Chapter 74

'Sage I have never been this bothered before until today, what would happen to my daughter? I cannot afford to lose her, what can we do to stop this?" They had moved to the garden as they discussed Arcadia's matter,
'It is a serious thing but the goddess has never lied to me," she takes smaller steps than what Octavia took, and she turns to her, 'she would go through another tough phase in her life, she might not even make it out alive but by the grace of the goddess she will."
'Sage, you have been for a very long time, about Arcadia's mate….." She takes a long pause, 'are you sure?" She needed to clarify because she found it impossible that she would be fated to her enemy.
'When I told him he didn't believe it either, now look at what has happened to him. The goddess never lies but sometimes we do not understand her ways," she smiles cheekily, 'she would mate with him on the night of the full moon, she would become weak and helpless. It is just fate."
'I understand sage, but is there a way to protect her? I do not want my daughter to leave me…." There was a small whimper from her until Sativa held her hand,
'You know very well that Arcadia is the chosen guardian of her clan, she would not be defeated so easily, she has the protection of the goddess herself. But it wouldn't be easy, I suggest you speak to her before that time."
'Agreed," she takes another big breath in, 'may I interest you in some fruit custard?" She smirked and Sativa laughed,
'That's the only thing you can use to bribe me, very well, you know I can't say no." They both laugh and walk inside the palace once again.
'What do you mean by wolves are attacking my people?" Her legs were crossed as she listened to the report of one of the soldiers of her palace,
'I swear my Queen, I don't even know they are, they're as black as night with blood eyes and they have been dragging people away and feeding on them." He pants, 'I was able to save a child from being eaten but I couldn't do anything about her mother. These attacks started three days ago and we're doing our best to keep it under control."
Each word he spoke only angered her the more, how dare they?! They're killing her people right under her nose,
'Lock up Mace immediately!! I would make sure he suffers for his crimes!!" She commands and she exits the throne room, the soldier bows and rushes to deliver the order to Asher who was in charge.
'Are you sure about this?" He stares at the mixture Loki had given him to drink, be sniffs it and his nose wrinkles in discomfort,
'Hurry Mace, it's the only way we can free ourselves from this torture." He pushes the bowl to his mouth and forces him to drink it and when it was down his throat he so desperately wanted to puke it back but Loki covered his mouth, he groans in pain at the tangy and bitter taste, 'now for the final stage."
Loki was a strong hybrid who had inherited his mother's abilities and knowledge on magic and the dark world, right now he was performing black magic to make Mace more attractive in Arcadia's eyes. He was enhancing his scent and essence to attract the Queen.
He says a few words a green orbs floats out if him and enters his brother, it was a wave of shock, not too painful but it was all levels of soothing. He smiles before dropping to the floor so suddenly,
'Loki!! This is why I didn't want you to do this!" He chastises as his brother's eyes flickered a bright green, he was slowly morphing after using so much energy,
'I'm fine, a small price to pay for restore us back to glory." He shrugs it off and staggers to his feet, he looks at Mace, his eyes were slowly reverting to normal, he nods, 'you smell stronger." He notices,
'I feel the same." He remarks,
'It's not supposed to change you, it's just meant to make you irresistible to the Queen, she would begin to look at you differently." He smirks, 'I wouldn't be surprised if she grabs you and throws you in her room." He jests,
'Shut up Loki!!" His face is covered with heat, and his eyes are glistening with lust. He was imagining Arcadia begging him to sleep with her while he refused, he would watch her burn with lust before making intense love to her. She would keep coming back for more, like she was addicted to a drug.
And then she would open up to him about where her power is hidden and he would snatch it from her in the blink of an eye. And when he becomes king again, she would still be helplessly in love with him. It was music to his ears.
'What are you thinking about now brother? How you will make her purr?" Loki was impossible, Mace lets out a loud groan and lands a punch to his abdomen,
'Say another word and I would hang you I swear!!" He was pissed with his brother,
'Forget me and Target the Queen, how will you make her dance? To the left of to the right?" Mace sensed it was the power that was making him act strange so he drags him to the fountain to get some water in his brain. He spits the residue out and he had calmed down a bit, 'thank you…" He rubs his eyes, 'the magic is stronger than I thought it was."
'You need to be careful, I can't afford to lose you." They move to the entrance slowly and they see guards approaching them, 'what's going on?" He whispers to his brother and Loki shakes his head as he was as clueless as a fish about to be killed.
'Follow us." One of them commands Mace and it stuns him, Loki nudges him and he agrees to follow them.
'Where are you taking me too?" He asks as they lead him down to the prison, he didn't like the look of things, 'what are you doing? I didn't do anything so why am I here?"
'You would explain yourself to the Queen, she had requested that you be locked here." And they throw him in a cell,
'Ask the Queen to tell me what I have done!! He doesn't request he commands, his aura glows for the first time in a long time and they found themselves doing his bidding, he looks at his hands, 'what is going on?" He thought he got rid of it.
Arcadia comes down not long but she is bombarded by a strong scent that knocks her off her feet, it was so pleasant and intoxicating, she wondered who owned it. She neared Mace and it only got stronger,
'Why have you kept me here?!" He demands an answer from her, but she says nothing,
'Open the cell." She orders one of her men and they do, dragging him out of it and restraining him by his arms. She inches closer to him, and her hand rubs across his face, 'do you think you can harm my people and I wouldn't know?" Another slap to his face, this one harder than the last, 'you're sending your little wolves to kill them!!"
His eyes widen in disbelief, 'what? No!! Arcadia you have—" he is cut off by another slap that brings him to his knees,
'You address me as Queen you insolent fool!!" Authority booms from her voice, 'you will not escape this Mace, mark my words!!" She rolls up the sleeves of her royal attire and ties her her in a bun, 'bring the whip!"
'My queen, please, I haven't done anything. I can't do anything, you have already taken everything away from me!! Don't do this!!" He cries for mercy but it falls on deaf ears.
The whip comes and it is customized with blades at the end of the multiple straps, his eyes widen in fear and he goes on his knees to beg her. His scent confused her, she felt anger but it calmed her down, wanted to make her take him to her room and show him another kind of pain. But she had lost too many lives and for as many lives that we're lost he would be whipped for it.
'You have made a child an orphan, I can never forgive you." She raises the whip above her head and it lands on his hand, tearing his skin the in the process,
'Ahhhh!!!".