Chapter 265: Chapter 265 Rising Stakes
After running midway and back, Damon finally managed to secure more water in his palms. He slowed his pace when he reached me, lowering his hands carefully as if he were holding something precious.
I glanced down at the water dripping steadily from between his fingers, falling in tiny streams to the ground. My lips curled into a faint smirk. "I don’t need it anymore."
His brows drew together, a flash of frustration breaking through his calm mask. Before he could speak, I pushed myself off the rock and walked past him. My feet crunched softly against the damp earth as I made my way to the riverbank.
Without sparing him another glance, I knelt at the edge, letting the cold current wash over my hands. I splashed the icy water against my face, the sting waking every nerve in my body. The blood and dirt from the battle finally washed off my skin, carried away by the flow.
Behind me, I could feel his heavy unwavering stare.
"Are you planning to bore a hole through me?" I turned to face him, his face was unreadable, yet I could feel his irritation.
Seconds stretched too long before he answered. "No, master." He replied.
I hummed before dipping myself lower, letting the river swallow me, the world felt peaceful down there, like a moment for me to escape all my dilemmas.
There were still things I couldn’t understand. ’Why did Golden call me home? Why did it disintegrate and enter my body? What does the mark on my forehead mean? Does sharing my heart affect my lifespan? What do I want to do next? What is my real purpose? These powers... Why was I given these powers?...’
My thoughts got interrupted by a loud splashing of water, then a hand grabbed me and pulled me above, I instinctively gasped for air.
When I opened my eyes, Damon glared at me, I felt his fear, frustration, and anger. His hand tightened around me, like he was scared to let me go.
"What were you thinking?!" He yelled, venting out his anger. "Do you hate me so much that you would rather take your own life?" his voice was mixed with pain, followed by the feeling of heart-stabbing pain.
I unclasped his arms around my waist, he was too close for my comfort. "And what made you think I was going to take my life? Can’t I simply enjoy the water?" My gaze turned to an Icy glare.
"But you were down there for too long." He snapped back.
’Wait a minute, what the hell is wrong with this dude?’
"Damon I don’t owe you any explanation, and you can believe whatever you want to... however I must warn you about coming too close to me. Remember you are my pet... and you should never initiate skin contact."
He looked away, clearly displeased at my tone, he inhaled sharply, before meeting my gaze. "Yes, master... I got scared and acted without thinking about it." He lowered his head.
"That’s more like it." I turned and swam to the waterbank.
’How did I get to the middle of the river without knowing?’ I bit my lower lip as realization dawned on me.
......
(Third POV)
Far away, within the walls of the witches’ castle, the air was heavy with tension.
Theo sat rigid on the edge of a chair, arms folded, his jaw set. Alaric reclined on the couch, though his injuries forced his body into a certain position, however, his wounds have been recovering after a healer came to treat him.
Both of them had been waiting for what felt like hours.
At last, the doors creaked open. The Queen entered, her steps were slow but deliberate. The high mages trailed behind her, their gazes sharp as blades.
Theo rose immediately, his fists clenched tightly. His growl reverberated faintly in the chamber, but Alaric shot him a warning glance.
The Queen’s pale eyes swept over them with calm indifference. She looked weak, her skin faintly sallow beneath the dim torchlight, yet her presence still pressed down like a weight.
Her long whitish-grey hair cascaded down her back, her brown eyes were warm and inviting, her skin had few wrinkles on her forehead and her undereyes.
A smile formed on her lips. "I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long... my health is not in the best shape." She said, coughing.
"Why did you ask for us?" Alaric asked, pushing himself off the couch, his usual friendly smile was long gone.
"I wanted to have this talk with Lycan King, however seeing he had been taken away, I thought it might be a good idea to talk with you both, so you can bring him the news."
"Get to the point!" Theo growled.
The Queen sat on the opposite couch, "Firstly, I apologize for the behaviour of my people, I’ll make sure to discipline them... they did what they did because of the crisis pertaining to my health. The defectors are growing stronger every day... and my health is growing weaker. If I die the scale will tilt in their favour." She coughed.
"That’s why my people were desperate to get your Alpha, because the chosen’s magic lives inside him... and it is only Fae magic that can buy some time." She paused, studying their expression.
"You might be wondering how this is your business, to be truthful it isn’t... for now, however my scout has informed me about the defectors’ relationship with Alpha Lucas of the Bloodmoon pack... the same pack that wants your pack gone."
Alaric’s frown deepened, they knew Alpha Lucas’s hostility towards them, and how much he wanted Damon gone... however, they never knew he had a relationship with the corrupted witches...
"So the rogues..." Theo trailed off, his guards faltering a bit.
"Alpha Lucas got the rogue under his control with the help of the defector magic, and the reason why the rogues could appear in your territory without being noticed is because they were teleported there." The Queen coughed again, covering her mouth with a napkin.