X    A    N    T     H    O    S

I gazed at Bella who was peacefully sleeping on my bed. I recalled the way she was holding her head and crying out in pain. I felt really helpless when she was trying to bear the trauma she was going through. I knew she was soon going to remember her past. When she mumbled my demon's name, I felt him stir inside me with contentment. He even broke out just to hear her whisper his name more clearly.

The sound of the knock on my door echoed inside the room. "Come in." The door creaked open revealing Kathy. I internally rolled my eyes. This girl was not leaving me and Bella to have alone time together at all. It's her fifth time barging into my room.

'Bitch!' Luciano said in my head. I nodded my head in agreement.

"How's Bella?" She asked flipping her hair behind her right shoulder. Vlaxin was so much whipped by Bella that he didn't even notice this duck head of a girl walking inside our room.

"Stop fucking disturbing us,cagna," Luciano said angrily with a low voice. He controlled the growl that was threatening to come out. He didn't want our mate to wake up panicking.
(bitch)

"I was asked to check and update about Bella often as I'm one of the pack clinic's best staff. So yeah, I don't have any other option but to disturb you," She said with a straight face. Luciano huffed.

"I feel like you come here to check me rather than to keep a check on her," Luciano said out loud.

Kathy glared at me but soon masked her face with a sweet smile that could even make bitter gourd to taste like candy. Luciano snarled, making Kathy's I'mile disappear. I smiled with triumph.

She stared at me for a second before turning on her heels and sauntering out of the room.

'Closofio Manio.' I concentrated on my door for a second causing the door to close.

Vlaxin chuckled. I knew his attention has been captured by our mate. My gaze moved from my room's door to Bella.

When my eyes landed on her naive figure, I wanted to hold her close and protect her from the dangers outside but first I needed her to remember our past and what we two together actually make.

"Xanthos," I cracked out of my reverie by a small soft voice. I looked at Bella who was staring at the room in awe. Then a look of confusion flashed across her face. She then looked down at herself and the bed.

She yanked the blanket which was once wrapped around her. "Is this your room?" I nodded my head. "It's as eye catching as you." I stared at her in amusement. 

"You find me eye-catching?" 

"Mmm." She hummed absentmindedly while admiring my room.

"I might as well think you're flirting with me right now."

She snapped her head towards me. "Wait, I wasn't listening to you. What did you ask before."

"You stated the truth anyway," I said with a smirk. "Alright want some water?"

She winced making run towards her in less than a second.

"Are you hurting?" She shook her head negatively. "Tell me the truth," I asked her in a stern tone. She stared at me with those beautiful sea-blue eyes.

"Headache," She replied. I handed her some water and pills.

"Would you like to have something to eat?" She nodded her head eagerly. I laughed at her cuteness.

"Okay, I'll be right back. Till then take a quick nap, mate," I said.

She nodded her head and lied down on the bed. I rushed down and made mac & cheese. It was the only food name that came to my mind. I also knew that it was one of my mate's favourite. Approximately after thirty minutes, I made my way towards my room. I opened the door and walked to the right side of my mate. I set the plate on the table which was near to the bed. I gazed down at my sleeping princess with her back was facing me.

'Don't stare at her back for long!' Luciano whined.

'Why?' I asked confused.

' we...Amanda...Whip--' A loud growl rumbled from my chest.

'Vlaxin, why did you-'

'You two are fucking talking about the whip lashes we bestowed her!' Vlaxin roared.

I bit my lip as I remembered that day.

Third Person's P.O.V

Leonardo heard a loud crashing noise coming from a room in the hallway he was walking. He speeded towards the room from where he heard another loud banging sound. He swung open the sandalwood doors and looked around for the source which was making loud sounds.

His eyes landed on a blond-haired, grey-eyed female figure who was wearing a short tight purple dress with ornaments decorating her. Her dress hugged her body tightly, highlighting her curves. Her face was caked with makeup to make her look elegant and beautiful but she was nothing compared to his mate, Amanda, who looked beautiful without even utilizing makeup derivatives.

He instantly knew she was none other than Vanessa Fredrick, The Moonstone pack's soon to be Alpha female.

'She looks funny.' Luciano commented from the back of Leonardo's mind. Leonardo agreed with him.

Vanessa was ready to throw the vase which was on a wooden slab. Leonardo growled, warning her to not throw it. She whirled her head to gaze at him. When her eyes landed on his dominant figure, she speed-walked towards him with a neutral expression.

He looked at her with his left eyebrow raised. "King Leonardo," she bowed her head. He involuntarily lifted his index finger and reached where her neck and her back of her head meets. Vanessa cried out loudly in pain because of the pain he inflicted involuntarily on her with his wizardry.

'Luciano!' Leonardo yelled in his mind.

'What? Even I know to do sorcery,' Luciano answered carelessly.

'I know, but why did you use it now on her?'

'To test, whether my powers still work or not.' Leonardo held back the chuckle that tried to escape from his mouth.

He pulled Vanessa by her hair and made her stand on her feet. She smiled a flirtatious smile and batted her eyelashes. It didn't affect him in any way except he felt a little disgusted by the soon to be Alpha female's behaviour.

'She didn't even feel ashamed when we lifted her by her hair?' Luciano asked with amusement coating his tone.

'No.' Leonardo replied shortly.

He pointed at the room's condition. "Explain," He ordered.

Vanessa touched his muscular arms. However, he shrugged it off of him.

She straightened herself. "One of the castle's maid has stolen my diamond necklace. I can't find it anywhere. It was my favourite necklace because it was expensive. You know why was it expensive because it was carved out of rare Kohinoor diamond!" Vanessa exaggerated.

Leonardo's face twisted into an expression of anger. According to him, Vanessa should have informed him. Losing a diamond necklace wasn't a big matter at all. But, he felt furious as he came to know it was a human who has looted her necklace.

He mind-linked his beta, Ethan, to inform all the human maids to assemble in the torment compartment. He looked back at Vanessa only to find her checking him out. Luciano again was going to use his powers, but Leonardo controlled him.

'Our mate is the only one who has the liberty to check our body. It's all Amanda's and not this cagna's.'

Leonardo laughed after hearing what his wolf said. He was sure that Amanda had Luciano whipped. However, he didn't know about his demon. He had only felt Vlaxin giving out hatred or rage. Vlaxin was good at masking his emotions. Leonardo's demon had a fraction of humanity left.

"Come along with me to the torment compartment."

Vanessa nodded and obeyed Leonardo by following him.

•••

Beta Ethan trudged every human to the torment compartment. It was a place where any human if disobeyed his or her master would be brought to this room and got punished.

Amanda was also standing amongst the other maids of the castle. She didn't have any idea why she and the other humans were there. She thought of all the possible mistakes she might have done but found nothing. One thing she frequently started doing was disobeying King Leonardo. However, he would give her punishments right in that very moment.

"Hey! You're the king's pet right?" A red-haired, hazel-eyed girl asked Amanda with a smile on her face. The smile she gave to Amanda was strained.

"Yeah, I'm Human 17 or if you wish you could call me Amanda," Amanda answered back politely.

"Oh, umm...ok, I'm human 255 or you could call me Megan."

Amanda smiled and nodded her head.

"Megan, Do you know why're we assembled here?"

"I-I don--"

"Good evening, humans." One of the guards commenced speaking, silencing everyone in the room. He spat the word humans with a disgusted face. Amanda felt disgruntled with the guard as she didn't like how he addressed the people. "You all must be confused as to why we dragged you, nasty creatures to this nasty room," Some cringed at the way they were being described by the guard and few nodded their heads. "Well, there is a theft that had taken place today morning. One of them amongst you had stolen Kohinoor Diamond necklace of soon to be Alpha female of Moonstone pack," Amanda noticed Megan stiffening, "Now, whoever has done it step forward voluntarily. Your punishment will be lenient. Now come out!" The guard yelled.

Amanda stared at Megan as she took a step behind. "Ok, then Leonardo, I'm going to have some fun with your castle humans," Vanessa said causing Leonardo to growl. He didn't like being called by his first name by anyone. However, Amanda was an exception but she never called Leonardo by his first name alone.

Vanessa slaughtered a human boy near her with the help of her claws. "Till you'll not show up, I'll continue killing your race, you scum." Megan shook her head and took another step back. Tears started to brim in her eyes. She was readying herself to make an escape. Amanda knew Megan was making a ridiculous strategy. She comprehended that Megan had the necklace with her.

Amanda caught Megan's arm and shushed her from squeaking. She motioned Megan to stand where she was standing. Megan nodded her head, she was trembling because of the fear of getting punished. Amanda gestured her to give the necklace if she still had it with her. Megan took out the necklace from the front pocket of her French maid uniform. She gave it to Amanda with a confused expression.

Amanda spun around to take a glimpse of the scene.

She couldn't withstand someone getting slaughtered without a reason. So, she did what she thought was the best. She walked towards Vanessa and Leonardo.

Megan's eyes widened. Before she could stop Amanda, she was far away from her; walking towards the King.

"King Leonardo," She said and bowed her head to the king. Leonardo controlled the whimper that was trying to come out. He didn't like her bowing to him. "Lady Vanessa," She muttered and bowed her head towards Vanessa. "Pardon me. I was the one who stole your necklace. I shouldn't have done what I did."

Leonardo couldn't believe what he was hearing. Amanda returned the diamond necklace back to the owner of it. She held her head hung down. Luciano knew she wasn't the thief. He could tell by the way she was holding the necklace. She couldn't even hold it properly in her hands.

All of a sudden, Amanda was thrown across the room. She landed in front of the pole where people get beaten with a whip. "You greedy human! How dare you!" Vanessa shouted at Amanda. "Your punishment will be ten lashes!" She ordered.

"You're no one to order, Vanessa." Two different voices came out of Leonardo's mouth.

"B-But according to the law 87 the victims can give any punishment," Amanda said while picking herself up from the ground. "I accept her punishment, my master."

"So be it. But instead, I wouldn't waste my energy. It would be your master," Vanessa snarled angrily. Leonardo was about to use his wizardry powers on Vanessa but got stopped by a greater force inside him. Vlaxin broke out of the backside of his mind and took charge of the body.

"Tie her!" He barked out the order. Amanda was tied against the pole with her back towards the audience. A guard handed over a brown leather whip with spikes decorating it to the king.

Amanda squeezed her eyes shut as soon as she felt an immense jolt of shiver running through her spine. "Count," Vlaxin commanded.

"Two," she cried out loudly in anguish. Leonardo and his wolf tried to take back control from Vlaxin. Nevertheless, they failed every time they tried as he was more powerful than the other two.

"Th-Three." She felt as though her back was being torn apart. "Four!"

Megan couldn't take it anymore. Amanda's cries echoed throughout the room. It was a dreadful sound. Other humans eyes were shut whereas Vanessa and other werewolves were enjoying it. Ethan stood there frozen. He didn't know what to do. He knew he can't overpower Vlaxin and save Amanda. He felt that she was innocuous.

"Ni-Ahh!"

"Enough!" Megan shrieked. Silence filled completely in the room.

Amanda was at the verge of her consciousness. She struggled to shake her head but she couldn't.

"What do you want?" Ethan asked her.

"Let her go! She's innocent! It was me who stole the necklace," Megan cried harshly as she saw Amanda limply fall down from the pole.

Megan was pulled harshly back. She came face to face with Vanessa. She sniffed Megan and then her necklace. Her eyes turned to the thief, who was shivering.

Vlaxin stood there and realized what his pet had done. She sacrificed herself for the mistake she hasn't done.

Vlaxin fell to the ground on his knees; heartbroken. He felt something different. A different emotion that he tried not to let it out since he laid his eyes on Amanda. Love. He too was now giving his heart to Amanda. Tears brimmed his vision. He couldn't believe he hurt his innocent mate. He couldn't take in the fact that he misunderstood her and thought her to be same as every other human. But he was proved wrong. He carried her to his room but not before seeing Megan's death. Amanda was unconscious at that time.

"You piece of nothing! You are the one who stole my necklace." Vanessa yelled.

Meghan was immediately hauled by her neck. She smiled while taking her last few breaths as she struggled to breathe.

Leonardo and his two beasts heart swelled with what Megan said next.

"I am delighted, I earned someone so innocent and so benevolent as my friend. If I would have simply got killed I wouldn't have felt bad for stealing. But now I feel guilty. She is the one who made me learn my lesson. I hope she would one day be what she's supposed to be."

She took one long last breath before she hollered with all her might as Vanessa squeezed her neck.

"Hail my queen, Amanda!"