My eyes remain glued to the barely clothed man.
What in Silver's name is wrong with him?
"Erase Eldarda?" It's Dylan. The way he quickly – but gently – shoves me behind him sends a wave of warmth through my veins. I'm getting pulled into my thoughts when the lycan's growl gets the best of me and my head tilts upwards weakly.
"I'm in no mood for your silly plays, boy," a scoff escapes my lips at the lycan's sentence. "Hand me my mate, and we'll be on our way."
I lean on Dylan, my eyes glaring at the monster who seemed too calm to be considered a beast.
"I am not your mate!" it's a proclamation. Maybe when I finally admit it out loud, it will become truth.
"This is treasonous, Caswell," a council member steps out from behind Grand Keeper Pael Juine. "Is that what you brought him here?"
My feet hurt, heavy weariness weighs heavily on my eyes. I dare to lift them still, needing to defend myself.
"How in Silver's name can you think that, Ser Dane?" I take one step forward, yet it feels as though I've walked a thousand miles. I squint my eyes, unbelief; the swell in them. "I didn't even know who he was!"
Grand Keeper Pael Juine's voice thunders, another reminder that the calm I feel is nothing but Dylan's presence.
"You did this," he points harshly at me. There's a mocking glance, a mischievous gaze he sends my way before adding to his sentence. "You must be put to death!"
"I will not see to it," Dylan says almost immediately, his arm reaches for the small of my back and presses onto it, steadying me. "And I will make sure–"
"You're all feeble," our heads snap towards the lycan man. "Look," he sighs like he's discussing the weather. "I don't exactly like her too," his head tilts towards me, "But if anyone's going to kill her, it will be me."
I hold my breath.
His eyes meets mine, that smug stupid smirk plastered on his face.
" I intend to," his smugness irks my skin, the hairs on my arm stand slightly. Suddenly, I could feel sharp daggers piercing my entire figure. The lycan breathes in deeply, a facade for his true sinister intentions. His eyes move from me to Dylan. "Get your hands off her."
Dylan raises a brow, "Make me."
It's slow, deliberate and fascinatingly deadly – how smooth he walks over towards Dylan and I. Dylan remains grounded, a sharp contrast to my shaking body. I blink once, twice, pleading to the Griffin that nothing happens to Dylan.
"Dylan…" the Lady Magnate trails, warning her son to yield.
I too thought he would, I realise - I have never seen Dylan like this.
The lycan's arm lands on Dylan's shoulder, his eyes glares at me, a reflection of death stares back at me and my breath shudders.
Dylan's sharp, swinging his dagger and piercing the lycan's arm harshly. The silver glints, momentarily blinding me. The next swift thing I hear is bone cracking and a Yelp from Dylan.
"No!" My throat throbbs with ache. My eyes sting as I watch the scene unfolding before me.
Dylan lay on the ground, the lycan keeps digging it's heel into Dylan's ankle. Dylan's eyes are shut, his lips quiver in pain.
"Stop…." it's hushed, helpless. I run towards Dylan, "Stop!" My hands lay on Dylan's chest, eyes searching his face for any sign of extreme discomfort.
"Dylan?" I whisper and his eyes flutter open. Once more, my world ignites as the sun brings out the hues of green in his eyes. My hands touch his golden hair and then his face. Dylan's gaze holds mine for a moment, he coughs and blood spills from his mouth.
"Get off him," says the Lycan. My head snaps to him, our eyes meeting glare for glare. "Now."
"You're pathetic," I hurl his way.
"And you're coming with me, mate." He says matter of factly and I turn away from him. My eyes meets Dylan's again.
"Promise me you won't go," Dylan's voice is cracked. His palm grips mine, tightening by the second, "promise me, Dina."
I force my lips to tug upwards. "You sound way worse than I did moments ago."
"Dina," he groans. His lips are quivering, he's struggling to breathe. "P…promise me…"
The lycan drags my arm and I pull back, the tears falling from my eyes. "He's dying!" I feel a tear in my chest, a pulling I know would never heal.
"Come with me and no one has to join him," sneers the Lycan. "I won't hesitate to kill you too, mate."
The sobs fill my ears, my knees shake beside Dylan and my hands are holding onto his palms tightly. Dylan stares at me, his eyes widens with a splash of sadness.
"Let go!" The lycan yells and I swear the ground shakes.
"I can't!" My yell is helpless, my voice cuts short and I swallow to continue. The sobs get in the way of my speech, rendering me helpless. "I.. please," Dylan's hand reaches up to my face, his thumb wipes off a tear. My heart does a flip, and not in the best way.
Dylan's fingers reaches my hair, raking, smoothening, calming me down. I lean into him quickly, hugging him before pushing myself off him.
I don't think, my feet doesn't stumble as I hurry towards the Lycan. I look away at the council and they're all giving me looks worthy of a sin they let in.
I'm doing all this to save them, to save —
"Dina!" Dylan's yell makes me stop in my tracks.
Look back! Look at him, Dina.
I keep on walking, this time, my feet stumbles and I fall to my knees. I lift my head, my eyes lingers on Dylan and I dare to keep looking.
Dylan's sitting up now, a hand reaches out to me and the other is on his chest. Something he does whenever he's in unbearable pain. My hands tremble beside me as I watch him call out to me.
Run to him.
My foot lifts off the ground and softly lands forward in Dylan's direction. "Dyl…"
But the lycan is quick, sweeping me off the floor and placing me on his shoulder as he walks towards Eldarda's gate.
The terror hits me in waves. How exactly am I gonna survive? It hits me then, a lifetime without the golden haired boy? No family? No code of honour?
My feet kicks the lycan's face as I struggle out if his grasp. I fall harshly on the floor, scraping my elbow.
It doesn't matter, get up!
My feet hurries towards my golden boy, the only bit if family I have left. As I reach him, my fingers touch my necklace for less than a second before grasping him in my arms, hugging him tightly.
"You cannot go," he says with rapid tired breaths. "I cannot live without you."
"And I, you." I hug him one more time and pull away. "But I have to," I lean in and whisper in his ears, "I'm doing this for you, Dylan." My voice cracks, "You have to live. That way, I can see you again."
I pull away and give him a kiss on his forehead. "I love you."
His lips parts softly, eyes searching mine before taking my lips in his. His tongue dances with mine and in this moment, everything else doesn't matter.
Yet, it's short lived as the lycan pulls me away from him and this time, runs towards Eldarda's gates, splitting it into two as he jumps nearly twenty feet away into the forest.
For a while, all I see is vast greenery in a blur. I've only heard of how fast werewolves were, but this is faster. My stomach hurls in disgust, it smells of doom and blood. I lift my head, realising I've never been to this part of the forest.
Infact, werewolf territory is the other way around and this place is otherworldly, I've never seen it before. Soon, a looming fog blinds my sense of sight and all I can hear are barbaric laughter and jars clinking.
Who are they? What's going on?
A feast, they'll have you for dinner.
I hate whoever programmed this voice in my head, I know she hates me.
Suddenly, I'm thrown on the floor. A Yelp escaps my lips and all chattering ceases. Now, there are a few footsteps and the fog refuses to clear. I know these barbarians are walking towards me. What are they? Human? Some sort of other otherworldly beasts?
"Hello?" My head flips around, looking for hope.
Admit it, you're scared.
Of course I'm scared. "Hello? Where am I?"
Something strong hits my head, the ache is unbearable as I drift off into darkness.