Hi,

Firstly, I apologize for vanishing without any proper notice. After the audit, my colleague was on leave and I was in charge of the branch keys which meant I returned home late every day and had no time to even look at the laptop. At the weekends, when I was free I was finally able to complete the chapter and here it is.... SORRY AGAIN for disappearing without notice.

BTW, This chapter is dedicated to @cupcakedelicate :D

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EAR PIERCING CARE:

Last week, I accidentally hurt my ears while putting on my earrings. Putting on rings has always been a problem for me because my piercing wasn't done right and I fear it will close forever if I do not wear any earrings.

It is essential to regularly clean the piercing area or else it stinks bad because of ear cheese caused by bacteria. I usually wash them with soap but using rubbing alcohol is considered best. Using petroleum jelly around the pierced area will reduce the scabbing to some extent. Also, keep twisting the earrings a few times daily to help keep the pierced holes open. While wearing stud earrings extra care must be taken around the piercing area and while wearing hoop earrings it's easier to clean and maintain.

Remember to clean the piercing thoroughly after a hair bath as this is when the shampoo gets collected there and it just makes things worse. A drop of tea tree oil or lavender oil on the piercing also protects from bacteria but we cannot forever keep the smell away :/

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"The bitch is very nice. She is as sweet as a Georgia peach. But inside every sweet peach is a strong pit. And this means she won't explain the obvious when a man is disrespectful."
― Sherry Argov,

____

CHAPTER 28 – DISRESPECT

"Dude! That was awesome!" Miki carolled on their ride back home to Xanthos who was driving with a stoic look. "You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this moment!"

Cyane ducked her head to hide her smile because Miki was saying exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Yeah.... Well, since your moment has already come, life as we have known it is also finished" Brody said flatly.

"Don't remind me of it" Grayson groaned.

"We are survivors. We have survived the Crescere prison and that means we can survive anywhere" Miki pointed out, flatly refusing anything or anyone to dim his moment.

"We survived because we had the king's support" Brody reminded grimly.

"Support?" Miki scoffed. "He trained us to become his guard dogs. I didn't initially see it but now I know that's what we have always been for him."

"That's true" Grayson agreed quietly and Cyane felt a wave of sympathy for them because when they were out of prison, the least the king could have done was help them complete their education. Instead, he had trained them to be killers and do his dirty work.

"Those who offend the king don't survive for long and I am sure we did offend him today," Brody remarked.

"Well, then he shouldn't have kept quiet when that brat was making threats" Miki pointed out harshly.

"What's done is done and we cannot change that but we must carefully plan what we are going to do next" Grayson reminded. "I have already phoned Jayson, Xan. He will be waiting for us near the park."

"Park? He had his last paper, today right?" Brody asked in bewilderment.

"He had submitted it already. We will pick him up and then leave." At Brody's confused look, Grayson chuckled, "Surely you cannot believe we can stay here now! The king has given us a week to leave and if we still stay beyond that then the wolves will kill us."

"He is right" Miki agreed.

"I just... I didn't think that far. All I thought was that we have to take Cyane back to her home" Brody grimaced.

Cyane furrowed her brows because she honestly felt bad for them and did not know how to help them.

"Man, you just said life as we know it is finished and it is true. We are fugitives in Aelius. The weeks' time means nothing to the wolves of the kingdom. We just have to make plans to survive this week and then we have to make plans to become invincible" Miki observed.

"What do we do Xan? Where do we go?" Brody asked anxiously.

"I know a place where we can go," Cyane said and nervously licking her lower lip, she watched Xan.

He hadn't uttered a word yet and she was getting anxious in her seat. The conversation in the backseat was also doing nothing to calm her nerves.

"Where?" Grayson asked.

"Zeke's lair" she whispered slowly.

Xanthos kicked the brakes bringing the jeep to a sudden halt but since she was wearing a seatbelt, Cyane was safely restrained in her seat. His friends though groaned in pain when they knocked their head against the railing of the jeep.

Cyane's heart was thumping as if she had run a marathon and she placed her palm on her chest to soothe herself. Even though her hair was covering her face, she still sensed her mate's furious gaze on her and it sent shivers down her spine, making goosebumps appear all over her skin.

Tucking the strands of her hair behind her ears, she gulped and then looked at Xanthos who was glaring at her.

"To... to Lysander?" Grayson said in a shocked tone rubbing his forehead.

Cyane did not reply to him because she was still watching Xanthos, waiting for him to say something.

"No," Xanthos said loud and clear, arctic blue eyes harsh as the winter.

"Why not? Lysander can help us" Cyane suggested earnestly. She did not understand what Xanthos's deal with Lysander was. Why did he hate the man so much?

To Cyane, Lysander was nothing but an absolute gentleman and she had tremendous respect for him and his wife.

"No" Xanthos growled loudly and everyone went still.

"Don't take that tone with me" Cyane hissed furiously.

"Then don't say his name" Xanthos bit out harshly. His breathing had quickened and she watched in fascination the rise and fall of his chest as he tried to push back his wolf.

"Keep your problems with Lysander aside just for a moment—"

Cupping her chin with one hand, Xanthos's mouth claimed hers in a searing kiss that set her whole body on fire. Her heart skipped and hopped in her chest at the scorching possession of his mouth but she was furious with him for distracting her and her palms itched to slap him.

Behind them, someone cleared a throat and muttered, "Focus guys."

Xanthos pulled back at that moment and Cyane quickly looked away as she felt the blush spread down to her chest. She couldn't even look at his friends! How dare he?

She could feel Xanthos's eyes on her but she did not look at him.

"Your suggestion is redundant and will not be considered. Thank you very much" Miki said from the back seat causing Cyane to scowl by herself.

"So, where else do we go?" Grayson demanded in frustration.

Xanthos's arctic blue eyes met Miki's carnelian ones and there seemed to be some sort of conversation going between them before Miki smirked.

"I don't like the look of this" Grayson said warily.

"Me neither" Brody added frowning at his friends.

Confused, Cyane looked at them through the corner of her eyes, wondering what was going on.

"We found a place," Miki said leaning back in his seat.

"Where?" Grayson demanded, causing Miki's smirk to turn into a wide Cheshire cat grin.

As realization dawned on Grayson, his golden eyes widened before he paled and shook his head. "No."

"Yes," Miki said excitedly.

"Jay won't survive a day there" Grayson growled.

"We are with you. We will protect him" Miki swore.

"I don't understand. Which place are you talking about?" Cyane asked, her confused eyes drifting from the men in the backseat to Xanthos.

"Vulture's Nest" Brody replied in a bored tone.

At the mention of Nest Cyane inhaled sharply and recalled what Jayson had told her the other day.

"Every day there's a brawl, everyday wolves are killed and everyday vultures get a feast. Killing is a sport in the nest."

Why did Xanthos want to go there?

"Isn't that place dangerous?" Cyane asked out loud.

"That makes it all the more fun" Xanthos smirked as he restarted the engine.

•••

Lysander and Minerva stood in front of a grocery store and stared at the flames coming out of what was formerly Xanthos's apartment.

Someone had set his apartment on fire. Thankfully no one was injured because no one had been inside the apartment when it caught the fire. Since the flames were still on and the smoke too much, the residents of the other apartments in the building had been temporarily shifted to a safe-house.

Within thirty minutes the building was vacated and now completely sealed. The authorities were still trying to figure out what caused the fire.

There were whispers that the king's men had done it to punish the Hound but no one dared say it out loud.

'What do you think happened?' Minerva asked her father through the mind link.

'This is no coincidence' Lysander confirmed. By the time they had reached the apartment building, the news of everything that happened in the court had already reached them.

They were late. Xanthos had already taken Cyane to meet the king and the meeting had ended up being a disaster for the king and not the other way around as Lysander had initially thought.

Lysander's sources informed him that Saint and the girl had accused each other of kidnap and assault. While the King had stood by his son, people were shocked to note that the Hound had stood by the girl.

Lysander too had been stunned by that last bit because most people blamed Cyane, 'the girl' for causing the drama. Then others blamed Xanthos for thinking with his dick. People also blamed King Saint for being unfair to two young lovers. Then there were very few people who blamed Stanislaus and it was only because they knew what a two-faced snake the man was.

A temporary truce had been called for now and Stanislaus had given Xanthos a week to get rid of the girl. Wolves all over the kingdom were now eager to know if Xanthos would get rid of the girl as ordered or would rebel against the king. It was a hot topic in the kingdom at the moment.

Some claimed that Xanthos had chosen Cyane but some claimed that Xanthos hadn't made any choice and that he was bound by a promise. Lysander didn't know what the promise was but he did know that by choosing Cyane in some way, Xanthos had automatically become king's enemy.

Lysander did not know Xanthos but what he had heard of Xanthos was not good. The Hound was brutal and tough and he lived up to the name the people had given him.

Most people wanted Xanthos to get rid of Cyane but Lysander was not most people!

Gritting his teeth, he clenched his jaws and wondered what to do next. Xanthos will already know what had happened to his apartment and there was no way he would be coming back here. So, where would he go? Where would he take Cyane?

'Cyane hasn't called us either, I wonder how she is' Minerva said worriedly.

'She will call us' Lysander assured his daughter. One of his men had already tried calling Xanthos but the call could not be connected.

Lysander had his men do their best to find out where Cyane was.

A mewling sound caught his attention and he turned to look at Mr Black walking towards him in his cat form. Mr Black had been shocked to see the burning apartment and had immediately rushed to inspect.

After one look at the cat's disappointed golden eyes, Lysander knew that there was nothing in this place anymore for him. Wolves present in the area were glaring at him suspiciously but no one dared to attack him because they knew they did not stand a chance.

Not against a Zeke!

'Let's go'

'Papa...' Minerva protested, still looking around and hoping for some clue.

'Now' Lysander commanded and Minerva lowered her head.

Placing an arm around his daughter's shoulder, Lysander urged her towards the car that had arrived to pick them up. Elliot was already in the front seat along with the driver.

'Did you find anything?' Lysander asked Elliot through the link as he closed the passenger door.

'The Hound left with Cyane and his friends about two hours ago and has not come back yet. One of his friends, Grayson has a younger brother who is in school and he hasn't returned either' Elliot replied with a growl.

'Then we go to school. I am sure wherever they are going, they will take the boy with him' Minerva stated.

'Nate is already on it' Elliot replied and Lysander nodded thoughtfully. As he pulled out his phone from his back pocket, he noticed a man watching them in the side-view mirror.

'Elliot, look at the side mirror. Who is the man at my six o'clock?' Lysander demanded through the link.

'That's Viktor. He is one of the cage fighters and is known to be rabid. He is ruthless and the only person he has lost to is the Hound' Elliot said as they drove off.

'So, he is another one of Xanthos's enemies?' Minerva questioned with a humourless chuckle.

'You could say that but they are not enemies in the truest sense of the word. They don't try to kill each other every time.'

'Does he work for Stanislaus?' Lysander probed.

'No. He... uh... I don't know. The only thing that I know about Viktor is that he is into cage fighting' Elliot sighed.

'Why? Do you suspect something?' Minerva asked, her curious eyes fixed on her father.

'Yes. Viktor was keeping an eye on us the whole time. He is working for someone. We just need to find out who' Lysander said thoughtfully.

'I will look into it' Elliot assured.

'Did Cyane call you?' Lysander asked Minerva who shook her head in disappointment.

'Neither Cyane nor Ash called me' Minerva said quietly petting Mr Black.

'Ash?' Lysander stiffened immediately as his wolf growled lowly.

'What happened in the court today would impress him. I am expecting a call anytime now.'

___

When they reached the school, Nate was already there along with his father, Alfred. Mr Black morphed into a bird and then flew around the area, searching for some clue.

'Jayson had already left when we reached here. They were quicker than us' Alfred said dejectedly. 'They headed east but we couldn't trace their scent because they covered it well.'

Clenching his fists, Lysander growled the sound making others around him very nervous.

'They were prepared for this' Minerva deduced. 'Xanthos and his friends. They knew this was coming and I think... I think Cyane has something to do with it.'

'I think so too' Yolanda agreed through the link, her calm, gentle voice soothing Lysander's furious wolf.

'When I last spoke to her, Cyane told me how misguided he was and how she wished to make him realize that. This is their relationship, Xander. Cyane chose him willingly and we cannot interfere in it. Xanthos will hate it if we do' Yolanda reasoned.

'If we don't do it, then her family will and it will be ten times worse' Lysander said curtly.

'But—'

'No' Lysander interrupted heatedly. 'We will wait for Cyane to call us and after that, I will call her grandpa and he will take care of the rest.'

Lysander knew it would wreck Cyane's plan but it was for the best because Cyane was safe only with her family and if she got dragged into a war with Stanislaus then the Lycorian's wouldn't hesitate to burn down the whole kingdom.

This kingdom and the welfare of its people were more important to Lysander than Cyane.

•••

Xanthos's other friend Carlo had already picked Jayson from the school and they were waiting near the park for the rest of the gang to join them.

The moment their jeep came to a halt next to Carlo's old SUV, Miki, Brody and Grayson had jumped out of the car and got inside the SUV, leaving Cyane and Xanthos alone in the jeep.

"I brought everything you asked for," Carlos told Xanthos as he had loaded two duffle bags into the backseat.

Cyane had been curious to know what was in the bag and when she had opened the first bag, she had been shocked to find guns and knives in it but she had also been pleased to see her sketchbook and a few clothes for them in the other bag.

Gasping, she had held the book close to her chest and stared at Xanthos in awe. The fact that he remembered it and asked Carlos to bring it along, meant a lot to her.

But it also made her curious.

"How long are we staying in the Nest?" Cyane asked Xanthos as they drove off, his friends following in the SUV.

"Not very long" Xanthos muttered as he stared at the road.

"You are not coming back again, are you?" Cyane questioned quietly because why else would his friends also pack and bring their stuff?

That apartment was Xanthos's home and all that he had but he was losing it because of her. He was losing everything because he had picked her over the king.

While it was something, she had wanted him to do, it still shook her because Xanthos had very little and he was still losing all that.

Xanthos spared her a glance and continued driving.

"He is going to send his men to kill you all" Cyane said worriedly as she feared for Xanthos and his friends.

"He has given us time remember?" Xanthos remarked and Cyane shook her head.

No. The king's pride felt insulted today and Cyane had known then that he wouldn't let this slide. He would come after her and Xan.

"Can you give me your phone?" Cyane asked quietly because she needed to make a call to Yolanda and inform her of everything that has happened today. Only Yolanda and Lysander could help Xanthos and his friends. They were the only other people she trusted in this kingdom.

"So that you can call Yolanda?" Xanthos questioned and Cyane's lips parted company as she stared at him.

Of course, Xanthos had known! He was an observer and nothing escaped his eyes. He didn't talk much but that didn't mean he wasn't aware. He was. He just didn't show his hand until necessary because he was also very cunning.

"No," Xanthos said with a smirk.

Gritting her teeth, Cyane clenched her fists and was deciding what to do next when her eyes fell on Xanthos's phone resting atop the dashboard. She snatched it off.

"It's locked" Xanthos muttered without looking at her, the very moment she turned the screen on.

Cyane tried several times but nothing worked until eventually, the number of attempts expired. She scowled at Xan and grunted in frustration.

He had never locked his phone but today he even had to do that!

"Malaka" she spat in Greek and one side of Xanthos's lips curved upwards.

Cyane was sure by now the news had spread all around the kingdom and that means Yolanda must have known about it too and Cyane groaned because she didn't want Yolanda and Minerva to find out about Xanthos and her in this way. Yolanda might be worried sick about her and Cyane just wanted to assure her that she was safe.

If Mr Black was here then he would have somehow conveyed her message to Yolanda but he was gone again and that bothered Cyane because ever since Mr Black came back, he never really spent a full day with her. He was always gone and it was not like she could ask him where he had gone to!

___

The bright afternoon sun was burning Cyane's skin and it only worsened her already sour mood. She was still pissed with Xanthos who hadn't uttered a word for the last forty minutes.

They were driving through the ruins of what was once a famous and busy market street at the time of the Zeke rule. Unkempt bushes were scattered on either side along with a pile of stones. No animal or human was in sight.

Cyane had been to this place with Minerva once when they had visited the beach. At the time, Minerva had informed her that the land on the east was almost the kingdom's equal of the forbidden forest because it was the rogue's lair. Now, Cyane was going into that very lair with Xanthos.

As they drove through the wide roads, a neon green arrow signboard caught her attention.

Ferrum Castello

The board was there the last time too but she hadn't paid much attention to it. However, this time, she turned in her seat to look at the road that would lead towards the Iron Fort.

She would go to the Nest with Xanthos. She would go and see how corrupt the environment there was too so that it would only give her strength and resolve to kill Boon and get the Star Essence.

Sighing she leaned back in her seat and then groaned when her hair clung to her neck. Gathering them with a hand, she brushed it over to her right shoulder and then gently rubbed the nape of her neck with delicate fingers.

"There's a cap in there" Xanthos slammed a fist against the glovebox and Cyane pulled out the red coloured cap with the letter's RA embroidered in amber colour.

"RA?" Cyane furrowed her brows in curiosity.

"Red Ambers" Xanthos replied and Cyane recalled her desire to watch the football match. "Miki is a fan!"

Since she was angry with Xanthos, she did not mention it and simply put on the hat and crossed her arms against her chest to stare at the road.

"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Xanthos asked quietly.

"Are you going to seriously pretend like you don't know?" Cyane countered and Xanthos stared at her with raised brows.

Huffing, Cyane turned to face him, "Two things. No, three" Cyane gritted out.

"They are?"

"One- You let Saint humiliate you."

Cyane's eyes darkened for she was still angry about that and the image of Saint's legs on Xanthos's shoulder made her blood boil in rage.

"I did."

"Why?"

"Whether I like it or not, he is the new king and what he says goes. If he had gone through with his order of interrogating everyone in the building then things would have gone bad for all of us. I can survive but the little boy you waved goodbye to today, wouldn't have. Neither Jayson and Grayson..." Xanthos shook his head unable to finish that sentence.

Cyane understood him because he had seen what had happened to Grayson and he had seen and survived several horrible things. He was strong enough to face torture but not everyone was.

Still the sight of Saint's legs on Xanthos... immediately made her blood boil.

"But you do know what he did to me and you do know how much I hate him! Imagine, how I felt when I saw his creepy paws on my mate's shoulder. I hated it. I should have killed him right then and there" Cyane hissed clenching her fists and Xanthos smirked. "Why are you smirking?" Cyane snapped angrily.

"That's the first time you called me as your mate," Xanthos said looking at her with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes and that gleam in his icy blue eyes just melted her heart and turned it all gooey.

She felt like she was on the pink clouds again surrounded by bubbles and balloons. However, one of the balloons blasted that very moment and Cyane shook her head to focus.

She couldn't get distracted so easily. She couldn't let this one slide like she had done the past few times with certain other things.

"Don't deviate" Cyane barked. "I want to know why you let it happen."

"Because humans are living in my building" Xanthos gritted out. "Women and children too. Saint wouldn't hesitate to torture them."

"But he is in the wrong and you do know that."

"I know that but no one else does and no one else will believe you without any proof. Neither king nor the people" Xanthos said coldly.

"The King wouldn't believe me even if I gave him the proof" Cyane scoffed and Xanthos stared at her, artic blue eyes stoic once again. "But luckily for him, I have no proof. Everyone is dead, except for Saint who was the main preparator."

"Then we find the proof" Xanthos pointed out as he drove through a deep curve.

"We cannot find the proof because there is no proof. It was a secluded place and that's why Gideon and Minerva chose it. Besides, why should I give the proof? Why aren't my words enough?" Cyane demanded.

"Because words when cleverly said can be twisted and manipulated to mean something else" Xanthos explained and Cyane scowled at him. "Sire will not believe you until you give him proofs."

"I have no proof" Cyane spelt out harshly. "Does that mean no one is going to believe me?"

"I believe you," Xanthos said softly.

"Why?" Cyane asked slowly. This was the first time Cyane grasped that Xanthos had taken her word and had believed her when she had told him that Saint had kidnapped her first. She hadn't given him any proofs and neither had he asked for one.

"Because you are my mate. I felt it that day, your rage, your anger at those wolves" Xanthos said tightly clenching the steering wheel. "I could feel it all before I entered the building and when I did, I saw you beating them up."

He had been there that day and she remembered feeling strange but she had been so caught up in her rage that she hadn't bothered to look.

"You are my proof" Cyane whispered and Xanthos nodded quietly. "Why isn't your word enough?"

"Because I am a rogue and no one believes a rogue in this kingdom" Xanthos smirked.

"But they all want a rogue to do their dirty work?" Cyane frowned and Xanthos shrugged. "It's unfair."

"Everyone wants a clean environment but no one is ready to become a scavenger for that."

It was a bitter truth that Cyane realized applied not just in this kingdom but in Lycoris too. The gap between the rich and the poor was too much everywhere. A poor man was looked down on and considered unworthy just because he made fewer bucks.

"If they had found out we were mates then it would have been even worse" Xanthos added and Cyane grasped at the moment that Xanthos had already considered every possible situation beforehand.

She was right! He was methodical. He was one of those who think before they act.

"So, no one is going to believe you or me. What now?"

"Now, we think of some other way to make the people believe you" Xanthos continued switching the gear.

"You don't want your Sire to believe me?"

"Sire is all about pleasing his subjects. Because his subjects opposed Sage's ghastly behaviour, the Sire had him shifted to an asylum. The same will happen to Saint" Xanthos said nonchalantly and Cyane frowned.

That was his great plan?

"How will the people come to know about Saint?" Cyane probed.

"You will tell them," Xanthos said as he slowly raised his feet off the accelerator to lower the speed when they approached a sloping road.

"I just did in the court and no one believed me apart from you and your friends. Why do you think that will change?" Cyane asked angrily.

"Majority of the audience in that court was of Gideon and Ajax's pack. Ajax hates me. Simple as that. His pack hates me because I survived and not their beloved Alpha's brother. Gideon's pack members were seeking answers. They are left in limbo. They do not know if their future Alpha is dead or alive."

"He is alive. Ash has kidnapped him" Cyane blurted out and Xanthos turned to look at her.

"Or is he working with Ash?" Xanthos questioned.

"He is not" Cyane snapped.

"As I was saying, they don't know the truth but they do know that you know the truth which is why they had attended the function today," Xanthos said changing gears.

"Why didn't they support you?"

"Their leader is gone and they have no one right now, which means they are unprotected. At times like this, the right thing to do is keep a low profile" Xanthos said and nodding, Cyane leaned back in her seat.

He was right.

It was very clear that Xanthos knew things and he also didn't seem to mind the lack of support in the audience. It's like he had expected it.

"You faced so much humiliation to protect the people you care about. I did not like watching that but at least now I can understand why you did that and I respect that" Cyane whispered, compressing her lips and fighting the tears.

Xanthos turned his head to look at her surprise evident in his face before he whispered, "Thank you."

Clearing her throat, Cyane wiped her eyes and then spoke again, "What I didn't like is why you used your promise to me as an excuse to get out of there."

"When I was a child, I had a neighbour. He was probably the only nice person living in that shabby area. When there was no food at home, he used to feed me and he would talk. Firstly, he would gloat about how rich he was and how he would have helped me if he had more money and then, he would lament about losing it all. How he had trusted the wrong person and lost everything. After expressing his grief, he would then share with me his grand plans of regaining it all. He would share with me several of his ideas and how he would play smarter. How he would attack while at the same time protect what matters" Xanthos said, his tone hard and his eyes focused.

There was something about his tone.... It seemed cold yet determined! It was there for a second and then it was gone.

"Not that he had much to protect" Xanthos scoffed. "What I learnt from him is that it's not wise to play fast, it's wise to play smart. Saint has everything and everyone under his control. The king has given him that control but it can be taken anytime. I wanted time to prove your innocence and I took the only way out."

What else could he have done? Wage a war against the king with only his friends and her to back him up. If he had outrightly challenged Saint then chaos would have ensured. Everything would have fallen apart if she had revealed herself. Everything Lysander and Yolanda had worked for. She would have destroyed their hard-work in minutes.

As Xanthos said, it's not wise to play fast. It's wise to play smart.

Sighing, Cyane leaned back in her seat with a frown.

"No one in the audience stood by you" Cyane whispered because it was the one thing that shook her the most. While everyone knew what was happening was bad, no one spoke a word to stop it.

"You did" Xanthos grinned and she turned to face him with blurry eyes.

"I did" Cyane agreed because she couldn't see him hurt. It physically pained her because even though he was her mate, each passing day he was becoming more and more important to her.

He was starting to matter and when she saw that he had no support today, she had felt completely shaken. She was so shaken that she wanted to hurt everyone around. Apart from his friends, who did stand by him.

No one trusted him. Just like no one trusted her in her family. No one believed she was strong or capable. No one cared to ask.

"And I always will" Cyane added looking at him.

As Xanthos turned to look at her, he slowly kicked on the breaks until he brought the car to a halt.

"I have no intention of taking you back to your family," Xanthos said honestly. "I hope you do know that."

"I am not ready to go back yet" Cyane shared with a shrug.

"Good," Xanthos said and then nodded. When he smiled, she smiled wider and his eyes darted towards her lips, she leaned closer to kiss him. Wrapping an arm around her waist, Xanthos pulled her over until she hopped over the gearbox and straddled his lap.

Startled, she gasped and then his mouth crashed into hers hot and desperate. His tongue pushed into her mouth, demanding and igniting a fire inside her, turning her whole body into flames.

He devoured her, right there in the middle of the road. Taking. Tasting. Coaxing.

And she kissed him. Lips parting and revelling in his rich taste as she deliciously shivered in his arms. One hand delved into hair, cupping her head while the arm around her waist, urged her hips forward so that she could feel all of him.

A screech of tyres skidding to a halt was a distant sound followed by laughs, cheers, hoots and disgusting noise.

"Get a room" She could hear Miki saying but nothing else mattered to Cyane. Just Xanthos's arms holding her, right where she wanted to be held.

"Join us when you are done" Brody laughed and then they drove off but Cyane dare not break the kiss. Instead, she curled her delicate fingers into his silky hair and pressed her hardened nipples against his chest.

Growling he tore his mouth from hers and then rained kisses over her heated skin. His hands tugged the straps off her shoulders as he kissed her neck and then ran his tongue on his mark.

"Mine"

He rasped against her throat as she closed her eyes and moaned. Heat spiralled all over her body as he continued to trail kisses over her chest and every inch exposed to him.

As he lowered his mouth to kiss her chest and breasts, Cyane leaned back and hit the steering wheel, causing a loud horn to echo around the area. Frightened, she jumped but Xanthos's firm hands on her hips kept her in place.

She looked at his mouth pink and swollen and she knew she looked no better. They were in the middle of the road....

As Xanthos leaned forward to kiss her she pulled back. When he attempted to kiss her again, she tucked her lips into her mouth which made him frown.

When she shook her head, he growled and her eyes widened as she felt his chest rumbling.

Theos... Why was that hot?

Colour flooded her cheeks but before she could say anything his phone rang. Cyane was the one who picked it up and when she saw it was Miki, she furrowed her brows and passed the phone to Xanthos.

"What?" Xanthos barked.

"We have hit the first block" Miki replied and Xanthos growled louder this time. He motioned for Cyane to sit back on her seat and then kicked the engine back to life.

"What happened?" Cyane asked as she put on her seat belt.

"You'll see" Xanthos gritted out, his face a cold mask again.

Cyane was curious to find out what had pissed him off.

___

Ten minutes later, when they were driving through a gravel road in between an open field, Cyane was stunned to see a convoy of colourful cars and SUV's blocking their path at the end of the road.

One particular man stood out because he was sitting on the roof of his yellow-coloured SUV, with his sunglasses on. He was tall and well built with dark brown hair.

The man, clad in jeans, a black shirt and a grey fur coat, was also wearing a thick double looped gold chain that flashed brightly and was very hard to miss.

Wolf!

He and his army consisted of several other males and females standing tall, baring their fangs and claws and glaring at Xanthos's friends who had their vehicle parked in one corner.

"What's his name, again?"

"Gunner" Xanthos answered with a cold smirk and then picking up his phone, he began texting something.

Cyane had been informed about him. Minerva had called him an annoying bug. He hated the king too and was very vocal about it but lacked enough support and was basically considered harmless on the grand scale of things but Minerva had also mentioned that Gunner had a sadistic nature and enjoyed killing people for sport.

Gunner's cruelty was one of the main reasons why Lysander refused to work with him.

"A friend?" Cyane teased, knowing fully well that Gunner was no friend of Xanthos.

"Best friend" Xanthos smirked back and Cyane chuckled.

"Why is he being so welcoming to you?"

"He thinks he owns the Nest" Xanthos replied as he brought the jeep to a halt, right behind his friend's vehicles.

"So, he is here to stop us?" Cyane asked barely moving her lips.

"He can try," Xanthos said and then turned to look at her, "Play smart."

"Éxypnos" she reminded herself as he parked the jeep right behind his friend's car.

Miki and Grayson rushed towards Xanthos the moment he climbed out but before they could say something, Gunner started talking.

"Ah! Today's hero, the Hound is here" Gunner welcomed gleefully and his people began clapping and cheering 'Hound' which made Cyane grit her teeth.

His name was Xanthos. Why the hell were these people calling him Hound?

"I must say, I was shocked at first. The Hound rebelling against the king? Well, that stunned me into silence. I am sure everyone will agree when I say they felt the same" Gunner looked at his men and several heads nodded in agreement. "I mean it's not every day a dog bites it's master's hands" Gunner added gleefully and frowning at him, Cyane jumped out of the jeep.

That movement caught Gunner's attention and he took off his sunglasses to stare at Cyane with hazel-coloured eyes.

Cyane felt the hair at the back of her neck stand up as she felt him blatantly appraise her from top to bottom.

"She is quite a beauty with those legs" Gunner mused. "I am sure I too would have betrayed anyone to lie in between them."

Cyane didn't think! She went to attack.

A pair of extremely strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her back and held her in place while she fought to be let free.

"Shhh" Xanthos whispered next to her ear, his voice affecting her when all she wanted to do was rip the head of the person who spoke so vulgarly about her.

Xanthos had his fingers enclosed securely around her wrist and her hands crossed against her chest to hold her in place as she glared at Gunner in hatred. His friends were also glaring and growling at Gunner who smiled smugly.

That smirk pissed Cyane off and as her eyes darkened so did the sky. If there was one thing, she hated in men it was that self-satisfied smirk they had in their face after disrespecting a woman. It made her want to draw blood.

"Let me go" Cyane gritted out.

He was her mate and that was the only reason that she was holding herself back from spreading her wings and pushing him off her. She didn't want to hurt Xanthos.

She wanted to maim Gunner.

"Not yet" Xanthos stated calmly and that's when she felt it. His chest was rumbling against her back and she could feel how rapidly his heart was beating in his chest. His hands were tight on her wrist and she could see his veins on his arms.

He was furious but he had held himself back. Why?

'Play smart' he had told her and Cyane wanted to trust him and do it his way which is why she stopped fighting against his hold. His hold on her wrist too loosened but he still didn't completely let her go.

"She has got quite a temper, hasn't she? The whole kingdom is already talking about her smart mouth" Gunner demanded. "I have heard that girls with such temper and mouth are pure fire on bed."

"Careful" Miki warned, stepping forward to stand right beside Cyane. "Do not insult her. She is one of us."

Cyane went rigid and felt her skin heating up as she strived hard to control her anger. She was stunned by Miki's words but she couldn't react to it because Gunner's degrading remarks continued to irk her. Xanthos could feel the heat too but he wasn't letting her go.

Slowly Cyane tilted her head to look at him and watched as he raised his lases to fix cold, arctic blue eyes on Gunner and Cyane knew he was carefully and methodically planning Gunner's death in his mind.

"Ooh... Possessive, aren't we?" Gunner taunted smugly.

"Very much" Xanthos agreed, his eyes turning a shade darker.

"Don't worry. I have got my own girls" Gunner stated spreading his hand towards the four tall, well-built women standing on either side of his SUV. Since they weren't wearing any shoes, Cyane could see the claws on their toes and winced because she knew that would hurt.

"But there's a vacancy and she is always welcome to fill it" Gunner finished and Cyane trembled in rage.

"Shut up before I kill you" Brody snapped at Gunner.

"Come on! Do you not know how to take a joke?" Gunner rolled his eyes and Cyane frowned.

Was that a joke? She failed to see any humour in whatever he had just said.

"She is pretty and whatever, but she is not my type," Gunner said looking her up and down, again and it gave Cyane the creeps.

He was bad. Pure bad!

"I like a strong woman. It's more fun breaking them" Gunner grinned and Cyane swore then and there that she would break him too! She would show him death before killing him.

"Is there any purpose for you being here?" Miki asked in a pissed off tone. "Or are you here to just leer at her?"

"I do have a purpose and everyone knows what it is," Gunner said looking at Xanthos. "I want to kill the king."

"Pass" Xanthos replied without any hesitation.

"Think about it. You won't get such a tempting offer again. You should know that the old geezer would be pissed with you for supporting this girl. He will target her and he will try to kill her" Gunner stated smartly. "And just by looking at her, I can assure you that she won't stand a chance against us werewolves. She is human, isn't she? Useless and disposable! I wonder why you had to risk everything familiar for a girl!"

"You'll see" Xanthos replied calmly and Gunner raised his brows.

"See what? How good she is in bed?" Gunner taunted and then raised his hands in surrender when Xanthos and his friends growled.

"Durak!" Cyane hissed in Russian at the same time. She knew a lot of colourful words in Russia because that was the only language her guards and instructors hadn't known and she had enjoyed cursing them with it.

"Joking again" he chuckled and then became serious all over, "But the fact that the king will kill her is true. I suggest, join me. Together, we can take down the king. If you help me do it then we can rule the kingdom together. You are a rogue and no other wolves in the kingdom will accept you as their king, neither will they accept me but if we join forces and suppress them then they will have no choice but to listen to us" Gunner said with a cruel grin and Cyane frowned.

No wonder Lysander did not trust him. He was just as cruel as the king! Who talks about suppressing so casually?

"What do you say?" Gunner probed.

"Pass" Xanthos replied nonchalantly and Gunner and his men growled.

Miki stepped forward at that moment, "You heard him. Now move, we have places to be."

Gunner smirked, chuckled and then laughed out loud and his men started laughing too which made Cyane scowl at the lot of them.

"It's funny you think you can enter into the Nest just like that" Gunner mused and then stood up to stand on the hood of his jeep. "You are an outcast of the kingdom."

"Nest is a place for the outcasts" Brody growled.

"Outcasts who do as I say. Stanislaus might be the king of the kingdom, but I, Gunner Zeke, am the king of the Nest. Here to survive, wolves seek my protection and those who do not, hardly make it until the evening. So, I am advising you to think again. You do not want me and Stanislaus as your enemy" Gunner said shaking his head pitifully.

"What makes you think you are not my enemy already?" Xanthos asked calmly and the smirk got wiped off Gunner's face. "The king hates you, doesn't he?" Xanthos mused narrowing his eyes. "He doesn't hate me. He is just angry with me. Maybe his anger will dissipate when I gift him your head."

Gunner bared his fangs and so did his men who growled and snarled. Two of them shifted and barked furiously at Xanthos.

"You do not want me as your enemy Hound" Gunner warned and Cyane's eyes flared in anger.

"Or else what?" Brody asked crossing his arms across his chest and glaring at Gunner.

"If you make me your enemy, then rest assured I will personally make sure you do not get see tomorrow morning's sunrise" Gunner threatened, in an animalistic voice. His hazel-coloured eyes drifted towards Cyane and he scoffed, "People with some form of weakness should not make threats to me. I exploit it.... badly" Gunner smirked and then sat down on the hoodie to gawk at Cyane's legs.

Cyane's breathing turned harsh as she fought to stay put and not push off Xanthos who was still restraining her.

"My men do not hesitate in going after the family, so to speak," he said and his men chuckled as if it was funny.

"This is your last chance Hound," one of Gunner's men said smartly. "Take it and live like a king."

"I prefer to drop it and do my own thing" Xanthos replied sweetly.

Gunner stared at him and then sighed very loudly before jumping off the hood and landing on the ground. "Fine. Make me your enemy."

He then snapped his fingers at his men and looked at them over his shoulders before saying, "Save her for the last. Her screams should echo around the Nest for days to come."

Cyane's eyes hardened after hearing his words and just like that Xanthos's hold on her wrist loosened.

Surprised, her eyes flickered towards Xanthos but he wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was glaring at Gunner with tightly clenched jaws.

He was furious and so was she.

The moment Xanthos spread apart his hands, Cyane raced towards a distracted Gunner with incredible speed and before he could react, she snatched his gold chain off his neck and kicked him in the chest sending him flying back to land against the windshield of his SUV, thus smashing it.

Everyone gasped. Stunned to see the strength she possessed!

Firmly clasping the coin pendant, Cyane let the gold chain dangle from her fist as she glared at Gunner in disgust. Her hands were burning hot and the energy she consumed from her surroundings was negative turning the chain in her hand into a flaming hot weapon.

A she-wolf standing near him growled and Cyane stared at the woman, daring her to come forward and when she did, Cyane pulled her fist back and then slapped the chain against the woman's neck, while at the same time turning and kicking another woman.

The first she-wolf dropped to the ground and cried in pain clutching the burnt skin on her neck and everyone stared at Cyane in shock and wonder!

"What the hell?" Miki muttered surprised to see this side of Cyane. Xanthos, who was the only one completely unsurprised smirked as he saw his fiery little mate kick ass.

Cyane flexed her shoulders and with her head dared the other wolves to come forward.

As wolves rushed forward to attack her Miki, Brody, Grayson and Carlos moved to fight along with Cyane but Xanthos spread an arm on his side to stop them.

"Xan" Miki frowned, his worried eyes on Cyane as she fought two more, she-wolves.

"Stunning, isn't she?" Xanthos whispered, arctic blue eyes turning possessively dark as he watched his mate take down the she-wolves and then move to attack the others. Standing serenely in his place, Xanthos then watched Gunner who was slowly recovering from the hit he had taken.

He would be shocked by everything he would uncover but Xanthos would make sure that what happened here today would not reach the rest of the kingdom.

___

Brushing the glass shards from his hair, Gunner watched Cyane as she fought in hand-to-hand combat with a wolf, cleverly blocking his attack and then locking her arms around his neck, she kneed him twice in the stomach and as he slammed her waist, she jumped back, blocked his fist and then kicked him in the shins before turning and kicking him in the face knocking him out.

She jumped over him and when a wolf ran to attack her, she prepared herself, kicked the animal below the muzzle and raised her legs to slam her heel on the top of the wolf's head before turning and throwing some more kicks on the wolf's head, neck and stomach until he whimpered and dropped to the ground.

A stunned Gunner quickly pulled out his phone to make an emergency call but was shocked to see a no network message on his phone.

He looked at his friend and noticed that Henry was also facing the same issue. How else could he send his message across? This girl was not normal and everyone needed to know that, especially the person who had sent him here to kill her!

The king needed to know.

Gunner watched Cyane use his chain as a weapon to strike her opponents burning their skin in the process. This girl was trained enough to fight wolves and powerful enough to take them down in a fight too. She was something else and Gunner got a faint suspicion that this girl was a fae from the Lycoris.

If what he suspected was true than the King had to know about this ASAP!

He watched her wrap the chain around the neck of one of his friends and try to strangle him. When others came to defend him, she fought them off by kicking them and then gritting her teeth, she flipped him over and threw him to the ground and continued to whip them in the face with that simple gold chain.

She knew how to jump back and escape attack from their piercing claws. She knew where to attack and she also knew how to go for the kill because she always, always went for their neck. Strangling them, choking them or worse twisting them.

As more and more bodies of his men dropped to the ground, Gunner became anxious and once again tried to phone the king but the call couldn't be made for there was still no network.

With clear instructions from King Stanislaus, Gunner had come here to trap the Hound and his friends, while at the same time kill the girl but now it seemed like he was the one who had been trapped! He had purposely baited the Hound to start a fight and divert their attention so that his men could kidnap and then kill the girl but nothing went according to the plan.

With his head, Gunner inclined for his friend Henry, to do what was needed to send the message. Nodding once, Henry subtly turned to leave before anyone could notice.

When he heard another grunt of pain, Gunner watched as Cyane punch one of his men repeatedly in the stomach, with the chain that was now wrapped around her fist, while at the same time carefully block his attack. As he bent over groaning in pain, Cyane slammed her knees against his chin before kicking him in the chest and pushing him off.

As wolves lay on the ground some moaning, some passed out and some dead, Cyane carefully walked in between their bodies, her amethyst-coloured eyes fixed on Gunner.

Spreading her arms wide, she raised them above her head and crossed them until her thumbs were entwined, to show the bird hand gesture.

His men gasped when they saw the gesture because everyone in Aelius knew what that meant and the famous saying that warned wolves to stay away from Lycoris gems and Lycorian girls.

Gunner gulped audibly when he saw the gesture because it confirmed his suspicion that she was a Lycorian and he just hoped that his friend would somehow manage to alert the king.

Slowly lowering her hand towards her chest, Cyane then uncrossed them and clenched her fists on her sides. Flashing him a devious smile, Cyane then took flight and shot up like a rocket, quickly vanishing from his view.

Gunner tilted his head back to watch her and when he couldn't see her in the sky anymore, he slowly lowered his head and met Xanthos's arctic blue eyes.

Xanthos's expression gave nothing away but Gunner growled because the bastard had known from the start who the girl was and had intentionally hidden it from the king.

Traitor!

That was what Xanthos was! He was a traitor to the throne and now, the biggest threat to King Stanislaus.

He became extra alert, sniffing the air and looking around, ready to attack her if she came close by.

A terrifying scream echoed around the area that very moment and a few seconds later Gunner watched in horror as Cyane dragged an upside-down Henry in the air by his leg. Purple wings spread wide; she flew in a circle around the clearing whilst Henry who was dangling in her claw-like grip, screamed for help.

She then carelessly dropped him to the ground and flew over one of his SUV's before lowering herself to the ground. She stood with her back to them, her glowing translucent purple wings fully opened and it was the largest pair of wings he had ever seen.

Dimly he was aware of Henry moaning and whimpering.

Gunner watched her carefully, fearfully, waiting for her move but nothing could have prepared him for what came next.

Cyane who stood breathing heavily with her back facing them suddenly turned and unleashed an extremely powerful source of energy that pushed the SUV forward and right atop Henry crushing him under its heavy wheels.

Stunned everyone took a couple of steps back. Even Gunner!

Henry's final cry of pain pierced through the sky sending birds flying everywhere. Gunner watched in disbelief as his friend breathed his last and died right there, in front of him.

"BITCH!" he screamed from the top of his lungs and then rushed to attack Cyane.

She rose high and then planted a fist on his face while he barely managed to claw at the feathers of her wings. Flipping over, Cyane then fought a couple of wolves and every time she would whip them in the face with that darn chain, her wings would make a whooshing sound like a storm in the secluded forest. Scary and unpredictable!

As if on cue, dark clouds appeared all over the sky bringing a dull grey hue to the area.

Cyane slammed her fist against the thigh of another one of his men before turning and ramming her elbows twice on his face. After headbutting him, she then kicked him off and stood in the middle of the ground, glaring at him while he spat blood from his mouth and stood up ready for a fight.

His eyes flickered towards the chain in her hand and he noticed the blood dripping in it. Blood of his men! There were drops of that blood on her face and her dress too!

His men were dead while the bitch stood there with a few cuts and scratches on her body.

Gunner's growls turned loud and animalistic until he was no longer able to push his wolf back. When he shifted, so did the remaining five of his men who all bared their fangs and glared murderously at the wretched creature from the Lycoris who killed all their friends.

Gunner swore right then and there that he will kill her even if he had to die to do that!

___

Compressing her lips and breathing rather heavily, Cyane stared at the five wolves in front of her.

Wolves in their animal form were harder to fight with but not impossible. She had trained for that too and she knew she had to constantly be in the air while she fought them because if she ended up being in the ground, then they would surround her and trap her. After all, wolves in pack were always more dangerous.

Breathing heavily, she looked at Gunner's golden coloured wolf and could feel the hatred coming from him.

Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself. When Gunner's eyes widened just the slightest bit, she stiffened but immediately relaxed and retracted her wings when she sensed Xanthos coming towards her.

He had stayed away from her fight until now and she was pleased with that because he also did not let his friends interfere and help her.

It gave Cyane the confidence that she could successfully fight off these men, thus making her spirit grow stronger. The fear in Gunner's eyes soothed her. He would know better than to talk about her or any other woman like that ever again. The she-wolves who fought for him had kept mum when he had been insulting her and that had pained Cyane because she did not expect silence from other women.

No! She would not kill Gunner. She wanted to show him death and she did by killing all his men. There was fear in his gaze, in his mind and she knew he would think twice before disrespecting any woman!

Not that he would get a chance, she thought as she felt Xanthos step closer to her.

When Xanthos was just a few inches behind her, she felt little tremors of excitement run all over her body and could feel the heat radiating from his own body.

Slowly he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back until she was pressed against his chest. Cyane gasped at the contact and the mark on her neck prickled harshly begging for his kiss, his touch. Anything from him!

With deft fingers, he carefully brushed her hair from her neck and Cyane tilted her neck sidewards to give him better access.

For some reason, the mark on her neck had been burning harshly these couple of days and it had made her uncomfortable in her skin. The only time she felt at ease was when she was with Xanthos.

Lowering his head, Xanthos pressed an open-mouthed kiss on his mark and lightly ran the tip of his tongue over it. Cyane closed her eyes and resisted the urge to moan out loud.

When Xanthos raised his head, he took a deep breath, taking in her scent and when he opened his lashes, his eyes met Gunner's shocked ones.

That's right!

They were mates and Gunner had not been aware of that fact because the king didn't know that either. The only people who knew where Xan's friends and Yolanda but they had all kept it a secret too.

One side of Xanthos's lips curved upwards to form a cold smirk before he straightened to his full height and after stepping away from Cyane he then shifted into his grey wolf.

When he did that so did his friends, who all growled and barked murderously at Gunner and his men.

With one commanding growl, he then rushed forward to attack Gunner while his friends followed.

Together, they tore the other wolves to shreds as Cyane stood calmly and watched everything with bloodied hands and a determined look on her face.

****

Okay, that was one really long chapter and it took me three weekends to complete it. Hope it was worth the wait... The chapter just showed us that King has more men under his control than known. In the next chapter, Xanthos and Cyane will go to the Nest!

I have not yet completed that chapter and as of now, I cannot give a date but I am writing and I do intend to post it at least on Shivaratri i.e March 11th!

Really sorry for this long wait!

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I love you all :-*

Stay safe!