into her eyes. ¡¯I¡¯m sorry for all the pain I caused you... just a little bit more... and everything will be alright again...¡¯ he said inside him before he opened his mouth and spoke.

    "I¡¯m telling you this again onest time. Go." His voice hardened.

    Staring back at him, Alicia opened her lips but closed them again. His eyes had been telling her this will be thest time she could speak to him and get close to him like this.

    So she reached out and hugged him tightly. He didn¡¯t move. He simply stiffened like a log.

    When she let go, a small smile shed on her face. Weak tears were sliding from her eyes.

    Zeres¡¯ throat worked. "I told you to go, not to cry." He said in a controlled, hard voice. His eyes wavering.

    She wiped her tears. "I¡¯m crying because I couldn¡¯t do anything for you," she said weakly. She had long realized she had begun to really care for Zeres. At first, she thought she just felt bad for him because she had seen all his sufferings... but during this journey, she hade to care for him even more, not out of pity but genuine concern. He was a good man. But he was so dangerously selfless. She always thought selfishness could be dangerous. She never thought selflessness could be lethal until she met this man. If only he would think of only himself for once.

    Her gaze fell to therge wound on his cheek and her hand reached out but again, he caught her wrist, stopping her.

    Alicia began to step back. "Don¡¯t forget Zeres... if you die... I will never forgive you."

    She finally turned around and began to walk away from him slowly.

    Midway, she looked back and Zeres was still there, watching her. Letting out a shaky sigh, she continued walking forward. She could see Ezekiel¡¯s stoic face now and she didn¡¯t know what to feel or even how to face him.

    But she continued approaching him anyway. Just when she was about to reach Zeke, Alicia looked back again, but Zeres wasn¡¯t there anymore.

    She nibbled the inside of her lips before she faced Ezekiel. Her body felt utterly exhausted and heavy.

    "I¡¯m sorry," she said, smiling bitterly, "I couldn¡¯t stop him. I couldn¡¯t even do that task you gave me."

    To her surprise,Zeke¡¯s hand was suddenly on her head as he spoke. "No. You did your job... You did well."

 Chapter 656 - Successor

    <h4>Chapter 656 - Sessor</h4>

    When Zeres materialized back in his hideout, what weed him was anothermotion. While the undead vampires were frozen stiff and rendered immobile like robots that were shut down, a fight seemed to be going on between the witches.

    Wearing a grim expression, Zeres appeared at the fighting scene and at his arrival, everyone seemed to freeze. Even while caught up in their fight, they could sense a tremendous cold aura and dangerous presence that had forced them all to halt in their actions.

    Everyone turned to Zeres, swallowing hard. Since they saw how he had killed Phillip so effortlessly, they no longer had the thought that their King was not capable of brutally killing his own allies. Even if they were his underlings, they bore no delusion and have begun to be wary of him.

    "What¡¯s going on here?" Zeres¡¯ voice echoed stonily across the ears of every single person present there and as though his voice was made of frost, the witches flinched, feeling chills crawling down their spines.

    Before anyone could manage to answer, a certain daredevil suddenly flew to attack him. Zeres had previously shrouded himself with darkness. After watching Alicia walk away and then secured by Ezekiel, he had gone to an empty ce to prepare himself, making sure that he would be more than ready to fight to the death once he returned to his hideout.

    Despite his silvery and angelic features, his aura was dark, heavy, and sinister. He was cloaked powerfully by an impregnable darkness so much so, that he failed to notice an all too familiar presence, until... he saw the silvery hair of the daredevil who had recklessly jumped at him.

    Zeres¡¯ eyes widened and at the veryst moment, he held back the killing blow he was about tond on the approaching reckless witch. He smoothly blocked her twin swords instead and then easily restrained her. She froze before him, unable to move her body.

    Looking at her with a disbelieving look in his eyes, Zeres clenched his fists tight. He could not believe fate had chosen this child. Why her? Zeres knew that she was nowhere the strongest witch right now and she was still too young. Was fate really ying with him? Did fate choose this child because he hade to care for her?

    Zeres let out a maddeningugh. ¡¯So, this innocent little girl would be the next one to suffer and die if he fails to die today, huh.¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡¯Now you¡¯re even more motivated, Zeres.¡¯

    "Let me go!" Lilith yelled. Though her eyes were still greenish, her hair, brows andshes had turned silvery. She looked like a young and fierce fairy as she red at Zeres. Her red cloak and silvery hair were floating as she remained suspended in mid-air from the power that Zeres wielded to restrain her.

    Lilith had not received any memories yet. Since the queen left the ck Forest, she began to feel the changes that were happening in her body. And the moment that she realized her hair was turning silver, she understood clearly what was going on.

    The thought that something bad had happened to the Queen bugged her to no end and that was why she had set out on this journey alone. She left ck Forest not wanting anyone else to see the changes happening in her. Her greatest wish was to find the Queen and save her. That was...until she received the call from that mad witch.

    She had also caught a witch and forcefully read his mind, so she somewhat knew what Zeres was doing. That was why she thought this man that she had adored and looked up to had done something to the Queen. It was hard for her to ept it at first. This man was always so nice and kind, she even thought he was an angel in disguise. How could he do this?

    "Why are you here?" Zeres¡¯ voice remained cold and his eyes were even more so.

    "I am here because of that mad witch¡¯s call." She replied, struggling to escape from his restraints but try as she might, she could not even budge an inch. His powers were way too powerfulpared to hers.

    Suddenly, Zeres¡¯ eyes zed with a deadly light that Lilith could not help but feel overwhelmed. She remembered the scary vampires she had met in Reigns¡¯ castle and she swallowed. When had this person be as terrifying as them? He certainly did not look nor reflect an angel with his current conditions. It would be more right to call him a devil in disguise at this moment.

    "Could it be that you¡¯re here to join me?" he queried, and Lilith frowned. Why did he sound and look as if he would kill her if her answer were a ¡¯yes¡¯? Wouldn¡¯t he be d if she said ¡¯yes¡¯? She was confused at his questioning.

    "Where is queen Alicia?" she asked instead of answering him.

    "So, you hade all the way just to look for her..." he sounded relieved.

    "Yes. Where is she? What did you do to her?!" Lilith¡¯s voice became louder and more using, desperate as she looked at him with barely veiled disdain. "What happened to her? Tell me, where is she?!"

    Zeres held her and they disappeared in a sh from the view of the other witches. They then materialized inside the room where Alicia had slept and before Lilith realized it, she was chained ¨C with a chain so powerful she knew she would not be able to break free at all.

    With eyes wide, Lilith gritted her teeth as she yelled. "What are you doing? Release me! Bring me to my queen! I need to save her!!"

    His hand came to rest on her head and patted her as if he were petting an untamed little beast. "I can¡¯t let her see you in your state, Lilith. She might think it would be fine for her to die if she sees that you¡¯re turning to be her sessor." Came his unfeeling but serious voice. "You don¡¯t have to do anything. Just stay here until the battle is over. Do not worry. I¡¯ll save her."

    Lilith stopped struggling and hollering and sat down, looking at him in utter confusion. She was seriously perplexed right now. "Are you saying you¡¯re not the one who... no, you are trying to be king. Do you seriously think I¡¯d be stupid enough to believe you when you tell me that you¡¯ll save her?"

    "You don¡¯t have a choice, child." he said bluntly, his eyes tracing the emerging strands of her long silver hair. "Because believe it or not, I am the only one in this world who can save her now."

 Chapter 657 - Start

    <h4>Chapter 657 - Start</h4>

    It was looking that it would be a dark and depressing day. Not only was the sunlight not peeking through the horizon, but there was also not even a trace of the sun. Heavy dark clouds quickly covered the sky and by daylight, it had already started to drizzle, with the hints of it getting even heavier.

    At the tower, Zeke and all the rest of hisrades finally gathered with the only exception of Alex who was still missing.

    "Put me down," Alicia said in a hoarse whisper, feeling that not only her throat was parched but also her entire being. It was as if there was a great desert where her body used to be ¨C dry and dead. Though she was not looking, she could feel the others appearing one after another.

    Zeke nced at her but Alicia had her eyes closed. She was too weak to even keep her eyes opened. She had been losing energy and powers continuously since earlier and there was no Zeres here this time to help her replenish it anymore. Zeke¡¯s gaze on her was unfathomable. No one could tell what those deep dark eyes hold.

    "Alexander isn¡¯t here yet, Your Highness. He strayed from us a little while ago." Lucas reported as Zeke settled Alicia down. She creased her brows thinking that Alexander must have already made his way over to Zeres¡¯s hideout. She could not help it, but her heart skipped a couple of beats.

    "How¡¯s the rest of the city? Is that taken care of already? Are you certain no one had been left behind?" Zeke asked, ignoring the report of what Lucas had about Alexander. Alex was Alex. There was no need to worry too much about him.

    "Yes, Your Highness. I have just double checked beforeing to report. The city¡¯s 95% cleared as of now. There are still a few human stragglers out in the western most part of the city because of the traffic but they too should be able to clear out within the hour, I believe."

    While Zeke was speaking with Lucas, Kyle was only partially listening to the report. His gaze was fixed more on Alicia. He was truly concerned for her. She had gone even weaker than previously when she had left them yesterday. No, weaker, might not even the right word. She looked as if like she was already at herst breaths. He was frightened at how haggard she looked and at how much she had deteriorated. There was almost nothing left of her former grandeur that he had remembered when he first knew her as the powerful witch queen she was.

    Clenching his fists tight, Kyle looked at his brother.

    "What happened to her? Did Zeres... what did Zeres do to her?" Kyle asked in a tormented whisper. She was nowhere near like this when she left! Something must have happened to her while she was with Zeres.

    Even though he could not believe that Zeres would do anything to Alicia, the young prince was angered at the pitiful sight of Alicia and the only person avable for him to me for Alicia¡¯s situation right now was Zeres.

    Zeke did not deign to respond. His somber gaze fell to the city below them that was slowly turning into a ghost town. The sirens could still be heard from afar and the sounds of people moving, and noises of slight chaos were slowly getting farther and farther away.

    "Everyone, get ready. It¡¯s about to start." Zeke said, not responding to Kyle¡¯s question. Everyone looked at him with grave expressions.

    "But the humans are still..." Lucas paused. "Aren¡¯t we going to wait until all of them arepletely gone? Wasn¡¯t this the n at the beginning?"

    "We cannot afford to wait for that to happen anymore." Zeke moved towards the edge of the tower and everyone followed him, leaving Alicia and the prophetess under the shade. The fat and heavy raindrops fell on the three men as they all stared down the city, totally ignoring the weather around them.

    At that moment, Alex finally decided to join them. He went towards the trio and stood silently next to Zeke for a few seconds.

    "Zeres¡¯s about to release his minions and he¡¯s expecting us to stop the undead vampires from reaching those few humans who are still trying to get out of the city." Zeke added quietly and Kyle widened his eyes. Though the statement made was soft, there was no doubt the vampires heard it loud and clear. The tension in the air was bing heavier and the wind too began toe at them, stronger. It seemed as if even the weather was trying to conspire against them.

    Kyle looked at the sky and thought that it was as if the heavens itself were bracing themselves for the battle that would soon erupt.

    "You met him didn¡¯t you?" Alex asked, his tone still calm but there was a hint of sadness and an anger that was directed not towards Zeres but towards something else.

    "Yes." Zeke replied. "He¡¯s definitely going to fight us... to the death."

    A heavy silence followed Zeke¡¯s words. Alex¡¯s calm was slowly unravelling. Everyone could feel it happening. Just like the howling wind, the waves of his aura was bing more and more violent.

    Gritting his teeth, Alex faced Zeke. "All of you deal with the minions. I¡¯ll go after Zeres. I¡¯ll try ...whatever I can." Everyone knew Alex was referring to him stopping Zeres from going down this suicidal route. However, getting it done was not an easy feat knowing it was Zeres they were dealing with. In fact, Zeke looked like he was certain that Alex will fail.

    Before Zeke could respond, Alex was already gone.

    Sighing, Zeke looked at Kyle and Lucas. "You two go ahead. I¡¯ll follow after you in a bit." He said and the two became blurs and disappeared from the tower as well.

    Zeke didn¡¯t move for a while. His gaze gleaming as he stared towards the direction of Zeres¡¯ hideout. There was something in his gaze that was moving like a phantom shadow.

    After a while, he finally whipped around and approached the prophetess and Alicia who was now seated on the floor, leaning weakly against the wall. He stared down at Alicia who still had her eyes closed and was breathing ever so weakly.

    "You will stay here with Alicia." Zeke informed the prophetess and the woman obediently nodded.

    "I will keep trying," she said, talking about her prophetic visions.

    "If you see something, however irrelevant it seems, send me a distress signal immediately and I¡¯lle."

    "Yes, Your Highness."

    Zeke stared down at Alicia again for a few moments and after he finally nodded at the prophetess, he too, was gone.

    ___

    A\N: I¡¯m going to make an announcement about Hellbound Heart on my Instagram ount soon so make sure to follow me there ?? @kazzenlx.x

 Chapter 658 - Come at me

    <h4>Chapter 658 - Come at me</h4>

    As Alex sped towards the direction of Zeres, his speedy movements caused the wind to whistle through his hair, giving him the feeling of being free and unrestrained. However, the next second, an unhappy scowl painted his face as he remembered that his current reality is the exact total opposite. The fact that he was moving this fast, in this particr direction just further solidifies the fact that there is nothing free and unrestrained about what he needed to do next. His heart could not help but clench a little knowing that in the next few seconds he would need toe face to face to the next hardest thing after matters rting to Abigail.

    Now, standing in front of Zeres¡¯ hideout, Alex¡¯s frame was as still as a statue, but his eyes were resolutely fixed towards the figure of an outstanding man standing up on the building and looking down at him from the third floor. Even at this distance, he could perceive the razor sharp and unfeeling gaze being directed at him. For the first time, Alex felt genuine danger and something darking from this person who looked like Zeres. All the power and emotions he possesses right now were not something that belonged to the Zeres he knew from before.

    This seems to be apletely different person from the man he had talked with thest time they met up in Country V. Just by meeting his gaze, Alex somehow understood why the witch queen and Zeke failed to stop him. Because looking at those eyes, Alex remembered how he was after Abigail died in the past, when he fought against Lexus.

    Alex could no longer remember every detail of the battle but there was one thing he was certain about during his battle against Lexus. He couldn¡¯t feel anything. Even though the dragon was once precious to him because he had always seen the dragon as his beloved¡¯s pet and protector, he didn¡¯t hesitate to kill it. Because back then, he no longer felt alive. His emotions had died along with Abigail and there was no room for any human feeling inside him anymore. Everything inside him screamed only one thing - to fulfil Abigail¡¯s wish. His desperation and the pain of losing Abigail had consumed him that time to the point that he did not only feel nothing at all when he ughtered the dragon, but it was to the point where he did not even feel a single ounce of regret for the fact that he had sacrificed countless lives all just to fulfil that final mission in his mind.

    Looking at how Zeres looks right now, his stance and the aura surrounding him, Alex gritted his teeth, because he could tell now that whatever he said would be futile. No one could ever stop a man with those eyes, he of all people should understand this better than anyone else. And that was why it pained him even more in this situation. He had wholeheartedly prayed that this person would not need to go through something so agonizing like this.

    "If you came for any other reason other than killing me, you better leave Alexander. I don¡¯t have the time to waste on you. There are better and more important things that I need to get done." Zeres¡¯ voice was as cold and as lifeless as a dead fish. His gaze was icy and reeked with impatience.

    Alex quietly sighed, feeling hisst bit of hope crumbling with that statement. He realized how human he was feeling at this moment. Ever since he got married, it was bing easier for him to feel the emotions he did not usually feel before.

    Zeres had always been and still is someone important to him even though he has never admitted it nor realized it before Zeres died for the reason of saving him. He had considered him his rival in the past, but never had he truly hated him and had evene to the point of thinking of him as someone he could rely on, despite their cat and dog rtionship back then.

    Alex¡¯s heart felt heavy at the thought that he could not do anything to get him out of this situation. Alex knew that all he could do for him at this point was to help him fulfil his greatest wish. And unfortunately, that was to kill him.

    "Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯te here to try and change your mind. I know you won¡¯t listen to me or to anyone else." Alex said and for a moment, Zeres looked a little surprised. "I just want to know one thing first... Are you in love with Alicia?"

    A soft but cold breeze blew as silence reigned between them for a moment. Zeres¡¯ gaze wavered a little and something flickered deep within his eyes, but he quickly smothered whatever it was, and they quickly became hard as ancient cier once again.

    "I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re asking this Alexander. Does it really matter if I love her or not?" Zeres¡¯ tone was flippant and careless. However, Alex seemed to have caught onto something.

    "You¡¯re trying to sacrifice your very own life for her. No one would ever do this for someone they do not love. So, to answer your question... Yes, it does matter. A lot. I just want to make sure this isn¡¯t you just being bloody selfless. I want to know if she¡¯s worth your sacrifice."

    "She¡¯s more than worth it." Zeres replied in a heartbeat. No hesitation whatsoever this time. "That I can assure you, Alexander. Though you¡¯ve got it wrong, because this is not a sacrifice. Now enough with the chit chat. I told you, I don¡¯t have time to spare to be ying around with you."

    "Tsk," Alex ran his fingers through his hair in frustration and hesitation. "She¡¯s more than worth it, huh..." Alex echoed Zeres¡¯ words in a mutter. Now he was certain that Zeres would die many times over if it means that giving up his life would be the only way to keep her alive. Heaving a sigh, Alex wondered why was it that things had to turn out this way. This is really too cruel.

    "Have you forgotten what you have promised me before? That you¡¯ll be the uncle to my children?" Alex murmured as he threw his head back and stared at the sky, knowing that Zeres could hear him.

    "Forget that I have ever said those words, Alexander. Kiel will be taking over that ce for me. Nowe at me and... kill me." His words were so bleak and detached. However, there was a slight wistfulness that shed ever so quickly pass his eyes. But it was too fleeting that Alex did not catch it.

 Chapter 659 - Its about time

    <h4>Chapter 659 - Its about time</h4>

    "Get serious Alexander!" Zeres hissed as their swords shed against each other and their faces were literally centimetres away from each other.

    "Sorry to disappoint you but it seems I¡¯m having a hard time keeping up. I think this brother of yours is getting old now. Well, I¡¯m a father now after all so forgive my weak attacks." Alex grinned and shrugged nomittally. The very next moment, Zeres¡¯ foot came flying and kicked him in his sides.

    Alex was tossed away andnded hard against the building¡¯s pir. The pir copsed with the impact of that hit.

    Still smiling, Alexzily leaned his head back against the debris as he looked at Zeres who had justnded before him.

    Zeres¡¯ eyes were already zing gold as he pointed his sword at Alex¡¯s throat.

    "Listen, Alexander." His voice now became even harder. "If you or Ezekiel fail to kill me before this day ends... if Alicia dies..." his throat worked before the look in his eyes became utterly deadly. "I¡¯m sorry but I swear, I will end the peace in this world. You know full well what an immortal can do. You did it before. I know you don¡¯t want your children to live in a ruined and chaotic world. Yes, this is a threat, Alexander. And yes, this is not an empty threat. I¡¯m sure you know that."

    After saying those words, Zeres turned away and walked towards the edge of the building. His gaze fell towards the ce where he had sent his minions out.

    Looking at Zeres¡¯ back, Alex licked the blood on his own lips. It seems he really had no choice now. Zeres was hellbent on dying and he was right, Alex knows what an immortal could do.

    While Alex was rising out of the rubbles, a pair of great wings began to form on Zeres¡¯ back.

    It seemed Zeres realized that it was impossible for Alexander to really get serious about killing him so he would not waste his time on him anymore. He needed to take matters into his own hands.

    Zeres thought that he was not doing enough. He thought that he must do something to force the universe and fates to end him.

    Hisrge and powerful wings spread apart, and he leapt off the ground from where he stood. But before he could get any farther, something struck him with considerable force from behind and he tumbled to the ground.

    The earth shook upon the impact.

    When Zeres looked up, he saw Alex hovering in the air above him. His own set of wings were spread out majestically as he looked down at him.

    At the feel of that power and seeing the gold irises also shining in Alex¡¯s eyes, Zeres smiled wickedly. "It¡¯s about time for you to get serious." He muttered as he rose, feeling an upsurging of satisfaction in his heart.

    And then the two shed again in mid-air. Their collisions were like two fallen angels battling to the death.

    More and more lightning bolts began to strike down at the now almost empty city. The rain fell even heavier and the thick and dark clouds above grumbled angrily.

    At the long bridge in the eastern most part of the city however, it could be seen that the traffic was still heavy. The bridge was filled with cars from one end to the other end. After the humans crossed this bridge, the city will then bepletely human-free.

    Kyle and Lucas were already nearing the bridge. The numbers of the undead vampires were more than what they had anticipated. Thanks to the seemingly unnatural fierce storm going on, the humans who were still moving along the bridge were unaware of the presence of the supernatural beings and what was actually happening right in their area. Kyle and Lucas were thankful that the fight has yet to reach the bridge where the humans were. If it had spread on to that area, god knows the mayhem and craziness that would ensue with humans finally catching sight of beings in the flesh. That would not go smoothly for the evacuation of the humans out of this city and would totally mess with their carefullyid out ns.

    "Theres too many of them!" Kyle yelled out at Lucas as his sword shed left and right around him and numbers of undead vampires dropped to the ground with every single one of his powerful swing. ck blood sttered all over him. Thankfully, the heavy downpour did a good job of washing him up from the stinky blood. They had been fighting for quite a while now. The undead were strong but their strength was not the main problem here. It was their overwhelming numbers that are giving them the advantage.

    It seems that no matter how many they killed, the undead kepting anding. Their backups were never ending!

    "Lucas! I don¡¯t think I can stop them from entering the bridge! They¡¯re going to get past me if we don¡¯t have some miracle happening soon!" Kyle yelled while he kept fighting, killing every time a couple of undead tries to get past through him.

    Lucas immediately leapt towards the young prince. "Go get those! Don¡¯t let them reach the humans!"

    As Lucas took over Kyle¡¯s ce at the entrance of the bridge, Kyle hastily went after the two undead who managed to slip past him.

    He managed to catch up to one and beheaded him instantly. Without even looking back to check if his victim was properly dead, he rushed past the huge truck that Lucas had used to block the bridge to keep the humans from seeing what was going on behind them. But that one lone undead somehow managed to get past it, quickly heading towards the humans.

    Kyle¡¯s heart dropped and he cursed. He took a flying leap andnded at the other side of the truck and caught sight of that undead about to reach one of the cars abandoned along the bridge.

    With an incredible speed, probably the fastest yet that Kyle had ever achieved thus far, the young prince took another flying leap andnded directly on the undead and the vampire crumpled onto the road, just behind thest car in line.

    Kyle took a deep breath of relief but the moment he lifted his gaze, a young boy and girl were looking at him from the car. Their eyes wide like saucers, their mouths hanging open as they stared at Kyle and he stared back at them.

    "Shh..." Kyle put his fore finger on his lips and winked at them conspiratorially. When the children nodded, he shed them a grin and like a blur, he and the dead vampire were gone from their sight. It was as if they were not there in the first ce.

 Chapter 660 - Do not let me down

    <h4>Chapter 660 - Do not let me down</h4>

    Kyle was still grinning as he arrived back to where Lucas was with the dead vampire in tow. He was feeling good about how he handled the issue with having two human children catch a glimpse of them vampires. When he looked to where Lucas was a while ago, shock and surprise coloured his face. The horde of undead vampires who were unstoppable just moments ago were all dead ¨C not so unstoppable after all. Their bodies were scattered on the ground, some whole, most not.

    The young vampire prince blinked a couple of times before swallowing hard as his gaze fell to the miracle who hade to lend them a hand. His brother was standing in the middle of the pile of dead bodies, poised and elegant as if he did not just massacre a wholepany of wild and rouge vampires. With the rain falling and the lightning shing around in the background, his brother was just quietly standing there in what looked to be such a dreadful scene.

    What had happened? How did he even manage to kill those undead in such a short time? Just what did he do?

    Kylended beside Lucas who was currently healing himself from the wounds he suffered from all the fighting earlier. Kyle knew that Lucas had been quite distracted the whole time since the fight started. It was obvious that the man was making sure to watch over him despite the intensity of the fight and that was the main reason why he had suffered that many deep wounds and quite a few were deepcerations.

    "What happened? What did brother do?" He asked Lucas but the man just shrugged.

    "Nothing. His Highness simply did what he needed to do." Lucas replied and then he concentrated on his healing.

    Kyle stared at his brother. He realized Lucas did not seem to be surprised at all. This meant that his brother doing something like this was not something new and it had urred previously, at least to Lucas. Intrigue and curiosity flooded him, and he was kind of upset that he had missed it. He was very sure his brother¡¯s fighting stance was truly a sight to behold.

    "Brother..." Kyle finally called out and was about to approach Zeke when another lightning struck close to them.

    Their attention was pulled towards the direction of where Zeres and Alexander were fighting. They were trading blows up there, in the thick storm cloud, not at all bothered about the condition of the weather. Even though they could hardly see a thing, they could feel the tremendous power and ominous danger roaring along with the booming thunder and fierce wind.

    "There are still many of the minions left and they¡¯re heading here. You two can handle this now, right?" Zeke asked with a t voice.

    "Yes." Kyle said as he looked to his back. Seeing that the humans were now quite far from them, Kyle was certain that he and Lucas can handle the minions on their own even with the injuries sustained.

    "Then I¡¯m leaving these for you two to settle." Though Zeke¡¯s voice was calm and collected, Kyle saw the look in his eyes and understood that unspoken statement of "do not let me down". Kyle only nodded.

    The minions came pouring in and the fight resumed. This time it was fiercer as Kyle and Lucas were not as overwhelmed anymore.

    ...

    Inside Zeres¡¯ hideout, Lilith had managed to escape from Zeres¡¯ chains because of a certain knowledge that she was suddenly reminded of. And aside from that knowledge, she also felt like she had received more strength and power in just a short period of time.

    This sudden influx of power was so strong it had overwhelmed her entire being. And when it finally stopped flowing into her, she felt as if she was not quite herself anymore.

    When she broke free from her chains, she looked at her reflection on the broken ss window and she did not know what to feel and how to react at the sight of herself. She had not been looking at herself since she started noticing the changes happening in her. Only now had she mustered up the courage to look at herself, but she could hardly believe what she was seeing.

    There was hardly any more trace of her ming red hair and piercing green eyes. Her hair had now gone so bright like the moonlight, even her irises seemed to have been bleached of their usual green tint.

    The first thing that came to her mind the moment she saw herself was her queen. That was right. She did not have the time to stand here being stunned at her current looks. She must find Queen Alicia!

    But before she could leave the hideout, she encountered the witches who were still busy creating more undead vampires. She had stealthily caught one of them, knocked her out, and f.o.r.c.i.b.l.y read her memories. When Lilith saw everything that they have been doing and their aims, she did not know what to think anymore. All she knew was that she had to stop these witches from creating more undead vampires. She must stop them with whatever way possible. She would willingly kill them all ¨C though they were fellow witches ¨C if that were what it takes to end this craziness. If Queen Alicia was the one standing in her ce, Lilith was certain she¡¯d destroy all of these witches and that was why she was going to do just that.

    With her swords in her hands, Lilith appeared at the altar, shocking all the witches that were circling it. They all looked as if they had seen a ghost.

    "Stop this nonsense." She snarled and pinned them with a fierce re. "If you do not stop right now, I will force all of you to stop."

    It took a long while before the witches could make any sound. It was obvious they could not believe their eyes. But too soon, their eyes were again clouded with madness and their gazes turned from shock to contempt.

    "I can¡¯t believe the new queen is such a little child." One of the witches sneered with disgust. "How ridiculous! This must be the reason why us witches are being treated like shit! This is why we all acknowledge that the only ruler who truly deserve to rule the witches is our King Zeres! A child like you don¡¯t deserve to rule any of us!!" Their indignant voices moured and rose in a fevered pitch.

    "Kill her!" They roared and they lunged over in a frenzy to attack Lilith like a pack of mad dogs.

    ____

    A\N: read Spellbound now hellbounders, while it¡¯s still free ^^

    Just go to my profile to see it and add it into your library. Thank you for the support my dear readers. Love you guys. I hope you will continue supporting me. I¡¯m so thankful that many of you are still voting for this book despite the lesser update. There is a sad reason why I¡¯m writing less and less now for this book that I couldn¡¯t quite share with you guys. But don¡¯t worry I am trying my best to get over it. I will not drop this book nor put it on hiatus so you don¡¯t have to worry, the updates will continue but please don¡¯t expect it to be daily.

    I am nning to update twice a week but with more chapters instead of 1 day per day. Every Sunday and Wednesday I¡¯ll update this book 2-5 chapters each update.

    So while waiting, do check out Spellbound. It¡¯ll be updated per day.

    Thank you for everything guys. Love y¡¯all.

 Chapter 661 - No longer

    <h4>Chapter 661 - No longer</h4>

    Lilith took a deep breath as she readied herself to go against these pack of maddened witches who were led astray. For some short few milliseconds, she felt a tinge of pity for these misled witches. Their life must be really sad and wretched. However, looking at them rushing towards her like crazed beings without a shred of rity in their minds, she hardened her heart and resolved her will. There was no way they were able to be pulled back from the insanity they have fallen into. The only redemption she could offer them was blissful release in death.

    Thus, with that, she faced forward and prepared to fight for her life. When the first few witches reached her, they were surprised. All three who were at the front suddenly had their necks shed and blood just gushed out like a fountain.

    In that split second, the bodies just slumped and fell to the side, showing thoseing from behind that Lilith was holding onto a sharp sword in her hand, held firmly in a reverse sword hold. Her eyes glinting with fierce determination and the power of the queen also surging through her now.

    For a moment, the other witches had a wave of fear sweeping over them as they looked at her formidable fighting prowess. However, they quickly got over it and gave a roaring battle cry before rallying each other to attack Lilith.

    "This is going to be a long day..." Lilith sighed before narrowing her eyes, a silvery glint shooting out as she swiped her gaze over the many enemies rushing at her.

    As the intense fight raged on between the witches, the deadly battle between Alex and Zeres continued and increased in intensity.

    The humans who were looking on from far off, due to their unenhanced eyesight only saw shes of lightning-like explosions in the sky ¨C thinking that it could be some variation of ball lightning that was due to the extreme storm that was urring in the distance. However, the supernatural beings who looked up into the sky could see two bodies shing at each other as they flew around in the air. Each trying to gain a hit on the other, but whenever they met, their swords shed and release those massive eruptions of light that streaked out like lightning and resulting in the explosive booms which were not unlike the sound of thunder. This fight between two powerful immortals was truly a sight to behold, not allowing any living thing toe anywhere close within a fifty-mile radius where they were battling it out.

    The sky continued to roar, and the wind howled as the fighting raged on between these two immortals without stopping, until the night came.

    On the bridge where Lucas and Kyle were, they finally had managed to wipe out thest pair of undead vampires. Both wore clear signs of their recent battle with the enemies on their bodies and clothes.

    Though exhausted, they were not critically wounded. There were many skin-deep cuts and bruises which were all superficial wounds that would heal given a little more time as well as some deeper shes on their backs. However, the duo just grinned and gave a meaningful look at each other, acknowledging that they were d to have achieved the goals that have been given to them by Ezekiel. The two then left the bridge after carrying out a final sweep of the vampire bodies lying around, just to make doubly sure that every enemy was dead and eradicated.

    Nodding at the other, they both turned and headed for Zeres¡¯ hideout. As they sped there, Kyle was worrying about Alicia. He remembered how bad her condition was thest time they were together, and she was left with the prophetess. He agitatedly wondered if she was still managing to hang on or perhaps by some sudden miracle that had urred, that she or the prophetess had managed to reverse and restore the drain on her powers.

    Before long, Lucas and Kyle arrived at their destination and they did not hesitate to climb up the tower, immediately heading towards the area with had the mostmotion urring.

    As they went through an opened doorway which had its doors sted apart, Kyle caught a glimpse of a swath of silver. Quickly turning to that direction, he saw a silver haired woman delivering the killing blow to a rouge witch. The prince widened his eyes in surprise and joy, thinking that it was Alicia. Did she already regained her powers just as he was hoping she would?

    Relieved at the sight of her mane of silver hair, Kyle smiled and approached her with a spring in his steps.

    "Queen A ¨C"

    Kyle froze, as did his words the moment the silver-haireddy turned and looked at him. Their gazes met and time seemed to have screeched to a stop.

    "Who..." Kyle swallowed hard. Unable to form another word. This girl... the colour of her hair was no longer that attractive ming red and her eyes were no longer that brilliant shade of turquoise green either. But it was definitely her. He can recognise her with a nce. He could not fool his eyes and most importantly, he could not fool his heart that immediately acknowledged her even before his eyes did.

    The emotions roiling within him were so strong he could hardly contain it. He decided then to move and any thoughts left him faster than anything else. And before he knew it, his body crashed against hers and he had her held securely in his embrace.

    "Lilith..." he whispered out her name with such longing as his grip around her tightened. She was warm, just as he remembered. But she felt way, way stronger. "What happened? Why are your..."

    Suddenly, his eyes widened. He had heard about how the rulers of witches changed and passed on their session and the realization of it struck him hard like a bolt of lightning.

    Lilith pulled away to look up at his face, eyes glimmering as they kept shifting with so many emotions that was unspoken. She parted her lips to speak but before a word coulde out from them, Lilith held him and both of them disappeared from the spot.

    A sudden strong impact from above shook the building and within seconds, the spot where the two had been standing at was smashed and the building copsed with a resounding crash.

 Chapter 662 - Not yet

    <h4>Chapter 662 - Not yet</h4>

    Kyle and Lilith materialized outside the crumbling building. Both had their eyes opened wide as they caught sight of a streak of something silver entering the ruined building. Despite the speed, both Lilith and Kyle could recognise from the outline of the figure they saw that it was Zeres.

    What had happened for him to be able to be here? Had he already brought Alexander down? That quickly? Both Kyle and Lilith nced at each other with multiple questions running through their minds.

    Shock was clearly etched on Kyle¡¯s face, unable to believe that it was actually Alexander who was the one being smashed like a fallen meteorite into the building. Alexander was the source of the sudden copse of the building?! He could not believe Zeres could actually bring him down like that! Was Zeres actually more powerful than Alexander? But... wasn¡¯t Alexander supposed to be the most powerful one? Having seen this urrence was a huge shock to Kyle and totally disced the thoughts on how God-like and untouchable Alexander was as a revered immortal.

    Kyle was frowning hard but a momentter, he reasoned with himself that perhaps the reason why Alexander was losing was due to the fact he did not want Zeres to kill him, nor did he want to be the one to kill Zeres. He already knew that Alexander and Zeres were close friends even before they both became immortal. This must be why Alexander seemed to be losing against him. Perhaps fighting like this and dragging it on was a way for Alexander to stall for time?

    While both the youngsters¡¯ attentions were still fixed on the destroyed building and looking out for the two figures what caused this massive damage, the already heavy and ominous atmosphere became even heavier, as if another powerful being had just arrived. Things just had to get moreplicated when it was already problematic enough.

    And Kyle¡¯s intuition was right on the money. The moment he averted his attention away from the building, he saw his brother, standing a few yards before them, staring at them, and wearing that same unfathomably nk expression. When he followed his brother¡¯s intense gaze, it seemed to be locked onto where he was and somewhere between him and Lilith.

    Kyle had not realized that he was still holding onto Lilith¡¯s hand tightly until he nervously traced Ezekiel¡¯s gaze and his eyes fell on their entwined hands.

    Kyle froze and swore silently in his head. At what point did he hold onto her hand like this? His heart skipped a beat as he began to be conscious of the sensations created from the intertwining of their hands. How could he have grabbed her hand and held it so naturally like that and even before he himself had realized it? But one thing he knew ¨C those sensations are nothing negative. In fact, it was generating quite a measure of positive things within him.

    Aware of his brother¡¯s gaze, Kyle knew he had to let go of her hand. But how? He truly did not want to let go of her. How many days had he dreamt of doing just this ¨C holding these small but precious hands and being so near her just like this in the past month? He could not even tell as he has long since lost count. Thinking of how much he had thought about her and dwelled on the fact that they had been separated caused a slight flush to rise high up on his elegant cheekbones.

    And now that she was actually here in flesh, no matter what changes that would happen in her, Kyle could not contain the feelings and emotions that filled his entire being, despite the situation they were in right now.

    That day he had said goodbye to her and genuinely thought he would never be seeing her ever again in his long life, Kyle had felt like something in him died a little. He had spent many hours trying to understand why and how did he manage to develop such overwhelmingly strong feelings for her when they basically had just met and spent only a few hours together.

    And now that he saw her again, all the feelings he thought were discarded and thrown away ¨C no, not discarded but perhaps were buried deep ¨C came gushing out like a geyser at the mere sight of her. The part of him that he thought had died when he said goodbye to her resurrected in an instant, just like that.

    Now he felt like he would rather die than let her go and say goodbye again. Would he rather give up his life than lose her a second time?

    Kyle did not realise but his eyes suddenly shone with a fierce light from within. And it made his whole countenance look more manly and grown up.

    His heartbeat hastened as he raised his head to meet his brother¡¯s gaze.

    Ezekiel¡¯s expression never gave anything away, but Kyle thought that his brother was not affected with what he was seeing. Of course, he was.

    Kyle¡¯s grip on Lilith¡¯s hand tightened ever so slightly. He took a breath, bracing himself for what could happen next. He knew that Lilith was very powerful now. But even with the witch Queen¡¯s power on her, Kyle knew she would never stand a chance against his brother. So, Kyle¡¯s protective instinct immediately kicked in to protect her. It was not because he thought that Ezekiel would harm her. His brother would never do unreasonable things out of sheer impulse. But that might not say that he would not take her away... from him. And his body and soul refused to ever let that happen again. His brain and heart were a mess at that moment. So many emotions were swirling all at once, both good and bad, overwhelming him and he did not know how to sort them out and deal with it.

    Something warm and soothing suddenly enveloped him. The sensation felt like magic. He looked at Lilith and their eyes met. Those unfamiliar yet breath taking moon-like eyes stared at him tenderly, as if telling him to calm down because everything will be alright. He could feel her hand that was entwined with his gave him a smallforting squeeze, telling him she was in this with him too.

    Kyle¡¯s heart skipped another beat and if not for the awareness that his brother was just right there staring at them, Kyle would have enveloped her in his arms, and hugged her and kissed her silly.

    Realizing that his body had be as stiff as a rock, Kyle took in an inaudible breath. She was right. He needed to calm down. There was no point of him acting like this. Because there was no way he could go against his brother anyway. It was not yet the right time.

    Returning his calmer andposed gaze to Zeke, Kyle waited for his older brother to speak, still not letting go of Lilith¡¯s hand. But Zeke turned away and faced Lucas, throwing Kyle off for a loop. "You take them away from this ce. Now." He ordered. "Don¡¯te close to this ce unless I give any of you a signal."

 Chapter 663 - Change

    <h4>Chapter 663 - Change</h4>

    Lucas immediately nodded and nced at Kyle, waiting for the young prince to nod as well.

    Kyle understood that it would be dangerous for them to stay this close to those two immortals who were battling it out without any awareness of the people around them. It was only his brother, who was the only one fully capable of protecting himself against them if anything unfortunate did happen. None of the rest of them could even dream of standing against a fatal attack of a half dragon, much less surviving it.

    He looked at Lilith who now had her eyes fixed on the back of Zeke. A while ago, she was so quick in getting them out of that ce. Kyle was utterly distracted and shocked at the sight of her that he had actually failed to notice the uing danger. To tell the truth, it had surprised him ¨C and not just a little. And he bit his lower lip with some embarrassment at the thought of how she had just saved him from trouble with such quickness. Was not the prince supposed to be the one to save the princess?

    Suddenly, he picked her up while she was still not paying attention to him. He would make it up to her.

    Lilith¡¯s eyes widened as her lips parted in shock.

    Knowing that a protest wasing, Kyle did not give her the chance to speak before he quickly took a step and already began to leap. "Let me be the one to take you away from danger this time, Lilith." He said, there was a smile in his voice as he winked mischievously at her.

    "But there¡¯s no need for you to that... I can ¨C" Lilith protested with a little grumble. Kyle thought it looked cute as she pouted that way.

    "I know. But I just wanted to hold you again... like this." There was a hint of sadness in his voice. But Lilith noticed that his eyes and expression was not as expressive as before. "I know where Queen Alicia is so if you want me to bring you to her, bear with me and let me carry you. Deal?"

    He smiled and Lilith felt her face warming up from his words and smile. How could she forget how many times this vampire prince had made her face turned into red tomato within just a few short hours she had spent with him?

    She realized that his smile was not as innocent as before as well. The moment she saw him inside that building, Lilith had felt it immediately. She was not the only one who had changed so much during the past one month. This boy whom she thought she would never meet again changed too. A lot. He felt as if he had grown so much in just a span of a month¡¯s time since shest saw him. And she could tell clearly that she was not the only one who had be stronger. Kyle did too. In fact, she could feel the huge change in his presence alone.

    They were silent as Kyle leaped slowly, taking his time. The two of them were both unable to think about what they should say to each other to get some kind of conversation going. But the silence was surprisingly not awkward. This made them think back on the trip they made back to the ck Forest. And for some reason, they felt like that memory was something that happened many, many years back.

    Suddenly, Kylended on top of another building.

    He put her down but did not release her waist, leaving one armzily curled around her.

    Looking down at her face, Kyle¡¯s hardened gaze just stared at her. Lilith thought that he was no longer the innocent boy she met that day and so was she. They both could see the huge change in each other¡¯s eyes.

    Now both had an a.d.u.l.t¡¯s gaze that did not quite match up to their young age in terms of their own species. Though their body remained young, it was like they both aged ¨C both in spirit and in mind ¨C during thest month. They now looked like a.d.u.l.ts trapped in a teenage boy¡¯s and girl¡¯s body. It was truly not a big surprise. Because they could feel that they had both learned how to kill and take another¡¯s life. They were aware that the moment they decided to spill another individual¡¯s blood, their innocence would be lost.

    And Lilith could tell, just from his gaze alone, that Kyle had killed far more creatures than she had. How many he had killed just within this month to be able to have this sharp edge to his presence and that hidden killer instinct? Lilith noticed how his smile looked different as well. It was like he had not smiled for a very long time that he began to resemble his scary brother quite a lot now. His gentle eyes had be a little more stoic and cooler too.

    Who would have thought so many things would have happened in just a short period of time?

    Kyle could not stop staring at her. It was not like silver hair and eyes did not suit her, in fact, she looked even more like a pristine heavenly creature now. But he had dreamt of that ming gorgeous red hair and sparkly green eyes for so many nights that he could not quite believe that she no longer had those distinct features. Part of him wanted them back. Because right now, she looked even more out of reach to him, even more looking forbidden than ever before. And the thought of that scared him even more than losing her.

    "Did you miss me, Lilith?" those words just tumbled out of his lips. He could not help sounding like a desperate and foolish boy. And he could no longer contain his longing for her anymore, that before Lilith could even respond, he had already bent his head and his lips were suddenly trapping hers.

 Chapter 664 - So right

    <h4>Chapter 664 - So right</h4>

    Lilith¡¯s eyes widened in shock ¨C not knowing if she should p him or clutch him nearer to her. She could not believe he was doing this... again! This rouge was once again stealing a kiss from her! She truly ought to teach him a lesson.

    Fortunately for Kyle, he pulled away ¨C before Lilith could do anything ¨C looking surprised at his own actions as much she was. But after blinking at her a couple of times, there was no regret nor apology in his eyes. Instead, his grey eyes that were framed with heavy ckshes glimmered, eliciting something like a swift sting in her heart followed the quickening of her heartbeat.

    Staring straight into the bright pool of quicksilver that were her eyes, Kyle¡¯s fingers lightly touched the side of her face, causing Lilith¡¯s heart to pump even harder.

    "I want to kiss you, may I?" this time, he yed the role of a prince properly and asked. His voice sounded deeper than she remembered, it was more pleasing and impossibly gripping now. When and where did he learn to speak like this? And more importantly, why was he asking this embarrassing question when he had already yed the role of the bandit earlier and kissed her?

    Lilith remembered that day. The very first time he had kissed her, it was a stolen kiss, but the second time, simrly, he had asked for permission. Now, here he is doing the exact same thing as before. Was this prince doing this on purpose? He truly was able to press the right buttons to irritate her and cause her to melt too. How annoying and mind boggling.

    Before Lilith could speak, he drew his fingertips to her mouth, causing her to swallow her words. He could only chuckle as he saw her eyes spit silver mes, irritated at him cutting her off again. And then, he gently stroked her lips, his face leaning over again. "No?" he whispered though his face was already moving closer and closer that she could feel his breath fanning over hers.

    Her lips parted and trembled a little against his finger. The power of speech suddenly abandoning her, no, he was taking it away from her. Her eyes were a pair of limpid pool gazing upwards, looking at his face, causing his heart to skip more than a beat.

    "Just once Lilith..." he said, breathless and pleading. The glitter in his eyes making her unable to look away and think. And then she nodded. Why? Why can¡¯t she say no to him?

    His mouth came swooping down onto hers almost abruptly, as soon as she nodded at him. His hand slid to the back of her neck, grasping lightly to support the weight of her head as well as pulling her deeper into the kiss.

    Something delightfully warm flowed through her as the tender pressure of his lips repeatedly brushed against hers. His hand on her waist drew her closer and pressed her body against his and all she could do was hold on to him.

    She thought it would be as quick asst time, but Kyle did not stop and continued kissing her, exploring her lips as though he had all the time in the world. Lilith¡¯s mind was slowly being swallowed by him. She told herself it would not take that long but now she could not even pull away.

    She felt as though she was under his spell. The most unnerving thing was that she felt like all this, being kissed by him, being held by him felt so right even though both of them knew it was wrong. They should not be doing this. Just how the hell did something wrong felt so right?

    Lilith¡¯s hands finally moved, and they slowly raised up and slipped around his neck. And atst, she kissed him back. She could not hold back her surging feelings any longer. Though she had tried her best to fight against what she knew in her mind was wrong, this was just too much for a youngdy. Was she supposed to be able to stay immune to such passion, from such an outstanding male specimen of a prince? Their grips on each other tightened. Their heartbeats which were initially thumping wilder than ever before individually, were slowly beating in tandem with each other¡¯s. Suddenly, she pulled back at the feel of his tongue c.a.r.e.s.sing hers, her eyes ring open in shock and face flushing with innocent surprise.

    Kyle eye¡¯s glimmered and he was about to pounce forward to seize her lips again when they felt a weak rumble of an earthquake.

    Both of them got distracted from their enjoyable activity and they both looked at the direction where they had left Ezekiel ¨C where the source of the quake originated from. It was obvious that the small earthquake was caused by the fighting that was going on there. How would the people left behind there and the buildings surrounding that area fare if the aftershocks could be felt from so far away where they were standing?

    Lilith pulled away from Kyle¡¯s embrace. She could not let this tryst continue anymore. How could they indulge in something as light-hearted as when they were still in this situation?

    "Y-you said..." she finally managed to say. Her voice sounded raspy because she was still unable to recover from their kiss. "You¡¯ll bring me to My Queen." She finally choked out.

    Kyle seemed to snap back to reality, and he rubbed the back of his neck with his palm a little sheepishly. "Right, I have to bring you to her." He said and then he took a deep breath.

    Before he could attempt to touch her and lift her, Lilith moved away and shed him a small smile. "I¡¯ll follow right behind you." she said, unable to maintain eye contact. She realized this vampire prince was dangerous for her. She could not let herself get anymore distracted than she already was at this moment any longer. And the best way to keep her head on straight was not to let him touch her.

    Thankfully, Kyle seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation and he did not insist anymore. He nodded at her and then leapt away as Lilith followed him.

 Chapter 665 - Unthinkable

    <h4>Chapter 665 - Unthinkable</h4>

    Back at the ruined hideout where the earthquake shook the whole area and buildings came crumbling down, it could be seen that Zeres was standing before Alex, staring down at him emotionlessly.

    Alex was sitting on top of the rubbles created by their ferocious fight, looking all bloodied and dishevelled. He had just pulled himself up and sat on top of that pile of debris, smiling as he looked back at Zeres, despite all the deadly attacks he had suffered from Zeres¡¯ hands. He shook his head vigorously as he used a hand to brush his hair off and a puff of dust flew down from his hair, evidently being punched into the walls until they tuned to dust.

    A chuckle escaped from Alex¡¯s lips as he ran his fingers through his tussled hair. Zeres was incredibly strong, but Alex was not at all surprised. He knew that a man who had a strong reason to fight often ends up being the strongest of them all. He was sincerely desperate more than anyone else and that was why he had managed to achieve a certain level of power that was normally far beyond his very limit. Alex remembered that this simr urrence happened to him before as well when Abi died in the past. That time, losing her made him lose his sanity and he could bring out an overwhelming power he did not know at the time he possessed.

    At this moment, it was Zeres¡¯ turn who was experiencing the same thing. He was at the very peak of his power and yes, right now, he was stronger than him. Especially since Alex realized that he could not bring out his full power against this Zeres who was desperate to save Alicia¡¯s life. It was just impossible. There was no way he could truly make himself kill Zeres even if he forced himself to do so. More so when he was well aware of the reason why Zeres was acting this way. How could he me the man when he was the same in rtions to anything concerning Abi?

    And it seemed that Zeres had realized it as well. He could tell that Zeres was quickly losing interest in him now.

    "I don¡¯t remember you being this weak Alexander." Zeres said, his voice lifeless. His eyes dull as he stared at Alex.

    Alex smiled and threw his head back as he chuckled and stared at the dark sky. "My bad if I¡¯m weak for you. Well, the great me is already old so..." Alex¡¯s grin widened as he shrugged his shoulders nonchntly. His actions seemingly light-hearted.

    Zeres¡¯ eyes burned in silent anger, and he clenched his fists tight. His ominous aura zed with quiet yet powerful rage and hate. However, Alex could feel that all that rage and hate was not truly really directed at him but rather at the whole world.

    "You wasted my time, Alexander." He gritted his teeth and growled out. However, before Alex could respond to his usations, his wings spread open, and he catapulted towards the sky in an instant.

    A deep sigh escaped Alex¡¯s lips. This was getting moreplicated. He did not even know what to do now. Was there anything that he could do? He sighed as he leaned back and looked up at the empty sky towards the direction Zeres had flown in. There was an astringent feel in his heart as he thought of the predicament his good friend was in. But what was it that could be done?

    "What do you think he is nning to do now, Zeke?" Alex threw out that question the moment he felt someone¡¯s presencending beside him.

    Zeke too had his eyes fixed towards the thick darkness where Zeres had disappeared to. The lightning was booming endlessly.

    "I¡¯m not certain. All we could do is to wait for his next move." Zeke said, giving nothing away no matter how much Alex tried to scrutinize and probe at his annoyingly nk expression. "Such a spoil sport..." Alex muttered as he rolled his eyes.

    Sighing again, Alex rose and cracked his neck. His clothes were tattered from all the deadly falls and from the fight he suffered. He could not deny he had enjoyed the exchange thoroughly though.

    "The deadline he gave us is getting closer. I don¡¯t think he will ever give up. And really Zeke... is there truly no other way to solve this apart from him dying?" Alex now sounded very frustrated.

    "I have already answered that question of yours many times, Alex. There is no other way to keep Alicia alive if Zeres does not die." Even saying this, Ezekiel¡¯s voice had no inflection to it.

    Alex g.r.o.a.n.e.d. "Then what are we going to do? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the one who could kill him even if I force myself to. So, speak now Zeke and spill out what are you hiding inside your head. You know he¡¯s not bluffing when he said he¡¯ll create chaos in this world if Alicia dies. I know he¡¯ll do it and I know you will not let it happen. I know you already know something since the day you said you will leave the kingdom, no, since Lucas returned. Even so, I was able to stay calm all this while because I know you have a n. But now time is running out and there¡¯s still no clear-cut solution for this. Just what the hell are you waiting for?"

    While Alex was talking, Zeke¡¯s eyes remained fixedly looking at the dark clouds. Through that, he could see Zeres just there pping his mighty wings, looking like a fallen angel. Something was enveloping him,binations of silver, ck and red light swirling around him. What was he doing?

    Zeke narrowed his eyes, zooming his gaze onto Zeres¡¯ face which he could hardly see because of the thick dark magic enveloping itself around him.

    Zeke could see his lips moving slightly. Zeres was chanting a spell. And even though Zeke could not quite tell what kind of spell it was, he knew it was something unthinkable, something beyond...

    The look in Zeke¡¯s eyes changed abruptly.

    Alex immediately felt the atmosphere turning ck and he knew it was caused by no one else but Zeke. Was it finally time for this man to make his move?

    _____

    A\N: read Spellbound now hellbounders, while it¡¯s still free ^^

    Just go to my profile to see it and add it into your library. Thank you for the support my dear readers. Love you guys. I hope you will continue supporting me. I¡¯m so thankful that many of you are still voting for this book despite the lesser update. There is a sad reason why I¡¯m writing less and less now for this book that I couldn¡¯t quite share with you guys. But don¡¯t worry I am trying my best to get over it. I will not drop this book nor put it on hiatus so you don¡¯t have to worry, the updates will continue but please don¡¯t expect it to be daily.

    I am nning to update twice a week but with more chapters instead of 1 day per day. Every Sunday and Wednesday I¡¯ll update this book 2-5 chapters each update.

    So while waiting, do check out Spellbound. It¡¯ll be updated per day.

    Thank you for everything guys. Love y¡¯all.

    ~ love, kazzenlx

 Chapter 666 - The queens goal*

    <h4>Chapter 666 - The queen''s goal*</h4>

    Back in the tower, Lilith was standing next to Kyle, frozen from the shock of seeing Alicia¡¯s condition. Seeing Alicia¡¯s ashen hair and utterly weak state was a sight that¡¯s very hard for her to ept. How? How did this happen to their powerful queen?

    Her lips trembled. She looked at Kyle with millions of questions in her eyes.

    "Zeres said that his existence made Queen Alicia like this," Kyle said in a soft voice, shocking Lilith once again.

    Lilith returned her gaze to Alicia and she fought the urge to cry. She had never seen Alicia this weak before. Even before Alicia became queen, Lilith and every young female witch look up to her. Because she was so strong and powerful, she was a badass witch and that was why once she became queen, even the old witches admitted that she was stronger than any witches they served before her.

    She never imagined this strong woman would be reduced to this state because she was strong even without the queen¡¯s power. So how could she turn like this?

    Worried and unable to ept the truth before her, Lilith bent before her queen. Even if she now had the power of the queen, Lilith never once thought she¡¯s now the queen. Because to her, there was no other queen but Alicia!

    Suddenly, Alicia¡¯s eyes fluttered open.

    Alicia had been feeling like she was floating in the darkness. There was no thought, no feelings, just nothing. Until a strong presence pierced through the dizzying darkness she was in.

    "Lilith?" she uttered the moment she recognized the girl kneeling in front of her.

    When the girl nodded, Alicia found herself not knowing how to react. Seeing her bright silver hair and silver eyes froze her body for a long moment.

    But she recovered and she smiled at Lilith, stretching her arms to hug her. "I knew you¡¯d be one day be the next queen Lilith. I¡¯m sorry no one prepared you properly for this. I¡¯m sure it must¡¯ve been hard for you." she whispered as the two of them embraced each other.

    Before Alicia became queen, Lilith was the annoying little sister that kept tailing her wherever she goes. Alicia was strong back then, so many young witches look up to her. Lilith was one of them. The little red-haired girl was her die-hard fan, who somehow always managed to follow her everywhere no matter how she tried to evade her.

    Back then, Lilith called her big sister, and Alicia found herself liking the way she calls her, maybe because Alicia didn¡¯t have any siblings. She began to like Lilith and eventually acted like her big sister. Though Alicia never spoiled her. Instead, Alicia taught her how to fight and be strong.

    When Alicia became queen, Lilith no longer called her big sister, and though they couldn¡¯t spend much time together like before, Alicia¡¯s treatment towards Lilith stayed the same. She remained the strict but kind big sister to Lilith.

    "No," Lilith cried, shaking her head. "No... I¡¯m not worthy. You¡¯re our one and only queen, Queen Alicia. I¡¯m not ready... I don¡¯t know what to do. You¡¯re our queen..." she continued tearing up.

    Looking at her, Alicia understood what she was going through. Lilith was too young to be queen. Just like her, Alicia also became queen so suddenly because of the unprecedented death of the previous queen. Alicia knew how hard it was to for a new queen to prove herself worthy because it had been hard even for her. How much more to this young and very inexperienced young girl?

    The previous generations of witch queens had failed to unite the witches for many centuries.

    Alicia knew that the witches must unite now. The rogues must stop going astray because if not, someone evil would always arise to temp these rogues and create another chaos resulting in more deaths. Even before Alicia became queen, she had already thought of this, that if she was chosen to be queen, she would be the queen who would unite all the witches. This was her goal and a promise to herself. That in her reign, no witches will ever go rogue again.

    But before Alicia could even start working on her goal, she began to lose her power, and now, another queen was already here to rece her. She felt wretched. Her reign was now the shortest in history. She couldn¡¯t even do anything yet, and she already lost everything.

    A small painful smile curved on her lips.

    When she stared at Lilith again, Alicia realized Lilith was the youngest ever who seeded the queen¡¯s power. Alicia could tell Lilith was overwhelmed from the power flowing her young and unprepared body. Lilith still needed help. She needed to be strong enough to contain her power, or else she¡¯ll break.

    In the past, not all witch queens were righteous. There were queens who had be evil because of the queens¡¯ power that was bestowed on them. Some of them also eventually abused their power and became greedy and hungry for more. Those previous queens¡¯ misdeeds resulted in countless witches losing their hope and faith in their ruler.

    Some queens were unable to contain their power, and it resulted in them falling to madness. This was why the future queens were supposed to be the strongest. They must be prepared and strong enough.

    And Lilith wasn¡¯t prepared. It was too sudden, too early for her. Though Alicia was certain she was a kind person, she knew Lilith¡¯s strength was not enough to protect her from being overpowered by the power that she now possessed. She needed someone to help her and support her until she was strong enough tomand her power. Because if not, her power will break her.

    ___

    *unedited

 Chapter 667 - Purpose*

    <h4>Chapter 667 - Purpose*</h4>

    "Tell me, Queen Alicia. What should I do to help you? To give back this power to you? This power..." Lilith cried, "this power belongs to you." The young witch was genuinely distressed. When she first saw the changes in her appearance, Lilith still remembered clearly how she looked that very moment. Others would probably scream in surprise and excitement for bing the chosen one. But she felt none of those. Instead, she was horrified, knowing that something happened to their queen.

    Every young female witch¡¯s dream was chosen as the next queen, but Lilith had never once dreamed of inheriting the crown. It was because she just thought that no one could rece Alicia. She just believed that Alicia would be queen for a very long time.

    Lilith thought that once she sees the queen, things will go back to how it was before. During her journey, Lilith was able to withstand the loneliness and confusion because she thought that Alicia needed her. Once she met the queen, she could return this power to the true owner, who was no other than Alicia.

    "This power doesn¡¯t belong to me," Lilith said in a weak voice, shaking her head.

    It was obvious to Alicia that Lilith didn¡¯t let anyone saw her changing appearance even before she went on a journey by herself. Alicia could just read this youngdy like an open book, and the thought that Lilith went through that confusing and overwhelming transformation all by herself pained Alicia.

    Lilith wasn¡¯t a crybaby, so seeing her broke down in tears that moment made Alicia realized how overwhelmed Lilith was. She must¡¯ve never allowed herself even to shed a tear and even steeled herself quite too hard all this time.

    Hugging her, Alicia c.a.r.e.s.sed Lilith¡¯s hair. This youngdy wasn¡¯t weak. She had a strong will and spirit fitting for a queen. She was young, but she had it in her. All she needed now was the proper guidance as she grew more m.a.t.u.r.e and, most of all, an excellent teacher to help her hone her physical strength and abilities.

    "You can never return the power to me, Lilith," Alicia replied with a kind and gentle voice. "My time is over." She added, causing Lilith to weep even harder.

    It didn¡¯t surprise Alicia how those words ¡¯my time is over¡¯ crushed her heart. She wanted to keep her crown more than she¡¯d ever admitted to herself. Since she was young, she had always wanted to be the queen of the witches. She had wanted to be that formidable and good queen that her subjects will never forget and needed. She had wanted to be that queen every future queen will find iparable. But it seems she could no longer fulfill those ambitions of hers now. Her time was over.

    Letting out a deep, shaky sigh, Alicia looked at Lilith and smiled at her. She lifted her hand and c.a.r.e.s.sed the youngdy¡¯s cheek.

    "I don¡¯t know what is going to happen, but all I want you to do right now is to be strong, understand?" Alicia whispered to her as she stared straight into Lilith¡¯s eyes. This was all she could do for her now.

    Lilith stared at her for a long while, wiping her tears until, eventually, she took a deep breath and finally nodded. She understood that this wasn¡¯t the time for her to keep weeping. Perhaps, she could still do something for Alicia. This wasn¡¯t over yet. That was right. This was the time for her to be strong!

    Seeing that Lilith¡¯s expression finally changed, Alicia smiled, and her gaze shifted to the dark sky. The rain had stopped, but series of lightning were still booming endlessly as if someone had angered the god of thunder. Most of the lightning were gathered in one direction, in the area where Zeres¡¯ hideout was located.

    Watching the series of lightning, Alicia¡¯s thoughts returned to Zeres.

    Since she was no longer the queen, Alicia thought that it was even more absurd for Zeres to die for her now. Alicia knew that if Zeres dies tonight, even if she lives, she¡¯d never be queen again.

    Zeres was the immortal witch that the witches had been longing for since the existence of Alexander, the immortal vampire. His existence means a lot to every witch, whether they epted it or not, and this was why Zeres easily managed to rule the rogue witches. He had gathered the rogue witches effortlessly, and they were more than willing to serve him.

    Back in the ck Forest, Alicia had long realized how her subjects already considered Zeres one of their rulers. Someone who could easily rule both the good and evil witches just by simply existing was unheard of. No witch queen ever managed to do that in history.

    The first time Alicia saw Zeres, she knew he¡¯d bring some kind of change.

    And now that she thought about it, perhaps, this was fated to happen. Maybe, none of the queens were able to unite the witches because Zeres was the one who was destined to do it?

    The thought made Alicia felt somehow enlightened. She had been thinking and looking for answers for a long while now about the real purpose why Zeres awakened in this era again. She just couldn¡¯t believe that it was all nothing but coincidence. Even Dinah, the evil half-dragon, turned out to have an important purpose in the end. Her purpose was to give Abigail the immortality that belongs to her. Zeres should also have such an important purpose. There was no way he was revived just to die again!

    ¡¯What if the purpose of his existence was... what if he was fated to end the rule of witch queens?¡¯

    Alicia didn¡¯t know why but all these thoughts in her head right now felt like the missing piece of the puzzle she had been trying to solve. Maybe because the thought that having Zeres rule the witches and end the rule of queens truly made a lot of sense to her.

 Chapter 668 - Less than two hours left*

    <h4>Chapter 668 - Less than two hours left*</h4>

    Alicia had seen almost everything in thest three millennia. The reason why the witches were divided was because not all queens were good. Many who were good in the beginning eventually became evil. Even if one good and great queen rose and unite the witches, the next queen will ruin everything, and the cycle begins again. Perhaps what the witches needed was a good ruler that will not die after a few decades. They needed one good ruler that will live forever and won¡¯t be reced by someone that could be evil and ruin everything all over again... just like the vampires.

    While Alicia was focused on her own thoughts, something suddenly pulled her attention. Something dark, dangerous, and suffocating seemed to wrap around the entire city suddenly.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes fell towards the direction of Zeres¡¯ hideout, and they saw a thick shadow forming into a vortex. A shadow that doesn¡¯t seem to belong to this world.

    Lilith immediately sensed the immense power. Even Kyle and Lucas were already in their alert mode. Their survival instinct had made their body and mind focused on their surroundings. All of them knew that something unthinkable was going to happen.

    "What¡¯s this? What¡¯s happening?" Kyle asked as the shadow seemed to be turning even thicker, wider, like a ck mist that was darker than the night.

    Lilith had her eyes wide as she looked at Alicia.

    "It¡¯s a spell!" Lilith eximed, and Alicia nodded. Even in her powerless state, Alicia could tell, just by seeing that shadow, that someone had used the ultimate forbidden spell.

    "A spell?" Kyle asked, looking at the two witches with curiosity and rm.

    "Yes. It¡¯s the demon summoning spell!" Lilith answered. Her eyes filled with shock and horror.

    Alicia clenched her fists tight. She had seen one of the previous queens used this spell in her memories. This spell wasn¡¯t just forbidden because of the demon but also because this spell will require the life of the one performing the spell. One greedy queen had tried it before, thinking that she was strong enough to summon a demon without dying, but she failed and died a gruesome death.

    "Zeres..." Alicia said disbelievingly. No one could perform that spell without dying but him! "What are you doing? Why would you do this?" she asked in a weak voice.

    "His Highness is not giving any signal yet," Lucas said, looking obviously unsettled. The feel of this dark shadow was just too ominous to keep them stay calm. They all knew this was trouble¡ªa much bigger trouble than the undead vampires. No, a legion of undead vampires won¡¯t even hold a candle to this!

    "What should we do?" Kyle asked, anxious. "Should we go check on them?"

    "No!" Alicia spoke. "It¡¯s too dangerous. Lilith, do you have a crystal ball with you?"

    Lilith nodded, and the young witch immediately moved to set up her crystal ball. They must know what was going on!

    ...

    Meanwhile, Alex¡¯s face looked utterly grave as he looked up towards Zeres. A circle had appeared behind him, and ominous shadows kepting out from it. The shadow reeks of death and hell, and serious danger. This was something much more dangerous and threatening than Dinah.

    It wasn¡¯t just because of Alex¡¯s instinct. This time, Alex was certain that this would be one much bigger trouble because of Zeke¡¯s reaction. For the first time in a very, very long time, something changed in Zeke¡¯s expression. And anything and anyone that could change Zeke¡¯s expression, no matter how subtle the change was, was definitely nothing but bad news.

    "What¡¯s going on?" Alex asked when he saw Zeke clenched his fists tight.

    "Get ready, Alex," Zeke said instead of answering Alex¡¯s question. "I¡¯d like you to attack him now. At. Full. Force." He stressed. "Bring him down here, and I¡¯ll deal with him on the ground. Now, Alex. There¡¯s no time. We have to stop him!"

    Despite the confusion, Alex immediately moved. The sound of urgency in Zeke¡¯s voice made Alex moved without question. When was thest time Alex heard Zeke spoke like that? He couldn¡¯t even remember anymore.

    Alex catapulted to the sky, but just as he was about to reach Zeres, something dark and powerful blocked him.

    Another creature with wings. Wait! Demon?!

    "Damn!" Alex cursed as he shed against the demon. "What the hell are you doing, Zeres!!!" Alex could only yell in frustration as he fought with the demon.

    Another demon appeared from the vortex of shadow and then another one.

    "Damn it! Stop summoning these monsters!" Alex yelled again as more demons went after him.

    But Zeres acted as though he didn¡¯t hear Alex¡¯sints at all. Zeres¡¯ gaze was fixed to Zeke.

    With dark, viinous eyes, Zeres slowly descended, not averting his gaze from Zeke. Dark shadows were moving around him, and ck lightning was hitting the ground as Zeresnded on the ground.

    "Now, do you realize what a threat I am? Kiel?" Zeres asked. His voice was emotionless and deadly. "I remembered what you said before. That you¡¯d find a way to have me dead If I be the viin... I can summon an entire army of demons and spread them all over the world, Kiel. And you know I¡¯m not bluffing, right?"

    Zeke didn¡¯t respond. But Zeres could see he had finally made Ezekiel serious. He just knew that no one could ever fulfill his wish but this man. Kiel would do anything and everything to annihte any threat, whoever it was.

    "If I¡¯m still alive at midnight, demons will roam around the earth and create chaos you will never ever cover-up, Kiel. I know you¡¯d eventually managed to kill me, but the world will never be the same again after that. So if you don¡¯t want this peace you¡¯ve been working so hard to keep in thest hundreds of years not to be destroyed, kill me now. You have less than two hours left." Zeres paused, and his eyes zed with hellfire. "If Alicia dies before me, you¡¯ll regret it."

    ___

    *unedited

 Chapter 669 - Fellow

    <h4>Chapter 669 - Fellow</h4>

    After speaking, Zeres surrounded himself in a cyclone of magical forcefield. The little glimpses that could be seen of him showed that he was carrying out more summoning magic ¨C his lips were moving as he chanted the spells needed and his fingers could be seen moving rapidly, forming multiple andplex signals which could be assumed to be part of the veryplicated forbidden demon summoning spell. Any and all attacks could not break through that cyclone Zeres had surrounded himself with. Alex hadunched an arc made of pure sword power but when it reached the whirling cyclone, it quietly dissipated as if it were just mist. Everyone looking on were baffled. They were at least expecting a sh of powers and an explosion as those powers collided. However, that was not the case.

    Alicia and the others were horrified at what they saw in the crystal ball. She never would have thought that Zeres would actually summon a demon. However, this was worse than the worst-case scenario ¨C he went ahead and summoned not only one of those things, but three of them in one go! Just one of these summoned demons from the depths of hell alone could wreak havoc to the world within a matter of days. Zeres truly pulled out all the stops on this final move, proving to everyone and especially those who still held on a thread of hope for him, that he was beyond saving. He was beyond pulling back. What he wants, he will get. This was a man on a mission and a one-track mind to achieve his aim ¨C no matter what!

    But what terrified Alicia the most was not the uing chaos or even the imminent destruction of this world she calls home, but the fact that Zeres¡¯ deration that was made earlier. That he would no doubt summon an army of demons to havoc the earth if she dies before he did. If that happens... How terrifying would the chaos stirred up in the world be?

    It would be more apt to describe it as perhaps the ending of the world and living things as it is than just calling it as in old chaos. Humankind¡¯s chance of surviving this cataclysmic event would drastically drop into the negatives, much less consider surviving it. Only the very strong might perhaps have a fraction of a chance.

    Alicia started to tremble, knowing full well that Zeres would really do it. Why? Just why would he go to all this length ¨C all the pain, trouble, and alienation of those he holds dear ¨C just to keep her alive? Was she truly worth all that? Just why was he so hellbent in wanting to keep her alive? Crack her head as she might, she could not figure out what was it that truly inspired him to go down this deadly path.

    Wobbling, Alicia grasped Lilith¡¯s shoulders to force herself stand. She cannot let this happen. No, she could not let this progress even further than it already had. Though world destruction was still a couple of hours away, she could not allow herself to just watch like a sitting duck. She needed to do something to stop this madness. Because if not, she would never forgive herself and Zeres too if the world finally fell into chaos and destruction because of this.

    Making up her mind, she turned to the youngdy who was still looking into the crystal ball. "Lilith, I¡¯ll be needing you to take me there now. Bring me to Zeres." Alicia said, after which she took in a deep breath. Despite being in her most weakened state, her eyes had be incredibly intense.

    "But it¡¯s too dangerous for you, my queen ¨C" Lilith could only try to stall as she knew Alicia was already on herst legs. Even standing was proving to be a difficult chore for her at the moment, much less going up against something so powerful and deadly.

    However, Lilith could not continue on with her statement because of the desperation she saw so clearly pouring out from Alicia¡¯s eyes. Alicia looked like she would not hesitate to jump into the heart of the battlefield to try and stop Zeres even if she already knew it would be at the cost of her life.

    After throwing a discreet nce at Kyle and noting the slight shake of his head, Lilith could only give in even though she was extremely reluctant to do so. There was no way she could say ¡¯no¡¯ to her queen. This wonderful, caring, and powerful queen whom she had grown up idolising and wishing daily to be like her. There was also the understanding that she knew queen Alicia would rather die than stay in this ce and wait for the tragedy that was going to happen ¨C a tragedy she believed was all because of her.

    "I will bring queen Alicia there." Lilith finally voiced out and protest immediately shone in Kyle¡¯s eyes. "Do not worry, there will be no way that Zeres will allow those demons to harm her."

    "Lilith is right." Alicia cut in. "You and Lucas must stay with the prophetess. I¡¯ll be counting on you both to protect her. Please... this is my wish. Those summoned demons will definitelye after you so you must note along with us. Do not worry, Zeres will not harm us. Stay here and wait for Ezekiel¡¯s signal."

    With thosest words and before the vampires could even think of a reason to protest, the two witches had already disappeared ¨C leaving Kyle utterly torn between his duty or his heart. Should he obey his brother or run after Lilith and Alicia?

    ...

    At this point in time, the battle that was going on between Alex and the three summoned demons were already at the peak of its intensity. Alex would never have thought he would one day actually end up fighting demons ¨C of all creatures ¨C which could be considered as somewhat his fellow immortals.

 Chapter 670 - Not enough

    <h4>Chapter 670 - Not enough</h4>

    But he had to hand it to them and admit it to himself that they were strong. The demons Zeres had summoned were not ones to be taken lightly not were they the small fries in the underworld.

    He had no idea about how these monsters were ranked but he knew that they definitely belonged to the supreme ranks of demons. These were the big fishes ¨C those who lord it over the others and cause fear even in thend of death. And that was why Alex was forced to unleash the strength that he was unable to awaken during his earlier fight with Zeres. If one were topare, that earlier exchange could only be called a y fight while this was genuinely the real deal.

    Alex¡¯s eyes were piercing gold and his hands and arms were already covered with dragon-like scales as he dealt with the demons, figuring out how the hell could he kill these immortals. Was it even possible? And if it was, one was already challenging enough. But now he had to be dealing with three of them! And that is if there are no others joining in the fun ¨C as it seemed that Zeres was still not done summoning these cmities from the vortex.

    Alex had to pull out every move he had from his repertoire of skills and lethal attacks which he had perfected over the millennia he had lived. Strike after strike, some imbued with magical powers, others just relying on pure brute strength, Alex actually found himself working up a sweat. However, after innumerable exchanges between him and the demons, Alex caught an opening and headed in for the kill. After sessfully beheading one of them, Alex tried the method of burning the demon¡¯s head to finish him. But unfortunately, just like him, the demon did not die. The next second, he saw the beheaded demon fuse his chopped off head back to its body, standing up again as if the beheading had never happened.

    "Damn!" he cursed aloud but as he looked at the three demons before him, Alex smiled. "It seems I¡¯ll just have to enjoy beating all of you ck and blue until you run away screaming back into to the underworld." He said, cracking his neck and fingers as his amiable smile widened into an evil grin. "Back then, I quite enjoyed torturing creatures, you know?" He added before disappearing from his spot and attacking them.

    ...

    Meanwhile, on the ground, shadows began to thicken again as Zeres prepared to summon more demons. He was hellbent in making Zeke lose his cool andposed attitude and attack him all out with the intention of killing him.

    Zeres had never seen this man lose his temper in person. He never lost his temper. Not even during the most extreme situation. No wonder some people call him the Ice Prince! Some even wondered if it were ice that were flowing through his veins rather than blood. Nothing seems to ever faze him.

    However, it was thanks to the witch queen¡¯s memories that he had received, Zeres now had an idea of the kind of powers Ezekiel was truly hiding. And now, Zeres would do anything to bring out the real Ezekiel to finally be able to die in his hands.

    And summoning more supreme level demons would certainly fit the bill. Because Ezekiel knew exactly how dangerous and threatening these demons were if they were to be let lose to rampage in the world.

    As Zeres continued to chant theplicated spell, with no warning, a powerful force mmed into him. And in the blink of an eye, the earth shook as Zeres came crashing to the ground.

    The dark vortex of shadows that was building treacherously around him suddenly dispersed as Ezekiel walked through it in measured steps towards Zeres. His eyes were like dark red blood and his aura had finally darkened ¨C as dark as the shadows gathering behind him.

    Zeres smiled in satisfaction as he lifted his head and saw Ezekiel who was looking down at him from his higher position. This vampire prince was finally serious. But it still was not enough. This was not the Ezekiel that he wanted to see. Not yet. Perhaps his ¡¯persuasion¡¯ was not enough.

    Rising from the rubble, Zeres attempted to catapult into the sky to prepare for another summoning spell that he intended to use to taunt Ezekiel. But Zeke moved a little faster and had him held down with an incredible force.

    Zeres fought to break free and the two engaged in another deadly battle. Zeke did not allow Zeres any breathing space to have the chance to retaliate nor chant his sted spells to summon even more of those annoying demons.

    However, realizing that time was running out and a total waste of time in him trying to fight Zeke when he was still in full control of his power, Zeres unleashed his dragon power. His scales appeared and his skin darkened.

    The next instant, he managed to break free and he catapulted into the air and the shadows appeared again, and this time in arger volume. The vortex he created was immense this time around. Blood spilled from his body as he chanted his spells.

    They could only watch as another demon appeared from the vortex and joined in the fight against Alex.

    Kyle and Lucas also arrived not long after as another demon came out from the vortex, and it immediately went after them.

    By the time the seventh demon came out, something unthinkable happened.

    ckrge wings suddenly grew from Ezekiel¡¯s back.

 Chapter 671 - Still

    <h4>Chapter 671 - Still</h4>

    Everyone was shocked at the sudden appearance of Ezekiel¡¯s majestic wings, unable to believe what they were seeing. Those pair of long and powerful flight mechanisms were pping elegantly in the air, maintaining Ezekiel¡¯s position without any trouble. It seemingly felt that every slow upward and downward stroke was deliberate. Each fluttering of shiny inky ck feather drove everyone looking to being dumbstruck in awe.

    Kyle and Lucas were so shocked they were momentarily distracted from the fight ¨C which was not something vampires of their calibre would ever do. But this just went to show how stunned they were with the current on-goings of their very own vampire prince. W-what was going on? Wings? My brother had wings? Since when?! How in the world... what the hell was going on?!

    Even Lucas who was a close and loyal follower of the prince had absolutely no inkling of this part that apparently His Highness had concealed within himself. And conceal it well, he certainly did!

    Because he was being distracted, Kyle nearly got shed by one of the summoned demons that they were fighting. And if it were not for Lucasing to Kyle¡¯s aid in blocking the demon¡¯s move, that would prove to be a fatal blow to the young vampire prince.

    "Kyle! Concentrate!" Lucas roared at the young prince and Kyle could only flush in embarrassment and obey. He knew better from all the trainings he had been having, that distractions could very well mean the end of one¡¯s life in a battle. Knowing that he could not further afford anymore moments of distraction against this monster he and Lucas were facing. Or else, he might really die ¨C and perhaps even implicate his partner to lose his own life as well.

    Letting out a small but spirited grunt, Kyle resolutely shifted his eyes away from his brother who now was looking nowhere near vampire-like as the rest of them are. Kyle determined in his heart that he must ¨C no, he will ¨C survive this battle so he could question the hell out of his brother on not only this matter on what the hell was he exactly, but also on other various things he was sure to be still hiding from him.

    At ground level

    Alicia and Lilith who were also staring up in the air at where Ezekiel was hovering, remained frozen looking at the magnificent dark wings spreading out before them. Lilith could be seen to have her mouth partially hanging open due to the shock of seeing a vampire suddenly sprouting wings. What was this?! Was sprouting wings now simr to mushrooms sprouting after the rain?! Lilith felt as if the world views she had held onto for so long are being challenged greatly at this sight that it made her head spin.

    Disbelief was clearly evident in Alicia¡¯s eyes, but she did not look to be as shocked as the other that was beside her. Instead, there was a deep look of realization that had sparked in her eyes, as if she had now finally found the answer to the puzzle that she had been unable to solve all this time, right until now. And from the look in her eyes, it seemed as if she was able to unravel and decipher that elusive answer from looking at this unbelievable scene that had unfolded in front of her.

    Zeke¡¯s body zed with staggering power. They could not see his expression from where they were since his back was facing them. But at that moment, goosebumps prickled and covered their skin just by looking at his shockinglyrge, formidable, and ebony wings, making him look like he was one of those awe-inspiring fallen angels who had emerged from the depths of hell itself.

    Zeres smiled at the sight of Zeke¡¯s ck wings that had finally grew from his back. It was working. He could almost not control his glee as it seemed that his n was at longst taking shape! The real Ezekiel had finally showed up.

    While everyone who were watching from the ground were still frozen shock due to utter disbelief, Zeres had already called forth another pair of demons from the underworld. But before the ninth demon could fully step out and materialize from the depths of the ck vortex, it unexpectedly closed, and the vortex somehow reversed its original functions and ended up swallowing the ninth demon back to God knows where ¨C one would have to assume it was back to the underworld. However, at that moment, no one was in the right frame of mind to bother about where the scourge ended up at. It could be sent out into the furthest reach of the universe for all they cared. Right now, what was of upmost importance was to stop the escting of the chaos that Zeres was trying to hasten upon them all.

    The next thing Zeres knew; the earth shook mightily, and he was viciously shoved and pinned down to the ground. The impact was so strong that it literally created a small crater, as if a decently sized meteorite had recently struck in the area. Blood spurted out like a small fountain from Zeres¡¯ mouth.

    When he came to his senses a couple secondster, he realized that Zeke¡¯s hand was outstretched, and his fingers were tightly curled around his neck ¨C tight enough that he could feel the pressure and power exerted, but yet still not enough topletely cut off his breathing nor snap his head off to kill him right on the spot. This not only did not faze or throw Zeres off at all, but to one¡¯s consternation, those nearby enough could actually see Zeres who kept on smiling. His eyes were brilliantly offset on his face, zing with nothing but an intensity that is clearly emitting a dangerous thrill despite the severity of his own situation at hand.

    However, his smile eventually faded after a short few minutes after seeing that nothing had changed in Ezekiel¡¯s eyes. It was like a frigid wastnd, devoid of any living emotions whatsoever. If Zeres had hoped for something to flicker ande to life with the actions that he had been pushing with, he was to be sorely disappointed in the reactions ¨C more aptly theck of them ¨C in the face of this vampire ice prince. They were dark bloody red and colder than any forms of ice, but this were still not the eyes he had wanted nor expected to see gazing at him from this familiar face.

 Chapter 672 - Darkness

    <h4>Chapter 672 - Darkness</h4>

    A couple of seconds passed as Zeres wondered to himself beforeing to the only conclusion he could. The only reasoning, he could end up with was that this man was still actually in full control of himself and his power. How on earth could that be? What would it take for him to even shake a little of that eternal frostposure Zeke had and get even a slight glimpse of him losing control over his emotions or well-made ns? Damn, what was Ezekiel made of, seriously?! It was so much harder ¨C almost impossible ¨C to get this vampire ice prince to crumble a little under any pressure, than for a massive block of cier to melt.

    Zeres could only gnash his teeth in utter rage. And this further angered him. Is this still not enough? Why? What more is he required to do? What other vile acts would it take for him to end this?

    He wanted everything to be over and end now. Because he could not take it anymore. Though his powers are limitless and inexhaustible that he was yet to scr.a.p.e the bottom of his own source of powers, his soul was exceedingly exhausted. His spirit was drained to the point of being so fragile it would shatter with a little knock on it. He did not want to continue this any longer. He wanted death and ultimate darkness now to stop this corroding pain that was within him. Would the Gods ever be so merciful to him and grant him this one and final bliss in death which would be his eternal slumber? He begged whatever gods there was out there to just permit him this onest request.

    At that moment, Zeres gaze idebtally fell on Alicia and he saw her wobble and fall over only to end up crumbling to the hard and unforgiving ground.

    Lilith only had let go of her for a few seconds just to shield her from the stray debris that were heading her way. But from Zeres¡¯s point of view, the only scene that entered his eyes was the moment Alicia fell to the ground. And only one jarring thing sted into his mind, that she was going to die. Now.

    Zeres suddenly felt this taut string in his mind snapped at that and a rush of something surged forth and flooded every single cell in his body. His mouth opened in a silent snarl and roared out a bloodcurdling battle cry and tremendous power red out from the depths of his soul.

    His eyes were like two bright moons that were suddenly swallowed by darkness. It was as if there were a total eclipse of his consciousness that was reflected in those initially twin moons of his.

    The silvery light turned to pitch ck, and he struck back at Zeke with such ferocity and power ¨C one that was far stronger than what he had at the outset of the battle until now, had shown to anyone. No, at that moment, this Zeres held no resemnce whatsoever to the original Zeres they or even he himself knew anymore. He was losing his mind. He had already lost his mind. And apparently, he had also lost his soul and spirit in the process.

    The outpouring of his massive powers was consuming him. He had gone berserk. There could not be seen any finesse or rity in the blows that he was exchanging with Ezekiel at his current state. It seemed as if he were moving only on his instinct and killing drive that had been awakened.

    The intense battle before this paled inparison to what was going on between Zeres and Zeke now. Now it was not just Alex, but also the other vampires who were distracted because of this earth-shattering fight between the two immortals. Surprisingly, even the summoned demons were affected and had paused as well by the battle aura that were flowing out in waves.

    Every attack was too powerful, too fast, that it was like a choreographed dance and exchange between two gods of destruction.

    An immortal going mad was so strong and beyond powerful. Yet, Ezekiel on the opposing side, was able to hold his ground against a mad immortal half dragon. This was the power of the dragon and the power of the most powerful witchbined, and its results were deadly to say the least. With this kind of power being unleashed into the world, there really was no need for Zeres to even bother with the summoning of those demons from hell. His powers itself was already a cmity of epic proportions.

    Another earthquake urred as one of them was finally hit and thrown down. But this time, it was Zeke¡¯s turn to take the hit and ended up falling to the ground.

    Casually rising from the debris as if it were only a mosquito sting that hit him, Zeke licked his bleeding lips. The expression on his face remained calm and unfathomable. Despite the situation, he remained looking unfazed though it was such a rare sight seeing him dishevelled and bloodied up in a fight.

    Zeres was up there, cackling away like a real viin. He looked as though Satan had possessed him. And everyone could not help but shiver. What was going to happen now? Can anyone kill Zeres at this point? It was very hard for everyone to look at the once angel-like creature turning into such creature of destruction.

    Alex and the demons were gone. He had a n and managed to lure them all to another area, leaving only Zeres to be dealt by Zeke¡¯s hand alone.

    "Yes. This world shall be destroyed!" Zeres said,ughing. Surrounding himself with a thick wall of the ck shadow.

    The spinning vortex appeared again. However, this time, it was bing bigger and bigger. It seemed he was nning to summon the army he had promised about earlier on. If that demonic army arrives in this ne of existence, that would be a whole new catastrophic event no one would be able to predict its oue.

    Zeke¡¯s eyes seemed to gleam with a baleful fire, but his stoic face remained as unchangeable as marble. Seeing the demons that were stepping out of the vortex one after another, Ezekiel closed his eyes.

    The world seemed to have halted. When he opened his eyelids again, one of his eyes were not red nor grey any longer. It had turnedpletely ck, and it was not just his irises. Even the whites of his eyes were midnight ck, gleaming with unrestrained power and utter darkness.

 Chapter 673 - Senseless

    <h4>Chapter 673 - Senseless</h4>

    Zeres¡¯ughter was hysteric and viinous. His once clear and pure eyes were currently unrecognizable to all who had known him as their friend, and they were horrified at the insanity that zed with an unholy light in those two used to be moonlit eyes. Madness had filled them, and it seemed nothing would be able to ever pull him back to sanity any longer. The Zeres that they knew and cared for is no more. Instead, in his ce was this demented witch who was crazy strong and an immortal at that, going around summoning high-level demons from the underworld and doing his best to usher in the end of the world.

    Nearby, the vortex he had initially created had now grown toorge that its epic proportions were truly a sight in itself to behold. Though there were nothing positive nor visually attractive that could make one appreciate looking at it, however, there was still thatpulsion that drew everyone¡¯s eyes to look at that viciously spinning vortex which was like a ck hole appearing at the heart of the abandoned city.

    As it becamerger, it seemed to have gained a certain sentient characteristic to it if one were to focus their gaze on it a little longer. The spinning of the ck shadows surrounding the centre of the vortex had somehow developed a rhythmic pulse to it ¨C not unlike the rhythmic beating of a heart. Those who realised and noticed the pattern that was being disyed by this vortex had a very bad feeling and a premonition that worse things were about to happen.

    There was nothing to say that this vortex would be able to run itself without being controlled and constantly being supplied a power source from its summoner ¨C in this case, would be Zeres ¨C and carry out the act of summoning powerful demons from the underworld all on its own. If that were to happen, then Zeres would then be freed up. An insane and freed up Zeres was not something good at this moment in time.

    It did not take long for Zeres to continuously summon more than twenty high-level demons and though the skies and the ground were already ravaged with battles caused by these newly summoned demons, there was still no sign of him stopping his chants and hand signals ¨C which meant that more demons were on their way in crossing through the portal.

    Alexander was back from wherever he had lured the first batch of demons away to fight them off, and now he was attempting to approach Zeres. But the demons who were just summoned formed a barrier surrounding Zeres and blocked Alex from approaching any closer and he ended up fighting the numbers of demons all by himself.

    "Zeres!" Alex shouted at Zeres, trying to get his attention whenever he had a breathing space in between exchanging blows with the demons he was fighting against. But his shouts seem to not have made even a single impact upon the crazed witch who was hell bent on summoning as many demons as he could. Alex could be seen to be a little more frantic in fighting with therge group of demons who had now surrounded him and block his path towards Zeres. He knew that he had to somehow reach Zeres before things got even worse ¨C not that the currently situation was not already bad enough.

    "Stop what you¡¯re doing Zeres! Damn you! Stop this madness!" he yelled as he suddenly shed his sword out at one of the demons¡¯ head, causing the demon to go stiff and its head rolling its shoulders the next second. Alex¡¯s eyes were also bing more and more severe, and his moves were getting sharper and more intense, bringing a pressurising force to the demons who were surrounding him. He too, was close to going berserk.

    These demons came at Alex all at once until he was not visible to those looking on anymore. Kyle, Lucas, Alicia and Lilith who were keeping track on Zeres¡¯ and Alex¡¯ situation was slightly concerned when they could not see Alex any longer and continued to be swarmed by those ferocious demons for longer than expected.

    Just when they had the thought that they could not stand it any longer, the next moment, all the demons swarming around Alex were thrown away as though a st had just urred within the centre of them all.

    Alex¡¯s torn body parts wereing together and patching itself up as he remained where he was, eyes intense and zing like goldenva. His aura progressively darkened, and a wave of strong power exploded out all around until it even reached the ground.

    He too was quickly losing his mind in this ongoing fight that seemed to have no end. He seemed to be just on the verge of fully losing himself and going on a berserker rampage.

    Even the demons looked a little shaken and fearful of the powers that Alexander emitted. But like puppets, they soon regrouped and simultaneously attacked Alex again when Zeres gave out the order to them with just a wave of his hand.

    Alex spread his arms wide, out to his sides, fingers syed opened and lips smiling as he began to work the wind. There could be seen little cyclones spinning around the tips of each of his fingers and around his wrists. As he stood there, the strength of each cyclones continued to build.

    "Fine! Call all the demons from here Zeres, I¡¯ll entertain them all." Alex shouted out his challenge and the dark clouds in the sky began moving. Thunder and lightning intensified as Alex created a strong tornado with crystalized weapons.

    The demons who got hit by the tornados got pierced by the crystalized ice. But like him, they too simply healed and reconnected their body parts after a while. It truly was a senseless battle where both sides were not winning nor losing. A battle that somehow would seem will besting for eternity. Those looking on could not help but feel helpless. Is everything lost? Is this the end?

 Chapter 674 - Nothing

    <h4>Chapter 674 - Nothing</h4>

    On the ground, everyone could do nothing else but watch, open mouthed and pray to whatever gods there be to be on their side and help Zeres regain his sanity and stop this futile battle. The only thing that was making them from losing all hope was the sight of Alexander seemingly enjoying the fierce battle and fighting the demons like a madman. He was like a beast that had at longst being let loose from his cage and now he was enjoying the hunt.

    He had tried to destroy Zeres¡¯ vortex by calling a very strong windnce to sh at it, but the wind was swallowed by the ckhole. He tried to reach Zeres too, but Zeres¡¯ demons were hell bent in preventing him froming anywhere close, much less touching their summoner.

    At one point, Alexander looked down at where Zeke was standing. And as though there was a wordlessmunication between them, Alex stopped attacking Zeres and he concentrated on his fight against the demons.

    ...

    Everything seemed to be pointing to and just going towards one thing alone. Madness. Everyone and everything are spiralling down the rabbit hole into lunacy. Friend fighting against friend. Good guy turned into a demonic rouge. Stable environment gone haywire and on its merry way to global destruction if nothing was done to stop it.

    Those on the ground seem to feel the stirrings of helplessness and hopelessness as things continued on and no progress was made with Zeres, Alex or Ezekiel. Were they supposed to lie down and ept things as ites? Were they expected to surrender their lives just because Zeres had decided on things on his own and they had no say in the matter at all? That is so unfair! However, absolute power triumphs over all and that was how the world works.

    Watching the half dragon and demons literally shook the earth as they exchanged powerful blows in the sky, it all felt like a nightmare. Unfortunately, this nightmare had moved from an imaginary thing into the real world that they cannot avoid. It was as though the world had descended into madness together with Zeres.

    Kyle and Lilith could not even begin to understand and process what their eyes were seeing. It was obvious they were telling themselves that this was probably a very, very bad dream. One that they would very soon wake up from and would be able to put it behind them with augh. They prayed and wished that it would be so.

    Clenching a handful of her cloak as she looked up, Alicia felt a deep piercing pain blooming in her c.h.e.s.t. Her entire soul ached ¨C no, it burned and seared ¨C realizing that things had truly gone so messed up to an insane degree. What in the world happened? Why must this happen to her? To Zeres? To this world? She could only ask herself. Which God could she bring herints to? Even if she found one to state her case, would it make a difference? Would their fates be reversed?

    She remembered how Zeres previously had confided her that he did not want to die a viin. But just look at him now. He looked even more sinister and even more dangerous than that cold-hearted Dinah. He had be the creature he did not want to be ¨C a creature that he had hated to his core. It was so unfair. She could not understand why such a gentle being had to end up like this.

    As she looked up at him in the air,ughing up there acting for all the world as if he were ready to burn the whole world with him, Alicia¡¯s lips trembled. She did not know if he had truly changed and really wanted this, or was he still putting on an act. If it was an act, it really was a damned good one.

    The sound of pping wings pulled her attention and her gaze fell on Ezekiel. He was still but his wings were spread out so elegantly behind him.

    Staring at his back, Alicia did not know why but Ezekiel¡¯s voice suddenly echoed in her head. "Keep him going on the right path. Because if you fail, and he ends up turning into an enemy... I¡¯ll find a way to get him dead and stay dead the next time, too." These words from Ezekiel were so cryptic. Was he threatening her with Zeres¡¯ eventual death?

    The memory of those words elicited a bitter smile and Alicia¡¯s eyes blurred. That was right, she had failed. No, she did not just fail to keep him from pursuing and continuing on the right path, she was probably the biggest reason why he chose to stray towards the wrong path too. Alicia¡¯s heart squeezed even tighter as she had to fight the tears from falling from her eyes.

    "Ezekiel..." she called out weakly and she knew he had heard her. "When you said those words to me back then..." she paused and swallowed, choking on the pain in her throat to stop her voice from shaking, "did you already know that one day... this would happen?"

    Silence reigned supreme between them for a while. Zeke did not volunteer to speak. But to Alicia, his silence was as good as him giving her his answer. And from what she knows of this vampire prince, his answer would most probably be ¡¯yes¡¯.

    The thought that Ezekiel was truly going to kill Zeres pained her even more. What had Zeres done to warrant himself this kind of ending? Nothing. He did not do anything. All he did was sacrifice himself for someone else. All he wanted was to die so someone else would have the chance to live. He had never asked for anything on his own behalf. Everything he had asked for, was only ... for someone else!

    "Oh, Zeres...!!" Alicia gasped at the sharpncing pain that sliced through her heart at that thought.

    Numb with pain, Alicia opened her lips again. "Ezekiel," she called out his name again, "have you ever made a sacrifice for a woman?" she asked.

    The world seemed to halt. The storm Alex had created from his wind controlling powers lingered heavily in the area and they were now under the eye of the storm.

    Zeke remained silent. But as he spread his wings and prepared to fly off, he turned to Alicia, revealing to her his one eye that looked darker than the darkness itself.

    "Never." He replied in a cold and emotionless voice and then he was gone.

    ___

    A\N: please check out <Spellbound> guys. If you didnt check it out yet. The story is inspired by the long lost tale arc so you might it. Thank you. ^^

    Also, this volume is going to end soon.

    P.s. update schedule for this book is every sunday and wednesday gmt+8 timezone

 Chapter 675 - Something else

    <h4>Chapter 675 - Something else</h4>

    Up in the air, Alexander was fighting those demons that were surrounding him nonstop, like a killing god. His counter attacks on them were savage to the extreme and the demons kept being torn into pieces before gathering up and bing whole again.

    Alicia could only watch as Ezekiel flew off towards the dark clouds and ck shadows swirling in the sky, like a dark angel, where the fierce and surreal battle was urring.

    His one-word response to her question earlier was not even a surprise to her, in fact. What shocked her to her core actually, was how his eyes looked when she caught sight of it. That one eye that was so dark, that one could not even see any trace of light or color in it anymore had caused Alicia¡¯s heart to tremble uncontrobly. The horror that gripped her when she first saw his real face was nothingpared to what she was feeling at the moment.

    Alicia¡¯s mind simply nked out as she processed everything. Even though as of now, she had already lost all of her witch queen¡¯s powers, the memories and knowledge that had been passed on to her and all those that she had seen in her reign as queen still stayed on within her. And she would never, ever forget that face, thoserge and powerful ck wings, and that single lone, dark eye. No matter how iplete the picture was in her mind, she could no longer reason within herself that what she saw in her memories might not be the whole truth and that it was perhaps too early for her toe up with any conclusions on the matter especially when she did not see everything. She was a firm believer of only believing when seeing the whole story, especially when dealing with important matters such as this.

    However, seeing that the owner of that horrifying dark eye was actually no other than Ezekiel, she could no longer make herself not believe the things she had seen.

    After a long while, her trembling hands managed to clench itself into tight fists.

    When she lifted her head again and looked up into the sky, the helplessness that had consumed her which had been reflected in her eyes were finally gone. A sh of silver gleamed in her eyes for a moment before it disappeared again, as if it were never there in the first ce.

    Suddenly, she felt out of breath. Her heartbeat literally stopped for a few moments. Alicia¡¯s body froze and she clutched at her c.h.e.s.t painfully. She could feel that her breath was being s.u.c.k.e.d away from her body. The acute pain that keptncing through her c.h.e.s.t area in intervals of a few seconds caused all her muscles to be paralyzed. Could it be that her time was already up? Does it mean she has to get ready to die now? Those thoughts came as a lightning bolt as she tried to juggle her tangled up feelings.

    Alicia fought so desperately to draw in breath after breath. She did not know why she was so frenzied. She thought she had so much time to prepare her heart and ready her mind...did she not? Wait!!! She was screaming inside her own mind. She just needed a little bit longer. No... she only needed a few more seconds. That is all. Not yet... please... her cries and supplication sadly were outwardly unheard and all within her mind. No one could see her struggling with the chaos that were going on around them.

    Between her silent battle, her heart began beating again. She was able to breathe again. Hershes were wet with tears even as they rolled down her cheeks, her c.h.e.s.t heaving up and down as if she had just finished a marathon. She stilled for a moment before realising that it was just about to hit midnight. There must be a reason why Zeres had given them that timing as a deadline. She guessed from what had happened earlier that he had known earlier that she was going to die by midnight if Zeres was still alive by then.

    She fought with all the remaining strength that she had left to rise, her eyes now zing with pure and undiluted determination and will. However, what red out from her eyes was not the determination to stay alive.

    Lilith who finally snapped back to reality from the seemingly potent spell that had influenced her at the sight of Ezekiel¡¯s eyes, immediately rushed over to help Alicia when she saw her trying so desperately to stand even when she seemed to already be on herst breaths. When she turned and saw the look that was shining forth from Alicia¡¯s eyes, the young witch could only be rendered speechless. What on earth had happened within that few minutes? Why did her queen looked as if she had just received a mission so important, she looked as if she would be willing to give her very life to see it through, no matter the cost?

    Despite her weakened state, the look in Alicia¡¯s eyes even made Lilith feel the chills that crawled under her skin. She wanted to ask and dig more on it, but without knowing why, she could not do it.

    Kyle and Lucas on the other hand stayed still as statues behind the two witches. Alexander had never allowed any demons to reach them again and since they could not fly, there was no way for them to join in the battle arena which had long since been moved to the sky. Kyle and Lucas could only look on as they were torn between feeling left out and relieved that they were not battling it out with those crazily powered up super demons.

    And now, the two vampires were not just standing there feeling both awed and helpless at the same time but paralyzed as well due to what they had just witnessed earlier on. Their almighty pure blooded vampire prince did not just grow wings, he also had a strange eye that never belonged to a vampire.

    At that moment, Kyle felt as though he did not even know this Ezekiel who was with them right now anymore. He could not help but ask himself whether if he even was actually the real Ezekiel Reign. Because no matter how he thought about it, this person was not just a vampire. No pure-blooded vampires have characteristics such as what he had disyed! He could not even call such a being a vampire anymore. Because he just was not. He was already... something else.

    ___

    A\N: second chap willeter guys. After an hour.

 Chapter 676 - Horror

    <h4>Chapter 676 - Horror</h4>

    As soon as Zeke managed to cross over thatrge ck vortex, he stilled where he was in the air. His wings were pping elegantly and steadily, keeping him right where he wanted to be as he watched the chaos with his usual calmness portrayed across his face. One of his hand then moved up and calmly covered over his one eye. The one eye that had turned entirely ck not too long ago and had frightened his ownpanions.

    His gaze was firmly fastened on Zeres who just ignored his presence there and continued summoning demons without any signs of stopping whatsoever. The demons wereing out of the vortex one after another at a rate that seemed to be increasing in speed to those who were looking on. If this continued on, there will be no guarantees that Alexander would still be able to handle all those summoned demons on his own. As it is now, Alex already has his te full just keeping those demons at bay.

    At that moment, Zeres¡¯ gaze fell towards Zeke. And a wicked, viinous smile shed across the silver-haired witch¡¯s lips. That smile did not spell anything good to those who had seen it. However, for Zeke who had clearly seen that smile, it did nothing to change the poker-faced look that was still firmly pasted on his face. One had to wonder what it would take for Ezekiel to finally show some sort of emotions on that canvas he calls a face.

    Zeres¡¯ body had gone as dark as the dragon¡¯s scale. His golden eyes were burning with hellfire and all the evil intentions that could be conceived in the world. He was now hellbent to execute the threat he had promised when he was still sane. Though insane he might be, it seemed he still had the presence of mind in remembering the words he had uttered earlier on. As if he had forgotten everything else but this one matter. It just kept on ringing in his mind, unable to let it go. It seemed that there was nothing left in him but the driving intention of summoning an army of demons and for them to go out and destroy the world.

    He could not even seem to recognize Zeke anymore as their eyes met. Zeres could only see him and identify Ezekiel as a powerful foe that he needed to vanquish to attain his goals and he only smiled. However, that smile was not one that was filled with goodwill, but it was one with nothing else but bloodl.u.s.t and the excitement to kill.

    Wearing that satanic smile which could freeze the hearts of all who see it, Zeres lifted his hand and simply just pointed a finger at Zeke.

    Instantly, with that one movement, it made all the summoned demons turn around from where they were and looked straight at Ezekiel. And with a flick of Zeres¡¯ hand, like mindless puppets who had received the orders from their master, the demons flew towards Zeke, all eager and willing to attack to kill. Their movements were simr to the swarm of bats frantically flying out the cave after their nap were disturbed.

    Ezekiel, however, did not even move a muscle and remained in the air where he was, wings pping steadily in the air and waited for the demons to approach.

    As the swarm of demons came at him with growls and roars, a strong gust of wind came rushing from behind him suddenly and out of nowhere. It lifted the bangs of his hair that were shielding his eyes from others¡¯ view and his frightening red eye came into full view.

    All of a sudden, the demons stopped as if they could sense an immense danger that would attack them without warning, and it totally confused them. When Zeres had previously ordered the first batch of demons to attack Alexander, they had attacked Alex mindlessly even with the amount of pressure and power that was emanating from Alexander. They had attacked so carelessly, as they knew that no matter what the immortal did to them, there was not the possibility that he could kill them.

    But this creature before them had made the demons instinctively stop with his frighteningly savage killing aura that was leaking from him. The demons could feel real danger oozing from him. As if this strange, red-eyed winged creature could actually kill them, the immortal demons.

    The demons sudden halt in their charge made the mad Zeres¡¯s smile fade. "Kill him!" he roared out his orders once again and the demons physically jerked before moving. However, it could be seen clearly that though they continued to advance on Ezekiel, it was clear as day that they were being forced against their wills.

    But Zeke did not seem to care about the numbers of demons. He elerated right into the first demon that came into his reach and his fist was immediately nted into the demon¡¯s face. Before the demon could even realize it, its head had already exploded like a balloon with Zeke¡¯s vicious and fast attack. The demon that was killed then immediately turned into a pure ck ash. The pile of ash swirled for a moment in the air before returning into the vortex.

    Zeke removed his hand off his dark as midnight eye and the moment his eyelid lifted, the demons freeze on the spot in horror. It actually was not just due to watching one of their own being turned into ash but at the sight of his eyes. Those ebony and fully pitch-ck eye of his.

    __

    A\N: thank you for waiting. Follow me on instagram @kazzenlx.x

 Chapter 677 - Baseball

    <h4>Chapter 677 - Baseball</h4>

    The sight of that purely ebony eye, without a single trace of white in it truly gave everyone who looked the jitters. Even the demons were not exempt from that same reaction.

    The sight of these mighty and supreme demons that had been summoned from the lowest depths of hell, shaking so badly as though a kitten thoroughly drenched in ice cold water and were literally trembling in fear before Zeke was truly unthinkable. This just made everyone on the ground gape in utter shock, with the exception of Alicia, who had her facepletely passive as if the shocking event was barely any news to her. Her mind did not seem to be focused on the happenings that were ying out before their eyes. It was as if she was lost in some other more important thoughts.

    "Lucas..." Kyle said, unable to take his gaze away from the unbelievable scene that was folding out before his very eyes, "do you know about this? Did you have any idea... that my brother..." his speech was not smooth, and it petered out. It was a clear testament to how disturbed his inner thoughts and feelings were about the things he was seeing being exhibited by his very own brother.

    Lucas turned slowly to face Kyle fully and could only shake his head dumbly, his mouth opening and closing but, in the end, there was not a single sound that came forth from his lips. He could not even utter a single word due to the shock in seeing his lord exhibiting such weird and powerful characteristics.

    "Tell me, Lucas... that person up there could not possibly be my brother, right... ?" the young vampire prince asked again, disbelief was inly etched on his handsome face, and denial evident in his voice. But Lucas could only give Kyle the same response he had given him a few seconds ago. There was nary a word that he could respond to the young prince.

    "I mean, look. It doesn¡¯t quite make sense, does it?" Kyle¡¯s lips curved into a forced smile, "Why would powerful demons such as those summoned by Zeres even tremble before a vampire? It would¡¯ve made more sense if they acted this way when they were fighting with Alexander. Alexander is not only a dragon but more importantly, he¡¯s immortal too! As for my brother ... he¡¯s powerful, yes, I admit that. I know that Zeke is the most powerful vampire that ever existed. But ultimately, he¡¯s just a vampire! And yet, this... person up there could actually turn demons to dust in just one single move and make them tremble before him? The same demons, Alexander couldn¡¯t even kill with his immense strength? It¡¯s almost like he¡¯s not the king of the vampires anymore but the demons!"

    Shaking his head, Kyle ran his fingers through his hair and tugged them hard. His young mind just could not grasp nor understand what was going on anymore and he was utterly overwhelmed. If that scarily overpowered person up there was indeed the same brother he had and knew, then Kyle had that sinking feeling that after this, if he survived through this battle, there was no way he would be able to look at Zeke and see him as a mere pure-blooded vampire anymore. What was happening here is truly mind-blowing and could shake the beliefs in the foundations of certain things one thought was true and unchangeable.

    Up in the sky, Alex had been closely observing all that was happening, and now a devilish smirk grew across his lips. His eyes were now gleaming with triumph as his face showed the look of ¡¯as expected of Ezekiel¡¯ as he nced over at Zeke.

    But on the other side, Zeres was expressing a totally opposite reaction. The mad witch roared menacingly and suddenly the demons spread their numbers out across the visible expanse of the sky. Even though the demons were trembling wretchedly, they were still forced to move as though they had no power at all to resist their summoner. They literally had no choice in the matter.

    The world seemed to have stopped revolving as everyone held their breath, eyes locked on and attention fully on what Zeres was going to do next.

    Zeresughed hysterically and with another single snap of his fingers, the demons turned away from Ezekiel and Alexander.

    Zeke and Alex seemed to immediately realize what Zeres was nning to do and in sh, as the demons began to fly away to leave the city, Alex moved forwards and attempted to block them. He grabbed at the demons closest to him and threw them as though they were like bags of rice, two at a time towards Ezekiel with overwhelming power that the demons could not even resist and ended up reaching Ezekiel at lightning speed.

    Zeke who had already whipped out his sword out stilled in the middle. His fearsome weapon was suddenly enveloped with viscous, ck smoke ¨C its darkness as deep as his one aberrant eye.

    That weapon he wielded it so skilfully as it shed about, shing so ferociously at the demons that Alexander so very helpfully threw towards him. As his sword cut through his unfortunate victims, it could be seen that those demons immediately turned into swirls of dark coloured dust ¨C just like the one before.

    Alex continued grabbing the demons and throwing them over to Zeke, getting himself into a rhythm, not letting even a single one of them leave the city. It was somewhat morbidly amusing that the way he threw them to Zeke¡¯s direction were very simr to throwing baseballs. The duo truly looked as though they were ying a baseball game, with Alex as the pitcher and Ezekiel as the batter. Only that the balls were substituted with demons and Zeke¡¯s bat seemed to be a demonic longsword.

    "Haha. You had better not miss a pitch from me, Zeke or you¡¯re dead!" Alex barked out inughter, smiling so wide with much thrill and excitement brimming in his eyes. There was no more restraint left in him.

 Chapter 678 - Merciful thing

    <h4>Chapter 678 - Merciful thing</h4>

    "Keep them ballsing," was all Zeke said. His face was expressionless and tone as dry as usual. Alex only grinned even wider and continued his hunt, going after the fleeing demons and returning them to the home base. The demons did not allow themselves to be easily caught and had fought back, shing at Alex¡¯s limb as their powerful and sharp hands attempted in piercing through Alex¡¯s body over and over. But in the end, the immortal dragon still was able to overpower them and before they knew it, they were turned into dust swirls before being s.u.c.k.e.d through the vortex.

    Seeing the battle seemingly leaning in their favour, everyone who were watching on the ground started to feel slightly relieved. Somehow, the sight of Alex and Zeke¡¯s seemingly perfectly coordinated movements in tandem and their incredible and unbeatable power allowed hope to spark in them again. Most especially for the fact that Ezekiel could kill those demons. And it seems as though he was doing it so easily.

    They finally saw a ray of hope and had a chance of winning and ending this tragic and impossible battle. Once Alex and Ezekiel turned all those demons into dust, there would only be Zeres who is left for them to deal with.

    Hope and excitement bloomed inside their hearts and the urge to join in the battle became even stronger. Their fear a moment ago had subsided and their fighting spirit came surging forth.

    However, before Alex and Zeke could finish killing off all the demons, the vortex suddenly expanded into an evenrger size. It had grown sorge that it could even swallow half of the city now.

    The dark and heavy mists that surrounded the vortex seeped out ominously from the vortex itself and formed a circr barrier around it as it swirled maliciously. The darkness reigned over the area once again.

    Then a silver light gleamed like moonlight next to therge ckhole and demons began stepping out of the vortex like swarms of bats.

    "My goodness! What the hell is going on now? How could Zeres have summoned such number of high-level demons?!" Kyle eximed. He felt his heart plummet from the high he had experienced earlier when both Alex and his brother were wiping out the demons so smoothly.

    "One summoned demon is supposed to cost one life, but Zeres is an immortal. Thus, his powers are infinite right now. There is no limit to the amount of summons he can cast." Alicia was the one who spoke in a weak voice. Her exnation brought chills to those who heard her words. No limit...?!

    "So, you mean that the only way for us to stop this is to kill him?"

    The gleam of hope dimmed in Kyle¡¯s expressive eyes. The number of demons stepping out of the vortex this time was even more terrifying than what they had witnessed earlier. The numbers that were summoned earlier was like a drop in the bucket whenpared to the multitudes being brought forth now. Even Alex and Zeke stilled in their well-coordinated movements as they watched the ever-increasing numbers of demons pouring out from that hole suspended in the sky. They all knew that at this rate, it would not take long for Zeres to gather up the army he wanted. Zeke and Alex would not be able to keep up their actions for much longer.

    Zeke nced over at Alex. Alex saw the gleam in his eyes and nodded in understanding before Zeke threw him his sword. Though a smile was still seen on Alex¡¯s face, there was no more yfulness, no more light-heartedness that were seen reflected in that cold, cynical smile as was seen earlier in the yful banter of demon baseball that was going on between the two of them. Of course, as usual, Zeke was still with his poker face. It was almost impossible to catch a sliver of a smile on that gorgeous looking but frozen face of his.

    Alex caught the sword that still had its de shrouded with that mysterious thick, ck smoke as his eyes shed a question quickly at Zeke. The vampire prince only took a nce at Alex and understood his question.

    "Make sure that no demons leave this city alive, Alex." He said and then he turned his back to Alex. "Not even one." Zeke emphasised this point. He was not a person with many words. Thus, it could be seen how important this matter is as he had uttered so many words just to emphasise that point.

    "Are you going to kill him?" Alex asked, his voice quiet but carrying clearly over to Zeke. The thrill on Alex¡¯s face was now gone, reced by a t, marble-like look that was devoid of emotion. However, there was that trace element of sorrow which Zeke could pick up in Alex¡¯s tone of voice. When Zeke did not respond even after a few seconds, Alex¡¯s jaws tightened. He nced over at Zeres, and a trace sadness quickly shed across his golden eyes ¨C too fast to be seen by anyone. But Zeke still caught that look, though he did not respond to it.

    Alex had to force himself to turn his back and with clenched fist he flew off farther from where he initially was. It pained him that he could do nothing to save Zeres. His heart ached for this person as he knew the feeling and could fully empathize with it. He could still remember the feeling as if he just experienced it yesterday.

    Alex truly thought that if death was the only way to end Zeres¡¯ pain, then Alex would not stop him and would respect his final decision. Because he himself knew and had already experienced it once before, that sometimes, death in fact was a merciful thing when the suffering is more than could be borne. He just felt dreadfully terrible that it had to be ended this way.

    As Alex flew away, Zeke¡¯s hand moved to his back and his fingers wrapped around a sword¡¯s hilt. His one normal eye became so vividly red, and the ckness of his left eye seemed to ooze and ck smoke began to leak from it.

    With his gaze fixed on Zeres, Zeke pulled the sword out of its sheath from his back. That was the same sword that used to belong to Alex and the very same sword that Alex used to y thest dragon thousands of years ago.

 Chapter 679 - Shield

    <h4>Chapter 679 - Shield</h4>

    The demons spread out like birds in the sky. Their numbers increasing every second that past. However, the de in Zeke¡¯s hands was like a death strike every time they saw a streak of silvery sh appearing here and there, and always within the areas where the number of demons were most dense. As such, it created such a stimting scene in the sky where the silver contrasted so ringly with the ckened areas swarming with demons.

    Everyone watching from below were anxiously holding their breaths as they could do nothing but just watch on as Zeke attacked the vortex ferociously. Would he even stand a chance against this horde? They seem to be spawning from the depths of the vortex without an end in sight. There were just too many of them!

    They watched as Zeke yed and yed, the de in his hands was like an extension of him, carrying out his will, turning them into ashes. Those who were watching from the ground were blurry eyed as they watched until they could not even see him anymore due to the overwhelming number of demons surrounding him. That and also the amount of ck ash that was forming like billowy clouds around him. Seeing him being shrouded and swallowed by the ck mass made the rest of them looking on have a tiny grain of doubt, making them slightly afraid for Zeke even though they knew how immeasurably strong he is.

    At the same time, Alex on his part, was making sure that none of the demons could escape him. He had taken upon himself the role of bing the impregnable barrier of the city.

    However, everyone knew the situation was not actually getting any better despite how it looks at the moment. It seemed that no matter how much Alex and Zeke were killing off the demons, therge swarm of newly spawned demons being spat out by that infernal vortex surpassed the number of deaths overwhelmingly. However, there was no sign of Zeres slowing down at all, any time soon. He was unstoppable. The look in his eyes was sharp and did not show any intention that he would be giving up anytime soon.

    Watching the fight from the ground, Alicia felt her heartbeat grow increasingly weaker by the minute. Her breaths were bing shallower as she clenched her cloak over her c.h.e.s.t even tighter.

    Though the others were holding their breaths in anticipation of the oue of the fight, worried to death that something would happen to Zeke, Alicia surprisingly was not thinking the same way as the others. Despite the numbers of demons blocking his way from reaching Zeres, Ezekiel was advancing, slowly but surely. And Alicia knew in her heart as clearly as she knew her own name that the moment he reached Zeres, he would kill him.

    She began to feel her heartbeat going erratic again, sometimes skipping a few beats, sometimes speeding up unbearably. But the intense look in her eyes never did fade even for a second, much less dwindle. Suddenly, she turned over to Lilith, gave her a gentle and affectionate smile and enveloped her in a warm hug.

    That very next moment, an explosion of something dark happened in the sky. The demons around Zeke seemed to have all been wiped out and turned into dust swirls all at once. The other demons that managed to stay out of the explosion zone backed up and spread out farther away from him, more cautious and vignt of his every move.

    Ezekiel stilled himself in the air, pping hisrge wings and keeping to where he was. Half of his body was now oozing with a dark miasma which was curiously undting around him, as if it were a living entity. That same fume seemed to be the same one as that which wasing from his left eye.

    The already maddened Zeres roared incessantly, feeling the ominous dangering from Zeke. The newly summoned demons lined up before him, creating another barrier surrounding their summoner and when Zeke began to proceed anyway, Zeres gave a snap of his fingers, and the other demons who were spread out in the sky dove and spiralled to the ground, going towards Kyle and Lucas.

    It seemed that the orders that was given from Zeres was for them to aim for those two vampires. At that moment, both Lucas and Kyle were still not quite sure if they were the sole targets of that demon horde that were headed for the ground as there were still others who were in the same vicinity as they were. However, after a few seconds and seeing that the trajectory of that horde of demons were snarling and reaching towards them, they realised that they were the ones being targeted.

    Alicia pulled away from the embrace which she had held Lilith in. "Go. They will be needing your help, Lilith. And there is no need to worry about me. The demons will note at me." She told Lilith and reassured her before any protests coulde out of Lilith about her safety and the demons attacking her.

    Lilith hesitated but upon seeing Alicia¡¯s determined eyes as she nodded at her, Lilith could only sigh as she relented as she let go of her. Lilith then stood up before suddenly appearing right in front of Kyle and Lucas. The two vampires had already prepared themselves and were positioned for the battle they knew which would probably kill them. Though they were confident in their fighting prowess, they were not silly enough to kid themselves. They could not even kill the one demon they fought just a little while ago, how could they even survive this army of flying immortals? And that was when it was them both against one lone demon! They were not idiotic enough to lie to themselves that they had the abilities to go against this sort of demonic force.

    However, with Lilith now there with them, perhaps there was some hope that they could at least had the chance to survive this attack. Lilith started chanting as she used a powerful spell and created a barrier of silver light around them, serving as some sort of transparent but powerful light shield.

 Chapter 680: Too late

    <h4>Chapter 680: Toote</h4>

    When the marauding demons reached them and crushed against it, that seemingly light shield managed to stop their momentum. It was sessful! The barrier was working. The next second, a powerful twin force of merging wind and fire, that belonged to Alexander, hit into the back of the group of demons that were pushing against Lilith¡¯s light shield and were mercilessly burned and blew the demons apart. Suddenly seeing that change in tides gave a little more cheer in their little hearts as there seemed to be some hope and light at the end of this very dark tunnel which had appeared to have been set in stone.

    The few demons who were at the periphery that were blown further away by the st managed tond on the ground, lightly singed by Alex¡¯s fire storm, now were in a feverish exchange against Lucas and Kyle who were expecting them on the ground.

    The fierce terrain battle started. Lilith, who was stationed nearby, watched over the two vampire¡¯s back as they fought fiercely against the demons, ready toe to their aid whenever necessary. She also did not let up being attentive to the situation surrounding them in the case that other unexpected attackse their way. The trio¡¯s cooperation in battle were unexpectedly incredible even though this was the first time they were fighting together.

    With the demons now scattered from thebined defence and attack of Lilith and Alex respectively, and them also aiming not only on Zeke and Alex anymore, that bnce which was barely maintained earlier was slowly crumbling down.

    When Alex¡¯s came to aid hisrades on the ground, the other demons which he was restraining saw that as opening and they did not waste another moment to escape from the city.

    When he saw what was happening, Alex had to immediately catapult to the sky again and rushed after the escaping demons. The battle on the ground was fierce and despite Kyle and Lucas fighting with all their might, the fact was that with just their strength, they could not kill those demons which they were entangled with. And this just puts them in the hopelessly losing side by default. All they could do at that moment was to put up a strong defence as a good offence. It did not help that they had been fighting all these while with the rouge vampires that were trying to escape the bridge and had used up quite a fair bit of their stamina and strength.

    But the spell that Lilith had cast was somehow working on those demons. Though she could not kill them, she could paralyze them for a while and even put them into a frenzy. She was proving to be a huge help and a valuable ally to the vampires in this fight. But even they knew that her power was not infinite nor was it inexhaustible. Not to mention that she was still so new in using the newfound powers of the witch queen that she had.

    At some point, Lilith¡¯s barrier which was slowly being eroded was finally pierced by a powerful demon who hade spiralling down from the sky, catching Lilith off guard. The demon¡¯s deadly hand was outstretched and about to crush Lilith¡¯s face when the demon¡¯s arm was suddenly shed and being cut into to two.

    The next thing Lilith knew, she was pushed onto the ground with Kyle lying over her, trying to use his own body as a protective covering for her.

    Lilith had her eyes wide because she could see more demons already flying in the air and about to crush into them and could barely wait to tear them all apart. It would be toote for them to even do anything to escape this attack. She could only close her eyes as she held onto Kyle tighter.

    But the pain she was expecting, and the ughter that she had thought was going to happen never dide. When she peeked with one eye opened, a dark swath of smoke weed her. Those attacking demons that were out for their blood had been annihted in just a blink of an eye.

    Zeke stood there, oozing with nothing but darkness as he nced back at Kyle and Lilith. His gaze so cold and dark it was enough to freeze the youngsters in fear. And then he was gone.

    He stilled in the air right across Zeres. Zeke had been wounded. A while ago, he was about to break free from the wall of demons blocking Zeres when he saw Kyle about to be killed while protecting the little witch Lilith.

    He had immediately turned his back to Zeres and that was when one of the stronger demons found an opening in his defence and his arm pierced through Zeke¡¯s abdomen.

    With his gaze now balefully fixed onto Zeres, Zeke licked the blood dripping from his lips.

    Then the dark smoke swirled gently around him as though it had its own mind and purpose. After the dark smoke almost surround him not unlike an armour, Zeke attacked again like a lightning appearing out of nowhere. But this time, he did not attack the wall of demons directly but flew above them and the demons were forced to follow him.

    Zeke shed his sword out and turned the first demon who reached him into ck dust. And the moment all the demons came at him, Zeke backed off slightly again before twirling around as if making the motion to throw a discus.

    With an incredible power, Zeke suddenly released his sword.

    Zeres¡¯ eyes widened and he snapped his fingers to have the demons block him from the lightning-like swording at him.

    But it was a split second toote.

    The world seemed to screech into a halt as the sword reached Zeres when out of the Alicia materialized right before Zeres and the sword thudded into her.

    A/N: Follow me on instagram @kazzenlx.x

 Chapter 681: Someone

    <h4>Chapter 681: Someone</h4>

    Zeres only saw her smaller frame before him jerk with the impact of the sword as everything in his mind died and his eyes went nk. No!! In his mind, he was already roaring madly and there was that immense pressure to just let loose and howl out his anguish.

    "ALICIA... ALICIA... ALICIAAAA...!!!" Her name was reverberating over and over in his mind, overflowing his heart, and causing little electric shocks in each and every cell in his body. However, outwardly, he was frozen as stiff as the thousand-year-old ciers in the furthest part of the northern poles.

    It seemed as though time had stopped. All the summoned demons too had been frozen in their movements and were halted in ce as if something had paralyzed them. The spinning and undting haze around the vortex looked as though it too, just suddenly froze up.

    The world suddenly came to aplete halt and no sounds could be heard. The surroundings have be utterly quiet. The kind of quietness that raises the fine hairs on your skin and sends uncontroble shivers up and down your spine. It definitely was not one of those calm and peaceful tranquil moments.

    On the ground, Lilith who had been observing what was happening around her closely, had fallen on her knees with her palms covered over her mouth. Silent tears flowed from her eyes while Kyle and Lucas stood behind her, utterly shocked as their gazes were fixedly staring at these two persons, Alicia and Zeres. Their hearts were literally in their mouths, wondering what was to be with their fates. Why was it that fate had to deal such a disastrous blow to these people that they hade to care and love? Were the gods so unfair?

    Alex could only clench his fists and grit his teeth. The sight of Zeres¡¯ expressions reminded him of his very own situation in the past when Abi sacrificed herself in order to save him and he could not stand to look at how things progress with Zeres and Alicia any longer. It was just too painful for him to continue watching. He averted his gaze and looked at Zeke whose back was facing him as Zeres and Alicia began to descend slowly to the ground.

    By the time they finally reached the ground, Zeres immediately fell on his knees, cradling Alicia in his arms. Though his movements were lightning quick, those looking could tell that he was ever so gentle when his arms protectively curled around Alicia. The way he handled her was as if he were touching an extremely fragile and delicate piece of ss. His eyes were slowly losing their golden fire and for the first time since he fell into madness, his eyes returned to its original crystal-clear silver sheen again. The angel¡¯s eyes were back but they were now filled with nothing but unbearable pain and agony so cruel. His entire body was trembling violently as he held her. He could not even make any sound, his tears just fell, reflecting his inner heart that was surely bleeding silently.

    Despite the fact that Alicia was the one dying, his expression and his eyes at that moment was the saddest thing she had ever personally witnessed in her lifetime. He looked as if the world hadpletely betrayed him and was over. She could feel his emotions clearly and could feel from him that every hope had died for good and there was nothing of worth left anymore. It might seem ridiculous but seeing his expressions and his tears that moment was probably the most painful thing.

    Alicia wondered if she had the same look on her face when Riev had died in her arms during the time of their battle with Dinah. No, Alicia was certain the pain she had experienced and reactions at that moment could not even hold a candle to what Zeres was going through right now. She could feel the great difference. It was agonizingly obvious. Zeres was just experiencing too much agony that Alicia could identify even in her bad state that her looking at him was exceptionally unbearable. Why... why was this man always doing this to her? Why could he end up sacrificing everything for her and now, he was even crying like this for her as if... as if she were someone so very dear to him... as if she were his life? Just what was she to him? She could feel the answer just hovering at the edge of her consciousness. But every time she tried to think things through, her blurry mind andgging strength just could not keep up.

    "D-don¡¯t cry..." Alicia whispered brokenly, using everything she had left in her to tug on him and hug him. "I don¡¯t deserve your tears, Zeres... please... I¡¯m so sorry for hurting you... and not granting you your wish. I want you to live..." Tears streaked down her cheeks even as she attempted to smile encouragingly at Zeres, making his heart break even more.

    Zeres shook his head so wretchedly. His silvery moonlit eyes were shuttered for a few moments when his lids closed as he drew in shuddering breaths, before opening them again with a clearyer of moisture pooling in those orbs.

    "I know... I know it will be very hard." Alicia whispered. "But I¡¯m sorry, because I can¡¯t let you die; you can¡¯t die Zeres. Unlike me, you are needed here... the witches need you. The witches can survive without any queen but not without you. I know you know what I¡¯m talking about. You and I are the only ones who knows about what is waiting in the future. One of us should live to protect our kind from possible annihtion. And that someone is no other than you. You are the only one powerful enough to go against him when the timees. Do you understand? I am so sorry that all I can think about even now is the witches¡¯ welfare. You must understand me Zeres... just as how you are willing to sacrifice yourself to save me, I am the same. I will sacrifice myself to save my people. You once told me I¡¯m the most amazing queen you¡¯ve ever met... I don¡¯t know if I deserved that praise, but I always wanted to be that queen in your eyes. So please..." she moved and kissed his forehead, "live. For me."

 Chapter 682 - Thank you

    <h4>Chapter 682 - Thank you</h4>

    Alicia fell back into Zeres¡¯ protective circle of arms after expanding the effort on moving forward to give him that kiss. That move sapped almost all of the remaining strength that she had in her. Her eyes were beginning to falter, and her vision got blurrier as she continued to c.a.r.e.s.s his face. "Please... promise me you¡¯ll end this war and live." She begged, "Promise me, Zeres. Please." Her voice was begging him.

    "I... c-can¡¯t..." He caught her hand tenderly before it slipped down and pressed it onto his cheeks, savouring the touch of her palms on his skin. His voice was almost inaudible as he kept shaking his head in small motions like a broken machine running on a loop. Though the conversation between Zeres and Alicia could not be heard, those looking on could feel their hearts breaking at the tragic sight of these two people. Just the look on Zeres¡¯ face was enough to drive a person with a heart of stone to shed tears.

    "You can... I know you can. You... you love me, don¡¯t you?" she asked with a tiny smile and Zeres froze. Though his tears continued flowing, what Alicia just said seemed to have shaken him to his very core. Zeres did not answer but only to continue staring at Alicia with a mournful expression and the look of being heartbroken shining from his eyes.

    "Answer me, Zeres ¨C" she coughed, and a small spray of blood spurted out and stained the front of Zeres¡¯ shirt, shocking him that he jerked a little. When he looked at her face again, blood had begun to trickle from the corner of her lips.

    Zeres immediately panicked and the agony that was momentarily forgotten came back crashing into him again. And the feeling was suffocating to the point that he thought he could not breathe. It was as though arge tsunami wave had hit directly on him, and the pressure bore down directly onto his c.h.e.s.t, aiming to crush his heart into minced meat.

    "Answer me..." she repeated her request and Zeres¡¯ tears flowed harder as he pressed his forehead against hers, his tears dripping likerge droplets of rain onto her tired and wan face.

    "Yes..." he choked out, "yes... I love you..." He could only choke out his confession. He did not think he would be revealing his feelings to Alicia in this way. A small, wry, and crooked smile graced his lips for a few seconds.

    A responding smile curved on Alicia¡¯s now pale lips.

    "Thank you," She replied. She was not a fool not to realize this possibility. No one would ever do the things he did just for anyone else, probably not even for someone they call a good friend. At first Alicia thought that it was all because of Zeres¡¯ kindness and selflessness. That he would do the same for whoever the queen at the moment was. But all the pain and sacrifices he had suffered and borne them all silently, just to keep her alive... it was truly too much. This kind of action would only make sense if he were doing it for someone he loved dearly ¨C and would willingly give up his life for. Alicia did not understand how he could end up falling for someone like her who only thought and cared for nothing else but her queendom and her people. As she thought about it further, she felt as though the answer was exactly right at the tip of her tongue. But as she pressed on to figure it out, it fluttered right out of her grasp like the ever-elusive butterfly. Oh well, perhaps she was not fated to know the answer in this lifetime.

    And now here she was selfishly forcing him to live on even if he did not want to, for the sake of the witches. Somehow, it was so ironic that this oh-so-selfless man had fallen so badly for such a selfish queen like her.

    "Don¡¯t worry Zeres, I will always be with you..." she s.u.c.k.e.d in a breath and her gaze nced up towards the sky before her eyelids slowly closed, "I promise..."

    "A... Alicia..." Zeres called out. His voice breaking as he looked down at her. His voice was so gentle as though that even if he increased his volume a little more, it would shatter her.

    When she fell limp in his arms, his world came crashing down.

    "No! W-wake up! No! You can¡¯t..."

    Tears came and he wailed. "No... don¡¯t leave me... don¡¯t do this to me..." he hugged her as tight as he could, not caring that the sword protruding through Alicia¡¯s heart pierced through his as well, as he pulled her flush to his body and hugged her tight.

    A little farther from them, Lilith wept, knowing that Alicia had breathed herst. Kyle squatted down as well and hugged her, his eyes red rimmed and suspiciously watery.

    The night was so quiet as the rain began to fall. It fell quietly as if respecting the sombre mood of the asion, drenching them in its cold shower.

    The vortex was disappearing, and demons had started to move though this time, their connection from their summoner seemed to have broken and they were now moving on their own.

    Zeke was the first to make a move upon realizing what was happening with the demons. His expression remained nk and utterly unfathomable though the darkness surrounding him had intensified. The ck miasmaing from his eyes and the half of his body zed like ck fire and the demons who looked like they were rejoicing that they were now freed from Zeres¡¯ maniption and could now do what they want while they were on the surface, now suddenly felt a paralyzing fear enveloping them. The demons who had already begun to fly out of the city froze in their tracks and looked back as well.

    Even Lilith and the vampires below felt it and all of them were forced to look up towards the source of that oppressive force. All except for Zeres.

    ___

    A\N: The update schedule of this book is twice a week every wednesday and sunday (gmt+8), minimum of 2 chapters per update.

    Do check my other books while waiting. You might want to check out Spellbound. It is a story inspired by the long lost tale arc so you might like it. ^^

    Hellbound Heart will be out tomorrow so please follow my reading list because you will not be able to see it in my profile yet. You can only see it in my reading list.

 Chapter 683 - No need

    <h4>Chapter 683 - No need</h4>

    rmed at what he saw happening, Alex immediately made his way towards Zeke.

    "Zeke!" he called out as he flew past Zeke and stopped right in front of him. He was about to speak again as he faced Zeke but what he saw seemed to change his mind and he shut his lips tight. His face that was tight and drawn earlier had now rxed and he seemed to be breathing easier.

    Alex let out a deep sigh of relief instead. Earlier on, what he saw made him rmed for a moment when he felt Zeke¡¯s darkness and at the sight of the thick miasma around him intensifying.

    The reason why Alex was always confident about Zeke was because Alex always believed that Zeke was just not a man who would lose control. Because he never did. The world could be ending, and everything could go wrong and go out of control but never this man. Alexander has never seen Zeke lose control in the many years they have known each other and through the countless problems they had faced together.

    This was the first time Alex actually thought Zeke might have lost his ever-unwavering self-control and it rmed him terribly. Knowing that it would be such a royal pain and probably more disastrous than anything else if Ezekiel would actually lose control. Alex had not seen it ever happened before but that was exactly the reason why he was rmed. He had absolutely no idea what exactly would happen if Zeke, the epitome of calmness and self-control itself, would ever let his darkness consume him fully. All he knew was that this world would witness an apocalypse if Zeke ever gave in and allowed himself to be fully consumed by the dark side and end up going on a mindless rampage. Because to Alex, Zeke was still the most dangerous creature in this world he had ever known. Not because he could not die and that he was too powerful but because he simply had those eyes that were seeing way too much. That was not to be mistaken that he does not know and is not more than a hundred percent informed on what was happening with the things around him ¨C especially for those matters which are important.

    However, in all the countless years that had passed, Alex had never doubted Zeke. In fact, Alex trusted Ezekiel more than he trusted in himself sometimes. Because he had seen countless times before that no matter what happens, Zeke always stayed in control. Nothing could ever shake him. Nothing could ever make him lose his shit. And most of all, he could control and contain what lived in his soul so perfectly ¨C that unknown and immense source of power that many do not know about. As to how could he even do that, when it was apparent that it was incredibly powerful, Alex did not have any idea. Zeke had been like this ever since that day. That Alex had thought that his heart had disappeared that day, and that was why nothing could ever shake and faze him anymore.

    And thank god, this time too, Zeke remained in control even with such pressing circ.u.mstance. He could see it in his eyes. And even if he was letting his darkness go wilder than ever this time, he was still in the driver¡¯s seat. He was still the one in control even though the other half of him obviously was not him anymore ¨C or at least not his normal self that everyone recognizes.

    "What are we going to do with these demons? There are way too many of them for both of us to deal with before the curious humans arrive." Alex said. He was feeling a little anxious as they knew that they were running out of time. These demons must be dealt with immediately now and should not be allowed to roam about freely.

    Zeke did not bother to respond. He simply scanned the sky as if estimating the numbers of the army of demons still scattered about in the sky. His eyes were sharp and prating as opposed to the way he just stood there, deceptively rxed. As Alex noticed the way Zeke observed and mentally work out his n, he felt more confident even though there was no visible indication of Zeke signalling that he could settle this issue. From what he understood of Zeke¡¯s character and the way he works this could be considered a good indication that he had things well under control. And Alex could feel his anxiousness abate the longer he looked at Zeke¡¯s behaviour.

    "And how about Zeres? What should we do with him now?" Alex asked again, his gaze fell to the ground and his face showed a slight tightening at the sight of Zeres still hunched over and hugging Alicia and weeping uncontrobly. The sight was just too familiar and painful to him Alex had to forced himself to look away. They do not have the luxury of indulging in their emotions right now.

    The reason was due to Alex being worried about Zeres as well. What if he ended up doing the same thing he did back then when he was in that exact same situation? The possibility was extremely high. In fact, Alex was expecting him to go berserk by now that Alicia was dead. It could be happening anytime now.

    With a reluctant and sullen expression, Alex suggested, "How about we erase his memories now before he goes berserk? That would be a merciful thing for him right now."

    Alex knew that in doing this, they were being cruel. But he of all people knew that forgetting was a kinder thing to do sometimes. Zeres was naturally a good person, if he could forget all these things, especially about Alicia and her death, perhaps they could stop another terrible disaster that was about toe. Zeres right now was very much like a ticking time bomb.

    However, Zeke moved past Alex silently. And when his back was facing Alex, Zeke¡¯s deep, calm voice was finally heard. "There¡¯s no need," he said decisively.

 Chapter 684 - How about you?

    <h4>Chapter 684 - How about you?</h4>

    "What do you mean? Do you still have a n?Or are you still nning to kill Zeres?" Alex¡¯s voice suddenly became harder. He knew this was not the right time to talk but he needed to know what this man was nning to do now.

    "I can¡¯t just agree to you killing Zeres off now that Alicia is dead. She had sacrificed herself to save him." Alex¡¯s voice was grave and serious. "If your only solution to this is to kill him, Alicia¡¯s sacrifice would be worthless. I... I don¡¯t want her death to be in vain..."

    Despite Alex¡¯s almost absolute trust in Zeke and his uncanny ability in solvingplex problems, when ites to the matter of the witches, Alex was a little skeptical. He knew Zeke would always head towards the path where the peace in this world would not bepromised. And no matter how gruesome that path was, he would not hesitate so long as the result would keep the world from falling into ruins.

    A long and heavy silence reigned between them. For Alex, the silence was due to him thinking on what more he could say to dissuade Zeke in the event that he wanted to go ahead in getting rid of Zeres. For Zeke, he seemed to be thinking things over in his mind. It was definitely a rare asion for Zeke to appear indecisive. His suspiciously long pause that was so unlike him had made Alex¡¯s crease his brows. Alex did not know if he should be feeling worried or happy for the decision that Zeke would arrive on after his time of reflection.

    "I know," was all Zeke said when he finally responded. "For now, we must deal with these demons first Alex?"

    Alex¡¯s attention was pulled towards the demons before them. Their eyes were all fixed towards Zeke. It was as if they were all waiting for a signal on whether to attack or retreat. Looking at their numbers, Alex could only relent. Zeke was right on this point. It was imperative that they deal with these things first while Zeres was still in that state. Anything and everything else will have to take a backseat for now.

    "I need you to intensify the storm again." Zeke continued after seeing the consent in Alex¡¯s eyes, "The human¡¯s military forces are on the way here. I will be needing you to block them from reaching to this area. There is no need to kill them." He narrated before ncing back at Alex after giving his final instructions on their n and Alex knew Zeke was indirectly reminding him to control his powers so that there would not be any idental killing of the humans.

    "I know. Make this quick Zeke." Alex told him. The urgency was evident in his voice.

    Zeke did not speak but went on to p his elegant wings. The dark miasma was even enveloping his wings at this point.

    And then the two of them moved, heading in the opposite directions.

    Zeke floated in the midst of the army of demons. In the eyes of the bystander, it would be almost impossible even for him to deal with these countless demons in a short time. It would take so long until he could turn them all into dust no matter how strong he might be. Especially since these demons were not just some simple foot soldiers. Each of these demons could be as strong as generals themselves!

    The storm had regained its strength again. Alex¡¯s wind wreaked havoc except in the heart of the storm where everyone was at. Including the demons. It was like time stood still in that particr area.

    The vampires on the ground could only brace themselves, knowing that they do not have the luxury to weep just yet, seeing another epic battle was about tomence any moment now.

    Lilith on the other hand kept her eyes on Zeres and Alicia. She was unable to stop her tears too as she looked at the heartbreaking picture of Zeres still trembling in agony and sobbing endlessly as he held the motionless Alicia tightly in his embrace.

    In the sky, the tension was impregnable. And the suffocating darkness still kept on increasing until the ck miasmaing from the half of Zeke¡¯s body reached out to every demon that were within his range of sight. The faint dark smoke lingered around them as if having a life of their own. And the demons could not help but be rigid.

    Until none of them made a move. Only their wings and their eyeballs were the only things left moving. As if they were waiting for something to happen.

    "All of you... leave this ce!" his cold and emotionless voice thundered. It was a voice that belonged to a heartless king giving out hismand. "You don¡¯t belong here."

    The smoke began to slowly seep into each of the demon¡¯s body.

    "Anyone who resists... will die," Zeke added as an afterthought and the demons could only grit their teeth as the first thought in their mind was banished like the mist.

    Suddenly, the smoke began dragging each one of them back into the slowly decreasing vortex. None of the demons resisted.

    "How about you?" one of the demons, the strongest of all the demons Zeres managed to summon spoke, as the smoke began to envelop him too. "Where do you even belong exactly? You and everyone else knows you don¡¯t belong here on the surface. You are supposed to be reig ¨C"

    Before the demon could even finish his sentence, Zeke¡¯s blood red eyes zed, and he clenched his fist. The thin strand of wispy smoke suddenly expanded before wrapping around and strangling the huge demon. Before anyone could even blink twice, the demon screamed and then burst into dusts.

    ___

    A\N: follow me on instagram @kazzenlx.x

    You can check out my other book ¡¯Spellbound¡¯ while waiting for update.

 Chapter 685 - Gone

    <h4>Chapter 685 - Gone</h4>

    The demons trembled before Ezekiel. The sight of the huge demon suddenly and easily being reduced into a pile of dust rendered everyone speechless ¨C not just the vampires and witches but more so the demons themselves. It could be seen that every single demon was tensed up and at full attention, frightened that this killing god would target them as the next pile of dust. No one dared to open their mouths again. Though nothing seemed to have changed in Ezekiel¡¯s expression, what the dead demon had said earlier on obviously disgusted him ¨C to the point that he deemed it proper to dispose of that demon that way. His merciless action said it all. He would kill anyone who will tell him where he was supposed to belong without any hesitation whoever it was. As to why he seemed to hate it more than anything else... the demons did not have the slightest idea. All they knew was that spouting another word would have them killed in an instant! And no one was fool enough to test it a second time.

    The few who were nning to defy him instantly became docile the moment thergest demon was annihted just by him clenching his fist.

    Even the vampires below once again could not quite believe their eyes. To them, the man singlehandedly controlling the demons to return to the vortex was not their pure-blooded prince anymore. The only trace of his vampiric trait was his right eye that still remained blood red. That was all. That singr characteristic was all that identified him to the vampire race. Nothing else about him apart from that one eye resembled anything remotely vampiric anymore.

    With their mouths hung open, they watched speechlessly as the demons disappeared one after another like obedient puppets. No one even dared to struggle, and Zeke just remained there, still, and silent within their midst like a god of darkness. This went on until every demon were finally gone.

    Zeke then flew over until he was right before the weakening vortex and he lifted both his hands, palms facing forward. The ck miasmaing from Zeke¡¯s body swirled around and half enveloped the entire vortex and then as if the ck miasma squeezed it forcefully, it gradually became smaller and smaller until it eventually became as small as a baseball before finally exploding and emitting a flurry of particles like ck glitters.

    As soon as the portal from the underworld finally disappeared, everyone felt like they could finally breathe once again. Though they knew this was far from over, at least the demons were now gone. Now it was time for them to return their attention to Zeres. And what will happen next... no one could guess.

    Alexandernded on the ground while Zeke remained at the same spot he was in the sky. As to what he was doing, thinking, or nning, not a single one of them had the slightest idea.

    Slowly, Alex headed towards Zeres and Alicia. But when he was a few steps away, he halted and just stared at Zeres still crouching in the same exact position since Alicia fell, hugging her as he buried his face in her hair. His body was still trembling up till now. Alex felt that it was truly a pitiful sight to behold.

    The others also stood next to Alex. Lilith¡¯s tears still falling silently.

    They all stayed like that for what seemed like hours. No one spoke or moved until Zeke finally descended. That cker than the ckest ck left eye of his was no longer there and the miasma that wasing from the half of his body was also gone. His majestic ck wings were gone as well.

    Alex looked at Zeke before he walked over to him. "What are we going to do now?" he whispered, "It does look as if Zeres is not going to do anything anymore... at least with him in this current state right now."

    Zeke¡¯sshes lowered as he stared at them. He was silent for a moment longer before he returned his gaze to Alex. "We need to leave this ce first." Zeke said decisively as they heard sounds of helicopters approaching from far off. The humans wereing.

    Alex looked at Zeres and after heaving a long sigh, he hesitantly approached them.

    "H-how about the dead vampires?" Kyle asked, finding it harder to speak to Zeke now even though his appearance was back to normal and there was no sign of the creature from a few minutes ago in him anymore.

    "Alex had already dealt with them." Zeke¡¯s gaze fell on the rubble not far from where they were. It was the deep hole created when Alex fell during the fight. It seemed that the bodies of the dead were already put in there and they had made the building which was still under construction to copse and bury everything with it. Since there were no humans living in this area for a long time, no one would bother digging into it anymore as this city would soon be abandonedpletely.

    "What about the dead vampires by the bridge?"

    "Alexander had already sent them into the ocean," said Lucas when Zeke did not respond anymore.

    "W-when did they even have the time to do that?" Kyle shook his head slightly as he mumbled to himself in disbelief.

    "It¡¯s Alexander¡¯s wind."

    "Oh... I see..."

    Everyone went quiet again as they closely watched Alex slowly crouch down beside Zeres.

    Hesitantly and carefully, Alex¡¯s handnded on Zeres¡¯s shoulder. He did not know what to say even if he had gone through this simr experience. Alex could clearly see himself in this situation and he knew no number of words could ever make anything better. But he had to somehow tell Zeres that they needed to go now.

    "Zeres..." he said, putting a slight pressure on his shoulder. "We have to go now. We can¡¯t let the humans see us here..."

    Zeres did not budge the slightest. It was as good as being deaf.

    "Zeres..." he called out again, but the feel of his trembling body made Alex drop his head and then look at Zeke, knowing that Zeres could not even hear anything at all. It was not that he did not want to, but he just could not function anymore.

    Zeke faced Lilith and with one gesture, Lilith understood what he wanted her to do. With a shaky sigh, Lilith obeyed, knowing that they do not have much time left and she approached the two witches.

    "Take them as far away from here as you can. Towards the northern mountains." She heard Zeke¡¯s instructions and without wasting a moment longer, Lilith lightlyid her hand on Zeres¡¯ shoulder before the three of them disappeared in an instant.

 Chapter 686 - Why

    In the blink of an eye, the three witches materialized in a thick forest, in the mountainous area, far away from where there were humans. This was not a ce where humans would traverse. In fact, people went out of their way to stay away from this ce and left it well enough alone. Thus, Lilith was confident that they would be safe from detection.

    However, Zeres did not even seem to notice that they were not in the city anymore. He was still huddled over in the same position as earlier, never letting go of Alicia. It mattered not to him where they were. All that mattered was in his arms, but the object of his focus was now unmoving and not breathing any longer.

    Lilith could only stand there, looking at them heartbrokenly as she tried to steel herself. To at least stay strong on the surface. Because she knew that if Alicia could still talk, she would definitely tell her not to cry.

    After a long while, the vampires arrived one after the other.

    Lilith wiped her tears with the back of her hand and looked at them. She did not know what she could do at this point. She did not even know what was going to happen now. All she knew was that there was nothing she could do but only to rely on these vampires and wait patiently.

    The vampires stood a little farther off from the witches as Alexander faced Ezekiel. "Now what¡¯s next?" he asked. Impatience was evident in his voice. "Are we just going to stand around here and wait until Zereses to his senses?"

    Zeke met Alex¡¯s gaze before replying, "Yes. That¡¯s all we can do for now."

    Alex narrowed his eyes and his jaws clenched and unclenched alternately. "Oh, I don¡¯t believe you Zeke. Just spill it out damn it! This would be the perfect time for us to erase his memories before he wakes up from this! But you said there is no need, why? I want an answer now!" Alex¡¯s voice was controlled despite his frustration and anxiety.

    Zeke leaned against the tree and closed his eyes. For a second, it seemed as if he was tired out from all the problems that had arisen. But in the next moment, he slid down and sat on the ground in aposed manner. "Give it a rest for a moment Alex..." he said as he rested his wrists on top of his knees and dropped his head down, the only hint of him showing that he was suddenly weary.

    Everyone, including Alex was surprised at this very rare disy of weakness. Zeke never needed any rest after the battles he had fought, aside from those times when Alex had beaten him into a pulp.

    Zeke did not move after that. He simply stayed still and motionless as if he were sleeping. A few drops of water dripped down from his dishevelled dark hair.

    With a long and helpless sigh, Alex slumped on the ground too, leaning against another tree nearby. He thought that perhaps, the amount of power Zeke used to force the demons back into that portal and then forcefully closing it seemed to take a toll on his vampire body. Realizing this made Alex sigh again. Recalling that the number of demons he had forced back into the underworld was insane. Alex was even more surprised because his power and the things he could do actually surpassed his expectations. The worse was that he was convinced Zeke could even do far worse than this.

    However, having such a tremendous power was no joke. His power was a hundred times more powerful than what his vampire body could supposedly handle. Alex was never worried about him previously because he knew how strong Zeke was. But today, Alex now realized that the reason why Zeke would rather die than let his guard down was because once he did, there would be no turning back and it would be game over for him.

    Alex nced over to Zeke again before he threw his head back and stared up at the sky. For some reason, he felt like he had found the answer to why Alicia decided to sacrifice herself for Zeres. Alex had somehow felt that Zeres¡¯ love for Alicia was one sided and that was why he was so confused when Alicia suddenly rushed in to save him.

    Sighing again, Alex pinched the skin between his brows and stared at his good as dead friend still not letting go of Alicia. And he remembered that back then, Alex had held Abi¡¯s dead body the entire night and never let her go until the next morning.

    The cold mournful dawn came. None of them moved from their spot as the snow slowly fell on them, painting the ground into a pure white scenery.

    And then the morning light came. The sun did not shine on them, but the snow had finally stopped falling.

    Zeke finally lifted his head, and everyone gathered around Zeres and Alicia.

    Lilith was already kneeling before her fellow witches. "Zeres..." she called out, swallowing her tears, "we must let Queen Alicia go now..." her voice broke at the end.

    They knew Zeres somehow heard her because his grip on Alicia tightened. It was as if he never wanted to ever let her go.

    Seeing this, Lilith teared up and gently touched Zeres¡¯ shoulders. "You know we must let her go now, Zeres. We must let her rest now..." she added and this time, Zeres lifted his grief-stricken face, and his eyes were filled with nothing but hostility as if he would kill anyone that would wrest Alicia from his arms.

    Suddenly, Zeke stepped forward and looked down at him.

    "She¡¯s dead Zeres." He said, voice cold and hard with a frosty expression on his face. His eyes were colder than any ancient cier in existence. "She died for you."

    There was a heavy silence and then suddenly, Zeres cried out, facing the sky. "Why!!!" he roared agonizingly, "why are you all doing this to me!!! Tell me!!! WHY??!!!"

    He continued roaring out his anger and frustration, repeating the word ¡¯why¡¯ until his voice was spent and could not shout out anymore. All who were present had to look away, unable to watch Zeres and his heart-rending suffering anymore. Although evading their eyes barely helped.

    When Zeres¡¯ grip on Alicia finally loosened up, Zeke moved and gripped the hilt of the sword that had pierced and joined the two witches. The moment he pulled it off them, Lilith¡¯s eyes widened in shock.

 Chapter 687 - No more

    <h4>Chapter 687 - No more</h4>

    It was not just Lilith who was shocked at what was happening. Everyone who was looking at Zeke¡¯s action was rooted to the spot as well, eyes rounded and mouths agape. The moment the sword was pulled out from Alicia¡¯s body, silvery particles began to appear from her wound as if her blood were turning into silvery dust motes. And they seem to be floating about, twirling around her in the air, as if unsure where they should go.

    Everything seemed to havee to a standstill as they absorbed what was happening before their very eyes. However, Lilith¡¯s reaction seemed somewhat different from the others. She had her eyes wide opened as though she was witnessing something totally unbelievable. From her bodynguage, it seemed as if she was extremely agitated. However, one could not tell if that agitation stemmed from being overly stressed and worried or being excessively excited.

    The silver particles then slowly began to spread out as if to surround itself all around Alicia¡¯s body. And to the onlooker¡¯s surprise, Alicia¡¯s hair which was now dark began to turn silver again, little by little. As they looked on, it was getting more obvious that more and more strands of darkened locks were miraculously turning silvery white. Even Zeres who was deep in his anguish froze as he too, noticed this little bit of aberration urring on the body of the woman in his arms and causing him to put aside his agony for a moment. His eyes were desperately hanging onto the figure of Alicia, wondering what on earth was happening to her.

    Everyone could not help but hold their breaths. Could it be that something bad was happening even to her already lifeless and still form? Or perhaps, a miracle was going to happen? Was she going toe back from the dead?

    Hope shone in their eyes as their gazes trained desperately on Alicia and the silvery particles that were circling about her. Perhaps, something they were not aware about had happened and now she would be returned to them, all hearty and hale. Or perhaps, the gods had heard Zeres¡¯ cries and have sympathized with him?

    None of them made a single sound nor moved a muscle. They simply stood there attentively watching and patiently waiting for what was going to happen next. Hoping against all hopes that she would be given another chance and wake up.

    When Alicia¡¯s appearance was restoredpletely back to normal ¨C that is her previous looks as the witch queen ¨C the silvery lights started to slowly disappear, like the fading lights of the fireflies. The moment Alicia¡¯s body could be seen through the thick silvery lights that were continuously fading off, Zeres scrambled forward to where Alicia was.

    As Zeres cradled her, they could see that Alicia¡¯sshes and her hair were bright as moonlight again. This was the appearance they were all used to. The sight of her shining bright again made them thought how she just seemed to have just been born in this world to gain this appearance. It was as if she was born to be this bright because she just did not seem to be suited for anything dimmer than the brightness that belonged to her right now.

    They waited until thest silvery particle disappearedpletely, expecting that she would open her eyes when it did.

    But as they waited with bated breath, those beautiful eyes were still shut tight and not a flicker of her eyelids could be seen. Alicia¡¯s eyes did not open, and there were no signs of her breathing again as well. Those of them who had their eyes glued to her c.h.e.s.t were disappointed as they did not see the upward and downward movement of her c.h.e.s.t that signifies her breathing again.

    However, they waited for another long moment until Zeres moved and gently shook her a little. "Alicia..." he whispered as if trying to wake her up from a very deep sleep.

    But time passed and there was no response from the beautiful silvery figure at all, until everyone dropped their heads. Could it be that they had thought wrong? Was she not going to wake up again? Then what was the purpose of those silvery lights and why did it return her appearance to how it was before? Was it just so she would die nobly as a queen? Or was it just to grant her that recognition of her being a great witch queen during her lifetime?

    Zeres¡¯ tears began to silently fall again. His teardrops were falling unrestrainedly on her peaceful, angelic face. He did not bother to wipe his tears nor hide the fact that he was crying in front of so many others.

    Zeres could only hug her again, and he continued trembling in agony. Those who saw him could clearly feel that he was unable to ept that she was never going to open her eyes again.

    Everyone could do nothing but stand there, looking at Zeres and Alicia with sympathy and sadness, except Zeke who had his eyes strangely fixed on Lilith.

    No one else except Zeke noticed that the young witch was not crying along with Zeres this time. She was just sitting there, frozen still and her eyes remained wide opened.

    A long whileter, Zeres finally moved. He gently lifted Alicia into his arms and for the first time, he lifted his face and looked at everyone. Though seeing him now would break everyone¡¯s heart as his eyes had now lost all their light. It was like the moon that had lost its sun and its source of light was no more.

    He looked so lifeless, almost like a living dead. They had to wonder what was going on in his mind now because they could no longer decipher anything from his dulled and deadened eyes.

    Zeres eyes flickered over to Alex and lingered on him for a while before turning to settle it on Zeke.

 Chapter 688 - Coincidence?

    <h4>Chapter 688 - Coincidence?</h4>

    He just stared at Zeke for what seemed like minutes. However, Zeke just met his gaze head on with none of them speaking to each other. Until Zeres started to move and silently walked past them with Alicia in his arms. His steps were unsteady as though he had not walked for a long a time.

    They followed him with their gazes and after a few steps, Zeres halted. He lifted his face and looked at them. His mouth opened and closed a few times without anything being said for a while until after a long pause, he finally spoke.

    "I¡¯m..." his wretched voice was so hoarse and barely audible, but he continued anyway. Perhaps because he knew that the vampires could hear and understand what he was going to say no matter how inaudible and broken his voice was, "I¡¯m taking her back... to the ck Forest..." he said and then after a few moments of quiet, he disappeared silently along with Alicia. And just like that, they were both gone from sight, causing differing emotions to be felt within the hearts of those who were looking on.

    The moment Zeres and Alicia was gone, all the vampires fixed their gazes on Zeke, as if waiting for an exnation or amand.

    But Lilith¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the spot where Zeres stood a moment ago. She could hear Alexander talking in the background, but Lilith¡¯s attention was fixed on something else, no, someone else ¨C a spirit. She was looking at Alicia¡¯s soul.

    And Alicia seemed to be staring back at her.

    When Ezekiel pulled the sword from Alicia¡¯s body, Lilith watched Alicia¡¯s soul left her body. But she did not leave even when the strange lights appeared and seemed to be calling out to her. Lilith watched Alicia¡¯s soul seemingly talking to something she could not quite see and then she seemed to have made a choice and after staring at Zeres for a long while and then throwing a nce at Ezekiel, Alicia turned her back from that strange light and approached Zeres.

    Lilith was shocked at what she had seen. She did not know why she was seeing this. And it seemed that she was the only one who could see it as no one else seems to have any other reaction when they nced to the same area she was looking at. But all she coulde up with was that this must be another one of the many powers that the witch queen has in her repertoire of skills.

    However, she could not understand what Alicia¡¯s spirit had done. Who was she talking to in the first ce? Why did she turn her back from the light? Was she choosing to stay? Could she even do that? What would happen to her soul if she chose not to go the afterlife?

    When Zeres made the move to leave, Lilith watched on as she saw Alicia¡¯s spirit following behind him. But when Zeres disappeared with Alicia¡¯s body, somehow her spirit stayed behind. And now she was staring back at her. Did Alicia realized that she could see her?

    Alicia¡¯s soul walked up to Lilith until she stood right before her. She was as beautiful as Lilith remembered her in life, and she was currently smiling gently at Lilith.

    "I know you can see and hear me, Lilith," she said, and Lilith did not know how to react. She was paralyzed. "If you can see and hear me, just act normally for now. I need to speak with you once the vampires are gone." She said and Lilith had already opened her mouth and almost answered Alicia. Thankfully, she was able to stop herself at the veryst moment before giving herself away. She had bitten down on her lips to stop herself from responding.

    "Yes," Zeke had said, "we will all head to the ck Forest."

    The vampires all agreed with nods, and everyone started to move to follow Zeres immediately.

    Alexander was the first one to run off followed by Lucas while Kyle looked at Lilith. "Let¡¯s go, Lilith." He called out.

    "Kyle," Lilith met his gaze and her eyes became a little intene, "um... could you give me some time alone? Just for a little while? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m fine. I will catch up with you guys quickly. I just need a moment..." Lilith did not quite know how to exin to Kyle. She knew she had to stay to talk to Alicia¡¯s spirit, but she could not expose this fact at this moment. At least not right now.

    Kyle stared back at her. He looked as if he did not quite approve of leaving her here all alone, but the look in her eyes told him not to insist to stay on with her. She was her own person, and she was a strong witch in her own rights. He would trust her to know how to take care of herself and not argue with her on this even though he was worried for her, he decided.

    "Alright. I will head out a little, but I¡¯ll be waiting for you not too far ahead. If you do not arrive to where I¡¯m waiting after ten minutes, I¡¯lle back here to get you." He stated hispromise and Lilith nodded with a thankful smile at him. Ten minutes should be enough for her to settle with what Alicia wanted to discuss.

    "Okay," she nodded. And Kyle though very hesitant, finally made the move to leave. Ezekiel followed him as Lilith and Alicia watched them leave.

    However, Ezekiel suddenly halted and looked back. Lilith froze and wondered if he sensed or saw something.

    Alicia¡¯s eyes widened as Ezekiel¡¯s gaze met hers full on before he retracted his gaze and left. But that one moment was just... was it possible that Ezekiel could see her too? That was impossible! Lilith was the only one who was supposed to see her! Or was that a coincidence?

    ___

    A\N: Do check out my other book <Spellbound> if you haven¡¯t yet. Thank you.

    Follow me on instagram for updates @kazzenlx.x

 Chapter 689 - Trade

    <h4>Chapter 689 - Trade</h4>

    Lilith too, realised that the way Ezekiel stopped and turned to look back at them was somewhat off. Focussing on the direction of his eyes, she noticed that he was not looking at her but at where Alicia was standing!

    "Is it possible that he could see you too?" Lilith whispered lightly at the sight of the suspicious look that appeared in Alicia¡¯s eyes, "He had singlehandedly returned all those demons back to the dark vortex. He is just too powerful. Maybe his left kind of demonic eye could actually see you as well?" She was hazarding a guess.??

    Alicia faced Lilith, her expression now thoughtful. "I don¡¯t think so. He must have sensed something but there should be no way he would be able to see me. Because only witch queens are the ones who possess the ability to see me in my spirit form. No one else, not even the demons."

    Hearing the word ¡¯spirit¡¯ came out from Alicia¡¯s lips, Lilith pressed both her lips tight. And she immediately set aside the issue about whether Ezekiel could actually see Alicia.

    "My Queen..." Lilith started, hesitantly. She still could not quite believe what she was seeing and doing right now. She wanted to hug Alicia so badly, but she knew she could not, and she had to clench her fists to stop herself from reaching out. "W-what happened? W-what¡¯s going on? This means..." she swallowed hard, and hope shone in her eyes as she stared fixedly at Alicia, "this means you¡¯re not really dead, right?"

    Alicia was silent for a moment, her head bowed and looking to the ground as though deep in thought. Though her expression was unreadable, Lilith could not help but feel a little anxious. After some heart pumping moments, Alicia lifted her head and looked at Lilith.

    "I really am dead, Lilith," Alicia smiled sadly as she replied to Lilith¡¯s question. Her answer seemed to have broken Lilith¡¯s heart and her face fell and time seemed to have screeched into a halt.

    "B-but... but you are...your spirit is still... you¡¯re here, right?" Lilith stammered, unable to properly process what Alicia had said. She still felt there was something that perhaps Alicia was not telling her or maybe keeping from her. Was she? Lilith felt confused and her heart was in turmoil.

    "Every witch queen has an opportunity to state onest wish before they finally leave this world. This onest wish will be granted as long as it¡¯s not a wish toe back to life again." Alicia exined to Lilith in a gentle tone. "And my greatest wish is to lift the curse that has been guing Zeres ever since."

    "C-curse?" Lilith¡¯s brows lifted high. She had not heard that there was anything of a curse affecting Zeres.

    "Yes. He himself didn¡¯t know this but he was apparently cursed to draw on the powers of the witch queens as long as he was alive. So now that the curse is lifted, you and the future queens toe will no longer die such an unnatural death anymore." Alicia¡¯s tone was contemtive as she told all these to Lilith.

    Shocked, Lilith¡¯s hands flew to her mouth. "Could it be that this was why you chose to sacrifice yourself?!"

    "No. My main reason is to save Zeres. What I did about his curse is only secondary. However, my wish is apparently almost as great as wishing toe back to life again. For it seems, the curse on Zeres was just too great to be lifted even by a queen¡¯sst wish. So, to be able to have this wish granted, I had to sacrifice one thing, a greater sacrifice. Since I have already lost everything and even my life, all I had was my chance to go to the afterlife. I traded my only chance and that¡¯s why I¡¯m here."

    Lilith¡¯s eyes flew wide.

    "Oh my god. But... why? What will happen to you..."

    "I am not going to ever have the chance to go to the afterlife again. And that only means one thing. That my spirit will be stuck here forever... wondering this earth and never being able to go to that perfect resting ce where all souls go."

    What Alicia revealed was so shocking that Lilith could do nothing but just stand there frozen.

    Alicia¡¯s lips curved up to a slight smile. "This is my decision, Lilith. I don¡¯t know what awaits me in the future but perhaps, I¡¯ll just stay invisible and roaming and watching over this world forever. Or perhaps, someday, I¡¯ll disappear. However, no matter what happens, I am not going to regret this decision. I died with so much regret because I have too many things I failed to aplish before taking myst breath. But now I feel so relieved that I will be able to do so many meaningful things by dying. This exchange for my afterlife is worth it. So please don¡¯t feel sad for me."

    "Don¡¯t cry Lilith. I know I¡¯m dead now, but I am still here. Just that I¡¯ll be in spirit form. I¡¯m not going to go anywhere."

    Lilith took deep breaths and forced herself to calm down.

    "Can Zeres see you too?"

    "No, he can¡¯t. Only the queens can do it. And though Zeres is a silver haired witch, he is not a queen like us." Alicia said as she attempted to console Lilith by brushing her hair. However, her hand could not touch Lilith and her fingers passed through Lilith¡¯s hair like mist. "Now listen Lilith, I need you to tell Zeres about me. That my spirit is still here. I am afraid that after my funeral he¡¯ll begin to do something unforgiveable. Or worse, he would start to continue seeking death. The witches cannot afford to lose him now."

    "But would he believe me especially since he cannot see you?"

    "I will think of something to try and convince him. For now, you must tell him. This is the only way to calm him down now. However," Alicia¡¯s expression became serious, "make sure that the vampires do not know about this... especially Ezekiel."

    "Why? Why must this be kept as a secret from them...especially Ezekiel? Aren¡¯t they the ones helping us all this while? And why are you so hellbent on keeping Zeres alive?"

    ___

    A\N: been pretty tired today so i only managed 1 chap. I will update the second chap tomorrow. ¡Á.¡Á

 Chapter 690 - Im here

    <h4>Chapter 690 - ''I''m here''</h4>

    Inside the crystal cave of ck Forest.

    Alicia¡¯s body wasid on a rectangr crystal bed at the foot of the stairs heading to the throne.??

    Silvery particles were meandering and roving around her body like floating silver glitters. They moved in perfect unison and in a pattern that somewhat resemble a dance or perhaps it was more apt to say that those little flecks have a mind of their own. They swirled around, always spiralling about in an orbit of their own and rotating about Alicia in an elegant dance before spreading out and wrapping Alicia¡¯s body until every part of her was covered.

    The crystal cave was silent and despite all the lights and beauty that were carved in every direction, the sorrowful and hollow emotion had filled it entirely. It was as if there was no more life left inside of it.

    Zeres was sitting on the ground, slumped to one side, and leaning his back against the crystal bed where Alicia¡¯s body was beingid upon. His one arm was resting on his bent knee as his head was buried in the crook of his folded arm. And he just sat there. Unmoving. Alone.

    This was the scenario that weed Lilith the moment she entered the crystal cave. Slowly, she approached that lump of flesh that was Zeres, and when she halted just a couple of steps away from him, her eyes fell on Alicia¡¯s body. She noticed that despite everything, her body was considered to be in somewhat pristine condition even with the small wounds on her. The silvery particles that had fully wrapped her entire body began to swirl away again and when they finally lifted off from her body, she was leftpletely n.a.k.e.d. All the little wounds that were on her had vanished. Even the blood and dirt were all gone. Lilith continued watching as Alicia once again was enveloped by the tiny lights. The next moment, Lilith saw that the queen¡¯s body was dressed in a pure white garment.

    After that, the tiny lights settled down, lingering around her body closely as though they were guarding her. This was how the witch queens will be put to rest. Her body will stay here for days until the body finally turns into a crystal statue. They would then transfer the queen¡¯s statue to the inner Queens¡¯ chambers where all the previous queens rest in their eternal physical slumber.

    Lilith wondered if Alicia¡¯s body was really going to be statue after a few days even though her soul was still here. She nced back at Alicia¡¯s spirit, and she nodded at her.

    Knowing that it was now time for her to speak to Zeres, Lilith took a deep breath and squatted before him.

    "Zeres..." she called out softly, but Zeres acted as though he did not hear her. Lilith sighed at his stubbornness. Though she understood why he was that way and sympathised with him, the matter she came to speak about was also important and she needed him to be alert and focussed on what she will be saying. Thus, she cleared her throat and called his name a little louder this time. "Zeres! Queen Alicia has something to say to you. She hade to me and requested me to pass this message to you." Lilith said and the man finally moved. He lifted his face and looked at her.

    Lilith suddenly felt intimidated. His eyes were threatening and cold. However, this should not surprise her anymore after all the things this man had gone through. She wondered if the old Zeres who was soft, gentle, caring, and warm would ever return to them.

    He did not speak but only nted his heavy gaze on Lilith seriously and silent, waiting for her to speak. Lilith knew in one nce that she must speak now or else he might end up forcing her out of the cave.

    "Listen... Queen Alicia¡¯s soul is still here." she started, and his cold eyes twitched. If she had not been looking intently at his face, she might have missed it as well. "I am telling the truth! She¡¯s still here and I am the only who can see her now. She came to me and had asked me to inform you that she¡¯s still here."

    Lilith looked at Alicia who was now standing next to her. "She¡¯s right ¨C"

    "Enough!!" Zeres¡¯ hard voice echoed inside the cave and Lilith could not help but flinch at the explosiveness of it. Though she was more powerful now, her body would still instinctively react in the face of danger.

    However, she cannot afford to waver now. Alicia had specificallye to look for her to ask for this favour. Because she was the only one here who could help Alicia. When Lilith looked at Alicia again, Alicia had approached the huge crystal pir nearby and to Lilith¡¯s surprise, Alicia¡¯s reflection appeared on its surface.

    Lilith immediately faced Zeres and spoke. "I know it¡¯s hard to believe what I¡¯m saying but I am telling the truth. Please look there," she pointed at the pir, "she¡¯s standing by the pir, you can see her reflection!"

    With rage in his eyes, Zeres gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tight as if he wanted to destroy something. However, he did not know why but he still followed Lilith¡¯s line of sight. And as his sightnded onto the pir that Lilith was pointing to, what he saw seemed to freeze his soul and shock his mind.

    A deep silence enveloped the entire cave.

    He stopped right before it, and Alicia gave him a slight smile. Her lips opened and said the words ¡¯I¡¯m here.¡¯

    Though Zeres could not perceive her voice nor hear any sounds, he could read her lips and his knees weakened and trembled. He nearly fell to his knees, but he quickly grabbed onto the pir. He dropped his head as his breathing hastened. Then he lifted his head and looked at her again. Still in partial disbelief as his mouth was slightly agape.

    "Why..." he finally spoke. "What¡¯s going on?" he nced at Lilith who was now just right behind him.

    ___

    Follow me on instagram @kazzenlx.x

 Chapter 691 You win

    <h4>Chapter 691 ¡°You win¡°</h4>

    After Lilith exined everything, Zeres dropped his head and his hands against the pirs. After some moments frozen that way, his hands clenched into tight fists. His jaws worked before his voice came out with so much struggle. Lilith saw his mouth opening and closing a few times, but nothing seemed to be able to be said yet by Zeres.

    He bit his trembling lip so hard his lower lips started to bleed. He could not believe that she did not go ahead and died in peace, going into the afterlife. She was even willing to sacrifice her one and only chance to rest in peace. This was just too much for Zeres to take in. It was just too much. When will the world be satisfied? What more does it want from him?

    As Zeres trembled and fell into utter silence, Alicia averted her gaze from his pitiful form and looked over at Lilith. She could see how much the truth had broken him all over again. Just looking at him made her worry increase by leaps and bounds. It was obvious that he could not ept what she did.

    "Lilith, I need you tell him about this spell. With it, he would be able to see and hear me," she quickly instructed, and Lilith blinked at it.

    "What?! There is such a spell like that?" Lilith sat up at attention.

    "There is, apparently. The knowledge just came to me right now. It seems there are hidden information that can only be essed by the dead and now it keepsing to me in batches ever since my spirit left my body." She exined. Alicia was confused as well and did not know why this was happening either. Why would this new informatione to her only when she was dead? And where are all these informationing from? Could this be the ability of spirits? To know everything the living dont?

    Alicia tried to refocus as there was too much going on with her since her spirit had left her body. She must focus on Zeres right now. That is the most important thing right now.

    After she uttered the spell into Lilith¡¯s ears, the young girl faced Zeres again. She was thankful that Zeres just quietly listened and did not anything toplicate things even morw. Once she was done, without wasting a moment, he uttered the spell even faster and quicker than Lilith had done, and Alicia¡¯s spirit seemed to waver before finally solidifying and appeared before his eyes.

    He was frozen for a long while, eyes wide as if in shock. He was just staring at her until Alicia spoke.

    "You can hear me now as well, right? Zeres?" Alicia¡¯s voice floated out softly. Then out of the blue, Zeres moved forward, his arms slightly curved as though to envelope her in a bear hug. However, his body passed through her visible form, and he stumbled behind her. Zeres gritted his teeth and clenched his fists tight before abruptly turning around to face Alicia.

    Alicia appeared before him again and tried her best to console him. "I¡¯m sorry..." she said and Zeres just brokenly stood there, staring at her forlornly. "I am so sorry for always being so selfish. For making you go through all this. And I am so sorry again because I am not regretting what I did, and I never will." She lifted her hands and ran her fingers across his face, though she knew very well that he would not be able to feel her touches at all.

    "I need you... we need you... and that¡¯s why I did everything I could to keep you alive. I¡¯ve told you before, right? I will do everything for the witches, my queendom." She added and Zeres stumbled backwards. Despite everything, and the numbness inside him, he could not help but smile bitterly that this woman even in her spirit form would never change. She was still all about the witches, her queendom. She saved him because of the witches too. And even gave up her chance to go to the afterlife just so she could save the future witch queens and to watch over them as well. Somehow, it was so funny that the woman he was trying so hard to save and would even give his life and soul to save was also the same woman so hellbent in sacrificing herself for her subjects. She is still such a stubborn woman even in death. But perhaps, that was why he loves her so.

    This woman was just incredibly indescribable. He did not know how and when but perhaps, he had fallen in love with just the way she was. The way she cares so much about her people. The way she selfishly does everything for them. Her willingness to sacrifice for them. He wondered why she was doing this when many witches would not even serve and love her as much as she loved them. But then, he smirked inwardly, remembering that he still could not stop loving her despite knowing she does not feel the same way for him. And he could only ept that this was the way it was.

    "That¡¯s why, Zeres..." she spoke again as she took another step closer towards Zeres, "I need you to ¨C"

    "Alright, Queen Alicia," he suddenly cut her off and his broken expression changed a little. "You win," he added wretchedly, "I will listen to everything that you have to say. I will also do everything that you want me to do but on one condition," he stared intently into her eyes, "if I ever find a way to bring you back..." he paused and gave her a slightly hopeful and forced smile, "please, just let me."

    The moment he said those words, he turned his back from her, not letting her speak and broke the spell. So, he could no longer see and hear her anymore. He then stared at Alicia¡¯s body before he left and headed towards the exit, leaving Lilith and Alicia¡¯s spirit inside the cave.

    "W-where is he going?" Lilith asked.

    "Don¡¯t worry. I think everything will be alright now. I¡¯ll follow him." Alicia said and also disappeared.

    In the heart of the ck Forest, the vampires were quietly waiting while the other witches were surrounding them. Though the witches were hiding behind the trees as if they were the intruders and not the vampires.

    "How long are we going to wait here for?" Alex asked, his brows creasing into deep lines, when suddenly, Zeres materialized before them.

    ___

    A/N: Thank you for waiting.

 Chapter 692 I know

    <h4>Chapter 692 I know</h4>

    Just after asking his question, Zeres suddenly appeared before all of them. Alex was surprised, seeing that Zeres had actually came out and was now looking a little less broken than how he was when he disappeared with Alicia¡¯s dead body earlier on. Though he still looked wretched, somehow, there were little signs of him showing some life within those deep eyes again. What had happened? Something major must have transpired for this kind of change to ur in him. And Alex hoped that it was a really good something.

    The thought that this man had just found out something he needed to fulfil came to Alex¡¯s mind. He was all too familiar with the kind of pain Zeres was going through right now and Alex remembered the past again. He remembered that after he had buried Abigail¡¯s body, he too, went to fulfil herst wish and that was to kill Lexus. If not for his pain of losing her driving him on that time, Alex thought it might not be possible for a mortal like him to kill the dragon back then. His pain had driven him to do the extreme and he only continued living and fighting because of that one purpose.

    Looking at Zeres now, Alex suspected that the same thing must be happening to him now. He seemed to have snapped out of his despair much quicker than he had ever expected.

    "Zeres..." Alex approached him but before he could speak any further, Zeres¡¯ hoarse voice echoed.

    "I need all of you to leave the forest now." He said, rendering the vampires gathered there speechless. "Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not going to do anything anymore." The weariness in his voice was apparent and though his eyes were still cold and a little lifeless, Alex could tell that he was not telling a lie and that he meant what he said.

    "You¡¯re saying that... you¡¯re not going to try and die anymore?" Alex spelled it out clearly to double check, just to make sure if what he heard was right.

    Zeres¡¯ stared back at Alex for a long time before nodding without any hint of hesitation in his eyes. "Yes. You heard me right." He confirmed and everyone fell silent again.

    Now this was unexpected! What a twist. Alex thought. Because he knew that Zeres had truly made his decision. No matter how unbelievable it was, he just knew that this man would never lie about something like this just to send them away.

    "Mind telling us why you finally decided to stop now?" Ezekiel¡¯s deep voice echoed suddenly, and everyone¡¯s eyes flew towards him. He met Zeres¡¯ gaze and continued. "Is it because of Alicia?"

    Another long silence reigned between them as Zeres and Zeke stared into each other¡¯s eyes. No one could tell what silentmunication was made between the two as their silence stretched for a while longer.

    "Yes, you¡¯re right." Zeres admitted after taking a deep breath, "it¡¯s all because of her. I will live..." his voice cracked a little before he cleared his throat and continued his exnation, "I¡¯ll continue living in this damned god forsaken world... just for her. Just for her..." He whispered thest statement, seemingly like a promise made to himself.

    The bystanders could not help but feel sad for him. They realized it was not because he finally came to terms with himself and gave up his desire to die but because he was actually forcing himself and the saddest thing was that he sounded like it was because he did not have any other choice. He was doing this for someone else and not for himself.

    And for some reason, everyone felt as though he was saying all those just for Zeke to know.

    "I see..." was all Ezekiel replied in his usual calm voice and unreadable expression.

    Alex finally let out a deep sigh and he patted Zeres¡¯ shoulder. He could not tell him he did the right thing when he knew he was forcing himself. Moreover, Alex knew there was no amount offorting words that could relief him right now.

    But he needed to know the matters about Alicia and her funeral. Aside from the fact that the witch queen had been such a great ally to them and even helped him and Abi in many ways before, Alex was worried about how to bring this news to his pregnant wife. How would Abi react to this news of her friend¡¯s passing? He was certain it would devastate her. He could only hope it would not adversely affect her and the baby she as carrying.

    "How about... the queen¡¯s funeral?" Alex finally asked, "Once my wife hears about this, I am certain she¡¯d be devastated. I must at least bring her to see Alicia for thest time. Alicia¡¯s been my wife¡¯s good friend so the witches can¡¯t possibly not let here pay her final respects."

    When Zeres took another long period of time to form any response, Alex spoke again.

    "If you¡¯re thinking about not giving Alicia any proper funeral or banning all non-witches from seeing her, forgive me but I¡¯m going to insist, and I won¡¯t agree with you no matter what reasons you will be giving. I will still be bringing my wife here to see her." Alex said. He knew he might be being too forceful, but he just believed that whatever the reason, depriving Alicia¡¯s friends and even them the chance to see her for thest time is definitely something too inconsiderate.

    Zeres stared at Alex mutely. But a momentter, Zeres sighed, as though he suddenly felt an intense wave of fatigue crash over him. He wearily nodded at Alex.

    "I know, I know..." he finally said. "But we will arrange everything first. For now, I need all of you to leave the forest first. Just please wait for my message before you barge in here. And this applies especially for you, Alexander."

    Alex¡¯s expression finally became better and did not take offence to Zeres¡¯ pointed warning at the end. "Alright, we¡¯ll all leave for now..." Alex then said, "My wife will be in Reigns castle by tomorrow. So don¡¯t make us wait long."

 Chapter 693 Helpless PLEASE REFRESH I UPLPOADED WRONG CHAP

    <h4>Chapter 693 Helpless PLEASE REFRESH I UPLPOADED WRONG CHAP</h4>

    As soon as the vampires left, Zeres seemed to have lost all the strength that he had shown earlier and just slumped onto the ground. He weakly leaned against the tree trunk as if he was now beyond exhausted. As if the weight of the world had finally brought him to his knees. God knows how much he had held back his emotions that were still not quite stable just to be able to appear before all those people and talk to them as normally as he could. It almost caused him to break down all over again.

    "I can¡¯t believe you are doing this, Alicia!" he groaned in a weak voice as he tugged his hair with his one hand.

    A while ago when Alex was questioning Zeres about Alicia¡¯s funeral, Alicia¡¯s voice suddenly echoed in Zeres¡¯ ear. If only he knew how much Zeres had struggled not to show the shock that zapped through his body to escape into his expression. He never thought he would suddenly hear Alicia¡¯s voice at that moment! Did she not say that once the spell was broken, he would not be able to see nor hear her? What had happened? Was that a discrepancy? Only a one-time urrence?

    Truthfully, Zeres did not want to conduct a funeral for Alicia. Even if Alicia¡¯s body was dead, her spirit was still here. No matter what anyone else says, Alicia was yet not dead to him. How could he conduct a memorial remembering someone who have died, when she was clearly alive to him? His heart, his mind, his everything... all of him still could feel her spirit close to him. Thus, Alicia was still very much alive to him. So, how could he possibly agree for her funeral to be carried out when she was very much still here? He could never... and would never... because he was going to find a way to bring her spirit back to her body. No, he will find whatever way necessary. She would not die... she would not disappear. He would search the world to make it happen. No matter how long it will take. He would not let her truly die. Not again. He could not let thisst chance to get her back to him slip through his hands... no matter what. Zeres swore to himself that he would achieve this at the cost of his own life!

    But Alicia came to him all of the sudden and told him that she must agree with Alexander¡¯s demand and that there must a funeral to be held. She told him it was the right thing to do, not only because of her friends andrades but most of all, because of the other witches. It was a way to give closure for everyone who had known her in life. The funeral must also happen so the coronation of the next queen would finallymence. She had also reasoned out that everyone might suspect something else was amiss, not just the witches but the vampires as well if a funeral was not carried out.

    Zeres wanted to argue. He had wanted to tell her she was not dead yet. But he was helpless when she uttered the word ¡¯please¡¯ and told him it was her wish. She told him she was physically dead and thus her death must be honored formally as per the witches¡¯ tradition. And Zeres could do nothing but relent to the request of the person he still loves more than his life itself. Hating the fact that he was still this helpless against her even though he can no longer touch her. Zeres balled up his fists in frustration and helplessness before sighing in defeat. He knew there was no way he would win against this woman.

    "How the hell did you that?" he gritted his teeth as he dropped his head and stared at the ground. "You¡¯re supposed to be seen and heard only if and when I utter the spell." He added, frustration was evident in his voice but he doesn¡¯t sound angry at her at all.

    "I don¡¯t know but perhaps, you can actually hear me if I speak when my body ovep through yours. Or this must be one of your special abilities for being a silver-haired witch." Alicia replied and Zeres could only fall speechless.

    This was not good for him if Alicia could actually speak to him like that however and whenever she wanted. She would definitely interfere with his ns now.

    "Thank you for agreeing and going along with my wish, Zeres." He heard her voice and the genuine gratitude he can detect in them made him feel even weaker. He could only face palm internally and realised that he had zero tolerance to this woman.

    Zeres was not physically worn out. He was notcking from any power and magic despite everything that had happened in the past whole month. But he was emotionally shattered, like a nt that had received too much water but was not exposed to even a single ray of sunlight for an entire month now.

    He buried his face into his hands. He just wanted to pass out now. Even for a single blessed moment. He needed it to forget about everything.

    "I hope... you won¡¯t do that again, Alicia." He said weakly as he leaned his head back against the tree and closed his eyes. "Unless you changed your mind, and you want your existence to be revealed to everyone else."

    "That was because I knew you were going to refuse Alexander¡¯s request. I had no choice but to pipe in. It was truly a miracle that you can actually hear me. I tried a lot of things to get your attention before that time, even talking to you while having one part of my body go right through you but that didn¡¯t work as well." Alicia protested and gave her immediate exnation.

    Zeres opened his eyes. "Does this mean, you are sitting exactly where I am right now?"

 Chapter 694 His forte

    <h4>Chapter 694 His forte</h4>

    "Does this mean, you are sitting exactly where I am right now?" Zeres asked.

    "Yes. It seems my body has to be ovepped through yours so you would be able to hear me even without chanting the spell." She replied and an ironic weakugh escaped Zeres¡¯ lips before he shook his head slightly.

    "Why? You don¡¯t like it?" Alicia asked. He could imagine her raising her elegant brow.

    "I¡¯d rather utter the spell than having you do that, Alicia." He said and then he suddenly uttered the spell. "Now, get off me." Zeres said dryly and sighed heavily.

    Alicia rose and looked down at him. She was about to say something, but after looking at him, she seemed to change her mind and she closed her mouth instead.

    "You should rest now." She told him after a moment and Zeres closed his eyes again, not to sleep but so he could stop staring at her. He wanted to keep seeing her but seeing her like that cause him pain. Somehow, he found it easier to cut off all visuals for now. At least until he feel a little stronger emotionally.

    "How about you?" he asked weakly without opening his eyes.

    "I¡¯ll speak with Lilith. I have lots of things to teach her after this. It¡¯s kind of nice, since I felt like I have all the time in the world right now. I don¡¯t even need any rest and other mundane things like eating or sleeping anymore." Alicia gave a littleugh that sounded like multiple bells tinkling merrily.

    Though Zeres thought the sound was extremely beautiful to his ears, his facial muscles worked a little. He did not like the way she sounded as though she was truly d that she was a spirit now. As if she was truly alright now and had epted what she was now. As if her, being a spirit now was a good thing.

    He did not know what to say... and his chest hurts so bad. So, he could only keep his eyes and mouth shut close. Knowing that he would not know what to do either and would still feel the same if she was crying now or regretting everything.

    After a short while, Zeres suddenly broke the spell before he opened his eyes. He rose and was about to leave when he halted.

    "Don¡¯t follow me... I¡¯m going to take a breather and wash up." He said tiredly before disappearing from the area and materialized at the Moon Lake in the northern part of the ck Forest. It was his favourite hangout spot. And it was the ce he where he usually bathed since he came here.

    He called his attendant named Lior, the young male witch Alicia had assigned to serve him since she first brought him to the forest. "Go get me a change of clothes..." he ordered. Lior nodded obediently then disappeared as Zeres began to strip off his filthy clothes and dropping them to the ground.

    He was still covered with blood and dirt. But to his surprise, his wounds were all gone. He had initially thought he just gotten numb when he did not feel any more pain caused by hisrge wounds because that had been the case when he was fighting. But it seems he was wrong. He hadpletely healed. There was not even a hint of a scar left on his perfect skin now.

    Dipping himself slowly in the clear water, Zeres stayed underwater for a long time. His heart was aching again, knowing that the reason he healed was because of Alicia¡¯s sacrifice. Why did that annoying woman had to give so much of herself without allowing him to give back some to her? Why did she had to be so strong and capable? However, he knew that was part of the reason why he fell in love with her.

    When he emerged from the water, he stared up the sky and wondered if his invisible wounds would ever heal one day. What price must he pay to stop all this pain?

    Zeres thought that the only way to make him feel better again was when he could finally bring her back to life. So, until then, all he could do now was to endure. This was his forte after all. To live in pain.

    ...

    Meanwhile, the vampires had finally reached the Reigns castle. The group slowed down the moment they reached the forest right at the back of the castle when Lucas spoke.

    "Is this really alright?" he asked as they walked under the trees. "I mean... is Zeres really not going to cause any trouble anymore? After what I¡¯ve seen... and all the things he could do... I honestly found it too good to be true that he had truly given up now. It seems a little suspicious..."

    "Do not worry, I can assure you Zeres won¡¯t be doing anything for now." Alex was the one who responded before his gaze shifted to Zeke. "Right, Zeke?"

    Zeke simply nodded and that was all it took for Lucas to close that topic. However, just as the men was about to leap to enter the castle from the back walls, Kyle¡¯s voice echoed out softly but still crystal clear.

    "Brother," he said, his voice filled with hesitation.

    Everyone halted and looked at Kyle who was behind them all, except Zeke. The man did not turn to look at his youngest brother, but Kyle was more than determined. He looked as though he was not going to dy or swallow whatever it was that he wanted to say anymore, no matter how scary it was.

    He stared fixedly at his brother¡¯s back with an intense look in his eyes. He took in a fortifying breath before opening his mouth.

    "Who..." he paused for a while, and then he took the plunge. With his voice filling with courage, he asked, "what are you exactly?"

    ____

    A/N: follow me on instgram @kazzenlx.x

    Check out my other book ¡¯Spellbound¡¯ while waiting for updates here. It¡¯s a story inspired by the long lost tale arc so i¡¯m sure you guys might like it as well. Thank you. <3

 Chapter 695 One day

    <h4>Chapter 695 One day</h4>

    "What are you exactly?" Kyle¡¯s loaded question was followed by utter silence.

    Lucas had his eyes wide opened in shock as he looked at the young prince behind him. He never had expected Kyle to actuallye out and ask. He had underestimated the bravery of this young man. Well, how could he forget? Kyle had been so fearless that he even dared to defy Ezekiel not once but a few times now. And now, here he was actually questioning his brother on this sensitive question! And right in front of everyone else, no less!

    The vampire could not help but feel worried for Kyle. Tensed, he sneaked a peek at Zeke and saw that the man remained immobile. He silently hoped that Ezekiel would just walk off and leave now and would be in favour of ignoring the question.

    "Please, say something..." Kyle prompted again, not caring about the tenseness that was so thick in the air, causing Lucas¡¯ anxiety to rise to its peak. He whipped around and pleaded the young prince with his begging eyes to just drop the matter. But Kyle had to be the epitome of stubborn right now. Lucas could feel his heart sinking when he saw the burning determination in Kyle¡¯s eyes telling him that the young prince would press for an answer no matter what.

    Lucas looked at Alexander. Knowing that Alexander was most probably the only one who could stand in between these two royal vampires in the event if things were blown out of proportion.

    However, to the ginger-head¡¯s dismay, Alexander was already leisurely leaning against a tree, as if waiting for an interesting y to start, wearing the ¡¯devil may care, but I do not¡¯ look on his handsome face. Damn it all to hell, Alexander! Lucas pressed his fingers to his temple.

    Left without a choice, Lucas was about to move towards Kyle when Ezekiel finally moved.

    He turned his head slightly and spoke. "What am I?" his voice came out as calm and unruffled as usual, but the air suddenly turned incredibly suffocating. "I am a vampire. Nothing else." He added and it did not escape everyone¡¯s notice the unusual and rare emotion in his voice for a moment as he said those lines. Vicious hatred and utter disgust. Nothing but pure dark emotions.

    Then he was gone, leaving Kyle standing there unsatisfied. It was as good as not having his question answered at all and only ended up with him clenching his fists tight.

    Seeing his dejected expression, Lucas patted his backfortingly. He had somewhat anticipated the oue. They were talking about his prince and master Ezekiel here, so what more could the young prince expect out of him?

    "Why is he lying and pretending everything is alright?" Kyle murmured as his jaws clenched. "All of us have already seen it. Yet here he is, insisting that he¡¯s a vampire and nothing else... can¡¯t he even try to make me understand? Or is it because I am not worthy to know anything at all?"

    "Please don¡¯t say that, Prince Kyle. Even I know nothing. I think even the king knows nothing about this too. I think it¡¯s just Alexander who has any inkling on what is going on, right?" Lucas looked at Alex.

    With a deep sigh, Alex pushed himself away from the tree trunk and walked over to them.

    He stared at Kyle and then his handnded heavily on the boy¡¯s head ¨C not unkindly though. "Listen, little vampire." He started with a serious look on his face. "I know you are curious to know more about your elder brother¡¯s secrets, but I¡¯d like the both of you to keep quiet about this for now. Don¡¯t worry, one day, I know you¡¯ll eventually learn the truth... though I¡¯m certain you¡¯ll learn all of it not from Zeke himself. I¡¯m sure you already know, but I¡¯m just going to say it again. That guy is impossible to crack so don¡¯t bother trying." Alex exined as he shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Also, you don¡¯t need to worry about his dangerous abilities, he won¡¯t cause any trouble again any time soon."

    "A-any time soon? You¡¯re saying he¡¯ll cause trouble one day...ter on?" Kyle¡¯s eyes widened and Alex tilted his head slightly.

    "Well, with that kind of power, it¡¯s almost impossible that he would be able to avoid huge problems from literally falling into hisp." Alexander said a little apologetically as he scratched at his nose. "However, it had been so long... hundreds of years to be exact and nothing had happened so far. Like I said, Zeke¡¯s the toughest nut to crack in this universe that even his own tremendous power could never control him... he controls everything so well. Still, we don¡¯t know if one day something or someone might manage to do the impossible and crack this invincible rock that is Zeke. But I don¡¯t think it will happen any time soon. I guess if that happens, it¡¯s still in the far future... so for now, we can all just rx."

    Alex calmly shed a small but confident smile which made Kyle and Lucas knew that though Alexander was always that reckless god of trouble before, they knew that his words were still absolute when he was serious. They also knew Alexander was an even more ancient creature than Ezekiel, so it was only a given that this man knew best about Ezekiel and more than anyone else did.

    "Alright... now forget about this matter for now. And I should warn you, Kyle... not to ask that question again. Let¡¯s just say Zeke hated it more than anything else in this world so try not to ask anything about what he is. Got it? Now I shall take my leave."

    "You¡¯re noting to the castle first?" Lucas immediately asked just as Alex was about to run off.

    "Inform Zeke I¡¯ve gone home. I can¡¯t let my beloved wife wait for me any longer than this. I worry she might be missing me so damn much right now." He smirked naughtily and then he too, was gone.

    Lucas sighed. "It¡¯s obvious it was you who are missing her to death right now, though..." he mumbled dryly before he turned to Kyle and the duo finally headed back into the castle.

    ___

    A/N: I will update again tomorrow.

 Chapter 696 Dose of you

    <h4>Chapter 696 Dose of you</h4>

    It was nearly midnight when Alex arrived in front of Abi¡¯s parents¡¯ house. He picked up his fists and was about to knock on the door, but he halted and pulled his phone out instead.

    He tapped some numbers on the phone¡¯s keypad but before he could tap on the call button to call Abi, his finger halted again and hovered over the phone keypad. Alex tilted his head and as though an interesting idea popped into his head, he smiled happily before slipping his phone back into his pants pocket.

    Stepping back, Alex silently walked towards the side of the house and looked up at Abi¡¯s window. Her light was off. It seems his wife was still fast asleep. A mischievous grin spread across his handsome face again. Looking up at the dark windows, his eyes twinkled, and his heart thumped with excitement before making a strong leap that propelled him up from the ground.

    Silently, hended on the veranda, before moving close to Abi¡¯s closed window. As he crept close to the darkened window, he stered his face to it and peeked through in search for his sleeping beauty. When he saw her sleeping on the bed, his smile widened.

    Alex¡¯s first instinct was that he wanted to break in immediately so he could finally snuggle in bed with her and hold her close to him. He had missed her so badly after leaving her to deal with the issue with Zeres. This was the first time in a very long time since they were separated for such a duration since they had reunited after their separation. Thankfully, Alex had not had the moment to miss Abi much too badly in the past days due to the intense happenings with Zeres. It would have been a torture otherwise! He would not be able to have withstood the challenge too.

    While Alex was still figuring out what he should do next, whether to silently break in or wake her up and surprise her, he was suddenly reminded that he once did this very same thing before.

    The memories of that night when he realized on how much he loves her came shing back... his confession and Abi¡¯s tears... he realized what a night it was. He also remembered everything that had happened before that and he could not help but smile, realizing that the both of them had been through so much. Then his smile slowly faded as he looked up at the sky the moment that he remembered the day he met Abi in that garage.

    He could not help but bite down on his lip hard, remembering how he had actually sent Abi away and rejected her not once but a few times even. He still felt bad about it when thinking on it even now. And yet, Abi persistently came at him even when he had thought she was just a na?ve littlemb back then. And such a cute littlemb she had been. The vision that shed through his memories still could put a grin on his face until now. Recalling all that, his smile slowly faded. What would have happened if Abi was not her persistent self and had not pursued him after he rejected her that night?

    Alex scoffed at himself and shook his head as he told himself there was no use in thinking about those what ifs now. The most important thing was that she is back in his arms again and would forever be with him now. Forever... that word brought suchfort to his once frozen as ice heart.

    "Alex?" the sweetest voice in the universe echoed and drifted into his ears. Alex smiled widely again as he turned his gaze inside the window.

    There she was standing beside the bed, his beloved wife. His angel... his life. He had made sure that he did not make a single sound to disturb her sleep! Did she somehow sense out his presence?

    Upon opening the window, Alex swiftly and hastily entered before closing the windows shut. He did not want the chilly night air to cause her to catch a cold. Once that was done, he immediately rushed over, and hugged Abi close to him.

    "You¡¯re back!" she whispered as she hugged him back tightly. When he looked down at her, Abi raised her head and he saw her eyes sparkling brightly at him.

    "Mm. I¡¯m back wife. I miss you!" he kissed her hungrily and Abi kissed him back with the same amount of fervour that he had.

    "I¡¯ve missed you too, Alex..." she replied as she caught his face in her hands after their kiss. "Are you alright? Tell me... is everything alright?" Her eyes were scanning his face, trying to find if there was anything wrong with him.

    Alex wrapped his arms around her hips and lifted her into the air easily.

    "Can we talk about thatter, my dear wife?" he whispered as he buried his face into her abdomen and his eyes glimmered as he looked up and stared at her, "I¡¯m starving..."

    Abi blinked. "Alright... I¡¯ll go prepare something for you to eat -" she said as she wriggled, trying to get down from his arms.

    "Abi..." he cut her off and he licked his lower lip slowly. "It¡¯s not my stomach that¡¯s hungry." Abi jerked as she looked into his eyes, before realising what he actually meant when he said he was starving.

    Speechless, Abi pinched both his cheeks. Alex grabbed at her wrists and stuffed her pointer finger inside his mouth. He suckled on them in such an erotic way as his eyes smouldered through the dark strands of his fringe that hung down his forehead and slightly covered his eyes.

    "I need my dose of you now, Abigail... I¡¯m dying with hunger here, love..." He whispered and Abi could only give in, knowing that it was impossible for her to resist this man. She would not... no, she could not even think of resisting as she had missed him too. Too much in fact, that she was actually dreaming of him just before waking up just earlier.

 Chapter 697 Wholeheartedly

    <h4>Chapter 697 Wholeheartedly</h4>

    Feeling his length of hardness already rubbing against her, Abi grabbed his head and kissed him hard. Then she pulled away and asked him to put her down.

    Alex did as she had asked, and Abi reached out for his cor and began undoing the buttons. "Did youe straight here upon leaving country V?" she asked as she tried to quickly undress him, her slender fingers struggling with his buttons.

    "Nope. I made a very quick pitstop by our house to get a quick bath and get changed out of my filthy clothes. As I am quite certain I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop myself from attacking upon seeing you. That¡¯s why I decided to deal with myself beforeing here." Alex stated as his eyes roved hungrily over Abi¡¯s lithe form.

    She smiled. "I see..." she knelt on the floor as she pulled down his pants and underwear in one smooth movement.

    His rock-hard length sprung right before her face. When she looked up from her kneeling position before him, Alex swallowed hard, seeing her face right before his beyond excited manhood.

    "Abigail..." he whispered reverently and even though he did not say anything more, Abi could read the intense arousal that was disyed on his face. The tip of his thick and heavy shaft was already moistened and the look in his eyes was incredibly sexy and filled with desire. She could tell what her husband wanted at that moment, and she would dly do it. She wanted to please him too as he was most often the one pleasing her every single time. He had given her so much, and it would be her pleasure to be giving back this time. Also, she had missed him terribly the time that he had been away.

    Lately, since the news of her pregnancy, Abi had noticed Alex being extra careful when they were having sexpared to the times before. She knew it was because he was worried about identally injuring their baby and she was happy about him being considerate as he always was, always thinking about her welfare over his need. But at the same time, she did not want him to feel short-changed during their intimate moments as well.

    Thus, due to this, they had even spoken and discussed about this and that was why they have decided to do it in certain positions that were saferpared to others. Still, Abi still noticed that Alex was holding back too much. Abi knew Alex was always like that when ites to her, always overprotective and all... but she could not help but feel worried and wondered if he was even enjoying himself at all during their lovemaking sessionstely.

    Whenever she asks him, he always replies that he was having the time of his life and Abi believes him. But this also made her want to do something more for him. To please him as how he had and still is pleasing her to the utmost.

    So, without Alex even saying the word out, Abi grabbed at his shaft enthusiastically and began to lick at it as though she were starving. Alex groaned low under his breath, looking quite surprised and aroused to his core. It stunned him how eager Abi was going down on him. He then had that fleeting thought that humans tend to say... absence makes the heart grow fonder? Right at this moment, he could not agree more to that saying.

    "You... you want me to do this, Alexander?" she asked boldly, and Alex threw his head back as he groaned out in satisfaction.

    "Oh yes... yes Abi. Suck me, please!" Alex¡¯s voice turned guttural as he was extremely turned-on.

    He sat at the edge of the bed as Abi knelt on the floor between his spread-out legs. She alternated her licking and sucking on him, and then ran her tongue all over him, treating him as though he was the best tasting lollipop in the world. She then popped him in her mouth and worked up a rhythm until Alex was groaning and drowning in pleasure. He could only hear a loud humming in his ears and his body was buzzing in intense bliss.

    "Do you like what I¡¯m doing to you, Alex?" she asked again in a whisper, wondering if she was doing it right. Though she is hearing pleasurable moans and groansing from her husband, she still wanted to make a hundred percent sure that he was fully loving what she was doing to him. He only deserved the best! And she was going to give it to him as best as she could.

    "F*ck yes Abi. I love everything that you do to me. Everything... damn! Your mouth is so hot, love! I love it! I love it... Keep going love..." he closed his eyes after saying those words in sensual erotic whispers.

    Abi also ended up getting aroused as she saw how her husband was almost delirious in enjoyment of her service on him. She felt so good seeing Alex looking like this. She had always wanted to please him too as he was always, always the one doing everything to please her and make her feel good all this time. But she was not certain if she would do good. So, she had tried to read up and research on things about this and now she was applying it. Wholeheartedly and full of passion!

    The results so far are making her happy. Pleasing him like this was incredibly fulfilling! Even more than she had dared imagine. She was happy she could do this for him.

    "God... love... Abi... I¡¯m going to..." his low and soft whispers echoed as Abi picked up her pace. She felt his legs flexing and then felt his handnd on her head and slightly gripped her hair.

    "Abi... stop, I¡¯m..." suddenly, he pulled her up towards him just as he cried out and then experienced a heart jerking release.

 Chapter 698 News

    <h4>Chapter 698 News</h4>

    Abi was astounded as she watched his face. This was the first time she realized the pleasures of pleasing him and seeing him groan and writhe in carnal ecstasy. She definitely would be doing this again, she thought to herself.

    "My god," he said raggedly as soon as he opened his eyes and grabbed Abi¡¯s face. His thumbs caressing her wet lips as his uneven breathing fanned across her face. His eyes still astonished and then, he smiled and bit down on his lips, looking at her in disbelief. "You really surprised me, my love... that was... so good." He added then he grabbed her, and he began to kiss her neck all the while undressing her quickly.

    "I was nning to surprise you... but you ended up surprising me instead..." he uttered while kissing her. Then he suddenly stopped, while his hands were roaming on her now naked body. "Where did you learn how to do that... hmm? Could it be that you did some extensive research while I wasn¡¯t home?"

    Abi blushed. "I read up a little on it." She replied and Alex chuckled.

    "Because you wanted to please me...?"

    She nodded and Alex¡¯s eyes gleamed, utterly please.

    "Did I do good?" she asked shyly, and Alex gathered her in his arms and gentlyid her back on the bed.

    "For a first timer, it was more than good, love," he whispered as he loomed over her. Alex was still brimming with ecstasy at what his wife had done for him. He had not truly expected it and he was thrilled knowing that there were still many things for her to explore and learn especially the moment he recalled how innocent she was back then. His littlemb had grown so much, and he was loving every minute of it.

    A wicked smile shed on his handsome face as he looked down at her. "Now it¡¯s my turn, my wife." He said and that night, the couple spent a passionate and slow love making that the both of them enjoyed to their heart¡¯s content.

    ...

    The next morning, Andrew and Abi¡¯s grandparents were surprised seeing that their son-inw was already back. Abi immediately told them she had opened the door for him at midnight when he arrived.

    After eating breakfast with the family, Alex and Abi bid their farewell once again to returned to their house.

    To Abi¡¯s surprise, Alex brought her to the airport instead.

    Blinking in surprise, Abi looked at him and raised her brow. "Where are we going? Dear husband?"

    Alex nced at her as he continued driving. He started to feel a little worried now. He had been thinking sincest night how to break the news to her and he was still very anxious and unable to decide how to do it. His worry was truly getting to him and if possible, he did not want to make her worry at all. However, there was no way around it.

    Clearing his throat, Alex tilted his head slightly. "We¡¯re going to the kingdom."

    Last night, Alex had not told her anything as they both had cuddled together and slept after their passion filled lovemaking. But truth was that Abi had decided not to ask because she had felt that Alex was worrying about something. She somehow knew he was weighing whether he should speak or not. That was why she tried to wait patiently for him to speak.

    "Why? D-did something happen?"

    Alex nodded. "I¡¯ll tell you everything when we are in the ne, okay?"

    "Okay." Abi answered patiently.

    The couple then boarded a private ne after that. Alex was holding Abi¡¯s hand and looking up at her with a serious and worried expression.

    He started to tell her everything. Knowing that Abi deserved to know everything and that he could not...no, he should not hide anything from his wife. He was worried, but he knew that there was no way out but tell her the whole truth.

    Abi tried her best to not be overly emotional as she listened to the things Zeres had done. She truly felt bad for Zeres. She always wished that the man could finally find his happiness and yet, he went through all those cruel things again. She did not know how long he must further endure such hardships.

    Alex hugged her, his warm hand caressing her back as if to soothe her.

    "And then what happened? How¡¯s Alicia?" Abi asked and when Alex was silent for a long time, her heart began to ache as she looked at him with wide eyes.

    "She¡¯s," Alex paused. "She¡¯s dead, Abi..."

    Abi froze at what she heard. She had tried hard to stayposed while listening to Alex tell her the things that happened to Zeres because she knew her husband was very worried about her. But this news was just too much to take in and she could hardly believe what she was hearing.

    During the entire trip, Abi had a hard time believing it at first. But eventually, she could no longer hold back her emotions no matter how she tried, and she ended up crying miserably in Alex¡¯s arms. This was a very close and beloved friend of hers!

    Once they arrived and their nended in Country V, Lucas immediately fetched the couple from the airport and brought them to the Reigns Castle.

    After resting for a while, Alex and Abi left their room and met theirpanions in the courtyard.

    Everyone was already prepared and were waiting for them. Zeke, the young vampire, Kyle, and some other men were all there.

    "Are you guys going to travel by car too?" Alex asked Zeke and the man nodded.

    "Yes."

    "I see..." Alex nced at his wife and once they were inside the car, Alex made her lean on him. "You must take your rest now, Abi. Since the ceremony is only at midnight. It is still quite a long while to go." Alex whispered and Abi obediently closed her eyes.

    When she opened her eyes again, the car had finally halted, and the surroundings were already dark.

    "We¡¯re here now, Abi." Alex informed a slightly sleepy Abi. When she lifted her face, the entrance of the ck Forest weed her eyes as thest vestiges of sleepiness left her.

    ___

    A/N: Thanks for the patience hellbounders. <3

    Follow me on instagram for updates @kazzenlx.x

    P.s. please check out my new book <Spellbound>

    Its a story inspired by the long lost tale arc so i¡¯m sure you will like it too. ^^

 Chapter 699 Deep sorrow

    <h4>Chapter 699 Deep sorrow</h4>

    Abi, Alex, and the vampires all filed out of their respective cars solemnly. It was truly an interesting sight to behold, having these supernatural beings who are able to move so quickly on their own ¨C even faster than automobiles at times ¨C travelling in those vehicles that run slower than they do. However, it was out of respect to Alicia and consideration for Abi that they did so. The deliberateness in travelling there by car and gradually approaching the ck Forest toe for the final send-off of the previous witch queen showed their esteem of Alicia.

    Bying in an unhurried and slow manner, it showed that they were not in a rush to send Alicia off. It was not as if they were just there to ¡¯get it over with¡¯ and ending the ceremony as fast as they could. Thus, the reason why they had opted to travel there by car. And for Abi, consideration was given to her as she was already overwrought and shocked by the news of her dear and close friend¡¯s passing, on top of being pregnant too. If she were to be further aggravated or agitated, there would be no telling if the child in her womb might be affected.

    And knowing how Alex totally spoils and dotes on Abi, there would be hell to pay if anything unfortunate happens to her or their unborn child. Thus, travelling to the ck Forest by car was just killing two birds with one stone. It served both the purposes just as well.

    The gathered group fully dressed in ck entered the forest in silence.

    As soon as they reached the Crystal Cave, witches d in pure white garments were already lined up just outside the closed Cavern. So many of them lining up all dressed in white while having the breeze gently blowing through the thick trees made it seem as though there was a sea of white billowing in the dark greenery of the forest.

    The group that had just arrived were greeted with that sombre silence and beautiful scene, making them feel the atmosphere of mourning even more deeply ¨C all except for Ezekiel of course. Though he was appropriately sombre and seemed somewhat reverent of the asion, one could tell after studying his face closely that he was still as calm,posed, and unaffected by his surroundings. That was Zeke, and everyone who knew him understood that this was just the way he is. Never had they seen this person lose his cool in whatever the circumstance, either good or bad.

    However, in opposition to the unwavering mood that Zeke was presenting, the witches were in deep sorrow and that was very first time Abi had seen such a number of witches gathered together in one ce.

    Abi thought that this had to be the entire poption of witches that existed. Abi could not have imagined that there were so many of them. Giving a quick scan of the area, Abi estimated that there were probably a few thousands of witches who were present in the forest based on the white clothing they were wearing. Even then, she had a sneaking suspicion that that would not be the total numbers as there were many who were behind trees and were standing further back in the shadowy sections of the forest further in.

    But Abi could hardly care less. She was devastated and still reeling from hearing the news that Alicia was already dead. She even still held on a hope that maybe it was just a mistake or that there was still a way to bring Alicia back to life again. But again, as she looked around and seeing the mourning witches around them as they entered, Abi could only bite her lower lip at the sharp pain she felt in her chest, realising that Alicia was really and truly dead.

    As the realisation set in, that sharp pain radiated from her chest to the rest of her, making her gasp and clutch at her abdomen.

    It did not help that she had cried a lot the whole duration of the ne ride because she felt like crying again. She knew she should try and refrain from it as her already slightly swollen eyes would swell even further and worry her husband who was already hovering over her.

    Alex¡¯s grip on her hand tightened at her gasp and then his thumb pressed soothingly on her skin as they walked forward. Alex was actually very worried for Abi as she was still early in her pregnancy. And if there were anything that triggered an even bigger emotional outburst from his wife, it might affect their child and even Abi herself. If it were up to him, he would not allow Abi to make this long journey here, much less go into the forest and even enter into the cave.

    However, he knew how stubborn his little wife can get and how much she loved and cared for this friend of hers. Alicia was one of the rare friend that Abi had who understood her, as their experience had brought them closer and they had interacted with each other as though they were sisters at times.

    When they walked right up to the front of the crystal cave and stopped, Lilith immediately came up to them.

    Abi was surprised at the sight of a silver-haired witch that was not Alicia. She had heard about this girl ¨C who was supposed to be Alicia¡¯s recement ¨C from Alex earlier so Abi already knew this youngdy was now the new witch queen. As Abi looked at her, she mused within herself that the new queen was still very young.

    Lilith came forward to greet Abi and weed her and the vampires. Then she looked straight at Abi and spoke. "You are the only one allowed to enter the Crystal Cave to see Queen Alicia and offer your greetings and blessings for thest time," she informed Abi and the whole group. Abi then looked over at Alex.

    Alex only gave a smallforting smile before nodding at her. The other vampires did not react as they already knew that vampires were never allowed to venture inside the witches¡¯ Crystal Cavern.

    They all just stood there, unmoving as their deep eyes watched Abi and Lilith both enter the secret door until bothdies could not be seen anymore. The secret door had closed behind the twodies and was covered with streams of snow-white flowers which were in full bloom.

    Once Abi followed Lilith into the cave she stood motionless for a few moments. Then she took a quick look to scan around the inside of theave. Abi¡¯s quick nce showed her that Zeres was standing unmoving in one corner of the cave, leaning his shoulder against the cool and smooth cave wall as his gaze was fixed on Alicia¡¯s body. He did not seem to have heard the arrival of either one of them. And even if he did notice, he pretended as though he did not and locked his gaze onto the body of the woman that he still loved so much, even in death. Abi¡¯s eyes trailed from Zeres¡¯ form to the spot that he had his eyes glued on.

 Chapter 700 Arrangemen

    <h4>Chapter 700 Arrangemen</h4>

    Abi¡¯s heart lurched within her even as her eyes blurred at the sight of her friendying there, silent and lifeless. However, as she blinked, and the tears fell from her eyes, her gaze seemed to have cleared a little and she could see Alicia¡¯s features more clearly. She did not even look as though she was dead, but just trapped in a long and endless sleep. Her cheeks were still ruddy with colour and theplexion of her skin was healthy looking. Though Abi still ended up choking on the sobs that wereing out in small bursts, she was thankful in her heart that at least Alicia still looked the same as she did thest time Abi saw her. There was no trace of death or rot that seemed to have touched her physical body.

    Slowly, Abi approached Alicia and the tears she was trying so hard to hold back ended up falling from her already flooding eyes. She did not know when, but Zeres hade to her side, and he patted Abi¡¯s back as an attempt to offer herfort and support.

    Alicia¡¯s spirit was standing right across of them, watching as Abi mourn for her. She had decided not to let Abi know about her being still around in her ethereal form as well. So, she had told Zeres to keep the fact that her soul was still there from Abi too.

    It pained Alicia seeing Abi cry and mourn for her, but Alicia thought that there would not be any difference if she let her know she was still there. It would not change the fact that she was already dead. She would not go around giving Abi any false hopes as well because she knew that one day she would be gone for good. And when that happens, she did not want Abigail to cry again when that timees.

    Worried about Abigail, Zeres tried his best to console Abi. Until eventually, Abi finally stopped crying. She knew she could only ept everything that had already happened and let go of her friend and allow her to rest in peace.

    Zeres then nodded at Lilith before she finally started the final phase of the queen witch¡¯s burial ceremony.

    After ncing onest time at Alicia¡¯s body, Zeres brought Abi out of the cave. Abi and Zeres then joined the vampires as Lilith, the new queen, and the witches perform the witches¡¯ ritual.

    None of the visitors said a word. They all stood there still as stone except Abi who was still giving out little sobs and constantly wiping at the silent tears which were flowing down her cheeks as the witches sang their mourning song.

    The moon was bright that night, shining upon the dark forest.

    Until atst, the ceremony ended and the witches slowly dispersed, leaving the guests with Zeres and their new queen.

    Abi stepped forward and stood by the now sealed door of the Crystal Cave. She stood there for a long while then after bidding her final goodbye to Alicia in her heart, she ced a white rose at the base of the secret door.

    Kyle went after her and bid his farewell to the most amazing queen he had ever met. The young prince¡¯s eyes were filled with sadness. Even though it had not been all that long since he met and befriended the witch queen, he had already created many unforgettable memories with her.

    cing his white rose to the ground, Kyle expressed his gratitude and goodbye to Alicia in his heart and then went back to his spot.

    The other vampires followed suit, Lucas, Raven and then Alex dropped their white roses too, saying their final goodbyes to Alicia within their own hearts.

    Lastly, Zeke came forward. He quietly stared at the white flowers that were all neatly arranged on the ground. His expression remained unfathomable but the silence around him was strangely heavy. Then all too soon, he too dropped the white rose he was holding in his hand before turning his back. He then walked off without ncing back at the cave where Alicia wasid as he followed after hisrades who were now leaving.

    Upon reaching the exit of the forest, everyone stopped as Abi turned and faced Zeres. She reached out and embraced the man knowing that he was in much pain and obviously, self-loathing and self-ming.

    She could not say nor think of any words offort for him because she herself was still grieving. She could only give him aforting hug, letting him know that he was not alone in his grief.

    Alex then patted Zeres on his shoulder once the two parted. "You are going to stay here, right?" Alex asked, assuming that the man would want to keep vigil at the final resting ce of Alicia.

    Zeres¡¯ gaze suddenly flickered towards Zeke before he answered. "No. I¡¯ll be going with Kiel." He said without averting his eyes.

    Zeke met his gaze and the men both stared at each other for a long while before they seemed toe to an understanding between them. Then Zeres spoke again. "I am going to stick with you whether you like it or not." His tone was soft, but everyone could hear a trace of intense firmness in them.

    Everyone fell silent, waiting for Zeke¡¯s response.

    "Do what you want," was all Zeke said.

    "Well, this can¡¯t be helped. I guess Zeres¡¯ decision is not bad at all," Alex nodded his agreement to the arrangement that had been set. "This way, you both can watch over each other closely for now since I¡¯m not going to be avable to watch over anyone now or any time soon in the future. I have my husbandly duties to carry out now and very soon... fatherly duties too." Alex added, as if he were talking about a very serious matter.

    ____

    A/N: Thank you for you patience. There will be 2 more chaps this week as i am trying to release 4 chapters weekly.

    p.s. I would like to request my loyal hellbounders to cast your Golden Tickets on Spellbound instead. Spellbound is my entry in this year¡¯s spirity contest so i¡¯ll really appreciate it if you cast your Golden Tickets there. Your supports are a huge encouragement to me. <3

 Chapter 701 To the end of the world

    <h4>Chapter 701 To the end of the world</h4>

    When Alex and the others boarded the car, Kyle just stood by Zeke¡¯s car and did not seem to want to move. The young man looked roguish as he stared at Zeke.

    "Please go on without me, I¡¯ll catch up to you guyster. I¡¯ll be back in the castle before sunrise." He informed no one in particr. Zeke turned to look at his younger brother with his deep and expressionless eyes.

    After staring at Kyle for a few seconds, without a word, he signalled Raven to start the car and drive off. Their cars elerated and quickly moved away from the entrance of the ck Forest, leaving Kyle just standing there as he watched them slowly disappear from his sight.

    He let out a deep sigh before turning around. As he looked up, he saw there were still the two silver-haired witches still standing by the front of the ck Forest¡¯s entrance. As soon as Kyle met Zeres¡¯ gaze, Zeres turned around and silently entered into the forest.

    Kyle then turned his gaze and fixed his eyes on Lilith. Seeing her lithe form d in pure white garments and looking like a moon goddess, Kyle felt his pulse kick up its pace and his breathing bing heavier again.

    Slowly, he approached her, one step at a time, all the while without averting his eyes from hers. He remembered they did this exact same thing before. However, in Kyle¡¯s mind, it felt as though that had happened such a long time ago. He then wondered how Lilith felt about this. Did she even remember that once upon a time they danced to the exact same steps as they were doing right now? Did she feel as though it was an eternity since then as well? Or could she have forgotten all about it? It all happened when she was still the red-haired and green-eyed little witch that he had fallen in love with at the very first sight. He remembered how they had said their goodbyes right at this same ce too.

    Kyle had a lopsided smile on his lips as he thought about how nostalgic this moment was. Looking at them now, they had gone through quite a lot of changes. That innocence present in their eyes back in that moment was already long gone. Even though the irony of it was that it had not been that long.

    When he stopped just one step before Lilith, Lilith felt her heart skipped a beat. She looked up at him and she realized he had be a lot taller and much more manlypared to thatst time when they were together. It was like the boy she had met just a month ago had already be a man. And she knew that he thinks the same about her and she could not argue with it.

    "I hope..." he started, even his voice sounded deeper now. "I hope you have been keeping well."

    "I am." Lilith answered simply. "Don¡¯t worry, I know everything will be alright." A small smile curved on her lips and Kyle stilled, just staring slightly foolishly at her. Lilith saw the look on his face and had to give out a smallugh at how silly he was behaving. Though he looked all grown up and manly, this fact made him more approachable and helped Lilith feel less awkward being in his presence.

    All they did was just stand there and stared at each other for a long while. The tension between them ended up rising steadily but neither one of them moved nor tried to ease the tension. It was until the silence had be so unbearable that Kyle suddenly whirled around, walked a couple of steps away and threw his head back. He ran his palms over his face then shoved them into his dark brown hair as a frustrated groan escaped from his throat.

    Lilith could only watch him as she clenched a handful of her dress on both her sides. Her heart was racing as it beat wildly.

    Then he turned and faced her again in a sudden twist. An ironic smile curving on his handsome face. "Do you want to know what I am thinking about right now?" he asked and though hesitant, Lilith nodded.

    "I am..." he trailed off, gazing at her intensely. "I¡¯m thinking of just forgetting about everything and anyone else and just... just kidnapping you from here and bringing you away to the end of the world and be with you forever." Kyle blurted all of that out without taking a breath in between that at the end of his sentence, he gasped in nervousness and ended up panting to catch his breath.

    Lilith¡¯s eyes widened. That seemed to be too much like a confession in her ears. Then the next thought in her mind was ¡¯what is Kyle thinking, saying things such as these?!¡¯.

    Seeing her expression, Kyle¡¯s smile faded. He took a couple of steps closer again and he was so d that she did not step back.

    "Are you wary of me now?" he breathed as he took the next step closer to her.

    "No," she answered without hesitation. "I don¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to do such a thing."

    He froze in mid-step and stared at her then smiled bitterly.

    He lifted his hand and caressed her face ever so gently. Then he pulled her against him and hugged her tight. "Lilith..." he uttered her name as his grip on her tightened even further. "Please listen... I don¡¯t know how or why but my feelings for you are just this impossible. It¡¯s so strong and I think it kept on growing every single day. Even during those times when I thought I would never be able to see you again, my heart didn¡¯t stop longing for you, wanting you. I tried to control it but failed miserably. I realized it¡¯s something out of my control and I¡¯m afraid if this keeps on I... I might do something very selfish and wrong just to have you..." he trailed off and he drew in a deep breath even as his body shuddered a little.

 Chapter 702 Again

    Chapter 702 Again

    His body shuddered a little then he fell silent for a while before he continued.

    "I am well aware of the dangers¡­ my responsibilities and yours too. Especially now that you''ve been given the responsibilities of being the next queen. I know our situation has be even moreplicated that it is almost impossible. But even those reasons weren''t enough to stop me from loving you and wanting you. I''m afraid sooner orter, I''d lose this battle and juste out to fight against the world to have you. But I don''t want to hurt you. I don''t want to cause any trouble for you... I don''t want to make things hard for you¡­" Kyle paused. His heart was aching so badly. Maybe because he somehow felt that Lilith would choose her people and responsibility over anything else. Kyle could just see that she was as devoted as thete queen Alicia, and he was proud of her. She would be a great queen like Alicia was. She might be even greater, one day.

    With a sad smile on his face, he pulled away and looked her in the eyes. His hand resting below her ear as his thumb caressed her cheek over and over, revelling in the satiny feel of her skin under his thumb.

    "That''s why¡­ I''m going to say goodbye again." He said as his eyes gleamed in pain. Saying it this time was much harder than thest time. And it felt much more painful as well that he felt as though his heart was being shattered and squeezed to death at the same time.

    "I don''t think I could do this again for the third time around, Lilith." He added as Lilith just stood there, looking at him, one silent tear falling from the corner of her eye.

    Kyle bent forward and kissed the tear off her face very gently. Then he looked into her eyes again. "That''s why I¡­ I vow to myself I will nevere here to see you again. I will do everything I can to avoid you¡­ to never see you¡­ because if I see you again, I know I can never let go of you again no matter what happens. So do everything you can¡­ not to cross path with me ever again after we part today, Lilith." He said and Lilith''s tears fell. She could hear the bitterness and pain mixing in with love and adoration as well in that baritone voice of his.

    He bent over her and then before they knew it, they were kissing like there was no tomorrow. Kyle''s hand gripped the back of her head as his tongue explored the insides of her warm mouth. Tasting and savouring her like he had all the time in the world. Then all of a sudden, his kiss became wild and fiery and filled with all the unrestrained passion and desires that was pent up within him. He began to tangle his tongue with hers, ying tag and then sucking her like he was starved for her for so long until Lilith was left breathless, and her mind was in a whirl.

    They pulled away beforeing together again and then kissed each other feverishly, both letting themselves get lost in each other''s embrace and kisses. They wished it wouldst a little longer.

    But dawn came too fast, and the sky slowly lit up in a rosy hue, ushering in the promise of a new day.

    They pulled away and Kyle wiped her slightly swollen lips with her thumbs. "Please remember what I said, Lilith. Don''t let me see you again." He told her for thest time. ''Because when I see you again¡­ even if it''s a coincidence, I will stop at nothing anymore. Nothing, not even death would be able to.'' He continued inwardly then after nting a kiss on her forehead, he whispered an emotion filled "I love you" and disappeared from her sight, leaving Lilith''s vision blurry as her eyes were filled with unshed tears.

    ¡­

    Inside the forest, Alicia''s spirit and Zeres were waiting for Lilith in front of the Crystal cave''s entrance.

    Alicia was staring at the white flowers her friends and acquaintances had left for her while Zeres was leaning against a tree trunk, staring unwaveringly at her.

    "Will youe over every now and then?" she asked him lightly, without turning around to look at him.

    "I don''t know." Zeres replied curtly.

    Alicia then turned to face him and studied his expression. The man was bing harder and harder to read. Though Alicia knew he was definitely thinking about something other than the task she had given him and that was to watch over Ezekiel closely.

    "Then I think, I''d better be the one to visit you. So, make sure not to hide your whereabouts ¨C"

    "You don''t need to visit me, Alicia." Zeres cut her off. "Just stay here. You need to teach and assist Lilith."

    His unfeeling words made Alicia sigh in dismay. She knew that he was still miffed at her decision on how things were happening. She approached him but Zeres looked away, avoiding her gaze. "I can''t promise. I would definitely want toe and check on you ¨C"

    "If you''re afraid I will break my promise and start up some trouble behind your back, I already promised you I''ll never do such thing again, Alicia." Zeres said firmly.

    "I''m not worried about that. I know you won''t break your promise to me, Zeres. I just want to¡­" Alicia trailed off.

    "To what?" Zeres stated ndly.

    At that moment, Lilith appeared and the two immediately fell silent, seeing that Lilith must have already dealt with her rtionship with the vampire prince.

    "It''s time for me to go." Zeres told Alicia and then he turned away. He stopped before Lilith and patted the top of the young witch''s head gently. Then he too, disappeared and left the ck Forest.

 Chapter 703 Due

    <h4>Chapter 703 Due</h4>

    Several monthster...

    Kai and Kelly had arrived at the hospital as soon as they had received the news that Abi was already in the hospital as she was due at any moment now. The baby is going to be finally here!

    The couple had juste from an important event of Qinn Corporation. In fact, Kelly and Kai are now hailed as the new and reigning King and Queen of the business world. The couple even graced famous magazines together and with their stunning and exotic looks, the both of them had long since beenbelled as the hottest young tycoon couple.

    And because of that, they have been extremely busy. So much so, that they could not take time off and have their private escapades as they had used to do earlier on in their rtionship. It would be a lucky thing if they could even have the weekend uninterrupted together. However, despite the couple¡¯s busy schedules, a message from Alex was all it took for the two busiest young tycoons toe flying over to wait in on a birthing.

    As Kelly held both of Abi¡¯s hands in her own, stroking them with smallforting strokes as the two best friendsughed and chatted up a storm and caught up with each other on every topic under the sun ¨C as only women could ¨C Alex and Kai stepped out of the room, knowing that their presences were not needed there for the moment with the two women going on as they were.

    "You know that Abi¡¯s case is normal, right?" Kai started, seeing that the almighty Alexander looked incredibly jumpy already when Abi was even yet to give birth. He wondered how the man would even pass his minutes and hours in waiting once Abi finally entered into the active birthing phase. He could only internally give a light chuckle looking at the currently frowning soon-to-be father.

    "Her due is supposed to be the other day, yet the baby¡¯s noting out yet." Alex replied tensely, unable to hide his intense worry any longer in front of his friend. He had held it all in and tried to be as calm and collected as he could when he was with Abi so that he would not affect her and stress her out in turn. However, now that she was with Kelly and he could get away to chat with Kai, this was the time for him to release his pent-up worries.

    "Sometimes that happens to many women, Alex. I believe the doctor would have told you not to worry too much already, right?"

    Alex did not respond. He instead red at the ss window for a while before looking at Kai again. "Where is that devil brother of yours? I have not seen his face for a long time now."

    "Well, he had found himself a new job to keep him busy right now. He¡¯d killed the boss of the infamous Blood Mafia months ago during one of their hunts in Europe and took over the boss¡¯ position after he found out that the former boss was a noble vampire."

    "Tch... so after he¡¯s bored of ying at being a CEO, he now runs off to be a mafia boss? That guy¡¯s going to run out of a job to keep himself busy pretty much very soon." Alex shook his head.

    "But knowing him, he must have another hidden agenda on why he took over that organization. It¡¯s an organization the whole world is notoriously watching and chasing after right now."

    "Of course. We already know that whenever he does something, it only means he is up to something. But that¡¯s not my concern right now," Alex¡¯s brows creased and then his gaze became extremely serious. "I don¡¯t care if he¡¯s a mafia boss or whatever, just get him on the phone and tell him toe. Now!" Alex growled irritably as he scrunched both his hands into his hair, making them stand upically.

    "You want Zeke to be here?!" Kai was surprised.

    Alex looked away again. He looked like he hated the idea, but it was obvious that his worry for his beloved wife overruled everything else. "Just in case. I only need him here to be on standby. So, go give him a call. And if by any chance he¡¯s not here by tonight..." his eyes gleamed dangerously, "I¡¯ll force him toe... one way or another."

    While Kai was speechless, Abi¡¯s father approached them, and Alex¡¯s dangerous and fierce expression immediately smoothened out before settling into one that was extremely docile. Kai was bbergasted as he saw the sudden transformation of Alex before his very eyes. He smirked as he looked at Alex, thinking that how hen-pecked he was now that Abi had fully tamed this powerful immortal. Alex caught the smirk and only gave a quick narrowing of his eyes as a warning before reverting to that docile fa?ade as his father-inw was only a few steps away from them. He knew what Kai was thinking. However, heughed within himself as he thought, ¡¯Wait till your turnes. Then let¡¯s see how you behave then, brat!¡¯

    After patting Kai¡¯s shoulder heavily and giving him a meaningful gaze, Alex led his father-inw towards Abi¡¯s room.

    A deep and long sigh escaped from Kai¡¯s lips, and he looked over at his secretary who was with his wife¡¯s bodyguards not far away from them. The secretary immediately approached him with one nce from himself. He was Ezekiel¡¯s secretary before he had left, and he was an intelligent vampire who loved dealing with business intricacies and was a top-notch hacker as well.

    "Connect me with Zeke now." Kai ordered and the man nodded briskly. His manner was professional and no-nonsense which Kai appreciated. He could not stand those bootlickers who could talk more than they could get things done.

    It took a while longer before the secretary managed to connect to Ezekiel¡¯s phone. However, no one was answering the call.

    "They¡¯re not answering." The secretary reported.

    Kai sighed as he looked at his wristwatch wearily. "Leave him a text. Tell him Alex is cooking up some kind of trouble." Kai said and as soon as the secretary sent the message off, he tried calling onest time. This time, someone finally received the call.

 Chapter 704 Boss

    <h4>Chapter 704 Boss</h4>

    Somewhere in Europe.

    Inside a dimly lit room, the smell of blood and death reeked in the air. There was a messy trail of blood all over the floor.

    A man was sitting regally in arge ebony chair in the middle of that blood sttered room. He was wearing an expensive looking dark-coloured suit. His sinfully handsome mien showed no emotions as he stared at the man kneeling on the floor a few steps away before him.

    "Speak," his deep voice echoed menacingly in the heavy atmosphere.

    But the man who was already soaked in blood just smirked at him. His eyes bloody red as well. "You will get nothing from me Ezekiel, f*ck all of you stupid royals! If you think only few vampires are against your stupid vampirew, then you¡¯re wrong. Our numbers are far greater than you think, and you will never find out why we are this hard to be detected." Heughed hysterically. "So go to hell you... you ancient old vampire! We refuse to abide with your idioticws. We will drink human blood as we want, whenever we want. Because that¡¯s our nature and we refuse to be deprived from our natural needs just because you bloody forbid it!" The man screamed out maniacally. His eyes looking deranged.

    "Are you done?" Zeke¡¯s expression was bored, and tone was nd as it did not even change as if he had heard nothing at all.

    The man gritted his teeth and moved to throw himself at Ezekiel, but a dark-haired young man stepped on him mercilessly before he could do anything.

    Stepping on the man¡¯s head, as if it was a piece of wood, he nced at Zeke. He did not say a word, but his eyes looked to Zeke, as though he was asking for permission if he could smash the vampire¡¯s head now.

    "Not yet Kyle. You know we don¡¯t give someone like him an easy death." Zeke said and Kyle looked disappointed as he eased his step on the man¡¯s head.

    "Put him in the torture room, it¡¯s not time for him to die. Not just yet." Zeke said and as other men came to picked the bloody vampire up, the vampire cursed and screamed, asking them to just kill him.

    Zeke then lifted his eyes to look at his younger brother. His observant gaze fell on the patch of blood stain on Kyle¡¯s cor. "He managed to wound you?" Zeke asked as he leaned back, one of his brows lifting.

    "He¡¯s not alone. Like the previous cases, I didn¡¯t detect any vampires at all until I caught the smell of human blood. He was already draining the poor girl dry when I had found him." Kyle exined in a t voice, as if he was reporting something so mundane. However, his furrowed brows gave away his annoyance on the matter. "When I caught the rogue, two others suddenly appeared out of nowhere it seems. I was careless." Kyle simply exined the reason to the blood stain on his shirt.

    Since a few months ago, Zeke had investigated the case of the increasing deaths of the humans in the West. He had found out that the deaths were all linked to vampires and Zeke was forced to clean up the mess by disposing of the bodies just so that it would not alert the humans and give them hints about the presence of the vampires. But they all knew that just disposing of the bodies will never work in the long run. They must end the killings. However, they had also discovered a greater problem behind it.

    A group of rogue vampires had found a way to make themselves undetected. Zeke himself was the first to discover their presence and since then he was hunting these vampires who could actually blend in in the midst of humans. The only way for the vampires to detect their own kind when they were not using their abilities was through their heartbeats. But strangely, these vampires¡¯ heartbeats had exactly imitated the human¡¯s heartbeat. Zeke had dissected a number of them and found nothing unusual in their organs and that was why he had eliminated the theory that these vampires had made some changes within their organs.

    Staring at his brother, Kyle brought out his handkerchief and wiped off the blood that was on his hand. "He said that there are many of them. If that¡¯s true, this problem might be much more serious than we had expected." He stated.

    Zeke rose from his chair and walked over to stand by the window. He took the ss of blood a vampire had brought to him, and he twirled the ss around thoughtfully before taking a mouthful and gulping it down as he looked up at the full moon.

    "It is. But this hunt will end soon."

    Kyle narrowed his eyes. "Did you already find something?!"

    Before Zeke could respond, Lucas piped in. "Uhm, Your... boss," Lucas said. It had been months, but he was still unable to get used to calling Ezekiel boss instead of Your Highness! "I think you would want to see this."

    Lucas showed him a message and Zeke¡¯s eyes twitched.

    Then a call came. Zeke gulped down his drink as if slightly ticked and grabbed the phone from Lucas¡¯ hand.

    "Geez, you finally answered!" Kai¡¯s voice immediately rang out loudly that Zeke had to move the phone away from his ear. "Alex wants you here tonight. Pronto! And If I were you, you better get your royal self here. And do make haste."

    "Tell me what happened." Zeke asked, though his expression was unfathomable, the air around him immediately changed and became heavy. He had men monitoring the city where Alex was residing in. If trouble happened, which was highly unlikely, he would definitely have received a report as fast as lightning ¨C or even faster. And therefore, this call just intrigued him as to what was the matter.

    "Stop asking and juste over, Zeke. Quick!" And Kai ended the call.

    ____

    A/N:

    P.s. please use your GoldenTickets to vote spellbound instead of this book. Spellbound is my entry for this year¡¯s spirity contest so I¡¯d really appreciate it if you can support me by reading and voting for Spellbound. ^^

    Thank you so much in advance <3

 Chapter 705 School

    <h4>Chapter 705 School</h4>

    After the call ended, Zeke stared at the phone silently for a few moments before turning to look at Lucas.

    "You heard it. Go prepare for the trip." He ordered and the man immediately nodded and left the dark room. "As for you," he nced over at the young man who was now drinking a ss of blood as well as he leaned quietly against the wall.

    Kyle lifted his gaze as he sipped from his ss and looked at his brother, waiting for what he was going to say.

    "It¡¯s time for you to go to a university." He said and Kyle¡¯s eyes narrowed. He? Attend a university?

    "University of ...?" Kyle prompted his brother, not able to guess what he was nning this time.

    "Humans."

    Surprise etched itself on Kyle¡¯s face.

    "You want me to attend a school for humans and it¡¯s a school outside of our Kingdom?" he asked, mouth hanging open in shock. He could not believe what Zeke had just said. What was he up to? Was there anything that he could learn better in attending a university meant for humans?

    "Yes. I¡¯ve already chosen the school you¡¯re supposed to attend, and everything¡¯s already prepared. You¡¯ll be staying in a dormitory in campus, and you are not allowed to go anywhere else unless I say so. And when I mean anywhere, that means you are to stay right there within campus at all times." Zeke said in a calm yet absolute voice. "It¡¯s time for you to learn to blend in with the humans ¨C humans who do not know about vampires. Humans who are not aware we even exist. This is part of you carrying out your responsibility."

    Kyle¡¯s grip on his ss tightened but before he could shatter the ss, he mped down on his emotions and let out a heavy breath. He hated this. It totally sucks being controlled like this. But he knew this was just how it was for them. In the past months, Kyle had learned a lot of things, going along with his brother and helping out in his tasks. He had seen many things that had really opened his eyes, and even more so, his mind. The reality of this world was not as clear-cut and straight forward as he had used to think. Though he knew that it was cruel to many, but now he hase to see how much worse it was. It was far worse, and far moreplicated than he could ever imagine. He never thought that this world which was being ruled and dominated by humans was not as simple as he once thought it was.

    He knew better now and that was why he could only obey even though he felt very unreconciled about it. Because as his brother had mentioned, this was his responsibility. He also knew that Zeke had already attended universities many times in his long lifetime, even his older brother Kai had also attended many schools as well. As for him, this will be his first time attending a school and trying out living like a normal human and studying too.

    "Also, there will be rules that you need to familiarise yourself with before going off to school." Zeke¡¯s voice pulled his attention from straying and Kyle just gulped down the rest of the blood left in the ss. He knew Zeke¡¯s ¡¯familiarise yourself with the rules¡¯ meant that he basically had to have all those rules at his fingertips and down pat. He just pressed his lips as he continued listening to Zeke¡¯s instructions. "I¡¯ll send someone to educate you about the rules and everything else that you need to know while I¡¯m away."

    When Kyle did not respond, Zeke walked past him but stopped when he reached the door that Raven opened for him. "I will be the one to send you to your new school. We¡¯ll depart as soon as I am back from settling this." He said and then he left.

    Kyle let out a sigh and threw his head back. He thought that this must be for the better. He knew schooling would take years. Meaning, he could not leave that ce for years until he was finished with his studies. Perhaps this was in itself, a blessing in disguise. This way, maybe he will be able to forget about her during his long stay there. He could only hope. As he was the only one left there, he dared to let out a tired and lonely sigh.

    ...

    When Zeke¡¯s private jetnded at the airport, a chauffeur sent by Kai immediately came running to receive the man. There were only two of them. Zeke and Lucas.

    As soon as Zeke and Lucas were seated in the luxurious sedan, the car immediately elerated.

    "What do you think happened?" Lucas asked, curious and a little excited. It had been months since they hadst seen Alexander. And it was because the man had never stirred up any trouble. Somehow, the past months after the battle with Zeres had been the most peaceful ones in many years. And the reason was because the troublemaker Alexander was no longer a troublemaker. So, it really came as a big surprise ¨C especially to Lucas ¨C that they suddenly received such a strange request rted to him this time.

    Zeke did not reply. He just looked out of the window as if he was leisurely watching the city pass them by as the car sped on.

    Finally, the car came to a stop. Lucas¡¯ mouth hung open the moment he stepped out of the car and surveyed his surroundings. As he looked at the green cross stered on the building before them, he could only stare wide eyed.

    He then turned to look at Zeke and the expression on the man¡¯s face showed that he already knew what was going on.

    Suddenly, Zeke turned around as though to get back into the car when a hand mped down on his shoulder. Someone actually stopped Zeke! It was Kai.

    "Don¡¯t leave right after arriving, Zeke. Geez! Don¡¯t make this any harder for me than it already is." Kai said as he moved to put his arm around his brother¡¯s shoulder.

    Zeke threw him a sharp gaze.

    "I haven¡¯t seen you in months and this is how you look at me? But never mind. Juste inside. Quickly. Don¡¯t worry, I promise you will be seeing something that might... highly entertain you once you¡¯re inside." Kai said whileughing merrily as he led the man inside the hospital. Lucas could only trail along after the two men.

 Chapter 706 Delivery

    <h4>Chapter 706 Delivery</h4>

    As soon as Zeke, Kai and Lucas arrived on the delivery room floor level of the hospital, the scene that weed them were two nurses trying to lead ¨C or more like coax ¨C Alex out of the delivery room. From what they saw, Alex was having none of it and was trying his best to be stubborn and adamant in keeping himself in that room.

    Seeing that the nurses seemed to be having a hard time in getting him out, Kai rushed towards them.

    "What¡¯s going on?" Kai asked one of the nurses who was sporting an exasperated look while staring helplessly at Alex.

    "Uhm. The patient in this room had requested for her husband to leave the room, sir." The nurse exined with a wry smile. "We also think it¡¯s better for Mr. Qinn to wait outside." She then stepped closer to Kai and murmured in a low voice, "He is not helping his wife rx by being in there. In fact, we think he is stressing her out more..." Kai raised his brows as he turned to look at the nurse in surprise.

    At that moment, they heard Abi¡¯s pained voice and seeing how Alex¡¯s reaction at what he had heard, Kai understood why the wife had given him the boot. A lopsided smile hung on his lips even as he immediately grabbed Alex by the upper arms and pulled him out ¨C none too gently, in fact ¨C and the nurses shot Kai looks of gratitude as they sighed in relief and ran to quickly close the door behind the two men.

    Alex spluttered in protest as he was dragged backwards out of the room and still attempted to reach for the doorknob with his free hand to open it. However, Kai had anticipated that he would do that and was one step ahead of him as he pulled Alex back to the bench where the other two men were waiting silently. "Quit it, Alex. Didn¡¯t Abi said that you don¡¯t need to be there? Kelly¡¯s already in there beside her to give emotional support. And you definitely aren¡¯t helping at all especially with you being in your current crazed state. My god, just stay here and rx, will you? Jeez! And stop acting so crazy. Abi¡¯s not the firstdy to ever give birth in this hospital. The doctors and nurses know what they¡¯re doing." Kai told him, exasperated. Before Abi was wheeled into the delivery room a little while ago, she had told him not to apany her in her delivery. Kai knew it was because Abi knew of Alex¡¯s temper. She knew very well that her husband definitely could not take it seeing her in so much pain. And they were right.

    When Kai heard that Zeke wasing, he had left Alex on this same bench and had told him to stay calm and wait right there. Did Alex force his way inside after Kai left and when he heard Abi¡¯s scream as she was going through herbour contractions?

    Letting out a sigh, Kai nced over at Zeke who was standing there, looking at Alex with a deadpan face.

    "Ah, Zeke is here now. So don¡¯t worry anymore and just calm down." Kai told Alex, hoping to distract the stressed out father-to-be. It seemed to have worked as Alex lifted his face to look at Zeke.

    Zeke let out a quiet sigh and sat leisurely next to them. "I can¡¯t believe you called me here for this." Zekemented dryly with a subtle twinkle in his dark eyes and Alex immediately red at him.

    "Shut up. This is a serious matter, Zeke." Alex gritted his teeth angrily. His emotions were all over the ce right now. He could not calm down at all, especially when he was hearing his wife¡¯s screams of suffering right now. Each scream literally drove a sharpnce of pain into his heart, making feel as though he would lose his mind at any moment. However, he dared not do so as he was afraid that she would call for him in the event that she needed him to be by her side. The anticipation of his childing into the world and the worry for Abi¡¯s wellbeing made him so antsy and restless he did not know what to do with himself. If he were a lesser man, he would be wringing his fingers already!

    "She¡¯s an immortal, Alex. You know there is nothing bad that will happen to her ¨C"

    "That¡¯s not the issue here. My wife¡¯s in so much pain." Alex groaned as he dropped his head into his hands.

    "That¡¯s normal. All humans suffer like that when they give birth, I know you already know that."

    Alex¡¯s aura red, angered at the unsympathetic and apathetic tone that Zeke is taking with him. Though he knew full well that child birthing was not something new, Alex usually do not even care anymore about Zeke¡¯s usual emotionless responses but at this moment he could only re up in anger.

    Thankfully, they saw Andrew and Abi¡¯s grandparents rushing over. Seeing that the ever so regal looking husband of their beloved granddaughter now looking so dishevelled and panicking like some fragile piece of ss, Abi¡¯s grandma immediately approached him and held onto Alex¡¯s hand. The firm but gentle grip from Abi¡¯s grandma managed to lend some semnce of calm to Alex¡¯s chaotic heart and mind.

    "It¡¯ll be alright, son." She smiled at him as she patted the top of his hand. "Do not worry, you know our Abi is a strong girl, right?" Her eyes twinkledfortingly, helping Alex to breathe easier.

    Somehow, Alex finally mellowed down. Kai let out a huge sigh of relief seeing him calm down and nced at Zeke, shaking his head.

    All of them then sat there in afortable silence and Alex stopped his nervous rambling. He sat there quietly, staying calmly in his seat. Kai offered to go with Alex to the roof top for a while so he could at least get a short reprieve from not hear Abi¡¯s audible suffering. But Alex shook his head in refusal and thenmence to just sit there unmoving like a statue. His hung his head down and stared at the floor as if in intense concentration.

 Chapter 707 Congratulations

    <h4>Chapter 707 Congrattions</h4>

    "Don¡¯t bother him." Zeke told Kai and Kai just sighed again. He thought for a moment that Zeke would leave but to his surprise he did not. Zeke just sat there with them quietly and Kai knew his presence there was making Alex somehow feel a little more at ease.

    Meanwhile, the red-haired sidekick of Zeke could hardly believe his eyes. He had never thought he would ever see the great and invincible Alexander looking this vulnerable, and so damned human in his emotions. And he also could not help but steal sideway nces at his master from time to time, the cold hearted Ezekiel. Lucas wondered if one day, he would ever see Ezekiel in this almost unbelievable state as how Alexander is behaving right now. Somehow, he shook his head, unable to imagine it. Lucas could only imagine Zeke sitting exactly with the same pose and with the exact same expression he has on his face right now and a helpless sigh escaped from his mouth.

    ...

    When a nurse finally stepped out of the delivery room, Alex immediately jumped up from his seat. His heart was beating so ferociously.

    With a brilliant smile, the nurse congratted him heartily on the sessful delivery of his child and Alex drew in a sharp breath of relief.

    "Can I see my wife now?" he asked, his voice shaky and utterly emotional. When the nurse nodded, Alex did not waste another moment and zipped into the room as though he had totally forgotten about everything else.

    Everyone who was watching him at that moment understood him and could not help but smile in relief. They, except Zeke, had all been worried this entire time that Alexander would actually have a mental breakdown or something. They had been so suffocated with his intense aura the entire time.

    "Guess the gender of his child, Zeke." Kai yfully asked.

    "I hope it¡¯s a girl." Zeke replied.

    "Oh, I thought you¡¯d like a boy."

    "A boy would definitely be more troublesome. You know the humans have a saying, ¡¯like father like son¡¯." A tiny smirk flitted past his lips so quickly that Kai missed it.

    Hearing that saying, Kai could not help but chuckle. Looking at Zeke, it was obvious that the man was already trying to figure out or envision the future or what sort of troubles Abi and Alex¡¯s child will bring to the world if the baby turns out to be a son. "So, you think a baby girl is less troublesome because of the humans¡¯ saying, ¡¯like mother like daughter¡¯? Now I can¡¯t help but want to root for a boy." He teased and Zeke just nced at him sideways.

    "How about you? Your wife¡¯s not pregnant yet?" Zeke¡¯s statement suddenly caught Kai unawares.

    Kai was suddenly silenced, and he rubbed the back of his neck, looking a little conflicted. "Not yet, but we¡¯ll get there soon." He said then lifted his brow at Zeke. "How about you? When will you get married?"

    Even Lucas who was quiet all this time had his ear twitching in anticipation as he waited excitedly for Zeke¡¯s response.

    But to their dismay, Zeke just stood up calmly from his seat. "We¡¯re leaving now." He said as he signalled Lucas.

    "Hey, won¡¯t you at least take a look at Alex¡¯s child?!" Kai was shocked at the thought that Zeke would just up and leave before giving his congrattions to the new parents and having a glimpse of the child. Did he not already wait the whole time here with Alex? Why not just wait a little while longer?

    "Tell Alex I will drop by tomorrow, before I leave the country."

    And they were gone, just like that. Kai was left standing there alone, sighing again.

    ...

    Inside the room, Alex had finally calmed down. He had been holding Abi¡¯s hand, kissing her fingers and her sweaty forehead as he looked at her, eyes brimming with love. It was obvious that if not for the worry he has now of hurting her, she would long be in his embrace since the moment he entered the room.

    But now that the nurses have brought their babies in their basss, Alex stilled. Just like the doctor told them before, Abi gave birth to twins and now that he was looking at the two babies, Alex could not help but feel panic welling up within him as it threatened to overwhelm him. He thought he had prepared himself enough throughout Abi¡¯s pregnancy, but now that he was actually seeing the little ones with his very own two eyes, he could barely move. He was a father now!!

    "Okay, here you go," Kelly brought the baby girl to him, and nervousness immediately carved itself into his face. Even Abi could not help but let out a slightugh at the sight of Alex¡¯s panic filled face.

    "It¡¯s okay, Alex." Abi told him and Alex looked at her. Their baby boy was already in her arms, nursing at her breast.

    Kelly instructed him on how to carry the baby and then she slowly ced the cute baby girl in his arms. The little bundle of joy looked so tiny in hisrge arms.

    Alex¡¯s heart was racing again. His eyes were now gleaming with so much happiness. In fact, he could not quite exin how he felt now. He could not even speak. All he could do was to look at his wife and both of them smiled at each other with so much happiness shining in their eyes.

    ...

    Meanwhile, in the ck Forest, Alicia and Lilith were celebrating. They saw Abi¡¯s babies in the crystal balls and Alicia immediately had the urge to go and visit her friend¡¯s cute babies. She wanted to see them very badly, but she knew she could not go there yet. However, she nned to visit the babies very soon.

    For now, she needed to go and speak with Zeres about something important. She had not seen him for months now because thest time she had gone over to visit him, Zeres had sent her away.

    Zeres had told her that he suspects that Zeke could actually see her. And that was why Alicia refrained from visiting Zeres. Now that she saw Ezekiel was not with Zeres, she decided that it was now the best chance for her to speak with him about this new information she had found out about Ezekiel before he returned.

    _____

    A/N: Hello guys, I just want to thank you all for still being here. For me, the few of you who are still here with me until now are the real MVPs. ^^

    I remember when there were tens of thousands of readers and so many were dering their love for this book. Many said they¡¯ll stay with me until the end but now just a few hundreds of you are left. So I just want to say i really really appreciate that you guys are still here even though most readers already left. You guys are the real loyal readers to me and i¡¯m very thankful that no matter what, you guys are still with me until now. To the silent readers, please know i appreciate you guys too. I love you all guys. Again, thank you so much.

    Love, kazzen

    ____

    Follow me on instagram @kazzenlx.x

 Chapter 708 Twins

    <h4>Chapter 708 Twins</h4>

    The next day, early in the morning found Alex carrying both the twins in his arms ¨C one in his left and the other in his right. He thought he had prepared himself enough when this day came but he was still incredibly overwhelmed as he looked down indulgently at his two tiny babies who were contentedly sleeping in his arms. He was already a father now and his heart was constantly filled with intense emotions.

    He looked at Abi who was lying on the hospital bed, still recovering from the tiredness of herbour the day before and when she smiled at him with the same intense emotions in her eyes, Alex rxed and smiled lovingly back at her. It felt as though they were even more connected now that their babies were born. When their eyes met, words were not needed, and they could understand what the other is thinking.

    At that moment while the couple were still basking in the afterglow of their newfound connection to each other, the door opened, and Zeke and Lucas entered the door.

    Zeke''s gaze immediately fell to the babies who were cradled in Alex''s arms as he paused by the door. Lucas eyes instantly widened. "T-twins?" he eximed, and Alex smirked at them. They could literally see him puffing out his chest in pride as he held the twins close to his body.

    The words ''aren''t I amazing?'' were shing across his eyes proudly as he looked at the two men.

    "Girls?" Zeke finally stepped forward and approached Alex who was sitting leisurely on thefortable and padded chair with his two babies sleeping in his arms.

    Alex gave him a taunting smile and then said, "Sorry to disappoint you Zeke, but you''re wrong this time." Zeke''s face darkened for a millisecond, but he kept his unfathomable face as nk as usual as he sat on the empty chair across from Alex.

    Zeke ignored Alex and turned to Abi. "Congrattions." He wished Abi sincerely, and she smiled at him.

    "Thank you." she said when Alex stood and approached Zeke.

    "Here, carry him." Alex pushed his right arm forward which was carrying his son and Zeke''s eyes widened a little but before he could refuse, Alex had already carefully ced the baby into his arms.

    "Wait, I ¨C" This was the first time either of them detected a hint of nervousness in the great Zeke''s voice. Normally he would sound deadly cold at his worst or neutrally indifferent at best. So, catching the slight wavering of his voice was an extremely interesting matter, more so for Alex than Abi. Abi only smiled gently. Alex however, wanted to burst outughing but managed to curb it and held it back as he told himself that he was now a father, thus he needed to behave more maturely.

    "Just raise your arm like this. Yes, like that. Careful. That''s our precious little one." Alexpletely ignored the look on Zeke''s face while Lucas was pressing his lips tight together as to restrain himself from not bursting out into an all-out grin.

    This was the first time he saw Zeke looking as though he were trapped in a very sticky situation. And this man had never been in such a situation for a very long time since. The way he held the baby was so stiff and unnatural. His shoulders were frozen, and he did not move at all as he kept throwing sharp nces at Alex, silently telling him that he had enough and wanted the baby out of his arms. Alex, however, was having none of it as this was truly the sight of the day! He wanted to enjoy looking at Zeke being this thrown off and not being able to maintain his normal cool and calm self. He grinned mischievously and determined that he would drag on Zeke''s torment as long as he could. That would serve him right for all the other times the man had shown him up one!

    Alex pulled away as soon as he was certain that his son was held securely in Zeke''s arms. He looked over at Zeke and smiled proudly.

    "There you go! Now, you''re officially the proud uncle of twin babies, Zeke. Congrattions!" Alex grinned at him.

    Zeke took in a deep breath and looked as though he was enduring some huge ordeal that needed him to be longsuffering. After a few seconds, he then let out a small sigh and looked down at the baby that was nestled in his arms ¨C courtesy of being put there by his very own father. It was really so tiny. "If you are nning to ask me for help to raise your sons ¨C" Zeke started out before being cut off by Alex again.

    "Son and daughter, Zeke." Alex corrected with a snicker which did not reflect much on his earlier determination to be more mature and fatherlike at all, and Zeke whipped his head up at him.

    "Oh, I have yet to tell you their names. His name is Alexis," Alex gestured to the baby in Zeke''s arms then back to the one he was cradling. "And this is my little princess, Alice." He added. Last night, Abi and Alex had discussed between themselves and decided on their babies'' names. It was actually Abi who had decided on both their names as Alex had just nodded and gone along with everything Abi suggested. She had named their princess after herte friend, the witch queen and named their son Alexis. Abi told him it was thebination of his name and Lexus, her dragon friend in her past life.

    "By the way, where is Zeres?" Alex then asked as he realised that he had not seen the guy yet. "Why did he note to visit his brand-new nephew and niece? He definitely knows about my children by now."

    "I''m sure he''ll be dropping by for a visit to your family one of these days." Was all Zeke said as a response to Alex''s question and after a long while, Zeke and Lucas finally stood to leave.

 Chapter 709 Jerk

    <h4>Chapter 709 Jerk</h4>

    Zeke had gingerly but with much relief, ced Alexis back into the baby''s mother''s ¨C Abi''s ¨C arms and then turned to face Alex.

    "We''ll be leaving now." He said and with a wide grin, Alex patted his back and whispered in his ear.

    "Next time I see you, I hope you won''t be this stoic anymore. And most of all¡­ to be in love." He then waggled his brows at Zeke.

    Zeke''s face remained deadpan. "I hope your son won''t cause you too much trouble. He''s your son after all."

    "Well, if one day he ends up bing uncontroble and you still remain that the stoic man that you are and still unmarried and without any children, I will just ship him off to you to settle." Alex smirked at him, and Zeke''s gaze sharpened again. "You''re their uncle now. And uncles, especially the unmarried and childless ones, have the great and honoured responsibility of taking care of their nieces and nephews whenever they run into troubles. Am I right, Lucas?" Alex winked at Lucas and Lucas agreed with Alex by nodding his head enthusiastically.

    When the two men finally left the hospital, Alex returned to Abi''s side.

    He sat next to her. "Are you feeling alright, my love?" he asked, his voice mellow and soothing ¨C aplete contrast with the yful tone he took with Zeke earlier.

    Abi smiled. "I''m fine. I think we should be able to go home now, Alex."

    "Are you sure?"

    "Very sure."

    "Alright, my love. We''ll go home very soon." He said and kissed Abi''s forehead lovingly. "Thank you, Abi for making me the happiest man in this world. I love you." He then ensured the twins were secure in their basss beside Abi''s bed before going off happily to settle the discharge procedures, eager to head home with his newly expanded family.

    ¡­

    Last night.

    Alicia had a hard time tracking down Zeres'' whereabouts as that man had made sure to hide himself so well that no amount of summoning on the crystal ball could give her hints on where she would be able to find him at all. He had grown so powerful to hide himself from her and even from Lilith.

    Thankfully, Alicia had found Kyle while looking for Zeres. Even though she could notmunicate with the young man, Alicia did not want to read the young man''s mind. So, she opted to go through the memories of other guards who were with him. And that was how she had found out about Zeres'' hideout.

    When she arrived at the ce, Alicia was amazed. She found herself in a luxurious apartment located on the highest floor of the building.

    Somehow, Alicia did not expect that Zeres would be found living in such a modern ce with conveniences and luxuries. Was Ezekiel the one who gave him this apartment to live in? Or was it his choice to get this ce himself? She had somehow expected Zeres to be living in an ancient house which was only slightly modernized, but never in her wildest dreams would she expect him to be found in a very modern one like this. But where was he?

    Alicia was standing by the floor to ceiling window overlooking therge and lively city when she heard the door to the penthouse swung open.

    She whipped her head back. Only to find Zeres entering the door¡­ only that there was

    someone else with him. It was a beautiful human girl.

    Alicia was frozen on the spot as she blinked and watched the two of them enter the living hall, slightly stumbling as they walked.

    The girl was clinging tightly onto his arm while Zeres looked as though he was drunk.

    Before they could even close the door, the girl immediately grabbed Zeres and kissed him, causing Alicia''s eyes to widen. The girl was so feisty that she resembled a hungry female wolf despite her outwardly delicate beauty. She pushed Zeres against the wall as she kissed him, and her fingers then started to undo the buttons on his shirt.

    However, Zeres caught her wrists before she could even undo the top button. His eyes which were dazed before, were now suddenly sharp when he looked down at the girl. "Not tonight," he snapped, his voice harder and colder than Alicia could ever remember it being.

    But the girl was unfazed. She pulled away gently and smiled at him invitingly. "Oh, can you really resist me, handsome?" she crooned, her voice seductive and utterly vixen-like before she started to undress herself in front of him, hoping to seduce him into continuing what she had initiated.

    Zeres closed his eyes and pinched the space between his brows in undisguised frustration. Then he opened his eyes and spoke brusquely to the girl. "Fine, since you want to be used by me that bad¡­" he said and in an instant, he grabbed the girl.

    "Face the wall," he growled out and the girl who looked like she was already drooling for him, bit her lower lip and turned around obediently. She even looked as though she could not wait anymore as she stuck out her bottom and rubbed it against Zeres'' crotch.

    Zeres only stood behind her and calmly started to unbuckle his belt.

    "Hurry, handsome¡­ ah, I can''t wait anymore¡­" the girl panted out, but Zeres did not look like he had heard anything she said. As he was about to unbutton his pants, he suddenly halted.

    All of a sudden, Zeres'' head whipped around.

    Alicia who had been standing frozen by therge window and was about to take her leave and disappear, froze in her tracks the moment their eyes met. Oh my, did he notice her presence there?!

    Alicia did not dare move, trying to conceal and minimize her presence as much as possible. She was extremely embarrassed and strangely aggravated with the scene that she had seen just now.

    "Leave." She heard him bark out irritably. Was he telling her to leave? Somehow, Alicia felt angry.

    "Huh?" The girl said. "Why did you stop ¨C"

    "I said leave. Now!" His voice thundered and the girl was terrified. Alicia then realized that she was not the one Zeres had ordered to leave. It was that indecent girl that he was referring to.

    The girl gritted her teeth. "Jerk!" she yelled at him before grabbing her handbag that was thrown on the floor and then stormed out of the door.

    As soon as the door was closed, Zeres run his fingers through his hair and then let out a harsh breath.

    Before Alicia could determine why she was feeling happy when Zeres shooed that immoral girl off, she was given another shock. "I know you''re there, Alicia." Zeres'' voice rang out, startling Alicia who was about to make her escape.

    ____

    A/N: To my ILYM and IHYD readers, I have an announcement in our FB group. Please check it out. If you cannot find the group, dm me on instagram @kazzenlx.x or facebook page @Author_kazzenlx so i can send you the link.

    Also, please check out Spellbound if you have yet to check it out. That book is my entry for this year''s spirity so i am hoping for your support. <3

 Chapter 710 - Obsessed (Part I)

    <h4>Chapter 710 - Obsessed (Part I) </h4>

    Alicia was still embarrassed at the scene she had inadvertently witnessed between him and the other girl, so she decided to leave regardless of Zeres¡¯ words. But unfortunately for her, Zeres had already muttered the spell before she could escape quick enough, and she became visible to him. He appeared before her the moment he pinpointed her location in his apartment, giving her a fright.

    She tried to smile at him, to say something to break that tight tension that were between them. She did not manage to call a single thing to her mind, thus she acted like nothing had happened and smiled him lopsidedly as though she did not see a thing from earlier. "Why are you hiding from me?" she asked. "It has been so long since we saw each other Zeres."

    Zeres remained silent and just stared at her without a single ripple across that good looking face of his. He looked like he had gone frigid at the sight of her. He looked pretty dishevelled and roguish. He was supposed to look like shit with all that ruffled hair, one cheek with a smeared mark of lipstick and crumpled shirt ¨C but he was not. He actually looked like his appearance had matured a lot in the past months that Alicia had not seen him.

    .

    Trying to break the awkward silence, Alicia looked around. "I was surprised to find you in such a modern ce like this." Shemented, keeping her voice light and nomittal. She allowed her gaze to sweep around the interior of the luxurious apartment.

    When Zeres still did not say a word, she looked back at him. She realized that he seemed leaner now, almost raw-boned. It has been months since shest saw him, and he just keep on changing. If she tried to imagine him when she first met him andpared him to what he is now, she could tell that he was altered in so many ways. She wondered if there was something that had happened after he left the ck Forest after her ¡¯funeral¡¯ that had caused him to change so drastically.

    "Do you fancy this kind of ce now? I am hoping Ezekiel didn¡¯t force you to live here ¨C" Alicia rattled on, trying to dispel that somewhat stifled silence between them.

    "Alicia." He cut her off. His voice surprisingly deeper and harder than she remembered it to be, that it truly surprised her again, that she stopped talking and only blinked at him a couple of times. "What the hell are you doing here?" he did not raise his voice at her, but he sounded extremely cold, causing Alicia to snap out of her surprise and narrowed her eyes at him. She was starting to feel irritated at his cold reception now. ¡¯Was this anyway to greet a friend who came all the way to visit? Does he have to be this prickly?!¡¯

    "To see you, of course." She replied snappishly, displeased with such brash questioning from him, meeting his fierce gaze challengingly as she raised her chin slightly.

    Zeres raked his hand through his hair, silently exhaling a heavy sigh. "Didn¡¯t I tell you not to evere¨C"

    "I have a business with you. And did you think I will refrain froming to look for you just because you told me not to ¨C" Alicia raged back at his cold voice telling her off. ¡¯The nerve of this man!¡¯

    "You can¡¯t just barge in into a man¡¯s house anytime and anyhow like that!" His reply came out a little loud and forceful that Alicia was silenced again and blinked at him. He had never raised his voice at her like this before ¨C never.

    "Oh..." she realized he must have known that she had seen everything that had gone on earlier and that she had actually ruined the night for him. "My bad for disturbing your... erm... well, I apologize for the untimely intrusion. Rest assured I will refrain from entering your house without getting your permission first next time." She tried to keep her voice neutral as she red at him.

    For some reason, what she said seemed to cause his face to darken even more. And the frown on his forehead deepened.

    Alicia closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. She then exhaled heavily before looking determinedly at Zeres. "I came here because there is something we need to talk about." Alicia said as she took a step closer to him.

    "I¡¯m guessing this is about Kiel again, right?" Zeres¡¯ voice sounded tired.

    Alicia nodded. "Yes. This is very important and that¡¯s why..." she trailed off at she saw him suddenly smirking. "What. Is there something funny with what I said?" she asked defensively as her body leaned back slightly.

    A long seemingly helpless sigh left Zeres lips before he peered at her. "I see you¡¯re still so obsessed with Kiel." Hemented and Alicia¡¯s face became a little sour.

    "What are you talking about? Who is obsessed with who?" Alicia retorted.

    "You." He answered her straightforwardly as his palms that were braced on the top of the sofa¡¯s back tightened as he said that one word with difficulty. He hated that just saying that one word stung him so badly. He had gripped so hard that his nails nearly punctured through the sofa¡¯s leather coverings. He managed to catch himself before he really ripped through them.

    "Nonsense." She frowned at him while shaking her head insistently. "I am not ¨C"

    "Yes Alicia, you are." Zeres cut her off again, his jaws clenching hard. "Haven¡¯t you noticed your attention is all directed on him since you..." he paused and then turned around as he harshly tugged on his dishevelled necktie. "Stop obsessing too much about him, Alicia ¨C"

    "Just what the hell are you talking about, you idiot!" She finally burst out in anger and appeared right before him as Zeres started to roughly unbutton his shirt, exposing his toned chest. "Don¡¯t you start giving me this nonsense. You clearly know why I am always monitoring his moves. It¡¯s the same reason why you decided to stick close to him. Why is it that now you¡¯re suddenly spouting out such nonsense ¨C" Alicia was irritated at Zeres¡¯ focus on such nonsense.

    "What have you been doing in these past few months, Alicia?" his voice calmed down. "Everything you¡¯ve been doing is rted to Kiel, am I right?"

 Chapter 711 - Obsessed (Part II)

    <h4>Chapter 711 - Obsessed (Part II) </h4>

    "What have you been doing in these past few months, Alicia?" his voice calmed down. "Everything you¡¯ve been doing is rted to Kiel, am I right?"

    "Well... that¡¯s obvious, isn¡¯t it? Since he¡¯s the biggest problem for us witches right now..." she trailed off again as Zeres closed his eyes, looking like he was going to erupt in anger very soon.

    Suddenly, he impatiently ripped the shirt he was only half done unbuttoning due to quiet rage, surprising Alicia once again. "Damn." He cursed as he stared frustratedly at the buttons that were rolling away in all directions on the floor. "He¡¯s not the biggest problem right now. Damn it, Alicia!" He muttered under his breath, as if he was talking to himself. Alicia could see him gritting his teeth so hard, she was worried he would wear his teeth out.

    Then he groaned low and without ncing at her, he headed towards the bathroom and mmed it shut.. Jumping slightly at the loud bang following his mming the door, Alicia was left just standing there, stunned at his attitude.

    As soon as the door mmed closed behind him, Zeres leaned his body heavily against the door. And then he slowly slid down and sat in an ungraceful heap on the furry carpeted bathroom floor. His head drooped down as his wrists rested on top of his folded knees.

    "Calm down, damn it! What¡¯s going on with you, idiot?" He whispered harshly, berating himself, before he rushed towards the shower to cool his head. He felt miserable and did not know how to ovee theseplicated feelings that were roused within him.

    That day he left the dark forest, Alicia had told him to learn to live in the modern world. She told him he was free to do anything that he finds enjoyable and that he must learn to live like a modern man to fit in with the human society.

    He did just as she advised. Though it was not only because she said so. He knew it was necessary for him to learn to fit in this world dominated by humans. And of course, as time went by, he began to be influenced with the things humans find enjoyable. His involvement in Kiel¡¯s mafia organization also exposed him to almost every immoral thing imaginable that many humans loved to do.

    Hoping that those things would distract him, Zeres indulged himself with the things both vampires and humans considered as the pleasures of life. Somehow, he understood why they had called it that. Those things did give relief and pleasure that could make him forget everything... no matter how temporary it was, he would not deny that it indeed helped.

    Even though these things could not change anything at the end of the day, Zeres had been spared from many miserable nights in the past months. He was not going to regret doing the things he had done. At first, he was ovee with guilt. He had a hard time touching another woman as his mind kept thinking about Alicia. That night, the woman had asked him if he had someone he loved. When he nodded at her, the woman asked him if the one he love loved him back. The question hit him hard like a sucker punch right into his gut. He knew Alicia did not feel the same way that he did for her. They do not even have any sort of romantic rtionship, not even promises to bind them to each other.

    Since he started bedding a woman, his guilt slowly disappeared. In fact, he had liked that he at least stopped thinking about her when f*cking someone else. He had thought he was probably starting to get over her and to him, that was a relief.

    Yet now. Just her appearing before him crushed all those thoughts and hopes. He still wanted her so badly. If she was not a spirit, he would have seized and ravished herpletely the moment he saw her. And then it made his blood boil when he did not see her even react at all at what she had seen. He knew she saw what happened since he entered the door with that woman. And yet, it seemed that seeing such a thing was nothing to her. And he was furious no matter how ridiculous it was of him to feel that way.

    "Of course, it¡¯ll be nothing to her. What the hell are you still expecting?!" He told himself bitterly as he mmed his palm down against the marble tile. He could hardly feel the pain that radiated from his palm as the pain in his heart was so much greater that it seemed to drown out everything else.

    He also could hardly contain himself when she spoke about Kiel, calling him the biggest problem. Zeres knew why she thinks that way and he knew she was right. But to him, Kiel was not the biggest problem. The biggest problem was Alicia. It had been months and there was still no progress on his search to bringing her back. This was the main thing that was making him more and more miserable for each day that passes.

    His focus had been on this alone since he left the ck Forest. One witch he found during his search who had now became his sidekick had told him he was too obsessed with whatever it was that he was searching. The guy was right. He was obsessed and he will never stop being obsessed until he finds what he is looking for.

    And this was the most ironic thing of all. Him obsessing about her, about bringing her back, while she was obsessing over someone else. She would not admit she was, but her focus now was on Kiel, as if she had forgotten that she was in a dire situation herself. And he hated that. Despite knowing that he, of all people, should be the one to understand her best.

    ____

    PLEASE READ!

    This chapter will be thest one for this volume 3 part 1. The part 2 (continuation of this volume) will be posted as Side Story the next time I update. I am setting this book pleted¡¯ to get rid of the privilege. Once the privilege is gone, i will update again but the new chapters will fall under ¡¯Side Story¡¯ of this book.

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 Chapter 712 - Book

    <h4>Chapter 712 - Book </h4>

    Alicia could only stand there, her fists clenched into tight balls as she stared at the buttons of Zeres¡¯ shirt that fell next to her feet.

    "You might be right," she grudgingly forced the words a little angrily through her teeth as if to her, the buttons now had be Zeres himself. "This might really look a little like obsession to you. But it¡¯s not the kind of obsession you¡¯re thinking about, you, idiot. You think I enjoy thinking about that cold hearted vampire prince?! He¡¯s literally an ice block! You think trying to figure him out is fun?! I have no choice but to think about him because this is my duty now. Why can¡¯t you understand that and just listen to me and help me out?"

    Frustration filled Alicia¡¯s eyes and she felt like she wanted to pull chunks of her hair out. Why must Zeres be behaving this way?! She was trying to understand Zeres buttely, her patience was running out. He had purposely avoided her for months on end and when they finally met, he was getting mad at her for doing what she was supposed to do. He was the only one who knew the very reason why she was doing this, but now he was acting as though he did not understand why she was doing all this at all! The way he was behaving really was driving her nuts!

    "Fine!" she said, "if you don¡¯t want to cooperate, I¡¯m not going to force you anymore. I¡¯ll just have to do this on my own!" Alicia snapped out and gave up on trying to be patient with him.

    And she left, still feeling a bit mad at Zeres¡¯ attitude towards her. She even thought that he had acted like that with her because he was angry that she had interrupted his fun time and she could only re up even more at that thought as she left Zeres¡¯ apartment.

    ...

    When Zeres stepped out of the bathroom, he immediately sensed that she was gone. He leaned against the wall and let his eyes fall close.

    A soft sigh escaped his lips as he ruffled his wet hair. He then violently snatched up his coat and left as well. He knew that he would not be able to sleep at all anyway, so he decided to just go out and continue on his search again, or else, he would probably go mad.

    "You just said yesterday that we¡¯ll be taking a couple of day off, Zeres. What happened to that?" Jude, the rogue witch Zeres had caught months ago and who was now his search assistant, said with a tired sigh. He was truly looking forward to having a break but he guessed that that is going to be another faraway dream of his now.

    "Let¡¯s go," was all Zeres said, causing the man to roll his eyes in exasperation as he stomped his feet and followed after Zeres.

    "Oh, and by the way, I just received a call from that pretty witch... what¡¯s her name again? That famous movie star?" Jude remembered to report this to his boss.

    "Kathleen?"

    "Ah! Yes, Kathleen Snow. That¡¯s the one." Jude moved in front of Zeres, stopping him as they walked down an empty street. "She said she¡¯ll be giving us the information about this mysteriousdy Calliste we have been searching for god knows how long. But... she did say that there is one condition to it..." Jude raised a brow, looking at Zeres with a knowing gaze. "She wants you to be the one to go to her. And she had very clearly stressed on this... that you must be alone."

    Zeres¡¯ expression did not change even at Jude¡¯s suggestive look.

    "When." He asked in t tone, not even batting an eye.

    "Hey, hey... you should at least have some reaction, right? Don¡¯t forget Snow is known as the vixen witch. You¡¯re definitely aware of what she might want you to do in exchange of that information, don¡¯t you?" Jude said. He was a bit concerned about this ancient witch who was his boss right now, because he knew how unworldly he was! Though right now, he is no longer as innocent as he previously was, there were still things he had yet to encounter in this vast world.

    "It¡¯s no big matter. I even kill just to get information that I need and yet you didn¡¯t even react then. Are you saying now that sex is a big deal?"

    "Well..." Jude scratched at his hair. "I forgot to tell you that that woman¡¯s a sadist."

    Zeres creased his brows after hearing that. Hmm...

    "And I am certain you do not have any idea what a sadistic woman likes to do for sexual pleasure, right?" Jude craned his neck out and observe Zeres¡¯ nk face, quite sure of his prediction.

    "Right, I don¡¯t have any idea on that issue. But it doesn¡¯t matter to me, anyway. You already know that." Zeres walked past him. "As long as she gives me the information I need. Now let¡¯s go and bring me to her."

    Jude¡¯s mouth fell opened,pletely speechless at how flippant Zeres was being in regard to this. In the past months that he was with this silver haired male witch, Jude had already given up stopping him from going even to the extremes just to find any answer about what he was looking for. Zeres had done all sorts of things... torture and killing... but that just does not work for witches. Especially the rogue ones and in the end, Zeres could not find anything at all. However,tely, Zeres had changed his tactics. He had stopped with the violent approach and had switched to using a more gentle style somehow. And the result was far better than expected. Now he was able to find clues until it led to this. To the existence of a mysteriousdy that might possess the answer he was searching for all this while.

    They had said that thisdy¡¯s name was Calliste. And she possesses a book that her ancestors stole from the dark forest a long time ago.. This book was said to contain the answer Zeres was looking for.

 Chapter 713 - Black Flames

    <h4>Chapter 713 - ck mes </h4>

    Jude knew that this man was willing to do anything to find that book. But in all honesty, Jude was having a hard time understanding why he had to go to this extent!

    Sighing, Jude spoke as he followed after Zeres. "I really don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re doing this. Even if you love this person you¡¯re trying to bring back, I still think this is getting too much, you know..."

    Zeres halted. He was silent for a moment before he looked up into the sky. "She died for me. Then she gave up her chance to go to the afterlife to lift my curse. And she did all of that even though she didn¡¯t love me." Thest part came out just a little louder than a whisper.

    As those words echoed in the dark, Jude¡¯s eyes widened. Zeres had never spoken about his reasons. He had only told him that he was doing this to save someone. Though Zeres had never said he loved the person, Jude could tell. Otherwise, who would sacrifice so much like this for someone you do not even love?

    But now that he had heard these, he was speechless.

    "What I¡¯m doing right now is still nothingpared to all that she did for me." Zeres added then he walked forward again.

    Jude hastily followed him. "Okay, I understand now. But... I think it is important for you to understand as well. I mean... you know that vixen might want to hurt you while doing, uhm... that..."

    "You¡¯re saying she might try to kill me and that¡¯s why you¡¯re worried?" Zeres smirked a little. "Did you forget that I¡¯m immortal?"

    "Not that, you, idi... I mean I¡¯m afraid you might identally kill her once she does something shocking to you before you could even get the information out of her. That¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you to have some mental preparation first."

    Zeres sighed. "What a pain in the a**."

    After Jude exined to Zeres about what Snow might do, Zeres remained looking unaffected. He simply nodded at Jude before he entered the building where Snow¡¯s apartment was located.

    To Zeres, this too, was nothing. He was running out of time. He had noticed Alicia¡¯s spirit was a bit more translucent than thest time he had seen her in the ck forest.

    Zeres had also thought that this was why Alicia could not stay still anymore and wanted to deal with Zeke¡¯s matter. He realized that it was because she probably felt her time was quickly running out. And this was why Zeres could not waste any more time.

    Upon reaching the woman¡¯s door, it swung open for him, and a young woman was standing there, seemingly waiting for him.

    "Hi..." her sweet voice drifted out, "pleasee in."

    Her appearance alone surprised Zeres. She did not look like a vixen at all. She was dressed in a hoodie and had an innocent and delicate face. He thought that she was going to jump on him immediately like how Jude told him, but she did nothing of the sort and even maintained a proper distance from him. Did he enter the wrong t?

    ...

    In a certain presidential suite located in one of the tallest buildings in the city, Alicia finally found Ezekiel¡¯s ce. She had also already sneaked into the luxurious but gloomy apartment.

    Alicia was determined to spy on him from here on. And if... if she found out even a single hint that her suspicion was right... then... she would not have any choice but to carry out her n...

    She clenched her fists tight, and her eyes zed with intensity as she wondered about inside the empty and dimly lit masculine apartment.

    Approaching the desk that was near the floor to ceiling window, Alicia tried to look at everything in there. She was like a ghost detective looking for clues everywhere until she heard a sound of a door opening.

    Alicia quickly hid behind the desk, remembering what Zeres had told her that Ezekiel might really be able to see her. She did not think so, because that was just impossible. But just in case... to be safe, she still hid.

    She heard his quite footsteps moving closer and then it stopped.

    Slowly, Alicia peeked out from the side of the desk and saw him standing there, holding a ss of blood. His gaze was fixed outside the window, so his back was facing her.

    He was half naked and it was obvious that he had just came out from the bathroom. Alicia could not help but sweep her gaze all over his naked and broad back. She did not know that he was covered with tattoos ¨C even on his arms. It looked like a ck me.

    Now that Alicia thought about it, she had never seen Ezekiel wearing anything that does not cover his body up to his wrists. And for some reason, his tattoos were unsettling. It was like a ck me was engraved through his skin, burning on him forever.

    When he moved, Alicia hid again. She stayed hidden for a while but eventually peeked out again, not able to tamp down on her curiosity. This time, she saw him seated on a chair now, still facing the window.

    Alicia stood. If he could see her, knowing this man, he must have already felt her presence, right? But he did not look as though he had felt anything unusual at all.

    Moving from her hiding spot, Alicia walked towards him. She was here to investigate and observe him very closely. If he could actually see her, then doing this would definitely not work because he would just hide everything once she was there and keep his mouth shut. If he does that then what she was doing would be meaningless. However, if he could not see her, then she would have the highest chance to find out what she wanted to know.

    And thus, Alicia decided to brave herself and try and find out if he could really see her or not. If he could see her, then she would have to think of some other way to execute her mission.

    Determined, Alicia stood right behind him. He was just so incredibly quiet and still that Alicia could not help but wonder if he was even breathing. He might as well be a life-sized statue of himself.

    Slowly, Alicia lifted her hand over his head then down over his face and waved.

    A/N: thank you for waiting hellbounders. ?

    Hi hellbounders! I¡¯m doing a signed paperback copy give away for hellbound as well for the highest tier privilege buyers this month.

    All you have to do is send me a screenshot of your tier 2 priv purchase. Send the screen shot through my instagram @kazzenlx.x

    BUT ONLY FOR USA AND PHILIPPINES RESIDENTS.

    p.s. the book contains the first 150k words only. I will choose the lucky readers through a spinning wheel.

    Deadline is 5 hours from now.

 Chapter 714 - Enemy

    <h4>Chapter 714 - Enemy </h4>

    After waving her hand in front of Zeke¡¯s face, Alicia retracted her hand in a swift move. She could not help but be a little nervous that he could really see her in this form even though he should not be able to. Though she was not afraid at all if in the case he really saw her, it would still be such a huge dilemma if he could really see her.

    She did not have much time to waste so she had really hoped in her heart that Zeres was wrong. She would rather not deal with the inconveniences of him being able to see her in this form.

    When Ezekiel did not react and did not even make a move at all, Alicia¡¯s unease quickly evaporated. A small smile curved over her face as her eyes shone with a more confident light now.

    Waving her hand over his face once again to just do a final check that he truly could not see her, her triumphant smile widened as Ezekiel remained unmoving like a statue made of ancient stone. Thank goodness! Alicia breathed out with extreme relief and then she craned her head slowly forward to look at the living statue¡¯s face. Only to find out that he had his eyes closed.

    Alicia was speechless when she saw that. She moved and she stood right before him. Her eyes narrowed as she observed him. Was he asleep the whole time she was being nervous over here! No way, right?!

    But as she continued staring at him, Alicia found herself unable to take her eyes off him. This man... he looked so calm and detached from the things around him. It seemed as though he was an immortal that had no concerns about the matters of this mortal realm. It was to the point that he actually even felt so non-threatening right now... almost vulnerable, which was something so absolutely not like Ezekiel at all.

    It was certainly a bit shocking. Ezekiel... this man looking like this was something Alicia would never even imagine before. She never thought that she would be able to see him being in such an unguarded manner like this. Looking as though... he was not the same stone-hearted man she knew. No, she did not know this man at all. In fact, no one might really and truly know him. Except perhaps for Alexander. Alexander would be the only exception.

    Moreover, she would be a fool to ever believe that this man could be vulnerable. Because she knew more than anyone else he¡¯s the most dangerous man right now. Yes, this man who looked so perfect he might as well be god¡¯s most perfect work of art was a...

    Shaking her head, Alicia closed her eyes tightly as if to ward off the distracting thoughts that came flooding into her head, unfettered. And when she opened her eyes again, they had already returned to being the eyes of a woman on a mission.

    She firmly reminded herself that she was not here to admire some godly living statue, but she was here to spy on him and watch over him. And no matter whatever happens, she must never forget that this man... this man was her enemy. He was the witches¡¯ number one and most feared enemy.

    That day when Alicia had seen Ezekiel¡¯s true face being revealed, she was shocked and horrified to her core. That was the one and same face of a certain vampire she had seen in her memories. These memories were the previous queens¡¯ memories that was passed down to all new witch queens when they took over the throne from their predecessors. There was no doubt that that the image of that vampire that was stamped into her mind was no other than Ezekiel.

    He was the powerful vampire who had killed hundreds of witches¡¯ long time ago.

    It was unsettling why the memories were all over the ce. As though many parts of the memories about Ezekiel during that time was purposely messed up and many other parts were also erased.

    But the things that she could see in her memories were more than enough for her to understand that Ezekiel was... and will always be their most dangerous enemy. That fact would never change and would forever remain as such.

    She could never forget the look on his face while he had hunted down the witches and killed them so viciously as though he was their debtor that were chasing after them who owed him something extremely valuable. However, there was also that extreme fury and utter hate that was reflected within his eyes. He looked as though he was going to do anything and everything to annihte all the witches that were in existence.

    Alicia had tried to find out about the reason on why Ezekiel had done that. Because Alicia had that feeling where there must be a really inexplicable reason behind that degree of fury and hate in his eyes. Why? What had made him go after the witches to that extent?

    Ever since she had met with Ezekiel, Alicia had always thought that he was cold and heartless but no doubt an amazing leader. He was most probably the most unrivalled leader she had ever known. He could maintain the control of all the vampires and was able to keep the peace among them until these days. That was such an amazing feat considering how strong-willed and rebellious the vampires were. Just within their own ranks, fights breaking out was something not umon. Their numbers were also steadily increasing unlike on the side of the witches, where their numbers were only being maintained or even slightly dwindling.

    If she were honest, Ezekiel¡¯s leadership could be considered as wless. He was always rational and would always do anything to keep the peace.. He was the type to go as far as fooling his allies and even using them as his pawns without their knowledge, if that was what it takes to achieve his goal.

 Chapter 715 - Curse

    <h4>Chapter 715 - Curse </h4>

    He was like a cunning and heartless chess master. And it was as if he was born into this world purely to be an almighty peace keeper. He was stone hearted and emotionless, all because he had such a heavy responsibility to bear on his shoulders.

    That was how Alicia had viewed him all this time. But it all changed on the day when she saw his real face. The day she watched him kill off her fellow witches in that memory that was passed on to her... that day when she saw the way he had mercilessly killed them all...

    She could never look at him the same way again.

    At first, Alicia had told herself not to jump to her own conclusions because something was just weird about the memories that she had inherited. Most especially the fact that a lot of things seemed to be purposely erased. And it was just so unsettling when she noticed on how nothing was ever shown about the reason why Ezekiel even ughtered so many witches. Also, the way the memories seemed to have put that subtle emphasis on how vicious and coldblooded way that he had carried out that massacre had her wondering even further.

    In fact, Alicia had tried her best to find the missing memories. Because at first, she just couldn¡¯t believe what Ezekiel had actually done in the past.

    However, she failed to find anything and then sheter on realized that no matter how much she try to reason it out, she knew that nothing would ever change the fact that Ezekiel had ughtered not only dozens but hundreds or even thousands of witches at that time.

    No matter the reason behind why he came after the witches, he had still killed them off... in cold blood and without an ounce of mercy. Nothing would ever change that.

    And the thing that caused her heart to shiver was that he even vowed that he would annihte all the witches from the face of the earth.

    Alicia had seen that part with her own two eyes, so vividly that it was ingrained into her mind. The utter and deeply rooted hatred in his eyes was even so hauntingly clear and Alicia knew that his vow... he was definitely going to make it happen at all cost once his memories returns.

    Alicia had seen how much the witches futilely fought for their lives and failed.

    And because the witches just could not stop Ezekiel, a witch queen had given her life to erase his memories. That was the only way to save the witches from his wrath.

    Then Alicia had heard that queen¡¯s voice ¨C the queen who had erased Ezekiel¡¯s memories ¨C when she died.

    When Alicia heard that queen¡¯s message, she then started to realize why the memories only showed the most terrible of the things that Ezekiel had done and there was not even a glimpse of the reason why behind it. All of that was done for the explicit reason in wanting to warn the future witch queens to beware of him. So that they will treat him as the absolute enemy, the greatest threat in existence to the witches. Because once the curse is broken and he recalls his memories and remembers everything again, he would definitely execute all that he had vowed and work to finish what he had started a long time ago. He would then stop at nothing to ughter the witches once again and annihte them until not a single one of them is left.

    And that oue is something that Alicia would never, ever allow.

    No matter in the event when she somehow discovered the real reason and it was actually something understandable on his part, Alicia thought that nothing might change. To her, what Ezekiel did to her fellow witches in past was unforgivable. And she couldn¡¯t help but fear him as well.

    Ezekiel was also so much stronger now. If his memories were to be returned to him anytime soon and hees after the witches again, they would definitely not be able to stand even a minute chance to stand up to him. Even with them having Zeres fighting on their side, that still might not even be enough to stop him at all.

    And now, Alicia was in an even more difficult position because she had found out that there was really a possibility that Ezekiel¡¯s curse ¨C the curse that erased his memories ¨C will notst forever.

    The voice had told her that Ezekiel might one day break the curse. And the reason was because Ezekiel himself was not just a normal vampire. He was a being that was so powerful that a strong curse might not be able to bind him forever.

    But the voice had said that if the curse managed to remain unbroken for as long as seven hundred years, then the curse would be able tost forever and have no chance of being broken - ever. And no matter how strong he would grow, no matter how formidable his powers would be, as long as the seven hundred years mark has passed, he would never ever be able to break it.

    The biggest shock to her was that Alicia had only recently found out that this year itself marks the exact time that the seven hundredth year would bepleted since that curse was being cast on Ezekiel. And there was actually still two months left before the deadline of that seven hundred years was up!

    That was why she hade rushing over here urgently after all those months she had spent to decipher the message she received from that queen. She was almost a hundred percent certain that her calctions were correct and that there were still only a little less than two months left.

    If Ezekiel was not able to break the curse within thising two months, then everything would be totally fine. However, if he ever shows even the smallest sign that he was about to break the curse... then...

 Chapter 716 - Intricate Puzzle

    <h4>Chapter 716 - Intricate Puzzle </h4>

    Clenching her fists tight, Alicia bit down on the insides of her lower lip. Before she came here, she had already formted a n. She was going to watch and follow after Ezekiel from here on, 24/7, until these two months were over, and the seven hundred years deadline was up. And if while tailing him, she sees even a hint of him trying to break the curse or starting to remember any of his suppressed memories, there was only one thing left for Alicia to do... and that was...

    She closed her eyes in concentration and stepped back. In the past several months, Alicia had been spending all her time researching on everything that she could find out about Ezekiel. There was not much that she could dig out but there were some, though on their own, they do not make much sense alone. However, she had tried her best to connect all the dots on the information that she had found about him and also from the information by the previous queen¡¯s memories in the hopes of discovering on how to stop him in the case where that dreadful day woulde.

    Being in spirit form now, helped Alicia move ahead tremendously with her mission a lot. She had learned quite a lot of important things that would have been just impossible for anyone who was alive to find out. Because of her special circumstance, she was able to uncover some secrets about Ezekiel and what that could possibly be something that would be able to take him down.

    Alicia grumbled within herself that this man was annoyingly wless in everything. One could not even imagine in the first ce on how anyone could even take him down. If she had not died and be a spirit, she knew she would never have been able to ever find out that this man actually had an Achilles heel as well. The fact that he even had one was so surprising! This is his one and only possible vulnerability. She was so shocked that she took quite a long while to process her findings about Ezekiel¡¯s secret.

    It was something she had never ever expected to have been able to discover no matter how optimistic she was. And to think that she still had a lot she did not know about him.

    He was an intricate puzzle she might never be able to fully uncover andprehend, even if she spent all her remaining time in trying to figure him inside out. She had epted that fact since the very beginning and that was the reason why she had chosen to focus on one aspect about him for the past several months. She had told herself that she should concentrate on just one thing, the most important thing, she wanted to know about him and get to know about it as best as possible, rather than to scurry about searching for many things and ending up with nothing at all.

    And who knew it, but her decision was right! For the many months of searching, she was able to only find out two things that were certain about him. First, was his weakness, and the second thing was the exact date of the end of that 700-years mark curse on him.

    Alicia had not told anyone about these findings of hers yet, not even to Zeres. The information came in too suddenly that she still was reeling from the impact of that knowledge. She then came to Zeres¡¯ apartment to tell and update him about the secret on these crucial two months before the time limit of the seven hundred years. But somehow, looking as how it did not go off too well when she interacted with him, in the end she just could not bring herself to say anything regarding that matter to Zeres at all.

    Now that she had left Zeres¡¯ ce, Alicia thought that it might be a really good thing where she was not able to bring up and tell anything to Zeres yet. Because there was still a possibility that nothing would happen at all after that time limit. If the curse does not break within these two months, Ezekiel will no longer aim to do anything to the witches, and that would also mean that there is no need for anyone to find out about these secrets anymore.

    If nothing out of the ordinary happens within these two months, then these secrets that were kept hidden might just stay hidden with her, alone and disappearing along with her one day...

    That thought made Alicia smile a little sullenly and made her non-existent heart ache, but she quickly erased whatever emotions that had shed in her eyes and focused her gaze to Ezekiel¡¯s face.

    She moved a little closer to him again. Her eyes traced along the tattoos that were decorating him, all over his torso.

    "Are you really just going to sit there? Huh? Ezekiel? Or are you nning to sleep in the chair like this?" Alicia muttered. She had just realized that what if Ezekiel just stayed put like a statue this way for 24/7? Well, she had never imagined that a man like him was even living like humans but... he would not just be sitting and staying still like this all night, right? He should at least be doing something that would give her a clue on what he was thinking at least. A little is better than nothing! Otherwise, how would she be able to find out if he was already up to something or already realized that he was cursed and trying to figure things out?

    Alicia sighed and moved closer to the window when that flesh and blood statue did not make even a tiny movement at all. Staying as still as a statue was truly impressive in its own way.

    She stared out the window helplessly as she observed and appreciated the vast, beautiful view of the city below them.

    ___

    Hi hellbounders! Thank you for still being here. I will try my best to keep updating 2 chapters daily for this whole month so we can open the hellbound badge again. However, we need to reach top 3 in ssic privilege rank to be elligible for the badge and also have more than 20k privilege unlocks.. I hope you guys can support through buying privilege even if its only the first tier. Let us do this hellbounders! ????

 Chapter 717 - Something Improper

    <h4>Chapter 717 - Something Improper </h4>

    "I¡¯m actually very surprised that there is no woman or women apanying you right now, though. It¡¯s such amon knowledge how vampires are just way too active with regards to their sexual pleasures." She continued her low monologue as she was just certain now that Ezekiel would neither be able to hear her nor feel her presence at all.

    "I know it¡¯s not nice to judge... but just based off the vampires¡¯ reputation alone, especially with the more ancient ones ¨C like yourself ¨C are just so bad in that department that it¡¯s even epted widely like a fact. Was Alexander himself not a famous womanizer too before he met Abi and you were his... what did you call it... babysitter?" she chuckled softly when she recalled that term as she continued talking even though she knew that no one was listening. She had already gotten used to it in the past several months, talking on her own without anyone listening or responding to her.

    "So I assumed you might be like him. Or did you change now as well, or perhaps you finally got sick of it now? I can¡¯t find any signs of a female of any species in this house of yours at all. Or did I miss it? I couldn¡¯t have, right? Alright... I might as well continue investigating now, while he¡¯s asleep."

    After muttering all of those things to herself, Alicia turned around. Then seeing that the statue was still a statue, she confidently walked past him to go back to the desk, thinking that perhaps, she could see some scribbles or anything in there.

    And as soon as Alicia reached the desk, a slow smile tipped up the corners of Ezekiel¡¯s marvellous lips without him opening his eyes at all.

    ...

    Time ticked by and Alicia continued roaming around Ezekiel¡¯s massive apartment happily and without any concerns. She could not find anything of importance lying around anywhere at all. His apartment was also just too in and boring! There was not even a single painting hanging on thoserge nk walls. There was just the relevant furniture needed. He did not even have more personal item anywhere inside the house.

    When Alicia returned to the living room, Ezekiel was already gone. What?! He is gone?! Her eyes widened immediately. Where did he go?

    As though she was some guard who had just lost her charge, Alicia hastily ran around, looking for him. No, she must not let that sly vampire off from her view from now on!

    Thankfully, she could go through walls, so she was able to quickly searched the house. She entered his closetst and found him there, getting dressed.

    For a moment, she seemed to have caught him pausing for one brief moment the instant she appeared in the room. But when she focused her gaze, she could not see anything amiss. He was casually putting on his shirt now and then started walking towards her.

    Alicia was flustered for a moment and was even about to step back when she saw him pick up the hair dryer next to her and nonchntly used it.

    A long sigh of relief escaped her mouth before she scolded herself inwardly this time. He is not able to see you so just rx, Alicia!

    Once he was done, he left the closet and Alicia quickly followed after him.

    "I¡¯m sorry. I know this is not good, not giving you any privacy at all. But I really have no other choice. I need to watch over you at all costs. And well, I¡¯m just a spirit now so... I basically don¡¯t exist anymore. And I have a big reason on why I¡¯m... wait... why am I even trying to convince myself that I¡¯m not doing something so improper right now?" Alicia could only shake her head. But she really had no other choice. She would truly do anything for the sake of her people! She was willing to do anything it takes... even if she had to watch over the witches¡¯ ultimate enemy for every single second for a whopping whole two months!

    Standing by his bedroom¡¯s door, Alicia watched him lie on the bed. One of his long legs was bent and the back of his arm slung over his face and was covering his eyes.

    After what felt like an hour, Alicia could no longer stay still and slowly approach his bed. This will be a torturous mission for her she had just realized. It seems Ezekiel was really as boring as Alexander had called him. What if every night was going to be like this? Just him being so quiet and not saying or doing anything at all? There was no way he could go on like this, right? She had expected him to like doing some thing interesting while he was alone. Probably like practicing his abilities or at least doing some work rted or confidential stuffs. But he just had to sit therezily and drink blood and then just going to sleep?

    Easy... Alicia. She told herself. This is just the first night. It really is too early to tell anyway. Maybe he was just tired right now? But... Ezekiel? Does this man even get tired? That was something unheard of.

    Sighing despondently, Alicia quietly looked around the room, just trying to keep herself upied. But the room did not have anything interesting that could draw her attention to at all. And for goodness¡¯ sakes, time just seemed to pass so slow. Maybe she can leave him alone when he finally falls asleep? But what if he takes the opportunity to disappear then and she lose track of him? It was a given that this man was so hard to figure out after all!

    In the end, Alicia let herself slide to the floor. Then she closed her eyes and started going through the previous queen¡¯s memories again, hoping that she might somehow find something important that she might have overlooked. She always does this every time she felt like going crazy for not being able to even sleep or touch anything.

    And as she had immersed herself in her thoughts, Ezekiel suddenly moved his hand off his face and slowly, his thick darkshes fluttered opened.

    He stared at the ceiling first then in the next moment, his head tilted and looked towards Alicia.

    ___

    Hi hellbounders! Thank you for still being here. I will try my best to keep updating 2 chapters daily for this whole month so we can open the hellbound badge again. However, we need to reach top 3 in ssic privilege rank to be elligible for the badge and also have more than 20k privilege unlocks.. I hope you guys can support through buying privilege even if its only the first tier. Let us do this hellbounders! ????

 Chapter 718 - Distraction

    <h4>Chapter 718 - Distraction </h4>

    Meanwhile, Zeres had finally left the building he had entered a few hours ago. Jude who was waiting for him outside, threw his cigarette to the side as soon as he saw Zeres approaching the car.

    Jude surveyed Zeres as he quietly entered and slumped his long body into the seat. His damp hair and that new set of clothes... Jude could already tell what had happened and he could only minutely shake his head.

    "So? Did you get the information that you wanted?" Jude asked carefully as he noticed Zeres¡¯ grumpy expression.

    Zeres shut his eyes tightly together and leaned his head against the head rest, as if he was totally tired out.

    "Yes." Was his short reply, before heaving out a heavy sigh.

    "What happened in there? Don¡¯t tell me... you killed her?"

    Zeres fell silent for a while but eventually he opened his mouth again and spoke. "She¡¯s a mad woman. There were a number of other humans¡¯ remains all over her house. Remains of the men she had toyed with and tortured to death. She had been preying mainly on younger handsome men. And mostly were the humans she was able to put under her spells." Zeres exined that to Jude.

    Jude winced. "How did you get the information from her, then?" he was a little afraid of hearing Zeres¡¯ answer on this.

    Zeres did not deign to answer that question, but tantly ignored it outright, and just rattled off another address to him instead. Of course, Jude did not push his luck and pestered him anymore on that matter and just drove the car obediently to the ce he had wanted them to go to next.

    The trip was a long one, so Zeres just kept his eyes closed as if he was trying to get some sleep on the way. When he had entered into that room, hours ago, that woman had tried to dominate him, nning to do exactly the things Jude had told him he had suspected she would try to. Zeres could not evenst for a few minutes and eventually had turned the tables around on her. He had easily overpowered her.

    The woman was definitely a powerful witch. So it was just a simple task for her to overpower any mortal man she lures into her den. But unfortunately, he was not like those men that she was used to ying with. Zeres was certain that this woman knew who he was and the extent of his power, and yet... she still had daringly invited him over like this. She would not be so na?ve to think that she could overpower someone like him. That thought made Zeres realize that this woman must have wanted something else more from him. She had wanted to experience being dominated this time by someone much more powerful than her... by a silver-haired male witch.

    Zeres assumed that she was probably sick of her usual boy toys by now and wanted to try out something new. So, Zeres had generously given her what she wanted. He also started doing to her the things that she loved to do to her own prey, and she had loved it. He did his best to pleasure her and did her as rough and as hard as she wanted. And when she was finally so lost in her own haze of pleasure, Zeres took that opportunity to finally take the information that he wanted from her.

    He saw the unforgivable things that she had done. She did not even spare young boys. And the sight of her torturing a certain young boy made Zeres¡¯ blood boil. He was immediately reminded of his crazy mother.

    And when the woman suddenly naively tried to put a controlling spell on him, most probably to stop him from leaving, he had obviously fought back and ended up killing her. Zeres had purposely used all his power when he retaliated, and that tsunami of force had killed her. She had already fallen into madness and he of all people knew what a mad person could do. She will only ruin many more lives if she continued living on. He was doing the rest of humanity a favour by getting rid of her. They were better off not having this scourge live a day longer. He would consider it his good deed to the world in her removal.

    "We¡¯re here." Jude¡¯s voice echoed out suddenly, breaking the stillness of the atmosphere in the car and Zeres opened his eyes and immediately opened the door and got off the car.

    "You can leave me here now." he instructed, causing Jude to blink at him, not able toprehend that for a few moments.

    "What?" Jude was still unsure of what he just heard.

    "I said you can leave now, or you don¡¯t want to?"

    "Of course, I want to! I want to take a rest too!" Jude then quickly stepped on the elerator and the car lurched forward and left the area. He was not going to let this opportunity slip off his hands. He was already called back to work once when he was supposed to be on break. No way is he going to let this go!

    Zeres stared at the narrow street ahead of him. He was surprised to know that the house of this so-called Caliste was actually located in a ce where average people lived. But somehow, he also realized that a witch can easily blend in and remain unnoticed in a cramped ce like this for so long.

    He could have decided to do this tomorrow, but Zeres wanted a distraction. Any distraction would be fine. He did not want to end up thinking about Alicia or the things he had just done tonight. He did not want to think at all and just keep himself upied and busy.

    For a few minutes, Zeres quietly walked through the dark and quiet alleys. It was nearly dawn, so not many people were up and about yet.

    When Zeres found the address, he quickly entered the door without caution. He was surprised to see it was not a house but an old bookstore in fact.. The strangest thing was that he could not sense any presence of a witch in it at all.

 Chapter 719 - Drawing

    <h4>Chapter 719 - Drawing </h4>

    Zeres had toe out and check once again if he had gotten the right address, but it was truly the right ce, so Zeres entered the house again.

    He quietly searched around the old bookstore and when he did not find anything unusual, he climbed up a narrow stair that was also filled with old books from side to side that only a small space the size of a palm width was the only space left.

    As Zeres climb up, he instantly noticed a presence now. Someone was indeed here, and he or she was upstairs. He still doubted if this someone was Caliste though. Because he still could not feel any presence of a witch. However, he also knew that perhaps, Caliste was one cunning witch who could hide in in sight. The fact that he had blended into this area so seamlessly where humans live was proof enough. Otherwise, why would she be so hard to find even for someone like him?

    Zeres concealed his presence now and sneaked inside the room stealthily at the end of the stairs. It looked as though it was a room in the attic. He felt that the person inside was still awake.

    As soon as he entered into the room, a loud voice instantly weed him.

    "Damn it!!! It¡¯s not handsome enough!!! Not sexy enough!!! Not hot enough!!! Urgh!!!" the sudden yell made Zeres just stood there in shock, unmoving, as he looked at a girl grumbling in frustration before herputer. "I¡¯m doomed now!!! It¡¯s over!!! My life is over!!!" she was wailing and wildly gesticting at herputer screen.

    She suddenly stood up angrily that her chair was pushed back and fell over. Then she ran towards the window and pushed the window open a little too violently. Wait... could it be... was she actually intending to ...

    Suddenly, Zeres approached her and spoke up. "You¡¯re too young to end your life like this youngdy." He said, causing the girl¡¯s head to whip around, not expecting to hear another person¡¯s voice in her own personal space.

    "Huh?! Who the hell is ending her life..." she trailed off and her eyes slowly stretched wide open as she looked at Zeres. Her eyes roamed over Zere¡¯s body and sparkled. "Oh... oh my god... who... who are you? How.... How did... oh my god... silver... so beautiful... c-could it be... witch... you¡¯re a witch!!" she then shouted out.

    "Yes, I am. And I am here to ¨C"

    And she fainted and crumbled to the floor.

    Speechless, Zeres sighed. This girl was definitely not Caliste. She was very clearly a human! There was no way the woman that he was looking for is a human.

    Zeres tried to stay calm. Of course, it would not be easy. What the hell was he even expecting? When did anything he wanted ever came to him easily? He sighed out heavily and resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

    Sighing again, Zeres looked around and saw a small bed huddled in the corner. Even this attic room was filled with books until there was nearly no space left for anything else, much less to talk about sitting room. Books were even stuffed under the chairs and tables... every space that was avable was upied.

    Quietly, he moved towards the girl, picked her up and thenid her on the bed.

    After that, Zeres walked towards the window and rested his hands on the windowpane. There was no mistaking that this was the ce he had seen in that woman¡¯s head. But where was she? Why was a human girl living in a ce that was supposed to be upied by a powerful witch?

    Zeres¡¯ gaze then moved around the room. He noticed that all books were vintage and quite old. What if the book that he was looking for were among these piled up old books? No, that would be too easy, would it not? But... what if Caliste chose to hide it in sight? It was always known that to hide, the most obvious ce was the safest...

    His gaze then fell to the girl on the bed. Now that he realized it, the girl called him a witch. No human ever called him that the moment they saw him. He always hears them tell him he looks unreal and things like that, but no one ever pointed out at him and called him witch, point nk.

    Thus, Zeres thought that this girl definitely knows something. It seems that he needed to wait for her to wake up and interrogate her...

    Zeres¡¯ attention was suddenly pulled by the thing that he saw in theputer¡¯s screen. Slowly, he approached it and saw it was a digital drawing of a man with a long and silver hair. His robe was opened and showed his tempting ripped body. So she was an artist... this exined what she was mumbling about a while ago.

    Just as Zeres was about to take his eyes off it and leave, something stopped him. The man in the drawing had a dialogue saying, ¡¯I will help you return to your body ande back to life again.¡¯

    Despite knowing that it was just probably some random story cooked up out of an overactive imagination, the line caught Zeres¡¯ curiosity. So, he scrolled the page down and his eyes narrowed. Because the man in the drawing was talking to a young man in a spirit form.

    ¡¯How? I am already dead and can no longer even go into the afterlife. I am going to disappear soon. No one can save me now.¡¯ the spirit had said, and the long-haired man smirked and lifted a book magically appeared in his hand.

    Zeres could no longer contain his curiosity now. This story... there was no way it could be just coincidence, right? This girl definitely knew something about the book that he was looking for! And it was ridiculous, but he was going to find out what he was looking for, for so many months in a drawing!

    A/N: 5 hours left hellbounders.. If you want to join the paperback give away, please send me the screen shot of your tier 2 privelege now.

 Chapter 720 - Content

    <h4>Chapter 720 - Content </h4>

    Zeres continued scrolling down with the utmost interest shining from his eyes. There was just no way that this could be exined away as coincidence! It was just too spot on for the things that he was looking for.

    ¡¯This book contains a spell that could bring you back.¡¯ The long-haired man in the drawing said and in the next frame, he was drawn to be squatting down before the spirit who was slumped over on the ground.

    Zeres did not even notice that the drawing was bing less detailed as he scrolled further down. His attention was focused to one thing and one thing only. The dialogues. He scrutinized and read every single word, not leaving any off in case he missed some important detail.

    He scrolled down again. ¡¯You will bring me back? At what cost?¡¯ the spirit replied and the long-haired man which was not even coloured in now replied and said, ¡¯nothing fancy, you only need to marry me.¡¯

    The dialog made Zeres crease his brows at the realization that this story might be categorised in one of those genres that the humans called boys¡¯ love (BL). Shaking his head a little at that twist in the story, he continued scrolling down. Part of him started to question himself on what the hell was he even doing, scrolling through aic strip in another person¡¯s house. But he could only continue on for now and hope against all odds to find something valuable from this.

    ¡¯What. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t want to follow my conditions? Choose now my poor little rabbit, death or me?¡¯

    Zeres had to crack his neck and release the tension building in him before he could force himself to continue reading. He felt somewhat weirded out at what he was doing himself, but a part of him just told himself to persist in it for a while longer.

    ¡¯I don¡¯t even know if you¡¯re telling me the truth.¡¯ The drawing was only a rough sketch now. ¡¯Why don¡¯t you do it first before you make me choose? Who knows if you¡¯re bluffing?¡¯

    ¡¯What a sly little rabbit.¡¯ The long-haired man who was thankfully not reduced into a doodle was illustrated to be opening the book. ¡¯But oh well, it¡¯s not like I will ever let you go once I brought you back. Once you¡¯re back to life, you¡¯re mine!¡¯

    Then the long-haired man whom Zeres could not even quite recognize anymore as it had been turned into a mere stick figure now said in a speech bubble. ¡¯Prepare yourself, as I¡¯m going to start the ritual now.¡¯

    Zeres found himself getting more intrigued now, hoping that this drawing would tell him more about the details of the spell inside the book, but...

    When Zeres scrolled down to the next page, there was no more content. He found himself staring at just a white nk page and no matter how hard he looked and searched around for the continuation, he just could not find it. To be more precise, there was nothing that was continued. The story seemed to have stopped there for now.

    He half bite on his lower lip in frustration and his head whipped towards the sleeping girl on the bed. Tsk, it seems like he really did not have a choice now but to wait for the girl to wake up. She was a human girl, and he could not use the mind reading spell on her unless he did not care if her mind breaks under his onught. Doing that to a human was the same as killing them. Their bodies were just not made to withstand the forceful examination of the mind reading spell.

    Sighing, Zeres started to search her table, hoping to find more clues while waiting. Or probably, the book might be even here, and she was basing her story on it.

    He picked up the books there and scanned through them quickly. After looking, he could only pinch the skin between his brows because all the books on this table contained various drawings of men, all being in fully naked or semi dressed state and also being intimate with each other. This girl...

    Eventually, Zeres gave up and left her desk. He looked at the ancient books everywhere and wondered what if the book he was looking for was just slotted among these books in here?

    Using a magic spell, Zeres tried to look for a book that would react to magic. Usually, books that contains spells will emit some amount of magic as they were usually written with the help of magic.

    But time ticked by and not even a single book reacted at all. He was not extremely disappointed though. Somehow, Zeres had expected that the book was not written with magic at all. Because it would be very easy to find it by any witch. Meaning, if that book was indeed in here and was written by hand, then he had to search through the content of this ce and wade through these thousands of books to find it.

    He sighed at the thought of that, but he still moved and picked one of the old books piled on the floor. He chose the one at the very bottom and when he opened it, he realized that no one might have ever opened these books for a long time. He slumped on the floor and leaned against the wall tiredly.

    Thest thing he wanted to do right now was go back to his apartment and get disturbed by his own miserable thoughts. And when he fell asleep, he would most probably dream of that woman he had just killed. That always happens to him. No matter how much he tells himself that he killed them because they fully deserved it, Zeres would still be haunted by their ghosts in his sleep. This was why if it was a woman, Zeres would always resort to f*cking them and giving them what they wanted rather than torturing them.

    It has been a while since he had killed someone, so he knew that this would definitely haunt him if he fell asleep tonight. And that was why he was more than willing to just stay here and look through these books one after another, hoping again that he would find something before the girl wakes up.. Because as much as possible, he did not want to involve anyone else in this, most specifically if the person was just a helpless little human girl.

 Chapter 721 - No.2

    <h4>Chapter 721 - No.2 </h4>

    Meanwhile, Alicia who had been too deep into her mind for hours on end finally opened her eyes. She could not find anything else that was new about Ezekiel, but she had found some interesting and helpful things that she could convey to Lilith that might be useful one day.

    Her eyes immediately fell onto the bed and the moment she saw that it was empty, her eyes widened in panic. Damn it! She quickly looked at the floor to ceiling window which was covered with thick dark curtains and saw that it was still dawn.

    As though the house was on fire, Alicia hastily searched the whole house for him. How could he wake up so early?! Did he not even need sleep?

    To her relief, she found him in the living room. He was already dressed in that signature outfit of his. All ck and regal and menacing. However, she could not even deny that the whole look worked for him, as if the clothes were just made to be worn by him.

    Lucas and another man were already standing alongside him as well.

    "Is Kyle ready?" Ezekiel¡¯s voice echoed. That was the first sentence that Alicia had heard him speak in a long time that she had almost forgotten how he sounded like.

    "Yes, boss. Everything¡¯s ready."

    "Alright, let¡¯s go."

    Alicia of course followed after them, making sure to stick a bit closer to the prince of all statues which was Ezekiel. She knew she could not afford to take her eyes off him, knowing how just how unfathomable he was. She would lose him the moment she got even the slightest bit distracted.

    They all went to the building¡¯s rooftop where a helicopter was ready and waiting. Alicia nonchntly climbed into the passenger seats with them. She was expecting and waiting for them to talk to glean more information, but all throughout the trip, no one spoke at all.

    Their next destination was an airport.

    There, Alicia saw Kyle again and she just smiled at the sight of him. She was pleasantly surprised because from the first time she had seen him, the young man was so different now. It was like he had grown so much in a short period of time.

    But in all honestly, Alicia was a bit sad to see that the innocence in Kyle¡¯s eyes seemed to be all gone now. She understood that was something inevitable. He was a man that might rule the vampires one day and everyone knew that Ezekiel was obviously grooming him to be the future possible perfect next ruler of the vampires. It was quite clearly seen as he was bringing Kyle along with him on many of his missions now.

    It still mystified Alicia though, that it seemed that Ezekiel did not have any ns to dere himself as king of the vampires at all. With his age and power, he could be crowned king already since long time ago. However, now it seems as though that he is grooming Kyle to take over the throne one day instead.

    She was also curious about the other two vampire princes. So far Ezekiel¡¯s attention was only focused on the youngest prince which was Kyle. What about those other two princes? Where were they in the first ce? Why had Ezekiel not bothered to groom them as the sessor as their ages were more suitablepared to Kyle who was the youngest? Were they not qualified to take over?

    When Alicia was in the Vampire Kingdom, and even in their pce, she had never seen nor felt the presence of the other princes as well. If she did not know better and was informed that there were the other two royal princes, it was as though they never had existed. She had seen the other princes before. But that was only through the previous queen witches¡¯ memories but there was one prince who seemed to be missing. It was strange because she had never seen even a glimpse of that one missing prince¡¯s face in any of the memories at all. It even felt as though he did not exist, or the vampires were not even bothered about this missing prince at all.

    Alicia thought that way because since she was young, she had been among one of those who were assigned to spy about the vampires. When she was still spying back then, none of the citizens of the Vampire Kingdom, both vampires and humans, ever talked about this one missing Prince. Alicia also had realized that none of them might have ever seen him in person at all as well. And that was absolutely strange.

    Back then, she had found out that the other prince who was the second to the youngest was in another country and schooling there. Was that missing prince been sent off for schooling somewhere else as well? For some reason, Alicia doubt that that was the case.

    "Did you look over the rules I gave to you to review?" she heard Ezekiel ask Kyle as they entered into a private jet.

    "Yes." Kyle replied shortly. The young man¡¯s face had even matured a lot more now as well, since thest time she had seen him. He did not look like that soft young boy he was anymore. Gone were the sparkly eyes and cute smiles. But in its ce, stood a tough, and cold guy as well. To be honest, Alicia was not pleased at all with his changes. Because it was as though Kyle was being slowly infected by Ezekiel¡¯s coldness and heartlessness. She did not want him to be statue version no.2 after Ezekiel.

    "Damn you Ezekiel, what did you do to my sweet little Kyle? Must you infect him with your coldness like this? Look at him, he¡¯s slowly bing just like you!" Alicia mumbled agitatedly as she stood behind Ezekiel. "He doesn¡¯t even smile anymore! Are you really trying to turn him into another prince of statues like you?"

    Since Alicia was right behind him, she did not get to see how Ezekiel¡¯s enigmatic expression changed for one brief moment as if he heard what she had said.

 Chapter 722 - One Of A Kind

    Chapter 722 - One Of A Kind

    "By the way brother," Kyle spoke as his gaze was fixed outside the ne''s window. "About Zeres¡­ he killed a famous personalityst night."

    Alicia''s eyes stretched wide at what she had just heard.

    "It seems he''s really hellbent on finding out what he is looking for," Lucas piped in when Ezekiel remained silent and did not make a singlement on his younger brother''s report. "I think he''s being way too reckless. He needs to mellow down a little or even ask for help from us. But he never speaks about what is he even looking for."

    A short silence followed Lucas'' words.

    "Brother¡­" Kyle turned to Ezekiel now. "Do you know anything about this? About what Zeres is up to? Can''t you just lend him a hand? I have asked him to let me help out, but he didn''t let me. I''m certain if it''s you, he''d probably ept it."

    "We''re already helping him, Your Highness." Lucas was the one who answered Kyle''s question. "The source of the intel about that woman we gave to that assistant of his is ¨C"

    "Lucas." Ezekiel finally spoke as he cut him off halfway through his exnation. "Get me something to drink."

    Lucas blinked then he quickly nodded and left.

    "Did he deal with that woman''s body properly?" Ezekiel then asked Kyle, his tone as t and uninterested as always.

    "Yes. I don''t think the police will find out if there was anything strange about it. He had done it clean and properly. It''s also a good thing that she was a witch."

    "Good." Was all Ezekiel said and then the topic quickly moved on to the matter about Kyle''s university.

    As the two vampire brothers continued speaking about it, with Ezekiel instructing and reminding Kyle about the things that he must do and not do while living among the humans, Alicia just stood there quietly, listening in to their conversation a little absent-mindedly. In fact, the conversation between the brothers just flowed over her and she did not quite register what they were saying. Instead, her eyes were now looking outside the ne''s window.

    The things she had heard Kyle mentioning about Zeres earlier really bothered her. ''Zeres¡­ what are you doing? Could it be that you''re¡­'' Alicia''s fists clenched slightly at the thought that had just popped into her mind. As she continued to ponder upon it, even her brows furrowed and creased.

    ¡­

    Back inside the two-storey bookstore, the girl who had fainted at the sight of Zeres finally opened her eyes. She sat up, stretched and yawn like she always does every time she wakes up. Then she grabbed her ponytail and pulled off the scrunchie holding it together. Her hair was mussed up from her sleep and she re-tied her dark hair behind after using her fingers tob through and tidied up a little.

    She stood and was about to make her bed when she froze in mid step. Her green eyes caught sight of a man who was sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall, sleeping.

    The nket in her hands fell from limp fingers as she rubbed at her eyes to make sure she was not just seeing things. She even pinched herself just in case she was actually dreaming. But then, as she did that, the sharp pain and what had happenedst night finally caught up to her mind.

    Her hands flew to her mouth. Those green eyes were now wide like saucers. She just could not believe her eyes. And she did not know what to do now.

    She knew that he was certainly a witch. Those silver locks and that impossibly beautiful face¡­ and also the fact that he had entered her house without her even noticing anything¡­ there was no doubt that this man was a witch. Only witches could break into a house so easily like this!

    Those memories in the past, when she was still young still vividly remained in her mind. Those times when all of a sudden, people entered the bookstore without even opening the door. It had been years since those people stoppeding over and they never returned here again. But she already knew a lot about the witches by then, all thanks to her grandmother. She also knew that the witches have a queen who was the only different one from everyone when ites to her features and powers. Though she had never seen a silver-haired witch, she was very well informed as she always loved to ask her grandmother to tell her more about the witches. She loved to know about witches that she always tells her grandmother when she was younger, she wanted to be a witch when she grows up. But her grandmother had just smiled at her every time she told her that until she grew up and the moment she had turned sixteen, her grandmother disappeared. It was as if she had been a bubble, one moment there, and the next moment gone. And no one else but her had remembered there was this person who was her grandmother.

    Since her disappearance, she had waited for witches toe visit this house again so she could ask them to look for her grandmother. But for the past three years, no one hade. There was not even a shadow of them.

    Yet now, someone had finallye! And it was¡­ the one of a kind type! Not to mention that he was a male¡­ a freaking godly male!

    Her eyes travelled from his head down to his toes and she felt like fainting again. She had never seen a man this beautiful, not even in her dreams! Oh my god! This! This is the man that I am looking for!! Her mind screamed and as quiet and quick as she could, she grabbed her pencil and sketch pad.

    There was only one thing in her mind right now. To immortalize this man in her drawings. This will be the perfect male lead she had been looking for in her BL series!

    Excitement zed in her eyes as she started sketching. She was afraid that he would disappear once he wakes up so she might as well grab this opportunity to draw him now.

 Chapter 723 - Worst

    <h4>Chapter 723 - Worst </h4>

    "What do you think you are you doing?" Zeres¡¯ voice echoed out lowly as soon as he opened his eyes.

    The girl before him gasped and she smiled at him awkwardly, being caught in thatpromising situation that she was secretly sketching him without his permission. "G-good morning... sir." She said, hugging the sketch pad tightly in her arms, a little afraid that he would snatch it from her and tear it in anger.

    Zeres sighed and rose from where he was seated. He did not expect that he would actually end up falling asleep on the floor like this and the sun was even rising now.

    He looked at the girl again, seeing that she was still forcing an awkward smile as she looked up at him.

    "What¡¯s your name?" he asked, and she blinked, taken aback that he would actually want to know her name.

    "I... Iryz."

    "Iryz..." Zeres echoed, "you know me, right?"

    She blinked again, then she shook her head, causing Zeres to narrow his eyes slightly. "But you know that I¡¯m a witch..."

    When she nodded, Zeres leaned against the window behind him. "No wonder you¡¯re not freaking out upon seeing a stranger in your room," hemented, "seems that you know a lot about witches."

    "Yes. I learned a lot about witches from my grandmother." He could sense her excitement as she told him that.

    "Calliste?"

    She tilted her head and thought for a moment. "Nope... her name¡¯s not Calliste. Her name is Diana. You are here to look for her, right?"

    "You¡¯re saying that your grandmother, the witch who lives here is named Diana and not Calliste?"

    Iryz nodded again. "But Diana¡¯s not here anymore. She disappeared three years ago and had nevere back after that." Her voice became a little sullen as she said that. "I was waiting for a witch toe here but no one came until now."

    Zeres threw his head back and sighed, a little exasperated after hearing her exnation. Now things were not going smoothly yet again. This girl did not seem to be lying at all and if that was really the case... this search was not over yet!

    "What¡¯s your name? Are you... the king of the witches? Wait... but grandma said witches do not have kings." Her brows scrunched up as she muttered to herself.

    A small smile curved on Zeres¡¯ lips. "You indeed really do know a lot, little girl."

    "I¡¯m not a little girl. I¡¯m a bit shorter than my peers but I¡¯m already neen." She replied. "So... what are you then? Sir?"

    "You are right. Witches don¡¯t have kings so I¡¯m no king or any of the sort." He looked at herputer then continued in a tired voice. "I¡¯m nothing special. Just someone who is not supposed to exist anymore."

    He stretched out his hand after he said those words, gesturing her to give him the sketch pad that she was hugging to herself as though it was more precious than her life itself.

    She bit on her lower lip and hesitantly, she slowly handed it over to him.

    Upon seeing his portrait already drawn almost perfectly in every single detail, he smiled shortly. "You¡¯re good. May I know why you drew me?"

    "Err... because you¡¯re beautiful and hot."

    Zeres was speechless at her direct admission.

    "Can I please make you the model for my story... uhm... sir?" she rubbed her palms together as she said that, then her eyes began to gleam. "I am really struggling with conceptualising how my main male lead should look right now. But the moment I saw you, I knew that you are the answer to my prayers!"

    For a moment, Zeres did not know what to say.

    "Little girl ¨C"

    "I said I¡¯m not ¨C"

    "I¡¯m thousands of years old. So, no matter how old you are, to me you¡¯re a little girl."

    "Oh my god. Are you serious? Thousands?!" her eyes almost bulged out of their sockets as she looked at him in disbelief, then her eyes twinkled again. "Oh my god! Just like in my story. My male lead is also a thousand years old!!"

    "You seem to be a very friendly girl. Did your grandmother not taught you to be more aware of strangers?" Zeres changed the topic as he did not quite know what to even say about the model thing she was talking about.

    "Of course. I¡¯m always wary of strangers." She answered quickly.

    "Always?" his brows arched in question.

    "Yes. You¡¯re an exemption because you¡¯re a witch. Witches are good creatures. Humans are the only ones I must be wary about the most."

    That made Zeres smile and shook his head slightly. "Whoever had told you witches are good creatures? Your grandmother?"

    "She didn¡¯t tell me that, but I just know witches are the nicest. All the witches who visited her when I was young were very beautiful people."

    Zeres leaned his head back against the windowpane and his expression turned a little sullen, remembering all the nasty witches he had met in his life. To him, witches were still the worst creatures he had ever known. His very own mother had made him believe that and the woman fromst night just refreshed those memories for him, just further confirming his thoughts on the matter.

    "You are wrong. Not all witches are good and nice, remember that." He told her. "Witches could be the worst of all the creatures too."

    He then walked towards her and then approached herputer.

    "Since the person I¡¯m looking for is not here, I think I¡¯ll have you answer my questions instead."

    "Questions... about my grandmother?"

    "Yes, including something very important I know for sure you certainly have knowledge about."

    She swallowed as his incredibly beautiful and unusual silver eyes became serious.

    "Are you... one of those witches you said that isn¡¯t nice."

    He nodded without hesitation. "Yes. I¡¯m one of the worst witches there ever is." He said that as if he was so sure of it.

    But Iryz shook her head. "I am not convinced, but fine... I will answer your questions."

    "Good girl." Zeres just smiled when she straightened and looked at him bravely.

    "But on one condition." She said, firmly. "Agree to be my model first."

    ___

    Hi hellbounders! Please continue casting your Golden Tickets on Spellbound instead of giving it to this book. Thank you guys! Love you all ????

 Chapter 724 - Anything It Takes

    <h4>Chapter 724 - Anything It Takes</h4>

    "Agree to be my model first," Iryz determinedly said.

    When she was drawing Zeres a while ago, she was truly ecstatic. Drawing him was unexpectedly easy and exciting and her motivation had skyrocketed to the point that she felt that she could continue drawing without stopping even for her meals. Right now, she actually wanted to just go sit at herputer and start drawing.

    Iryz was working on a BL series. A series that she was just so damned confident which would be very sessful given the chance that she could get it off and running. She had been working as a webtoonist for three years and running now. And this hobby of hers was what had actually helped see her through financially since her grandmother¡¯s sudden disappearance.

    But her earnings were still not enough. She needed to earn more and make a sessful series because she needed a huge amount of money to buy this house. She already had quite a big amount of savings now that she had gotten and saved up from working on a series for three whole years. And even if she added that up with the money that her grandma had left to her, it was still not enough to purchase this house.

    Thankfully, the owner of this house was such a nice person that she had agreed when Iryz had asked her to give her four years to earn enough money to buy over the house. The owner apparently wanted to sell the house to her alone too, because the old woman said that she knew Iryz will not tear and demolish the antique bookstore if she were to be the one to buy it, which was the truth. The old owner was attached to the house, but her children were pestering her to sell it as they had felt that it was a waste of resource for their mother to have this old ce stagnating there.

    Iryz would have given up on this house since she heard that the owner was nning to sell it if she did not find a way to earn some money from her hobby three years ago.

    But since she started earning from heric series, she had made a goal to save up all of her money for this house. She really wanted to own this house. This ce was important to her. This was her home that she had grown up in and she still believes that one day, Diana would return to this ce here, which was her home as well. She also believes that this ce was important not only to her but also to the witches and that was why she was adamant and could not just let go and give it up without fighting her hardest for it.

    Now she had a year left to the time limit that was allotted to her. But her money was still not quite enough to meet the amount needed. She had initially nned to take up a loan if she could not reach her goal by this year. But then one day, she saw a contest which offered quite a big prize money for the first ce. Iryz was fired up and wanted tounch a new series that she was confident would give her the money that she needed so badly.

    She already had a plot cooking in her mind that she was so confident with. If this new series could be sessful, then she would no doubt be able to reach her goal! Everything was going really well since she hadunched the new series just the other day. However, what she had been struggling with was the conceptualisation of her male lead now. She had wanted to portray a man, the perfect man, that people will fall in love with ¨C male and female alike.

    She had already created quite a number of male characters based on her requirements, but she was still not satisfied with how they had turned out in the end. To her, the characters she created were somehow not hot enough, or not beautiful enough. In her mind, that perfect character needed to be both hot and beautiful. Iryz believed that having the perfect male lead was one of the biggest factors of a series¡¯ sess. And that was why she wanted to perfect her characters, most especially this damned male lead who needed to be the hottest and most beautiful of them all.

    And now she had found him! This male witch is the answer to her prayers! Her perfect model! She would do anything to make him agree to be her model! Anything it takes!

    "I will answer your questions only if you agree to this one and only request of mine. After all, you need to give back to me for what you will receive from me right? Sir?" She bravely bargained with him again when he had just stared at her quietly, not a wording forth from his lips. His silvery foxy eyes stared unwaveringly at her. "Don¡¯t worry, you will not actually do a lot of troublesome things. You only need to sit or stand there, and I¡¯ll draw you."

    Her smile was as sweet as honey now as she continued persuading him.

    "That is all?" he finally spoke up and she nodded her head like a rattle.

    "Yes. I just really need a model... uhm... a drawing reference."

    He stared intently at her again, but eventually, he sighed and the moment he said "fine", Iryz literally jumped up and down in happiness. She could not believe that this beautiful man actually agreed to her request.

    "Wow! Thank you. Thank you so much, sir!" she told him as she beamed with so much excitement, as if something so incredibly amazing had just happened to her. "You¡¯re really my life saver, sir!"

    "Life saver..." Zeres echoed in an inaudible voice before a small and forced smile curved on his face. He thenzily gave the sketch pad back to her and nced back at herputer again. "Alright, let¡¯s start now, little girl. There¡¯s no time like the present."

    His gaze instantly became a little steely as he met her gaze. "But before that," the force on his gaze gave her a chill that made her freeze for a moment. "Don¡¯t even think about lying to me..." his voice was not harsh. It actually sounded very gentle, but Iryz heard the clear warning in them. "Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m not one of those nice witches you know."

    Iryz smiled instead of cowering. She even stood straighter and gave him a yful but serious salute.. "Yes, sir!" she said, causing Zeres to once again blink in speechlessness.

 Chapter 725 - University

    <h4>Chapter 725 - University</h4>

    "But I think I should draw you first before you question me." She quickly added.

    When his brows creased a little, she grinned and exined. "I¡¯m afraid you might suddenly disappear once you get the answer you want. And you¡¯re the one who said I must not trust strangers like you. Especially the not so nice witches like you."

    Zeres could not help but smile now, shaking his head a little. This little girl sure is sly. She definitely has the street smarts to survive this world.

    "Fine, you win." He could only say as he looked out the window and stared at the clear blue sky. It was a nice day, and he didn¡¯t have anything else that was more important to do anyway. Just being her model to get an answer wasn¡¯t a big deal at all. This was a million times better than bedding or killing someone just to get the information he wanted.

    "Oh my god! I really can¡¯t believe this!" she was still in utter excitement when Zeres pulled himself away from the window and took a step closer to her.

    "Start now, little girl. Before I change my mind." his voice rumbled lowly.

    "Oh yes! Uhm..." she looked around then she pointed at the door. "I want you to stand there and lean against the windowpane."

    Zeres immediately moved and posed as she had asked him to.

    "Please tuck your hands inside your pockets." She told him and he did as she said. "Perfect!" she beamed and pped her hands before she sat down on a chair before him.

    "Please bent your left leg a little... and could you make a really fierce expression? Like you¡¯re really angry about something."

    He sighed but without a word ofint, his expression changed and Iryz could barely stop herself from squealing out in a fan girlish manner. She just could not wait to turn this hot angel into a 2D hottie!

    "Alright, just stay still and I¡¯ll start drawing!"

    ...

    The private ne had finallynded and the vampires including Alicia was now inside a ck car. The trip was quiet for a long while until Kyle spoke.

    "Do you really need to send me all the way to the school though?" Kyle asked, looking outside the window. "Or are you afraid I am foolish enough to disobey you and fool around the very first day?" his face had a slightly aggrieved look. He did not think that his brother needed to check on him to this extent.

    "I need to check on something first." Was all Zeke replied.

    Kyle¡¯s brows creased. "Something... you¡¯re not actually thinking that there¡¯s any possible dangers in the school I¡¯m attending are you, brother?"

    "If you think that the ce is safe just because it¡¯s a school for humans, then you better change that kind of mindset Kyle." Ezekiel nced sharply at his younger brother. "You should know that sometimes, the safest ces are the most dangerous ones."

    What Zeke said made Kyle¡¯s eyes changed from being bored to being highly intrigued. He had never expected his brother to say that. It was as if he was not sending him into a boring ce where he could just go and study like he was a normal human... at that moment, Kyle felt like Zeke was sending him into a ce far from what he had been expecting.

    Somehow, this alone made Kyle feel better and he grinned in expectation. If there was danger inside the school, then that was much better for him. He was actually a little afraid that he would get bored to death during his stay in this human school and ended up escaping. Disobeying Zeke was thest thing he wanted to do but... if it gets to painfully boring, which was what he had initially expected, he might not be able to hold back himself in not breaking Zeke¡¯s rules.

    "Also... I¡¯m telling you again for thest time, don¡¯t ever underestimate humans." Zeke told him in his usual t but chilling tone as the car finally reached the huge, university gate. "They may be physically weak but that doesn¡¯t make them any less dangerous."

    The gate opened for them. The car travelled on for a few minutes before it stopped in front of another old building. For some reason, this massive school which even has its own hill and forests does not look like a school for humans. The infrastructures were not modern at all, and the vibe was not the lively and bright one Kyle was expecting of a human¡¯s educational institute.

    "This doesn¡¯t look like a school for humans, honestly." Kylemented when Lucas replied.

    "Well, the vampire schools in our kingdom don¡¯t look like a school for vampires either, do they?"

    Kyle could not deny what Lucas had said and he could only fall silent.

    After dropping Kyle in front of a certain building and watching him being approached by a man who seemed to know the vampires as he had bowed slightly towards the car, the car finally turned around to leave.

    But just as they passed a few buildings from where Kyle had entered, the car stopped, and Ezekiel climbed off the car. Alicia immediately followed him as he began to walk forward leisurely.

    The few numbers of students who were outside that morning gaped and stumbled on their feet at the sight of Ezekiel walking past. Some even squealed and gasped like they had just seen something so unbelievable. None of them dared to approach him, even as Alicia saw the girls pushing at each other to approach him.

    Alicia could only shake her head as she looked at Ezekiel who was walking like he was some lord who would not even notice the peasants who were around him. He did not even nce at any of the beautiful youngdies who were literally dumbstruck at the mere sight of him.

    She could only wonder what he was doing as he walked like that. Was he trying to sense out any danger in the vicinity?

    After a couple of minutes, Ezekiel looked around and then he signalled the car that was following them. He entered and then just like that the car elerated. It seemed like he did not sense anything bad around? Alicia could only wonder as she looked behind the car and at the school that they were leaving. Suddenly, she remembered that Lilith was also attending a certain human school right now.

    Now that she thought about it, Alicia had totally forgotten to ask her the name of the school she had chosen...

    Suddenly, Alicia¡¯s eyes widened at she spotted a girl walking hastily with a number of students by the road.. Oh my goodness!! Alicia could only gape as her head immediately turned to Ezekiel, trying to see if he had seen Lilith too. He could not have recognized her even if his eyes had caught a sight of her, right?!

 Chapter 726 - Calm Down

    <h4>Chapter 726 - Calm Down</h4>

    As soon as the car passed through the school gates, Alicia sighed out in relief. Ezekiel did not stop the car or gave any reaction at all. So she thought that Ezekiel most probably did not notice Lilith who was there at all.

    And even if he did catch a glimpse of her, Alicia told herself that there was still no way Ezekiel could have recognized Lilith in that crowd and in just a single short second, because Lilith was in her perfect human disguise. Alicia could recognize Lilith in an instant despite her disguise because she was in her spirit form and this form allows her to see through the outer disguise that was put on by any spells. But it would be very hard for any other creature even for their fellow witches to be able to recognise Lilith to be a witch.

    The disguise spell Lilith used was a spell that only witch queens could cast perfectly. Even her original appearance had been changed and not only that, her powers and aura were even tightly locked down and there were no fluctuations of her powers at all. Alicia had made sure that Lilith¡¯s disguise was perfect before she left her. And since Lilith had been practicing the spell for quite a while now, she had finally perfected it.

    Now that Alicia thought about it, the Lilith she saw a while ago really looked so human that if she could not see through that spell, she would have not even guessed Lilith was not human. With the way she looked and carried herself a while ago, no one would ever suspect that she was actually a witch.

    In the past months, Alicia had made a decision and told Lilith and the other witches who were living in the ck Forest to start spreading outside of the forest. Alicia had decided on this because of the danger that might fall on them in the future. And because of the fact that in the memories she saw, all of the witches that had been killed that time were the ones living in the ck Forest. So just based off that, she had inferred that maybe it was time they did not just convene and gather just there and spread off.

    Ezekiel had somehow managed to turn the ck Forest into his personal hunting grounds, and it seemed as though he must have found a way to immobilize the entire forest and that was why the witches, even the Queen, could not escape back then. That memory made Alicia decide to tell Lilith to have everyone leave the ck Forest for now and finally go outside and learn to blend in with the humans. Though it would be tough on them, they could only hope that the little hardship they are facing now would reap them more benefits in the future.

    To Alicia, this was also a form of a precaution. Just so in case that one day, their enemy ends uping after them, the witches were already scattered and not just centralised within the confines of the ck Forest itself. That way, the queen would also not be found in such an obvious ce.

    Many witches who were not living in the ck Forest were already doing that. Many of them had long since adapted and were living with the humans for a very long time now. Now it was time for the rest of the witches, the ones living with the Queen in the ck Forest to do the same. They must learn to live among the humans from now on, just like what the vampires were doing, and the witch queen herself would not be an exemption.

    This was how Lilith ended up attending this school. When Alicia asked Lilith what she had wanted to do, Lilith had chosen to attend a school. Because to her, that was the easiest way for her to learn to live among the humans and at the same time, continue doing her duties as the current witch queen.

    Lilith had reminded Alicia that she had to choose a big school that has a lot of secret ces where she could hide and be alone to continue doing her duties during her spare times.

    Alicia could say that this school Lilith had chosen was indeed a perfect ce for her. The big and thick forest that surrounds the school¡¯s perimeters was great and since the buildings itself were also really old, Alicia was certain that the buildings must also have secret underground dungeons as well. All Lilith needed to do was to find where they were and their entrances to ess them.

    That way, Lilith could perform spells and do what she wanted in secret while she is in those hidden ces. Alicia must agree that no other ce would have been more perfect than this. If only...

    If only this also was not the school Kyle was attending as well! Why on earth did Ezekiel chose this ce of all ces?

    Alicia could not help but worry now. She knew about Lilith and Kyle¡¯s feelings for each other. So even if Alicia trusted Lilith, them meeting again here in this school, was thest thing that Alicia wanted to happen especially during these tense moments. What will happen if Ezekiel finds out that Lilith was also here in this same school with his brother?

    She could only stare at Ezekiel who was now leisurely leaning his head against the head rest with his eyes closed. He was looking like a harmless statue again. But right now, his utter calm andposed manner was making Alicia feel a little uneasy.

    "Calm down... you need to calm down..." Alicia mumbled to herself. "There¡¯s no use worrying right now when nothing has even happened yet. It¡¯ll be alright. Let¡¯s just calm down and watch over this statue prince for now."

    As Alicia was repeating this mantra to herself, a phone call echoed inside the car.

    "Boss..." Lucas spoke.

    "Who?" Ezekiel asked without opening his eyes.

    "The mole you sent to spy on the mafia gang that is in charge in this city."

    Ezekiel¡¯s eyes opened and he stretched his right hand towards Lucas, palm opened.. Lucas put the phone on his opened hand and Ezekiel answered it.

 Chapter 727 - Answer

    <h4>Chapter 727 - Answer</h4>

    Back at the bookstore, Iryz finally finished drawing her piece of artwork.

    "It is a masterpiece!!!" she shouted out aloud as she looked at her sketch pad. Happiness was brimming in her eyes as she looked down at the opened page, looking as if she was staring at something so precious. Hearts were literally pouring out of her eyes.

    "Look!!! I just made your handsomeness doubled!" Iryz turned the pad to show Zeres the drawing she had justpleted and was so extremely proud of.

    Zeres just stared at it for a while, seriously observing the lines and angles that she had done. He nodded slightly in approval andmented, "You¡¯re good." Then he stood up and moved from the spot that he had been required to freeze himself in for quite some time. "Now it¡¯s time for you to give me an answer in exchange."

    His face was serious as he said that. It was clear that he was all business now and was in no state of joking around. Iryz¡¯s initially big and wide smile was now slowly fading as she realized that the handsome man could no longer wait nor have himself being dyed in having his questions answered. And she knew not to continue pushing his buttons. As he had warned her earlier, he was not the kind of nice witch that she had imagined him to be. There was no way she was willing to cross his bottom line and find out if that was true. She was not that foolish.

    "Alright... sir, you can now start questioning me. I will try my best to answer it." She was still enthusiastic as she said that. Her good and open attitude gave a good impression to Zeres that she was not trying to y him for a fool and squirm her way out of their bargain.

    After nodding his approval of her cooperative behaviour, Zeres slowly moved past her and stood next to herputer. His long fingers tapped on the table as he stared into her eyes intently.

    "This story of yours, tell me the continuation." Zeres said and Iryz did not move nor speak but only blinked a few times. She looked as though her nervous system had suffered ag for a moment.

    She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She obviously did not expect to hear those words that he had said at all.

    "That... that¡¯s your question?" she had to ask again just to make sure that she got it right.

    "What is the continuation of this story?" Zeres turned his words into a question.

    "Err... why are you asking about my story?" she could no longer stop herself from asking. Even though she could tell that this man was asking this question very seriously, Iryz could not help but be baffled by it. Why on earth was he asking for the continuation of her story? Wait... he had seen and read her story and...

    She narrowed her eyes at him. "Sir... you have seen my storyboard..."

    "Yes." He replied curtly.

    "And now you want to know what will happen next?"

    "Yes."

    Suddenly, she gasped. Her eyes wide as saucers now, as she held her face in both her hands. She had not thought that he was into this as well!!

    "Oh my god! Y-you¡¯re a... you¡¯re a BL fan too?!" she squealed as those words came to her mouth. She felt as though she would faint from too much stimtion.

    Zeres creased his brows. "Just give me an answer now, little girl. Don¡¯t waste my time anymore." He growled out, ignoring what Iryz had just said as he did not quite understand what she was even trying to say. As long as she can tell him the continuation, he would not care what she thought about him. After all, she was of no significance to him. So her opinions on him was inconsequential.

    "Uhm... wait a moment, sir... I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re asking about this but, you¡¯re not actually trying to steal my idea or something right?" Iryz had to ask this even though the possibility of it was almost zero. This was going to be her big break and she would not allow him to take advantage of it no matter what.

    What she said made Zeres looked up to the ceiling and let out a quiet sigh. "If you¡¯re not going to answer me now, I will burn that sketch pad." He was getting impatient at how she was saying everything except the one thing that he wanted to hear. Thus, threatening her with the thing that she ced utmost importance in was the best step forward.

    She widened her eyes and immediately hugged the sketchpad tight to her chest, protecting it as though it was her life.

    "Okay, okay! Well, the male lead will perform the spell on the MC." She quickly blurted out the continuation of the plot.

    "And?"

    "And... then, the spell will bring the MC back to life." She said a matter-of-factly.

    "How?" Zeres scrunched up his brows. He needed more information. More details.

    "Well, the MC¡¯s spirit will return to its body." Was that not obvious? Duh... Iryz wanted to roll her eyes, but she held back the impulse to do so.

    Zeres moved closer to her. His expression bing more and more intense now. "Didn¡¯t the MC say that he was already dead?"

    Iryz subconsciously took a step back as she answered. "He... he¡¯s dead. But his body was still preserved somewhere. So, in the story, with the help of the spell, his spirit still can return to his original body." She exined further and Zeres halted.

    "Tell me... what spell are you referring to? The one that can return his spirit to the body..."

    "Err... it is a special spell that can bring a dead person¡¯s spirit back to his body and fuse the twoponents back together again for him to live again? Uhm... I don¡¯t have a name for this particr spell yet, but I will definitely think about this soon." She grinned awkwardly as she said that.

    "How can one perform that spell? Do you have the chants for it?" he asked again, causing Iryz to feel like this whole conversation was getting weirder and spinning out of control. If he was not being so damned serious that he felt really intimidating right now, Iryz would have long since burst out into loudughter. Why is he asking all these details about the story plot so seriously?! If this continues, she might really freak out soon.

    "I have an idea on how to perform it, but I still don¡¯t know if I can create a chant too. I was only nning to just put some jumbled up letters and not write the chants out in detail." She could only answer truthfully, shrugging as she confessed.

    "You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re not copying this spell from somewhere or some specific book and are only making up all of these literally out of your head?" His beautiful silvery eyes narrowed and Iryz gulped nervously as she nodded.

    "Yes... sir..."

    Heughed out a little as if in disbelief.

    "Tell me, where did you get this idea from?"

    ___

    Dear hellbounders. I joined winwin contest this month so we could open the hellbound badge again. If we get 20k priv unlocks this month, we will be eligible for the badge. So i am hoping you guys can support and buy privilege even just the first tier.

    Thank u ??

 Chapter 728 - Reflection

    <h4>Chapter 728 - Reflection</h4>

    "Tell me, where did you get this idea from?" Zeres asked. His expression was even more intense now, making Iryz feel more nervous. She could not help it. Even though she honestly could not believe that he was really a bad witch as he had imed, his intensity was just a bit too much, he looked like he was dying to know the answer to that weird question of his.

    "Uhm... I think the idea had just popped in my head one day..." she answered a little hesitantly, afraid that he would not like the answer. And true enough, his expression darkened, obviously not pleased at the answer she gave him. "It¡¯s true! I¡¯m an artist and a writer as well. So that just happens sometimes. Sometimes... the ideas just pop out of nowhere..." she defended herself rather weakly, shrinking her shoulders a little.

    He stilled and for a brief moment, Iryz suddenly felt danger emanating powerfully from him. Her answer had made him incredibly angry and now he looked like he was doing his best to calm himself. He had felt that the reason that she had given was so frivolous that it might as well not even be counted as one. His jaws and facial muscles were clenching as he shut his eyes tightly and took a step back from her. If he was too close to her, he could not be sure that his hand would not shoot out and clutch onto her neck and strangle it. So to avoid that ident, it was better that he stay just out of arms reach of her.

    She could see his fists clenching so tight as if he could barely contain himself. Then he suddenly mmed his fist against the wall, creating a deep hole in it.

    Zeres stared at the hole in the wall and his fist that was still sitting in it. He squeezed his eyes closed again and took a couple of deep breaths before he turned to look at the girl again.

    But the moment he met her gaze, the fear in those gullible green eyes made him feel like something had hit him hard. And the realization that he had just scared the poor girl made him averted his gaze away. He ran his fingers through his hair and then tugged hard on it ¨C the sharp pain in his scalp helping to knock some sense back into himself, before taking another deep breath to calm himself down.

    He truly was running out of patience now and his anger issues was worsening as well as time went by. As he stood there, he saw his own reflection on the girl¡¯s mirror and a small bitter smirk formed on his face for one brief moment. Somehow, he could not even recognize himself anymore... he was turning into someone that he did not know at all... or could it be that... he was just slowly turning into who he really was?

    They say people do not actually change. They just gradually be who they truly are. Did this mean that he was this kind of man all along? And it had taken him all these long years to ¡¯grow¡¯ into himself?

    "Are you... alright?" her voice pulled at his attention and when he looked at her, she no longer had that fearful and shaky look in her eyes now. He followed her line of sight and saw that she was staring at the drops of blood which were dripping from his fist.

    Zeres immediately mumbled an inaudible word and Iryz¡¯ mouth gaped at the sight of something silvery appearing around his fist. When the blood and wound disappeared, Zeres faced the wall and used magic again to fix the spot that he had damaged.

    When Zeres returned his gaze to her, Zeres held back the words he was about to say. It was because the girl suddenly had a strange expression as she looked at him. Zeres could tell that she was looking at him like that not because of the magical thing he had just done right in front of her.

    "What is it?" Zeres asked in a much calmer voice now.

    "I... I think I just remembered something just now..." she answered. Her words returned the slight gleam that was in his eyes, but he reminded himself to hold back and did not dare expect too much this time. "I think I have indeed read something like this previously... I mean this bringing back a spirit to its body spell when I was much younger."

    As soon as she said thatst line, Zeres rushed forward and held onto both of her shoulders out of excitement. "You have read it from a book, right?" he asked, his face a bit too close as he questioned her. His hands were squeezing her shoulders a little too tight now.

    She did not point out that he was holding her too tight and only nodded. She could see how excited he was.

    "Do you remember which book is it? Can you still remember more about the contents of that book?" Zeres bombarded her with questions.

    Iryz creased her brows and she tried to recall more about it. What was the appearance or title of that book again? No matter how she tried to think about it, Iryz somehow could not remember.

    "I¡¯m sorry... I can¡¯t quite remember any more details right now. It was way back when I was in primary school. But I think I remember hearing Diana telling me that she was surprised I¡¯ve managed to see the real content of the book."

    Herst sentence made Zeres¡¯s narrowed slightly. She had managed to see the real content of the book? Does that mean there was something special about this girl?

    "And please... don¡¯t worry because I believe that book is definitely somewhere around here still." Iryz voice became enthusiastic again and was now looking at him as if she had already forgotten that he had just scared her a while ago. "I know that this is a bookstore... but Diana had never sold the old books. She would only lend it out and everyone who borrowed any of these old books have returned everything so far even until now.. This, I am quite certain about."

 Chapter 729 - Desperation

    <h4>Chapter 729 - Desperation</h4>

    Zeres looked around. His silver gaze swept through the piles of books all around them. If he added all the books from the first floor, it might take a long time for just the both of them to get through them. He did not have that much time to waste to just search for a single book.

    "I am going to call some people over to help us look for that book. I need to find that book as soon as possible." He told her with urgency.

    Iryz blinked and stared at him for a while.

    "Do not worry, those people I¡¯m calling are the good ones... they will not dare do anything else but look for the book. I will make sure they will handle your property with care." Zeres added and Iryz could only nod. She knew there was no way he would ept if she said no. Not that she was nning to reject him anyway, given how desperate he seemed in wanting to find that book.

    She already felt that this man was truly serious about this thing he was looking for. She had seen the anger in his eyes a while ago and not just the anger... Iryz had also seen something else within those eyes of his and for some reason, despite what he showed a while ago, Iryz did not know why but feel that she wanted to help him. Was it all because she could sense utter desperation from him?

    After she watched him make a phone call to a man he called Jude, twenty men arrived at the bookstore after a quarter of an hour. Iryz had just finished eating her breakfast in her small kitchen when everyone suddenly arrived.

    Without wasting a moment longer, Zeres ordered everyone to start right after informing them to look for any book that contain anything about spells.

    And after just an hour, they had already gathered a mountain of books. The first row of shelves almost got emptied as Zeres ordered them to take all books about spells down.

    "It seems that all the books here contain something about spells though." Jude told Zeres. "Maybe it¡¯s better if you tell us which particr kind of spell we should be looking for instead?"

    Zeres listened to Jude¡¯s suggestion and ordered everyone to look for a book that contains spells about life and death.

    ...

    At Winterfalls University.

    The first day of ss was finally over. The students were now returning to their dorms.

    Lilith, who now goes by the name of Luna Averis, was walking with her new friend and roommate Agnes, back to their dorms. Lilith had chosen the appearance of an average college girl. She did not bother to don on a look of a nerd as she knew that it would only gain unnecessary attention that she did not want. So, she tried to look very average instead, as she believed it was easier to blend if she did not try too hard and if she tries to look like everyone else.

    Her roommate Agnes was not lowkey though. Agnes was beautiful, probably the most beautiful girl in their year, so Lilith was trying not to be too involved with her once they were outside their rooms. Agnes was a good person despite her being rich and famous, but Lilith knew people like her were just ident prone or even trouble mas.

    And she was trying to avoid that. Lilith wanted to just study and stay in this school doing what she had initially nned to do. Thest thing she wanted was to be dragged into any unnecessary dramas between humans. She was not here to y after all. She was here because this was part of her duty, and she was not going to do anything to screw it up.

    She had made a promise to Alicia that she can do this. She assured her that everything would be alright, and she would survive this school year without any troubles and more importantly, without anyone discovering who she truly was at all.

    "Ah... the first day of ss is really exciting! I¡¯ve already met a lot of hotties!" Agnes eximed as soon as Lilith came out of their attached bathroom. "That boy in our ss, Gerald, is really cute too, right Luna?"

    "Mmmh." was all Lilith replied, causing Agnes to roll her eyes.

    "Ugh! You¡¯re so boring. But oh well, I guess it¡¯s only because no one grabbed your interest just yet. Just wait for it, Luna. Once you find the apple of your eyes, you¡¯ll start being talkative too." Agnes said as if she was so certain about it.

    Then Agnes rolled onto her bed and started squealing and calling her friends. She talked about all the hot boys without reservation that Lilith could not take the noise anymore and finally left when she was sure that Agnes would not stop chatting on the phone even after she had been on it for an hour.

    Lilith was not used to noises like this. The ck Forest had always been such a quiet and tranquil ce that this new environment was really trying her patience. She actually even thought of using a spell to put her noisy roommate to sleep for a moment. So she hastily left the room before she could be tempted to do something like that.

    "This is a test, Lilith..." she whispered to herself as she took inrge, deep breaths of the fresh outside air that circted in from therge windows that the dorms kept opened until lights out. "You need to get used to these noisy humans or you will fail in your mission." She sternly scolded herself before she walked further along the corridor to take in more air to calm herself until she ended up at the small park behind their dorm.

    The park was quiet, and no one was around. So Lilith chose to take a walk there. She also thought of doing this to find nice spots where she could be alone. But as she walked leisurely around the area, she finally realized that the park was actually a memorial park and it even had ancient tombstones in the inner parts of it.

    Lilith could only scratch her neck as she pondered her luck. No wonder there was nobody here! She sighed. She needed to leave this ce. If someone sees her here, they would definitely be thinking that she was a weird person. Ah, the drama that could erupt if anyone spots her here! Her peaceful schooldays might end before it could even start!

    Hastily, Lilith began to rush back. She did not use any magic. In fact, she could not, as she had restricted herself really tightly. Right now, she was only a human and she had promised that while she was here, she would be a human who did not have any...

    Thud!

    Something caught her feet, so Lilith¡¯s instincts kicked in and she managed to maintain her bnce. However, as she was still in the air, she realized the thing that must have caught her feet was someone¡¯s feet. She had seen it. Someone had stretched their feet out at the veryst moment to stumble her.

    That realization made her decide to let herself tumble on the ground. She must act as though she did not see that at all, right?

    "Ouch!" she groaned, feigning to be hurt from the fall.. Then she turned her head to look behind her.

 Chapter 730 - Challenge

    <h4>Chapter 730 - Challenge</h4>

    Kyle had decided to roam around the campus that night to look for the perfect ce for him to spend his alone time. He did not expect that Zeke did not even prepare for him a room that he could solo in.

    He was already told that he would be living in a dorm, but Kyle had thought that he would at least own a room to himself. But he was actually pushed into a shared room with not only one but with two roommates! How was he going to find his calm and quiet with that kind of conditions?!

    It was not because Kyle was expecting some kind of royal princely treatment at all. He just thought that he needed a private room, even a small one that only he could have ess to. But it seems like he was na?ve to think that Zeke would arrange even that small privilege for him.

    He should have known that this brother of his was truly going to make this a challenge for him, as much as possible. It seemed that he was expected to learn topletely suppress not only his actions but his vampiric needs as well, for every single 24 f**king 7.

    Sighing, Kyle continued walking leisurely towards the nearby park that separates the dorms for the female and male students. The park was filled with tall and old trees. And it was actually a cemetery. The few tombstones that he had seen poking out from the ground were probably a few hundred years old, so the ce was considered absolutely eerie at least from the humans¡¯ point of view. To him, because of this characteristic, it would qualify be the perfect ce to look for his personal quiet space.

    Kyle immediately realized why this school had put this park between the two male and female dorms. They knew that everyone will definitely avoid this eerie ce, especially at night. This would definitely stop the students from crossing through this forest to meet up for some midnight parties or have some secret rendezvous.

    And that exins why the most silent ce so far in this campus was in this memorial park, named Sacred Park.

    Leisurely, Kyle sat down and leaned against the trunk of a tree that seemed to draw him in. Looks like he had finally found the perfect hideout already. Looking around, he cheered to himself in sessfully finding his hide out just after one try. He grinned to himself and congratted himself inwardly and felt thankful that he managed to find his quiet ce.

    He needed this ce right now because it was only the first day and Kyle already felt quite drained. He never would have thought that dealing with humans were this exhausting. Ezekiel had made it known that he was a prince from some mysterious royalty and now Kyle did not have a choice but to be aware of his everynguage, actions, expressions and even his bodynguage before their eyes. He could not even re or get openly annoyed at thedies who kept on circling and hovering around him. That was the most annoying thing that he had to deal with. And just one day of that had exhausted him that he was forced to quickly search for his hideout A.S.A.P.! There was no way he could survive another day of being hounded by those fan girls if he did not find a ce he could escape to whenever he reached his limit.

    The fact that he had to maintain a graceful stance, smile and be polite to everyone like he was some kind of saint, and act like the wless and perfect prince had drained him to his core. He did not expect this at all, and he could not help but curse Zeke inwardly. He was not informed that learning to blend in with the humans actually meant learning to fake everything perfectly. Was he going to live like this every day from now on?

    Now his initial thought that this challenge was going to be an easy piece of cake had crumbled to smithereens already. Zeke apparently brought him here not to learn to live with the humans, but he had intended to let him learn how to be patient, how to control himself, how to keep a straight, unbothered face despite all the inner turmoil and annoyance... damn! How long can hest? He was not sure he would be able tost for a year!

    Kyle ran his palms over his face. He would rather be spending time with the mafia, hunting bad guys and the sort, than stay here and learn how to be a perfect fake saint! He could only wish that Zeke had not disclosed his identity at all! But he knew this was Zeke¡¯s aim all along.

    "Damn! This is going to be a hell of a ride, damn it." he groaned when something made him go stock still. Someone is here in this ce?

    His immacte thick brows creased when he confirmed the movement that he had sensed was not an animal. Interest quickly red in his eyes as he was certain that whoever this person who dared roam in a cemetery alone at night, was mostly likely non-human. Perhaps there was another vampire like him here on training as well?

    He tried to listen to the person¡¯s heartbeat. Somehow, the probability that it was just another vampire was highly likely. But the thing was that he heard no signs of a vampire¡¯s heartbeat. Kyle did not immediately conclude it was not a vampire though. Even if the heartbeat sounded like a human¡¯s, he was already aware of some vampires who can disguise their heartbeats. That was the whole point of blending in with the humans, is it not?

    So he had surmised that this must be a vampire in disguise and just had to wait for this person to appear.

    When he felt the person approaching his way at a faster pace, Kyle decided to trip the person up. If he falls over, then, it must be a human. He had stuck his feet out right at the veryst moment that most humans would not even be able to see at all.

    A thud echoed out next, and he watched her fall. Oh, it was a girl and she fell... human then, right? There was no way a vampire would fall from that trip. But what the hell was a human girl doing way out here? And sote at night at that?

    She turned around and the moment their eyes met, time just seemed to suddenly stand still.

    ____

    Hi hellbounders. I am looking for an editor to edit my chapters. Preferably someone flexible and from my timezone(east asia). Please dm me on instagram @kazzenlx.x for more details and also about the pay per chapter.. Thank you.

 Chapter 731 - Fickle

    <h4>Chapter 731 - Fickle</h4>

    The moment Lilith turned, her entire being froze.

    Those grey eyes gleaming at her in the dark, that thick head of dark hair... that face... despite the darkness, there was just no way Lilith could not recognize him. This boy... this person... it was just impossible for her to mistake someone else for him. Kyle... what... what was he doing here of all ces? Why was he even here?!

    At that instant, Lilith heard his voice in her mind. ¡¯I will do everything I can to avoid you... so do everything you can not to cross paths with me ever again... please don¡¯t let me see you again...¡¯ She remembered how when he had said those words back then, her heart had shaken so hard that it hurt. Until today, she could still very clearly remember.

    As those words echoed in her mind, Lilith felt her heart shiver a little and she averted her gaze and quickly looked down to the ground, feigning not to see the person sitting against the tree trunk at all.

    "Goddamn tree!" she hissed out as she pushed herself up, brushing herself down from the dirt that had clung to her clothes when she fell. She was doing her very best to act as normal as she could, pretending to be angry and huffing away at the ¡¯ident¡¯ she had.

    But just as she was about to leave, she heard his baritone voice echoing from behind her.

    "What are you doing here, little witch?" he questioned her, and Lilith¡¯s eyes almost bulged out from their sockets in utter shock. Did he recognize her? No way?! How could he see through her disguise spell?! That was just... that was just impossible!

    Lilith could not stop herself from whipping around. He was now right before her. He towered over her, causing Lilith to subconsciously take a step back. He... he had grown even taller in the time that she had not seen him.

    Now that he was closer, Lilith immediately noticed his expression as he looked at her. He looked a bit confused as he scrutinised her face.

    That alone made Lilith feel a little relieved. YES!! He did not manage to recognize her yet! But why did he call out to her as a little witch?! Lilith could never forget that it was the very same line he had used to call out to her that very first time they had met in the Reigns¡¯ castle.

    "I... I¡¯m lost..." Lilith tried her best to respond as normally as she could ¨C as a human, that is. She even forced herself to step back again, knowing that this would be the normal action that a human would do at times like this.

    He raised a brow and then eyed her from her head to toe. Lilith took another step back when he did that. Even though she knew that he was not looking at her that way because of some nasty reason, Lilith still acted like she was wary of him now.

    Her reaction seemed to erase whatever confusion he had on his face, and he sighed and walked past her.

    "Follow me," he said simply and when Lilith did not move to follow him, he looked over his shoulderzily. "I don¡¯t know how you even ended up here, but if I were you, I¡¯d follow me, because if not..." he nced behind her, "you might end up being lost forever."

    Lilith creased her brows, not understanding what he was trying to say.

    "Didn¡¯t you hear about the creatures roaming around in this area?" he continued, and Lilith finally realized that he was definitely trying to scare her.

    That realization made Lilith instantly move from her spot and followed after him. He smirked as soon as she reached him.

    "You believed that?" he asked, sounding a little amused.

    "Of course... not." Lilith replied somewhat stiltedly, and he chuckled shortly as he finally walked forward.

    "Didn¡¯t you know that this area is actually an old cemetery? How brave of you to evene out here at night. You¡¯re probably the bravest hu... girl I¡¯ve seen so far."

    "Is that why you called me a witch?" Lilith bit down on her lower lip upon asking that question. She knew should not have asked, but the question just slipped past her tongue!

    It took him a short while to respond, as if her question also made him think.

    "Hmm... I guess so." He suddenly sounded unsure now.

    They walked on silently after that as Lilith held her tongue from talking further, afraid that she might again slip up and say something again that would expose her this time. She could only stare at his back. Her heart was in a mess right now and she honestly did not know what she was even feeling at this moment. That moment their eyes had met, she felt her heart shivered and she did not know exactly what had made her shiver like that. Was it fear? Was it because of the miss she had been longing to see him again?

    The urge to touch him was very strong right now. Lilith never thought that she would be able to see him again. Much less meeting up with him in this way. She was d that he did not recognize her but at the same time, she felt a pang in her heart because of this very same reason. Laughing at herself internally, shemented on how fickle her heart was.

    When he halted, Lilith looked up and scanned her surroundings before realising that they were already out of the forest.

    Lilith walked past him and then turned to face him. "Thank you for helping me find my way out of that ce." She told him and nodded her head in thanks as he kept his gaze on her.

    "What¡¯s your name?" he asked, causing Lilith to blink at his question.

    She was about to answer when all of a sudden, he rushed at her and grabbed her for no apparent reason. The next thing she knew, he was pinning her against the tree trunk by the road.

    Lilith caught her breath as she felt his body pressing so close into hers. "Shh... stay still... the guards are doing their patrols. They can¡¯t see me here or I¡¯ll get punished for getting this close to the girl¡¯s dorm thiste.." He whispered.

 Chapter 732 - Until Now

    <h4>Chapter 732 - Until Now</h4>

    Taking a quiet sigh, Kyle peeked through the tree trunk. The patrol unit were still moving around there. He could have just left her there by the road, but he did not know how he ended up running off and grabbing her along with him. And right now, he actually felt like he did not want to let go of this girl just yet.

    "Uhm... are they... still there?" he suddenly heard her muffled and weak voice asking from the general region of his chest. He had pushed her so close to his chest that it must have pressed her face right into him. Kyle could hear her heartbeat beating erratically and her breathing was slightly breathless. Was she nervous? Or was it because he was this close to her?

    "Are you scared of me?" he asked. He just could not stop himself from talking to her.

    "Nope."

    "Your heartbeat is really loud right now," he said that in a slow whisper, causing her eyes to widen as she quickly looked up at him.

    "It¡¯s... because you¡¯re too near. P-please move back a little." She stammered a little and her face flushed red. Kyle¡¯s tantalizing smile widened.

    "Can¡¯t be doing that, little witch. Unless you are wanting the guards to catch us?" Kyle arched one of his brows, not able to stop himself from teasing her.

    "Why do you keep calling me that?"

    Kyle pressed his lips tightly together for a moment at her question. He did not even realize he had used that nickname on this girl again. But somehow, the nickname flowed easily from his lips.

    "Because..." he tilted his head a little. "You¡¯re not telling me your name." Kyle managed toe up with an excuse.

    "Alright, I¡¯ll tell you my name so please don¡¯t call me that again." she replied, her voice taut and he could sense that she was ufortable.

    "You hate it?"

    "Yes." Her firm answer caused Kyle to keep silent for a while. But eventually, he nodded and smiled at her.

    "As you wish. So? What should I call you then?"

    "Luna. That¡¯s my name."

    "Luna..." he echoed after her, testing out her name as it rolled off his tongue. And as their gazes met, the tension between them became heavier.

    Kyle could not take his eyes off her and he had no idea why it was so. It was like... he wanted to kiss her...

    "I think the patrol unit is gone now." she pushed both her hands against his chest, causing Kyle to return back to reality. He cleared his throat and released his somewhat tight hold on her. When he craned his neck out and peeked to check if the coast was clear, the guards really were no longer there anymore.

    Before he could turn to look at Luna again, she slipped out of his loosened embrace and stepped to the side. She immediately took a few more steps away from him before facing him again. Kyle could only clench his fists to stop this strange urge and itchiness he was feeling in his hands. He had wanted to seize her and pull her back into his arms again. But obviously Luna is not going to give him the opportunity to do that with the distance she had put between them.

    "I¡¯m going now. Thank you again for your help and please go back to your dorm now as well." She said quickly with a little nod of her head. And she then hastily turned around and jogged away as if she just could not wait to get away from him as soon as possible.

    "Luna!" he called out.

    He saw her whole body jerk at his call before looking over her shoulder. "Y-yes?"

    "Don¡¯t you want to know my name?" he asked. Kyle wanted to smack himself from blurting that question out of the blue. But it was already toote. He had already said it. There was no way he could pull it back.

    And she shook her head. "No, thank you." she told him tly and then she dashed away so quickly without turning back. He could only respond with an opened mouth, shocked that there was a girl who could even withstand his charm and did not even want to know his name.

    Kyle could not help butugh after she was out of sight, and he walked around and entered the forest again. He still could not quite believe that she actually rejected to knowing his name.

    He could not stop smiling like a fool as he continued walking deeper into the forest. "What an interesting little witch..." he muttered before he suddenly halted. His smile fading as he realized what he was currently feeling right now. These familiar feelings... these were the things that he could only feel around... Lilith...

    Kyle¡¯s jaws clenched a little. Lilith... just thinking about that name alone was enough to give him heartache.

    That girl... why did he casually called her as ¡¯little witch¡¯ twice in a row? He realized now he had called her that before he even realized it. Why was that so?

    And now he was actually feeling this way? To a girl who was not even Lilith? Was he... does this really mean that he was attracted to that girl now?

    Kyle could not deny that in his efforts to forget Lilith, he had tried to look at other girls, perhaps even to hook up with them. However, until now, no girl was able to even catch his interest at all, much less tempt him to hook up with them. No one made him feel anything despite him already meeting quite a number of girls in the past few months.

    His father had even arranged for some dates with a few daughters of vampire nobles back in their kingdom as well and none of those girls, no matter how beautiful they might be, had ever sparked anything in him at all. And Kyle thought that he might really never would be able to feel anything for anyone anymore if it was not Lilith. This was the first time that someone had made him feel like this since thatst time he met up with Lilith ¨C the forbidden girl that he could not have.

    He had started to believe that no matter what he did and no matter who he will end up with, his heart would forever be Lilith¡¯s. Kyle just had the feeling that his heart will never beat for anyone else again. Until now.. Until tonight.

 Chapter 733 - Search

    <h4>Chapter 733 - Search</h4>

    "Where did you go?" Agnes immediately confronted Lilith as soon as she entered their room. "Did you forget that we have a curfew? You¡¯ll get punished if you get caught you know? And this is just the first day too."

    "Sorry... I just got a bit lost out there." Lilith told her and then she hastily entered the bathroom to calm herself.

    She washed her face and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked so different now. Her face waspletely altered, thanks to that special disguise spell. The colour of her eyes was now a dark brown and her hair was the same tone as well. Since she could not disguise these two things which were the colour of her eyes and hair, she had opted in using a human disguise. She had worn a wig and a pair of contact lenses, and it was amazing because other creatures cannot see through disguises that does not require magic at all.

    As she looked at herself, Lilith was certain that no one could recognize her. She was confident even Kyle could not see through it. But why? Why had he looked at her like that? She could never forget the way Kyle stared at her before. Those gleaming and expressive grey eyes that always made her heart flutter like crazy... it was as if he was looking at Lilith and not Luna, her alter ego. Even though it was obvious that he did not recognize her. Could it be possible that he was interested in her disguise as well?

    Lilith ran her hands over her face again. This was thest thing that she had ever wanted to happen. Hisst words when they had separated echoed in her mind again and her expression became firm as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

    "He had begged you to never show up before him again, Lilith. So you have to try your best to fulfil his wish." There was a tinge of pain in her voice as she whispered that to herself, but there was also conviction in her eyes. Lilith was well aware that the two of them were just impossible. They were from two opposite sides.

    ¡¯You both can¡¯t be together. A witch and a vampire can never be together. That¡¯s why you must stand your ground and do your very best to avoid him. You know that you both will only get hurt in the end if you dare try to be with each other again.¡¯ she told herself inwardly and after that, Lilith¡¯s eyes were filled with intense determination. She firmly pped her cheeks a couple of times as she motivated herself, repeating over and over in her mind that she could do it.

    ...

    Meanwhile at Little Flower bookstore.

    The men were still working at night, going through the books one by one without taking a break. They had already tried to use magic to find the book they were looking for, but it just does not work. No book was responding to any of the spell they casted at all and that only meant one thing. That the books in this bookstore were not written with magic at all. Or probably, someone had put a very impressive spell that was keeping the book from getting detected.

    After trying all the methods that they knew and failed at every one of it, the witches could only opt to open the books one by one. And that was a really challenging method that would require them absolute patience.

    It had been a day and half of a night spent in going through the books manually and they have yet to find this elusive book.

    Zeres had picked the books the witches had sorted out and showed them to Iryz so the girl had been with them the entire time and was helping out to check on the books as well.

    "I¡¯m so sleepy now... I¡¯m sorry I can¡¯t fight it... anymore..." Zeres heard her murmuring and as he looked her way, he saw her head dropped and rested on the thick book that was on her table.

    A sigh escaped Zeres¡¯ lips and he put the book he was holding down and walked towards her. She had been doing her best the entire day to help find the book as well.

    He felt bad for making the girl work for him, but he had no choice. He needed her as Zeres realized that perhaps, she might be the only one who could find that book.

    Zeres had realized what she said before, that her grandmother was surprised that she had managed to even read the book. That could be an indication that the book was not something that just anyone could find. Worse was that this girl might be the only one who could find it as well.

    It was a dilemma because there were thousands of books in this bookstore. How long would this girl take to go over every single one of these books?

    Zeres could feel that this might turn out to be much harder than he thought it would, but for some reason, he had a feeling that this girl will eventually find it. This gut feeling made him rx a little because it honestly was very rare for him to feel a bit better like this.

    Looking at the girl again, he lifted her up and tucked her gently on her bed. As he stared at her peacefully sleeping face, Zeres could not help but wonder if she was truly just a simple human. Somehow, he could not make himself believe thatpletely.

    Should he dig further on her identity?

    He looked away and walked towards the window. The moon was up and as he looked at it, he remembered Alicia again. He always thinks of her every time he looks at the moon.

    Where is she right now? He wondered and suddenly, as a thought came to him. Could it be that she... he gritted his teeth as he closed the window and hastily left the room.

    "Where are you going?" Jude asked Zeres as he passed by them.

    "I¡¯ll be back soon. Continue with the search." Was all he answered and as he held the door handle, he looked back to the witches who were still going through the books. "Don¡¯t any of you dare touch the girl upstairs.." He warned them and everyone looked at each other.

 Chapter 734 - The Next 59 Days

    <h4>Chapter 734 - The Next 59 Days</h4>

    It did not take long for Zeres to find Alicia''s location. He was aware how she was currently obsessed with Ezekiel. So he knew that Alicia would definitely be where Kiel was, so he only had to locate Kiel to find her.

    He found them in a prestigious bar. It was a favourite ce where famous humans like to gather. Zeres already knew why Kiel was here as he was already well informed about what Kiel was dealing withtely. Kiel was trying to find the leader of a certain syndicate, and the person who somehow managed to find a way to perfectly disguise vampires from showing their true form to humans. And he could tell that even now, with him being in a ce like this should also have something to do with that matter.

    As he made his way to the VIP room located in the highest floor, a number of bolddies tried to stop him. However, Zeres was already not in a good mood, thus hepletely ignored these girls like he could not see any of them at all.

    Kiel''s men did not stop him when they saw him head to the door where their big boss was. They already knew that this silver-haired beautiful man was not a threat to their boss. At least that was what they believed, since their big boss had ordered them not to bother this silver-haired man when hees by.

    As soon as the doors was swung open, Zeke, who was busy speaking with a man who looked like he was another high-ranking human, lifted his gaze. Upon seeing Zeres there, he only arched one of his brows at him.

    "What is it?" Zeke asked.

    Their eyes met for a moment before Zeres'' gaze fell to the human and said, "I''ll be back once your business with him is done."

    Without giving the human another nce, he then turned and left the room. As soon as the door was closed behind him, Zeres mumbled the spell under his breath and Alicia immediately appeared next to him. A while ago, as soon as Zeres entered into the room, Alicia had immediately spoke to him. She had stepped right through his body so he could hear her despite him not uttering the spell at all.

    Alicia had told him to immediately go outside the room with her because somehow, Alicia felt like Zeres might do something to reveal her presence to Ezekiel.

    "Let''s go somewhere and talk, Zeres." Alicia said as she looked at Ezekiel''s guards who were present in the corridor. Then she walked away without waiting for Zeres to respond.

    Zeres could only follow after her and the moment they were alone and no one else was looking, Zeres spoke. "Leave this ce Alicia, and go back to the ¨C"

    "No. I will not leave Ezekiel. I will keep watching him for the next 59 days." Alicia replied sternly. "This is a crucial time for me and the witches, Zeres. I finally found out that the 700 year time limit will end in another 59 days. So no matter what you will say, I will keep an eye on him 24/7, until that time passes."

    Her words made Zeres run his fingers through his hair as he sighed out heavily. But he was a lot calmer nowpared to how he was with Alicia the other day.

    "You can''t be serious Alicia¡­" he said weakly.

    "I am more than serious, Zeres. There is no other way. With my situation, I am the only one who could watch over him like this without him knowing."

    "You really think he can''t see you?" Zeres''s quiet voice pierced through Alicia, and she jerked at his question.

    "He can''t, Zeres. I am certain about that. And that''s why I am perfect for this job." Alicia stubbornly insisted and did not want to think too much into this matter.

    Zeres could only smile helplessly at the look in her eyes. She looked like she truly believed that Kiel could not see her. There was not even a tinge of doubt in her eyes right now. And Zeres could only sigh again, knowing that there was no way he could make Alicia think otherwise nor convince her with other reasons, unless of course, Kiel himself gives away an obvious hint that she would notice.

    But knowing Kiel, Zeres could bet that Kiel will never give even a little hint.

    "So you''re nning to stick to him and watch his every move for every second during the next 59 days?"

    "Yes." Her reply was instantaneous and determined.

    "And what will you do once you find out that his memories are returning? Huh? Alicia? Can you do anything to stop it at all?"

    His question made Alicia''s expression became a little steely. Then she looked away and clenched her fists tight.

    "Do you really have to ask that? You know there is only one thing for me to do to save our race from him." she answered and for a moment, confusion and disbelief filled Zeres'' eyes.

    Then a disbelieving smile curved on Zeres'' lips as he shook his head. "No, you''re not gonna do that Alicia."

    Alicia narrowed her eyes at him and clenched her jaws tight.

    "I don''t think you can." Zeres added as if he was so certain about his opinion.

    And that made Alicia grit her teeth. "I can do anything for my people. Anything."

    "You''re saying that you''re truly serious about wanting to¡­ kill Kiel? In the event that he starts remembering things?" Zeres could barely say thosest two words. This was still something he could not make himself believe at all.

    "That''s the only way to stop him, and you know that very well, Zeres!" Alicia hissed. Anger and fierce emotions were shing in her eyes now. "We don''t even have another choice at all! If Ezekiel breaks his curse andes at us¡­ not even you can stop him!"

    Zeres shook his head, rubbing his face with his palm. Then he leaned his head back against the wall and shut his eyes tiredly.

    "I really¡­ really don''t understand you sometimes, Alicia.." He mumbled.

 Chapter 735 - Deal

    <h4>Chapter 735 - Deal</h4>

    "I don''t really¡­ understand you sometimes Alicia." Zeres said in a weak voice and again, Alicia looked away.

    "I also don''t understand what''s so hard for you to understand Zeres." Alicia''s voice was weak now as well with a slight tone ofint. "You already know that I am willing to do anything for my people. You have known that for a long time now. You have already seen as to what extent I am willing to go through to save our race." Alicia was exasperated at having to go through this topic again with Zeres.

    "Yes, I know. I saw with my own two eyes¡­ how you selflessly even gave not just your life, but your¡­ just to save someone¡­ someone you don''t even¡­" Zeres choked and could not finish his sentence, just looking at her with those helpless eyes.

    "Zeres¡­" Alicia stared intently at him. "Please stop being guilty about what had happened to me. I already told you¡­ this is not your fault. This is fully my choice. And I did not do that just for you. I did that to save all the future witch queens as well. I regret nothing, Zeres. That had to be done because there was no other way. You know that right?" her voice was soft, trying to reason with him again.

    Squeezing his eyes closed again, Zeres threw his head back. Ah¡­ there they go again¡­ this topic seems to be a never ending debate of back and forth between them.

    Even though he knew she was trying to lessen the guilt that he was feeling, it still hurts, nheless. A small ghost of a smile curved on his face. This woman really has a talent in driving him insane. He had already tried his very best to understand her and ept that Alicia was just the selfless queen that she was but¡­ this thing about her n regarding Kiel was just something he could not even begin to imagine. Was she¡­ really nning to kill the man she¡­

    "So this time¡­ for the sake of the witches'', and because there is no other choice, you''re willing to even¡­ kill the man you¡­" Zeres could not finish his sentence. He kept his gaze on Alicia and it was funny how the woman did not even seem to bother toplete that line.

    "I told you, there is no other choice." She stubbornly steeled herself. "I know you''re thinking that I can''t do it because it''s Ezekiel, but Zeres¡­" Alicia smiled slightly and bitterly, "I sacrificed my life and even my chance for the afterlife to save our race¡­ do you think I''ll just stay still and let someone annihte the very thing I sacrificed myself for, just because this someone is Ezekiel?"

    She shook her head. "I won''t let him spill the witches'' blood for the second time. As long as I''m still here, I will not let my sacrifices go in vain. If Ezekiel somehow breaks his curse and still want to ughter the witches like he had sworn before¡­ then¡­ I will¡­ take his life myself."

    Zeres could only look at her, utterly speechless. He did not even know what to say or think right now. He could see that Alicia was beyond serious. And he of all people knew just how stubborn Alicia was once she had made up her mind on a decision. Right now, he could see that she had alreadye to a firm decision and nothing he could say or do would change her mind.

    And he almost wanted to shake his head again in disbelief and was about to question himself if he was wrong all along in thinking that Alicia had a feeling for Kiel if he did not see something that shed in her eyes for a moment. He saw something like sadness or probably more than that when she said that line¡­ that she would take Kiel''s life.

    "Fine¡­" Zeres could only sigh in surrender. "I''m still honestly in disbelief but I can understand that you have already made up your mind about this so I will stop trying to reason with you about this¡­ for now. But¡­ I still want to know this first Alicia¡­ how can you even kill him? I honestly don''t think someone can even take Kiel down, much less even attempt to kill him."

    "I know. But I have found out his weakness." Alicia said in a weak but certain voice. "And no, I won''t be telling you. Nor anyone. Because this is something that only a dead person can only know and do."

    "So you''re saying even if I learn about this weakness, you''re still the only who could kill him?"

    "Yes." Alicia said without hesitation.

    Zeres ran his fingers through his hair again, tugging on it a little. He was really feeling frustrated and the pain of pulling on his hair somehow took the edge off.

    "Alright, I need to go back now. I can''t let my eyes off him longer than this. Just in case something happens." Alicia said and Zeres remained silent, just staring at her. "Also¡­ Zeres¡­" Alicia took a step closer to him. "I heard you''re doing something¡­ whatever that is¡­ please stop..."

    She swallowed at the sight of his expression changing for the worse and darkening like a storm cloud. "Alicia¡­" Zeres'' voice hardened. "How about we make a deal? I will not bother you with your business with Kiel from here on. But in exchange, don''t bother with my business as well, even if it''s about you. You can do what you want¡­ but I can do what I want as well¡­ how about that?" he growled out fiercely, brows knitting together.

    Alicia creased her brows. She immediately realized that he had the same strong will as her right now. Both of them had the look saying that, ''nothing and no one can stop me, so don''t you dare'' shing in their eyes right now.

    "I''m leaving now." Zeres snapped out and turned but halted after a few steps. "By the way, Alicia. If I were you, I will refrain from mumbling to myself when I''m close to Kiel." He looked over his shoulder next. "Don''t forget that Kiel is not just a normal vampire.." He warned and in the next second, he was gone.

 Chapter 736 - Belt

    <h4>Chapter 736 - Belt</h4>

    When Alicia returned to the VIP room, she was shocked to see what had initially started as a peaceful talk when she had left a while ago had now ended up in thismotion. The man who had been talking to Ezekiel was now covered in blood from head to toe, as dead as a log. What had happened in that short few minutes that she went out to speak with Zeres?

    Alicia looked over at Ezekiel as he rose from his chair in a majestic and fluid motion. "Dispose of the body properly. Our business is now done here, we''re going back." He said in a cool and t tone. And as soon as Lucas nodded at his orders, he walked out the room.

    Quickly, Alicia followed after him. She could not let her eyes stray from him. However, Ezekiel remained as still and quiet as usual throughout the trip and showed no inclination of having his memories being restored. Alicia sighed with relief inwardly and tightened up her vignce.

    It was already near dawn when they finally reached Ezekiel''s ce. Alicia watched him go about his usual routine around his own home. Taking off his coat, then going to the kitchen to pour himself a ss of blood. After that he leisurely walked over and sat down on thatfortable looking lounge chair by the window quietly again as he slowly sipped his drink from the crystal ss.

    Watching him so silently still like that¡­ Alicia suddenly thought that she could never get used to watching this man like this. Was he really like this every single night?! Somehow, this just could not seem to cease bothering her.

    "I really wonder what''s going on in that mind of yours," she mumbled to herself when suddenly, she remembered what Zeres had reminded her not to do before he left.

    That warning made Alicia narrow her eyes. Why did Zeres just keep on insisting that Ezekiel could see her? Was it really possible that¡­

    Alicia bit down on her lower lip. ''No, that''s impossible!'' she told herself, but her feet moved quickly and she rushed towards the statue of a man who was still there, unmoving since he had sat down.

    She stood right before him, even putting her arms on her hips. He was staring out of the windows and his eyes did not even move when she stood right in front of him and blocked his view.

    "Ezekiel!" she shouted out. "Can you actually see me?"

    When there was literally no response, Alicia took another step, bringing her even closer to the living statue. "You''re not just pretending right?" Alicia even waved her hands frantically over his face then moved to poke at his cheeks even though her fingers went through him.

    "It should be impossible for you¡­ but Zeres is right, you''re not just a vampire. And you always do the impossible. There might be a big possibility that you have a peculiar ability to see me too. Now tell me, are you actually seeing me right now?!" Alicia even moved extremely close to him, not caring that her body was already right through his.

    "Now stop pretending you, prince of statues. If you can actually see me, just say¡­" She trailed of when Zeke suddenly rose from his seat and walked past her. Why did he stand up all of a sudden? Was he avoiding her?

    Alicia felt nervous now. She only did that to prove that Zeres was wrong. That Ezekiel really could not see her. She even bet that this prince will not even bat an eye, but he actually moved and stood up? He even walked away?!

    Her eyes widened as she looked over at him. Damn it all! Could he really see her?

    But Ezekiel just nonchntly continued sipping at the blood in his ss. His gaze never met hers at all. And he looked as though nothing out of the ordinary had happened to him at all.

    Alicia cleared her throat, recovering from the shock. She waved her hands over his face again.

    "Look here, Ezekiel. You hear me?" She shouted, despite praying desperately within herself that he would not look over at her. That he could not hear her at all.

    He put the empty ss down on the side table and as if nothing had happened, he then walked away. Alicia still followed after him, though. She still tried to pester him. She felt that Ezekiel, this man would be someone who could never tolerate annoying things like what she was doing right now. She was waiting for him to snap and reveal himself, that he could actually see her. Though again at the same time, she was also praying that he would not.

    "Are you annoyed now? I am going to continuously pester you like this if you keep on pretending, Ezekiel. I''m going to tell you first that I won''t get tired doing this. You better make it known that you can see me now¡­" Alicia trailed off when she noticed that he started to undress himself.

    He was removing the buttons of his shirt as he walked around at an unhurried and graceful pace. Alicia could not take her eyes off him even as he removed his shirt and was now already half naked.

    Alicia was silenced as he was facing her way while undressing. He still did not make any eye contact with her at all. It was like he really could not see her.

    His hands then moved to his belt and Alicia found herself not knowing whether to look away or keep her eyes on this peep show. She could not help but rake her eyes over the tattoos that were all over his body. And now, it was like her eyes were glued to his veiny, elegant hands as they unbuckled his belt in what felt like a slow motion.

    And part of Alicia wondered if men usually take such a long time to unbuckle their belts and do it this slow¡­

 Chapter 737 - Notebook

    <h4>Chapter 737 - Notebook</h4>

    Once the belt was finally unbuckled, Alicia found herself still unable to look away. She kept her eyes on his hand that was now moving on to the button of his pants.

    She watched as she held her breath while his long fingers unbuttoned it in a seemingly excruciatingly slow motion. And the moment it was finally done, Alicia stiffened. Then his fingers moved again to unzip his¡­

    Alicia finally turned around, pping her forehead with her palm with much force, as if she had just caught herself doing something so unforgivably stupid. What was she thinking?! She was here to watch over him and make sure that he did not regain his memories. Then why was it that she had somehow became a peeping tom that was trying to cop a look at his body?!

    "What the hell are you doing, Alicia!?" she scolded herself internally as she kept her gaze on the wall that was opposite of Ezekiel. Not knowing that the man behind her was now looking at her with the corners of his lips being lifted in an enigmatic smile. He then chuckled soundless to himself.

    ¡­

    Alicia only turned around again when she finally heard the sounds of the shower running,ing from the bathroom. Upon seeing his silhouette through the frosted ss wall of the bathroom, Alicia then leaned against the wall and sighed out heavily before she let herself slide down to the floor.

    She could not help butugh at herself at the thought of what had just happened. It seems that Ezekiel the statue really had some powerful charms. She could not believe that he could even make a spirit like her act so wantonly like that. Even as a spirit, she could feel the phantom blush tinting her cool cheeks.

    Groaning, Alicia shook her head as if to clear her mind. "Truly a dangerous creature." she murmured to herself while her eyes turned fierce as she stared at Ezekiel''s innocent clothes draped across the chair, as though they had done some wrong to her.

    When Ezekiel came out, Alicia just quickly turned around again, avoiding her eyes from falling on that well-sculpted body of his when he started to get dressed. Though she had only seen his naked top, it was not hard to conclude that his lower body would be as impressive as his top. She did not want to be spellbound by his ridiculously strong charms again and end up staring at him like some dumbfounded fool.

    Once he was fully dressed, Alicia just continued watching him. And after another round of pestering and with him not even batting an eyelid, Alicia concluded again that she was right. Ezekiel could not see her nor hear her. That was her conclusion right now. So she will continue watching him as closely as could like had been doing all this while.

    ¡­

    At Winterfalls.

    A couple days had passed, and Lilith somehow managed to keep herself from bumping into Kyle again since that night. She had been hearing a lot about him everywhere she went. He truly was the talk of the town. Even Agnes kept droning on and on about him, daydreaming loudly on how she thinks his lips would taste like. Agnes even vowed that she would make Kyle hers.

    Lilith could scarcely tolerate hearing these vulgar things being spoken by Agnes. But she really could not tell anyone to stop talking or they would think that she was overreacting or just being jealous. She saw these girls talking like this to other girls after those girls had told them to stop talking about the current hottest prince named Vincent Kyle Reigns.

    And thus, Lilith could only endure as she had yet to find a quiet spot for herself. The forest she had found earlier would not be a usible choice anymore because she did not want to end up running into Kyle again in there. She also did not have the chance to look at other ces for the past two day because of Agnes and also because she did not want to roam around too much for fear that she would run into him again. She did not know why, but she felt that she might end up finding him instead of finding her quiet ce.

    Somehow, she could not believe she was not just here to learn how to live in disguise but to also y hide and seek as well. And the worse thing was that it had only been two days and she was already wanting to see him so badly.

    She sternly scolded herself when that thought came to her mind and reminded herself on everything that she knew that would make her not want to see Kyle again. It works every time somehow, especially when she reyed Kyles words, when he said goodbye to her months ago in her mind.

    "Averis!" a male voice called her name when Lilith was on her way to the girl''s dormitory.

    Lilith turned and saw that it was the boy who was sitting next to her in one of her sses. He was tall and had piercing blue eyes. She remembered his surname was Riego and girls were also crazy about him as well. "This is yours, right?" he said with a smile as he stretched out his hand and handed her a small notebook.

    The sight of the notebook made Lilith crease her brows. How? Did she forget it? That was impossible. Did it fall off from her backpack somewhere along the way to ss? Lilith somehow could not believe that as well. She definitely would have felt it if it had dropped somewhere, right?

    "Yes, thank you. I must have dropped it somewhere, I guess." Lilith held onto the notebook and was about to take it back, but he was not letting it go.

    She creased her brows as she looked up at him when¡­

    "Luna!" Lilith heard that familiar high-pitched voice and her frown deepened a little more.. When Lilith looked over at Agnes'' way, she stilled at the sight of the person she was trying so hard not see again, walking along next to her roommate.

 Chapter 738 - Sure

    <h4>Chapter 738 - Sure</h4>

    For the past two days ever since that night when he had identally run into that girl, Kyle was unable to get that girl off his mind. It was ridiculous, but Kyle felt like that girl, named Luna, had somehow reawakened all the emotions he had tried so hard to bury deep inside him. It was like this was an exact repeat of those hellish days all over again, when he had just said goodbye to Lilith. Why? Why the hell was this happening to him? He could not even count how many times he had repeated that question to himself within the past two days.

    That girl¡­ how the hell was she even able to take over his mind so effortlessly, when he just literally met her once? And that could not even be counted as meeting up! They practically crashed into each other.

    Kyle felt like he was going crazy just thinking about this. Often, he just found himself looking around whenever he sees a group of girls that were not from his ss pass by. He was trying to look out for that girl without him even realizing that he was doing so!

    His friends even noticed him doing that and started asking him who was it that he was looking for more than a few times already. He was so painfully distracted that he started to feel frustrated at himself.

    A while ago, he had decided not to leave immediately after ss. He did not like to be caught by the girls, but this was a better option to him. He was afraid that he might actually lose it and end up going to search for that girl. There was no way he would do something so stupid as that. He cannot be doing that. He must avoid the girl at all costs!

    Now he was here, forcing himself to interact with these girls his roommates had invited. This girl named Agnes was pretty bold and he could feel how desperate she was for his attention. He only nned to waste his time but before he knew it, he had ended up agreeing to her request to apany her in walking back to the girl''s dorm. And that was just because while Agnes was talking nonstop, she had mentioned her roommate''s name. That was what had ensnared him into agreeing with Agnes'' request.

    Damn it! He cursed himself inwardly, but he had already agreed. And damn it again because he could not even be a jerk right now and try to escape.

    Secretly, Kyle hoped that he would not see Luna. He was not confident that he would be able to ignore her once he sees her again. But just as he was thinking about it, Agnes had already yelled that very name he was hoping not to hear, and Kyle nearly hissed out a curse.

    When he saw her and their eyes met, Kyle instantly felt her impossibly strong and inexplicable effect on him. Then his freaking heart even skipped a beat. What the hell?!

    He was about to force himself to act as natural as he could, but his eyes fell on her hands that was holding onto a notebook¡­ then to another boy''s hands that were gripping on the other half of that same small notebook.

    Kyle''s gaze immediately narrowed and darkened. And when he met the boy''s stare, Kyle''s blood just boiled within his veins. He had to clench his fists tight to stop himself from stepping forward and grabbing Luna away from him. This boy, Kevin Riego¡­ since the moment Kyle had met him at the gym yesterday, he did not like him. There was just an intense abhorrence that had welled up every time he looked at the guy. He just had a bad feeling about him at first sight. And now this¡­

    "Wait a second, Averis." Kevin said, pulling Luna''s attention away from Kyle. "Can I have your phone number?"

    Kyle''s jaws clenched a little as he waited for Luna''s response. ''Ignore him, you little witch!'' Kyle hissed inwardly, not realizing that he was calling Luna that nickname again.

    However, when the girl shrugged and said "sure", Kyle nearly lost his cool right there and then.

    As Luna took Kevin''s phone to type in her number, Agnes suddenly grabbed at Kyle''s arm and pulled him closer to Luna and Kevin.

    "Luna, look who''s with me." Agnes was smiling from ear to ear, almost like a child proudly show casing her newest and most expensive toy. "You already know him, right?"

    "Of course, she knows him." It was Kevin who replied, his voice slightly mocking. "Who in the world wouldn''t know the infamous Prince Vincent Kyle Reigns? The campus'' hottest, handsomest, and most perfect prince of all time?"

    "Right!" Agnes'' head nodded back and forth like a rattle. The girl was so oblivious that she did not even notice the obvious sarcasm in Kevin''s tone.

    "Looks like you''re picking up girls again, Riego. If I''m not wrong, Luna should be the third girl you ¨C" Kyle''s cold voice bit out but was cut off before he could finish his sentence.

    "I didn''t know royals could be such nosy asses, Reigns. It''s none of ¨C " and Kevin''s sentence was likewise cut off by Kyle in revenge for his earlier offence.

    "True. You''re none of my business. But it''s not my fault if every time I see you, and you''re always asking for some girl''s number like some beggar on the street." Kyle leaned in on him and whispered with a wicked, taunting smile. "Let''s just say I''m just the goody ass royal, trying to warn a poor girl from a potential predator."

    "F-f*ck you ¨C"

    Just as Kevin uttered that curse, Luna cut him off.

    "I''m leaving." Luna gave Kevin his phone. "Thanks for the notebook again." she added and immediately turned around and left.

    When Luna was far enough from them, Kevin faced Kyle and threw him a death re.

    "How scary," Kyle just smirked at him, and Kevin could only grit his teeth before he too turned around and left.

    "Can I have your number too?" Agnes asked with much anticipation, once Kevin was gone. Her brightly glittering eyes and coy smile told Kyle that she was very much confident in getting what she wanted from him.

    Kyle looked at her and for a moment he hesitated.. But when he nced at the building where Luna had just entered, he gave a neutral and polite smile and said "sure", causing Agnes to almost jump and squeal out in excitement.

 Chapter 739 - Easy Prey

    <h4>Chapter 739 - Easy Prey</h4>

    That night, Kyle had stayed back in the forest. Not in Sacred Park but in the thick forest covering the hills behind the northernmost part of the campus. He wanted that quiet and stillness that could not be afforded to him if he was back in his dorms.

    Kyle had crossed the campus'' perimeter fencing so he could freely run and hunt in the hills. He was so goddamned frustrated. He hated that Luna had given her number to that damn guy. No, he was actually angry as well and he hated that he was feeling like this towards a girl¡­ a girl that he had just met and a girl that was not even his.

    This was what made him even angrier, the mere emotions she was stirring up within him was just ridiculous. Does this mean he already have such deep feelings for Luna? Already? How did that even happen?! Was such a thing even possible? Or did he just in gotten mad overnight?

    He could not help butugh at himself. This was just too much for him. Judging from his reactions right now, Kyle felt that if he sees Luna with another guy again, he might actually go nuts and do something that he was not supposed to do. He was already behaving like a psycho jealous boyfriend. Wait¡­ he was not even her boyfriend! So would he be considered a stalker then?!

    What happened a while ago was something not worthy to be this jealous of and he was already behaving so irrationally like this. What will happen if she starts dating a guy and¡­

    Kyle banged his head on a tree trunk to wake himself up. He never would have thought that he was going to go through something like this. Right now, Kyle realised that it seems as though he did not have that much of a control over his own emotions. In the past months, his brother had trained him how to grow stronger physically and at the same time, to control his powers. And within months, he had perfectly achieved the high standard that his brother had set for him. He thought that after his brother''s insane training, nothing could overwhelm him anymore. But how wrong he was¡­

    Now, just fast forward a few months ahead, here he was, overwhelmed and almost in aplete mess just because of a mere girl. He had even broken one of his brother''s rules already and it was not even a week into the schooling term yet!

    Kyle wanted to hit himself and stop behaving like this. He knew that this was just not normal. His every reaction towards that girl was an abnormality and he refused to just ept it as a crush. He would not and he could not do it. If he allowed this to continue on and ends up pursuing her, his brother will definitely find out. And he did not even need to think as he was sure that his brother would not be happy about it.

    Luna was a human for goodness'' sakes, and he would never want another forbidden love, ever. Going through it once was more than enough.

    After another hour of trying toe to terms with himself, Kyle finally calmed down.

    His grey eyes were now steely and focused, not filled with too many emotions anymore. He jumped across the tall metal fence and entered the campus, walking leisurely as he pushed his hands deep inside his pockets.

    Now he needs to think of another alibi for his nosy roommates once he returns to his dorm. That was quite easy thing to do as his roommates believed that he was just out somewhere fooling around with the girls who were literally throwing themselves at him that they did not even ask where he came back from anymore, aside from throwing him a knowing nce. If only his roommates knew that he was actually fooling around with the trees and deer in the forest.

    As he was about to step out from the forest, his phone vibrated inside his pocket.

    He opened the message app and read the new text with a t expression.

    ''Hi Vincent, what are you doing? I''m bored. My roommate had disappeared again and is still noting back. I''m a bit scared being here all by myself.'' The sender was obviously Agnes.

    Kyle immediately frowned. He looked down at his wristwatch and saw that it was already past the curfew for students to be out from their dorms.

    His eyes narrowed as his grip on his phone hardened. Then Agnes messaged him again, and Kyle hoped that she would tell him that Luna was finally back.

    ''I thought that girl''s innocent because she was so quiet. Turns out that I am wrong. Maybe she''s with Riego right now. That Riego seems to really like her. Maybe because Luna looks like the quiet and innocent type. You know¡­ an easy prey.''

    Kyle hurled his phone on the grass before he could lose control and crush it. Even then, it bounced a few times on the ground andnded a few feet away from him. He cursed and raked his hand through his hair. The message Agnes just sent made him imagine and what came to his mind suddenly turned everything inside him into chaos.

    After taking a few deep breaths, Kyle picked his phone up again.

    ''She''s not back yet?'' he texted back and when Agnes replied ''no'', his heart shivered a little.

    ''Why don''t you call her? You definitely have her number, right?''

    ''She''s not picking up. How about youe over and let''s go look for her? I''m a bit worried.''

    Kyle tugged at his hair, but it did not even take a minute of contemting and he quickly texted back his agreement. ''Alright, stay there. Wait for my message.''

    Upon sending his message, Kyle hastily rushed over towards the Sacred Park.. His mind was yelling at him, but he knew he could never ignore this. It might drive him insane if something really had happened to her!

 Chapter 740 - Picture

    <h4>Chapter 740 - Picture</h4>

    In the old library that was located across the girl''s dormitory, Lilith had purposely let herself get locked inside. She had stayed hidden until the librarian had left and locked the library after him.

    She did not want to head back to her dormitories yet because she could no longer stand Agnes. It was not because of her being talkative as usual as she had already started to get used to her verbal diarrhoea. However, what she could not tolerate was that when every time Agnes mentioned Kyle, Lilith felt needles stabbing severely into her heart.

    When she had seen him with Agnes, Lilith had felt an emotion that she had never felt before. There was a raging hot hatred broiling within her. She hated that he was with another girl.

    Lilith had initially nned to immediately reject Kevin when he had asked her for her number. But when she had seen from the corner of her eyes at how Agnes had wrapped her hands around Kyle''s arm as she pulled him over to show him off to her as though she had already owned him, Lilith just changed her mind and gave her phone number to Kevin. She was pissed that Kyle did not brush Agnes'' hands off him ¨C which she had thought he would have done.

    Then she had left as fast as she could, just so that she could hide her almost out of control emotions. She quickly reminded herself once again when she was back in her room to put Kyle, and anything rted to him out of her mind. But when Agnes arrived, she was jumping all around in utter excitement, as if she had hit the jackpot. Agnes told her proudly that Kyle had given her his number too. She bbered on and on at how the campus'' prince charming was so interested in her.

    That stabbed Lilith''s heart once again. Her throat hurt so badly that all she could respond to Agnes was ''that''s great'', then she quickly left their room, telling Agnes that she needed to go to the library to do some advance research for her studies.

    While she''s at the library, Lilith tried her hardest to do and think of anything and everything to distract herself from having her mind wander back to thoughts on Kyle. In her attempt to coax herself, she had coincidentally discovered a secret door that was built into one of the shelves that was located further in. This discovery had caused Lilith to decide to get locked up in here, thinking that she might have finally found her very own secret ce. She needed to get this ce checked out and being locked in without anyone interfering with her snooping around was the best.

    So after the librarian had left, Lilith came out of her hiding ce and attempted to open the secret door. It had led her into a small passageway and then a stairway. It was pitch dark, so Lilith used her mobile phone''s light to illuminate the way. Though no one seemed to be around, Lilith still strongly told herself not to use magic.

    She discovered a small empty chamber at the end of the stairway. The ce was also filled with old books. But Lilith could tell that no one seemed to have been here for quite a long time. Most probably, it might only be the librarian who knows of this ce and Lilith was quite certain that no human would definitelye into this ce at night.

    Somehow, Lilith managed to take off Kyle from her mind as she was embarking on her little adventure as a human. However, she needed to go back now. It was already past ten and she was certain that Agnes would have tonnes of questions for her again. She might get suspicious if she takes any longer than this to get back to her dorm.

    Lilith thought that she would sneak out ande back here once Agnes falls asleep.

    She was closing the secret passage and walking back toward her seat by the window to pick up the book she had brought along with her when something just happened to catch her eyes as she looked through the ss window.

    Her body froze at what she saw. Kyle was there¡­ with Agnes. The two of them were standing behind the tree trunk.

    And the pain that she had been trying so hard to shrug off and ignore from earlier came crashing back on her like a tidal wave. Why? She wondered why watching this scene seems to be more painful to her than when he had told her goodbye. She wondered why seeing him with another girl like this just hurts her so bad. She already knew that they could not be together.

    The book in her hand fell from listless fingers and tumbled onto the wooden floor. That jolted her out of her daze, but what shocked her even more was when Kyle suddenly whipped his head around and looked right at where she was standing!

    Lilith dropped down immediately onto the floor to hide her presence. Then she collected her book and ran towards the secret passage. Her heart was hurting so badly, and she was gritting her teeth as she entered the chamber and clenched her hands over her chest. Jealousy¡­ this must be the sting of jealousy!

    She never would have thought this ''jealousy'' could feel this awful. She did not know that she would feel like this if she saw Kyle with someone else. Never did she imagine that Kyle would be with another girl. She often thought about him in the past months and wondered how he was doing, but not even once did she imagine him with another girl.

    Now she wondered how many girls he had been with since he left her. And then her mind just pictured him holding onto someone else''s hand the way he had done with her when they were still together, his lips against someone else''s lips¡­

    That picture in her mind made her feel like she wanted to yell, when out of the blue... someone called out her name.

    "Luna?"

 Chapter 741 - Secret Chamber

    <h4>Chapter 741 - Secret Chamber</h4>

    Earlier¡­

    A while ago, Kyle had just arrived outside the girl''s dormitory when Agnes had spotted him almost immediately. The girl was already outside and waiting for him eagerly in front of the library across the dorm.

    Kyle had nned to look around and look for Luna himself first, because he had a feeling that Agnes will only annoy him if she tags along. So he had not bothered to text her when he had arrived. Little did he know that she had been waiting there for him and was already out here!

    He had felt someone''s presence and he initially had thought it might be Luna, only to find out that it was Agnes. It was toote for him to back off because she had already seen him and now, she was unfortunately clinging onto him.

    When Kyle said that they should split up to look for Luna, Agnes clung onto him and told him that Luna had just returned and was already now in their room.

    Kyle had barely stopped himself from ring at her. He was not an idiot not to realize that this girl was making a fool of him.

    But just as he was about to fling her off him, something caught his attention. His head whipped around towards the old library behind them. The lights were already turned off, meaning that no one was supposed to be inside now. But he was certain that there had been a slight sounding from inside of the library.

    He did not use his vampiric vision, but Kyle had caught sight of a silhouette inside and he narrowed his eyes.

    "Go back to your dorm now, Agnes." Kyle peeled her hands off him. "I''m leaving." He said in a cold and harsh tone.

    "W-wait! Are you really going to leave just like that? I came all the way out here just to meet yo ¨C" Agnes whined in a coy manner, causing Kyle to narrow his eyes even more.

    "I had specifically told you to wait for my message. Now go back before someone sees us. I don''t want to get in trouble." He told her off, his face as hard as stone.

    Agnes frowned at him. She looked angry for a moment, but her expression quickly changed and she smiled demurely at him.

    "Right. Okay, I''ll go back." She then suddenly threw herself at him and her lipsnded on his chin as Kyle shifted his face when he realized what she was nning to do. "Goodnight. See you tomorrow." She said sweetly and then she ran away.

    Kyle sighed and wiped the spot she kissed with the sleeve of his shirt roughly before he shifted his attention back to the library.

    He ended up entering the library as he was intrigued because the door was locked.

    And when he entered, a familiar scent weed him. The scent was very faint, and it was something he would not notice in open ces but here, this scent¡­ it smells like Luna!

    His heartbeat raced immediately. Was she locked up in here? She was the silhouette he had seen earlier?! But if she was locked here, why did she not call out for help a while ago?

    Suspicion rose within Kyle, but right now, his excitement was getting the better of him. He followed the scent and it led him to a slightly opened secret door.

    He did not hesitate to enter and just as he had expected, he found her inside.

    "Luna?" he called out and he saw her shoulder jolt at his voice.

    She whipped her head around and her eyes widened at the sight of him.

    "What¡­ are you doing here?" Kyle asked as he approached her with measured steps. He did not want to startle her more than she already was.

    "I¡­ I was locked up."

    Kyle''s brows knitted not because of what she said but by the look on her face. She looked¡­ hurt¡­ Did someone hurt her?! Just the thought alone caused his blood to boil.

    "Are you okay?" he was suddenly before her, reaching out to touch her. But she stepped back quickly, avoiding his touch.

    That gesture made Kyle halt in his approach, and he retracted his hand, clenching it a little.

    "Are you alright? Why didn''t you call out for help a while ago?" he asked calmly, trying his best not to approach her again.

    "I was¡­ about to but¡­" she looked away and walked towards the stack of books on the floor and picked one up. "I didn''t want to disturb your moment with Agnes."

    Kyle blinked. Then his jaws clenched. Did she see it when Agnes had kissed him?

    "That was¡­" Kyle trailed off. Why would he even exin like he was the guilty party? She was not his girlfriend or anything like that. And she might not even believe it if he told her especially when she already saw that situation with her own two eyes.

    He could only rake his fingers through his hair and sighed out heavily. "Why did you run inside this secret door?" he asked. Somehow, Luna''s actions were starting to bother him. Was it just a coincidence that he always finds her in questionable ces?

    "I came back to get this." She said, showing him a book. "I was in here and did not keep track of time. When I stepped out, it was already dark, and the librarian had gone home." She easily threw out an excuse.

    She then walked past him, and Kyle followed behind her as they left the secret chamber. "I came back to grab this first, hoping that you guys would be done with your business when I return and can finally intrude into your lovey-dovey time." She added somewhat sarcastically.

    Kyle stopped the urge to pin her against the wall. He did not like her tone while saying herst sentence.

    "There''s no business going on between Agnes and me. Trust me." He said earnestly and she turned around as if his words irked her. Her sudden move surprised Kyle and their faces were so close that they were about to collide.

    They both froze as their faces were just inches apart.

    She stepped back to move away but her feet hit the stairway behind her, and she lost her bnce.

    "Careful ¨C" Kyle reached out his arms and caught her. He then wrapped them around her slender waist as he pulled her against him.

    ____

    Happy valentines my lovely readers! ???

 Chapter 742 - For The Better?

    <h4>Chapter 742 - For The Better?</h4>

    Lilith could hear her pulse beating so loudly in her ears. Her blood seemed to be whooshing though her ears. The anger that was zing so intensely just a moment ago seemed to have been melted instantly. Just because¡­ just because Kyle was holding her right now and his face was just an inch away from hers. She had forgotten just how good looking he was up close. Sure, she knew that he was very handsome. But it had been quite a while since they had been so physically close together and his attractive looks have somewhat been relegated to her memories. But remembering how he looks and experiencing it physically in reality, was two very different things. And the sensations that suddenly sparked within her were like fireworks going off in every part of her being.

    She could feel his hot breath puffing against her lips with his every breath. And that scent of his breath that smelt like mint made Lilith could not help but remember his kisses from before that felt as though they had happened so long ago. Oh, how she had missed his kisses!

    Her mind screamed at her to quickly back off but¡­ she could not even bring herself to look away. How could she even move her leaden feet to back off? His gaze had held her captive, and her body seemed to have be paralyzed at his touch. Why? How could this person always wreck her defences so easily like this all the time?

    Despite all the chaos that was going on in her mind and the warning bells she had set for herself ringing so loudly in her ears, Lilith could not bear to push him or pull herself away. She wanted it¡­ his lips¡­ against hers once more. She wanted him to remind her again of how the taste of his mouth was like. Just for once, she wanted to be selfish and remember how it was like to lock lips with him and allow herself to let loose in their passion.

    She felt him move even closer, their noses already lightly grazing each other''s and that alone was enough to already send electricity sparking through her veins. Kiss me¡­ her heart whispered out desperately. She knew he was going to kiss her now and she subconsciously held her breath.

    A loud ringtone suddenly echoed between them, jolting them from the haze that had enveloped them both. Lilith quickly snapped out of that trance, and she pushed him away. Her ringtone was not that loud but inside that narrow and enclosed space, it sounded a few times louder to their sensitive ears.

    Kyle caught his lower lip between his teeth as he stepped back, frustrated at the untimely interruption of that damned phone. Oh, how he wished he could crush that infernal thing into dust!

    He could only rake his fingers through hair as he watched her answer the call. Looking at the object of his ire, he wanted to grab it and throw it far away and then pin her on the wall and¡­ kiss her.

    "I need to go back now." She said, already taking a few steps, hastily walking away.

    And again, before he realized it, he had grabbed onto her wrist, stopping her just as they stepped out from the library.

    She did not turn around even at his touch. "Please let go. I really need to go. My roommate will report that I''m missing if I don''t return as soon as possible."

    Kyle sighed. Now he could not help but really dislike that roommate of hers even more. He was really regretting ever getting close to her in the first ce. If not for her being Luna''s roommate, he would have ditched her long ago. "Well, if they look for you, just tell them the truth. That you''re locked up in here."

    "No!" she whirled around and faced him.

    "No?" He cocked his head to the side, wondering why she had reacted so strongly.

    "That¡­ I can''t say that. I don''t think they''ll believe me anyway. They''ll just think that I''m fooling around if¡­" she trailed off and sighed. "I just don''t want any drama. So I better leave now. Please¡­ let go." She pulled on her hand, but Kyle still did not want to let go.

    "Alright, easy, Luna. I''ll let go okay?"

    "Then let go now."

    "Don''t you think you need to say something to this knight in shining armour, first?" a smirk was gracing his handsome face as he said that. His grey eyes gleaming yfully in the dark.

    "Thank you." she rolled her eyes as she quickly threw the words out.

    "That''s all?" he quirked his brows at her, prompting her for more.

    She took a deep breath. "Thank you so much for opening the doors for me."

    He tilted his head a little as he looked at her with another ''that''s all?'' look in his mischievous eyes.

    "What else do you want?!" she grumbled as she felt the injustice of him bullying her this way.

    "How about a kiss of gratitude?"

    He watched her lips parted and his smile widen. But just as he was about to let go of her wrist, her lips suddenlynded at the corner of his lips. He was caught off guard at her sudden action he did not realize that he had already loosened his grip on her wrist. And as soon as she pulled away, she ran away as fast as she could.

    Kyle lifted his hand and touched the part that she kissed as he watched her run away from him. He shook his head and he chuckled silently to himself. "Damn!" he muttered and as soon as he saw her entered the girl''s dorm building, he turned around and left. His damn heart was rejoicing joyously, and it was strange at how he suddenly felt so alive again.

    He could not believe that he was feeling this again. Was he really falling for Luna now? Was he truly over Lilith now?

    That question erased the smile on his face, and he halted and leaned against a nearby tree. He threw his head back and looked up.. "Maybe this is for the better, right? Lilith?" he murmured as if he was asking the moon which was shining so brightly in the dark starless sky.

 Chapter 743 - Absolutely Sure

    <h4>Chapter 743 - Absolutely Sure</h4>

    At Little Flower Bookstore.

    It was a bright and sunny afternoon, yet Iryz was still stuck at her desk, looking up at the never ending book Zeres ¨C the angel-faced male witch ¨C had told her to look into.

    She had been locked up in here for days now, just skimming through books and she could not take this any longer. She was a human, god dammit! She needs sunlight and fresh air from time to time as well!

    Her hands mmed down on the innocent book which was sitting on her desk, causing the man who was by the window and flipping the pages of a book as well to lift his gaze and look at her. Their eyes met and Iryz tried her best not get overwhelmed by those unreal and beautiful silvery eyes of his.

    "What''s wrong?" he asked, slowly cing his book down on hisp.

    "I''m tired." She told him, straightforward and sullenly. "I really wanted to help you find the book you''re looking for but¡­ I can''t do it anymore."

    His perfect brows knitted. Then he stood and approached her.

    Even though she had been with him for days now, Iryz still could not get used to this man''s beauty. His beauty was just too much that it was blinding her and it did not help that she was seeing that face every minute of the day now.

    "Why?" he did not sound pleased now.

    "Well, I have my own stuffs to get done as well. My priorities, you know? I know you''re in a rush, but five days is all I can give up to help you. I am also in a rush, okay? I have to continue my project now or else, I won''t be able to make it in time." she exined. "I am joining a contest and I am aiming to win. So I''m sorry, but I need to focus on my own work now."

    Zeres'' jaws clenched then he shut his eyes. His palm dropped on her desk as he leaned down at her. Iryz''s eyes widened at his closeness.

    "Tell me, why do you want to join and win that contest?"

    "Because I need the money."

    He sighed as though he was a little relieved. "Fine, then I''ll give you the money. How much do you want?"

    Iryz'' mouth hung open, then she red hard at him. She could not believe what he had just said.

    "Look here, Iryz. I''m not trying to buy you over or anything. I am going to pay you for working for me to find the book. That book is really important to me. So instead of you joining the contest, you''ll work for me instead, how about that?"

    What he said made sense to Iryz and she rxed her stance. However, this offer¡­

    She stared back at him before shaking her head at his offer. "No. I still want to join the contest ¨C"

    "I''ll buy this house for you." he cut her off. Iryz'' eyes widened again, shocked that he knew about it.

    "You know¡­?"

    "I know. I heard thedy next door talking about it. Now let''s make a deal here Iryz. Help me find the book and I''ll buy this house for you in exchange for it. That''s a great deal and you know it."

    "But¡­ but isn''t that a bit too much?" She knew it was a wonderful deal! But it was just too sudden for her.

    "Your service is very important to me. In fact, it''s something priceless. So I''m willing to pay you any amount you wish. I am really in a rush¡­" his gaze deepened as he held her eyes. "And you''re the only one who could help me with this."

    Iryz saw the desperation in his eyes. Not just that, she saw a whole lot more and she did not know why her heart seemed to be breaking for him at that brief moment.

    "C-could it be that you''re trying to save someone?" she asked him in a careful voice.

    Zeres dropped his eyes and fell silent for a moment. "Yes."

    "Is it someone very important to you?" she prompted further.

    He met her gaze. "Yes. Someone who is more important than my life."

    Iryz nodded slowly as her voice weakened. "I see¡­" she said and she did not know why she suddenly felt something strange. Was it because of the intense emotions that was tantly pouring out of his eyes? Must be it. Seems like she was just a little jealous of whoever this person who was so very dear to him. She wondered how it would feel to be cherished by someone more than their very own life.

    "Okay. I will help you." Iryz said and he smiled brightly, looking so relieved. His smile¡­ it was so breathtaking¡­

    "Thank you." he pulled away and hisrge handnded on her head. He ruffled her hair fondly then he casually brought his phone out. "I''m going to prepare the amount now ¨C"

    "Wait a moment! Actually, I won''t be letting you pay everything. I have my savings. And I am only short of two hundred thousand dors right now."

    "Why don''t you just let me pay for everything?"

    "I''d feel bad if I do that."

    "I''d also feel bad if I pay you that little."

    Iryz could not help but gape at him again. Did he just say two hundred thousand dors is little? This witch must be rich as hell!

    "No no," sheughed sheepishly, "I think that''s already too much."

    "It''s not. I insist you''d let me pay you more."

    Iryz wanted to insist her side as well but the utter seriousness in his eyes made her hold her tongue. Somehow, she felt like this man would still insist on whatever he wanted to do.

    "Fine. I''ll ept more payment but not money." She came to apromise.

    "State it."

    "I''d like to draw more of you whenever I take a break, how about that?"

    Zeres was silenced for a moment. But eventually, he nodded. Though he did not like it, he could not deny her request as it was nothingpared to what she could do for him.

    "Are you certain you want that more than money?"

    "Absolutely sure, sir!"

    "You''re a strange little girl. But fine. As long as you work for me properly, you can do what you want."

    "Really?!" she eximed. "You''re saying I can do whatever I want with you? I mean you will let me draw you however I want?"

    He blinked but then again, he nodded. "As long as you work properly for me ¨C"

    "ALRIGHT!" she pulled her sleeves up, looking as though she was suddenly so fired up now.. "Now I''m really fired up! I will do this!" she told herself in a loud motivating voice, then she grabbed the book on her desk again. She could not wait to finish this pile just so she can take a break again!

 Chapter 744 - Freaking Book

    <h4>Chapter 744 - Freaking Book</h4>

    Hours passed and Iryz finally finished going through all the books that were piled up like a mountain on her desk.

    She stretched her back to work out the kinks and took a deep breath of relief. Her head whipped towards the beauty by the window, excitement filling her eyes now. The past few days since this beautiful man appeared in her room had been a bit torturous. She had always felt exhausted after burying herself into endless books for hours but now, she was still so energetic and not even surprised about it.

    "Alright I''m¡­" Iryz swallowed the rest of her words. The big and excited smile stered over her face faded slowly at the sight of Zeres'' sitting there on the floor, asleep. An open book was sitting on hisp, and he was still holding onto it.

    Iryz could not help but stare at his mesmerizing face. He looked like a wax doll when he was not moving and talking. However, for some reason, it was hard for Iryz to stare at him for a long period of time because every time she did so, she always felt as though she was watching some breathtakingly beautiful but sad movie.

    In the past days, she did not even know if this man had been sleeping at all. The reason why she had helped him withoutints for five consecutive days was because she saw and felt how desperate he was. He did not even take any breaks if she did not disturb him. At night, she would leave him still flipping pages and then she would find him still doing the same thing when she wakes up the next morning.

    His dedication was just¡­ it never ceased to make Iryz speechless. It was like he did not care about anything else in this world but this book that he was looking for.

    And what was haunting Iryz the most was that this man just looked so lonesome. He was like the pale and shimmery moon. Beautiful and far away and¡­ so alone.

    At first, she could not help but wonder what had happened to make him end up being this way. But she could somewhat understand him already without him telling her anything. Her storyteller''s mind just kicked in and she thought that he must have lost a love one, maybe a lover, and could not bear to let her go. That was why he was here¡­ to look for the book with that spell which he believes will be able to bring her back. And from what he had said just a few hours ago, it seems that she was right.

    Sighing, Iryz quietly approached him with a nket in her hands. She squatted before him as silently as she could and then she ced the nket on hisp.

    She stared at his beautiful face and she could not believe that even in his sleep, he could still look so bruised. Like a wounded little wolf that was left out to bleed. The saddest thing was that he always acts as though he was fine, and nothing was wrong with him at all. Did he really think that others would not notice it?

    Perhaps, she would not notice it too if she had not been with him like this for nearly every minute within these past five days. Being so near and with her naturally curious disposition, it was impossible for her to miss all the signs disyed. It was clear to her that he was in no way fine or anywhere near okay.

    Looking at him, Iryz hugged her knees as she stayed crouching there just next to his sleeping form. She was sorry for him knowing that he was in a so much desperation and pain right now. If she could, she would want to help ease his pain but¡­ she knew that was not possible. She thought that the only one who would ever be able to make him feel better would be that precious person that he holds so dear to him.

    ''Ah¡­ love¡­ huh¡­'' Iryz whispered to herself. ''Seems that what they say is true¡­ love really seems to hurt so much. To think that an ancient and powerful witch, and a freaking gorgeous one at that, wasn''t even spared from it¡­''

    She shook her head and sighed. Somehow, looking at him made her think that love seems horrible and truly not worth the effort. Before this man came, Iryz had been quite eager in wanting to fall in love. She had wanted to experience the things she had read in the books, watched in those romance movies, and even drawn out from her own vivid imagination. It was funny how she was spinning out romance stories when she had never actually ever fallen in love with anyone before in her life.

    Another sigh escaped her lips.

    "What is it?" his voice jolted her out of her reverie, and she lost her bnce and stumbled back on the floor. She winced as she fell heavily on her behind, wanting to rub it but embarrassed to do so in front of this vision of a man.

    "S-since when did you wake up?!" Iryz stammered out the first thing that came to mind.

    "Just now." he finally opened his eyes.

    Iryz cleared her throat.

    "It''s time for me to take a break." She said energetically.

    His gaze fell onto her desk, and she saw the sh of disappointment in his eyes as he realized that she had already gone through that mountain of books and still have yet to find what they were looking for.

    "You go and eat first." He told her as he cracked his neck.

    "How about you? Do you even eat at all?" she was truly curious about this.

    "I eat when I''m hungry. Now go. I don''t think you want to waste any more time."

    Iryz could only obey and leave the room at the sound of his dismissive tone.

    Once the door was closed, Zeres let out a deep breath. He looked outside the window and it was night again. When will this freaking book show up? Would it ever be found?

    He was about to clench his fists when he realized that he was still holding onto a book.. His gaze fell to hisp and saw a nket draped over his legs.

 Chapter 745 - Falling

    <h4>Chapter 745 - Falling</h4>

    Once Iryz returned upstairs, just as she had expected, Zeres had yet to move from the exact same spot that she had seen him in when she had left earlier on. He put the book that he had been poring over in his hand down into hisp again and looked at her upon sensing her presence entering into the room.

    "What pose do you want from me this time?" he asked, his voice t and uninterested. He presumed that she must havee up to get him to pose for her drawings.

    Iryz smiled awkwardly at first, feeling a little embarrassed at having to disturb him. But her expression quickly brightened up when she justified her actions with her earlier hard work and approached her desk to grab her sketch pad.

    "It''s okay, you don''t need to move from where you are sitting." She quickly told him as Zeres began to move. "I just need to draw you in a different angle and in a sitting position as well. You can continue looking through the book."

    She pulled out her chair and sat down at a good distance by his side and without wasting a moment longer, Iryz began to draw him. No matter how excited she was right now, Iryz could not help but feel a little bad deep down. More so now, when she was seeing him not stopping at all from going through the book.

    However, Iryz was confident that they were going to find the book. They just needed to be more patient in going through the tonnes of books that were here in this bookstore. And this was why she was able to shrug off the little guilt and determinedly continued on with her n. She knew that once they found the book, she might never see this angel of a man again.

    After some time quietly working on her drawing, the piece of art was done. A big smile was stered on her face as she marvelled at her own artwork. "Ahh! So beautiful! Perfect!" she showered her own work praises while Zeres looked at her like he just could not figure out what she was so happy about. Iryz noticed his gaze on her and turned to look at him.

    "Do you want to see it? Look!" she excitedly turned the artwork towards him, hoping that he would be somewhat impressed with her work.

    Zereszily tilted his head as his gaze fell on it. His non reaction was quite expected and Iryz did not take his response to heart and continued being happy all on her own. It was fine if she was impressed with it!

    "Once this is coloured in, it will look even more beautiful!" Iryz stood and swirled around so happily as she lifted the sketch pad high up into the air. "I''ve never drawn something so beautiful before! Thanks to you!" she faced him shed him a very sweet smile.

    When Zeres remained silent, only looking at her without any ripple of emotions on his handsome face, Iryz nodded to herself and walked towards her desk and ced the sketch pad there with much satisfaction. Then she left the room, telling Zeres that she had forgotten to take something downstairs earlier.

    She returned with arge mug of coffee and a small te of cookies in her hands.

    "You must be hungry. I have not seen you eat anything since you started looking through the books." She said amicably and ced the tray before him. Then she picked up the mug of coffee she made and gave it to him. "Let me know if it''s too sweet for you. I''ll go make another one."

    It took him a short while of blinking at her and the mug of coffee before epting her offer. "Thank you, but you don''t need to bother about me."

    "Here, taste this too." Iryz offered him the cookies as if she had not heard what he had just said at all. "This is my way of thanking you for modelling for me, even though you hate it." she added, grinning at him.

    Zeres looked down and picked up a cookie before taking a bite. He knew she would continue hounding him so might as well give in and try one.

    "How''s is it?" she asked expectantly, eyes bright and lively.

    "Not bad."

    She nodded, seemed relieved with his answer. Then she took her own mug and walked over to her desk.

    "It''s time for you to sleep." He told her when he saw her start picking up a book on the floor.

    "I''ll clock in for over time tonight." She replied with a wink and pointed to her own mug and as usual, the two of them continued with their search until Iryz fell asleep on her desk again when she no longer could keep her eyes open.

    When Zeres finished all the books that were stacked up next to him, he stood, nning to go downstairs to pick another stack of books he will check next. He halted at the sight of the girl sleeping, her face buried in the pages of the open book.

    Sighing softly, he gathered her and tucked her back into her bed. Then he stood there, staring at her peaceful face. His hand moved and when he ced it over her head, he uttered a spell and his palm glowed.

    Suddenly, her innocent eyes, those sweet smile¡­ they shed in his head and Zeres abruptly clench his fists tight.

    The magic disappeared and his hand trembled. He tugged at his hair hard and left her room in haste, as if running away for his life. What was he doing?

    Zeres could not believe what he was just about to do. He was about to attempt in reading her mind. How could he¡­ how could he do that?!

    His back hit a shelve and he slid down on the floor. His hands were still trembling as he tugged on his hair. What was happening to him? He was starting to feel scared now¡­ of himself. Of what he would actually do next. He felt like¡­ he was falling¡­ falling into a vortex of darkness.

    "Please¡­" he whispered through his gritted teeth. "Someone¡­ save me¡­"

 Chapter 746 - Relief

    <h4>Chapter 746 - Relief</h4>

    Iryz stiffened at the sight of him, slumped on the floor. She was jolted awake at the sound of what seemed like books falling onto the floor. When she rose, she saw that Zeres was gone and her room''s door was wide opened. She rushed downstairs, afraid that something bad was going on just to find this. Him. Alone. And slumped over as though a disaster had struck him.

    She then saw how he suddenly stiffened when he sensed her presence, but she could not make herself turn away anymore. Not after seeing him like this. Not after hearing him say out those words¡­ The sound of ifing out so broken and forlorn just triggered a surge of sympathy from her heart. This beautiful man was so lonely and shattered.

    Her feet moved and approached him with measured steps. Before she could reach him, his deep voice echoed inside the quiet and dim bookstore.

    "I''m fine. Go back to sleep." He said, removing his hands from his hair now and acting like nothing had happened at all. But Iryz did not stop and when she reached him, she squatted down.

    He whipped his head towards her and snarled. "I said go back upstairs, damn it!" there was venom and threat in his voice and Iryz could not help but blink and flinch back a little.

    But the next thing she did was¡­

    She lunged forward and hugged him.

    Zeres'' eyes widened in shock and his entire body stilled. It was obvious what she did was thest thing he expected her to do at all.

    "It''s okay," her quiet voice echoed out in the dark as her slender arms wrapped gently around him. Then she started caressing his back gently.

    Her actions only made Zeres feel even guiltier. A bitter smile curved on his face as he shut his eyes tightly closed. ''If you knew what I was about to do to you¡­ you wouldn''t be here, hugging me right now. No, you wouldn''t even want to look at me anymore.'' he told her in his mind. He wanted to push her away. He did not deserve herfort.

    But he could not make himself touch her to peel her off him. "Let go now, Iryz." He said and her hand on his back paused in its movements.

    "But ¨C"

    "No buts. Just listen to me."

    "You''re not okay ¨C"

    Before she could finish whatever that she had wanted to say, she became limp and fell onto him because Zeres had put her to sleep with his spell without warning.

    "I''m sorry," he uttered then he used his magic to teleport them both back into her room. He did not touch her again and just used his magic to tuck her back into her bed again.

    After that, Zeres closed her window and locked her door. Then he left the house to go and distract himself. He wanted to go see Alicia, thinking that if he sees her and her spirit''s condition still did not get worse, he might feel better. To him, nothing would make him feel more at ease than that.

    It was around 2AM when Zeres arrived at Ezekiel''s building. He did not enter Kiel''s suite, knowing that Alicia would not like it if he appeared there out of nowhere. She might think that he wanted to expose her to Kiel. However, a fight with Alicia was thest thing he wanted to have it happen right now. So he deliberately advertised his presence upon materializing at the rooftop. He knew Alicia will feel his presence once he did that.

    A whileter, Zeres felt hering and he uttered the spell.

    "Did something happen?" she asked immediately but Zeres did not answer as he was busy breathing out in relief. Nothing changed so far since thest time he saw her. It was only a few days but the fact that she did not became even more transparent was enough to make him breathe with ease.

    Thatst time when he noticed that she was fading had scared him to his core and that was why he was unable to rx at all, fearing that she would continue fading as the days went by. dly, nothing had seemed to change so far even after a few days.

    "Zeres? Are you listening to me? What happened?" she was just a step away from him now.

    "Nothing happened." He finally replied, taking a step back. "I just came to see if you''re good."

    She blinked. "Huh? What do you even¡­ I don''t think so. There''s definitely a reason why you''re suddenly here ¨C"

    "I''m going back now, Alicia." He said as turned around.

    "Huh? Wait! Zer¡­"

    And before Alicia could even find out what it was that he hade here for, he was already gone. Alicia could only bite her lip and then take in a deep frustrated sigh. However, a sh of worry crossed her eyes as she stared at the space where he disappeared from.

    ¡­

    Zeres did not return to the bookstore immediately. He materialized a few blocks away from the bookstore because he wanted to take a walk. It was already 3AM and the streets were empty.

    Just as he expected, he felt a little better after seeing Alicia. He felt like he was allowed to take a short breather now as it seems he still have time left on his hands. That was such a great relief to him as of right now, he felt the chaos in his mind and soul settled a little. It would be fine for him to go back now. That girl would be safe from him at least for now.

    But as he reached the old house, his rxed expression quickly dimmed at the sight of the bookstore''s door. It was left slightly opened. Zeres had locked that same door before he left!

    He immediately disappeared and materialized inside Iryz'' room, only to find out her bed was empty.

    "Iryz?!" he called out and then he rushed downstairs. "Iryz!" He searched the house as fast as he could, but¡­

    She was gone.

 Chapter 747 - Scent

    <h4>Chapter 747 - Scent</h4>

    Some time ago¡­

    Since the moment Zeres left, Iryz began to moan in her sleep. She started having a nightmare the instant Zeres had put her to sleep with his spell.

    For a long while, she continued tossing and turning about on her bed, moaning out some gibberish and sweating hard. After a few minutes of what seemed like an extreme and horrible nightmare, something like reddish smoke appeared all over her, enveloping her body. Then her nightmare somehow was stopped.

    She then suddenly rose from her bed as if being jolted awake. Her eyes were opened, but they were fixed on a single spot, right in front of her. She climbed off the bed and started walking decisively, leaving her room and headed to a particr destination. Her eyeballs never moving from left to right at all and yet her feet did not stumble even as she walked down the stairs.

    When she was out of the main door, Iryz halted for a while before her feet moved again, seemingly knowing where it should be taking her to. She walked straight ahead of the empty street as though she was following something or someone that was calling out for her.

    Time ticked by and her small back could no longer be seen from the bookstore''s main door. Zeres arrived after a few more minutes and searched for her quickly inside the house.

    "Iryz?!" his voice echoed once again as he rushed outside the house and looked around, calling out to see if perhaps she was around.

    He gritted his teeth as worry and anger shed across his silver orbs. He could not help but think that someone might have taken her away and his blood boiled within his veins just by the thought of it. No! Over his dead body! That girl was his only hope in saving Alicia right now! She was the only lead he has in obtaining the spell to resurrecting Alicia! He would kill anyone who tries to take her away!

    Not caring if someone sees him, Zeres uttered a spell to trace her scent. Unlike vampires who could trace someone''s scent by smelling them, Zeres could trace someone just by using his eyes because he had the unique ability of being able to see someone''s scent.

    As soon as magic glowed in his eyes, he began to see remnants of something red lingering in the air. This meant that it had not been long since Iryz was gone!

    Without wasting a second longer, Zeres followed the trail of the reddish thin wisp of smoke. He knew that this was definitely from Iryz. He moved as fast as he could, and to his relief, he managed to catch up to the girl faster than he had expected.

    He saw her walking along the sidewalk, and he gritted his teeth in anger as he approached her, intending to give her a scolding for simply walking off without informing him or others about it. But he stopped three steps away from her at the realization that the way she walked was a little strange. It seemed as though she was not walking with consciousness.

    Zeres narrowed his eyes. Suspicion overpowered the anger that rose within him, so he decided to follow after her in silence and to wait and see what she was up to. He was curious as to where she was headed at these wee hours of the morning.

    Now he thought that she was confirming his suspicion right now, that she really was not a mere human. Otherwise, why would she be here, walking all alone along an empty street at 3 in the morning? It was not just that, but Zeres was also intrigued about that reddish glow she was exuding all around her body. This was not the usual scent he had associated with her. Her scent was usually transparent and bluish in colour.

    And the strangest thing was that he just could not figure out what kind of spell was it that made this reddish wisp of smoke suddenly appear around her. Was this a spell he knows nothing about? But that was impossible. How could there be a spell existing in this world that he did not know?

    His brows furrowed deeper, and he slowed down his pace, letting himself fall a few more steps behind her. He wanted to know what this girl was hiding from him. Whatever she is, he will be sure to find out tonight if that was thest thing he did.

    Just as he thought about that, she crossed the road. Zeres'' eyes widened as he saw a car fast approaching. He was about to jump forward to pull her back, but he restrained himself, thinking that if there was a possibility that she was a witch, she would definitely vanish from the spot to avoid getting hit.

    But she did not do that. The car''s tire screeched and at the veryst millisecond, Zeres teleported and grabbed onto her. He materialized a bit farther from the scene to create an illusion that the driver had just seen a ghost passing across the street.

    "Ze-Zeres?" her voice echoed out in a daze as Zeres looked back if the car had stopped. It did not, which was a relief.

    He looked down at the little girl who was still lying in his arms and only saw utter confusion and questions in her eyes.

    "What¡­ is going on?" she looked around and herrge eyes widened even more the moment she realized where they were. "Wait¡­ am I dreaming?" It seemed as though she did not know that she had walked herself out this far from her home.

    Zeres was speechless for a moment as he stared at her, scrutinizing her as though trying to decide if she was acting or it was real.

    "You had sleep-walked and ended up here." he eventually said as way of exnation, and she gasped at him in shock?

    "What?! R-really? All the way here? You''re kidding right?!" though she said that, she could see from his face that he was not joking with her.

    He put her down and when she winced in pain, they both looked at her feet. "Oh, I cut my feet." She muttered as she lifted her left feet and saw a small cut on her big toe.

    Zeres'' brows knitted.. It seemed that he was too busy being suspicious of her that he did not notice she had been walking the streets barefooted the whole time.

 Chapter 748 - Routine

    <h4>Chapter 748 - Routine</h4>

    "That''s the proof of your sleep walking." He said ndly and he scooped her back into his arms, feeling bad that he did not just almost let the girl get hit by a car but also in being careless and allowing her foot to ger hurt as well.

    Because some early birds started appearing, Zeres could not heal her there and then with his magic in the public so he could only carry her back to the bookstore to get her patched up.

    "Are you really sure I sleep-walked all the way here?" she asked him as they headed back. "You didn''t identally cast a spell on me or something, did you?" she narrowed her eyes and yfully asked him.

    "Do I look like someone who would cast a spell identally on just anyone?" Zeres replied in a t voice, not meeting her gaze and was just looking ahead.

    Iryz creased her brows. "Well, I don''t think I ever sleep-walked before. So, this happening is just a bit too arbitrary for me. In fact, it is unbelievable!"

    "It''s not that unbelievable. Just because you never sleep-walked before doesn''t mean that you will never sleep-walk in your entire life." Zeres reasoned out with her.

    "Well¡­ you''re right about that, I guess. I think I also had a horrible nightmare¡­ but I can''t quite remember the gist of it right now." She scratched the back of her head and furrowed her brows, trying to recall what the nightmare was about.

    Zeres'' jaws worked. Now he knew that this was his fault. Humans who were forcefully put to sleep by a spell will always have a horrible nightmare but will not remember it. This meant that he was in the wrong and she was actually a human? But how about the reddish thing that was lingering around her? What was that then?

    Once they were back at the bookstore, Zeres wordlessly put her down on the chair and grabbed her ankle. His palm glowed and he ced it over her feet for a few seconds before releasing it.

    "Are you okay now?" she asked him while he was tending to her wounds and Zeres stilled for a moment. Why was she asking him that? He should be the one asking her!

    "You''re the one who''s not okay right now." He checked that her wound was healed and rose to his feet. "Rest now. It''s still too early." He added and then he nonchntly returned to his spot and picked up a new book to browse through.

    He felt her staring at him again, but he ignored her, until he felt her climbed on her bed and fell asleep. Zeres shut his eyes as soon as he felt that her breathing had evened out, and he knew that she was asleep. Then he used his magic again to see if the reddish glow was still there. It was gone.

    A deep frown appeared on his handsome face. What was going on? He was certain that this was not a simple incident of sleep walking. She seemedpletely oblivious to this and the scene where she nearly got hit kept shing across his mind. If he was not there at that time, this girl might have been¡­ could it be that whoever casted the reddish smoke on her wanted to kill her?

    The thought made Zeres clench his fists so hard. Because that was the most logical exnation he could think about right now. Someone was trying to kill this girl. But why?! Was it to stop him from finding an answer to save Alicia? But who would dare get in his way like this? Why would they even want to stop him? How did they even know about his n in the first ce? Or was there a different reason why someone wants this girl''s life? But if that was the case, why the attempt on taking her life only now?

    ¡­

    It had been days, about two weeks now since Alicia stuck herself to Ezekiel like she had be his shadow. But until now, Alicia had yet to notice anything amiss. Ezekiel did not show anything suspicious at all which was such a relief to her.

    However, for some reason, Alicia was starting to feel like her job had been too eerily easy. The man she was watching over was Ezekiel of all creatures but for goodness'' sake, it had been about two weeks of watching him 24/7 and she had not once found any information that was valuable?!

    It started to bother her that things were just going on too smoothly to be true. He had been dealing mostly with the matter of the humans and some other minor problems rted to the rogue vampires disguising as mafias. Aside from that, nothing interesting happened at all. The most surprising thing was that Ezekiel''s routine never changed at all in that two weeks she had been shadowing him! The routine she saw that first night was exactly the same until now that she was starting to think this Ezekiel was actually a robot!

    She had literally memorized everything that he does even the exact amount of time he spent on getting one task done. Alicia could not even help but think that this man''s life might be more boring than hers as a mere spirit right now. And the most surprising thing was the fact that he never once looked bored at all!

    At some point, Alicia stopped thinking about this, knowing that she will only give herself a headache trying to figure this puzzle of a person out. And now, here she was again, turning her back on the wall while he gets dressed in those tailored ck suits of his.

    When she heard the sound of the door opening, Alicia turned around. That was the sign that he was done changing.

    But she stiffened and her eyes widened at the sight that wee her eyes. "H-howe you''re still naked?!" she blurted out, her voiceing out in a screech.

 Chapter 749 - Perfect And Naked

    <h4>Chapter 749 - Perfect And Naked</h4>

    Due to the shock of spying on Ezekiel''spletely naked back ¨C which was seriously drool-worthy, by the way ¨C Alicia bolted out of the room, and right through the walls.

    If she was not a spirit, her face might have already been ming as red as a freshly cooked lobster that was taken right out of the pot, right about now. In thest two weeks of dogging after his heels, she had somewhat already gotten used to seeing him half naked when he got out of the shower.

    Initially, she had responded by running off to another part of the house or resorting to quickly turning around to avoid looking at him directly. But after few times of doing that, she had gotten a little numb to the unintentional shing. No, she still found herself actually getting quite distracted whenever he parades his perfect upper body before her, buttely she was not feeling that ashamed anymore at the fact that she was seeing him half-naked without his knowledge.

    This time, however, that almost x-rated scene hade as apletely shock to her. She had seen his... Ezekiel''s perfect and naked butt! And she found herself extremely flustered. She did not know seeing a man''s naked ass could actually cause her to bolt away like she had seen something that would kill her if she did not look or stay away as soon as possible!

    But no, she remembered that this was not the first time she had identally seen a naked man. Then why was she this flustered now? Was it because it was Ezekiel that she had looked at and even his butt naked ass screams perfection?!

    Alicia could only face palm, shaking her head over and over like a rattle. Now she was mad at herself for being this affected by just a look. Was it such a big deal that she had seen so much skin? She thought that this must not continue. She must learn to really build a very strong tolerance against this man. There was only two weeks left to the time limit and she would not let something as insignificant as his nakedness throw her off her main goal like this.

    This was the time for her to persevere and not let anything disrupt her from her mission ¨C even for a few seconds. There was no way she could ept the fact that all it took to get rid of her was Ezekiel''s perfect and naked ass! Picturing that scene in her mind caused another small ''boom'' to go off in her head again. No! She has got to focus and steel her resolve!

    With renewed determination to stay and follow on his heels even if he ends up disying his full naked body, Alicia entered the huge suite again. She had actually bolted away so fast that she had ended up all the way outside his ce.

    As Alicia scolded herself, she finally realized that there was someone else other than herself who had just entered Ezekiel''s house.

    Frowning, Alicia walked back inside the house, to where Ezekiel was. She wondered if this was finally the moment when something interesting might be happening. Maybe this someone was his underling who hade to report to him about something confidential since no one had evere over, not even a woman, for the past two weeks that she had been spying on him.

    It even made Alicia wonder if Ezekiel was interested in women at all or have any sexual desires. She had not seen him flirt nor kept any woman at his side even when he frequents the bars where he usually carries out his meetings with the mafias.

    Justst night itself, Alicia had watched himpletely ignore a beautifuldy who was hitting on him. He did not even spare the poordy a single nce, causing Alicia to mutter to herself if maybe Ezekiel was an asexual or perhaps, he was not actually interested in women. Does he bat for the other team?

    "Forgive me for beingte, Your Highness." A woman''s voice echoed behind him.

    Alicia instantly halted and it was not only because she had never expected that the one toe was a woman, but also because of how erotic the voice was. Even she as a woman herself, could feel the attraction when she heard that slightly husky and alto voice spoke.

    "You made yourselfte on purpose because you wanted to be punished, didn''t you?" Ezekiel''s voice sent chills down Alicia''s spine. Though his facial expression did not change the least, his voice was so cold and sharp.

    The woman''s breathless chuckle echoed next. "Oh yes, Your Highness. Punish me." The woman began begging. Alicia somehow did not doubt that what the woman asked for was not a joke.

    Alicia could only stand by his bedroom''s door. Her fists clenching now. Fury was rising within her, and she suddenly wanted to just bolt inside and punch Ezekiel''s poker face. But she was quick to ask herself why would she even want to do that? Why on earth would she be even feeling this upsurge of anger?

    She turned around, telling herself that she could not possibly watch him right now. Not only because it would be way too shameful and disrespectful to spy on such private matters, but also because she knew that nothing of great importance will happen anyway.

    "I know you''re hungry, Your Highness. My body and my blood is only here for your sole enjoyment. So, punish me now¡­ devour my body and suck my blood." The woman''s voice echoed out again, trembling with anticipation as she spoke and before Alicia could take a step forward. "Please do not worry. I won''t be like those other girls who will naively try to bite a royalty back. I have very strong self-control and I am sated and not craving blood right now. I am only craving for your majestic d*ck right ¨C"

    "On the bed." Ezekiel cut her off. His voice remained neutral and t, but Alicia found herself feeling the anger wash over her again. "On all fours." He added as though ordering a ve.

    Alicia shut her eyes tightly and she finally turned around and left.

 Chapter 750 - What The Hellâ€™s Wrong With These Males?!

    <h4>Chapter 750 - What The Hell¡¯s Wrong With These Males?!</h4>

    Inside the room, Zeke stilled right behind the woman. His head facing over his shoulder and his eyes were trained at the closed door.

    He looked as though he was trying to sense something in the silence. Then he looked back at the woman who was begging for him again, wiggling her ass impatiently.

    Ezekiel ran his fingers that were covered with a pair of ck gloves over the woman''s spine. She moaned as if just that simple contact alone gave her an immense out of this world pleasure until Ezekiel''s hand reached her neck.

    His hand moved like a ck snake and curled around her neck and in one swift and precise move. With one strong yank, she was pulled up from kneeling on her knees, her back now flushed against his powerful body. She closed her eyes, eyelids trembling in anticipation as her breath puffed out in shallow pants, waiting for him to kiss her nape as his gloved hand cupped her neck.

    But it was not a searing kiss that came as she had expected, but his slightly curved, sharp fangs puncturing her skin, sinking into the vessel that carried her lifeblood.

    The woman''s eyes snapped opened wide in shock as she moaned, confusion tinging her words. "Your Highness¡­?? I thought we''re going to ¨C"

    "I don''t have time to y right now." he whispered coldly after drinking a small amount of blood from her. "Leave now. Your job is done here." His hands never touching anywhere else after leaving her neck.

    He then climbed off the bed and headed back into the dressing room, leaving the vampire woman on the bed, high and dry, still naked and totally dumbfounded.

    ¡­

    Alicia found herself travelling over to Little Flower Bookstore. She had found out that Zeres was currently residing there temporarily from Ezekiel''s intel.

    Her expression was still sour no matter how much she tried to reason out to herself that Ezekiel was after all, a healthy and virile man ¨C one that seemed to be in his prime, nheless. Thus, she should not get so bothered about his personal matters. She was not nning to leave and just waited at the rooftop. But for some reason, her anger was not subsiding the least. In fact, she was somehow getting more angry than she was earlier.

    The realization that the reason why Ezekiel never showed interest to the women hitting on him for the past two weeks was perhaps due to those women not being vampires irked and angered her. ''So, he does not even spare any woman a nce unless they''re vampires, huh?'' She scoffed.

    When she finally reached the bookstore, Alicia let out a deep breath. She wanted to face palm again on the reason why she came all the way here and left her all-important task. But she quickly reasoned out that Ezekiel and that woman might be taking a while with their activities. So she might ase over and check on how Zeres was doing, to confirm on what he was actually up to. She must stop getting riled up over such a ridiculous and insignificant matter about that poker faced vampire prince!

    Hastily, she rushed over to the bookstore and entered. She already had a gist on what Zeres was doing but she still wanted to confirm on it by seeing it with her own two eyes. This would help distract her and clear up her mind from that sted vampire.

    However, the moment she entered the room where she had sensed Zeres was in, her mouth dropped open at the sight that weed her.

    Zeres was there¡­ half naked and sitting on a chair, disying his toned torso as though it was something he does every day. His eyes were closed, and his head was leaning back against the head of the chair. She had to blink a couple of times to make sure that she was looking at Zeres and not someone else. But¡­ who else could be so good looking with that shock of silvery white hair if it were not Zeres himself?!

    It was then that Alicia''s eyes drifted a little to the side and looked at the girl who was sitting on the floor across from him. And Alicia noticed in her hands that she was holding onto a sketch pad. She was drawing Zeres!

    Blinking, Alicia did not know how to even react. This¡­ this was what Zeres was doing?! He was modelling for a¡­ a female artist?!

    Speechless, Alicia face palmed. Could this day get even more weird?! She could not believe that she had been worrying about this damned ancient witch only to find him modelling and even doing a naked type at that! What the hell''s wrong with these males?! They just keep doing unexpected things! Ugh!! She could feel a massive headacheing on already.

    The girl suddenly stilled in her movements. Her hand on the sketch pad stiffened and Alicia saw goosebumps appearing all over her skin.

    That made Alicia narrow her eyes. Is this youngdy capable of feeling her presence?

    Alicia realized that she was somewhat like what the humans called ghost now. Feeling bad at the realization that she might be scaring the poor human girl, Alicia quickly left before she could turn around and look behind her.

    But she halted just outside the door. She had noticed how peaceful Zeres looked as he sat there, sleeping. She had never seen him look that peaceful in such a long time. He had always looked so miserable ever since the day he had found out that he was the one drawing on her powers.

    A small smile now curved on Alicia''s face. She was d that Zeres might be finally moving on and epting everything that had happened so far. She was d to find out that he was not actually doing shady or nasty things just so he could do the impossible in finding a way to bring her back to the physical realm.

    Her smile slowly faded as she stood there. She suddenly remembered how gentle Zeres used to treat her before. She would not forget how he took care of her when she was at her weakest. But now, he was suddenly cold towards her, arguing with her whenever they meet or acting like he did not want to see her.

    She thought that it was because he was still angry with the world.. But seeing how peaceful he looked now while he was with that human girl, she thought that perhaps¡­ she was wrong.

 Chapter 751 - Like The Moon

    <h4>Chapter 751 - Like The Moon</h4>

    With a frown stered on her small face, Iryz rubbed the goosebumps that had suddenly sprouted all over her skin. She had sensed someone''s presence in the room earlier and it was not actually something malevolent or anything of the sort. However, her mind then slowly thought of the horror movies she had watched before, thus causing all these goosebumps to appear. She had then turned around and scanned the room to check and see if there were any spirits lingering around.

    A quiet sigh escaped her lips upon seeing that there was no bloody ghost standing behind her. Was that just her imagination?

    Iryz cocked her head to side. Something seemed to be off with that presence she had felt.

    Suddenly, Zeres sprung up from the chair he was sitting in. His eyes were wide, looking as though something had jolted him awake from his slumber.

    "Alicia?" he called out hesitantly, eyes fixed behind her. Then all too fast, he grabbed his shirt that was lying on the arm of the chair and stormed towards the door.

    Iryz was about to speak when the shirt he was holding onto violently hit her face.

    She stiffened, slowly lifting her hand to her face as she stood there, looking at the opened door.

    Rubbing her face, Iryz let out a shaky sigh.

    "So, her name is Alicia, huh." She mumbled, pursing her lips.

    When she heard his footstepsing back, Iryz straightened her back. His expression was incredibly dark again, like he was angry about something.

    "You didn''t¡­ catch her?" Iryz asked in a soft voice.

    He did not respond. She could sense his emotions that were in turmoil and the anger that was rolling off him in waves.

    Swift and quiet like a cat, Zeres walked past her, picked up a book and sat down on the chair again.

    His initially peaceful and angelic expression waspletely gone without a trace right now. Gloomy face and stormy, raging eyes faced the book in his hand. He looked like the devil was after him again.

    "You''re not done yet?" he snapped out, without sparing her a nce. His voice was t and filled with cold impatience.

    Iryz clutched on her pencil before looking down at her unfinished sketch. Her little heart mourned at the loss of another masterpiece.

    "It''s done." The sweetest forced smile shed across her face, even though he kept his eyes down. She had replied while gently closing the pages of the book.

    She put her sketch pad away and asked him with a careful voice. "Are you going to pull an all-nighter again?"

    "Yes."

    "But you didn''t sleep for thest two days."

    The room went quiet, as if he did not hear a thing. Her gaze lingered at the beautiful man who was so focused and angry it seemed as though anything that was not about the book does not concern him at all.

    "I''ll pull an all-nighter too, then." Iryz mumbled out helplessly. She honestly wanted to sleep as she suddenly felt her fatigue overtaking her after being demotivated to finish the sketch. But she could not take watching this man behaving this way anymore. She wanted to help him so badly even though¡­ even though he was still as cold as ice to her despite them being together inside a single room literally for weeks now.

    At first, she had told herself she did not need to move with such haste. But right now, she wanted to finally find the book.

    Knowing that this will be another long night for them both, Iryz went downstairs to prepare her normal snack items of coffee and cookies. Zeres had never joined her while she was eating her meal as he found eating meals just too time consuming. He only eats the snacks she brought up to him. And she thought that he liked coffee and cookies the most as she noticed his te was always empty the next morning when she collected it.

    After a few minutes, Iryz emerged silently from the door and approached him. She put the te of cookies and the cup of hot coffee down next to him.

    The coffee''s warm,forting and earthy aroma slowly permeated and filled the room.

    She walked away from him immediately and returned to her desk without a word. The sound of pages flipping and the sounds of the cup of coffee, clicking as they put them down were the only sounds that could be heard inside the room.

    Hours passed in silence. Iryz fought back sleep despite her heavy lids threatening to shut down her eyes constantly. The effects of the coffee had long since worn off. When she turned her head towards Zeres, she saw that the man was already asleep.

    She stood up from her chair silently and then approached him with a nket in her hand, tiptoeing. She knew just how easily this man gets awakened.

    After putting the nket over him, Iryz stilled. She had done this quite a few times already in the past two weeks, just staring at him while he was asleep. Well, it was not that she could help herself. He was such prime eye candy that she often caught herself staring at him in a daze before she even realized that she was already doing it. His beauty was just the kind that was meant to be worshipped and adored.

    Leaning a little closer, Iryz reach out. She wanted to brush away those silver locks that were hanging over his eyes. But right before her fingers could touch a strand of his hair, her hand stilled.

    Then slowly, she retracted her hand.

    She was having a huge crush on this man despite knowing that his heart already belongs to someone else. Well, it was normal, was it not? Who in their right minds, would not have a crush on such a beautiful man like him?! Too bad he would only be like the beautiful moon to her. Impossible to reach and only meant to be looked at. Someone who does not even bother to look at her when he talks to her often.

    Iryz finally went to bed too. Her thought was on the woman that Zeres was desperately trying to bring back. Alicia. The woman she had never met but kept thinking about.

    She wished she would dream about that book tonight.

 Chapter 752 - Come Here

    <h4>Chapter 752 - Come Here</h4>

    When Alicia returned to Ezekiel''s house, she stilled in shock that it was already empty. She quickly entered into his bedroom, but he was already long gone. The vampire woman from before was no longer there anymore as well. Where the hell did he go?!

    Her gaze fell onto the king-sized bed and she creased her brows. Did something even happen in here? The mattress was as neat and impable as how it was before she ran off. Not a single crease could be seen on the clean sheets, much less any evidence of more enticing activities that seemingly did not ur at all.

    Boom! Realization now struck Alicia and her eyes widened as her mouth dropped open in disbelief. Ezekiel¡­ did he actually nned all of that so deliberately, all for the sake of getting rid of her from hounding his tail? Did he?! That would mean he knew all along that she had been following after him and spying on him night and day, right?

    Fury zed in Alicia''s eyes. But the anger was not fully directed at Ezekiel. Most of her rage was actually directed towards herself. Why did she talk herself out of the possibility that Ezekiel could probably see and hear her all these times? She could not believe that she had underestimated Ezekiel of all creatures. She should have known better. This man would never be easy to deal with and yet¡­ she stupidly let him fool her. At the back of her mind, she also remembered that Zeres had already warned her about his matter a few times as well. But she was unwilling to admit to herself that she did not want to listen to him.

    Her guts however, had already told her since the beginning that Ezekiel could see her. But she idiotically had chosen not to believe it. Maybe because she was just too desperate that she ended up being too stupidly optimistic about this matter.

    Now he was gone. He had gotten rid of her so easily just like that. And that was what had angered her the most.

    "Stupid! So stupid!" she scolded herself. This was the first time she was this mad at herself to the point that she was calling herself that word. She had always been confident of her judgements on things. She knew her own abilities. She was not stupid. In fact, she was far from it, and that was not her being conceited. She knew that she was one of the smartest witch queens that had ever existed.

    But right now, just based on the fact that she had let Ezekiel fool her to this extent was enough to crush her ego. And she could only resort to anger to cover up her embarrassment. And no matter how much she tried to think on how to resolve it, nothing of any relevance wasing to her mind.

    In the past days, Alicia did not realize that something within her had begun to change. Her mind seemed to be slowly losing its sharpness. And she could not even think ande up with clever ns anymore. She was also bing a little too emotional, losing herposure so easily when she used to be that unfazed, level-headed queen all the time. All these little minute changes, Alicia had failed to notice them.

    She appeared at the bar that Zeke usually frequented. But he was not there. Whatever it is, since she was already there, Alicia hastily checked everywhere, looking for him in anger but he was nowhere to be found. And if to be honest, she was not that surprised. It was not that he would take all the trouble to lose her only to go to a ce that she knew he would go to.

    It was almost dawn when Alicia finally gave up searching and returned to Zeke''s house. And to her shocked surprise, she found him already back there, seemingly waiting for someone.

    Alicia stilled as her gaze was fixed on Zeke. He was sitting on his chair by the floor to ceiling window, his favourite spot. But this time he was not facing the window as per his usual habit. This time, those intense and deep eyes set in that stony but handsome face was facing towards Alicia. The very same Alicia who was a spirit and supposed to be invisible to everyone.

    Zeke was no longer pretending to not be able to see her anymore. His enigmatic gaze was now looking back at her, meeting her eyes straight on.

    Deafening silence crept over the floor and up to all four corners of the walls. Tension rose between them. One pair of eyes zing with anger and the other one as calm as a tranquilke at night.

    Alicia was ring at him, not hiding the rage in her eyes, while Zeke maintained his passive expression, his gaze seemed to be observing Alicia''s fading features.

    She stormed towards him, attempting to grab at his cor. But when her hands just went through him and could not grab a hold or even touch him, she then gritted her teeth and clenched her fists into tight balls.

    "Since when?!!" she hissed at him, emotional and angered. "You must have seen and heard me since the very beginning, didn''t you?!" she used him, spitting like a cat whose tail was stepped on.

    His gaze did not even falter as he continued gazing steadfastly at her.

    "You''re reaching your time limit, Alicia." He said in a controlled voice instead of answering her usations.

    "Of course, I know that, you jerk! You think you can throw me off again with ¨C"

    "No, you don''t." Zeke cut her off. "When was thest time you had looked at yourself at the mirror?"

    Alicia stilled and blinked at him.

    "I knew it. You don''t have the slightest idea that you''ve been fading away, do you, Alicia?!! At this rate, you''re not going to be able tost before the sun rises today." His tone was still as steady as ever. However, Alicia seemed to have seen a sh of something in his eyes. What it was, she could not tell for sure.

    But his words had shocked her. She stumbled back and finally got the courage to look down at her hands. What she saw made her freeze. Her hands¡­ he was right. She was fading away. She was almost translucent now!

    She took a few more steps back when Zeke''s voice echoed.

    "Alicia." Her name rolled of his lips naturally and Alicia lifted her face again.

    He was taking off his ck gloves and then stretched his gloveless hand towards her.. "Come here."

 Chapter 753 - Take My Hand

    <h4>Chapter 753 - Take My Hand</h4>

    A couple of hours ago, Zeke returned to his house and did a quick sweep of the ce with his senses stretched out, only to find that Alicia have yet to return. He had left as soon as he sensed she was gone. It was as if he was absolutely certain that Alicia was not shameless enough to stay and watch the ''fun''.

    After finding out that Alicia have yet to return, Zeke walked over to his favourite spot and just sat quietly on the chair. He allowed his eyes to close, but he did not drift off to sleep. He looked like he was working silently, inside his own world, which was his head.

    He did not move for a long while until suddenly, he opened his eyes and stared off at the ceiling. Then he lifted his wrist and looked at his silver wristwatch, checking on the time.

    A tinge of boredom shed across his te grey orbs. Then he stared at the door as if waiting for someone to emerge from there.

    His long and elegant fingers started to tap out a slow but steady rhythm on the arm of his chair. The air around him became a little darker with impatience. He exuded the aura of a powerful man who was not used to waiting for someone ¨C anyone at all.

    Still, he did not move for another long while despite the fact that his whole body was tensed and coiled as though he could just leap and burst into action.

    After another hour, he sprung up from the chair. The air around him getting even darker. He looked like he was debating whether to wait a little while longer or just leave.

    He stormed off into his dark toned and elegant kitchen, took out a bottle of what looked like a rare and mysterious wine and poured himself a generous amount into a ss. It was not blood this time, as he had just taken his mealst night.

    His every movement was fluid and graceful as always but unlike the past two weeks, there was a hint of boredom in his stance now. It was as if there was nothing more interesting going on at these moments. As if something more interesting had been going on for the past two weeks and now the house had suddenly turned nd and boring.

    He leaned back against the bar, twirling the liquid in his ss before raising it to his lips and gulping it down in one go.

    Lifting his hand again, Zeke''s gaze fell on his wristwatch. Again. He was not one to keep looking at the clock but today, he had already looked at it more times than he usually did.

    When the clock hit exactly two hours since he returned, he slowly put his ss down. The soft clunk of the ss hitting the tile echoed out in the empty kitchen. His gaze sharpened and he pushed himself away from the counter.

    He walked towards the door but halted midway. Then he turned around and lowered himself down back onto the chair. He crossed his long legs over the other and leaned back in his usualzy and calm stance. The air around him had gone back to a mask of calmness.

    Alicia finally appeared. She looked so goddamned mad. Anger was shing in her eyes as she red at him. However, he found that it quite interesting and entertaining seeing her so riled up like this.

    Then she came at him. If she was not a spirit, he bet that she might have gone ahead and hit his royal face again, like how she had done before.

    When she stepped back, eyes wide with shock after hearing the words Zeke had said, Zeke removed his gloves and stretched his bare hand towards her.

    "Come here, Alicia." Ezekiel''s voice was not threatening, nor was itmanding as how he usually sounded. But there was an undercurrent Alicia could not quite put into words. And it was strange how she had momentarily forgotten her serious circumstance while his voice lingered in her ears.

    She managed to drag her gaze away from his unfathomable eyes that was fixed so intently on her person and stared instead at his bare hand. Alicia knew that Ezekiel had always been wearing ck gloves except when he was inside his house. In fact, she had never seen him remove and touch anyone without his gloves on.

    Alicia did not get bothered by this as she had thought Ezekiel was just doing that only to avoid anyone from getting a hold of his fingerprints or something to that effect. But now, suspicions were skyrocketing within her.

    Why did he remove his glove and was offering his hand towards her as if¡­ as if he wanted her to take his hand? He knew very clearly that she could not even touch him! Not to mention that she was obviously fading away now. Was he trying to fool her again?

    She clenched her fists tight and did not take a single step to approach him. "Where did you go to?" she asked instead, as if she did not hear his statement or saw him offering his hand to her.

    "I should be the one asking you that since you were the one who ran off." He answered her question by throwing it back at her.

    Her re that was trained on him became fiercer. He distractedly thought for a moment that if her gaze could be turned into a killing weapon, a lesser man would have been yed into strips within seconds.

    "Stop ying with me Ezekiel. I''m done letting you y me for a fool!" she hissed. She was embarrassed and had channelled all that feeling into anger.

    Ezekiel kept quiet and stared at her, but he did not retract his hand. He allowed it to remain outstretched with palms opened, an unsaid invitation for her toe forward to take his hand.

    "Take my hand," he said calmly after keeping his silence for a few moments longer.

    Aliciaughed a little mockingly.. "Tell me the reason why I should take hold of that royal hand of yours, Ezekiel."

 Chapter 754 - My Weakness

    <h4>Chapter 754 - My Weakness</h4>

    He held her gaze, his poker face not showing a hint of anything as his unfathomable eyes sharpened a little. "You will disappear for good once the sun rises if you don''t do as I say." came his serious answer.

    For a moment, Alicia''s voice left her. She wanted tough it off but could not bring herself to. Probably it was because of his gaze and his voice as he said those words that told her he was not just teasing her but telling the truth.

    "Give me a reason why I should believe you at all, Ezekiel." She lifted her chin in defiance. "No, exin to me why holding your hand would even make me not disappear in the first ce. Would that really make a difference at all?" She did not quite believe that this statue of a vampire prince would suddenly be so kind to her and help her out now that she was running out of time. How would it benefit him at all if he did something so important like this for her?

    "There are things I can''t exin to you. Not right now, at least." He told her honestly.

    She scoffed and rolled her eyes at him. It was not that he woulde and voluntarily exin to herter anyway, right? At that thought, she gave an inelegant snort and clicked her tongue in irritation.

    "Fine. If you won''t answer that, then answer this. Why would you even stop me from disappearing? How would that benefit you?" she narrowed her eyes, "I was even expecting you to rejoice at my final disappearance. You can finally get rid of me. It must be hard for you to act as you did for every second of the past two weeks. I guess you''ve been so fed up with me that you decided to opt gettingpletely naked before me then dragging a woman to bed, huh? I have to admit, that was a really good move. Now you''re offering this? I don''t believe you are not getting something out of it. You''re not that kind of a person." she shook her head, her smile bitter and resentful. "If you think you can fool me twice ¨C"

    He suddenly rose from his seating position in his favourite seat.

    Alicia stepped back nervously, wondering if she might have said too much.

    "I saide to me, and take my hand, Alicia." His voice now dangerously low. The multiyered mask of calmness filling his eyes seemed to have dissolved in one sudden blink and she could now see a beast''s gaze staring back at her from within its depths. She had seen this gaze of his before. However, that had only happened in her memories that were inherited down to her by the previous with queens.

    "You¡­" Alicia gritted her teeth, clenching her fists so tight. If she was not a spirit, blood might have already been dripping to the ground now from her palms that were punctured in by her own nails. "You already know why I''m here, right? You clearly know the reason why I was watching over you every second, minute and hour of the day, didn''t you?" she asked the question that was painful to her, knowing that she had been yed so thoroughly by him.

    He did not bother to respond to her question that he already knew she had the answer to. But she knew that his silence was worse than him responding. Fury zed like hellfire in her eyes and then her fading silhouette suddenly emitted silver lights. It was as if she was a silver star on itsst legs that was about to explode. She felt as though she was a dying star that would soon go supernova and turn into a ck hole.

    Alicia''s mind was in aplete mess right now. Desperation, extreme fear, worry, confusion¡­ all of these¡­ so many emotions just came together in a crazy mix and bombarded her all at once. But there was only one thing that was crystal clear in her mind now before she finally disappears from this world for good and turned into nothing and that was¡­ to kill Ezekiel. She swore that this would be thest thing she would do before she vanished into nothingness!

    She did not have any other choice right now that her time was already up. She no longer has the luxury to wait and see for another two weeks. And now she had also just found out that he was already aware about the fact that she had been sticking close to him and dogging right on his heels. This meant that he had remembered all the things from the past now, right? He must have already broken the curse! Damn! And they were so close to the time limit too.

    The fear and desperation had consumed her in an instant, driving her to do the veryst thing she could think of in protecting her own people from him. She wouldpletely disappear from existence after this. But¡­ she will be taking Ezekiel along with her.

    She opened her mouth to utter a chant but before a single sound even leave her lips, Ezekiel was already standing right before her, as though he had teleported himself over. She was so taken aback that she could not react for a second. Sadly, it was a second too long for her as all it took was only that one single second of her inaction.

    The next thing she knew, his bare hand was already curled around her wrist tightly, branding her like a hot searing me while his other gloved hand hade up to seal her lips. She had been effectively stopped from uttering the spell within that one second.

    Alicia''s eyes stretched wide, unable to believe that she could now touch him. Or to be more specific, he could now touch her!

    "I know you know my weakness, and I know you had just nned to kill me off just now," he bent forward and whispered in her ears, a wicked smile gracing his handsome face. She could not help but shiver a little in anticipation. But in anticipation of what¡­ that she was not sure of. "But Alicia¡­ it''s not quite the right time for you and I to die just yet."

    ___

    A/N: Thank u for waiting hellbounders. Don''t forget to leave ament. Please use your Golden tickets on Spellbound.. I will update spellbound in a few hours as well.

 Chapter 755 - Try It

    <h4>Chapter 755 - Try It</h4>

    Shock filled Alicia''s entire being. Her eyes circled wide as she looked at him. And though she was in spirit form, she could swear that she felt her entire frame shook with shivers at hisst sentence. What could he mean by saying that?! It was fine if he referred to himself. But¡­ she was already dead!

    He kept his gaze concentrated on her a moment longer as a lethal quietness reigned between them. Slowly, he then removed his gloved hand off her mouth, warning her with his eyes that she should not try to be funny and cast that spell when she gets the chance. Alicia released a quivering huff and narrowed her eyes at him.

    Her mouth opened and closed as her eyes moved down to their still connected hands. She could see his bare hand clutching her wrist. He was really touching her. He could hold on to her! And¡­ she was¡­ Wait¡­ was she in the flesh now?! How? Could this be an illusion?

    "W-what did you do?" she stammered, shock still wreaking havoc within her. "How did¡­ no, this should not be possible." Shaking her head, Alicia threw him an using gaze.

    It was as if she had figured out something. She then scoffed, smirking bitterly at him. "Ah, you must be trying to make a fool of me again, are you? Like how you did the same when you staged that show with the vampire female earlier¡­" She sneered slightly and tried to yank her hand out of his grip. But Ezekiel did not let go of her. His hand was like hot metal vice, gripping onto her like chains that would not let go.

    "Let go of me Ezekiel!!" She hissed, ring at him. "Stop this illusion you had created to make a fool of me you¡­ you stone cold vampire!"

    His grey eyes glimmered with dark amusement as he looked at her spitting and snarling like a cat whose fur was rubbed the wrong way. Alicia did not know why she subconsciously stopped breathing after stealing a look at his face. She finally realized just how close their faces were right now. She had never been this close to him¡­ never had she had the privilege to observe those te grey orbs this close.

    There should not be anything special with those eyes of his. It was not like it was the first time she had seen it anyway. The other vampire royals, Alexander, Kai and Kyle literally had those simrly hued eyes as his. But why was it that Ezekiel''s eyes looked somewhat different to her?

    Up close, they looked¡­ hauntingly ethereal. Ezekiel''s eyes seemed to promise both hell and paradise all at once.

    "You think this is an illusion¡­" his voice reverberated slowly in her ears, causing Alicia to finally snap out from the trance that she was in.

    Fury rose within her, unable to believe that she was being reduced to a dumbstruck fool just by being this close to his beautiful eyes. How could she be admiring the eyes of this very same man whom she was about to kill? What had happened to her?!

    "Yes!" she hissed through gritted teeth. "You''re not a witch to cast such spells but you have demonic powers at your disposal. Making illusions like this should be a piece of cake for you, isn''t it?" A forced smirk shed over her face next. "The great Ezekiel is finally using his demonic powers. Seems that you''re desperate to stay alive. Are you that afraid to die, Ezekiel? You''ve heartlessly taken countless lives and yet you ¨C"

    Alicia suddenly shuddered and choked on the rest of her words as his finger suddenly trailed down her throat in light feathery movements. She did not even notice when he had made a move or lifted his fingers at all.

    His finger paused at the throbbing vein beneath her pale skin. "Do you really think this is an illusion, Alicia?" the sound of his voice flowed over her like what she imagined ck silk would feel like ¨C cool, satiny and smooth. And Alicia found herself swallowing hard.

    Then she jerked back at the feel of her thrashing heart. Infuriated at what he was doing to her, Alicia fisted her hand and sent a punch towards his face. He did not dodge despite the fact that even she felt just how weirdly slow her movement was.

    However, the one who was shocked with surprise was not him but her. She had managed to punch him, her fist actually hit his face! This meant that this was not an illusion! She was really¡­

    Wide-eyed, Alicia looked up at him again. "What¡­ what did you do? How could this be?"

    He lifted up her hand, showing her his bare hand that was clutching onto hers. "Because I''m holding onto you. With my direct touch, you will turn from a fading spirit back to your physical body. This is the only way for you to stop from disappearingpletely for the moment."

    Her lips parted in disbelief. She lifted her free hand and pinched her cheek. When she felt the sharp sting of pain, she pinched her arm again, wanting to reconfirm it. She then ran her hand over her chest to her abdomen. She could feel her beating heart, her pulse¡­

    Alicia tried tugging at her hand from his clutches again, but he did not even budge an inch. "If I let you go, you''ll turn to spirit form again and disappear."

    "No¡­ you''re lying." She shook her head. "You think I will believe such nonsense?"

    Something ignited within the depths of his eyes, but before Alicia could read what it was, he blinked, and it was gone in the next second. His gaze was back to that unfathomable, emotionless mask again. "I know you know it''s not." Was all he said then he unceremoniously pulled her towards a room.

    "I want you to let go of my hand this instant!" shemanded, all the while pulling at her hand.

    When Ezekiel ignored her, Alicia began to chant a spell.

    In the next instant, his gloved hand was over her mouth again. "The next time you try to chant, I will not shut you up with just this hand of mine, Alicia. I''m serious. So just you go ahead and try it." He told her, his eyes daring her to go ahead and try him if she dared.

    ___

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 Chapter 756 - Surrendered

    <h4>Chapter 756 - Surrendered</h4>

    An unnerving silence surrounded them upon having those words leaving Ezekiel''s lips. Their faces were so up close to each other''s that they were practically sharing a breath now.

    Alicia''s eyes were wide as their gazes locked. His expression did not change much but she could see something spine-tingling lurking in the pits of those metallic grey orbs.

    But despite the tingling warning, Alicia refused to back off and push away. She was not a fool on not to have an idea on what he was trying to say. She had seen enough men do this after all. Shutting a woman up with a kiss.

    Before she knew it, an image of him had already voluntarily appeared in her mind. His hands were pinning hers against the wall and his lips¡­ were crushed against hers. Alicia''s mouth went dry as she snapped out in shocked surprise at what her mind had just showed her.

    Infuriated at herself, Alicia gritted her teeth in anger and irritation. How could she have thoughts like this towards an enemy?! The ultimate enemy to them witches, nheless! Has she gone totally mad and lost her marbles? Or could he be using some kind of demonic power and messing with her emotions and imaginations right now? She knew what demons can do. They tempt and mess with a person''s emotions, mind and desire to get what they wanted. She refused to let this demonic vampire prince to do this to her!

    Taking a steadying breath, Alicia steeled her nerves. She distracted herself from the image that kept haunting her the for the past few hours. The scene of this enemy of hers with that vampire woman a few hours ago was somehow firmly imprinted in her mind even though she only had gotten a split second look at them. She still believed that Ezekiel was only into vampire women. She had seen it for herself at how he had ignored otherdies like he sees them as some unnecessary decorations that were not worthy of his attention or lifeless mannequins just for the simple fact that they were not vampires.

    The thought roused defiance within her and she finally managed to respond. "Oh really? What will you do next Ezekiel? Kiss me?? Hah!!" she looked at him like she had found out one secret of his that he was desperately trying to hide. "Are you even able to kiss a non-vampire woman, much less a witch, huh, Ezekiel?" She had uttered thatst line with a small sneer as if she was so sure that Ezekiel was not capable of kissing a witch. Or perhaps that he was utterly unwilling to do so.

    Faster than a blink of an eye, Alicia''s back had hit the soft bed. Her eyes circled wide as she looked up to the man who was now looming so powerfully over her. Her brain had still yet to catch up with what was happening. She was still shocked that the ever frozen vampire that was Ezekiel could even pull out a move such as this.

    "W-what the hell are you doing?!" she stammered, trashing under him now. Her legs were kicking and hands were pushing in an attempt to get herself out from under him. But he was like a man made of steel ¨C powerful and unyielding. Or was it just her who had be so weak? How could she be so powerless against him that she could not even make him budge an inch?! The strange weakness she was feeling roused a zing anger that started deep within her. She hated being helpless the most! "Get off me, damn you!" she hissed out with much venom tinging her voice. But he only responded by bending over, his face moving closer to hers, as slowly, he kept his gaze fixed on hers, unblinking.

    It suddenly felt hot, so hot that it felt like heat was pouring out of him and now she was enveloped with it. "I said get off me, Ezekiel!" her voice now venomous. Warning bells keep ringing in her head and she knew that if this keeps on, she might¡­

    She saw the barest hint of a smile spreading across his lips before he spoke in an almost infuriatingly slow manner. "Tell me Alicia¡­ you''re actually dying to kiss me, aren''t you?" his voice weakened, "that''s why you''re taunting me¡­ testing me like this."

    Alicia''s temper red. Using the unwanted heat between them, she fuelled it into her anger.

    "Wrong, Ezekiel. I am dying to kill you." She spat out with all the haughtiness she could muster at the moment. But another ghost of a smile shed across his face. Alicia perceived that as him not believing her words one bit.

    Her gaze on him sharpened dangerously. She would never admit defeat before this man of all creatures. Never. Even in the smallest matter such as this!

    Another forced haughty smile curved on Alicia''s face. "If I would choose from being killed or kissing you¡­" her gaze became absolutely serious. "I''d choose death without question. Every time." she said it with much conviction, as if those words were also a vow to herself.

    No smile ghosted his face this time. He just stared down at her but that one strained muscle in his jaw that kept ticking did not escape Alicia''s keen observation.

    "I see¡­" he sounded like he had surrendered, which was a huge surprise to Alicia.

    She felt him loosen his tight grip on her hands, but his gaze then trailed from her eyes only to fall on her lips. The gleam in his eyes then made Alicia''s heartbeat jump again without her permission. Then he suddenly moved. Alicia caught her breath at the thought that he was going to kiss her.

    But his lips never reached hers. Their breaths mingled as one. He stopped just an inch away, puffing surprisingly minty breaths against her lips.

    "Careful Alicia," Ezekiel whispered, his voice dangerously low and edged with warning, "cause now you just made me want to make you beg for my kiss."

    ___

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 Chapter 757 - Admit It

    <h4>Chapter 757 - Admit It</h4>

    Beads of sweat rolled down the sides of her neck and slipped down only to get lost between her cleavage. She should be infuriated at those words he had just spouted. Yet she found herself picturing a scene in her head again. It was a vision where she had her armsnguidly curled around his neck and tugging him closer. All the while, she was begging him to kiss her as if¡­ his lips were the salvation that she wanted¡­ that she needed.

    Her eyes involuntarily trailed down and stared at his lips. Those stupidly, seductive lips were just so tempting that her eyes were drawn to it no matter how hard she tried to look elsewhere. Her body was starting to rebel against her will and before she knew it, her lips too had followed along to rebel. They had parted, wanting her damned enemy''s lips to be pressed against hers now.

    Without warning, he pulled away in a swift move, taking his sizzling heat along with him. For the first time, she was so d that she was saddled with this weak and slow body of hers right now. Because her treacherous hand had actually tried to grab onto him to stop him from pulling away!

    She bit down on her lips so hard as she lifted her gaze at him, infuriated beyond reason at what was going on with her. She was unable to keep up with the pace and ept how her body was reacting so positively to him. Should it not be the opposite?!! She raged at herself inwardly.

    He was kneeling with her tucked between his legs. His hands were still holding onto her wrists. His face was inhumanly ck again. No emotion betrayed his thoughts as he looked down at her with those intensely gleaming eyes.

    "Demon," she hissed out between her gritted teeth. "Stop using whatever demonic magic you have on me and y fair already." Sheined.

    One of his brows arched slightly and the corner of his lips lifted a little. "Let''s get this straight first. No one''s using any demonic magic on you, Alicia."

    "Liar ¨C" She denied it. He must be using something! Or else she would not be having such reactions to him.

    He slowly bent over, and his gloved hand wiped off the beads of sweat on her forehead. "You are feeling hot¡­" his voice was so unnaturally low again, as if he had just woken up in the morning. "You want something¡­ Me perhaps? You''re craving my lips against yours ¨C"

    "All because of your demonic powers, Ezekiel." She snapped and cut him off. Her eyes were now sharp and dangerous. "If you think you can fool me ¨C"

    "Stop ming everything and everyone else and just admit your desires Alicia ¨C" Ezekiel said straight to the point, not even giving her the chance to finish her sentence.

    "There''s no genuine desire to admit in the first ce, Ezekiel." She cut him off as well with her denial. Her voice getting louder and harder. "You know very well that I hate you. No sane person would want to kiss the person she had been wanting to kill, unless they''re under the influence of some external force ¨C"

    A dark and quick chuckle cut her off, causing her anger to rise as fast as it appeared. His deep chuckle just sent shivers down her spine. "I can''t believe how clueless you are about your own ¨C"

    Alicia did not allow him to finish his line again and spoke as if she did not hear a thing that he had just said. "And you are clearly trying so hard to seduce me like this. Hence all these fake desires are just you, rousing it from me. What are you even aiming for in doing this, huh, Ezekiel? You can''t be doing all these, just to get your way with me, can you?"

    He fell absolutely silent at her usations. For a moment, he looked like he could not believe what she had just said. Then a quickugh echoed before he half-bite down on his lip. She had almost forgotten that this person can actuallyugh too.

    -- this book is published exclusively on webn ovel app(w e b n o v e l . c o m). Thank you for reading on official site and supporting me. --

    "Such a stubborn woman as always." He seemed to mutter that to himself and shook his head a little. Then faster than a blink of an eye, his face was suddenly looming over hers. Those metallic grey orbs were looking so dangerously dark now.

    "You really think I''m doing all these just because I want to fuck you?" His voice still calm and low but a wicked amusement shed in his eyes. If looks could kill, the de in his eyes might have killed her on the spot at that very moment. "Be thankful that I am not taking your words very seriously right now Alicia. Knowing that not only your body has weakened, but your brain has also gotten affected by your situation as well. But I had not expected the deterioration to be this bad. You have now be gloriously dumb."

    That statement made Alicia''s eyes widen with fury. Her knee flew up to kick him in his royal balls, but her intentions and movements did not escape Zeke''s supreme reflexes.

    His gloved hand was already on her knee before she even realised and it was pressed down, rendering her move ineffective. A dangerous smile full of warning shed across his face.

    "You dare do that again, and you will see -"

    She reflexively lifted her other knee, thinking that she should take advantage of the moment. But his bare hand moved so fast that her second attempt was unsessful as well ¨C to her utter consternation.

    His bare hand was mped onto her other knee at an impossible speed. She had started to be invisible but immediately became visible again at the touch of his bare hand.

    "Seems like you want it this way, huh? Well¡­ fine with me, Alicia.." He said with a tiny shrug and his hands which were on her knees moved, spreading her legs apart.

 Chapter 758 - Trust

    <h4>Chapter 758 - Trust</h4>

    Alicia''s eyes widened, speechless and shocked to her core at what he just did. Her entire body burned from both shame and this infuriating¡­

    When the tip of his lips curved up, Alicia saw that as him smiling in triumph and it only caused her to re up even more. She lunged at him, and her balled fist swung forward andnded on his jaw. The punch was stronger than she had thought. Maybe because her wrath and pride had fuelled it, thus the extra strength behind it.

    She was panting as Ezekiel stilled, face facing slightly sideways because of that one unexpectedly strong punch. Though she was d her hitnded, she was a little apprehensive on how Ezekiel would react.

    He licked the side of his lips, his lower lip had a cut and was now bleeding. Then slowly, he moved his face and looked back at her straight in the eyes.

    "I¡­ hate you." she hissed at him. Extreme anger raged like a lightning storm within her eyes.

    "I know." He replied without any feelings in his voice.

    His nonchnce enraged her even more. "I''m going to kill you!"

    "Go ahead. Try it¡­" the fiery temperature had turned a little icy now, "if you can."

    She opened her mouth but before the first syble of the chant could even leave her lips, Ezekiel had pinned her back down. The speed of his actions had left her gasping for air. She knew that he was fast. But being on the receiving end of his unwanted attentions was a totally different matter. The next thing she knew was he had wedged himself between her legs, his hands were back on her wrists, wrapping around them tightly and pinning them down above her head. She struggled to pull her hands out of his grasp but as expected, it was to no avail.

    His face hovered so close to hers again. "Why stop?" he asked in a controlled voice. "Go on, Alicia, say it." He taunted her, knowing that he was pushing her buttons.

    "Damn you to hell," she gritted out through clenched teeth, eyes watering, hating how this weak and useless body of hers seemed to be making her look even more pitiful, vulnerable and emotional before him. "What the hell do you even want from me? Why not just let me disappear, huh, Ezekiel?! Why bother hanging onto me and keeping me around?" She spat out bitterly as her eyes looked away.

    His expression became totally unreadable but his focus on her features did not dwindle one bit.

    "Answer me. I know there must be a reason for you doing this. The great Ezekiel will never do anything without good reason after all, right? And I know for sure that whatever the reason it may be, it surely would be something along the lines of being beneficial to you or your people or this world." Alicia said tauntingly and then huff out in helplessness.

    When Ezekiel did not even blink or showed any facial expression to her usations, Alicia scoffed andughed. "Of course¡­ you would never even bother giving an answer. When have you ever bothered to give out any exnations ¨C ever? Tell me Ezekiel¡­ was it fun keeping everyone in the dark?" Her gleaming and watery eyes narrowed at him. "Do you find it entertaining using even your own allies like they''re all your pawns at your very own disposal? Is it fun seeing us run around in circles and dancing to your tune?"

    Silence reigned for a few horrible seconds. Alicia scoffed again, not bothered even if she was offending him as she was tired of it all. She finally shut her eyes to stop her damned eyes from getting all watery and itchy, but it just made a drop of tear flow down from the corner of her eyes.

    "No." his deep voice suddenly echoed out in the silence, causing Alicia''s eyes to fly wide open and look at him in shock. He¡­ answered?!!

    It took her a while to respond. "No¡­ then why¡­ why do you always do it?"

    --- follow me on instagram @kazzenlx.x ---

    --- this book is published exclusively on w.e.b.n.o.ve.l.c.o.m , thank you for reading this book on official site ~ kazzen ---

    Alicia could swear she saw something pulse within those metal-grey eyes that she finds so enticing. She felt like at this moment, the inner animal or demon or monster or whatever it was that he was keeping locked within himself, was starting to get restless, feral even. She could not help but shudder at the thought that the mask of skin he was wearing right now might disappear and the beast underneath wille out and lunge at her and¡­ tear her apart.

    She was not expecting any more answers, but she was surprised again when his voice suddenly broke the heavy silence between them.

    "Because it''s the best strategy." His answer came after such a long pause.

    Alicia''s mouth hang opened in disbelief. "What? That''s¡­ that''s your reason?"

    "Yes." One short answer. Wow. Alicia wasmenting to herself sarcastically that Ezekiel really knew how to exin.

    Another scoff was about to leave Alicia''s mouth when Ezekiel continued. "When you tell your n to someone, always expect a big possibility of your ns falling to ruins."

    "You just don''t trust anyone don''t you?" She finallymented with an creased brow.

    "If there is no trust, there''s no betrayal." His simple reply came with a small shrug of his shoulders.

    "Wow. So, this is all because you''re afraid of being betrayed all along?" Alicia shook her head and could not help butugh to herself in disbelief. The great Prince Ezekiel, afraid of betrayal?

    But her smile faded almost instantly at the look that crossed his eyes. She recognised it as something haunting and disturbing and¡­ horrifying. And that caused her to pause in her ridicule of him.

    "Have you ever been betrayed before, Alicia? And no, I am not just referring to anyone important but by the person you trusted the most. Someone whom you trust even more than yourself."

    Alicia could not respond to his question.

    He smiled. An emotionless and empty one.

    It was as if he already had an answer. He then climbed off Alicia and sat at the edge of the bed. His back was now facing her, but his hand still did not let go of her wrist.

    His gloved hand came up to loosen his tie, removing it as Alicia looked on at him silently.

    "Listen to me Alicia," he spoke, without turning back. Gone was the strange tone in his voice and he was now back to his usual emotionlessness royal self. "Unless you use a spell, you are now powerless. You only have the strength of a human girl now. So if you are intending to kill me, then forget it. Just stop struggling so futilely, wanting for me to let you go. Spend that energy on nning a clever move on how to kill me instead. Keep in mind that the moment I let go of you, you won''t be able to even finish your chant and you would be already gone."

    "Ezekiel¡­" she called his name, sounding like she had not listened to all those things he had just said to her at all.. "Who was it that betrayed you?" she asked, and he stilled.

 Chapter 759 - Make Haste

    <h4>Chapter 759 - Make Haste</h4>

    Aliciaid there as silence reigned in the dim room. Her eyes were staring at his back, at his shiny, raven-ck hair.

    Questions filled her head, but she could only shut her lips tight. He did not even reply to her earlier question yet and she had feeling that he would ignore it and not say anything.

    Still, she waited for a little longer, unwilling to fill the silence between them. She wanted to see how long was it that he could keep silent.

    A sudden strong urge to know everything about him bloomed within her heart right at that moment. She badly wanted to know the answer to her question. But it was not just that¡­ she wanted to discover more about this ever so enigmatic man. Even from before, she had always been curious about him and his poker face that never seemed to be able to be broken.

    She wanted to tear all his walls down and see what really lies deep within him.

    But she could even go as far as to say that it most probably be close to impossible for that to happen. Perhaps, no one in this world might ever bring those imprable walls down.

    He rose. For a while, the calmness around him seemed to have been disrupted. He pulled slightly irritably at his ck tie and hurled it to the side table when something vibrated. A phone inside is pocket was the source of that disturbance.

    When he answered it, Alicia pulled herself up into a sitting position.

    "What is it." he asked in an emotionless tone.

    Alicia could not hear what the other person on the other side of the phone was saying because Ezekiel had used a Bluetooth earpiece to speak to the caller. However, she could tell that whatever that was reported to him must have been some kind of bad news just judging by the air that had changed around him. The temperature inside the room seemed to plummet into the negatives. Even she shivered at the sudden drop.

    His grip on her tightened a little. Then without a word, he pressed the red button and ended the call.

    No word came out from his lips anymore even as he pulled Alicia up from the bed. Alicia could not speak now as she felt that disconcerting dark power began to seep out from his body. He bit on the tip of his gloved finger and pulled his ck glove off.

    The ck glove fell to the floor as he stretched out his bare hand forward. She watched as a wisp of dark smoke appeared inches away from his palm, swirling and turning as it grew bigger until a vortex appeared before them.

    No words were needed for Alicia to tell that something serious had just happened. The fact that this man was using his demonic magic to teleport was enough to say a lot without telling her a thing. Because she knew Ezekiel had never used this means of teleportation for hundreds of years now. He had been hiding his demonic powers and acting like a pure blooded vampire all these times. At least until now.

    Thus, whatever prompted this man to use this power of his at this moment¡­ Alicia could not help but feel a strong unease filling her.

    "Cling to me." His tone sounded like an order.

    "What?"

    "If you don''t, you will feel like you are being thrown into a furnace." He warned her.

    Alicia swallowed and threw him a look that was a little skeptical. Her short pause seemed to be enough to wear his patience thin and he pulled her against him immediately without waiting for her permission.

    "You ¨C" Alicia could not even finish her retort and the vortex had already swallowed them both.

    It was like she was suddenly inside a bottomless pit of darkness, then she yelped due to a sudden pain. She felt like there was fire on her feet, about to burn her to death!

    "Ezekiel!" she screamed in panic as she desperately clung onto something solid and cold.

    She was about to spit out a spell when the darkness seemed to have suddenly dissolved. The fire was suddenly gone, and they appeared inside a room.

    Alicia panted from the threat of being burned by fire, beads of sweat clinging to her forehead as she looked up at him.

    "Goodness! What was that?!" she blurted out, wide-eyed. "Did we just pass over theke of fire in hell or something?"

    "No, we only teleported." He answered, his speech faster than usual. Then he moved with haste and grabbed at a cloak. "Also, I''m sorry to burst your bubble, but you need to get off me and wear this. There''s an important matter I need to deal with this instant." It was the first time Alicia saw him behave this way. He was speaking to her without looking at her and doing other things on the side.

    Btedly, Alicia realized that she was clinging onto him like a ko. Her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist and¡­

    Her cheeks red and she jumped off him in an instant.

    Before she could even open her mouth to speak and blurt out an excuse, he had already draped the cloak he had grabbed earlier over her. His other bare hand then moved to the nape of her neck, jolting Alicia''s nerves, before letting go of her wrist.

    "Make haste, Alicia." He urged her uncharacteristically and she could only do as he says, wanting him to take his burning hand off her nape. That was an exceptionally sensitive area for her, and she kept feeling goosebumps spreading over her skin.

    The moment she was done, he pulled her hood down, grabbed her wrist again and pulled her out from the room.

    Alicia did not even have a moment to mull over the way he was handling her because she suddenly realized that she was now in the Reigns castle.. They had teleported all the way here! What could be the problem? Did someone attack the vampire''s kingdom? But who would dare do that? Or could it be family matters? All these thoughts rushed through her mind as she was dragged by Ezekiel by her wrist.

 Chapter 760 - Cage

    <h4>Chapter 760 - Cage</h4>

    HWY received its first ever supergift today so I did my best to write a second chapter. Thank you so much @Edenn for the gift!

    Ezekiel had grabbed her again as he had increased his speed as soon as they were out of the room. When he put her down, she peeked through her hood and realized that they were now in the deepest dungeon. Alicia was shocked to know that there was still a secret dungeon that was so impossibly deep. In fact, she could say that this was probably the deepest dungeon she had ever known existed. The most surprising thing was that no one, not even among all the previous witch queens had known about this dungeon in the Reign''s castle.

    Just as Alicia began to question herself what lies within this deep dungeon, she felt a pulsating power sweep past them. It was something that she felt was close to Ezekiel''s demonic power.

    Layers of thick and unbreakable bars opened as they move forward. Someone was imprisoned within. Who was it? She did not know why but she suddenly thought of a monster. Only a monster would be imprisoned like this! There were more than ten bars they needed to pass through to reach the main cage! And to think that the bars were not just made of thick and unbreakable steel but were also wrapped with demonic magic, which Alicia was certain that belonged to Ezekiel.

    Goosebumps crawled over her skin the closer they get to the main massive cage. She could see someone''s silhouette now and she could not help but feel her heart tremble. She wondered if her physical body right now was just emotionally weak as well that she could easily be reduced to fear or if this creature in the cage was just too powerful and terrifying that it was able to induce feel this kind of fear naturally.

    They stopped and all of a sudden, the silhouette that was kneeling on the floor rushed forward and banged his body against the cage.

    "Brother!" a male voice echoed out.

    Alicia gaped at the sight before her. It was¡­ a boy and¡­ he looked like a younger version of Ezekiel, only that one of his eyes was pure ck as though he did not have a pupil and the other was purely red. Could this be¡­ the missing prince?!

    Thrill and excitement and utter danger stormed in his eyes as he stared at Ezekiel.

    "I finally broke the chains!" he added, lifting his hands. She noticed that even his nails were pure ck. "I am going to break all these bars next and get out of this cage!"

    "Sebastian." Ezekiel finally spoke calmly and with authority, taking a step closer. "Didn''t I tell you that you''re not allowed to evere out of here until I say so?"

    Sebastian''s face darkened.

    "I''m sick of waiting for you to let me out." He hissed, his demonic powers swirled around him, causing Alicia to instinctively step back.

    Her one movement caught Sebastian''s attention.

    He looked at her and for some reason, his raging power died down.

    "You brought someone with you?" He said, tilting his head as he turned his pair of unique eyes and looked at her. "A girl¡­ who''s she? What''s her name?"

    "Alexa."

    Alicia blinked and whipped her head towards Ezekiel. Why was he saying a different name?

    "Can I see her face?"

    "No."

    Now, Alicia felt like her head was about to explode from so many questions. Why did he tell his brother a different name? And why the hell had he said no?

    Curiosity and intrigue flooded her. For some reason, she was desperately wanting to know more about this brother.

    But as soon as she lifted her hand to push off the hood that was covering her face, Ezekiel''s grip on her wrist tightened. The next thing she knew, Ezekiel had pulled her hood down all the way to her chin instead.

    "Why bring her here if you don''t want me to see her face? Or is she someone I know ¨C no!"

    Alicia heard him groan and then she heard thuds along with the swirl of magic suddenly getting stronger.

    "Brother!!!" he shouted as if he was in agonizing pain. "Stop!!"

    Alicia could no longer take what was going so she peeked through her hood. She saw what seemed like dark powering from Ezekiel''s palm filling the cage.

    She could no longer see Sebastian! What had happened to him?

    Her head whipped towards Ezekiel and for the first time, Alicia saw emotions colouring his face. Her body was rendered immobile as she watched that gleam of pain and sadness across his eyes.

    But then, all too soon, he blinked and nced at her. The emotion was now gone,pletely, without any trace of it having been there in the first ce.

    When he dropped his hand, the demonic power seemed to have evaporate into nothingness. Sebastian was now at the middle of the massive cage, kneeling and in chains. His eyes closed as if he was knocked asleep.

    Alicia returned her gaze at Ezekiel. "He''s¡­ one of the princes. Your brother. So why?" she asked in a weak voice.

    "There is no choice but to keep him here." Ezekiel replied, stepping closer to the cage and stared down his brother.

    "Because he''s dangerous?"

    "Yes."

    "Don''t tell me he''s been locked in here for hundreds of years?"

    When Ezekiel did not answer, Alicia almost gasped out in shock. This Sebastian was the missing prince. So he should be the second the prince. Meaning, he was already around almost as long as Ezekiel since the second prince was said to be just five years younger than Ezekiel. This means that¡­ Sebastian had been locked up here for hundreds of years!

    "Let''s go." He turned after a long while of silence, pulling her along with him.

    Alicia kept looking back at Sebastian until all the bars were locked behind them.

    He no longer grabbed her like how he did when they had first entered the dungeon. He walked with a slow and steady pace instead, always making sure he was always a step ahead of her.

    Alicia could only watch his back as she followed after him. She wondered what was going on in his head right now.

    After giving him minutes of silence, Alicia could not keep her mouth shut anymore. She had to ask some questions, or she would explode from curiosity.

    "Ezekiel.." She paused, causing him to halt as well. "Tell me, why didn''t you want him to see my face?"

 Chapter 761 - Emotions

    <h4>Chapter 761 - Emotions</h4>

    Alicia moved swiftly past him, blocking his way and looking up straight into those grey orbs gleaming in the dim light.

    "Why did you mention a different name when he asked for mine? Who exactly is Alexa?" she asked again even though Zeke have yet to answer her first question. "Answer me, Ezekiel¡­" her voice softened. "Please¡­ or I might go crazy from all these questions wreaking havoc in my head."

    He simply gazed back at her silently. He looked at her as though contemting whether to tell her more or just keep her in the dark. Alicia held her peace as long as she could, looking at his face intently, hoping to see if there were any changes to his expression.

    Silence continued until Alicia began to bite her lower lip so hard due to her increasing frustration. This man¡­ he was really going to drive her insane! How could he even hold back from speaking for so long?! If it were her, she would have broken the silence and at least said something. But then again, Ezekiel was not her.

    "Stop that, Alicia." he finally spoke. However, that was not the words she was hoping for toe out of his lips! What happened to the answers to her questions?!

    "What?!" she could no longer hold back and yelled at him. It was starting again. Her emotions were going awry again.

    She used to have more tolerance and could still be able to stay calm even when Ezekiel was behaving like this in the past. Him, refusing to give any answer was not something new to her at all. Ezekiel being like this was just so him, and yet, her current self somehow could not take it.

    His hand was suddenly on her face. The fiery hot fingers dragged slowly and sensuously across her lower lip. She could feel her frame tremble slightly at his unexpected touch.

    Now her entire body seemed to be under his spell again. Even though she was the witch here who should be the one casting spells and curses on him, somehow, he was the one taking on her role now with her being the one that was enchanted by him.

    "It seems I need to remind you that I am still a vampire." His sinuous voice echoed lowly in her ears and Alicia finally realized her lower lip was bleeding. She tasted the tangy iron vour and the sharp sting as she ran her tongue across her lip.

    She red at him. "Stop changing the topic, Ezekiel." Her voice was back to being sharp and fierce. She did not care about such a small wound. What she cared about most now were answers to her questions! She will not let Ezekiel get away without giving her an answer ¨C at least to one of her questions if not to all. Not anymore!

    "You''re bleeding, Alicia." He stated the obvious and Alicia responded with a huff and wave of her hand.

    "I don''t care about such small wound! I only care about the answers to my questions ¨C" she brushed hisment off.

    "Well, if you don''t, I do."

    "I¡­ what¡­?!" Alicia started speaking but got distracted by hisstment.

    Again, she was rendered speechless. And the fact that that mere statement had just stolen her very breath even at this moment caused her fury to coil at the back of her throat.

    "Just stop driving me crazy, you damned demonic vampire prince!" Alicia hissed at him with so much anger that she started to tremble visibly. She did not even know why her body and emotions seemed to be overreacting like this. This does not seem to be anything like herself anymore. "Or are you aiming for this all along? Chaining me to you like this, then pour a million questions into my head and slowly watch in amusement as you drive me insane?!"

    Her free hand mmed down on his chest without holding back. Her palm was stinging after that hit, but Ezekiel did not even seem to feel the impact and had all but ignored it. Did he not even feel anything?! She was close to breaking down just because she could not get a single answer from him. She could not believe it, but she could no longer think of the reason why aside from the thought that Ezekiel was right. She was being reduced to someone totally opposite of what she used to be right now. It finally dawned on her that she was really getting dumber and being reduced into an emotional mess. And she hated this urrence to her bones.

    ___ this novel is exclusively published on we b n o vel app , thank you for reading on official site and supporting the author. ____

    And in the midst of all that fury and misery, he suddenly bent over and the next thing she knew, his lips was lightly grazing over hers.

    Her whole world seemed to have mmed on the breaks at full force, screeching to an abrupt stop. Then his tongue, fiery and wet¡­ licked on her lower lip, igniting a zing fire that threatened to burn her entire being to crisp.

    But the next instant, he stilled, as though suddenly frozen. It was as if he went catatonic for a while.

    Then he moved, slowly, backing off from their intimate embrace. Their eyes met and Alicia finally released the breath she did not realise she was holding in. It came out in a whoosh, rendering her breathless for a couple of seconds.

    He tore his gaze off her and stepped past her. "Don''t forget you''re stuck with a vampire, Alicia." He reminded her. "And now I''m permitting you to utter a spell to heal yourself. That''s it. So remember to behave."

    Alicia felt as though a bucket of ice was poured over her head at the realization that that was not truly a kiss they had shared. He had been tempted by the blood on her torn lip and that''s why...

    She could not exin what she was feeling right now. It was as though she could not even move or open her mouth. She could only stare nkly at him, mute and immobile until Ezekiel turned and faced her again.

    Whatever he saw on her face seemed to have shocked him. Though once again, he hid that expression almost instantly. She would have missed it of not for the fact that her eyes were glued on his face and was observing every nuance that was expressed.

    "I couldn''t let him see your face because of your appearance. Sebastian will definitely go ballistic if he sees a witch, especially a silver haired one." He answered in a low voice. That felt like the softest tone he had ever let her hear.

    When Alicia remained silent and still did not want to speak, and just kept staring at him even after that, a sight frown appeared on his forehead.

    He met her gaze and they engaged in a staring contest. For the first time, Ezekiel gave in first. His jaw worked, and his lips tightened into a t line as he looked away.

    "Fine, the reason why I didn''t tell him your real name was because¡­"

 Chapter 762 - Focus

    <h4>Chapter 762 - Focus</h4>

    Thank you so much @Josefina_Kearns and @Now_or_Never for the supergifts. Your gifts prompted me to write this second chapter today.

    "The reason why I didn''t tell him your real name was because¡­" he paused again.

    Alicia kept her gaze on him, almost unblinking, refusing to give in this time until he answers one more question. Right now, Ezekiel''s calmness seemed to be being tested, by her.

    He was still able to keep his expression straight but the look in his eyes was not as nk as before. He had some undecipherable look in his eyes right now. She wondered if he was formting thousands of different scenarios in his head which was causing that look.

    "Because your name will ring a bell." He sounded as though it was already a great struggle for him to tell her that. And Ezekiel¡­ she had never heard him falter before, in words or in actions. This was the first time. And it shocked her.

    The utter misery in her chest was slowly dissipating, the longer she watched him struggle even a little.

    "My name will ring a bell? Why? Sebastian is¡­ he had existed for hundreds of years just like you. I have never met him before, nor seen him in any of the memories that the previous witch queens passed down to me, much less recognised his face. So why would my name ring a bell if you had mentioned it to him?" she asked again, intent on wanting to get the answer to this at least. And he closed his eyes at her insistence to know.

    "I can''t answer that question." He finally said after another bout of silence.

    "Why." Alicia immediately threw the word out, her voice hard and stubborn.

    Slowly, he opened his eyes then looked at her. The disturbing calmness was now back. It was as though the earlier uncertainty had never been there at all.

    "Listen closely, Alicia. There are secrets better left buried. Besides, you are not here to seek answers in the first ce. You are here with me because you have a goal¡­ and that''s to kill me, right? So don''t you forget that. You''re not meant to know about this, about Sebastian¡­ no one knows about him but me and Alex. You''ve learnt about a secret I had been trying to hide for hundreds of years¡­ you, a witch who is trying to kill me of all people¡­" he shook his head, "I can''t reveal anything more. You have known more than you already should. I know it''s not your fault. I was the one who brought you here after all, and that''s why I answered the questions I never wanted to answer. Also¡­"

    His gaze travelled back to her lips again.

    "What''s the point of you wanting to know more about all these? Didn''t you ept your fate already? That as long as you meet your goal, it''ll be alright for you to be gone now? You aren''t even trying to find a way to save yourself. You''ve long since given up. Anything other than your goal shouldn''t matter anymore, is it not?" Ezekiel now bombarded her with questions and statements that were all true, causing her to not be able to retort in the slightest.

    That hurt her, so bad. Why did his words always feel so incredibly painful? Was it because he was right? Or was there another reason?

    Before a treacherous tear manage to fall from the corner of her eyes, he pulled her against him, tucking her as close as possible to his hard body as he stretched his hand and create another spinning vortex. It was the same vortex of darkness he had created before that when they teleported.

    "If the both of us are still alive after these two weeks, maybe I''ll let you find the answers to your questions. For now, forget about what you just saw and heard. Forget about Sebastian¡­ and focus only on your goal." He added in a low voice before he wrapped his free hand around her back and stepped directly into the vortex.

    They were back in his luxurious apartment in seconds.

    Ezekiel removed her cloak as they stood there in silence as Alicia kept her eyes trained ahead, as if her mind was somewhere else.

    "Alright," she finally spoke once Ezekiel dropped her cloak onto the chair. "I will not ask about what I saw and heard in the dungeons anymore. But¡­" she looked up and met his gaze and lifted their inseparable hands. "Tell me why you''re keeping me with you, preventing me from disappearing like this."

    Intently, she watched his grey eyes, as if she was searching for something in them.

    "After you answer this, I''ll shut up." She added, determined.

    He stared back at her and she silently wished he would drop his perfect fa?ade again. She wanted to see some emotions in those eyes of his again as he answers her ¨C if he ever answers her.

    "Heal that lip of yours first or I''d assume you''re deliberately seducing me." He told her bluntly.

    That threw her off. Once again. But she managed not to stupidly let her mouth hang open this time. She knew that he was talking about her blood, not her lips!

    "Tell me that you''ll answer me first once I''m done." She needed him to give his word.

    "Stubborn." He muttered, clicking his tongue.

    Alicia did not give in.

    "Fine." He surrendered and Alicia barely stopped herself from sighing or smiling out in relief as his next sentence positively stopped her from having that reaction. "Don''t ever think that I will give in to you like this next time, Alicia. The next time you make yourself bleed, don''t you expect me to hold back like this again. Keep that in mind. I only give warnings once."

    She could not help but swallow as that warning just sent a little shiver down her spine. But she distracted herself quickly by finally uttering a healing spell.

    Once her small wound closed, she returned her intense gaze at him. "Now answer me." she demanded.

    Ezekiel''s gaze seemed to gleam with something that she failed to recognize within that split second that she saw it.

    "Let''s just say that¡­" he started, the small pause made her heart thud faster in anticipation, "¡­ I need something from you, Alicia."

 Chapter 763 - This Is Insane

    <h4>Chapter 763 - This Is Insane</h4>

    "You need something from me? You?!" Alicia swallowed hard even as she asked him. Even though she should not be surprised anymore, his answer still caused her emotions to re up once again. "What is it that you need from me?"

    Ezekiel turned, pulling her along with him towards his room. His free hand went to his shirt, unbuttoning it as they walked along.

    "That I can''t answer." Was all he said.

    His answer made her grit her teeth and she was about toe at him when he abruptly turned mid-step, causing Alicia to crash right into his now bare chest as his shirt hung open.

    She leapt back as far as she could instantly ¨C given his hold on her ¨C as if the contact scalded her.

    The look in Ezekiel''s eyes was serious. He seemed to be wanting to say something, but he was again probably thinking about all sorts ofplications first. Damn him! Could he not just blurt things out without thinking first? Does he need to be so responsible all the damn time?

    A sigh escaped his lips then he ran his fingers through his hair. He suddenly looked tired of something or exasperated? She could not quite tell the emotions as it was so rare for him to even have emotions crossing his face. All she knew was that she was seeing something so human in him again right now. And that was a miracle in itself.

    "Look here, Alicia. You said you''ll shut up. You agreed earlier." He reminded her.

    She pressed her lips tight and red at him, as hard as she could.

    He then turned away again and opened his closet. He brought out clothes for him to get changed into. Alicia noticed his white shirt was dirtied with patches of dust from the dungeon.

    But that did not concern her. She was still filled with frustration, anger and everything negative. She was unable to calm down at all. As she looked at him, all Alicia wanted to do was pin him down or do whatever that was needed to be done for her to be able to force him to answer all her questions. She continued furiously wracking her head for ideas how to go forward with it.

    Suddenly, he threw his head back a little and let out another long and drawn-out sigh. Then he whipped around to look at her. "I think I need you to understand this." He sounded as though what he was about to say was something extremely important. "I am¡­ being affected by your emotions."

    She blinked at him. What?!

    "So do try to calm yourself a little if you please." He continued then he casually took her hand and ced it on his nape.

    "Wait a moment. What do you even mean by that?"

    "My demonic power is the reason why you''re back in your physical body. My power runs through you and this connection makes me feel your emotions. Every single one of them¡­ I feel them all. It messes mine up too, especially when your emotions are too intense."

    His exnation rendered Alicia speechless. What?! He could¡­ feel her emotions?! And her emotions mess with his? Could this be the reason why he was unable to keep his perfectly emotionless fa?ade for a few times already since he touched her?!

    Whatever he saw in her expression made him let out a small soundlessugh. "Don''t rejoice in that fact and don''t even think that you can use this to annoy me, Alicia. Don''t forget what I just told you, your emotions messes mine up, and you know exactly what happens when one''s emotion is in a mess." He bent over a little, causing their faces to be much closer now. "They will lose their cool and do things before they even realized it. I am confident that I have an absolute control over myself. But with you here¡­" his voice dropping lower than usual, "I''m totally different. So you and I better work together¡­ are we clear?"

    The look he gave her sent a little ze speeding down her spine.

    But he suddenly straightened, creating enough space between them again. "You need to calm down and give this a rest for now. You still have eleven days to survive to be exact. Now hold on to my neck." He reminded her.

    "W-what?" She was getting whish at the sudden change of topic.

    "I need to undress."

    Alicia''s mouth dropped. Finally realizing that since they could not even separate even for a second, that only meant one thing, they were going to be inseparable for whatever the two of them do from now on¡­ w-what?! What?!!!

    Her eyes were wide as saucers now. And her reaction andte realization caused a subtle glow of amusement to light up in his eyes.

    "I can''t believe you just realized that now. I am letting go," he said then loosening his grip on her hand that was on his neck.

    When he finally let go, he immediately moved his hands to take his shirt off.

    Alicia did not even know what to do now, whether to look away or keep her eyes on this free show he was putting on in front of her. Her mind could only scream at how the hell did she even end up in this kind of situation right now!

    Soon, he was half naked right before her. And she was touching the side of his neck!

    The moment his hands moved to his belt, Alicia finally burst out. "Wait a moment!"

    He met her eyes. His moves and expressions still incredibly casual. Alicia could not believe he could still keep his poker face in this situation. He was really unbelievable! And she did not know if it was in a good or bad way as she shook her head.

    "This is insane, Ezekiel. You''re really going to¡­ to undress right before me just like this?!!"

    "We don''t have a choice, do we? And aren''t you used to it already? You''ve been spying and watching me for weeks ¨C"

    "I didn''t look!" Alicia screeched out, face ming red.

    "Really¡­?" Ezekiel drawled out, an elegant brow arched up as though doubting the veracity of her statement.

 Chapter 764 - With Me

    <h4>Chapter 764 - With Me</h4>

    TSYM @So_mystically for the magic castle. Here''s a second chapter as my thanks for all the gifts.

    When Alicia was starting to re up again, Ezekiel raised his hand as if to surrender, bringing Alicia''s explosion to a premature halt.

    "No need to get riled up over this Alicia. Aside from the fact that we don''t have a choice, I don''t really mind undressing before you."

    She could not help but gape in disbelief. This damn¡­

    "But I do mind it." She hissed back at him, her eyes shooting sparks at him.

    "You can always choose not to look. I am not forcing you to watch." He shrugged easily as though it did not bother him whatever she chose to do.

    His answer made her face heat up. But she quickly managed to retort. "Then how about me?!" she eximed, and Ezekiel paused. "I¡­ I am not as sh¡­ shameless as you to¡­ to¡­ undress ¨C" she stammered so badly that Ezekiel had to press his lips tight, as if to suppress hisughter before it bubbled forth.

    "I can always look away, Alicia. Or close my eyes." He answered smoothly.

    "But¡­ but how about when¡­ when¡­ oh gods!" she groaned, biting her lower lip again.

    "If you''re referring to about us taking a bath, then the solution is the same." His tone did not change.

    "Not just that! What then if one of us need to¡­" she caught her lip between her teeth, unable to say what she was meaning to say.

    "Ah," he sighed as if he had understood her. "Don''t worry, none of us need to."

    "W-what?" she blurted out, feeling confused. Does he actually know what she was referring to?

    "You don''t need to consume anything at all Alicia. Your body is not fully back yet, this one''s still temporary. My power is giving you the energy and everything your body needed."

    "Oh¡­" she was speechless once again. But that was truly a relief! "H-how about you?"

    "Blood is all I needed. I am never fond of human''s food anyway." He answered. Alicia knew he was telling the truth. Ezekiel had never consumed any human food since she started watching over him. Now that she thought about it, Ezekiel had always eaten the least among them when they were out on that journey to find the cavern to save her. "Any more questions?"

    Alicia closed her eyes, sighing tiredly as she shook her head. This strange predicament she was in right now was something she had never thought would happen to happen to her in a million years! "Do what you want." She could only say, knowing that she could not even do anything about this nor have any solution to this problem at all. She was totally dependent on him right now. And that pissed her off to no end. But she could only hold her peace and have a truce between them for now.

    "You will need to undress too and take a bath with me." This statement came out so flippantly that she did not register it in her mind for a couple of seconds.

    However, after the words left his lips for a few heartbeats, Alicia suddenly whipped her head towards him again, eyes wide.

    "Easier for us. I believe you wanted a bath anyway. Right?" He spoke as though they were conversing about the weather. Alicia did not know whether she should faint or strangle him to death!

    He was right, Alicia did want a bath so badly. Maybe because it was strangely hot ¨C which she believed was because of him ¨C and maybe because it had been so long since she had one. Ever since her death. She missed the feeling of soaking in a warm tub. But a bath with Ezekiel? Just thinking of the idea was causing a massive headache for her now.

    "You don''t have anything to worry about. As long as you don''t jump at me first, I can assure you nothing will happen." He said confidently. The way he phrased that just irked her to no end. Was he trying to say that she was so unattractive to him that even when she stood before him naked, it was something that he could ignorepletely?

    Something red within her. How dare he¡­

    That feeling she always had against him. This feeling of not wanting to lose to him surged again within her.

    "You can open your eyes now," his voice echoed.

    Slowly, her eyelids open. There were no signs of embarrassment on his features at all. What a thick-skinned fellow. "Your hand," she snapped testily, and he lifted his without dy.

    Alicia grabbed it before retracting her hand that was at his nape. Then she turned, her back facing him.

    "I need your help," she said. Her tone cool and casual. She was still dressed in her white medieval dress. The same dress she had been wearing as a spirit.

    The dress''ces were tied tightly across her back and thus, she needed someone to help her untie it.

    Ezekiel did not answer but before Alicia could move to gather her hair over her shoulders, he had already beat her to it.

    She bit her lower lip and fought for calm as she felt his strong fingers brushed ever so slightly over her neck while he gathered her hair to the side. Bloody hell¡­ she cursed within her mind, knowing that her heartbeat''s pace was increasing rapidly and crazily. And the worse thing was that this vampire must have been able to hear it loud and clear.

    His annoying triumphant smirk shing across his face came to her mind and she took a deep breath. It seemed that it was impossible for her to act as nonchntly as Ezekiel. And she loathed him utterly for that. How could he be so calm when she was¡­

    "There you go again, Alicia." His slightly rough yet refined voice echoed in her ear, and she felt the goosebumps prickle down her spine.

    "What?!" she groused at him. Annoyed at him but more so at herself. "Don''t you dare tell me to calm down because I won''t. I can''t. I am not like you, Ezekiel." She griped angrily.

    He did not speak any more and silence reigned.. Then her dress loosened up.

 Chapter 765 - No poin

    Chapter 765 - No poin

    Alicia instinctively clutched onto her dress the moment she felt it loosen up. But she quickly regained herposure at the thought of the words he had said just a moment ago ¨C those words that irked her.

    She wanted to just let her dress slide down since it was loose enough to do so. But mortification came rushing at her before she could do so. Biting on her lower lip, she looked over her shoulder to check on how Ezekiel was behaving.

    His expression was annoyingly neutral. Or was he returning back to his usual statue self again?

    The urge to get back at him by undressing shamelessly before him suddenly surged within her. She hated that she seemed to be the only one who kept being rendered speechless by him. But then again, what if¡­ what if she really was unattractive to him and she would not even get to evoke a reaction on his face even if she stood before himpletely naked? Would she be able to handle that blow to her ego?

    Her face burned red before she whipped around again. She decided that she would not be able to handle the embarrassment if that ever happens! It was not just because she had no confidence about herself. She knew what she got¡­ it was just that this man was Ezekiel. Not only because of his ridiculous perfection, he had lived for so long as well. He must have built up such a tolerance to many things and would be able to keep his expression deadpan no matter what the view was before him.

    "Shut your eyes." She demanded, changing her mind. Since she was not nning to deliberately undress herself to draw out any form of reaction from Ezekiel, she might as well get him to look away instead. No point of her ying with fire. There was no way she would do something so stupid that might end up back firing on her and burning her instead.

    Thankfully, he abided with her demands without a word. An awkward silence followed after that as Alicia undressed, using the only one avable hand that she had.

    Once she ced her dress on a nearby chair, she spoke. ncing up at him for a moment. She did not dare look lower than his chest as she knew that this shameless man waspletely naked.

    "Now let''s get this done quickly." She walked towards the bathroom, dragging him behind her. She really hoped that he would keep his eye to himself.

    Ezekiel just let her drag him. But when he looked at her as he followed behind her and saw how she was wearing only her under garments, a slight smirk curved on his face. He did not say anything though.

    "Alright, let''s do it this way," Alicia touched him and made him face the shower. "We''ll stand here facing the opposite direction. You are not allowed to turn and so am I, are we clear?" Alicia rattled off her ns on how they should go about taking their shower.

    He let out a soundlessugh listening to her spelling it out to him one by one and shut his eyes for a brief moment, looking as though he wanted to argue. But at the same time, he did not want to talk. He chose thetter in the end. That was much easier.

    Soon, the shower was finally on. The pitter patter of the water falling filled the silence inside the bathroom. Ezekiel lifted his face a little, his free hand moved to his hair,bing his hair back as the water fell all over him.

    And since Alicia did not allow him to turn around, he could not see the fact that his tall figure had actually covered her, not allowing enough water to even drench her.

    "This won''t do. You''re too tall. You''re blocking almost all of the water," Aliciained, "We should do this the other way around."

    Without waiting for his response, she nudged him to move. Ezekiel once again silently followed her instructions. However, this time he was half biting his lower lips.

    "Oh, this is much better!" She mumbled, her voice sounding happier.

    And before she knew it, she rxed. Maybe because the water drenching her made her feel a little ecstatic. She thought she was never going to experience this mundane thing ever again. But here she was, in flesh and bathing in a hot shower.

    As she was enjoying the feel of the water falling and flowing all over her, she felt Ezekiel moved. She saw him from the sides of her eyes, reaching out for the shampoo.

    The smell of refreshing mint shampoo then filled the bathroom. Still, Ezekiel did not say a single a word.

    Alicia stretched her free hand towards him, tilting her body a little.

    He nced at her palm and did not wait for her to speak anymore, knowing what it was that she wanted. He grabbed the bottle of shampoo and poured an ample amount onto her palm knowing that she needed more for her long hair.

    She immediately brought her palm to her hair but because her hair was pretty thick and long, she stretched out her hand again, asking for more. Ezekiel once again moved quietly and gave her more shampoo.

    A whileter, Alicia found herself biting on her lower lip to stop herself from smiling. Somehow, she found their situation getting a little funnier. And she was not sure why she was feeling this way. She had honestly thought that this was going to be bloody awkward. And she found that shampooing using only one hand was not that ufortable as she initially thought.

    "Ugh!" a small groaned echoed. The shampoo had gotten to her eyes, so she reached out to turn the shower on. But his hand reached it first, her handnded on his. She instantly felt his body against her back and that very suggestive feel of his wet skin on hers jolted her rxed nerves, turning them all stiff again.

 Chapter 766 - Cool down

    Chapter 766 - Cool down

    The water fell on her, jolting her out of her shock, quickly extinguishing the sparks of fire ignited by their brief contact.

    When Alicia moved slightly forward and started washing her face in haste, he retracted his hand and backed off as well. After that, he then offered her the soap. Alicia blinked at it for a while but she eventually took it. For some reason, the tension that was ignited was not dropping.

    Alicia cleared her throat, wanting to distract herself.

    "Is everything good?" was the words that came out of her lips. She regretted that, wondering why she had spouted out such words of all things. Her face was so red as she tried to redeem herself. "You''re suddenly back to being the quiet Ezekiel again?"

    He shifted a little, looking slightly upwards as he slowly ran his tongue across his teeth.

    "You''re so talkative just a while ago. So it''s weird you''re suddenly so quiet again." Alicia bbered on nonsensically. Her nervousness caused her to just want to fill this growing silence between them with something¡­ anything. But now that she mentioned this, curiosity suddenly hit her, and she really wanted to know.

    "Talkative¡­" he echoed, shaking his head a little.

    "You were so talkative just a while ago. So don''t you dare deny it." she was not aware that she was facing him now, even tipping her chin up as if daring him to deny it. "You''re actually quite talkative, aren''t you?"

    "No, I''m not. I just don''t have a choice but to speak as much words as I can since I touched you." he answered her.

    "And why would you even bother to do that?" she raised a brow, obviously doubtful at his ims.

    "If I don''t talk, it would rile you up, wouldn''t it? Talking is not my thing¡­ but I would choose it over you being so emotional. I can only choose the lesser of the two evils."

    What?!! Her jaw almost hit the floor listening to the way he had exined his reasoning on why he seemed so ''talkative'' ording to her description.

    "Did you just referred to ''talking'' as an evil?" Alicia was not sure to be amazed or shocked at his way of looking at it.

    "I''m not that fond of it." He spoke lowly, defending his stand.

    Alicia was speechless. She could only shake her head when he spoke again.

    "Are you really okay bathing with your undergarments on like that?" he asked but his gaze was holding hers, never straying to look downwards or anywhere further than her chin.

    The tips of her ears heated up and suddenly, she felt like she could not move. Now she could not take her eyes off him. While she was still soapy and all bubbly, Ezekiel already looked like he was already done bathing. His wet hair¡­ the droplets of water all over his skin¡­ his wet lips¡­ his¡­

    She swallowed, hard. What had she done? Why did she turn?! When did she turn?!!

    The soap slipped from her suddenly limp fingers, causing the both of them to instinctively look down. Alicia caught sight of it¡­ of his¡­ oh g-gods!!!

    As if caught red handed, Alicia quickly spun around and looked away, her face zing so damned red while Ezekiel bent over and picked up the soap rather nonchntly.

    When he lifted his hand to hand the soap back to her, Alicia suddenly walked towards the tub. "I want to soak first." She said dragging Ezekiel along with her in haste. She immediately began to fill the tub and climbed into it before there was even enough water in it to cover her to her waist.

    She never looked at him again even when she heard him drew out a small sigh as he stood right next to her. He did not move until the water had filled the tub up to Alicia''s chest.

    The bathroom was deafeningly silent again, so Alicia created some noise by ying and sshing around with the water and washing her face, hoping that the heat on her face would cool down. She regretted this move of hers again. She should have just washed up and finished the bath! What the hell was wrong with her? She wanted to facepalm her dumb self so hard, but Ezekiel was watching.

    She fought for calm. A few moments more and she would leave the tub as naturally as possible and be done with this.

    But just as she was about to rise, she halted at the sight of Ezekiel climbing into the tub. W-wait¡­ wait a moment¡­

    Before she could manage to speak or react, he had already lowered himself and sat across from her, folding his long legs and bracing his arms on the sides of the tub. But even though he had folded his legs, his feet still reached all the way to her side. What the¡­ what the hell is he doing?!!

    The tub was not that small. But with him in it as well, it suddenly felt so cramped that even though the water was not even warm, she was feeling it getting hotter! Her cheeks flushed a hot pink as she looked over at him trying to getfortable on his side.

    "What are you doing? Y-you never used your tub¡­" she spluttered as she spoke and struggled a little to make herself confront him.

    He folded his elbow and leaned his temple against his knuckles. "You''re right. But I can''t just be standing here like a statue while you''re happily soaking yourself in here, right? Might as well join you."

    She bit her lip and then abruptly, she rose, forgetting about their inseparable hands.

    The pull of his hand to keep their hands from separating caused her to lose her bnce in the already slippery floor of the tub.

    And she fell right onto him.

    Water sshed and the two of them instantly stilled as Alicia quickly realized where her free hand hadnded at in her attempt of trying to bnce herself when she fell.

    Alicia: !!!!

 Chapter 767 - Little acciden

    Chapter 767 - Little iden

    As if scalded, Alicia retracted her hand. That one move was so fast it made the water ssh on the both of them.

    She lifted that hand up, palm open and facing him. It was as though a policeman had ordered her to ''hands up'' while pointing at gun at her. She did not know whether she should scream out in mortification or bber whatever that came to her mind, just to distract both of them from this embarrassing situation or just curl up into a ball and hope that she disappeared until things calmed down. Her flustered expression was almostical in its extremity.

    For a moment, she struggled to find the right words to say as she kept herself as still as she could, not wanting to have another ''ident'' of the sort urring again. Once was more than enough. Her heart would not be able to bear it.

    "Oops¡­" she said. An ''oops'' that did not sound particrly surprise or excited nor was it taunting. It was a nervous and forced ''oops''. "I''m sorry¡­ I didn''t mean to touch your¡­ erm¡­ thing. It''s a little ident."

    His expression darkened at her words. Oh damn¡­

    "A little ident¡­??" he repeated her choice of words, his voice sounding darker than usual. "So¡­ what if it''s a little ident?"

    She blinked multiple times. "It''s not intentional! I really did not mean for that to happen, so¡­ you should ept my apology and¡­ yes, forgive and forget?" Her tone at the end was pitched higher to sound like a question rather than a statement.

    A sound which seemed to be a half snort and halfugh was his immediate response. "Forgive and forget¡­ you''re saying that idents should be resolved just by saying a simple ''sorry''?"

    "Well¡­" Alicia knew she was in a pinch now. She could only scold herself inwardly for her own words and for the fact that this body of hers was so clumsy to have that ident ur in the first ce. Just where the hell did her usual wits go?! She did not like how herebacks sound so embarrassingly dull and bordering on silly! "Of course, a sorry would never be enough depending on the circumstances and especially if someone got hurt." She quickly reasoned out, trying so hard to redeem herself.

    "And based on how you are putting it¡­ it seems like you think that no one got hurt in this little ident?" He stressed on the word ''little''. And it seemed to her that he sounded a little sarcastic, but she could not be sure.

    Alicia felt her heart began to pace harder now. And it was not only because of his words. That gleam she had seen shing within his eyes just now¡­ there seemed to be a lightning storm in those grey irises¡­

    It looked¡­ breathtaking and¡­ dangerous as hell.

    She struggled for words. "W-wait¡­ you got hurt?" her eyes widened, btedly registering that his words implied that. It was incredibly unsettling and mortifying how her brain was working so damned slow now that it was embarrassing. "B-but¡­ but I just touched your pen ¨C" her eyes red but she managed to bounce back and cleared her throat, "I just touched it. Don''t you make a fool of me again! There is no way you have gotten hurt just because I touched you¡­ there!"

    Thinking that she had found the right moment to escape, Alicia pulled herself up again to leave the tub.

    But instead of finally escaping the tub, Alicia found herself being effortlessly pulled back into it ¨C forgetting that Ezekiel was not only a tall but also solidly built male. She fell on him again. Her eyes stretched even wider at the realization that she was¡­ she was now straddling him! How in the world¡­

    Her entire body went into a paralyzed state at the very clear feel of him between her legs. When her gaze flew up to meet his, she almost felt like someone had forcefully taken her breath away ¨C him. This man she¡­ hated. Yes, hated.

    He was looking up at her through the strands of his dripping wet hair. His expression as cold as ice, yet his gaze¡­ they scorched like the fires of hell itself.

    She could no longer take her eyes off him, could not move a single muscle away from him. The warning bells that had begun to ring like crazy at the back of her head were rendered absolutely useless. Why? Why was her body not listening to her?

    Before she realized it, her betraying gaze had strayed down to his lips. Her heart was trashing wildly in its confines now, the heat between them getting impossibly hot. Something had happened to her¡­ and it was all his fault. He definitely¡­ did something¡­ sinful¡­ to her, right?

    She felt his big, searing handnding and touching her nape and she did not know why she sighed out, as if his touch was something so incredibly pleasant and something that she was looking forward to.

    His long searing fingers moved to the back of her neck and then slowly, he exerted a slight pressure and guided her forward. The way he touched her, guided her ¨C it all came as shock to her senses. That felt almost tender¡­ Ezekiel? Tender? Why did these two words not seem to belong together?

    "You want to kiss me¡­" his voice sounded so dark, so¡­ deep, so¡­ she could no longer think of the right word to describe it.

    "No¡­" she lied, breathless. It was almost unbelievable how she managed to say theplete opposite of what she really felt at this moment. He had made her want him¡­ seduced her to bits¡­ and now she could not even deny it to herself anymore. This body¡­ it wanted him¡­ and she reasoned out it must be because of his demonic power running through her. That must be what was affecting her emotions and her mind now.

    "Lies¡­" he whispered in her ear, calling her bluff. All the while, running his fingers down her spine. "Did you forget I can feel everything you¡­"

    Goosebumps rose over her skin. "All your fault¡­" came her breathless reply. Still resisting.

    "You really love ming others¨C"

    "It''s¡­ the truth." Her breath hitched when his hand had somehow slid over her jaw and cupped it, his thumb slowly parting her lips apart.

    "Such a little¡­ bad liar¡­" A seductive gleam filled his eyes.

 Chapter 768 - Untamed

    Chapter 768 - Untamed

    Alicia gathered every ounce of stubbornness she could muster to keep herself from asking him to just¡­ kiss her. But even that was not enough.

    The temptation that was Ezekiel was too strong, and she was helpless in the face of his head-on attacks. His smouldering gaze, his thumb on her lips, their skin-to-skin contact¡­ the increasing charge between them was so palpable that it was threatening to blow up any second now. It was all just too unbearable for Alicia to endure. She just wanted to scream out to him to go ahead and ravage her. And that thought caused her to jolt in surprise ¨C at herself and how wanton her thoughts have be.

    For the very first time, Alicia experienced it herself. This feeling like she had turned into a ve to her very own carnal desires. This had never happened to her before. Never. She had no idea¡­ absolutely zero inkling that it could be more potent than spells casted on her. She had tolerance and cure against spells but this¡­ it was just¡­ impossible¡­ to resist.

    And she lost it. She bent over his very naked and muscr frame and crashed her lips against his even as his thumb was still on her lips.

    She realized a second toote what she had just did. However, there was no longer any turning back as he did not give her any chances to do something about that mistake anymore. He immediately took control of the situation and did not allow her to back up.

    As soon as his thumb between their lips was gone, he possessed her mouth ¨Cpletely and fully ¨C stealing her breath. And she helplessly opened up to him almost in an instant, kissing him back. It had been so long since she hadst kissed someone, way back when she still was not the witch queen. But all the past kisses were nothingpared to this¡­ his kiss, his mouth¡­ why? Why does he taste so mindblowingly good?

    She felt him nibbling on her bottom lip gently then hungrily glided his tongue inside her mouth. His movements were savage, punishing, consuming¡­ as if he was aiming to devour her whole. As if stealing her breath was no longer enough for him. So this time he was going to consume her soul too.

    And everything ignited. A shocking hunger exploded from within, and Alicia kissed him back as hard as she could. As fierce as she could, matching his ferocity.

    Ezekiel¡­ the man who was the epitome of self-control was looking nothing like that right now. She could feel it in her bones. He was an untamed beast out of its cage now and that thrilled her more than frightened her.

    Their kiss deepened, and she wished that she could hate it. But the hate was nowhere to be found. Not even an iota. All that was left was an all-consuming hunger¡­ an inexplicable hunger for him¡­

    The moment she pressed her body against him, his mouthtched onto her slender throat. That earned him a gasp and a sexy whimper. And he continued sucking, devouring, as if he wanted her to make those sounds again. Those cries that fell from her mouth.

    And she did. It was impossible not to.

    When his mouth found its way back to hers, Alicia kissed him back even harder. She never kissed someone this savagely before. She did not even know she could do something like this. To kiss someone like they were in a fierce fight.

    Alicia was not sure what was going on with herself¡­ or why they were kissing this way. There was only one thing she was certain about at this moment, and that was she did not want this to end until she¡­ devoured him¡­ all of him¡­

    Her fingers sunk into his scalp as she pulled him closer, her fingers fisting into his thick and dark hair. It was as though their closeness was not enough. She told herself she had gone mad¡­ but at this moment she totally did not care anymore. All caution was being thrown into the wind. She was under a spell¡­ no, stronger than that¡­ and she did not wish to be freed. At all.

    She felt his hand gliding lower, from the small of her back, down to her bottom. Another gasp was wrenched from her now swollen, red and moist lips.

    He pressed her whole length against himself, and she moulded herself onto him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She longed to feel more. More. She wanted him to do more¡­ so badly that she felt like the need was going to drive her insane.

    "Eze¡­ kiel," she moaned against his mouth, panting hard.

    Her hands glided down his side, his taut muscle, smooth and hard. She knew what she was about to do¡­ to touch him¡­ make him know she wanted more from him¡­

    She was going to take his hand and ce them on her¡­

    "Don''t... don''t do it." she said that to herself.

    And she only realized that she had said that out loud when he stopped his actions in an instant. His lips that were about to reach her taut bud stopped moving. His hand on her thigh stilled as well.

    Before she could react, he made one swift move.

    Then they were standing next to the tub. He was holding her up to keep her from falling.

    He then made another move and cold water fell on them both. The cold water was like a bucket of ice that had forced her to awaken from such a lustful dream.

    Alicia did not know what to say, or what to do. She kept her head leaning against his chest, hiding her face as they both breathed heavily, trying to catch their breath.

    It did not take him long to steady his breath. She envied him for that because she was still unable to calm down. What had she done? Just what had she done?

 Chapter 769 - Thatâ€™s right

    Chapter 769 - That''s right

    The only sounds that could be heard inside the bathroom right now was the pitter patter of the water falling like raindrops over them, her heavy breathing and his calm and controlled ones. Ezekiel did not move nor talked. His one arm remained loosely wrapped around her waist and his hand rested on the small of her back.

    Time ticked by and the heat that had driven them both into a frenzy had subsided. Alicia''s breathing had finally stabilized as well. Then dark emotions came crashing into her like massive waves.

    She began to realize that if they had not stopped in time¡­ if she had not identally said those words out loud and they ended up eloping¡­

    Her eyes widened and an indescribable emotion rushed through her entire being. She could not believe that she had momentarily forgotten this fact. That she was a witch ¨C though physically dead and currently in the flesh due to Ezekiel''s powers ¨C and Ezekiel on the other hand, was a vampire. And that any form of rtions, especially sex ¨C was forbidden between them.

    If she had not identally stopped him with her words, would he have stopped? Or would he have continued not minded it at all even if he ended up killing her?

    A cold shiver ran through her, and she finally lifted her gaze at him. His grey eyes were unreadable now. Emotionless. He was back to being that unfeeling statue he usually is. The only difference was that he was totally without a stitch of clothing on him.

    "If I had not stopped you earlier¡­" she started slowly, breaking the heavy silence between them, "would you have stopped?"

    His gaze held hers in silence. She locked eyes with him and waited for his answer but when he did not seem to be opening his mouth even after a few moments of just staring at her, Alicia gritted her teeth and told herself to be patient and continue waiting for his answer.

    "Tell me¡­ would you have just continued on?" Alicia''s hatred bubbled forth and filled her eyes again, "Would you not have cared even if you ended up¡­ killing me?" Her voice cracked a little as she forced the question out.

    The way she phrased thatst question dissolved Ezekiel''s impregnable mask and his eyes widened slightly. But the next moment, his facial muscles worked, and his face darkened as though in anger. However, she had never seen him angry before, so she was not sure if that expression was anger in the first ce. Looking at how his expression was so dark, Alicia was taken aback. This was the first time that she is seeing that expression on his face.

    But then, he let out a snort before his eyes turned incredibly cold. So cold and sharp she felt like they had turned into an icy weapon as he looked at her.

    "You do think of me as nothing but a monster, huh¡­" he uttered, his voice gravelly and hard as stone. There was no more trace of that utter calmness that he had earlier. A sardonic smirk shed across his face. "Well, of course." He nodded before reaching out one hand and cupping her face as he moved his face a little close to hers.

    "That''s right. You should think of me like that all the time, Alicia." He sneered a little. His voice was almost a whisper now, but it still retained that steely edge to it. "That''s how you should see me." Alicia did not know why but she felt as though his statement was tinged with a little bitterness.

    He released her face and just like that, his expression immediately went back to normal. Expressionless as ever.

    "If you''re done now, I''m ready to leave the bath and get changed." He said as if nothing had just happened between them. It was as though that whole heated exchange between them was only a figment of her imagination.

    Alicia gulped. Her throat somehow hurts, and she did not know what had exactly caused it. Why¡­ why was this man like this? Why did he have to behave this way? He was just messing her already messed up mind and emotions! She did not even know if she hated him or herself at this moment anymore.

    Everything was getting too overwhelming for her right now. Especially with this temporary body of hers that was so obviously emotionally and physically weak.

    She wanted to yell or cry out in frustration, but the yell just somehow did not manage to be expressed because all of a sudden, her vision turned dark and she wobbled where she stood.

    Thest thing she heard was Ezekiel cursing and she saw a shadowy figure before her.

    ¡­

    Zeke grabbed a robe and wrapped Alicia up in it before he carried her out of the bathroom.

    His movement was swift as if Alicia was nothing but a light feather in his arms. His strides were powerful, decisive ¨C as his face had lost its normal expressionless mask.

    After grabbing a shirt from his closet, he sat down and proceeded to remove her wet underwear beneath her robe without even giving a thought of whether she would have much to protestter on. Then he managed to maneuver and put his white shirt on her while she was still in his embrace.

    A long sigh escaped his lips as soon as he did up thest button. Thisdy really was testing his limits. He rose and was about to tuck her under the bedcovers when his gaze fell on her mass of wet hair.

    He stilled for a moment. In a movement that was so unlike him, he caught his lower lip between his teeth before straightening and keeping her tucked securely within his embrace. He walked back to the bathroom and grabbed the hair drier.

    For a few minutes, Zeke quietly but expertly moved the hair drier about and attempted to dry Alicia''s hair. His expression was so serious the entire time as though he was settling one serious task that he could not afford to mess up. As though what he was doing right now was a task that required one hundred and one percent of his attention.

 Chapter 770 - The type

    Chapter 770 - The type

    Little Flower bookstore, at dawn.

    Iryz''s eyes flew wide open. She had just awakened from a dream, she was sure of that. But as soon as her eyes opened, she could not remember what she had just dreamt about.

    Slowly, she pulled herself up into a sitting position and tried to recall what the dream was about. For some unknown reason, she felt as though the dream was rted to something important. She had a feeling it had something to do with the book that they were desperately searching for.

    She tried and tried but to no avail. Any memory from that dream seemed to have vanished into thin air the moment she had regained consciousness. It was as if the dream was actually non-existent.

    Burying her face into her palms, Iryz sighed out in frustration. When she lifted her gaze, she looked at the beautiful man who was sleeping there at his usual spot in the corner of her bedroom, on the floor. She had always wondered if he was trulyfortable sleeping in that sitting position. He had told her many times that he was totally fine with it and not to bother with him. But Iryz still could not stand seeing him like that. He might im that he was alright, but she felt that it was ufortable just looking at him that way.

    Carefully and silently, Iryz climbed off her bed. She looked at the clock and saw that it was almost five thirty in the morning.

    As quietly as she could, Iryz grabbed her jacket and was about to grab the door handle when Zeres'' voice echoed out behind her.

    "Where are you going?"

    She instantly froze. Then she quickly turned around to look at him.

    "Go¡­ get groceries." She answered.

    "You can''t go out." he replied immediately, disallowing her to leave the ce. Though Iryz was distracted by how pleasantly deep his voice was after waking up, his words still made her frown in displeasure.

    "Why?" She was not used to having anyone else telling her whether she coulde or go. And here was a somewhat stranger telling her that she should not go out.

    "That will take up a lot of time. Time that we do not have to waste."

    "I won''t take long, I promise." She said as she put up three fingers, showing a scout''s honour.

    "I will have my men go get the groceries you want instead." He did not tell her no outrightly. However, his words told her just as much. And she frowned at how he intended to not allow her to go out.

    He said those while cracking his neck and stretching his arms from that position he was sleeping in. Then he grabbed at another book again.

    Iryz just stood there, looking at him in disbelief. "I want to go. By myself." She insisted this time, her voice clipped. She had been obedient to him all these while because she understood his desperation. But it was really getting a little bit too tedious. She had been trying her best to just listen to him, trying her best to understand his actions but¡­ he never once tried to understand her nor try to see things from her perspective.

    He paused but it was only just for a moment. He continued flipping the pages as he replied, "Spend that time looking for the book instead." Hismand made her purse her lips.

    "Could you at least look at me when you are talking to me?" Her statement came out louder than she had intended it to.

    When he lifted his gaze and their eyes met, Iryz tightened her hold on her jacket.

    Whatever he saw in her expression made his cold gaze mellow down a little.

    She looked away. "I know I don''t look like some deity like you. And you might think I am not good looking enough for you to look at and I also know how busy you are but¡­ you''re being a little too much." She started her rant strong, but her voice weakened as she neared the end. "I want¡­ No. I need to go out and have a breather. I''ve been cooped up and confined in here for days. I know I made a bargain with you. But¡­" she breathed out heavily, "but I am just human! I need to go out and get some fresh air and see some greeneries." She ended herints and gritted her teeth.

    Iryz then whipped around and left without looking at him or waiting for his permission. She was a little mad. No¡­ more than a little mad, actually. She could not help it.

    She ran out of the bookstore as fast as she could. The sun was already rising, and many people were already out having their morning walks or jogging about. Ah, it had been a while since she too, came out this early. She tried not to think about that beautiful witch that must be in Zeres'' mind and jogged her way to the grocery store, knowing that once she returned to the bookshop, everything will be fine again.

    However, before she could reach the store, someone caught up with her. It was Zeres. He had worn a hoodie that covered up his unusual but beautiful silver hair ¨C the simplest way to avoid unnecessary and unwanted attention.

    Iryz halted and faced him. She had not expected him toe running after her and it seemed that he was not there to drag her back.

    "Why did youe?" she asked him curiously, her anger already vented and long forgotten.

    "I need to make sure no one will kidnap you."

    "What?! Who will kidnap me?" Iryz was confused now.

    He shrugged his broad shoulders. "Just a little precaution. You''re the type that bad guys like to kidnap."

    Iryz narrowed her eyes at him as she wrinkled her cute little nose. "You''re just here to make sure I''m not going to run away, aren''t you?" She asked him suspiciously and Zeres blinked at her and turned to look away, pretending as if he did not hear what she had said.

    "We''re almost there," he said, changing the subject smoothly.

    "Look here, sir." Iryz sighed, blocking his way, arms akimbo. "I''m not going to run away. There is no way that I''m going to leave that beloved house of mine, that I can assure you. So, you don''t need to chase after me like this and keep watch on me. And it''s not like I could even outrun a person like you."

    She sighed exasperatedly and continued walking towards the grocery while Zeres followed silently behind her.

    ¡­

    Back in Ezekiel''s house¡­

    Alicia''s eyes slowly opened. It was already morning, and the sun was streaming in. Wait¡­ what is¡­

    Her still slightly sleepy eyes flew open wider at the impossible sight that filled her eyes. Ezekiel¡­ he was lying next to her and she¡­ she was hugging him?!

 Chapter 771 - Chance

    Chapter 771 - Chance

    For a long moment, Alicia was paralyzed. What had happened?! How could she have ended up in such a situation? Why does the whole scenario just look so very wrong here?!! A scream that was bubbling in her throat and almost got out was hurriedly suppressed by her just in the nick of time. She felt as though she was a thief that had been caught in the act. Her arm was not just wound possessively around Ezekiel''s waist. Her leg was also hooked over his! Oh heavens¡­ just what on earth had she done?!

    She felt a rush of heat flooding her face. Then her heartbeat went into a chaotic mess when she finally realised that Ezekiel was not only sleeping next to her¡­ but he was also naked!

    Feeling a huge lump in her throat that could not be swallowed, Alicia struggled for calmness. There was one thing she must do right now, first and foremost. And that was to move herself away from him before he wakes up and finds her in this embarrassing position. But to her dilemma, his heavy arm was slung over her body, trapping her under that significant weight that she could not easily shrug off. This man would definitely wake up once she made a move!

    Nibbling the inside of her lips, Alicia decided to give up trying to get away for now and at least just try to remove her leg that was on top of him.

    She lifted her leg as slowly and carefully as she could. It was an unnerving moment but somehow, she managed to remove her leg without waking him up. But was he truly asleep though? She had learned her lesson after finding out the truth, weeks of following after him ¨C how he had pretended not to be able to see her when he could the entire time.

    Knowing this man, he could already be awake by now and was just secretlyughing to himself at what she was going through. And she would not put him past doing this, as he was fully capable of doing so.

    Alicia looked up at him, already expecting that she was right. But to her surprise, Ezekiel seemed to still be asleep. Carefully, she lifted her head to have a better look at his face.

    He looked¡­ peaceful. As if he was truly asleep. Alicia squinted and stared harder at that gorgeously perfect face with suspicion, reminding herself to focus and not get distracted by all that manly beauty.

    In the past weeks that she had watched over him, Alicia did not remember his sleeping face looking like this. He always looked alert even in his sleep. But right now¡­ it was surprising to see that he was looking somehow different. She would have doubted it if she were not looking at it herself ¨C that Ezekiel, the living statue, could even look peaceful and vulnerable.

    That thought made her blink. Then she quickly shook her head internally. Ezekiel? Vulnerable? That did not sound right at all! She had never put Ezekiel and vulnerable in a single sentence because that was just simply out of the question! The world would have to end first before those words could be strung together. However, it seemed that the impossible became possible¡­ somehow. She made a mental shrug and was about to huff when¡­

    Suddenly, memories fromst night shed in her mind and her already red face turned even redder. Even the tips of her ears turned red, as through blood would drip out of them any moment now. Their intimate moments came crashing into her mind first and Alicia did not know how to even react after recalling it all. All she wanted to do was to wail and then followed by burying her face into her palms and wished that she was anywhere else but here. But¡­ unfortunately for her, she could not even do that.

    Then all too soon, the unpleasant moments came to her. Her hatred and spiteful usations and his icy silence and oh so cryptic and hurtful words. All of which caused her to cringe even as each memory came back to her ¨C one after another.

    And something seemed to rise within her. Again, that strong wave of hatred. It seemed to be gushing out from nowhere again and this time, it was blooming fast and wide within her chest. It was so fast and sudden that she almost could not catch her breath at the change it brought in her.

    Then a thought just appeared in her mind. That this was her perfect chance. Her chance to kill Ezekiel. All she had to do was utter the spell now.

    But in the next moment, Alicia''s eyes widened in utter shock at her own vicious thoughts.

    She felt like non-existent whispers were urging her, pushing her to grab at this wonderful opportunity that had been presented to her and quickly utter the spell now to end him ¨C once and for all!

    Her heartbeat raced wilder as her head throbbed a little with a sh of acute pain. Then there it was, the hatred which began to burn within her, spreading fast and wide like a roaring wildfire as though someone had poured fuel on it. Right now, even she could tell that this does not seem to make much sense. What she was feeling was a little bit too much. And to think that this emotion was rising so uncontrobly for no reason at all.

    Last night, even though she had already noticed that something was a little off, she had not doubted her hatred and anger towards him not only because of the things he did in the past but also because he was really making her lose her control because of his silence and secrets. But right now, he was literally sleeping and yet¡­ she was still having this sort of feeling towards him? And without any provocations at all, too.

    Before her mind could even ponder more on that, she felt her lips opening on its own ord.

    Her eyes circled wide. She was going to utter it¡­ the spell. It was going to spill out of her lips!

    A part of her had suddenly wished that he would open his eyes. But when she wished that he did, that is when that he did not. OHis face remained peaceful as if he was in a deep, peaceful slumber.

    Her lips trembled. Then the first few words of the chant fell from her lips in a faint voice. And she could not stop it anymore.

 Chapter 772 - Torn

    Chapter 772 - Torn

    Ezekiel''s eyes flew wide and immediately turned his head to look at Alicia. Only to find her biting so hard on her lower lips that he could now smell the strong and heady scent of sweet blooding from her mouth.

    With slightly widened eyes, Ezekiel rolled and hoovered over her in an instant.

    "What''s going on?" he asked, his gaze searching her face. "Stop that, Alicia."

    Alicia''s face looked like she had just woken up from a horrible nightmare. Her eyes were almost a little bloodshot.

    In seconds, Ezekiel''s expression changed from alert to calm. His sharp gaze quickly turned somewhat tranquil, almost a little gentle.

    He lifted his hand, and his thumb swept in a gentle arc over her lips. "That''s enough, Alicia." His voice did note out like amand. Instead, it was low and almost slick. "Let go of your lip," he continued while his thumb gently brushed again over her lips, coaxing her to rx and release her tight mp on her own lips.

    Alicia''s gaze seemed to clear out a little and when his face became clearer in her eyes, he nodded at her. It was a reassuring nod. One that helped her heartbeat to stabilise and find calmness.

    "It''s okay, Alicia. Rx and let go¡­" he said again. And she listened to that low and maic voice that echoed in her ear. Maybe it was because of the patience she had detected in his voice or that unexpected look of understanding that shone in his eyes. It was as if he knew what exactly she was going through right now.

    She managed to rx her seemingly locked jaw and finally released her lower lip. There were deep teeth marks indented and it had turned numb now.

    "Good girl¡­" he murmured encouragingly, and she immediately frowned at those words. Where did that came from? It sounded wrong in so many different ways in her ears. Was he just trying to distract her again?

    But she did not have the time to linger and ponder more on it because of the second sound he made. He made a sound under his breath that sounded like a curse. Ezekiel? Cursing? Would wonders never cease today? Alicia was hard pressed to keep up.

    "You''ve torn it real bad." He said and she felt the blood overflow, surprising even herself. Had she really put in such force in her bite?

    With one swift move, he pulled her up into a sitting position.

    "Heal it now, Alicia. Hurry." He urged and she could only obey his request, knowing that her blood was already affecting him. She had noticed his grey eyes turning a little red around the rims of his irises for a moment there.

    After her chant, her wound closed up perfectly. Leaving no trace that it was torn and bleeding just a few seconds ago.

    "What happened?" he asked and Alicia averted her gaze, not sure if she should answer. And even if she did answer, how should she phrase it?

    She did not know exactly what was going on. All she knew was that something was terribly wrong with her. She could not believe what she had almost done.

    Since before she had be a queen, Alicia had her own upromising principle. One of it was on harming someone vulnerable. Even if the person would be her most notorious enemy, she would never even consider killing them without a fair fight. And yet, she had been about to kill Ezekiel while he was asleep?! She could never do such a thing, but she had caught herself almost doing it. Not to mention that she had to bite on her own lips so damned hard to stop herself. Something was wrong. Something terrible was happening to her.

    "Nothing, just¡­ a nightmare." She answered. Even if he said he could feel her emotions and he must already know that she was lying, she still could only lie. How could she bring herself to tell him that she was about to kill him in his own house? In his own bed?!

    He did not speak and just nodded. His expression was nk now.

    She took a deep breath of relief then lifted her hand to wipe off the blood when Ezekiel suddenly caught her wrist, stopping her hand just centimetres from touching her lips.

    Their eyes met before Ezekiel''s gaze strayed to the blood on her lips and those that had trickled down to her neck. "Let me." he said and bent over. She knew then that he was going to lick her blood. And she did not know why, but she suddenly wondered if he had found that her blood was something different. Was there some additional or unique allure to her blood that he, the prince of vampires would be so attracted to it?

    But he stopped just an inch away as if something had forcefully made him halt.

    She felt him take a long exhale as though taking in the scent of her blood, then the doorbell rang, breaking the silence within the bedroom.

    He did not move for a few moments but when the doorbell rang again, he grabbed her hand ¨C not her wrist ¨C before climbing off the bed, dragging her along with him.

    Before they left his bedroom, Zeke grabbed a clean towel and wiped off the blood that was staining her chin and neck.

    When the doorbell rang for the third time, he discarded the towel and they rushed out of the bedroom.

    Alicia could only follow after him because she felt the urgency in Zeke. Since she started watching over him, no one had dared ring his doorbell before. Much less to ring it in session for three times! This was actually the first time. And to think that whoever was it that pressed on the doorbell could make Ezekiel hasten thus so, was such a surprise. Who could it be?

 Chapter 773 - Civilized

    Chapter 773 - Civilized

    As they rushed towards the main door, hand in hand, Alicia suddenly halted at the realization that Ezekiel was stillpletely naked. Wait¡­!! Was he¡­ oh good Lord, did he intend to open the door while being butt naked like that?! Does this man know no bounds?!

    She could do nothing but part her lips in disbelief. She understood that he would not mind it at all because, well, with a body like that, who would?! But still¡­!

    He turned to look at her and Alicia was about to speak and point that very important matter out, just in case he had not noticed it yet ¨C which was highly impossible, even for her ¨C but he ced his forefinger on her lips to hush her before she could do so.

    Then he pulled on her again and opened the door. Oh my goodness!

    Alicia could do nothing but hide behind the door. There was no way she would be letting anyone see her in the flesh or witness her with thispletely naked Ezekiel. She breathed out in relief because he only allowed for the door to open partially.

    "What is it, Alex?" his voice echoed almost grumpily and a boomingugh from outside immediately burst out. Alicia widened her eyes after hearing that familiar voice and the loud unfetteredugh.

    "Were you actually scared to death that I was going to destroy this door and enter without permission?" Alexander''s voice was filled with amusement and disbelief. "Who are you hiding, hmm? Zeke? Maybe I should try doing a B\u0026E just to find out¡­ what d''ya say?"

    The teasing and mischief in his voice was just too much that Alicia could even imagine Alexander wiggling his brows annoyingly at Ezekiel while grinning like a Cheshire cat.

    She should have known that no one else would dare do something like this to Ezekiel but this man, Alexander. Only he could get away with it. After all, these two men had known each other for such a long time since god knows when that they were definitely friends.

    "What is it, Alex." Ezekiel repeated in a firm tone. Though still annoyed at how this person had just appeared out of nowhere and disturbed his peace and quiet, his face looked as though he waspletely unaffected by anything. He was fully back to the normal Ezekiel everyone knew. The only thing different was that he was butt naked and the man outside weirdly did not seem to be bothered about his nakedness at all.

    "What is this? You''re not going to let me in?"

    Zeke''s tone was dismissive, "as you can very well see, I am very busy right now."

    Alex grinned again. He craned his head closer, his fingers on his chin as he scrutinized Zeke''s face. "Hmm¡­ what is this? Lucas! Come over and look at our Zeke here. I think the sun had risen from the north today." His hand was waving towards Lucas who was somewhere behind him, when Zeke pushed at the door, trying to close it.

    But Alex effortlessly stopped it with his hand.

    "Who is it? Hmm? Who''s the heaven-sent mystery girl that caused those¡­ those tussled morning hair? Damn, when was thest time I saw you wake up in this ¨C" Alex was rambling on while he tried to keep the door from being mmed into his face.

    "Alexander." Zeke cut him off,pleting his name. "Just call me if you want to say something. You don''t need toe into my house like this. Aren''t you, the new father of two, busy?"

    Alex''s face beamed at Zeke''s words. "You''re right. I am a father of two now and that''s why I had really refrained from destroying your windows or door to enter your house. I am going to be good role model to my children." He bragged shamelessly. Alicia who was listening to the exchange from behind the door could only shake her head. Figures that it would take two weirdos to be friends with each other.

    "Congrattions. But you have a long way to go, Alex. Ringing three times without any emergency is still problematic ¨C"

    "Oh¡­ who said that I was here for something unimportant? I am here to personally invite you, my children''s great uncle, to attend their baby shower next week."

    Ezekiel slowly half bite his lower lip at Alex''s words. "Baby shower¡­" he echoed. That was his all-important matter?!

    "It''s a bitte, but my wife and I had decided that we''ll do the baby shower after birth. Abi''s back to her great shape now, so it''s about time. Her family are gathered in our house right now, so I had the time toe here. I''ll immediately return as soon as I can though."

    "Alex¡­ you should''ve just called ¨C"

    "I came personally to make sure you''de. And also to find that little witch. How dare he not even drop by to check on my children? And he had promised to be their uncle too! Where the hell is he? My wife''s a bit worried about him too. It''s been so long since west saw him. You didn''t salvage him in secret, did you?" Alex added with a mischievous tone.

    "Lucas will take you to him," Zeke answered calmly.

    "Alright. Because I''m a pretty civilized person now, I''m letting you go. But first, let me take a look at her. Just to make sure you''re not trying out something that might end you." Alex tried to poke his head through the door, but Zeke''s reaction was much quicker, and he managed to hide Alicia behind him.

    His broad bodypletely covered her from Alex''s sight.

    "Alex." Zeke called out and whatever Alex saw in his face, he stepped back with a knowing and disbelieving gaze.

    "I got it." he was grinning, nodding to himself. "We''ll talk about this at the baby shower, Zeke." He winked at him but not before throwing him a parting statement. "Don''t think you can get away from exining this, Zeke." He then turned around and chuckled as he left.

 Chapter 774 - Never fully

    Chapter 774 - Never fully

    A long and heavy sigh that was so unlike Ezekiel filled the silence as soon as the door was mmed shut after Alex''s departure.

    Then he slowly faced her. His expression neutral, as if he had not just talked to Alexanderpletely in the nude and that he was not naked even now. It was as though, him being naked before her was nothing but normal.

    "You should¡­ really go get dressed first." She finally managed to tell him, though it came out a little more choked than she would have liked. They were both adults and powerful ones at that ¨C well, it was in the past tense for her, but what the! ¨C so why were her reactions so different from his?! She almost felt a feeling of unfairness thinking about it. But getting back to the point, it was really getting harder to keep her gaze straight and trained on his face than to allow her eyes to roam and wander around to areas lower than his chest.

    He did not say anything more, but instead of quietly heading back to his walk-in closet where his clothes are, he turned back to the door and opened it again. Alicia was confused seeing him doing that. Did he really not mind that other people would see him in his birthday suit? Was he not a very private person? Why does he not seem that way right now?

    "Lucas!" he called out.

    "Yes, Your¡­ umm¡­ I mean, boss!" Lucas'' voice echoed.

    "Go bring me some clothes."

    "Clothes¡­? For a woman?"

    Ezekiel threw a gaze that said ''isn''t that obvious?'' "Yes Lucas. And do make haste."

    "Uhm, boss. What is her size again? Height¡­ weight?"

    He stilled and nced back at Alicia. "Five¡­ six?" he looked as though he was calcting somethingplicated in his mind while Alicia could only blink at him. He opened his mouth but seemed unsure. "Slim." He eventually said then hurriedly dismissed Lucas.

    Just before the door could be closed, he opened it again. "Lucas."

    "Yes?" the big man whirled around and was back before him in an instant.

    There was a moment of pause. "Don''t forget the undergarments." His voice was significantly lower than earlier. However, since Alicia was in close proximity, she obviously heard his words clearly. And could not help but have a violent blush suffuse her face. Were they not talking about the undergarments for¡­ her?!

    "Oh¡­ wait, boss."

    "Now what."

    "Umm¡­ The size??" Lucas coughed a little.

    "What¡­??"

    "The bra size, boss. Cup size, chest size, waist size¡­ hip size." Lucas steadfastly rambled it out without losing hisposure. Alicia, who was listening from behind the door, had to give it to Lucas for being so steady. She really did not know whether tough or cry listening in to this conversation between these two men.

    Ezekiel''s mouth parted and he ran his fingers through his hair before another quiet sigh left his mouth.

    He nced back at Alicia and saw her red all over,pletely flustered and embarrassed. Most probably realizing that it was her they were talking about as she was not wearing any undergarments right now.

    "Like if she''s 32B¡­" Lucas gave an example thinking that his boss was still confused but trailed off at Ezekiel''s exasperated sigh.

    "I think her chest size is more than 80 centimetres, waist might be 60 and hips¡­ close to 90." He said all those in a hurried voice before he quickly shut the door.

    He shook his head a little before finally pulling Alicia along and walked back to his closet.

    "You¡­ what happenedst night when¡­" she asked while Ezekiel led her hand to leave it touching his neck to get dressed. Since doing it once yesterday, Alicia knew the drill and did not overreact and kept her hands touching the skin of his neck to ensure that they were connected. "Umm¡­ I mean, when¡­ umm¡­ after I fainted?" Though she tried to keep calm and express herself calmly, the words somehow came out with her stuttering and stammering as though she was embarrassed.

    "Nothing, Alicia." He held her gaze and answered calmly. "I simply removed your wet underwear and put you in bed. That''s all."

    Alicia did not avert her gaze from Ezekiel as he continued getting dressed, never backing down from their staring contest. Eventually, she gave in first and sighed.

    "So¡­ you''re going to attend the baby shower next week?" she changed the topic, looking away.

    "There''s no way I can."

    "Why? Because you don''t want anyone to see me with you?"

    He halted for a moment. "You don''t mind being seen in the flesh¡­ tagging along with me?" he returned the question, one of his elegant brows curved up in query.

    "You can reject Alexander''s invitation?" she gave him another question instead of an answer.

    Ezekiel unceremoniously wrapped his hold on her wrist them moved her hand this time, to his waist.

    Alicia pressed her lips a little tighter at the touch. He looked unbothered as he lifted his strong arms and slid his shirt over his head in one smooth move. "It''s inevitable. I can''t let anyone, even Alex, see you."

    Intrigue coloured Alicia''s eyes before she asked in a hesitant voice. "You don''t trust Alexander?"

    Another pause. This time it was longer. "I do. He''s the only one I can trust. But still¡­ never fully."

    "Why? You and Alexander are¡­" Alicia paused in her questioning. She was not sure if she should pry about this matter, but she could not deny she was really curious. She could not forget what he had told her, that statement of ''no trust, no betrayal''.

    "Alex is the only one I trust without question. But it''s not wise for me to fully trust him especially now that he has Abigail."

    She frowned hard and was about to speak when he continued.

    "Because he''s still the type of man who can burn the world without care if something bad happens to his beloved. If a situation where Alex needed to betray me or break my trust for the sake of Abigail or his children, he''d definitely do it without question. I hope such situation will never happen but it''s not impossible. You know that anything can happen anytime."

 Chapter 775 - Thatâ€™s not i

    Chapter 775 - That''s not i

    The duo had moved to settle themselves onto the couch in the living room as soon as they stepped out of the bedroom. Alicia had somehow survived another challenging situation where she had to live through a naked Ezekiel getting dressed. Now settled onto the couch, they both sat in silence.

    A while ago, Alicia had wanted to keep making him talk but he was quick to interrupt her uing questions by moving around until they had ended up on this couch. He even immediately shut his eyes and leaned his head back as though going through all that hubaloo this morning had tired him out to the extreme.

    Alicia creased her brows as she watched his resting face. Ezekiel? Tired? No way in hell! He could be the devil himself! He might just be putting on an act like this, only to keep her from asking more questions. She had to remind herself not to forget what a good actor this man actually was!

    For a long while, Alicia managed to stay silent. She was only able to hold herself back all because of her embarrassing situation right now. Once the clothes arrived when Lucas gets back, and she is finally properly dressed, she would make him talk again. Just wait. She would annoy him if that was what it takes for her to get to the bottom of things!

    This man was really hiding a lot of secrets that she badly wanted to uncover. And then there was the thing that he said he needed from her. What was it? Up till now, he still had not said nor even hinted to anything rted to it. She was dying to know what it was and the only way to find out was by making him keep talking. And that would be no mean feat! He had told her quite a few bits of information already. Perhaps, he would let slip some other more important bits or maybe he would give in if she perseveres. What she had gotten was really a miracle in itself! Because in her mind, squeezing information out from Ezekiel would be almost like squeezing drops of water from dried ground. It was almost impossible.

    Besides, what else were they going to do but talk? They literally could not do anything else right now but that since she did not even need to eat. Neither did he.

    But just as she was nning to brainstorm about the questions she needed to ask, Alicia''s emotions suddenly stirred without reason again. She had tried not to think about this because somehow, she felt like it would only get worse if she pays more attention to it.

    A tinge of panic quickly turned her heartbeat into a wild gallop. Worried that she would do that again and try to utter the spell, she forced herself to say something. Anything. Anything except the spell.

    "Ezekiel." She called out his name, wanting him to open his eyes. He did not reply nor move. What? Could it be that he is really asleep?! "Ezekiel!" her voice came out a little louder this time and thankfully, he made a sound.

    "Hm¡­?" it was a low, questioning hum. He did not even open his eyes.

    Alicia could not help but shake her head when she realised that he was really dozing off. What was going on? They had just woken up and Ezekiel''s already dozing off? This was just too unbelievable because¡­ because this was Ezekiel!

    "You¡­ you''re not acting again right now, are you? You''re not feigning this just so you can avoid my questions, right?" she probed, narrowing her eyes at his sleeping form.

    He drew a soft sigh and answered her without opening his eyes. "I don''t even have the energy to do such a silly thing right now, Alicia."

    "Wait, you''re hungry!" she looked like realization finally dawned to her. She had not seen him drink any blood since they had continuously held on to each other in order for her to maintain her physical form.

    "No, I''m not." His voice was soft as he negated her statement.

    "Yes, you are. And that''s why you look really tired right now. You''re out of fuel." Alicia kept on insisting. Or else why would he be so tired?

    Rising from the couch, Alicia began to pull on him to get moving so they could go to the kitchen where his supply of blood was stored. But he was like an immovable stone and with her current strength ¨C which wasparable to a kitten ¨C she could not even move him an inch.

    "I told you I''m not ¨C"

    "Why the hell are you being stubborn now? You ¨C" Alicia red up at him.

    In one swift move, Ezekiel pulled on her and made her to fall back into hisp. "You''re the stubborn one here, Alicia." His whisper was firm as he wrapped his arm around her waist as if to tuck her securely against him. It looks as though he was insistent on wanting her not to move around.

    Alicia who was still unable to recover from his initial move in pulling her, was shocked again. "W-what are you doing ¨C"

    "I need you to be quiet Alicia, or I will seal that mouth of yours with mine." He warned. Though his voice was still as soft as earlier, she knew he was not making a joke! "I''m not hungry¡­ just tired¡­ so just let me rest for a little while and I''ll be fine soon." His voice went weaker and damnedzy at the end, as if he was going to doze off again.

    She speechlessly shook her head. "Tired¡­? You just freaking woke up Ezekiel. What could have tired you up to ¨C"

    "You! Damn... It''s you." he said that with a groan, making her freeze in his hold and widened her eyes at another realization that dawned upon her.

    "I''m¡­ the power you''re using to keep me from disappearing is¡­ is that what is making you¨C" Alicia guessed.

    "No," he cut her off, finally opening his eyes and met her gaze straight on. "That''s not it."

    "Then what?"

    "Talking. It''s talking that has tired me out to this extent."

    Alicia: ". . ."

    What?! This man could not be serious about that!!!

    "You''re lying!" Alicia tried to call his bluff.

 Chapter 776 - Never my thing

    Chapter 776 - Never my thing

    "You''re lying!" Alicia called out his bluff, looking at him like she was more than certain that what he said was a lie. "You were a doctor, a powerful leader before you faked your death. Your previous fake jobs required a lot of talking too. So don''t give me all that hogwash. Tell me. Is it because of ¨C"

    She could not finish herst line as his hand slipped behind her and cupped her head. As he pulled her head down, she had no choice but to fall forward with the weight he exerted on her. But she already knew what exactly he was going to do so she responded swiftly and moved both her hands up as well and quickly covered his mouth, causing her to end up kissing the back of her own palm.

    His gaze was intense as he looked down at her. But Alicia did not let him to continue intimidating her. She pressed her lips tight together and stared back at him with a sharp gaze without removing her hands. Their faces were so close together it was almost as though they were trying to stick their foreheads to each other''s.

    "You should really stop doing these kinds of nonsense, Ezekiel. Your little threats would not work on me." She said huffily.

    She felt his lips stretch beneath her palms, knowing from the movements that he had just smiled. And she had almost instinctively pulled her hands off his mouth.

    But then, her eyes circled wide the next instant as he had moved his head forward and licked the centre of her palm. Her hand was already right beside his ear. She literally retracted her hands so fast it was as if something extremely hot had scalded her.

    A devious smile shed across his lips. "My little threats won''t work because you actually don''t mind me kissing you?"

    "Y-you pervert!" she eximed, finally snapping back to reality.

    She struggled to get him off her, but Ezekiel did not let her out of his grasp.

    "Let go of me this instant! And stop ying word games with me! I''m not a fan of wordys, Ezekiel! And I''m telling you again, I would rather ¨C" She ranted on, hoping that her continuousints would annoy Ezekiel enough that he would let go of her in favour for some peace and quiet.

    "What? You would rather die than kiss me?" He continued her statement, his eyes sparkling in challenge as he stared at her, waiting for her response.

    Their eyes held each other''s for a moment too long until Alicia managed to force out a ''yes''. And the next thing she knew, he had pinned her against the couch.

    He loomed over her. His knee was between her legs as his smouldering gaze shot intensely down at hers.

    Alicia had gasped as she reached out for the hem of his shirt that she had been wearing and pulled it down to cover herself down there. Even though his eyes never once strayed anywhere below her chin, she was still so damned mortified at her wardrobe situation that she bit down on her lower lip hard ¨C enough that it left a deep indentation on those plump lips of hers.

    "Did you forget that you were the one who kissed me firstst night?" he reminded her. She had thought he would be looking at her with a mocking gaze and taunting smile right now but surprisingly, he did not. He was just serious as he said that.

    "That''s because¡­ you seduced me." She hissed back at him in defence of her own actions, her anger that was cooled slightly began to boil within her veins again. "And this¡­ it doesn''t help that this damned weak body is helpless against you!"

    A half smile, half scoff left his mouth.

    "Any woman would be helpless against your seductions, Ezekiel." She added somewhat grudgingly as if she was just making a point about it. She let out a bitter smile. "I am not sure how long I could resist this goddamned seduction game of yours¡­ I might give in to you in the end. But know this Ezekiel, if you''re seducing me because you think that this will be a way for you to get what you want from me¡­ then mark my words, you will never get anything from me but this weak and temporary body."

    Any expression on his face was erased after she spoke those words. But she felt a strong restraint suddenly oozing from him. Whatever it was that he was holding back right now, she had no idea. But it was something that garnered so physical a reaction from him that she could clearly see and feel it.

    She saw him shut his eyes and let out a nearly shaky breath.

    "Right¡­ You might be right, Alicia. That no woman would be able to resist my seductions as you called it." He nodded, but his jaws were working. "But Alicia¡­ what if I told you that any man would be damned badly seduced by you just by being with you, huh? Just by them looking at you like this?!" He countered her words.

    His ever so calm voice had a tinge of anger now as well. "I had to seduce you to make you want me, lust for me but I¡­ f*cking hell¡­" he cursed out in a nearly inaudible voice. "I am holding back every f*cking second even though you''re not even doing any active seducing on me! I am a man, for god sakes, Alicia! You''re literally stuck with me every single second of the day. And now... here you are, right here with me. And there''s not a stitch of undergarments on you!" Ezekiel half roared out in exasperation as he tried exining.

    He sagged against her, but he still made sure not to squeeze her with his body by using his elbows. "Listen¡­" he whispered as he rested his forehead right at the side of her head. "Seducing a woman to get what I want is never my thing, unless¡­" His whisper came out as a firm hiss. "¡­ it''s her and her body that I badly wanted."

 Chapter 777 - Everything

    <h4>Chapter 777 - Everything</h4>

    Time seemed to have moved into the slow motion kind of pace. Alicia felt her heartbeat missed a beat and slowly, her eyes widened.

    Ezekiel too nearly had reacted the same way. His eyes stretched noticeably wide as if he had surprised himself at the words that his own mouth had just uttered.

    For what felt like a long while ¡ª but might actually just be a few seconds the both of them just sat there and stared at each other. Unmoving. Wrapped together by a thick shocked silence. And it looked as though neither of them were breathing with how still they were.

    Until Alicia began to hear the loud pounding of her heart. His words... they finally registered fully into her mind that had short-circuited and had now rendered her entire being paralyzed under him. What... did he just... say? Did he just...

    Alicia searched his face in utter disbelief. And what she found on it only surprised her even more. She could now see real emotions flickering in his eyes and they were not actually subtle ones. In fact, they were so vivid and so intense that it was nearly hard for her to believe that this was really the very same Ezekiel that she had known all this time. It was hard to believe that this was the very same man who had been so eternally emotionless.

    And the look in his eyes, that human-like expression, seemed to be able to just take her breath away. Ezekiel looked like a totally different person right now in her eyes. And this version of him, she was hard pressed to admit it even to herself, but she did find it... simply mesmerizing.

    That new and unfamiliar kind of gleam in his eyes was just something she could not exin with just mere words as words somehow were just too in to be able to describe how he was right now.

    She had no idea he was capable of showing such emotions. She did not even think he ever would show such a face as what she was seeing on him now.

    And... she was nowhere near prepared for it. His words and emotions took her so much by surprise that now she could not stop her hand that was already reaching out to touch his face and...

    Kiss him. Hard. The overwhelming yearning to kiss that mouth just exploded without warning within her. It was so primal and so strong that she felt the joints in her whole body almost gave way at the intensity of it.

    "Ez... Ezekiel..." She did not know why she had uttered his name. It had just automatically fell from her lips in a breathless sound, as if someone was torturing her. Then her fingers somehow gained independence and moved on their own ord and started caressing his jaw ever so gently and fluttery light.

    But just as she cupped his face to kiss him, he drew in a sharp deep breath followed by an inaudible curse.

    He grabbed onto her wrists, pulling her hands away from his face. His jaws were clenching hard that she saw his jaw muscles working. His breathing came in sharp and rapid pants. And the expression he had on his face changed once again. Only this time, it was into an emotion that she could not quite fathom.

    Then before she could even take the time to ponder more about that new expression he was showing, he pulled away. His movement so swift from on top of her to the floor that it made it seem that her vision had an afterimage.

    The next thing she knew, he had already slid down and leaned against the couch, turning his back to her as he sat there.

    Alicia felt like the cold north wind was blowing all over her. The cold was quickly recing the warmth of the fire that had been left in his wake and jolted her senses that had all fallen crazy hard under the spell of his words and that momentarily show of emotions awake. The warmth was now totally gone ¡ª as though it had never been there except for the one single warm touch of his hand around her wrist. That one connection that they had which cannot be broken at least for now.

    "Forget what I just said," his usual calm voice echoed in the silence around them, breaking it like a hammer to a mirror. Just like that, he was once again back to the usual cold and emotionless Ezekiel. "Just like you, I''m... I''m not myself right now." Was the only excuse he gave for all that upheaval of emotions earlier.

    She stared at the ceiling, pressing her own ttened lips into a tight line before letting out a shaky breath when she was sure her emotions that were running amok were sufficiently under control. Her body did not move an inch, but she turned her head to look at him. "W-what?"

    It took him a long while to respond to her simple one-word question. As if he had struggled silently in secret for quite a while on whether to open his mouth and answer her or not.

    Then he started doing something so unlike the Ezekiel she knew, rattling off the very same exnations he had told her before. He was repeating himself.

    "This demonic power running through you... is not only messing with your emotions and everything else. It also messes up mine just the same because you are..." he paused for a moment, as though not sure how to word the next part, "...you are a part of me right now. An extension of my own body. My power flows into you, circtes and then returns to me, bringing everything... all of your confusion and every intense emotion. They alle at me endlessly, persistently, without any filters or exceptions. They mess with myposure and thoughts and..."

    "Emotions?" she picked out the word she thought he was meaning to say. Her voice was quiet, coated with some kind of serene mask.

    "Everything." he uttered in a way that Alicia could not tell if it the word he used was a correction or not.

    She swallowed the stupid lump in her throat and forced out another word.

    "And...?"

    "So for your sake, do not believe in what I say and do while I''m in this messed up state."

    Thank you so much for waiting hellbounders! And thank you for all the love and understanding. I saw the flood of gifts you''ve given to this books despite me not updating it and i feel really touched! The love and support you guys are giving to this book are my greatest motivation.

    I''m really thankful that many of you are still giving this book so much love. I hope you guys will keep supporting until the end.

    Again, thank you much. You guys are the best!

    P.s. Will probably start releasing the bunos chapters the supergift gifters earned starting tomorrow..

 Chapter 778 - Great relief

    <h4>Chapter 778: Great relief</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @MonsterUnderTheBed! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    The corners of Alicia''s lips curved up into a bitter, angered smile after hearing thatst statement that he made. As though making a disimer in order to clear himself off all responsibilities to the actions that he had done. "You''re saying that the things you said earlier weren''t real? That they were nothing but the result of your messed up state? So I should not be taking them seriously?"

    He fell quiet again. But this time she waited for him to respond.

    "Yes." He answered. His tonepletely undiscernible.

    "I see..." Alicia pushed herself up to a sitting position. "So these... all that had happened earlier were all nothing but a result of our messed up situation." She made a statement and nodded as if forcefully convincing herself what he said was the truth. She hated the feeling of disappointment that had rose sharply within her. All this was just so absurd. She should feel relieved that all that had happened were nothing as he imed. Because if it was all real... she would not even know how to proceed anymore. What would happen between them... that was another huge headache that needed to be dealt with as well.

    Thinking more about it, all she knew was that everything would most probably fall apart. The little bit of defense left in her, her mission, every implication...

    everything... Therefore, things as how they stood now was for the best. Right...?

    Relief should be flooding her entire being. The world might turn upside down and the two of them would still be enemies. A vampire and a witch will forever be forbidden. But why was it that there was this little spark of regret that she was feeling deep within her heart?

    "That''s a great relief." She breathed out, looking away, retorting back at him, acting as though she was happy that everything was back to ''normal''.

    Alicia had failed to realize that even at this moment, they were both in what they called ''their messed-up state'' and that like what Ezekiel had said, they must not believe what each other would say.

    "Then you should keep it in mind not to believe the emotions you feeling from me as well, Ezekiel. That intense lust I am feeling towards you was nothing but a result of this messed up situation. Just like you, I don''t have any control over it. You of all people should know even better of my current physical condition." She spouted with bravado.

    What she had just said sounded so utterly ridiculous even in her own ears, but this was better. It was for her own sake and peace of mind. She must keep in mind that if they were both to lose control again and give in to this so-called carnal desire of theirs, one of them would die. And that someone would be no one else but her.

    Not that it even mattered, because she was already dead. But she must stay on, now that she had regained her physical form. At least until thest day of her mission.

    He turned his face sideways but did not move further enough for him to look at her. She saw his lips opened and she could tell he was about to say something else. But for some reason, he refrained and turned to his front again.

    She wanted to hear what he was going to say but she remained quiet. And he did not speak again.

    After a long time of nothing but silence, the doorbell rang. It sounded like a loud gong in that extended silence between them.

    Ezekiel stood and Alicia quietly followed behind him.

    No one was outside the door. It seemed that they had just left the shopping bags on the floor and ran off once their duties were done. Ezekiel took them and shut the door after them.

    Once they were back at the couch, Zeke handed the bags over to Alicia.

    He propped himself on the couch while Alicia took out the clothes in the bag using her one free hand. Her lips parted in shock at the sight of the lingerie she was holding. Her face immediately burned.

    Her reaction made Ezekiel turn to look at her. Their eyes met and Zeke''s brows creased, wondering what had caused her to be so flustered. Slowly, his gaze fell on the article of clothes in her hand. It was one hell of a provocative pink lingerie. It was the ones that could barely cover anything when worn. In Alicia''s opinion, it was as good as not wearing anything if she put these on.

    Alicia shoved the lingerie back into the bag and pulled out the others in there, only to discover an even more seductive two-piece inside. Her blushing face med into a darker shade of red.

    She grabbed the other bags and peered into it and her jaw dropped as they contained no decent clothes at all. It was a whole different set of provocative sleepwear. Some were made ofces and transparent vintage gowns. What the hell?!!

    Her head whipped towards Ezekiel. Only to find him taking in a sharp breath while his jaws were working hard, as though he was having a hard time controlling his instincts too.

    Swiftly, he brought his phone out from his pocket and speed dialed Lucas''

    number.

    "Boss, uhm. It''s not me! I swear!" Lucas immediately began spouting off excuses the moment he answered the call, even before Zeke could even say a thing.

    Then Alex''s voice echoed out next.

    "I hope you liked what the saledy had helped to choose. I made sure to tell her to pack the sexiest, most provocative lingerie ever

    "Alexander." Zeke said Alex''splete name with a clipped and controlled harshness.

    But the man at the other side of the phone just guffawed inughter when he heard Zeke''s tone, as though he was just waiting to hear that. Then the line was immediately cut off.

    When Zeke looked back down at his phone''s screen, he saw that it had shut down. Alex must have hacked into it for sure. He knew that the damned man was making himself busy the past few months by learning how to hack because he had said it was crazy fun. And damn him for being so good at it too.

    Zeke sighed, shutting his eyes closed, looking as though he was struggling to fight for calm himself, while Alicia looked at the multiple seductive lingerie sets again, blushing and shaking her head in disbelief..

 Chapter 779 - Hate you

    <h4>Chapter 779: Hate you</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Sacogun! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Back at Little Flower bookstore.

    Iryz was drawing Zeres again this time while he was sleeping on the floor.

    The man was lying on the floor instead of sitting in his usual position against the wall.

    Last night, she had really dreamt of something that she believe will certainly lead them to the whereabouts of the book that he was desperately searching for. She was excited to tell him more about it and she could not wait to see his reaction. She was sure Zeres would be ecstatic with the news.

    But for once, the man was not waking up. Iryz thought that he must have just fallen asleep, so she did not move from her bed and just grabbed for her sketch pad as it was as good a time as any to grab this opportunity to draw him.

    She thought at first to go downstairs and check on that spot where she had seen in her dream. But she did not want to wake Zeres up. He always wakes up the moment she tries to open the door or even when she just climbs off her bed. So she stayed where she was. She must at least let him sleep a little bit longer.

    Until time passed and she finally finished her sketch. Surprisingly, the angel-looking male witch was not waking up and still seemed to be in dreand!

    Iryz creased her brows and she wondered if Zeres was finally tired out after all those restless nights he had spent browsing through those countless books.

    A quiet sigh escaped her lips as sheid her sketchbook on herp and looked over at him. He looked a little morefortable this time sleeping t on the floor. Munching on her inner cheeks, she so wanted to approach him, drape a nket over him, touch his unusual silver hair and...

    She bit down on her lower lip the moment she caught herself smiling a silly grin from ear to ear as she stared at him. Shaking her head, Iryz forced her eyes back to the sketch she had justpleted. No, she should not. She must not continue adoring this man more than she already had. Because... because she could never have him. He could never be hers. He would never look at her not in the way that she wanted him to, anywvay.

    Repeatedly, Iryz told herself that Zeres was like those fictional characters in books she would quickly fall in love with. Someone that she can only adore from afar off and dream about. Nothing else. It was not like she did not know how he was pining for that other woman who he was putting in all this effort for. It would be detrimental to her heart and mental health if she were to get caught up in this dream and lose herself. No, she had more realistic issues to deal with ¡ª like being able to pay off her house. She needed to focus.

    Closing her sketch pad, Iryz took a deep breath and forced a smile. She lifted her gaze to look at him just to see him suddenly rise from the floor into a sitting position.

    He was breathing hard, and his angel-like face looked like he had just seen something that totally horrified him. Did he just wake up from a nightmare?

    Iryz hastily climbed off her bed, poured a water from the pitcher into a ss and brought it over to him. Squatting on the floor right across him, Iryz looked at him with so much concern shining in her eyes. "Are you okay?" she asked him so gently, reaching out hesitantly, wanting to touch his forehead to see if he was perhaps running a fever.

    "Uhm... here''s a ss of water," she added when suddenly, his eyes brightened.

    It almost look like a weak shlight. Then without warning, he moved so fast and stood up, knocking her hand that was holding the ss of water, causing Iryz to be knocked off bnce and fell backvvards on her bottom. It was as if he had never seen her nor heard her in the first ce at all. ''What could have caused him to react so urgently?'' she wondered to herself.

    The next thing she realised was that there was a sharp pain in her palm. When she looked down at it, she saw that it was bleeding. It was only then that she realized that the ss she had been holding had broken when it fell with her,

    The next thing she realised was that there was a sharp pain in her palm. When she looked dourn at it, she saw that it was bleeding. It was only then that she realized that the ss she had been holding had broken when it fell with her, and she had cut herself on the shards.

    Whipping around, Iryz saw that the door was left opened, and Zeres was long gone. He had stormed out like the room was on fire. She winced at the pain in her hand and grabbed her hand towel that was draped over her chair and pressed it down onto the wound, putting pressure on it to stem the bleeding.

    Then she quickly rose to go find the first aid kit downstairs.

    She was nibbling on the insides of her slightly trembling lip as she descended the stairs. And it was not just because from the pain of the wound. Her throat felt swollen, and it hurts. She could not quite help it. She told herself that he did not notice her at all. That he did not know that she was there. That was why he had unknowingly bumped into her on his way out. She had seen that strange and slightly crazed light in his eyes after all. But still, it did so little in soothing her hurt feelings. The fact was, even if he did unknowingly and identally bump into her, he did not even stop to turn around and throw out an apology.

    It was as though she was invisible to him.

    "I... I hate you," she muttered weakly as she fumbled with opening the first aid kit. "I really hate you right now, Zeres. Do you know that? I really don''t adore you anymore. I mean it

    Iryz gasped when she felt someone''s presence suddenly looming behind her.

    Oh no! Did hee back and heard her bad-mouthing him?

    Whipping around, Iryz was about to force out a smile when she froze. The man standing before her was not Zeres. He was wearing a ck hoodie so she could not see his face but his presence and physique alone told her this man was someone else. Someone sinister.

    "W-who are you?" she stumbled back a few steps and before she could run off or scream for help, the man in the hoodie came at her, inhumanly fast.

    Then everything turnedpletely dark..

 Chapter 780 - Ten days

    <h4>Chapter 780: Ten days</h4>

    Thie chapter is dedicated to @ Basia_! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Zeres had rushed over and just reached the building where Zeke was residing in when Alex suddenly showed up, stopping him from going further in.

    "Yo White Dragon! Been a while! How have you been?" Alex was grinning as he draped his arm around Zeres'' shoulders.

    "Alex, what are you doing here?" he was taken aback at seeing Alex in front of Zeke''s ce.

    "What. You''re not happy to see me?" Alex arched one of his brows at Zeres and the silver-haired man only shook his head.

    "I''m sorry but I need to go. I''m in a rush." Zeres attempted to remove Alex''s arm from his shoulders, but the man did not even budge an inch, causing Zeres to frown at him. Why was Alex stopping him from going in?

    "Are you going in there to go check on Alicia?" Alex bent his head next to his and spoke in a low voice.

    Alex''s whisper made his eyes widen. How did Alexander know about Alicia? Did Kiel tell him about her?

    "You don''t need to go there anymore. Don''t worry, Zeke''s keeping her from disappearing." The shock that came over Zeres'' face upon hearing these words worsened. What had Zeke done?

    "How... Howe you know about all of this, Alexander?" Zeres asked, eyes still widening. He had just had a nightmare where Alicia had reached her time limit in her spirit form, and had disappeared for good now. It shocked and scared him to his very core, causing him to be jolted awake from his deep sleep.

    He could never ept it if Alicia was indeed gone.

    "I have my own source of information I can''t disclose to you, you know that right. But listen here..." Alex''s face was serious now. "Be rest assured I know exactly what''s going on with her. Alicia won''t disappear as long as she does not get physically separated from Zeke." He exined the gist of it to Zeres to reassure the man that Alicia was in no danger of disappearing right at the moment.

    Zeres'' frown became deeper. "Exin to me in detail Alexander, or I''ll go to Kiel myself right now." Zeres eyes were shing with a threatening light and Alex knew that if he did not tell the man what he wanted to know, he would definitely barge in and cause a ruckus right now.

    "Zeke''s using his demonic powers to keep her here. He had returned her back into her physical form because that''s the only way to keep her here for now.

    Due to that, her physical body now only has the strength of a normal human being, though. I know I don''t need to exin to you anymore, but I''m sorry. I can''t let you get past me, Zeres."

    "Why?" Zeres voice was rumbling low as he asked Alex that. He sensed that many strong vampires were milling around in the vicinity. They were all here to guard someone. And that someone was no other than Kiel. But why? When did Kiel needed guards like in ever? And to think that Alexander is here too to guard him? What on earth was happening? There must be something else that Alex was not telling him.

    Bending over, Alex whispered in Zeres'' ear. "I know you see all these people here. That''s because Zeke''s pretty vulnerable right now. Keeping Alicia from disappearing requires a hell lot of his power. What he''s doing right now was something unthinkable after all. Since he''s basically keeping someone dead, alive. And if someone were toe and attack him now, there''s no way he could fight back properly, since Alicia is with him too."

    For a long while, Zeres did not speak. He just stood there quietly after hearing Alex''s statement.

    "And you''re not going to let me near him because I am a threat to Kiel''s life right now. Is that right?" Zeres eventually broke the silence and Alex held his gaze m a rare senous manner.

    "Yes." There was no hesitation in Alex''s voice. "You''re a witch and I know the issues between Zeke and the witches. I don''t intend to take sides between Zeke and you but... if Zekees at you when you''re the one in a vulnerable state and couldn''t fight back, I would also do the same thing for you. I would definitely stop him."

    Zeres did not talk back and just stared hard at Alexander. His impassive face did not show what was going on in that mind of his.

    "Don''t worry about Alicia. I can assure you that she''ll be alright as long as you don''t go in there and attack Zeke. And if you think about it positively, this will buy you more time to find that book. And isn''t that a good thing to you?

    A small disbelieving smile tugged at Zeres'' lips when Alex mentioned that.

    "I can''t believe you know about this too. Was Kiel the one who told you this?"

    "Nope. It''s not Zeke. Told you, I have my own sources. And they are very reliable." Alex said in a serious tone but winked at Zeres.

    "Fine..." Zeres breathed out, giving up on his intention of bargmg into Zeke''s ce. "You can take your hands off me now, Alexander. As long as Alicia''s alright, I am not going to do anything. But I am holding you to this..." he ended with a veiled warning to Alex.

    Alex''s gaze seemed to search his face before nodding and letting go of him.

    "Good. I can guarantee it."

    "Before I go back, do you happen to know if there''s a time limit for Kiel to keep Alicia here?" Zeres was calm now. If the person talking to him now was not Alexander, he would have already bolted inside Kiel''s house even if he had to fight off all these vampires around.

    But it was Alexander this time, and he knew that he just... trusted him.

    "Ten days to be exact." Alex said. "So you have less than ten days left to find that book. You think you can make it?"

    "So you also know that the book I am looking for will really be able to save Alicia?"

    "Yep." Alex''s simple confirmation was enough for Zeres.

    Another stretch of silence reigned between them. Zeres really wanted to know what or who was Alexander''s source of information to be this certain about things. He was itching to ask, but he just had a hunch that the man would not tell him about it no matter how he asked.

    "By the way Zeres you, idiot," Alex raised a brow at him as he called him names.

    "How could you note visit your niece and nephew?"

    Those words made Zeres stilled, and he could not answer Alex''s question.

    "You''re going toe for their baby shower, or I''lle drag your ass over, do you hear me?" Alex grumpily said when Zeres turned around to leave.

    However, after taking a few steps, Zeres halted and spoke without turning back to Alex. "When? The baby shower, I mean."

    Alex grinned. "Next week."

    "If I can find the book before that, I wille." He replied before he disappeared, leaving the obvious opposite unsaid..

 Chapter 781 - Zekes goal

    <h4>Chapter 781: Zeke''s goal</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @edi_o! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    A long sigh escaped Alex''s lips as soon as Zeres was gone. He understood what Zeres meant if he still could not find that book.

    "I guess I can go back now to my darlings?" he muttered to himself, shoving his hands inside his pockets.

    Alex actually was not here to invite everyone. The truth was, the baby shower was still two weekster. But he had toe today after hearing about all these mattersst night.

    The vampire prophetess had personally visited him in his housest night. She had told him about her visions and told him what Zeke was nning to do. Alex was shocked at first but when he began to ponder about it more, his decision was not actually shocking.

    In fact, Alex had realized, Zeke had been nning about this one thing all this time. For so many years, Alex had always wondered about Zeke''s goal in life. Sure, he was into keeping the peace. But Alex was not really convinced that it was his ultimate goal. Zeke had been waiting and aiming for just one thing ever since that day.

    Now he finally understood what it was. It was actually a bit obvious and yet none of them would ever have thought of it if the prophetess did not see it in her vision.

    Just like the prophetess, Alex did not agree with what Zeke was nning to do. But who could stop Zeke when he had been aiming for this his entire long life? Honestly, Alex was certain even he could not do anything to change his mind. Unless...

    Unless something actually happened within these ten days, and someone managed to mess Zeke up and shake his entire world like what Abi had done to him. He knew it would be very tough for Zeke though. In fact, this was the one thing he was not very confident with when ites to Zeke.

    Nothing, no one, ever managed to bring Zeke to his knees. Yet. And he was not sure if there will be a day that it would happen. Zeke was someone not even an inferno could soften and bend. He was unbreakable and whatever he was aiming, he will certainly get without question. This was the reason why he was the most dangerous creature he had ever known. Because nothing else can sway him.

    But Oh well, he could only hope. Zeke''s impossible, but there were things that proves that nothing was impossible as well. The hope was really slim, but Alex could only hope those lingerie he sent him would do something, no matter how little.

    Letting out another deep sigh Alex signalled Lucas to approach him.

    "I''m leaving. So make sure to do everything I instructed, understand?" he sternly said to Lucas and the ginger-head nodded at him.

    "Yes, sir!"

    "Good."<i> </i>

    "What should we do if Zerese back?"

    "He won''t being back any time soon. Not until he finds that book." Alex was quite sure about this at least.

    Inside Zeke''s apartment.

    "Sorry but you need to bear with those undergarments for now." Zeke told Alicia. He had shut his eyes close while his head was thrown back over the couch. Even as he spoke, he did not open his eyes even for a second. And it seems like he was not nning to open his eyes any time soon.

    "What? You... you want me to wear these?" Zeke could hear that Alicia sounded scandalised even if he was not looking at her.

    "Better than wearing nothing at all underneath, Alicia. Do you not agree.

    Her cheeks burned. This man still could get under her skin when he was tired out and not even paying much attention.

    "Wait. I don''t get it. Why don''t you call for someone toe over again and get a decent one this time? Don''t you have another phone?"

    "I only have one. And I didn''t install a telephone. I don''t have aptop here. They''re all in the car."

    Alicia was speechless. How the hell did a mafia boss only have one phone in the first ce

    She cut that line of thought, realizing that Ezekiel really did not need technologies tomunicate. He could just go out himself if needed. He could travel anyvvhere in the blink of an eye after all. She then pursed her lips at that thought.

    "How about you teleport us somewhere? Anywhere that we could buy me an undergarment or ask someone to buy it for us?" Alicia threw out suggestions somewhat mindlessly.

    She just could not wrap her head around putting on those scraps of cloths on herself.

    "I can''t teleport right now." Zeke said matter-of-factly.

    "And why is that..." she trailed off, realizing the change in his tone. He sounded like he was dozing off.

    "Are you really going to doze off?" she asked a momentter. "What if I utter the spell to kill you?"

    The corners of his lips curved up.

    "You won''t."

    "And why wouldn''t I? That would be my best chance." Alicia retorted, slightly displeased at how he was so sure about her actions when she herself was still in confusion with her own.

    Another inaudible curse came from his mouth and then in one swift move, he pulled at her and she fell on hisp again.

    Before she could protest, Zeke positioned her and pulled her head to lean against his shoulder. "Sorry... but you and I need to just sleep to avoid more trouble. This is for your sake too." He whispered into her ears and then something like a ck wisp snaked over her face.

    Her eyes that were initially fully awake suddenly began to droop.

    "Damn... you... Ezekiel..." she managed to force out before her head copsed limply on his shoulder and she fell deeply asleep in his arms.

    "Yeah. Damn me to hell, Alicia." He whispered into her unhearing ears, smiling before he too finally sumbed to the irresistible pull of slumber.

    Follow my social media ounts!

 Chapter 782 - Cold blooded

    <h4>Chapter 782: Cold blooded</h4>

    When Iryz opened her eyes, she found herself sitting and bound up in a chair. A bucket of ice and water that had been poured over her head had jolted her awake so rudely and suddenly that her entire face was still dripping from the ice-cold water.

    Shocked at receiving such treatment that she had only thought happened in the movies, Iryz btedly struggled to free herself from the chains, but of course to no avail. The chains did not even budge one bit. Whoever was it that had captured her had done a great job in making sure her restraints were perfect.

    "Stop struggling, littledy. Your efforts will all be futile." A cold voice echoed out from somewhere in front of her.

    She lifted her eyes and saw a man. He was not wearing a hoodie anymore, but she could tell this was the same man who had kidnapped her and brought her here.

    "Who... who are you?" Iryz asked, not sure why this was happening to her right now. She did not remember offending anyone dangerous. Ever.

    He squatted before her, smiling. "Youngdy, I don''t want to hurt you. So be a good girl and answer my questions, okay?" he sounded so gentle but Iryz''s heart still trembled in fear. No matter how sweet his voice was, she could see nothing but cold bloodedness in his deep dark eyes. Looking into his eyes just caused her to shiver with dread. "Now tell me... where is the book?"

    Iryz stiffened when she heard his question, but she tried her best not to give herself away and feigned confusion. "Book? W-what book?" she managed to say as normally as she could. She did not understand what was going on. But what she knew at least for now was that this man was also looking for the same book Zeres was looking for. Why? Why would this man look for it too? Was he going to use it to bring back someone he loves as well? "Do you need to find a book from my bookshop?"

    The man snorted. "No, no... don''t you y games with me, little girl. You don''t wanna do that..." his voice was still smooth like the sweetest honey. "I am going to ask you just one more time, baby girl. And I am warning you. Give me the answer I want, or you might not even live to regret it. Understand? Now answer me, where is the book?"

    "I''m sorry but I don''t know " Iryz insisted on not knowing.

    His hand was suddenly in her hair, gripping a handful so hard that Iryz screamed out in pain. Her eyes were tearing up from the sharp pain of the roots of her hairs almost being ripped out.

    "Bitch! I told you should not try ying games with me!" he hissed. The sweet voice had turned into venomous sharp des. He gripped her hair even harder like he was really nning to uproot them. "Answer me. Where. Is. The. Book?!" his voice thundered into her head, causing her entire body to shake from fear.

    "I... I really don''t know. If... if you''re talking about the book Zeres is looking for, we still could not find it." she replied in a shaky voice, tears falling from her eyes. She no longer had the courage to keep pretending as though she did not know what he was looking for. This psycho might do away with her even without a warning.

    The man let go of her hair and stood up. But before Iryz could breathe out in relief, he struck her face. His hit was so strong that Iryz felt her whole right cheek go numb.

    "What a little liar." He grabbed on her face and pressed on her numb cheek hard. When he made her look up at him, she saw his eyes were red and his fangs were pointing out from his mouth. "Such bitchy liar... I am going to tell you, my secret. I can detect lies so if you value your life, tell me where the book is. Now."

    "I... am telling you the truth " Iryz sobbed out.

    Another hard strike hit her face. She was seeing bright spots in her vision now.

    "Fine, you bitch. You left me no choice. I shall take the words I want from your mouth by force then." He said and he kicked her right in her stomach. She and the chair she was bound to tumbled to the floor as she gasped desperately for breath that seemed to have left her body and did not want toe back.

    When she could breathe again, she found herself tied up in a standing position this time. Her hands were held above her head, and she seemed to be suspended from the ceiling with her feet just barely touching the floor.

    Then without warning, another hit took her breath away not in a good way. A whip. Someone had whipped her back so hard, so strong.

    "Speak now, bitch. Tell me. Where is the fucking book?" she heard him shout at her again, demanding the answer, while grabbing at her face. And when she could not open her mouth, he struck her. Again and again. The blowsnded on her face, her head, her back. Her whole body. It never seemed to stop.

    She could hear her own shrieks and tortured gasps echoing in the dark and enclosed room.

    Iryz was so shocked at this torture that her mind and body seemed to have turned paralyzed now. Why... what happened? What was going on? Why was this suddenly happening to her? Was this just a nightmare? But it was painful... so painful that a part of her started wishing someone should just kill her now to end the pain.

    "SPEAK NOW E!!! I am running out of time so tell me now before I kill you!" he roared. The man sounded like a madman now as he continually whipped her, not even giving her any chance to breathe, much less to speak. "OPEN THAT DANINED MOUTH OR I WILL SLASH IT OPEN!!"

    Her body was already limp as she dangled loosely from the rope when he stopped and threw his whip on the floor. Then he walked up to her and grabbed at her face, forcing her to look at him.

    "Now look at you. Poor baby girl. I told you not to y games with me." he tsked and spat to the side. "If you don''t want to go through that again, tell me now. Where. Is. The.

    Fucking.. Book?!!"

 Chapter 783 - Stay

    <h4>Chapter 783: Stay</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Edenn! Thank you so much once again for the supergift!

    Iryz could barely see the man clearly due to the tears, sweat and probably blood as well that had gotten into her eyes.

    "Do you see this? Take a good look!" he gripped her jaw and she saw a sharp and shiny de being pressed up against her face. "Answer me now. One more lie, and I will use this de to cut an extension for your mouth from the tip of your lips all the way up to your ears. That way, your beautiful face will turn into a clown since you seem to like to be one.

    Do you hear me? I''m counting up to three. Open that damned mouth of yours now! One! Two! Three! !"

    His eyes turned bloodshot, and he pushed his de as Iryz cried out.

    A reddish glow appeared, suddenly enveloping her. It appeared the moment the tip of his de touched her skin, wanting to pierce it.

    The man suddenly could not push his de forward anymore to cut her. His red eyes widened as he withdrew his de. "A witch? No. You''re clearly a human. A human protected by a powerful spell?!" he screeched with displeasure.

    He violently let go of her face and cursed.

    "Shit!" he grabbed at his de, turning around as the door behind him flung opened.

    Zeres stood by the threshold, his eyes wide as he looked at the girl who was still tied in the middle of the room, hanging from a hook in the ceiling. Then his silver eyes zed into argent hellfire.

    The vampire attacked him, aiming to escape. But Zeres caught him in the blink of an eye. His hand was already curled around the vampire''s neck, his hold getting tighter and tighter as he was choking him to death. The vampire struggled but his meagre strength was futile against Zeres'' overwhelming show of power.

    When his gaze fell on the little human girl again, looking lifeless and limp, he felt his heart shudder with fear.

    He loosened up his grip from the vampire''s neck and touched his head, wanting to know at this instant if this man was really the one who had hurt her. And in just few seconds, he got his answers. He had seen it all. The torture... everything that he did to her.

    His hand trembled, it took almost everything he had not to kill the man right this instant. No, he would not kill him. How dare he... how dare he hurt her. How dare he torture a helpless girl. He will grant him the torture tenfold over of what he had delivered to Iryz. But this would be saved forter.

    Using his magic, Zeres rendered the vampire paralyze and mute, and left him lying on the floor. Then he rushed towards Iryz, cutting the rope as he held onto her bloody figure.

    His fingers were trembling as he reached out to check her pulse. He prayed that he would still be able to find one.

    A sharp breath was wrenched out from his mouth when he felt her pulse and found that she was still breathing. But she was very badly hurt, and her pulse was so faint that he could not help but panic.

    The first thing he did was to ce his palm over her chest and his magic flowed out, enveloping her like a cocoon.

    "Fuck! Why is it not working?!" he cursed loudly, desperately. Why was the girl not healing as she should be?

    At that desperate moment, Iryz opened her heavy eyes.

    He stiffened for a moment, seeing her look at him. "Iryz... I''m here now. It''s okay. I''m going to heal you, okay?" he told her as gently as he could, struggling to keep his voice from sounding panicky.

    His magic brightened up as he kept increasing the amount of healing magic being poured out on her.

    But Iryz''s eyes began to flutter and looked as though they were about to close again, causing his panic to skyrocket. "Don''t! Don''t close your eyes. Stay with me, please! Iryz!"

    She opened her eyes again at his shouting. Though only slightly, her response relieved Zeres so much.

    "Yes, stay with me. I''m going to heal you." he told her reassuringly when her bleeding lips opened and whispered to him something. But too soon, her eyes fluttered and closed agam.

    "No, don''t! Iryz!" Zeres called out loudly when another voice echoed out behind him.

    "Zeres!" Alex''s emerged from the door, running quickly towards him. He had felt a brewing trouble just as he was about to leave Zeke''s ce, and he was right! Why does trouble seem to follow Zeres around?! What a troublesome little white dragon he had befriended.

    He rushed over to Zeres after seeing how desperately the man was looking at him from his kneeling position beside that girl he was holding. "My magic doesn''t seem to be working on her Alexander. I don''t know why!!" the way he called out to Alex almost sounded like a wail.

    "That''s because she''s human, Zeres! Have you forgotten that witches can''t..." Alex trailed off after seeing the panic and fear blooming uncontrobly in Zeres'' eyes. "Come on. Let''s bring her to the hospital Don''t worry, she won''t die, trust me. Just teleport all of us to the nearest hospital now and make it quick! Make sure we are at the hospital''s garage, Zeres." Alex managed to remind Zeres before he teleported. It would not be good if any of the humans suddenly catch them suddenly appearing out of thin air.

    "Grab that vampire first. Can''t leave him here so he''sing with us." Zeres snarled and the moment Alex looked at the man on the floor, he pinched the skin betvveen his brows.

    ''Goddamn Zeke. I can''t believe these vampires are getting loose like this the very moment you lose your sight on them.'' Alex muttered to himself before hesitantly picking up the guy, knowing full well that a massive headache had already started. ''Damn... this is going to get ugly real fast..''

 Chapter 784 - Unforgivable mistake

    <h4>Chapter 784: Unforgivable mistake</h4>

    Moments ago, after the doctors had taken over and wheeled Iryz into the emergency room, Zeres took the vampire along with him. But only after asking Alex to stay back at the hospital to wait for Iryz to be out of the emergency room. He only trusted Alex to watch over the safety of Iryz at the moment.

    Knowing what Zeres was going to do with the vampire, Alex could only agree to stay. He would rather let Zeres vent out his anger on that idiotic vampire than have him pace up and down here in the hospital like a caged lion, just waiting to explode and then end up causing a much bigger trouble for them all.

    A massive trouble was thest thing that Alex wanted to deal with at this point. As it was, he was already caught up in the mess of both Zeke as well as Zeres. He just wanted to go home as soon as possible! That was where the love of his life and their precious twins were at!

    Now the same room where Iryz had been tortured was now reeking with the heavy and metallic scent of fresh blood that was slowly oxidising. The vampire was currently tied up in the middle of the room. He was covered with wounds that were all dripping and bleeding out. The corner of his lips had been cut up all the way up to his ears. Exactly the same way he had threatened he would do to Iryz earlier.

    "What goes around,es around, you bastard!" Zeres had viciously whispered to him as the knife he held had sliced slowly and excruciatingly up the sides of the vampire''s face.

    "Let''s see how you are enjoying being on the receiving end this time."

    Zeres had really tortured him to the extreme. And despite the vampire being barely alive, Zeres did not seem to intend to stop the torture. He was now whipping the vampire, strike after strike, rhythmically, with ice-cold and merciless eyes.

    Until his phone vibrated inside his pocket.

    The whip in his hand was then flung to the floor as he picked up the phone to answer the call.

    "Come over here now, Zeres. She''s out of the emergency room and safe." Alex reported thetest updates on Iryz.

    Zeres''s fingers trembled a little as he clutched the phone tightly in his hands. He felt like someone had pulled out the sword that was stabbed right through his chest.

    After quietly shoving the phone inside his pocket, he stared at the vampire he had been torturing, approached him and stood right before him. "Just... kill... me..." the man begged.

    "No. Not yet." Zeres'' t and cold voice seemed to belong to a heartless beast, so opposite from his outward appearance of the silvery angel. "You will stay like this, tortured, for a bit longer. Have fun."

    Then he casted a powerful and cruel spell on him no other witch can undo but silver haired witches. The spell would double his pain and will stop his vampiric ability to heal his wounds, but it will continue to keep him alive. Thus, prolonging his suffering which was what Zeres was aiming for.

    When the man started growling in so much pain, Zeres turned his back. Two male witches were standing by outside. They were the ones he had called toe over to him beforehand.

    "Bring him to Reign castle." He ordered. "Make sure that the King of vampires will see to him personally."

    "What shall we say to the vampire King?" his two subordinates asked.

    "Nothing. He''ll receive my message once he sees this man." Was all he said before disappearing.

    Zeres had returned to the hospital just a few minutes after Alex''s call despite the fact that he had to quickly drop by somewhere to wash off the blood that had gotten all over him and get changed. His hair was still dripping from his shower when he emerged from the door.

    "How... how is she?" he asked, slowly approaching Iryz''s bed.

    "She''s alright." Alex replied calmly. "It''s a relief that she didn''t suffer any broken bones. I''m not sure how that happened, but that is a miracle."

    Slowly, Zeres looked at her, his eyes travelling the length of her ¡ª from head to toe. The sight of the wounds all over her face and her uncovered hands made him clench his fists hard.

    "I saw strange red wisps of smoke-like thing appearing over her. I believe it''s magic. A spell to be exact." Alex continued. "I think it was trying to speed up the process of her healing. At this rate, she''d be totally healed much faster than a normal human. The doctors will surely get suspicious, and we don''t want such unsolicited attention. Not to mention that the magic that is appearing is very much visible. So I suggest that we transfer her out of here, pronto, my friend. Maybe bring her to your ce for now? I will arrange for a personal doctor to care for her while she is over at your ce."

    "What kind of doctor? A vampire?" Zeres'' voice hardened, not liking the idea of another vampire getting close to Iryz.

    Alex quietly stared at him for a while.

    "You''ve already read that vampire''s mind. So I''m sure you already know the reason behind all this, Zeres. The king is desperate and fearful. He is against Zeke''s decision that''s why " Alex tried to exin it to Zeres but got cut off.

    "No matter what the reason, the damage has already been done. Look at her! They hurt an innocent girl, Alexander!" Zeres hissed out, anger zing clearly in his eyes.

    "Yes. The king just made one unforgivable mistake and that''s why I''m going to meet him myself after this." Alex''s usually rxed and yful gaze became serious. The one Zeres knew he would only ever wear when preparing to go to war. "I will assure you I will teach that old man a lesson he would not soon forget. So leave this to me. Time is crucial for all of you here. Don''t forget that you have only ten days left for Alicia. So forget about the vampires for now, I''ll deal with them. Just focus on this girl and the book. I will make sure no one else will do anything stupid anymore." Alex reassured him..

 Chapter 785 - Not even once

    <h4>Chapter 785: Not even once</h4>

    "I''m leaving." Alex said. Everything was finally settled and he even managed to find a human doctor he could trust.

    Alex did not insist on a vampire anymore, so he went to find that human doctor he had somehow ended up saving from an ident many years ago. The doctor was old now, but he was still practicing and was actually one of the most expensive female doctors in the world.

    More importantly, this doctor also knew about the existence of vampires and witches. So Alex thought that she was the best suited for this job they had in mind for.

    "She''ll be checking in to take a look at her. You can also just call her if you need." Alex added and Zeres just nodded quietly. The man had been quiet since their talk at the hospital.

    Turning around, Alex reached on the door handle when Zeres finally spoke up.

    "Thank you." he said and Alex simply lifted his hand and waved without turning back to look at him. But once he shut the door closed behind him, he was actually grmmng cheerfully.

    Lucas appeared from the next corner and joined Alex, maintaining one step behind him. "I think I need to go wake His Highness up and tell him about this." Lucas''s expression was pretty serious as he spoke.

    But Alex shut him off with a wave without hesitation. "No. Don''t disturb him. He doesn''t need to hear about this."

    "But " Lucas frowned at Alex''s instructions.

    "No buts, Lucas. I know everything''s really tense right now, but I''ve settled Zeres already. I''m going to settle that king of yours now too. So all you guys have to do is just stand by and watch, okay? There is no need to do anything. Understood?" Alex sternlymanded, causing Lucas to only bow his head low and nod. Now that Zeke is somewhat out ofmission, Alex is the one calling the shots on Zeke''s behalf.

    "I''m leaving the rest to you for now. Your job is pretty simple. Just don''t disturb any of them. No matter what, don''t let anyone get near Zeke''s house. Just remember that. If you fail, I''ll punish you myself." Alex shed him a sharp grin, one that is teasing yet at the same time giving sufficient warning that he would keep his word if Lucas did fail in his duty.

    Lucas rubbed the back of his neck and bowed again. "I will not fail, sir." He then promised and Alex patted his shoulder rather amicably before he finally left, leaving Lucas sighing helplessly. Dealing with these powerful personas really wore him out. Every one of them have their own quirks and entricities.

    Back inside the apartment, Zeres was quietly standing by Iryz''s bed, just staring at the sleeping girl. The marks of the whips that were left on her face made him clench his fists tightly again when suddenly a knock on the door distracted him from his dark thoughts.

    When he opened the door, the two witches he trusted were already in the living room, with stacks of books in their hands. Zeres had ordered them a while ago to fetch the stacks of unread books for him. He needed to continue working on finding the book. Not only because he had to due to the already shortening deadline that they were racing against, but also because he needed to focus on something else like what Alexander had told him to do. Or else, he might.

    Zeres shut the morbid thoughts off and dismissed the witches, telling them to go back to the bookstore and continue looking for more books that had yet to be flipped through and to send them over. He had also made sure that the ce was heavily guarded now. He did not want a second incident to happen on his watch.

    Picking up a random book, Zeres entered the room where Iryz was in, sat down on the couch nearby and started flipping the pages.

    Soon it was already past midnight. There was a neat pile of books on the floor next to his feet. Zeres who was initially sitting on the couch had now moved to a sitting position on the floor as well.

    He somehow managed to keep his intense focus on the books, ignoring everything else except what was in his hands. In fact, he was so focused that he never did move from his spot for hours until he finally felt the pangs of hunger that he had been ignoring for hours on end now.

    Without realizing it, Zeres had been waiting for the coffee and cookies Iryz had always prepared and brought over for him while he would flip through the books. But hours passed and his normal snack and drink did note, forcing him to lift his head to looked to the right side. Iryz''s desk was not there where it normally was. She was not sitting and flipping through books or drawing him on her sketchbook. She was now there, lying so very still in the bed, badly hurt from the unfair attack that she had absolutely no part in.

    He stiffened as realization dawned on him. Then he buried his face in his palms. Strings of regret started to surround and haunt him again. This girl... she had been nothing but good to him. His days since he came in her house shed in his mind and the rage and regret bloomed in his chest. Her life was nothing but peaceful and simple. She has been nothing but kind and patient when dealingwith him and yet he never thanked her not even once. He never truly looked at her. Why did she continue being nice to him when he had been ignoring her like he had been doing?

    Pulling himself up, Zeres approached her bed. This girl was supposed to be in her own house right now, living her normal life. But he hade and ruined that for her and now that she was here, wounded all over and suffering for a fight that was not hers. All he gave to her was this. He could not even protect her. He had barged into her peaceful life and dragged her into all this mess..

 Chapter 786 - My fault

    <h4>Chapter 786: My fault</h4>

    "I''m sorry..." he uttered, his voice cracking. "I''m so very sorry."

    As those words left his lips, Iryz''sshes fluttered open. Zeres did not see it because his head was bent down, staring down at her hand that was also covered in wounds. His hands were holding onto hers ever so gently, as though he was holding onto a fragile piece of ss.

    Iryz took a while to focus her vision, just blinking. Until her eyes finally could clearly see her surroundings and the first thing her eyes fell on was him. The angel was standing next to her. And he looked... utterly broken. A broken but beautiful angel.

    ''What happened? What did they do to you to look like you''re...?'' Iryz was about to reach out to touch him, wanting to hug him, to at least soothe him even for a little when his whole body suddenly jerked. His gaze flew towards her. Those silver eyes she was so obsessed over widened as though in shock.

    "You''re... you''re awake!" he eximed, leaning over her.

    His reaction made her crease her brows. When she attempted to pull herself up, he seemed to go into a slight panic frenzy.

    "No, no, don''t. Please, stay still." For a moment, she saw him struggle on whether he should touch her or not. Though in the end he gently held her shoulders, supporting her as well as stopping her from moving too quickly on her own. "Lie down, please. You had been really badly injured."

    Iryz was so taken aback by his sudden caring actions and the way his voice sounded so flustered that she could only listen to him and obediently allow him to guide her movements.

    "Are... are you okay?" she asked him gently, remembering how broken and dejected he seemed to be earlier. She then realised that her voice was so hoarse that it was croaky.

    <i> </i>

    He stilled, looking surprised by what she had just said. Then he dropped his gaze and smiled, it was a bitter and pained smile.

    "Zeres?" she called out again, so hesitantly. He had dipped his head so low that he seemed to be trying to hide his face from her.

    "Mm." was all he replied to her question, causing Iryz''s expression to be even more confused and worried. What was wrong with the usually arrogant and proud man that she hade to be familiar with? Why was he behaving this way all of a sudden?

    "You don''t look alright " Iryz prodded, trying to dig out more from him.

    "I''m fine." he cut her off, still not looking at her. "You''re the one who''s not alright." His voice sounded almost like a whisper when he said thatst line.

    Then he lifted his gaze and met hers. Intense emotions shone in his unusual and beautiful eyes. They looked like gleaming silver buttons and were totally breathtaking. This was the first time she had seen him let emotions that were not anger nor frustration fill his eyes. But she did not like these emotions he was showing too. Because it was simply...

    heartbreaking. Why was this beautiful person always so sad?

    Could it be that something had happened to the woman he was desperately trying to save? Was that why he was looking like this? She wished that she was wrong, but what else could make this man look like this?

    "I''m sorry." He said, averting his gaze from hers again. "I am not saying this because I want you to forgive me."

    She saw his facial muscles tensing as he shook his head. "No, don''t forgive me. You should hate me for doing this to you

    "Wait a moment." she finally stopped him, not being able to follow where his thoughts were going. "Stop. I don''t understand... What are you... saying

    He met her gaze and neither of them spoke until Iryz took her gaze off him and looked around. It was then that she noticed that she was not in her room anymore and... slowly she lifted her hand.

    The moment she saw the awful marks from her elbow to the back of her palm, she felt her insides shudder violently. Then the memories of the nightmare of her torture returned like a tidal wave hitting right into her body. That inhumane torture and that red-eyed monster.

    "I''m sorry," she heard him utter almost inaudibly. "I''m so... so sorry."

    Iryz took a long while to process everything, calming herself from the sudden panic that was about to shake her entire being once again. She no longer felt any pain at all right now, but the memories were threatening to break her.

    However, every time she heard him apologizing as though he was the very monster who had tortured her, she somehow found herself sessfully keeping herself from falling apart.

    "You''re not the one who hurt me." Iryz said that matter-of-factly.

    "It''s my fault. I left you alone." His voice was full of self-loathing and guilt that she could feel it clearly.

    She could not help but smile though a bit bitterly. She remembered that she was telling herself that she now hated him before she got kidnapped. Now she understood why he was like this. He was guilty, ming himself for what had happened to her. And she could tell that whatever she ends up saying, nothing would change his mind.

    "Where is that man now?" she asked instead of insisting on relieving him of his guilt. "Did you hurt him?"

    Zeres looked away, his jaws clenching hard. "Yes." Came his one short reply.

    "Did you punish him for hurting me?

    He nodded.

    "How hard did you punish him?"

    He did not answer her this time, so Iryz asked him again.

    "Did he beg you to just kill him?" she guessed.

    When Zeres nodded once again, she smiled with much satisfaction. "Then that''s enough for me. For a monster like him to beg like that, you must have tortured him many times harder than what he had done to me.. Am I right?"

 Chapter 787 - Warmer

    <h4>Chapter 787: Warmer</h4>

    Zeres looked at her in disbelief, obviously never expecting this petite, gentle and caring creature to say something so vindictive like that, that he had ended up standing stock still, staring unbelievably at her,pletely shocked.

    She propped herself up once again and when Zeres attempted to stop her, Iryz quickly protested. "No, please let me sit. I need to get up. I''m tired of just lying down the whole time."

    "But " Zeres was worried that if she sat up, she might pull on her wounds and reopen some of them.

    "I don''t feel any pain." She reassured him but the way his face was looking seemed as though he was having a hard time believing her. "It''s true. I don''t know why, but maybe the doctors gave me a lot of pain killers for me not to feel the pain?" she said and shrugged her shoulders lightly.

    "Are you... telling me the truth?" Zeres was quite sceptical at her ims. The girl was only recently out of the emergency room not too long ago.

    Iryz did not respond and just meet his gaze seriously, making him understand that she was not lying.

    He seemed to get it and somewhat reluctantly let go of her shoulders.

    The next thing he did was to grab his phone and dialled a number. Iryz cocked her head as she wondered who he was calling at this point.

    "She said she''s not feeling any pain right now. Is that normal?" Zeres asked over the phone as Iryz surveyed herself. Her ears were focused on Zeres'' call though. Was he speaking to a doctor? He even had a doctor on call?! How resourceful was this guy?! She really had to hand it to him.

    After a long while of listening to the person on the other side of the line talking, she heard him sigh out before saymg, "I see. I understand. That must be it." before ending the call.

    "What did the doctor say? I am assuming it was a doctor you were talking to? Did they give me painkillers?" Iryz questioned him. She was trying her best not to pity herself after seeing all her awful wounds that will definitely leave scars. She was also trying her hardest not to think about how she looked like right now, knowing that that monster did not spare her face when he had whipped her. This realization made her not to look at him anymore and just let her hair fall to the sides of her face. She did not want him to keep seeing how horrible she must look right now.

    "No. The doctor said it must be the spell on you."

    "Hmm... I see. Wait... what?!" she whipped her head towards him, momentarily forgetting about her face. But she held onto her long hair and covered her lower face with it.

    Her action made Zeres'' brows crease a little, but he did notment anything about it.

    "There''s a powerful spell that was casted on you by a powerful witch. I believe it must be Calliste or Diana''s magic. The magic has protected you and now it''s even helping to cure your wounds much faster than a normal human''s would." He exined and despite Iryz being already quite familiar with witches'' abilities, she still felt so amazed and surprised.

    She could hardly believe it. She had a protective spell on her?!

    "R-really? Oh my, that''s... crazy amazing!" she could not even stop herself from eximing these words. "Will it also help make the scars disappear

    She suddenly stopped and she looked away from him, a bit ashamed at thest part that she had inadvertently blurted out.

    "I''m not certain, but I have asked Lilith for a special ointment that will surely keep the wounds from scarring."

    "Li... Lilith?"

    "She''s the current queen of the witches." Zeres answered and Iryz''s eyes widened again.

    "Is she... going toe here?!"

    "Do you want to see her? I can ask her toe over." Zeres said simply.

    "Oh no. It''s fine." She smiled at him, shaking her head. "She doesn''t need toe here at all."

    Silence took over after that for a while until the two of them asked each other simultaneously.

    "Where are we now?

    "Are you hungry yet?"

    Iryz grinned behind her hair. "Okay, you answer me first."

    "My ce." he answered her question. Iryz nodded, looking around.

    "I see... okay, my turn. Yes, I think I''m hungry. Do you have... umh... instant noodles?"

    Zeres blinked. Then suddenly he brought his phone out and made another call. Thinking that he would probably ask his men to go buy some, she did not bother to stop him anymore.

    "Is it okay for her to eat instant noodles?" he asked and Iryz whipped over to look at him. What? Was he asking the doctor again? What time was it now?

    He moved the phone away without ending the call.

    "Sorry, the doctor said it''s not advisable for a patient to consume junk foods. Do you have other kind of food that you fancy right now?" he told her and Iryz could only look at him, speechless.

    Returning the phone to his ear again, Zeres spoke. "What are the foods that are good for her?... Okay, I understand."

    Right after that call ended, Zeres made another call to someone else before he finally shoved his phone back into his pocket. Somehow, Iryz could not help but feel amazed at how different this man seemed to be right nowpared to how he was before. And she could not deny that she preferred how he was behaving now. It made him seem more approachable and more... normal. She continued staring at this new and improved version of her silver angel, still in disbelief that he was behaving so much warmer to her.

    "Give me a moment. I will bring in the food as soon as possible." He said and before Iryz could respond, he had already turned around and left the room. She could only blink at how fast he was..

 Chapter 788 - Kitchenware

    <h4>Chapter 788: Kitchenware</h4>

    Zeres went straight to the main door. When he opened it, Lucas was already standing out there. It was helpful that his ce was not that far from Kiel''s ce because it made it possible for him to call this man and have hime over to help with things like this. Though Lucas was a vampire, Zeres trusted him. He has been among their gang during their journey to that cave after all. But that was not the main reason why he had chosen to call Lucas instead of just picking a human or a witch toe over.

    "Is there a problem?" Lucas looked alert and seemed to be expecting some kind of big trouble to be brewing. "Is a vampire trying to mess up in here?"

    "No."

    "Then why did you call me so urgently?" Lucas was confused.

    "I am in need of a good cook." Zeres looked intently at Lucas.

    ." He could see now that there was a hopeful shine in Zeres'' eyes when he looked at him.

    Lucas.

    Lucas looked like his system just suffered a hard blow and now he wasgging. "Cook...??" he could only echo thest word he heard.

    "Yes. She''s hungry and I don''t really know how to cook for her."

    "You could''ve just hired a professional chef you know?!" Lucas was barely able to hold back a scream.

    "I don''t think there''s anyone better in cooking meals than you." Zeres praised Lucas highly.

    . '' Lucas thought that it was not the point. He could not help but feel embarrassed with his extremely serious expression as he praised him.

    "ttery won''t work on me." Lucas answered tly.

    "I''m not ttering you. I just don''t trust anyone but you to cook for her as well. You''re not going to decline me, right?"

    The red-head let out a deep and long sigh. "You should''ve at least told me it''s nothing serious, you..." he trailed off and just shook his head as he walked inside, already taking his jacket off. He sighed again defeatedly. "Are the ingredients ready? Do you have them? What should I cook?"

    "Nothing is ready yet. I''ll have my men buy them for you really quick. Just tell me what the things are

    "Wait a moment. What kind of food do you want me to cook?"

    "Something nutritious. Something good for a patient."

    Lucas sighed again. "I got it. Where are your men? I''ll inform them myself." Lucas looked as though he had given up and just went along with the flow.

    And with that, everyone scrambled to buy the ingredients and due to Zeres'' urgency, the men returned really fast.

    "Since you''re so damned impatient,e over and help then." Lucas threw Zeres a dirty nce and the man was quick to approach the kitchen, pushing his sleeves up.

    "What must I do?" Zeres stood next to him, looking at him awaiting an instruction. He was obedient and ready to help in whatever way he could.

    Lucas arched his brows silently before handing over the vegetables to him. "Wash these carefully."

    Somehow, Zeres managed to do the simple tasks Lucas asked him to do. However, when he asked him to wash the ss and bowl that seemed to have never been used for quite a while, Lucas was instantly reminded by that nightmarish time when Zeres and Kyle asked to help wash the dishes before.

    And just as he looked at Zeres to stop him, the sound of the ss falling into the sink echoed out in the kitchen.

    Sighing tiredly, Lucas waved his hand at him. "Your job is done here. You go there and sit and wait. Patiently. And don''te over and be a nuisance over here." He told Zeres with a strict expression and just like him, Zeres also remembered how it seemed to be such a big deal for Lucas if his kitchenware broke.

    Afraid that the red-head might get irritated and kick him out just like thatst time when he was with Kyle, he listened and took a seat like a good little boy until the meal was finally prepared.

    "You can take this to her now." Lucas said as he took his apron off. "I''m leaving. Just ask your men outside to wash these. It''s better if you don''te anywvhere near the cups, tes and bowls." Lucas warned Zeres seriously.

    The man then turned to leave but was stopped by Zeres'' words for a moment. "Thank you." Zeres said with much sincerity and Lucas just nced back and replied "no, problem"

    before he left the house.

    Grabbing the tray, Zeres brought it up to Iryz''s room. The nice smell of the freshly cooked porridge was so good, Iryz even closed her eyes as she took in its scent.

    "Mmm...!! That smells absolutely divine!" She excitedly muttered as Zeres put the tray on the small serving table before her. "Makes me feel as though I am even more starved now." Her eyes flew open as it twinkled when she looked down and ogled the food.

    Zeres watched her eat as she savoured the food. He was truly convinced now that Lucas was the best cook he had ever met. The fact that she evenpletely forgot about hiding her face now was proof that the food was so good. She had forgotten everything else ¡ª other than the porridge in front of her.

    He could not help but smile in relief at the sight of her face enjoymg the food.

    Back at Zeke''s apartment.

    Alicia and Zeke were still together on the same couch. Just that this time, they were not in a sitting position anymore. Zeke was lying on his back while she was sprawled on top of him, using him as her personal bed.

    Alicia was the first to wake up again. She blinked for quite a few times without moving until she realized that the heartbeat she was hearing was not actually her own.

    Slowly, she lifted her head, only to see Zeke''s sleeping face so very close to her own.

    Her cheeks quickly flushed a bright red at their suggestive sleeping position. And when she tried to get off him, she felt his strong arm suddenly wrap itself around her waist, and it caused her face to ze even hotter at the realization that her shirt had already hiked up to her stomach and that he was touching herpletely naked hip..

 Chapter 789 - Erotic dreams

    <h4>Chapter 789: Erotic dreams</h4>

    Alicia felt her throat run dry as she became more conscious of the fiery hand holding herpletely naked lower body. How did they manage to get into this kind of situation again? Her eyes were still wide as she kept her gaze on him, her own body frozen stiff, expecting his eyes to open.

    They did not. And he looked like he was still genuinely asleep. Was this despicable man fake-sleeping again? Was he trymg to cheat her again?

    Her flushed face was currently turning even redder in anger when he suddenly made a sound. It sounded like a moan to her, and she felt as though it travelled straight down to her toes.

    She felt him move his cursed hand, trailing a burning path upwards under her shirt, causing her to stifle a gasp. She should be yelling at him now, hitting his handsome face even to forcefully awaken him from his fake-sleep.

    But goddess help her because her body refused to move. It still stayed in that frozen state, not quite knowing what she should do now. Her mouth did not open to yell at him, and her hand stayed still like they were now rendered useless. And she knew why. She could no longer even deny it to herself anymore.

    Her body liked his strong muscr arms, his fiery touch on her naked skin. It was happening again. This furore of need and lust had been smouldering on the back burner, was now ignited again into a burning inferno, just like that.

    His hand caressed her back, his slightly rough finger pads sliding across her smooth pale skin while the other hand began to trailnguidly towards her side. The fiery trail of fingertips made her heart thud even harder, faster, as they moved upwards, searching for her breast.

    When his hand finally reached it, Alicia found herself biting down sharply on her lip to keep herself from shouting out her pleasure. She kept her now dazed eyes locked on his face. The sted man was still having his eyes closed.

    He still looked like he was dreaming as he continued touching her, his hands having their own adventure on her body. Was he really dreaming right now? He truly looked like he was. But Ezekiel? Dreaming about touching someone? The thought alone was so unlikely that Alicia almost scoffed out loud.

    That seemed to be harder to believe than him just faking sleep right now.

    He gently massaged her breast and her body burned, sending violent thrills crashing into her all the way to her toes. Then she felt his arousal thickening, hardening against her. It did not help one whit that he was wearing trousers. The feel of his length, hot and throbbing was enough to send all rational thoughts scattering out of her mind and into oblivion.

    His name was about to be torn from her lips, but he beat her to it as her name instead, fell from his lips first.

    "Alicia..." he uttered lowly, and she was shocked at the raw desire and longing she heard in his voice.

    Then his eyes flew open. She stilled. Both of them stilled.

    Their eyes locked onto each other''s. She could see his eyes slowly stretching wider.

    "Y-you''re dreaming..." she stammered, still in shock. There was no mistaking it. Ezekiel was really dreaming of touching someone just now. And that someone was... her!

    There was just no way that was fake. He had really just woken up. And that sound of him calling out her name just now... he was not faking sleep this time, she was certain of that!

    "You were dreaming of me..." she said again, staring at him in disbelief. She was not sure if she was just informing him of what he had done, or just voicing it out to herself that her sworn enemy was having erotic dreams of her.

    Alicia did not know how to exin what she was feeling at the moment. All she knew was that she wanted him to admit it. She did not even know why she wanted him to admit it.

    What for? What was she hoping to happen once he admits it? More importantly, was she going to respond positively to him if he really dide out and admit it?

    A part of her was screaming internally at the top of her lungs for her to stop insisting further about this. As if this part of her was afraid of something. No, afraid was an understatement. It was terrified and horrified of what might happen next.

    But right now, that did not seem to be enough to stop her.

    "Answer me, Ezekiel." She bugged him recklessly. "You were... dreaming of me. All the while you were touching me all over and while you''re... hard and moaning out my name.

    Don''t you dare deny it!" Hearing herself, Alicia was feeling aghast. But her body did not seem to want to cooperate with her mind to shut up. Her mind was screaming that she should just zip her lips and stop digging into this matter any further, but her treacherous lips kept on talking.

    His lips parted open to say something, but he shut them closed again. For the first time, she watched Ezekiel really struggle for words. She even noticed now that he was even starting to sweat. This was a first!

    It was an almost unbelievable sight.

    He moved his arm and covered his eyes with the back of his hand, his jaws working. But Alicia daringly grabbed at his wrist and pulled his hand off his face, surprising him, causing him to blink at her.

    "Don''t hide from me and just admit it." she told him sternly. "Or are you afraid

    She was roughly pulled against him in an instant. His face now serious and close... so close their noses were almost brushing. His arms now tightly wound around her small waist, not zivinz her anv room to navieate or wiszzle free.

    "Tell me, Alicia. What will you do if I end up admitting to it?" Ezekiel asked, almost breathlessly..

 Chapter 790 - You win

    <h4>Chapter 790: You win</h4>

    "I don''t know." Alicia answered immediately. "I don''t know! Why don''t you just say it and let''s find out what I will end up doing?! Huh? Why don''t we do that?" she yelled at him in frustration, not caring that she was challenging him right now.

    Ezekiel stilled for a moment in the middle of his movements then he shook his head a little. "Listen to me, Alicia." His voice seemed to turn deeper if that was even possible. "If I answer I know what you will do... it''s either that you end up kissing or killing me. And right now..." she watched apprehensively as his throat work after hearing him replied to her that way. He had swallowed hard as his deep and prating gaze smouldered at her.

    A warning was clearly shing like lightning in his irises. whatever you end up doing, whatever path you decide on... once I give you my answer, I will..." he paused for quite a few breaths after that. Alicia felt herself holding her breath and her heart rate seemed to speed up.

    "You will what?" she challenged, as she could no longer take his silence. She was secretly dying to know what he would do. She dared to challenge him, not knowing where her courage came from. She could feel it. Whatever it was that he had been warning her from... seemed beyond serious to him. Or else he would not be warning her of it. Giving her a chance to reconsider. And if he were to follow her lead and go ahead and do it, nothing would stop him then.

    The look in his eyes sent shivers down her spine and those words and voice of his made her stomach clench in a knot. Yet it did not offend her despite the way he phrased it. In fact, it did the exact opposite, and she was bravely or idiotically pressing for it. It was as though she was a moth that was inexplicably drawn to that attractive yet deadly me.

    "What, Ezekiel?!" she snapped. And it was getting tiring, frustrating, and goddamned maddening to the point that she is almost about to pull out her hair in clumps. Yet she kept desiring him, lusting after him despite all these. She hated it. She hated what she had be since the moment he had touched her. She did not like that she had be this desirous and a woman full of hatred. "Just stop this tiresome madness and spit it out loud for goodness'' sake. You will what? Kill me?!" she raged at him. She did not realise that in her anger, her eyes were spitting fire and had turned her into a ming seductress in Ezekiel''s hungry gaze.

    I will devour that little brave and stubborn mouth of yours. And I will not stop there until I fuck you out of your brains until you turn senseless, Alicia. That is what I will do."

    His heavy aura spread around them and enveloped them as though trying to keep them in a world of their own.

    The world seemed to stop spinning. Her lips did nothing but opened and then closed, like a fish that was out of the water. She had an inkling that that was what he would have said. But having an ideapared to listening to the man himself spelling it out word for word right in her face was truly noparison. And added to that, his overwhelming sex appeal and majestic force that was just part of him, Alicia felt her mind struggle to find stability in this suddenly topsy turvy reality.

    Seconds ticked by but no word came out from her lips. She just stilled and continued staring back at him.

    She could not tell what emotion might be appearing on her expression right now because of all these contradicting emotions were just wreaking havoc inside her, fighting to take the reins. But whatever he saw on her face made his expression change again.

    Then his body went fully rigid before he suddenly gave out a deep sigh before dropping his head back onto the pillow.

    His breath was now harsh,boured and hot against her neck. "Damn it all to hell!" He breathed out, his voiceing out ragged. It sounded like a restrained anger to her, but for some reason she somehow felt that the curse and rage were not aimed at her but at something or someone else. Maybe himself? His actions were confusing her again.

    Still, she did not speak and that seem to make whatever he was going through to worsen. She heard him curse under his breath again before pulling away and stared down at her.

    His grey eyes were intense as he seemed to be considering something silently. So intense that it was breathtaking.

    Alicia found her breath hitching and tried to say something to break the stalemate between them.

    "You... what you said is the same thing as you wanting to kill me, right? After all, I will die if you... fuck me."

    He shook his head. Then he smiled in disbelief. As if everything right now was just too unbelievable to him.

    "Fine, I lose." He said, giving up before throwing her a look of surrender. "You win, Alicia."

    Then he pulled away from his position on top of her. His hand slowly wrapped around her dainty ankles, causing her heart to drum up amotion before he lifted her feet and then sat on the couch, letting her naked feetnd on hisp.

    After taking another breath, he reached out his hand and tugged at the tails of her shirt down to cover her down there. Where his eyes seem to keep wandering back to.

    He was not looking at her now, but neither did he let go of the hem of her shirt after pulling it down. As if he was making sure that it would not roll back up and reveal her nakedness to his starving gaze ¡ª yet again.

    "Nothing will happen to you if we have sex, Alicia." He finally spoke, dispelling her belief of that happening if they were really to have any intimate rtions..

 Chapter 791 - Guinea pig

    <h4>Chapter 791: Guinea pig</h4>

    The statement shocked and confused her but she did not move and just looked up at him. Her eyes that were full of confusion bored into his own, wordlessly asking him to exin what he meant with that sentence.

    "I know a way to make it happen without anyone needing to make any sacrifices." He said quietly, never breaking his gaze off her.

    Those words made her prop herself up. Her eyes a little wider as she shook her head. "If that''s true, you wouldn''t have to let your brother Skyler turn human, isn''t that right? If what you''re saying is true, you wouldn''t be so against Kyle and Lilith being in a rtionship. And... you wouldn''t have held back with me."

    He pressed his lips tight and she struggled to understand the expression that was swimming in his eyes. "Because this only works betvveen a witch and a vampire. And for your information, I''m not against Kyle and Lilith being together just because of that. And I wasn''t holding back all these damned times just because of that. I am not in the practice of torturing myself because I think I will kill you if I do fuck you."

    The fact that he actually answered all three of those questions at once was surprising. Alicia had not known Ezekiel to be a person who would voluntarily give up information just because someone asks him for it, no matter how important the question or person was. So all the words he had just said were such a huge shock to her that she struggled with which of the three she should address first.

    She did not know how she managed not to ask the very first thing that her heart was burning to know.

    "What do you mean? How could it work only between a vampire and a witch? What exactly is this method you are talking about?" Alicia decided on addressing this matter first. It seemed to be the most neutral and trigger safe one for now.

    He leaned back. "It doesn''t happen to just any vampire. It only works on vampire royals..." he paused in his exnation, and he tore his gaze off her, fixing his gaze towards the darkness outside. She could see his facial muscles working as if this was a conversation he had never ever wanted to have. She could bet that if they were not in this situation, he would have not talked about this. Ever. "Witches from long ago... they were the ones who discovered this method I am talking about."

    Alicia''s mouth literally fell to the floor. What?! It was the witches who found this method? To allow witches to join with vampires? She knew nothing about that. Not even the memories of the dead queens from long ago had any records mentioning about this.

    "You won''t know. Because of one witch queen in the history of witches, they were never able to pass her memories to the next generations. That same..." he paused again, and she could tell that he was struggling to control the rage that was boiling within him. "... it was that same queen who was the one that discovered this. She had managed to create a spell that can counter the curse between the mating of a vampire and a witch." His tone was low and severe, and his brows knitted as he told her these things.

    "That woman..." he shut his eyes tightly closed as he threw his head back. "...that woman had discovered that by... goddamn..." He seemed to not be able to continue. And Alicia wondered what was it that caused him to be this agitated.

    The way his darkness and rage and hate oozed from him despite him trying to suppress it made Alicia''s heart just shake. She had not even heard it yet, but she could feel that whatever it was that he was going to reveal to her would be something she would never be able to even imagme.

    "By using... a vampire royal as her guinea pig." He was clutching at his hair when he said that.

    And Alicia could only sit there, too shock to even react. He did not need to borate it. Alicia had seen it in the memories how witch queens and other witches in the past created their spells. Long ago, they used to test it on themselves or other people. It was evenmon for them to use captured enemies, prisoners and traitors to be used as their guinea pigs for their spells. She knew what cruelty happens to the so-called guinea pigs and since this spell was intended for something sexual, she could not even stop the disgusting feeling which caused goosebumps to crawl like worms under her skin.

    She heard him take in a deep breath and it was amazing how he seemed to be able to wrestle control of his emotions and calmed down again a little.

    "I''m against Lilith and Kyle, on all romantic rtionship between a vampire and witch because..." he suddenly jumped to the next question. Alicia wanted to know more about the earlier issue he was talking about, but she knew that this was clearly too hard for him to speak about. She just could feel it even without him telling her.

    However, this next topic seemed to be as hard as the first one for him as well. "My father fell in love with a witch queen... That bloody queen of all women. And he betrayed me... us.

    He betrayed his family and the whole kingdom." He gritted his teeth as he forced himself to say those words.

    The dark emotions seemed to st out of him, making the atmosphere turning incredibly dark and heavy. He had kept his eyes closed all the while, still obviously struggling to keep himself at bay.

    "He chose the witch queen, fell madly in love with her and threw all of us away. He did everything unimaginable for her. That asshole went as far as allowing his own son to be used by her as the guinea pig just so he could fuck his mistress without killing her. He had ruined everything. Ruined us all. But the worse thing was that he and the witch''s madness did not stop there.."

 Chapter 792 - Nightmare

    <h4>Chapter 792: Nightmare</h4>

    The living room was filled with nothing but silence as Alicia watched him wage an intense war within himself. She knew... could very well tell that he was.

    She could feel the rage and hatred swirling off him uncontrobly, filling the entire room with something so heavy and dark and dangerous. It was so strong and intense that Alicia felt if he exudes any more of this palpable aura, it would just be too hard for her to breath.

    "It took years... many years of... madness." Those words seemingly were wrenched out of him and sounded like they were getting much harder for him to say. Then he began to falter, as if losing the war within himself.

    Alicia started feeling something strange going on in her body a few moments after that too. She could feel her blood boiling, the emotions within her were intensifying to an unimaginable degree. What was this? This is... were these Ezekiel''s emotions that were bubbling over and overflowing into her through their link between each other?

    Her eyes stretched so wide as she clutched hard at her chest. She felt somewhat choked and suffocated, but she somehow knew that these reactions were noting from herself.

    And the feeling was a very weird sensation that she could not quite know how to exin at the moment.

    But suddenly, something blinding shed in her mind and then... she found herself in a nightmare.

    The first thing she saw was Ezekiel. A younger version of himpared to the one she knew. He was back in his younger years, still in the physical phase of a teenage boy. But as she looked closer, his eyes were those that did not normally belong to a boy, his grey eyes dangerous, bleak and deste. There was not even a glimmer of light to be found in his eyes. He was standing behind thick bars, arms and legs all shackled with thick chains. There was even a metal loop attached to another chain around his neck.

    <i> </i>

    Alicia recognized this ce in an instant. It was the witches'' prison back in the ck Forest''s underground secret area.

    Alicia saw that there were others behind Ezekiel. Two female vampires. One younger than Ezekiel and the other was a beautiful woman. They had the same ck hair and grey eyes that was simr to his as well, so Alicia quickly realized they were the rest of the vampire king''s family. His children to be exact.

    The two females had the same look in their eyes. Hopeless, lifeless, as though there was nothing more that they could expect from this life. Their eyes were dovvncast, listlessly looking to the ground, unmoving, uncaring.

    Ezekiel on the other hand, had his gaze trained straight ahead. He seemed to be staring at someone.

    "Your turn now, stubborn prince." An erotic voice echoed out from the darkness.

    The prison bars were flung opened, and he was grabbed roughly before being pushed out of the cell. "You have to cooperate, vampire prince." They whispered viciously into his ears. "Remember this. If you mess up, your dear brother and your entire family will be ughtered before your eyes. Understand? You wouldn''t want to enjoy that kind of wonderful ''show'' would you? After this, everything will be over. We promise."

    He did not even blink at the threats to his sibling''s lives. It was as though they were talking to a walking and breathing statue.

    Another door opened. It was a room with arge bed ced right in the middle of it. A woman was there, sprawled outnguidly in the centre of the bed covered in deep scarlet sheets. She was as naked as the day she was born and had a head full of thick and straight silver hair spread out in a shocking contrast to the bedsheets under her.

    Alicia shook her head, stumbling back at the wanton disy, wanting to run away from this scene. She could feel an ominous foreboding crawling up her spine. She then clutched her hands over her chest as she watched Ezekiel approach the bed woodenly, shedding his clothes one article at a time, without fumbling nor blinking despite the shackles and chains that were on him. It was as if this was nothing new to him. As if he had done this a thousand times before.

    No... no... no! She screamed, wanting to wake up from the nightmare. She knew she must not see this. She did not want to see this abominable act! Ezekiel... he would never want her, no... he would not want anyone to see this. She cannot see this..

    She felt breaking down. Wake up! Stop! Please! She screamed shrilly as she cupped her hands to her ears and screwed her eyes tightly shut ¡ª her pitiful attempt in shutting out the depraved act in not seeing nor hearing it.

    "Alicia!!!" Her name was roared out next to her ears.

    She gasped and choked out a breath. It was like she had just been pulled out from drowning under water. Her eyes snapped open wide, wet with tears streaming down her cheeks unconsciously as she stared at him. Her eyes were vacant and unfocussed.

    He was grabbing her shoulders with one hand and with the other, he cupped the side of her face. As her vision refocussed on the person who was before her right now, she noticed that his expression was one of horror. His fingers were trembling uncharacteristically against her face.

    She had never seen him, nor could even imagine him looking like this before today. Before now.

    "W-what... did you see?" he asked. For the first time, she heard him stammer. "Alicia! Tell me! What did you see??!" she urged her when she still remained silent after his question.

    Alicia frantically shook her head. Her heart squeezing tight at the look she was seeing in his eyes. "I didn''t see anything much... I saw you went in... there. But you had shaken me awake before I could see anything happened." She exined as fast as she could, as she could see him being so unnerved.

    He stilled. Then he tore his eyes off her, his hand on her shoulder moved first, going down to her hand, before he leaned back against the couch again.

    Throwing his head back, heughed. If that could be called augh. Alicia had never heard such a broken and tormentedugh before..

 Chapter 793 - A single drop

    <h4>Chapter 793: A single drop</h4>

    "I''m sorry." Alicia did not know what to say. She was panicking internally. "I swear didn''t mean to see... you can erase it. It''s fine with me. You can erase the memories that I saw."

    Alicia chattered on in her nervousness.

    Ezekiel stared at her, surprise gleaming in his eyes.

    She felt a sharp sting in her chest and throat next. Because she realized that he must be thinking she would want the memories erased because she could not stand knowing about them, that she was so disgusted she wanted nothing to do with them. She also felt like he might have as well just told her himself through those eyes of his, the words ''of course, any sane person would never want to see even a glimpse of that''.

    It was like she could read him and feel his every emotions right now. Was it because of what had just happened? Was this how he had been experiencing her own emotional fluctuations all this while?

    "No. You''re wrong." Alicia''s firm voice suddenly rang out as she shook her head before he could say anything. "I didn''t see it. It stopped before you could reach her." she said honestly, knowing that there was no point lying to herself and to him at this point. "But I know you don''t want me to see any of that, right?" her voice lowered. "You omitted the details while telling me about it. So I know you don''t want anyone to know, much less see any of it." she could still feel the goosebumps prickling all over her skin at the memory of how that woman looked sprawled out naked on the bed.

    Their eyes held. Then he tore his gaze off hers with much difficulty.

    "Yes. I never wanted you to see any of those fucked up things." He nodded solemnly. His voice wasposed now but she could see the veins bulging in his neck, telling her that even right now, he was still fighting damned hard for that preciousposure he usually had. "That''s why I was trying to tell you. I know that if I tell you everything, you''d understand. I want to exin everything to you, so you''d calm down. I was trying to have your emotions stabilize because I am starting to lose my grip on myself. Your impact on me is too strong that my defences are just crumbling down no matter how much I try to rebuild them. You just smash them down so easily. And I can''t do nothing but rebuild the walls over and over. Because if I give in, I know you will invade me and see everything inside of me. Everything I never wanted you to see."

    He returned his gaze to hers and an ironic smile tugged at the corner of his lips. "I have underestimated you, Alicia. I thought I can survive you until the deadline... but I guess you''ve proven me wrong." A small disbelieving chuckle escaped his lips.

    "Survive... me?" she echoed softly. Her head slightly cocked to the side, not quite understanding what he meant.

    "Your assault on myposure. You''re like a stubborn wrecking ball, Alicia. This power I''m using to keep you alive will give you the ability to feel my emotions too, not just the other way around. You will feel when I lie and will be able to read my exact thoughts. And even... see my memories. That is the consequence of this power I''m using on you. But I was initially confident that I would be able to block you out. I was confident you can''t beat my shield. I was confident that no one could ever... crumble my walls down." He shook his head, smiling slightly as if mocking himself for being so naive.

    "I was naive. The moment I touched you, I knew it will be one long bloody battle. But never have I thought I wouldn''t evenst a freaking week. So, I... I surrendered. I never surrender. But you made me. I chose to surrender rather than have you see all of my fucked up past. Before you start to see everything, I surrendered and decided to tell you the truth instead. But it seems that even that barely solved the problem because you still ended up getting a glimpse of it."

    Alicia pressed her lips together as they began to wobble.

    "Why?" Alicia tried her best to stayposed. "Why didn''t you just let go of me? Is it because of the thing you want from me? Is the thing you want from me worth the amount of your suffering in keeping me here with you?"

    "Yes." He did not even hesitate before answering her. "But I won''t really call all of this as suffering. I just can''t let you see any of those."

    "Why? You think I will think of you as disgusting?" she asked him, curious to know what he thought.

    His lips twisted a little. "No, Alicia. I used to be so disgusted at myself for countless of years so it wouldn''t even surprise me if I''m disgusting to someone. Just that... there is no need for you to see it, such filth. You don''t deserve to see all those... you didn''t do anything to deserve seeing that twisted scenes that must be worse than hell itself."

    Alicia felt her insides churned and shiver. The way he said it, she could tell what she sawwas just hardly a single drop from a full bucket of water. She just knew it was probably more than what normal minds could handle because why else did that witch queen''s memories got erasedpletely? Even when she was dead and was supposed to see things living witches could not, she had nevere across this.

    It only meant one thing. And she did not need any more exnations to understand the reasons why.

    "So, the reason why you..." Alicia swallowed, unsure whether to continue. But she wanted to know his answer about this even though the answer might...

    She breathed and clenched her fists tight.. "You always held back with me because, I reminded you of... her, right?"

 Chapter 794 - Soft

    <h4>Chapter 794: Soft</h4>

    Ezekiel stilled. Her question seemed to make him wage war with himself again on whether he should tell her the truth or not. She could feel the turmoil he was feeling within, and it before she knew it, she shook her head and forced out a smile.

    "You don''t need to answer that if it''s too hard for you." She said quickly, concern filling her eyes. She did not want to push him. He was already so tortured that she did not want to add to his agony. She was afraid that he will lose control again and she might even identally slip into his memories again. "It''s okay I... I won''t get angry."

    A ghost of a smile shed over his face. "That''s unexpected. But really? You won''t get angry?" there seemed to be a tinge of amusement shing in his eyes.

    "I won''t. I might keep thinking about it, but I won''t let it rile me up, don''t worry."

    The amusement spread out over his eyes and his face.

    "Soft." He muttered under his breath, but Alicia heard him and could not help but frown, wondering what he was referring to. "Your heart is as soft as your breast."

    Her mouth dropped to the floor as heat instantly coloured her face. What the

    He cringed at what he blurted out himself before a low chuckle echoed from him. She could tell he wasughing at himself. "Sorry, I''m just trying to distract myself. I know that was not the more tasteful thing I could say."

    Alicia took a deep sigh to regain herposure and to stop the blush from overtaking her. "Nice attempt. But that''s really something I''d never ever imagine Ezekiel Reign would say. I didn''t know you were even capable of saying such a thing until now."

    "Actually, I think the same too." He was still smiling, shaking his head as he kept his eyes closed. "Even I don''t recognize myself when I''m with you. So, you and I should bear with it. At least for now until things are settled."

    <i> []</i>

    They both went silent because Alicia had started to reach out and gently stroked his hair in a rhythmic and slow caress. Her hand just moved absentmindedly, and she was already touching the strands of his very dark hair when she btedly realized it.

    She stilled at that moment and her heart raced. She had been fighting the urge to hold him close to her and hug him tight, but she was afraid that her touch would do the exact opposite instead of offering thefort she was wanting to give.

    Holding her breath, she waited for him to catch her wrist and stop her from continuing in her actions. When he did not, she moved her fingers hesitantly and fiddled with his hair.

    She had been wanting to do this for a while too.

    "You''re really... soft." Hemented in a muted voice, still not opening his eyes. But somehow, his face seemed to have lost that extreme stressed out look now. Alicia stared at his face, and he did not look so strained now.

    "I''m not." She disagreed with hisment, wondering why Ezekiel was saying that she was soft. She honestly did not think so. Anyone who would hear his story will definitely react simrly to her. Many others would even be bawling their eyes out by now.

    "You are. You''re being sympathetic with your enemy right now." He reminded her as a lopsided smile graced his lips.

    Her hand stilled upon hearing the word ''enemy''. He was right... they were, by definition, enemies. She had hated him for the things he had done to the witches in the past. But now that she had learned about what the witches did to him in the first ce... yet he did not show the same hate. She was not sure if she were in his shoes, she would be able to do the same.

    He had all the reasons to hate her too, but she had never felt it. The hatred. She''d never feel it nor seen it in his eyes. Or was it always there but was just hidden so well from her that she never realised it?

    Suddenly, she remembered that sudden and inexplicable intense hatred that was trying to take over her for a couple of times now. Was that it?

    She continued fiddling on his hair. "Aren''t you the same? You might say you''re doing all this because of the thing you wanted from me. But aren''t you caring too much about me, a person you''re supposed to hate? You''ve been fighting so hard just so I wouldn''t see your haunting and disturbing past. If you didn''t care, you could''ve just let me see it all, right?"

    "It would be ridiculous for me to hate you. You don''t have anything to do with the witches in the past. You are you."

    "But you vowed. I saw and heard you vowed to annihte all the witches until there were none of us left in this world." Alicia''s word came out softly.

    He opened his eyes and stared unseeingly at the ceiling. "The memories you saw is a bit distorted. Don''t get me wrong, they were all real... but they had been stored and shown to you in false order. I''ve already aplished that vow in the past. When my father and that witch finally got what they want, they didn''t keep their words. Not even once. My father vowed that he would free us after... that. Then he will leave us for good because he will go with his mistress and be her king. But he had decided to make the witch queen his queen instead. The two of them aimed to rule both the vampire and witch kingdoms. Such greedy fools." Ezekiel sneered as he recalled that. "They wanted to create a new era, a new dynasty that will be ruled by their offspring, their future half vampire half witch children.."

 Chapter 795 - Attachment

    795 Attachment

    This chapter is dedicated to @Sacogun! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    "And the very first step for them to do is to ughter us all. All the royal vampires except himself, of course. I have learned about their ns earlier, so I plotted our escape. But my siblings were too weak to endure after all the long years of being imprisoned. And Seb had it way worse than any of us. His situation was so bad that he couldn''t even get up. And with my miserable powers back then, it truly was not possible for any of us to be able to escape sessfully. But I eventually found a way. My siblings told me to go alone. They were all aware that I was the only who would manage to escape with that n that I had hatched. Left without a choice, I did exactly what they told me to, promising them that I would being back for them soon."

    His grip on her wrist tightened as he shut his eyes closed again, seemingly lost in his memories. He only looked up and spoke again after a long time of silence. But Alicia patiently waited for him to speak.

    "Before mother died years ago in the hands of that witch, she had told me to go to a certain ce. So I went there¡­ many things happened¡­ I was pursued for I don''t know how long. Forced to the brink of death. I didn''t reach the ce that my mother had wanted me to go. Because something in me had awakened. My demonic powers, something I didn''t know I even possessed had somehow awakened. It was then that it all started. I became invincible. I rushed back to the ck Forest to save my family. But¡­"

    The heavy and dark aura oozed from him in an instant, turning the entire living room ominous and suffocating.

    Panic instantly gripped Alicia''s heart. But the very first thing she did was to touch his face, caressing his cheek as gently as she could instead of trying to pull as far as she could away from him.

    Her touch seemed to do something to him. The heavy and suffocating atmosphere seemed to break, and he took in a silent breath and the air around them cleared. It was as if he had sucked in every bit of what hade out of him and locked them securely within him again, leaving nothing behind. As if the outburst had never happened at all.

    And he looked like the usual ever so calm and collected Ezekiel again.

    "I was toote." He continued. "They did wee me¡­ but it was with their cold, stiff and dead bodies. I made that vow at that moment while looking at my sibling''s bodies." His voice was so cold and detached that if Alicia did not know better, she would think he was talking about someone else that he was not acquainted with.

    But the corner of his mouth twisted up after that and Alicia felt her heart shuddered hard again. "Then I came at them and ughtered them all. Like the very deserving animals they were." The smiled faded. "I had literally gone mad. I made my father watch as I killed his mistress before his very eyes using the cruellest way possible. And I didn''t stop there. I killed countless innocent others in the midst of my madness. I med them all for being bystanders who did not do anything to help. My powers just kept increasing, uncontroble, like I am sucking all the darkness from hell. I had a feeling then that I would soon be ovee by my tremendous powers, but I didn''t care. I didn''t care what happens next as long as I could destroy everything¡­ and everyone..."

    Silence reigned after that. It took them both a while to realize that Alicia was already sitting in hisp and hugging him tight, wrapping her arms around his neck in her attempt tofort him.

    Alicia stiffened at the realization and her heart began to race. A little afraid once again that he would not like herfort and push her away.

    To her shocked surprise, his hands slowly came up and curled around her waist and back and pulled her closer to his hard body.

    "It seems this helped me stay in control without trying too hard." He whispered and that made her shiver a little in a good way. "If I had known, I should''ve spared myself from all those taxing internal battles. Because right now, it''s amazing how calm you feel. You were a violent storm wreaking havoc before this. I hope this isn''t just the eye of the storm though. Or I''d be damned again in the next few minutes."

    "Are you saying you don''t hate this? Me hugging you and touching you?" Alicia whispered out her question, not knowing why she was even whispering.

    "You don''t remind me of that woman, Alicia. Not even close. If you do, I couldn''t even make myself kiss you no matter how seductive you are." He told her seriously.

    She pulled away in an instant, wide-eyed, but not forgetting to keep her hand on his bare neck and maintain skin contact with him.

    "Then why¡­"

    He stared deep into her eyes. "Taking you isn''t a part of my n, Alicia."

    She just stared back at him, holding his gaze. But despite theck of words, she knew that he understood the begging in her eyes for him to exin that to her.

    "I don''t want to do anything that might end up hurting you." he sighed out and said that helplessly.

    Her frown deepened. "But you said you know a way to ¨C"

    "I don''t want you to form any more physical or emotional attachment to me. Because¡­ I''d be gone soon. And I won''t being back."

    "W-what? Are you going to kill yourself?!!" she jumped up and eximed, eyes rounded in shock.

    Thankfully, he shook his head, smiling as if he found what she had just said to be quite funny.

    "No, Alicia. I don''t have a n to follow in Alex''s footsteps. I''m just leaving." His response was so cryptic that Alicia scrunched her brows.

    "Where?" she asked pointedly.

    "To where I belong."

    Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

    Creation is hard, cheer me up! VOTE for me!

    KazzenlX

 Chapter 796 - Nine days

    <h4>Chapter 796: Nine days</h4>

    Alicia could feel it. She could also see it in his eyes. What he just said was the ultimate decision. No, a decision was actually an understatement. It seemed to be a purpose that he must fulfil at all costs. And no one... and nothing could change his mind.

    Definitely it was because of their connection right now, but she just could tell for sure that he had been preparing for this his entire life. For so long, he had been waiting for this.

    Like this had been his main goal in life all this time.

    And it suddenly stung. Hard. And Alicia winced a little.

    For a long while, they just stayed there, holding onto each other''s gazes. Not saying anything, not moving and almost seem to be not breathing.

    He was the first to give in and had his eyes flutter close. "Don''t... " He choked out.

    "Don''t what?" Alicia asked him back, pretending not to know.

    "Don''t look at me like... that." he uttered in a breathless and a little tight voice.

    She tried her best to swallow the lump in her throat.

    "Are you... going to leave after nine days?" she asked him to distract herself before her emotions be a violent storm for him to withstand again.

    "Yes." Just like her, he was trying to keep his calm as well.

    "Why wait for nine days? There is something you must fulfil first, right?" Alicia was hoping he would voluntarily offer the information without her digging him for it. Though she would not push him to do it, she could hope.

    He nodded. "Just like you, I am waiting for the day that these seven hundred years to be finallypleted. And yes, you are right. I have something I must fulfil on that day."

    "And you will take the thing you need from me that very same day, will you not?" She said it not in a questioning way because she was certain she was right about this.

    He opened his eyes and stared at her. "Yes," he replied in a low voice. "Don''t worry, I will promise you the thing I need from you won''t be harmful to anyone. And I will give you my word, Alicia... nothing will happen to the witches."

    "Are you.. included to that ''anyone''?" Alicia wondered out loud. She wanted to Imow this the most. Somehow, she felt that he was not included in it.

    Ezekiel took a while before answering, "Yes."

    Before Alicia could say the word ''liar'', he seized her mouth. She knew he had seen iting so he stopped her with the most effective way that he had known was possible. Damn you, Ezekiel... she could only curse him in her mind as she kissed him back, winding her arms around his neck as if to make sure he would not pull back from her anymore.

    She knew he did not n to go for a deep and long kiss. He had just nned to kiss her for a moment, just as a means of distraction. But she had grabbed onto his hair and tongued him, causing him to unable to pull back.

    And before they knew it, they were kissing like there were no tomorrows. All restraints were shattered, and the quiet living room was quickly filled with the sounds of their wild and almost savage kissing.

    She tangled her fingers through his thick and dark hair. His hands move liked a snake all over her body.

    And they continued to devour each other''s mouths.

    "Ezekiel..." she moaned out his name into his mouth as she sucked in air against his lips. Why? Of all men in the world, why did this man awaken her womanly desires as no others had? Why did it have to be him? She had even managed to live without knowing this kind of desire... this type of want. But now... even after her death, she found herself wanting him. She could not deny it any longer. She wished so very badly that this could be chalked up to nothing but pure lust. She really wished this was just lust but...

    If she were to be perfectly honest to herself, to just admit to that voice which was calling out from within her... she Imew it was more than just lust. Unfortunately. Or was it fortunately? She could no longer tell. All she knew was that she wanted him. And she wanted him so bad.

    "Alicia..." she heard her own name being called by those lips and her body tingled, loving how erotic her name sounded in his breathless voice.

    She pressed herself tightly against him and was about to seal that mouth of his again when he slipped his hand so swiftly between their faces and covered her lips. She was taken aback at his actions. He was breathing so damned hard as he looked at her with his fiery gaze. That gaze that could make even her entire soul melt.

    "Don''t... fucking don''t..." he said harshly but she could tell those words were aimed towards himself.

    But Alicia no longer had the will nor the reason to fight against her desires for him. Nine days... fine... she would take that and do whatever she wanted with him. To her heart''s content. Because why not? She would end up disappearing as well after that! He would leave forever, and she too would be gone for good.

    "Why? Is being intimate with me hard for you?" she asked him, "Am I being a violent storm damning you to death right now?"

    "No, hell no! The truth is... doing these things with you makes everything calm again within me. Whenever we get intimate, everything else inside me settles down. That''s why I always try to seduce you when you start getting angry and emotional." Ezekiel finally confessed.

    "So this is because you''re worried about me forming emotional and physical attachments to you...??" She threw the question out and grabbed onto his cors. "Listen Ezekiel.

    You''re toote, you idiot!"

    Dear Hellbounders,

    Today marks the 2nd year since i first publish the first chapter of hellbound with you. So Happy 2nd anniversary hellbounders! Gosh! I can''t believe its been two years!!

    What a long journey. I just want you guys to know that I''m so happy that many of you are still here.

    I was nning to give a mini mass release today for the anniversary and for the four readers who gifted supergifts yesterday, but i got an unexpected migraine so I only managed to do one.

    But i will be giving the mass release tomorrow so look forward to it. Again, HAPPY 2ND YEAR ANNIVERSARY HELLBOUNDERS. I love you guys and i hope you will continue to stay with me until the very end of this book we havee to love.

    Love, kazzen

 Chapter 797 - Too late [1/4]

    <h4>Chapter 797: Toote [1/4]</h4>

    "It''s toote you, idiot!" she shouted at him, her hold on his cor tightening as he froze in ce beneath her. "I know you can feel what I''m feeling right now, so let me warn you not to tell me otherwise. It was unbelievable because I am sure I''ve felt real hatred at you just a few hours ago. But here I am now, holding on to you like I don''t want to let go, wanting you more than ever and I cant even deny or hide my feelings anymore. So there''s really no use... there''s no point denying it. It''s toote Ezekiel... it''s..." Alicia ranted on at a fast pace, half afraid that Ezekiel would stop her from saying out what was on her mind.

    "Hush Alicia/'' his thumb was suddenly on her lips. She could feel the slight coolness of his digit when itnded on her heated lips. His forehead was pressing against hers as his raspy breaths came out louder in her ears. She could feel that his forehead was giving off a nice cool contrast to her own heat at that moment as he said, "Not yet. It''s not toote yet

    "No. Stop trying to pacify me because no matter what you will say from now on, I''m not going to deny my passion and desire towards you anymore! And have you forgotten? You were the one who had told me to just admit to my desires, Ezekiel. Well... now I am admitting to them! Willingly!"

    He stilled at her frank admission; his eyes wide as he looked at her.

    "Kiss me." she breathed out the next moment. Demanded. As her hands fisted even tighter on his cor, as though trying to keep him there.

    Alicia had dropped all the shackles on herself off now. Nine days. She only had nine days left to take pleasure in this now that she had let herself give in.

    She had given all her life to her duties. She refused to regret all the things she had sacrificed her life for. She would not be regretting anything she had done for her people. But this... if she wasted these nine days just fighting against herself not to give in to her deep-seated desires, she Imew she would regret it forever.

    She was initially only here to watch over him and make sure he would not do what he vowed to do in the past. Now that she had found out the truth and now that Ezekiel had promised nothing bad would happen to the witches, her duty was basically over. She could live for herself now - well, whatever was left for her to live out, that is. Therefore, she was determined to treasure and appreciate the next nine days to the utmost.

    And if she would be honest to herself, she just wanted to abandon everything now. She wanted to forget everything. All the questions that were still left unanswered, the fact that he was going to leave ¡ª only the devil knows where to, and her finally disappearing for good. Everything. All she wanted right now was to get lost in oblivion, feel his touch on her body again and feel that incredible ecstasy he had made her taste before.

    That was all she wanted right now. And she was no longer going to be timid and shy and get mortified about it. This was probably the first time she has ever wanted something so badly for herself, not for others, not for her duties. It was the first time... and thest time... so she will no longer back out.

    "Take me, Ezekiel." She uttered, her eyes gazing at him with overflowing desire. Then her lips mped over his thumb, tasting it.

    He caught his breath and she saw the fire that suddenly zed into an inferno in his eyes. "F*ck, Alicia. I cant

    She deliberately sucked on his thumb, and he lost it. He flipped them over and pinned her back onto the couch in an instant.

    "Listen here, Alicia..." His jaws were clenched tightly together. "I can''t do that to you... f*ck, I am holding back for your sake

    "Goddamn it, Ezekiel! What the hell is wrong with you?! Did you not understand all the things that I had been telling you the whole time?!" she finally snapped at him. She could not take this anymore. ''What the hell''s stopping..." she mped her teeth down on her lips tight, realizing just how desperate she sounded right now.

    Shame coloured her face and hurt tightened her throat. She suddenly felt like she was being rejected now. This was just too confusing. What the hell was still stopping him and holding him back? Or could it be that he was lying when he said that she did not remind him of that monster in his past?

    She swallowed and looked away. This was wrong. This certainly looked like she was the one forcing herself of him when he did not want to do the deed. What the hell...?! No matter how much she was wanting it, if the other party was reluctant, she was not that desperate to force herself onto him. No way in hell!

    "I''m sorry." She bit out in a weak and hurt voice as she looked away when he suddenly cursed out.

    "No, damn it all! This isn''t because I don''t want to do it. Damn it, Alicia!! I very much want to take you right here, right now and f*ck your brains out until you know nothing but to just scream out my name!" he hissed but Alicia no longer turned to look at him anymore. It was as though she was done listening to his lies. "Fine, I''ll tell you the reason." He grabbed her small face with both his hands and forced her to turn around to look at him.

    "I am holding back this badly because you might not be able to handle me, do you understand?"

    "No. I don''t understand Ezekiel." She shot back, ring at him. Her eyes were now stinging, and she was desperately holding back her tears.

    He shut his eyes closed and took a deep breath. "You are going to be stuck with me every second within these nine days, Alicia. If I take you now.." his throat worked as his gaze smouldered, "I know I won''t be able to stop... after tasting you once. I will be f***ing you for the entire nine days and don''t you dare think I''m not serious when I say this. Are you certain you can handle that kind of torture? Huh? Alicia?" His voice was low and wreaked havoc in her lower abdomen..

 Chapter 798 - Try me [2/4]

    <h4>Chapter 798: Try me [2/4]</h4>

    Alicia swallowed. She wanted tough and tell him how gloriously exaggerated he sounded right now, but the look in his eyes kept her mouth from moving. What? Was he really serious? There was no way that could be true... right? Alicia could feel her cheeks tic as she was torn between wanting to smile or frown.

    But she could clearly feel it. He was not joking at all, and her jaw dropped. She did not know how to even react.

    "No matter how exaggerated it sounded, believe it. I know myself and with you, I can already tell I would definitely go crazy. Not to mention that I''ve been celibate for weeks now because of you following me around." He took another deep breath, and Alicia could detect a slight shakiness in it. Then when he opened his eyes again, he managed to hold himself under control again. "You also have to consider that I''m more of a demon right now as I need to keep using my demonic power the entire time on you."

    When she could not speak, seemingly still in a daze, he pulled away, doing the exact same thing he did quite a few moments ago, holding her ankles and cing her feet over hisp as he leaned back and shut his eyes closed.

    She was speechless at how he had just said what he wanted and went back to acting as though nothing was wrong. As though they had not been talking about banging each other''s brains out. But the most shocking thing was that what he said was not enough to kill the fire that was still zing within her. It was ridiculous how she seemed to take his words as a challenge. That she would be able to handle him. Oh, goodness. She truly had gone mad.

    "Why is it bad if you''re more of a demon right now?" she finally broke the silence and asked. Then she saw how the veins in his neck popped up again. But he still managed to maintain his calm.

    "Demons are sinful creatures, Alicia." He replied in a quiet voice.

    "Sinful..." she echoed. But are not all creatures, may it be humans or vampires or witches, sinful no matter what their race?

    He seemed to have read her thoughts again and answered. "Demons are different. Lust is one of the sins that is associated with them after all. So, their lust is considered..

    unnatural."<i>  f r e e w e b n o v e l. c o m</i>

    "Have you ever did..." she trailed off, unable to finish her sentence.

    But again, he answered her, understanding what she was asking. "No. I''ve never let my demonic sidee to the surface while I''m with anyone before you."

    "Then how do you know..."

    "I just know." He said in a confident tone and Alicia pulled herself up.

    "I still believe that you''d never know unless you try." She told him stubbornly, causing his eyes to fly open and look at her. "I think I can handle you, Ezekiel." Her chin was lifted high as she said that. She felt her lips curved up into a wicked smile at the sight of his expression, satisfied that she was able to jab at him and make him lose hisposure again.

    She did not know why, but something in her was pushing her to taunt him. Tease him and make him surrender, just like her.

    "Alicia... you

    She leaned in and kissed him full on the lips, doing the exact same thing that he had always done to her to shut her mouth.

    "I''m confident I can handle you." she whispered tauntingly against his mouth and bit on his lower lip. She did not know where this courage or boldness of hers wasing from.

    But for the first time, she felt like she was having the time of her life, exploring an uncharted territory without any care in the world but for herself, and this man she wanted so bad. "Try me."

    And he grabbed her. Kissed her like a starved beast. His kiss devoured her mouth like a zing fire.

    Then he pulled her against him, moulding her body to his. She felt her heart shiver in utter need and relief at the feel of him matching her hunger for him. No, whatever she gives, he gave it back two-fold and it was already driving her insane.

    Everything seemed to feel hotter, wilder and more delicious than she could remember to be. Was this because she was finally letting herself swim freely and enjoy this sweet oblivion? Or was it because Ezekiel finally gave in as well?

    She could feel it. This man wanted her as well, there was no mistaking it. He desired her too, she was at least certain of that.

    A moan was torn from her lips when his wicked mouth descended on her neck. Hevished her skin with his kisses and all she could do was feel the dancing of the drugging sensations all over her.

    She wanted more. This was not nearly enough to sate her hunger. She wanted him to damn her now. She wanted him to... bury himself inside her and release her from all these maddening desires that had been whirling within her since the moment he had kissed her. She was searching for that blissful release.

    He nipped at her skin, and she tossed her head back as she shivered. Was that his response to her thoughts?

    She moaned in pleasure. Right. He could feel everything and probably know exactly what she was thinking.

    ''More... touch me... please give me more...'' she moaned within herself and once again, he obliged without speaking. His hand finally slipped from under his big shirt on her. It travelled upward when, ''not there... Ezekiel... not there please... I don''t want to be teased there anymore... touch me down there instead... please...'' she begged him wordlessly..

    Hoping, praying that he would end this torturous back and forth forey that they had been engaging in for god knows how long!

 Chapter 799 - Like a harp [3/4]

    <h4>Chapter 799: Like a harp [3/4]</h4>

    She felt him smiled against her neck. He did hear her demands, but that did not mean that he would obediently follow it. His mischievous hand slipped past the aching area she so badly wanted him to touch. Oh goodness!

    Before she could groan out in protest, he had already slipped his head under her big shirt. Then his mouthtched onto her breast, sucking at her now taut buds.

    And her moans began to escape her mouth, initially soft and mewling but increasing in volume as the seconds ticked by. His mouth on her breast was driving her crazier by the minute! Everything he did only made her want him more. ''Oh please... I can''t... not anymore...''

    Just as she thought she could not hold on anymore, he finally touched her there and she felt like she was going to perish ¡ªin a good way with every delicious and daring stroke he bestowed upon her. His fingers were so hot! And it felt so damned good. But it was still not enough. She needed more. More...

    She shifted against him, urging him to do more as she moved her arms up and pulled of her shirt with one swift move. Once she dropped the shirt aside, she grabbed his head and clutched onto his dark silky hair that was now getting a little damp with sweat.

    When he lifted his face, Alicia kissed him, stabbing her tongue inside his wickedly sweet mouth. Honestly, she thought to herself that his taste actually had shocked her even the first time they kissed. She had not thought that such a masculine, powerful and dominant person like Ezekiel would actually taste sweet when she kissed him. So it was a wonderfully pleasant find to discover this about him.

    Ezekiel then sucked on her tongue, taking the offering without any second thoughts, and he finally slipped his long and thick finger inside her.

    The invasion caused her to bite down a sharp moan. But it did not seem to escape his notice and he withdrew his finger.

    "No. Please... don''t stop." She grabbed at his wrist with her two hands and a wicked smiled curved on Ezekiel''s lips. His eyes were gleaming with so much need and desire and fascination. "Continue... please..." she pleaded as she panted out, not wanting him to stop the pleasurable invasion.

    He cupped her face with one hand, holding her chin to make her keep her gaze on him. "As you wish," he whispered deeply and then he pushed his finger deep inside her again without taking his gaze off her face.

    She moaned and shut her eyes when he spoke again. "Don''t close your eyes and look at me, Alicia. Otherwise, I''ll stop." There was a mixture of warning and teasing in his voice and Alicia could not help the shiver that travelled across her body after listening to that dark and seductive voice.

    Her eyes immediately flew open. "Yes, good girl. Just like that. Don''t take your eyes off me."

    She shuddered and moaned and sighed as he continued stroking her. His other finger also began working its magic and she writhed from the utter pleasure of it. Oh goodness...

    she could not stop moaning now, gasping for air.

    She wanted him to kiss her. But he seemed to be more interested in staring at her like he was entirely focused on nothing else but her reactions. And Alicia found that it was not that bad too for him to behave in such a manner. She loved the look in his eyes as he watched her as he pleasured her. It was just so hot. The fire in his eyes was burning her too.

    Reflexively, Alicia rocked against his hand, and he licked his lips ever so slowly. "So impatient..." he whispered, smiling devilishly. "Tell me Alicia, do you want my finger all the way inside you?

    She moaned her answer as she rocked her hips forward. Her impatience was so crystal clear in her expressions and actions. Please...

    And he obliged with her silent pleas. He took her mouth as he plunged his finger all the way into her depths. He swallowed her gasps and moans as he kissed her wildly. His finger inside her slowly moving wilder as well.

    The pleasure kept building up to a degree that she did not know was possible. Then he slowed down, as if the wildness was suddenly tamed a little. And then he started taking it slow, exploring, teasing, stroking her until the agony be just too unbearable for her. She writhed and trashed about, not able to control her own body''s responses to his skilful maniptions. He was ying her exquisitely like a harp.

    Alicia moaned out loud against his mouth, wanting to tell him to move his fingers faster. He did not heed her request this time, so she did it herself. The moment she began to rock her hips against his hand, he pulled away from the kiss and began watching her again.

    "Go on, yes..." he encouraged her in such an erotic voice and burning gaze, "just like that, Alicia... don''t hesitate to take what you want... take your own pleasure..."

    And her instincts took over. She rolled her hips and rocked against his hand faster as if she was now chasing after something.

    "Ez... zekiel..." she moaned his name as she rocked against him without any restraints, and he kissed her again. This time, his kiss was wilder than ever, and it only enhanced the pleasure that was building dangerously high within her. Oh goodness... she felt like she was really going to perish soon... this pleasure... it was just so good that she could die...

    Then everything became wilder, hotter... her blood and heartbeat pumped so hard within her veins as his mouth and his finger inside her began to ravage her. Until the

    magnificent pleasure finally broke through the upper limit.

    Alicia screamed out his name as she felt the ecstasy so unlike any others, consume her entire being, leaving no stone unturned, no spot unvisited. Her body clenched and tingled and shook before she slumped against him, breathless..

 Chapter 800 Tasting her [4/4]

    Chapter 800 Tasting her [4/4]

    This chapter is dedicated to @Sacogun! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    All she could hear was his loud heartbeat thumping against her ear as she slumped bonelessly against his broad chest. It felt like she had fallen right down from the heavens now. Only that she was not going to fall back on earth and die. She was falling back into those heavenly arms of his. And that feeling was so¡­ she could not quite exin it.

    But she knew that she was already on the verge of drifting into sleep. It was like she had lost every single iota of her strength. No¡­ she cannot sleep yet¡­ she must not!

    "Sleep." She heard his deep voice rumble into her ears. And she protested, forcefully opening her eyes to look at him. "Stop fighting it you, stubborn woman and just sleep." There was a tinge of amusement in his voice as he said that.

    Shaking her head with all the strength that she could muster, she managed to utter a weak protest. "No¡­ did you¡­ put me¡­ to sleep?" her indignant face triggered a chuckle from the man.

    "No Alicia. Your body is just that weak remember?" he reminded her gently, knowing that she was upset about her own body''s conditions. "Don''t worry, I''ll be right here when you wake up."

    She cursed. "Don''t want to sleep¡­ I still need to¡­ I can¡­ handle¡­ you¡­ wait¡­" her words were not making sense and her eyelids were drooping seriously low.

    Her eyes finally fell shut, and he chuckled again, shaking his head in amusement. Then he sighed, holding her close against him as he lifted his hand and stared at it. His eyes darkened a tinge more as he continued looking.

    His hand was so damned wet with her love juices.

    Another curse was torn from his lips as he felt his still hard manhood swell up even more against her. "Now look what you did to me, you stubborn woman." Heined and casually kissed her head. "You should know you''re the only woman who tortures me to no end like this and still manage to live and see another day, Alicia."

    And he cursed again as he shut his eyes closed and¡­ put his finger into his mouth. Tasting her.

    ¡­

    The sun was already high in the sky when Alicia finally cracked opened her eyes. She could guess it was nearly noon time when she nced over at the window.

    She shifted and was about to stretch her arms when everything from this dawn shed in her mind. Her eyes flew open wide, barely stopping herself from gasping.

    Then she realized that she was not lying on the couch anymore. She was already in his bed.

    Slowly, she turned her head to her side and the moment she saw him, her heart thudded so loudly and her heartbeat beat out a wild rhythm. Biting her lower lip, Alicia struggled to calm herself down. She was so d he was still asleep right now.

    After taking a few deep breaths, Alicia carefully sat up on the bed. She looked down at herself and noticed that she was wearing a new shirt now. Another shirt that smells like him. The previous shirt was long gone and nowhere to be seen.

    Her cheeks burned once again, and she looked down at him. What had happened after she passed out? Goodness! She could not believe she actually passed out just like that! And she had brazenly told him that she could handle him?

    She realized that he was aware about this all along and that was why he¡­

    Guilt and shame coloured her face. But at the same time, her heart was melting at the realization that he truly was holding back for her sake. He knew what this temporary body of hers could and could not handle.

    Her face became sullen. She did not like this new reality she had found out. Was that really all this body of hers can handle? Is there really no¡­

    His long thickshes fluttered opened and she felt her heart jump as those mesmerising eyes stared into her own.

    "So-sorry, did I wake you up? I did not mean to move about so much." she said nervously, thinking that her fluctuating emotions just now must have had jolted him awake.

    He narrowed his eyes slightly as their eyes met. "Your face is red." And Alicia put her hands up to her cheeks, immediately feeling the heat of her cheeks contrasting with the cooler temperature of her palms.

    Alicia immediately looked away, hiding her face from him. "So what?"

    She waited for him to taunt her or bring up what had happened during dawn, but surprisingly he did not.

    "I''m hungry." He said suddenly, causing her to whip her head towards him.

    But then her face quickly reddened at the realization that he was not talking about that kind of hunger. Oh goodness! When had she be this dirty minded?!

    A slow smile curved up his face and she knew he understood what she had just thought. Bloody devil Alicia!

    "Then get up and let''s go to the kitchen before you get starved to death." Alicia scrambled to get off the bed, tugging at his hand, avoiding looking at his face as she pulled him out of the bedroom.

    Her pace was fast as she strode towards the kitchen with him, not giving him a chance to tease her.

    When they reached Ezekiel''s fridge, Alicia reached out and opened it. Only to be shocked because the only two wine bottles inside were alreadypletely empty.

    She turned towards him slowly and saw him just staring at the empty bottles with apletely nk expression. But she somehow felt that he seemed to be surprised too. In fact, she felt like for a moment there, he even felt like he was quite rmed. This only meant that¡­ he really did not have any other supply!

    ___

    HAPPY 800TH CHAPTER HELLBOUNDERS! :partying_face:

    WOW ANOTHER MILESTONE! :face_screaming_in_fear:

 Chapter 801 Rules

    Chapter 801 Rules¡¡¡¡Remembering that Ezekiel does not even have a working phone right now, Alicia could not help but feel a little rmed too. How were they to contact someone to get him more?

    "Is there no one outside the door right now? I mean, there must be some of your men who must be stationed around on the outside¡­ right?" Alicia questioned him worriedly.

    "None of them are here." he sounded very certain. "Alex must have sent them all away yesterday."

    Alicia creased her brows. "Why on earth would he even do that?" she was confused. Should Alexander not have more people around to watch over Ezekiel?

    He sighed and leaned against the counter next to them. Just like yesterday, he looked a little tired again, even though he had just woken up. "He just loves to mess around." He shrugged.

    "Then maybe, we could borrow your neighbour''s phone?" Alicia suggested. No matter what, they needed to get their hands on somemunication device.

    "I am the only one on this floor. All units are empty except mine. The floor below is upied by my men and knowing Alex, he must have tampered with the telephones already."

    "What? Why would he have done that?" No matter how Alicia thought about it, she could not quite understand why Alexander would do such a thing. She also wanted to doubt Ezekiel''s statement, but she could feel that he was serious and that he was more than certain at what he was saying.

    "It''s Alex. He just loves creating troubles for me." Ezekiel just repeated the excuse he gave her earlier and threw his head back. Alicia just looked at him and saw his eyes closing.

    It also bothered her at how his voice seemed to be weakening.

    "Are you okay? How about you teleport us like what you did before?"

    He shook his head. "Not a good idea."

    "Why? Because you''re too weak?"

    Slowly, he opened his eyes and gazed at her. Alicia felt her heart skipped a beat the moment their eyes met. He scrutinized her expression. She thought that it must be because he heard the concern in her voice that she could no longer hide, nor did she want to hide it. She did not have the intention of hiding it. She already knew there was no use hiding anything from him any longer. They were way past that stage right now.

    "Weak¡­" he echoed after her, slightly raising a brow at Alicia.

    "Yes. You looked tired again. Just like yesterday. I''m thinking that it''s either because of your hunger for blood or because of the power you''re using on me. Or both." She shrugged as she exined herself, looking at him.

    His gaze fell on her neck, and she stilled. But then a slow smile tugged at his lips as he reached out and pinched her chin lightly.

    "Stop getting worried about your enemy, Alicia. Don''t worry, nothing will happen to me. Whatever that is going on with me is not a big deal. Understood?" There was a grin shing across his face.

    Alicia could not help but bite down on her lower lip. Now that the hatred in her waspletely dissolved as though it had never existed, this confusing demonic vampire seemed to be wanting her to hate him again, unnecessarily mentioning the word ''enemy'' like this. Was he trying to distract her about something again?

    "You''re no longer an enemy in my eyes, Ezekiel. I''ve found out the truth. There''s no reason for me to hate you anymore." She told him. She did not have any ns to keep ying this game anymore. "Now let''s deal with this first. I mean your hunger. And don''t insist that you''re fine because I won''t buy it."

    He retracted his hand off her chin and ran it through his hair before sighing.

    "If you can''t teleport us out or call anyone¡­ what is the other alternative?" Alicia asked, determined to solve the matter about his hunger.

    He leaned back and shoved his free hand inside his pocket, sighing as if he was done insisting. "Grab a human below." Was his swift reply, causing Alicia to widen her eyes.

    "B-but I thought you ¨C"

    "Yes. I don''t drink directly from humans at all ¨C except for the few times that was due to emergencies. But those only happened back in my country where the humans know about us. I''ve never tried it on any other humans outside the country. That''s forbidden."

    "Then why¡­" she trailed off. "Because that''s the only choice right now?" she remembered asking him for alternatives. And this must be it.

    "Yes¡­ and I don''t n to break my own rules. I''ve killed countless rogues for doing the forbidden. So I''d be damned before if I go back on my own words. So, I won''t. I don''t break my own rules except..." he trailed off, his eyes darkening as he stared at her.

    But then he looked away after a few seconds.

    "Except what? Except when I''m involved?" she guessed, hitting bullseye with that question. She knew about his rules between a vampire and a witch, yet he had kissed and desired a witch, her. He had broken his own rule. For her.

    He stopped moving and went very still. The veins in his neck popping.

    "Yes." He admitted. And she could not help but smile, loving the feeling it elicited in her chest right now. "And that''s not something you should be happy about Alicia." His gaze sharpened as he noticed her reactions to his admission. "You''re supposed to feel the opposite."

    "And why should I?" Alicia raised a brow, challenging him.

    "Because you being the exception means you''re in a grave danger in my hands." A real warning shed in his eyes. But Alicia did not even flinch. Not even a shiver.

    ___

    Thank you so much for the warm wishes and all your gifts hellbounders! I just love you guys! I will be giving out the 3 chapters i owe from the ''supergifters'' (i saw ament saying this and i like the sound of it XD) tomorrow. Also, i would like to address that my dedicatiom for these supergifters are my way to thank them for their generous support. Their every gifts don''t only give me extra ie but also advertise the book sitewide. That''s really a very big support for me and the book and that''s why i am showing just how thanful i am by dedicating a chapter to them. It also really ads up to my motivation knowing how much you guys love what i am writing that you are willing to support me this much. Makes me cry with joy too every time.

 Chapter 802 Not even close

    Rmended by

    Chapter 802 Not even close¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @edi_o! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Boldly, Alicia grabbed onto his cor. Her eyes now gleaming with determination, not to be stopped by anything or anyone. Especially not Ezekiel himself. "Listen here, Ezekiel. I no longer n to spend my remaining days hating you or fighting with you. I have decided to do whatever I want¡­ without any reservations. So don''t waste your time ¨C or mine ¨C trying to distract me or scare me. All those tactics, they won''t be working on me anymore." She told him off directly, knowing that he would find some ways to detract her from carrying out her ns.

    Hearing what she said, his whole person went very still. His expression did not change much, but his eyes sharpened at what she had said. It was as though he was a predator, stilled and poised in its position, just waiting for the right moment to attack.

    Then his hand was on her chin again, pinching it gently. "Whoever said that I was trying to distract and scare you? I am just trying to make you stop being stubborn and take my words seriously, Alicia. I told you, I always end up breaking my rules when ites to you¡­ and you should know what that means by now. That means there''s no more rules that can bind me from doing whatever I want with you." His voice pitched lower with much meaning, causing Alicia''s heart to stutter and skip a couple of beats.

    "And whoever said that I am not taking your words seriously, Ezekiel?" she shot back, unyielding, not wanting to lose ground to him as well. "I know that you are being very serious right now, but I also know what kind of man you are. I''ve never met or known anyone with the kind of crazy self-control that you have and are capable of. You''ve already proven that to me time and time again. I know that you''ll always end up being fully in control of yourself like you always do¡­ and that''s why I am not even hesitating to offer up my blood to you." Alicia countered him smoothly as she saw one of his brows raised at hereback.

    A disbelieving smile curved at his lips. And for a moment there, she saw such a beautiful gleam shed across his eyes. It was just too bad because the smile and that look in his eyes were extremely quick to disappear ¨C just like quicksilver ¨C and got immediately reced with his usual seriousness. Alicia sighed and thought to herself on when it will be next before she could appreciate that beautiful view again.

    "You''re overestimating me, Alicia." he uttered in a low but absolutely certain voice. "I''m telling you again, with you¡­ I''m not the same. Don''t put me up on some kind of imaginary pedestal." His grip on her chin tightened before his thumb swiped to part her lips.

    Then he moved his face close to hers. So close that his moist breaths were now caressing her lips so tantalisingly. "I''m telling you this for the first and thest time, Alicia. So it would do you good to listen well¡­ you don''t have the slightest idea how you make me feel a serious fear for your life while you''re with me. You don''t know what I truly want to do with you now." There was a dark promise that coated his voice that caused Alicia to feel as though there was something stuck in her throat.

    She felt the need to swallow so badly, but she managed to stop herself. "Oh, I do, Ezekiel. You''ve already told me, remember? You''d wanted to f*ck me brainless and until all I can scream out is your name ¨C for nine days straight." She had to taunt him while phrasing her words as provocatively as possible.

    His wicked smile reappeared, shaking his head as he bit on his lower lip and released them slowly. "That''s true, I did say that wanted that¡­ but that was previously. Now¡­ now my desires are nowhere near what I wanted before. Not even close." His breathing became a bit moreboured as he backed her up against the counter and pinned her there with hisrge body. Then he bent and whispered provocatively in her ear. "I wanted to kidnap you and damn you to hell with me so I can f*ck you there for eternity. That way, I can do every sinful and uncivilized thing to you for as long as I wish to!"

    Alicia suddenly forgot how to breathe. Shepletely lost her power of speech. Her mind was scorched into oblivion, and it had even refused to fully process what he had just said. His voice, his words¡­ they just continued echoing in her head, turning her brain into mush.

    "Breathe, Alicia." His voice shook her attention and she snapped back to reality with a gasp, pulling in lungfuls of sweet air.

    She focused her still slightly dazed gaze on him as she panted for breath. She did not know how long she stopped breathing for. Oh, for freaking goodness sakes! The things that this man and his words do to her!

    Before she could say anything else, she felt him lift her and carried her out of the kitchen. The areas where his palms cradled her felt scorching to the touch and it was as though he was trying to burn her to crisp. However, she was willingly epting of everything that he would mete out to her ¨C as long as it was from him.

    Once he ced her down back onto the couch, she finally got some of her bearings back and trained her eyes on him. "Ezekiel¡­" she called out in a weak voice. "What you just ¨C"

    "Hush, Alicia." He stopped her with a little bump of his forehead on hers, and she immediately felt that he was wordlessly telling her that he did not want her to say anything further about it. "Sleep," he added as he gently guided her head to lie down on hisp, cing hisrge palm over her eyes.

 Chapter 803 Ice and fire

    Chapter 803 Ice and fire¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @Josefina_Kearns! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Alicia stilled for a moment. She did not expect to be ced in this position. That he would make her use hisp as her pillow this time. And the warmth of his touches, hisrge palm covering her eyes like an eye mask and hisp serving as her pillow, all these temporarily distracted her from the thoughts that were buzzing busily around in her head.

    She lifted her hand and ced it over his that was covering her eyes. "I don''t want to sleep. And you''re obviously not alright. You''re hungry." She dered gently, deciding to not talk about what she badly wanted to talk about for now. It was fine if she changed the topic for now.

    "I''m telling you again for the nth time Alicia. I. Am. Fine. A simple hunger won''t do much damage to me. Even if my vampiric side is starving and weak, I still have my demonic powers with me." He exined to her as patiently as he could, and she could sense that he had his eyes closed again. She did now know how she knew it, but she just somehow did.

    "Alright. I won''t insist anymore. But¡­ I really don''t want to sleep." She gently pushed away his palm that were covering her eyes and looked up at him. Their eyes met and she continued. "Don''t put me to sleep... please, Ezekiel." She blinked slowly at him as she pleaded with eyes going as puppy-dog as she could make them, and she felt Ezekiel turning into a statue.

    He did not make even the slightest movement. He just froze, looking down at her as if he could not believe what he had just seen nor heard.

    Well, Alicia screamed within her as well at what she just did. She never does that but¡­ she had thought that she must try a different approach in dealing with this man or else she would just end up spending the rest of herst nine days sleeping it away.

    But she did not think his reaction would be like this. That he would react this strongly to her persuading methods. For a moment, she was afraid that he would bark out fromughter at her silly attempt to act cute to sway him but¡­ oh goodness! Was it actually working on the high and mighty lord Ezekiel? The triumph she felt was just so strong she could not stop herself from grinning. Making this man react like this was just simply damned satisfying. There was no way else to describe it.

    He tore his gaze off hers when the corners of her lips lifted. He looked sideways, clearing his throat, but Alicia was already beaming with joy.

    "No." he said, jaws clenching as he stared to his side. "It''s better for you and I to stay asleep, Alicia. We need the rest, too. This is the only better choice for us to do¡­" he trailed off when Alicia suddenly moved.

    She had changed her position to kneeling on the couch with her straddling him between her spread out thighs. Her hands were now wound around his neck as she cocked her head to the side where Ezekiel was facing. Then she blinked at him again. "Please? Ezekiel?" her voice came out light and breathless.

    His lips parted. And Alicia did her best not to grin and blink at him again instead. She could feel him tensing up minutely under her and pleasure and pride filled her. It thrilled her at how he was so receptive to her every little action.

    "Fine, damn it¡­" he groaned as he swiftly covered her eyes with his palm. She did not know if he did that so she could not blink at him again or so she would not be able to see his reaction. "Don''t sleep then if you wish¡­ but don''t disturb me." He sounded so firm as he said that before he retracted his hand. "Do what you want¡­ you stubborn woman. But be good and let me sleep."

    When she looked down at him, he already had his eyes shut closed and was leaning his head back against the couch.

    Alicia bit down on her lower lip. The urge to tease him further and see that incredibly human reaction of his again was strong. But she held herself back. She did not want to overuse her newfound effective tactics, right? And he seemed to really need sleep right now. Did he not sleep well?

    Now that Alicia thought about it, she actually did not have any idea whether Ezekiel had actually been sleeping all the time when she was asleep. Could it be that he was not even sleeping and had been pretending to do so? Could it be that that was why he always looked so tired even after just waking up? But what had he been doing instead of sleeping?

    She was about to climb off him so she would not disturb his rest as he said, but his hand that was wrapped around her waist did not seem to want to let go. He instead pulled her tighter against him, holding her head over his chest. "Be good and stay still. I can sleep peacefully only if you''re this close to me." Alicia flushed at his words. This man! Even at this point where he imed he needed to sleep and rest; he could still flirt and throw out such heart thumping words!

    Alicia blinked, surprised once again. "R-really? Why do you think that my closeness is able to give you peace?" she asked, truly curious as she questioned him. She really wanted to know.

    "Honestly¡­ I''m not certain on this as well. However, I don''t intend to figure any more of it out." His answer only made her want to pull away and re at him for being both fire and ice again. But she did not respond impulsively and continued asking instead, keeping her calm.

    "Why? Is it because you''re afraid of what you might find out?"

 Chapter 804 Naughty

    Chapter 804 Naughty¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @Sacogun! Thank you so mich for the supergift!

    "No. Not afraid." He answered. She had wanted to pull back to look at his face, but he did not allow her to do so. Thus, she tried to feel out his emotion through their link between each other. But try as she did, there was nothing but calmness and certainty. He must be a hundred percent sure of what he was saying or feeling without a doubt.

    "Then why?" she prodded him.

    "There''s just no use. I know it''s certainly something that is never a part of my n. Now that''s enough questions and do behave, Alicia."

    She relented and did not ask anymore and just quietly rested on him and listened to the steady thumps of his heartbeat. Then her thoughts returned to his words. Now her suspicion that he might be going to go to the underworld was right. It was not that surprising to her honestly, because he does have his demonic powers. Someone like him was not meant to be here, living in the mortal realm like the rest of them.

    Demons were not supposed to be able to roam freely on the surface of the earth. They can only leave the underworld if they were summoned by a strong witch. This means that once Ezekiel goes there, he would be condemned to stay in there forever. And because he was so very strong, not even Zeres could summon him back to the mortal realm.

    Alicia could feel that Ezekiel was set in his heart to do this. It was as if he had known all along that he was fated to leave and would never be able toe back. Now she could not help but think that this was the reason why this man never considered building a family of his own for the many long years of his life that was spent here on earth.

    When she was spying on him, she had never found any information about him even having an official lover. She had found out that he has had quite an appetite like most of the vampires especially the royals, but it seemed that having an official lover was never his thing. Was it because he had never fallen in love with anyone yet? Or perhaps he did, just that he had never allowed himself to progress along or acknowledge it because he believed that there was no use since he was someone who was set to leave?

    Alicia thought that knowing Ezekiel, her theory made a lot of sense. Then her thoughts moved on to the words that had her stop breathing. How could he tell her those vulgar words?

    She tried her best to keep herself calm, not wanting to disturb his rest if her heartbeat started racing like crazy again. Was he really serious about those words?! He could not be, right?

    Maybe he did really think of wanting to do that, but Alicia was aware that it can never happen. That was just impossible. She too, would be gone all too soon. And she could not even go anywhere. Not even to the afterlife. Once Ezekiel lets go of her, she would just cease to exist, and she had long since epted her fate that she had chosen the day that she had died.

    Less than nine days left¡­ and after that, she would not even be able to hold him, feel him and touch him like this anymore. Their intimate moments this dawn came rushing back to her again. Those feelings that had filled her person. The ecstasy and pure pleasure of it. And to think that he had only used his¡­ his finger to pleasure her. What would happen if¡­ if¡­

    "Alicia¡­" she heard him call out her name in a rumbling low voice and she caught her breath. Her face burned red suddenly as though she had been caught doing something wrong.

    *Cough!* She attempted to sound innocent. "Yes? Anything wrong? Do you¡­ need something?"

    "No. But I need you to stop thinking on whatever it is that you are thinking right now." Ezekiel had a small but knowing smile lingering on his lips.

    Her face burned even hotter now and she bit down sheepishly on her lip. "Can you tell what exactly I was thinking about?" she retorted, still hanging on to her innocent fa?ade.

    He took a while to respond. "Yes." And her heart skipped a beat at his reply.

    Alicia pulled away, her hand pushing against his hard and broad chest ¨C one that she fully appreciated while keeping in contact with. "Oh, really? I don''t think so." she was raising her brow at him as she spoke, convincing herself that he definitely could not tell exactly what it was. Maybe he could tell she was thinking about him. But there should be no way that he could tell the very exact thoughts that she was mulling over just now, right? Right¡­?!

    He opened his eyes and Alicia was instantly frozen at the look that she saw reflected in those deep and profound his of eyes.

    "You are thinking about¡­ naughty things, Alicia." He said straightforwardly, his eyes boring intensely into hers. "Silly girl. I told you to behave, didn''t I? But here you are¡­ being naughty. Again."

    "And whose fault do you think is it? It''spletely your fault saying all those¡­ those vulgar and gloriously exaggerated words!" Alicia blurted out. Her voice shaky as she felt slightly off bnced from his extremely forceful stare that had not shifted off her the least.

    He caught her chin and press his thumb on her lips again. "I don''t exaggerate my words, Alicia. And I am going to put you to sleep right now since you have proven that you couldn''t behave yourself." His voice came out softly, but full of promise.

    "What?! Wa¡­ wait! Don''t you dare, Ezekiel!" She cupped her palms hard on both sides of his face, pushing herself up with her knees as she pressed her palms into his face. Hard. "I told you I don''t want to sleep! I am not a child that you can force to sleep whenever and wherever you want!" Alicia protested loudly, eyes shing in indignation.

    A short silence passed. Then he sighed out in surrender.

    "Fine. I''ll just make you pass out for a little while again, then." He said, causing Alicia''s jaw to drop. "I believe you''d prefer that way, right? My naughty girl¡­"

 Chapter 805 Haste

    Chapter 805 Haste¡¡¡¡Before Alicia could even snap out of beingpletely spellbound by him and his words, Zeke''s expression suddenly changed.

    The shift of emotions on his face happened too quickly that the wildfire that had just zed up one moment before was literally extinguished within an instant. In one swift move, he stood and ced Alicia down, before grabbing onto the shopping bags that contained the provocative undergarments.

    He frantically grabbed one, making sure that he picked the one that was the least provocative among them. Looking down at his hands, he noticed that the one he picked was still provocative, but at least it had more fabric and covered more than the others do.

    "Wear this. Now." Hemanded, giving that little scrap of clothing to her.

    Once Alicia took the underwear, he pulled her into his room and started looking for something else while Alicia maneuver herself to get into the panties with just one hand. Though it was a challenge, she somehow managed to put it on. She was still flustered but she could feel the utter urgency in him. And he was moving too fast that she could barely keep up, much less ask him what was going on.

    Before she could even think of how she should put on the bra, Zeke threw over a boxer short to her. His boxers. "Wear this. Make haste."

    Alicia could only huff and do as he tell her to. He made her wear a long coat over her loose shirt, not giving her anymore chances to put on the bra he had given her.

    Then the windows shattered for seemingly no reason at all. Alicia''s eyes flew wide open in shock.

    She heard him curse before her eyes were covered with the furry hood of the coat Ezekiel had made her wear just a while ago. And in the next few seconds, everything descended into chaos.

    The fight that started up out of nowhere was dangerous and intense. Even though Alicia could not see what exactly was going on, she could very well tell by the sounds. What in the world had happened?!

    Her heart was thudding hard as she felt Ezekiel''s arm wrapped tightly around her waist. And it bugged her as she saw how protective he was of her. It was like he was trying to protect her rather than himself. What¡­ is going on?

    She tried to look out of the lowered hood, but Ezekiel moved again at impossible speeds, causing her human body to be totally unable to keep up at all. All she could do was cling onto him as everything around them breaks and shatters.

    Alicia could tell that whoever Ezekiel was fighting right now was¡­ after her. Not him. And they were, vampires. That Alicia was quite certain about. Only vampires fight like this. But why? Why would vampires attack Ezekiel? Were they rogues? Where were Ezekiel''s men?! Why did it seem that no one seemed to being to aid him?

    Ezekiel was not himself right now. He was weak and vulnerable! Could these vampires know about this matter? But how?!

    She was swung again, and she felt them get mmed against the wall. She could tell that Ezekiel had used his body to cushion her and blocked the direct blow of the m to the wall for her.

    Then everything became impossibly fast again as she felt Ezekiel attacked, with her held closely to his body with his powerful arms.

    When he stopped, she heard thuds of something falling over on the floor. Then everything became quiet. The only thing that could be heard was Ezekiel''s hard breaths as he stood there panting from all the exertion.

    Alicia finally retracted her hand that was fisted hard on his shirt and pull her hood down. When she looked up at him, her body froze. His face was covered with stters of blood and his eyes too, were feral, so deadly and dangerous that she had to swallow.

    But then he suddenly swayed. Alicia quickly held onto him before he sagged heavily against her.

    "Ezekiel¡­ are you hurt?" she asked hurriedly, panicking a little. She surveyed him closely all over and finally saw that he had a sword in his hand, made purely from his demonic power. It was now dissolving.

    "We need to go." Was his response.

    "But¡­"

    He pulled her out of his now chaotic house, walking as though he was a little drunk. The sight of him like this was so new to Alicia. She had never seen him, nor had she ever imagined him in this situation before.

    Once they reached the elevators, Alicia put his arm around her shoulders as they entered. She was a little concerned that he would not be able to remain standing as the elevator made its way to the ground floor.

    "I can still stand, silly girl." He said a little teasingly when Alicia reached out and wiped away the blood that was on his face with the edges of her sleeve. She had a million questions to ask. But she knew clearly that it was not the right time for that right now. So all she did was to give him an understanding smile before turning back to look at the elevator doors and adjusting his arm that were draped across her shoulders while her other arm wrapped around his waist.

    The elevator doors opened a couple of times as they descended, and humans entered. It was a good thing that the both of them were wearing ck and that made the blood which was all over them not seem that obvious. She could not imagine themotion if the humans started screaming if they could recognise the sight of fresh blood stains on their clothes.

    Ezekiel pulled at her again once the elevator reached the ground floor, avoiding the humans as much as possible. They rushed to his car as if someone was chasing after them. Then he drove the car out of the building with much haste.

    ___

    I''m giving mini mass release tomorrow courtesy of the supergifters. ^^

 Chapter 806 Vulnerable [1/4]

    Chapter 806 Vulnerable [1/4]¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @_Basia_! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    "Where are we going?" Alicia finally started asking once she noticed that Ezekiel''s expression had rxed and gone back to its usual serene mask. Her gaze on him was scrutinizing, trying to see if he was truly alright and not badly injured.

    But with all those ck clothes and that perfectly calm face, it was impossible for her to tell if he was hiding any injuries. So no matter how she observed and scrutinized, she could not make out anything.

    Feeling her intense scrutiny on his person, he nced over at her. His gaze through his damp and tussled hair was observant and extremely focused.

    She had seen this man engaging in a lot of fights before this, therefore the situation earlier was not something that was out of the ordinary for her. And in those fights, it was a given that with the way he had to move, perspiring was to be expected. However, she could swear that she had never seen him sweat this much in any battle before today. Right now, he did not look like the all too cool, calm and collected prince Ezekiel. If she were to describe him, he would more likely fit the description of a rogue who was on the run. And she could not stop staring at him. This view of Ezekiel was truly too rare to be seen and she did not want to miss the opportunity to see him in this way.

    "To hell," came his reply and Alicia was unable to immediately respond to that answer from him. Then all too soon, a ghost of a smile shed across his face. "You''re being kidnapped by me right now."

    Still, Alicia could not respond and only blinked at him, causing him to nce at her sideways again as the corners of his lips lifted up.

    "What. Too stunned to protest?" he teased her, seemingly hoping to get a rise from this spitfire he had on his hands.

    "Fine, I won''t ask about our destination anymore." Alicia leaned back, sighing. Yes. His words had stunned her again. But this time, she knew that he was not being serious. She just could tell. "I''ll ask about something else instead. Why were those vampires attacking you?"

    He fell silent. His smile had faded as he focused his gaze back on the road.

    "Or¡­ was it me that they were attacking? Because it totally won''t make sense in having them attack you, their crown prince, right?" Alicia added, determined to get an answer of these. "I could tell that they''re after me. Why is that so?"

    "Everyone''s against my decision right now, so they''re all trying to ruin my ns." Was his clipped reply.

    "Umm¡­ And it is by killing me?" Alicia asked, brows shooting up in query.

    Another short silence passed. Though there were no words being said, Alicia had already gotten the answer she needed from him.

    "Even your men are against it¡­ Alexander too, right? And that''s why no one else ising to aid you¡­" Alicia''s voice slightly weakened. "Or did they think you didn''t need any aid? Did they not know that you''re quite¡­" she was not sure if she should use the word ''vulnerable'' with Ezekiel, "¡­ weak, right now?"

    He silently maneuvered the car as it took a sharp turn on the road before elerating once again. But Alicia waited patiently this time. She wanted to hear his response on this matter.

    "They know. And that''s why they''reing at us. They know that they have a chance now that I''m in this state." He finally answered. "Alex¡­ that guy must be nning something behind the scenes."

    "The decision they are so against with¡­ must be rted to you leaving for good, right?" Another question came out from her lips and it silenced Ezekiel once again. "And I''m guessing that I''ll be the one who is to send you there? And that''s why they''re after me. Because if I''m gone, you can stay here forever. The path for you to cross over would be gone with my absence?" though it was a question that Alicia asked, it was quite clear to her that it must be the correct answer as Ezekiel did not reply to her anymore.

    The car screeched to a halt. Ezekiel did not even nce at her anymore and just came out of the car with her in tow.

    It was then that Alicia realized they were already at the airport. Without wasting a moment longer, Ezekiel hastily led her in a light jog until they finally arrived at a jet ne. They had headed straight for the cockpit.

    Alicia could only obey his instructions, knowing what he was about to do. He was going to personally pilot the ne with her seated next to him. And Alicia could not help but feel worried about him. Was he so weak that he could not even teleport anymore?

    Within the next few minutes, they were already flying in the ne, up in the sky. Alicia tried her best to behave, to stop thinking for now as she knew that she could disturb his concentration even with her thoughts. So she put all of her attention on the view that was before her. The sky¡­ it surprisingly looked more beautiful and peaceful than she had ever seen it to be.

    It was a little funny because she was feeling such bliss despite knowing that the whole vampire race might be after her life right now. Even though she was technically already dead.

    She could not even feel angry or scared at the vampires. Right now, she felt nothing of that. Maybe because she knew in her heart that she too, felt the same way as they did. She did not like it the moment Ezekiel said that he was leaving and would nevere back.

    The vampires just did not want him to leave and that she understood very well. She thought that the vampires right now felt the same way she had felt when she had tried to save Zeres with everything that she had.

 Chapter 807 Devilishly [2/4]

    Chapter 807 Devilishly [2/4]¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @Yaritza_16! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Ezekiel had been an important figure, if not the most important one, for so many years. Now that she thought about it, she could not imagine the effects of his disappearance, not only within the vampire race but also in the entire world. What would happen when he was gone?

    Even she could not even begin to fathom the extent of the effects of his disappearance on the world. And to think that she had not too long ago, aimed to try and kill him as well. She could not believe she had never thought through of the consequences if Ezekiel were to die in her hands. Was she so blinded by her hate and fear that she had not even realized the aftereffects of her actions?

    But then, what about him? He had always worked to keep the peace all these times. Was he not the one who would clearly know the effects of his disappearance in this world better than anyone else?

    She shut her eyes closed. Calming herself and fighting the urge to spill all that was in her heart and put them into words.

    When she opened her eyes after getting a hold of her emotions, she turned back to look at him. He was still so focused on his piloting, his eyes trained on the many controls that were in front of him. He was so intensely focused that he seemed to be thinking about something serious in his mind on top of focusing on piloting the ne.

    Hours passed and they finallynded at their destination.

    Ezekiel still had not spoken much other than asking if she was feeling ufortable or hungry. He just led her out of the ne without word, then they boarded a car as it started raining.

    It was already dark when the car finally stopped. He had brought her to a secluded ce surrounded by thick forests all around. Alicia was a bit surprised at the area they had arrived in. She did not think that he would bring her all the way out here to a secluded ce where they might be the only ones in the area. She had not seen any cabin on their way up to this ce. If she was not mistaken, this was a ce that was far removed from civilisation and any cities where there were no other people around. And it looks as though that was what Ezekiel was aiming for.

    Quietly, he pulled her inside a small and seemingly normal house in the middle of the forest. Alicia could not see anything inside due to its sheer darkness. The ce smelt as tough no one had been in there for ages. The musty and damp smell tickled her nose.

    When he lit up a candle, Alicia was surprised to see the house''s interior. It was fully made of hardwood. There was nothing fancy about the ce, but it still looked so cosy and warm. She had the feeling that this ce was filled with the vibe where one could just spend their entire life cuddling with their favourite person while reading their favourite books. The warm lighting from the burning candles and the gentle pitter patter of the rain outside only caused to make the small house feel even more romantic and weing.

    But before Alicia''s brain could even start thinking about any possibilities of any romantic events from happening, a thud sounding at the side pulled her full attention.

    She whirled around just to see that Ezekiel had fallen to the side and sagged against the wooden wall behind him. Alicia felt her heart stopped for a moment as she immediately rushed over and held onto him. But with her own inadequate strength, she could not even help him remain standing.

    He slowly slid down on the floor. His breathing started to be moreboured as time passed.

    "Ezekiel." She called his name, her voice a little panicky as she knelt before him. Her hand continuously brushing his hair over his forehead. "You''re injured, aren''t you? Where is the injury?"

    "I''m fine¡­" he said hoarsely.

    "You''re not, damn it!" she grabbed his hand and ce it on her neck to maintain their skin to skin contact before she frantically fumbled with his clothes to undress him. Though she was rushing to take his shirt off, she was mindful to make sure that she was not too rough just in case she identally hit his wound. This man was hiding an injury all this time! She was certain of it.

    He let out a breathlessugh after seeing how vexed she was at finding out about him being injured. "Stop panicking Alicia. You know only you can kill me."

    She bit down on her lip hard and red at him. "Shut up, you! You still can joke around at this time?" she barked at him both in frustration and worry as she continued unbuttoning his shirt.

    The moment she flung his shirt open, she gasped out in shock. The right side of chest down to his right side of the abdomen and the right side of his shoulder had all turned violet in colour. He was stabbed and she knew what this was. It was an ancient lethal poison that vampires used to kill witches in the most painful way possible.

    One nce and she knew that this strike must have been aimed at her. And he must have taken the blow for her during that fight. And to think that he had managed to hide this from her for hours! She gritted her teeth as she thought about how he had to hold back the pain from the poison running through his system.

    This poison was extremely painful and was known to kill its victim after long hours of agonizing pain.

    She wanted to yell at him. But all she could do was to bite on her lower lip as they began to tremble unwillingly.

    His thumb was on her lips the next moment. "How many times did I tell you to stop abusing your lips like that?" his voice echoed out and stroked her ears like liquid velvet in the dark. "Let go¡­ so I can bite it instead." And he smirked at her devilishly.

 Chapter 808 Anything [3/4]

    Chapter 808 Anything [3/4]¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @Edenn! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Alicia listened to him and obeyed without hesitation. She let go of her lip and he pulled her against him, immediately trapping her lower lip gently between his teeth. He then ran his tongue over her abused lower lip a couple of times before stopping to stare deeply into her eyes.

    The sudden contact quickly sent sparks shooting through her, igniting the fire that was already smouldering within her in the blink of an eye. She knew that she could not do anything for him. The poison had already spread out. The antidote the witches had managed to develop was useless now even if she went out and searched for the herb that might not even exist in this area. If this poison had turned the skinpletely violet, then that was the certain indication that the victim was considered beyond help. It was already hopeless.

    No witch had survived the poison after reaching this stage. She knew that he was telling the truth. This poison would not be enough to kill a man like him. But the extreme pain that he would need to withstand¡­ it would stillst for few more hours. And she could not even do anything about it.

    Suddenly, he pulled away from her. "Are you cry¡­" he asked before trailing off when his eyes widened at the moment that he saw the shimmer of unshed tears in her eyes.

    He grabbed her face gently with both his hands. His voice came out quite frantic. "Don''t tell me¡­ are you feeling my physical pain too?!"

    Alicia quickly shook her head at the sight of the horror reflected in his eyes.

    "No, no¡­ I''m not. I don''t feel anything. Don''t worry." she told him swiftly and his breath came out sharp as a de. His shoulder sagged in relief before his gaze returned to her face and stared at her with concern and confusion.

    "Then¡­ Why were you¡­" he paused, his facial muscles clenching as his thumb gently swept an arc below her eyes.

    "Because I know how painful it is. I''ve experienced that poison once before, and it was¡­ truly unbearable. I didn''t even reach the stage you''re at right now because I got saved by an antidote before it was toote. I can''t even imagine how painful¡­" a silent teardrop fell from the corner of her eyes, and he went very still. "You''ve taken the poison for me¡­ and I can''t even do anything for you. I''m so useless¡­" Alicia was not one to belittle or put herself down, but this time, she really meant what she said. Her heart ached to see Ezekiel in this condition.

    His throat worked before his tight and controlled voice came out. "You''re tearing up like this just because you feel bad you can''t do anything for me¡­??" he sounded as though he could hardly believe it. "Are you going to feel better and stop crying if there''s something you can do for me then?"

    His question and the look in his eyes that moment rendered Alicia speechless as it took her by surprise. Was there still something that she could do for him? But she nodded without hesitation. As long as she could relieve his pain, whatever he requested, she would try and deliver it. What she was feeling right now was quite shocking even to herself. Watching him in pain and knowing that he was undergoing a pain she could not even begin to imagine felt almost unbearable. She did not know she would feel like this and tremble to this extent when this man gets so badly hurt.

    And if she could, she just wanted to do something. Anything for him. She would do whatever it takes just to help him ease his pain even if it was only a little bit.

    "Then kiss me." The words he blurted out made her blink, forgetting about the ache that was in her throat for a second.

    "Wha¡­t?" she could not help but think that she might have had heard him wrong. Did he ask her to kiss him?

    "You want to do something for me, right? Then kiss me." Ezekiel repeated his request, looking straight into her eyes.

    He was not even joking. She could see the seriousness in his eyes. But¡­ how could a kiss help even help one bit in this situation? Was he in so much pain that his mind had gone bonkers?

    "What would my kiss even do for you?" she could only ask, hoping that he was not asking for this just so he could distract her or perhaps just for her own satisfaction.

    "Stop overthinking and just give me what I want from you, Alicia." He growled and the sound of his voice sent chills down her spine. A pleasurable one instead of the opposite.

    So she bent over and gave it to him, the kiss that he asked for. She thought that maybe this would be a good distraction for him to forget about the pain, if that was even possible. She honestly did not think it would be that effective, but he had asked for it. And right now, she was willing to give him anything that he would want from her. Anything.

    Alicia kissed him gently at first but eventually, her kiss began to be wilder and deeper. And soon, she was kissing him with everything that she had, kissing him as though she owned him. She went at it as though there were nothing else around but just them and this all-consuming kiss.

    Her thoughts started to get lost at how good he tasted, at how warm and delicious his mouth was. If she could kiss away even the smallest portion of his pain right now, she would do it willingly. And she would passionately do so. So she did her best and took possession of his mouth and kissed him like she was trying to conquer and seduce him for all that she was worth.

 Chapter 809 Tenacity [4/4]

    Chapter 809 Tenacity [4/4]¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @Chinawa! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    When their lips finally parted, they were both panting hard and could not speak for some time. It was only then that Alicia realized that she was not the only one gripping Ezekiel''s hair. His one hand was at the back of her head too, gripping a handful of her hair. However, she was so consumed by their kiss that she did not register the tugging on her scalp that was caused by him fisting a handful of her locks.

    "How''s¡­ it? Did I managed to kiss away even a little of your pain?" she asked through her dazed condition, eyes still starry and slightly stunned from the earlier kiss. The sparks that had formed the moment their lips crashed together had already turned into a wildfire and now their bodies were in heat.

    "More than a little, Alicia." He replied with a small smile and those eyes of his that looked like molten iron along with his voice made the emptiness below her stomach pulse with deep need. "Give me more, my naughty girl¡­" he purred, and Alicia lost it.

    Shetched her mouth against his like a hungry vixen. She could not help it. Him, calling her ''his naughty girl'' and that purr¡­ he was literally driving her crazy, crazier for him. And she could not stop herself. No¡­ she did not want to stop herself. She just wanted to lose herself in this blissful paradise that was Ezekiel.

    Before she knew it, her mouth wastched onto his powerful jaws, skimming around lightly before moving downwards and started licking at his throat. He purred again and it drove her wilder. She wanted to hear him purr and groan and moan for her.

    She wanted to do more than this. She wanted to do more for him. Kisses was¡­ they were no longer enough. It just was not enough anymore.

    Her hand travelled downwards as her mouth returned to his addicting lips. She withdrew her hand that was on his zing hard stomach muscles andnded it squarely on his groin without giving him any warning.

    That daring touch caused him to suck in a quick and sharp breath against her lips.

    She pulled away a little as their eyes met. There were no signs of pain over his face, just desire and heat and a gleam of something deadly serious reflected in his eyes. That look just sent delicious shivers running down her spine andnded directly into her womanly parts.

    Suddenly, he pulled on her and his hand moved quickly to remove her clothes so swiftly that the provocative red lingerie was the only thing left on her in an instant.

    The predatory gleam in his eyes burned so damned wildly as his eyes scanned her all over, his gaze sweeping over her body and lingering down at the scrap of lingerie that was barely covering anything. In fact, they only served to burn him up even more. He swallowed hard and in the next moment, his mouth wastched onto her breast, suckling, licking, biting. Oh, heavens¡­ that mouth could only bring delicious things to happen to her body.

    Alicia''s thoughts began to drift away but when she felt his fingers grip her bottom forcefully, she managed to get jolted awake. The feel of his fingers moving to her aching parts had her pulling away. No, she must not let him pleasure her like how he did previously again. She cannot deny that she was dying for it, to feel his fingers inside her again and to make her see the stars exploding before her eyes again but¡­

    No, she must not pass out again. She was nning to kiss away his pain, not the other way around! She would not let him pleasure her again. Especially not while he was in so much pain!

    "Wait¡­!! Ezekiel¡­" she pulled her lower body back, away from his grip as she grabbed onto his wrists. "I don''t want you to do anything. Let me¡­ let me do something for you instead. Please¡­" she whispered hotly into his ears before giving his ears a small nip.

    Ezekiel''s eyes widened at that action and Alicia took advantage of his momentary trance and reached out for that thick throbbing bulge she had touched just a while ago.

    He groaned when she wrapped her small hand around that thick outline. Whatever he was about to say just before she grabbed his shaft was now lost. All he could do now was to feel.

    His reaction with just that one touch made Alicia''s confidence soar. The apprehension lingering in her heart quickly disappeared and was instead, reced by an unexpected tenacity.

    She moved her other hand to free him from his trousers. Her heart was beating wild like a drum. She had seen it already, but the anticipation was shooting an intense thrill through her like electricity running through water.

    His manhood sprung free and touched his navel. Alicia swallowed at the sight of it. It looked thicker than she had remembered. When she lifted her gaze up to his face with much difficulty, she saw him staring down at her with heavily hooded eyes. The gleam of his grey eyes beneath those thick darkshes had her swallowing once again.

    She moved her hand without breaking eye contact. He did not stop her this time and just kept his smouldering gaze locked onto hers. He looked like a predator beyond ready to pounce on her and devour her whole.

    She finally touched him. He felt¡­ so smooth yet hot and hard and¡­ very thick. His stomach muscles tightened involuntarily at her fluttery touches on his tool. And when she began to caress him, his thickshes trembled, and a quiet groan escaped his lips.

    Alicia found all of that extremely hot. So hot that she could be burned just by watching him.

    He cursed the moment she began stroking him. She had never done this before, so her fingers were a little hesitant in their movements. But his reaction was making her braver. She slid her hand up and down his shaft as she watched his lips parted from the force of his sharp respirations.

    "What else¡­ do you want me to do? Hmm, Ezekiel?" she asked, her voice came out raspy and erotic even to her own ears. "Do you need me to ¨C"

    "Grip it with both your hands, Alicia." Came his almost begging order.

    Alicia listened and did as he asked.

    "What do you want me to do next?"

    "Move your hands faster. Up and down¡­"

    "Like this?"

    "More."

    "Is this fast enough ¨C"

    He cursed and groaned once again. His jaws clenched so tight before he suddenly moved at an inhuman speed.

    The next thing she knew, her back was already against the bed, and he was pinning her down with his heavy body.

    ____

    A/N: For those who haven''t check my newest book yet, do take a look at it and give it a try. The beginning is a bit HWY inspired but with a different twist. It''s another modern fantasy story like HWY and its title is ''My Boyfriend is an Xxx Robot?''. I know, i know... haha. But i think you guys already know me or my writing style. I assure you guys there will be a lot more going on than what the title implies.

    It''s a book i''m writing whenever i get a writer''s block while writing my main books(hellbound and spellbound) so i hope you guys will like it. Also, it will probably be my steamiest book yet.

    To find it, go to my profile -> activity -> kazzenlx''s books or just search My Boyfriend is an Xxx Robot? on search bar.

 Chapter 810 Without you

    Chapter 810 Without you

    His eyes seemed darker than ever, ring with desire as he pinned her down with his body and heavy gaze. The soft sounds of the falling rain could hardly be heard because of the harshness of the pounding their heartbeats and breaths filling the small cabin illuminated just by light from the candles.

    Then he took her mouth again with a searing intensity, immediately resuming the increasing pressure that was building and rising inside of her. She felt like she was a balloon that was being filled with hot air and expanding to almost full capacity that she was on the verge of bursting.

    She could feel the unleashing of his desire as he kissed her hard and his hands were wandering all over, touching her body everywhere. His sinfully clever fingers stroked her without hesitation while his mouth continued devouring hers hungrily with an intensity that she could hardly keep up with. He kissed her like he had even wanted to devour her breath, her life, and soul. She could only give up wrestling for control and allow herself to be caught up in the maelstrom that he had triggered between them and just enjoy the ride.

    When his mouth finally released hers, Alicia was panting so hard, trying to catch her breath. Their kiss hadsted so long that all the oxygen in her had been used up to the point of her seeing shes of bright lights in her vision. It took her a moment to realize that Ezekiel was no longer hovering over her anymore.

    Protests were about to burst forth from her lips at the thought that the infuriating man had himself under control again. But before she could utter any words ofint, she then felt his handnding on the side of her hip, pulling at the provocative thin string that had a tiny bell attached at the end of it that was part of her scandalous red lingerie. As he held the string, the tiny tinkles emitted by the minute bells sent her heart into a frenzy, causing her breath to hitch again even before it could fully calm down from earlier.

    She braced herself on her elbows as she looked at him through her loweredshes. She swallowed at the sight of him staring down at her now fully exposed sex.

    He was only looking and yet¡­ Alicia felt the scorching heat of his gaze and it seemed to be even hotter than when he had touched her there with his fingers. She could feel herself pulsate and ache and her blood rushed to her face at the realization that he was watching it all.

    Instinctively, she moved her legs to hide the view of herself being so opened from him, but he was quick to catch her knees and he parted her legs apart again, shaking his head, letting her know wordlessly that there was no reason for her to be shy and hide from his gaze.

    Then he went straight for her core and gave her one long and slow lick. All of a sudden, she had the sudden feeling of emptiness down there that was begging for the need to be filled up thoroughly.

    Alicia was electrified she did not know whether to gasp, to cry or breathe. She had not expected him to put his mouth there. Oh heavens¡­ she thought he was going to¡­

    The stroke of his wicked tongue shocked her entire being with nothing but pleasure and her hands automatically grabbed on to his head that was buried between thighs. She gripped his hair hard as the fire started to consume all of her. She had never imagined this act that seemed so shameful was so mind-blowingly good! Even at the first taste, she could tell she was already hooked onto this feeling.

    Until her thighs slowly stopped being tensed and just fell opened, helpless to the attacks that he wasshing out on her lower lips. She felt him murmuring something against her and the vibration of his voice sent a wave of pleasure to her toes before he slid his wicked tongue inside her.

    Alicia moaned out loudly and her head lolled back onto the bed.

    The pleasure was too much and all-consuming and she did not have the n or will to fight against it. She wanted that again. She wanted him to drive her to that delicious and mind-blowing edge once again.

    Her sex was throbbing. There was a spot that was literally begging for his attention but for some reason, Ezekiel seemed to be obviously avoiding it, driving her insane with the need to be fulfilled. He was torturing her again. This infuriating man is doing it again.

    So this time, she grabbed at his hair and rocked her hips against his mouth, trying to get him to that bit of throbbing flesh that needed some tender loving care too. Her own actions only made the fire ze even wilder, and her breath turned into visible puffs of air. She could feel it. The build-up.

    Then something just popped in her mind, and she immediately let go of his hair. No! If she came now, she would end up passing out and¡­ her mind and body fought fiercely in that moment, not wanting this pleasurable time to end prematurely. No! She did not want to fall asleep when they were at such a wonderful ce where no one would bother them in their intimate moments. That would be such a waste.

    Somehow, her mind won. Maybe because she had force herself to imagine his injury, his pain. And she began to question how it ended up with him pleasuring her again instead of the other way around. She thought he had already given in but¡­ what he was doing right now¡­ she felt like he had wanted to put her to sleep again.

    She forced herself up and caught his head. Her palms cupped his face and forced him to look up at her. His molten grey eyes looked thoroughly dazed that the infuriation within her was thawed so quickly.

    "Take me. I¡­ don''t want toe without you¡­ inside me." she said.

 Chapter 811 Love and desire

    Chapter 811 Love and desire

    This chapter is dedicated to @L_13! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    She did not know how she managed to say that right to his face, but it was thest thing she was bothered about right now. Because even with the undeniable desire and lust and need in his eyes, this man could still hold himself back, to deny himself of what he fiercely wanted. Just how strong was his damned self-control? She wanted to smash it. Break it to pieces and crush it into dust.

    She knew better than anyone else. That Ezekiel Reign was the epitome of self-control. It would not be far-fetched to even say that he coined that term. The whole world may crash and burn but he still managed to stay calm and collected. But it was a little hard for her to believe that even if he was obviously burning himself from the fire that was consuming him, he still had managed to¡­ this man, she now knew the extent of what he truly was. He was more than what she had ever seen or known.

    "If you don''t want to do it together¡­ then let''s stop here." Alicia added, she did not even try to conceal the hurt in her voice. Yes, she could not help but feel hurt because she had realized that his desire for her seemed to not be enough. His self-control was stronger, and he could still hold back. And she hated it.

    No, she did not hate him for it. Ezekiel had been like this for hundreds of years. He had no need to reveal it all, she understood what he had gone through for so many years to get this far. He had a goal and him giving in now, just a few days before the D-day might ruin everything that he had been nning his entire life for. She understood that and that was why she could not me him for anything. She could only me herself for maddeningly wanting, desiring someone like him. Someone who could deny even himself just so he could achieve his goal.

    Retracting her hands, Alicia forced an understanding smile at him before scooting back from him.

    But he caught her ankles as she was almost out of reach from him and in one swift move, he pulled her back to where she was a moment ago, under him. He was growling as he cursed and spoke in a voice so deliciously heart breaking, "Don''t¡­ do this to me."

    And he bent down and kissed her mouth with another level of savagery. As if he was trying to convey to her how much he wanted her. A groan was still rumbling in his chest as he devoured her mouth with an increased level of ferocity.

    The control and gentleness had long since evaporated and he pressed his thick and rock-hard arousal against the depression between her legs where it was supposed to go.

    The friction made Alicia writhe restlessly beneath him. He rocked his hips in one smooth motion, mming himself against her, while his mouth had crashed into hers without any reservation. The force and roughness of it all¡­ she could not believe how glorious everything felt.

    And she could not stop herself from meeting his movements with so much greed. Not even realizing how her fingers were already digging into his shoulders and the back of his neck.

    Every thrust and slide of his erection against her only pushed her closer to that edge. Her breaths became shallower as she desperately tried to match his ferocity, despite knowing that it was not possible, because Ezekiel had gone feral, and her physical strength was no match for his.

    But that did not stop her from getting closer to bing undone. By him. The fact that he was still wearing his damned trousers did not even seem to matter at all at that moment.

    Her name fell from his lips like a growl before he buried the rest of the sound into her mouth. All the while keeping up his pace, thrusting faster against her that their bodies were mming against each other.

    She erupted beneath him, and his guttural moan echoed loudly in her ears, followed by a broken cry of her name as he joined her over the mind-shattering orgasm.

    His head fell into the crook of her neck as she came down from the high. Her sated eyes losing focus and getting pulled into the darkness. And she could no longer fight the weakness that came after that incredible experience.

    He rolled to the bed but without letting her go. He hugged her so tight, burying his face into her hair as he trembled. No longer from the orgasm but an intense emotion that seemed to rock his entire world.

    Knowing that she had already passed out, Ezekiel opened his mouth and spoke without lifting his face. "After I imprisoned my father¡­" he uttered in a weak voice, "I asked him why he did all those things¡­ Do you know what he told me?"

    There was a short deafening silence. "He said it''s because of love." His voice cracked as that line left his mouth. "He said because he loved and desired that witch so much, he was willing to do anything for her. That he''d willingly give up anything and destroy everything for her." he whispered out.

    His grip on her tightened. His trembling worsened. "He told me that love and desire were something no one could never ever control. He told me with confidence that someday¡­ I too, woulde to understand it. He then looked at me like he knew there would be one day when I would¡­ be like him in the end."

    A short while of quiet passed after that. When his trembling was under control, he continued. "Since then, I despised these emotions called love and desire. I was young back then when I decided that they were the real root of all evil and pain. I nted that belief to my very core and swore to never be swayed by any of those emotions."

 Chapter 812 Explosives

    "That man ruined us all, got his wife and children all tortured to an unimaginable degree before being mercilessly killed¡­ and all just for that thing called love." A small but sardonic and painfulugh left his lips. "I despise him even more for saying that. Because he made me despise everyone who ever sacrificed everything and had no care for whoever that got hurt just so that they could be with the ones they love and desire."

    He let out a shaky breath next. His grip on her tightening slightly again. "Over the years, I watched many others do the same. They sacrifice, ruin, hurt, break promises and kill ¨C all in the name of their love and desire. And those people became the ones I hated the most. To me, they were nothing but selfish creatures who only thought about themselves." His tone was full of emotions as he voiced out what had been buried within him.

    Another silence followed his confessions. This was the first time ever that he had expressed all of his feelings and thoughts on this out loud. It had been building up and umting inside of him, being supressed and pushed deep down that now that it had been given an outlet, it just poured out, unfettered, until everything was being let out.

    "For almost seven hundred years, nothing has ever swayed me. Nothing managed to waver that very firm convictions that I had on this matter. My will to never be someone like my father was stronger than anything else. My will to never let anything ruin my carefullyid out ns and break my promise to myself was something that was never to bepromised. Everything was¡­ going smoothly ording to my ns. And I had proven to myself for hundreds of years that my father was the one in the wrong, that desire is not something impossible to control¡­" he paused after that long outburst and a seemingly tormented groan rumbled from deep within his chest. "¡­until you came¡­ until you came¡­ Alicia." Her name fell from his lips like a prayer. The way he uttered it would make anyone''s heart who was listening ache unknowingly.

    He was immobile and silent for a long while before opening his mouth to speak again. "Everything was still fine and under my control at first. The very first time I saw you, I knew I needed to stay away from you. So I did. I did not allow myself to trip¡­ not after so long I had managed to remain unmoved. The temptation had been extremely strong though, but I managed to keep my distance and keep myself under tight control. It was hard but still tolerable. I''ve considered you as the ultimate test on my personal self-control and I was determined to win like always. I''ve watched you rot away in Zeres'' arms. I''ve watched silently, without making any moves and let you sacrifice yourself for him. Though I knew back then that it definitely was not the end for you, and that I knew your death was meant to happen, I was nheless¡­ inexplicably shaken by that event. Still, I managed to reign over my own reactions and feelings."

    "But then¡­ you appeared earlier than expected in my house as a spirit. I was determined not to touch you and return you back to your physical human form. Because I had a feeling that touching you would be a bad idea¡­ it would be precarious to my health, both mentally and physically. Perhaps, I already felt that you''ve always been the one and only danger zone I needed to avoid at all cost. While you were prancing around my house happily and freely in your spirit form, I fought the urge constantly to reach out and hold you when you sometimes just sit on the floor like some lost spirit without anywhere else to go. I had nned to only touch you when the final dayes. But you suddenly start turning more and more translucent. Even though the prophetess had already informed me that you would still be there when that dayes, seeing you seemingly starting to disappear just totally terrified me. I kept having that deep seated fear that if I had let you be¡­ that if I did not intervene, you would forever be gone. I touched you earlier than I had nned, telling myself that nothing would happen¡­ that nothing would go off ording to my original ns. Confident that I could reign over myself like I had always done."

    "Then¡­ you had gone ahead and kissed me and that was all it took for my walls to crumble. The walls that I had built for almost seven hundred years were falling apart just like that ¨C as though you had sted through my defences with explosives. And I could not seem to do anything about it. F*ck¡­ I''ve never¡­ fought against myself this hard in my entire long life. I''ve been caught off guard and f*cking overwhelmed by how strong my desires for you are. To the point that¡­ for the first time, I''ve actually thought of just giving in and¡­ be someone I goddamned despised and hated. I am tempted to ruin everything, break everything¡­ just so I could have you¡­ and be with you. It''s¡­ f*ck¡­ Alicia¡­" a low rumbling came from him as he stopped speaking.

    Suddenly, his trembling hands around her froze. His body turnedpletely still the moment Alicia moved and hugged him back, gripping him so damned hard.

    He pulled away a momentter to look down at her small and fair face. His eyes went wide as he stared at the tears that were falling like a waterfall from the corner of her closed eyes. "You¡­ you''re awake¡­??!" he uttered.

    And Alicia opened her teary eyes. There was a wealth of emotions that were shining from her shimmering eyes as she stared into his grey eyes. She looked as though she had many things that she wanted to say, but her mouth kept opening and closing yet no words came forth.

 Chapter 813 Something had changed [1/3]

    Their gazes met and held for what seemed like a long while, until Alicia finally reached out and touched his face, caressing as gently as she could ¨C this face which seem to get more and more dear to her as seconds passed.

    "I''m so, so sorry¡­" she whispered out in a broken voice. Her silent tears kept rolling down her tears as her shoulders shook from the force of her sobs.

    "Damn, no!" he caught her face and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "Don''t apologize! I had no intentions to expose all that to..." he shook his head, almost quite flustered watching her crying so destely as though her whole world had been cursed to the fires of hell. "I''m not ming you or anything. This is¡­"

    "I know¡­" Alicia shed him a small but understanding smile as she quickly wiped away the tears that were still tracking down her cheeks. Then she wrapped her hands affectionately around his neck. "Please just let me hug you, Ezekiel¡­" she whispered before she burrowed herself in his arms, her face buried in the crook of his neck as she inhaled that masculine scent that was uniquely Ezekiel. Embracing him in a way like she just wanted to hold him like this forever.

    Alicia understood now why she had always admired this man even way before when she still viewed him as her enemy. It was because they had this one simrity. The selflessness. No, she might not even be able topare herself to him. This man was¡­ she regretted calling him stone hearted statue so many times before. Because he was never one. He had the kind of heart that was so rare in this world. He was never the viin everyone had thought he was for so many years.

    He had been the victim who endured all the horrors and consequences of someone else''s action. Who could me him for despising love and desire? Who could me him? She could never do that because she too understood this feeling more than anyone else.

    Her experiences may not hold a candle to the horrors he had gone through. But her experiences had made her understand the extent of his sufferings.

    She did not say anything anymore and just embraced him with everything that she had.

    All the words that left his mouth, kept echoing ever so gently in her mind. She did not know. She totally had no idea things were that way for him. At all.

    Since the very first time they met, Alicia''s first impression of him was that. Arrogant, rude, cold and stone-hearted. She never once thought that he had been trying his hardest to avoid her like the gue. She had never thought she would live to the day that she would hear him confess all that.

    The fact that it was not intentional, because he thought she was asleep, did not matter to her at all.

    Right now, her heart and soul were flooded with extremely intense emotions. All because of him and the things that he had revealed. She thought that this must be what people meant when they say ''they were so happy they could die''.

    She had not expected her own heart to react like this. What she was feeling right now was something that mere words could not seem to describe.

    And right now, she adored him more than ever. She wanted him even more and it was no longer just his body. She wanted his heart, his mind, spirit and entire being. His everything.

    Time slowly ticked by. For the first time, Alicia felt his body truly rxed against her. She had only felt him this rxed when he was only truly asleep. And the feel of him finally loosening every shackle he had put on himself while awake made her heart swell with relief.

    But soon, he broke the heart-warming and peaceful embrace and gathered her into his arms. And the way he carefully gathered her to him, it was as though he was handling a fragile and precious item. Alicia felt her heart overflow with so much warmth that she had never experienced before.

    The intense emotions in his eyes had fully settled by now. But something had changed. He did not put that stoic mask of his back on anymore.

    Silently, he carried her towards the back door. He grabbed an ancientmp and brought it with them outside.

    The rain drops fell on them both. It was cold but his hot body against her was warming her up. He was a more effective warmer than if she were to wrap herself with a nket. Then he brought her to a spring several steps away from the wooden cabin.

    Despite the rain, the water ran clear. Maybe because the rain was not that strong and also because the water wasing from under therge stone.

    He stopped on top of a t rock, where right next to it lies a small indentation of the stone that created a smallgoon. Alicia thought that it would be deep enough to soak half of their bodies if they jumped into it.

    Slowly, he put her down, before grabbing her wrist and putting her hands around his neck to maintain their physical contact.

    Then he bent over and reached for his trousers. Alicia quickly averted her gaze though she was unsure what he was trying to do. It was not because she was being shy or trying to act coy to tempt him further. She just did not want to spark another wildfire between them that might not be able to be stopped. She could still feel herself being incredibly weak. Her knees were actually trembling even as she just stood there and held onto him for bnce. Thest thing she wanted now was to pass out and copse right here. She must never let that happen. Not now. She wanted to stay awake and stay with him. Even if he does not talk anymore for now, she would still want to keep feeling him, seeing him, holding him. Every moment she could spend with him now counts.

 Chapter 814 Distract me [2/3]

    The truth was that she was actually not sure how she was not already passed out. No, she was sure she did pass out after her earlier release, but she was awakened immediately. She thought that it must be his intense emotionsing through their connection that forcefully awakened her at that moment.

    Once he discarded his trousers, he took her one hand again, maintain their contact before he jumped into the water first.

    He turned and looked up, lifting his other hand to invite her toe to him.

    Alicia nibbled on the inside of her lips before she bent over and moved to jump down. He caught her waist so easily, like she weighed nothing at all.

    She felt her feetnding on top of his and theirpletely naked bodies brushed against each other. The contact created sparks with every move like it always does. But something had changed in her. Somehow, she managed to keep her mind clear despite all the tempting friction that was igniting between them. For the first time, she seemed capable of making her body behave and obey her will. Was it because she felt sated after that¡­

    The reminder of that experience had her face burning in awkwardness. How could she be daydreaming about it out here in the rain?

    "Cold?" he finally spoke.

    Alicia quickly shook her head but that was more like her, trying to clear her mind. "I''m fine. The water is actually warmer than the rain." she replied as she started to cup water in her free hand and sshed it to her face, trying to cool the heat in her cheeks. The water was cool, but whenpared to the freezing rain, it gave a nicefortable and refreshing feeling as she sshed it into her face.

    However, her knees gave way after standing on her own for a while and she wobbled where she stood.

    Ezekiel pulled her against him in an instant, causing her heartbeat to thud faster and harder within her ribcage.

    She felt him leaning against the stone without removing his arm that was curled protectively around her waist. But Alicia was quick to distract herself and used both her hands to scoop up more water and continued washing her face. She was desperately trying to ignore that intense gaze he had trained on her.

    "You''re not going to ask me anything?" his deep voice echoed. She could tell that he was finding it weird that she was noting at him and bugging him for more details or information.

    Alicia stilled for a moment before she faced him. He looked¡­ so much more handsome in her eyes. She knew he always was. Even when she had perceived him as an enemy previously, she still could not help but admire how impossibly good looking he was. But now, he seemed to have be even more handsome by the minute, if that was even possible. And looking at him in the dark was just¡­ what a living temptation. And as her eyes traced the droplets of water that were dripping down his hair, falling onto burnished skin that was like top grade marble¡­ she swallowed hard. The visual impact was truly over the top!

    She blinked a few more times again at him and cleared her throat, returning her attention to the words he had just said to her. She had a gazillion questions right now. This man was already full of secrets previously. But now, he seemed to be filled with even more that her questions about him might never really end at all even after questioning him for a long time. But she did not want to ask him anything right now. Maybe tomorrow¡­ just not now. Now, he belonged solely to her.

    "Tomorrow. I''ll definitely ask you tomorrow. So brace yourself, Ezekiel." She said before returning her attention to the water again.

    To her surprise, she felt his fingers gathering the heavy mass of her darkened hair that was getting soaked with water. He slowly brushed them to one side. Every feathery touch of his fingers sent shivers zinging crazily down her spine. She could feel his gaze boring on her back.

    Then he suddenly shifted and hugged her from behind, his forehead leaned against her shoulder de. Alicia could not help but catch her breath at the intimacy of his actions. She could feel his warm forehead pressing into her spine just below the nape of her neck. The warmth that contrasted sharply with her chilled skin caused her body to shiver and goosebumps broke out all over her upper back.

    "Say something Alicia, anything¡­" his voice finally came out sounding a little weak, yet it still brough out some strong reactions in her body.

    "Ez¡­ zekiel¡­ I am trying my very best to behave¡­" she seemed to choke out, her soft voice might as well be a whisper in his ears. "I don''t want to make things even harder for you than it already is. And I¡­ I don''t want to pass out here. I don''t want to sleep while you''re still in pain. I don''t want to... take my eyes off you. I want to stay with you... awake... at least until your pain stops."

    He stilled at her words.

    Then he went on to pin her harder against himself instead of putting even an inch distance between them.

    The feel of his hardness rising and branding a smouldering imprint on her behind nearly made her wiggle and grind her bottom to rubsciviously against him¡­ a there goes her slightly clearer mind... now she was so close to losing her teetering self-control.

    All she could picture in her mind right now was to jump him and have her wicked way with him right here in this little privategoon, out in the open. She couldn''t how wild her mind had be. She didn''t even want to imagine how she''d be right now if her body was not so damned weak.

    "Then distract me Alicia¡­ because right now, even the coldness from the waters are being useless."

 Chapter 815 Go on [3/3]

    "Did you¡­ bring me here because ¨C" Alicia asked slowly, a little unsure if she should finish her question.

    "No." Ezekiel cut her off quickly, not allowing her to finish her question. "I originally brought you here so the both of us could wash up."

    Alicia bit on her lip when he suddenly turned her around to look at her face. "Are you trying to hide a smile?" he asked, his grey eyes gleaming so seriously. He was right. She bit her lower lip because a smile had just curved on her face at his words. She was not even sure why those words were making her smile.

    And now Alicia just found all that seriousness stered over his face as he questioned her somewhat wholesomely. Oh goodness¡­ how could she find Ezekiel''s serious expression wholesome?! Her brain was really being messed up by this man!

    "What if I am? What are you going to do about it?" she asked, challenging him and tilting her chin up a little. She no longer tried to hide the small smile on her face anymore ¨C and it was threatening to grow wider.

    "If this is your way to distract me, you''re not doing the job quite right, Alicia." Ezekiel''s voice rumbled out.

    "Oh, really? My bad then¡­" she shrugged, beaming at him now. "Why don''t you tell me how to distract you? Hmm? Ezekiel?" her tone was yful, suggestive.

    He stilled. Seemingly unable to look away from the vision that was her. But he eventually tore his gaze off hers and shoved his fingers into his hair. "I don''t know. Everything you do seem to only further fan the mes within me." He breathed out heavily as though short of breath.

    She watched his jaws clench a little. She had decided not to ask anything tonight because she knew that if she tried to dig even more into all those confessions he had uttered to her while he thought that she was unconscious, they might just explode as a result.

    Alicia did not want that happening especially tonight. It was enough for him to suffer through that confession. She had felt that he seemed to be experiencing something torturous at the same time as he speak of it. Even though he had revealed the extent of how much he desired her all those times until now, Ezekiel was still hanging on, holding on and trying not to give inpletely to his greatest temptation ¨C which was her.

    She wondered what was it that he would need to end up sacrificing if he took her now. If he finally gave in and made love to her now and sumbed to his long-standing desire, what will actually happen? What were the consequences if he chooses her over his goal?

    Alicia knew this was not only about his trauma and belief about love and desire. She could just feel it in her bones that there was more to it. No way that it was something simple and straightforward like holding onto his principles that he had decided on since he was young. She somehow felt that for Ezekiel, choosing her would perhaps turn him into someone no different from his father. Because choosing her means sacrificing something or someone else. Something or someone who was very important to him. She could just tell that there was a huge sacrifice and consequence if he decided to choose her.

    And this was why she had held back and just hugged him tight after all his confessions. No matter how much she wanted him, she did not want him to sacrifice whatever it was needed for them to be together in that way. No¡­ she would not let him sacrifice anything. This man¡­ she just did not want him to tremble like that again. She did not want to make things hard for him anymore.

    Right now, her goal had changed. No, she was no longer going to spend thest eight days of her extended life lusting for him and making him lose control so he would f*** her anymore. From now on, she just wanted to help him instead. She would help him achieve the goal that he had been aiming his entire life for.

    He had mentioned that everyone was against it, even Alexander. That means right now, he must be fighting for that aim by himself all these times.

    Ezekiel had always been that lone wolf, but Alicia could not even imagine how it felt like fighting all by yourself for so many years. She wanted to spend thest eight days of the life that he had given her supporting him wholeheartedly. And her heart was genuinely into it.

    She thought that this decision of hers must be the reason why she kept on smiling. Because she truly wanted this. To help this man she hade to adore so much.

    "Hmm¡­ then I think I''ll ask some really serious questions? Do you think you can handle that?" she tried to think of something. She had nned not to ask anything, but she remembered that those times when they were in a really serious conversation, it was then that they were not engaging in anything intimate. "I have a question that had been bugging me actually... I am not going to force you to answer it though. If you can''t answer, just say ''next'', how about that?"

    He blinked once. Then he threw his head back and he did that to force his eyes off her tantalising mouth. It had been drawing him in like a ck hole. "Okay. Go on before I... go on."

    "You leaving¡­ wasn''t your actual goal, right?" the question finally came out and he stilled, clearly not expecting that question from Alicia.

    That question seemed to do what Alicia was expecting because he then opened his eyes and stared at the sky, letting the rain that had now reduced to drizzles just fall on his face.

    "You''re right." he answered after a long silence.

    "Can you tell me what the actual goal is and why is everyone against it?" she asked curiously.

 Chapter 816 I swear

    A long silence passed by, but Ezekiel did not seem to want to respond. And since it was that way, Alicia waited for him to say ''next'', but he did not either. So she assumed that there was a chance that he might answer it if she waited a little longer. But even after waiting, no answer was forting and there was still no ''next'' as well. Thus, she decided to ask another question to prompt him.

    "Does this have something to do with your brother, Sebastian?" her question was slow and careful.

    And his eyes slowly drifted closed. His hand on her tensed as well, indicating that Alicia had hit the nail on the head. She had always wondered about Sebastian ever since she had seen him in the dungeon.

    Ezekiel nodded. The muscles in his face and neck were also tensing up.

    Alicia swallowed before she opened her mouth again with difficulty. "If¡­ if you give in and choose me¡­ is he the one who will be ¨C" she hazarded a wild guess. Somehow, with the way that he reacted whenever it came to Sebastian, she had a strong hunch that it might be it.

    He yanked at her and buried her in his embrace. She could hear his heart racing violently as her ears were stered to his strong chest. And this alone was enough to confirm that her question just now hadnded on the jackpot.

    "Sebastian had¡­ suffered greatly in my ce." he uttered in a broken voice. "If it was not for him¡­ I wouldn''t be who I am right now or even be here. I''ve been waiting for so long so I could finally free him from that cursed prison. So he can finally live the life that was taken from him long time ago. I''ve promised myself that I will do anything it takes to free him and now¡­" his voice died down, turning into a whisper as his grip on her tightened. "¡­ eight more days and it''s finally going to happen. I can finally free him then¡­"

    Alicia embraced him back. Now it was all clearer to her. It hurt her so much that she was right but then a genuine smile was curving on her lips as she caressed his back, giving him as muchfort as she could.

    "Mm¡­ you will free him, Ezekiel. Just eight more days¡­ just hang on there." she whispered to him.

    And both of them just stayed there, half soaking in the now cold water, as the drizzle continued falling on them.

    The scene of them embracing each other in the dark almost looked like one tragic but beautiful painting.

    ¡­

    After an immeasurable amount of time, Alicia was the first to pull away and break the silence. "Is there any clothes we can use to change into back in the cabin?" she asked innocently as she blinked at him.

    He stared at her for a moment before he finally lifted her together with him, and they emerged from the water. "Yes, there is."

    "That''s great then." And she gave a littleugh.

    Once they were back inside the small house, the two of them silently dried off and put on their clothes. Alicia once again did not have any underwear, but Ezekiel made her wear his boxers.

    "This house is yours?"

    "Yes."

    "Why do you have a house in such a ce?"

    "We royals all have a secret ce around the world that no one knows about except our caretakers."

    "That''s pretty convenient." She nodded in agreement.

    "Sit." Ezekiel pulled her to sit between his legs, causing Alicia to look up and blink at him. "I''ll dry your hair." He added and she could only blink again before a flush coloured her face. She did not think that the great prince Ezekiel would lower himself to do a menial job of a maid servant and dry her hair. She did not even think he even knew how to do it!

    She obeyed and turned her back towards him before sitting down. He took her hand and ced it on his bare knees. Both of them were currently wearing boxer shorts at the moment. Ezekiel did not even bother putting on a shirt.

    Alicia could not help but sigh and close her eyes as he started patting her hair gently, drying it with a fluffy towel. Such a blissful thing¡­ and she sighed out in satisfaction.

    "Let me dry your hair too." She said after a long while and before he could say anything she turned and knelt before him. After cing his hand on her waist under her oversized shirt, Alicia took another fluffy towel from beside them and started drying his own damp hair.

    He shut his eyes closed too as she took her time. It was amazing how doing simple things like this felt so good. She could not help but wish she could dry his hair like this forever¡­

    "What are we going to do with our time in the next eight days, Ezekiel?" she asked, breaking the silence once again. She needed to, before the atmosphere turn thicker and dangerous again. "I don''t think us staying here by ourselves is a good idea¡­ don''t you think so?" she rubbed her nose sheepishly as she said that.

    She knew he understood what she was trying to say. His eyes glinted as it met hers.

    "We will change to a different location tomorrow." He informed her.

    "Why? Because of the pursuers?"

    "Yes. And they mighte after you more fiercely the closer we get to the d-day."

    Alicia stilled. Then she looked at the now healing wound caused by poison on his chest. The violet shade was fading to a lighter colour ofvender now. And this man did not even wince the whole time. With him in this state right now, Alicia was afraid that something worse than this might happen in the next few days.

    As if he sensed that fear in her, he looked up at her through his tussled hair. His grey eyes gleamed with ferocity. "I will do everything I can to protect you." he promised her, and he fiddled with the strands of her hair before pressing them to his lips. "I won''t let anyone touch even a strand of your hair, Alicia. I swear that to you."

    ___

    A/N: I just want to tell you guys that I am really overwhelmed with the support Hellbound is receiving right now from you guys. I''m really surprised. I wish I can immediately shower you guys too with updates every time you shower me with gifts but there are days when my brain gets exhausted. So i hope you guys don''t mind if sometimes i take my time in updating the chapters I owe. Just know that i will definitely give them cause I have a list with me. I list down every supergift I receive so it''s not possible for me to forget. ^^

    Again, thank you so very much for the love and support. Thements in chapter 812 really touched and motivated me. Thank you with all my heart guys! Muah!

 Chapter 817 Maddeningly so

    Alicia just stared at him as he said those words. She had never worried nor was she afraid of her own safety because she was already dead. Now she was only ''alive'' and living on borrowed time ¨C thanks to her draining on Ezekiel''s powers. But this man¡­ he had protected her to the point as though even a single scratch would kill her. The fight this morning was so intense and yet she had not suffered from even a small cut from all the broken sses. That just went to show how well protected she was.

    And now he was making such a promise that was effectively melting her heart into a puddle. In fact, many others had sworn those same words to her. Thus, she should have been used to it already, but with Ezekiel, it just somehow felt different. And the intensity was just off the charts!

    She wanted to tell him that he should be worrying more about himself. He was incredibly weak right nowpared to his usual self. If there was another fight that will break out, he might get hurt again from protecting her.

    It was still hard for her to see him this weak. She was always used to seeing him as someone invincible and with an unlimited amount of powers. It was not just her, in fact, but everyone else too. No one has ever seen him this weak for hundreds of years until now.

    Suddenly, Alicia''s hands strayed down to his face and¡­ she pinched his cheeks.

    The action was so unwarranted and unexpected that his brows furrowed at what she was doing and Alicia pressed her lips together at the serious and questioning gaze he was throwing at her. She bit down on the insides of her cheeks, making sure that she would notugh at the face that he was making at her.

    She did not remove her hand and just kept pinching his cheeks lightly as she kneaded it a little as well.

    "What are you doing?" he asked.

    "Pinching you." came her reply, as though shocked that he would still ask the obvious.

    "Obviously you are, Alicia. But why are you doing that?" he arched a brow at her.

    Alicia tilted her head a little. "No particr reason¡­? I just wanted to?" then she shrugged lightly.

    The line between his brows deepened and Alicia could no longer help but chuckle softly. This man was so fun to tease!

    "Why do I feel like this is the first time you''ve gotten pinched like this?" She raised a brow, amusement gleaming in her eyes.

    "Who would dare do such a thing to me but you?" he replied seriously, his questioning out as a light growl.

    For a while, Alicia forgot to breathe. She still could not get used to his effortless attacks on her now. Well, that should not be much of a surprise, was it not? Because as Ezekiel said, who on earth would dare pinch the great Ezekiel like this? Before anyone''s hand could even get within an arm''s reach near him, it was almost sure that the person''s limb would have been chopped off ¨C other than those who work closely with him. If she did not find out all the things that this man was hiding perfectly beneath his stone-cold exterior, pinching him would even be something unimaginable for her. No, never in a million years would she even think of doing such a thing to him! That was just unthinkable previously.

    However, now that she knew she was the first to do this to him¡­ dear, oh dear¡­ every minute now, she seemed to be falling deeper and deeper into this forbiddenir that was Ezekiel.

    "It''s time for you to sleep. My pain is already gone." His words pulled her out from her own thoughts and without waiting for her response, he grabbed her and fell backwards together onto the bed.

    In seconds, she was lying on the bed, being spooned from the back by him. His hand was wrapped around her waist, under her shirt.

    Alicia let out a slow deep breath before she moved her hand and put it over his.

    She felt him exhale as well after feeling her hands slowly brush over his.

    "I''m putting you to sleep, Alicia." He whispered, informing her beforehand. Alicia knew that she should let him. She had told herself that she did not want to make things harder on him after all. Although she had told herself that¡­ everything inside her was protesting.

    Shutting her eyes tight, Alicia took another deep breath and slowly turned to face him. Their eyes met and the fire was getting ignited again. "Goodnight, Ezekiel¡­" she said in a soft voice and nted a kiss at the corner of his lips before turning away from him again.

    Ezekiel just shut his eyes and put her to sleep.

    "Goodnight¡­ Alicia¡­" he told her after hearing her stable breathing for a short while.

    He kissed her neck before he pulled away and turn to lie on his back. "F*ck it all." he cursed as he clenched his fist hard.

    He sat up after a long while, bent one of his knees as he shoved his free hand through his hair. It took him a few seconds to calm himself and once he did, he rested his head against his hand and stared again at her.

    It was getting harder to hold back¡­ maddeningly so. He felt like he was going to go mad very soon. And eight days was¡­ he had always thought that time moved along fast. Yet these few days with Alicia somehow proved to be as though it was an eternity to him. And eight more days of the same bloody waiting and holding back¡­ would he, no¡­ could he even live through it? Eight days felt more like eight long torturous years to him right now.

    Reaching out, he arranged her toy on her backfortably to see her face. He brushed the stray strands of hair off her face carefully, then he just fixed his eyes on her face. He had already done this so many times in thest few days that he had lost count of it. Because just staring at her face managed to give him an inexplicable sense of peace. The kind of peace that just sleeping could not even hope to give him.

 Chapter 818 So are you

    In fact, sleeping was a kind of a hell for him. Whenever he sleeps, his past haunts him to no end. And for thest hundreds of years, nothing had ever chased those nightmares away. Nothing could. But the presence of this woman miraculously did. She chased his nightmares away just by hugging him while sleeping. For the first time after so long, he had finally experienced what peace felt like again. What it was like to sleep without nightmares.

    It was maddening to him at how all these things just happened to him now of all times. It was like everything wasing at him from all sides, trying to defeat him and drive him to his knees. Now he knew. Now he knew what it was like¡­

    He dozed off while sitting there staring at her. The nightmares came but this time it was a little different from the usual repetitive nightmares he had been having for thest hundreds of years. He saw his father smiling at him, no, the b**tard was smirking at him. ''So? How was it my son?'' he asked in taunting voice.

    And Ezekiel could only look at him helplessly with rage and hatred coursing through his veins. ''Just give in. You can''t fight it, Ezekiel. It is impossible. You will lose in the end. So why bother fighting it?''

    ''Shut your mouth up!'' he growled out, and his father barked out inughter.

    ''Save yourself from all the futile fighting and resisting, Ezekiel. It''s time for you to breathe and give in to what you desire. Follow your heart for once. Choose what you truly want and throw your brother away. It can''t be helped if he suffers and rot in that dungeon forever.''

    ''I said shut your f*cking mouth!!!'' he attacked that man he once called his father, but he could not touch him at all. ''I won''t be like you! I won''t throw away anyone important like what you did! I will keep my promise no matter what!''

    ''Then what about her? The woman that you desire so terribly? Are you not throwing her away by not choosing her? Poor her, poor poor Alicia.'' His father tsked and shook his head at Ezekiel.

    ''I''ll kill you!!! Don''t f*cking mention her name with that filthy mouth of yours! I''m gonna kill you many times over!!!'' he roared out.

    Then he woke up, gasping, sweating and¡­

    "Al¡­ Alicia? How¡­ howe you''re awake?" he asked, giving everything he had to gather hisposure as he looked over at her, who was already kneeling before him and cupping his face.

    "I¡­ I don''t know I just¡­" her lips began to tremble. Her fingers on his face were also trembling. "I just¡­"

    "You saw it¡­ my nightmare." He said tly after seeing her wide eyes. And at the mention of that, her tears fell, and her trembling worsened.

    "I''m¡­ sorry. I¡­" Their connection had allowed Alicia once again to peek into his thoughts, and this time she had shared in his nightmare.

    He leaned back against the headboard andughed sardonically as he ran his fingers through his dishevelled hair and tugged at them. Hard. As though he wished the pain to be able to negate all that had happened.

    Alicia watched him abuse himself, not knowing how to respond for the moment. All she could hear was a crackling sound in her ears¡­ that must be her heart that was breaking into pieces.

    A curse rumbled from his mouth after hisughter died down. "I am sorry that you have to keep seeing how f***ed up I truly am, Alicia. I never¡­ wanted you to see all these¡­ I ¨C" he was falling all over his words. Another rare thing for Alicia to witness.

    She hugged him. Her arms wrapped around and pulled his head to bury it in her bosom, sniffling from her crying.

    "You''re not f***ed up¡­" she whispered between her sobs, "they were the ones to f*** you up, Ezekiel. Your father¡­ he''s the f***ed up one so don''t you go listening to him."

    She pulled away, cupping his face as she stared straight into his eyes. "Listen to me¡­" she added, hupping, "keeping your promise to free your brother doesn''t mean that you''re throwing me away, alright? Not choosing me never meant that you''re throwing me away. You clearly know that right? You never made a promise to stay with me forever or choose me, Ezekiel. And I never wanted you to sacrifice anything¡­ no I never wanted that¡­ I would hate it if you broke your promise and let your brother suffer forever. I would hate it so much¡­ so don''t you dare listen to that man. Do you hear me? Ezekiel?" Alicia spoke with conviction as her eyes bored into his, willing him to understand that she was serious and telling the truth.

    He just stared back at her for a long while before he lifted his hand and wiped away her tears. She had not noticed she was crying. "How many times have I made you cry already?" his wan smile caused her heart to squeeze painfully.

    "Don''t change the topic. Did you hear what I said?"

    A pained but gentle smile curved over his handsome face before he started kissing away her tears. "You really¡­ deserve someone much better than me, Alicia. I want to beat myself up for letting you encounter and get mixed up with someone like myself."

    She pinched his cheeks again. But this time with a little more force than preciously. "Stop saying such nonsense, Ezekiel! And ¨C"

    "I know¡­" he cut her off then he buried his head into her chest again. "But I always know you''re too good for someone like me to desire, Alicia ¨C" his voice came out slightly muffled, but she heard it clearly.

    "And so are you, Ezekiel." she pressed her forehead against his. "The more I know about you, the more I realize you are someone who deserve all the love one could ever offer. Do you know what I am thinking right now?" she pulled away and gazed at his eyes, "since it''s impossible for me to have you here in this world, I want to follow you to hell. That way¡­ I can love you there forever."

 Chapter 819 Switch

    Her heartbeat thudded crazily within her the moment she processed what her mouth had just seemingly blurted out on its own. They held each other''s gazes and noticed that both of them probably had the same look in their eyes.

    But Alicia was the first to snap out from that trance they were caught in. She had already realised she had been falling deeper and deeper for Ezekiel every moment that she spent with this man. Even though she had already admitted to herself of her desire for him, she still had never used that word, until now.

    She had never thought that it would actually slip from her tongue. But there it goes. It rolled out so naturally from her lips before she could even realize it. But it was not too much of a shock anymore ¨C not for her at least. She had already felt that her feelings for him now had developed to a point that was much more than just simple lust, more than just in desire. It was something which was stronger than that, something much more powerful.

    There were no other words that could sum up and exin sufficiently what she was truly feeling for him now other than that word. She had fallen in love with him in such a short time that they had spent together. But did all this truly just begun since he touched her a few days ago? She could not help but wonder if what she felt towards him back then was nothing but admiration. She wondered if that was all she had truly felt ever since she first saw him with that fake face of his that day when she was assigned to spy on him way back before she was became the witch queen.

    But she was not going to think of that right now, because her attention was all on him. Her heart was still thumping away loudly and as fast as she waited for his reaction. What was he thinking right now? What will he say back to her? What will he do? So many thoughts ran about in her mind, that it seemed as though she had set up a marketce in her head. She told herself to remember to breathe and calm down as she waited for him to respond to her.

    His lips finally moved but before he could form any sound, his attention was pulled away by something else and he whipped his head towards the door. Her immediate response to his actions was that her heart sped up even more ¨C but this time it was not in a good way.

    The way he had turned his head around and with that slight narrowing of his eyes tipped her off. That reaction was enough for Alicia to widen her eyes and subconsciously tighten her grip on him. Had their pursuers already reached them?! They were that quick?!!

    Ezekiel calmly climbed off the bed, pulling her along with him as he stood up. His calmness made her sudden panic attack somehow die down. If that interruption truly was their pursuers, he would not be this calm, right?

    She prayed and hoped with all her heart that it would be one of his men. An ally, perhaps? But then, she remembered that everyone was against him right now. So who could it be?

    She could feel her head spin and hear her heart race when he opened the door.

    As it swung open, there was a man standing by the door. As she took a peek from behind him, she saw that it was a¡­ vampire.

    "Good morning Your Highness," he greeted, smiling at Ezekiel. "I''ve brought all the things you had requested for yesterday."

    Alicia continued peeking at him from Ezekiel''s back. And it was then that Alicia finally realized it was already daylight on the outside. The sun was in fact already quite high up in the sky.

    "Good. You made sure no one suspicious was trailing you?" Ezekiel double checked with the man as he epted the bag from the vampire.

    "Yes, Your Highness. Quite sure." He gave a sharp nod at Ezekiel''s query.

    "What about the new car?" Alicia tilted her head at this question. They had a new car sent over as well? She did not think that he was still so efficient even with so many others going against him. But then again, should she be that shocked? This was Ezekiel they were talking about right now.

    "It''s all ready, Your Highness." The man stretched out his arm with the keys dangling from his fingers. He then dropped the car keys into Ezekiel''s open palm and Ezekiel threw him the keys to the other car they had taken to get here yesterday.

    "You can go back now, Brandon. And don''te back to this ce for the next seven days." Ezekiel reminded the vampire in a low tone.

    The man nodded sharply and once he turned and stepped away, Ezekiel shut the door closed and immediately opened the bag. Alicia just stood there, watching him, wondering what he was up to now.

    The Ezekiel she was looking at right now was so like the usual Ezekiel the instant he opened the door until the moment he closed it. There was not even a single sign of the quivering mess that he was just a moment ago when he was still lying in her arms. It was incredibly amazing how quick he could switch and mask his emotions in a seemingly effortless way.

    With the nk expression he showed to others on the outside, and every inflection of his voice just now¡­ no one would ever think that he had just went through something hellish literally just minutes ago. This man¡­

    "You need to change into proper clothes now, Alicia. We need to leave this ce instantly." He murmured to her in a low tone as he brought out clothes from the bag. She heard him clearly only because she was standing so close to him. Before she could reply to his instructions, he had already hastily but swiftly helped her to get dressed.

    Once she was dressed, Ezekiel dropped and squatted before her. He took her hands and ced them on his shoulders before grabbing her ankle.

 Chapter 820 That was all

    Alicia had let him put a sock on her feet, knowing the urgency in his actions. When she pushed her feet inside the shoe, Ezekiel efficiently tightened and tied up theces. Yesterday, she was barefooted during their entire trip, so she was d that she had something morefortable to wear this time. She just wanted to be ready for anything that mighte at them from here on out. Because she did not have any ns to just stand around and watch Ezekiel fight, all for the sake of protecting her.

    "Here," he handed her a gun that he had pulled out of the bag as he stood up. Well, that was a surprise as she blinked at him. Had he read her mind that no matter what, she was no longer going to be a docile and helplessdy standing to the side anymore?

    She grabbed the gun so fast as if she was afraid that he would change his mind.

    "Can this gun kill vampires?" Alicia asked as she peered at him through hershes.

    "I''m not giving this to you to kill vampires, Alicia. So don''t go aiming at their hearts if in case you do need to defend yourself."

    "You don''t want me to kill them¡­ understood." Alicia nodded as she returned her gaze down to study the gun. Witches never use guns because they never had the need to. Their spells were more useful than guns ¨C more powerful, faster and more urate. Not to mention that the witches do not like the loud ricocheting noise it makes every time the gun was fired.

    "I can''t let you use your spells because it will only drain more power from me. I''ve prepared this. So¡­ use this instead." he said as he put his hand on the doorknob, entwined his fingers with hers before he pushed open the door.

    Alicia could only nce at the small but now memorable ce before the door closed behind her. She silently wished that they had a bit more time to spend in there. It was such a short but wonderful slice of heaven for her.

    They left the forest and within a few minutes, they were turning into a highway. Alicia kept ncing over at him, noting that Ezekiel''s expression had stayed stoic and unreadable since they stepped out of that cabin.

    "Where are we going this time?" Alicia asked him in a low voice. She knew he had heard her even though there was no indication that he had.

    "You''ll know when we get there." Was all he replied.

    ¡­

    In Zeres'' apartment.

    The sun was streaming through the window when Iryz finally woke up. She was feeling much better now. Her wounds were healing so much faster as well, and she could not help but wonder at how quick her healing is going.

    Looking around, Iryz''s gaze settled on the tall stack of books on the floor. She had imagined Zeres sitting on the floor again with his leg bent and sleeping. But this time, he was not there as he usually was. Which was rare thing in Zeres'' case.

    Iryz moved to climb off the bed and headed straight to the bathroom to freshen up. Lately, Zeres had been too protective. He insisted on having someone assist her even with her bath and everything. He worries about everything as if¡­ as if she was someone dear to him. Honestly, Iryz was a bit overwhelmed by all the attention. It was because no one had ever treated her like this before. But then, she reminded herself not to think too much into it. She did not want to misunderstand and read too much into Zeres'' actions towards her.

    Zeres was treating her this way now because he believes that her situation right now was his fault. And that was because Zeres was actually a kind though broken being. That was all. So she would not dare raise her hopes up. Or she might just get hurt in the end.

    She stared at herself in the mirror and saw how awful her body looked like now with the still healing wounds all over her skin. Her face was¡­ it still looked... unsightly.

    Closing her eyes to stop seeing that unpleasant sight, Iryz took a deep breath. The whips marks all over her had reminded her about that scene again. And then the bathroom suddenly seemed to turn into that room where she goy tortured. Dark, suffocating and¡­ it was getting harder for her to breathe.

    Before she knew it, she ran out of the bathroom. She did not want to see herself in the mirror. She did not want to remember that scene. She did not want to¡­

    She froze in ce as she stood outside the door. Completely naked and dripping wet from the shower.

    Zeres was standing there, eyes wide as he looked at her in that state.

    The next thing she knew, he was already before her, wrapping a nket around her. Then he pulled her against him in aforting hug, his hands rubbing up and down her back, trying to impart warmth to her.

    "It''s okay¡­ I''m here." he whisperedfortingly and Iryz shut her eyes closed again, taking slow and deep breaths as she tried her best to calm down, telling herself that she was safe and no longer in that abandoned ce where she had been tortured.

    She did not know how long time had passed, but she found herself sitting at the edge of the bed. Zeres had made her drink some water and hugged her until her breathing was back to normal.

    "I''m¡­ alright now. Thank you." she said and Zeres''s hand finally stopped caressing her.

    She liked his warmth. Loved it, in fact. But she knew she could not be greedy and take advantage of his kindness in this situation. Reminding herself that this man ¡­ he was not hers. Impossible to be hers. No matter how much she wanted that fact to be true.

    He pulled away and surveyed her face. He looked concerned and serious, but Iryz blushed hard because she just remembered that¡­ oh gosh¡­ he had seen her totally naked just now!

    She buried her face into her palms, wishing that she could just disappear right now. Gosh!! Oh gosh! How could she let him see¡­ and her body was full of ugly wounds and whip marks too!!

 Chapter 821 Eat with me

    "Are you hungry?" she heard him ask in a gentle voice. She still couldn''t quite get use to all that gentleness. Just hearing it made her think that she was hallucinating if not for the fact that she was hearing him say it with her own two ears.

    Iryz shook her head immediately. "I''ll eatter. Not feeling that hungry yet."

    Another silence passed but Iryz still kept her face buried into her palms, not wanting to face him directly.

    "Iryz¡­" he spoke. "I''ve brought the special ointment with me."

    "Ointment?"

    "Yes. The one I told you I''ll get from Lilith."

    Iryz slowly dropped her hands and looked up at him. There was a small smile on his face as he showed her a small jar in his hand. Was this the ointment that he had told her could remove the scars from her torture?

    "Is this why you were gone when I woke up?" Iryz asked him, not fully believing that he would go to such lengths and take up so much of his precious time to be running around getting things for her. But seeing that little tub of ointment sitting on his outstretched palm, she could only believe the unbelievable for her.

    He nodded. "I''ve met up with Lilith''s trusted subordinate a while ago." He opened the jar and Iryz could smell the aromatic scent wafting over to where she was. Its smell was soothing.

    Silently, Zeres used his forefinger to scoop the gel like ointment and held it out to her. "May I?" he asked a little hesitantly and Irys nodded, allowing her eyes to slowly drift close.

    Soon, she felt his fingers touching the wound on her face as he slowly and carefully applied the ointment to it. And despite the heavy thuds of her heart, Iryz was not willing to stop him and take the ointment from him so she could do the task herself.

    That was until his finger reached down to her corbones. Iryz opened her eyes and stared at him. He was squatting before her, looking ever so focused as though he was carrying out an incredibly important job. Something that requires his undivided attention.

    Iryz could not help but press her lips tight together. He was right here, just doing his task seriously, yet here she was, feeling all these kind of emotions as he touched her. She took in another quiet breath. She really needed to stop whatever she was thinking right now. She also really needed to stop him now, for her sake as much as for him.

    But before she could say or do anything, she felt his finger stop. Looking down, she saw that it had stopped near her cleavage.

    When he lifted his gaze, their eyes met. Iryz forgot to breathe once again because, gosh¡­ his extremely good-looking face was just too close and¡­ and¡­

    "I''m sorry." He quickly said, his hand now lifting away, as if a policeman had just yelled at him the words ''hands up''.

    He cleared his throat and stood up awkwardly. "I¡­ I''ll ask a female nurse to help you with this." he said, rubbing the back of his neck before he turned and left the room without waiting for her answer.

    Iryz could only bury her face into her palms again, groaning out loud at how awkward the situation had be just now.

    ¡­

    While the nurse that was called toe and assist her was spreading the ointment all over her back, Iryz was sketching on her sketchpad the entire time. She had done that to distract herself from thinking about Zeres but when the nurse told her that she was done, Iryz quickly shut her sketchpad at the realization that¡­ she had drawn a picture of her and Zeres while he was putting on ointment for her at the wound on her cor bones. Oh, damn it, Iryz!

    "Let''s help you get dressed now, Miss." The nurse said and she could only nod helplessly.

    Once they stepped out of the bedroom, Iryz was surprised to see that there were a lot of books stacked up all around in the luxurious living room. When she saw Zeres on the couch busily flipping the pages of an extremely thick book, Iryz stilled in her movements. Her eyes scanned over his serious face as he pored over the contents of the book only served to remind Iryz about Zeres'' main and only goal all these while when he was with her.

    He lifted his face and upon sensing her presence there, he put the book down and approached her.

    "Your meal is ready," he said and offered her his hand to aid her in walking to the kitchen.

    Iryz held onto him even though her mind kept telling her not to, and once he settled her in the kitchen, he removed the covers of the food on the table. "I couldn''t find Lucas toe and cook for you, so this meal might not be as good as his dish." Zeres casually said.

    "It''s fine. I''m not really picky with my food." Iryz replied, smiling. She was already very thankful that someone was even willing to help prepare food for her to eat. Thus, there truly was noint on her part on whether the food was great or just ordinary. Zeres had already told her about Lucas quite a few times already when he had brought food over for her. "You should eat too, Zeres. I''ll gain more appetite if you eat with me." She offered him to join her sincerely.

    He stared at her. But then he nodded and started eating too.

    A whileter, Iryz peeked over at him.

    "Zeres," she called out softly and he lifted his gaze to her. "Uhm¡­ I think I know where that book is. You know¡­ the one you''ve been searching for."

    Her words were followed by a long silence until Zeres'' fork made a soft sound against his te.

    "I''m fine now. So I think you can let me go back to my house now so we could go look for it. I''m certain, the book must be ¨C" she was rambling on, not looking at his face nor realising there was something off with his expression.

    "Iryz¡­" he cut her off. His expression was not looking anything like what she was expecting at all. Iryz thought that he was going to jump up and down in excitement and dness. So what was with his expression right now? "You knew something about its whereabouts?"

 Chapter 822 All good things

    "I¡­ I dreamt about it that night before I got kidnapped. I was so excited and wanted to tell you about it. But you left and¡­" her words slowed down after that. Zeres saw that her face contorted a little and he knew it was due to her remembering the suffering that she endured during her torture.

    His expression grew darker. Then he rose, bracing his hands against the table.

    "So this must be the reason why that vampire tortured you to the extreme like that. Because he knew you had already known something about it and he wanted you to spit it out¡­" he said, his voice filled with disbelief.

    Iryz did not understand what was with him again right now. Why was he standing there throwing a fit? Should he not be rejoicing with this information?!

    "Why?" his voice cracked a little as he dipped his head down, seemingly unable to look at her face. "Why didn''t you just say it out, Iryz? If you''ve just revealed the information, he wouldn''t have tortured you to the extreme. Why did you choose to be tortured like that instead of just telling ¨C"

    "Because I don''t want to!" Iryz yelled out in frustration. She could no longer take it. Why? How could he ask her that? How could she like this man so much when he was such a frustrating little¡­ little moron! "Because I don''t want anyone else to find it but you, Zeres! You¡­ you''ve been looking for it like crazy! You don''t even sleep or eat because of it! How could I let a bad stranger have it when you were the one who had been so desperately looking for it?!" she released all her pent up frustration and confusion and it blew up. She was not sure why she was feeling such a mixture of jumbled and chaotic emotions too.

    He looked incredibly shocked as he stared back at her. At the way she had just blew up with his one question. Iryz''s emotion was so all over the ce right now. No one could make Iryz this emotional other than this man!

    She threw him a pained re and stood up abruptly, but just as she spun around to storm out of the kitchen, she was yanked back and got buried in someone''s embrace, Zeres'' embrace. W-what? Why was he¡­

    "You little screwball." He uttered as his grip on her tightened.

    Iryz was still shocked at his action but she somehow managed to retort. "You''re the screwball between us. I don''t understand why you look mad at what I''ve done. I only did the right thing."

    "But it cost you this, Iryz." His voice sounded incredibly sad again that Iryz''s heart just melted and had no choice but to calm down. "You don''t¡­ you don''t owe me anything¡­ you shouldn''t have suffered like that just because... just because¡­ of me. Gods¡­ what should I do with you? I don''t know what to do with you. I never want you to get hurt like this. You do not deserve to get hurt like this¡­ No. You should not even have gotten hurt at all." His wordse out, tumbling one over another as Iryz heard him saying it. His tone apologetic and regretful.

    She understood the pain in his voice. The regrets and there were also other emotions she could not possibly tell. This man just kept making her angry and then melting her into a puddle the very next second.

    "I did that out of my own free will, Zeres. You didn''t ask me to do so. So there is nothing for you to be sorry for." She finally replied, not knowing how else she could console the man.

    "I know. But please¡­ don''t do that ever again." his voice turned into whispers. "Please, Iryz. No, something like that must never happen again. Never again¡­" as he spoke, he shook his head.

    And Iryz''s grip on him tightened. Her heart ached. Because she knew that what he mentioned would eventuallye true. Never again would that happen. Because once they found the book, he would forever be gone from her life. And she would return to her mundane life. That peaceful, ordinary life of hers before this beautiful creature appeared and shook up her entire world.

    She wondered how she would cope with all this once everything was over. She had imagined it would be hard because even now, she had no intention of wanting this hug to end. Unfortunately, as all good things, it all woulde to an end.

    ¡­

    Later that morning, the duo was finally back at Iryz''s house.

    Iryz found out then that her entire house was heavily guarded. Men in ck were all over the library.

    "I''ve made sure no one coulde and ransack your ce while we''re not here." Zeres exined the situation to her.

    It was understandable, because it was clear now that they were not the only ones who were looking for the book.

    Iryz took a deep breath and they both headed to that particr spot she had seen in her dream. The old painting was hanging on the wall. Iryz had never paid attention to these paintings because they were just torn pages of some books. She had check on them before and there had not seem to be anything important in them. One painting that was hanging lower where one did not need to take it down to read was the one she had seen in her dream.

    She had dusted this painting many times before but for some reason she had never took it off the wall. She wondered why. She had seen others touch and took it off the wall though, and nothing seemed to have happened. So howe it suddenly became different for her now?

    Taking another breath, Iryz reached out and finally touched it. When she began to lift it off the wall, a reddish haze suddenly enveloped her.

 Chapter 823 Illusion

    The wall that had initially been like any other wall ¨C solid and real ¨C somehow seem to suddenly dissolve right before her eyes. And in the blink of an eye, Iryz was swallowed by it. Zeres had been holding her arm the whole time to support her as he still thought she was not fully recovered. Therefore, the both of them ended up getting swallowed by the wall.

    The next thing they knew, they were already inside another room. It was so dark that Iryz could not see anything around her. Then that cursed room where she got tortured in shed in her mind out of nowhere. That had caused her to start panting and trembling as she felt herself fall into the beginnings of a panic attack.

    "Iryz," she suddenly heard someone''s voice calling out to her. Zeres? She was not alone!

    Suddenly, there was light. Beside her, she could see Zeres who was still holding onto her arm and looking at her with worry in his eyes. "I''m here. It''s okay, it''s okay¡­" he added in a soothing voice. "Look¡­ this room safe and I''m right here with you."

    The gentle look in his eyes seemed to work like magic, erasing all the haunting images in her mind and reducing the crazy beat of her heart. Iryz took a number of deep breaths until her breathing finally stabilized.

    "Thank you. I''m¡­ fine now. Where¡­ are we?" she forced herself to quickly focus on something else because she was about to jump on him just now and bury herself in his embrace. He had no idea that his presence and touch on her had such a maic draw and almost caused her to embarrass them both.

    She tore her gaze from Zeres and quickly looked around. There were old candbras that were now lit up all around the room. As her eyes swept the space, she noticed that it was not that small. The long shelf in the middle that divided the room looked very old and everything inside was even older than everything in her old house. If she did not know better, she would have thought that they were visiting an antique museum.

    "Did you just magic in the candle lights?" Iryz asked, blinking, as she still could not quite believe that there was a secret room like this in her house. But¡­ was this ce even a part of her house? She knew the exact size of her house and she knew that it was impossible for a secret room thisrge to exist inside no matter how hidden it was.

    Zeres just gave her a nod. "Can you stand properly now?"

    "Oh, yes. Thanks." Iryz pulled a step away from him, but Zeres still did not let go of her arm as she thought he would. It was as if he was expecting her to wobble. "I''m really fine now." she smiled reassuringly at him, and he finally let go.

    "Is this the ce in your dream?" he then asked as the two of them examined the room further. They both looked behind them and found out that the wall was made of bricks.

    "I think yes." Iryz replied, sighing. She was not expecting another library to wee them. Were they going to have to search through all these again? She was expecting to find the book immediately.

    "I believe this ce is created by magic. I can somehow sense that everything inside is just a magic fa?ade¡­ except perhaps for the real thing that we are looking for." Zeres said as they walked across the shelf slowly. Their eyes were looking around, looking for a hint of where the mysterious book might be.

    "So we need to find the real thing among the masses of these illusions?" Iryz asked Zeres. Her eyes a little wide with incredulity.

    Zeres nodded. "And we should make haste. Because we can''t get out of here if we do not find the book."

    "What?!!" Iryz eximed loudly before she swallowed. She quickly looked around and tried to estimate how many books were there that they needed to go through. Her anxiousness started to return as she realised that there were many!

    "It''s alright. We''ll definitely find it." Zeres did his best to sound calm and reassuring. He was actually a bit troubled. This magic that had been cast was not a simple enchantment. It was actually a very high-level spell that could trap anyone to death. It was not something just anyone could escape from. Zeres could of course escape from this if it was just himself being trapped. But with Iryz, he did not want to risk her. Especially not when she had barely recovered from her earlier injuries.

    So their only choice was to find the book as quickly as possible. Because Zeres also knew that time in this kind of spell was not an illusion. That means, they could not stay in this ce here for long because Iryz would still need to eat and drink. Not to mention that she was in a bad condition and was still recovering right now. He must have her out of this magical space before she starts to even get thirsty or hungry. He could not allow her to starve here.

    "I think we should split up and search, Zeres." Iryz suggested. "You check over here. And I''ll go check the other side." Iryz thought that using a divide and conquer method, that would be the most efficient.

    She was already walking away as she said that, so Zeres did not stop her anymore. And she was right. It was better for them to split their search areas if they wanted this to be over soon.

    "Remember not to overexert yourself. Don''t forget you''re still recovering. Call me if you can''t reach ¨C"

    "Yes, sir!" her yful voice echoed loudly before Zeres could even finish his sentence.

    When she was out of his sight, a small smile curved on his face as he shook his head a little.

 Chapter 824 Past Life (Part I)

    Iryz and Zeres stayed focused on their task the entire time. Both of them were anxious and wanted so badly to find that elusive mysterious book. Neither of them spoke to the other even when more than an hour had already passed within the space.

    Yet, the book was still nowhere to be found. How unfortunate, Iryz thought.

    Shutting her eyes closed, Iryz tried to recall that dream again. She thought that if she could just remember more details of how her dream had gone, she could identify where it was in this space. But just as she was trying to concentrate, something seemed to be pulling at her attention and distracting her from recalling her dream.

    And before she knew it, she found herself staring at something that looked like an ancient mirror. Wait¡­ where did this mirrore from? However, as she focussed more, she realized it was not even a mirror in the first ce because she was seeing not her own reflection on it but something else entirely.

    It seemed to be a boy who was dressedpletely in ck. The lower part of his face was covered in ck as well that the only part of him that was not covered was his eyes.

    Iryz was immediately drawn to his eyes as she noticed that they were¡­ just like hers. Forest green. There were not many humans who had pure forest green eyes like her. What is this then? A painting? Who could this boy be? She had been so drawn that she did not realise she had already walked over and was standing right in front of the painting.

    Reaching out, Iryz absentmindedly touched the painting. But the moment her fingers touched it, a reddish haze from the painting ¨C not unlike the one from earlier ¨C suddenly appeared and surrounded her.

    And she found herself being transported somewhere else again. Oh no, was she inside another magical illusion again?! An illusion within an illusion?! Just thinking about the possibility caused Iryz''s head to spin.

    Iryz was about to panic but the realization that it was not a dark room this time made her feel extremely relieved.

    She calmed her breathing and looked around. It was then that she noticed she was in a forest this time. It was dark, but the moonlight above was shining and shimmering bright. What was all this about, this time?

    She really hoped this could lead her to that mysterious book they had been looking for and not just another distraction.

    A soft rustle of dried leaves pulled at her attention. When she turned to the direction of the soft noise that seemed to be made by a small animal, her eyes widened. She saw the boy in the mirror-like thing from a while ago. Was he real?!

    He seemed to have just arrived. Looking at him while he was moving made Iryz think of one thing and that was the boy looked like an assassin from the ancient times. He definitely gave off that image and aura. If she would ever draw an assassin character in her story in the future, she would definitely use this boy''s image as her inspiration! Wait! What the hell was she thinking of at this moment?! Ugh! And wait¡­ why does it seem as though he could not see her? Was she just watching some recorded memories just like how witches watch over someone else''s memories?

    "It''s rare for you to bete, Eris. Is everything alright?" A voice echoed out. It was not from the boy and somehow Iryz felt as though this voice¡­ it sounded very familiar to her!

    Iryz whipped towards the direction and her mouth dropped. Z-zerez?! That was a long-haired version of Zeres that she was looking at. What in the world was going on in here?! Why was she seeing Zeres in someone else''s memories? And judging by the clothes he had on him, this must be from a long time ago!

    "Yes." The boy named Eris said. She noticed his voice seemed familiar as well. "How about you? You''re pretty early. Did you and the girl you like in the ck Dragon''s Hills fought or something?"

    The long-haired Zeres looked away and winced. "No, but¡­ kind of. She''s with that little vampire right now." his voice sounded so displeased and jealous.

    "You can go back and check on her, I can hold this post by myself." Eris offered generously but Zeres shook his head.

    "Vampires mighte and attack us any time. There are elite vampires in the area this afternoon." Zeres sounded so distracted. It was obvious he badly wanted to go and take up on Eris'' offer.

    "Were they the vampires who are looking for a vampire prince named Alexander?" Eris asked and Zeres nodded. "You''re wounded, aren''t you?"

    Zeres gave out a long and tired sigh. "I''m fine. Abigail had already treated my wounds¡­ hey, Eris¡­" he leaned against the tree trunk as he looked at the younger man.

    "Yes¡­?"

    "Have you¡­ ever fallen in love?" Zeres'' question was very soft, but the other man heard it clearly.

    There was a long silence and Iryz who was still confused about this random piece of memory found herself holding her breath as she tried to understand what was going on and what the hell was this conversation she somehow ended up witnessing.

    "I do." The boy said.

    Zeres craned his head. His eyes were opened wider than usual after hearing Eris'' reply. "Really? That''s a surprise. You''ve been with me for a few years now and you haven''t said anything to me about this."

    "The person I fell in love with loves someone else." He replied in a heavy and sad tone and Zeres became quiet before he threw his head back and stared up the dark skies that was littered with twinkling stars.

    "I know I''m just arade to that person." Eris added wryly. "And yet my feelings still keep growing by the day. How silly of me¡­" then he sighed out heavily.

 Chapter 825 Past Life (Part II)

    Zeres shot him a kind gaze before he looked up. Then he smiled. A sad smile. "That must really sting. Abigail said I''m important to her but¡­ I kind of feel like she''ll forever see me only as a friend. And yet¡­ I cannot seem to give up and keep hoping that one day, she''ll see me as a man and not only as her friend." He nced at Eris next. "Does the person you like already have a lover?"

    Eris shook his head. "Not yet."

    "I see¡­ then don''t give up. One day, that person might look at you. And return your feelings." Zeres encouraged Eris.

    "I¡­ hope so¡­" though Eris said that, Iryz thought that his tone somehow did not sound hopeful.

    "By the way. When will you take that mask off and show your face to me? I can''t believe we''ve been partners for three years and you''ve yet to show me your face." Zeres approached her and reached out for his mask. Zeres'' movement was swift, but Eris''s response was even swifter as he stepped back. Zeres missed the mask by centimetres.

    Zeres halted. His hand was left hanging mid-air.

    "I''m sorry." Eris said and he sighed.

    "Are you really nning to hide your face from me forever?" Zeres arched his brow.

    "No."

    "Then when will show your face?"

    "One day." Eris'' reply was short and did not offer anything more.

    "Fine." Zeres seemed to have finally given in. At least for now. "You''re one hell of a secretive witch, you know that Eris?" He sighed again before he returned to his post.

    Iryz did not even know what to think or say at this point. She could not understand what all this was about. Was she seeing just random memories of Zeres'' in the past? But why? Why was she seeing this? Was there any meaning for her to view this?

    And this boy. Iryz could not seem to take her attention off him. Was it because his eyes looked like hers?

    A bit frustrated, Iryz finally moved from her spot and approached the boy. Maybe she could try to talk to him? Wait, should she not go for Zeres instead?

    When she changed her course, the sun suddenly rose. It was as if time had been sh forwarded within a blink of an eye.

    Then Iryz saw Zeres left. She stayed with the boy waiting for what he would do next.

    After a long while, the boy named Eris began to move as well. He was following after Zeres in secret! Just who was this boy?

    Before she knew it, they had arrived in another ce. She could see ranges of rocky mountains ahead of them. The mountains were so ck that they looked like they were made of pitch ck crystals. She could also see a small wooden house situated near a stream at the foot of the mountain.

    They watched from a distance as Zeres entered the wooden house. The boy was quiet as he looked absentmindedly towards that house.

    Iryz did not know why but she felt her heart ache for this boy. Maybe because the look in his eyes right now looked really heart breaking. She saw his fists clenching hard. Was the person this boy was talking about ¨C the person that he loves but loved someone else ¨C Zeres? Iryz ced her mouth onto her palms as she gasped, and her eyes widened.

    The next moment, they were in another ce again.

    They were inside a house this time. A house made of wood and stone. One nce and Iryz knew that this was another ancient house. Was this the boy''s house? But wait. Why was she stuck with this boy instead of Zeres? If she was supposed to follow someone who she had an attachment to, was it not Zeres? How did she end up being stuck to this boy? It was like the memories she was seeing was not actually Zeres'' but this boy''s! But why? And the book! Gosh! She really did not have the time to watch all these memories if they could not give her a hint of the location of the bo ¨C

    Iryz was silenced because of the realization that just dawned to her. This house¡­ this shelf¡­ this was the ce that Zeres and her were at just a moment ago, right?! Wait¡­ so why was this ce here now?

    She was certain this was the same ce! Apart from the fact that the shelf was not all packed with books and was not looking as elegant as the first time she saw it with Zeres, she could swear that it was the exact same ce! Could this be the real picture of that illusion? Maybe the real books were the ones left in here!

    Iryz was about to immediately begin looking for the book when she got distracted by the mirror that was hanging to the side. It was the same mirror she had seen in that room earlier. ''I knew it! I remembered seeing a mirror. I was not crazy! Phew!'' Iryz thought to herself as sheughed inwardly.

    But then, the boy approached it and stood before the mirror. And when he took his mask off, Iryz stood there, paralyzed. Because the reflection of the boy in the mirror looked exactly like her! What is the meaning of this?! What is going on?!

    He stared at the face reflected in the mirror for a moment before he began taking his clothes off. And Iryz was dumbfounded once again as she saw him remove the bandages that was wound multiple times around his chest. He was not a boy! This Eris person is a girl! This person who looked exactly like her had been disguising as a boy. And it seemed she had been keeping up this disguise in front of Zeres for three whole years!

    As Iryz was trying to take all this in, she had a feeling that things would not turn out as simple as it was. She had that sinking feeling that there was more to things that met the eyes. Her heartbeat raced and she felt her head spin as she tried to make sense of what was going on in here.

 Chapter 826 Past Life (Part III)

    "I can''t show you my face because then, you would find out that I am a girl. And once that happens, I couldn''t possibly be next to you anymore." Eris said as she talked to herself in the mirror. A lone tear fell from the corner of her eyes, but she quickly wiped it away as though she did not even want the mirror to be witness to her weakness. "Ah, why am I crying? Is it because I feel like that what you have been talking about ¨C the day when the person I like will look at me too ¨C will never happen?"

    Eris looked at herself in the mirror and took a deep breath. "I know¡­ I always feel like he will never be mine in this lifetime. But that''s alright. Maybe I can have him in another lifetime, right?" a sad and wilted smile wavered over her small face.

    Iryz could not believe what she was seeing and hearing. What was Eris? Was she actually her? Could she be Eris''s reincarnation?

    She had heard from her grandmother a lot about the topic of reincarnation. Diana always told her that even if one dies, they will have the chance to be reborn again. It seems that there was this wheel of reincarnation that all souls of the dead would be drawn into for that to happen. And aside from her grandmother''s words, Iryz had also read about reincarnation in many books she had found in the library in her own home. Does this mean that she was seeing her past life?!

    Her heartbeat kept drumming fast and hard within her ribcage. This was the only exnation she could think of. This was the only exnation that made sense! What else would exin why she was seeing this piece of memory? How would it have anything to do with her if she was not Eris''s reincarnation?

    For some reason, she could not bring herself to believe that this was nothing but a dream or a fake illusion. No matter how much she tried to tell herself, a part of her refuse to calm down and listen to hermon sense that was trying to rationalise things out. Maybe because with all the things that she had been experiencing and seeing in the past few days since Zeres came, it does not feel that unbelievable anymore for all these things to actually be considered real. It was like for her, the lines between reality and fantasy had already been blurred.

    But the more she began to ept that Eris was her past self, the more ache she began to feel for the girl. She knew that Zeres was an ancient being. This meant that she was in love with Zeres even in her past life as well? And just like how things were going on now, Zeres was¡­ he was in love with someone else and all she could do was hope that he would turn around to look at her.

    Iryz''s throat stung so badly as she looked at Eris in the mirror. She looked so sad standing there alone. And to think that she had been disguising as a boy for years to¡­ just so that she could be with him. That was just¡­ so sad and unfair!

    "You''re crying again?" A voice echoed out suddenly. Iryz jumped in shock as there had been no one else there. As she scanned around, she saw a little to the left, there was a dark silhouette that was approaching Eris. That voice belonged to an elderly witch.

    "I''m not crying, grandma." Eris replied.

    "Yes, you are, sweetheart." The olddy sighed out tiredly. It seemed that the elderly witch was used to seeing Eris cry like this before. "I think it''s time for you to stop disguising yourself like that. You''re not making things any better for yourself."

    "But if I stop, I won''t be able to see him again, grandma! I will be stuck with the rest of my peers learning about spells and everything so basic when all I want is to get out there, learn how to fight and do more adventurous things."

    "Are you sure you really want that? Or is this all because of that person you like?"

    "Grandma I¡­ he saved me. I would''ve long been dead in the hands of those vampires if he had not saved me. So I''m trying to stay by his side because he''s a silver-haired witch and the Queen does not even care about him. Everyone is trying to protect the queen, but she doesn''t even give her own son a guard despite knowing that vampires are after him too."

    "So you are volunteering to act as his bodyguard instead, am I right?" Eris''s grandma questioned.

    Eris was silenced. "I am just returning a favour. And he''s a good friend to me until now, grandmother. I''ve enjoyed all the nights I''ve spent together with him. Even if it was just only apanying him as a friend."

    The olddy sighed. "Alright, I won''t nag you about this anymore. However, I am still hoping that you''d stop all these disguises before it''s toote."

    Once the olddy left the room, Iryz fixed her gaze on Eris. It was then that she realized that there were scars all over her slim body. There was also a huge scary scar on her abdomen, her shoulder and her left thigh. Iryz felt her heart squeeze tight just by looking at them. Those must have hurt so much when Eris was still wounded. She wondered how she got all those awful scars.

    And time seemed to sh forward once again. Judging from the changes in Eris'' appearance including the length of her hair that was really short during the first time she saw her, it seemed that a long time has already passed as her hair now was longer and gone way past her midback. She even seemed to have matured a little.

    "What''s wrong Eris? You didn''t get to see him again tonight as well?" her grandma asked in a kind voice.

    Eris nodded, her face looking down gloomily. "Grandma¡­ I think I won''t be able to see him again."

 Chapter 827 Past Life (Part IV)

    "Oh Eris, sweetheart¡­" the olddy hugged her. "Did he say anything to you thest time you saw him?"

    "He said he''d definitely return, and I promised him I''d show him my face once hees back. But¡­" Eris began to tear up. "It''s been a month since the queen has returned from the war in the vampire kingdom. He''s supposed to have returned with her, but he has yet to appear. I heard that no one saw him returning with the queen too. And the queen says she didn''t know where he is. Grandma¡­ I feel like he''ll never return to me again. I feel like I will never see him again." she wept pitifully in her Grandma''s embrace and Iryz could only stand there watching as her own heart broke as she listened.

    Until Eris and her grandmother slowly disappeared from her sight.

    As a tear fell from Iryz''s eyes, the room she was in also began to dissolve and fade from her vision. And she started to hear someone calling out her name. But she could barely make it out until the world spun around and the reddish haze swallowed her once again.

    "Iryz! Iryz! Are you alright?" Zeres voice was getting louder as he gently shook Iryz. She could hear from the tone that he was concerned for her. She wondered how long she had disappeared and separated from him after she went adventuring on her own.

    He did not know what had happened, but they were already sent out of the magic spell abruptly. They were now by the wall and the frame of the painting was back in Iryz''s hand.

    "Iryz?! Can you hear me?" he called out again, knowing that Iryz was still in daze. Her eyes were still not quite focussed even though her eyes were looking at him. He knew something must have happened to her while he was busy checking on the books at the other side of the shelf.

    Thankfully, she finally snapped out of her daze and the confusion had left her eyes.

    "Z-zeres?" she asked as she blinked.

    "Yes, I''m here. What happened? You found the book, right? That must be why we''re already out of the spell." Zeres got excited as he asked her about the book.

    Iryz blinked and then she looked around. He was right, they were back in the library inside her house. Her mind and heart were still processing what she had just seen and heard from that past memory of her supposed past self.

    "Iryz? Wait,e here." Zeres supported her and led her to a chair and made her sit. "Sit here, I''ll go get you a ss of water."

    He dashed off and Iryz took that opportunity to process everything that had just happened. Eris was her, right? And that was¡­ her past life, right? It must be as everything seemed to line up so perfectly. Even Eris''s face looked identical to hers.

    Zeres did not even take long before he had returned with a ss of water. He squatted before her and handed her the ss.

    Once Iryz drunk the water and calmed down, she finally looked up at Zeres. This man¡­ he still looked exactly the samepared to the Zeres that she had seen in that memory.

    "Is everything alright?" he asked. She could see his eyes brimming with questions, but he seemed to be controlling himself.

    "Zeres¡­ can I ask you one thing?" she was hesitant as she fiddled with her fingers nervously.

    "Of course, Iryz. You can ask me anything."

    She opened her mouth, but she closed it again. Hesitation and doubt and fear was obviously stopping her.

    His features gentled. "What is it? Don''t be afraid. You can ask me anything, Iryz. I promise I''ll try to give you an answer."

    Iryz took a deep breath and stared into his unusual silvery eyes.

    "Uhm¡­ when you find the book, would you still¡­e back here?" Iryz asked him.

    Her question made him still for a moment. Then his brows knotted slightly before he gave her a reassuring smile.

    "I''m not sure why you''re asking this kind of question but¡­ I will definitelye back. We have made a deal, right? I don''t go back on my words. You still have to draw me naked, remember?" he even smirked a little as he said thatst line.

    But Iryz did not smile norugh at that line. The words ''I will definitelye back'' were the only words that seemed to reach her ears and she felt like this was the exact same words he had said to Eris back then in the past. And her heart hurts so bad that she bit on her tongue a little. Because she had already felt that back then, Zeres never returned to Eris and this time, he would not be returning too. That was what her sixth sense was telling her.

    Somehow, she thought that it was a given because with this, he would be able to bring his beloved back from the dead and he would of course be together with her from then on.

    .. this book is exclusively published on w e b n o v e l . c o m thank you for reading on official site and supporting the author''s hardwork..

    She wanted to weep so badly right now. But she somehow held back and did not know how she even managed to do that. She did not know she could be such an aplished actress until now because she smiled at him instead.

    "I''ve finally found it, Zeres." She said, showing him the frame. The content of the frame had changed from the first time she took it off the wall. And it did not just contain a random page from an old dictionary anymore. The details of the spell were now written clearly on it.

    She watched his expression as he looked at the paper inside the frame. He looked so relieved and ted at the same time, as if a knife had been finally pulled out from his heart.

 Chapter 828 Goodbye

    "I''ll have my men stay here to guard you." Zeres said as they both stood outside the bookstore. Though he tried to contain his excitement, Iryz could clearly see his whole body shivering slightly in eagerness in wanting to sprint off and get moving with the spell.

    "Oh, there is no need for that." Iryz waved her hands. "I don''t think anyone will stille here to cause trouble. What they''re looking for is already in your hands, isn''t it? And I don''t think there''s still any other valuable things they need here. Now go. You''re in a rush, aren''t you?" she knew he was barely holding himself back from flying over to where thatdy was. Her heart ached at the thought. Was it just her fate that even in two lifetimes, there was no chance of her and Zeres getting together as a couple?

    Zeres stared down at her. Seemingly trying to gauge her every expression. Somehow, he had a feeling that something was a little off with her after they got out of that enchanted space. But he could not focus enough to figure it out yet. His mind was fully focussed on getting the spell going to help Alicia.

    Afraid that he would be able to see through her fa?ade, Iryz grabbed him and tried to turn him around and out of the door, so he would finally leave. She did not need his pity.

    "Iryz, I ¨C"

    "Goodbye, Zeres." She cut him off and gave him a big smile as she let go of him. Then she abruptly turned around to return into her house.

    But Zeres'' words stopped her just before she could close the door. "I wille back once everything''s settled in my end, Iryz. I mean what I said before. I don''t go back on my words." He told her seriously. He wanted to reassure her that he would uphold his end of their bargain in getting him to stand as her model for her sketches. He thought that was what she was worrying about.

    Iryz stood still at the door for a long while, but she took a deep breath and shook her head.

    "No, there is no need to, Zeres. Please don''te back. I''m calling the bargain off because I don''t want to draw you anymore." Iryz knew her words were quite harsh. So she softened the blow by shing him a grin as though she was fine with it. Only she knew in her heart how bitter that grin was.

    Zeres''s eyes stretched wide, totally taken aback at her words. Then his throat worked. "You''re saying I am not wee here anymore?" he did not know why she had suddenly pulled out of their agreement. Was she not the one who had bugged him incessantly about wanting to draw him in multiple poses? There was an unknown difort deep down that he could not quite put into words. Was he feeling bad on not being able to hold his end of the bargain? He was not sure.

    "Yes." Iryz replied without any hesitation and his fingers clenched a little into a fist.

    "Right. I''m so sorry." His voice softened and the guilt in his expression had returned as he looked at the few visible whip marks that had yet to disappear on her skin. "I''ve caused you nothing but trouble and..."

    "No. That''s not it!" Iryz whipped around and looked at him, wide eyed. Her expression was not soposed anymore. "It''s just that¡­ just that¡­ I keep falling for you every day even though I know full well that you love someone else!" she blurted out. She could no longer hold it in after seeing his guilty looking face and lowered head. She did not want to see the person she loves now and in her past life being hurt at all ¨C even if it was due to a misunderstanding. She would rather reveal her love for him and embarrass herself than allow him to be hurt.

    She gritted her teeth at the realization of what she had just said. But she was quick to gather herposure. The cat is already out of the bag. There was no use in her holding back anymore. She held his gaze courageously and seeing the surprise in them made her heart thud like crazy within her. Those silvery eyes still had so much power to affect her even just by looking at her without speaking. Still, she continued steadily. "I keep wanting you more and more the longer you stay here. So¡­ so don''te back anymore because¡­ I need to stop falling for you now, Zeres. You see¡­?" she forced out a pained smile. "It''s really hard falling for someone who loves someone else¡­ someone who will never return what you feel¡­ I''m afraid I will just hurt myself even more if I continue seeing you. More so now that you are treating me so nicely, that you''re no longer ignoring me as you did before. I keep mistaking your kindness for something else even though I know I should not. So¡­" then she shrugged helplessly, not knowing what else to say.

    She wanted so badly to say that he should understand her feelings as he had once experienced how it was loving someone and not being loved back. But she knew she could not. He did not know about her past life and the memory that she had witnessed while in that enchanted space. She would take this secret to the grave with her.

    Her smile widened even more as her eyes gleamed with unshed tears. "So this will be goodbye, Zeres. I wish you all the best with your beloved. Live a happy life with her." she wished him sincerely and with her whole heart. No matter how much she was hurting, she just wanted him to be happy and able to be together with the person that he loves.

    She shed her warmest smile before she finally turned around. Her tears silently falling as heavy drops as she shut the door closed behind her. She did not want him seeing her sad and teary face. Let him only remember her happy and smiling face.

    Zerez just stood there, utterly stunned while staring at the closed door. He could not quite wrap his head around what he had just heard from Iryz ¨C her confession to him that he had not expected the least.

 Chapter 829 Ultimatum

    The sun was already setting, but Zeke and Alicia were still on the road.

    They had been travelling the entire day and Alicia could no longer help but ask him if everything was alright. No matter how Ezekiel tried to keep his calm, Alicia could feel that something was really wrong.

    She had tried to talk to him a few times throughout the day. She had asked about that man who gave them the gun and clothes. Alicia asked if that man was one of his loyal men. But Ezekiel said that it was because that caretaker knew nothing about what he was nning to do, that was why he was still obedient to his orders. He told her that once that vampire caretaker found out about his secret, he too would go against him.

    Alicia had thought of starting to ask more questions, not wanting to waste time but Ezekiel had put her to sleep for hours instead.

    And now, the sun was already setting.

    "Ezekiel¡­ are we there yet? Or are you not stopping because we''re being pursued right now?" Alicia finally asked. She had a feeling she had hit the nail on the head. Perhaps, he had changed course again because he knew they were being pursued.

    "Yes." He replied and Alicia whipped her head to their rear. There was no car following them, but she realized that they were currently going along a road far from any human settlement.

    Her head turned to her side and her heartbeat raced at the thought that their pursuers were running in the woods that ran on both their sides. No matter how fast their car was, if the vampires were already close, they would definitely catch up in no time. Cars could notpete with vampires who were supernatural beings ¨C especially if they were the ones specially sent out to hunt for Ezekiel. Why? Why did he head to such a ce where vampires could easily outrun them? If he had headed into the city instead¡­

    Alicia''s eyes widened a little at the realization that dawned on her. No. Ezekiel chose to head here because he would never want to risk the vampires being seen by the humans while they chased after them! That was why he could only head here! She could only marvel within herself. Even at this point when they were pursuing him so determinedly, he still kept their wellbeing in his mind and wanted to protect them from being discovered by the humans.

    Alicia gripped her gun hard in her hand. She also realized that even if they did head into the popted areas with humans, they might get caught faster due to traffic. And with the way they were being pursued, she was quite sure that the vampires would not bother concealing themselves. They most likely would just reveal themselves just so they could capture both her and Ezekiel. So she realised that Ezekiel''s decision was truly the best in the circumstances that they were in.

    When she returned her gaze to Ezekiel, she noticed that sweat was beading along his temple. That was¡­ a bad sign. He was not alright. He was definitely not feeling alright! No matter how he masks his exterior, and no matter how he tried to force himself to stay calm just to hide his inner turmoil from her, Alicia could still feel it. The link that existed between them somehow allowed her to sense that from him.

    Something was immensely troubling him right now. And she believed it was not purely just the matter of their pursuers.

    Suddenly, he mmed his feet on the brakes. The car screeched to a halt by the roadside. Alicia could smell the burned rubber of their tyres skidding on the asphalt. And in the blink of an eye, the vampires appeared, surrounding them on all sides.

    Ezekiel pushed the car''s door open and pulled Alicia along with him, covering her behind him.

    He swept his eyes towards the masked vampires before him. She could feel his whole frame tighten as he stared at them, and they stared back at the both of them.

    "Your Highness." One of them spoke. "We need you to let go of the witch. We don''t want to take advantage of your current state right now and we don''t want to fight against you. So please let go of her." though they were at their highest concentration in surrounding them, they still offered Ezekiel the respect he deserved as the crown prince of the vampires.

    Ezekiel did not speak. Alicia could feel his body tensing up, as if he was trying to do something but could not.

    "Your Highness¡­ if you don''t let go of her in three counts, we wille at you and force her out of your reach." The vampire who spoke earlier who seemed to be the leader gave him an ultimatum.

    The atmosphere immediately became heavy and intense from that threat. Alicia could feel it. The vampires were determined to carry out their mission. Whatever it took, they were determined to seed.

    She could not help but tighten her grip on their intertwined hands. Because for some reason, Alicia felt that Ezekiel was acting even more strange right now. Something was terribly wrong, and she could not feel his usual, suffocating power lingering invisibly around him.

    It was like Ezekiel''s demonic power had left him. Why? What had happened? Had Ezekiel weakened even more throughout their trip?

    Alicia held her gun tightly. Her heartbeat was racing even faster. Harder.

    And the vampires came at them the next time she blinked.

    Ezekiel pulled her tightly into his embrace, protecting her with his body. As if he was making sure that no one could snatch her from his hands.

    Alicia felt his heartbeat thudding damned hard within his chest. And it was then that she realized Ezekiel was¡­ he suddenly felt so weak¡­ his breathing was already so shallow, and his body was¡­ he felt as though all his strength had left him.

    Shock and disbelief flooded her entire being for a moment. Was this a bad dream? How could Ezekiel be reduced to this state? What had happened? Could it be that his hunger had finally gotten the better of him? It had been a while since he had drunk blood.

    The next thing she knew, a hitnded on him, and they both fell to the ground. Ezekiel was on his knees, but he still could remember to cover her with his body. His breathing was scarily uneven.

    "Ezekiel¡­ you¡­" Alicia could no longer stop herself from having an all-out panic attack about him.

    "We need to separate them now!" A male voice thundered. "Pull her off him now!"

 Chapter 830 Roughly

    The sound of a gunshot echod within the surroundings and the vampire who was approaching her fell to the ground. His leg had been shot.

    "F*ck! I can''t believe this witch has a gun on her!" the vampire groaned. "Everyone, be careful!"

    "And I can''t believe His Highness fell just like that! What happened to him?!" it was as though pandemonium had broken out.

    "I never thought I''d ever see His Highness reduced to this state in my entire lifetime! Like ever. It''s even hard to ept that this is him! What did this witch do to him?! She must have sucked up all his strength and power for him to be reduced into such state!" some of the vampires snarled and raged as they stared furiously at Alicia. Their eyes were clearly ming her for the weakening of their crown prince to this state that he was in right now. Rage and hate were directed at her in abundance.

    And Alicia never thought that such words would be enough to affect her. When she fired the gun, Alicia felt that she had to push Ezekiel''s big body off her a little so she could get a proper aim at the approaching vampire.

    Since he turned her into her physical form, Alicia had never once managed to push Ezekiel off her. Her body was so weak to even manage to do that. And yet, right now, she had managed to push his heavy body and fire the gun with precision. She realized that her strength seemed to have returned. Why? How could that even happen? Could it be that these vampires were saying the truth? That she had actually used up Ezekiel''s power and reduced him to this state? Her heart started to wither as the thought crossed her mind. No! Let that not be the case! She would rather die than allow her beloved person to suffer through this.

    "Right. She must have drained His Highness'' powers dry to stay in her physical form! We need to get her off him! I''m afraid this damned witch will end up killing His Highness!" the vampires around them were shouting out in agitation.

    "Grab her now while His Highness can''t fight! This is the only chance we have!"

    Alicia lifted her hand and fired the gun again. But the vampires did not budge this time and still approached, effectively dodging the bullets with their inhuman speed.

    Gritting her teeth, Alicia tried her best to stay calm. This gun was not helping! She so badly wanted to utter a spell this instant, but she was afraid. She remembered what Ezekiel had said when he gave her the gun, that he forbade her to use her magic because she would only draw out more power from him.

    And now, after what she heard from those vampires and feeling and seeing Ezekiel''s situation, Alicia was terrified. The fear that she might have made his state even worse if she used magic gripped her entire being so hard. What was she to do now?!

    She sent another shot at the vampire but right after that, the gun was kicked out of her hand. Her hand went numb at the impact of someone''s shoes.

    Then someone reached out to grab her shoulder, meaning to yank her away from Ezekiel''s arms. Alicia could only shut her eyes tightly and increased her grip on Ezekiel. What should she do? Think Alicia! Please!

    A sound of cracking bones right behind her echoed in her ears and her eyes flew wide open.

    Zeke had grabbed the offending vampire''s hand an inch before he could touch Alicia and twisted it, causing the vampire to scream out in pain as his hand was now bent at an impossible angle. For sure, his hand was broken through.

    Zeke''s eyes were bloodshot as he peered through his tussled dark hair that was damp with sweat. "Who allowed you to attempt to touch my woman?" Zeke growled. "Touch her and you''ll die."

    Alicia was paralyzed at what she had just heard.

    The vampires were shocked and could not move for a long while even after Zeke let go of the vampire''s hand.

    But then, that male''s voice thundered out once again.

    "Don''t falter! Seize her and get her off him!" they were adamant on wanting to remove her from their prince.

    And the vampires came at them all at once.

    "Dare to do that and I will kill every single one of you, I swear!!!" Ezekiel growled once again but the vampires were determined to carry out their mission sessfully. Even as they shuddered at the prince''s warning, they just gritted their teeth and did not dare back off.

    They grabbed onto Ezekiel''s arm to peel his hold off of her.

    "Damn it! He''s not budging!" one vampire groaned.

    "Force him to let go! Now!" the leader barked out.

    Someone hit Zeke from behind and he groaned. Still, his hold on her did not loosen one bit. They did not stop trying to wrench Alicia out of his hold. They came at Zeke on all sides until he started to bleed but Alicia never received any hit at all. She was perfectly protected by Ezekiel in the midst of this chaos.

    Alicia was trembling. She was biting her lips so damned hard to stop herself from uttering a spell. She could not take this anymore. She nned to teleport, but what if she ended up taking too much strength form Ezekiel by doing that? She did not have any weapons on her. And the gun that Ezekiel had given her had been disarmed by the vampire earlier. She can try to fight, but once she was released from Ezekiel''s grip now, all they had to do was pull on her and that was enough to sever their physical contact.

    "Ezekiel¡­" she could only whisper out his name helplessly.

    Until a strong blow hit him. Alicia knew how strong it was because she had felt the strong impact even though she was not the one they hit. Even though she was in the protective embrace of his arms.

    They took that opportunity to grab her and the next thing she knew, she was being pulled out from Ezekiel''s embrace.

    The world seemed to move in slow motion as she watched her hand slowly being forcefully separated from Ezekiel''s as the vampires pulled her roughly away from him.

    ___

    I will be giving out mini mass release tomorrow courtesy of our Supergifters! ^^

 Chapter 831 Not now [1/4]

    Alicia was unable to do anything but just uselessly stare at what was happening around her. Her fear that she might have hurt Ezekiel even more if she used a spell had gotten the better of her. He was already beyond weak, if she siphons off any more power off him¡­

    She did not want this man to get hurt or suffer anymore ¨C especially on her ount. She had rather hurt herself first than do anything that would harm him. So she just bit down on her lips again and restrain her natural impulse of uttering any spells as the vampires pulled on her. Even if their grip was rough and their ws had already caused long welts that were bleeding to appear on her fair skin, she still remained tight-lipped.

    Everything was crashing down within her as she held on to his hand with everything that she could, never wanting to let go. Wishing that some miracle would happen to stop their separation.

    She did not want to disappear. At least not yet. Not now. Please¡­ she begged and prayed to any gods that were listening. All she was asking for was a few more days to stay with him. Just a few more days. Could the world at least afford her that after all that she had sacrificed?

    The vampire violently yanked on her arm once again and this time, Alicia knew this was it. No matter how hard they both clung to each other''s hand to keep themselves from being separated, their strengths just was not enough to ovee the forceful tugs of the vampire who wanted them apart.

    In her mind, she felt like she had screamed out Ezekiel''s name as she watched her hand was finally pulled away from his grip. But she could no longer hear anything.

    Her whole world seemed to have gone into a suspended animation where everything just stopped and was even muted. She could not see nor hear anything as tears fell from her eyes.

    She felt her body begin to feel so light. And she knew she did not need to look at herself to know that she was starting to dissipate from her physical form as well as from this world. So she kept her gaze trained solely on Ezekiel and opened her mouth. Wanting to at least say the words she so desperately wanted him to hear.

    "I love you¡­" she finally uttered.

    And just as her vision turned into a hazy white, she felt her body crashed into something familiar. W-what was that?!

    Alicia could suddenly feel her body again after a couple of seconds and her vision had returned to normal too. Ezekiel?! He had somehow managed to grab onto her before she waspletely gone, right?! Did his strength finally return?

    "Warned you¡­ I''ll kill anyone who touches her!" came his broken yet terrifyingly cruel voice, followed by a sickening thud and the blooming scent of fresh blood.

    She looked behind her and saw that the vampire who had been grabbing and pulling her away from Ezekiel had his neck snapped and bent at an impossible angle.

    Then she realized the presence of a suffocating and viscous darkness that was swirling around them. His demonic powers¡­ it was back again! Never had Alicia thought there would be the day where she would rejoice seeing this petrifying aura swirling and curling around her person.

    "I''ll kill every one of you¡­" he hissed under his breath. That tone and the bloodlust that spilled out from him sent strong shivers within Alicia. She could feel it, the danger¡­ the darkness¡­ However, though terrifying, she somehow did not have the fear of losing her life. Not to this man ¨C no matter what he became.

    Alicia was there when Ezekiel had used his demonic powers and those times were nothingpared to what he was disying right now. Ezekiel had always been in full control of that powers all those other times. But this¡­ this bloodlust was not something¡­

    Suddenly, the image of the young Ezekiel in the past shed across Alicia''s mind. She saw that face he wore when he had vowed to ughter every single witch. The shivers that overtook her frame when she saw that face was the same one as she was feeling right now.

    "I''ll ughter every one of you¡­" he breathed out and Alicia saw wisps of dark smoke escaping his lips as he voiced his warning to the now trembling vampires who were frozen in fright. His darkness began to swirl faster around them. Stronger. Darker. Deadlier.

    The vampires subconsciously took a few steps back. Their eyes wide in utter shock and fear.

    "Ez¡­ Ezekiel!" Alicia called out as she lifted her hands and cupped his face. It was then that she realized her hands were trembling. She could not help the instinctual reaction to his heavy and malevolent aura. She could not help that her weak human body would tremble as she stood within his embrace where the effects of his powers were the greatest. Ezekiel right now was just so terrifying that his mere presence was enough to make anyone just tremble in fear before they even realize it.

    When he ignored Alicia''s call as if he did not hear her at all nor see her and just moved his hand ¨C the hand he used to kill the vampire ¨C the fear in her intensified. However, this fear was not for herself. She could feel it, he was really going to¡­ No! She must not let this happen!

    "Ezekiel!!!" she yelled at him all the while pinching his cheeks hard. "No! Ezekiel¡­ Look at me!!!"

    She pinched him even harder this time and thank goodness he finally tore his gaze from the vampires he had been targeting and looked down at her.

    His one eye that had turnedpletely ck was mind numbingly close to her face. But Alicia continued pinching him. Harder. Then she whispered desperately at him, hoping against all odds that he could somehow recognise and listen to her. "Let''s get out of here, Ezekiel. Please. Take me away. I want to leave this ce. Teleport us away from here! Now, Ezekiel!" her tone was frantic as she grabbed at his cheeks, staring deeply into his eyes as she pleaded with him.

    ___

    3 more chaptersing. ^^

 Chapter 832 Pawns [2/4]

    The vampires could only stand there stupefied, as they helplessly watched on whilst the dark smoke swallowed Zeke and Alicia. Some of them even fell back on the ground at that terrifying disy of power. They had no idea¡­

    They already found out that their prince had a strange secondary power within him that was usually hidden, but they still could not quite believe what they had just witnessed with their own two eyes. They could not believe the extent of fear he had evoked within them with just that disy, and he had not even attacked them yet! Just what¡­ was that? What was he exactly?

    The extreme fear was gradually being reced by doubts as they recovered themselves from the shock. But they all ended up reasoning within themselves that what they saw must have been that witch''s fault. They all thought that what they had seen must be the reason why the king and prophetess had given them this mission. To the point where they allowed them to harm the prince if that was what it was needed to separate him from that witch. That must be it! There was no way their proud and mighty prince could be so weird unless he was being corrupted by that ursed witch!

    "Sh*t!!! Now we''ve lost them!!! We need to let the others know that they managed to escape!" one of them growled when a quiet thud sounded in their midst. Their instinct immediately kicked in once again at the feel of another powerful threat that had just arrived.

    "Well, well, well¡­ What d''ya have here?" the man drawledzily, and everyone had their eyes widen the moment they recognized him.

    "A- alexander!" one of them croaked, stepping back and then instinctively bowing their heads at him. This was one man you would not want to mess around with ¨C no matter how friendly or amiable looking he seemed to be. Just being in his presence was enough to raise their goosebumps.

    "Now you guys did it and saw something that you shouldn''t have." Alex sighed, running his fingers through his dark hair. Then he lifted his hand and curled his forefinger, gesturing for them to approach him.

    The vampires nced at each other uncertainly, but they knew that there was no room for disobedience. Thus, with leaden steps, everyone moved closer to Alex until he raised his hand for them to stop where they were.

    When they were all standing just a couple of steps away from Alex, a van arrived and rolled up to where they were.

    "Listen here," Alex started with a serious look on his face. "I need you guys to enter the van."

    The vampires looked at him in confusion and doubt, but none of them were brazen enough to question Alex. However, that did not stop their hearts from racing and there were even beads of sweat dotting their foreheads.

    "Now, now, be good and listen boys. This is all for your own sake." Alex flicked his fingers and gestured for them to enter through the van door that Lucas had opened.

    Once the vampires were all inside, Lucas shut the back door closed. The next moment, the van wiggled a little but after a few seconds, it eventually settled, as if the men inside had all fallen asleep.

    No, Alex did not have them all killed. However, the men had been smoked to sleep so that Alex and Lucas could erase their memories about that particr scene that they had seen. The one where Ezekiel had used his demonic powers.

    "Only one casualty. That''s pretty impressive of you, Zeke." Alexmented seriously as he looked at the dead vampire that was on the ground. "You deal with this body too, Lucas." Alex gave the order as he nodded his head at that unfortunate vampire.

    "Yes, sir. But may I know why you deliberately stalled for time and made yourself arrive hereter than you would have?" Lucas asked, confusion was evident in his face. "If you didn''t stall and arrived a little bit earlier, His Highness would not have needed to erupt like that. Is it because you really don''t want to help His Highness?" Lucas furrowed his brows as he tried to understand where Alexander''s actions wereing from.

    "Nah¡­" Alexzily waved his hand at Lucas. "I wanted Zeke to erupt." After which a yful smile spread across his face.

    "Why??" Lucas could no longer stop his frown. "Aren''t you one of us? Aren''t you against His Highness'' decision too?"

    Alex nonchntly leaned against the van. After staring at Lucas for a few seconds, he shrugged his broad shoulders.

    "If I''m not against his decision, I wouldn''t be here right now, ginger head. I''d be with my wife and babies, enjoying my life to the fullest and not giving a f*ck if Zeke would be gone forever a week from now." Alex sounded as though he was on the verge of rolling his eyes as he answered Lucas'' usation.

    "Then why ¨C"

    "I want him to have his strength back. If we helped him earlier, that guy would still be as weak as f**k right now. Knowing Zeke, I believe that him, being weakened to this extent is all a part of his n. You know how unbelievable it is for Zeke to be so weak till that stage. And I won''t dare believe that Zeke had not seen thising. I had a feeling that he was even expecting to us toe and help him. If I had not stopped you, you would have definitely helped him earlier on, right?"

    Lucas dropped his head. Even though he was against Ezekiel''s decision, he would never have been able to just stay back and watch as he suffered. If Alexander had not forcefully grabbed and stopped him from interfering, he would have long since interjected before those vampires could even start hitting him.

    "I think we''re a part of Zeke''s pawns at this moment. As usual. We were supposed to help him ording to his n, but we didn''t. And he was forced to activate his demonic powers again."

 Chapter 833 Desperation [3/4]

    For a while, Lucas was speechless. Not because Alexander''s reasoning had made a lot of sense, but because he never would have thought Alexander could actually think through suchplex scenarios like this. Lucas had forgotten that this man, ording to what he found out, was once a prince who had burned kingdoms down even when he still did not have the power of the dragon. This man had been nothing but a troublemaker since he met him, doing whatever he wanted without thinking. That was why his thoughts right now shocked Lucas.

    If what Alex said was true then, he actually managed to beat Prince Ezekiel at his own game! Which was such an unbelievable feat!

    Alexander let out a big sigh again but there was a huge smirk shing across his face. Now what was he smiling so wide about? Is it because of him beating Ezekiel at his own game?

    "Zeke in love is cute, don''t you think so, Lucas?" he asked yfully, causing Lucas to blink. "Ah¡­ at longst¡­ our Zeke is finally in love. I was waiting so long for this day to happen, haha! I didn''t think it''d happen this soon though."

    Lucas could only watch on speechlessly as Alex chuckled at his prince''s predicament.

    "You should''ve heard what he said just now, Lucas." he added, then his expression turned so serious as he re-enacted what the prince had supposedly said. "Who allowed you to attempt to touch my woman? Touch her and you''ll die! Damn¡­ I should''ve recorded that. I can''t just let Zeke leave us forever. I still need to tease him about this for as many more years as possible." And he chuckled again.

    Lucas was dumbfounded. Really? His Highness said that? He really called Alicia his woman?!! Wait¡­ but why was it that Alex too, was focussing on this just so he could tease and poke fun at his lord? He sweat-dropped as he thought on how weird the friends andpany Ezekiel kept.

    However, thinking back to what Alex said, imagining it was so hard that Lucas wished he too could have seen it. He too had been hoping that Ezekiel would also find someone that could melt his ice-cold heart one day. He wanted the prince to live a happy life too and that he genuinely wished for such a woman to arrive soon.

    He had been wondering about Alicia since the first day Ezekiel introduced her to him. Somehow, he had a feeling back then that Alicia was not just another woman to Ezekiel. Now it seems that his gut feeling was right? Wait¡­ this was not the time for them to be thinking about the prince''s romance! There were more important matters to deal with first!

    "But¡­ can we even stop him? I mean, His Highness from leaving?" Lucas'' face became serious and so was Alexander''s. "He seems to have decided and set his will in stone. He''s hellbent on reaching his goal. I have a feeling that no matter what we do, we might still not be able to stop him." Lucas added in a sad tone.

    "Well, stopping Zeke is in fact¡­ impossible." Alexander said as though he had always known that it was a known fact. And somehow, this man saying that only made Lucas feel even more downhearted.

    "But sometimes, the impossible does happen. That is what you call a miracle! And now that he''s finally in love, I bet that anything can happen." Alexander continued, causing Lucas'' face to lighten up. That was right. The impossible happened too when this troublemaker found the love of his life. Now he was already a father of a pair of twins and a civilized creature! Well¡­ somewhat civilized.

    "Right." Lucas nodded multiple times like an old man. Then he tilted his head as if something was bothering him. "But Alexander¡­ you said, His Highness expected us to help him¡­ does this mean that he''de to us anytime for help or something if maybe he gets cornered again?"

    "He might have actually been nning to have me take him and Alicia to hide out at my house. He knew that my wife would no doubt protect Alicia as they are close friends. And with Abi, she''d never let anyone harm her friend or let her disappear. But after his n failed, he might not considering to me again¡­ or you for that matter."

    "But what if he dide to us?"

    "Let''s not help him." Alex''s quick response stunned Lucas.

    Lucas looked down. "I''m not sure if I can stand my ground and not offer my help if he suddenly appears before me."

    "I want Zeke to be pushed to the very edge. Because I want him to do something to solve this. I want him to find a solution where he does not need to choose to leave us, nor should he abandon his woman. I know that he must be already trying hard but¡­ only he can find a solution for this. Sometimes, a person can do the impossible when he''s left without a choice and being pushed to the brink of desperation. And this is Zeke¡­ so perhaps, he could find a way. We just need to push him harder into a desperate state. That guy had never been in a desperate enough situation for hundreds of years, never been that weak¡­ I bet he might have long forgotten what desperation and weakness felt until now."

    "I understand." Lucas said as he nodded, and Alex pushed himself off the van.

    "Alright, I''m leaving all these to you, ginger head. See yah ¨C"

    "Wait, Alexander. One more question. What if something happens and Alicia disappears?"

    "Ah, that¡­ well, if that happens then prepare for chaos and doom."

    "W-what?" Lucas tripped and almost fell to the ground before righting himself up suddenly.

    Alex chuckled at Lucas'' reaction and waved his hand at the man. "You don''t need to worry about Alicia, Lucas. Zeke will never let anything happen to her. That''s the one thing I''m more than certain about."

 Chapter 834 Couple of days [4/4]

    Alicia was surprised to see that they had materialized back in the wooden cabin they just left this morning. She had never thought he would bring them both to return to this ce. Was it a conscious or unconscious decision? She wondered about it.

    But that was the least of her concerns at this moment. Because even though Ezekiel''s darkness had lessened, his one eye was still dark. So dark that you could not see any whites in his eyes at all.

    "Are you¡­ okay now Ezekiel?" Alicia asked him gently. Their position was still the same as right before they disappeared from that lonely forest road.

    He did not speak for a long time. But she knew that he could hear her and see her. The fact that his hold on her tightened as she spoke to him told her so.

    She was d that the terrifying bloodlusting from him was gone but she could not quite help but feel worried and uneasy because there were still no signs of his one fully ck eye returning to normal.

    "You are¡­" he finally spoke. That sinuous voice made her heart race, but it was not due to fear. It was never fear.

    "Hmm?" she hummed, waiting patiently for what he was going to say.

    "You are doing that again." he spoke slowly.

    She blinked. Unsure on what he was talking about until he lifted his hands and held her wrists.

    "Oops¡­" she finally realized that she was still pinching his cheeks, and a smile curved on her face as she quickly let go of her punishing grip on him. "Sorry¡­" she tiptoed and kissed his cheeks that were slightly reddened due to her squeezing them, ever so gently as if to soothe him.

    When she pulled away and looked at him again, Ezekiel was very still. She waited for him to speak but he just stared back at her before he tore his gaze off her.

    His gaze fell on her hand and his face darkened. It was then that Alicia noticed all the wounds and slightly dried up bloody streaks that the vampire''s sharp nails had caused. It was also then that she realised that those raised welts were somewhat stinging. But she ignored the pain.

    "I''m fine." She reassured and immediately smiled at him. "As you can see, they''re just little scratche ¨C"

    Alicia could not even finish her sentence because Ezekiel had already bent his head and started to lick the blood. She involuntarily stiffened at the damp and slick feel of his incredibly hot tongue gliding against her skin. It was as if every single one of her nerves were at attention and were extremely sensitive to his touch.

    Yet she could not bear to open her mouth and tell him to stop. She allowed him to lick up the blood, sighing as if his every lick helped release the coiled-up tension from her shoulders.

    But all too soon, he stopped.

    "Heal your wounds, Alicia." He said in a low voice.

    "But ¨C" Was she not supposed to use any spells? Why was he telling her to do it then?

    "I am fine. Now, please¡­" the plea in his voice prompted Alicia to immediately listen to him. And she speedily recited a healing spell that would take care of all her wounds.

    Once her wounds were healed, Alicia surveyed him. A few minutes had already passed and yet, his one eye still remained ck. Why was it like that? Was there something wrong with him?

    "Ezekiel¡­" Alicia uttered his name. "Are you really okay, now? You''re not going to suddenly weaken again, right?" she was worried as she had cast the spell and must have drawn some of his powers from him.

    "I''m fine now, Alicia. That won''t happen again." he sounded so reassuring as he said that.

    "Why did you choose this ce? Didn''t we just leave this ce?"

    "Because no one would think that we''ll return here. They would not think that we woulde back to a ce we had already left."

    "I see¡­ but they''re going toe at us again very soon, right?"

    "Not now. They''ll most probablye at us again in the next few days. They need to wait for me to weaken again first." He shook his head as he exined.

    Alicia wanted to ask more about this. She had a lot she wanted to ask about. But right now, she did not want to talk about those serious and depressing things. At least not for now. Because she was just so happy to hear that the vampires will not being at them for the next few days. That means they would have some time to be together without worrying that their pursuers will suddenlye at them.

    "Few days¡­" Alicia echoed. "After four to five days, they''lle at us again?" she hazarded as guess on the number of that ''few days''.

    "Two to three days." He replied.

    Alicia bit her lower lip. She was thinking that two to three days were just too little! But¡­ she would take whatever she could get. Even if it was just one more day, she would take it. It was better than nothing at all!

    "Ezekiel¡­" she uttered his name again, looking up at him with an expression of someone who was about to confess. Her hands reached out for his face again, but this time she caressed his cheeks so gently with her thumbs instead of pinching him.

    Her heart was drumming up a beat so hard that she knew he could clearly hear it. But Alicia swallowed and her eyes glimmered as she held his eyes, not minding that unusual one eye that could scare anyone.

    Then she tiptoed once again and nted a quick kiss on his soft lips before she parted her lips to speak.

    "Can you give yourself to me fully during these two to three days of reprieve that we''ve got? I¡­ I want to have you¡­ I want to love you¡­ even if it''s just for a couple of days."

 Chapter 835 No more

    Holding her breath, Alicia waited for his response with her heart in her mouth.

    She remembered about her confession to him this morning. When she told him that she had wanted him to bring her along with him to hell so she could love him there forever. She had yet to receive any response from that because of the many interruptions they kept on getting.

    However, while she was on the road, Alicia had realized that her, following him to hell was not possible. Because she had already sacrificed her only chance to leave this world. And that she could no longer go anywhere, not to the afterlife and definitely not to hell either.

    That meant that these few days were all that she had left with him.

    "Ezekiel¡­" she whispered his name, wanting him to speak and give her an answer.

    He lifted his free hand and was about to put his thumb on her lips when he halted. His gaze drifted to his fingers that were still covered with blood before he changed direction and suddenly lifted her in a bridal carry.

    With his fast and long strides, they had quickly reached the familiar small spring they had visited just the night before. However, it was not raining this time around and the moon was out. Its silvery beams seemed to gently shimmer around them, and it was bright enough that they did not need the light frommp for her to see him clearly.

    He dipped them both into the water immediately, not even bothering to remove their clothes.

    After cing her hand on his neck, Ezekiel silently washed the blood that had been staining his hands. For a long while, Alicia just watched him rub the dark red stains off in silence. There was apanionable silence that stretched between the both of them. It was as though no words were needed to fill in that silence as it feltfortable and natural.

    The whole world seemed to turn quiet. Only the ssh of water and the quiet flow of the spring could be heard.

    She loved this kind of silence, but after some time, she could no longer bring herself to keep on waiting. She wanted¡­no, needed him to answer her and this time, she would not let him change or evade the topic.

    So before he could stop washing his hands, Alicia moved her hands to his face, again, cupping both his cheeks. She turned and made him look at her, then pressed her forehead against his.

    "Ezekiel¡­" she uttered his name again. "I ¨C"

    "Alicia," he spoke, interrupting her.

    She pulled away a little and stared at him, hopeful that he would finally respond.

    "You''re not bothered about my eye?" his quiet question caused her to pause and blink.

    His unexpected question made her furrow her brows a little. She was totally not expecting that question. And it had thrown her off the frame of mind where she had been waiting for his response to her earlierment.

    Shaking her head, Alicia ced her thumb right below that dark demonic eye. She began to caress him as she kept her gaze on that one eye. "This don''t bother me the slightest bit, Ezekiel."

    A ghost of a smile shed across his face. As if he found it hard to believe that she really was not affected by it.

    "You think just this little thing would be enough to scare me?" she questioned, tilting her head a little.

    "I thought this would definitely bother you."

    She kissed his eye so gently, so softly, causing him to let out a sigh. "Alicia¡­" he whispered her name, almost breathlessly.

    "Answer me, Ezekiel." She said once she pulled away, her gaze now pleading, her thumb straying to his lips. "Please give me an answer. No more avoiding my question. Please¡­"

    He stiffened a little as he caught her wrists. His gaze faltering. "That''s dangerous, Alicia."

    Alicia shook her head. She was insistent on wanting to get to the bottom of it. No way was she allowing him to distract her over and over again. She would be getting her answer and she would be getting it today!

    "Dangerous¡­ for me, right?" Alicia was frowning. She knew that he did not care if the danger was to himself. So she had correctly assumed that when he mentioned it was dangerous, it would most likely refer to her.

    "Yes. I know you don''t only mean sex, but I don''t think I could keep my hands off you anymore the moment I ept your offer. If I do ept it, I mean¡­ Last night was¡­ that was already way beyond what my limit could bear. I wouldn''t be able control myself again if ¨C" As he spoke, Alicia could feel a slight tremble that originated from him as she held him.

    Alicia shook her head again, unable to take it anymore. "The reason why¡­ you don''t want to have¡­ sex with me is because my body might not be able to handle it, right? It is also because you fear that you might end up desiring me too much that you might give up your goal to stay back with me, isn''t it? But I feel stronger now, Ezekiel. You feel it too, right? And I have already told you that I''m not going to let you sacrifice anything for me. No more sacrifices between the two of us. No more unfulfilled desires and sadness. All I want from you is¡­ within this few days Ezekiel¡­ I ¨C"

    He ced his thumb on her lips, parting them as he moved his own so close to hers. His breathing was ragged now. "I know¡­ but that''s not all there is to it, Alicia. There''s still something I have not told you¡­"

    "Then tell me. Please. Don''t hide anything from me anymore, Ezekiel. Please¡­" Alicia pleaded with him.

    She heard the rumble on his chest as he cursed within him. "That woman¡­" he finally started. She could hear and feel his struggle. "My father''s mistress¡­ she had actually turned into a vampire."

 Chapter 836 I donâ€™t want it

    It took Alicia a long while to even move. What he said was just so shocking that she could not even find any words to say.

    "I believe that it''s the same principle as what had happened to Kai and Kelly." Ezekiel continued a long stretch of silence. "If a royal blood vampire and a human managed to mate without the human dying, the vampire turns into a human. However, it''s the other way around for vampires and witches. The witch will be the one to turn into a vampire."

    Alicia could only keep her gaze on him in utter silence.

    "I didn''t have any ess of information on everything about this matter even back then. So all that I am certain was about the spell itself and the oue as I''ve used and seen it myself. Sebastian must''ve known more about the details and procedures behind the scenes on this matter because¡­ because he was the only one that they had kept with them almost the entire time we were imprisoned there." He shook his head a little. "But I¡­ can''t possibly ¨C"

    "Shh¡­" Alicia finally made a sound. Her fingertipsnded softly on his lips now. "That''s enough, Ezekiel. You don''t have to tell me more on this matter." An understanding smile was stered on her face as she caressed his cheek gently as she reassured him. "All I wanted to know about right now is the spell itself. Nothing more. There is no need for you to go into the details of it."

    His fine and thick brows creased and she knew why. But Alicia had already decided on going ahead with it. This too¡­ she was going to take it. Come what may, she wanted to be with him. Consequences be damned.

    It was incredible how she could not even make herself hesitate. Her, turning into a vampire? That was something she had never even imagined to be happening in her entire existence.

    She thought that it all must be because she was already dead. And her desire for him had already gone above and beyond anything that existed in this world.

    Right, she was already dead. She nodded to herself as she was reminded of the fact. She was only here physically because of Ezekiel''s powers alone. Turning into a vampire for thest few days that she had left in this world was not really a big deal to her now that she thought about it. After all, she had already died as a witch. That part of her life had been over and done with long ago. If this was the only way for her to love him and have him fully, she would dly take it.

    "Please tell me about the spell, Ezekiel." She uttered, letting him see and feel her solid decision about this.

    "Alicia¡­" his throat worked as he grabbed her wrists. He looked like he was still in disbelief at her easy eptance in this. She seemed to be extremely willing to bear the consequences of fully being with him. "No. you can''t be agreeing about this ¨C"

    "Why not, Ezekiel?" she cut him off, her eyes gleaming with determination. Her tone was slightly defiant as though daring him to say whatever excuse he had why she should not be epting of this consequence. "If this is the one and only way for me to have you then I''m willing to be a vampire, Ezekiel. I''m already¡­" and she used both hands to gesture to herself from head to toe before giving him a meaningful nce. "¡­so I don''t see any reason why I shouldn''t want this. Why I shouldn''t ept this."

    "No, Alicia¡­ damn¡­ you''re only saying this because you think you''d be gone soon, right? Then I''m telling you now, after I leave, you will stay here." he cupped her face and spoke with certainty. "You''re not going to disappear for good, Alicia. You will stay here and live."

    Another shocking revtion from Ezekiel that shook her world.

    "What¡­ what are you saying? How do you know that I''m going to¡­" Alicia could not help but stammer out in shock.

    "There''s a spell that could bring you back to life, Alicia." He exined gently, his eyes even sparked with a beautiful glint. As if he was so beyond d that such a spell actually existed. "Right now, I believe that Zeres has finally found it -"

    "I don''t want it." Alicia broke off. Her eyes suddenly turned watery, and her shoulders started to shake slightly. "I don''t want it, Ezekiel."

    He stilled. Surprise filling his eyes. "Wait¡­ You know about this¡­??" disbelief was evident in his voice.

    "Yes." Alicia swallowed. Her throat hurts like hell but she fought hard to keep herself from breaking down. "I know there is such a spell in existence¡­ but I didn''t bother to look for it. Not because that I know I can never find it by myself. But because¡­ I just don''t want it. I know you know what that spell will do to me, Ezekiel. I will be brought back to life but... but I will lose everything else. My powers, my abilities, everything¡­ I will turn into someone who is no different from the humans. I will be powerless my whole remaining lifetime and will eventually get sick, grow old, and die. What kind of life would that be, Ezekiel? So no, I don''t want it¡­ I don''t want it¡­" Alicia kept repeating that as her grip on Zeke''s shirt was getting tighter as her lips started to tremble.

    "I know it''s ridiculous of me not to want such a second chance in life. And many would even think that I should ept it with gratitude instead but¡­ I''m sorry I just can''t ept it. I don''t want to live that kind of life¡­ you might say I will be fine, and that I will not need any magic to live a good life. Because the humans are just doing fine. And many of them are happy people who are going about, enjoying their mundane lives. But I just can''t."

 Chapter 837 I will

    "I''m sorry but I would not ept it. I don''t want it, Ezekiel. I also know that the spell won''t change the fact that I can no longer go to the afterlife when I finally die due to old age. I will still disappear into nothingness once I die for the second time. For me, that''s the same oue. That spell will only prolong the inevitable. So I don''t want it. I don''t want it¡­" she finally broke down and cried in his embrace. She kept shaking her head even while being held in his arm and gentle embrace.

    Ezekiel just kept silent and held her tightly in his arms. He did not bother to say anything anymore and just let her cry out her frustrations. He was just holding her like he was unsure whether to do something or not for fear that he might end up making her sobbing even worse.

    He was now sitting on top of the stone, with her cradled on hisp, head still buried on his shoulder as she sniffled away.

    His hand was caressing the back of her head in steady and gentle rhythm when he suddenly stilled in his movements.

    Then a dark swirl of smoke-like magic appeared in his palm over Alicia''s head.

    She fell asleep in an instant, but her breathing was still stuttering. He did not even give her the time to calm down from her crying.

    Ezekiel lifted his gaze, but he did not make any other movement other than that one spell. He kept his hands where they were even as Zeres appeared from across them.

    "Do you recognize me, Kiel?" Zeres asked as he stood there.

    He had met Alexander a while ago. And the man had wanted to stop him from approaching Ezekiel. Now he knew why after taking a look at the man.

    "Yes." Kiel replied in a low voice, and Zeres sighed out in relief. Then his gaze then onto Alicia who was cradled in the man''s embrace. Though she was not moving, he knew that she only seemed to be in a deep sleep. Alexander was right, she was really alright.

    "I''ve found the spell." Zeres lifted the frame in his hand.

    "Did you hear what she had just said?" came Kiel''s straight question. He did not try to avoid the matter.

    Zeres'' grip on the frame tightened at that question, then his throat worked before he replied. "Yes, I heard it." his voice was tight as he said that. He had never thought that Alicia actually knew about this spell''s existence. And he had never thought that she had no wish for it. Now he understood why she had told him to stop looking for the spell that time.

    He understood her. Knowing Alicia, Zeres somehow knew that the possibility of her declining having the spell used on her was very high. But he believed he and everyone could eventually make her ept it in the end.

    But listening to her words earlier and the way she had broken down and cried, now he was not so sure about that anymore. His heart ached as he listened to her voice keep repeating that she did not want it. He felt that forcing her to ept the spell would only cause her more hurt instead of helping her.

    "I don''t know what to do anymore, Kiel." Zeres gave out a sardonic smile. His voicee out sounding so defeated. "All I want is to¡­ bring her back¡­ but if she doesn''t want to ¨C"

    "You will bring her back using the spell, Zeres." Kiel''s voice sounded so certain. His decision undisputable.

    And that look in his eyes, Zeres knew that look. It seemed that Ezekiel already had a solution to this problem, another n that must already be in the works.

    Zeres eyes twitched as he took a step closer. "What are you nning to do?"

    "I can''t tell you for the time being. But I can assure you that everything will be alright in the end. Alicia wille back to life¡­ that I can promise you Zeres." Ezekiel''s voice was confident. He sounded as though he knew exactly what he was doing.

    Silence reigned as Zeres processed what Kiel had said. He could feel it in his bones, that Kiel was beyond serious. He had never seen him like this before, never heard him spoke like that before. This man¡­ he was currently so unrecognizable right now. He was somehow reminded of¡­ Alexander. Like how he was, back in the past when he was trying to protect Abigail.

    And again, just like that time, as he looked at them right now, it did not seem to be as painful as he thought it would be. Was it because he was somehow prepared for this already? He did not know, but he was just d that the pain was somehow tolerable.

    It also helped that Kiel right now was like this. All his doubts about him just crumbled at just the sight of him. The way he was holding Alicia, the way he said that promise, the way he¡­ looked right now¡­ he could not even make himself still doubt the man anymore. This was not the same old iron hearted Kiel that he knew in the past anymore.

    Zeres nodded at him. He was not going to ask or pry about the details anymore. Because he already knew that deep within him, he was going to put his trust in him on this matter whether he liked it or not.

    "Okay, I will be trusting you on this, Kiel." Zeres breathed out.

    "I will need you exactly seven days from now. You will help out with that spell, Zeres." Kiel informed him and he could only nod.

    "I will be there. It''s at the Reigns castle, right?"

    When Kiel nodded, Zeres moved to leave but he halted and took a final look back. "Take care of Alicia, Kiel." His voice floated over softly as Ezekiel kept his eyes trained on Zeres'' leaving form.

    "You don''t need to tell me, but rest assured, I will."

    Zeres smiled and then he finally disappeared from the area.

    ___

    Don''t forget to vote with your Golden tickets hellbounders! ^^

 Chapter 838 Homing device

    Zeres somehow found himself back at Little Flower library, staring at its front door in silence.

    His throat hurts. His chest hurts. But it was the kind of pain that hurts so good. Damn it! What does that even mean?!

    He kicked the air and leaned his back against the library''s door, raking his silver hair as he fixed his gaze up into the night sky. The sky was totally clear from any clouds. All he could see was the dark sky and little twinkling of the stars that dotted the night sky.

    After a long stretch of silence, a long sigh escaped his mouth. Then suddenly, his thoughts just drifted to when this door had been closed in his face as he was being asked to leave.

    Before he went to the cabin and saw Alicia and Kiel together, his thoughts had been already pretty distracted ¨C chaotic even. All because of Iryz''s unexpected confession before she shut him off. He did not know how to react to it. It was all too sudden that it caught him by surprise. He had not expected to be confessed to by Iryz.

    This afternoon, he just stood there for a long time, staring at the door before he eventually turned around and left.

    Now here he was, back here as though he was a homing device that would aim itself here. As if this was a ce that he could return to. Even though she had told him he was not weed here anymore and reminded him not toe back here in the future.

    "Boss." A voice echoed and Zeres shut his eyes after hearing that voice.

    "What."

    "The girl is actually still not home." The information came quickly.

    Zeres'' eyes flew wide opened at the news, pushing himself off from the door and thezy posture he had on earlier totally gone as he faced the bodyguard. "What?!" that single word came out with a hint of panic.

    "She left an hour ago. At that time, she was with a friend, and I believe they were headed to maybe a party based on her clothing that she had on."

    "Where?!" his voice was a little loud as he demanded for the location.

    "Err¡­ I don''t know. They took a cab and ¨C"

    "You, idiot." Zeres cut him off. "Why didn''t you follow after her? Or send someone else to follow after her at least?"

    The man blinked and then he scratched the back of his head. "But boss, you only ordered me to watch over if some suspicious person came here to cause trouble for the youngdy. You didn''t order me to follow her everywhere. And I don''t think you have anything to worry about boss. It''s normal for ady her age to go out like that. She''s been stuck with you inside her house for many days, don''t you know that? Let her ¨C"

    "She''s still injured for goodness'' sake!" Zeres almost roared out. He could already feel a massive headacheing on at the thought of Iryz getting hurt again even before she was properly healed from the previous incident. He pressed at the space between his brows and drew in a deep breath.

    "I think she''s doing really alright now, boss. She''s wearing something like a cosy getup. I heard her friend said ''wow, that looked so realistic! I never thought you''re such a good make-up artist!'' and when the friend tried to touch it, the youngdy had said ''no touching, you don''t want to ruin my work of art''. I also heard her mentioning that she''ll only be staying at the party for a couple of hours at the most. So I don''t think there is anything to worry about. Her friend seems nice too. Why don''t you go inside and wait? There should be only another thirty minutes before she would be home." The man spoke so fast and nonstop that Zeres had no chance to interject what he wanted to say.

    Zeres could only sigh a little in exasperation. His expression was dim. He did not understand why she would leave the house now when she was supposed to be recuperating obediently at home right now.

    "Go find her whereabouts and report to me immediately. If she''s not back here in thirty minutes¡­ I''ll be personally going to pick her up." He ordered grumpily and the man nodded quickly, not daring to protest.

    Once the man rushed off and could no longer be seen, Zeres impatiently paced up and down in front of the door. Five minutes passed and Zeres found himself unable to take it any longer. Just waiting there without doing anything was killing him! He disappeared and materialized back into her room. He thought that he had to grab a jacket for her or something to warm her up just in case she needed it. She was still not fully recovered. What was she thinking going out like that and gallivanting on the outside when the air is so cold? He could not help but be worried for her health.

    To his surprise, he saw a jacket draped over the back of her chair. That girl¡­ she must have forgotten to bring that along, right? The fact that it was nicely folded over and ced in such an obvious position, she must have intended to bring it along as she left the house.

    He tsked and grabbed the jacket. Shaking his head, he thought of how forgetful she was. However, something else that was sitting on the desk caught his attention as he turned to leave.

    Shock and disbelief quickly colored his face as he stared at it with widening eyes at the painting on the table. The painting¡­ it was an image of a person dressed all in ck. Everything was covered except the eyes.

    Those clothes¡­ those eyes¡­

    His heartbeat raced as he moved closer to the table involuntarily. His fingers trembled as he reached out to pick that painting up.

 Chapter 839 Her

    For a long while, Zeres was unable to make any movement at all. No matter how he reasoned to himself that this was something impossible, he could not even make himself believe that this image was nothing but coincidence. How could it be so coincidental? No way¡­ there was no way!

    Every detail¡­ and those¡­ forest green eyes¡­ He would never be able to mistake these pair of eyes for anyone else!

    His throat worked and his fingers shook so hard that the paper slipped away and floated to the floor. What¡­ what was the meaning of this?

    His fingers clenched and unclenched before he slowly walked over to where the drawing fell and looked down at it. He took a deep breath before picking it up again with slightly trembling fingers.

    There was no mistaking it. This was¡­ Eris! And Iryz had drawn him to the most perfect of details. Her drawing was so on point that it was as if Iryz had gone back into the past and drawn Eris when he was still there!

    A sound of the doorknob turning, and the door being opened disrupted the deafening silence inside the room.

    Iryz emerged, looking a little disoriented as she walked in. She looked as though she had a little too much to drink.

    "Ze¡­ Zeres?" her voice echoed out in a slur and Zeres slowly turned to face her.

    She frowned at him, throwing her handbag to the floor in anger. "What are you doing here? Wait¡­ I''m not actually hallucinating, right?" she shook her head and rubbed her eyes, thinking that she might be seeing things. Was she missing him so much already that she was seeing him back in her room?

    She strode towards him and pped both her palms on his sturdy chest. "Oh¡­ you''re real!!" and she blinked at him owlishly for a few seconds.

    Suddenly, the fog seemed to clear from her eyes, and she gave him a smile. "What. Why do you look like that? Wait¡­ did you just trespass in my home again, you screwball!?" she grabbed at his cor this time and tiptoed, hissing into his face. "Do you think I was joking when I said you''re no longer weed here anymore, huh? Zeres? I''m telling you again, I am serious! No matter how much I like you, I don''t want you here anymore. You got it?!" she was giving her all as she ranted her displeasure at him.

    Zeres did not speak. He just remained still, staring at her forest green eyes as there was a faint frown on his forehead. It was as though he was trying to recall something that was just right out of his reach.

    "What! Why are not talking? Did I hurt you? Don''t youe here looking like this¡­ as if you''re the one who''s hurt! I am¡­ I am still thinking about you even if I''m dead drunk like this, damn it! I tried to distract myself but it''s not working at all!!" Iryz wailed as sheined at him. "Now you''re here again and looking so lost at that... what do you want me to do? Hug you? Comfort you? And then have you just waltz off whenever you want and leave me alone again?" she punched his chest lightly. "No! I''m not gonna love you one sidedly forever. I refuse to keep waiting for you to look at me. I refuse to continue getting hurt because I like a man who doesn''t like me at all! So you, little witch must leave now!" as she came to the end, her voice got louder and was almost a shout.

    She began to push him towards her room door. "You leave and go to your beloved! I''m going to get over you very soon, Zeres. Just you wait! Go! Or I''ll call the¡­ police." She threatened, though she knew it was a weak one. What witch worth their salt would be afraid of the police?

    He held her wrists firmly but gently. And when Iryz struggled to break free, they ended up falling back on the bed.

    Zeres pinned her down, causing Iryz to widen her eyes. "W-what are you doing you¡­"

    "Shhh¡­ please, Iryz. Can you stay still for a moment?" he whispered in a pleading voice, then he ced his palm to cover her lower face.

    Seconds ticked by so slowly as he stared down intensely at her, at those pair of eyes.

    Then he swallowed and let out a soft murmur. "E... ris." It was so soft that Iryz did not catch it.

    She impatiently pushed his hand off her face. "Stop being like this!! Will you stop confusing me? Why did you evene back here? Get off me now! This is not fair for your lover ¨C" Iryz struggled under his hold as she ranted at him.

    "I don''t have a lover." He cut her off, his jaws clenching.

    Iryz stilled under him. Her forest green eyes circled wide as she gazed up at him in disbelief. Wait¡­ what did she just hear?

    "Iryz¡­ tell me¡­" his voice was cracking as he lifted his hand and showed her the painting of Eris that was hanging from his fingers. "What is the meaning of this?"

    Slowly, her eyes moved to the paper in his hand. Her lips parted at the sight of that drawing.

    "This¡­ how did you¡­" his breathinging out a little sharp but shallow, sounding so shaken. "Don''t tell me this is nothing because I won''t believe it. And¡­ your eyes¡­ your eyes are¡­" his words were all over the ce as his mind still could not quite wrap around what he was seeing.

    "So you remember who that person was?" Iryz asked, her green orbs gleaming with so many emotions but she did not answer his questions. "Tell me, Zeres. Why did you not keep your promise to her? Why didn''t you go back to her?" Iryz''s tone was bordering on a little aggressive and at the same time heartbroken.

    It was Zeres'' turn to fall into an almost catatonic state. One word had struck him like a lightning bolt. "H-her? Did you just said ''her''?!"

 Chapter 840 Home

    A bitter smile shed across Iryz''s face. Her eyes that were slightly dazed looked at him with so much hurt.

    "Tell me¡­ Zeres. Was she¡­ was Eris even someone you care about? At all? Did she even mean anything to you? Perhaps more than just a¡­ more than just arade?" silent tear slowly fell from the corner of her eyes. Though it was only a single tear track, she could feel how bitter it was as that lone tear traced its way down her cheek. She could not help it then. The tears just came pouring out one after the other. It was as though that one lone tear was the one to unlock the dam holding all the tears back.

    She thought that maybe these were Eris''s tears. She had been thinking about her the entire time she was drawing that portrait of hers. How did she live the rest of her life after Zeres never came back to her? Was she able to move on? Did she find someone else to settle down with and close that chapter in her life?

    His facial muscles worked. The confusion in his eyes now being reced with something else she could not quite describe. Why was he looking like that?

    "Eris was¡­," he swallowed. His entire body tensed but he took a few deep breaths topose himself and he somehow managed to rx enough to continue. "Eris was the only witch in my past that I never once forgot. Everyone... I can''t even remember their faces anymore. It''s funny because Eris never showed me his face. And yet I remember him so clearly as though it was only recently that I had seen him, and not thousands of years in the past that Ist saw her." He still could not even consistently address Eris as him or her right now.

    There was reminiscence gleaming in his eyes as he continued. "There''s only three people whose faces I remember clearly from my past. Alexander, Abigail and¡­ Eris. He had been with me almost every night. We fought vampires together. We watched each other''s back. We had tended to each other''s wounds, saved each other''s¡­" he trailed off as he was caught up in memories. Remembering those times suddenly was causing his heart to ache. There was that once time when Eris had gotten beaten up really badly until he was even unable to walk. That had happened to her because he was unable to arrive to aid her in time. Because at that time, he was with Alexander and Abigail.

    The thought Eris was actually a girl and that she had suffered such a vicious beating¡­ his throat hurt so badly. He remembered when he had reached out to tend to the wound on his chest. He could see that the clothes was ripped by a de. But she had quickly pped his hands and scooted away, gripping his clothes over his chest. At that time, Eris had imed that he was fine and that his grandmother was better at healing before leaving quickly.

    He thought that Eris was just angry at him at that time, because he had arrivedte. Now he realized the reason must be because he was hiding something. That he was actually a girl. Everything was starting to clear up for him. Thinking back now, there were¡­ too many signs that hinted to her being a girl. That small frame¡­ his naturally sweet scent. He had asked about his scent before, and he had given some excuse saying that attributed it to using his grandmother''s homemade soap.

    Those times when he was always bringing him food for dinner. Telling him that it was leftovers despite the fact that it obviously looked so well prepared as though specifically made just for him to eat.

    It had always made him feel a little frustrated that Eris had never showing him his face. Back then, he thought that Eris just had not trusted him enough yet. Now he realized that the sort of thinking was ridiculous. Eris had proven his trust to him time and time again, even trusting him with her life, but just because he did not show him his face, he thought that Eris did not trust him at all.

    He should have realized that there was another reason why Eris was hiding his face. It was amon knowledge that only male witches stayed out at the frontlines. Female witches were not allowed to engage inbat back then. They only fight using spells if they needed to protect their queen.

    The real reason behind Eris'' hiding of her face would have been obvious had he made more effort to think about it. There were so many signs. How could he have missed all those signs all those years that they had been together as partners? He was such¡­ a big idiot to her. To this only witch who had genuinely cared about him all those times.

    "I care about him¡­ her. But I was... nothing but an idiot to her." he choked out, weakly dropping his head right next to hers and burying his forehead on the bed. "I couldn''te back because I was¡­ I actually died in that war¡­"

    Iryz''s eyes stretched wide at what she heard.

    "She¡­" his voice cracked, "Eris waited for me in vain, right?" he asked that question as if he had already known that she had.

    Iryz''s tears fell even harder, and she could not help but put her arms around his back and hugged him. She could feel the man was already broken as he was. She should not continue to break him. She did not need to pile on the guilt and reproach that he was already most probably heaping on himself. He stiffened for a moment when he felt those small and frail arms curling around his back, but he slowly breathed out and rxed as he allowed his body to press down against hers, hugging her back tightly. Inhaling her natural scent, Zeres felt the stress just leaving his whole body. Somehow, here in her arms, it felt like home.

 Chapter 841 That place

    Back in the cabin.

    Alicia was still making that sniffling sound when she woke up. "Did I just¡­ dozed off?" she uttered incredulously as she pulled away from Zeke''s arms, looking up at him with her brows knotted together.

    She noticed that their positions had not changed at all from before she fell unconscious. It was as if he had not even made a single movement. Their clothes were still heavy and saturated with water, but his body was so hot that she could not even feel any coldness. In fact, it was as though she had been just soaking in a pool of warm water.

    "You put me to sleep, didn''t you?" she asked again, eyes narrowing and tone suspicious when Zeke suddenly kissed her mouth for three seconds. The man must be trying to throw me off the topic. She knew how he worked now.

    He pulled away and buried his face into her shoulder again. "I didn''t know how to stop you from crying." The exnation came out soft and a little muffled from his mouth being pressed so closely to her shoulders.

    Alicia''s jaw dropped. "What?! You put me to sleep because of that?" Seriously?!

    Zeke just looked away as he spoke. "You''re such a crybaby." He murmured in a teasing manner. Alicia sputtered at the usation, not wanting to acknowledge it but knowing it was somewhat true as she was crying quite a lot earlier andtely.

    "I¡­ I''m not usually like this. I only found out recently that I can actually cry so easily and have a hard time stopping the tears. And I honestly think that this is all your fault, Ezekiel. You must have somehow done something and turned me into a crybaby." She said thatst line a little yfully.

    He returned his gaze to her, tilting his head. Those dark and fathomless eyes of his roved over her face as he observed her quietly for some minutes. Alicia was content to stay still and allow him to look as much as he wanted. So she might as well just enjoy the time with him.

    "I don''t think so. The first time I saw you, you were crying too. So I already had that preconceived notion that you already cry very easily even before you met me officially."

    Alicia stilled. Her gaze was now searching his so intensely. She remembered clearly the day that they first met. And she was sure as hell that she had not been crying back then!

    "What are you¡­ talking about? Don''t tell me¡­ you''ve already met me before we''ve even met up that day in the ck Forest?" Alicia was looking at him in disbelief now. How many more secrets was this man keeping from her?!

    It was true that that meeting was not the first time she had seen Ezekiel. She had actually been spying on him way before then, when she was out for training. Could it be that he too, had already seen her during one of those times?

    Her eyes narrowed as she noticed that Ezekiel tensed up a little. Did he just have a slip of the mouth?

    She cupped his face and pinched his cheek, but gently this time and without the punishing force she had done previously. "Answer me, Ezekiel. No more hiding things from each other, please. Don''t make me cry again." then she pouted and turned her watery puppy eyes on him full force.

    His brow raised. "Are you using your crying to threaten me?"

    "Do you like seeing me cry?" she shot another question back at him instead of answering.

    "No." his response was instant and serious.

    "Well, that''s a weak threat because you''d just put me to sleep ¨C" Alicia muttered as she mused on it while she nibbled on her lower lips.

    "No. It''s actually a strong threat." He cut her off, surprising her with his words. "Because even when you''re sleeping, you still make those sounds that I cannot stand." His serious tone coupled with the furrowing of his brow and his face set in that confused manner, all just seemed too adorable to Alicia. She never would have thought to be able to see the almighty Ezekiel in a stump over matters such as her crying or making sounds while she sleeps.

    Alicia struggled to keep herself from grinning. She bit her lower lip and feigned not being touched and melted into puddle. This man was being so damned¡­ adorable right now. Despite his one eye which was still ck as the abyss of hell, he still could exude that somehow cute aura. Well, this might never appear cute to others but...

    "Then answer me, Ezekiel, or else¡­" she lifted her chin, challenging him, letting him know that she was more than serious. There were still a lot of reasons for her to cry. The fact that he had yet to ept her offer and thattest issue were still causing a heavy weight to reside in her chest.

    "Remember the ce my mother said I''ll go but I never actually managed to?" he asked Alicia in a low voice.

    That one question made Alicia instantly turned silent and still in his arms.

    She only gave a tiny nod of her head. That was when Ezekiel was escaping, and he was nning to go to that ce his mother had asked him to go to. But he never reached it because his demonic powers had been awakened and he had immediately returned to rescue his siblings post haste.

    "For hundreds of years," Ezekiel continued, "I had never bothered to look for that ce. I don''t know why, but¡­ I just never thought about it again. I don''t know what had exactly prompted me to remember it a few years ago, but I finally went to search for the ce. It took me a long while before I finally found it. And¡­" his gaze on her seemed to intensify. "It was there that I first saw you, Alicia. You were in that exact ce, crying."

 Chapter 842 That day

    "Where?" Alicia took a long while to respond. She had tried to remember when it was that she had cried and recalled the ces where she was when it happened. However, nothing specific popped up in her mind as she skimmed through her memories. "Where exactly was that ce?"

    Her gaze searched his intently. She could not help but hold her breath as she waited for his answer.

    "It''s at the Grand Cliff." He answered and Alicia blinked. In the south-eastern part of Viscarria*, there lies a great cliff overlooking the ocean. There, you can find ck, spiky rocks at the top of the cliff that the native people called ''Dragon rocks'' because of it looks as though dragon''s spikes had been nted into the ground.

    It was not a famous ce though because it was not a good ce to spend even a little time at. The winds there were so strong and fast due to the increasing height of the cliffs. Also, there was really nothing else to see there but the spiky ck rocks and strong winds.

    But for some reason, since Alicia was young, she had always run off to this ce when she was troubled, sad or just needed time to sort things out in her mind. She escaped from Dark Forest and then somehow ended up in that ce. She just sat on the ground, leaned back against those ck rocks as the speedy strong winds from the ocean below blew up the cliff face ande at her.

    Anyone who would see her sitting right there might think she was waiting on something or someone when she actually was not. When she just turned eighteen, the young witches''petition that was held in the Dark Forest happened. It was apetition to determine the possible candidates who were to be the future queen of the witches.

    Alicia had prepared for thatpetition like everyone else. But a day before thepetition, her peers had cooked something up and sabotaged her weapon. Not only that, but they had also even sneakily poisoned her. She ended up fighting them all on her own and they all came at her together.

    She of course lost against them because the poison had already weakened her after some time into their fight with each other. Thankfully, she was knowledgeable enough and she knew of the exact cure for the poison those girls used on her. But the damage had been done. Those girls had already beaten her up.

    So bruised and bloodied, she escaped from the Dark Forest and ended up at that cliff again. For the first time in so many years that shest remembered, she cried her heart out while she was there, shouting into the wind, kicking the rocks and pulling at whatever grass that were sprouting there.

    "When I get there, I couldn''t find anything special nor suspicious. There was nothing there but strong winds and rocks. I tried to linger for a while despite feeling certain that there was nothing unusual in the ce. I tried to wonder why my mother wanted me to go there. I also wondered what was it that she wanted me to see or find in that ce. But time passed and there was nothing there but you. At first, I saw you just sitting there as if you were waiting for someone. I was shocked at first as I thought you, a witch, might be the one that my mother wanted me to see or something. I thought I was going to find out a secret from you or something like that. But just as I was about to approach you, you lifted your face and I saw you in tears and seemed beaten up. Then you wailed loudly and stood. You began to shout and curse¡­ kicking the rocks and cursing them all to hell too." A smile curved on his face as a small chuckle erupted from his chest. "I heard you angrily swore to beat them all into a pulp the next day."

    Alicia flushed. Just imagining how she had acted that time had her already swallowing in embarrassment. Damn, so the presence she had felt at that time was Ezekiel?!

    "I knew you had felt my presence then, which I found impressive."

    "But you didn''t approach me. Your presence immediately disappeared that I really thought I imagined it. Did you just leave right after that?" she asked him, curious to know more.

    "I just hid my presence from you and stayed there until you left."

    Alicia blinked, craning her slightly to the side. "Why didn''t you¡­ approach me? Should you not be curious since your mother asked you to find that ce?"

    "Because I''ve kind of had a feeling that you''re someone I needed to avoid." His direct and honest remark was shocking, and Alicia''s eyes widened.

    She winced. "I can''t believe you had already started to avoid me the moment you saw me." She then pouted and grumbled good naturedly.

    "Following my guts turned out to be the real deal." He sounded like he was in disbelief and Alicia could not really me him.

    "I wonder what might have happened if you approached me that day." She wondered out loud.

    Zeke could not answer that question. He honestly did not know the answer even if he did try to think about it now.

    "What could be the reason that your mom kept asking you to go there?" she asked again, breaking the short silence that had reigned between them.

    Another question Zeke could not quite figure out.

    Since that day, he had been bothered by this question as well. There was no way his mother had just wanted him to go there without any reason. She was pretty desperate when she kept reminding him about it. Like she wanted him to go there at all costs. He knew his mother. She would not tell him something for no reason. More so when she was so insistent and adamant about it.

    [Foot Note: I decided to use the name Viscarria instead of Country V. Pronounced as Vai-kah-ria]

 Chapter 843 No â€˜ifsâ€™

    So he returned to that ce again monthster. Surprisingly, what he found there was still simr as what he saw previously, Alicia. She was not crying that next time he saw her there. But she had looked so alone.

    And again, he did not approach her as well this time. He left immediately the moment he felt a strange urge rising within him ¨C to take action or to do something tofort her.

    The third time, he told himself that if she was there again, he would think it was no longer a coincidence. She was there. Not crying, not lonely. She was confident and smirking as she fought the air with her two des. Apparently, she was practicing all by herself and not looking as though she was needing any help whatsoever.

    That was thest time he had went looking at that ce. He had fought himself hard not to go back to that ce. Maybe because he knew that he might see her there again. Which was not a good idea. She somehow had something about her that drew him in. The funny thing was he still did not even know who she was other than that she was a witch.

    He had already developed such an intense interest and curiosity about her even while not knowing who she was and where she came from. And that was a miracle in itself as he had never felt a fraction of the same interest in any other woman he hade across in the past. And to him, that was a bad sign. Therefore, all the more he had restrained that desire to go back to that cliff side, cutting off the possibility of him running into that witch girl again.

    Then years passed and she surprisingly appeared in his kingdom. She was wandering in the midst of the vampires and had been spying on him. From the look on her face, she had been very confident that no one could detect her from her hiding ce. What a silly girl. A small curve still hooked the corners of his lips every time he remembers how she had looked hidden in her dark corner, face all proud and confident she was unnoticed by him.

    Then he had done something he knew was so unlike him. He had actually ordered his elite men who could see through her disguise to not touch her and just let her roam around. Reasoning to himself that she was not doing any harm. It only seemed as though she was just curious and wanted to have a look around the vampire kingdom. And also, seemingly to gather some information on him.

    He could not help but wonder if Alicia had a connection to what his mother had been talking about. He had always wondered about that for a long time since before and even up till now. But it seemed that there were no answers to be given to him because Alicia obviously did not know any hidden secrets about that ce either.

    "I don''t know honestly. And I could not find an answer even until now. I did wonder though¡­ about why you were always there whenever I visited that ce. Why do I always find you in that ce of all ces? That is one thing that had been niggling at the back of my mind until now. Could it be coincidence? But it all feel too perfectly into ce to be called a coincidence."

    She tried to think, but as expected she shook her head. "I don''t really remember anything unusual. I just somehow found that ce one day and I was just kind of drawn to it. I could not really even exin why. I don''t think I have any connection to what your mother had been talking about."

    "I see¡­" he uttered. He had told himself that too. So many times before this as well. But¡­ even now, something in him could not seem to quite believe it or ept it. "I guess, there was really no other way to find the answer anymore. I didn''t reach that ce and my mother is already long gone from this world." Perhaps, he could still find something out if he meets her in there. If she was even there in the first ce. He just thought that she was because she was a half-demon like him.

    Alicia rested her head on his chest and rxed in his embrace, not knowing what to say.

    They were quiet for a long while, just listening to each other''s breathing. Just listening to each other''s heart beating gave them both a sense of calm and they could even feel each other''s warmth.

    It was a blissful moment and she wished for it to never end. Although, deep down, she could not help but wonder if what could have happened if he had approached her that very moment he first saw her at the cliffs. But he was right. There was no use wondering about it anymore. There were no ''ifs'' in this world. There were no wishing you can repeat some things in the past.

    Right now, her time was running out and she no longer wanted to waste it wondering about the past and what would have been if they had done this or that.

    "Ezekiel¡­" she called out, pulling away from him and looking at his face. Her eyes burned. "Turn me¡­ please. Make me a vampire."

    His facial muscles worked. Her heartbeat trashed within her. She prayed that he would stop rejecting her already. She prayed that he would allow her to decide for herself, for her own body. On what she truly wanted.

    "Turn me to a vampire, Ezekiel¡­" she repeated, trying to her best to convey to him that her decision was now irrevocable. She would not regret.

    "Alright¡­" he finally breathed out and Alicia felt her heart suddenly stopped beating. "Your wish is mymand, Alicia."

    ___

    Thank you very much for bringing this book to top 2 GT ranking guys! You guys are the best!

 Chapter 844 Instructing you

    Her lips trembled. She had prayed for this, but she had prepared herself for more resistance from Ezekiel. Him, finally giving in to her requests was such an unexpected shock. She thought from all the other times that he had either avoided the topic or denied her, she was about to open her mouth and argue until she lost her breath. Thus, him suddenly epting so easily like this was like taking the wind from her sails and her mouth hung open in shock for a few moments.

    Then, she threw herself into his arms. Hugging him so tightly that she might even meld in and be a part of him. Tears of joy pooled in her eyes.

    "I''ve heard that. You''re not going to tell me I heard it wrong¡­" she said. Then she pulled away and stared into his eyes again. She noticed that darkness in his left eye was slowly fading. The ck hue was receding as though being pulled back into the depths of his pupil by an overwhelming gravitational force within it.

    "I won''t," he assented, and Alicia''s heart swelled with so much joy that she felt it was on the brink of bursting.

    She was about to hug him again when he pinched her chin in a fond gesture. His eyes gleamed as he looked at her. "As you wish, Alicia." He added, his voice serious. She could not see any hints of hesitation in his eyes, nor any tinge of doubt or self-control in his actions anymore. He really seemed to be all in with his words and actions this time.

    He shifted her, then rested his hand on the side of her neck.

    "Undress me." He told her in amanding tone.

    Alicia did not waste any more time and quickly reached her hands out. However, her fingers trembled a little because of all the excitement and anticipation that was shooting through her right now.

    As her fingers shook, she fumbled with his buttons. With every button being popped open, it revealed his toned and perfect torso. That only heightened the heat that was quickly rising between them.

    His intense gaze was boring into hers and she could feel the mes of passion licking sensuously against her skin.

    The moment all buttons were freed, he allowed her to ogle him for a moment longer before taking over the reins. He put her hands on his neck then took his own shirt off quickly, as if he did not want to spend too much time on this one thing any longer.

    Discarding the shirt on the stone, Zeke jumped back into the water. He did not take her along with him but kept theirnds linked together.

    She was left sitting on the t, smooth rock beside the water, while he was half submerged in it. Though their positions would seem to be weird as they were both on different levels, somehow with their natural chemistry between them both, it did not feel that ufortable at all.

    Facing her, Zeke wedged himself between her legs. Then he snuck his hand under her shirt, holding her gaze as he made those movements.

    Once his hands were both around her slender waist, he opened his mouth. "Undress, Alicia."

    Alicia held the hem of her shirt tightly and pulled it up over her head ¨C using that single move to rid herself of her shirt. He swept his gaze over her bare skin before his eyes settled on her bra.

    She knew he want them off. She also knew they were outside in an open space, but for the life of her, she could not bring herself to feel any fear or hesitation. Why was that so? She thought that it must be because she knew for sure that Ezekiel would not let anyone see her.

    Her bra loosened up. Her faced flushed red under the shimmery moonlight as she took her bra off and allowed it to just fall from her fingers onto the top of the rock. Her nipples were already taut the moment the aire in contact with them.

    His gaze stared hungrily at it, and she wanted his mouth there. However, what she hoped to happen did note true. Instead, his fingers trailed upwards in a slow and maddening motion, causing her to sigh out throatily.

    The anticipation of what was going toe was so¡­ so intense¡­ and it just kept on escting every second that passed.

    When his seemingly burning fingertips reached her peak, she bit down on her lip.

    He paused. "How many times did I tell you not to bite on your own lips, Alicia?" his eyes glowed as his voice lowered even more in pitch.

    His thumb was suddenly on her lips, parting it, slipping inside smoothly without any hindrance. "This is one of my most favourite part of you, Alicia. I know this is your body, but I won''t allow you to keep abusing it like this. You understand me?"

    "I''m not ¨C" she started to protest but got cut off almost immediately.

    "Yes, you are. You''re biting it too hard. You need to stop doing that." He ordered with a tone of finality, as though it was the end of this discussion.

    "But I can''t help it¡­" Alicia murmured.

    "I guess I need to help you in instructing you on how to stop doing it. How about that? Hmm¡­ Alicia?"

    Their conversation was¡­ all breathless. Such a topic did not even sound scandalous or anything near that but¡­ why was she speaking so breathlessly as if he were uttering something erotic and vulgar into her ears? Was it because of the huskiness in his voice? Oh gods¡­

    "Okay," she replied, finding herself licking his thumb that was still inside her mouth.

    His eyes seemed to ze, and the colour of his irises thickened, like a pool of gleaming liquid lead.

    "If you bite on these lips hard again, I will¡­ spank you¡­" his other hand glided over to her behind, "¡­here." And he punctuated his sentence with a quick and short strike, which made Alicia jump due to the suddenness of it. "Is that okay with you?"

 Chapter 845 Itâ€™s time

    Alicia had her eyes stretched slightly wide at his actions. But surprisingly, that did not seem to shock her as she thought it would. That strangely did not seem to sound or felt that bad to her. She thought that maybe because it was Ezekiel. Because she knew that he would not do anything that would actually hurt her.

    "Okay," she nodded obediently.

    And again, his gaze darkened even more. She could see the ck in his eyes expanding once again. Her answer had done something to him as she felt something within him ze. The feeling was so powerful that she could even feel it in their connection. Could it be that¡­ Ezekiel actually liked doing things like this?

    His throat worked.

    "Listen to me first, Alicia," he pulled his thumb out of her mouth and held her face instead, making her look at him as if he had something serious to say before they continued whatever it was that they were going to do. "I might¡­ do something that will shock youter. I am not going to do any of those things with you. But just in case I¡­ if you don''t want it, please don''t hesitate to tell me. You understand me, Alicia?"

    Alicia searched his gaze. "What exactly are those? Like¡­ spanking my behind?"

    His gaze faltered for a moment. "Yes."

    Because of his past, Zeke had developed a cold approach towards sex. For many years, he found sex as something disgusting. He had hated it with a passion even. But slowly, he somehow managed to tolerate it and eventually enjoyed the carnal pleasure of it again. Also Alex, who was a womanizer, was a big part of how he ended up having sex again.

    But for so many years, he was only able to do it if the girl did not touch him back. She should also never make eye contact with him while they were doing it. So he only ever does it from the back. He also ties the girls up just to avoid being touched by them. He would blindfold them and spank them if they ever tried to break the rules he had set in bed, or grip their hair hard or bite them hard. This was why despite living such a long life, he had only slept with a few women up to date. Also, he would need to find women who were into his kind of thing for him to even consider having sex in the first ce.

    Those things just became a habit, his thing. And he always thought that it would be like this for the rest of his life. He thought that the day where he would ever have eye contact with a woman while doing the deed would nevere. Ever.

    Until this woman came. The first time he kissed her, he knew he had been the first and only woman he had to take differently. The first and only woman who had actually touched him. The first and only that he would ever look at.

    He did not want to do any of those weird and kinky things to her. At least not right off the bat even if she allows it. He knew it was unrealistic to just break a habit he had been forming for countless of years no matter how he fought against it. And knowing the extent of his desire for her, he could not trust his self-control anymore.

    "I understand." She said, giving him an encouraging smile, telling him everything was alright and that she honestly did not have any problem about it. "I''ll let you know, I promise."

    And she bent and kissed his mouth. It was a passionate, slow and heart-touching kiss that slowly turned into something more savage with each passing moment.

    When their lips finally parted, the haze in the air had thickened even more.

    His hands moved to her jeans, yanked the button open and pulled her pants off, her panties included. He was rough and quick with her.

    After throwing the clothes behind her, Zeke ran his burning gaze all over her. He was holding the heel of one of her feet as he stepped back to take in a full view of the goddess before him. He was sincerely worshipping her under the bright moonlight.

    "So damned beautiful¡­" he breathed. Then he parted her legs again and moved his face closer to her glistening sex.

    Alicia nearly bit her lips again, her face and entire body burned as he opened her to his gaze and just stared at her silently. His every inhtion was like a fire that only served to increase her wetness.

    He uttered another praise then his mouth was suddenly on her. It did not take long for the hot, slick and tingling sensation to pool inside of her before curling to one spot in her lower abdomen.

    Her fingers curled through his hair. And when he pushed his long and elegant finger inside her, she groaned out in pleasure. The sizzling sensation climbing up her spine.

    Slowly, his finger worked, in and out, while his mouth yed skilfully with that nub of taut little flesh at the juncture of her legs.

    He lifted his gaze and their eyes met, and she could not look away, even as he entered another finger inside her. She could only gasp and moan. She wanted to throw her head back but his gaze¡­ she could not break away from those pair of grey mas.

    Then his pace hastened, roughened. He rubbed his fingers back and forth, entered in and out, sucking and licking¡­ over and over the unbearable pleasure brought her to her knees.

    The sounds of his fingers f*cking her, her moans, they echoed out scandalously in the open spring. Under the quiet and bright moonlight. Then pleasure suddenly burst forth. She pulsed and clenched around his fingers violently as she cried out his name in a long and loud wail.

    She was stilling down from the heavens when she felt them both moving. She knew that he was bringing her back into the cabin¡­ it''s time for them to finally do it and for him to turn her.

    "The spell¡­" she whispered breathlessly between the remnants of her orgasms. "Tell me now¡­"

    And he finally said it right before he closed the cabin''s door behind him.

 Chapter 846 Recorded

    Zeke recited the spell out to her slowly and carefully, making sure that she caught every word perfectly. It would not do if they were to carry out the ritual and she ends up getting the spell wrong. He also instructed and reminded her on exactly when she should utter it. They must not miss the exact timing for the incantation, or the spell might fail. But he would never let that happen. This will seed one-hundred and one percent and she would definitely be turned into a vampire.

    "Do you understand all that I have instructed you on, Alicia?" Zeke asked, making sure that she had heard him. He knew she was still high on her orgasm. So despite the maddening desire to finally have her, he forced himself to halt right at the foot of the bed and waited patiently for her toe down from her high.

    When she finally looked up at him, she asked him to repeat the chant to her once again. He could only smile at her helplessly as he repeated the spell to her. Ezekiel knew that she was doing this not because she could not remember it. Instead, she was doing this to eliminate any possibility that she might have remembered it wrongly. She fell silent for a long while after he was done reciting it the second time, seeminglymitting every syble to her memory. She seemed bent on wanting to utter it as perfectly as she could when the timees.

    Then she nodded. "I''ve got it." she said confidently after raising her eyes to his, before sealing his mouth with hers.

    Now that she had her strength back, Alicia was being fiercer in her physical interactions with Ezekiel. She felt stronger than ever ¨C since he returned her into her physical form that is. And she was so d that despite that powerful orgasm, she managed to recover quite fast. It was to her delight that she did not just faint straight off and head into dreand like the previous time.

    Again, she kissed him hard as they stood right there at the foot of the bed. Neither one wanting to make the first move to sit down. Both of them were caught up in the kiss as their hands roamed freely over each other''s body, taking full pleasure in the freedom that they were afforded.

    Her fingers trailedzily from his shoulders to his back, then back to the front to his abs and then down to his navel. Oh, the feel of his clenching and powerful muscles¡­

    She slid down her hands until they reached his slim but muscr waist. His jeans had been the one to stop her exploration from going further south. She felt his hands move in haste, going to his waistband.

    But Alicia quickly grabbed at his wrists.

    They broke their kiss apart and Ezekiel looked down at her as he breathed heavily. His eyes were heavy lidded, seemingly intoxicated.

    Holding his stare, Alicia spoke softly. "I''ll do it."

    He immediately relented and her heartbeat fluttered when she identally brushed against his erection.

    But any hesitation was thrown away like a ragdoll in the next second. She fumbled a little with the button and managed to pop it open after some struggling. Her haste and desperation to take off anything that was covering him was on clear disy.

    She knew he was watching every move she made like a hawk watching its prey. And that was why she was not holding back anymore. She knew that if there was a single hesitation in her actions, his observant eyes might spot it and would most probably change his mind. Again. And there was no way she could let that happen today. Not today, not right now. Mortification anddy-like manners be damned this instance.

    Tonight, she would go wild and think of nothing else but him alone.

    When her fingers slipped under his waistband, she lifted her sultry gaze at him.

    She did not bother to speak but she held his gaze as she slowly slid down to her knees. She saw his eyes stretched a little wider and his jaws clenched as he caught his breath.

    His fingers that were ced on her face to keep their skin contact faltered a little. She chuckled internally. It was nice to see the ever calm and collected Ezekiel losing his cool over such little actions of hers. And it made her pride as a woman soar to know that she was the one who could evoke such reactions in him.

    Then she pulled both his jeans and briefs down together. He did not expect her to make that move and widened his eyes a littleically as he stared at her, his mouth a little agape.

    However, that did not stop his bodily reactions to respond in the correct way. With her movements, his aroused length sprung free and bounced a little as it touched her face, causing her to still and slowly drag her eyes from his gaze to the hot thing that had just stroked her.

    His thick, big, and heavy member weed her. It was standing tall and proud right in her very face, and she bit down hard her lips to stop herself from gulping down audibly. Because¡­ well, though she had seen it many times before this time, but the size somehow still surprised her because it looked so much bigger than it previously was. She quickly reasoned out that it might be because it was right at her face level that was why there was this effect.

    Suddenly, his grip on her chin tightened and he tilted her head, making her look up at him.

    "That''s one spank being recorded, Alicia." He said with those gleaming, wicked eyes, and she found her mouth opening as she blinked confusedly for a couple of times. Only after that did she remember about their agreement on her not being allowed to bite on her own lips hard anymore and the punishment would be Ezekiel spanking her.

    "Okay¡­" she agreed a little reluctantly, and this time it was him who half bite his lip. A rumbling sound escaped his chest as he breathed out.

 Chapter 847 Thatâ€™s enough

    Alicia dragged her gaze from his damned so seductive and sexy face to his manhood. And lordy¡­ everything about him was just oozing with sexiness.

    A strong urge rose within her as she stared at it. She wanted to trail those thick veins and not with her hands this time but her¡­

    She swallowed. Her cheeks flushed and burned but she determinedly stuck out her tongue and gave an experimental lick at it.

    He made a damned sexy sound right after. Such a deep and masculine sound that she found so good in her ears.

    She looked up at him, then she licked him once more as their gazes locked. Another grumbling low sound came out. Oh gods¡­ she could not get enough of this! She wanted to hear him make more of those sounds.

    The desire to please this man surged like a huge wave within her. He had always been the one giving her pleasure. Now, she wanted to be the one pleasuring him in return. He deserved all of the good things in the world in her opinion.

    Reaching out, she cupped his length in awe. It was hot and damned hard.

    "Run your¡­ tongue from the base to the tip, Alicia." He instructed in a hoarse voice. The way he sounded was as though he had troubles breathing properly.

    She looked up at him saw him breathing hard. The droplets of water from his wet hair were falling in a lulling rhythm. She could tell he already knew that this was her first time doing any of these things before she could even tell him. She was thankful she did not need to voice out her questions before he had already guessed it and offered her the necessary advice. This man was truly too sharp¡­ even in this situation.

    She listened to him. Stuck out her tongue again and dragged her tongue exactly the same way as he had instructed her to do.

    "Ah f**k," he groaned. "Yes, just like that, Alicia. That''s good! Ungh!!"

    The sounds he made, every reaction of his body, and his hot and satiny smooth and heavy length in her palms caused something warm to pool and gather in her lower abdomen again. It was amazing that she could even get aroused while she was pleasing him, like she was being licked down there as well.

    His pre-cum gleamed at his tip and she was tempted to lick up it too. She had never once thought¡­ that she would want to do something like this. She had always thought that this thing was filthy, but now¡­

    "I don''t think your small mouth can handle me, Alicia." He did not sound like he was belittling her. If anything, he actually sounded more concerned than angry.

    But she found herself ready to challenge him. The fighter within her seemed to have fired up because of his words.

    She went on and licked his manhood again, tasting him, enjoying the feel of him on her tongue. The feeling was truly incredible, and she finally understood why he liked kissing her down there as well. And when he thought that she was not going to do anything else other than that, she suddenly opened her mouth and took him inside her mouth. The warmth and moistness were like a wonderful andfortable nket wrapping him securely that he groaned out loudly.

    His curse grumbled out of his chest as his body stiffened. She crowed out triumphantly inside her own head. Had she known he would have reacted like this, she would have thought of doing this long ago. During those nights. She could have practiced doing this during those time. Because right now, she no longer knew what else to do after putting it in her mouth.

    Lifting her gaze, she waited for his instruction. It did note. So she just kept her mouth wrapped tightly around the head and some ways down his shaft, humming to herself as she thought on what to do next.

    "That''s enough, Alicia." He groaned and instead guided her to stand up, pulling himself out of her mouth. However, he definitely did that with much reluctance, not wanting to leave that warm andfortable ce.

    He put his thumb inside her mouth, his hard breaths fanning across her face. "I''ll teach you about thatter." He said and she was then pinned back onto the bed.

    Her insides pulsed in anticipation as she looked up at the man who was hovering over her. She noticed that his one demonic eye was almost back to normal by now. But there was something so vtile in his darkening and intoxicated gaze.

    A sigh escaped her lips as his hands spread her legs apart. Wider than it had already been spread.

    Her blood rushed within her as he lowered to his stomach, his gaze never breaking from hers. And despite the all consuming fire that was burning in his eyes, she could see him observing her again. Waiting for her to probably to show any signs in case she suddenly changed her mind.

    She reached out and cupped his handsome face in her palms, smiling at him through all the maddening desires burning them both. "I''m ready, Ezekiel¡­" she told him firmly and a sound came from his throat. She was not sure if it was a sound of satisfaction though.

    "There''s no more¡­ going back once I''m in Alicia." He breathed out, panting even harder against her face.

    "Yes. I know that." She immediately replied, feeling him already poised and ready against her entrance. "Yes. Take me now, Ezekiel. Please don''t hesitate anymore. I want you. Make me yours now ¨C"

    Something in his eyes lit up like lightning. Something so primal and so deadly hot. Her fever had escted to an impossible degree. And he started to push inside her, drilling into her depths.

    Both of them made sounds at the same time. Alicia cried while he caught such a sharp breath.

    "Damn¡­ you''re so¡­" he could not even finish what he was trying to say. His chest was vibrating from his groans as he stayed very still on top of her.

    "And you''re¡­ so big, I''m¡­" she managed to choke out after a moment. There was wetness at the corners of both her eyes as her forehead furrowed a little.

 Chapter 848 Soul-shaterring

    <h4>Chapter 848 Soul-shaterring</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Sacogun and to all the amazing moms reading this novel! Happy mother''s day!

    Bracing himself on his elbows, he stared deeply into her eyes, his breathing continued to blow hard and hot over her face.

    "You okay?" he asked.

    She nodded.

    "But you''re crying."

    "I''m not. And I heard it''ll feel better soon¡­" she replied between her uneven breaths. All the while, she gently stroked his arms that she was holding onto, trying to reassure him that she was fine.

    He chuckled low then he kissed the tears away from the corners of both her eyes, one after another. "Yes, it will¡­ but¡­ I don''t think I know how to be gentle until you''re¡­ f*ck ¨C" he broke off. His eyes gleaming with something so intense it might as well rival madness.

    "You don''t need to force yourself to be gentle. I want this. I told you, I can handle you ¨C"

    He thrusted all the way home as he growled out. It was a powerful stroke.

    Alicia felt it all the way into her soul. It stung. And burned.

    Despite her internal battle with herself on not reacting too much to the possible pain, she could not help the cry that was wrenched out of her mouth at his sudden attack.

    He was just so deep and big inside her that she could swear her stomach might¡­

    He seemed to freeze after he bottomed out. Both of them were not moving and just breathing raggedly. She was afraid she would make him stop because of her loud cry. Even if she had to endure pain for the whole process, she would not allow him to stop. No way!

    "Alicia¡­" he uttered her name. The deep voice made her shiver. "I just want you to know that you''re the only woman who have ever touched me in almost 700 years. The only one¡­"

    And then, he let loose and f**ked her. His heavy weight against her was unrelenting as he pounded over and over into her.

    He moved his hips, entered her over and over, that she could barely find a moment to breath. Oh lord¡­ he was not really going overboard with all his warnings.

    He looked like a beast as he took her. And all she could do was dig her nails into his biceps, into his neck and just hang on for dear life as he rode her.

    Soon, his hard thrusts began to spark something inside her. It was starting to get better. The pain was slowly fading. But still¡­ it was¡­

    "Alicia¡­" he uttered her name like he was chanting a prayer as he screwed her to the brim. "You make me¡­ go crazy¡­"

    He was starting to drive her crazy too as every time his pelvis ground against hers, she felt the fire spread uncontrobly. Starting from that sensitive flesh he loved to suck and y with, and going everywhere, spiralling out of control.

    And before she knew it, she started moaning throatily, sexily, until she was only capable of saying ''yes'' every now and again.

    "Look at me¡­" he growled. "Don''t close your eyes, Alicia. Look at me¡­ keep your eyes on me!"

    She forced her dazed eyes to open and stared up at him.

    "If you close your eyes and look away, I''ll spank you." he threatened with a growl.

    A pleasurable shiver shook her insides and he groaned aloud.

    "F*ck Alicia. You want to be spanked, don''t you? Butter¡­ after this¡­"

    She was burning up now. The fire was consuming her. A certain extreme wildfire she had never experienced before. She had imagined multiple times how this would feel like. And up till now, this was far better than she had ever envisioned. She had prepared herself for something maybe not that good until she got used to him, but boy¡­ was she wrong. She had only taken a few minutes to adjust to him and his massive girth and now here she was. Burning like never before. She could feel her inner walls fluttering and spasming tightly against his invading rod.

    "No, not yet¡­" he suddenly pulled away until only his tip was left just an inch inside her. "Remember what I said. We need to go together."

    Alicia froze. Right. Oh lord, the spell! She had forgotten about it already! Thankfully Ezekiel still had his wits about him and reminded her on this.

    "It''s okay¡­" he whispered between ragged breaths. "Later¡­ I''ll let you orgasm as many times as you want. I''ll make love with you and f**k you many times over until you can''t handle it and will be begging me to stop¡­ter, Alicia." He was saying those words as if it was not only for her, but for himself too. She knew he was talking himself out of it too.

    "Yes¡­ love," she replied obediently.

    He froze. His eyes dted. And then as if the beast was being freed from his shackles, he came at her in an even more intense way. Kissing her mouth so dirtily and so roughly.

    Her fingers ran through his scalp and all too soon, he broke their kiss, stared down into her eyes again as he mmed into her harder. The sound of their flesh indecently pping against each other''s sounded so loud and so magnified. Their moans, the wet sounds echoing¡­

    She could not even describe the feeling anymore. Everything was just pleasure now. Fire. And something she knew that might shatter her mind and soul wasing very soon.

    They both could feel it.

    Then she saw it. The sign. She could see his eyes pulsing red and then grey. She felt like she could almost see his soul in there. Something indescribable was already going on and what was about toe would be even more than that.

    It was finally time.

    He bent over. Picked her up until she was positioned to be straddling him. His hands powerfully lifted her, then mming her down on him, impaling her onto him relentlessly. It was time¡­ it wasing¡­

    And when she felt his fangs sinking exquisitely into the base of her throat, she uttered the ancient spell perfectly and exactly as how he had taught her to do, right before they came together in a soul-shattering orgasm.

 Chapter 849 Transformation

    <h4>Chapter 849 Transformation</h4>

    The first thing that Alicia''s vision showed her as the red haze that had clouded her eyes dissipated was Ezekiel. His face. And that handsome face was full of scratches. Some of them were so deep that they were even bleeding.

    She could feel his strong arms around her, tight and unyielding, as if he was securely chaining her in his arms. However, instead of feeling suffocated, she felt a sense of security and warmth, as though she was perfectly protected in his embrace.

    "You''re face¡­" she said in a hoarse voice. Her heartbeat picked up its pace as her vision became much clearer. In fact, her vision was so crystal clear that she could see every little thing in high definition, as though the scenes were amplified for her through the lens of a magnifying ss. The brutal wounds that criss-crossed all over his face, neck, shoulders and all the way down to his chest, were definitely caused by sharp nails. "Oh lord! Who was it that had done this to you?" she gasped out, angered as she attempted to reach out to touch his face.

    But it was then that she realized her hands were held tightly behind her. Locked together by him.

    And it hit her. The memories came shing back. He had turned her into a vampire and she¡­ for an immeasurable amount of time, she could not see anything else but red. She felt her body convulsing, trashing, growling. Then a loud and piercing howl was let loosed from her lips. It sounded alien. Strange, as though it did not belong to her.

    His face¡­ she was the one who had done this¡­ She hurt him!!

    "I''m fine, Alicia." He loosened his grip on her wrists and released her from his deadly tight grip.

    While she was still frozen in shock, he shed a smile as he reached to cup her face. "I''m fine. Don''t worry. These wounds are going to heal very soon. You can see that right?"

    Her lips trembled. She could not believe she did this to him. She could not even remember doing this! This was too brutal of her. She noticed many of the wounds were really deep, like cuts that were made using a knife.

    "This is normal. It''s part of your transformation, Alicia. You were not in control of your body or your mind at all." He kept reassuring her.

    "But¡­ I''ve hurt you so bad." Her fingers trembled slightly as she reached out for his bloody face.

    "Shh¡­ you''re not going to cry again, Alicia." He ced his thumb over her lips and brushed over them repeatedly, as if to coax them to stop trembling. "Because I''m going to make you cry out for me the entire night." Came his promise to her.

    It was then that Alicia remembered all the things that they had just shared. That was right, they had just be one and¡­

    Her eyes slowly turned wide at the realization that he was¡­ that he was¡­ lord¡­ he was still inside of her!

    A non-repentant smirk had curved over his face. His eyes even gleamed wickedly. "There was not enough time for me to pull it out." He said in a teasing husky voice. "I had to lock you in ce immediately."

    Her face burned red, and her lips parted, not knowing what to say. Then his gaze turned serious.

    "How is it? How do you feel right now?" he asked, brushing her hair back from her face and tucking it lovingly behind her ears. She noticed how his gaze was gleaming, as though he was marvelling at the sight of her.

    She blinked. That was right¡­ she was supposed to be a vampire now.

    "It seeded¡­?" she looked down fervently at her hands. Except for her nails that seemed to have gotten somewhat longer, sharper and thicker, she could not see any other differences to her physical traits. But she felt different internally though. Like she was in a new body that she was not quite familiar with. It felt¡­ she could not quite exin. All she was certain was that it was a bit strange and that she felt stronger.

    However, it was a different kind of strong. It was just hard for her to put it into words, but she felt as though she could now do anything with just her raw strength right now. It was like she did not even need to use any magic that was at her disposal anymore. It was like her body had be invincible, agile, and limitless.

    And it was still hard for her to believe that she was truly a vampire now.

    "I feel strong and kind of¡­ lighter?" she added after some thought, and he smiled at her again.

    "Do you like it?"

    She blinked again and looked at him. "It''s not bad. It feels strange and amazing at the same time."

    "That''s good then. Now you can finally keep up with me." There was a naughty undercurrent that she detected within his voice. It was something that she did not fail to notice.

    Then she felt him swell inside her, causing her eyes to widen and her mouth to fall open.

    "What''s that surprise look, hmm? Alicia?" he teased her.

    "Your face. Just that your face¡­ the scratches are healing fast but¡­"

    "Alright," he seemed to immediately understand that she was bothered by the blood over his face, he climbed off the bed without breaking off their connection. He had kept her tucked closely against him. And he certainly did not seem to have any ns to put her down or pull away. It was as if being inside of her was as close to heaven as he could get. And so there was no way he would be willing to pull out of her unless it was utterly necessary.

    Alicia could not help but blush harder.

    He headed to the back door and walked as she clung onto him, feeling mortified and aroused at the same time in this quite uncivilized position. The friction this position created was just so spine tingling that it caused her toes to curl.

    "Ezekiel¡­ I think you should at least uhm, pull out while ¨C"

    "But you''re gripping it hard, Alicia." His teasing voice floated into her ears, cutting her off.

    A\N: Hope you guys are not sated with Alikiel''s hot scenes yet. XD Cause the two are still far from being sated right now. The night will be long XD

 Chapter 850 Do you like it?

    <h4>Chapter 850 Do you like it?</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @_Basia_!

    Once again, Alicia could only fall speechless, unable to retort to his teasing at all. Good lord, this man¡­ Was he hellbent on wanting to fry her brain into crisp?!

    She did not even have the luxury to ponder about her body or question about what had happened the entire time she was transforming, much less to mull over the many other questions that she had. Because he just kept throwing her off with those naughty lines. Was he trying to just make her rx and not worry or get anxious about the fact that she was now a vampire? If that was his n, he was definitely seeding!

    Then he unceremoniously jumped into the water. No more being extra careful. And she loved that part of him because now he no longer had the need to worry about how frail her body was. No longer did he need to keep restraining himself on her ount.

    "Put me down, Ezekiel. I''ll help you wash your face." She requested but he did not respond to her request nor move to let go of her.

    Without warning, he slid down along with her. They both were now fully submerged in the water. And it was then that Alicia realised how strong her vision truly was right now. She could inly see his face even with the dim lighting that surrounded them. So very clearly in the dark and even under water. Wow! This was amazing!

    She reached out and touched his face. The blood was washed away with the streaks of water that flowed down the sides of his face. The wounds werepletely gone. He was totally healed! She loved the sight of him underwater. He looked like a male siren¡­ so handsome¡­ so ravishing¡­ that she would even dly and willingly fall under his spell.

    Before she knew it, she had bent over and kissed his mouth.

    One of the strange feelings she noticed right now was the much stronger desire and lust that was still burning deep and low in her body.

    She felt like she was not quite sated from their earlier joining yet. And that was why she could not retort when he said she was gripping him. Because it was a hundred and one percent true. The moment she realized he was still inside her, the fire was quick to be ignited into a zing inferno within seconds.

    They emerged from the water, still kissing hard. She could feel him swelling even more inside her the longer they kissed, and she ground herself against him as she locked her legs around him. Doing that felt so easy. It did not even feel ufortable this time.

    "I want to f**k you right here, right now, Alicia." He whispered and she did not even hesitate to nod. "Tell me you want it here."

    She bit on her lower lip for a moment before answering. "F**k me here, Ezekiel." She said and he smiled.

    "Good girl." His voice went even deeper, huskier.

    He moved to a shallower area in the water, and he finally put her down.

    When he pulled away, Alicia almost protested at the emptiness that reced that total fullness. "Turn around, Alicia." Hemanded her in a deep voice.

    She obeyed.

    "Hands on the stone."

    She obeyed again.

    "Good girl¡­ now spread your legs apart." At this point, she could hear Ezekiel breathing so much more heavily. It turned her on even more if that was possible.

    She did, biting her lower lip hard at the indescribable feeling that hismand was doing to her. She heard him made that satisfied, sexy growl.

    "Lift your beautiful ass for me, babe."

    She obeyed again, shutting her eyes. His hand that was roving at her backside was just so teasing. His touches so light and fluttery. She wanted it to move on to her aching parts.

    "That''s my girl." He breathed and she felt his hot breath fan against her sex. She felt like he had just sniffed her. And her body shivered from all that seductiveness.

    "F*ck, Alicia. Can you feel my cum dripping and leaving you?"

    "Mn¡­" She could not believe this was arousing her even more. And she wondered how it would feel if¡­ if she triedmanding him to do things for her too. She had tried kissing his sex like he always did to hers and he had loved it. She had loved it too ¨C much more than she had expected. If she triedmanding him next time, would he feel as aroused as her? Could she drive him to the brink of insanity like what he was doing to her right now if she gave hermands out cleverly? She smiled a little wickedly as she thought about it.

    A high-pitched sound echoed as his handnded on her behind. He¡­ he had spanked her and she¡­ oh lord¡­ it sent a jolt of electricity right through her, causing her insides to shudder ever so deliciously. What¡­ what was that? She did not¡­ she had not expected¡­

    He was against her now, bending over. His lipstching on the side of her neck as his hand was around her throat, lifting her head up a little. "You liked that." He said, sounding so goddamned pleased with himself. "You nearlye, just with that, right? Tell me, Alicia." He whispered in her ears as his hot and hard rod teased her down there.

    "Yes¡­ I think I like it." she managed to say between her now uneven breaths.

    "Still a bit unsure, huh¡­?" he pulled away. Another spank followed. Again, on her bottom.

    Alicia jerked as she made another high-pitched sound. And her body trembled in pleasure and pain.

    He bent over again.

    "Do you like it, Alicia?" he asked again. She knew he was trying to make sure she truly liked that stuff he was doing. But she really did. This second spank gave her the answer. She truly did like it.

    "Yes, Ezekiel. Yes. I like it!" she panted as she admitted to his question, her eyes now seeing stars.

 Chapter 851 Corrupt her

    <h4>Chapter 851 Corrupt her</h4>

    His hot palms caressed the skin where he had spanked, soothing the burn and then nted an erotic kiss on the area. It was as though he was branding her as his with an invisible mark from his kiss.

    And Alicia could not help but melt all over once again. His roughness was heavenly, and his sweetness was just pure bliss. And may the lord bless her heart, but she just loved both sides of it.

    When he rubbed the head of his length against her sopping entrance, the bliss was quick to be reced by the sharp zing of thrill and anticipation. It was so hot against her wetness and the contrast was just so stark that she felt as though the heat continued to burn hotter within her veins.

    She heard him made that sexy hum again and she could feel his gaze boring at the ce where their sexes were joined. She could not wait for him to fill her up again, to push himself inside her again. Just look at her, she was already dying for him to just ram it in and fill up her insides now.

    But what she was waiting for did note as expected. Instead, he kept circling his tip against her entrance, driving her insane with need. And she could no longer stop herself from looking over her shoulder to¡­ oh lord, beg him.

    "Ezekiel¡­" her voice was pleading.

    "Hm? Babe?" He tore his gaze off their sexes and meet her gaze with some difficulty. Whatever he saw reflected in her hazy eyes made him sh a wicked and satisfied smile back at her. Then he nodded a little as though agreeing to something that he was thinking to himself in his mind.

    She then bit down on her lip as her face burned. And he pped her sex with his rod quickly, a couple of times. That had her eyes circling wide as the action sent shivers all the way down to her toes.

    "Bite that lip harder and you know what will happen," he said. His grey eyes so damn¡­ it was darker than ever, maybe because of his dted pupils. But it still looked to be gleaming so brightly in the dim light. It was simply breathtaking¡­ devouring, even. Lord, this Ezekiel before her right now was¡­

    She could not help but swallow hard. Because she was now noticing something so different about him right now. She could no longer spot any tense and restrained muscles or even actions. His aura had also changed ever so drastically. He looked¡­ so free¡­ just free and utterly rxed.

    So¡­ this must be how Ezekiel looks like when he sets himself off from his self-made shackles. And oh dear, she so loved looking at him like this.

    "F**k me." she uttered before she knew she had already said that, as she looked at him with so much desire, love and admiration. Her heart was over the moon. The thought that she was the only woman or probably the only person in existence right now who had ever seen this man like this for hundreds of years just made her feel such an indescribable feeling.

    He smiled, pleased at her being vocal of her wants, despite her face burning red. She noticed he had started smiling quite often too.

    "F**k you with what Alicia?" he asked, teasing her again. "My tongue, fingers or¡­ my cock?"

    She almost bit on her lip again. "Thest one." She muttered.

    He tilted his head slightly to the side then nudged against her. Alicia thought that he would finally slide his length inside her, but he did not. Oh Lord, help her! She was already gritting her teeth with the agitation of having her insides feeling like a void that was hungering for something to fill her. Somethingrge, hot and long.

    Reaching out, he gathered her hair in his hand and gripped it not in a painful way as he bent over next to her head. "The words ''thest one'' isn''t in any of the choices I supplied you with, babe." He whispered. The rumbles of his sexy voice caused pleasurable gooseflesh to dance over her skin.

    And she suddenly found herself breathing hard. She thought about a defiant and naughty move to challenge him with, but¡­ it seemed as though her body was more desperate for him in this moment that her mouth voluntarily opened and said "your¡­ cock, Ezekiel."

    He took her by surprise and slid inside her as far as he could go.

    His eyes squeezed closed for a couple of seconds as he felt her inner walls grip him so damned hard. A growling sound escaped his lips as he cursed. He could not help it. He wanted to m hard into her right off the bat but¡­ he also wanted to enjoy this for a while longer. He just loved teasing her. He loved seeing her blush as if all the blood had rushed to the surface of her skin. He loved hearing her say those dirty words¡­ he wanted to corrupt her, this goddess of his. But freaking hell¡­ it was so damned hard! He was not sure if he would expire first before getting to do all that he wanted with and to Alicia.

    She just felt too goddamned good that she could actually make hime within seconds if he lost his focus even for a while. This woman and her¡­ f**king heavenly¡­

    He stared at their sexes as he slowly pulled out all the way to the tip as he savoured the most erotic view he had ever seen in his life. Then he slowly pushed back into her again, fighting back the urge to go all out. Not yet. Not just yet. He needed to be patient.

    But his one and only goddess moved her ass and pressed herself into him, swallowing him in one fast glide that he nearly went off.

    He groaned hard and the sound of his palm against her fine ass echoed along with her lovely little shriek. And freaking hell, it seemed as if he had just done a bad move because she suddenly mped down so violently hard around him. Oh f**k Alicia!

 Chapter 852 Too much

    <h4>Chapter 852 Too much</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @chinawa!

    It took everything within him to not just finish inside her right there and then.

    He wound his one hand around her throat and guided her head to lie back against his chest. And his hand that was gripping her hair tightened a little, as he held on to her tighter.

    "F**k Alicia. You almost made me¡­ who taught you to wiggle your pretty ass that way, you naughty girl?" he growled out in a hoarse rumbling deep voice against her ear.

    She was panting from the orgasm that had just swept over her. And then she actually smiled as she responded and stared at him with her dazed eyes. "It''s because you''re just so slow, my prince."

    He licked his lips in a slow motion. A wicked smile curved on his handsome face.

    "Is this you asking me for some punishment, hmmm? Alicia?" his voice became so deep it felt like he was talking to her from deepest part of him. It might as well be the voice of the devil. And yet¡­ she shivered not in fear but in pleasure of what that voice seemed to be promising her.

    She reached out and ran her fingers through his hair, as though considering whether or not to receive this punishment from him.

    "Maybe¡­?" she was not sure. But she knew she felt how her body had reacted. And she did not really care. She was just so happy that no matter how many she came now did not seem to be a big deal with this amazing vampire body that she had right now. She could not even help but wonder if this desire she was feeling will ever be sated.

    "Fine, I guess I''ll just have to find it out for myself, don''t I?" He released her and the moment her hands were braced on the stones again, he mmed home. Deep and hard, causing her to gasp and shriek so hard with the sudden impalement of his hard rod.

    He drilled into her relentlessly, watching her beautiful bottom jiggle with his every hard thrust. He tightened his grip on her hair as he mmed into her again and again, all the while growling against her nape.

    Until she was only able to scream out ''yes'' and his name and ''oh lord'' so many times over.

    And when she was about to reach that wonderful peak again, he intentionally slowed down. The intensity softened in a way that was so maddening to Alicia after all that heavenly roughness he had dished out on her.

    His hands were now on her waist, locking her against him, not allowing her to escape from his grasp. She knew he was doing that so she could not do what she had done to him earlier. Lord, this devil is so cruel.

    "How is it, Alicia? Do you like it?" he asked. He was not even moving his hips anymore as he bent over and questioned her.

    "I don''t like this¡­" she murmured out, breathless and frustrated as hell. Right now she wished that she could punch him right in the stomach.

    He moved again, so excruciatingly slow. "You don''t?"

    "I don''t want to take it slow, Ezekiel." She felt like crying in frustration. She was so close! So close to another soul-shattering orgasm that was not like the first one earlier that she got from moving herself against him. Yet he denied it from her. Did he not know how awful this felt?

    "You, cruel devil!" she shot him a re and he chuckled. Then he turned her head back to him and kissed her mouth. "This must be done, babe. Because you were naughty. I''m punishing you, remember? And it seems you are loving it." he chuckled, a little evilly.

    "Hell, no! I don''t like it! Don''t you go putting words in my mouth!!"

    The more she got frustrated, the more he seemed to be amused. And she wanted to¡­ wait for your turn Ezekiel. Oh, just you wait¡­ she promised in her heart before narrowing her eyes at him.

    He kissed her mouth again and this time it was a sweet one. As if he was soothing her again, as if he was saying sorry and melting away all of her frustrations. This¡­ all these were just maddening.

    When their lips parted, Alicia spoke against his lips. "Please¡­ spank me instead."

    His eyes darkened. His throat worked.

    "Sure, babe. As you wish." His voice darkened too, and it had her heart thudding hard. "Now count."

    "Huh?"

    "Count Alicia." Ezekiel growled and looked at her meaningfully. She saw his raised palm and understood him tacitly.

    "F-five."

    One hard spank came down, that had her body tingling hard.

    "Continue." He ordered.

    "Four."

    Another spank resounded.

    "Three."

    He was f**king her at the same time he spanked her!

    "Continue!" he sounded like he was gritting his teeth as he said that. They both knew they were too close to that massive firework. They did not even care now about how loud they were anymore. That moment, they were the only ones in the entire world.

    "''T-two¡­ ack!"

    Alicia could not even finish her counting down to ''one'' and Zeke had already pped her ass as he mmed himself into the hilt. The both of them exploded to such an earth-shattering release that it seemed to shatter all the stars in the gxy. Oh lord¡­ they both could not quite believe it. This pleasure they were drowning in¡­ it was just beyond words for them to describe.

    It was almost way too good to be true that a part of them both suddenly felt a little scared. Because this pleasure¡­ this happiness¡­ seemed to be just too much, too good to be true, that it was almost a little scary.

    ¡­

    They took such a long while for the two to recover from their high. It was as though they were sent to highest of the heavens, that dropping back down to earth took a crazy long time.

    Alicia was now cradled in Ezekiel''s arms as he sat on top of a t stone.

    His hands were gently caressing her reddened bottom that was now slowly and quickly returning to its normal paleness due to the quick healing properties of her vampire body.

    "Ezekiel¡­"

    "Hm?" he pulled away and looked into her eyes.

    "I''m¡­ thirsty." she replied as her gaze naturally drifted to his throat.

 Chapter 853 Original

    <h4>Chapter 853 Original</h4>

    Alicia swallowed on her saliva. Her mouth watered just by staring at Ezekiel''s throat as an indescribable feeling burst out from within her. Then his scent wafted over and hit her.

    She had always been drawn by his masculine and unique scent. She had always loved it. But now, that same scent seemed to have increased in its headiness and now seemingly had an underlying narcotic fragrance that was strong enough to make her feel high by just inhaling it. This was bad¡­ she could feel her whole mouth salivating involuntarily the more she inhaled that addictive aroma.

    He nted his head back and slightly to the side. That one gesture was enough to tell her he was offering himself ¨C his blood. He wanted her to bite him and to feed from him.

    And that bewildered her a little. Right. She was already a vampire now. She needed to drink blood to satiate this thirst that was so severe. She thought that it would not be hard to do that. But¡­ biting and drinking Ezekiel''s blood was¡­

    Her heartbeat hastened at the thought.

    She did not have any idea, but Ezekiel could see her irises turning red. And he could not keep his gaze off hers. He could not count how many times he had imagined Alicia turning into a vampire.

    Now that she had truly be one, it seems that his imagination did not do her justice at all. More than he had ever imagined, she had turned into a goddamned alluring siren. The goddess of light had now transformed into a ravishing goddess of the dark. If he were asked to choose, he would not be able to. That was because he loved both versions of her. He knew that her interior did not change at all. She was still the same Alicia. So nothing actually changed but he could not deny that he preferred her like this right now. Because she did not look so damned pure and breakable for his darkened soul to touch.

    "Have a taste of me, Alicia." He said in a yful and teasing tone, trying to get her to rx before she could have her first go at drinking blood. He knew she was a bit tensed up right now. Knowing her, she might try to hold her thirst back because she was worried for him again. What a silly girl¡­

    However, he could not deny that he was enjoying all of these immensely. Everything they both did to each other was such a thrill and a bliss at the same time. He loved watching her every expression, her every reaction. Everything she did or say¡­ hell, he just wanted to savour them all. Every nuance of the changes that urred to her was precious to him. Every single one of them.

    Shaking her head, Alicia pressed her palms over his chest. Pushing him away gently. "Don''t you have uhm¡­ a bottle of blood that I can drink from in the cabin? You know¡­ like how you do it usually?"

    He shook his head.

    "How about we go out and hunt instead?" she suggested hopefully.

    He brushed the hair off her face as his lips curled up on one side.

    "Are you telling me that you prefer to bite on a deer''s neck rather than mine?" he lifted his brow as he questioned her, and she coughed.

    Somehow, just imagining it made her realize that she might not be able to do that.

    "Here''s a delicious and sexy neck right here for you, Alicia. No one has ever bitten into it yet¡­" he suddenly trailed off and Alicia knew why. She had heard about it from Abi before.

    "Lies. I heard that Alexander had bitten you before." Alicia scoffed as she called him out on his lie.

    It was his turn to clear his throat after his face darkened a little. "That was an unfortunate ident. Honest! And I didn''t offer my neck to that little¡­ Anyway, you will be the very first person that I am offering it to. Also, you will be the first woman who will ever taste my blood." He exined.

    Her heart warmed as she saw how he was taking the trouble to exin. This was Ezekiel. He never exins anything. But he had made her an exception. And that knowledge made her swallowed her saliva again. Her eyes bore at the pulsing vein in his throat.

    "I''m a bit scared." She said, breathless, tearing her eyes off his throat before looking into his eyes helplessly.

    "Why? This badass woman of mine is scared to take a bite?" he teased, trying to encourage and bump her confidence in doing so.

    She blushed hard at those words.

    "Go on Alicia. Don''t be afraid." He distracted her immediately, grabbing her hand and running her fingers up and down his throat. "Right here. Just sink your fangs here."

    "Fangs¡­" she echoed. She lifted her hand to her lips in curiosity and wonder, parting to touch to see if her fangs had actually grown in.

    When she touched it, her eyes circled wide. Though she knew that her fangs would havee with the whole package as a vampire, she still was shocked when she touched it.

    Zeke understood her desire to look at herself. So he moved and with her securely tucked in his arms, they returned to the cabin.

    There was a rectangr mirror standing by the wall that was covered with a long coat.

    He put her down before it. Both of them were still naked. But neither of them was bothered about their state of undress anymore. Alicia''s attention was focused solely on her own face. Her appearance had changed. Her eye colour too. It was back to its original colour. Before she was crowned to be the witch queen. Her eyes were no longer silvery but now a pure and clear hazel. Her hair also seemed to have gone back to its usual dark shade as well.

    Somehow, it was a bit strange to see her appearance back to how it originally was. It was nostalgic but a bit¡­ she took a deep breath and internally shook her head. Her time as the queen of witches had long been over. That appearance was the borrowed one and this was her original one.

 Chapter 854 One thing

    <h4>Chapter 854 One thing</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @MonsterUnderTheBed!

    Thank you so much for the supergift!

    "You''re beautiful, Alicia." He pulled her attention to him. She stared at him through the mirror. She still did not know what to say.

    He smiled. "This was your original appearance when I first saw you. Dark haired, hazel eyes¡­"

    Somehow, his words made her heart warm up and a smile graced her lips. Right. He had actually seen her before she became queen. When he had gone to the cliff side where his mother had asked him to search for.

    "Right¡­ I just changed my hair and eye colour." She said and she looked at herself again.

    Somehow. What she just mentioned somehow seemed not quite right. Something else did change. She seemed to look a little more mature now that she was a vampire. If her previous appearance looked like a delicate, pristine and innocent fairy-like female, her vampire form seemed to be her bolder, regal and more exquisite version of herself.

    She could not stop staring at herself in the mirror. But her thirst came roaring to the forefront of her attention and made her move and turned back to look at him.

    Again, he seemed to understand her needs just by her actions.

    He then led her to the bed. He sat and made her straddle him.

    "It''s time for you to bite me, Alicia." He said in what sounded like a loving tone. His fingers were stroking her hair.

    "But I''m¡­ I''m still worried."

    "For me again."

    She nodded. It was not something that she would hide from him.

    "I just drunk from you a while ago, Alicia." He reminded her.

    "Not just that. What if¡­ what if I get addicted to your blood too? What if I don''t¡­ I can''t stop myself?" she said with genuine worry.

    He blinked. A long silence reigned between them before a chuckle echoed inside the cabin. Hearing his chuckle was just¡­ Alicia could only watch him in a daze. If she could have one more wish to be granted once this bliss was over, she would want to hear his chuckles, watch his happy face before she finally disappears when her time is over.

    "Did you know what you just said?" he asked her once his chuckles died down. She knew what he was talking about.

    "I don''t have any n to hide it. The moment you touched me, I felt immediately addicted to your touch. When you kissed me, I got addicted to your lips and when you¡­" she trailed off, knowing he understood her drift.

    He was grinning. His eyes gleaming. Oh dear¡­ he looked so happy right now.

    "Go on, Alicia. Continue. I want to hear it." he breathed, staring at her with azy smile. Though he knew what she would say, he still wanted to hear it. Hearing her express herself for him gave him sheer and absolute joy.

    God. She wanted this man to keep being this happy. Forever. She wished that she could make him happy like this and remain happy with him forever and ever. But she knew better than to hope for the impossible.

    "When you touched me with your fingers, I got addicted to it too¡­ and now I think I''m addicted to having sex with you too. I heard vampires usually have the highest sex drives among all the other races but¡­ but I didn''t think it was to this extent." Her cheeks tinged a little pink after thatment.

    Hiszy smile widened. "No, Alicia. It''s true, but you''re right on one point. It''s not to this extent. Most vampires are simr to humans and witches. Vampire males justst much longer and vampire female have a higher tolerance to hardcore sex."

    Alicia blinked. The words ''hardcore sex'' repeated like a gong being sounded in her mind and she blushed hotter.

    "So what''s happening between us really isn''t the norm. This is just¡­ different." His expression turned a bit serious. "The truth is¡­ this is my first time feeling this way. I have an inkling that it must be because of my demonic side and that you''re affected by it too. Or maybe¡­ it''s simply because we¡­"

    He paused. Their eyes met for what seemed to be a long time.

    Then he swallowed silently and kissed her. She saw that as his way to distract her from pondering more about the rest of what he was about to say but stopped halfway. But she did not relent this time.

    "Because we¡­ love each other?" she uttered against his lips once he pulled away to breathe.

    Ezekiel froze for a moment. She could not see his expression, but she had felt him tensed up as he made a rumbling sound and then came close to kiss her again, burying the sound in her mouth.

    "If you can''t make yourself bite me right now, there is another way for you to do it before you even realize it." he said when their lips parted. She could tell that he was trying his best to change the topic once again.

    He was leaning his forehead against hers and she knew that he was doing that to hide his expression from her.

    But Alicia used both her hands and held onto his face and made him look directly at her. She stared into his eyes before saying very seriously and sincerely, "I love you".

    She watched as his pupils dte and he stopped breathing for a couple seconds. He then shut his eyes for a moment and then released a deep breath before he devoured her mouth again in an indescribable kiss. Their meeting of the lips this time was not just any kiss. She felt like he was making the biggest decision in his entire existence as he kissed her.

    When he released her. They were both breathless.

    Ezekiel had decided to do this one thing he had never done before since the day he was betrayed by his own father, seven hundred years ago.

    "Listen Alicia. I have¡­ something to tell you. I am going to reveal all of my ns to you. All my ns¡­ until the end."

    ___

    Thank you so very much for bringing Hellbound to #01 in Golden ranking. Thank you for all your love and support! T^T

 Chapter 855 Other way

    <h4>Chapter 855 Other way</h4>

    Alicia felt her heartbeat thudding harder in her chest after she heard what he said.

    She just fell silent, staring at him with so many different emotions flickering in her eyes. This should make her react positively. In fact, this should be enough to make her heart jump in joy or melt into aplete puddle because¡­ because Ezekiel has never revealed his ns to anyone. Never! Not even once nor to his closest partners. He had always had the policy of only revealing everything once he had reached his goal. The fact that he was even willing to tell her about his n spoke a whole lot. He was opening up and trusting herpletely now.

    And yet, a part of her felt some kind of fear instead. Fear that she would not like hearing whatever this n of his was. No. ''Like'' was an understatement. She felt as though she would not be able to ept it.

    But she quickly talked herself out of her fear, reminding herself to calm down as Ezekiel was a master nner who always had the best nsid out. Telling herself that this must be about him, leaving. She should not be feeling scared of that right? Because she already knew that wille. She had already told him that she did not want him to sacrifice anything up for her. So she had already epted that he would still be leaving after all these, and that was why she had asked him to let her love him even for two days.

    Right, there was supposed to be nothing that could scare her anymore¡­

    "Alicia... I''m¡­ I''m going to¡­" he trailed off when he saw her shaking her head.

    "Shh¡­ Ezekiel." Her forefinger pressed lightly on his lips. Then she kissed him softly before hugging him tight as she whispered in his ears. "Don''t say it. You don''t need to. I will always trust you, Ezekiel. And whatever your n is¡­ I will not go against it. I will support you a hundred percent regardless. I promise. So please believe me when I say you don''t need to tell me anything about it."

    There were still seven days left for them. And that was still quite some time for everyone to make a move.

    Apart from her own feelings about this, Alicia thought that it was a bad idea for him to tell her everything. She was afraid that if he exposed all of his ns to her, one way or another, someone might find out about it. That was much scarier to her.

    If something happens and his ns get ruined, she would not be able to forgive herself for being the cause of it failing. Ezekiel had¡­ he had already waited and nned for seven hundred years for this. And she refused to risk anything.

    "And you never know if someone is actually listening. Or if someone catches us again and they have a witch with them that could either pull out memories or read my mind. I am a vampire now, remember? And not to mention that there is also the vampire prophetess. So don''t do it, Ezekiel. Please¡­?" She continued shaking her head slowly as she cupped his face and smiled at him. "Don''t say it. Don''t worry, whatever you do, I will always understand where you areing from. You know that right?"

    He slowly shut his eyes, revelling in thefort that her palms gave him. The slightly cool and smooth skin rubbed gently over his cheeks as she caressed him, giving him that much needed reassurance that he did not know he wanted¡­ no, needed from her.

    "Also¡­" she continued, staring at him with glitters in her hazel eyes. It was a sight that Ezekiel could not get enough of, looking at her staring back at him. "I am saying out how I felt for you not because I am trying to gauge for a verbal response from you. I just¡­ I just wanted to say it out aloud for once at least. I just want to let you hear it with your own ears. I wanted you to know for sure that I love you. So¡­ I hope that it is okay with you if I say that again for many times more from here on out, as long as we still are together." Alicia told him all these sweetly.

    He ended up pulling her into a tight embrace after listening to her speak. She could hear his heartbeat beating ever so loud as her ears rested on his firm chest. Lying there in his arms that were surrounding her, she could feel his intense emotions as they rise and dip, as he made a rumbling sound all the while uttering nothing else but her name like a prayer.

    "Is that a yes? Can I assume it is since there was no denial??" she said after a while. "Are you allowing me to express my love for you whenever I want, hmm, Ezekiel?"

    "Yes. Tell those words to me however and whenever you want to, Alicia." Ezekiel verbally gave his assent with and an indulgent smile lingering on his lips.

    She smiled and tightened her embrace around him. "Thank you." And she kissed his throat as she said that. However, that move was perhaps a bad idea at that time.

    Because his delicious scent suddenly assaulted her nose. Now she could not help but inhale his wondrous scent, causing her mouth to water in anticipation.

    She licked his throat as a wild hunger for his blood took over her. "What was that other way you were telling me about again?" she asked remembering what he had said a while ago.

    "Through more sex." He answered her seriously. "I''ll just need to make you to use more of that excess energy that is in your reserves and that will cause your thirst to escte to the point that you can''t take it anymore and would just bite me while we''re in the middle of doing it. You won''t even realize you have done it until you begin to feel sated." Came Ezekiel''s calm and rational sounding exnation.

 Chapter 856 Watch me

    <h4>Chapter 856 Watch me</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Yaritza_16! Thank so much for the supergift!

    "Oh¡­" Was all Alicia could respond to Ezekiel''s exnations. Then she suddenly pushed him to lie back on the bed.

    There was a mischievous smile that was dancing on her face as she stared down at him. Raking him with her hungry eyes, she allowed her smile to turn seductive and enchant him. Dear oh dear¡­ she had never pegged herself as one of those naughty kinds of women. But she did not dislike that she had somehow ended up being like this. Because with how she was right now, she felt morepatible with him. And she was beyond happy about that. If she was still stuck with her previous personality, she might not be able to keep up with Ezekiel as much as she could right now!

    And now, the thought that she could please him this much had her adrenaline kicking into high gear. She did not want them to talk anymore about those serious and heavy matters anymore. Not tonight. She just wanted to make love with him, please him, hold him, love him, and feel him inside of her.

    "I want to be on the top¡­ this time." She told him in a hoarse voice, hovering over him, as she panted.

    She did not know that her pair of beautiful scarlet red eyes were gleaming so seductively that Zeke had to hold himself back in order to not just grab her and impale her roughly onto his already hard rod.

    He was distracted a moment ago. When she told him those words, he felt his entire being shook. He was still not used hearing that word. Yet hearing iting from Alicia''s mouth was¡­

    It was all beyond words to exin. He felt like those words could make his heart stop and kill him right there and then. And yet¡­ he still wanted to hear it from her mouth again. Over and over.

    She was right. His decision a while ago was a bad move. Telling her everything would have put all his bestid ns and even the both of them, especially her into much risk. And yet he had decided to do it. As if he had gonepletely mad.

    He had decided to tell her of his ns because he wanted to show her how much she meant to him now. He wanted her to know that he trusted her fully and without doubts. He was determined to do all that despite his mind telling him that it was stupid.

    So when she had stopped him, he had felt so relieved and yet at the same time, he found himself not being that surprised at all with the oue. It was as if he had known this woman would not allow him to make that one bad decision.

    And that was just simply beyond anything else to him.

    This woman¡­ just looking at her right now¡­ he felt like he was staring at his very own salvation and damnation.

    She was his redeemer and scourge all bound up in one beautiful package.

    "Are you sure, babe?" he asked in hoarse voice, holding her gaze. "Are you sure you can handle being on top already?"

    She tipped her chin, challenging him wordlessly.

    "Watch me, love. Watch me blow your brains out." She replied confidently and then lifted herself with her knees.

    He thought about offering her some help, but he remembered that no one had even done this to him before. Never. He had never allowed anyone to be on top of him, much less even straddle him like what she just did a while ago, in his entire life.

    So this was¡­ damned new to him. And because of that, he actually did not have any good nor useful advice for her.

    His heartbeat began to pick up its pace. He knew this was because of the thrill of doing something totally new. And of course, because it was Alicia who was going to do it. F**k. He could not believe how extreme the feeling of her being on top will evoke from him.

    When she reached out to take his rock hard member in her small hand, his jaws clenched in anticipation and also gratification at how even her touch was enough to evoke such pleasurable chills to run through his whole body.

    He propped himself up with his elbows when she moved her other hand to his chest and pushed him back down onto the bed.

    "Stay still, Ezekiel. I''ll do this on my own this time." She told him, causing him to swallow. "You just need to lie back and enjoy the ride¡­ literally." She ended chuckling at her own y on words.

    "You sure you don''t need some help? Any help?"

    "Don''t worry. I''ve identally seen someone doing this before."

    He raised a brow at her confession.

    "Only for a few moments, though. But I got the gist of it with just that few moments¡­" She blushed a little and cleared her throat right after she said those words as she just realized what she was saying. But she did not look that much ashamed of what she said. She was getting bolder and bolder by the minute, and he was loving it immensely.

    When she lowered herself on him and their sexes kissed, she met his gaze. The fire in their eyes burned hotter, wilder, and then she slowly slid herself down, impaling herself on his iron-hard length.

    "Need¡­ help?" he managed to ask again, groaning out in the process. Her incredibly slow pace and seemingly endless slide down was driving him almost crazy.

    She only shook her head wordlessly, but he saw the hesitation in that one movement. So he reached out and ced his hands on her hips, caressing her in a soothing circles. He wanted her to rx because he could feel that she was unsure of things as though hesitant if she was doing it right or not.

    "Alicia," he whispered her name tenderly, and when she returned her gaze to him, he added, "this is my first time doing it in this position too. No one has ever ridden on top of me but you. So don''t hesitate and worry whether you are doing it right or not. Just go ahead and - "

    His breath caught as he was suddenly swallowed to the brim in one wicked slide.

 Chapter 857 Ever

    <h4>Chapter 857 Ever</h4>

    Zeke could not believe he had nearly came undone with just that one move from Alicia. Hell! She literally took his breath away in one move! This delicious woman of his was just¡­ f**k! She was just beyond anything he had ever known. Ever tasted. Ever¡­ everything. She seemed to be bringing a lot of ''firsts'' in their time together.

    He cursed under his breath, fisting his hands in the bedsheets hard. It was taking him all of his willpower not to just grab at her, pin her on the bed and m deep inside her over and over until she was screaming out his name to the heavens.

    "Ugh! Can you not¡­ make it go any bigger than¡­ you already are?" she said between her heavy pants. She was shaking a little as she rested her hands on his hard abdomen, supporting herself from flopping over on him.

    He smirked. A million stars seemed to be twinkling and shining intensely in his eyes that were now both seem to be fully back to that colour of molten grey iron. "There''s no one else to me but yourself, Alicia. You are just too delicious that my cock can''t help reacting in this way."

    She blushed at his dirty talk, and he just revelled from the pleasure of it. It was simply inexplicable how every little reaction from her seemed enough to rock his world. He had wondered previously if he was one of those guys who would not be that much affected even in the face of his special one. With how he was behaving around Alicia now, he guessed he had his answer now. And that just caused him to chuckle to himself.

    Right now¡­ he felt like he had never been more alive. Her appearance in his life made him feel like he had never truly lived for those past hundreds of years. He had tried to deny that thought at first but now even the antagonistic part of his mind had surrendered in trying to reason with him about it.

    She had conquered him fully and irrevocably. And it was not just his heart alone, but his mind and his body as well¡­ Hell, his entire being was being imed and owned by this amazing woman called Alicia.

    "I didn''t¡­ I never would have thought you talk really¡­ dirty in bed, Ezekiel." She breathed out as she just stayed there, as if taking her time to get herself more ustomed to his size first. He truly was so thick that she felt him stretching her to almost more than she could bear. However, it was a delightful mix of slight pain and pleasure that had her craving for more.

    "I was never a gentleman in bed, babe. I never use flowery and poetic words in bed or outside the bed even back in those conservative eras." He replied. "Do you prefer poetic words instead?"

    She shook her head almost frantically, causing him to smile with satisfaction.

    "No. I don''t need things like poems or anything like that¡­ I just need you to be you. And I think¡­ I like this not so gentleman dirty talker Ezekiel betterpared to the prim and proper, ever so silent and stoic Ezekiel." She could not help but take a jab at him whileughing lightly at the slightly affronted look that crossed his face.

    A low rumble escaped from his throat before he tooughed at her teasing. Then he reached out and caressed her face. "I never smiled orughed in bed too¡­ in fact, I never thought it was even possible for me tough and smile genuinely while doing the deed. Now look at what you did to me, Alicia." He was still smiling as he said thatst line.

    He felt her inner muscles tightening around his length and his jaws clenched at the exquisite sensations that action evoked deep within him. "F**k. Stop tightening like that, babe. You have not even start moving yet. You''re gonna kill me!"

    "There''s no one else to me but yourself, Ezekiel." She copied his exact words and threw it back to him with much relish,ughing animatedly after saying that. "You are just too¡­ too good and too much that my pu¡­" she broke off before biting down on her lower lip subconsciously. Her face reddened so hard. "¡­ can''t help it." she finished in a soft voice.

    The sound of his palm pping her ass echoed along with her sharp yelp. She shivered hard and her insides clenched him even harder that they just groaned out for a few moments. Both were caught up in the pleasurable shivers that were running through them that they were out of it for some time.

    "What¡­ what did you just say, Alicia?" Ezekiel asked after he had calmed down somewhat as his palm caressed the part he had just spanked. "Tell me again, babe¡­ and don''t swallow the word." He reached out and parted her lips with his thumb. "I want to hear the word loud and clear, Alicia."

    She licked his thumb. "What would be my¡­ reward if¡­ if I say it? I should be getting a reward, shouldn''t I? Since I''ll be following your requests obediently." Alicia fished for more.

    "What kind of reward does my naughty woman want, hmm?"

    "I want to¡­ do bad things to you too¡­ter¡­ when my thirst is quenched."

    His eyes slightly widened. Then a glimmer of an intense thrill shed across them.

    "Bad things¡­? You mind telling me what those bad things are that you''re talking about?" it was Ezekiel''s turn to be fishing this time.

    "Like¡­ me¡­ ordering you to do things for me? I don''t know yet¡­ but¡­ I''ll figure it outter. How about that?" she wanted to agree on their deal first.

    "Hmm¡­ that''s a tricky request, Alicia." He shed her a devilish smirk. "How about I answer this once you tell me what exactly those bad things are that you want to inflict onto me?" Ezekiel was not going to make a losing deal.

    "You sly devil, you." She pouted and he just chuckled again, when she suddenly moved her hips. She grinded it hard against him that his chuckle quickly turned into a deep groan at her teasing.

 Chapter 858 Nicely

    <h4>Chapter 858 Nicely</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Hollygolightly! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    "Ah, f**k. This impossibly tight pussy of yours¡­!!" Zeke uttered between hisboured breathing. And again, it did not escape his notice on how she had immediately reacted to the dirty words that he had used. It seemed as though that she liked it. She was aroused by it. And that, he could tell from her physical responses where her inner walls clenched down so hard on him.

    It was true that he never used flowery words, but she did not know that he was using those dirty words in apletely different way before. Before her, he had always said those words without much feeling¡­ he would not even notice if it made any difference if he said it. They were just¡­ meaningless terms to him.

    But with her, everything that used to be mundane and in before, had now all be something extremely special and meaningful¡­ f**k!

    He groaned once again, shutting his eyes for a second, when she finally started pushing herself up from his shaft. He fixed his burning gaze on her. Watching like a hawk as her sex released him inch by inch. He could clearly see every single bit of the trail that her wetness left all around him and hell! He ached damned hard for more of it that his grip on the sheets tightened so much till it might actually be ripped to shreds in his hands soon. She was truly driving him to the brink of insanity! But never had he felt better than he did now in his entire long life!

    When his tip almost slipped out of her heat, she stilled her movements and then meet his gaze for a split second before sliding back down his shaft in slow motion. This little goddess¡­ this temptress! This must be her style of revenge, was it not? She must be deliberately doing it on purpose. Damn it! Whatever it was she was doing or nning, it was working! Ezekiel was literally hanging on and holding back by the skin on his teeth.

    Once she mmed herself down and pushed him in so deep into her that she waspletely grinding against his navel, he hissed once again. It was not even a minute yet and the mix of pleasure and torture were already bing too much for him to bear. He was so not used to this. He had never experienced anything like this. Not even close.

    "Alicia¡­" he groaned out her name, his voice begging slightly. His body was now dripping with sweat.

    Alicia responded with another slow slide up and then an even slower motion, as she moved her hips to glide herself down again. This pattern continued a couple more times as Ezekiel groaned and moaned with her movements. It seemed that it was all that he could do at the moment.

    A louder and more guttural moan left his mouth.

    She could even see him gritting his teeth. He looked like he was tied up on a torture rack. A godly, ravishing creature trapped on a torture rack, that is.

    Alicia could not take her eyes off his mesmerising form that kept undting in response to her own movements. The image of Ezekiel looking so horny and helpless as he was under her mercy¡­ oh dear, oh goddamned dear¡­ she wanted to burn this picture into her mind permanently and keep it as a precious remembrance forever. She would never forget this.

    And her devilish side wondered how long will hest in this state? Now she understood why he seemed to love it and enjoy it immensely when he was the one doing this to her. She wanted to¡­ watch hime¡­ like this¡­ or him¡­ to beg her to go faster¡­

    But goodness¡­ she was so crazy aroused that her insides and her entire body was screaming at her to go on and eat him whole. And before long, she too, could not seem tost any longer. The torture was getting to her as well. It was just impossible to resist him even if she wanted to. The more she tortured and egged him on, the harder he became, and he also seemed to swell a little more, causing her to be tortured in return. And oh, what sweet torture it was having him spreading her wider and that delicious friction that was building between them!

    Oh dear, oh dear! She needed tost a little bit more and prolong this torture just a while longer. He had not even reached to the point of begging her yet. Though his eyes were screaming it, no actual words came out from his mouth yet, aside from her name alone. Could she evenst a little longer until he at least says the word ''please''?

    She held on for dear life. She did not want to lose to him on this.

    She was visibly shaking as she pushed herself up on her knees again, fighting that me in her belly that could detonate the fireworks at any moment now. Goodness¡­ Ezekiel¡­ just say it¡­! She begged him silently.

    "What¡­ do you¡­ want¡­ me to do?" she panted out in a broken sentence, finally asking, knowing that she could notst much longer.

    "Move those hips faster already, Alicia!" he hissed, his own control almost breaking.

    "Ask me nicely, babe." She copied the endearment he had been using on her. She had liked it when he called her that and now that she used it herself, it sounded even better rolling off her tongue than she had thought.

    To her delight, that seemed to have done something to him because she felt him twitching inside her. Though the movement was slight, but with how big he had gotten and how stuffed she was, even a small movement could clearly be felt.

    But just when she thought that he was finally going to give in and say ''please'', he growled low and reached out for her hips.

    A gasp escaped her lips as he dragged her down and impaled her onto him, his hips arching up as he met hers midway.

    She cried out loud and long at that one savage thrust. "W-wait¡­ god¡­ E¡­ zekiel¡­"

 Chapter 859 Yes

    <h4>Chapter 859 Yes</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Edenn! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    "Sorry, babe¡­" he panted as he moved his hands, cupping the cheeks of her butt and lifting her up as though she weighed nothing. "Sorry, Alicia but I''m at my limit¡­no¡­ way past my limit. I lost¡­" he looked at her with surrender shing in his eyes. "You got me, babe. I¡­ I lost."

    And he then arched his hips up again in one hard thrust, reaching inside her so deeply over and over again she could not even say a single coherent word anymore. "F**k Alicia! I''m afraid¡­ you had just created one hell of a monster in bed!"

    Alicia did her best to not to shut her eyes. She kept her gaze firmly fixed on him as she gasped and moaned and scratched on his abs with his every delicious and maddening savage thrust into her core. Oh goodness, he was right! Right now, he was being really such a beast in bed. He was growling, his eyes gleaming red, so feral, so like an animal in heat.

    If she had not been turned into a vampire right already, she was certain she would most probably have been begging him to slow down or even stop by now. This intensity was not something her former weakened body could keep up with. No¡­ she was quite sure she would have passed out immediately before even getting close to this intensity that they were going at.

    But she was a vampire now and she felt like her body was created to handle such explosive and harsh pleasure, such savagery even in lovemaking. Every time the head of his sex kissed her deepest part, stars burst in her eyes.

    "Tell me, Alicia. Tell me that this is not too much for you right now." he asked, his sentence broken due to all the heavy panting.

    That was when Alicia started to respond with her body. She began to rock herself actively against him, keeping up with his intense pounding. Until he was moaning out a sexy "Oh yes, that''s it, babe. Ride me hard. Just like that, Alicia!"

    She bounced and jumped on him. Her breasts erotically moving up and down to the movements of her rocking. Until she bent and pressed her chest as hard as she could against his, running her mouth now towards his delicious neck.

    Her hips did not stop moving at all. She greedily took him in, and he ardently gave himself up to her.

    Then he gripped her so tightly against him. He moved his hips up and picked up his pace. And in no time at all, the room was filled with a scandalous wet pping sound and Alicia held onto him like she was hanging on for dear life. Too much¡­ she could not take it any longer¡­

    And she bit down on him. Hard. Sinking her now elongated fangs into the flesh of his neck as she violently trembled on top of him. No. Not just her. He was shaking too. The both of them. Perhaps, even the bed trembled along with their shakings.

    The heavenly feeling took over them far longer than thest time, it was just too insane.

    Then she started to realize the divine taste that was flooding into her mouth and down her throat. The liquid she was gulping eagerly slid down her throat smoothly and it tasted simply indescribable. She did not know how to even describe it. She was at a loss for words. The only thing she knew was that she just could not get enough of it. This was ambrosia!

    "That''s enough, babe. I don''t mind you sucking me dry down there but I can''t let you suck my blood dry too." He whispered yfully in her ears and somehow, that gentle and humorous reminder was enough to stop her.

    She pulled away and looked down at him.

    Both their eyes were still dazed from their recent coupling.

    "You taste¡­ so¡­ so good¡­" she said, licking the corner of her lips, cleaning up the redness that was left over from her feeding earlier.

    "Not as good as you do, Alicia." he retortedzily, brushing her stray hair and tucking them behind her ears.

    "No. I''m serious. I can''t even¡­" she could not finish her sentence before Ezekiel rolled over, bringing her along with him and changing their positions. Now she was being pressed into the bed.

    "Are you sated now?" he asked as he hovered over her. A mischievous smile shed across his face.

    "I think¡­ not yet." Alicia grinned back as she stuck her tongue out slightly.

    "Good." He smiled, before suddenly pulling her legs up from her ankles and cing them on his shoulders. "Because the night is still long."

    "H-huh? Wa- wait ¨C"

    He was then suddenly inside her, big and hard and filling her up once again. Oh, my goodness!

    "I am not¡­ I was not talking about sex, you little¡­ you devil! I was referring to your blood!" Alicia shouted out a little.

    Her words made him halt midway in his downward thrust. But then a damn wicked smile shed in his eyes.

    "So¡­ you''re saying you want my blood more than my cum now?" he asked, causing her to swallow hard at those words.

    She wanted both. It was impossible to choose between the two, right?

    "Yes." She answered, wanting to test how he would react to her answer.

    He ran his lip over his teeth then half-bite down on his lower lip. That moment, Alicia felt a chill run down her spine. Oh my. Perhaps she should not have said that?

    "I will punish you for that, Alicia." He said, smiling at her oh-so-wickedly. "I''ll make you regret your choice and make you eat your words..." though he was smiling, Alicia could clearly hear the thrilling threat in that voice.

    Then he pulled out from her in one sudden move and left the bed. Leaving her wondering and looking at him with wide eyes full of anticipation and question as well.

    He knelt on the floor and pulled something from inside of it. A box. He took something from it.

    Alicia watched, her heartbeat beating fast. She could see that whatever it was, it was brand new as it was still sealed. He ripped the stic apart with his teeth and what came out was a¡­ oh my¡­ it was a shackle¡­ or was that a¡­ handcuff?!

    ____

    A/N: Should we shforward this uing scene and next chapter is ''the next morning'' already? Let me know. XD

    I will listen to the majority. XD Our couple is still eager but i need to know if this is enough for you guys already.

    Please follow me on instagram if you haven''t yet.

    My ount is @kazzenlx.x

 Chapter 860 Good girl

    <h4>Chapter 860 Good girl</h4>

    Alicia watched him holding two things in his hands. A handcuff and a sleeping eye mask.

    The smile on his face was gone now and what reced it was an authoritative, domineering look that somehow surprisingly made him exude another kind of savagely dangerous sexiness as he stood therepletely naked and heavily aroused as he watched her like she was a delicacy he was about to feast on for the rest of the night.

    The light from the single candle that was glowing softly only heightened the sensuality in the small cabin. And yes¡­ Ezekiel in candlelight looked like the god of darkness and she, the pagan sacrifice that was offered up for him.

    When he moved, the sound of the handcuff''s metal chains nged together as it echoed while he moved.

    Her gaze was fixed on the cuffs.

    "Are you scared?" he asked her quietly.

    "No." she was quick to shake her head and deny it. "I was just curious to know if those handcuffs could even restrain a vampire."

    His expression changed in an instant and he smiled. "No babe. This isn''t a normal handcuff that you usually see. This is custom made for vampires after all."

    "Oh¡­" was all Alicia could say.

    "Any more questions?"

    "I''m surprised that you have these things with you even in a remote cabin of yours in the middle of nowhere." Alicia asked a little suspiciously.

    He dropped his gaze to her breasts and replied. "The vampire who was in charge of all my homes already knew about my preference since he''d been dealing with most of these matters for about three hundred years now. So he simply prepared all of these things without needing me to inform him of anything." He ended his exnation with a shrug.

    "Did he¡­ always reces them with new ones after you¡­" Alicia trailed off as she bit down on her lower lip as her habit.

    "I''ve been here a few times before since I sometimes just wanted to be alone. This is a ce I somehow choose to go to just to spend the night for no reason at all. I have never brought anyone here with me before. You''re the first one."

    She bit on her lower lip again and he knew she did that to hide her smile.

    "More questions toe?" he asked again but this time he had skimmed the cold chains connecting the handcuffs over her stomach, teasing her. The sensation of the cold metal aroused gooseflesh to cover her skin. She forgot whatever it was that she had wanted to question him and just watched him as the cold metal touched the tips of her breast.

    Her heartbeat started to race uncontrobly that it sounded so loud in her ears. And the way she stared at the chain made the corner of his lips lift subtly. "I''ll take your silence a ''no more'' then." He uttered, fully expecting that she would react this way when he used the handcuff chain to tease her.

    Then his tone changed, and order came out from his lips. "Shut your eyes, Alicia. And no peeking."

    Alicia was forced to tear her eyes from the chains and lifted it to meet his gaze. She just stared at him for a while but eventually she obeyed without words.

    It always made his heart smile in delight at her overt obedience to whatevermands or requests he made of her. In bed, that is. Alicia love to banter and retort to his words ever since the day they first talked to each other. She had not given him instant obedience during those times.

    So it never ceased to amaze him that she was actually this obedient in bed. He loved the huge contrast of her personality when she was in a battlefield and in bed.

    "Good girl." He uttered breathlessly.

    Alicia let out a soft sigh. Her body somehow rxing even as she waited impatiently for what he was about to do. The thrill of it all was really making her feel so giddy and excited. She was excited to know what kind of pleasure this man would be introducing to her this time.

    When she felt him move, her heartbeat pick up the pace again.

    "Don''t do anything unless I say so, okay, Alicia?" his sensual and husky voice echoed. "Just hold back and keep still."

    "Okaaay¡­"

    "Good girl. That''s the only rule I will give to you for now. If you break it¡­" he trailed off for a few seconds before he continued with a serious promise in his voice. "¡­ I will make you regret it. Understood Alicia?"

    Oh dear¡­ she could not help but swallow. He sounded so serious. And she knew that he was. From the tone of his voice, he was not joking.

    "Understood, Ezekiel." Alicia nodded cooperatively.

    "That''s my woman." He sounded so pleased as he praised her, his handing up to stroke her head a few times fondly.

    Then suddenly, she felt him move. Her brows knotted and she squeezed her eyes shut to ensure that she did not identally open her eyes and see what he was doing.

    She felt like he was kneeling over her. Like she was trapped between his legs now because she felt the bed dipping down on both sides and his¡­ she felt what seemed to be his balls brushing against her abdomen. She could feel her cheeks flush a little hotly at the realisation.

    When she felt his forefinger on her chin, she parted her lips, wanting him to put a finger in her mouth like he always like to do.

    "Lift your hands, Alicia." He ordered.

    Her desire to make this whole process proceed on as fast as it could so she can finally experience the main course made her only obey him immediately.

    "Above your head, babe. Yes. That is a good girl." Came Ezekiel''s praise.

    She heard the sounds of the chains nging so loud in her ears and then within just a few moments, she felt the handcuff being pped on both her wrists.

 Chapter 861 At long last

    <h4>Chapter 861 At longst</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Daoist135k9T and @Sacogun! Thank you so much for the supergifts!

    Now securely bound and blindfolded on the bed, Alicia felt as though everything seemed to be heightened. Her sense of hearing and touch seemed to be extremely sensitive.

    The feel of his fingers that had just trailed lightly over her throat, then her corbones as he passed through the valley of her breast in a feathery and slow motion suddenly felt so¡­ so extremely ticklish that it was almost unbearable. He was just touching her skin in a teasing way and yet¡­ and yet it was already making her feel as though she was so aroused. Oh dear¡­ was this the effect of the restraints and the fact that she could not see anything but could just feel and hear?

    Before long, she found herself already begging for release.

    "Ezekiel¡­ enough teasing¡­ touch me more please¡­" Alicia pleaded. But it was as though she was talking to the wall.

    He did not respond to her pleas. He continued touching her sozily, everywhere but purposely avoided her aching ces. It was as if he was nning to do just that until morning. Oh, this cruel devil! Was he trying to kill her from not being able toe?!

    "Ezekiel. Please¡­" she began to subconsciously tug on her restraints, wanting to reach out to him and hold him or push him down on the bed again to take him herself.

    But lord! The handcuffs were not letting her. They were not giving despite the pressure that she was putting on it. Oh dear¡­ did she just dug her own grave by allowing him to bind her? Remembering the torture she felt outside when he had taken her in the spring made her feel like she had made a bad decision. But¡­ but then¡­ she also felt something like a dark pleasure blooming within her as she held onto the chains that was binding her to the bed, realizing that she was literally in his mercy right now.

    "So impatient." He breathed. And after a few more times of her begging, he finally levelled up his game and used his mouth on her this time. He began to lick her, as his hot tongue trailed pathways of fire all over her skin, starting from her nape going downwards, kissing everywhere but her breast, her mouth and her sex.

    He did that for such a long time that she felt so dazed from the unfulfilled tension. Until he finally had literally kissed her everywhere, even her toes except¡­ except those three ces that were now screaming for attention.

    "Oh lord¡­ please¡­ Ezekiel¡­ I can''t take it anymore. Please¡­ here¡­ please¡­" she was shamelessly lifting her hips towards him now, begging him to pay attention to her now starving and weeping sex. She knew she was so very wet now. If he had not had her bound up, she would have touched herself a long time ago!

    "F**k, babe. You look so hot doing that." There was a pleasurable chuckle in his tone, and she was supposed to be as mortified as hell with that! However, she was just so desperate for release that she could not be bothered about that anymore.

    "Then please stop torturing me already, Ezekiel! Please, love¡­" she even used that endearment again, knowing that he would blow up and lose control whenever she does that. And true enough, she felt him stiffen and her heart danced a triumphant jiggle.

    But instead of finally giving in to her demands and paying attention to her throbbing and hungry sex, he bent over and kissed her mouth instead.

    He stabbed his tongue into her mouth and kissed her hungrily yet still not as beastly as the other kisses they had shared previously. Not enough! He was not yet losing control like the way he did before!

    When their lips parted, he used his tongue to mark a trail downwards and finally, he paid attention to her aching breasts that were so heavy and full. He still did that in a slow motion. Still so unlike the unrestrained Ezekiel she had sex with earlier. This was just so different. He felt like he was in full control of his desires, and it was driving her insane.

    "Oh lord, help me¡­" she cried out helplessly when he pinched her nipples and twisted it slightly. The mix of pleasure and pain sent her spiralling into another fit of shivers as the words in her mind blurred again.

    She gasped out loudly at his actions. Thebined pain and pleasure of that had her writhing feebly on the bed as she cried out his name, begging him to stop the endless torture and grant her the sweet relief she was thirsting for.

    "That''s right. Cry out for me¡­ not for the lord, Alicia." He said and she had the urge to defy him just to have him do something bad again. But¡­ another part of her did not want to. It was as though she knew that if she dared to defy him, he would only prolong her torture even more! She could not forget the tone in his voice when he had warned her, saying that he would make her regret it if¡­

    She bit on her lower lips to hold back her voice froming out. But she could not take any more of this unbearable torture!

    "Good girl¡­" he praised her again as if he knew full well on the internal battles that she was trying so hard to fight. Then as if to reward her patience, he feasted on her breast harder. He suckled and bit on them slightly between his teeth. Yet, it still was not enough for Alicia. He knew when to stop just so he could stall her from reaching that height she was aiming for.

    Oh my freaking lord¡­ how long has it been? She felt like it has already been an eternity!

    "Ezekiel¡­ I don''t think I can take this anymore¡­" she cried and begged. Her mind was so muddled that she just straight up begged him to stop his torture, not using any savvy words to banter with him. "How long are you going to torture me? I don''t like this¡­" two tear tracks down her cheeks.

    He kissed her lips gently. It was not the kiss she wanted at this moment though. "I know, babe¡­ but I promise you, you''ll thank meter Alicia¡­"

    "I''m ¨C" she was about to protest but he was suddenly between her legs, spreading her thighs wide open, and finally bending over to kiss her folds.

    And soon, she had forgotten about everything else as she whimpered and moan and moved her hips against his wonderfully wicked mouth. The monstrous need that was killing her now felt like something she needed to conquer immediately at that moment, or else she would really die.

    But as she shamelessly and violently moved her hips to rub herself against his mouth, he stopped her with his immense strength. His hands locked around her thighs and pinned them down to keep her still. She cried out for real this time.

    "No!!!" Alicia wailed heartbrokenly.

    "Tell me, Alicia¡­" he asked. "Which do you want more? My blood or¡­ my cock?"

    "¡­!!!" This evil man! He was getting back at her for her earlierment!!

    Oh dear lord almighty¡­ it is that damned question! That must be the very reason why she had ended up being punished like this! Because she dared to lie to test and see his reaction! It was due to that that she was now here like this, a whimpering and begging hot mess, but still, one who was dying for him to fill her up. She was just that desperate for him!

    He really did a great job of making her regret her choice! Oh damn her feeble self-restraint to hell¡­ she would rather be spanked so many times over than being chained and pinned down in ce and under hisplete mercy for what seemed like years!

    "So¡­ What do you want right now, Alicia? Hmm¡­?? My blood or my cum?" He repeated that loaded question to her, smirking evilly.

    "Your¡­ your cum. I want you cum more, Ezekiel¡­" she finally answered, giving into his unspoken demands. She knew what he wanted to hear. And to be honest, it was also her truthful answer in fact. He had driven her to the point where anything he asked, anything he want, she would give him, she would tell him¡­ everything. Barring nothing!

    And he flicked that hard peak of her sex, causing her breath to snag sharply. Oh lordy!

    "Really?" He asked again as he repeated his earlier action. Alicia squirmed impatiently as the pleasure that was already bordering on pain ¨C due to her being teased for so long ¨C was causing chaos in her nerve endings.

    "Yes! Yes! Please give it to me now!" she begged pitifully, the sounds of the chains shing against the metal headboard echoing along with herboured pants and whimpers and cries.

    "Where, babe? Where do you want it?" Ezekiel still was not letting her off easily. He wanted to squeeze every ounce of her response dry.

    "Inside¡­" Alicia muttered a little incoherently. She truly was not able to think straight anymore. She was just answering by instinct.

    "Inside where? Inside your pussy?" Ezekiel prompted her, talking dirty to her, knowing that she would be even more aroused at it.

    "Yes. Yes! Please." Alicia almost screamed out her answer. There was a satisfied and evil grin that shed across Ezekiel''s face. But it came and went away so quickly.

    "Say it, Alicia. I want you to say it. Spell it out clearly that there will be no way that I can misunderstand it." He was already pressing the bulbous head of his sex into her throbbing and drenched entrance now, while still pressing down firmly on her hips, never allowing her to move it even for a fraction of an inch.

    "Yes, yes! Inside¡­ inside my¡­ pussy, Ezekiel." Alicia was almost delirious that she had thrown away all her inhibition and uttered the word ''pussy'' without even blushing. Ezekiel''s eyes shone with satisfaction as he saw how she was totally under his mercy and was trying to arch her hips into his with abandon. A smile curled at one corner of his lips, and he nodded lightly, happy that she was where he wanted her to be.

    And at longst he finally took her.

    ___

    A/N: Time to go back to earth tomorrow :face_with_hand_over_mouth:

 Chapter 862 All mine

    <h4>Chapter 862 All mine</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @edi_o! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Reaching out, Ezekiel yanked her sleeping eye mask and threw it away. And the moment she opened her eyes and meet his burning gaze, the monster in him was also let loose. It was as if the key for his self-control to be set on fire was her eyes holding onto his.

    He grabbed her ankles, rested them over both sides of his shoulders and bent over her, almost folding her in half. Then he bounced himself on top of her, mming so damned deep inside of her, invading her depths like a depraved beast. Alicia could do nothing else but cry and scream her lungs out at the pure wicked pleasure he was literally forcing onto her.

    Her grasp on the chains was so tight, so goddamned hard that her knuckles had turned so white.

    "F**k Alicia!!!" his moans turned guttural, so unlike his normal tone of voice. "Yes, like that! Scream for me¡­ cry for me!" His voice was breaking as he spoke, and she could not even understand him anymore. Her mind had long since been turned to mush by his ferocious pounding. The intense and pleasurable friction between their sexes were just keeping her so much in a daze that she did not even know if she could string a sensible thought together.

    Everything was burning, feverish¡­ she felt her blood boiling and rushing through her vessels as he dove down deeper, harder, and pushing her legs down with him that they started to press against her own body. She was almost folded half into a sandwich!

    And then she felt him thicken within her again, stretching her even wider as his rhythm escted, expanding the impossible pleasure that was threatening to swallow her sanity for good.

    Even then, he did not relent¡­ he never stopped even as she started to trash beneath him and could no longer form a single coherent word anymore. Not even one syble of his name. All she could manage were moans and grunts and screams for him.

    "Come for me now, Alicia!" he said in feral sounding voice. "Take the cum that you wanted! Now, babe!"

    And a raw ear-splitting scream burst out of her mouth. Her insides quaked mightily, pulsed and gripped him so damned hard at that onest powerful thrust he pushed into her that had kissed and broken through the entrance and shot straight into her womb.

    "Yeah! Oh, Alicia! Milk me!" he growled as he shook so damned hard on top of her.

    Alicia''s eyes stretched so wide and the ck of her eyes rolled back into her head as the violent tremors and shudders continued. Seemingly unstoppable, iparable as her orgasm crashed wave after wave into each other, as though it would not end. It was simply beyond anything she had ever known or imagined. ck spots danced over her vision, and she knew that she might even be drooling, and her saliva was perhaps flowing from the corners of her lips. Oh lord¡­ this¡­ this pleasure¡­ she really could not imagine anything that could overtake this.

    This orgasm was beyond earth-shattering. Even after a few moments, she was still shaking, her inner muscles pulsing and rippling, still gripping onto him hard like she would never ever let go of his length anymore.

    The aftermath of the impossibly powerful orgasm between them could not seem to stop. Though the effects were not as great as when they first crested the wave, they were still shivering from the pleasure of it. That goes to show just how overwhelming their orgasm was.

    "My god, Alicia¡­" came his husky voice after some time. He sounded as though he wasughing with so much pleasure. "I''ve never¡­ f**k¡­ that was¡­ Oh, gods¡­ I can''t¡­ oh f**k, Alicia¡­" he sounded so lost for words and dumbstruck, like all speech andnguages had already failed him. It was like he could not even find the right words for whatever it was that he wanted to express. Something so goddamned unlike the ever so intelligent Ezekiel Reign.

    They just stayed there for another stretch of time until Alicia finally came back to earth. Like him, she too was utterly dumbstruck. She did not know. She utterly had no freaking idea that such heights of pleasure could be reached ¨C that it even existed in the first ce! She thought that nothing couldpare or surpass the pleasure he had already given her. But this¡­ oh my, was she ever so wrong.

    He kissed her forehead gently, the smile on his face that was glistening with sweat was filled with nothing but adoration, love, and amazement. "That was simply¡­ indescribable, was it not?" he asked her, his voice soft and mellow, as he licked away her tears and then, even her drool.

    "Yes¡­" her voice croaked out. She then realized it must have from all that screaming she had been doing. All that torture he made her go through was what brought her that indescribable prize. And lord help her, because she would be willing to be tortured again ¨C go through all of that crazy holding back ¨C just to experience that mind-blowing pleasure all over again.

    "I told you, you would like it, didn''t I? You''ve milked me real dry, babe. This pussy of yours is really¡­ made for sex, made for me¡­ for no one else but me¡­ right? Alicia?" his tone now suddenly changed from being gentle to having an underlying possessiveness and jealousy.

    "Yes¡­ Ezekiel¡­ it''s for you alone¡­ I''m made for no one else but you¡­" she replied in assent and his smile widened. His eyes shone like the brightest ever star that had been birthed in the gxy at that moment.

    "Yes¡­ you are mine. Ever only and all mine, Alicia." And he kissed her lips as if to seal that promise.

    "I love you¡­" she whispered to him tenderly when their lips parted and he swooped down on her and kissed her again. His actions were as though swallowing those precious words and storing them inside him, inside his heart.

    ___

    A/N: You guys really surprise me. But love ya''ll my naughty readers. Now get ready for the next ride not in heaven but on earth. XD

    What will happen next? We gotta move on and find out.

    Btw, for those who lost count, there''s still seven days left before the D-day. 7 days and 6 nights to be exact.

 Chapter 863 Good morning

    <h4>Chapter 863 Good morning</h4>

    In Little Flower bookstore.

    Iryz had just experienced the most shocking morning in her whole life. And that was because she had just woken up to find herself sleeping with a man in her bed. And to think that the man in question was¡­ Zeres! Oh goodness gracious! Was this a wonderful dream that the gods had granted to her topensate for all her sufferings so far?! Or what plot twist was this?! Or was this just a mean prank? As she blinked her eyes a few times, things still seemed to be the same and nothing had changed. She was still seeing Zeres in her bed.

    It did not seem to be her imagination from the looks of it. She had been mulling there in his embrace, stiff like a log for a while now. She also noticed the colour of the sun peeking through the windows and realized that it was still quite early in the morning. The light still had the soft quality that only could be seen during dawn ¨C that tinge of purplish and pink mixed in with the light yellow of the sun''s rays.

    But what she was concerned about was that she could not remember how they had ended up in this sticky situation. All she remembered was her friend sending her back home, drunk. Oh, damn! She did not do anything bad to this angelst night, right? She could not have seduced him, right? As she was worrying about it, her small white pearly teeth mped down on her lips.

    Her overthinking mind started to envision a thousand and one possible scenarios that could have unfolded in her head. And she could only scream agitatedly at herself.

    Thank the gods though, because she realized that both of them were still clothed, and every single article of clothing was properly donned on. She would not be able to take it if she found out that she had actually seduced this man to her bed or something simr while she was rip roaring drunk!

    After probably a long thirty minutes of mulling over and mentally bashing herself for her current predicament and trying her best not to dare enjoy the feeling of his long and muscr arms embracing her smaller body, Iryz finally decided to maybe escape from his grasp before he wakes up.

    She sternly reminded herself of all the pain that she had felt yesterday before he had left. Why did he evene back to look for her? Here? He had the book in his hands already¡­ So, was this him being guilty or something? Or could it be that he still needed something more from her?

    A weary sigh escaped her lips. This man had literally andpletely changed her little in and mundane world ever since he had appeared that one fated day. And it had all happened so quickly.

    Now that she thought more about it, she realized that it was only such a short time, and yet so many things had happened between them. So many emotions were involved. So many¡­

    Shutting her eyes tightly, Iryz finally but reluctantly moved her hand that was draped over his lean, powerful waist. She did not dare move to look at his sleeping face, knowing how dangerous that move was for her. His face alone was like a hypnotic and appealing painting. So it was definitely a bad idea peeking up because his body that was just inches away from her was already enough to send all of her senses into a massive chaos.

    Slowly, her hand lifted. Her heartbeat thudded loudly in her own ears as she carefully pulled away her hand, praying that he would not wake up and catch her in a funny position trying to escape like a thief.

    He did not make any movements. Thank god!

    But the moment she was about to turn to her back on him, she was suddenly yanked back into his solid body. She gasped at the sudden action, and she gasped again as she realized that her face was now buried in his broad and manly chest. Oh my gosh!

    "Don''t¡­ leave¡­" a hoarse, deep and sleepy voice rumbled in her ears as she felt his arms tightening around her, holding her as though he never wanted to let go of her.

    Her heart skipped a beat as goosebumps prickled over her skin.

    "Please¡­ just a few¡­ more¡­ moments¡­" His soft voiceing from above her head pleaded her.

    And then the next thing she heard were shallow and steady breaths. His hold around her suddenly fell limp as if he was asleep again. But they remained securely wrapped around her that if she had made a single move, he would definitely wake up again.

    Iryz took another long while to steady her breath. She needed to have her mind working properly again. What the hell! Why was he doing this to her? He was giving her hope again and her stupid heart was¡­ rejoicing like an idiot! Just like that time back then. She was such an idiot!

    She felt like crying. Because she was still mad and hurt because of him and yet, just with one request from him ¨C one that she did not even know if it was just him sleep talking or in a daze¨C and she could not bring herself to say no.

    That voice. He sounded kind of pleading. And now, his low and gentle breathing sounded so peaceful in her ears. She could not help but remember all of the times she had found him always sleeping on the floor with a pile of books beside him.

    This was literally the first time she had seen him sleep in a bed and that was enough to melt her. Damn her soft spot towards this man!

    She stayed still. Letting him sleep in peace. And the longer she listened to his breathing¡­ the longer she inhaled his scent¡­ and she slowly found herself feeling more rxed.

    Until she found herself putting her arm back around his waist again and she closed her eyes and revelled in his embrace.

    The next time she opened her eyes, the sun was already high in the sky. It must probably be about ten in the morning already.

    She moaned and then froze once again at the realization that dawned on her. She was still hugging him, facing him.

    Lifting her head, her heartbeat raced, afraid that he was already awake.

    He was!!!

    "Good morning," he greeted her in soft voice, a small smile gracing his face.

    And after a few catatonic moments, Iryz suddenly kicked him off her bed. This caused him to roll over and fall from her single bed with that one swift movement.

 Chapter 864 Nowhere

    <h4>Chapter 864 Nowhere</h4>

    The loud thud on the floor had Iryz gasping out in shock. Her hands flew to cover her mouth for a moment before she frantically scrambled on both hands and knees towards the edge of the bed. She had not expected her own response toe so quickly like a reflex action.

    She looked down at Zeres who was sprawled on the floor beside her bed, guilty and worried. "Are¡­ are you¡­" her voice trailed off at the sight of him, lying unmoving on the floor. His expression was¡­ he looked genuinely shocked. It was as though he was still wondering what had just happened in his life.

    Iryz could not help theugh that was bubbling and about to burst out of her lips. He did not even move a single inch as he continued to lie there on his back, staring up at her bedroom ceiling.

    "You okay?" she asked again, struggling and finally managing to swallow herugh.

    He looked at her but still did not bother moving. He still looked as though he was processing the whys and how had he ended up on the floor.

    "Uhm¡­ yes¡­ I''m fine." he finally replied, blinking at her.

    Iryz pressed her lips tightly together. It seemed as though this man had never been kicked off from the bed before, that this one ¨C his first ¨C experience seemed to have thrown his entire system into such ag so badly that he had troubles responding as usual.

    "I''m sorry about that¡­ I was just too flustered to find you¡­" she cleared her throat and changed the topic immediately, going with the assumption that he understood where that sentence was headed towards. "Well anyway, I''m sorry. I didn''t mean to kick you that hard." She apologised somewhat sheepishly.

    He just stared at her for a long while before slowly, his expression changed into something¡­ sad, despite the small smile that seemingly curved on his lips. "No¡­ that kick¡­ I fully deserved it."

    While Iryz had fallen speechless at his self-recrimination, he let out a deep breath and covered his eyes with the back of his hand. He did not seem to have any ns on getting up from the floor anymore. This man¡­ why must he be acting like this? How could she even have the heart to just kick him out of her house when he was behaving all mopey and morose like this?

    "I''m so so sorry, Iryz." He muttered out an apology without looking at her. "It was presumptuous of me to¡­ hold onto you like that and sleep in your bed when you''re drunk." His voice was filled with nothing but regret and guilt.

    It took her a moment before she could finally open her mouth to respond. But before she could form any word, he beat her to it and spoke first.

    "Iryz¡­" he called out her name in a soft voice.

    "W-what?" she could not help but get flustered there. It was so rare for him to call her name. And the way his voice sounded when calling out ''Iryz'' just sent a jolt of electricity zinging through her. Why did she feel as though he was calling her name so much more frequenttely? She furrowed her brows. Was it just her being overly sensitive again?

    He took his hand off his face and turned to look at her from his lying down position on the floor. For some reason¡­ there seemed to be something that had changed in the way he looked at her. Somehow, his gaze seemed to be heavier, to be full of meaning ¨C as though he was telling her something using only his eyes. And her heart¡­ her stupid, stupid heart was working itself up into a frenzy, all on its own.

    "I want to¡­ live here. In your house." He finally said and it was Iryz''s turn to just sit there, unmoving, unsure if she had heard him correctly the first time. It was like her system had malfunctioned big time and failed her right at the most critical moment.

    "H-huh?" she respondedmely.

    "I will pay rent¡­" he added quickly, in case she wanted to reject him. His face was so damned serious as he bargained. "If it''s okay with you, I can pay maybe ten thousand dors per month? Or even more if you think that is not enough. I don''t really mind the amount. I also don''t mind continuing being your model for your sketches. I don''t have anything else to do now anyway ¨C" Zeres rambled on. Iryz was so shocked as she had never heard Zeres spoke so many words at one go to her before that she could not respond for a couple of seconds.

    "Wait¡­! Wait a minute, you little screwball. What the hell are you saying?!" she could not take it anymore. She had not seen thising. Not at all! What the hell was going on?! Did she identally step into an alternate universe by chance perhaps??!! Why was Zeres behaving so¡­ un-Zeres like?!

    He just looked at her. His expression remained serious. "I want to live here. In your house." He repeated it slowly, in a straightforward manner and without any hints of joking. That just caused Iryz'' lips to part.

    Then she forced out an awkwardugh. It would be more awkward if she had just kept quiet and stared at him as though he was crazy. Which she did think he might be at the moment. Did he knock his head somewhere beforeing to see her?

    "You''re kidding me." Iryz voiced it as a statement.

    "No. I''m not, Iryz. I am as dead serious as I will ever be."

    "Oh gosh, but why?!" her eyes were wide as saucers as she questioned him. "Why would youe here and pay rent to live in a run-down library?"

    He put his arm back over his eyes again and answered in a small voice. "I have¡­ nowhere else to go¡­"

    Iryz felt like she was about to explode and before she knew it, she climbed off the bed and squatted next to him. She grabbed his hand off his eyes and made him look directly at her.

    Once he did, she bombarded him with words. "Look here, Zeres. You have a massive luxurious apartment in one of the tallest buildings in the city and you are telling me you have nowhere else to go? Don''t tell me that the ce isn''t yours because I won''t believe it. Not one second! And surely, someone like you would definitely have many other ces you could go to. So tell me the real reason why or I will kick you out of my house right now!" she threatened.

    "Because¡­ because this ce feels like¡­ home. And you''re here."

 Chapter 865 One condition

    <h4>Chapter 865 One condition</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @_Basia_! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Unable to take it anymore, Iryz jsuddenly climbed on top of him, straddling him right over his firm abs as she pressed both her palms down on either side of his face.

    Confusion, shock, and so many other emotions exploded within her at what he had just said.

    "What¡­ did you say?" she asked, holding his gaze so intently as she hovered over him, pinning him down with her body and her eyes. Though she was only a slip of a girl, Zeres justid there and allowed her to continue being in the dominant position, looking up quietly at her.

    Her heart was trashing wildly in her chest. But her mind was filled with a multitude of doubts, even telling herself that she must have misheard him. There was no way he would have said that, right? He could not have indirectly called her his ''home''. Right¡­?!

    He stared back at her. Their gazes held each other''s and before they knew it, the air between them seemed to have thicken and be quite intense. Iryz even imagined that she could hear the crackle in the air between them ¨C that was how charged the situation between them was right now.

    "I want to stay here, Iryz. This time, I promise to stay¡­ and I won''t leave again." Though his voice was still soft and low, there was a steely quality that she detected underlying his tone. As though he was making a vow as he said those words.

    She felt like her entire being was shutting down. Apparently, all those words from Zeres were just too stimting. They were just too much for her to take in. So much, that she was having a hard time believing it.

    So the very next thing she did was to press both her palms to both sides of his cheeks and then brought her one hand over his forehead as if to check if he was perhaps having a fever. "You¡­ you¡­ are you drunk or high on something? Did someone put you under some weird spell?"

    He calmly caught her wrists, pulling her hand away from his forehead as he lightly shook his head. His beautiful eyes were intense as he moved her hands back down to cup his cheeks. "I''m not drunk. Nor am I under anyone''s spell, Iryz."

    "Then what¡­ what happened? Did something happen to you, that you''re suddenly saying ¨C"

    "You don''t remember anything fromst night?" Zeres interrupted her and asked.

    His question had her blinking. Right. Last night?? She could not remember. She could not even remember how they had ended up snuggling up together in her single bed all night!

    "Shall I¡­ remind you ¨C" he helpfully offered.

    But she pressed her palms over his mouth. Her face was burning red. She did not want to remember. Gosh¡­ she already knew it must be something totally embarrassing. She must have been the one who had pulled him onto the bed, clung to him shamelessly or probably something even worse. She just wished that she had not dared to kiss him in her drunkenness!

    "No need. No way. You''re not going to remind me about whatever embarrassing thing I didst night. If you do, I''ll kick you out of my house, I swear. Why don''t you just tell me what exactly happened to you when you left yesterday? Did something bad happen?" she continued on bbering. Partly it was embarrassment. But partly also due to her not wanting to hear something from his mouth that might hurt her already hurting heart. Actually, she did not know what was going on with herself as well at this moment.

    She was being overwhelmed. And she actually did not know what to do. What to feel. How to react. She did not know whether to rejoice or to cry. To believe or to doubt. Maybe she was just too afraid. Scared that this was not real or that she was mistaken once she allows herself to take his words seriously.

    When he just stared at her, Iryz continued. "Tell me¡­ it seeded right? I mean the spell. You managed to¡­ help your¡­" she swallowed, "your lover, right?"

    "Alicia is not my lover. She never was and never will be my lover." He told her and the world seemed to screech to a halt when she heard those words. Then the memories came crashing back into her like a tsunami, causing her to just sit there on top of him, frozen and unable to move.

    He finally moved, propping himself up with his elbows. And he did not seem to mind that much that she was sitting on his stomach at all. His movement in raising his upper body to look at her, had her sliding lower down his body as he now had himself in a sitting position.

    "I really¡­ like it here." he started, staring into her forest green eyes. "Since I¡­ since I had woken up from the thousands of years of slumber, I had always felt as though I do not belong in this world anymore. I had lived in many different ces the past years but¡­ I have never found a ce as peaceful as here ¨C right in your house. So¡­ would you allow me to live here, Iryz? I can sleep downstairs in the library. I don''t really need a bed. I never sleep in beds anyway."

    "What?!"

    "I mean¡­ it''s hard for me to actually fall asleep in bed. Maybe because of my childhood. My mother whom I can no longer remember had never allowed me to sleep in a bed or any proper bedding, in fact. I have already forgotten the reason why¡­ but as far as I can remember, I had always slept in a sitting position. So even if I have a luxurious bed, I will still end up preferring sitting on the floor or anywhere else. So I don''t really need any bed or mattress." He had said that like it was so trivial, as though something just worth mentioning as a passing.

    "Idiot¡­" she muttered weakly, biting on her lower lips as it started to tremble a little.

    "I know¡­" he admitted, smiling wryly. "I really hope you will not kick this idiot out." He joked about himself.

    "Fine. I will let you stay¡­ but only with one condition. If you want to live here, you''re no longer allowed to move out. Meaning, you will be bound to stay here forever. If you don''t think you could keep that condition, you better run away now."

 Chapter 866 A man

    <h4>Chapter 866 A man</h4>

    Iryz''s voice was stern, severe even as sheid out her conditions to him. She was letting him see that she was not ying around. He needed to know straight up that her conditions were never a joke or something that should be taken lightly.

    She was not going to dig her own grave by allowing him to stay now, and then have him just up and leave one day as and when he feels like it. She refused to be the one who was always getting left behind anymore. If he could notmit to staying forever, then it was better for him to just leave now. It would save the both of them on the heartaches in future.

    "Okay¡­" he said, "I''m epting your condition, Iryz." He replied.

    Her jaws fell. She could not help it. Her eyes searched through his and saw nothing but seriousness in them. She could not even see any hesitation at all! And she was¡­ she was even thinking that he would need to take some time to think about it first or perhaps even give some other excuse. Yet he had answered her almost immediately. This guy¡­ did he even understand her conditions? Even she knew her condition was pretty ridiculous and over the top! Yet he had immediately said okay, just like that? What the hell? Did he actually damaged his head when she kicked him a while ago?

    "I can even prepare us an official agreement if you think it is necessary. Or I can do the witch''s oath instead, since that''s an irrevocable ¨C" Zeres offered quickly as he saw that Iryz was not answering to him agreeing to her conditions even after a few seconds.

    "You¡­ Wait a freaking moment!!!" she finally burst out. Her eyes were so wide in both shock and disbelief. She of course knew about that witch''s oath thing. And it was a hell of a serious thing! Her grandmother had told her about this when she was younger, that when a witch makes an oath to a certain person, he or she would be bound to that person for life. It was something like human wedding vows ¨C only that there was no divorce in this case. It is permanent! It would take a huge and severe sacrifice instead if the witch dared to sever his own oath. So why in the world was this man talking about making a witch''s oath so easily like that?!

    Iryz pressed her fingers to her temples and drew in a deep breath.

    "Look here, Zeres. You do know the severe consequence of that¡­ of that oath, right?" Iryz just had to double check with him on this. As a powerful witch, there was no way that he did not know this. So she did not understand why was he being this way. Could it be that there was something else that he wanted in exchange? Because to her, Zeres agreeing to this so easily was just too random.

    "Of course. I am an ancient witch and I only forget faces of people in the past. Everything else is still clear to me."

    "Then why the hell are you taking it so lightly like this?! Ugh! You''re driving me crazy!" she shouted at him and reached out to grab hold of his head. "Where did you hit your head when I kicked you? That was a really loud thud a while ago. Did you fall head first? Was it your head that got damaged?" Iryz turned his head this way and that, looking all over to casually check if there were any bumps on his head, just in case.

    Zeres too, just stayed still and allowed Iryz to manipte his head whatever way she wanted, not stopping her nor kicking up a fuss. He just looked extremely puzzled. He was even blinking innocently and looked like he was wondering if he had messed up something again. Why did Iryz seem upset at what he had just said?

    "Answer me, Zeres. Where did you hit your head? Huh??" she was genuinely concerned. His words were just¡­ just too hard for her to believe that she could not help but really think that he was not in his right mind right now. And this did not seem to be the grumpy and bad tempered Zeres that she had gotten to know all this while!

    "I didn''t hit my head. Also¡­ I think¡­ you should stop doing that and get off me now." He said that quietly.

    Iryz froze. She had momentarily forgotten that she was still straddling him. Then she eventually pulled away so very slowly to look at his face. To her surprise, his colour had changed. What the hell was this? Was he¡­ was he blushing? No way, right?!

    Despite the realization of their questionable position right now and despite the mad embarrassment that had also flooded her entire being, she did not rush to get off him.

    She would have jumped off him like something hot had scalded her if it was any other time, but¡­ but the look on his face right now had her maintain her position and remain unmoving. And then an unexpected evil side of her peeked its head out inside her mind. Or was it her hopeless romantic storyteller mind that had taken over? Whatever it is¡­ it had been awakened.

    "What if¡­ I don''t want to get off you? What would you do, hmm¡­?" she asked. Her insides were already screaming by now, but her outward expression somehow managed to remain serious, save for her now seemingly over-heated face.

    He blinked, twice, thrice before he eventually opened his mouth with so much hesitation. "I might¡­ end up kissing you or¡­ touching you... I''m still a man, Iryz. "

    While she turned almostpletely catatonic, Zerez moved with so much ease and stood, carrying her along with him.

    Then he bent and sat her down at the edge of the bed, squatting before her. He stared up into her eyes before dropping his gaze to her fingers that were clutching tightly on his sleeves.

 Chapter 867 One last time

    <h4>Chapter 867 Onest time</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @offthemenu! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    "I know that you think I''m weird right now. I don''t know how to exin it to you to make myself believable enough. But I just¡­ I just don''t want to go anywhere else anymore. I''m¡­ I''m tired¡­ I just want to stay here¡­ to lie down or sit here on your floor¡­ drink your coffee¡­ eat your cookies¡­ I just want to be able to breathe¡­ and sleep¡­" he dropped his head into herp and his shoulders sagged as though the weight of the world was ced on his shoulders. "Last night¡­ was the first time I''ve ever slept that long and peacefully since I woke up from that long slumber. I am not deciding on this out of a whim, if you were wondering. I''ve never been this sure before of what I want or where I want to be ¡­"

    "And the thing you surely want is to stay here?" Iryz asked him.

    "Yes." Came his soft but determined reply.

    "And you''re going to go as far as making an oath, not just any oath but a witch''s oath, just for me to let you stay?" Iryz questioned again.

    "Yes. If that is what it would take to make you feel at ease, I''ll do it."

    "Zeres¡­" she called his name and when he looked up and met her gaze, Iryz breathed out softly. "Do you know that¡­ Eris had always been¡­ in love with you?" she had not nned to let this secret out. She was actually thinking of bringing this fact to the grave with her, never to see the light of day. Who knew that now, she actually had just blurted this secret out to the very person that was involved?

    A deafening silence spread across the room. Zeres took a long time to respond. He did not speak. He just shook his head quietly as he dropped his head down. He was honestly clueless. He had no idea of this matter at all.

    "She''s been in love with you for so long. I believe¡­ ever since the day you had saved her. That was why she had disguised herself as a boy just so she could stay beside you. Be with you¡­ even if it only was as a friend." Iryz paused for a moment. "I can''t imagine¡­ no, I don''t even want to imagine how she had felt when you never returned after that time. She might never have even found out that you¡­ you died from that war. I felt like she had waited for you faithfully and patiently until her veryst breath. I''m not saying this to make you feel guilty¡­ but I just¡­ I know you''ve probably realized already that I am most likely Eris'' reincarnation. We both look exactly the same and¡­ the moment I saw you that day you came here¡­ I''ve felt something that I couldn''t quite exin. It''s as though that I''ve loved you even before I had met you. And when I was shown Eris'' memories, I immediately understood why I couldn''t fight back my feelings for you at all. Even during those times when you do not even spare me a nce or say my name¡­"

    "I''m so¡­ sorry¡­" he choked out, totally at a loss on how to respond to her. "I was ¨C"

    "No. I''m not asking for an apology, Zeres. I know I can''t me you. There is truly nothing to me. It''s not your fault that you don''t feel the same way for me. I know no one can force a heart to love someone. And that is why¡­ that is why I''m being straightforward with you right now. Because I don''t think I will be able to handle another lifetime of being left behind by you again no matter what the reason is. If you can''t be mine¡­ if you can''t love me¡­" she shed him a sad smile, "then I''m sorry, but I can''t let you stay. Because I know I will only fall even deeper in love with you every passing day. So, forgive me for being selfish and wanting to spare myself from even more heartache¡­" she looked at him and smiled a little bitterly at her own helplessness.

    When he could not formte any response, Iryz continued. "That condition was¡­ I know, that''s really over the top. And I wouldn''t want to bind you to me that way at all. So please forget that I even said it." she stood, taking a deep breath once again before she forced out a smile. "I''ll go make you a coffee. I think the both of us need a little bit of time to think clearly."

    She walked off and had just grabbed onto the door''s handle when Zeres suddenly caught her wrist, stopping her from leaving.

    "I am¡­" he started as if struggling to find the right words to say, "I think I can be yours, Iryz. I am willing to give myself to you." he finally said it.

    She twirled around and stared at him. Shocked again. He looked dead serious that it was so unbelievable.

    Trying her best to gather her scattered wits. She faced him straight on and looked intently into his eyes. "What about your heart, Zeres? Would it also be mine?" she asked in a small voice, frightened to hear his answer but at the same time, dying to know it as well.

    He looked helpless as he shed a small smile at her and ced her palm over his heart. "I don''t know if this heart of mine still has any worth¡­ or if it''s even still functioning well at all. But if you want it, you can have it too, Iryz." He stepped closer and bent over to rest his forehead on her shoulder. "To be honest, I am just so messed up that I don''t even know what to do with myself anymore. All I know is that¡­ I don''t want to leave you¡­ this ce¡­ and your side. I don''t want to go anywhere else anymore. I want to belong here..."

    And that was all it took for her defences to crumble. She heard him speak from the bottom of his heart and before she knew it, she reached out and hugged him. Dear gods¡­ she really was hopeless against this beautiful broken creature. Also, she had been itching and dying to hold him in her arms.

    "Fine. I''ll take it all, Zeres. And just to warn you onest time, I will never return anything back." Her eyes looked into his for a few seconds, giving him thest chance to back out in case he regretted it.

    His hold on her tightened instead. "Fine by me, Iryz."

 Chapter 868 With him

    <h4>Chapter 868 With him</h4>

    After a long while of just sitting there and watching Zeres enjoying his coffee and cookies, Iryz finally broke the silence. Even though she had enjoyed the wonderful scenery of a beautiful man snacking in her home, it was time to get down to business.

    "May I ask you something?" Iryz said hesitantly. She had not wanted to ask about this matter initially ¨C at least not this soon ¨C but she was really curious about what had happened to the spell that they had been busting their asses, day and night, looking for. What happened to Alicia? She just could not stop thinking about her no matter how many times she had stopped herself from asking Zeres about her. Because well¡­

    "Of course. What is it?" he lifted his gaze at her, chewing on a chocte chip cookie very slowly, as though savouring every single bite of it.

    "About the spell¡­" she trailed off, trying to gauge his expression first before continuing on the topic. When she did not seem to see any negative signs that might be pointing to her about to ruin the atmosphere with her question, she gathered her courage and continued. "What happened to it? Did you give it to someone to use it?"

    It was so hard to make herself ask directly about Alicia, maybe because she was still afraid that his blissful expression right now might darken again or even be sullen at the mention of her name. Even after the things they had talked about a while ago, and even though he had said Alicia would never be his lover, still, Iryz knew and understood what Alicia meant to him. She had seen his desperation to save her the entire time he was in her book shop rummaging through the books, looking for that elusive spell. She had seen how he had run off just at the thought that Alicia might be in some kind of trouble.

    If only she could ignore this but¡­ after thinking hard while she had been making cookies, she realized that she badly needed to talk to Zeres about Alicia after all. They could not be sweeping it under the carpet just because they both did not want to deal with it. Because if not, this will only be that storm cloud hanging over her head that would keep bothering her.

    "I have it securely with me." he answered honestly. "I haven''t used it yet."

    Iryz creased her brows. "You have not used it yet? Why? Weren''t you in so much of a hurry to find it?"

    "There are¡­ some changes. So I still need to wait for six more days to use it."

    "Why¡­ do you need to wait for six more days? I thought it was urgent and that you''re running out of time." She suddenly did not understand what was happening. Both of them, specially him, worked day and night to find it. He never even rested.

    He slowly ced the coffee onto the table and caressed the mouth of the cup with his thumb. "Alicia didn''t want it. The spell, I mean." He uttered, shocking Iryz. She had not expected that the reason was actually due to Alicia. Though she did not expect him to spill that out. "She didn''t want to turn into a human once she is brought back to life¡­" he sighed, staring down at his cup. "I can''t me her. She was the former witch queen and for her to be reduced to an existence like a human without any magic at all ¨C"

    "She was a queen?!" Iryz''s eyes were wide with surprise. "A witch queen?!"

    When Zeres nodded, she could only have her jaws drop. She had not expected that Alicia was the previous witch queen. She must be such an amazing woman! She knew how witch queens were chosen after all!

    "Wow, that''s¡­ I had not expected that at all! No wonder¡­ no wonder you are..." she could not bring herself to say out the rest of her sentence. Because she suddenly imagined two people, looking like angels in her mind. She knew what a witch queen''s appearance looked like and she could not help but think about what an awesome pair they would make. Especially if they were to stand next to each other.

    "Alicia sacrificed her life to save me." he said softly, still not looking at her. "I''ve sworn to save her too. To bring her back. She was running out of time right now. But¡­ but for now, she should be alright while with him."

    Another shock. Wait¡­ w-what? With him?! Who is this ''him'' that Alicia is with right now??

    "With¡­ uhm¡­ who? She''s with someone else?" Iryz was so intrigued now. She was even subconsciously clutching onto the table as she waited for him to answer. She could not help but remember Alexander and Abigail in Eris'' past. "Don''t tell me¡­ Wait¡­ is that someone else her lover?"

    Zeres''s moving fingers stopped. "I don''t know if they''re lovers or not right now, but¡­ he''s been the man she had adored for a long while since."

    The atmosphere went silent. Iryz was speechless. And she honestly did not know what to even say tofort Zeres. Should she beforting him right now?? Did he even want it? So was this the same case like what had happened in the past? And... could it be that he was he here with her now because Alicia had not chosen him? Ah¡­ gosh¡­! Suddenly, she did not feel that great. This was what she got from her damned curiosity!

    He sighed and threw his head back and stared at the ceiling. The light but fresh breeze blowing in from the window was tossing his hair about. And the chaos and sharp piercing needles in her chest at that moment suddenly seemed to be soothed somehow. It was because his expression did not actually look like he was hurt at all! That was something which caught her by surprise and confused her all over again.

    "I hope you''re not thinking that I''m here with you because Alicia rejected me." he shook his head as he said that in a soft voice. "I''ve known all along that Alicia will never look at me or consider me to be more than just a friend and arade."

 Chapter 869 Urgent message

    <h4>Chapter 869 Urgent message</h4>

    This chapter ia dedicated to @_Basia_! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    "But¡­ you loved her, didn''t you?" Iryz''s soft question came.

    She swallowed because her voice came out not as neutral as she had wanted it to be. Surely, he had noticed it and that was why he had looked at her with that now concerned expression. She should have held in her emotions a little better.

    "I¡­ I think I did but..." He suddenly sounded a little shaken. "She''s an important person to me. And I do like her. I care for her. I really thought I loved her. But¡­ thinking back right now, I''ve¡­ after all of the thinking I didst night as well, I found out that I am not quite sure if that was me truly in love or was I just actually in pain. Maybe I''ve just been too damaged that I can''t even figure myself out anymore. Maybe because I''ve been in too much pain for far longer than I could remember¡­ more than I could bear and had been so starved for love that I just fall in love with anyone who shows me the least bit of kindness and warmth. I feel like I can''t even trust my own heart anymore." He sighed out heavily as he ran his fingers through his hair and looked at her with a smile tinged with bitterness. "I hope that you will still want me even after you see how truly messed up my life is, Iryz. How messed up I am, as a person¡­" then he lifted his eyes and just stared at her, waiting for the verdict. His gaze was so filled with despair and a sense of lost that Iryz could not endure it.

    Iryz walked around the table and stood at his side. He faced her immediately and when their eyes held each other''s, Iryz bent over and just hugged him silently, just embracing him in her arms and giving him thefort that he needed ¨C that they both needed right now. She honestly did not know what to say. But right now, she just wanted to hold him like this. It was enough just to be able to be with him.

    She did not know everything that he had went through. But just staring into those pain-filled eyes of his was enough for her to realize that he must have had gone through unimaginable sufferings. Things that would be better off not said and recalled for the peace of both speaker and listener''s mind. Thus, she did not probe.

    "I don''t want to cause you any more trouble, Iryz. And that''s why I am being honest with you. If you are troubled that I might leave and go back to Alicia or anyone else¡­ please don''t worry about that anymore." he added in a soft but decisive tone after a long while of them just embracing each other. "When I saw her with himst night¡­ I was a little surprised that I wasn''t that hurt. Maybe I''ve be numb. It''s¡­ I don''t know, but after I saw them togetherst night, all I thought about after that was go back home and finally take a rest. Then I found myselfing back in your doorstep before I even realized what I had done. I want to believe that that was a sign telling me that I am meant to be here." He exined wholeheartedly.

    Iryz'' hold on him tightened after listening to him. Her heart was melting like a butter under the hot sun. The corners of her eyes could not help but sting. Her initial impression of him was right¡­ he was a beautiful but broken man.

    "That''s right. I believe you''re meant to be here too, with me, Zeres." She dered, then she pulled away and stared into his eyes. "Don''t worry. Soon enough, you will fall in love with me. I will make you fall in love with me and this time I will make sure that you will have no chance to even doubt it." there was a promise in her voice as she said those words with so much confidence. "I believe that the universe must have given me a second chance. So this time, I''m not going to let you slip away like in the past. I will make you fall head over heels in love with me, just you wait." Her eyes sparkled so brilliantly as she stared into his silvery gaze.

    He smiled. He was speechless, and to be truthful, even a bit overwhelmed after hearing what she had imed so assuredly. He was not used to this ¨C him being the one who was chased. Usually, he was the one doing the chasing. But¡­ he could feel his heart being moved. And he did not know how to exin it, but he felt like the world was starting to brighten up. Like the sun was finally shining into that damp, dark and dreary ce in his heart after years of gloominess. Finally, spring seemed to be arriving.

    He wondered if it was because he had finally let all of his feelings out and talked it all out with someone for the first time. He wondered if it was because he had finally decided to let go of Alicia or because of this girl who always seemed to be so full of life. Or was it because of the way she looked at him. Like he was everything that she had ever asked for. Like he was her whole world.

    The way she looked at him had his heart shuddering. He was not used to anyone looking at him like that. No one had ever looked at him like that. Never once in the many long years of him being alive.

    "Alright! First things first, Zeres. I think¡­ you deserve a kiss for being so honest with me." she suddenly said, causing Zeres to blink. What¡­?!

    "O-okay," he stammered a little, never seeing that oneing. She said it as though it was her rewarding him. But why did he feel as though it was the other way around?

    And then way too soon, she crashed her lips against his.

    Her heart was pounding wildly at the touch of their lips. He seemed to stiffen up, but he did not pull away from their kiss.

    Iryz continued kissing his lips until his hands moved closer and were about tond on her waist when a series of knocks jolted them both out of their fun activity.

    Iryz jumped away from him almost violently and ran towards the door with a face that was ming red.

    Zeres saw that it was one of his men, and he immediately walked over with a slightly darkened face.

    "What is it, Mike?" he growled out slightly, and the man immediately rattled off his report.

    "Alexander wanted me to deliver you an urgent message. He said, you and¡­" he looked at Iryz, "you and Miss Iryz are invited to his children''s baby shower tomorrow. He insisted that you both must fly over there tonight itself. Also, he said excuses will not be entertained. Okay, I''m leaving -"

    "Wait!"

    "I still need to find one more pair." The man said and immediately left.

 Chapter 870 Deal

    <h4>Chapter 870 Deal</h4>

    "Uhm¡­ did I just hear him say my name as well? I am also invited?!" Iryz asked. Her brain was still in a mush after that¡­ after that kiss¡­ oh my gosh! She could not believe she had just kissed him!!! His lips were¡­ oh gosh oh gosh. It was¡­ Though on the outside she was still behaving as normal, inside, she was squealing like a little schoolgirl.

    "I don''t know what Alexander is nning right now, including you in the invitation but¡­" he observed her closely. "Are you¡­ okay with that? Do you minding along with me?"

    "Alex¡­? Alexander¡­" she did not even know where to begin. That name¡­ could it be that¡­ her eyes that were full of question looked at Zeres.

    "Yes. It''s that very same Alexander I''ve been telling you about in the past." Zeres gave her a lopsided smile as he answered her silent question.

    Her lips parted. Wow! She was seriously starting to feel dizzy from all these things that she was learning. It felt like the world she knew was no longer the same world that it was anymore. And it was just so mind blowing. However, she was notining! It all seemed more interesting, more magical, more¡­ just more!

    "Does Alexander even¡­ even know me?" she had seen only a small portion of Eris'' memories, but she did not seem to recall having seen any conversations between Eris and Alexander. She did not even know what this famed Alexander looked like.

    "He does. I had told him about you before this, when we snuck into the ck Forest to get something in there."

    "Wait a moment. But that was Eris, right? And isn''t Eris supposed to never have showed her face to anyone? Howe Alexander managed to connect me with her?" Iryz was confused with how things were rushing along so quickly. She felt as though her mind was constantly in a buzz with so many new things that she needed to process all at once.

    Zeres stilled. Looking like curiosity had just hit him as well. He had not thought of that at all. Not until Iryz mentioned it.

    He looked out the door, his brows creasing at the already missing messenger who had left immediately after delivering the message. "That guy¡­" he breathed. Did he know something about this all along? But that does not seem to be possible. After a few moments of silence, he spoke up. "Never mind, I''ll ask him about this when we meet up."

    "Okay." Iryz could not help but feel curious about this person and his lover as well. She wanted to go and see Alexander for herself and maybe hear what he would say. The urge to know more about Zeres'' acquaintances were getting stronger each moment. And her curiosity in learning more of these seemingly immortal creatures was also getting stronger. "But is it really okay for me to be there?" She could already imagine what kinds of people would be there and she could not help but already feel both intimidated and thrilled at the same time.

    "He invited you, Iryz. Remember? Your name was mentioned along with mine." Zeres reminded Iryz.

    "You are definitely going, right?" Iryz asked.

    He nodded. "I haven''t seen the babies yet. Nor have I seen Abigail. It has been for months now. So I guess it is about time I go over for a visit." Zeres shrugged as he exined to Iryz.

    "Alexander and Abigail¡­??" Iryz tilted her head to one side as she wondered on their rtionship.

    "They''re married now and just had twins." Zeres said simply.

    "W-wow!!" Iryz looked really speechless as she stared at him wide eyed. She wondered how Zeres was taking this as he used to have feelings for Abigail.

    "I''m good, Iryz." He smiled as he answered her unspoken question again, knowing that she wanted to know, all the while leaning against the door frame. "I''ve long epted that those two were meant to be together. They''re like¡­ a family now. Alexander said I''m an uncle now. It felt really strange when he told me that. I never disliked it. But¡­ I''ve avoided them though. I ran away from them all. I don''t want to keep running away and continue isting myself anymore. I want to see all of them. Especially the babies." There was a gentle small smile as he mentioned the twins.

    Iryz smiled as well. She could see nothing but eptance and genuine dness in his eyes. And that was enough for her.

    "Let''s go together, Iryz. I really want to go with you." he offered her his hand. Iryz stared at hisrge palm, and she ced her hand there as she grinned at him. In his eyes, there were only excitement and anticipation. She did not see any sadness or disappointment in them. And she decided that she would go along with him and nodded her eptance.

    "Alright, I''ll escort you there. In exchange, you''ll take me out for a date after we are back. How about that?" she negotiated, raising a brow at him. "Do we have a deal?"

    Zeres''s gaze fell onto their entwined hands. He truly wanted her toe with him. He did not know why, but he had a feeling that it would be better if she came along with him. Right now, he was a little overwhelmed with everything that was going on. Especially with matters between the two of them.

    She was still such a shocking thing for him. The appearance of someone like her in his life¡­ was still a bit too good to be true for him. He had long gotten used to the thinking that he would never find someone special just for himself ¨C one that would love him alone.

    Every time he catches her staring at him with those twinkling, lively eyes, he wondered if he was deserving of someone like her, of her love.

    "Deal!" He agreed. And when she beamed at him, he just could not take his eyes off her face. She had a thousand-watt smile that could melt an icy heart.

    "Alright!" she said in high spirits. "I''ll go cook for lunch for us, then we''ll get ready for the travel tonight." She let go of his hand rushed back into the kitchen.

    Zeres stared down at his now empty hand for a long while before he moved and followed her into the kitchen.

 Chapter 871 Plain bad news

    <h4>Chapter 871 in bad news</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Edi-o!

    Back at the cabin.

    It was already three in the afternoon, but Alicia and Zeke have yet to step out of the little cabin.

    They had only slept a little. Most of their precious time together were spent on having more sex, cuddling, and talking. It was the best times that they had experienced in their entire lives.

    "Let''s go out, Ezekiel." Alicia finally said, propping her head up from herfortable resting spot over his chest. She wanted them to maybe go out and do something else outside or they will have sex again. She wanted something different for today. It was truly such a massive surprise on how they both just could not ¨C would not ¨C stop, even after they had gone on for so many rounds already. A vampire''s stamina is not to be looked down upon, Alicia silently thought to herself.

    It just felt like they could not get enough of each other, of the sex itself as well. They always felt sated upon reaching their high, but after a break and he makes a move again, the fire just immediately ignites, and they end up burning for each other all over again.

    "Where?" Zeke askednguidly, gently stroking the soft skin of her beautifully curved back.

    "In the woods? Maybe?" Alicia elegantly shrugged a slender shoulder. She did not care where, as long as they went out somewhere.

    "What do you want to do out there?" Zeke was curious and wanted to know. He was perfectly content and happy just spending whatever time they had frolicking in the cabin, while exploring each other''s bodies over and over again.

    "Hmm¡­ maybe go for a run?" Alicia tilted her head sideways and pursed her lips in thought.

    "No chance for that, Alicia." He smirked as he teased, staring at her. His eyes still gleaming, so alive, like he was staring at his newfound life. "You can never run away from me."

    She pinched his cheek after rolling her eyes. "With you, I mean."

    "I''d rather make love with you again, than ¨C"

    "No." she pinched him harder yfully. "I want us to go outside and do something else. How about you teach me how to fight as a vampire? Tomorrow, things might turn bad again, right?" there was a slight tenseness in her voice as she asked.

    "Hmm¡­ you don''t really need any teaching, Alicia. You''re already a warrior. You''ve got top notch fighting skills already. And we can''t spar with you because of our¡­ I think we could but..."

    "Let''s spar then!" Alicia''s eyes twinkled and before Zeke could say a word back, she grabbed his hand and excitedly pulled him up. "I can''t wait to test out how strong my vampire body is right now!"

    Ezekiel could not help but bite on his lower lips. Somehow, the way her eyes gleamed as she said ''let''s spar'' reminded him of Alex when that guy was suddenly popping out of nowhere and disturbing him just because he wanted someone to spar with.

    He could only sigh because he did not even have the heart to say no and disappoint this woman of his.

    Soon, the two of them were finally dressed up when Ezekiel went to grab a handcuff from that ck box under his bed.

    Once they stepped out of the cabin hand in hand and with bare feet, Alicia curiously let her bare arm get hit directly by the sunlight. "Oh¡­ so the sunlight does not really hurt that bad, huh." She muttered, "but it does seem a little bit ufortable."

    "The sun could still be fatal. Back then, putting a vampire under the sun, naked for a long time was considered a form of torture." He pulled her under arge tree where the both of them were sufficiently shaded.

    He bent down and mped the cuff around her ankles as he spoke. "Remember that we''re only going to spar with our hands, Alicia. No using of our feet because we still need our physical contact."

    "Understood." She replied obediently like a girl scout and nodded her head quickly. She sounded so excited and could barely wait for it.

    "Step on my feet." he said and Alicia immediately did as he had said. He could practically feel her excitement vibrating through her body.

    He could not me her though. She had been a spirit for quite a long while. He could imagine how much she must be itching to train or fight all those times being in that incorporeal body.

    "Keep your feet on mine at all times or we will stop." He had to up his warning. She was too excited that he was a bit worried. She might end up enjoying their spar too much that she would forget everything else.

    "Yes, yes. Let''s start now, Ezekiel, please." Her eyes sparkled vivaciously as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

    "Alright. Easy. Go ahead and attack me first ¨C"

    Zeke had barely finished speaking when his eyes stretched wide as her fist suddenly whooshed barely a millimeter away from the tip of his ear. He had barely dodged that one fatal attack! Could she just reel it in a little?

    "Whoah! Amazing! This is amazing, Ezekiel!!!" she eximed then she attacked again, this time Zeke could only make himself alert. Her speed and strength were... she was just in bad news!

    Her blows did not stoping. And the faster Ezekiel defended, her speed seemed to skyrocket as well. The movements of their hands were too fast for the human eye to follow.

    A hit on Ezekiel''s jaw halted the impossible action. "Opps¡­" Alicia looked like she could not believe she had managed tond a blow on the almighty Ezekiel Reign. "You should stop going easy on me, my love." She smirked and teased as she reached out to lick the little trail of blood that dripped from the corner of his lips.

    "Go easy?" he caught her chin and pinched it a little roughly. "No one''s going easy on you, babe. You''re just that strong and fast that I''d probably get beaten into pulp if I''m not careful. Though I don''t really mind a good beating from you as long as youpensate me for my troubles in bedter."

 Chapter 872 Bed-related

    <h4>Chapter 872 Bed-rted</h4>

    The duo had a nice run together in the forest and once they returned to the clearing beside the cabin, they engaged in another session of long and intense sparring.

    Alicia appeared to be at an obvious advantage over Ezekiel the entire time. And soon, shended another blow on Ezekiel''s face, splitting his lips by ident.

    She immediately halted her attacks, looking a bit shocked and worried that she had drawn blood. Their intention was only to spar, not to hurt each other.

    Reaching out worriedly and a little guiltily, she held Ezekiel''s face gently. "Oh no¡­ that was one hard hit. Are you okay? Why didn''t you dodge that? You should have been able to avoid that punch." she said, a little distraught as she stared at his now bleeding lips. Though it was not bleeding profusely, just the fact that there was blood being spilt was bad enough for her.

    He smirked, cupping her chin a little harder and pulled on it to make her look at him. "It''s not like I didn''t try avoiding, you brute queen. I just couldn''t." he admitted honestly.

    Her eyes stretched a little wide in disbelief. "R-really? But¡­ does this mean that I''m¡­ I''m faster than you? But that''s just impossible!" Alicia tried guessing but immediately denied her own supposition.

    "No¡­ it''s not impossible, Alicia. I know you could feel it."

    Alicia blinked. It was just so unbelievable because¡­ well, because this was Ezekiel Reign! The powerful and ever impressive crown prince of the vampires.

    "Wait¡­ it''s because I had fed on your blood, right? And also¡­ because you were the one who had turned me."

    "Yes. Those are a couple of the reasons." Ezekiel nodded. "Another reason is because you are a silver-haired witch ¨C turned vampire. Just imagine thebined power of a blue-blooded vampire and a silver-haired witch." His spirited voice brought all sorts of wondrous imaginings surging into her mind.

    Imagining it had made Alicia''s lips parting in anticipation. She had not thought of that, but now that Ezekiel had mentioned it, she could not help but feel dumbfounded. She could feel it in her bones. The strong power she had was something she would have never even imagined before. It was stronger than anything she had ever known! She honestly felt like she could do anything, everything... with this powers that she had now.

    "Now it''s time for you to do something for these poor lips of mine, Alicia." He pulled her back to reality and the moment her eyesnded on his bloodied lips, she subconsciously darted her tongue out and licked her own lips. She had been trying to ignore the delicious scent that his blood was emitting so close to her, but it seemed that she could not ignore it any longer than a couple of minutes.

    And it had been pretty distracting the whole time, so it was better for her to deal with this first before she asks him about more question on this matter about her powers as a silver-haired witch turned into a vampire.

    Wasting no time at all, Alicia poked her pink little tongue out and licked up the blood that was leaking from the side of his mouth. She could not help but close her eyes at the taste of him. He truly was such an irresistible man. Everything about him was just amazing and something she could not get enough of.

    "Stop focusing on my damned blood and kiss me, Alicia." He demanded. That domineering tone he threw around had her smirking.

    "Don''t refer to your blood that way, my love. You know I can''t resist its scent." she whispered as she moved her fingers through his scalp. "Don''t tell me you''re jealous of your own blood, hmm? That would be hrious¡­" and she trailed off at the darkening gaze that became even more intense on her person.

    "You''re getting naughtier and cheekier by the minute Alicia."

    "And you''re loving it. Right? I know I''m right."

    "I admit I do. Because it''s encouraging me to do dirtier things to you in bed." He whispered.

    Alicia felt her insides shuddered at those words and with that look in his eyes. Why did he look as though he still had so many things bed-rted he had not shown her? Somehow, she could not help but wonder about the dirtier things he was talking about.

    "Stop looking at me like that or I might even consider f**cking you right here, right now."

    Her face red. And then she pinched his cheeks as hard as she could. "You¡­ won''t dare."

    "Oh, don''t underestimate the things I wanted to do with you, Alicia. No one''s around in this area other than the wild animals and us, of course. So, there is no reason to hold back ¨C"

    "Enough with your flirting, Ezekiel. We came out here to spar and test my strength." She feigned strictness. She really could not take how dirty minded this man was. And she was a little afraid because every dirty thing he uttered seemed to excite her even more.

    "Who was it that started looking at me with that seductive gaze again? You looked like you wanted my cock inside you again, Alicia."

    Oh dear, goodness me! This man!

    "I said stop¡­" she trailed off because he startedughing at her reddened face. His pleasantughter echoed through the quiet forest. The sound of hisughter and the singing birds from afar¡­ oh, how she wished this moment tost a little bit longer.

    "I love your blushing face, Alicia." He whispered as hisughter died down.

    His fingers were now ying with some strands of her hair. "Still not satisfied with the sparring? The sun is already going down. I think it''s time for us to head back to bed." Though Ezekiel''s tone sounded neutral and casual, Alicia knew better than to trust his surface actions. Quickly ncing over at him, she saw how a naughty smile was slowly curving across his lips. And she knew that he was looking forward to their next entanglement in the sheets. What a great seducer!

 Chapter 873 Last night

    <h4>Chapter 873 Last night</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Edenn! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    The temptation was so strong that when he pulled her against his body, she suddenly felt like she had gone all boneless and weak again. She was just feeling damned strong and invincible not just a moment ago, feeling as though she could stand her own against the world. But just the next second, she now felt like her knees could not even hold up her own weight and just wanted to tumble onto the bed with him and forget about the world already. All she wanted now was to be frisky and have some fun time with this delicious man!

    Only this man could do this to her. And she did not know how to even resist him because her body was obviously helpless under his spell. She just melts like butter in a hot pan whenever he was there seducing her with his deep, grey eyes, or his wonderfully mellow voice or his perfectly chiselled body.

    But just as she was about to go on tippy toes and kiss that sinfully inviting mouth of his, then wrap her legs around his waist so he could bring her inside the cabin again, he lifted his head and looked to his side.

    That sharp and alert reaction¡­ Alicia already knew that someone might being ¨C or they might even be nearby already ¨C because his aura, his expression¡­ everything about the carefree Ezekiel had suddenly and sadly seemed to have disappeared in the blink of an eye. It was like the stoic Ezekiel had taken over the reins again.

    "Someone''sing." He whispered lowly into her ears.

    "An enemy?" Alicia already had herself prepared.

    "No."

    "Oh¡­" Alicia scolded herself for actually feeling a bit disappointed. It seemed as though she was itching to fight whoever it was that would daree over and tried to separate them again. She was itching to beat them up hard and mercilessly if they dared toe at them again. But if it was not enemy, was it okay for her to be seen like this now?

    He guided her behind him. His broad back shielding her from the view of whoever it was that was approaching fast towards their cabin. And this one gesture was enough for her to understand that Ezekiel did not seem on nning to show her newest ''upgrade'' to whoever this visitor was.

    "What is it?" his usual, unfeeling tone echoed out once the visitors arrived. She could tell that there were two people that had arrived. One was a vampire, and the other was a male witch. She could tell just by listening to their heartbeats.

    "Your Highness¡­ uhm¡­" that voice belonged to no one else but Lucas! Alicia would be able to recognise his voice even if she did not see him! "Alexander wanted me to send you a message."

    "Get on to it, Lucas."

    "Alexander said that you and Alicia must arrive at his home for the twins'' baby shower tomorrow. He said excuses will not be epted."

    Ezekiel was silent for a short while. "Is that all you have to report?"

    "He also said that you have nothing to worry about. That he could assure your safety while you and Alicia are in his home. Also, he said he was going to handle everything else with his wife tonight."

    A somehow awkward silence reigned until Lucas'' voice echoed out again. "That''s all, boss. We''re¡­ going then."

    "Lucas." Ezekiel spoke. A voice that was not hard nor loud, but it held such a chilling weight.

    "Yes, Your Highness." Lucas was at attention, waiting for his Lord''smands.

    "The next person thates over near to this ce might never return alive." The statement was delivered lightly but with a lethal promise of sure death!

    Another short silence passed before Lucas could respond. "Understood, Your Highness. I will definitely warn anyone who dares to disobey. But before we go, may we know your response? I''m afraid you can''t reject Alexander''s invitation, unless you want himing here himself."

    "Tell him we''ll be there." Ezekiel replied, knowing that if he did not give a favourable answer, Alex would not mind running over here to get his answer. No matter if he ended up disturbing both Ezekiel and Alicia''s personal time.

    "Understood, boss. Well then¡­" Lucas and the male witch with him finally left the clearing.

    Alicia remained quiet and unmoving behind him until she heard him drew in a deep breath and turned around to face her.

    "It seems like we don''t have a choice but to ept the invitation for that baby shower. Is that alright with you?" he asked her. His expression and tone were back to the dirty-talker Ezekiel. She was amazed at how he seemingly switches so effortlessly between one persona and the other. But her heart could not help but just melt at the realization that Ezekiel was only showing that side of him to her alone. Her heart warmed at the knowledge that this dirty talker was only hers and hers alone.

    "Well, I don''t really want Alexandering here. I bet you don''t want that as well and that''s why you agreed¡­ and¡­" a gentle smile curved over her lips as she continued emotionally. "I really wanted to see Abi and her children too. Though I wonder if it''s okay for me to be there? Is it okay for everyone to see that I''m¡­ I''m a vampire now? Also, Abi must have thought that I''m long dead."

    He fiddled with her hair again. "It''s fine. I have a n about that. And don''t worry about Abigail. I''m certain Alex had already spilled some of the beans to his wife long ago. It''s impossible for that guy to keep a secret from her. Now, it''s time for you to forget about everything else but me." Then he lifted her in one swift movement and Alicia enthusiastically wrapped her slender but strong legs around his waist. "This is ourst night here. So... prepare yourself, Alicia." Came his warning. His voice was dark, low and full of promise on a long and passionate session ahead.

    ____

    A/N: I just realized HWY has reached 35 Million views guys! Yey! We also reached our 20k priv unlocks goal so get ready for the hellbound badgeing next month! I can''t thank you guys enough for all your support!!! Thank you for helping this book to keep yin.

 Chapter 874 Strongest

    <h4>Chapter 874 Strongest</h4>

    Scandalous sounds of an intense love making echoed loudly from the cabin as the moon light shone down brightly from the dark night sky.

    Until the sudden sound of chains nging that did not belong broke apart and disrupted the pure pleasure in the air. An immediate and utter silence followed that disturbance before Ezekiel''s voice echoed out.

    "F**k, Alicia." His breathing was ragged as he fisted a hand in her hair and pulled her head back, causing her back to be pressed against his chest. Both of them were in a kneeling position, facing the headboard where Alicia''s arms had been cuffed to. "Look at what you did. I should''ve known that such a flimsy chain can no longer hold you anymore. Well¡­ at least the you now that have turned into a vampire." And he clicked his tongue at her before shaking his head a little.

    "I''m sorry." She smiled but not sounding the least bit sorry at all. She then licking her lower lip as she arched herself against him provocatively, lifting her now freed hand to grab a fistful of his thick hair. "But that''s not my fault, I think?" and she breathed out an airy and sexyugh.

    He let out a yful scoff before arching his brow. "And who are you going to me this time, hmm¡­?"

    "You, of course!!" she eximed as though it was obvious that he was the one that all the me should fall on. "Who was it that made me this strong, hmm, Ezekiel?" She giggled and stuck out her tongue cheekily at him. Seeing her unrepentant behaviour, he growled lowly against the back of her neck.

    "Now I can no longer do the things I am nning to do to you tonight. The things that I have prepared initially are now useless against you." he sounded a little disappointed. Alicia turned back to have a look at his expression. But it onlysted for a moment. The disappointment in his voice was quickly reced with something wicked and naughty again. "Well, I guess¡­" he pulled his length that was still inside of her and climbed off the bed with her still in his hold.

    He then sat at the edge of the bed, spreading his legs a little wider as he pulled her closer to his body.

    "You mentioned earlier that you wanted to pleasure me, right? Alicia?" he asked, his eyes gleaming as he massaged her breasts so slowly, causing her breath to be hitched and dyed her response to him.

    "Yes." She whispered out with a hiss.

    "Alright then..." He breathed, cupping her jaw and pulling her head down for a dirty kiss.

    When their lips parted. He inserted his thumb inside her mouth and murmured darkly, "Get on your knees, babe. It''s time for me to train this pretty mouth of yours." And his dark eyes suddenly shed with an exited light.

    Alicia felt her heartbeat racing in anticipation. And without breaking their intense eye-contact, she slowly dropped on her knees right between his legs, her hands demurely kept on herp. She did not know how provocative and enticing her current posture was to Ezekiel.

    ¡­

    It was past midnight when the couple finally left the cabin to freshen themselves from all their sweat inducing sessions.

    Ezekiel was helping Alicia wash her hair in the water while she justid therezily, rxing in his arms, loving the way he touched her hair with such care and gentleness. She realized now that he seemed to like her hair so very much with how frequent he was touching it.

    "Is it just me or you like touching my hair a lot?" she muttered, and his fingers halted for a moment before continuing. "I remembered you touched my hair too that time when you saved me in the Ziggurat. I was confused then why you did that."

    "I didn''t realize it until now that you have mentioned it. But yes, I like touching your hair. It seems to be able to calm me down a lot. Or should I say¡­ touching your hair feels really¡­ calming."

    She smiled at his statement when she saw a deer approached the spring. The deer seemed to be staring so intently at them that Alicia felt a bit ufortable. Why was this deer behaving so weirdly? Should it not run away from them?

    Subconsciously, Alicia uttered a spell to scare the animal away.

    A wisp of silvery light appeared from her fingertip and travelled towards the deer. The deer scrambled away the next second and she smiled.

    But too soon, her smile faded at the realization of what she had just done. W-wait¡­ did she¡­ did she just used a magic spell? And it actually worked?!

    Wide-eyed, Alicia spun around and looked at Ezekiel. "Did you see that?! I¡­ I just used a spell and it worked!" she eximed,pletely shocked to her bones. She thought that she could no longer cast any spells because¡­ well, because she was a vampire now! Did it not work that way? Or was she an exception?

    It was another shocking surprise because Ezekiel just tilted his head a little. "Of course, you still can. Your body had turned into a vampire but the core part of you is still very much a witch, Alicia." He chuckled at how excited she was being right now.

    Her jaw dropped open dramatically.

    "W-what? R-really?" she replied, still unable to believe it.

    He smiled, pinching her chin fondly.

    "You heard what I have said before, didn''t you? About thebination of the powers of a blue-blooded vampire and silver-haired witch." He reminded her lightly.

    "Yes, but¡­" she remembered him saying it. But she did not think that it was so heaven defying!

    "You''re the most powerful female vampire now, Alicia. And also, the most powerful female witch." He told her with a devilish smile on his face. As Alicia looked closely at his handsome face that was bing dearer to her, she could also detect a slight trace of pride that filled his eyes as he looked at her.

 Chapter 875 Gifts

    <h4>Chapter 875 Gifts</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Sacogun! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    In the past, Zeke had a hell of a hard time trying to kill his father''s mistress. That witch queen who was turned into a vampire had ended up incredibly strong. Not just because she had ended up rivalling the strength and abilities of a blue-blooded vampire, but also because she could still use all of her abilities as a witch queen.

    A blue-blooded vampire who can wield magic was nothing but bad news to them. Back then he just could not defeat her even by using his full abilities as the vampires'' crown prince. He ended up having to utilize his demonic powers and even went full on demon in order to defeat her.

    "You mean¡­ I can still use all my powers as a witch? Every single one of them ¨C even those when I was the witch queen?" Alicia was having a hard time believing it. She might as well be given a cheat sheet!

    "Yes, Alicia. Why don''t you test it out and see for yourself if that is true?" Ezekiel prompted her.

    Alicia swallowed excitedly before hesitantly moving away from his embrace. It was just so good to be held by him that she was already getting so used to it and was loath to leave it.

    Zeke held onto her naked waist as Alicia faced away from him. She lifted her hands and uttered some familiar andplex chants ¨C wanting to test out the more powerful spells right off the bat. Her eyes flew wide open at the powerful magic that surged out from her. She was so shocked as the amount of power she could usually call forth when she was still a queen seemed to have doubled in strength!

    Holy cow! What in blue zes was this?

    Her silvery twin des appeared in her hands, the silvery magic causing some waves in the water and making the leaves dance without any wind.

    "I can''t¡­ I just can''t believe this¡­" she uttered in disbelief. But an extremely wide grin was helplessly spreading across her face.

    His response was to nt a rxed kiss on her cheek. She could feel him smiling. "Believe it, Alicia. This is how powerful you are now. No vampire can ever bring you down with the way you are currently. Of course, you know that is excluding Alex." Ezekiel added in thatst bit somewhat perfunctorily.

    "You¡­ you knew all along that I would turn this powerful?" she asked. Somehow, this gave her a little feeling of unease.

    She made the weapons disappear again and her magic slowly died down before she turned to face him again.

    "Yes." He answered honestly. "I knew you would be strong. Very strong, in fact." An elegant shoulder shrugged rather nonchntly.

    Her unease seemed to escte at that reply. And she found herself not knowing if this was something she should be happy about. Or should she start worrying?

    "Ezekiel¡­ why do I have the feeling that you had turned me into a vampire not only so we can finally be together, but also to make me this powerful? Is there a reason behind me needing to be this strong?" she did not try to hide her true thoughts from him.

    He stared at her with those observant grey eyes.

    "I knew you''d realize this sooner rather thanter." He caressed her cheek with his thumb. "Yes, I know this would happen. And I had honestly wanted this to happen too. For you to be invincible. This was an inevitable result of our union that I had also considered. But the main reason why I turned you is still because of my unstoppable desire to have your body, soul and heart for myself. You gaining those incredible powers are a side benefit which was a bonus."

    Alicia did not know what to say to his admission. What he said about his unstoppable desire for her made her heart swell so much that she momentarily forgot all about the unease.

    She wanted to ask him more. She wanted to know more. She could see that there are still a lot of things that he was not telling her. His eyes were letting her know of that fact. He was not trying to hide it.

    And now she was honestly tempted to just ask him to spill everything. Toe clean at one go. But remembering that moment when she had stopped him from revealing all his ns to her and all theplications involved held her back.

    Instead, she took a deep breath and leaned her head against his chest. She forced herself not to think too much about this matter. There was no use. She would not ask him anything. She had decided to put her trust in him no matter what. She had promised him within herself when she begged him to take her, to turn her into a vampire.

    "What time is the baby shower tomorrow? I have yet to prepare my gifts for the twins." Alicia decided that it was time for a change of topic.

    "Is that¡­ needed?" Ezekiel looked at her as though he genuinely thought that gifts were not needed.

    Alicia pinched his cheek. "Of course, you almighty vampire prince! You need to prepare your gifts too. We can''t just go there empty handed!"

    "I never do gifts¡­ So I don''t have any idea on what to prepare." He said softly.

    Speechless, Alicia pinched him harder as she grinned. "Well, you need to start gifting now, my love. Besides, I''m certain you''d already done this before but just did not call it ''gifts'' even when they basically were." Shemented shrewdly.

    "No, I never." He denied her ims.

    "Really? You never gave anything special you possess to anyone?"

    "I give things to my men. But I don''t think I have a possession I can call special enough¡­ so no. Well, except for that dagger I gave you months ago. Now that I think about it, where did you put that dagger?"

    Alicia blinked. "That dagger is special to you?"

    "My mother gave it to me." He told her simply.

    "R-really?" she could not help but stammer at the knowledge. She never had expected that. He had given her that dagger so casually that time.

    "Yes, Alicia. So where is it? Don''t tell me you have misced or lost it." he did not look upset at her even when asking that, just mildly curious.

    "I think Lilith had put it next to my dead body when I died. We should go retrieve it since I can hold it now, don''t you think? I will help you think about your gift for the twins too, while we''re at it. Right, I think we should actually get to it right now."

 Chapter 876 Coincidence

    <h4>Chapter 876 Coincidence</h4>

    In the ck Forest.

    The duo finally arrived in front the crystal cave.

    Alicia subconsciously tightened her hands around Ezekiel''s hand when she was reminded about that day. Her very own funeral.

    She now wondered what Ezekiel had felt at that time when he hade for her burial. She remembered that moment when she had turned into a spirit. Ezekiel had locked eyes with her that very moment, and it had given her such a shock. Because at that time, it was only Lilith who was supposed to be able to see her, and even then, only in her spirit form ¨C all transparent and ethereal, as though she could disappear at any moment.

    But this man¡­ he already could actually see her ever since that very moment she had turned into a spirit.

    She had seen him looking asposed and calm as usual and seemingly unaffected by everything that was going on around him when he had attended her funeral. That was why when they had locked eyes, Alicia back then, had told herself that it might have just been a coincidence where they were looking the same way and so happened that their eyes ''met'' each other''s. At that time, she had not believed that he could actually see her.

    "I''ve watched you drop that white rose with your usual unfathomable expression on your face." Alicia recalled with a small curl on one corner of her lips. "You knew all along that I was still around at that time and not gone for good! That was why you had remained unaffected as you had.. It was not because you were heartless and that you don''t care that I died as others might have thought." Alicia now stated the truth that had happened that day, on her burial.

    "Yes. And I know you did doubt me a little because I identally made eye contact with you." Ezekiel made mention of the incident that was still lingering on her mind, and she lifted her eyes to his in surprise, not expecting to say anything about it.

    She could not help but shake her head. He was right. She had doubted him at that instant, and instead, she chose to believe that it was nothing but just in and pure coincidence.

    Alicia hesitantly stepped close to the secret entrance.

    After chanting the spell, the door swung opened without making any noise. The two of them then entered into the crystal cave.

    Her physical body that she had left behind was still there, wrapped in a thickyer of crystal. She still looked as though she was just sleeping within the confines of a massive jewel. There were no indications that she was actually dead.

    Somehow, it felt strange looking at her own body encased in the crystal. She was right here now, in the flesh, as a vampire, of course. And yet, she could clearly see that her body was still inside the crystal coffin. Untouched and still very much the same from thest time she had seen it.

    Before her mind started to wander and think about her body again, Alicia forced her attention away from her dead body to the thing that they were actually here for. Ezekiel''s dagger that he had gifted to her.

    She wanted to have it back with her. At least, she wanted it to be with her until her time is up and she disappears. By that time, she would have given it back to Ezekiel. So there was no harm done. The dagger would eventually return to its original owner.

    There was a sharp stinging in her heart at the thought of that uing event. She had been forcing herself to stop thinking about it for so many times up until now. And again, the though had crept up, suddenly and stealthily into her mind, taking her unawares.

    She tried her best to regain herposure, effectively stopping herself from thinking about all those unnecessary things. There really was no use thinking about them. She knew that. There was not a single thing that could be done even if she worried and pondered over it. Thus, she might as well spend her time wisely and not waste it thinking on pointless matters.

    Shaking herself out of that pensive mood, Alicia focussed back to the task at hand. As her eyes travelled, itnded on the top of the crystal. There,y her amulet and the dagger.

    For some reason, these two items that were ced together suddenly gave Alicia a strange feeling just by looking at them. She did not notice it at all before this, but¡­ both the amulet and the dagger actually had the same obsidian gem iid, which had something purplish tinting the centre of that back gem.

    Anyone else who would have looked would have definitely thought that the dagger and the amulet belonged together. It was as though they were created or owned by the one and very same person.

    That was something which was impossible because that amulet had been with Alicia as far as she remembered. She could not even remember if it was given to her or who was it that gave it. She already had it probably ever since she was a baby.

    Slowly, Alicia looked up to fix her eyes on Ezekiel. He was also staring straight into those pair of mesmerising orbs, and she knew that he had already noticed the same thing she had observed.

    "This amulet is yours¡­?" he asked. Intrigue coloured his tone.

    When she nodded, Ezekiel''s brow twitched a little. "Since when¡­?" he asked again.

    "I think I already had it with me since I was a baby. But I am not sure know who gave it to me, though. It could be my mother¡­? I''m not too sure. And I don''t know why I had never asked my father about it when he was still alive." Alicia exined. "These two¡­ there is no way this is a coincidence, right?"

    Ezekiel reached out and picked up the amulet. He held onto thece string that was tied to it, not touching the obsidian gem. He lifted it and allowed it to dangle across his face as he observed the amulet.

    His grey eyes stared at the dark purple shadow that was in its centre. "I believe this is the same stone engraved and iid in my dagger." He said, certain about his observations.

    Alicia picked the dagger up. The round gem engraved and set in the hilt of it was indeed exactly the same.

 Chapter 877 Charm

    <h4>Chapter 877 Charm</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Edenn! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    "What could be the connection between these two?" Alicia asked softly. She had not been expecting for them to wee another intriguing matter at this point.

    "I''m not certain." He answered, still staring intently at the amulet. "But I realised that I haven''t seen this on you before, Alicia. Why is that so?" Ezekiel looked up at Alicia at this point.

    "It''s because I stopped putting it on and hid it instead. It was stolen from me once by my peers, way back even before I had been selected as the queen. I had to fight them to get it back. And it was a very intense fight, might I add. Because¡­ well, maybe because I have had this with me for so long that I came to really treasure it. It''s just very important to me."

    Ezekiel was silent for a moment.

    "Have you ever noticed if there was something different or maybe special about this amulet? Especially when you were still wearing it?" he asked.

    Alicia shook her head after scrunching her brows and thinking silently for a couple of minutes. She had wondered about that so many times before, but she had longe to ept that the amulet she owned had no magical abilities whatsoever. She had always thought of it as nothing more than a precious keepsake.

    "How about your dagger? You had given that to me like you were just giving away some of your extra weapon."

    "I never noticed or felt anything special as well. But no, you''re wrong about that. I did hesitate for longer than was necessary before handing the dagger over to you. Though it has no exceptional abilities, that dagger had been handy and saved me from trouble quite often back when I still thought I was nothing but a pure-blooded vampire. When I was young, I believe I had once thought it possessed some good luck charm."

    "And that was why you''ve given it to me before I left that day? You thought that it would¡­ could keep me safe¡­" Alicia could not help the smile that was tugging at her lips.

    "It''s a proven good luck charm." Was all he replied, causing Alicia''s smile to widen. But she forced herself to return to their dilemma. About the possible connection between these two items. After going through so much in life, they knew better than to brush it off as pure coincidence.

    "Do you have any theories on how these two might be connected?"

    Ezekiel stared at her. But just as he was about to open his mouth and answer, they both snapped their heads towards the entrance.

    "The witches had noticed that someone is inside." Alicia said calmly. She knew that they definitely would notice if she and Ezekiel lingered and that was why she had nned that they had to immediately leave after taking the dagger to avoid alerting the witches.

    Lilith was not in the ck Forest and so was Zeres. Thus, the witches would definitely think that someone powerful had intruded into their sacred ce.

    "Let''s leave for now, Ezekiel." She hurried him and as soon as she clung onto Ezekiel''s arm, the two of them disappeared like smoke, not a single trace of either of them left. When the witches arrived, they would not be able to even find any traces of the slight wisp of smoke that was created when Alicia and Ezekiel disappeared.

    The third time they materialized, Alicia was shocked to realized that they were back in the Reigns castle. Somehow, she could not help but fall speechless. She had never thought that he would bring her to this very same castle when all the vampires were probably preparing to hunt them down again very soon.

    "Why are we here?" she hissed at him as he led her to what looked like a secret door inside his massive room.

    "To get some gifts." He casually replied before grinning mischievously.

    Before she could say anything, her jaw dropped at the sight that weed her behind the secret door. It was a room full of¡­ well, weapons. From ancient weapons to the most modern guns that had been developed today.

    "Wait a moment Ezekiel, you''re not going to gift the twins with weapons, are you?" Alicia eximed in a whisper, almost falling over at the thought of him giving guns to the babies.

    "The twins need to learn how to protect themselves as soon as possible, Alicia." He exined seriously as he looked through a row of daggers, ranging from tiny torge ones as long as her forearm.

    His expression was serious as he started his exnations. Well, he had a point, but still¡­ oh well, Abi and Alexander''s children would not be normal human children anyway. And she was quite certain that Abi would hide Ezekiel''s gifts until they grow up and are able to use them well.

    "This would be a good pair to the amulets you''re gifting them with." Ezekiel said with satisfaction as he picked two identical daggers with golden hilts. It would really look like a pair to the protection amulet she had prepared for the twins.

    "You''re right," Alicia beamed. "Now all we need to do now is to go and buy a couple of boxes and wrappers. After that we''ll go and get changed and we''re set to go."

    "Sounds like a n," Ezekiel agreed and the two of them disappeared into smoke again.

    ¡­

    In Alex''s mansion.

    The baby shower was already about to end. None of Alex''s VIP guests had arrived yet, because the baby shower was actually divided into two sessions. The first one ¨C that was about to end ¨C was for Abi''s family and friends. Meaning, it was a normal party, exclusive for humans only.

    The party was fun and lively. It was like any other baby shower, full ofughter, and full of a variety of people. Young, old, children, teenagers ¨C all running around in high spirits,ughing and having fun. No one would ever doubt that this was actually a party for the children of an immortal couple.

    Once the party was over, everyone went home with wide smiles on their faces. They obviously had enjoyed their time at the mansion.

    And then night came. It was now time for the baby shower, part two to begin!

 Chapter 878 Nervous

    <h4>Chapter 878 Nervous</h4>

    The moon was out, and the stars were twinkling merrily in the dark night sky. It was as if the entire universe was at peace and having a truce with everyone.

    The party was no longer held at the ballroom anymore. This time, the event had been moved and was going to be held right out there in the back yard. The very same spot where Abi and Alex had been wedded. This party was not only for their baby shower, but also as an acknowledgement of their advancement into the next phase of their lives together as husband and wife.

    There were only a few tables that were arranged around the stage, indicating that this party was strictly exclusive and only reserved for a few selected and very important individuals. Obviously, just those who belong to Abigail''s and Alexander''s inner circle of friends.

    Kai and Kelly were the very first to arrive at the venue. The couple immediately rushed over to the cribs that were ced to one side of the stage and they each held one baby in their arms as they merrily chatted on with Abi and Alex while waiting for the others to arrive. The twins were docile and contentedly slept on as Kai and Kelly carried them, perfectly happy and willing to be pampered by others, other than their own parents.

    "I''ve seen your magazine interview," Alexmented casually, smiling smugly at Kai as the duo sat like old men at the table that was reserved for Kai and Kelly while Abi and Kelly were busy preparing something on the stage. "You looked and sounded extremely mature in there ¨C"

    "Don''t even begin to try teasing me about that, Alex. It won''t work." Kai shot back, returning Alex''s smug smile back at him. "So? How''s the life of a father of two?"

    "Terrific!" Alex did not even hesitate for a moment before answering, causing Kai to raise a brow.

    "Oh well, it''s only been several days. I heard that it''s rtively easy at the beginning since newborns are generally very docile and they sleep a lot." Kaimented knowledgably before he returned his gaze to little Alexis who was still peacefully sleeping in his arms.

    Alex was about to respond when he sensed two other people approaching. Quickly looking towards the direction of the presences, he saw that it was Kyle and Lucas.

    The young man stopped in his tracks as soon as he saw Kai sitting there with Alex.

    Kai, his brother, was still very much the same. The man did not even look much different from when he saw himst. Kai was still a vampire then, and now, save for his skin tone that now looked a little bit more tanned, there was nothing else that seemed to have changed with his brother ¨C at least on the surface. In fact, he actually looked much more matured with his new skin tone.

    But still, Kyle felt a lingering stinging feel in his chest at the thought that Kai would eventually grow old and die in the course of time.

    "Hey, little bro!" Kai was smiling wide and nodded at Kyle as he stood in a very careful manner, in order to not wake the baby boy in his arms. He even controlled his tone of voice as he called Kyle over to join them, knowing that their vampire hearing would be able to pick up whatever that he said. "Come on over and don''t act like strangers. Don''t just stand there, you two."

    The duo then approached slowly.

    Kyle''s gaze naturally moved to look at the baby boy that was cradled in Kai''s arms, then to the other baby that had been taken from Kelly and was now sleeping in Alex''s arms. This was the first time he was looking at the twins personally.

    "This is¡­ Alice?" Kyle asked, his expression turned really soft as he looked at cute bundle of joy in his brother''s arm.

    "No. This is Alexis." Kai corrected. "The father is being super stingy and overprotective over the princess that he was reluctant to entrust her to any men. Not even us, as her uncles." Kai teased.

    "Look here. You are not used at handling babies, Kai. I can''t possibly let any novice men hold my princess to avoid any idents." Alex spouted his excuse righteously, causing Kai to roll his eyes.

    "And yet you let anyone hold Alexis?"

    "Well, he''s my tough boy. He can handle it, no problem." Said Alex proudly.

    The men could only look at Alex, speechless at his nonsensical boasting. "I think you really need to keep in mind that Alexis is as fragile as Alice right now, Alex. Also, it''s not good to be so biased." Kai scolded Alex like he had turned into an old man.

    "Who said I am being biased?"

    "You obviously are, man."

    "No. No. There is no biasness going on here. I am sure Alexis will not mind me being more protective of his little sister. Mark my words Kai, when Alexis grows up, he would tell me to dote on his sister instead. Just you wait." Alex grinned as he announced it as though it was a fact that was already set in stone.

    "Fine, fine." Kai could only surrender. And the menughed.

    "Can I hold him?" Kyle asked, looking at the adorable Alexis. His grey eyes that seemed to have lost their innocent spark since Kai saw him, somehow started twinkling again, now that he was looking at the babies.

    "Of course. You take a seat first." Kai said and Kyle obediently sat down, almost stiffly as both Alex and Kai instructed and taught him what to do with his arms, and how to position them in order to hold the baby safely andfortably.

    Lucas who was watching these three royalties talk and get excited over babies, could not help but quickly fish his phone out from his pocket and took a few pictures of the three.

    "Yes. Yes, just like that. Now rx your shoulders and elbows. Don''t be so stiff. The baby can feel it if you''re nervous." Kai and Alex keep talking, their advice ovepping over one another, causing Kyle to feel a little overwhelmed.

    "I don''t know why, but I''m a little nervous." Kyle said as Kai finally took his hands off the baby in Kyle''s arm when he decided that Alexis would be safe enough in Kyle''s hold.

    "Don''t be. There is nothing to be nervous about." Kai smiled encouragingly.

    "He''s¡­ so small." Kyle whispered as he wondered at the miracle of a baby.

    Kai smiled as he remained squatting on the ground. "You were this small too, back then. I''ve seen you when you were still a newborn. I didn''t have the chance to hold you like this, though." Kai reminisced and just as Kyle looked at him to respond, another duo arrived.

 Chapter 879 Mother hens

    <h4>Chapter 879 Mother hens</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @Sacogun! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Just after Lucas sent out the photos of the three men fawning over Little Alexis like anxious mother hens to Ezekiel, the approaching female duo pulled at his attention.

    It was the young and newest witch queen, Lilith, and her female bodyguard. Seeing her arrive, Lucas wondered how Kyle, who was still focussed on the baby, would react to her presence.

    Lucas'' first reaction was to quickly nce over at the young prince next to him and as expected, a split secondter, Kyle seemed to have gotten struck by lightning for a moment at the sight of the silver-haired witch approaching them. ''Good lord Alexander¡­'' Lucas muttered within himself. Could Alexander not have known about the matters between these two? Impossible that he did not know. So why had he invited them at the same time? Did he just want to see a show happen?

    Lucas did not expect the witch queen to be here at all. Was Alexander trying to y matchmaker or something? He was quite certain that Alexander already knew what was up between Kyle and Lilith. And most importantly, he also knew that Ezekiel obviously did not want these two to end up together, as it was forbidden!

    Abigail had approached Lilith as soon as she saw her.

    She had met Lilith way before she became the witch queen. Alicia had introduced the girl to her back then and she also had met her during Alicia''s funeral.

    Abi knew that Lilith was like a little sister to Alicia, so she had her invited toe for the party as well. She had told this of course to Alex first and her husband had said there was no problem at all in inviting the witch queen over. Of course, he had not exined the matter between the youngsters to his wife.

    "I''m so d that you managed toe and join us, Lilith!" Abi said as she held Lilith''s hands in hers.

    Lilith beamed at Abi. "There is no way I can reject your invitation. I am crazy excited to see the twins too." She said and Abi hugged her.

    Then she led the twodies towards the twins.

    Lilith halted for a moment as she met Kyle''s intense gaze that were like searchlights on her face.

    She subconsciously held her breath as she shed him a small and neutral smile. It did not help at all that she had seen him at school just the other day.

    He smiled back faintly, and she noticed a tinge of intense emotions shing across his eyes until he seemed to force himself to look away and return his gaze back to the baby that he was holding in his arms.

    Looking him holding a babe there¡­ it was a sight that she had never expected to see. He looked a little bit stiff, but the view was so wholesome that it made her heart swell with an inexplicable emotion. The picture he made with the baby was so bittersweet that it almost brought tears to her eyes. She only held her tears back by sheer willpower and pretended to only be interested in the baby and not in the young and handsome man who was holding the babe.

    "Do you want to hold Alice?" Abi pulled her attention back to the present and she immediately smiled, nodding enthusiastically.

    "Of course! That''s why I am here, aren''t I?" She said andughed out brightly, truly meaning what she said.

    "Come, sit here." Kai gestured to her before grabbing a chair for her. Lilith paused for a moment as she looked at the man who had some resemnce to Kyle.

    "I''m Kai. We haven''t met before, but I heard you''re a good friend of my brother." Kai said as he offered her his hand, waiting to shake it.

    Lilith took his hand and gave him a firm handshake. "A pleasure to meet you, Kai. I''m Lilith."

    "A pleasure to meet you, too, youngdy." He gestured her to sit right next to Kyle before Abi ced Alicia in her arms. Once again, Alex and Kai acted like mother hens in instructing Lilith how to hold Alice properly. And seeing them act that way caused Lilith to end up chuckling because well, she already knew how to hold a baby. She had experience in babysitting when she was younger. However, she did not say anything and just listened good naturedly at the two grown men jabbering away, continuing to give her instructions.

    "Don''t mind them, especially my husband. He''s just a bit too anxious." Abi whispered to her, and Lilith just grinned back, letting Abi know shepletely understood and did not have any issues with it. "Alright, Kelly and I are still in the midst of preparing something. So I need to get back there." Abi winked at her and then she left everyone and returned to the stage again where Kelly was waiting.

    "Hi there, Alice¡­" Lilith whispered fondly to her as she let the sleeping baby curl her small fingers around her forefinger. She was truly happy to see them in person. And she could not help but remember Alicia as she looked at this baby girl. Not only because Alice was named after Alicia but also because she knew that Alicia had been dreaming to see these little ones one day. She still remembered the look in Alicia''s face as she watched over the babies through the crystal ball.

    "You seem¡­ pretty familiar in holding a baby." Kyle''s voice echoed from her side, and she felt her heartbeat skipped a couple of beats.

    She managed a smile as she turned to face him.

    "I had once helped a mother babysit her baby before¡­" She momentarily forgot what else she wanted to say as their gaze held each other''s.

    "How have you been?" he cleared his throat before asking. His grey eyes seemed to be speaking thousands of unsaid words and feelings and emotions that it was hard for her to even look away. Her eyes seemed to be glued to him.

    "I''m good. How about you?" she replied simply.

    He dropped his eyes to her lips before quickly turning away. "Good." Was all he managed to say. It was really such a good thing that Alexis was in his arms right now, because he might have already grabbed Lilith by now and ran off with her somewhere to question her, to remind her about everything he had told her that time when he had bid her goodbye. That if he ever met her again¡­ that if their path ever crossed again, he would definitely¡­

    "Oh¡­ they''re finally here." Alex''s booming voice dragged everyone''s attention towards another pair that had arrived.

    ___

    A/N: Don''t forget to vote with your Golden Tickets spellbounders! Let''s keep our top 1 till the month ends! :flexed_biceps:

 Chapter 880 Uncle

    <h4>Chapter 880 Uncle</h4>

    A while ago¡­

    Iryz''s heartbeat was racing fast and pounding loudly in her ears as Zeres led her into a huge and tastefully decorated mansion.

    She was nervous. No, she was more than nervous. Because goodness gracious! She was about to meet with immortals and vampires and even the witch queen as Zeres had told her!

    She could not help but wonder if this was truly okay. For a human like her to even be there. Would her presence only sully the whole atmosphere that were only attended by these superior beings? She was suddenly feeling a little inferior and she could not help it.

    "You okay?" Zeres paused and looked at her. He had felt the sudden change in her a few seconds ago. Her small hands were twisting together in nervousness and her whole posture felt stiff. As he turned to look at Iryz, the man looked breathtaking in his dark blue suit. He really looked like a prince that had literally walked out of a modern fairy tale.

    "Uh¡­ yes. Don''t worry about me." She did her best to respond enthusiastically even as her heartbeat had yet to stop galloping like horses gone wild in a stampede.

    "Don''t be nervous. They are¡­ really a nice and good bunch of people, Iryz." Heforted her, offering her his hand. "I''m sure you will like them."

    "R-really?" she drew in a shaky deep breath when he gave her a reassuring smile.

    "Mmhmm¡­ so just rx." He squeezed her small hand in hisrger one and gave a gentle tug to get her moving. Then they started walking again.

    To her relief, she was effectively distracted by the beauty of the mansion. The antiques that were tastefully ced at specific spots had her eyes twinkling as she always was a lover of antiques and ancient things. She could happily wander around and get lost in this ce and yet, would not have a word ofint about it.

    Her eyes sparkled and roamed the ce as they walked further in until she had not realized she was no longer tense and nervous.

    Soon, they arrived at a double door that she just knew would lead them to a courtyard or a spacious backyard.

    A beautifully lit up pathway weed them. Flowers were nted on either sides of the aisle that led them to a certain tree in the middle of the yard. Under the tree there were arranged a few tables with chairs and a small stage.

    She immediately realized that it was really a very small party reserved only for the couple''s inner circle of close friends. And her nervousness kicked into high gear again as she saw the people who were already gathered there.

    "Rx. They''re not going to bite." Zeres joked in an attempt to make her smile.

    "I know." Iryz responded,ughing nervously. It seemed that nothing could take away her nervousness. But the good thing was that she did not n to run away and leave. She would just grit her teeth and endure ¨C as long as Zeres was right there beside her. Also, she would not miss this chance of being introduced to immortals, vampires and the witch queen herself!

    Everyone, except of course for Alex, stilled and became silent for a few moments as they watched the approaching duo.

    They had been expecting Zeres to arrive. But they had not expected him to be with such a young and beautifuldy who appeared to be¡­ human?! Now that was one big surprise for all of them.

    Lucas, Kyle and Lilith especially, had a hard time believing their eyes as their gazes were literally zoomed in to focus on their entwined hands. Zeres was sping her hand almost protectively, as if he did not want her to get lost in the crowd. The trio had the exact same thoughts in their heads. ''Who exactly is that girl? Does this mean¡­ Zeres is now over Alicia?''

    Deep within them, the trio genuinely hoped so. They had seen how miserable and desperate Zeres was since Alicia started to weaken and lose her powers. And when Alicia died, he had changed so much, so drastically that they could not help but worry about him endlessly. But Zeres would not allow them to bother about him too much as that was his style ¨C a loner.

    Now here he was, looking somehow better than thest time they had seen him. Much better, in fact. And it was such a big relief to them. Zeres was a close and beloved friend, and they did not want to see him suffering and hurting so much.

    "Yo, Zeres!" Alex eximed as he approached the duo, grinning at Zeres before enveloping him in a bear hug and patting his back with hard thumps. "You''re finally acting like the uncle that you are supposed to be!" He added cheekily, roaring out inughter.

    And Zeres was about to speak when Alex quickly shifted his attention to Iryz who was standing silently beside him.

    "Hi there, Eris." He smiled at her almost in a way of a brother smiling at his little sister.

    The duo had their eyes widenically at the name that Alex used to call Iryz. Iryz started and looked at Zeres in slight panic.

    "Alexander¡­" Zeres looked speechless.

    "Oh¡­ I should be calling you Iryz right?" Alex grinned unrepentantly and he was about to turn to lead her towards the others when Iryz suddenly spoke.

    "Uhm¡­ you¡­ you know Eris?" she asked bravely even as she could not help but stammer through her question. Even though this man did not look nor feel like a bad guy, she could feel an abnormal and massive aura that she knew she had never felt before towards even the most powerful human.

    "Yes. I''ve meet her before in the forest long time ago and I identally saw your face ¨C" Alex started to exin but got cut off.

    "Wait¡­ wait a moment!! When did you see her face?" Zeres butted in forcefully.

 Chapter 881 Entrance

    <h4>Chapter 881 Entrance</h4>

    This chapter is dedicated to @MonsterUnderTheBed! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Alex raised a brow at Zeres'' sudden interruption. "Back when the two of us and Abi were still together. I''ve seen Eris following you around for a couple of times and then one night I identally bumped into her. It was then that I saw her face. I''ve long forgotten about it. But when I saw Iryz the other day, I then remembered that I''ve seen her before and guessed that her case must be like Abi ¨C"

    "Why didn''t you tell me?! Why did you not say anything?" Zeres''s tone held a tinge of usation as he looked even more dumbfounded.

    "What? I''ve told you and you said Eris was yourrade."

    "No, no! I mean about the fact that you saw her face!" Zeres pinched the skin between his brows.

    Alex lifted both his brows now, looking a bit lost. "And why in the world I should have informed you that I saw her face?"

    "Because I never saw her face at all¡­ the entire time, I only saw the mask that she wore¡­" Zeres mumbled out, feeling that it was so unfair that Alex got to see Eris'' face even when he did not.

    It was as if the god of silence passed by for a moment until Alex spoke again in disbelief. "Don''t tell me you didn''t even know that she was a girl? The entire time?"

    When Zeres just pressed his lips tightly together, not saying anything, Alex covered his mouth with his hand while his other hand rested on his hip. It was obvious that he was holding back and trying so very hard not tough out loud. This Zeres¡­!! He was just so hrious!!

    Alex had to clear his throat a couple of times before he turned his gaze towards Iryz. He bent a little bit closer to her and said in a stage whisper. "This guy¡­ do you want me to p him up the head for being so stupid?"

    Iryz could not help but smile amusedly as she watched Alexander pressed his temple like a problematic old man.

    "You were pretty stupid too, back then, Alexander." Zeres retorted when Abi''s voice echoed out suddenly.

    "Zeres!" came the call from a bright and cheerful voice.

    Abi was beaming so brightly as she approached them, her hands already opened wide, asking for a hug.

    "Abigail," Zeres''s eyes softened at the sight of Abi, stepping forward to embrace her gently. Abigail wrapped her arms around Zeres'' middle and gave a gentle squeeze as she weed him wordlessly for a moment. Only a gentle smile lingered on her lips.

    "It''s been a while. How have you been?" Abi was a bit emotional and took a few seconds before she could speak. As she pulled away and looked at Zeres from head to toe, she started questioning about how he was doing. She was so heartbroken for him thest time when she had seen him during Alicia''s funeral. He was behaving as though he was dead himself, as though he was no different from Alicia who had truly died.

    "I''m doing great, Abi." Zeres said, quite honest with his statement, feeling a little guilty because of all the times he had downright ignored Alex''s request toe over for even a quick visit. He had known that Alex''s invites were actually Abi wanting to see him, but he could not bring himself toe visit yet at that point in time.

    "I''m so d you are able toe. Hello, there!" Abi then moved her attention towards Iryz.

    Zeres held Iryz''s hand again and pulled her a bit closer to him. "Abigail, this is Iryz. Iryz, this is Abigail."

    Iryz could not exin but she instantly felt so wee and warm towards Abi. She was such a beautiful woman. Unlike Alexander, she did not engender any sort of nervous feeling at all, even though she could see that this woman also possessed an unspeakable aura as well. And in fact, her aura did not pale the least whenpared to her husband''s, Alex''s either.

    "Alright. Come on over you two." Abi then excitedly held both of their hands and led them to where the twins were.

    Iryz felt Zeres'' hand tightened a little as they approached the babies.

    "Zeres." The youngdy sitting there, cradling one of the babies beamed at Zeres while Iryz stared at her in awe. This must be the witch queen Zeres had mentioned about and she was so young and so ethereal looking. Just like Zeres! Iryz could not stop staring at her.

    "Do you want to hold one of them?" Abi asked but Zeres just shook his head.

    "Lter, Abigail." He said as he squatted down before Kyle and lifted his hand to gently touch the baby''s hand. His fingers shook a little.

    "This is Alexis." Kyle said then looked over to Lilith''sp. "And this is Alice."

    Emotion flooded Zeres'' eyes as he looked at the two peaceful angels who were still sleeping on contentedly despite all the chattering from the adults around them. It was amazing what such little babes could do to someone''s emotions and heart. He could not even imagine what Alexander must have felt when the twins were born, if even he could feel like this right now.

    "Are you sure you don''t want to hold him?" Kyle asked Zeres.

    "No. Not now." Zeres still declined as he shook his head. "I''m afraid I can''t hold them the right way, right now."

    "It''s fine." Abi said, giggling. "Alex was shaking too when he first held them in his arms."

    Alex cleared his throat.

    "That wasn''t a nervous shake. They were shaking due to happiness." Alex coughed as he gave his excuse. Everyone else justughed out or snickered at his obvious lie. But no one called him out.

    Time passed and Kelly finally started the event.

    The twins were finally awake, so Abi and Alex held them as Kelly started the event''s first agenda on the itinerary.

    And then just as they were about to start with the first game that Kelly prepared, something dark started swirling just next to the stage, causing everyone, except Alex, to look at the spot with a start.

    Instincts had everyone about to move to protect the twins, but then they only saw Alexander grinning. He was too rxed for it to be something dangerous. Then some of them realized and recognised the familiar power, and that caused them to rx and sit back on their chairs again.

    "There he is." Alex tsked yfully. "Being so dramatic as usual, huh. You would think that today''s gathering and party was to recognise him as the main event with the way he is sooo unfashionablyte and that overboard entrance." Alexined rather loudly and rolled his eyes before standing up to wee thetest neers.

    ___

    Don''t forget to vote hellbounders!

 Chapter 882 Precious friend

    Chapter 882 Precious friend¡¡¡¡Everyone rxed and leaned back into their seats again when they heard Alexander''s rather pissed off yet yfulment. Kai even chuckled a little.

    And when they saw Zeke appearing from that dark rippling mass of smoke, they were all about to continue on with what they were initially doing when they suddenly realised that the man was not alone. He had brought apanion along. Zeke?! With apanion?!! That in itself was a total aberration in his usual conduct. Therefore, everyone abandoned their initial thoughts and trained their eyes to see more of the drama unfolding.

    The moment hispanion stepped out from behind him and stood by his side, time seemed to suddenly halt ande to a standstill. A woman¡­?! Zeke brought ady friend with him?!! And their hands were¡­ even entwined together? What in the blue zes?!!

    It was Zeres who got to his feet first, breaking the standstill almost noisily. His eyes were wide with shock as he looked intently at the woman. Apart from Alex, Zeres was the only one in the group that knew Alicia had been with Zeke all these while and that the two could not separate physically.

    But he could not say a word. He just stood there, seemingly paralyzed at the sight of the woman that was obviously Alicia. But she¡­!! Why had she now turned into a... into a¡­ vampire?!

    Alex strode over to the neers, almost as if he wanted to quickly beat Zeres from being the one on making the first move.

    "Tsk, tsk, tsk¡­ That''s one dramatic entrance, Zeke." Alex''s brows lifted as he poked fun at the man.

    Both of them were dressed up properly for the asion but Zeke''s hair was not as perfect as it usually was. And that was saying a lot if it was Ezekiel. The man was never anything less than perfect. Thus, having a slightly messed up hairdo was quite a big deal and Alex looked meaningfully at Zeke.

    "We ran into a little bit of trouble on our way here." Zeke responded casually, his way of exining the matter.

    "Really? Whoever that troublemaker was, they must have been one hell of a brazen creature." Alex simplymented, not even bothering to ask about the trouble Zeke was talking about. He knew that it was a dead end for the fools who had thought it wise to look for trouble with this death god. What he was interested in was this death god''spanion and he turned his attention towards her instead. "Hello there, Alicia."

    When Alicia responded with a small smile and a respectful nod, Alex moved a bit closer to her and bent over to whisper. "I have told Abi about you already. But she still thinks that you''re still in spirit form and cannot be touched."

    Before Alicia could react to what he had said, Alex had already pulled away and turned back towards his other guests. "Nowe on, you two. I guess you both should be punished for beingte for one of this century''s greatest and most important event." He muttered, of course, knowing that most of the people in attendance here could hear him loud and clear.

    It was then that Abi came over to greet them.

    "Zeke." She was all smiles as she stood gracefully before the man.

    Though she had only recently given birth to twins, her figure had returned to its previous slender and elegant form. In fact, due to her breastfeeding the twins, her bosom was fuller, and the effect only made her look more enchanting. "I''m so d you could make it." Her tone was warm, weing and sincere.

    "You know it''d be a very bad idea if I were to decline your husband''s invitation." Zeke replied. His tone and facial expression did not show much emotion as always, but Abi stilledughed. She knew how Zeke was. She could hear him practically rolling his eyes from that dry tone he used.

    "I hope he didn''t threaten you." Abiughed but she turned and looked at her husband as a small curl decorated one corner of her lips.

    "I know you know he did." Zeke replied tly.

    She only grinned at him unrepentantly, then her attention moved over to the elegantdy who was standing silently next to him. She had noticed their entwined hands and Abi immediately thought of one thing. ''How rare!''

    Never once had she seen Zeke voluntarily and willingly holding hands with anyone. Never. Oh my¡­ oh my¡­ has Zeke finally found his destined one? There were times when she and Alex talkedte into the night, and Alex had told her about his concerns about this friend of his ¨C Zeke. Alex had wanted Zeke to finally find the one that could make his stone cold heart beat once again. She knew how Alex had really wanted that to happen, and she too had hoped for this miracle to happen from the bottom of her heart. Because no matter how stone faced and stone hearted Zeke might seem to appear, he had been such a dear family and precious friend to the both of them that they only wished him to have the best. And no matter how cruel his methods had been at times when dealing with things, this man had no doubt helped them more times than they could count.

    "Hello, I¡­" Abi''s smiled slowly faded. Her eyes suddenly stretching into wide circles as she stared closely and a little rudely at the woman''s face. She somehow felt an extremely familiar feeling welling up from deep within, not noticing that her husband who was beside her, grinning in anticipation. She stared until a small gasp escaped her lips and her hands flew to her mouth in disbelief.

    Then her eyes suddenly welled up as though she could not help herself.

    "A-Alicia?!!" she stammered out. Emotions started to flood her.

    "Abi¡­" Alicia responded slowly, smiling emotionally as her own eyes teared up as well before the two friends crashed together in a tight hug.

 Chapter 883 Log

    Chapter 883 Log¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @edi_o! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    "Oh, Alicia¡­!" Abi cried, hugging her friend tight, as though she did not want to let her go.

    When Abi heard that Alicia was still with them, she was so ovee with emotion and utter dness. Alex had told her that Alicia mighte for the party, and she was really looking forward to it. But she had never thought that she could actually touch her like this. And not only that, Alicia had also somehow turned into a vampire! She did not know what had happened, but all Abi could care about for the moment was the fact that she was seeing and holding her friend again. And that was all that mattered to her now.

    As Abi and Alicia stayed there, being emotional, the rest were still trying to process what they had just seen and heard.

    When Alex called the woman ''Alicia'', Lilith also stood up while Lucas and Kyle''s jaws dropped. Wait¡­ was it the same Alicia? The previous witch queen who was supposed to be dead?!

    This shock was just too much for them to process in one go even as they focused their attention on the woman''s face and realized that the face indeed belonged to Alicia ¨C albeit it was a little different in some ways. But it did not detract from the general features of how Alicia looked when they had seen her when she was still alive. What in the world had happened? How did Alicia turn into a¡­ into a vampire?!

    Lilith nced over at Zeres. She was suddenly worried for him. He was the one who was most affected by her death back then. And looking at him, she noticed that the man was still unmoving as he kept staring in Alicia''s direction. And she could not quite tell what was running through his mind.

    After a while, Abi and Alex finally led the couple to their respective table.

    But when they reached where everyone was seated, they both halted before them. Alicia''s eyes immediately meet Zeres'' gaze. She had been worried about Zeres'' reaction the most. And she understood because she was a witch. A former queen. And now she had turned into a vampire.

    Unbeknownst to Alicia, Zeke''s gaze was also focused on no one else but Zeres.

    "Zeres¡­" Alicia spoke first then her gaze fell to Lilith, who like Abi, was now trying to hold back her tears. "Lilith¡­"

    "Alicia," Zeres called her attention back to him. His voice low. He looked like he had a million questions in his eyes but did not know how to voice them out.

    But Alicia could tell that he was battling with himself whether he should ask them or not. He was obviously trying his best to consider the event they were there for tonight. They were not the main event.

    Alicia smiled reassuringly at them. "You guys can ask me your questionster, okay? For now, we need to focus on this important event." Alicia said calmly. She hoped that everyone would be able to focus on the baby shower, most especially Zeres.

    Lilith nodded, taking a deep breath and then shing her a weing smile.

    Zeres'' facial muscles clenched and unclenched but when he heard a baby''s cry, his attention flew towards Abi and Alex approaching them with the twins in their arms.

    Abi and Alex unceremoniously stepped in between.

    Alex faced Zeres while Abi faced Alicia.

    "Zeke already held Alexis when he came to visit us at the hospital preciously. So you''re now the only one who have yet to hold my son, Zeres. Now you sit there like a good boy and hold your nephew." Alex demanded, not allowing Zeres to refuse it.

    Zeres immediately looked a flustered as he looked at Alex, then at Alexis and back at the baby''s father.

    "Wait Alex, I don''t know how to ¨C" Zeres'' slightly panicky tone caused Alex to smirk.

    "I said, just sit there." Alex insisted and Alexis'' cry seemed to made Zeres even more nervous.

    "I think he doesn''t want to be held by me. Look¡­ he''s crying." Zeres sounded even more panicky as he lowered himself slowly and reluctantly to the chair.

    "Kai. Come over and help me out with this guy''s stiff arms." Alex sought for help and the two males started hovering over the still flustered Zeres.

    Somehow, this had turned the atmosphere back to being cheery and blissful again. The sight of Zeres looking really troubled had everyoneughing and cheering up for him.

    "I said rx, didn''t you hear me?! Seriously, Alexis might end up thinking that a log is holding him!" Alex''s voice was loud as he yfully insulted Zeres and the person who was insulted could not help but retort back.

    "Stop being so loud, Alexander! What can I do if holding a baby makes me this nervous?!" Zeresined.

    Lucasughed out loud, causing everyone to look over at him. The men were all serious except for Lucas, while thedies were silently giggling at this chaotic scene before them.

    "I can''t believe you are worse than Zeke."

    "I don''t think I am. If I am a log, then I am pretty sure Kiel would be steel then!" Zeres retorted again.

    "Abigail," Zeke''s voice echoed out in a challenging tone. "Give Alice to me."

    Zeres and everyone else looked over to Ezekiel.

    "Sure." Abi said when Alex suddenly butted in.

    "Wait a moment! You go and sit first! I don''t trust you holding my princess while standing, Zeke." Alex ran over like a nervous mother hen.

    Zeke tsked. "Stop being so dramatic, Alex." he said but he was already sitting on the chair right beside Zeres. Of course, taking Alicia with him.

    When Abi ced Alice in his arms, Zeres turned over his shoulder and the sight of Zeke being calm had him taking a deep breath.

    Once his heartbeat somehow settled, Alexis miraculously stopped crying.

    "Oh¡­ he stopped crying!" he said, his voice sounded excited and even proud of himself that everyone could not help but chuckle. "This means he likes me, right?" there was bright sh in his eyes that had everyone smiling again

    "Of course, he will like you. You''re his uncle after all." Alex lifted a brow, grinning. Happy that for the moment, Zeres did not seem to care about anything else but the bundle of joy in his arms.

    Meanwhile, while Zeres was busy with Alexis, all eyes were ncing at the couple at the back.

    "You want to hold her¡­??" Zeke asked quietly and Alicia who was obviously dying to hold the baby nodded her head like a rattle. "Alright. But first, we need to do something to free both your hands."

    "Oh, right. How are we going to do that?"

    Without using his hands, Zeke removed his shoes then asked Alicia to pull the sock of his feet.

    Once Alicia was finished, he spoke again. "Now put your feet over mine. Don''t ever forget to keep contact and pull away, okay?" He warned and Alicia simply nodded as she immediately did what he told her. Her attention was fully focused on the baby that she seemed to not mind doing anything and everything just so she could hold Alice in her arms.

    Zeke then let go of her hand and stood, before slowly cing the baby in Alicia''s arms as their bare feet connected.

    At that point, everyone who was standing there looking on were acting like they have been struck by lightning. What did they just see??!!

 Chapter 884 Game

    Chapter 884 Game¡¡¡¡The party finally resumed after so many hups and interruptions.

    Butler Charles and a female maid took over the stage, so Kelly and Abi can be with their husbands. Also, that way, they would be able to join in the games that were prepared for the guests.

    The first game finally started with the giving of instructions from Butler Charles.

    The maids distributed a sheet of paper and pen to all thedies. The rule was that thedies needed to write the things that their partner will whisper to them. Of course, they had put on headphones ¨C with music ying and a special magic cast to counter the vampire''s superb hearing abilities of course ¨C on the male''s ears to avoid overhearing what the others are saying.

    "Cheating on the part of thedies will result in an instant loss, okay,dies? You should only write what your partner will say. Each couple will have a maid right behind you guys to be on the watch. Like we announced a while ago, the winner will have a prize and loser pair will be punished. The details on the punishments will be revealedter." Charles announced with much fanfare. "Alright¡­ at the count of three, the males will need to tell their partners as many things they know of what a baby need. Three, two, one¡­ and start!"

    Lucas and Lilith''s bodyguard named Mia were one of the most rxed ones because well, surprisingly, the ginger-head was not even having hard time at all. In fact, he was even grinning as he spouted all those things with such ease, that Mia wondered to herself if the vampire was actually a father himself!

    Kelly and Kai on the other hand, were having a bit of a hard time as Kai was struggling to find the right words or the name of those baby things. Kelly''s eyes wererge as she tried her best to encourage her husband to say more. She was smiling in disbelief as she did not know that this man of hers would actually end up having a hard time with this topic. "Come on, baby, you can do it. This number of things are still too little. Think of more." She pointed to her list on the paper and kept on encouraging him.

    The next pair, Kyle and Lilith however, looked like they were in a massive pinch. Lilith knew a lot about this topic, while Kyle waspletely clueless. One hundred percent nk. He did not even seem to know that little sucker like thing you put into the baby''s mouth to calm them down was called a pacifier. "Is this¡­ really all that you know, Kyle? I mean¡­e on! You should at least know more than five items that are rted to baby needs right??" Lilith eximed rather exasperatedly as he watched her lips, lipreading what she was trying to tell him.

    "Haah!! This is pretty easy!" Alex on the other hand, was all smug and showing off as he looked down at the long list of materials Abi had listed. "It''s already set on who''s the winner here. Now I can''t wait to see who''s going to be punished. I''m guessing it should be Zeke." He announced loudly and chuckled. Abi could only discreetly pinch her cheeky husband in his side, wordlessly telling him to shut it.

    The next pair, Iryz and Zeres were pretty much an exact copy of Lilith and Kyle. Only that Iryz was not as frustrated as Lilith was, since she too, struggled to think of all the things that were rted to babies and their needs. She was pressing her lips together tightly though, trying hard not to giggle out loud as she watched Zeres looking like he was in a horrible dilemma and his face twisted in some kind of unknown agony.

    Last but not the least pair, Alicia and Zeke were actuallypletely rxed. So contrary to what Alex was expecting and imagining, Zeke almost looked like some king who was just spouting out mundane names without a hint of struggle at all while it was Alicia, who was struggling a little as she was trying to keep up with writing down all the listed words, nonstop.

    "Aaaand¡­ time''s up!" Charles said as he pressed on the air horn, signalling the end of this first challenge and the maid collected the papers and brought it to the stage.

    The men removed their headphones. Each one had a different expression decorating their faces. From neutral looking to unbothered to expecting loss to a smug look.

    "Our winner is¡­ Ezekiel-Alicia pair. Let''s give them an apuse!!" Charles announced after the tally was done.

    Alex started and shot his gaze over to Zeke. "What?!!!" he literally roared.

    Zeke did nothing but shrug and lifted a brow at him.

    "Oh, damn it! I forgot that smart ass guy used to work in the hospital!" Alex ran his hands through his hair as everyone pped and cheered.

    A maid approached Alicia and Zeke''s table and put a box before them as their reward.

    "And the loser is¡­"

    Zeres, Kai and Kyle''s faces were pinched and looked as though they were waiting to hear the announcement for their life sentence.

    "Kyle-Lilith pair, and Zeres-Iryz pair." Charles announced with a wide grin this time.

    Kai immediately looked at Kelly with a shocked face before jumping up and cheering in relief, causing his wife tough at his childish actions, while Kyle and Zeres face palmed and groaned out loud.

    "Kyle and Zeres are tied." Charles announced. "Pleasee over to the stage, Kyle and Zeres." Butler Charles had the two stood facing each other.

    "Your punishment is¡­ to pick a card. However, the two of you need to pick the same card." Charles stated the rules.

    Zeres and Kyle looked up at each other before looking down at the box that held the cards. Then they put their hands simultaneously inside the box. In one try, they both held the same card and gave it to Charles.

    Charles opened the card and read the words inside it aloud. "You are going to have to dance with your partner the whole time until the next game is over. P.S. the pair are not allowed to choose the song that they will dance to."

 Chapter 885 Punishment

    Chapter 885 Punishment¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @Edenn! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Zeres and Iryz were brought to a gazebo not too far from the stage. It was surrounded with flowers and¡­ candles. Its four pirs were also decorated with fresh and fragrant flowers and lit up with tiny fairy lights. The whole set up was perfect ¨C as romantic as a pair or lovers would like.

    Lilith and Kyle on the other hand, choose the circle that was just next to the gazebo. It was obviously prepared as a back-up just in case there would be two couples who needed to dance there. The circle was also surrounded with beautiful flowers that reacted to the moonlight that was shining down softly. It was also as romantic as the gazebo, if not more. It gave off a wilder feelpared to the gazebo, a feel that was simr to one that was earthy and somehow woond-ish.

    Everyone else were looking at the two pairs as they prepared for a slow, romantic dance.

    "Howe that is considered as a punishment?" Alex was the first toin, of course. "Tsk. I should''ve purposely lost too. Then we could skip this next game and gone off for a romantic dance, just the two of us." He added enviously, holding Abi''s hand and kissing her knuckles lovingly.

    As Charles started the second game for the remaining couples, a soft music finally started echoing in the gazebo.

    A slow song echoed out and since the two witches were asked to use magic to control the noise from the stage, there were no more background noise.

    Suddenly, they felt like they were in their own world.

    "I never danced before." Zeres said, a bit stiff. "Do you know how to dance?"

    "I do. I''ve practiced before, for our y back at school. Don''t worry, it''s a slow song so it''s not really that hard at all. I''ll show you how, alright?" Iryz beamed at him. She was rxed now. Somehow, being alone with him felt much better for her because the presence of the others in their group really was a bit too overwhelming for her. After all, this was her first time meeting such mighty and immortal creatures. Zeres'' presence with her alone was just something she had already gotten used to, and she finally felt her stiff muscles rxing now that they were some distance away from those powerful people. Not that Zeres was not one of them though. But still¡­ He was somehow different.

    "Put your hand here. No, don''t grip so hard, just rx¡­ our feet should move like this¡­ oops¡­ ouch!"

    "I''m so sorry¡­" Zeres quickly apologised as a faint dusting of red coloured his high cheekbones.

    "No, it''s fine." Iryz could not help but chuckle as she continued instructing him, ignoring his blush and pretending as though she had not seen it. Until Zeres beganughing at himself too ¨C at how clumsy his feet were.

    "Damn. I didn''t know I am so bad at this. I hope those guys aren''tughing at me by now." Zeres muttered lowly, but Iryz heard it anyway and sheughed softly.

    "They''re busy with the current game. So you don''t have to worry." Iryz told him as she winked.

    "That''s good then. Tell me if I''m doing it right this time, Iryz."

    "Much better. Now let''s move in sync with the music. Yeah, just like that¡­ Just take it easy and sway to the beat." Iryz was patient and her instructions were neither rushed nor too slow.

    Iryz took the lead and soon the two of them finally found the right rhythm. They also stoppedughing softly at their own expense and were now staring into each other''s eyes as they danced and swayed to the beautiful music.

    "I hope¡­ you''re enjoying yourself here, Iryz." Zeres said in a soft voice.

    "I am. Well¡­ I had to admit that I was nervous as hell earlier, but your friends seemed to be really such amazing people. Seeing you holding a baby also made this totally worth it! I''ve never seen you so flustered and happy like that." Iryz replied with a chuckle as she remembered the picture of Zeres so awkward in holding a baby. Though she really felt out of ce for some time there, she had already prepared herself for that possibility. It was just natural to be feeling that way when meeting with a group of strangers for the first time.

    His ears seemed to redden. "I¡­ I didn''t expect it. I didn''t know that holding a baby could give one such a warm and fuzzy feeling inside."

    Iryz smiled, her green eyes gleaming against the lights that were around them that Zeres suddenly could not bear to look away from them.

    Outside the gazebo. The other couple inparison, did not have any problems at all with their dancing skills as they were both quite experienced in this matter, most especially Kyle as he is the youngest prince of the vampire kingdom. It was a given that he would be trained from young to know how to hold his own in a dance.

    Unlike Zeres and Iryz, the two immediately started dancing the instant the music started.

    Neither of them spoke. They just danced. Stared at each other in the eyes, felt the texture of each other''s palm on palm, listened to each other''s breathing and heartbeats.

    Unlike the blissful and warm atmosphere between Zeres and Iryz, there was heaviness, pent up emotions, and questions hanging between these two. And yet, they both remained silent for a long time until Kyle finally could no longer hold it in and broke the silence abruptly.

    "I want to speak with you once the party''s over, Lilith." He whispered to her ear. "Just the two of us. Please."

    It took Lilith a while to respond.

    "Okay." She said and their slow dance continued.

    On the stage.

    The second game was finally done. The winner this time was Lucas and Mia. And the loser was, unexpectedly, Zeke and Alicia.

    Alex had his brows raised. Even Kai and Lucas looked like they were inplete disbelief that Zeke had actually lost. The perfectionist had lost?! Was the world ending?? There was only one thing in their minds. Zeke must have had lost on purpose. This guy! Can he not be that obvious?! Oh damn, who the hell is this guy? Could it be a changeling?! Is this really Zeke, thought Kai and Lucas.

    Alex tsked yfully as he muttered. "Darn, and I tried so hard to lose so we could get a romantic punishment too."

    But the moment he heard what Charles said, not only Alex seemed to be struck by lightning, Zeke too, had gonepletely catatonic as he stood there on the stage.

    "The male partner must sing a song for his female partner." Charles announced.

    ___

    A/N: Don''t forget to vote ^^

 Chapter 886 Memorabilia

    Chapter 886 Memorabilia¡¡¡¡Alex''s shoulders were trembling mightily, trying his utmost best to hold in hisughter that was really almost about to explode out of him. He had not been expecting that at all! And looking at Zeke''s reaction right now, he just could not help himself butugh at Zeke''s expense. He had the opportunity to hear Zeke y some instruments before. The damn guy was actually a genius with instrument as well. But he had never heard Zeke sang in their many long years of knowing each other. Never. Ever.

    And that was why he just could not wait for this next show to begin. Oh, what an exciting night! He was almost rubbing his two hands together like a perverted old man, chuckling out in glee in anticipation of Zeke''s singing.

    Leaning over to Abi, Alex''s whispered. "Where is our phone, darling?" he asked, eyes twinkling mischievously as an extremely wide grin was stered across his face.

    One nce at her husband and Abi already knew what this man was nning to do. It was literally written all over his face. But she only chuckled at him and answered, "It''s in my bag." She said and Alex immediately called for one of the maids and told her to bring Abi''s bag over to him.

    Meanwhile, on the stage, Zeke was still standing there, unmoving as he stared down rather aggrievedly at the card that Charles had handed over to him. Alicia had pressed her lips hard together as she looked on at how Zeke was behaving and trying her best to stifle theugh that was bubbling up her throat.

    She could tell that the punishment had shocked the hell out of him. Though his expression remained somewhat nk, that stillness said it all. He might as well be voicing out his utmost disapproval to the world. And despite the fact that she knew he was probably suffering a mental breakdown secretly right this very moment, Alicia was just too excited with this punishment. It was truly unexpected, and she was dying to hear what Zeke''s singing voice sounded like. This guy was just so good and too perfect in everything that he did that it seemed as though that there is nothing that he did not know. But what about singing¡­? This is a really exciting moment for her.

    Brimming with excitement, Alicia squeezed Zeke''s hand as she smiled happily at the butler. Her eyes were almost screaming out the words ''I just can''t wait for it to start!''.

    "Alright, before we give Prince Ezekiel a moment or two to prepare, let''s call back the two couples having their romantic dance over there, toe over for the remaining part of their punishment." Butler Charles announced into the microphone.

    The couples who were now wrapped in an invisible pinkish air all over as thest sweet song ended had their bubbles popped rather rudely at Butler Charles'' announcement. Their heads snapped to look back towards the stage, while their eyes all had the same question reflected in them. ''What? It''s not over yet?! What remaining part of the punishment are you talking about?!''

    Zeres, Kyle, Lilith and Iryz could only sigh in their hearts and moved back towards to stage obediently. The romantic mood that was cultivated from the dance was almost all but dispelled at the announcement.

    They arrived and stood below the stage, waiting for the following instructions from Butler Charles. "There''s still more? But in the card, it only said dancing." Kyle voiced a mildin, curious at how the hosts were going to twist this to their advantage.

    "Well, my prince. That slow dance was actually a warm-up for you all and this now, is the real punishment that we are getting to. Don''t worry, it''s still a dance." The butler replied with a conspiring wink, causing both the couples to look at him in speechlessness.

    "Oh, just to inform you, this segment of the punishment would be recorded for our precious twins to watch it once they''re a little bit older. That is so they have a memorabilia to know that their full month celebration had been celebrated by so many who loves them!"

    What?!! The four of them had shocked expressions, most especially for Zeres and Kyle.

    "Okay, get ready. Everyone, let watch their punishment." The butler announced with a flourish and the moment the music started, the four on the stage all stood there, paralyzed as they listened to what seemed to be the chicken dance song.

    Laughter erupted from the audience.

    "W-wait a moment¡­ we don''t know this dance at all." Kyle protested.

    "You can dance ording to the tune however you like it, my prince. Just as long as you all imitate how a chicken would dance. Also, please be serious because the music will only stop if all of you will take it seriously."

    "Oh, goodness¡­"

    "Umm¡­ I actually know this dance." Iryz stepped forward a little shyly. "It''s like this."

    Iryz began to show them the steps to the dance and the other three had their jaws dropping to the floor.

    "It''s pretty easy¡­ right?" Iryz encouraged them though she herself was blushing hard. But when she looked up and saw three pairs of incredulous looking faces staring back at her, she could onlyugh sheepishly and scratch at her nose.

    Lilith was the one who took a deep breath before looking over at Zeres and Kyle before seriously saying, "Let''s be serious with it and just do it the way Iryz had shown us. Or else this won''t end anytime soon." Though after saying that, she sighed heavily and still looked a little lost.

    "You all can follow my lead... if you don''t mind." Iryz offered after a short while of teaching them the moves.

    Seeing that they were all about ready, Charles restarted the music and the four started dancing. For the first step when everyone was to use their hands to imitate the opening and closing of a chicken beak four times was not too bad. The second part, they were supposed to p their elbows four times as well, as though they were chicken wings ¨C this part, the girls were fine with it. But Kyle was a little shy so while he pped his ''wings'', his face was burning red. But Zeres just could not get the coordination of that movement, causing massiveughter from the rest because when his elbows pped out, his fists somehow pped in, and vice versa, causing more raucousughter to burst out. By the time they got to thest step where they were supposed to p their hands four times, Zeres was just so out of it that he could not even coordinate himself to p.

    The audience wereughing frantically, holding their stomachs in pain and some were even wiping off tears, as they watched the four of them dancing awkwardly as their faces were red in embarrassment, most especially for Zeres and Kyle who looked like they wanted nothing but to run and bolt the second they were able to. Both were wondering what on earth had they just gotten themselves into. They did not sign up for this! Damn it!

    "Haha. Who thought of this?" Alex wasughing hard, holding his stomach and almost doubled over.

    "Butler Charles." Abi whispered. "He''d asked me first if Zeke would being. And when I said yes, he gave us this idea."

    Alex nced at his old butler and gave him a big good-job, thumbs-up sign. It seemed that Charles immediately realized it was now possible to trick Zeke. "So, he came up with all that romantic dance punishment just to lure Zeke into losing? Haha. What a sly old man. I love it!!"

 Chapter 887 Interlude

    Chapter 887 Interlude¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @Edi_o! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Finally, Butler Charles deemed it sufficient after the four had gone through the chicken dance for three rounds. Then he called for the music to be stopped to the utmost relief of Zeres and Kyle. Though the girls were embarrassed as well, but they did not take it too much too heart.

    Once the two pairs returned to their seats with burning faces, Zeres and Kyle immediately asked for water. It was as though they had juste back from a strange and embarrassing battle.

    They somehow found themselvesughing at themselves midway as they danced, but now that the fun was over, the embarrassment from the knowledge that they had actually danced like that did not cease to make their faces ze as hot as when they were on stage, if not hotter.

    Kyle had never imagined himself having to dance to such a song like that. If that could even be called a dance! Oh, goodness¡­ he was afraid that this had just be a historic moment in his life. The good thing was that Lilith had danced along with him too!

    "I didn''t know you could dance so amazingly like that." Alex was grinning like the Cheshire cat from Alice in Wondend as he draped his arm around Zeres, teasing him mercilessly.

    "Shut up, Alexander." Zeres rubbed his face in embarrassment as he rolled his shoulders, trying to dislodge an annoyinglyrge bug called Alexander.

    "I''m expecting you to teach your nephew and niece that dance in the near future, okay?" Alex whispered before he walked over to his wife, leaving Zeres sitting there open-mouthed in disbelief at first but his expression eventually changed and heughed quietly at himself, shaking his head wryly.

    He faced Iryz and leaned a bit closer to her to whisper. "Did you hear that? I might hire you to be the twin''s dance teacher one of these days." No way was he going to endure this embarrassment all on his own. As people always say, misery lovespany, right? Then he grinned naughtily at Iryz.

    Iryz justughed at hisment. She did not think it was such a bad thing to do that dance again. After all, it was quite fun in her opinion.

    "Alright. Now let''s move on to the next event." Butler Charles announced.

    Two chairs were now facing each other on the stage.

    Zeke led Alicia there and had her sit down first before he sat on his own.

    There was nothing but seriousness on Zeke''s face. But that was what made the scene even more funny, in Alex''s opinion of course, as he was the one enjoying his friend''s difort and embarrassment.

    "I wonder what he''ll be singing." Abi whispered to Alex. She too could not help but be curious and interested in knowing how this crown prince of the vampires would sound like singing.

    "I don''t know but¡­" Alex lowered his voice even more. "Zeke can''t sing." Before coughing out a couple of times, in an attempt to mask hisugh.

    Abi looked surprised as she widened her eyes at her husband. "Really? Are you sure?"

    "I am sure. I have never heard him sing before. Because he just don''t sing." Alex looked pretty certain, so Abi could not help but feel surprised. She had already expected that as always, Zeke would also sing perfectly ¨C as how he does everything perfectly. That guy was just too perfect in everything that he does that it was more unbelievable for them if there was something he could not actually do.

    "I think¡­ he might be hiding his talent from you? It''s hard to believe that Zeke does not have a talent in singing too." Abi said somewhat skeptically as she pursed her lips while looking at her husband''s over-confident look.

    Alex smirked at his wife. "Why don''t we make a bet, my wife? If you lose¡­" he whispered something naughty that caused Abi to blush and give him a smack on his shoulder.

    "And if you lose?" she retorted, and Alex whispered what must be another naughty thing into her ears as it had Abi looking fired up.

    Soon, a maid brought a guitar over and handed it to Zeke.

    By then, Zeke and Alicia''s feet were now connected. Alex had actually already exined that there was a reason why the two cannot break skin contact a while ago. He did not give any details as to why though, but the others were discreet enough to know not to probe too much into it.

    Zeke holding a guitar was¡­ a never been seen before scene. Even Kai, Lucas and Kyle were amazed looking at him with a guitar in his hands.

    Alicia could never have even imagined it in her wildest dreams. That this man could actually y a guitar! Was there anything that he did not know how to do?!

    He tested the strings, adjusting them. He was quiet and so serious. He did not say a single word since he had read that card. Alicia could not help but wonder if this was Ezekiel being nervous. But then, his heartbeat was as steady and as calm as always! So she could not quite ce his current mood and what it meant.

    It was really hard for her to read him if they were among other people. It seemed as though the only time where she could easily read him was when they were together, alone.

    Finally, he seemed satisfied with his fine tuning now as he finally lifted his gaze and meet Alicia''s eyes.

    Suddenly, Alicia felt her heart skipped a beat and she did not know why.

    A slow, plucking sound started echoing as he kept his gaze on hers. Never once looking down at the strings of the guitar.

    The atmosphere seemed to suddenly shift. And slowly, everyone else seemed to disappear. It was as if it were only the two of them that was left in the world.

    The plucking sounds of the guitar echoed beautifully in the air. He had not even started singing yet, but the interlude was already so good. The soft music was romantic and peaceful and sweet¡­ the kind of music only makes one feel a deep nostalgia.

    The audience even could not help but fall utterly silent as they listened to his ying. There seemed to be something in the way Zeke yed that enraptured everyone who listened. The sound was just so heartfelt, so unlike his not so expressive expressions.

    Alicia felt like Zeke had been skipping the first verses and turned them into plucking instead.

    He continued with the beautiful plucking that no one could actuallyin, even they knew he should be singing. Alex thought that he would make ain once the song was over and perhaps make Zeke repeat his singing the song from start to finish.

    But just as when everyone thought Zeke did not have any ns on singing the lyrics out loud, a deep, cello-like voice came out.

    "I don''t know when it began but i think i''d loved you then

    Before i even realize and understand

    I tried my best to stay away

    Strengthen my walls around me

    But you set everything on fire

    Put life in my eyes

    And now i don''t want to go

    No, i dont want to go"

    ___

    Don''t forget to vote with your Golden Tickets hellbounders! Let''s keep our #01 rank till this month ends! :flexed_biceps::flexed_biceps:

    P.s. the song i have in mind is Just say you won''t let go by James Arthur. I originally nned to use the lyrics from that song but it''s not allowed. :(

 Chapter 888 Unmistakable

    Chapter 888 Unmistakable¡¡¡¡The atmosphere had a sudden andplete 360 degrees turn upon hearing Zeke''s voice sounding from the speakers.

    From all theughing the chicken dance had caused to a heartwarmingly mncholic and romantic mood, it was really an unexpected urrence. No, they could not quite exin it, but there was somethingpletely different in this moment. Something that had made them want to smile and cry all at the same time.

    Somehow, they just could tell that this was not all because of Zeke''s no-so-surprisingly great voice that had caused goosebumps all over their arms.

    "Geez¡­ I can''t believe this¡­" Alex was smiling wryly in disbelief as he leaned against Abi and gently pressed her head against his shoulder. "That guy just stole your confession idea. You want me to scold himter?" he whispered before nting a kiss on Abi''s hair and she chuckled at that.

    Abi looked up and when their eyes met, Abi realized Alex remembered it too. That time when she confessed to him. And it made her feel even more emotional as she thought of how far they hade since then. And now, here they were, even able to celebrate their twin''s arrival with their closest friends.

    "That idea isn''t mine to begin with, Alex. I bet countless people have confessed their feelings to their significant other through songs since the beginning of time." she pinched him yfully.

    "Well¡­" Alex kissed Abi''s head again. "I guess Zeke really has such an amazing taste regarding this matter at least. He''s doing such a great job¡­ that little bastard." Alex could not quite help butin about him. But it was done good-naturedly and with a smile.

    "He is¡­ I honestly am so happy for him¡­ for them." Abi smiled, returning her gaze towards the couple. One nce and she already knew ¨C even before Zeke had yet to sing single verse. "I''m so d your wish is finally happening, Alex."

    Alexughed silently. "It happened so much earlier than I''ve ever thought it would, though. Ah¡­ the things love can do..." he remarked with a face as though he was an old and extremely experienced wise man.

    Abi giggled quietly as well.

    Her gaze then turned to and focused on Alicia and her heart swelled. She had never seen either of them looking like that before ¨C so happy, satisfied and so very much in love with the other. Never. So silently, Abi prayed that they both will ovee every challenges thates their way and be together forever, just like her and Alex. They truly deserve to have their very own happily ever after as well.

    On the other table, Lilith and Kyle had their full attention locked onto the couple on the stage. They looked pretty calm on the outside but under the table, Lilith was clenching her fists in her skirt while Kyle had his one fist balled into a tight grip. However, it was not because of anger, nor frustration. They just did not even actually realize they were doing it.

    Kyle''s eyes were fixed onto Zeke. He had never¡­ ever seen his older brother do anything so human like this. Never imagined or dreamt about it. He had never seen him look at anyone like that as well. Zeke''s eyes were never that bright and alive before.

    The same thought was in Kai and Lucas'' mind at the moment too. Was this still the same Ezekiel that they had known all this time?

    Kai who was gripping Kelly''s hand, was rubbing his thumb in circr motions over her palm while he had his gaze glued onto Zeke as well. This was a shock of lifetime for him. And apparently not just him, but he was pretty sure the same was the case for everyone else who had known Zeke for so long.

    It was not that they did not believe in love. But they just thought that Zeke was someone even love could not conquer. And yet here he was, serenading a woman in front of everyone like this. Only a blind person would think that this was nothing but a simple song dedication. No, even a blind person could tell if they heard his song, the unmistakable traces of emotioncing his voice.

    It was that hard to believe that none of them could even find a word to say. Right now, they were witnessing a Zeke that they had never ever seen before.

    In Iryz and Zeres'' table, the atmosphere was as silent as the others. Iryz slowly looked over at Zeres, wanting to see how he was taking it. She knew now that thedy on the stage was Alicia. The woman whom she had thought was Zeres'' lover. The one he had been desperately trying to save.

    Watching the romantic and heartfelt show on the stage, Iryz could already tell what was going on between those two. Alicia was definitely in love with that man.

    Despite all the things Zeres had confessed to her, she was curious to see Zeres'' reaction to this. But at that moment, he was not showing any emotions that were strong enough for anyone to read what he was feeling at the moment. She wondered what was it that was running through his mind right now.

    To her surprise, he noticed her gaze and turned to face her. Their eyes met and Iryz flushed at being caught red-handed in spying on him. It seemed that she had stared too much!

    She forced a quick and sheepish smile before turning her attention back to the stage when he suddenly stretched his hand over to her. She noticed that he had offered her his open palms.

    Blinking a couple of times, Iryz slowly put her hand onto his.

    Curious what he was going to do, she looked up at him again and saw that his attention was back to the stage. However, he¡­ his hand closed warmly around hers before he suddenly started pressing and rubbing on certain spots on her hand. He was massaging her hand with his fingers!

    ___

    A/N: Still remember Abi''s confession in volume 1? ^^ Ah... felt like it''s been forever since then.

    ___

    Hi hellbounders! I''ve already published Hellbound Heart! You can check it out now. Go to my profile to see it. That book will be my entry for this year''s spirity so i hope you guys will also support it. CHECK IT OUT NOW AND PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. ^^

 Chapter 889 Centuries-old ice berg

    Chapter 889 Centuries-old ice berg¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @Edi_o! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    On the stage, Alicia could see nothing but him. She could hear nothing but his voice singing those beautiful words and his guitar''s melodious plucking sounds.

    The world had faded away and ceased to exist as she watched him sing to her. Listening to that voice that was now touching her very soul, reaching the deepest chambers of her heart, sparing nothing, she was effortlessly intoxicated by this spell that was his song.

    She had never expected this. She knew she would have loved his voice even if he ended up being bad at it. But this man just had to open his lips and with that, he had herpletely and helplessly floored. And the bad thing is, that was just his voice!

    The moment she heard the lyrics of his song, her entire being was then utterly enthralled by him. Her heart was beating like crazy and felt like it was about to beat its way out of control and out of her chest cavity as he continued his singing, his maic grey eyes still holding her gaze steadily.

    "I don''t know what to do

    I''m just so in love with you"

    And it could not help but burst. Those lines just made her heart burst into an outbreak of mes. mes that were consuming her heart and mind only for him and him alone.

    His grey eyes that were staring into hers were vulnerable, clear, raw¡­

    He was opening up his very person to her without reservation. Almost as if he was begging her to see right through his very soul. For her to truly understand him through and through, and still ept him for who he is and love him no matter what. He literally bared his soul to her.

    Tears had already pooled in her eyes, and she did not even realize it as her vampire vision stayed clear despite the tears.

    "I want to love you for eternity"

    He dropped his gaze and looked at his fingers that were dancing on the guitar''s strings. Beads of sweat were now covering his forehead. His raven ck hair hanging over his forehead in an attractive mess.

    Then he lifted his eyes and met hers again. Seeing the quiet tears streaming down her cheeks. And realizing that she did not know she was even crying. Crying for him. Crying because of him.

    "Here I am, singing this song for you in front of everyone"

    A sh of a smile tugged at his lips as he sang that line. But that smile was fleeting because all too soon, deep lines appeared between his brows when he sang thesest lines.

    "I don''t want to go

    No, I don''t want to go"

    And when the outro ended, a deafening silence followed.

    The audience were silent. Alicia was immobile, just staring at him, not quite recognizing that the song had ended.

    No one broke the silence for a long while until Zeke moved the guitar, leaned it on the guitar stand and reached out for her. He lifted his hand and wiped away her tears that were still tracking down her cheeks gently with his thumb and said, "Now I understand why I don''t like singing at all. Turns out that my voice makes people cry." He said jokingly, humor clearly evident in his voice.

    Suddenly, Alicia threw herself into his arms. She then hugged him tightly, burying her face into his sturdy chest as she silently cried and gripped him even harder. She had obviously and totally forgotten that they were not alone and that they were still on the stage, having this lovely disy right in front of their closest friends.

    Zeke on the other hand was surprised for a moment. And the moment he put his hand around her and started rubbing her back in soothing circles, the sound of pping hands slowly echoed one after another.

    Zeke stilled his movements. Lifting his gaze, he saw everyone now standing, giving him a standing ovation.

    "Phewitt!!!" Alex whistled and Lucas followed suit.

    Now the silence waspletely reced with the loud pping of the onlookers and happy celebratory noises. Zeke swept his gaze across everyone''s faces. They were grinning from ear to ear. Eyes were bright and even twinkling. Alex had the widest smile, genuinely happy and proud, but at the same time seemingly promising some mischiefter on.

    Kai and Lucas looked so happy and relieved. Kyle looked¡­ like he was still in disbelief but genuinely happy as well for his brother''s new love. And Zeres. He wore a small smile, and there was eptance and approval brimming in his eyes.

    ''I am taking back my words, Kiel. You were not iron-hearted all along.'' he whispered very softly to Zeke in his mind and as if Zeke had heard that faint voice, he replied with a ''No, you weren''t wrong. You were very right in fact, Zeres. I was iron-hearted.''

    Then of course, Alex had to butt in. ''Because even iron gets melted with the correct temperature and right amount of fire, right?'' A smirk could be heard from his voice. ''Now tell me Zeke, I''m interested to know. How does it feel, for a centuries-old iceberg like yourself, to be melted down and burned? Must really feel like heaven, am I right?'' then he guffawed out loudly, pleased with his ''observation''.

    Zeke ignored Alex and returned his attention back to Alicia because he felt her stiffening when Charles got back onto the stage again and spoke. She must have realized that they were still in public and was starting to get ufortable and embarrassed with her earlier reactions.

    "You feeling okay?" Zeke whispered into her ears, only allowing her to hear him. "Do you need me to take you to the bathroom for a moment?"

    "Y-yes, please." She immediately replied nodding her head but never moving to lift her now red as a ripe tomato face. However, Zeke could see the tips of her ears that were burning red and the heat that was emanating from her face that was stered onto his chest still. He only chuckled at her within his own mind, but nothing showed outwardly.

    "Alicia needs a moment to herself. We''ll be back in a bit." Zeke informed Charles and then the duo disappeared into a wisp of smoke.

    ___

    A/N: i was so surprised with the gifts from you guys yesterday. Thank you so very much from the buttom of my heart! Or were those gifts for Zeke''s tallent fee? XD

    P.s. the song I have in mind Zeke is singing is Just say you won''t let go by James Arthur. Too bad i can''t use the lyric from that song T^T

 Chapter 890 Later

    Chapter 890 Later¡¡¡¡Everyone took their seats after watching Zeke and Alicia disappear in a puff of smoke from the stage. Not a single person there could be found not smiling. It was a heartwarming scene that they knew they were privileged to have a glimpse into, and everyone was happy for the both of them.

    Butler Charles had called for the maids to bring in the food for the guests to feast on for the night. As the maids were doing their jobs, the men meanwhile, had gathered around one table while thedies naturally crowded around the twins.

    The men wereughing and were in good spirits as they talked about Zeke. Though it was generally Alex and Kai who did most of the talking.

    "Honestly, I had not seen that oneing. At all!" Kai was shaking his head as he ced his wine ss on the table.

    "I can assure you, everyone did not. Well, except for me, of course." Alex said cheekily and proudly before raising his own wine ss in a toast.

    "Yeah, yeah¡­" the men could only smirk as well. Not even trying to fight Alex''s cheekiness anymore. No one can outdo him when ites to being shameless. In fact, he might be the one who invented the term shameless.

    "Are we going to make him talkter, Alex?" Kai asked, his face now somewhat serious. "I believe everyone wants to know what happened or what had gone on. I''ve heard the news about the issue between him and the vampires. Or was it just me who is in the dark and not know anything?"

    "You''re not the only one, brother." Kyle finally spoke, his tone wry as he too, admitted that he was in the dark about things that are going on. "I knew nothing at all. I don''t even know how or when had he gotten together with Alicia."

    The group of men went silent as they looked at the youngest in their circle.

    "Well, you were at a human school, Your Highness." Lucas patted the prince''s back, trying tofort him.

    Kyle let out a deep sigh. "That song he just sung¡­ I don''t know about anyone else, but those lyrics weren''t just some simple lyrics, were they? If my gut feeling is right, what did he mean by those words in thatst line? That he didn''t want to go? Was brother nning on going somewhere?" Kyle could no longer hold back and asked the question that was bothering him the most.

    Another silence hung over them. No one spoke, so Kai lifted his gaze towards Alex. He wanted Alex to at least say something for Kyle''s sake. Alex definitely knows what was going on.

    Kyle was young and Kai thought that at his age, there was a big chance that he might fight back and try to be rebellious. And this issue would only trigger it.

    "Yes, he''s nning to." Alex finally spoke. He had of course understood Kai''s worries. This was not the time for Kyle to turn rebellious. Though he could still go through that stage of his life sooner orter, Alex would prefer if the trigger was not Zeke. Or at least not now.

    Because he could already imagine what a pain in the ass Kyle might be if that happens. This boy had been the most well behaved and kindest prince among all of the Reigns princes. Alex could definitely attest to that. Kyle was just pure at heart to begin with, but that was also the biggest reason why he could be a major trouble once he started to be a problem himself. He had known how dangerous kind people actually were if they ended up being pushed past their limit.

    "He''s nning to leave Alicia?" Kyle asked again, eyes wide. He could not believe his brother would do such a thing.

    "Not just Alicia. All of us." Alex corrected in a somber tone, causing the young man to go still in utter shock.

    The seriousness in Alexander''s gaze as he said those words had him unable to react for some time. Kyle had thought that song was for Alicia alone. That he might go somewhere and leave Alicia after¡­ after she had turned into a vampire like that. It angered him because he could feel that his brother was finally in love. He finally found the love that had seemed to elude him for such a long time. Alicia was now an important part of him. He did not know what had happened. Or how and why did Alicia managed to turn into a vampire. But he knew that no one else could make such an impossible thing to happen, other than Zeke.

    He believed that Zeke was the one who turned her. And now he was singing such a song like he was nning to just up and leave her? It made him want to run over and confront Zeke so bad. He wanted his brother to tell him that those words were just an out of ce lyric in the song.

    But now that he was hearing all this from Alexander''s mouth. That he was really nning to leave ¨C and not just Alicia but all of them?!

    "And once he leaves, he can nevere back." Alex added softly but everyone heard it loud and clear. The atmosphere suddenly turnedpletely heavy. Mainly it was caused by Kai and Kyle''s auras that had been suddenly unleashed.

    "W-what do you mean? Where in the world is he going that he can nevere back?" Kyle could not help but stammer. Now there was a really bad feeling that was building in his heart.

    He could not help but think about all the preparations Zeke had made him go throughtely. He had felt the unusual urgency in his moves. Like he was preparing him for something big. The thought that all those things that he had done was because he was going to leave for good, had his entire being freezing.

    "He''s part demon, Kyle. You already know that, right?" Alex replied, knowing that that line was enough for Kyle to figure out. "But don''t worry¡­ because I think there is still time. Later, I''ll make sure that he does not leave after the party so we can talk to him about this matter."

    ___

    A/N: Hi hellbounders! I''ve already published Hellbound Heart! You can check it out now. Go to my profile to see it. That book will be my entry for this year''s spirity so i hope you guys will also support it. CHECK IT OUTNOW AND PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. ^^

 Chapter 891 For eternity

    Chapter 891 For eternity¡¡¡¡Thischapter is dedicated to @Mayka_h! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    A while ago¡­

    The moment the duo materialized inside one of the mansion''s many bathrooms, Alicia immediately reached out and grabbed Zeke''s cor before pushing him against the door and kissing him in an almost desperate manner.

    Zeke stilled for a moment, not expecting for Alicia to suddenly pounce on him and make such bold move when she was still shedding tears just a moment ago.

    And to think that she had literally mmed him against the door that hard and with such strength. It seemed as though this woman of his had very quickly forgotten about how strong she had be right now! Most likely, she had long forgotten the fact that she had been turned into a vampire.

    When she finally pulled away from that quick but hard kiss, she was already panting hard. The remnants of tears were evident on her pretty face as some were still clinging onto her longshes.

    "Feel better now?" he asked, smiling gently. Now that there were no other audiences around them, his expression had rxed and was now pretty readable. "I didn''t sing that song to make you cry, Alicia." He attempted to press her against him in aforting hug, but Alicia did not allow him to.

    She kept her intense gaze on him instead, pressing her palms over his chest.

    He stared back, waiting for her to speak. But seconds ticked by, and no other words came out of her mouth. Her tears just quietly fell again, causing Zeke to frown in concern.

    "Alicia¡­" he uttered her name as he lifted his hand and brushed her cheek gently. He was worried now as he could see a pain so raw that had reced the happiness in her eyes from earlier. "What''s ¨C"

    "K-kiss me¡­ more." She choked out, not knowing how to broach the subject. Therefore, she approached it the only way she could think how to for now. "Make my tears stop. Please¡­" her voice hitched at the end as she pleaded with him.

    He listened. There were deep lines between his brows as his head descended and he kissed her passionately.

    Zeke did not like how she was crying in this moment. He did not like seeing the pain in her eyes. He would not mind seeing her cry as long as she cries on his shoulders. But this time was different. He hated seeing that raw pain in her eyes because it just made him falter terribly.

    When he pulled away and saw that her tears had not stopped, Zeketched on her mouth again. However, this time it was no longer passionate and coaxing and gentle. It came at her hard, deep, savage, and devouring. This is the type of kiss they both love the most.

    Until the bathroom was filled with the sounds of their dirty kisses. Alicia did not even realize that she was already being seated on top of the sink top. Her back was pressed against the mirror behind her. Her fingers clutching his dark hair in huge handfuls and her legs wrapped tightly around him. It was as though she as trying to imitate an octopus that was coiling and tightening its arms around its target.

    "F*ck! Alicia¡­" he groaned as he forced himself to stop the kiss. It was almost impossible for him to pull away from her mouth ¨C as though there was a ck hole that was drawing him in powerfully with its gravitational pull. Their eyes met, their breaths panting hard and in sync with each other''s. Her tears had finally stopped flowing and her eyes now were brimming with raw desire. Over the past few days that they had spent together, he hade to recognize this look. It was that expression that could drive him mad just by looking. "Any more than this and I''m going to f**k you right here right now, babe." He panted, trying hard to hold back. "Don''t start something you can''t stop if you don''t want that happening."

    Alicia finally snapped out of the haze of desire that had enveloped her. She remembered where they were at the moment, and why they were here.

    Slowly, she loosened her tight grip on him andbed back his now ruffled hair with her fingers.

    "I''m sorry¡­" she whispered, feeling a little embarrassed at losing her self-control so easily like that. "I was so emotional and¡­"

    Zeke gripped her wrist, his gaze now boring down into hers. "You cried because you''re hurt. You cried because you were in pain." He said, his jaws clenching even as he called it as it is. "I didn''t¡­ I didn''t know that would hurt ¨C"

    "No, Ezekiel." She cut him off, shaking her head, not wanting him to me himself. "You don''t know how you made me so very happy. Happiness is even an understatement if it were to describe what I''ve felt. You don''t know what kind of feelings you''ve made me feel while you were singing." A watery smile appeared on her face.

    "Then why did you suddenly look ¨C"

    "Because I had realized then that I don''t want to let you go!" her voice came out louder than she had intended it to be. "Because I don''t want you to disappear when that dayes, so I can hold you and keep you in my arms forever! I told you I will not stop you. I told you I will never let you ruin your ns. I told you I will never let you make any sacrifices. I told you that I will¡­ support your ns. I told you all I want from you is this¡­ for you to give yourself to me for a few more days! But¡­" she buried her face in her palms as she drew in a few deep breaths. "I don''t know what to do now, Ezekiel. I want you so much¡­ I want to love you, stay with you much longer than this¡­ I want you for myself for eternity and it''s getting so painful the closer we get to that day¡­"

    ___

    A/N: I''ve changed the lyric of the song in the previous chaps as i was told i might get in trouble for using the lyrics even if i put proper credits on it. :(

    I''m not good at writing song lyrics so it might suck but i did my best T^T

    P.S. Please check out my newest book titled , formerly MBXR. This book is my first non exclusive book so you won''t see it in my profile but you can see it in my reading list. However, it will be a book that i can freely print so look forward to its physical book version in the near future. It will also have aic very soon.

    So i hope you guys will give it a try and please consider leaving a review while you''re at it. Thank you so much in advance!

    ___

    P.s. please cast your votes in Hellbound Heart. Thank you.

 Chapter 892 Tutor

    Chapter 892 Tutor¡¡¡¡Back at the party, everyone was happily feasting on the delicious food that were being served by the maids, all the while enjoying each other''spany. Soft music flowed in the background and the low hum of conversations that were going on among the guests and hosts made the entire ce seem so warm, cozy and inviting.

    The atmosphere became blissful once again. Though Alicia and Zeke had yet to return, everyone did not mind their absence anymore. Well, it was expected that another romantic moment would ensue after all that shocking public disy of affection that Zeke had showed.

    Moreover, Alicia was also crying when they had left. So they could already deduce that the duo might take quite some time before they would return to join the others for the party.

    While the men were enjoying their drinks, Alex started up another topic. This time, he put Zeres at the center of attention. Something that of course, had the silver-haired guy shooting a frustrated re at Alex.

    "Oh,e on Zeres! You should actually start thinking about doing something that you really want to do in your life. And it should be soon, too. Maybe you might want to go study and be a doctor or perhaps even a teacher¡­ or something along those lines. You have all the time in the world right now. But I still think it''s better if you find something you really want to do soon." Alex said and Kai and Lucas nodded quickly, agreeing to what Alex had said.

    Zeres was dumbstruck at that sudden topic that was brought up. He had not been expecting such a lecture from Alexander. No, it was more like he just was not used to Alex talking about serious matters and behaving really sensibly like how he was at the moment. But then, he remembered that Alexander was already a father now.

    "Or are you not interested yet because¡­" Alex added, leaning his elbow on Zeres'' shoulder as he waggled his brow. "Because you are upied with something else right now? Or should I say someone¡­?" his voice turned into a whisper.

    Ahhh¡­ he spoke too soon. Because there he goes again.

    Zeres shrugged Alex''s hand off his shoulder, but Alex just casually returned his hand back into position again and continued talking as though he did not feel Zeres not wanting to continue on this topic. "I heard you''re living with Iryz for quite a while now, Zeres. And yet you didn''t introduce her to us as your girlfriend? What''s the deal with that??"

    "That''s because she''s not my girlfriend yet, Alexander." He sternly replied when Alex suddenly shed that annoying grin.

    "Yet." He echoed and Zeres finally realized he indeed had said that. "Aah¡­ I see where this is going." And he chuckled mischievously.

    It caused his ears to redden, and he looked away, only to see Iryzughing as she was talking with Abi.

    "I think she''s a suitable wife material, right Lucas?" Alex nced at Lucas and the ginger head immediately nodded before gulping down his wine.

    Thatment made Zeres cough violently on his drink though. He was unable to believe that Alex was already using the word ''wife''. This guy was just impossible!

    "Stop talking nonsense, Alexander. She''s still very young ¨C" Zeres chided him sternly.

    "How old is she, by the way¡­?" Alex interrupted him.

    "I think neen or twenty?"

    "And you are telling us that age is ''very young''? Dude!! If you count her age in her past life as Eris¡­ she''s no longer young!" Alex eximed at Zeres, his face showing a little disbelief that Zeres was still giving excuses.

    Zeres went speechless. He could only grab onto his wine and drink it, allowing him to avoid replying.

    "But seriously, Zeres. You''re going to pursue her, aren''t you?" Alex sounded serious again. "You did say ''yet''¡­ but I hope you''re not going to drag it on. Or someone else might snatch her up even before you realized it."

    Suddenly, Zeres turned to Alex. His brows creased. "S-someone? Who?" his eyes were slight widened as he uttered those two words.

    Alex could not help but roll his eyes at this helpless and clueless dimwit.

    "Oh,e on Zeres. You can''t be that shallow, can you? Just look at her!" Alex pointed over to where Iryz was standing. "You really think such ady like her doesn''t have any admirers¡­ or even suitors?"

    Zeres was silenced once again. Now that he was looking at her from afar, just sitting there, smiling andughing and talking, like she had forgotten all about him¡­

    She really was beautiful and charming. He had noticed this before, but her smile really seems to light up her surrounding and even the people who are looking at her.

    "Agreed. I find her really attractive." Lucas'' voice echoed from the side and Zeres turned to him with a start.

    "What did you just say?"

    "I said she''s really attractive. If she was a vampire¡­" Lucas trailed off when he realized that Zeres'' gaze on him had started to sharpen dangerously. "Er¡­ I am not nning to hit on her, man. So just rx."

    "You can''t actually act like that when she''s not even your girlfriend though." Kai butted in, wanting to put in his two cents worth. "She''s still single. So that means she''s not off limits. Anyone can make a move on her if she''s okay with it. It''s just fair game." He then shrugged after seeing the ugly expression on Zeres'' face.

    "But we''re going to go on date soon. We have already talked about it, and I am already set to date her tomorrow or the next day¡­" Zeres trailed off at the sight of Alex''s widening smile.

    He turned away and gulped another mouthful of his wine when Alex leaned closer to him.

    "So¡­ tell me. You already have a n for the date? Or should I say, you already know what to do to make your girl have the best date ever? Hmm, Zeres?" Alex really sounded like a busybody housewife right now.

    But Zeres stilled at all the questioning. The truth was, he had absolutely had no ideas just yet. He has never dated anyone before. Women just naturally throw themselves on him for sex. That was all his experience was, with the women in this modern world.

    "Worry not, Zeres. This man right here, will tutor you on that matter now." Alex said with a flourish when Zeres suddenly stood up and ran over to thedies'' table.

    The men started at his sudden movement and followed him with their gazes only to watch him go ahead and grabbed Iryz''s wine ss away from her hand.

    ''Err¡­ what is the white dragon witch doing?'' Lucas thought. Everyone had the same thoughts as Lucas except for Kai, as he had immediately realized what had caused Zeres to frantically run and did that.

    "Zeres?" Iryz had her hand suspended in midair as she blinked at Zeres who seemed to have suddenly appeared next to her out of nowhere just to snatch her ss from her hands.

    "Sorry," he sighed. "Did you drink from this already?"

    Confused, Iryz hesitantly nodded. By that time, thedies who had gone to put the twins back in their cribs have already returned. They all looked at the duo, wondering what had just happened.

    ___

    Please cast your Golden Tickets on Hellbound Heart. Thank you.

 Chapter 893 Adorable

    Chapter 893 Adorable¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @_Basia_! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    "How much had you drunk?" Zeres'' face was now looking even more severe as he bent closer to her.

    "Uhm¡­ I think two sses?? Uhm¡­ why are you¡­ I''m not that weak in dealing with alcohol, Zeres. I can actually hold my liquor quite well and this is just wine. So it should be fine." Iryz said, frowning a little, eying her ss and obviously wanting it back.

    She did not notice how thedies, especially Kelly had secretly gasped behind her as soon as they realized that Iryz had tried to drink from the other bottles. Abi on the other hand, looked as confused as Iryz because she did not understand why Zeres was reacting this way. It was as if Iryz was just a mere human who could not manage the vampire''s wine delicacy. Wait¡­ could it be that¡­ everyone and even Iryz herself thinks that she was just a normal human¡­?

    "Iryz¡­" Zeres ced the ss on the table but further away from her reach and whispered into her ears. "This wine is made especially for the vampires. Witches can handle it just fine, but not humans. Are you feeling okay?"

    Abi was about to say something when Iryz suddenly started to look a little dazed and intoxicated, surprising her once again. The girl was affected by the wine! Did this mean that her suspicion was wrong the whole time, and that this girl was truly just a normal human in this lifetime? But¡­

    "R-really? No wonder it tastes sooo good. I''ve never tasted such wine before." Iryz chuckled happily and she tried to reach for the ss again when Zeres caught her wrist and stopping her from doing so.

    "Damn, why did I forget to tell her anything about the foods being served here?" Zeres groaned. "No. That''s enough. I just told you that the wine is specially made for the vampires, didn''t I?"

    "But it won''t kill humans if we drink it, right?" Iryz frowned as she asked, still thinking in her mind of wanting to grab the ss of wine.

    "No, it won''t but ¨C"

    "Then there is nothing to worry about, sir." She cut him off, giggling cutely. "I want more of that wine and nothing can stop me. Not even you!" She then stuck out her tongue at him.

    She stood up when Zeres wrapped his arm around her waist to stop her. "I said, no. That thing can''t kill you¡­ but it will do something bad to you." He hurriedly told her.

    "Something bad? What something bad?" Iryz cocked her head to the side, wondering what was so bad about it. Did they put in some strong drugs? But she immediately pushed that thought away. No way these group of people would touch something illegal like drugs.

    Zeres'' mouth opened and closed and could not say anything. And thedies who were watching him from the side could not help but press their lips tightly together to stop themselves from giggling at the poor man. No one tried to help him though. They all kept silent and watched with suppressed smiles at how he was going to resolve this matter.

    He had nced at Abi for help, but Kelly was quick to grab her arm and drag her away from him. Until the others eventually left, leaving Zeres standing there alone with Iryz, speechless. She was still staring at him, waiting for him to answer her.

    "You don''t even know what this something bad is, do you? You just don''t want me to enjoy the wine, right?" Iryzined and pouted.

    "Iryz¡­" Zeres did not know how to respond to her usations.

    "Let me go. I''ll make you as many coffees as you want once we''re home. Just one more ss, pleaseeee?" she pleaded, her eyes widening like kitten''s, causing Zeres to feel a scratchy and itchy feeling in his heart and his ears turned red and hot.

    "Answer is still no, Iryz. Please listen to me ¨C"

    "No! I don''t want to! You''re so mean!" Iryz pouted and med him.

    "Iryz¡­ this is for your sake -"

    "I don''t think so, Zeres. You''re just being mean to me right now! Let me go and let me have the wine. Since I am already here, so just let me enjoy myself, can''t I?"

    "Are you really going to choose the wine over me now?" Zeres asked her, a little in disbelief.

    She stilled before turning to look at him then her gaze wandered back longingly to the wine.

    "Yes. I choose the wine." Iryz told him in a very serious and determined tone.

    Zeres: ". . .!!!"

    At that point, everyone could no longer hold back andughed, although it was done in silence. But it could be seen in their shoulders as they started to tremble as they watched Zeres'' expression looking as though he just had experienced a severe emotional damage. His HP had taken a huge blow and had gone down into the red.

    "He''s ncing over at you, Alex." Kai muttered lowly as he giggled.

    "Although I do see him as my younger brother right now¡­ but no. No way in hell!" Alex smirked wickedly. "Even if he begs me, I won''t be giving him even a little help." Then he snickered softly. But those around him clearly heard it.

    "What a cold big brother you are then." Lucas said with humor. He then said a silent prayer for Zeres in his heart. ''Man, I hope you survive this.''

    "Nah, ''what a sweet big brother you are'' should be the correct words. He really needs to learn how to subdue his drunk girl by himself. Just look at them interacting with each other. Aren''t they just adorable?!"

    "Tsk, tsk¡­ You just enjoy watching him having a hard time. Well, an adorably cute hard time if that wordbo even makes any sense."

    ___

    A/N: Don''t forget to vote with your Golden Tickets hellbounders. ^^

 Chapter 894 Bleed for me

    Chapter 894 Bleed for me¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @Qp637! Thank you so much for the supergift!

    Meanwhile, back at the bathroom¡­

    The atmosphere in there was theplete opposite of the blissfulness andughter that was going on in the backyard. If it was sunshine and blue skies outside, there was rain and gloom inside that bathroom.

    Zeke bent over andid his head into the crook of Alicia''s neck. His arms braced against the expensive tiles, trapping Alicia between them. His body was so incredibly stiff, and his veins were clearly visible as they had popped out from his skin.

    He had yet to say a word after Alicia''s outburst. He just stood there, head bent and keeping quiet. It seemed that for the moment, he had gone back to his solemn and silent persona from before.

    The silence was torturous for Alicia. The feel of his body was so tense, the sounds of his shallow breathing and his unnaturally fast heartbeat¡­ Alicia could already feel the agony that was seeping into her bones.

    And she could only silently tear up again as she gently lifted her arms and hugged his head that was bent over, weaving her fingers gently through his dark hair knowing full well what her confession had done to him. How it would have affected him.

    She was the one who told him that she would not force him to choose her. She had told him she had never wanted him to betray his brother. That no matter what happens, Ezekiel would not be like his father. That he would never sacrifice anyone in the name of love. And yet she¡­

    "I''m sorry¡­" she choked out. "I''m so very sorry¡­"

    But her teary apologies only made him stiffen up even more. She could feel his already tense muscles tightening up, clenching and unclenching ¨C as though he was trying to get himself to rx.

    "Stop¡­ don''t apologize anymore." he finally spoke. His voice tight. "You have nothing to be sorry about, Alicia."

    "I am making it harder for you now, Ezekiel. Even though I¡­ I promised not to." She felt so helpless that she was not only not helping him, but she was even dragging him down.

    "Alicia¡­ I¡­"

    "No," she shook her head almost frantically as she cupped his face and lifted it to make him look at her. "I know I had said all those things. But I would never wish for you to choose between me and Sebastian, okay? I would never¡­ it''s just that I¡­ is there really no other way? Please tell me if there''s another way, Ezekiel." Her voice came out begging. Her fingers trembling slightly on his cheeks.

    "Or perhaps¡­ that thing you''ve told me before." She continued. "When you said you''d kidnap me and bring me to hell. How about that, hmm? I will follow you. I''m willing to. Anywhere¡­ no matter where it is, I swear that to you. Just¡­ just don''t¡­ just don''t leave me alone."

    This time, it was Ezekiel who suddenly kissed her savagely. All the zing emotions, the pain and all the effort from the long-time suppression, seemed to have ignited and burned up into hellfire.

    And as he kissed her, his demonic powers just escaped and swirled around him, enveloping them both. Until the power quickly escted.

    Alicia felt it in an instant. The suffocating darkness. The burning hotness of his skin. And the danger in it.

    "Eze¡­ kiel¡­" she moaned against his mouth before she pulled away. And there it was again, his one eye had turned fully ck once more.

    He was shaking his head when their eyes met. "No, I can''t¡­ I can''t do that, Alicia. I would never." He seemed to be saying those words to himself with so much conviction. As though he needed to convince himself.

    A loud knock against the door echoed through the bathroom.

    The two of them look towards the door with a start.

    "I''ming in." It was Alexander! Why was he here?

    Before the two of them could even react, the door was forced opened and the man entered casually, as though it was amon and everyday thing for him to enter a locked bathroom. Thankfully, he was alone.

    His gaze fell directly to Ezekiel.

    "Zeke." He called his name as he approached. "My children''s party is not over yet." His voice was soft as he ced a hand on Zeke''s shoulder.

    That caused Ezekiel to go as still as a statue and he stared at Alicia again before he took multiple deep breaths.

    She knew he was trying very hard to calm himself down. To suppress the darkness once again. Alicia had finally noticed that the entire bathroom had gone so dark, enveloped with smoke-like shadows that had originated from him.

    She had not noticed it at all before this, because her vision of him was still so clear. If she was a witch then, she would definitely been unable to see anything with the amount of darkness he was leaking out.

    His shaky breathing wafted against her face as he pressed his forehead against hers. She could see that he was still trying his hardest to pull his powers back.

    Lifting her hands again, Alicia cupped his face and caressed his cheeks as gently as she could until he closed his eyes and ced his palms over her hands on his face.

    After what seemed like a long time, the lighting in the bathroom started to brighten up again.

    When they were no more traces of Zeke''s demonic powers anymore, Alexander retracted his hand and sighed.

    Still, he did not leave yet and just leaned against the wall next to them. Until Zeke finally opened his eyes. His other eye was still ck, but he was good now. Everything was under control for now.

    "I''m¡­ I''m sorry." Zeke said apologetically ncing at Alex. Knowing that his powers had just went out of control and it most definitely had reached all the way to the backyard for Alex to immediately rush over.

    Alex waved his hand. "No worries. Well then, I''ll go back first. But you two must follow suit as soon as Alicia''s ready. Okay?"

    When Zeke nodded, Alex quietly left after closing the bathroom door behind him.

    Slowly, Ezekiel returned his gaze to Alicia. He wiped the remnants of the tears over her face with his thumb.

    He looked like he had a lot to say, but he chose not to open his mouth. At least not right now. Alicia understood why. Because if he opens his mouth again, she would either cry again or they might not be able toe out any time soon. Either option was not right. Because they were here to celebrate Little Alexis and Alice.

    "I just keep making you cry¡­" he whispered in a pained voice. Kissing the tears away.

    Alicia smiled at him. "I think I''m doing the same¡­" she grabbed his hand and kissed the tips of his fingers. They had been bleeding earlier but they were healing now. She suspected he had subconsciously dug them into the tiles a while ago. "I just keep making you bleed for me."

    He shook his head, but Alicia gave him a quick peck on the lips and said, "I love you," before jumping down and moving towards the sink with him in tow.

    "We need to get back now." Alicia reminded him as she grabbed Zeke''s hand and ced them on her bare shoulder before bending over to wash her face. She wanted to get rid of that dried and crusty feeling due to her tears drying on her cheeks.

    "Thank goodness vampires don''t get puffy eyes." She chuckled shortly before turning to Ezekiel andbed her fingers though his hair and fixed his cor and necktie.

    "Let''s go?" she then asked a whileter and Zeke only nodded silently, entwining his hand with hers as they walked hand in hand back to their friends.

    ___

    A/N: Don''t forget to vote with your Golden Tickets hellbounders! ^^

 Chapter 895 Weight of the world

    Chapter 895 Weight of the world¡¡¡¡By the time Alicia and Zeke walked back and rejoined the party, Zeke immediately realized how worried everyone else were about them even as they smiled at them both. However, they were tactful enough not toe out and directly ask them what the matter was or if they were alright.

    It was obvious that everyone had felt the ominous power that he had unintentionally just let out a while ago. He really felt bad for that. Today was supposed to be the happy day for everyone.

    Just as Zeke was opening his mouth and about to apologize to everyone for being a wet nket and ruining the mood of this lively and important event, Alex went onto the stage and spoke to Charles. His face was already promising all kinds of trouble.

    "I think that Zeke''s punishment a while ago was not quite done yet, right, Charles?" he asked, causing everyone to shift their attention to the master of event.

    "Ah, yes." Charles quickly gave Alex a series of nods. "Prince Ezekiel and Alicia, please make your way up to the stage. Your punishment had not beenpleted yet actually. That first song was just a warm-up. This time, we need the both of you to sing and¡­ you both are going to sing nursery rhymes. Again, this too, will be recorded for our precious twins to watch when they''re old enough."

    Alicia and Zeke blinked at each other as the audience pped thunderously for them amidst some whistles and catcalls.

    "Uhm¡­ what nursery rhymes do you know?" Alicia asked, her smile crooked.

    "ABCD?" Zeke replied seriously and Alicia nearly choked on her own saliva, not expecting Zeke to joke around at this time. It should not be funny but just because it was Ezekiel saying it, she just could not help butugh. And it seemed that she was not the only one who had found it funny because the rest of the audience, especially the males, reacted the same way as her. The red-haired bodyguard even started coughing hard after choking on his wine.

    "Alright, ABCD¡­ is a good choice." Charles said, maintaining a perfectly neutral smiling face and then Alex prepared the video, still grinning widely.

    "Now, you two can start. Make sure to sing the letters clearly, Zeke." Alex yfully taunted Zeke and once the duo started singing the ABCD song, they just felt d again because somehow, the atmosphere that they had unknowingly ruined, had at least returned to how it was when they left ¨C light, cheerful and pleasant.

    ¡­

    After a couple more games that were hosted by Charles, they finally started opening the gifts as thest event of the night. Thankfully, the night ended on an enjoyable note for everyone present.

    Then everyone had gone ahead and danced with their partners. Except for Zeres and Iryz, as Zeres was forced to take Iryz away from the party a long while ago due to the strong effects of the vampire wine she had identally drunk.

    By the time Zeres came out of the guest room where he had put Iryz to rest for a while, the party was already officially over.

    He ran his fingers through his ruffled hair and took a few deep breaths.

    Once he had calmed down, he peered inside the room again and looked at the sleeping form of Iryz. He was forced to put her to sleep because that was the best way that he knew for the moment to deal with the situation at hand.

    Sighing again after seeing that she was still very deeply asleep and was nowhere near waking up, Zeres silently shut the door closed behind him and finally left.

    Everyone, except for Abigail, Kelly and the two bodyguards, had already left the courtyard and were already gathered in the living room.

    Zeres could tell that the talk Alex had told them about at the party had already started. So he approached them and silently settled on an empty chair, not bothering to speak for now.

    The atmosphere was a little tensed as he looked around.

    "Please tell us brother, that''s not going to happen, right? I mean¡­ you have Alicia now, don''t you? You now have a solid reason to stay." Kyle still sounded like he was in total disbelief. His face was severe as he looked at his brother.

    "Kyle is right, Zeke. Knowing you, you absolutely can find another way to settle this, right?" Kai seconded his younger brother''s stand as well. "You always do. You always somehow manage to find a way out for everything and everyone ever since as long as I can remember. Surely, you can find a way out for this matter too. We¡­ Alex and everyone else here can help with whatever ns that you have to solve this. It is about time you stop taking on the weight of the world by yourself and let everyone else help you out, don''t you think so?"

    Zeke stared into Kai''s eyes but still did not say a word to respond to his heartfelt suggestion, so Kai continued on talking, hoping to convince his brother to see from the perspective of others. "We know you were never the type to talk and exin in length about your future ns. We also are aware that you like to solve things in your own time and ording to your own methods. But everyone here are more than willing to do anything to help you out. You know that, right? So just go ahead and ¨C" Kai''s passionate speech was interrupted by Zeke.

    "Do you really think that I will note for anyone''s help when I know that they could do something to help out with this matter?" Zeke finally spoke. "If I know that any of you can help, did you really think something like a matter of my pride is going to stop me froming to you?"

    Zeke''s questions had silenced everyone. His voice and expression remained calm and neutral but what he said came as some kind of a blow to them.

 Chapter 896 Million dollar question

    Chapter 896 Million dor question¡¡¡¡Alex shut his eyes as he took in a deep breath. He had already figured that out. Zeke was a master of manipting things. He always managed to find a solution to any problem no matter how impossible it may seem at first. But now, this time, it was a bit hard to believe but Zeke had really been cornered in regard to this matter. He had already tried to figure out every way out possible but still could not find one ¨C even up till now. Knowing him, Alex knew that he must have already thought of a thousand possible scenarios and different conceivablebinations in his head by now. And yet...

    "So¡­ you''re saying that¡­ none of us here can do anything to help you stay¡­ Is that it?" Alex said with a rather severe tone.

    Zeke did not respond to Alex''s question, but his hand had visibly clenched on Alicia''s. Everyone saw that, even though it was such a small movement on Zeke''s part ¨C because they know him well ¨C that every single and tiniest movement would mean something. Then he rxed and leaned his head back on the head of the sofa, slowly allowing his eyes to close.

    Everyone did not know what to feel seeing Zeke behaving like this. He had always been the one who was uptight. He used to never show any hints of weaknesses, much less allow such disy of tiredness to be seen by so many others around him. Though his facial expressions did not change much, the way he sat right now looked like a man who was done carrying the world on his shoulders. They could somehow feel that he was weary ¨C not externally but on the inside.

    And no one could say a thing as none of them really knew what to say anymore.

    The heavy and gloomy silence continued until Zeke himself broke it. "I was the one who was responsible in putting Sebastian in a cage for almost seven hundred years." he started. His voice sounded calm and there was no indication of whatever he was feeling being revealed in his tone. "Not only that. Sebastian was the main reason why I was able to live like a normal vampire royal up until now. Back then, when I had awakened my demonic powers and went on a rampage, I had already reached to such a dangerous level of power. Apparently, when a demon reaches a certain peak of power, the gates to hell open up and whether one likes it or not, this demon was going to be withdrawn out of this world and be sent to where he truly belongs. That was what should have happened to me back then, but¡­"

    A long pause followed. Deep lines appeared between his brows, and everyone could tell that this topic was a hard one for Zeke to broach. It could be said to be a total taboo for him as none of them had heard of this before. He had never talked about Sebastian to any of them, perhaps with the exception of Alex. The matter of Sebastian had always been a taboo ever since as long as Kai could remember it.

    "Sebastian had stepped in to stop that reality froming true for me. He took on almost all of the excessive demonic powers that I had at that time. The gates of hell closed when he did that¡­ after drawing away most of my demonic powers, Sebastian had gone feral. The demonic powers that are now stored within him did not make him powerful. But it did something else to him¡­ it granted him nothing but madness. I tried to take it back to free him from the torment, but all my attempts were futile. I had tried every possible method avable for thest almost seven hundred years. But¡­ apparently, there is no other way. The only way for me to free him¡­ is for me to leave this realm once the gates of hell open up again."

    As he uttered thatst line, his grip on Alicia''s hand tightened again. Alicia''s expression did not change despite the punishing grip he had on her hand. She felt that the little pain she was experiencing was nothingpared to the pain of torment Zeke must have been enduring for these seven hundred or so years.

    Everyone''s expression had gone quite severe, most especially Zeke''s brothers. Kyle specifically, as he was the youngest, had never heard of this matter before today. Though he had heard mentions and whispers of this Sebastian ¨C the other brother ¨C that he had never seen, however no one had been willing to volunteer any more information on it. Even when he had tried to dig for more details on his own, he had only met with multiple dead ends. Thus, he had put it aside and ignored it as he thought it might not have been an important matter as it had been somewhat overlooked for such a long time already. He did not expect that the matter would have such a critical impact on whether his brother Ezekiel would stay or leave this world.

    Now all of them knew why Zeke was so hellbent on wanting to free Sebastian, even if it meant that he had to be the one to leave everything and everyone behind. They had thought he simply wanted to leave. They did not know that he really did not have a choice left to him at all.

    "And the gate of hell is going to open exactly four days from now¡­" Alex informed them. And again, Zeke did not respond. And the rest who heard it were either more taken aback at the suddenness of this event happening so quickly or just too dazed to be able to even respond.

    "What about Alicia?" Alex added quietly. This question finally stirred some reactions and caused everyone to lift their faces again. Their eyes simultaneously looked over at Alicia first, who had been quiet all this time during the conversation. They ended up just lowering their eyes and stared at their entwined hands.

    Zeke on the other hand, visibly stilled at the million-dor question.

    "You''re not going to leave her behind after you turned her to a vampire, are you, Zeke?"

    ___

    A/N: Thank you so much for the patience.

 Chapter 897 Risks

    Chapter 897 Risks¡¡¡¡Silence reigned unbroken in the room. No one was willing to make a noise to distract Zeke from this loaded question.

    Everyone waited with bated breaths for Zeke''s answer. There was still this massive question hanging in the air on how in the world did Alicia turn into a vampire. But at this moment, that was the least of their concerns. And they could just simply deduce that Zeke had found a way to save Alicia and somehow bring her back to life by turning her. Such a thing was not even that impossible anymore since Zeke was the person involved in it.

    But Alex''s question had everyone really wondering what Zeke would now do with matters concerning Alicia. It just did not seem right for him to just turn her into a vampire and then leave her behind while he leaves for good, right? That just seemed so irresponsible and not something that Zeke would do.

    Before Zeke could even open his mouth to answer or even make any reaction, his attention flew towards the door. Alex immediately followed suit and his face darkened in the next second.

    Zeke rose from his seat, pulling Alicia along with him.

    Everyone also instantly became alert. There must be something wrong if both Zeke and Alex reacted with suchrge moves on their part.

    "Do not leave." Alex''s voice echoed as he nced back at Zeke over his shoulder. "You both just stay here in my house. We''ll deal with them. In fact, I think you guys should go find my wife and help her to babysit my children for now." he winked at Zeke before gesturing for them to go on and look for Abigail.

    "He''s right. And I don''t want us to leave just yet." Alicia said in a low voice when Zeke looked down at her, asking her with unspoken words if she was alright with the suggestion.

    "You heard her, Zeke. Now go on, you two. Shoo." Alex urged as he gestured with his hands and waved them to move further into the house. Alicia only nodded and made the first move and walked towards the grand stairs with Zeke in tow.

    Everyone stepped out of the mansion once Alicia and Zeke made their way further into the house. And soon, the vampire priestess and the royal elite guards appeared at Alex''s front yard.

    "Well, well, well¡­" Alex had his hands leisurely shoved inside his pants pockets as he strolled towards the priestess, aidback smile gracing his lips.

    "With due respect to you and your children''s important event, we only came here after the party is over, Alexander." The woman exined rather respectfully, hoping that he would forgive their intrusion on this rather important asion. She knew that this man was not an individual that one could simply offend as one wished. "So, we really hoping that you are not going to stop us from carrying out our mission. You know that this matter is crucial to us vampires. There is no way that we can give up our crown prince, His Highness, Prince Ezekiel. I''m certain you know the risks that are involved too, Alexander. Without Prince Ezekiel, it would not only spark the beginning of a new era, but it might even hail the hastening of the end of an old one ¨C one that would lead to our race''splete annihtion. And you know this is a risk that cannot¡­ must not be taken lightly." The woman''s words were passionate as she seemed to be pleading with Alexander, from her exnations, silently asking for his eptance and consent on their actions ofing to take their prince away by force.

    "I don''t really get this¡­" Lilith''s bodyguard muttered to herself, perhaps due to the volume of alcohol she had already consumed, she had conveniently forgotten that the vampires could hear her every words ever so clearly. "¡­ why do these vampires seemed to be so scared? Aren''t they like¡­ literally the strongest race on Earth? Why is she talking about the vampire''s annihtion? The vampires are all fine and dandy, aren''t they?"

    "You shut your mouth, witch! You don''t know what you''re spouting." the priestess shot Mia a re as she hissed at her. "You shouldn''t be that rxed, actually. Because if the vampires get screwed over, you and your sisterhood of witches will eventually fall too." Then she sneered disdainfully at Mia, who was now sporting an even more confused look on her face.

    "Uhm¡­ I''m not sure if I''m understanding this¡­ But do the vampires have a new enemy that you people are so scared about?" the intoxicated Mia was stared at by everyone after throwing out her question.

    "I believe the vampire priestess is worried about the humans, Mia." Lilith told Mia, causing the witch''s mouth to hang open. Mia then tilted her head sideways and scratched her head, as she scrunched her brows even more.

    "Err¡­ what?! Are you serious? You guys are worried about those powerless humans ¨C"

    "I said you shut up you, ignorant witch! Did you forget that humans are still the supreme race in this world? It''s true that they don''t have our supernatural abilities, but they can overwhelm us just with their sheer manpower alone! Just ording to numbers, they already overwhelmingly outnumber us! If they ever find out about us, they will definitely start to hunt us down until not even a single one of us is left. Never underestimate what the humans can do¡­ especially now in this modern era, witch." The priestess exined with much agitation and then she returned her attention back to Alex, the main person she was seeking consent from. "Prince Ezekiel had been the main reason why the vampires¡­ all of us, managed to remain hidden in in sight within this world, all these years. I couldn''t even imagine how things would have fared for us in this age if we had gone on without him. We might probably just be legendary and powerful creatures, being hunted like prey, to extinction by now. We definitely would not be able to live in peace if it were not for His Highness. Sure, we have you immortals with us, but if a war broke out, you immortals could only save yourselves. The rest of us would eventually die. I know you have changed now Alexander, but I''m certain you understand why I don''t believe that even your immense powers are sufficient to keep the peace."

 Chapter 898 Lucky

    Chapter 898 Lucky¡¡¡¡"We need a leader is able and willing to keep everyone in check and also could keep the peace between us and the humans forever¡­ and I know that even you acknowledge that no one else can perform such a job, better than Prince Ezekiel himself. Am I right?"

    What the priestess had said waspletely true. Everyone knew that Ezekiel had been the one who had been keeping everyone and everything in check and bncing both sides fairly, just to keep this peace. It was truly a hard-earned peace, and no one was willing for this peace to be lost just like that. He had always been working, in the shadows, always nning many steps ahead and always clearing up every mess the rogues were causing. Even Alexander''s and the witches'' mess like the fight with Dinah and the rampage of Zeres not too long ago.

    Ezekiel had dealt with all those messes perfectly and wonderfully. And especially with the aftermaths, so wlessly that it was why until now, the world still had no idea that they, the vampires, witches and also the immortals actually exist peacefully in their very midst.

    Alex and Kai knew that Zeke had also been actively connected with the many powerful human organizations all around the world. He had shrewdly nted moles here and there, everywhere. Every single one of them trustworthy and powerful enough in their own rights, and all loyal to a fault.

    Now that they thought about this, they finally realized how big Zeke''s role was all this time. He was just¡­ irreceable. What were they to do without him?!

    And the prophetess was right. Alexander could never rece Zeke. It was true that Alexander was powerful, but Alex had said it himself before that he was not fit to be a king in this current modern world. Kai remembered that Alex had said too, that no one was best fit to rule over the vampires in this era except for Zeke alone.

    Alex had also told him back then that if he was going to rule, war and force would be inevitable ¨C something that had no ce in this current world anymore. Because he was not like Zeke who could manipte anything and anyone without using any force or violence. Unlike Zeke, he was not the ultimate strategist and puppet master.

    "Well, you are absolutely right about that, priestess. I agree one hundred percent on that." Alex shrugged. "I''ve already made that very clear to everyone hundreds of years ago when you guys offered me the throne again. And my thoughts haven''t changed since then. And I am still aware that this world truly needs a ruler like Zeke. I also know that war is thest thing anyone would ever want. Such a thing would only lead to nothing but bloodshed and destruction. However¡­ aren''t you guys being too dependent on Zeke? I fully get that so much just hangs on his shoulders. But isn''t it way too selfish of you people to tie Zeke to the throne like this? Don''t he get a say in it at all? He has already sacrificed so much for so many years for you. Is that still not enough?"

    The priestess looked shaken at Alex''s words. "We are not trying to tie him down or anything of the sort, Alexander. This is just¡­ this is just Prince Zeke''s fate. He is meant to rule over us. He is meant to be with us. And that is why we''re not going to just stand aside and watch him get taken away. We will stop that from happening, even if it is thest thing we do!"

    Alex shed a small and bemused smile. "Like I said, I understand everyone''s point about this. But again, I really advice everyone to stop trying to force him into anything he doesn''t want to do. Do you know why, Priestess? Because Zeke could change too. Everyone is basically forcing him to stay and rule when he wants¡­ no, needs to leave. If you seed in sabotaging his n and make him stay against his will, do you really think Zeke will be happy? What if after that, he decides not to care about this world or the peace anymore? My point is¡­ even Zeke needs a break. He''s been acting the hero who was hiding in the shadows¡­ being feared and hated by many, for almost seven hundred years. And I know you know he''d been preparing for this fated day, long before this day. Do you really think any of you can stop him at this point?"

    The priestess could not speak for a while. "So you just want us to give up on him, Alexander? You want us to just watch and brace ourselves for what''s going to happen next once he''s gone?"

    "I want you people to just trust in him, damn it!" Alex suddenly blurted out, looking pretty annoyed now. Or perhaps he was running out of patience exining. "You''ve been with Zeke for such a long time already, priestess. You should''ve already understood Zeke''s actions even for a bit. That guy must''ve already calcted what will happen next and had already made some kind of preparation. He''s leaving to free Sebastian from that eternal torture, to finally let him live a normal life. Do you think he would do all of that and free Sebastian just to have hime to live in a world of chaos?"

    This time, the priestess could no longer refute what Alex had said. But not only him, even Kai and the others were hit by Alexander''s unexpected sermon.

    "You know I am a father now. And that''s the only reason why I am being so incredibly civilized and talking like a proper human being right now." Alex continued, looking proud at himself that he did not just fly off the handle and annihted everyone for actually daring toe into his house to cause trouble. "You''re a lucky one, priestess¡­ because I am a fan of peace now. However, if you still do not understand my words and insist on separating Zeke and Alicia, I guess I won''t have a choice but to kick your assess all the way back to Viscarria right here and right now."

 Chapter 899 Ridiculous

    Chapter 899 Ridiculous¡¡¡¡In the twin''s room.

    The room was bathed in a warm and yellow lighting that came from the metal chandelier in a moon and star shape. Not only was it calming and soothing, but the design was also cute yet modern.

    There was also the single tablemp on the shelved drawer between the twin''s cots that was turned on as well. The moment one walked into the room, they would immediately see the twin''s cots that were backed against the wall, with a tall white five-shelved drawer in between the cots. The cots and drawers were made of top-grade sandalwood and painted in a beautiful ivory white. The floors were made with African ckwood and polished to a beautiful sheen. The whole rectangr area under the cots and drawers were covered with a beige-ivory woolen rug, while a thick handmade shag faux gray sheepskin rug covered the other areas of the nursery. Therge bay windows that allowed the sunlight to stream into the room during the day were now covered with the heavyweight and thick tie-up curtains that had been let down.

    Beside the bay windows, there were a pair of plush reclining glider chairs and their respective footstools ¨C one was steel gray, and the other was an anchor gray ¨C that were perfect for nursing or putting the babies to sleep. On the opposite side, there was also afortable heather gray velvet fabric L-shaped sofa.

    Although the whole setup of the nursery was modern yet cute and cozy, the room that wasplete with timber carved beams and pirs on all four corners, as well as artistically carved aluminum panel window designs, the nursery still managed to emanate the elegance of antique design in every corner.

    Zeke and Alicia were now sitting across each other, their bare feet touching each other''s.

    Alexis was already fast asleep and was now tucked in his cot, but Alice was still awake. She was crying a little while ago but after Abi breastfed her, she had now calmed down.

    Now the baby was in Alicia''s arms. Her adorable and greyish big eyes had been staring at Alicia for a long while until she finally closed her eyes and fell asleep, happy and contented that she was being cradled in warm arms after having a belly full of warm milk.

    Smiling down at the little baby, Alicia stopped humming after seeing Alice finally breathing deeply. She lifted her eyes and looked at the man across her. She had been feeling his gaze on her the whole time. Obviously, he was watching her.

    He was resting his head on his knuckles while sitting in a rxed manner. His grey eyes fixed on her, however, when Alicia smiled at him, he did not smile back.

    Raising a brow, Alicia was about to speak when she noticed that he seemed to be in a daze. He was staring at her, but she could tell that his mind must be really upied.

    She kept her mouth closed, not wanting to disturb him. She thought that it had been a while since he had given himself time to just sit down and think. She also thought that right now, he must be thinking of something really important. Most probably of matters rted to the both of them.

    The silence continued for another stretch of time. When Alicia shifted on her chair, he blinked and then moved.

    "Need help? Should you put her back in her crib now?" he said.

    Alicia and smiled and shook her head. She did not want to put Alice down yet. She wanted to hold her a little while longer. She was thinking of how the feel of a warm baby andforting smell of milk emanating from her small body was just so soothing in a way that was so different from Zeke''s warm andforting hugs.

    "I want to lean against you." she whispered, wanting him to be close to her.

    Without any hesitation, Zeke stood. Careful not to sever their physical contact.

    He sat down on the furry gray carpet on the floor and then leaned his back against the sofa.

    After spreading his folded legs apart, he gestured for her to sit between his legs. "Here. Or would you rather sit on myp?"

    She blinked. She was tempted to nod, but with Alice in her arms she thought that it was better if she just sat between his legs. She could also lean against him morefortably.

    "I''d love to¡­ but not now." Alicia grinned as she moved carefully and lowered herself in front of Zeke.

    Once she was settled, Zeke gathered her long hair to her side and guided her to lean against his chest.

    Alicia rxed against him and let out a long sigh.

    "Alice is so cute, isn''t she?" Alicia uttered softly, reveling in the warm presence of the man behind her and sweet little bundle of joy in her arms. The feeling was just¡­ indescribable.

    "She is¡­ Abigail named her after you, by the way." Zeke informed her.

    "Yeah¡­ I didn''t expect it. This girl is going to grow up beautiful and strong." Alicia whispered, as though afraid that if she talked any louder, Alice would wake up.

    "Definitely." Zeke leaned his chin on Alicia''s shoulder. Lifting her one arm, Alicia run her fingers through his hair.

    They were silent and stayed in that position for a long while until Zeke broke the silence. "Alicia¡­"

    "Hmm?"

    "I have something to tell you."

    "Okay¡­"

    "This might¡­ sound¡­ ridiculous¡­ so¡­"

    Alicia giggled, turning halfway back to look at him.

    "Sorry. I still couldn''t get used to hearing that the great Ezekiel having a hard time with words." She could not resist teasing him.

    "Well¡­ even I couldn''t get used to the me right now."

    She nted a soft kiss on his cheek. "So? What is this ridiculous thing you''re going to tell me?"

    "Well¡­ it''s not ridiculous, actually. It just might sound like one."

    "So, you''re saying that this might sound ridiculous to others but not to you?"

    "That''s right."

    "Okay¡­"

    Another stretch of silence reigned for a long while that Alicia couldn''t help but raise a brow at him.

    "Hey¡­ you''re not going to wait until someone interrupt us again, are you?"

    He chuckled quietly this time.

    Then their eyes met. And Alicia didn''t know why but her heartbeat started to thud harder and faster.

 Chapter 900 In two days

    Chapter 900 In two days¡¡¡¡Back in the front yard.

    The conversation had yet to end. Despite the wariness and fear that were more than evident in the priestess'' and her men''s eyes, they still had yet to leave. It was obvious that they were now fearful of Alexander after his serious warnings, but it seemed that they were hellbent not to return to Viscarria empty handed.

    It seemed as though they would rather try their luck here and die in Alexander''s hands than return just like that. The priestess'' devotion to her goal was truly unmatched that even death did not seem to be even enough to scare her. Well, every vampire knew that the vampire priestesses were always like this. And this priestess Vittoria was one of the most devoted ones that Alex had seen in his long life.

    "Then I demand that the prince to reassure us that your words about him is true, Alexander." The priestess made her request in a more careful yet not too servile tone. Even though her words were obviously a demand, there was no way in hell she could speak with the great Alexander in any way other than a polite and respectful tone. Nevertheless, she still held her breath after making her request known. Knowing how Alexander''s temper was, as well as the details to his past transgression, the priestess knew that he could just suddenly up and decide to attack them right now just for still being here and daring to stand up against him. "I demand for him to appear before us and tell us about his detailed ns and reassure us. We need at least that little bit of reassurance that he truly has a n in going ahead with all this." she continued bravely, even though after seeing how Alexander''s expression turned a little more unfriendly.

    Clouds suddenly started to roll in and block off the bright silvery moonlight and made the entire atmosphere outside be a little ominous.

    "You know how Zeke does not like revealing his ns to anyone. In fact, you¡­ more than others should know how much he hates it, right?" Alex was still surprisingly calm.

    The men behind him, especially Kai, were actually already preparing to calm him down. But they were more shocked at the nonchnce in Alex''s tone and stance. It seemed as though that the man really was in a good mood tonight, which was rare considering that a bunch of uninvited people somewhat crashed his party.

    "I know a way to make him talk." The priestess replied, looking absolutely confident that she could really make Zeke tell them the ns that he could not even breathe out to any of his inner circle of friends. "Just have hime out. Please." She added thatst bit, hoping to make herself sound less demanding and more appealing.

    Alex rubbed his jaw slowly as he regarded the priestess with slightly narrowed eyes, looking for all the world that he was seriously considering doing what she said. "Oh really? You really know of something that would be able to make him speak? I have a guess on that¡­ Hmm¡­. you don''t n on ckmailing him with matters of Sebastian, are you?" after saying that, Alex''s lips curled up in a sneer.

    The guess Alex had mentioned seemed to hit right on the jackpot as the priestess''s silence had indicated her shock and she no longer talked back anymore but just stood her ground.

    The vampires behind Alex had their eyes stretched wide in shock. They had already learned just how important Sebastian was to Zeke. And here she was, their very own vampire priestess, who actually dared to use her knowledge of him to ckmail and make Zeke talk? They had not known that their priestess was such a suicidal type until now. They had only known her as the official of the highest ranking, only next to the king. That meant that she was at least the equivalent of a pope in the human government. The vampires respected her because she was a very important person to them. Apart from her visions, she was also the oldest vampire alive, well, with the exception of Alexander, that is.

    Alex let out an amused chuckle. "You''re really bold, priestess. I have to give that to you. But¡­ oh well, if I remember correctly, you''ve always been bold. But this time¡­ you might have pushed that boldness a little too far."

    "We don''t really have much of a choice, Alexander. And I don''t mind being destroyed by you or him for this matter. I am willing to give up my insignificant life¡­ if it were to be for the sake of my race. This is my job after all." The prophetess stated and then her expression became sullen. "Also¡­ I would like to know how he would address one of the biggest problems that would happen once the rest of the vampires find out that he is gone. I''ve received an intel that some ns have already started to n out their movements the moment they had confirmed that the prince will truly leave." And her brows furrowed. For the vampire prophetess to frown, that was truly a feat of something great.

    "And what are those ns nning to do, if I may ask?" Alex prodded.

    She sighed deeply after hearing Alex''s question. "They are nning to regain their original vampiric strength again."

    The prophetess'' words had everyone go silent because they knew exactly what would happen if the vampires decided to do that. Just like back in the old times, before the modernw of vampires that Ezekiel had formed, there would be murders of humans. The vampires wanted to have the freedom to drink directly from the source ¨C from humans again and consume fresh blood for their original strength toe back. And once they all start doing that again, the peaceful world as they knew it for now, would start to crumble and the rtionship between humans and vampires would crumble into ashes.

    "Your fear will not happen priestess." A deep voice echoed from behind that had everyone turning towards the double doors of Alex''s mansion.

    Ezekiel stepped out with Alicia in tow and hidden behind him. "Go back to the castle, Priestess. Then have everyone know that I''m going to get married in two days."

    ___

    A/N: Did you guys see the badge? Check it out and equip now.

    Also, HAPPY 900th CHAPS HELLBOUNDERS! Wow, it''s been a long journey.

 Chapter 901 The woman

    Chapter 901 The woman¡¡¡¡After Ezekiel''s announcement, everything seemed to have been surrounded with a buzz of static before aplete hush fell over the ce for the next few moments. It was like the god of silence had passed by and stole away every sound and movement for a few moments.

    Of course, Alex was the first one to break the silence.

    "Ah, and there he goes¡­ dropping the bombshell. What perfect timing, though." He said, chuckling soundlessly as he gave his head a small shake. He looked genuinely happy at the announcement though.

    The others then finally began to move. Their eyes still wide and mouth opening and closing like a fish that was stranded onnd, not knowing how to even react. They could not even say ''What the hell?!'' or ''Are you serious?!'' because they knew Zeke was not one who do pranks!

    Lucas even tripped without any reason and stumbled back andnded on his behind as though someone had just pushed him back while Kyle and Kai just stood there, blinking their eyes in a daze. They were really wondering if they were awake or dreaming. Though they knew their brother is not one who would joke around on important things like these, it was still a huge shock to them hearing him mention that he was getting married. Married!!

    Zeres on the other hand wore a neutral expression. His eyes stretched a little wide when he heard Zeke''s words but that was it. Whatever emotion he felt, he did not show it on his face.

    "M-marry? Y-you?!" the prophetess finally spoke, stammering pretty bad. Nobody knows how many times she had been persuading Ezekiel to get married and sire an heir in thest six freaking hundred years but her! She had been repeating it to him and spoken of it at such length so much so that she thought she would have dried up her saliva reserves. But now that he was suddenly announcing his marriage just like this, it took her by surprise.

    Many years ago, the prophetess even wondered if the prince actually bent towards the other side because of his tant disinterest in marriage. She had even brought him the most beautiful woman she had scouted but to no avail. He had never once shown any interest in females ¨C nor males for that matter ¨C that she even thought that perhaps he was asexual.

    Of course, sheter found out that Ezekiel was straight but that did not help at all to convince him to get married and build a family of his own. And thus, after so many years, she had already given up, certain that she would never live to see him get married and settle down. She actually thought she would die first before she would see that daye. No, even if she died, she thought that the day would nevere.

    Yet here he was, suddenly dering rather casually that he was going to get married?! This man whom everyone thought will forever be the ultimate bachelor and remain unmarried, was finally going to marry his bride in two days?!!!

    The prophetess gave her head a shake. It was just so unbelievable to her that she could not help but be suspicious. Could it be that this was Ezekiel''s way to distract them from the real issue? No, the big question was that, was this even true? Or was this just a part of his n? Could it be that Ezekiel was doing this just to calm them down and then divert their attention from the real issue? Could it be that he was merely doing this to make them feel the reassurance they needed?

    Knowing Ezekiel and how meticulously dangerous his mind was, Priestess Vittoria could no longer make herself believe that his intention was pure. Because well, this was just unthinkable! This man was not going to get married out of nowhere like this! He was not like Alexander! There must be a hidden reason why he was bringing this up all of a sudden and she could not think of any other more usible reason aside from the fact that he was trying to make them think that he was no longer nning to leave anymore!

    "That''s right, priestess." Ezekiel replied, meeting the priestess gaze. "I will be sending Lucas after you once we''re done discussing the details about this."

    "Wait a moment, Your Highness." The priestess took a deep breath to regain herposure. And then her gaze became serious and doubtful. "I am truly¡­ hoping that I am wrong about this. But this is not just you trying to manipte us by using this news about your wedding to pacify us, are you?"

    Everyone fell silent. A breeze quietly passed over them as the moonlight peeked out from behind the clouds again. The dark and solemn atmosphere once again brightened up with the silvery shimmer of the moon.

    "Forgive me if I am wrong but I can''t help to think that this must be just another part of your n." The priestess said bravely. "I''ve been watching over you for too long, My Prince. And I know that you will never do anything without any good reason."

    Everyone was utterly silenced as their heads swung from the priestess to Zeke, obviously waiting for the man''s response. Some of them were even unconsciously holding their breaths.

    Zeke did not show any changes in his expression, but he opened his mouth and spoke as calmly as usual. "You are wrong this time, priestess." Was all he said.

    "Then please tell us why you''re suddenly getting married. You don''t even have a lover ¨C" Priestess Vittoria mored.

    "Wrong again." he cut her off and it was then that he pulled Alicia from her hiding ce behind him. "This woman is my lover." He added. He did not raise his voice, but everyone felt like he was making a serious deration. It was like he was officially dering Alicia as his lover, his partner, his other half before his people.

    The priestess'' eyes stretched impossibly wide. Her expression did not scream surprise, but an utter shock, as if somethingpletely different had rocked her entire being the moment she saw the woman Ezekiel had pulled out from behind him.

 Chapter 902 Three words

    Chapter 902 Three words¡¡¡¡Several minutes before¡­

    Silence had reigned inside the twin''s bedroom. The atmosphere remained warm and gentle, yet there was a heavy tension brimming in Alicia and Zeke''s eyes as they gazed at each other without speaking.

    Alicia''s heart continued pounding hard and was unable to calm down. She could feel that he was going to say something that will definitely shock her entire being. She could not tell though, if it was to be either good news or bad.

    "I think¡­ I''ll tuck Alice back into bed first. I don''t want her waking up suddenly now that she is asleep." Alicia said in a low voice, tearing her gaze from Zeke and looking down at the little bundle of joy that was still sleeping peacefully in her arms.

    Zeke nodded wordlessly and they both stood. He was careful and quiet as he assisted Alicia in tucking the baby back into her cot.

    After that, they both just stood there, hands holding onto each other''s as they watched Alice suck her thumb to pacify herself while sleeping.

    They just looked so cuddly and warm, all tucked into their individual cots, each covered with a baby nnel nket. Alexis was covered with a pewter grey one while Alice was covered with a pistachio green one. Both babies must have clearly enjoyed its soft, cozy feel, since it was doing a good job keeping them perfectly warm andfortable as they dozed on in dreand.

    "Goodnight, you two." She whispered to both the twins, giving them a soft gentle smile before lifting her gaze back to Zeke.

    He seemed to be out of it again for a moment as he stared down at the babies.

    Alicia squeezed on his hand to get his attention. She liked watching him being seemingly out of touch with reality while looking at the babies or at her. Simply because it was just so rare for this man to have such a look in his eyes. Too bad she had to interrupt this wonderful moment and prompt him to say whatever it was that he wanted to say.

    She was dying to know what it was. And she could not wait any longer because she feared that they might get interrupted again. Somehow, this seemed to be the trend of things whenever they were about to speak on important matters.

    Zeke faced her. His gaze was locked straight onto hers.

    Then there it was, the rare vulnerability that he had only ever show when it was just between the two of them. He looked at her like his heart was now fully opened, his soulpletely bared to her. He had nothing to hide and no secrets to keep from her.

    "Alicia¡­" her name rolled from his lips in a low but clear voice.

    She made a small sound, letting him know that she had heard him, as she tilted her head a little as she waited. Trying her best to stayposed.

    Zeke dropped his gaze and stared down at their connected hands for a long time. He fiddled with her fingers while keeping his eyes downcast.

    When more than several seconds had passed and he still had yet to continue speaking, Alicia blinked at him, unsure if she should interrupt his silent contemtion. He was still looking at her fingers, still fiddling with them gently. She could not help but press her lips together to stop the grin from threatening to burst. He just looks too cute with the way he was behaving now.

    His face looked extremely serious. The lines between his brows might even be deeper than the Mariana Trench right now.

    Actually, this should not make her want to grin like the Cheshire cat. But¡­ this was Ezekiel that she was looking at. It was just that¡­ this man never acted like this whenever he has something to say! He was always decisive and straight to the point, never one to drag things on nor put off the inevitable. So seeing him behaving this way was really a rare asion, even rarer than seeing the corpse flower bloom.

    "Ezekiel?" she called out softly to catch his attention, raising her brow at him. "You''re not waiting for someone to interrupt us again, are you?" she could not help but tease him.

    He caught his lips between his perfect white teeth and released them so sexily slow.

    "Right." he nodded as if encouraging himself. "I need to tell you now before someone elsees and interrupt us again."

    He rubbed the back of his neck as though he was struggling to say what he wanted to speak of and then ced his loosely clenched palm near his mouth. After clearing his throat, Zeke dropped his hand and shoved it into his pocket. His deep grey eyes lifted and locked onto hers as he took in a couple of breaths as though to calm himself.

    His hand that was holding hers lifted and he brought her hand to his lips. A soft kissnded on the back of her knuckles as he stared at her through his thick darkshes.

    Once he slowly lowered her hand, he said¡­

    "Marry me, Alicia." His voice was low as it vibrated with profound emotions.

    Time stood still. Alicia''s lips parted as her body just wentpletely catatonic. She was shaken at those three words that had been suddenly thrown at her.

    "F*ck¡­" he suddenly cursed under his breath, as if he realized that he had just made an irreversible mistake, causing Alicia to immediately snap out of the massive shock that was still rocking her system.

    "H-huh?" was all she could respond with, considering that her mind was still spinning at what he had just said. The fact that she could already respond and was not frozen solid was already a good thing.

    "I''m sorry." He pinched the area between his brows as he squeezed his eyes tightly together before tilting up his head and looked at Alicia somewhat guiltily. "That¡­ that might have sounded like amand¡­"

    Alicia could only blink again while heposed himself.

    This time, his gaze on her became more focused, more intense and more open to her at the same time.

    "Alicia¡­ will you marry me?"

 Chapter 903 Permanent

    Chapter 903 Permanent¡¡¡¡This chapter is dedicated to @L.

    Alicia''s breath got caught somewhere between her throat and her lungs.

    She could not react. She tried¡­ but she just could not. All she could do was to only stare back at him.

    A proposal from Ezekiel was thest thing she had ever expect. He had already decided to leave this world, and she fully understood that there was no other way out for him, for them. So why¡­ what was the meaning of this? Was there even any reason why he wanted to continue with this?

    Her heartbeat drummed within her chest and sent the blood whooshing so hard in her ears. Despite the questions that had popped in her mind, her heart was swelling with so much joy that it was now literally threatening to burst out of her chest.

    The world suddenly felt like a dream as she looked up into his face, waiting silently for her answer. She could see the sparks and emotions as they flicker in his once cold and emotionless eyes. Somehow, she could tell that he seemed to be praying that she would say ''yes''.

    And something incredibly warm blossomed in her heart. Looking at his eagerness that he was trying to mask, Alicia felt as though her heart was a balloon that someone was inting so much that it could no longer be held within her chest cavity. If only he knew he did not even need to ask. Even if he did not rephrase the way he had said it by changing the words from the first time, ''marry me, Alicia'' to ''will you marry me?" Alicia could not have been bothered that the words hade out more like amand the first time nor when he had changed it to more of a request the second time. All that mattered to her was the intention in those words! He had popped the question!!

    She did not care if it was rational or not, but if he wanted to marry her, she would definitely say ''yes''. That was the only answer to that question from him anyway. Always. Without hesitation.

    "Yes," her soulful answer echoed out softly in the room and then, it was Zeke''s turn to freeze.

    Alicia reached out and cupped his face and tiptoed. "Yes, I will marry you, Ezekiel." She whispered and sealed the deal with a searing kiss.

    He grabbed her and pulled her even tighter against himself and kissed her back. Deeply and passionately, with all that he had. Alicia barely managed to pull away before they crossed a dangerous line again. They absolutely could not do that. Not here when they were still in the twin''s bedroom!!!

    When their lips parted, though rather unwillingly, Alicia was smiling. Her smile as radiant as the noonday sun. But she was shaking her head.

    "You got me again. I never thought you would ever propose. You don''t seem to be the kind to propose a marriage, you know?" She teased with a lopsided grin, and he just pulled on her again and buried her into his arms. It was as though he wanted to meld her into himself and never wanted them to be separated ever again. His breathing was hard as he rested his face on her head.

    "Sorry that this came out of nowhere." He sounded genuinely apologetic, clearly feeling bad about it.

    Alicia shook her head. "Nope¡­ Now that I think about it, this is just so Ezekiel." she chuckled soundlessly.

    He pulled away and sped one of her hands in both of his.

    Their gazes held, as if a secret conversation were happening between them.

    "I''m going to give you a permanent ring, Alicia." He then broke the silence. "You can never take it off again. So, if¡­" he uncharacteristically broke off, notpleting his sentence. But Alicia immediately responded.

    "I want it!" she told him with a smile, eyes gleaming as she lifted her left hand towards him. "I want this permanent ring, Ezekiel." Her head nodded at him, letting him know that she was sure about this and that she truly wanted this gift that he was giving her.

    He held her gaze. "You are free to ask me¡­ questions first. I know you have¡­"

    Alicia shook her head. Her smile not fading in the least. "I do have questions, of course. But all that can wait untilter. Let''s settle the important matters first. I want the ring. And don''t worry, nothing will ever change my mind. Please know that. Nothing, Ezekiel."

    Silence reigned between them for a moment as Zeke took time to savor how Alicia was so ardent right now, and Alicia took the time to appreciate how Zeke''s gaze warmed up even more with the emotions that were filling his heart and spilled over into his eyes. Zeke reached out and caressed her cheek gently with his thumb without breaking their intense eye-contact.

    Then he bent down and kissed her.

    Alicia shut her eyes, weing his kiss like the dry earth wees the rain. She could feel his demonic power swirling like soft breeze around them. Something warm was moving like a small fire snake around her ring finger.

    The sensation was getting stronger and stronger that even Zeke''s passionate kiss was not enough to distract her. It was scorching hot now.

    She broke away from the kiss and looked at him, eyes wide.

    "Painful?" he asked her softly, his eyes gleaming as his voice carried traces of pity for the pain that he needed to inflict on her for this gift.

    "A¡­ a little¡­" she frowned a little and her eyes snapped towards their linked hands. The pain intensified. She felt like her ring finger was now on fire.

    Something ck could be seen wrapping around her ring finger. Like a small snake that had coiled around into the shape of a ring. No¡­ it was not a snake¡­ it was an ink ck fire.

    He lifted her hand and brought it to his lips. And once he kissed it, the burning sensation disappeared. The pain was gone. The demonic magic was gone as well.

    What was left was a tattoo on her ring finger. It was the thin ck fire akin to the ck fire tattoo that crept all over Zeke''s body.

    Alicia''s lips parted as she looked at it. This was her ring. Her permanent ring.

    ___

    A/N: Hi hellbounders! Just want to amnounce that this book will be ending for good next month. That''s final. And i will be releasing Hellbound Heart very soon. Please look forward to it and I hope you guys will support it.

    Hellbound Heart will be the Book 2 of Hellbound series. But it can be read as standalone.

 Chapter 904 Extravagant or not...

    Chapter 904 Extravagant or not...¡¡¡¡It was already noon when everyone, except Kai and Kelly, arrived in Viscarria.

    Alex had made an announcementst night that all of them will apany Zeke and Alicia back to Reigns'' castle. And all of them, except for Lilith and her witch sidekick will be staying in the castle until the big day arrives.

    Lilith had separated from them while they were on their way over to the Reigns castle, but she had earlier on promised and swore to Alicia that she would attend the wedding no matter what. This was an event that she would not miss for her life.

    Iryz on the other hand, had helplessly tagged along. She had tried her very best to decline the invitation this morning after being brought up to date on what had happened while she was sleeping the night before. But Abigail and Alexander, as well as Alicia herself, had coaxed and urged for her toe along with them too.

    Iryz had always wanted to visit Viscarria, and this invitation was now her chance to make her wishe true. Of course, she had asked Zeres about it and if he were averse to her attending as his plus one. Thankfully, the man did not seem to mind her tagging along at all.

    Once they had reached the castle, the atmosphere that enveloped the whole ce was theplete opposite of what thepany had been expecting. Everyone was busy running about. No, busy was an understatement. Everyone was actually scrambling around as though they had lost their heads! There were just a whole lot of people buzzing about in small groups, literally running with various things in their hands as they rushed to get things organized and prepped for the wedding that was to be held soon. Some were arranging tables, others were putting up beautifully designed ce cards that would determine the seating for the many guests that would be attending, while another group were dragging yards of cloths and other little trinkets to be put up as d¨¦cor and essories. There were also arge group that were obviously in charge of cleaning up and polishing every surface of the ce until it shined. Others were bringing in truckloads of all kinds of flowers to be added on to the d¨¦cor as well as to naturally perfume up the castle. All in all, just looking at the preparations for such a grand but extremely rushed wedding was just dizzying to the group of people who had just arrived.

    Even Zeke was rendered speechless as he and the rest looked on in a daze at the massive courtyard now being systematically and professionally turned into a venue that is fit for a luxurious wedding.

    Alicia could only stand there, blinking her eyes owlishly. What on earth had happened? She was not expecting this. At all! She had actually thought that they would need to only need to get through with some formalities with only the Reigns family first and foremost. Thus, she had not been expecting to see such a grand wedding being nned out at all!

    She thought that it would be a simple and private one that will only be attended by their closest family, friends and loved ones. Last night, she and Ezekiel had already discussed about this, and they had both expressed that they wanted it to be simple and exclusive.

    Slowly, Alicia turned to look at Ezekiel. But before Ezekiel could say a word, Alexander''s voice echoed out.

    "Ha! It seems that everyone is excited to finally wed their beloved prince Ezekiel off after hundreds of years of waiting! Look at how eager they are! But it is pretty understandable, if you ask me." Alexander eximed like he was enjoying himself. Of course, it was obvious that he was just happy to tease Ezekiel, knowing that the man was not a fan of extravagant events, and also because Ezekiel had already told everyonest night that it would only be a simple asion.

    "Seems to me like the whole country is going to celebrate your wedding, Your Highness." Lucasmented, looking pretty amused as well. They all knew Zeke was all about privacy. Hell, privacy was his middle name!

    But Zeke was quiet and had not made anyments about the matter up till now. He had instead prompted Alex to go and settle his family before calling on the servants to lead Zeres and Iryz to their respective rooms to stay in for the next few days.

    While Alicia and Zeke were headed to the throne room where everyone was waiting for them, Zeke asked Alicia. "Is this okay for you?"

    "An extravagant wedding?" Alicia halted, facing him. Many thoughts swirled around in her mind as she kept silent for a few seconds to think.

    He nodded.

    "How about you?" she then opted to question him instead of answering.

    Zeke stared into her eyes. "If it''s okay with you, it''s all good for me. But if not, I can have everyone get rid of all those decorations and everything immediately."

    Alicia looked outside the massive windows overlooking the courtyard. The preparations were already half done. No, more than half done, in fact! The vampires really work fast!

    "I think I don''t mind. It''d be a waste to have all those beautiful decorations going to waste." She replied. Though they had both deciding and agreeing on a simple wedding, Alicia felt like Zeke was not all that against this either as she had thought. Honestly, right now, she unexpectedly found herself to be okay with it as well.

    She had been a little bothered about how the vampires will wee her now that everyone had found out that she was Ezekiel''s lover. But this was truly unexpected. And she could not help but feel the warmth and relief spread within her. She was d that there seemed to be no more trouble they needed to solve first before the marriage happened.

    "If there will no consequence, I''m cool with it." Alicia added, shing him a soft smile.

    Zeke nodded in agreement too as he lifted his hand and brushed a stray lock of hair that had curled over her cheek. "There will be no consequence, don''t worry. We''re just going to get married. Extravagant or not¡­ it doesn''t make any difference to me." He said before squeezing her hand reassuringly as he led her into the room where the King and everyone else were waiting.

    ____

    A/N: Hi hellbounders! I''ve already published Hellbound Heart! You can check it out now. Go to my profile to see it. That book will be my entry for this year''s spirity so i hope you guys will also support it. CHECK IT OUTNOW AND PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW. ^^

 Chapter 905 Bride-to-be

    Chapter 905 Bride-to-be¡¡¡¡The throne room was quiet. All eyes swung over and were fully trained on no one else but Alicia the moment they entered through the doors. But the atmosphere was not heavy.

    Alicia had already sensed this since the moment they had arrived at the castle and most especially as they passed through the corridors. The vampires had just dropped their gazes and gave respective bows the moment they saw them. At first, Alicia thought that their reactions were only because of seeing their prince, Ezekiel after a long time. But right now, she felt like that it was not the case anymore. Everyone seemed to be giving her the same respect they were giving to Ezekiel!

    It was just so unnerving and unexpected. She had in fact, readied herself to be the target of countless stares that were full of hatred and resentment. So for her to be receiving such looks that were full of respect and adoration as though they were looking at their own prince, was truly shocking to her.

    And now, not only themon vampires acted that way but also everyone else who was in attendance in the throne hall, the entire Reign family and even the highest officials. Alicia felt like they were looking up to her. As if she was not just a woman their prince was going to marry.

    She could not help but remember the prophetess'' reactionst night as well when she hadid eyes on her. Alicia had felt that there was something off with the way the priestess had looked at her. As though there were something else that only she did not know about. Think as she might, she could not figure what it was though. And she did not mention anything about it either. But now, she was genuinely curious as to why she was getting this unexpected treatment.

    She also wondered if this was because that they did not know she was a former witch and a witch queen at that. But still¡­

    "Meet my bride-to-be, Alicia." Ezekiel''s voice echoed out authoritatively and everyone naturally came forward to greet her. All of them were beyond respectful and even looked kind of amazed, as though they were looking at and being in the presence of someone great.

    Somehow, as time passed by, Alicia felt that she was being treated like this not only because she was going to be Ezekiel''s wife but there was a deeper and more important reasoning to it all. However, what on earth could the reason be? She still could not figure it out.

    The talks that went on were formal and quick. The officials mainly congratted them. The king and queen and the princesses expressed their greetings and blessings to the couple.

    After that, Ezekiel had gone on to mention about the wedding. As nned, the both of them agreed with the already existing arrangement for the grand wedding and were fine with it being so fancy.

    Later, the queen had asked Zeke to bring Alicia to the room where her wedding dress was waiting for her. They had to make sure she at least tries it out once to see if it was a perfect fit for her.

    On their way there, Alicia finally asked. "Ezekiel¡­ I hope that I am not the only one who is feeling that everyone is treating me like¡­" her eyebrows furrowed for a moment before releasing it, "¡­like I''m someone equal to you in terms of position or something, right?"

    He regarded her with a ck expression.

    "I was wondering about how long will you be able to keep your curiosity at bay, Alicia." he murmured. He did not smile but his eyes were dancing as they looked at her. He knew her well. He had expected that she would be almost ready to burst with the way she was curious about so many things and just had unending questions that she could throw at him all day.

    Alicia yfully narrowed her eyes at him. "If I were you, I would start exining now or else¡­" she mock threatened him.

    "Or else?" he leaned in closer to her. His tone low and serious, but somehow it still managed toe across as suggestive to her. A wave of goosebumps prickled over her skin as she let his voice wash over her. But her eyes twinkled mischievously before the ends of her lips curled up.

    "Or else¡­" Alicia tipped her chin up and reached out for Zeke''s necktie. She fixed it with a gentle and calm manner like any good wife would. The vampires who were around, secretly peeked at them, wondering what it was that the couple were doing.

    Alicia gently pulled on his necktie and then whispered. "¡­ no kisses for you tonight, my prince."

    He then caught his lower lip between his teeth as her warm breath brushed across his earlobes. Alicia then gave him a challenging smirk.

    "Any type of kisses," she added, and Ezekiel nodded amusingly, looking like he was pretty impressed at the way Alicia was ckmailing him and the way she lookedpletely confident that her ckmail would one hundred percent work.

    Releasing his lips slowly, Ezekiel nced around them. The vampires and even humans who were secretly eavesdropping and peeking at the couple immediately turned away and pretending to be busy with whatever that they were doing.

    Ezekiel leaned forward and pressed his lips against her earlobe. "That''s cruel of you, Alicia. You know I can no longerst a few hours without eating at your mouth." He teasedzily, a smile curling over those thin and sexy lips.

    Alicia choked before falling into a coughing fit, all the while looking around. Her face was now bright red with embarrassment while Zeke nonchntly straightened his back. His expression was now back to thepletely neutral one.

    "Come on. I''ll exin in the fitting room." He casually added as he started walking again with that usually straight face of his.

 Chapter 906 Wedding dress

    Chapter 906 Wedding dress¡¡¡¡"Wow, I can''t believe it fits me so perfectly." Aliciamented as she looked at herself dressed in the wedding gown through the mirror.

    The gown was a charming long sleeved, high-necked mermaid wedding dress. From the chest all the way down to the train, the dress was made of an ivory-colored satin material that wrapped closely to Alicia''s body. Over that material, the material was made of a sheerce that was embroidered with a mix of Swarovski crystal rhinestones and diamantes. The rhinestones were more concentrated around the bodice section, the upper arms, shoulder and neck areas and trailed down to the lower abdomen and hip areas, up to the thighs. Tullece tastefully decorated the rest of the skirt re and the train. The entire dress gave a perfect fit-and-re effect that showed off the curvy contours of Alicia''s hourss figure. Not only that, the slim fit of the long sleeves also drew attention to her slender but strong arms and the tight fit of the skirt from her hips down to the thighs which then dramatically red out from above her knees and all the way to the floor only further emphasized her lean thighs and beautifully curved derriere.

    She really had nothing to say about the wedding dress. It was nothing less than perfection to her!

    Last night, Ezekiel was on his phone. He did not make a call, but she had seen him texting. She was certain that he must be sending out messages about her body measurements and that was why this wedding dress fits perfectly on her to the tee!

    He smiled while his eyes looked glossy as he stared at her through the mirror. "Perfect." Was all he said, as though that one word was enough to sum it all up. That caused Alicia''s face to glow brighter than it already was as she leaned her back satisfactorily against him.

    After taking the wedding dress off with extreme caution as she did not want to damage anything on it, the duo left and headed to a quiet ce. They had ended up in Ezekiel''s personal library.

    Alicia sat on Zeke''s chair while Zeke half sat on the desk. His stance was rxed, and his usual mask was now off.

    "I''m ready. You may now start exining, sir." Alicia leaned forward, eager and curious to finally hear the exnation she was waiting for.

    Zeke held her gaze for a while before it strayed to their entwined hands and finally settled on her ring tattoo.

    He was quiet for another stretch of time before his moved towards the dark curtain being blown by a soft breeze. "That woman," he started, and those two words were enough to erase the eagerness that was brimming in Alicia''s eyes. She immediately felt that the woman Ezekiel was referring to was no one else other than that cruel witch queen from the past. She never would have thought that he would talk about her. Could it be that¡­

    Alicia decided that she would try to stay calm and just listen to his exnations first. She knew that any matters that were rted to this witch queen would be of utmost importance. Thus, she must not jump to any sudden conclusions before having the whole picture!

    "My father''s mistress had actually grown so strong after she was turned into a vampire," Zeke continued in a calm voice, "It seemed that a silver-haired witch turned vampire would be a whole new powerful creature. She retained all her magic from when she was a witch, and with the additional strength and power of a blue-blooded vampire, she had literally be invincible. And at that time, Alex was at the other side of the world and had absolutely no clue on what was going on here in the kingdom. So, there was just no one strong enough to bring that woman down." Zeke''s tone was neutral without any inflection of emotions in it, as though he was just narrating the story of a person that had nothing to do with him whatsoever.

    Shock etched in Alicia''s eyes. Her lips parted a little as she listened to him disclose this information to her. No one? This meant that even Ezekiel and his heaven defying powers could not defeat her?

    "Even with my awakened demonic powers at that time, I couldn''t defeat her," he continued as if he had heard her internal question. "So I had no choice but to turn full demon. My desire to defeat her and kill her and take back everything that she had taken away from me had eventually triggered my body to turn full demon. Only then did I managed to bring her down and I¡­ I killed her right before my father''s eyes."

    Another pause. He tore his gaze from the window and turned them back to look at Alicia''s ring again.

    "That was how strong that woman had be as a silver-haired witch turned vampire¡­ and now," he lifted his eyes and held her gaze, "so are you, Alicia. You''re another invincible being now. Even I would have a hard time defeating you if we were to fight each other at full strength."

    Alicia''s mouth gaped open, her eyes blinking rapidly.

    "W-what? That''s¡­ is that the reason why everyone is being respectful of me? Because they know I am strong?" she asked in a disbelieving tone. Was it as simple as that? She did not think that was all.

    "That''s one of the many reasons why. The vampires'' instinct would have alerted them to the feel of someone''s strength and power. But the main reason why everyone is treating you like you''re some vampire deity is because you are basically one now." Zeke patiently exined it all to her.

    When Alicia''s brows knotted hard, Zeke reached out and ran a finger over her knotted brows before trailing it down to her jaws.

    "You are also someone in a prophecy, Alicia."

    ___

    A/N: Don''t forget to check Hellbound Heart and add it in your library Hellbounders! Do drop a review as well. Thank you!

 Chapter 907 My place

    Chapter 907 My ce¡¡¡¡"What?" Alicia''s lips parted. Shock and disbelief filling her eyes as she stared at Zeke wordlessly for some time, letting what he had said sink into her mind.

    "After I was forced to imprison my own brother in the dungeon, the former prophetess came to me." Zeke started exining even before Alicia could ask him to. "The prophetess told me there would be a woman who will be stronger than the witch-turned-vampire I just killed. But this woman in the prophecy will not turn out to be an enemy. The prophetess said the prophesied one is the one who will truly unite the vampires and witches as one nation. She said this woman would be the most powerful female vampire. That prophetess also told me that I would be the one who would give that kind of power to that woman¡­" Zeke trailed off and paused for a few moments as he held her gaze. "She said this woman would be the one who will take my ce in this world." His tone was low as he stared meaningfully at her.

    Alicia could only stare back at him somewhat nkly. Thatst line had struck her right in the chest a million times. She could hear her heart shattering within her.

    "I had forgotten all about these." Zeke continued. "I was in the dungeon, watching my brother behind the bars when that prophetess told me all these things. I wasn''t paying much attention to it at that time. I just didn''t care. And that''s probably why that conversation never urred to me until¡­ until that night I decided to make you mine. That night I turned you, that memory came to me for the first time. I immediately realized then that the prophesied one the prophetess was talking about was no other than you, Alicia." He exined as slowly and gently as he could to Alicia, seeing that she was still in shock at all the information. He could understand that it was all too sudden and overwhelming for her to ept everything right off the bat.

    Silence followed Ezekiel''s exnation. Alicia fought hard to keep her tears from falling. Of all the many things he told her, the one line stayed echoing within her mind was - ''¡­ this woman would be the one who will take my ce in this world'' ¨C shattering her heart into pieces again and again. A pain unlike anything she had ever felt stabbed her, leaving her breathless and not able to respond at all.

    "Come here," he uttered softly as he pulled at her hand. When she rose from the chair, Zeke lifted her in his arms. He seated her on the table and kissed her forehead ever so gently, causing Alicia to squeeze her eyes tightly closed. She could tell he had instantly felt her pain no matter how she tried to hide it.

    Wrapping her arms around him, Alicia let her tears finally fall quietly as she pulled him against her, hugging him as tight as she could. She wanted to hug him so tight and never let him go. Ever.

    He did not stop trying to soothe her with his calming touches and burning kisses.

    For an immeasurable amount of time, the two of them just stayed like that. Tangled tightly, just feeling each other''s warmth, hearing each''s others breath and heartbeats, and feeling each other''s pain.

    "Does¡­ does everyone know about this as well? Is that why they are treating me like that?" she finally managed to speak and broke the silence. Her voice was hoarse and weak.

    Zeke pulled away and looked down at the woman curled up in his arms. A muscle in his jaw ticked at the sight of her wet eyes. He gently reached out and wiped the remnant of tears on her face. "They only know that you''re the vampire deity mentioned in the prophecy."

    "Vampire¡­ deity?" She gave him an incredulous stare.

    "The previous prophetess called you that because you will be the only vampire who is able to wield magic. So she even made that certain prophecy public. And that''s why everyone knew that one day, you will appear. For the vampires, you are considered one of the supreme beings, Alicia. So don''t be too shocked if they start worshipping you." He could only crack a lopsided smile as her mouth dropped open slightly when he mentioned that.

    "Did they know I¡­ used to be a witch?" She asked in a small voice.

    "No, they still do not know about this. None of them know you used to be a witch queen just as none of them knows their prince is actually a half-demon. They will also never find out. Vampires are creatures who only believes what they see. Rumors don''t mean a thing to them, you know that, right?"

    With those reassuring words, they were silent again, just holding each other''s gaze.

    "Ezekiel¡­" she called out his name and Zeke responded with a husky ''hmm''.

    "Kiss me." came her whisper and without wasting a moment, Zeke captured her mouth. Alicia kissed him back as wildly as she could. She should be happy tonight because she was about to marry this man tomorrow, the man she loves with her whole being. She wanted to forget all the things that he had just revealed to her. That she was destined to rece him. She especially wanted to forget that part, even if was even for a moment.

    When their lips parted, they were both breathless. But Alicia''s eyes gleamed with unshed tears again.

    "Shh¡­ Alicia. Don''t cry anymore¡­" his husky voice cracked a little as he pressed a kiss on her eyes.

    "I''m sorry ¨C"

    He kissed her mouth again. This time, he did not pull away until she was dazed. But nothing could seem to ease the pain in her chest anymore.

    "Listen, Alicia¡­" he uttered as he pressed his forehead against hers. "I''m not going to marry you just to leave you forever. Trust in me, Alicia¡­"

    Alicia caught her breath at his words, her eyes widening with hope. Even if it was as tiny as a mustard seed, she would hold onto this little bit of hope until the end.

    ___

    Hello hellbounders, i would like to announce that Hellbound Heart is now open for voting. HH is my entry for this year''s spirity contest so i would like you guys to cast your votes on it from now on. If any of you want to support through gifting, please gift on HH instead. I am hoping for your support again guys! HH''s update will start to be daily starting july 1st. As for HWY, the final chapter will be published this 24th of July. There will be an ending event so look forward to it.

 Chapter 908 His bride

    Chapter 908 His bride¡¡¡¡It was finally the day of the wedding. Somehow the time just flew by and before Alicia knew it, her big day had arrived!

    The Reigns castle had been busy and bustling since 2 am in the morning, but as soon as the sun suffused everything in a golden hue, things eventually settled down.

    Since the groom and the bride could not be separated, they were both ced in the same room while getting prepared. The room was silent as Alicia was being prepped by a couple of hair stylists and a make-up artist.

    Alicia and Zeke were both sitting on a wide bench. Their hands were intertwined, while their backs were against each other''s, each facing the opposite directions.

    While the twodies were busy with Alicia, Zeke was quietly sitting there, staring at the bouquet of flowers on the table, seemingly in deep thoughts. If Alicia was looking at him now, she would see that his eyes had a gentle yet absorbed look that rarely could be seen.

    "Yo, Zeke!" a familiar voice rang out when the door abruptly swung open. Alex emerged as Zeke lifted his gaze. There was no surprise in Zeke''s face. In fact, he certainly looked like he had been expecting the man. Of course, this person had toe and bug him just before his wedding.

    A wide smile was stered all over Alex''s face as he deliberately eyed Zeke suggestively from head to toe. "Looking pretty handsome right there, man." He teased and waggled his eyebrows as he entered, walking casually past Zeke towards Alicia. "Abi sent me to ask if she coulde inter." Alex asked Alicia, the teasing toneplete gone when he spoke gently to her.

    "Of course! She cane now, and she should bring the twins too if they are not sleeping." Alicia smiled at Alex, and he gave her a thumbs up while grinning.

    Returning back to stand in front of Zeke, Alex bent over and whispered, smirking. "Nervous?"

    Zeke ignored him. Causing Alex to chuckle. He then pped his hand on Zeke''s shoulder and continued speaking in a know-it-all manner. "Don''t worry, Zeke. Being nervous on your wedding day is absolutely normal. I would know. I''ve gone through it myself. Just rx and take a few deeeeep breaths. Stop acting tough and deadpan, or you will end up fainting. Mark my words, Zeke." Though he seemed to be giving the advice for Zeke''s good, the twinkle in his eyes somehow gave the impression that he might not actually mind that much if the groom would end up fainting due to his nervousness in facing his own wedding.

    Alicia''s shoulders shook a little as she chuckled quietly as she heard Alex''s words. She could almost imagine Zeke''s face as he listened to Alexander.

    "I am right, right? Alicia?" Alex craned his head around Zeke to look at Alicia. But before Alicia could even respond, Alex had already returned his gaze to Zeke and said, "See? Alicia nodded. She absolutely agreed with me."

    Zeke sighed, looking as though he just wanted Alex to stop talking. So he used the most surefire way to stop him. "I hear Alice crying."

    Alex instantly straightened and cocked his head to the side, and then he was gone just like that. He did not even bother with closing the door, leaving Zeke shaking his head as he smiled faintly at the thought of his chatty long-time friend.

    Alicia pinched Zeke''s finger a little. "He''s going to get back at you for that." She chided him, smiling.

    "It''s fine. I can handle him," Zeke replied with a scoff, as he lightly squeezed Alicia''s hand.

    Alicia did not speak anymore as the make-up artist had already signaled to her that she was going to apply the lipstick on for her. She leaned back against Zeke, and he stilled, making sure to serve as the perfect human wall for her.

    A few momentster, unfortunately for Zeke, Alex returned. Alice was securely cradled in his arms as he entered the room with more controlled movements. Zeke could tell that his beloved princess was sleeping again since Alex started lowering his voice.

    "What did I tell you Zeke? Didn''t I tell you rx? Damn man, you''re still so stiff!" Alex said, not ceasing in his teasing of Zeke at all.

    "Alicia¡­" Abi who had just entered went straight to Alicia after giving Zeke a smile. She gasped at the sight of Alicia, just stopping herself from jumping on her and enveloping her in a bear hug. "You look so lovely!" Abi gasped and eximed in a low voice, as Alexis was cradled in her arms, also fast asleep.

    "Thanks, Abi." Alicia mouthed when the artist pulled away and backed off. She eyed Alicia''s face and then went back for the finishing touches on the make-up.

    Soon, the artists nodded at them with smiles on their faces. A signal that everything was finally done.

    The other stylist then stepped forward and ced a hair essory made of precious stones on the crown of her head toplete the whole look. After checking on everything and making sure that everything was as perfect as could be, they finally stepped back and gave Alicia a respectful bow.

    "Thank you for the hard work." Alicia thanked the two artists and they responded with beaming smiles.

    "Can I turn around now?" Zeke''s voice echoed from behind Alicia.

    "Of course, Your Highness. You can now look at her." Thedies said with titteringughter and Zeke finally turned around to look at his bride.

    Zeke stilled and his pupils dted as he stared unblinkingly at Alicia. She was a vision of magnificence that was before him.

    Reaching out, he was about to touch Alicia''s jaw, but his hand stopped midway.

    "How do I look?" Alicia asked in a low and throaty voice, her eyes so glossy as she looked up at him expectantly.

    His hand that was still in midair lowered to his side before he lifted their entwined hands to his lips. He kissed her knuckles without taking his gaze off Alicia even for a moment.

 Chapter 909 Down the aisle

    Chapter 909 Down the aisle¡¡¡¡"You look perfect as always¡­ my bride." He whispered against her hand, causing Alicia to beam at him, her sparkle almost blinding in effect. It was as though all the stars in the night sky were contained in her eyes right that moment.

    Alex was about to speak again when a knock sounded at the door. Everyone turned as a woman walked through the door and reported that the ceremony was about to begin.

    "Alright, we''ll be going first." Alex said as Abi just gave Alicia a smile filled with emotion. Her eyes were teary and her face constantly beaming from the unspeakable joy that was due to her friend being able to find her true love and is finally going to be married today.

    The couple quietly watched as the family of four left the room and of course, Alex had to mouth some teasing words before stepping out. "Don''t stumble when go through the procession, Zeke!"

    "Alexander really enjoys teasing you." Aliciamented once the door closed behind them.

    Zeke''s response was only a long-suffering sigh before he faced Alicia and stared at her face. His expression bing vulnerable again. Silence suddenly reigned between them as Zeke''s gaze held hers. She could tell from experience and the way he was holding himself that he was about to say something. So she only smiled at him and waited patiently.

    But just as he opened his mouth to speak, a knock sounded on the door again before it swung open. The same woman that came to inform them earlier bowed at them first before speaking.

    "It''s about time now, Your Highnesses. Please get ready." The woman notified them both and Alicia''s heartbeat elerated.

    At the appointed moment, Alicia and Zeke were now standing in front of a massive double door. Behind these doors were their guests and the wedding hall. As Alicia thought of how they would need to walk down the aisle with so many pairs of eyes looking at her, her heart gave a small shiver. But it was as though Zeke could hear her thoughts, his hand squeezed hers that was held in his bigger and warmer one. And with that one move, all her nervousness and jitteriness were swept away as how the breeze would blow the fog away.

    Their wedding would be something that no one would have witnessed before as the both of them were going to march down the aisle together.

    Aside from the fact that they cannot separate, Alicia did not have a parent or a parent figure to walk her down the aisle. Ever since the former queen that she had always considered as her mother figure already passed on in Dinah''s hands. Ezekiel was in the same situation as her.

    Last night, Ezekiel had told Alicia the whole story of the Reign''s family tree. He had revealed to her that the current King of Viscarria, King Livius, was actually his uncle. He was an illegitimate brother of Ezekiel''s father. When Ezekiel killed his father''s mistress, he had also imprisoned his father at that time until for hundreds of years after.

    Ezekiel had initially nned to imprison his father in the dungeon until his death. He had thought that he must suffer alongside Sebastian, as it was his father''s irresponsibility that was responsible for what had happened to his brother. However, one day, after hundreds of years had passed since he had thrown his father into prison, Ezekiel had realized that the Reign family needs more members to keep the royal bloodline of the vampires from dying out. He knew that he and Sebastian not only had their vampire bloodline, but also the cursed demon blood in them. And since Ezekiel loathed his demonic side, he did not wish for the pure vampire royal blood to disappear with his father''s death. As much as he was loath to free that sinner that had the title of ''father'' from his imprisonment, but for the greater good, he needed to let him out. But there was no way he would allow his father out just like that.

    Thus, Ezekiel took away his father''s memories. He erased all his memories from the moment he had met that witch queen. Every memory that had any form of rtion to the witch queen wasbed through by Ezekiel and pulled out to be destroyed beyond restoration. Only after that, his father was allowed to be let out from his imprisonment. Before long, Ezekiel''s father got married again. And that was how Kai, and his younger brothers were born. When Ezekiel''s father died, Ezekiel had decided to crown his uncle King.

    Since then, King Livius had been the ruling king for a long time and became his brothers'' father figure. Ezekiel had said he respected King Livius, but he had never seen him as a father figure. He said it must be because of the fact that Ezekiel was older than his uncle. Also, being the person who was responsible for putting his uncle on the throne, how could he regard him as an elder and fatherly figure?

    "Nervous?" Zeke''s voice pulled Alicia from her thoughts. They could hear the faint strains of melody from their wedding march song already ying, indicating that the procession had already started.

    Certain that Ezekiel could hear how loud and fast her heartbeat was at the moment, Alicia could only sh him a knowing smile. She was too moved to say anything else. This moment was one that did not need any words between them.

    Zeke squeezed her hand gently and reassuringly. "I''m d I''m right next to you since the beginning or I wouldn''t have seen how you would look right now while waiting for the doors to open." He said, his eyes gleaming as he looked at her.

    Alicia let out a deep breath and finally spoke. "I can hear your loud heartbeat too, my husband-to-be." She lifted a perfectly shaped brow at him.

    Zeke bit down on his lips as he looked at her. She saw emotions overflowing in his beautiful eyes and she fought the urge to jump on him and kiss him silly as the door finally opened.

    Clutching the bouquet tightly in her other hand, Alicia looked up at Zeke one more time and smiled sweetly at him before the two of them finally took their first steps down the aisle.

    ___

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 Chapter 910 Finally

    Chapter 910 Finally¡¡¡¡After the wedding ceremony, the guests all adjourned to the beautiful reception area.

    Everything was spick and span, gleaming from the polishing, wiping and cleaning that had been done over and over. There was long walkway that was covered with a long and luxurious maroon-red carpet. All the way down the carpet, 2 feet to the right and left of the carpet, were clear acrylic flower stand with mirrored base wedding column ¨C with an arrangement of Lily of the Valleys, peonies, ranunculus, sweet peas of varied colors and gardenias, with beautiful hanging vines of North African ivy ¨C with an equal distance of 5 feet between one column to the next column. The guest tables were all arranged on either side of the carpet with champagne colored satin as tablecloths and a centerpiece made of 6 tall sses of varying heights with corresponding heights of pir candles in each of it, with the same North African ivy vines twisted into an elegant and sophisticated wreath around the sses. And in front of each guest''s seat, was a fresh sprig of jasmine next their name ce cards to delicately perfume the area. Above it all,rge and long sections of champagne colored chiffon were hung as ceiling draping to add to the airiness and romantic ambiance of the ballroom hall. And added with warm white mini fairy string lights being attached to the chiffon ceiling draping, the entire setup of the wedding venue was just indescribable. Its ambient illumination with the twinkle and slow glow setting lent a whimsical air to the entire ce.

    When the newlyweds arrived at the reception venue, the guests all stood and gave them a thunderous round of apuse. The couple stood for a few seconds at the entrance before gliding gracefully over the red carpet.

    "Congrattions!" Alex and Abi were the first to approach the newlyweds. But Alex did not have much time to tease and speak to Zeke as more and more people came over to personally greet and offer their blessings to the newly minted couple.

    Soon, it was time for the newlyweds to have their first dance as husband and wife. Some guests were gathered on the terrace, looking on, as they sipped on their wines. The dance floor was cleared for the new Mr. and Mrs. Reign to start off the official first dance of the night.

    Some of the people lingering about on the terrace were Zeres, Iriz, and Lilith.

    "Ladies and gentlemen, please wee Mr. and Mrs. Reign to the dance floor." The emcee announced and apuse echoed after his announcement, followed by soft and lilting romantic music.

    The happiness that was bubbling within Alicia since they were pronounced husband and wife almost made her feel delirious as they swayed together as Zeke led her in the dance. She could see and tell that Ezekiel felt the exact same feeling as her just by looking into his dazzling grey eyes. They were both caught by each other''s gazes as they danced along to the tempo of the song. Nothing else seemed to exist outside of the touch of one another, the music that seemed to weave its notes around them and the light fragrance of the fresh flowers in the background. Alicia felt as though her feet were stepping on clouds and her footsteps were light as though she were personally wearing the winged sandals of the god Hermes while swaying and spinning wherever Ezekiel led her. Hisrge hands that were holding her hand and her waist felt like searing hot brands where theyy, sending delicious and electrifying shivers from where they were and shooting out to other parts of her body.

    The excitement of the wedding ceremony, the procession and now the couple dance all merged and formed one spinning whirlwind of heady emotions which was threatening to spin and throw her out of control. Fortunately, with Ezekiel''s captivating grey eyes that were solely focused on her, kept her grounded and steady. She drew in an unsteady deep breath before releasing it slowly, calming her edgy emotions.

    "I feel like I am dreaming, Ezekiel. Is this all real¡­?" Alicia said, unable to stop smiling. She still could not quite believe that they had really pulled this off. "I can''t believe that you''re now legally binding and officially my husband." Her beautiful eyes were wide and sparkling like the most brilliant of diamonds as her gaze hung onto her husband.

    "Were you thinking that our wedding will not happen?" he lifted a brow at Alicia.

    "Well, I was confident in what you said. But I did not expect it would be this easy. I never expect it to go this smoothly." She blinked at Ezekiel, looking somewhat a little confused but still deliriously happy at the same time.

    She looked so adorable in that state that Zeke could not help but smirk at her. But his eyes remained filled with nothing but adoration and love as his eyes were glued onto at Alicia ¨C now legally his wife! "I will never let anyone ruin this special day." He pulled her flush into his embrace and pressed his forehead against hers as they continued swaying to the music. "You''re finally my wife, Alicia." He spoke lowly and Alicia melted in his arms, hearing that hot and sultry voice whispering into her ears.

    "I love you, Ezekiel, my husband!" she whispered back as her eyes gazed hotly at him. Zeke lowered his head and gave her a tender kiss filled with nothing but love. They did not even register the apuse and excited hoots that broke out amongst the guests when they kissed right in the middle of the ballroom.

    They looked so perfect together. Both were so in love with each other that everyone who knew Zeke were still unable to believe their eyes even though they were practically seeing it before them. It was that unbelievable to them!

    Soon, with the change of song, the others joined in with the newlyweds on the dance floor. Of course, it was Alex who was the first one to pull Abi out for a dance.

    ___

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 Chapter 911 Perhaps

    Chapter 911 Perhaps¡¡¡¡On the terrace, Zeres, Iryz and Lilith were quietly watching the rest dancing with small smiles on their lips when Kyle appeared from behind. He greeted Zeres and Iryz first before turning to face Lilith.

    Kyle offered Lilith his hand. For a few moments, Lilith could just stare at the prince''s outstretched hand. But eventually, she let out a silent sigh and epted it. It could be said that Kyle literally beamed when Lilith''s handnded in his before he straightened his posture before leading her out to the dance floor.

    "May I have this dance?" Iryz simrly offered her hand to Zeres, imitating how Kyle had done for Lilith. This caused Zeres to blink and stare mutely at her for a moment before cing his wine ss down on the small round table that were beside them. Then turning to look at Iryz, he shed her a gentle smile before replying.

    "Of course," he said as his hand sped hers. However, Zeres took the initiative this time and led Iryz to the dance floor. Iryz''s eyebrows arched up in pleasant surprise as she willingly allowed herself to be gently tugged towards where the other dancers were already swaying their bodies to the music.

    The music continued ying as the couples enjoyed the dance. Well, except for a pair who looked like they were having an intense conversation through their eyes. The Lilith and Kyle pair were the only ones who did not seem to be enjoying the moment as they danced. The happy smile that was on Kyle''s lips had faded and he was now looking extremely solemn as he swayed with Lilith in his arms. There was something intense going on between them instead.

    "Do you remember what I told you when we said goodbye?" Kyle asked.

    Lilith paused for a moment, ruining their rhythm for a few seconds. Thankfully, Kyle was a great dance partner and he easily got them both back into rhythm again.

    "I said the next time I see you, I will never let you go again." Kyle continued when Lilith did not seem to respond. "I want to let you know that from here on¡­ I will stop at nothing to make you mine. I''ll make you mine Lilith, even if it kills me." He vowed in a low and firm voice. She saw that his eyes shed with determination and knew that he meant every single word that he said.

    Her breath hitched at his words and at the intensity that shone in his beautiful clear eyes. But Lilith fought to maintain herposure, knowing that vampires were all looking at her as she danced with their youngest prince. This was the first time she had appeared here outwardly without any disguise on. The vampires were still avoiding her and Zeres like they were the gue, but they were not that hostile to them anymore, despite them unting their very obviously silver hair in the midst of the vampires.

    Now that she was dancing with a vampire prince, she noticed that many vampires looking surprised and full of wonder as they looked at one of their princes. That was not an issue for Lilith though. She loved him but¡­ she knew that the two of them were still a forbidden pair. She had not asked Alicia about how her condition came about yet, but Lilith could already deduce that Alicia turned into a vampire because of Ezekiel. She was not certain as the couple never talked about it openly, but Lilith''s guts told her that the price Alicia that had to pay to be with Ezekiel was her identity as a witch.

    If she needed to give up herself as a witch queen to be with him¡­ she would rather choose her duty, no matter how it would hurt her and him. And there was one more thing that she was certain about, and that was she did not want to be a vampire. She is a witch queen, and she was willing to give up everything to do her duty.

    "Kyle¡­" Lilith whispered, secretly casting a sound barrier spell around them so no vampires could eavesdrop into their conversation. "I am¡­ I am the queen of the witches. I have a duty to fulfil."

    "I know¡­ Lilith¡­" Kyle answered tly.

    "Alicia and Prince Ezekiel are together now. But¡­ Alicia had to be a vampire, right?" Lilith shook her head. "I am a witch and I''d like to die a witch." She looked down and swallowed the lump in her throat. "I don''t want to be a vampire, Kyle." She uttered in an almost inaudible voice. "So, I¡­ I''d like to tell you to¡­ to give up on me. I have thought long and hard about this for many nights and most especiallyst night. And this¡­ this is my final decision, Kyle."

    She gave him a soft smile. Her eyes started to gleam with unshed tears. "I am going to dedicate myself to my duty as the queen of witches. That will be the sole purpose of my life from now on. I hope you will understand ande to ept my decision."

    They stopped dancing and just stood there, not caring about the other dancers swaying around them. Lilith felt as though her heart was breaking as she looked at the hurt blotting out the light in his eyes. But this must happen. She knew and epted that not all love will have their happy ever after. She will always love this boy. She felt like she would never love anyone again and that was maybe why it hurt like hell to give up on him.

    But she had to make her choice. And this was her decision.

    They were still young. Kyle was still very young for a vampire. He might not understand her decision now but one day she was certain that he would. And maybe, by then he might be d that he gave her up. The thought had her feeling a sharp pang tugging at her chest, but she bravely swallowed the pain. She had already thought of all these for the past few nights but in the end, her decision always ended with this ¨C giving up on Kyle.

    "I''m sorry, Kyle¡­" she uttered, trying to swallow her tears before they fall from her eyes. "I wish¡­ I wish from the deepest parts of my heart that you will one day find someone who can give up everything to be with you. Someone who will love you and choose you over everything else. Thank you for the love you showed me. For everything. I will cherish all of our memories together for as long as I live Kyle¡­" She then gave him the gentlest smile she could muster as the music came to an end.

    Lilith was not going to expect anything. But if they were truly meant to be, maybe one day, in the far future, the world might give them a chance to be together again where none of them had to sacrifice anything just to be with the other. One day. Perhaps¡­

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    A/N: Please add Hellbound Heart in your library and vote for it, hellbounders. Thank u.

 Chapter 912 Wedding night (Part I)

    Chapter 912 Wedding night (Part I)¡¡¡¡It was already way past midnight when the party finally ended. The reception was extremely enjoyable especially with all the antics that Alex and the others had prepared. That night, everyone had enjoyed and indulged to their hearts'' content, with the exception of maybe a few individuals who were secretly nursing their own heartaches yet acting like they werepletely alright on the surface.

    Alicia and Zeke were walking slowly, hand in hand, along a long corridor. Neither of them talked, but their faces screamed of nothing but pure satisfaction and happiness. They both had reveled in and savored every single moment of their wedding party up till now. The dances and games were all so entertaining, especially with all the guests who were very sporting and more than willing to humor them and yed along. Due to that, theughter had been cheerful, loud and infectious that even Zeke who was always portraying a poker face had a small and amused smile throughout the rest of the night. It was a special asion after all as it was his wedding.

    Feeling Zeke squeezing her hand lightly, Alicia looked up at him with a small smile as her eyes twinkled with all the emotions that was contained in her heart right at the moment. He was already looking down at her. His eyes were also filled with emotions,pletely showing his vulnerable self to her once again. She was still astounded at the knowledge that this powerful and peerless man was willing to open up to her and show his most vulnerable state to her and her alone. It was more amazing to know that she was the only one he had made this exception for in the entire hundreds of years that he was alive. That thought only caused her heart to flutter even more uncontrobly in her chest.

    In one swoop, he bridal-carried Alicia and then jumped out a window along the corridor. He quickly brought her to the topmost part of the castle, found afortable spot and sat there, with her cradled lovingly in his arms. As usual, he always made sure that she was snugly wrapped in his embrace, and that the least amount of wind would be able to hit her directly.

    Alicia did not say anything and just leaned her head contentedly on his shoulder as they both stared down at the lovely and silent night view of the city far below. Everything just seemed so perfect at the moment. Being held in his strong and reliable arms, Alicia could not ask for anything more. She was contented with her lot in life right now.

    For a long while they just stayed like that until Zeke''s silken voice broke the silence. "No words can describe how I am feeling right now, Alicia, my love. Marrying you is definitely the best decision I''ve ever made in my long life." Alicia could not see his face as she was facing forwards. But from the slight tremble in his voice told Alicia how affected he was by this.

    She then looked up at him, eyes gentle and full of love as her lips tugged into the sweetest smile Zeke had ever seen. Lifting her hand, Alicia caressed his face tenderly then kissed his mouth softly. "I love you¡­" was all she could say. "I love you, Ezekiel. My husband¡­ my heart."

    He pressed his lips together as if to stop certain words from spilling forth unwittingly, while his grey eyes gleamed like an ancient diamond. Alicia had seen this look on his face many times before, every time she told him, ''I love you''. He had never said those words out loud to her. Alicia had always felt as though something was always stopping him from saying those three words back. She had wondered what the reason was, but always ended up never saying anything about it. It was alright even if he could not say it out loud because it was obvious enough that she could see it every time she looked into his eyes and feel the love in every single thing that he did for her. And she believed that he would say those words to her eventually.

    "I love you," she whispered again and then she deepened their kiss.

    At the beginning, it started off slow and gentle and was filled with nothing but satisfaction type of kiss, until Ezekiel''s hand started to travel and touch her intimate ces.

    When they pulled away, savage hunger was reflected in his intense grey eyes.

    She felt his rock-hard length under her like a hot branding iron and she intentionally squirmed around, knowing what it would do to his already fraying self-control. She looked at him with the same lust he was looking at her. "Should we stay here a little longer? Husband mine?"

    His voice was a half groan, looking at her like he could no longer wait to devour her there and then. "My cock is already throbbing with anticipation for our wedding night to start." He pinched her chin and licked the seams of her lips, whispering to her hotly. "I can''t wait to make love to and fuck my beloved wife''s brains out."

    "Then take me and bring me to your room now, Ezekiel." Alicia''s self-control was almost non-existent as she heard him talk dirty. She had never had much of a resistance to him once they confirmed their rtionship, much less now when they were officially and legally husband and wife.

    He stood immediately. "I need to know one thing first, Alicia. How do you want our first round as husband and wife to go?" he asked, "Sweet? Tame? Wild ¨C"

    "Do whatever you want, love. I don''t want you to hold back at all, my husband." Her entire frame was shivering in anticipation of the things toe as his velvety dark voice seemed to flow over her oversensitive nerves.

    The grey fire in his eyes zed to an inferno and then they disappeared from the castle top.

    The moment they materialized inside his bedroom ¨C their bedroom, Ezekiel had already started ripping his clothes off his body.

    "I want to rip your dress apart but¡­ it''s just looks so beautiful on you, babe. I want to fuck you in your beautiful wedding dress, my wife." He whispered in a ragged voice.

 Chapter 913 Wedding night (Part II)

    Chapter 913 Wedding night (Part II)¡¡¡¡She found it hard to swallow for a moment. Those words that just fell from his lips were incredibly arousing that she actually salivated! Realizing that she did that, an embarrassed flush spread from her face down to her breasts. Yet, she was also highly aroused at the same time.

    "Yes. Please¡­" She breathed, already feeling the intense and familiar pulsation between her legs. He had not even touch her yet and here she was already feeling like it had been forever since he was inside herst. Even though they had actually made love justst night!

    He bent her over the couch by therge window as if he could no longer waste even another millisecond of taking the effort to walk them both to that massive bed which was just literally only a few steps away from the expensive antique couch.

    "You might want to put a sound shield around our room, Alicia." He advised and Alicia did not think twice before casting an extra strong spell for sound shield. She could tell that this night would be a long one and she could not promise herself to be able to keep her voice down, nor would she have the presence of mind to recast the spell if their joining as husband and wife might release some power that affect the normal sound shield ¨C thus, the extra strong spell.

    As she was casting the spell around their room, Zeke was busy working on her dress. By the time Alicia was done, her dress had already been gathered around her waist, her lower parts from her waist down were nowpletely disyed to him as he had already ripped her poor panties to shreds. Lifting a brow at Zeke, she saw the remains of her panties on the floor, Zeke only shed her a sexy grin.

    "I''ll get you new onester. Now¡­ spread your legs for me, Mrs. Reign." His authoritative voice had her insides squirming with lust as she felt herself flooding as never before. She did not expect him to use her newest title in this situation. He truly was getting her all riled up!

    Obediently following his orders, Alicia ced her hands on the armrest and spread her legs, feeling his intense stare at her pulsing wetness. Hearing his sharp intake of breath had her arching her back to give him the full view of her most private ce.

    "That''s my wife¡­" he uttered in a hoarse voice. He was already kneeling on the floor, his face right at her lower lips, sniffling her unique womanly scent.

    "Which do you want to go first? Hmm? My wife? My ¨C"

    "Your tongue." She cut him off, knowing what choices he was going to offer her. Most of her wanted him to just give her her favorite, but¡­ she wanted to savor the moment and take it as slow and drag it out as long as she could endure. She did not want this moment to be rushed through. It was precious.

    He chuckled quietly against her. And then he proceeded to eat her there, causing her to bite down hard on her lips and squeeze her eyes closed.

    His tongue slid inside her with skillful enthusiasm as he yed with her taut bud. Oh heavens¡­ she just could not get enough of the way how he hungrily devours her there. It seemed to only get better every time he does it.

    "AH!" an erotic yelp escaped her mouth when he pinched her bud sharply. She nearly came if not for him suddenly stopping his actions. He was doing it again. The sweet torture that was promising her an unspeakable firework of orgasm.

    "Don''t stop." She pleaded him, even if she knew the torture that would beingter on. It was torture if he gave it to her, it was also torture if he did not. Either way, she was damned. Might as well get pleasure out of it.

    He pped her ass, the sharp sound reverberated inside the room along with her pleasure filled yelp. "You said I''ll get to do what I want, Alicia. Have you already forgotten?" His voice soft but shooting straight into her core.

    "Sorry¡­" was all she could say. He inserted two fingers inside her and thrusted them in and out, slowly at first, then faster, before going as fast as hell before suddenly stopping just as she was about toe.

    "You''re not allowed toe yet, my dearest wife. Wait for your husband toe together. Or else, I''ll punish youter." He teased her.

    "But¡­ I might not be able to ¨C" Alicia protested, not able to help herself from feeling agitated that her pleasure was suddenly cut off.

    "Yes, you can, Alicia. You know you can." He was bent over her back now, his mouthtched onto her neck as his hand gently wrapped around the front of her neck. "Say yes, wife." And he squeezed her ass to prompt her reply.

    "Yes, my husband." She gasped sharply before finally answering and Zeke rewarded her by mming suddenly into her, causing her to squeal hard from his sudden invasion. He had impaled her so hard and so deep, her breast jerked, and the sturdy couch made a scraping sound as it was pushed forward from the force exerted.

    Another brutal thrust came again, and she screamed and arched her back sinuously at the killing pleasure. She had tried her best to hold back her sounds, but he had hit a spot that had suddenly sent her to the peak of heaven.

    She trembled violently, her thigh muscles quivering from the effort of holding herself up and not copsing into the couch. Her insides gripped his thick hardness, as though not wanting to let him go, causing him to groan from that exquisite grasp she had on him.

    "What a bad girl¡­" he growled, spanking her ass again then gripping her neck and pulling her up, flush against his chest. "You are dying to be punished, aren''t you? You''re dying to be chained and cuffed again, aren''t you? Huh, wife? It seems as though you are wanting me to restrain you forcefully and take you roughly without you being able to resist my attacks¡­" He continued whispering all these into her ears as her inner muscles continued to ripple around his thick and hot length ¨C that seemed to be growing harder within her.

 Chapter 914 Wedding night (Part III)

    Chapter 914 Wedding night (Part III)¡¡¡¡"Yes¡­ ah¡­!!''" she could not even respond with any words other than ''yes'' at the moment. Her orgasm was still owning her. But she did not need to give any another answers. He was right, she wanted him to cuff and chain her as well tonight. And then she would do the same to himter.

    "Fuck, you''ve be even hotter now that you''re my wife, Alicia. Prepare yourself¡­ because this husband of yours will not let you get any rest at all tonight." His pants got hotter and more irregr as his movements got more intense.

    And he picked up his punishing rhythm before the remaining little tremors could even stop. Alicia''s moans, gasps and yelps never stoping out of her mouth as Zeke thrusted ferociously into her, over and over without stopping until she was already pressed into the couch with her feet lifted off the floor.

    He moaned out her name in a guttural sound and then with onest powerful and fierce thrust, they both came undone, together. Tear streaked down Alicia''s face uncontrobly, looking as though she was not even aware of it. Her mouth ckened as the waves of orgasm crashing over her seemed to endlessly shake her entire world.

    "Fuck! Alicia¡­" she heard his rumbling voice as she felt his body pressing heavily against her back, trembling as well in the aftermath of his own orgasm.

    ¡­

    "You said I''ve be hotter now that I''m your wife¡­" Alicia broke the silence as she was cradled in Ezekiel''s arms again, as he was now sitting on the couch that had somehow miraculously withstood the intensity of their lovemaking session a while ago.

    "Hmm. It''s true¡­" he smiledzily, like a cat that had gotten to the cream, his eyes still gleaming with satisfaction from their earlier high.

    "You''ve be even more vicious now that you''re my husband." She pretended toin as she pursed her lips and huffed a little.

    He smiled devilishly. "Vicious in bed. Can''t be helped, babe. My wife''s a ravishing beauty that just keep turning me into a ravenous beast that just wants to mindlessly fuck her brains out." He replied with a casual shrug of his shoulder. "Now let me help you take off your wedding dress while I''m still in control of myself, before this beast shreds it apart to pieces and beyond salvation."

    Alicia could only wrinkle her nose at him as she shook her head and allowed him to help her undress.

    Once the wedding dress was discarded safely to the side, he then proceeded to admire her nakedness that was presented to him before letting his eyes travel upwards until they met hers. He licked his lips in anticipation and said in an almost purr, "Now¡­ it''s time for the second round, Mrs. Reign."

    He lunged at her and then they were moved to the bed.

    "What are you going to do this time, Mr. Reign?" Alicia asked coyly as the corners of her lips curled up slightly.

    "Guess." His eyes gleamed with an inner fire as he looked deep into hers.

    Alicia looked around. "I''m guessing you don''t have your chains and cuffs here with you¡­" she trailed off when he smiled at her wickedly. "You¡­ actually have them here?!" She choked a little when she realized that her husband had already everything prepared. This man!!

    He pinched her chin. "Did you forget what kind of man your husband is, Alicia? I''ve gotten them all prepared¡­ even before the wedding had started."

    ¡­

    "It''s already past noon," Alicia panted with a slightint in her tone as she nced at the small but bright ray of light shining through the thick and dark curtains that covered their room window. She was on top of Ezekiel, her hands supported on his heaving chest as she continued riding him. They were still at it.

    Zeke had her hand cuffed to the headboard above him. His face had long been glistening with sweat from their rigorous activities. He was now looking like some kind of god under the mercy of his goddess.

    He shed a devilish smile at her. "Tired already, my wife? Just say so¡­ I''ll take over."

    Alicia bent and kissed his ear, poking the tip of her tongue inside his ear. That made him growl low and dangerously.

    Then she lifted herself up slowly until his tip was barely inside her. His eyes narrowed as he watched their sexes, waiting for her to impale herself onto him again. But she did not move, and he groaned. "Who''s tired, hmm? I think it''s you who''s finally getting tired, dear husband mine."

    "Bad, bad girl¡­"  he muttered, smiling, before he suddenly flexed his hips powerfully upwards and mmed his hardened length into her, earning himself a loud gasp and groan from his unsuspecting wife.

    ¡­

    When night came again, cuffs and chains and many other things were scattered over the floor. The newlyweds were just cuddling in each other''s arms now. Alicia was lying her head on Zeke''s chest, contentedly listening to the steady and strong heartbeats of her husband.

    Both of them were still fully awake despite their intensive sex marathon. Zeke was staring at the ceiling as he gently stroked Alicia''s hair, while Alicia was staring at the curtains, just reveling in the warmth emitted by her husband''s body.

    Their love making and fucking sessions were as usual, just incredible. In fact, it has somehow gotten better after their wedding. Alicia could not even help but just smile and blush thinking about it. It was dirty, savage and depraved. But she loved every single second and every bit of it. Craved it, in fact. Anything that Ezekiel did to her was just pure addiction. She would have thought that she was in grave trouble, but her husband felt the same addiction towards her. He too, could not help but want her, crave her, and obsess over her. And she could not ask for anything more.

    There was only one thing that she was wishing for at this moment. And that was, for the uing day to be heavily skewed in their favor.

    Tomorrow was the day. The D-day that they had been preparing for.

    ___

    Please vote for Hellbound Heart hellbounders! Thank you.

 Chapter 915 Tonight

    Chapter 915 Tonight¡¡¡¡The next morning. After washing up and making sure they were presentable, Alicia and Zeke headed to the dungeons where Sebastian was being imprisoned.

    As they approached the thick and protected bars, Alicia felt Ezekiel''s hand tightened around hers a little. The boy beyond the bars did note at them like how he did the first time that Alicia was here.

    He was just there, silently kneeling on the ground, his hands chained to thick restraints that were reinforced with demonic magic to keep him there. The sight of him was breaking her heart. It was just unimaginable how this boy had been just locked up here like this for so long. It was not just years¡­ but hundreds of years, in fact! Alicia could feel hot tears pricking the back of her eyes as she stood there with Zeke, not moving nor speaking.

    Looking over at Zeke, Alicia silently squeezed his hand in encouragement. She knew that it must be agonizing for Zeke to watch his own brother being treated like this for almost seven hundred years. She could not even imagine the torture and suffering for both Ezekiel and Sebastian during these long years.

    "Seb," Ezekiel called out to his brother softly and the boy beyond the cage opened his eyes. His animalistic grey eyes stared at them through his dark, damp and messy hair.

    Even after almost seven hundred years, Sebastian did not seem to age. Ezekiel said that Sebastian''s appearance never changed since that fateful day, and that time seemed to have stopped for him since the day he drew that demonic power into his body. And that was why, until now, Sebastian still looked like an eighteen-year-old boy.

    "Tonight¡­ I will finally free you." Zeke added. "Forgive me for taking so long, Seb." He gripped the thick bar and still tried his best to stay asposed as he always was on the outside. But Alicia knew, she could feel, that Zeke was in turmoil on the inside, every time he looks at Sebastian.

    The boy did not speak nor responded to Zeke. He kept his seemingly deadly gaze trained on Zeke for a long while before shifting his gaze to Alicia.

    "Who?" he finally spoke. His voice was creaky and rusty as he had not had any reason to speak for long periods of time. Though only one word, but it was clear he was asking who Alicia was as his gaze was directed at her when asking that question.

    Ezekiel held Alicia''s shoulder and pulled her closer to him. It was as if Zeke was trying to show Sebastian that Alicia was someone very important to him. "Meet my wife, Seb."

    Sebastian simply stared at Alicia, unblinking in its intensity. His dark aura and the madness that swirled within his eyes seemed to calm a little. A touch of sanity seemed to have returned to them.

    "Her. Name?" he asked and again, Zeke''s grip on Alicia tightened. She could feel his intense hesitation to utter and reveal her name to Sebastian. Thest time they were here, Ezekiel had mentioned a different name and until now, she still did not know the reason why. All Zeke had told her that time was her name rings a bell to Sebastian.

    A sudden growling sound rumbled from behind the bars and Sebastian started to tug violently at his chains. The tame boy from just a while ago was now looking and behaving like a beast again. Nothing was recognizable in his eyes but pure animalistic madness and an extreme bloodlust. He pulled and tugged forcefully, trying to break free from his chains until blood began to drip from the torn skin at his wrists, ankles and neck.

    Watching him and being so helpless to help in anyway was just¡­ heartbreaking.

    Alicia looked at Ezekiel with teary eyes and saw him quietly watching his brother trashing at the chains that held him captive. How many times had he watched his brother like this? How much had his heart bled and ached as he stood just outside, not being able to do anything for his own sibling? Alicia shuddered in agony for her husband as she thought of it.

    ¡­

    By the time they left the dungeon, Sebastian was still wreaking havoc inside his cell. Even when Zeke used his demonic magic to put him to sleep or to restrain him, nothing seemed to work. So, he instead focused on the powerful shield holding the bars from being damaged and tried to strengthen them even more.

    "He''s getting worse the closer we get to that moment." Zeke said to everyone, his voice grave and low. Alex and the rest were already with them as they all had felt themotion going on from underneath the ground. They knew that it must havee from the dungeon. "I''m guessing that he''s going to get worse as the minutes pass by."

    "And you''re going to be even weaker?" Alexander asked the question that was on everyone''s mind but did not dare ask. His gaze was scrutinizing and piercing as he looked directly at Ezekiel, not avoiding the man''s own sharp gaze.

    Silence reigned at Alex''s words while Alicia just clenched tighter onto Zeke''s hand a little. She had been feeling ittely. What Alex had mentioned. The closer they got to the D-day, Ezekiel seemed to be getting weaker and weaker. Today in particr, was the worst. It had declined to the point that Alicia had felt a slight fear clutching at her heart when she woke up this morning and noticed it. Of course, the reason she could sense it so clearly was due to the special connection that was between them.

    But now, after Zeke had just used more of his demonic power in strengthening Sebastian''s cage earlier on, he had weakened even more, that even Alexander was able to notice it. And that was a worrying fact.

    "Yes." Zeke replied without the slightest change in his tone. "This is necessary for the ritual tonight."

    "I see¡­" Alexander nodded but it did not escape Alicia''s notice how his brows creased a little. It was not normal for Alexander to look so doubtful when ites to Ezekiel''s words. It was because of this, that made Alicia feel a little tremor shaking her already unsteady heart.

 Chapter 916 A little scared

    Chapter 916 A little scared¡¡¡¡That afternoon, Alex and the others had worked on to clear the castle. Because tonight, no one will be present within the vicinity of the ckshire Hill, where the Reigns Castle stood. Not even the most trusted servants or the royal guards or even any other members of the royal family themselves. The only ones who are allowed to be present in the castle tonight were Zeke, Alicia, Zeres, Alex, Lilith, the prophetess, Abigail, Kyle, Kai and Lucas.

    Alicia and Zeke were currently in Abi and Alex''s chambers, watching over the twins while everyone else were outside, busy preparing everything as Zeke had instructed them earlier. Zeres and Lilith were also busy with the ritual preparations for Alicia.

    So right now, the couple was alone together again. Each of them was holding a little bundle of joy in their arms.

    "He doesn''t seem to want to go to sleep," Zekemented, looking down expressionlessly at Alexis in his arms. The baby''srge pair of bright grey eyes were gazing up at Zeke.

    Alicia smiled. Alice, being the good little princess she was, was already fast asleep in her arms.

    "Why don''t you sing him a luby then?" Alicia suggested to her husband in a soft voice. Her eyes gleamed in excitement at the thought that she might get to hear him sing again.

    Seeing Alicia''s highly expectant expression, Zeke nced down at Alexis before asking. "What song do you want me to sing?"

    "Hmm¡­ I think that song ''Somewhere over the rainbow'' is perfect for a luby." Alicia grinned, wanting to hear such a sweet tone being sang by her husband''s cello-like voice. Though she did not know how it would be, one thing she knew was Zeke always does things perfectly and wonderfully. Thus, she was anticipating it very much and was almost giddy with excitement. The only reason she was not showing it outwardly was due to not wanting to identally awaken little Alice who was sleeping so soundly.

    After holding Alicia''s gaze for a while, Zeke cleared his throat and then shifted a little in his seat.

    The next moment, his voice echoed inside the room. Such sweet song being sung with his deep and rich voice just sounded shockingly different from thest time she heard him sing. It had caused goosebumps to prickle all over her arm and yet it felt so soothing... touching and just so good.

    The entire time, Alicia never took her eyes off him. She rxed at the sound of his voice. To her, his voice was like magic. It seeped through her very soul and made everything just feel so magical. She would never get tired of hearing that voice of his. Never.

    As he sang thest line, Alexis had finally closed his eyes and willingly drifted off to sleep.

    Once the couple tucked the twins into their respective cots, they both let out a long but gentle sigh. Who knew putting babies to bed for their nap time was such an enjoyable and satisfying thing? After just standing there and watching them peacefully sleep for a few seconds longer, Zeke pulled on Alicia''s wrist and led her to the couch, sitting her down on hisp as he wrapped his arms around her.

    "I want to hear you sing one more song, Ezekiel." She requested of him in a slightly coaxing manner as she rxed her entire frame in his arms. There was no where else that felt safer than within the embrace of her husband''s arms.

    "Sure. Do you have any specific song that you want to listen to?"

    She shook her head, smiling at him. "I''m fine with any song¡­ as long as it''s you who is singing it."

    He shifted and turned her around to face him. Then he made her lean on his shoulder before he started singing a song titled ''I want to spend my lifetime loving you''.

    At the end of the song, her heart felt like it was about to burst from all the emotions that had surged from within her while his deep soothing voice sang her those beautiful lyrics.

    "Such a beautiful song¡­" she uttered wiping the lone tear that had just fell from the corner of her eyes before she looked at him. "I''m not sure if I have a good voice but I''ll practice and sing and dedicate that song to you too, one day."

    Ezekiel shed her a heart-stopping smile. To him, even if she were to sing off tune, if it was all for him, he would willingly and wholeheartedly listen to it.

    "I''ll definitely look forward to hear you sing for me, my wife." He said before he lowered his head and press down a passionate and deep kiss on her lips. He did not let her go for a long time. And when he did, her lips were all red and swollen ¨C a sure sign that she had been well kissed.

    ¡­

    Soon, all the preparations had already been set ording to n. Zeke had also already finished speaking to Zeres about the timing and other important matters. All that was left was for them to wait for the clock to hit midnight.

    ckshire Hill was already a ce where not many are allowed free ess into. Coupled with the fact that there were no longer any other people around other than those few who were left, it only made the night to be ever so quiet and still. Since Abi and the twins had also left the castle not too long ago, the number of people in the castle had lessened even more.

    It continued being that way until there was just an hour left to midnight. It was getting harder and harder for Alicia to stay calm and just sit there quietly. She could not help it. No matter how she told herself to stay positive, that everything will be alright, and to just trust in Zeke and his ns, she just felt that her blood and heart and everything within her started rushing like it was in a race. She was¡­ nervous and obviously a little scared. And it was getting worse as the minutes passed.

 Chapter 917 Midnight

    Chapter 917 Midnight¡¡¡¡"I''m asking you again¡­ onest time, Zeke. Are you really sure there is nothing that we should be doing?" Alexander who also looked slightly restless, jumped out of his seat and asked. Of course, if Alexander was the one acting like that, how much worse would the other Reigns and even Lucas look right now? Every single one of them looked doubtful and worried ever since Ezekiel told them to just sit and not do anything. At all.

    "Yes, Alex." Ezekiel replied immediately and without hesitation. He even sounded so sure about it. "Remember. No matter what happens, do not do anything." Again he reminded them, and this time with a heavier and solemn tone.

    "Even if things end up going wrong? You''re telling us to just sit back and watch and still not do anything to help nor intervene?!!" Alex questioned and was so disturbed that his tone came out almost on the verge of being slightly aggressive. And that was quite rare for Alex since it was Zeke that he was speaking to.

    Zeke''s gaze just held Alex''s eyes silently for some time. The others were also holding their breaths along with them as they looked on at the duo.

    "Yes." Zeke finally replied, causing Alex to visibly dete and then shake his head in disbelief. "Even if things do end up going wrong, none of you must make any move to help me either." Zeke reiterated. The fact that he did, just told the rest of them how much he needed them to follow this instruction. He was not a person who would repeat himself for no reason.

    Running his fingers through his hair, Alex sighed. "Look. You know that it would be hard, right? Zeke¡­ Not just me, but your brothers here too, would definitely help you ¨C"

    "Alex¡­" Zeke''s gentle yet sharp tone cut Alex off. Their gazes held for a few moments again before Zeke continued. "I''m counting on you to stop them, Alex¡­" his voice lowered and for the first time, he unmasked his face and showed everyone an emotion swirling powerfully within his eyes. His gaze looking at Alex with the word ''please'' clearly shining forth from them.

    Alex had never ever seen that expression on Zeke''s face for nearly seven hundred years, that he had been renderedpletely speechless.

    Shutting his eyes closed, Alex took another long breath that clearly showed his feelings. Exasperation. "Fine, I''ll do it. But at least let everyone know why no one can intervene."

    Zeke nodded after a while at Alex before turning to look at everyone. "It''s dangerous. And more importantly, nothing that any of you do can actually help me out. Never go near the circle except for Alicia. Anyone who get past the circle will be sucked into the gates of hell and would have no chance of ever returning. So don''t even dare think about it. Also, any interference from outside will only cause me more trouble rather than help. I only need you all to just watch and make sure no one else woulde and interfere. Just¡­ listen to all that I have instructed you and trust me¡­" His voice was firm and calm. It broke no discussions nor objections from anyone.

    Everyone winced and looked like they wanted to object. But after listening to his exnation, they could do nothing but only nod and obey him.

    Nodding at them with gratitude filling his eyes, Zeke turned back to face Alicia.

    "Alicia¡­" her called out her name softly, gripping her hand and resting his forehead against hers. "It''s okay, don''t worry," he whispered. "You have to trust me."

    Alicia looked up at him. "I''m¡­ I am allowed to do something to¡­ to help you, right? Just in case something goes wrong. Hmm¡­? Ezekiel?" she asked a little anxiously, cupping his hand and bringing it to rest on her chest. Her expression was begging. Begging and hoping that Ezekiel will tell her that she was the exception. That at least she could help.

    But he shook his head slowly at her. She could feel her heart sink like an anchor into the ocean.

    He caressed her face gently and whispered. "I''m sorry Alicia, but you can''t help as well ¨C"

    "But why?!! I think I am powerful enough to help now, aren''t I?" she was getting agitated, thinking that all her newfound powers were useless if she could not even help her most important person in his time of need.

    He bent and nted a kiss on her forehead to soothe and calm her down. And thankfully, it worked. It always worked. "Yes, you are strong. No doubt about that. But your magic and power cannot help with this, Alicia. The only magic that is needed for this ritual are demonic powers. And among of all of us here, I am the only one who qualifies." He cupped her face and rested his forehead against hers again. "Don''t be scared, Alicia. I will do everything in my power to make everything turn out alright, I promise. Trust me, okay?"

    Alicia could do nothing but nod sadly before kissing him.

    And the moment their lips parted the time had finallye.

    Zeke pulled Alicia into his embrace, and he then turned to face everyone. He looked at each one of them in the eyes. His eyes settled for a long while on each of them, Kai, Lucas, and Kyle. When the three bnodded at him, Zeke gave them a nod back before turning to Alex. Their eyes held much longer than everyone else, a serious conversation going on secretly between the two of them.

    Then Zeke and Alicia disappeared first.

    Zeres and Lilith had helped everyone to teleport as well and once they materialized inside the dungeon, they saw Alicia and Zeke already standing in the middle of an intricate circle that was drawn on the dungeon floor. The agonizing roars and trashing sounds of Sebastian pulling on his restraints behind bars were like thunders being emitted from underground.

    At Zeke''s nod, Zeres then moved and stood at another circle drawn just a few steps away from Alicia and Zeke.

    And then midnight struck.

    ___

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 Chapter 918 For me

    Chapter 918 For me¡¡¡¡Heavy rain suddenly poured down as soon as midnight struck. Lightning shing, thunder that continuously boomed and violent winds came as though the god of storm himself was visiting the castle, just without warning. It all came so suddenly that even a passerby would know that this violent thunderstorm was no normal urrence of nature. It was clear that there was something more to it. Something supernatural.

    The now empty castle looked extremely eerie as it stood there in the midst of a violent storm. Wisps of something dark also could be seen lingering all over the structure, very simr to snakes slithering around, in search of something.

    In the dungeon, the atmosphere had already be suffocating. The air itself was pulsing with dark energy. It was normally dry and cool down in the dungeon, but now, everyone could feel that it was dense andced with a smoky quality that irritated their noses.

    An inky dark smoke swirled around the edge of the circle where Zeke and Alicia stood in, creating a wall of smoke that seemed to have a life of their own.

    In the other circle created by Zeres, silver lights had also swirled around the lines. It was a seemingly perfect show of light and darkness. But tonight, the darkness seemed to be by far, stronger and more powerful than the light. The darkness was so deep and imprable that the light was threatened to be swallowed up by it. It was definitely more dominant. And violent beyondpare.

    The darkness was getting more and more intense, the longer the ritual continued. Waves of darkness kept swirling, shifting, and thickening, especially within the confines of the dungeon where it seemed to be the source of it. The men outside the circle, including Zeres who was within the circle of light, could not even see the through the circle of darkness anymore.

    Whatever that was happening on the inside, they no longer know. They were only capable of standing there, rooted to the spot and holding onto their breaths as every one of them desperately hoped that the couple was doing alright.

    They shifted their gazes to Zeres who was still visible in his circle of light and saw him slice his palm, allowing his blood to drip in the center of his circle. Then the silver lights brightened until it became blinding.

    Within the dark circle, there was also something that was happening. Alicia''s body began to glow with a silvery shimmer. Even though it was only a small glimmerpared to the deep darkness that surrounded them, it was still enough to cast light and return sight to the two people who were within that dark circle.

    But she could not be bothered about that right now. In fact, she hardly even noticed it.

    All her attention was on her husband who was now kneeling on the ground right before her. She could feel his strength dwindling rapidly, like someone was forcefully pulling it all out of him. She did not even need their connection to tell that this loss of power was too rapid and too abnormal.

    "Ezekiel!!!" she could no longer help but cry out, her voice trembling as she tried to hold back her emotions from overwhelming her. Fear and worry had been strangling her since he had copsed to his knees a few minutes ago. "Please¡­ what''s happening?"

    She wanted to hug and hold him in her arms, but Zeke was tightly holding onto both her hands, not allowing her to do anything rash. He was holding her hands as though he was holding onto his lifeline and that made Alicia scared to pull her hands out of his.

    "Ezekiel! Can you hear me? Please, say something!" she cried. He finally opened his eyes at the panicked tone in her voice. His other eye waspletely ck now. Not even the whites are showing.

    "Ezekiel!" Alicia panted when he suddenly shed her a devastating smile, causing Alicia to be unable to decide whether to cry or yell at him. She was d that he could still respond to her calls. But looking at the state he was in, and his eye color only brought on more trepidation to her.

    "I''m fine, Alicia." Zeke tried to reassure her.

    "You''re scaring me." Alicia whispered out shakily. She did not want to worry him more when he already had so much to deal with. But she could not help but express herself to him.

    "I know¡­ and I''m sorry for that. But this must happen. I need to weaken to this degree¡­ More actually." He reached out and gently caressed her face. His thumb rubbing little circles into her cheek so gently. "It''s time for you toplete the ritual Zeres had started, Alicia. You need to bite me and take in as much blood from me as possible. Remember, don''t stop until my other eye turnspletely ck too."

    Alicia wanted to protest. She did not know she needed to draw blood from her husband. She did not want to. Not when he was already so weak like this! If she further drained his blood, would he not then be weakened to the point of being unable to fight back if anything went wrong?

    But she also immediately understood that this might be the sacrifice needed to fully bring her back to life. Though Zeres and Ezekiel never told her any details of the spell that Zeres had found in that book, Alicia already knew there would need to be something precious they had to offer up as sacrifice. That was the way the spell would work. She understood this better than others. How could she not? As the previous witch queen, she dealt with so many spells before. Thus, could it be Ezekiel''s¡­

    Her breath hitched as her eyes reflected their anxiety and worry.

    "It''s alright, Alicia." Ezekiel muttered lowly. His voice was soothing as he shed her another reassuring smile. "Don''t worry¡­ because I needed this too. In fact, I believe this is meant to happen because I would need someone to draw blood from me right now. I had initially nned to have Alex do it for me or if he refused, I would just make myself bleed. But now the n has changed, so I need you to do it. For yourself and for me, Alicia."

    Again, Alicia could do nothing but to obediently follow his instructions. She could feel him begging her to just cooperate. She could feel the urgency in his eyes even when he exined it to her so patiently. She could feel he was chasing time and that he was dying for her to just do it and to just trust in him.

    Her entire being was reluctant even as she moved closer and opened her mouth to expose her fangs. And when she did bite down, her tears quietly fell without her even knowing.

 Chapter 919 The gates of hell

    Chapter 919 The gates of hell¡¡¡¡"More, babe¡­" Zeke continued whispering to her in a soft voice as she drew on his blood. "Don''t stop¡­ it''s not enough yet, Alicia."

    Zeke could feel her trembling. Wanting to stop. But he could not let her stop. He needed her to drink more. When Zeres came to him and told him about the content of that spell that could bring Alicia back to life, while Alicia was asleep, Zeke had decided not to tell Alicia at all. Because the sacrifice that was needed in exchange for the spell to work was a vampire royal''s blood. And it was not just a small amount. It should be enough to actually cause the vampire royal''s death. In short, it was an exchange of life.

    He knew Alicia would never agree to this. But like he had told her, he needed someone to draw his blood. Basically, to kill him ¨C his vampire side. Because only when all his blood was gone, could both his eyes turn ck ¨C a sign that his vampire half was dead and that he was now nothing but purely a demon. With this¡­ he would be able to save his wife and brother in one move.

    "Yes, my wife¡­ more¡­" he uttered once again in a pleading voice as he felt Alicia pushing away from him, as if to stop. "It''s okay. Trust me, Alicia. I won''t die with this, I promise. Trust me¡­" he continued coaxing as he felt her start to tremble from fear.

    He hated what he was doing to her. But there was no other choice.

    "A little bit more¡­ please¡­ I won''t die even if you suck my blood dry, I promise you that Alicia¡­" His hand moved to cradle her head and pressed her down a little more because she attempted to pull away. "Please¡­ a little more, my wife¡­" And to his relief, she listened to his pleading, even as he felt her hot tears falling onto his skin. In his mind he kept saying sorry.

    And then his heartbeat stopped. Something in him pulsated. It was done. It was finally time.

    Both of their bodies glowed suddenly. Light and darkness seeped through them both but never blending. And then, it was as if something had exploded between them. The two of were thrown apart into different directions. For the first time in a long time, they were no longer physically connected. Alicia was thrown outside the ck circle while Zeke tumbled and rolled closer to Sebastian.

    "Ezekiel!!!" Alicia screamed, rising to her feet immediately to return to him, but Alex and Zeres stopped her. Both holding her arms, preventing her from rushing over. "Let me go!"

    The darkness swirled and moved away from the circle and gathered in one ce, right behind Sebastian. A dark and massive vortex formed as the sound of wind and crackling fire echoed all around. Then a strong earthquake shook the ground. And it opened. The gates of hell¡­ finally opened.

    This was different from the vortex Zeres had created when he summoned the demons from hell. This was different because what Zeres had opened back then was not the gate. Instead, Zeres had created a portal that forcefully pulled the lesser demons out of hell and into their world.

    High demon lords with stronger demonic powers cannot pass through those portals. They could only pass through the gate of hell which was this one.

    "Alicia. We must listen to Zeke''s instruction." Alex said but Alicia could not suppress her fear. When she got separated from him, she felt something awful grip her heart, as if that was not only a temporary separation.

    Demonic darkness crawled and swirled stronger than ever that all of them could hardly breathe. The condition of the air was not something any normal vampire and witches could bear. In fact, this could even kill humans just by being exposed to it. It was like the air in hell itself was seeping out from the gate and forming a cloud of fatal poison.

    Something so powerful came at them like a wave that Zeres had to summon a strong shield and Alex had to control the wind to go against the demonic magic for protection. It was so strong that it even sliced and cut the skin.

    The power was from Zeke. He was right there, drawing in all the demonic powers from his brother. He was standing right behind Sebastian. His hand was curled in a w-like manner over Sebastian''s head.

    Zeke''s wings had already been spread out behind him. Both his eyes were so ck, even his breath rolled out of his mouth as inky ck smoke. He looked and felt so powerful. The earth continued shaking and they could only watch on in a mixture of awe and fear. They had never thought this was the extent of Zeke''s demonic powers. He could easily pass as the lord of darkness now.

    The gate of hell behind him went from storm to the highest category hurricane. And then Zeke began to shout. His ck veins bulging, threatening to burst from taking in too much demonic power.

    Whatever he was trying to do next had sent everyone''s heart hammering. Alicia''s had officially stopped. All she wanted was to go and stop him. Because she felt that¡­ just by looking at him right now¡­ it was very clear that his power was getting out of control.

    "Let¡­ go¡­" Alicia shouted at the two who were still restraining her. "Let go!!!"

    Zeres looked at Alex. Alex gritted his teeth. It would be impossible to stop Alicia without hurting her if she decides to break free. And Alex did not like what was happening now.

    "Let go!!" Alicia begged and that had Alex shutting his eyes close before finally nodding to Zeres. He could stop anyone and keep his promise. But Alicia is¡­ Alex just could not. He knew full well what it felt like being in her situation right now. He understood.

    So, they let her go.

    But before she could reach him, the gate suddenly closed, taking Zeke with it.

    "EZEKIELLLL!!!" Alicia''s shrill scream echoed loudly in the sudden silence.

 Chapter 920 What had gone wrong?

    Chapter 920 What had gone wrong?¡¡¡¡Caught between denial and intense terror, Alicia could only stand where she was, staring at the fading remnants of ck smoke before her. She could not even make herself understand what had just happened. The gate of hell was suddenly gone¡­? Ezekiel¡­ her love¡­ her husband. He too, had disappeared along with the gate.

    She fisted her hands into her hair, muttering to herself that this was another nightmare. There was no way that this could be real. She just needed to wait for a few seconds, and soon she would wake up in Ezekiel''s arms again, tangled with him in their bed. But seconds stretched into minutes. Yet nothing happened. Her heart seemed to be stretched taut and was on the edge of splitting into two.

    "No!!!" she screamed again. This is not happening! He had asked her to trust in him, that all would be well. Stretching her arms forward, twin beams of light shot forth from her palms. It was an energy so powerful it filled the whole dungeon. Only this time, it was no longering from the demonic darkness. It was a powerful magic only a silver haired witch could ever wield. Her still glowing body had brightened even more as her powers strengthened to a dangerous degree. Until her dark hair started to bleach itself and turned a shimmery silver again. Her appearance was also returning to what it was when she was the witch queen except for her eyes which was now as red as blood. The type of crimson red that belonged only to the vampire royals. All of those who were watching on in the dungeon were trying to hold their ground as they felt the pressureing off in waves due to the escting power unleashed by Alicia.

    "What the hell??! Her power''s getting more dangerous!" Alex eximed loudly, ncing over at Zeres who was still standing within his own circle. "What is she trying to do?" he shouted at Zeres, wanting an answer.

    Zeres had a grave expression on his face, indicating that whatever Alicia was trying to do right now was nothing but bad news. "She is attempting to open the gates of hell again. On her own." Zeres replied grimly, gritting his teeth.

    "What? She can do that?" Alex''s eyes widened at Zeres'' words. He did not expect that Alicia had the power nor the knowledge to do such a thing.

    "We need to stop her." Zeres did not bother answering Alex. His body glowed with bright silvery lights as well and he stepped out of his circle and approached Alicia. Everyone else held their breaths as they looked on, only to jerk in shock when they saw Zeres being thrown back when he tried to cross a certain space around her.

    Landing hard on the ground, Zeres clenched his fists. She was so strong now. Her magic¡­ he could hardly believe how powerful she had be. He could not believe that even he could not touch her. Her magic was even stronger than his right now. At this rate, he might never be able to defeat Alicia without shifting himself into his dragon form! It was amazing yet at the same time frightening to see how insane her power levels were right now.

    "Shit!" Zeres cursed. "She''s too strong! I can''t even get near her!"

    "Tell me, Zeres! Can she even open the gates of hell?" Alex asked again. He needed a verbal response from Zeres.

    "It''s supposed to be impossible¡­ But with her current powers, she might actually be able to do it. Still, I''m afraid that she might hurt herself in the process. She''ll die if anything goes wrong! She''s not an immortal like us!" Zeres kept his eyes trained on Alicia but answered Alex all the same.

    Alex looked at her. He knew that Alicia was always a rational woman. She was never a woman who would rush carelessly into anything. But right now¡­ she had been ovee with emotions. And he knew full well how someone in her situation would think. They just do not think. The only thing Alicia wanted to do now was to save her beloved. And the thing was that she had the power and capability of doing it. She would not even care if it would kill her eventually as long as she could save her loved one. Worst thing was¡­ no one could possibly stop her at this point unless they use brute force.

    ''Zeke, you idiot!'' Alex''s jaws clenched. Even he could still not believe what had just happened. Did something go wrong? Was there something that Zeke miscalcted? He had been watching Zeke so closely because he felt an unease gnawing in his gut. And it was only because he was paying such close attention that he saw it. It did not escape his notice at how Zeke seemed surprised at the overwhelming power stored within Sebastian. Did he really not expect that amount of power? It was hard for Alex to believe that that was the case. Simply because this was Zeke. He never makes mistakes. Everyone else does but he does not. His calctions were always right and done meticulously. His ns always seeded no matter how impossible it may seem. So why now? What had gone wrong? Did he really miscalcte?

    Alicia''s magic strengthened to an impossible degree. The usual pure silvery lightsing from her started to change. Long tendrils of red had tainted the otherwise pure silver beams. It felt like a growing force that once being unleashed, could probably destroy the entire hill.

    "Still no idea on how to stop her without hurting her?" Alex questioned Zeres. There was no time for them to even allow themselves to feel sad from the knowledge that Zeke was no longer around.

    Zeres shook his head before turning to look at Alex helplessly. "I''ve been trying. There is no way I could reach her mind at all. She''s blocked everything out and is solely focused on opening the gate."

 Chapter 921 Risk it all

    Chapter 921 Risk it all¡¡¡¡"Then¡­ we don''t have a choice, do we? We already could not do anything to help Zeke. We''d be damned if we just stood around and watched again as we allow his woman to die!" Alex stated.

    "What should we do then?" Kyle looked at both Alex and Zeres with a grave and worried face.

    "Zeres and I willunch an attack." After Alexid out the n, he faced Zeres. "She''s powerful so we really need to attack her as though we intend to harm her, Zeres. Don''t hold anything back¡­ this is also for her sake as much as for ours. Don''t hesitate to injure her if needed. Injuries still can be healed. But once she''s gone, that is it. You get it, right?"

    Zeres did not respond for a couple of seconds before quietly nodding. All of them were reluctant but they all knew that there was no other choice. Alicia''s aim was set on reopening the gates. She even seemed unaware of their presence at this point. All that was in her mind was to rescue her beloved husband. With that intensity of determination, she had probably even gotten blinded by her overwhelming power right now. So they could only expect her to blindly attack them the moment they tried to stop her. Just by looking at her, they could tell that she was not going to let anyone intervene or stop her.

    Another wave of her intense power crashed over them, and the silvery lights now turned fully scarlet. "Damn it! Now!" Alex yelled as they saw the darkness started swirling in that familiar fashion again. She really had the chops to open it!

    Alex and Zeres attacked in sync just with a look at each other. Alicia turned towards them even before they could reach her. Her powerful magic pulsated from each of her palms, one shot aimed at Alex and Zeres each. Dodging her fatal attack with his fastest move, Alex''s hand shot out and caught her wrist and held it captive. Alicia turned to him when Zeres suddenly appeared to her right, catching her off guard and gripping onto her other hand.

    "Stop, Alicia!" Alex shouted at her.

    "Alicia, please! You''re going to die!" Zeres begged.

    Her scarlet eyes welled. She heard them. She was aware. Her body trembled but her insane power did not subside in the least. "Let me go, please¡­" her voice was soft and weak and filled with nothing but pain. "I am already dead¡­ Ezekiel is the only reason I am still here, alive. Without him, I¡­ I don''t think I can ept it. So please let me go¡­" she smiled at them. "Please let me follow him there."

    Zeres shook his head. "No, you can''t¡­ you can''t Alicia. Kiel didn''t take you with him because he never wanted you to follow him there. Can''t you see he wanted you to ¨C" Zeres tried reasoning with her, but she cut him off.

    "No!" she yelled. "Ezekiel didn''t have the chance to take me, Zeres! I knew something went wrong! Something must have gone wrong! So, I''m going to go after him. He needs me ¨C"

    "You''re not a demon, Alicia!!!" Zeres'' gripped on her wrist tightened even harder. "You''ll die before you can even do anything for him!!!" He shouted at her, not bothered to be kind with his words anymore. He just wanted her to snap out of it.

    Alicia shook her head, refusing to listen to Zeres. "Let go¡­ don''t force me to harm you both¡­"

    "I''m sorry Alicia, but I''m with Zeres. We''re not going to let you harm yourself. Zeke will never forgive us if we just stepped back and let you do this. Not under my watch." Alex''s voice was not loud, but it was beyond serious. Alicia did not say anything anymore.

    She knew she was being irrational. She knew that if she were in their shoes, she would have done the same. However, this was her decision. For the first time ever, she just wanted to do this selfish act. Without any care about the implications. She just wanted this for herself!

    She was aware more than anyone else that this was dangerous. But for him, she was willing to risk it all. No¡­ this was not just for him. She knew this was more for herself.

    It was unspeakable. The pain in heart was unspeakable. It was a pain she knew only Ezekiel, could soothe.

    They say that the hardest decision was whether to let go or to hold on, but right now, Alicia did not think so. Because letting go never was an option for her. She would not let go. Never! She would not give him up. He had made her so powerful¡­ so she was going to use this very same power to bring him back into her arms again. No matter the risk that was involved.

    Just as Alex and Zeres thought that she was finallying back to her senses, Alicia caught them off guard. Her power pulsed, stronger than ever that the two men who had loosened their grip on her were thrown away from her. The scarlet color of the magicing from her turned a deep dark crimson as her blood mingled with it.

    The dungeon trembled as though it was shaken by an earthquake. Dark energy pulsated once again and before Alicia could turn towards the still slightly opened gate to finally force it fully open, someone had suddenly embraced her from behind. A familiar embrace. A pair of arms she thought she had lost.

    Everything seemed toe to a halt. Her entire being became rigid. And her heart skipped a few beats at the feel of him, hugging her.

    "Alicia¡­" Ezekiel''s gentle voice echoed in her ears, seeping through her aching soul. Thenrge fat droplets of tears fell and formed a river flowing down the beautiful curves of her cheeks.

    ___

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 Chapter 922 Im sorry

    Chapter 922 I''m sorry¡¡¡¡"Are¡­ are you real?" Alicia''s voice cracked in her uncertainty. She did not turn back to look at the person hugging her from behind, fearing that he might be nothing but a hallucination borne from her desperate desire of seeing him again. She was certain she had not managed to open the gates yet!

    "I am, Alicia." His low-pitched and raspy voice sent life surging into her dying heart. "Turn around. Look at me, my wife¡­" he whispered as his hand slowly moved to hers.

    Alicia trembled and her tears burst out in a renewed flood when she turned around to face him. Seeing that familiar and beloved face looking back at her, she shot her hands out and desperately touched his face. He was real. He was¡­

    Her body froze, finally seeing the thick swirl of shadows right behind him,ing out from the now partially opened gate. They were akin torge tentacles made of smoke and he seemed to be tied to it or was he connected to it? But before she could ask him about it, his lips parted to speak.

    "I''m sorry¡­" he kissed away the fat tears that were still flowing unrestrainedly from her eyes. Listening to him say those two words only caused her heart to break all over again. "I''m so sorry, Alicia."

    She could not fathom any other emotions in his now pitch-ck demonic eyes but the trembling of his fingers on her face and the shaking of his voice had told her all that needed to be said.

    Shaking her head, Alicia forced her broken voice out. "No¡­ please¡­ please tell me you''re not going to¡­"

    "I came back to tell you to ¨C"

    "No, please¡­ Ezekiel¡­ don''t!! Take me!! Take me with you ¨C" Alicia seemed to have suddenly gone wild. Her hands dropped from his face to his arms, and she wed at them, as though wanting to pull herself further into his embrace. As though she was trying to merge herself with him ¨C into his flesh and bones, if possible. She did not want him leaving her again. Not when she had just gotten him back for a few moments.

    He pressed down a searing kiss onto her mouth as he held her tighter against him. Her impossibly strong magic had already subsided after he had appeared, but she was still glowing like a goddess. At that moment, she was a literal light in the arms of darkness itself.

    "I can''t¡­ you can''te with me, Alicia. I will never allow you to do that." He said apologetically once their mouth parted.

    Alicia parted her mouth and drew in a breath to start her protest, but he did not even give her the chance as he quickly pecked at her lips again, silencing her. Then he tightened his hands that were around her, shaking his head as he looked deep into her eyes, cutting off her protests even before she could make them known.

    She broke down and sobbed again. "Why? You said everything will be alright¡­ you told me to trust you! I can''t bear losing you¡­ I can''t, Ezekiel."

    "I failed. Forgive me for failing, Alicia." He whispered in her ear. He kissed her head many times over. Everything in him ached so bad.

    When he got swallowed and taken away earlier on, he was filled with nothing but shock and disbelief. He had asked himself why. Why? Why did he always fail when ites to the people who were dearest to him? He could do literally anything for the whole world, for everyone, but why could it not work when ites to himself and to the ones that he cared about the most? He had failed Sebastian and now¡­ he failed Alicia too. He had wondered if this was how the universe is telling him that he was just like everyone else. Everyone fails. That no matter how powerful he became, and no matter how perfect his ns were made, some things would still not go his way. And that no matter how long he prepared and no matter how hard he tried, he would still fail.

    "I did everything I could, but it seems like it''s not enough." He continued helplessly, his voice trembling and brittle. He had nned to use the demonic power which had been stored in Sebastian to force the gates close. He was certain that his power would be enough, but he was wrong. It had shocked him that he himself did not live up to his own expectations. He had asked himself what had gone wrong, but he could not find the answer. But when Alicia tried to open the gate again and her powers had reached out to him, he had realized one thing he had missed. He missed to consider that he could have left a piece of his demonic power in Alicia. He had sensed not only vampiric and witch magic in her, but a touch of something demonic the powers that she wielded too ¨C which was supposed to be impossible. Unless¡­ unless his wife was¡­ pregnant with his child!

    That realization had hit him hard as he had not expected that to happen. It was proven how hard it was for a vampire royal to get a woman pregnant. A male Reign could take many years to sire a child and that was why even after hundreds of years, there were only five children sired by his father.

    This hade out as huge blow to him. At the same time, the realization that Alicia was forcing the gate open had scared him to his core, knowing she could die in her attempt. Not because she was not strong enough, but because of the price she had to pay for performing such a forbidden act. He would never allow her to risk herself. Never.

    And that was why he had forced his way out with everything he had to stop her from going down that path. He had barely managed due to the help of her magic already creating a tiny opening where he had capitalized on to open it up. But even with all that, his return to her would only be for a moment. He had been chained to the other side already. And the gate will close again and this time he could no longere out even for a moment.

 Chapter 923 I promise

    Chapter 923 I promise¡¡¡¡"Take me Ezekiel¡­" she gripped him hard, holding to him like letting go would kill her as she begged him to bring her along. "Don''t leave me alone. Please¡­!"

    With her sobbing and trying to speak at the same time, Alicia could hardly breathe when he cupped her face in his hands and made her look at him. The tender way he held her face, his eyes deep and dark only indicated to her very clearly what he was about to say to her. And her heart bled even as her eyes hungrily drank up the view of her beloved person. That small and soft smile could only mean one thing¡­ that he was going to say goodbye to her.

    "Alicia¡­ I believe you''re already pregnant with our child." Ezekiel broke the news to her as gently as he could.

    The world seemed to shake violently before suddenly freezing up for a moment. A moment that felt like an eternity to Alicia. She opened her lips. Then closed it before opening it again. But still nothing came out. She was still too shaken by the news.

    He ced her hand on her lips and kissed it so tenderly. "Forgive me¡­ I have to leave you and our¡­" his voice then broke, and he just gathered her lovingly into his embrace again.

    Alicia cried. She did not know what else to feel at the moment anymore. There seemed to be a numb sensation that was spreading from the center of her, towards her extremities.

    "You can''te along with me, my wife." He continued whispering into her ears. He could already feel the bonds that were as chains around him, pulling him away from her. "I can''t risk you. And there is no guarantee if a non-demon could survive there. I still have no idea if that''s possible no matter how powerful one is. But I will find out. I will find out everything."

    Pulling away to look at her, he gave her a gentle kiss filled with promise. "Wait for me, Alicia. I promise I wille back to you and this time¡­ I vow not to fail. And no¡­ I will not make you wait for seven hundred years. I will do everything toe back to you as soon as possible. So don''t cry¡­"

    Her heart trembled and ached and broke all at once, but her tears had now stopped flowing down her eyes. This was enough for her. She would wait no matter how long. Waiting for him, knowing that he would one daye back to her side was¡­ bearable. Losing him forever was not. She would wait¡­ even if it ends up taking him seven hundred years. She would still wait¡­

    Reaching out, she caressed his face as if memorizing every detail of him. Not that she had not already done that. She could feel it in her heart that this was it for them. At least for now. She had somehow felt the signs even from before, that this will not go well for them. But she had chosen to remain silent and not admit it. Even to herself.

    She understood now that there was nothing that she could do but to continue trusting in him and believing in his capabilities. Her husband is the one and only Ezekiel, the powerful and renowned crown prince of the vampires. She would continue trusting that even in hell, he would somehow be able to bring about a miracle.

    A pained yet understanding smile finally curved on her lips and then she nodded. "Okay¡­" her voice was hoarse, "¡­ I will wait for you, Ezekiel. I will wait no matter how long it takes. So don''t push yourself too much, okay? I don''t want you to suffer anymore. I don''t want you to get hurt. So don''t do anything dangerous, you hear me?" she could not help but nag gently at him.

    "I''ll keep that in mind," he replied, a ghost of a smile shed across his face. "Same goes to you, Alicia." His expression turned grave and worried. "Please never put yourself at any risk anymore. You have someone else to think for now."

    Alicia nodded, wiping the quiet tear that fell from the corner of her eyes. "I promise, my husband. I will be careful from now on. I now have our child who need my protection and care. So please don''t worry about me. You have also made me so powerful, remember?" she tried tough a little, though even that small action caused a gnawing ache to yawn like a ck hole within her.

    "And you don''t have to worry about me as well. Nothing can harm even on the other side. You should know how capable your husband is, right?" Ezekiel stroked her hair fondly, savoring thesest moments he would have with her. The next time he could do this would be a long time toe.

    She could only smile at his absolute confidence. "Will you see your mother there?"

    "I am not hundred percent certain, but I am expecting to see her."

    "Can I get you to pass her a question for me?"

    "Of course."

    "I want you to ask her about your dagger. I want to know if there''s a connection between these two things that we have."

    He nodded. "Sure. I will ask her that. I also have another burning question for her that I had been wanting to know. I''m curious to know at why she sent me to that cliff back then."

    "Oh right! I am also very curious about that matter!"

    Then their eyes held, smiles fading, as the shadows behind him started to swirl even fiercer.

    Zeke pulled Alicia back into his embrace again and his gaze fell to the men standing there, watching. They could not say nor do anything. Everyone was helpless. And since they could not help, they did not want to disturb whatever time he had left with his wife. His gazended on everyone and finally settled on Alex.

 Chapter 924 Goodbye

    <h4>Chapter 924 Goodbye</h4>

    Alex approached and reached out to squeeze Zeke¡¯s shoulder. "Don¡¯t worry, there are many of us here who will watch over her. Abi and the others will also be there for her all the way, so don¡¯t worry. All you need to do ise back to us as soon as possible. Don¡¯t make her wait too long, do you understand me? Huh, Zeke?" Alex then tightened his grip and gave Zeke a slight shake, as though savoring thest time in a long while to disturb this friend of his.

    He nodded at Alex, gratitude brimming in his dark eyes. "I know I can rely on you and everyone, Alex."

    "Well... I don¡¯t mind helping out babysitting your child along with mine, since you im you¡¯ve babysat me for a long time."

    They bothughed weakly at Alex¡¯s attempt at a joke.

    "We will take care of Alicia, brother." Kyle said as he too, approached and held his brother¡¯s hand, followed by Kai and Zeres and Lucas.

    Then his gaze fell to Sebastian who was still unconscious. "I¡¯m going to leave him to you guys as well. He would cause trouble once he wakes up and finds out that I¡¯m gone." A small fleeting smile crossed his lips for a second.

    Alex shed him a reassuring smile. "Of course. I guess, he could make the life of these single guys right here livelier. But rest assured I¡¯ll butt in and kick his ass if he ever tries crossing the line."<sub></sub>

    "Don¡¯t be too hard on him Alex... he¡¯s had suffered a lot and for far too long already." Ezekiel¡¯s voice was kind as he thought of how much his brother had endured.

    "I know. Se..." Alex trailed off when the shadows behind Zeke suddenly tugged at him. He was pulled a few steps back towards the gate along with Alicia who still could not bear to let go of his hands.

    Zeke nodded at them, and everyone stayed where they were.

    "Alicia..." Zeke tightened his arms around her, burying his face against her hair as he inhaled her own unique scent. He could breathe it in forever and still would not be tired of smelling it.

    "Ezekiel..." she uttered his name in response as she fisted her hands in his clothes. "I love you... I love you so much... I will be waiting for you." Her eyes shone with unshed tears, held back only purely by willpower.

    He kissed her mouth and she immediately returned the kiss. They shared the most emotional kiss they had ever had.<sub></sub>

    "When Ie back... I will tell you how much I..." he paused, "I will say those words to you every chance I get. And as many times as you want to hear it." His husky voice was filled with emotion he never thought he was capable of showing until now. The reason he had never told her how much he loved her was because to him, ¡¯I love you¡¯ means goodbye. That was his mother¡¯s parting words too, before she left them. He had felt that he did not want to say it to Alicia. He had never wanted to say goodbye to her. He was scared that if he said those words, he might nevere back to her, just like his mother. So, he had decided he would not.

    He could not help but smile within himself at the fact that he was afraid to say those words when he had never felt fear since the day he had lost everything. He had never feared anything, not even death, until Alicia came into his life. Now here he was, fearing even to say the words ¡¯I love you¡¯ to the woman he loves so much.

    Love was just incredible that he had no words left to express it.

    "I can¡¯t say it because I want to say it only when I return to you, Alicia." He continued and Alicia could only smile. He was confident that he would return to her. To tell her how much he loves her.

    "You, silly man." She pinched his cheek. "Fine...e back to me and tell me how much you love me."

    "I will. I ¨C"

    This time, another hard tug had separated them except for their hands that were desperately clutching onto each other¡¯s. Zeke¡¯s body was already halfway inside the gate.

    Alicia held her tears back with everything she had and shed a watery smile at him.

    "Wait for me... Alicia..." was all he said once again.

    "I will be waiting, Ezekiel..." she held onto his onest finger that was slipping out from her grasp. "Come back to me... to us... soon..."

    He smiled. "I will." And then he uttered her name onest time as his finger slipped out of her hold. "Alicia..."

    "I love you... Ezekiel..." she whispered as she watched him disappear right before her very eyes. And there was nothing she could do about it, even if she cried her eyes blind.

    When the gate finally closed without a sound, as though it was nothing worth noting, and not a single trace of him was left, she fell to the ground. She copsed to her knees, bent her head and sobbed quietly into her hands.

    The separation was still no less painful, but she felt that after this, she was going to be able to live on without him being beside her for a long while. She did not know how long this waiting period would be, but she will wait, nheless. For him, it was worth even if she waited until the end of her life. It was usually him who waits. Now, let it be her who do the waiting. She was confident he would keep his promise. He will return to her side one day.

    Running her palms across her now still t stomach in a rather protective manner, she wiped away thest few tears that fell from her eyes with the back of her hands and smiled as she lifted her face up. Her eyshes fluttered as her eyes lightly closed and imagined her husband¡¯s face in her mind. His image was imprinted deeply within her and would forever be kept in her heart and mind.

    "I will wait for you... we will wait for you, no matter how long it takes. I love you... Ezekiel..."

    ~ The End ~

    PLEASE READ!

    There will side stories that will be released on 25th. So look forward to it hellbounders! (The sidestorirs will be very interesting so don¡¯t miss it! ^^)

    I also just want to say that I had always nned to give HWY an open ending hence this ending. I know this ending might leave many unsatisfied but this is how i wanted HWY to end even before i decided to do Hellbound Heart.

    But now that there¡¯s HH, i want to tell everyone that Alicia and Zeke¡¯s story will continue in HH. Though i would like to ask everyone to be patient as HH¡¯s main characters are Sebastian and Izabelle. It would take time for the other couples from HWY to get the story¡¯s spotlight.

    Alicia and Zeke might not have their own book but they deserve to be major characters inside two books.

    I hope to see you all again in HELLBOUND HEART.

    Thank you very much for everything! Thank you for sticking by me for thest 2 years of writing Hellbound With You. Please check the ending event to get frames and also read my messge there. Thank you. <3

 Side Story Part I

    <h4> Side Story Part I</h4>

    In the Underworld...

    A demon¡¯s scream echoed out shrilly before being cut off abruptly as Zeke stepped on its neck, a brittle crunching snap apanying his action, followed by a frightening silence. His cold and piercing dark eyes stared down at the demon beneath his feet as he killed it without batting eyelid. Very much like how one would step on a bug and identally kill it without thinking twice about it.

    Zeke lifted his head and turned to face upwards. His eyes slowly closed. Inky-dark smoke swirled around him as the short leaf de sword that was

    held in his hand which was covered with thick ck demon blood disappeared in a whirl of smoke from his hand.

    His hair had grown long, and it had reached down to his waist. When he opened his eyes, the whites were now visible in them. His pupils¡¯ color had changed as well. There was now a rim of intense blue circling around his seemingly ck inferno irises.

    After staring up for some time, a long sigh escaped him before he moved again, passing through the pile of demons he had just ughtered. Though the demons here do shed blood, however, the stink of their blood was different from the usual coppery iron scent that was characteristic of the inhabitants of the earth. These monsters¡¯ blood was foul and reeked with the scent of decay and death, which was expected since this is the Underworld.

    He then sat on a stone that had been spared of the stter of blood from the earlier carnage and rested his wrist on his bended knee. On his other hand, the thumb and pinkie were fiddling with the wedding ring on his ring finger.

    It has been a long while since that day. But the good thing was that Zeke did not have much luxury to drown himself from missing Alicia because of all the things he had to deal with in this world.

    The underworld was apparently just as he had expected. It was nothing but a world of utter chaos. However, everything was moreplicated than he had thought. There was clearly a definite pecking order even amongst the demons themselves. Demons go after each other even if they are from the same species, and wars were just endless. Lesser demons were fighting against lesser demons. From time to time, higher demons would appear and just one high demon would be enough to y a hundred lower demons with one swing of their weapon. Dead bodies of demons and ripped limbs were strewn all over the ground, lending a more eerie air to the already gloomy atmosphere in the Underworld. The worse thing to all this chaotic situation was that he could not find his mother no matter how he searched.

    He had also learned about the ridiculous game of power struggles going on in this world where all princes must fight for the right of session to the throne. And the rules of the game were that they must kill each other until only one is left standing. Everyone who had the rights to the throne and was a descendant of the Darkness ¨C this Underworld¡¯s so-called god - was a participant in this game. And thest one who is alive will be the default new ruler of this world ¨C the one who will be called the King of Darkness.

    At this point, there were only four candidates left, including Zeke himself. The other two princess were strong and fierce and determined to end him. But too bad for them because he was more determined to stay alive. Also, he did not bother to hold his powers back like how he did back on earth anymore. Here, he unleashed the full potential of his demonic powers and allow it free reign. The two princes that had thought he was easy meat had bitten off more than they could chew. This was truly a dog-eat-dog world where the top dog reigns supreme.

    Zeke had gotten information that the winner will be granted one wish and this wish could be anything the winner wanted. This had made him decide to actively participate in the game. And so far, he had managed to kill two candidates already. Well, it was not that he had a choice anyway. They were already going to kill him even if he did not intend to participate. He knew that this was a ce where the rules of survival of the fittest is in y all the time. He was just more motivated to win when he had found out that the throne - which he did not want at all ¨C was not the only price.

    He was only gunning for that ultimate wish that could grant the winner literally anything they wanted. So initially when he had stepped up and joined in the game, he had gone all out and given his best in fighting and killing off all the demon armies that his opponents had thrown at him. He had in and decimated countless demons. All in the hope that he would be able to get rid of hispetitors and emerge the winner and im that much coveted wish - only to be utterly disappointed as time passed. He had graduallye to learn of more things that had ruined his ns. As he fought against hispetitors, he sometimes interrogated the higher demons who acted as the generals of his enemies. From them, he found out that the one who ultimately win is required to sit on the throne and rule the Underworld. And as the ruler of the Underworld, he would not be allowed to stay away for long periods of time in another world no matter how powerful he might be. It was apparently this world¡¯s rule of nature. It was something no one could go against - not even the king of the Underworld himself.

    As such, Zeke did not want this power. He had zero interest in it. What he wanted was to return to Alicia and never leave her and their child ever again. He was not interested in ruling this world! He only wanted to live a peaceful life with his family. That¡¯s his dream right now. A dream that he would give anything up for to obtain.. And obtain it he would!

 Side Story Part II

    <h4>Side Story Part II</h4>

    Thankfully, he had learned a very important secret from one of the dukes of hell that he had taken in as one of his followers. He initially had thought of continuing on with his usual style of going on as a lone wolf, but with that bump his original ns, he could not afford to maintain the status-quo. Thus, he had reluctantly given up his usual style and had started epting followers. However, only those who were worth their salt would be given the opportunity to be his followers.

    And that was absolutely true for the duke named Ruka who was one of the earliest followers that hade under Zeke¡¯s g. Ruka had the power to foresee the future and he had told Zeke about the visions he had seen - one of which was the fact that Zeke was not going to be the winner of this game. There was someone else who was to be the winner that would sit on the throne. And with the advantage that Ruka¡¯s foresight had given to him, this was what had prompted Zeke toe up with another meticulous n to achieve his goal.

    "We¡¯ve found him, My Liege." Ruka¡¯s voice echoed behind him. The duke then appeared before him. He had long and braided blond hair entuating his face that was so beautiful anyone could mistake him as a woman if they did not hear his deep voice.

    Zeke did not even bother to look at him and continued staring down at his ring. "Are you certain it¡¯s him, this time?" he asked calmly. Though his voice seemed calm, there was a warning tinge underlying it. "Yes, My Liege." Ruka sounded confident. "There is no doubt this time. I saw him with my own two eyes. He¡¯s dark haired and grey-eyed. Right now, he¡¯s fighting with Prince¡¯s Callum¡¯s minions."

    His fingers that were fiddling with his ring halted and he finally lifted his gaze to Ruka. "Is he winning the fight?"

    "No." Ruka shed a crooked smile at his liege and shook his head. "He¡¯s actually all by himself. Seems like he doesn¡¯t have an army of his own. I believe that he¡¯s acting as a lone wolf. He reminded me a lot of you before you decided to take on followers." A wolfish grin then nted across that feminine looking face, changing it into a ferocious yet manly and attractive countenance.

    Zeke stood from the stone that served as his seat and flicked off a light sprinkling of hell ash from hispel. "Lead the men. I¡¯ll go ahead first before we lose him." And he disappeared in the next second, leaving Ruka sighing at his liege¡¯s lone wolf style. Though he now has followers, still, his habit of getting things done on his own could not be removed. It must have been ingrained in him for a long time - even from before he came to this ce. Ruka only shrugged as there was nothing that he could do about it.

    He then turned and arched his brow at the big man who had just arrived, missing his liege by just a few seconds. He was a knight demon and the general of Prince Ezekiel¡¯s army, Archer. "The Lord has left if you came looking for him." Ruka told him casually as he spread his dark wings behind him. "He had ordered us to go into battle." "When?" Archer raised a brow.

    "Now." Ruka flippantly answered. "What!! Now? Where?" Archer bellowed, indignant that his liege had given out such a sudden order without giving him time to prepare. Sighing, Ruka pped his powerful wings and flew away, causing Archer¡¯s voice to thunder from behind him. "Come back here and speak properly! You little assduke! Should I shoot you down?!"

    "Shut up, you muscle head. Just use your thunder voice to summon the men and follow me!" Ruka teased Archer as he circled in the air.

    Archer sighed heavily as he rolled his eyes, knowing that his liege knew it was well within his power and abilities to summon and arrange the troops even on such short notice. After all, that was the reason why the prince allowed him to be his follower and had even granted him the position as the general of his armies.

    When Zeke arrived at the battlefield where the person he was looking for was at, he was surprised to see him badly losing. He had expected him to be strong since he was acting out on his own. He even thought that the guy was probably stronger than him because well... he was supposed to be the one who would be sitting on the throne one day. But what was with this scenario he was looking at? Why did this person seem so weak from what he is observing?

    Seeing that a higher demon was about to sessfully rip his right wing, Zeke did not hesitate to jump into the battle. In one strike, the knight demon¡¯s head was severed from its body as though Zeke was cutting through tofu instead through a body. And then everyone attacked Zeke and the man in the ck cloak at the sight of their general¡¯s fall.

    Zeke could only protect the man who was now obviously too weak to fight his own battles. Doubt hit him as he really could not fathom how would a man as weak as this one could win this merciless game. Was Ruka mistaken? But the moment he had a glimpse of the man¡¯s striking grey eye that was exactly like his when he was still a half-vampire, Zeke could only sigh helplessly within himself and protect him.

    Soon, Ruka and Archer arrived along with his army of lesser demons and took over the fight.

    "Leave these minions to us, My Liege!" Archer yelled full of determination, and Zeke simply nodded and returned his attention to the man who was panting and had both his hands on his knees, bent over next to him.

    "Why did you save me?" the man asked. He managed to pull himself up to a standing position, but still, he was clearly struggling just to keep himself steady. "I can tell you¡¯re a prince of hell. And hell of a powerful one at that."

    "I¡¯m Ezekiel." Zeke introduced himself. "I saved you because I was looking for you.."

 Side Story Part III

    <h4>Side Story Part III</h4>

    The man¡¯s eyes narrowed a little when he heard that Ezekiel was specifically looking for him. "What do you want from me?"

    "Pull down your cloak and tell me your name first." Zeke instructed.

    The man gripped his sword, clearly not the type of a man who would abide to anyone¡¯s order. He did not listen nor give any other responses, causing Zeke to arch a brow before tsking at him.

    "I¡¯ll advise you to stop being stubborn. Your pride won¡¯t do you any good here, especially when you are this weak." Zeke said when a ive whizzed towards the man¡¯s head. Zeke used his power to deflect the ive, causing the man¡¯s hood to be blown off his head. "Also, don¡¯t forget you owe me as I saved you."

    The man did not even blink nor moved and just stared at Zeke with his jaws clenched tight. Now that his face was fully visible, Zeke could not help but question if this man was his long-lost brother. He had seen the other princes, and even the two that he had killed. None of them resembled him at all ¨C not even in the slightest. But this man, despite the fact that his other eye is blue, Zeke could easily tell he was like him.

    "You¡¯re a half vampire." Zeke said in disbelief and the statement seemed to also shock the man. It was not even a question as his features could truly pass as one of the Reign princes.

    "How... how did you know?"

    "Tell me your name first." Zeke insisted on this. The man sighed but he eventually gave in. "Gavriel. But you can also call me Gavrael. Now answer my question." . 47 "Because I used to be a half-vampire myself." Zeke replied, causing Gavriel¡¯s eyes to widen. "Where did youe from? You¡¯re not originally from this world as well, right?" "You¡¯re right. I just recently ended up here."Gavriel looked like he could not believe it. But so was Zeke. He was a hundred percent certain there was no other Reign men aside from his other four brothers. Could it be that... this Gavriel was from another world and not from his world? That was the only possible exnation! 17 Gavriel¡¯s clothes were also not something a man who came from the modern era would wear. He wears what a prince would put on going into the battlefield during the olden times.

    "Are you from Lirea...?" he asked, though he it seems he totally did not expect Zeke to say yes. 4 "No. I think, wee from different dimensions." Zeke answered rather coolly.

    "What?"

    "I know of no country that is called Lirea in my world. So that¡¯s my conclusion. Wee from different worlds."

    Gavriel narrowed his eyes as he scanned Zeke from head to toe and understanding shed in his twin-colored eyes as it quickly erased the confusion in his eyes. "So that¡¯s why you are wearing such clothes that I¡¯ve never seen before." Hemented before he quickly switched gears and asked seriously. "Why are you looking for me?"

    Zeke regarded him with a discerning look. "I will not beat around the bush anymore, Gavriel." Zeke started. "I am looking for you to help you win this game and ascend the throne." ~

    Silence reigned and the atmosphere between the two turned somewhat heavy. Their gazes held each other¡¯s intensely until Gavriel broke the silence. "Why? Because you know that I am going to end up bing the king of darkness?"

    It was Zeke¡¯s turn to be surprised that Gavriel actually knew about this.

    "I can easily win this game, but I¡¯m not interested in the throne. So, I¡¯m going to help you instead in exchange for one thing." Zeke informed him straightforwardly, cutting to the chase. "But did you forget that I can only sit on the throne if all other contenders are dead? I need to kill you too to win."

    "You are right. But I have a n for that already which we will discusster."

    Gavriel shed him a disbelieving smile. "I was wondering how the hell will I ever get that throne with this weak body of mine right now. It seems you must be the answer to my problems."

    "Why are you this weak anyway? I can¡¯t even sense your vampiric strength." Zeke asked, genuinely curious while Gavriel regarded him with some kind of wonder.

    Gavriel did not know why but he just felt like he could trust this man. And thus, he told him the truth. "Actually, this isn¡¯t my real body. My body is not here in this world, it¡¯s... trapped somewhere in the Undends." His voice weakened at the end and Zeke clearly saw a wistful gleam in his eyes before it was quickly hidden away again. "This is just basically my soul. I had managed to solidify a form for myself. A vessel identical to my original appearance... but it resulted in me being so damned weak I could barely kill a knight demon." A derisive smile crossed his lips, as though mocking himself as he exined it to Zeke.

    A short silence passed before Zeke spoke up. "The Undends isn¡¯t here in this world, right?"

    "Yes. It¡¯s different. The Undends is thend of the dark faes, not demons."

    "I see. So, in your world, magic is a normal thing..?" Zeke nodded like he had heard something interesting. Then his expression became serious again. "Tell me, Gavriel... do you want the throne?" Gavriel stared into Zeke¡¯s eyes for a long while, not saying anything. "I don¡¯t want it. But I need it."

    "You need it..." Zeke echoed.

    Gavriel looked away and stared at nothing. "I know that in order for me to be king, I need to lose myself to the darkness to be powerful enough. But I think my real body¡¯s entrapment has changed the circumstances for me and I think I might never be the king anymore. But here you are..." he smiled again in disbelief..

 Side Story Part IV

    <h4>Side Story Part IV</h4>

    "But here you are..." he smiled again in disbelief. "I want to believe that you¡¯re going to be my savior. Because if you can really make me king, then I believe I won¡¯t need to make myself powerful and eventually lose myself to the darkness just to get that throne. I still don¡¯t want it honestly... but I need that throne. Because if I be king, I could stop these demons and monsters from invading my homnd and... give my loved ones a peaceful life without these invading creatures."

    It did not escape Zeke¡¯s notice the fire in Gavriel¡¯s eyes as he said those words. And Zeke was d that it seemed that he was not the only one who feel this surreal trust that somehow had naturally ignited between them both.

    "I will make you king." Zeke dered, causing Gavriel to look at him with slightly widened eyes. "Don¡¯t worry, I am not doing this without any reason. Making you king will actually save me too. I also believe that we are each other¡¯s saviors. We just need to work together." A

    And thus.... this moment marked the beginning of Zeke and Gavriel¡¯s joint quest in winning the throne. And of course, Zeke¡¯s quest in finding his mother as well.

    Throne hall of Reigns Castle, Quesa, Viscarria.

    "Your Highness, forgive us! Forgive us! We will not do it again!" three men were on their knees begging and shivering in fear while ady stood tall before them. Thisdy was Alicia, the vampires¡¯ most respecteddy. No, she is basically the most respected and feared vampire, just second to Alexander.

    Since Ezekiel¡¯s disappearance, many vampires began to rebel, thinking that they could now do whatever they wanted and break the rules. But they were wrong. Because someone else had taken over Ezekiel¡¯s ce and she was just as merciless and powerful as Ezekiel. Perhaps even more so than her predecessor.

    "Forgive you?" the tip of Alicia¡¯s lips curved up in a sardonic smile. "The three of you alone had killed a dozen of innocent humans. You didn¡¯t even spare the child. And you dare ask for forgiveness? Listen... I will have you three punished to serve as examples for all the other rebellious vampires out there. It seems, they¡¯re mocking me. I will show everyone that I, Alicia Reign, am not any less fearful than my husband. I will show everyone that I am not a woman of mercy." She then looked at the men standing behind these three and gave them the signal. "Give them the worse possible death and make sure to spread the word of their deaths in detail." Her voice was cold and crisp, sending wracking shivers through the frames of the three doomed criminals.

    The three vampires wailed and pleaded while the guards nodded low to Alicia.

    "Let me do the punishment, sister-inw." A deep voice echoed from her side. It belonged to Sebastian.

    Just the sight of him had the men peeing themselves as they screamed ¡¯no¡¯ in shrill high pitch voices. They started begging at the top of their lungs. However, they were not begging Alicia to spare them, but instead to just kill them right there and then, and not to hand them over to Sebastian.

    Alicia looked at Sebastian who was now fixing his leather gloves in a rather calm and casual fashion, as though he was putting them on for a rxed activity.

    "I am dying with boredom, so please let me do the punishment." Sebastian asked once again at the sight of hesitation in Alicia¡¯s eyes. "I promise, this will be thest time I¡¯ll ask you of this, Sister-inw."

    Alicia looked over at the men again and then back to Sebastian. She did not want Sebastian to punish them with his dreadful way of killing again. But this was the first time he is making her a promise not to do this again. She realized that this was actually her chance to stop him from killing in that manner. Sebastian does not listen to anyone except for Alexander and her. But even she could not stop him from doing something when she was not around. She cannot be there to watch him 24/7 and that was why she was helpless to stop him sometimes.

    "Alright. But this is a deal, Sebastian. This will be thest time." Alicia firmly said, her eyes locked onto his meaningfully.

    "I swear." A gentle smile curved over Sebastian¡¯s face as his eyes burned with a frightening bloodlust as he followed the guards who had already dragged the prisoners out of the throne hall, still screaming for Alicia to just kill them.

    After a long time of just standing there, Alicia left the castle. It was time for her to pick up her son. Azriel.

    As she looked out the window, Alicia was seeing not the picturesque view passing by outside, but Ezekiel¡¯s face. It has been five years since Ezekiel had left her ¨C left them. 13 Alicia could still feel the sharp and piercing pain in her chest every time she thought about him and misses him. She missed him so much. So very much that she felt like dying every single day that she had to wait for him. But...

    "Mommy?" A cute and soft voice, as sweet as sugar broke through the fog in her mind. Little Azriel touched Alicia¡¯s hand tenderly. His big sparkly grey eyes were looking up at her. 4 "Hmm?" Alicia smiled down lovingly at him. "Is there something you want to say, Azy?" "I want to hug you, mommy." Was all he said and Alicia nearly teared up knowing that her son was doing it again,forting her. He knew that she was hurting, and he wanted to soothe her pain.

    "Of course. Come here, darling." As she hugged the little guy, she felt him patting her back silently with those little hands of his. A big smile spread across Alicia¡¯s face as she lovingly squeezed her son in her arms. This son of hers was truly her lifeline. Missing Ezekiel made her feel like she was dying every day a little, but her Azy breathes life into her every time that happens.

    Thank you Hellbounders. This will be the veryst chapter of this book. See you all in Hellbound Heart.

    Love, kazzen

    P.s. For those who want send a parting gift for HWY, I would appreciate it if you could cast the gifts on Hellbound Heart. But it¡¯s okay as well if you really want to cast it on this book too. Once again, thank you..

 Chapter 925: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 1

    Chapter 925: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 1[NOTE: PLEASE MAKE SURE TO READ THE <side story="" part="" i="" to="" iv=""> BEFORE READING . ALICIA & ZEKE SIDE STORY HAPPENED ONE YEAR AFTER THE LAST SCENE IN SIDE STORY PART IV.]

    One yearter¡­

    It was one stormy night in Quesa. The thunderstorm was strangely powerful and the heart of it seemed to be centered over the Reigns Castle itself. Every time a crash of thunder sounded, the entire castle seemed to shake and vibrate. The doors and windows would rattle in their frames. The chandeliers would shake and the crystal pieces would clink against each other as the entire thing would sway a little from the ceiling. Even the furniture would lurch a little and joggle when the more powerful thunder crashes.

    The strangely strong thunderstorm would remind someone of that one stormy night that happened six years ago. Lightning struck everywhere, lighting up the sky endlessly as the thunder roared one after another. It was as if someone had just angered a storm god and now the god wasshing out his wrath on the realm of the mortals.

    Inside the castle''s dungeon, something dark was crawling out of the passages. A long trail of smoke that seemed to have a life of its own crept along the ground, following the path like a snake looking for its prey.

    In the deepest parts of the dungeon, light and darkness were shing alternately, lighting up a magic circle drawn into the ground. Zerez and Sebastian were standing in the middle of that circle, performing a spell.

    Their blood was dripping onto the ground as a strong power burst forth and surged even stronger.

    "It''s happening!" Sebastian spoke through gritted teeth. His body was starting to be enveloped with demonic ck magic. The terrifying aura of his demonic magic was so strong that it was palpable. His red eyes started to pulse into something darker. As if the darkness was trying its best to overwrite the red color of his pupils.

    The past years, Sebastian had been searching incessantly for a way for Zeke to return to his family. When he found out the truth about what had happened, that Ezekiel, his brother, was dragged to the Underworld as the consequence of him being freed from his imprisonment, Sebastian could not ept it at first. In fact, he was more angry than thankful that his brother had taken this upon himself.

    He was not happy at all. He was mad and getting angrier at what his brother did the more he thought about it and every time he saw his sister-inw and nephew. Though he had somehow learned to control his emotions and adapt, thanks to his sister-inw and nephew who had be the reason for his existence, Sebastian felt angrier as time went by. And every time he sees Alicia and Azy, every time he overhears them talk about missing Zeke, every time Azy asks when his father will return, Sebastian''s desire to bring Ezekiel back from the Underworld esctes. So, he did everything he could do to make that wish happen. He was even willing to do what was deemed impossible by others. And for that, he had sought Zeres out. Surprisingly and thankfully as well, Zeres had agreed to help.

    After five years since he had sought Zeres'' help, the two of them found a way to force the gates of hell to open. This was all because of the ancient spell not even the witch queens knew about that Zeres found with the help of Iriz.

    Sebastian''s n was to summon Zeke back out of the gate and the sacrifice would be Sebastian himself. He was going to be the one who would be trapped in the Underworld. To exchange Sebastian in ce of Zeke. This thing would work because Sebastian also had demon blood in him, just like Zeke.

    Sebastian had wanted to be the one who will be trapped in the Underworld forever. For him, Zeke needed to be with his family. His family needed him with them. Zeke had a reason to stay in this world. Unlike himself. Sebastian believed that he did not have any reason to live in this modern world which was so foreign to him. Also there was no one who needed him to be there. No one was dependent on him.

    That was why he had decided to go ahead with this. And he would never regret it. Because this had been what he had wanted since a long time ago. He did not have any desire to stay in this world anymore. He honestly thought that it was better off for him to be in the Underworld. At least in that ce, he could be free to be the monster that he was. It was only a matter of unleashing it from that prison he kept locked carefully within himself. He had desired blood and ughter, something that was no longer eptable in this modern world. He had been in slumber for such a long time that he had already lost touch with how to live alongside and survive in this modern age. It was ufortable for him and there was no real reason for him to stay too. So, he wanted this very badly and he would do anything to make this work.

    Soon, the gates finally started to open, causing Sebastian to smile with pleasure.

    He shed open another wound on his wrist, letting more blood flow out from his body. The more blood they offer, the wider the gates will open.

    And when the demonic darkness came out, Sebastian started tough. Everything was working!

    But just when the two of them were about to do the summoning spell, something unthinkable had happened.

    Azy suddenly appeared right in front of them.

    The six year-old boy was still in his pajamas and he had teleported over! This was one thing that they had not factored in. In fact, there should not be anyone who could be nearby. The entrance had been locked and blocked.

    Sebastian was so shocked that he could not quite believe his eyes.

    He could not believe that Azy could use teleportation. He was a normal vampire child just hours ago. How did this even happen? He was not supposed to awaken his demonic powers yet! He was still a freaking six year old! Even Zeke and him had never awakened their demonic powers at such a young age! </alicia></side>

 Chapter 926: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 2

    Chapter 926: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 2When a thought dawned onto Sebastian, panic started to fill his eyes. Could it be that Azy awakened his demonic powers because of the opening of the gates of hell? They should have arranged to have Azy to be taken off to another ce that was further away! Sebastian had the sinking feeling that due to the closeness of distance between Azy and the gates of hell being opened, that might be the trigger to awaken his own demonic powers.

    "Go away!! Azy!!! Go!!!" Sebastian yelled in panic, gesturing wildly at the young boy to move further away.

    But it was toote. Azy''s appearance had caused the demonic powering from the gate to suddenly spin out of control. It was as if Azy had ignited something utterly dangerous just by appearing within the area.

    Everything went down south fast. So fast that Sebastian and Zeres were overwhelmed.

    And it was then that the snake-like smoke got a hold of the boy. The darkness was being greedy and wanted him as well, not just Sebastian who was supposed to be the only sacrifice. Or perhaps because the darkness sensed that Azy had demon blood just like him.

    "F*ck!!! No!!!" Sebastian yelled as the darkness pulled Azy towards the gates.

    He jumped and got a tight hold of the boy. Sebastian gave everything he had to keep the two of them from getting pulled through the gates of hell. He must not let Azy get dragged along with him. Never! He would never forgive himself if that happens!

    Zeres had been upied in keeping the magic circle working for the gates not to close, so he could not even help. He could only watch on from his position helplessly.

    As Sebastian struggled to get further away from the darkness that had enveloped them both, Alicia''s scream echoed.

    "Azy!!!" Her usually calm and melodious voice was now fraught with worry and anxiety. Her son was the only one who could make her lose control like this.

    Seeing her son and Sebastian almost entering the vortex of darkness that was just beyond the gates of hell, trying its very best to swallow them both, Alicia did not bother to stand still and think anymore.

    She lunged closer to them and unleashed her powers. A powerful light magic instantly filled the dungeon and her hair began to turn silver. Her power was so strong, so powerful even the demonic magic from the gates of hell seemed to have shied away and shrink back from hers in fear.

    Sebastian''s eyes were wide with shock as he looked at his sister-inw turning into a¡­ witch. A female, silver-haired witch ¨C the very creature he despised. If not for the critical situation they were in, he would have shouted and demanded an answer on why she was suddenly turning from a vampire into a witch queen, right before his eyes. But even then, he could not tear his eyes away from her, while still keeping a tight grip on Azy.

    He watched her unleash her powers. The kind of power that Sebastian had never seen before. Her eyes seemed to turn into light itself as light magic enveloped her as though weing her into their fold. Her magic came shooting at the two of them in the next second, wrapping him along with Azy with her insane light magic. He could feel how the grip of darkness was loosening on him and Azy, as though being stung by the light magic that Alicia had enveloped them in.

    With her help, Sebastian managed to break free a little from the hold of the darkness. His main priority was to free Azy from the demonic magic wrapping around him and once he got him loose, he threw the boy away from him. Though he knew that Azy would have quite a hardnding, he could not be too particr about this matter now. It was more important for him to use all his strength to get Azy as far away as possible from the gates. The boy would not die from some bruises. He was a tough little one.

    However, Alicia was ready. She had seen Sebastian''s move and had immediately moved to catch Azy even before the boy couldnd on the ground. Her arms stretched out and curled protectively around her son, bringing him close into her embrace as she moved further back from the gates, sparing him that hardnding.

    And just as Sebastian was allowing himself to get dragged off by the darkness, his eyes flew wide open in horror as he was suddenly thrown away from the entrance of the gates while Alicia was the one who got swallowed.

    The gate closed.

    All of that happened in an instant that Sebastian had no time to react. He was still blinking as he stood there, trying to process what had happened.

    It was as though the entire world halted as Sebastian finally crumpled in a heap on the ground, looking at the wall where the vortex was once raging. Now it was only a nk wall, with nothing special nor otherworldly to it.

    His gaze fell onto Azy''s small figure who was now cradled in Zeres'' arms. She must have made that decision in a split second. After grabbing Azy, Alicia had sped off towards Zeres'' position and ced her precious son into his arms and turned back to where Sebastian was.

    The boy himself had fallen unconscious and now there was no sign of Alicia. She was gone. She was¡­ swallowed¡­ the gates have closed.

    Everything happened in what seemed to be a blink of an eye that both Sebastian and Zeres still could not react and just stayed still right there, not knowing what to do next.

    Sebastian clenched his fists tight. So tight his knuckles started cracking. Why¡­ why in the f**king world did she do that? Why did she not just let him get pulled in instead? Why did she have to do that?!!!

    The dark emotions in Sebastian''s heart stirred. He had hated that Ezekiel had sacrificed himself for him. And now Alicia has done the same. He hated that they were doing what they pleased. He did not want or need any of their sacrifices!

    Eventually, Zeres stood, cradling Azy in his arms and approached Sebastian. Zeres had known Alicia far longer than Sebastian had, and he understood her a little better.

    "Don''t worry. Alicia is powerful. She''s not someone who could just be brought down so easily. And she''s a mother. I don''t think she''ll ever ept getting separated from Azy. Not to mention that Ezekiel is in that ce where she is now. I strongly believe she''ll definitely return, Sebastian. Ezekiel will definitely find a way to send her back." Zeres told him. "So don''t worry, we''ll just have to patiently wait for her. For now, let us take Azy out of this ce first. I think he might be having a fever."

 Chapter 927: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 3

    Chapter 927: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 3Underworld¡­

    "Who are you?!" a man, no, a demon male stretched forth his weapon and pointed it menacingly at Alicia. He was so tall and bulky and intimidating. If this man was present on earth, he would definitely be considered as a giant.

    But Alicia did not even flinch. Though she could feel the demonic magic and raw power emanating from him, his level of danger was still not enough for her to feel fear.

    The male demon frowned at her as if he was shocked at Alicia''s unflinching response. Looking her over, he had taken note of how slender and graceful she was - with her long wavy silver hair and loose robes. The impression she left others was that she was a female who could not withstand it if rough treatment was given to her. Plus with her beautiful and fair face, it only added to the air of helplessness around her. Thus, that was the reason why this male demon had tried to intimidate her with his power and weapon. However, her reaction had only shocked him greatly.

    "Archer!" another male voice echoed out. Alicia did not turn to look around to find the owner of the voice. She was still trying to adjust herself to this new world she had ended up being pulled into.

    A beautiful but very tall blond male, dressed in regal clothesnded next to the bulky demon. And as soon as his gaze fell on Alicia, his eyes widened.

    "This woman''s not a demon!" he eximed. No, wait¡­ she''s human?!

    "Seriously? Then how is she even here, alive and breathing if she''s not a demon?" The bulky malemented, scratching his head in curiosity.

    Alicia only wanted to ask these two demons just one burning question that was the only thing that''s revolving in her mind. Ezekiel¡­ She badly wanted to ask them if they knew her husband.

    "Where did youe from, beautifuldy? Wait¡­ you''re a witch!!!" the beautiful male''s face looked overwhelmed at his realization when he recognized that she was one.

    The bulky male also looked shocked. "So, this is the creature who can summon us demons, out of the Underworld?!"

    "Yes."

    "That''s¡­ unbelievable. Just look at her! She doesn''t even look the part! She looks like she would shatter into pieces even if I just poke her a little!" Therger of the two looked totally disbelieving, as though not able to ept that such a seemingly frail and petite creature was powerful enough to summon demonic creatures straight from hell.

    "Don''t underestimate her, Archer." The beautiful malemented in a knowing tone.

    "Hah¡­ then what do you want me to do, dukeass, Ruka? Praise her?" The male demon named Archer snapped sarcastically at the beautiful one named Ruka.

    "Shut up, you big idiot!" Ruka hissed at Archer. "Can''t you sense that there is something strange about her? I can weirdly pick up a familiar scent from her¡­ simr to¡­ His Liege."

    The two looked at each other with meaningful gazes.

    "His Liege¡­" Alicia, who was listening in the entire time to the two male demons talking to each other, now finally spoke, echoing Ruka''sst two words. Those words were like beacons burning brightly in the dark for her - obvious hints on news of Zeke that she was searching for. "Are you talking about¡­ Prince Ezekiel?"

    Their eyes widened and sparkled with anticipation. That one look on their faces gave Alicia all the answers she needed and her heart thumped hard and fast within her ribcage.

    "Who are you?" Ruka asked a little skeptically, his beautiful face now turning serious and masculine. It was as though he wanted to protect any unnecessary information from being released.

    "I''m Alicia. Ezekiel is my husband."

    Again, the expression on Ruka''s face told Alicia that he knew about her or had heard of her name before. However, hispanion, Archer, was still distrustful.

    When Alicia asked the duo to bring her to where Ezekiel was, Archer insisted on shackling her. Knowing that the two demons were just trying to be careful, Alicia willingly offered her own hands to be shackled. Putting herself in their shoes, if a sudden stranger appeared and imed to be the spouse of her master and wanted her to bring her to him, she would also be wary and take precautions just in case something goes wrong.

    Apart from the fact that she was dying to see her husband, she was also afraid of what was going to happen to her next in this world. She had no idea if it was even okay for someone like her to be here. Could she survive long in the Underworld? And even if she could survive, would there be any consequence since she was not a demon? There were so many questions and doubts swirling in her mind, but all these took a back seat to finding her husband, first and foremost.

    She needed to find a way to get back to her son as soon as possible. Though she was sure that Azy should be fine right now, she still needed to return to him. To her beloved child. She could never bear leaving him alone. But before that, she must see Ezekiel, even for a moment. Even for a second if that was all that was possible. She would take anything, no matter how brief it could be. She just wanted to see how he was doing. To see if he was doing alright down here. That would be more than enough for her. The memory and knowledge of him still alive and well, just in another realm, would allow her to live out her days with Azy back on earth.

    Ezekiel¡­ dear Lord¡­ she felt like she was going to hyperventte when the demons informed her that they were close to where he was.

    She felt like she was in a dream. But even if this was only a dream, she still would not care. She just wanted to see him again, even if it was just a quick glimpse.

 Chapter 928: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 4

    Chapter 928: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 4Inside a massive dark castle, Zeke was in the throne hall.

    His sword was dripping with sticky dark demon blood. Many demons had been ughtered and were scattered in small piles around his feet.

    Fisting his hand through a high demon''s hair, Zeke tugged hard and made him look up at him. That action not only signified submission from the high demon, but it effectively exposed the vulnerable neck area to Zeke. "I''ve warned you¡­ never dare try to betray me, Duke. But look at what you just did. Now everyone''s dead, all because of your idiocy. To think you even managed to harm Prince Gavriel. You''ve found his weakness, haven''t you?"

    "Forgive me, My Liege!! I swear I will break ties with Prince Argon from here on and swear my loyalty to no one else but you." The high demon begged for his life, knowing that Zeke was not one to mess with. "I swear on my own lifeblood. You can take full control of my mind, Prince Ezekiel. That should be enough to make you trust me again right, my Liege ¨C ahh!!!" A bloodcurdling scream spilled from the high demon''s lips.

    Zeke had plunged a knife into the man''s eyeballs without even a blink of his eyes. His dangerous, heartless gaze stared down at the Duke.

    "I, Ezekiel, never give any second chance to traitors. Never!" He dered and the man''s agonizing scream filled the massive throne hall as Ezekiel gave the Duke a slow, painful death. And that had all the still living demons around to feel shivers and fall silent in fear. "You know why¡­? If they can betray you once, they can always do it again. So I''d rather avoid the trouble. Wouldn''t you agree as well?" Zeke snarled softly. However, every single one of his words were heard by those around and they shivered strongly in trepidation.

    When the Duke''s lifeless body crumpled to the bloody floor, Zeke lifted his face and stared at the empty throne.

    After dismissing everyone, Ezekiel took his robe off and discarded it. It had been soaked in the blood and gore of others. He hated demon''s blood getting onto his skin, so he always puts on cloaks when he knows he was going in for another ughter.

    When he took his gloves off, his eyes caught onto something shiny - his wedding ring. He stilled and stared at it. Lately, he was beginning to feel numb. The endless killings and wars had started to make him feel nothing. The almost daily urrence of bloodbath had been numbing his conscience and he felt like one day, he would actually forget how it feels like to feel something anymore.

    This world was more dangerous than he had ever thought possible. There was only onest prince left for him to kill. But it was not going as easy as he had nned it to be. He was not expecting that this prince Argon was intelligent, if not as intelligent as him. He had not only fought with arge army on his side, but also with tactics, schemes and ns that had been put into ce and just waiting for Zeke to fall into. Thankfully Zeke still had the upper hand and was able to figure out his ns.

    The biggest problem was that Prince Argon had held Zeke''s mother hostage before Zeke could even find her. And now Argon was using her to his advantage. But that was not the only problem that he was facing. Gavriel himself was also a huge problem. Due to his condition, he was weak and with Zeke needing to protect Gavriel every moment, he could not quite do the many things he had nned nor could he fight with abandon and ease. Because he could not leave Gavriel alone. And now, his already weak self was harmed as a result of that f**king duke''s betrayal.

    Things were not going smoothly as Zeke had initially nned. Though he never once thought that he would fail, he could foresee that this battle would go on for far longer than he had calcted it to be. And he was a little afraid of what he would end up bing if this dragged on. The chaos and darkness and killing in this world was just too much. It was overwhelming and had the power to corrupt anyone''s heart and turn it to nothing but a numb and dead wastnd, incapable of kindness nor even basic emotions.

    Shutting his eyes tightly close, Zeke brought his hand to his lips and kissed his ring in a worshipful manner. He had been doing this every single day. He kissed his ring, shut his eyes closed and then picture Alicia''s face in his mind, finding his centre and grounding himself with her image. Every single day, he never allowed himself to miss out doing this. It was because he feared that this world and its darkness would gradually cause him to forget what he was truly fighting for. His beloved Alicia.

    "Alicia¡­" he then uttered softly. Uttering her name out loud had be like a daily prayer to him. He always did this because of the same reason. He feared that he would eventually forget her name if he did not do this.

    "My Liege." Ruka''s voice pulled at his attention but he did not bother to turn around. "We''ve found a¡­ a strange woman. She has long silver hair. And she imed to be your¡­ wife."

    Zeke froze at what he had heard being reported by his subordinate. But his shoulders eventually rxed and a lopsided smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

    "I know you wouldn''t even consider believing it¡­ so we just went ahead and had her brought along with us." Ruka continued, obviously knowing already that Zeke will justugh off at what he had reported.

    But Zeke did not react and just nonchntly discarded his dirty gloves. To him, what they were telling him was impossible. Just in impossible that even though deep within, he desperately wished that it was true, he would not even dare consider taking a look at the woman they were referring to.

    "Stop with that nonsense and have someone clean up this mess." Ezekiel''s deep and emotionless voice rang out. "Also, have Archer prepare for war ¨C"

    "Ezekiel!!" echoed a familiar beautiful sound - a sound that Ezekiel had resigned himself to not hear ever again while he was in this world. A sound that instantly pierced through his numbing soul.

 Chapter 929: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 5

    Chapter 929: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 5Zeke''s heart quivered at the sight of a silver-haired woman standing several steps away behind Ruka. His entire being froze at the sight. It was like he could not believe what his eyes were seeing. For a moment, everything in him ¨C his heartbeat, his mind, his every sense stopped working and was in stasis.

    Until he blinked hard a few times to clear his vision. It cannot be¡­ this was¡­ just not possible¡­

    He believed that his eyes must have been ying tricks on him. He must be missing her so much that his mind had conjured up a very life-like image of her, to the point that he was even hearing her voice! That was the only logical exnation he could think of right now. And yet¡­ everything within him seems to start trembling. Just the sight of her rocked his entire world in an instant. It was like an explosion of a myriad of emotions filled him up. Wonder. Excitement. Shock. Confusion. Doubt. Anxiety. And¡­ overwhelming love.

    His feet then began to move before his mind could even register it was doing so. His gaze never left her figure. Never blinking even once, for fear that she would just disappear in a blink of an eye. Even if this was such an amazingly life-like illusion, he wanted to see her even for a bit longer. Just a bit longer. He would be satisfied with that.

    Holy hell¡­ she looked so perfectly like his Alicia. And she looked so¡­ real. What kind of sorcery was this?

    Zeke fought not to quicken his pace. The fear that she would vanish once he reached her and stretched out his hand to touch her, grew so strong within just a few moments that his heart was shuddering in his chest.

    Everything seemed to cease from his reality. It was now just him and his goddess right there.

    And at that moment, he wished and pleaded desperately in his heart that whatever this sorcery was, it would not end just yet. Gods¡­ just be merciful to him and allow him this moment of fantasy for just a little while longer.

    "E¡­ Ezekiel¡­" The Alicia look-alike opened her mouth and called out his name again, her voice so identical to his wife that it was giving him palpitations. And he watched as her expression changed. Tears began to pool in her eyes as her lips trembled, causing Zeke to widen his eyes in disbelief.

    "A¡­ Alicia¡­??" he finally uttered her name, allowing that tiny spark of hope to believe that she was real and here with him. And then she rushed towards him, crushing herself into him.

    Zeke had shut his eyes tightly in a mixture of anticipation and anxiousness. He thought that he was going to get struck by reality once her body went through his like a mirage. But he was wrong. She crashed into him, causing him to take a couple of steps back from the force of her running to him. Her body¡­ her¡­ holy hell¡­!!

    His hands moved and seized her shoulders, pushing her away from him to look at her face.

    Utter disbelief was still clouding his widened eyes. "Are¡­ you for real? H-have I gone mad?" he stammered. All the while, his hands ran up and down her arms, stroking her head and caressing her cheeks - trying to reconfirm the fact that Alicia was truly here with him, in the flesh!

    "I''m real, Ezekiel¡­" she smiled and thenughed, her tears falling quietly down her cheeks. "I''m real¡­ oh heavens¡­ I''m finally seeing you again, my dearest husband."

    As soon as those words left Alicia''s lips, Zeke yanked her against him, wrapped his arm around in a biting grip. Holding her with a grip that seemed gentle but could not have been broken by anyone else but himself.

    "Oh, Alicia¡­" he muttered in a hoarse, desperate voice as he buried his face into her hair before nuzzling into the crook of her neck and greedily breathing in her scent that he had missed so damn much. "Don''t disappear¡­ please¡­ let me see and hold you a little longer¡­ please¡­" he continued in a shaky and low voice that made Alicia''s heart tremble. She too, was wishing and pleading for the same thing he was. She too, wanted to be with him a little longer, to hold onto him and reassure herself that he was fine.

    "Ezekiel¡­" his name was all that she could utter as she gripped him back. She could not believe she was actually holding him now. How many times had she imagined and dreamed about the time when she could finally touch him like this again? And now, in a bizarre twist of circumstances, she had her wish granted to her.

    With difficulty, Zeke slightly drew back from their heart-melting and tight embrace. His gaze scoured every inch of her. Now that he had confirmed she was not a figment of his imagination nor an extremely realistic illusion, other matters started to surface in his mind. Like what was she even doing here in the first ce. As much as he was ecstatic in being able to see her, worry and questions were now shing across his eyes.

    Alicia immediately noticed the physical changes in him. It felt like he had grown tougher, harder and even felt a little taller from before, if that was even possible. He looked and felt like a rogue but regal ruler who was feared by all creatures. No¡­ all that description was actually an understatement. Her Ezekiel no longer looked and felt like the half vampire prince who was the epitome of calm and grace. He now gave off the feeling like he was the most deadly and dangerous lord of darkness.

    "My wife¡­ how did you¡­ how did this happen? Have you been hurt?" he asked in a desperate tone. His voice and expression in this moment reflected nothing of the dark and savage power lingering around him.

    "I''m fine, my love." Alicia answered him quickly, wanting to alleviate his worry as she lifted her hand to cup the side of his face. "Please don''t worry, I am not hurt. I''m stronger than that." And her smile widened.

    His gaze searched hers before a long deep breath of relief escaped his lips. Zeke took her hands and brought them to his lips.

    "God¡­ I can''t¡­ believe this. Please tell me this is not a dream¡­" he whispered as he kissed her hands one after the other. "No¡­ I don''t even care if this is a dream¡­"

    Taking her head in his hands, Zeke pressed his forehead against hers and then his mouth seized hers in a shocking and intense kiss.

 Chapter 930: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 6

    Chapter 930: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 6Alicia shut her eyes tightly and immediately returned his ravaging kiss with a low moan. She clung to him and arched against him, desperately molding herself tighter to him. He pushed his tongue deeper inside her and feasted on her with abandon. That one touch of his lips on hers had ignited the mes within and now a zing fire burned in them.

    In that moment, the intensity of their passionate kiss was not like anything else they had shared before. The both of them were still fearing that none of this was real, but as they kissed and devoured each other''s mouth, they slowly began to realize that there was no way that this was a dream. Because in their overwhelming intensity of the kiss, both had nicked the other''s lips and they both experienced the pain and tasted the blood. And it was this fact that had solidified the realization that they were not in a dream nor hallucinating.

    This was real. He was real. This kiss was real. All of this was real!

    The happiness and longing burst within them both like a water gushing out of a broken dam. Their almost violent feelings and desire for each other in that moment was something no one could ever control or even stop. Not even both the people in question.

    "Ezekiel¡­" she moaned his name in desperation and he uttered her name back before possessing her mouth in another starved kiss.

    Until Alicia started to feel boneless and lightheaded from the maddening and drowsing pleasure.

    She was in hell right now but¡­ she felt like she was in heaven. Yes. This was heaven to her. Because he was her heaven now. As long as Ezekiel was there, she could look at everything through rose-tinted eyes. Hepleted her.

    "Oh, Alicia¡­" he moaned low, his deep voice vibrating against her lips, sending ripples of pleasure through her every nerve endings. She could not believe it, but she already felt soaked down there. Her lust and desire in this moment seemed nothing like she had ever experienced before. And she could not tell if this was because she had been dreaming of this moment and longing for him for the past six long years.

    Still, it all felt a little unnatural because despite the knowledge that there were literally dead bodies lying all around them and probably, the two demons who had brought her over were still here, she could not stop the need, the lust that was spiralling out of control. It was so powerful that Alicia felt like she could never fight it even if she tried her best. Not that she was putting much effort into stopping it. And why should she? This was her beloved husband that she had not seen for so many years! This was in fact a miraculous opportunity for her¡­ for them!

    "Ezekiel¡­" she muttered needily as she clutched fistfuls of his hair, kissing his mouth again as her body pulsed and throbbed with overwhelming need. She could not help pressing herself further into him, loving how his hard and sculpted body felt against her soft and womanly curves. She started to rub herself up and down his front, clearly feeling his temperature already rising uncontrobly from her provocations.

    And she was not the only one feeling that way. She could already feel his arousal rising and bulging so hard against her as he let out a tortured groan. He too, could not help himself as he used one hand to secure her hips in ce and jerked his own hips into hers, sending thatrge bulge prodding ever so deliciously against her sensitive spot.

    "Alicia¡­ f**k¡­ I''m¡­ tell me to stop, my wife¡­ I must know¡­ what happened first¡­ and foremost¡­ stop me babe¡­" his words were a struggle. But even as he spoke those very rational words that made perfect sense, he still could not stop himself from kissing her, from touching her, from wanting her right there and then.

    "No¡­" Alicia moaned. "Please¡­ don''t stop¡­"

    She clearly knew it was important that they needed to talk first, but she also acknowledged the fact that it was almost impossible for her to stop him now. And she too, did not quite have the will to stop him. It was just not possible. Right now, she felt like she would die if they did stop.

    "Ezekiel¡­ please¡­ don''t stop¡­ I want you¡­ need you¡­" Those words tumbled out of her lips that were red and swollen from the intense kisses from Ezekiel. Looking at those plump and inviting lips moving as Alicia spoke to him, Ezekiel could only stare hungrily at them, feeling the storm of his arousal reaching the next level.

    "Alicia¡­ you need to know. In this world¡­ every sinful thing that you feel will be intensified to an almost unbearable degree¡­"

    "I don''t care. We''re in hell, Ezekiel. So I''m not even¡­ surprised about that. Do you remember what you told me before, my dearest husband?" Alicia was panting as he started ravishing her neck. Yes, even as they spoke, they could not stop pawing at each other at all. It was no longer possible for them to stop. "I remember, Ezekiel¡­ ''I wanted to kidnap you and damn you to hell with me so I can f**k you there for eternity. That way, I can do every sinful and uncivilized thing to you for as long as I wish to!''" she recounted the very exact words he had said to her as she smiled with desire dripping from her eyes. "That''s what you told me, remember? Now, here I am my love¡­"

    He growled and the next thing Alicia knew, her back was pressed against something hard. They were now in an empty corridor. And she was being held against a massive pir.

    His gaze burned with an insatiable hunger. Just like her, he had finally lost his control. And her body throbbed with lust and maddening anticipation.

    "I''ve missed you¡­" she told her. "I''ve missed you so much that I felt like dying everyday that I was waiting for you. And lord help me, because I''ve badly missed you inside me too, my love."

    Her deration shook him violently and he seized her mouth again.

 Chapter 931: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 7

    Chapter 931: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 7Ripping sounds filled the empty hallways that they were in. His hands began to tear her clothes off, not willing as well as not able to wait any longer. "Oh, Alicia¡­ my goddess¡­ I''ve missed you so much it has been killing me on the inside. You have no idea¡­ you have no idea how much I''ve longed for you¡­ longed to touch and ravaged your delicious insides with my cock again. You have no idea, babe¡­" Zeke discarded thest garment covering her as he whispered thatst line.

    Utterly inmed, Zeke blindly fumbled to free his raging shaft when Alicia clung bonelessly onto him, reaching out for his robe.

    "Hurry up! Undress, my dearest husband¡­" she demanded in heat. "Let me feel your skin¡­ everything¡­ I want you bare for me, my love¡­ I want to feel you¡­ all of you¡­" Alicia panted breathlessly as herrge eyes scanned her husband''s pleasing figure, drooling at the thought of his ripped body being exposed to her viewing pleasure. It truly had been too long¡­

    Another pleasure-filled sound escaped Zeke''s throat before he replied. "Your wish is mymand, my goddess¡­" He said and then discarded all his clothes in no time at all. He was nowpletely bared to his wife''s gaze as she had wanted.

    "Oh lord¡­ I''ve missed your smell, your warmth, your¡­" Alicia was almost disorientated at the sensory overload she was dealing with.

    "My cock?" he teased as he crowded her against the pir again while Alicia caressed his naked body. The smooth and warm feel of his taut skin, only emphasized by the rise and dip of his extremely perfect muscle tone had Alicia salivating and she could not wait to run her tongue over this delicious sight.

    "Yes¡­" she answered as her eyes finallynded on the main prize before her hand reached down and curled around his thick and rock-hard length in a tight grip.

    When he himself reached across to touch her womanly softness that was ready and weing, Alicia writhed and moaned in pleasure.

    "F**k, you''re already flooded, Alicia." Zeke whispered into her ear tauntingly, sending shivers running down her spine and right into her core. His deep and maic voice that was filled with need only caused her to flood up more internally, readying herself to wee his intrusion. Anticipation and excitement filled her as her entire frame shook with need.

    "Yes. I''m more than ready¡­ no need for any forey, Ezekiel. F**k me now." Alicia demanded.

    "Yes, babe. I''m going to f**k you now." He grasped one of her knees and guided it to hook around his waist. Patting the upper part of her thighs, he looked into her eyes as they shared a tacit understanding that Ezekiel wanted her to have her hang her leg in this position. She only nodded wordlessly.

    The two of them were in mes. A me that not even a tsunami of ice-cold water could possibly put out. In that moment, they were alone in the darkness, zing with unspeakable and indescribable feelings and desire.

    When the swollen head of his shaft pushed into her entrance, a pleasurable gasp was torn from their mouths. As they had not been intimate with each other for such a long time, that sudden stretch of her lower opening brought a wonderful mix of pain and pleasure to Alicia. For Ezekiel too, he felt how tight the entrance into his wife''s love canal was, as though the head of his shaft was slowly being enveloped by a tight, warm and moist rubber glove.

    Their eyes met. Their orbs gleaming like eyes filled with millions of stars. They smiled at each other and then Zeke thrusted himself up to the hilt in one move, hard and sure. That one thrust was so strong and delicious that it did not just elicit a cry and growl from the two of them. They also shattered violently in what felt like a deadly orgasm with just that one thrust.

    It was so incredible that they could do nothing but cling to each other as they shudder in pleasure.

    Zeke cursed as he held her tight.

    And when the long orgasm ceased, they found themselves chuckling at the irony of it.

    "Lord¡­ what the hell was that?" Alicia asked in disbelief and before Ezekiel could respond, she felt him swelling and hardening inside her again. "Oh! Oh, my¡­"

    "Are you regretting now, my wife?" he chuckled in a low tone.

    "Not one bit, my handsome husband." And Alicia shed him a seductive smile, earning herself a sudden jerk from his swollen shaft that was still buried in her. Gasping out erotically, her eyes glowed in suspense.

    He smirked dangerously but his eyes looked at her with nothing but love and desire. And then he lifted her, letting her entire weight settle fully onto his length and then drove deep once again, tearing a sharp erotic shriek from Alicia''s mouth.

    "Yes, babe. Don''t hold back your moans. You can scream for me all you want, my beautiful wife."

    "Ah! Ezekiel!" she cried out as he rocked upward again and again into her pliable body, lifting her up slightly with every thrust. He was manipting her body however he wanted. And Alicia was loving it!

    "Alicia¡­ yes¡­ I''m going crazy with pleasure¡­ f**k¡­"

    "Me too, ah! So good! So¡­ ah! Yes! More! Harder!" Alicia screamed between pants and moans, not caring at all if her voice carried into anyone''s ears at the moment.

    "F**k yes, I''ll give it all to you, my naughty girl¡­ yes, Alicia¡­"

    There was nothing that could be heard but the sound of intense, scandalous love making. Sounds of flesh pping gratifyingly against wet flesh resounded along that hallway. They abandoned everything else and just let themselves fly into the heaven of ecstasy. It was a pleasure so unlike anything. A pleasure too good to be real.

    Gripping her waist, Zeke made her ride him hard as he drove relentlessly into her starving insides. He could not stop his hips from sending himself into her moist depths over and over again. The pleasure was all too consuming he could no longer think. All that was left was this mind-blowing pleasure and her¡­ Alicia¡­ his goddess¡­ his heaven. Only she could deliver him from this hell and bring him to the heights of heaven itself like this. Only her¡­ his only love¡­ his salvation¡­

    Soon, they both came undone, reaching the highest echelon of heaven together. The friction stopped and what was left was the throbbing and mping sensation, so hard and violent that both their minds cked out for some time. It was an orgasm so intense they felt like they had just died and came back to life again.

 Chapter 932: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 8

    Chapter 932: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 8After another round of intense lovemaking, Zeke finally managed to pull away from her. They were nowhere near sated yet, but he was starting to feel the urgent need to address the more important issues. They should not be putting it off any longer than necessary. Their couple of rounds earlier should be enough tost them until the more pertinent matters were settled.

    So, he brought Alicia into his room and soaked her in the tub along with him. He had also used his demonic magic to lessen the effects of this world on her desires.

    She was new here and furthermore, she was not a demon. She was defenseless against the dangerous effects of this world to her. If he did not put up a shield against it for her, she would slowly but surely be affected by it.

    When she finally calmed down, Zeke did not waste a moment to start questioning Alicia. He wished he could just hold her and revel in her presence. But he knew that her presence here in this world was something he needed to deal with as soon as possible. As it stood, it was already something that should not have happened. She had no demonic powers nor was she part demon. Thus, it was not possible for her to enter the Underworld.

    After Alicia told him everything - about how Sebastian and Zeres being the ones who used the spell to force the gates of hell to open and how she had been identally dragged in - Zeke was both relieved and at the same in disbelief.

    He was just d that no one had dragged her into this world like he had initially thought was the case and that she had fallen into this world by ident. He was also relieved that Alicia had stopped Sebastian from getting pulled into this world.

    When Zeke found out about many of the dark secrets of this world, he had felt d that he had never allowed Sebastian to get dragged into this world. It was because he knew how his brother was. He understood Sebastian''s behaviour and character. And based on all that he had learned of the Underworld, Zeke realized that if Sebastian was the one who had ended up falling into this ce, he would¡­ he would let himself loose and turn into aplete monster. Once that limit has been breached, he would be nothing short of being unredeemable. And that was not what Zeke had hoped for that brother of his.

    "Have you been¡­ keeping well here, Ezekiel?" Alicia asked as she straddled hisp, her delicate hands caressing his handsome face. Her gentle motions sent ticklish tingles spreading outwards from his face, down his neck and shot straight to his groin.

    Enjoying the intimacy that they were having together as a couple, Zeke held her hands and pressed it into his cheeks.

    "Fighting everyday is¡­ easy. Honestly, there are times I find myself enjoying it a little too much. I just sometimes fear that I might end up being someone unrecognizable once I return to you and our¡­ child." He replied honestly. He knew that was the truth. Even just earlier on, just before Alicia appeared before him, he had been feeling how everything was just bing a blur. That it was all a series of non-feeling, never ending series of fights and battles and a drawn out war. It was a miracle that Alicia had appeared when she did, knocking him out of that stasis where he was quite sure that he would have lost the ability to feel much as time passed by down here.

    They both shared a moment of silence, each staring into the other''s eyes. Both having their own thoughts swirling in their own minds, before Alicia smiled gently at her husband.

    "He''s a boy." Alicia told him softly as her eyes became emotional. "I named him¡­ Azriel. His nickname is Azy. He is an exceptional and loving six year old, Ezekiel." Her tone was filled with love and pride for the child that was borne from their love.

    Zeke''s hand shook a little as he tried to contain his own fluctuating emotions. "You chose a cool name. Nothing less than what I had expected of you, my wife."

    A sweet, emotional smile tugged at Alicia''s lips. "He''s a sweet boy. He''s like a mini you, really. Everytime I look at him, I see you in him. And he''s been what''s keeping me sane and alive since you left. I am¡­ I am so beyond happy and thankful that I have Azy, Ezekiel. I couldn''t imagine my life without him while you''re gone."

    He pulled her into his embrace and buried his face in her hair. "I''m¡­ happy to know that¡­ Alicia." His heartbeats sped up as he tried to imagine the image of his son that had features of them both. Whatever he looked like, Zeke was sure that he would definitely be an extraordinary child. How could a child from him and Alicia be anything less than perfect?

    "Azy and I are doing really fine with everyone being supportive of us. Alexander and Abi''s twins are now like his older siblings¡­ he''s an intelligent and lovely child. He told me that he will be waiting patiently for his daddy to return to us, Ezekiel."

    "Mmm¡­" he could only utter as his hold on her tightened. He was barely keeping his emotions from bursting out of control, wishing more than anything at that moment to be able to see and hold his son in his arms.

    Alicia could feel his strong emotions and it was making her heart bleed. But to her, her husband was the strongest man ever.

    After just hugging him for a long time, Alicia asked him about his situation in this world.

    Zeke did not hesitate and told her what she had wanted to know. Everything that she heard made her heartbeat race even though the way he told her the story sounded so easy, as if he was not the one being involved in the happenings. However, she knew that it could not have been that easy for him.

 Chapter 933: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 9

    Chapter 933: Alicia & Zeke Side Story 9

    Soon, Zeke changed the topic.

    "It''s time for you to head back home, my wife..." Zeke told her as he kissed her hand again. Though his heart was wishing to spend more time with Alicia, he knew that it would not be good for her to remain here longer. Furthermore, their son would need her home to care for him. "I can''t let you stay here any longer. I need to get you out of this world before something starts to happen to you." "W-what will happen to me if I stay for a bit more?" Alicia asked. Her heart sank. She had not thought that there would be any side effects on her entering the Underworld. And even if there was, it would not ur so quickly after she entered. Could she have a little more time with him? Just a bit more, please?

    But Zeke shook his head and then pressed her against his body once again.

    "I''m sorry, babe... but it''s already dangerous that you''ve been thrown to this world. I''m afraid that something had already been taken from you without your knowledge when you fell in here as the price of you being here. I believe it was... your magic, Alicia." His voice was so gentle, full of love and care and worry as he showered her face and head with emotional kisses. "But don''t worry, it will only be temporary as long as you will not linger in here any longer. I''m certain that with you, you''d definitely one day get your powers back, my queen... so now, I need you to go back before anything worse happens that might not be reversible."

    Alicia could only kiss him on the mouth as her quiet tears fell from her eyes. She was shocked that her powers might be gone due to this unnned visit to the Underworld. But she would not regret it. Never! She would never regret falling into this world and being able to see and hold him like this. She would not regret it. Power... she would get that back again in time, but the beautiful and meaningful moments that she had spent with him here was something she would cherish forever and ever.

    "Ezekiel..." she uttered his name longingly and he whispered her name back. It was breaking her heart that she could not have a bit more time together with him, but she had to ept it and just be thankful that she even had this chance that both of them never thought was possible.

    Soon, the two of them finally left Zeke''s room.

    Before they could leave the dark castle, Alicia met the man named Gavriel.

    Though their meeting was brief, Alicia had been struck by his resemnce to Ezekiel. She did not have the time to even ask anything about him, because she started to weaken suddenly, causing Ezekiel to fall into a panic.

    He brought her to a certain ce in an instant - it was the very ce where she had found herself when she just arrived in this world.

    She knew that he was in a rush. She could feel his desperate urgency to immediately send her back.

    As she watched him create a dark vortex out of nothing within the empty space, Alicia held back her tears.

    It was soon time for them to say goodbye again. And it hurts so bad. Just because it was happening the second time did not make it any easier to bear. In fact, it seemed to be harder this time around. But she needed to be strong, for herself and for him. For this man she hade to love more than her life.

    When he faced and took her hand into hisrger ones, Alicia bit down on her lower lip to stop it from trembling. But she could not help that tears filled her eyes and blurred her vision. She was only barely able to stop them from flowing from her eyes. Taking in deep breaths, she tried to calm her emotions.

    "Shh... my beautiful goddess... don''t cry..." he whispered as he kissed her face. "This is not goodbye... we''re just getting separated for a while again."

    Alicia nodded. "Yes, my love. And I''ll wait patiently for you as I vowed before. Azy and I will wait for you toe back to us. We will wait for you, Ezekiel..."

    Zeke yanked her to him and kissed her mouth desperately, as though wanting to brand his kiss into her until they could meet again next. As Alicia was being pulled by the return force of the vortex, they both ascended towards the sky without breaking their kiss, arms tightly wrapped around each other.

    When their lips parted, Alicia''s tears finally fell. "I love you, Ezekiel. Don''t ever forget that." She told him and Zeke''s lips slightly trembled. "No, don''t say it... tell me those words once you return to me, to us."

    He nodded and he kissed her mouth again. A lone tear fell from the corner of Zeke''s eyes and then he pushed her away. That tear had rolled and fell at the edge of Alicia''s lips and she licked it, tasting its bitterness.

    The vortex of darkness immediately swallowed her when Zeke let go of her shoulders.

    Zeke stayed suspended in the air as he watched the vortex disappear. She was gone... his love... his heart was no longer here anymore. But a gentle and emotional smile tugged at the corners of his lips as he clutched at his chest.

    "Wait for me, my beloved. Wait for me." He uttered as he stayed there unmoving.

    After what seemed like a very long time, Zeke finally moved and returned to the castle. His expression was back to the nonnal one he usually had when he appeared in front of Gavriel. However, there was a mysterious and dangerous gleam in his eyes.

    "I have something to tell you, Gavriel." Zeke did not beat around the bush and Gavriel who looked almost translucent stared at him with the same intent gaze.

    "What is it?"

    "I''m going over to your world." Zeke dered. "It''s time for you to have your real physical body. It''s time for us to end this ridiculous war. And for us to do that, you need to regain your body and your rightful powers."

    Gavriel''s eyes zed with a newly born determination. His helpless condition had made him lose his willpowertely and Zeke understood it very well. If he was the one in Gavriel''s shoes, he was not even sure if he could bear the burden. So, he knew what this news would mean to Gavriel.

    "It''s time for you to show everyone why you''re the destined king of darkness." Zeke told him and Gavriel nodded at him with the eyes of man prepared to do everything and anything to reach his aim.

    Dear Readers,

    Alicia and Zeke''s story will continue in Hellbound Heart so see you there in HH, Hellbounders. And yes, Zeke will be appearing in Spellbound''s future chapters.

    See you all in Hellbound Heart and Spellbound.

    Love, Kazzen

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!