At first, both Cassius and I were wary of Alpha Azarel but as time went by, we started trusting him more. Alpha Azarel told me more about the vampire kingdom, the Lycan king, his pack, and the witch covens.
It was as thrilling as it was stupefying to know the ins and outs of the power structure in the supernatural world. Everyone was hanging on a thin thread of balance; each struggling to tip the other over the edge.
We met several prominent members of the pack and talked to them. I even met a few alphas of other packs. He never stopped me from doing anything I wished.
Just to test him, I tried to leave his pack’s territory with Cassius. He didn’t get riled up or flustered; instead, he offered to accompany me. That was the day he took me to meet the Lycan King.
The Lycan Palace sprawled over hundreds of acres of land. Built in marble and red sandstone, it oozed elegance and grandeur. There was a large garden with an exquisite fountain in the front, followed by the arch of the entrance.
A dozen men dressed in armor guarded this arch. I studied the arch as Alpha Azarel went to talk to the guards.
The Arch of the gate was adorned with the carvings of a majestic wolf and its pack howling at the moon. For some reason, it filled me with a deep sense of longing.
I sauntered over and ran my fingertips over the cool surface. I was part vampire and part human. I couldn’t think of any reason why the sight of the moon stirred the deepest part of my soul.
“Miraya,” Alpha Azarel’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “The Lycan King has permitted us to see him. Let us go.”
My gaze lingered on the arch for a long moment before I followed Alpha Azarel and Cassius inside the Palace.
He led us through a series of corridors, stopping at a golden door. The guard defending the door bowed to us and let us inside. “Please wait here, his highness will join you in a few minutes.”
My gaze swept over the exquisite hall. It was a thousand square meters of sheer grandeur. Chandeliers, drapes, flowers, and magical flies adorned the ceiling, making it look like something straight out of a fairy tale.
“I have never seen anything like this,” Cassius stated, looking around. “How can this not be listed in the book of magnificent structures?”
“This is not listed in the book of humans as it is not built by humans,” a piercing voice rang in the hall as a man dressed in red robes walked inside, followed by two guards.
Alpha Azarel went down on one knee, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed from his waist. “Your highness.”
“I… I didn’t mean any disrespect,” Cassius stuttered, throwing me an apologetic glance.
I stepped forward and bowed. “He doesn’t belong to our world and doesn’t know the rules. Please forgive him if he offended you.”
The Lycan King burst into a soft chuckle. “Why would I be offended? Praising something is not a crime?”
“I am glad to know that, Your highness.” I couldn’t restrain the snort of disdain that left my lips. “Lately, I have started feeling that existing itself is a huge crime.”
The Lycan King pulled out a Green Jade token and handed it to me. “Take this as a gift from me, Miraya. Use it at the most crucial moment in your life.”
“Wow! I can’t believe that the Lycan King gave you a Jade Token,” Alpha Azarel commented in an awed voice as he walked down the garden path.
I twirled the square piece of green stone in my hand. Apart from a large wolf motif embedded in gold, it was plain.
“It is just a piece of pretty rock.” I shrugged. “What am I even supposed to do with it?”
“This is not any piece of rock, Miraya. It is the Jade Token granted by his majesty. You can use it once in your lifetime to ask him for help.”
I gasped, and my steps faltered for a second. I didn’t know why the Lycan King had randomly decided to give me this, but I was grateful. I had this nagging feeling that I would need it soon.
During my stay at Alpha Azarel’s packhouse, I found that werewolves treated humans with respect. Their laws forbade them from harming humans, unlike the vampires. This was a game changer, and I found myself warming towards werewolves.
Soon, all my apprehensions vanished, and I found myself relaxing.
The best thing about staying at the packhouse was that I got to spend quality time with Cassius. We were unhindered, free from the worries of the world. The month I spent at the packhouse was probably the best period of my life.
***
One night, while having dinner, I noticed that Alpha Azarel was very antsy. He kept shifting in his seat while turning the ravioli around his plate. His gaze would lift towards me once in a while, but he would look away again.
“Alpha Azarel, what is wrong?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking when he had looked at me for the hundredth time.
His lips pressed in a thin line and he put the fork back on his plate. “There was something I wanted to talk to you about, but… I just don’t know how to say it.”
“Just be your honest self, Azarel,” Cassius prompted, sliding a glass of drink towards him.
“The vampires and witches are not happy that I am letting you stay here. They are pressing me to ask you to leave…”
My heart skipped a beat. What were we going to do now? I let out a pained sigh and drank up the contents of the glass in a single gulp, “You have helped us a lot during the past month and I would hate to bring you trouble.” I reached over and covered Cassius’s hand with mine. “We will leave tomorrow morning.”
His eyes widened, and he spoke quickly. “I don’t want you to leave.” Clearing his throat, he leaned forward. “There is another way. If you become the official member of my pack, even the Triple Concord can’t force you to leave.”
Blood rushed to my face and my grip on Cassius’s hand increased. It was difficult to say whether everything Alpha Azarel did was a part of his plan to keep me here or if he genuinely wanted to help me.
He swirled the glass in his hand as he continued to talk. “You don’t have to decide right now, Miraya. We have a week until the Triple Concord pays us a visit.”
With these words, he rose and sauntered out of the room. My mind turned into a mush of confusion. I liked staying at the packhouse but that was exactly the problem; I liked it too much.
I was afraid that this feeling had blinded me. I was afraid that I would end up making a wrong decision. I was still battling with my perplexed thoughts when Stella showed up in my life again.
I was sitting alone in my bedroom when she barged inside and locked the door. No hi, no hello. She grabbed me by my shoulders and went straight for the kill, “Are you really going to join hands with Alpha Azarel?”
I shrugged off her hands, freeing myself from her grip. Raising my eyebrows, I snorted, “What if I am joining hands with Alpha Azarel? It has nothing to do with you.”
“You can’t do that, Miraya.” She shook her vehemently. “You can’t join hands with him.”
“Why can’t I?” My voice held a tinge of annoyance. “I was confused earlier, but after your appearance, my mind is clear. While you chose to abandon me at the most crucial time, Alpha Azarel stood by me. He saved my life and even let me stay here. It is only natural that I would support him.”
“You can’t do that, Miraya. You musn’t trust…” a loud bang on the door muffled her words.
“Miraya, are you in there? I just saw an intruder enter the room,” Alpha Azarel’s voice sounded on the other side, followed by more knocks.
Stella grabbed my arms and shook me up, “Alpha Azarel is the only man YOU can never trust, Miraya. Please believe me.”
“Since you didn’t respond, I am assuming that you are in danger.” There was a loud thud. “I am breaking open the door, don’t worry.”
Stella slid a small vial into my hand before bolting for the window. Her eyes met mine, and she spoke. “That vial is my last attempt to save you, Miraya. Drinking it will bring back all your memories.”
With a thud, she jumped down. At that very moment, the door cranked open and Alpha Azarel rushed inside. “Where is she? Where is the intruder?”
I pointed to the window with my left hand while secretly slipping the vial into the right pocket of my trousers.
“Do you know her?” Alpha Azarel asked, leaning over the window.
“Not really,” I lied blatantly. There was a change in his expression, but it lasted for only a flicker of a second. When he turned to talk to me, he was the same old, calm and composed man.
“Since there is only a week left for the meeting, many people may try to fill your mind with lies. I would appreciate if you talk to me if any doubts arise in your mind.”
I plastered a smile on my face. “Don’t worry, Alpha Azarel. Our bond is strong enough to overcome petty rumors.”
He didn’t seem convinced by my words, but he nodded and left. I sauntered up to the window and looked outside at the beautiful scene sprawling in all directions. Green bushes, tall trees, pretty flowers with butterflies flitting everywhere.
This mansion was nothing short of a paradise, but there was something about it that felt odd. I had this weird feeling in the pit of my stomach that this mansion wasn’t supposed to look like this.
I know it sounds crazy, but that is how I felt deep down; call it a hunch or a sense of déjà vu. I pulled out the vial from my pocket and twirled it between my fingers. Stella might not be my greatest supporter, but she didn’t seem like someone who would poison me, either.
As the days passed by, the temptation to consume the potion intensified. I found myself going on solitary walks and spending more time in the library.
The night before the Triple Concord meeting, I was seated in the library, mulling over everything that had happened. After Stella left, I started noticing little changes in the atmosphere. The guards were all replaced by more robust men. Even the servants seemed more agile, giving off the vibes of trained combatants.
They might have been positioned for my safety, but it could be the other way round, too. They could be here to stop me and Cassius from escaping.
The micro-expressions that my brain registered during meals made me feel that the latter was true. In moments of carelessness, I had caught glimpses of his burning gaze that could only belong to a highly ambitious man.
Tomorrow was the decisive moment. One mistake and I would have to regret the rest of my life. I ran my fingers along the cold glass of the vial; gazing at the clear liquid.
“You should drink it,” Cassius spoke as he walked inside and sat opposite me. “If Stella has given it to you, there must be a good reason.” He placed his hand on the table and twirled the bracelet around his wrist. “This charm did protect me, right?”
He had a point. Stella did give me the bracelet to protect me. It was I who gave it to Cassius. She had also taken care of me when I was bitten the first time.
My eyebrows narrowed, and I looked at Cassius, “If something happens to me, you must leave at once.” I placed the Jade token in his palms and closed his fingers around it. “Go to the Lycan King and ask for help.”
“Nothing is going to happen to you. Stella is my childhood friend, Miraya. It is not in her to hurt someone like this.”
I reached over and clasped his hand. “Promise me, Cassius… Just in Case…”
Dark clouds of concern shrouded his expression as Cassius stuttered, “Forget what I said, Miraya. I don’t want you to drink that stupid potion anymore.”
My gaze drifted from his eyes to the vial and before I could hesitate anymore, I took off the lid and tipped its contents into my mouth.
The cool liquid filled my mouth with a minty tangy sensation that soon took a pungent edge. My head started spinning as it flowed down my throat. I was sucked into a dark vortex of oblivion where there was nothing but a sea of dense darkness.
Thud! My head banged against the table. That was the last thing my senses perceived before I was lost in that maze of darkness….