Drago stared at the window, his gut clenching violently. He had to find her before she got herself killed! He knew she wouldn’t travel in the sunlight so he’d have to reach her before sunrise. Grimly, he looked at Katya and tensed at the look of fear on her face.
‘Fear not. I will find your mother,’ he told her. Then he looked at an astonished Hesta. ‘Go see the prince. Tell him what’s happened. I’m going after her. There is no time to waste.’
‘Master! You don’t know where she’s going,’ Hesta cried.
He could feel her now, passing the forest. Dammit, she moved like lightning! Soon she would be in bandit territory. ‘Yes, I do.’
Shifting in his wolf form, he growled at the two women and vaulted through the window. After landing on his four massive paws, he sprang forward and ran towards bandit territory.
He knew she was well ahead of him. He had terrain to cover and she had air. He also knew now, why she refused to be with him. Foolish woman! Did she really think because Balkathan was her father, he would not want her?
She was nothing like that evil bastard!
He had to reach her before sunrise. He had to bring her back to the castle while it was still dark. The thought of losing her filled him with anguish and fear. He couldn’t lose her now. He sped through the dry terrain of the fields, passed the forest and stopped. Panting heavily, he snapped his gaze around. She was close by.
Drago released three successive barks and snarled. Something wasn’t right. Baring his jaws, he sprung towards a cluster of boulders in a clearing. Without stopping, he vaulted over a huge boulder and landed on his paws on the other side.
Three Lycans had Eve surrounded, their armour’s crest decorated with a bold B. Balkathan’s men! The biggest one had a wooden stake pointed on her chest.
Drago went insane with rage and lunged forward, his jaw clamping down on the Lycan’s hand. The Lycan growled and dropped the stake as Eve sprung towards the other Lycan closest to her.
She used her vampire speed and caught him by surprise as she drove her silver dagger in his chest. The other Lycan sprung towards her and she fought him as Drago shifted to his Lycan form and faced his adversary.
Glancing back sharply to Eve, he was relieved to see her holding her ground as she sailed over the Lycan’s head and landed behind him. He turned sharply to his opponent.
‘What are you doing in this territory?’ he asked. ‘Aren’t you a little far from your dark lord’s lair?’
‘We are everywhere, fool,’ the Lycan snarled. ‘Balkathan has been keeping a close eye on your castle for years. Soon, the castle will be his and your people will bow down to him.‘
He lunged forward and Drago growled, sidestepping as he pushed the Lycan onto a boulder. Balkathan’s werewolf smashed his head against the rock and Drago sprung forward, wanting to finish him while he was still dazed. He grabbed the silver dagger from the Lycan’s belt and raised it above his shoulder when he heard Eve grunt.
Panicked, he twisted his head and watched her being hurled to the ground. ‘Eve!’
She snapped her gaze to his and the Lycan lunged forward with his stake, burying it deep in her chest. She screamed, clutching the stake and fell back.
Drago felt his heart stop. Without another thought, he turned to his opponent and stabbed him with his dagger. Eve’s Lycan vaulted towards Drago, his hand upraised with a silver dagger, and growled ferociously.
Drago went cold with rage and stopped the Lycan’s hand in midair, dragging his hand down into the demon’s own chest. The Lycan slumped dead to the ground.
Fear pulsed through his frame as he collapsed on the ground beside Eve. Her eyes were closed, her face still and he grabbed the stake. Tears blurred his vision as he pulled the stake from her chest, raising his face to the heavens, roaring with anguish.
He lifted her in his arms and crushed her against him, burying his face in her neck. ‘Eve, no! Please don’t go. I love you. I…love you,’ he said hoarsely.
He didn’t know how long he held her, but at the first streak of sun lighting the horizon, he knew he had to return to the castle.
He lifted her gently and carried her as he walked through the forest and into the fields. He couldn’t feel his heart. It was dead. Like his beautiful Eve.
After carrying her for a long while, he looked ahead and saw twenty horses thundering towards him, his son leading the pack.
Vasilis vaulted off his white steed and strode to him, his face dark with anger. ‘Father, a king does not leave his castle without a caravan of guards to follow the spawn of Balkathan. Have you lost your mind?’
Drago was numb with grief. ‘Would you not risk your life for your one?’
Vasilis’s face dropped as he looked from his father to Eve and then back to his father. ‘Father?’ he asked, frowning. His gaze rested on Eve’s still face.
‘Aye, my son. She is my one.‘ Drago’s voice broke and he took a moment to regain control. ‘My one is dead.’
* * * *
‘The master is distraught. He’s been in the there all day and refuses to come out to eat or drink.’ Hesta rang her hands fearfully. ‘I have never seen him like this. Not even when the late queen took her life.’
Lena placed her arm around the healer’s frail shoulder. ‘Our king is strong, Hesta. He needs this time to grieve privately.’
Hesta didn’t look convinced and for a split second, Lena doubted her own words. ‘I don’t know about that, child. He may be strong, but when a Lycan loses their one, their life is shattered. He worries me. It’s already well into the night and he hasn’t eaten a thing. I’ve been outside this door all day and night and I’ve heard him talking to Eve. He speaks to her as though he expects her to respond.’
‘Poor Master.’
‘Even Vasilis and Alexandra have tried all day to make him stop this madness, but he ordered them to leave him be.’
‘What are we to do?’
‘Go to Katya. Console her. The poor girl has just lost her mother and she is beside herself with grief.’
‘And you? What are you to do?’
Hesta’s eyes shone with tears. ‘I will stay here and wait for him to come out.’
* * * *
Drago drew in a ragged breath, staring at his beloved. Her face was still and pale, her lips pink. He lowered his head and kissed her softly. She was cold.
He knew he had to let her go, but he wasn’t ready. If he let her go now, he would never look upon her lovely face again. His felt his heart crack.
He held her hand and squeezed his eyes. ‘I love you, my darling. I will always love you.’
The full moon began to rise, filtering in its glow through the window. The drapes were drawn and Drago stared at the sky, his hand tightening around Eve’s. This was what she had been afraid of, this moment, the rise of the full moon.
He looked down at her face and swallowed hard. ‘You were never going to turn into your father. Your heart has always been strong, your passion for all life honourable.’ A tear slid down his cheek and he brushed it away. ‘Evil preys on the weak, my darling, and you were never weak. My beautiful, Eve,’ he continued, his tone thick with grief.
He squeezed his eyes and raised his head, drawing in a long, shaky breath. He had to leave her now. He had to say goodbye. Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared at the white orb rising high in the midnight sky. He threw back his head and howled long and loud, releasing all the pain and grief wracking his body.
When he fell silent, he lowered his gaze to Eve and stared at her face for the last time.
Suddenly, her eyelids flew open and he froze, staring at her amber eyes. ‘Dear God!’ he rasped. ‘Eve!’
Her eyes turned red before returning to their blue. She stared at him with confusion.
‘What happened?’ she asked, her voice faint.
His heart soared to the heavens and with shaky hands, he cupped her face gently, lowering his head and kissing her. ‘You came back to me,’ he said gruffly. ‘I love you. My God, I love you so much.’
Her expression softened and she took his hands and clasped them against her breast. Slowly she smiled up at him, her eyes glistening.
‘I love you, too, Drago.’
He would tell her later, regarding the colour of her eyes, and how she was now Lycan and vampire. Right now, he just wanted to hold her and never let her go.
