The Alpha King's Nemesis-Chapter 28: Royal Lycan Territory ()

Zariah tilted her head up, her eyes fluttering closed in a bid to calm herself.

"I asked you to rid me of the mate bond, you performed an entire procedure on me. You reformed my bones, flesh and every organ within me to adjust without Torin. So why did you not get rid of it? Why did you leave it untouched?" Zariah asked as in a dangerously low tone.

"Alpha, the pain of ripping away the mate bond is... it’s simply too unbearable and without Torin, I simply could not perform the procedure along with restoring your abilities, it would be a death sentence." Nile explained.

"It was not your place to make that decision Nile!" Zariah snapped.

Zariah immediately regretted her tone, she knew her words were unfair to Nile.

As spirit guide, it was his jurisdiction to decide which procedure was worth undertaking and to calculate the risks involved and if the life of the person would be endangered, he could decide not to continue with it.

Also, she understood just what it meant to get rid of the mate bond completely, it was akin to ripping away a part of your own soul, the pain was not one any mortal or supernatural should have to bear.

Zariah long knew Nile had not destroyed her mate bond, she knew the pain of destroying a mate bond rightly should have been far greater than what she had endured to restore her wolf’s abilities.

However, even knowing she had not insisted on him to perform it due to Darren’s presence, Zariah could not help being unreasonable after the scare she had just received.

"Rise." Zariah said as she restrained her wolf’s aura of pure dominance that poured off of her.

Zariah took some steps away, turning away from the rest of the company so they could not see the array of conflicting emotions reflected in her eyes.

"I thought we already agreed to drop this topic Zari, why do you insist on doing something so sacrilegious?" Darren asked in a worried tone.

Zariah remained quiet, there was nothing to be said, it did not matter how she explained it, they could never understand.

It was said that the one left alive was the one who carried the burden, how could they understand what she had endured in the previous lifetime?

How could she explained the pain of having her heart ripped to shreds over and over again as she watched each of them gruesomely killed right before her eyes, and there was nothing she could do to save them.

How could she explain that terrifying cold and hollow feeling in her heart as she wallowed in that deep, dark dungeon, the pain of brutal torture nothing compared to the pain of their loss?

How could she explain how the images of their broken bodies replayed through her mind over and over again while her skin and flesh was torn apart by a metal spiked whip.

How could she explain how she had begged for death over and over again while staring into the eyes of the monster who had harmed all she loved and cared about and knowing it was all her fault?

Knowing she had brought harm to them? That she had caused the death of the very people she had sworn to protect?

Knowing that she had been fooled so terribly, knowing that she had been played so completely by the mate bond and used by the heartless monster she had called a mate.

"Alpha has found your mate." Nile said in a tone that was not asking but telling as he came up being Zariah, taking her hand in his.

Zariah heard Kaileen’s quiet gasp of excitement which only served to anger Zariah even more.

Zariah tilted her head up and blinked back the tears of anger and frustration gathering in her eyes.

Zariah knew what a mate meant to the Crimson wolves, she knew how much they cherished the mate bond, she knew it clearly because she once had been like them...

Waiting all your life to find the one person that was meant to be yours, the one who would complete you in ways no one else would.

But now, Zariah knew better. Zariah wanted to lament her fate, to blame the creator, but as much as Zariah loathed to admit it, Zariah knew the creator had not made a wrong match.

Caedmon was never meant to be her mate, by some method of dark sorcery, he had manipulated Zariah’s mate bond, tricked Zariah and her wolf into recognizing him as her mate.

This meant all the while, Zariah had never truly met her mate. All along, her mate had been out there while she gave all her love and devotion to an impostor, a false mate.

Yet Zariah did not dare trust, never again. If one false bond could be formed, a thousand more were highly possible...

Zariah was Crimson Alpha, just how many in the supernatural world sought her life? Just how many plots had been orchestrated against Crimson Moon? Just how many enemies lurked in the shadows, awaiting the slightest opportunity to bring down the first blood lycans?

Zariah did not have the luxury for fate and it’s games, she could not waste her time on feelings, she had seen for herself just what harm love could bring, she had seen just how low a woman in love could fall.

Zariah had been there before, but she vowed never to be there again. What was love? Of what use was companionship or the mate bond? Zariah would rip out her own heart before she allowed herself be the fool again.

"You found your mate?! Where is he?" Darren asked in surprise, looking around as though Zariah could truly have hidden him away somewhere.

"What do you think I ran from? Rogues?" Zariah asked with a scoff as she turned around and began heading back the way she had come.

"You ran from him?!" Kaileen whisper yelled, Zariah shrugged casually.

"Why would you do that?" Darren asked in bafflement, hurrying to catch up with Zariah.

"I believe I already made it quite clear that I do not want a mate." Zariah replied.

"But..."Darren began to argue but held his tongue when Zariah stopped and turned to face him.

"Drop the topic, it’s already done with. I do not reckon I will be encountering him again and I hope I do not because ultimately I will reject him."

"Now can we focus on getting back in time for the enthronement two days away?" Zariah asked, her tone leaving no room for argument as she spun around and continued on the way.

________________

Zariah and her company had arrived a short distance from the Royal Lycan borders and had taken a brief moment to scout the defense formation around the border.

Zariah commended the Royal Lycan warriors, their warriors were placed strategically all around the border and their defense was impenetrable.

There were practically no loopholes to sneak past their borders and the Royal Lycan warriors were clearly on high alert.

"This is indeed the level of excellence to be expected of the Royal Lycan Pack, even the defense formation of Crimson Moon might not necessarily surpass this." Allen commented from behind Zariah.

"None of the packs we passed by in the Ethereal domain had such impressive defense." Darren added.

"It’s not surprising their defence would be so tight, with the enthronement of a new Alpha King, they will need to be on alert." Dionne pointed out.

"Indeed, with rogues prowling back and forth, running amuck all across the unclaimed lands, if they should hold contrary intentions, the Royal Lycan Pack is the seat of power of the Ethereal domain and as such, it will be the first target." Allen said in agreement.

"We should make our presence known, the Alpha King will be enthroned at dusk today, we have only arrived just in time." Nile reminded.

Meanwhile Zariah was lost in her own thoughts as she gazed at the Royal Lycan territory ahead.

Just a few steps more and there was no going back, just a few steps more and she would be in his territory, in a short while, she would see for herself the monster behind Caedmon Grey, the very cause of all the pain and agony Zariah had suffered in her previous lifetime.

The one who called the shots while hiding in the shadows... the Alpha King.

’Back then, you stayed in the comfort and safety of your lands, while you brought the battle to my home, leaving death and destruction in your wake... ’

’Now, I bring the battle to yours. You took everything from me... now I shall repay you in the same coin.’ Zariah thought to herself, her heart constricting with pure, undiluted hatred.

Zariah unmasked her scent and stepped out from behind the cover of trees, it did not even take a good few seconds before Zariah and her company were surrounded by the Royal Lycan warriors.

Zariah stared at the three imposing warriors blocking their path, each donning combat robes, their clothing bearing the insignia of the Royal Lycan Pack. 𝘧𝘳𝘦ℯ𝓌𝘦𝒷𝘯𝑜𝑣𝘦𝓁.𝒸𝘰𝓂

"Who dares trespass Royal Lycan territory?! State your identity!" The Royal Lycan warrior standing in the middle demanded in a chilling cold tone.

"Inform your Alpha King, Zariah Torin of Crimson Moon arrives." Zariah replied in an equally chilling tone