Her breath stutters, and I fight off the urge to wrap my hands around her and press her close to my chest. All I want to do is rip off that dress with my claws and show her arealgood time. If she thought my brothers were deadly, then wait until she sees what I can do.
This tail of mine has many uses, after all.
But I don’t want to tread down that dangerous path. The last human woman I fell in love with broke my heart. She’d lived out her life, and I had no choice but to watch as she slowly died.
She had been my mate. Even though she could never bear me a son, I still loved her, and there’s not a day that goes by when I don’t think about her.
And it’s for that reason that I cannot pursue Belle. The others have never had their hearts broken, and one day they will have no choice but to watch as Belle dies too.
It’s how it always ends.
This way is better for the both of us.
Finally, I finish tying her dress, leaving the room at last.
We’re about to embark on our journey to the castle, and it’s been a while. I have missed its shiny, clean walls, and don’t forget the polished floors too.
Much nicer than our rustic cabin at the edge of the Abyss.
But our uncle made his thoughts loud and clear: “If you ever return, then you will be executed.”
We’re risking a lot today, but we have no choice. We have to stop the darkness from spreading. Otherwise, there will be nothing left.
No Abyss, no humans, just nothing. An endless void.
Time to return home.
Chapter nine
Belle
Thecastlejutsupalong the horizon, and after three long, treacherous days of camping in the wildlands of the Abyss, we finally arrive. And thank goodness, too. I had to pass through dark, murky terrain just to get here, and the trip almost near killed me.
Also, we lost Alice a few times, and to say that my heart was in my mouth would be an understatement. We have to keep her supervised at all times.
She is not well and is highly vulnerable. No doubt the wretched creatures of this world would have taken advantage of her. Again. They feed off human fear and misery. It fuels them and gives them life, so I will have to be strong for both of us.
A pair of humans like us? We’re pretty much walking targets. If it had just been the two of us, then we would have perished the moment we set off from the fringes, and once again I’m grateful to have found my monsters. I’m going to need them to convince their uncle to help us.
I have no idea what to expect once we arrive at the castle. According to Grey, the new king is a bit of an ass and may need some serious convincing. He’s pretty indifferent to humans. His only interest in them is when he needs women as breeding stock, but other times, he couldn’t care less.
It appears he doesn’t care all that much for the interests of his own people too, but it’s not as if we have a choice. There is no one else we can seek for help. We have to do this. There is too much at stake.
Human lives will be lost to the Abyss. And then monsters will slowly perish as a result. It’s about balance, and both universes lack that equilibrium right now.
The six of us arrive near the castle borders, and the moment the guards spy us, they lock us up in chains and drag us to the castle like a pack of criminals.
Enzo remains resolute as he takes the lead, and I hate that I am making him do this. The king behind those castle walls once threatened to kill him and his brothers if he ever dared return, and I hope everything goes to plan.
We don’t mean harm, and we don’t mean to steal his throne.
The guards lead us through a backdoor, and it seems they’re leading us down into the dungeons. This isn’t good. We need to speak with the king, not some jailers.
I have to say something.
“We come in peace. Please, take us to your king at once.”
A guard scoffs at my request. “What? So you can kill him and usurp his throne?”