Chapter 11

VALERIA’S POINT OF VIEW
Azura and I were now on the path with Olethros’ scent all over it. It was terrifying. I knew he had gotten intimate with someone because I went through hell. I didn’t mind though because I was done with him. Done with being the mate of a monster. He could sleep around all he wants. What I wanted to know was why I felt the pain. We weren’t even bonded. It was probably the work of the goddess.
“Are you sure you can walk? I mean, after what happened to you,” Azura was concerned.
“I can.” I told her, “What I am feeling doesn’t really matter. I just need to get rid of Layton.”
She abruptly stopped walking and faced me, “Doris said something about your Father’s death. Do you think it’s possible that Layton didn’t kill your father?”
“He killed my father. He even had the audacity to send me a note saying he had kept a gift in my father’s room.”
I felt a lump in my throat as I remembered that dreadful day. Layton killed him and it was more than enough to want him dead.
“Whatever you say.”
We hadn’t gone far when I saw a pair of red eyes approach us. From the scent and aura, I immediately knew who it was. He was clad in just trousers and there was the scent of a she-wolf on him. Who would be crazy enough to mate with someone like him? Did he mark her?
“Hello, mate.”
Those were the last words I heard before someone knocked me out cold.
<<<>>>
The first thing I noticed was that my head hurt. The second, I wished I didn’t notice it. I was in a cell that reeked of blood and urine. It was a tiny cell that left little room for movement. I heard breathing coming from beside me and turned to see Azura lying beside me. She had not woken up.
“Get up, Azura.” I gently shook her body. A sigh of relief escaped my lips when she fluttered her eyes open.
“My head hurts like crazy.” She slowly sat up and massaged her temple.
How did we get here?
My skin felt tingly, my heart skipped a beat, and my wolf was howling. Only one person could get that reaction from me. I was no scientist, but I knew very well who it was. It seemed to put the pieces together. He had knocked me out.
“Did you miss me?” I could tell he was amused.
“Fuck you!” I growled out and grabbed the bars, only to get burnt by silver. You know, if I was the goddess, I would make werewolves immune to this silver shit. I mean, why would you create people who got affected by good old silver? Bullshit if you ask me.
“That would be nasty.” He averted his gaze from me and to a very confused Azura, “Why are you with Azura?” He questioned, stepping closer to the bars. If only I could just rub his face against it.
“You still remember me?” She smiled, standing to her feet, “That’s nice.”
“You’ve met him before?” I asked, eyes flickering between the two of them.
As much as I tried to fight it, I couldn’t help but notice the scent of a female. The female he mated with. It was absolutely disgusting. I knew Mavros was the god of destruction and all, but mating with another female was really stooping low.
“He saved me from hunters. But that person isn’t Layton, it’s Mavros and his demonic wolf.”
He had a smile on his stupid face that I desperately wanted to punch. I turned to the left when I heard footsteps. A woman around my age with light brown hair and hazel eyes came to stand beside him. Was she the one?
“I’d like you to meet Karina; the woman I fucked.” He blurted out.
The look of hurt and pain on Karina’s face made my heart ache. I was meant to protect people like her.
“Sensible people don’t put it like that, but you’re a dick. I expect little from you.”
He snaked an arm around her waist and pulled her close to his bare chest, “You see, when my master told me I was going to be mated to a woman who is going to be queen, I thought I’d meet someone with an hourglass figure and D-cupped breast, but I was so wrong. Karina here has got it all.” He kissed her.
That stung.
“You are just a wolf, darling. Believe me when I say that after this, your so-called master is going to put you in your place, so enjoy what you can. While you have your fun, I’d like to be on my way now.”
He whispered something to Karina, and she hurried out of the place, leaving us with him. “In a rush? You see, I actually brought you here for something very important. The only good thing about being your mate is that marking you will make me even more powerful than I already am. When the time is right, my master will battle you himself.”
“Marking me would bond us forever. Do you want that? Ask your psychotic master if he would love to be bonded to a mortal.” I placed my hands on my waist as I glared at him. I was so pissed.
“That’s where you are wrong. My mark will fade away on a full moon.” He moved closer to the cell, “And you, my unattractive mate, will be left with nothing at the end.”
I visibly gulped when his eyes turned a mixture of black and red. If I was a little kid, I probably would have wet myself. He unlocked the cell and dragged me out before locking it to make sure Azura didn’t impede whatever he wanted to do.
This was probably the best time to put to use the skills father had taught me. I wasn’t just going to give in and surrender myself to him.
“Are you really going to put up a fight against me?”
“Isn’t it obvious?”
I watched him closely, searching for an opening. It had to be somewhere I could hit and he would instantly feel so much pain, and only one place came to mind. Father had said it wasn’t honorable, but if it was what needed to be done, then it was okay.
When I was certain whatever I wanted to do would work, I waited for the right time to carry out the act. My so-called mate had a smirk on his face as he watched me. He was definitely feeling untouchable.
“Let’s make this very easy now, shall we?” He gestured for me to come closer.
“You’re delusional.”
“I’ve been told.” He winked. If he had done that before I found out who he was, I would have smiled until my cheeks hurt, but right now, all I felt was disgust and hatred for the man in front of me.
I had absolutely no idea how I was going to get close to him without exposing my neck to him. Even though the mark would fade on a full moon, I didn’t want to take chances. He could become really powerful.
“Valeria, I hate to do this to you, but,” he paused for a second, “Who am I kidding? I love to do this. I live for this. Let’s not waste each other’s time and just get to the really important part. What do you say, my beautiful mate?”
“Don’t call me your beautiful mate.” I scrunched up my nose in disgust, still looking for an opening.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” He chuckled, “Even a monkey is much better-looking than you ever will be. Have you seen yourself?”
“Why did that hurt so badly? I wasn’t the prettiest, but I certainly wasn’t ugly.” I thought.
“Demon wolf, over here.” Azura waved her hands in the air as she called, gaining his attention.
It was now or never.
I kicked him in the nuts with as much force as possible, but what happened next wasn’t what I had expected. He turned to me with amusement twinkling in his eyes before wrapping his hand around my throat. Abusive, very abusive. The hairs on my skin stood on end as he looked into my eyes.
“What were you trying to do?” He asked, searching my face for what I didn’t know.
“N-Nothing.” I quickly answered.
“I don’t think it was nothing, my dear.” He tilted his head to the side, “You seem to forget the fact that I am a god and that’s sad.”
“You better let me go before you regret it.” I hissed, trying to get him to let go of my neck. It was getting hard to breathe.
“How do you intend on doing that, little one?” He pressed harder, all the while smiling at her. “I’ve got the power here, my sweet, and right now, I’m going to grant you pleasure and pain.”
“I swear if you-”
Fangs buried themselves deep into my skin, breaking my flesh. My pupils dilated when his fangs went in deeper and following it was excruciating pain, but I wouldn’t scream or show weakness. I could feel his hand on my back, helping me stand as all I wanted was to collapse on the icy floor. Moments later, I felt something in the pit of my stomach and it made me feel giddy and happy. I shouldn’t be happy. It wasn’t a normal wolf that marked me.
I, Valeria Romero, belonged to a god.
<<<>>>
Feeling the sun burn my skin, I was forced to open my eyes. Slowly sitting up, I then noticed I was on the forest ground and Azura was looking down at me with her hands akimbo.
“Finally.” She bent down to my level when I made to get up. “Took you some hours to regain consciousness, woman.”
“Where are we?”
“Isn’t it obvious? We’re in a damn forest. He blindfolded me and brought us here.” She explained, rubbing her wrists. They were red and had bruises on them.
My hands shot up to the place he had marked, and I hissed in pain. It wasn’t supposed to hurt unless another male touched it.
“I wouldn’t touch that if I were you.” Azura advised, helping me get up from the ground. “He’s a god, so yeah, it’ll hurt a lot until the full moon. During this time, he will be quite strong to carry out whatever atrocity it is he needs to carry out. We both know that without the mark, he is quite strong. I shudder to think of the things he could do now.”
“How long until the full moon?”
“Seven days.”
<<<>>>
REALM OF THE GODS (ALYNTHI)
Sitting on a throne was a woman with the moon on her head and the sun at her feet. Her eyes shone brightly, complementing her auburn hair and pale skin. She wore a white dress, decorated with twinkling stars.
Her name was Fitia, the goddess of beasts.
Fitia was known for being a loving goddess, the maker of fates, and a doer of her words. She liked to be worshipped by sacrifices done on the day of the Aima fengari. Unlike the depiction of many, Fitia did not have lovers for she saw love as a thing that made one vulnerable, especially gods. To cover the space in her heart, she made her creations have a soul mate. A person they would be bonded to for life.
“Great goddess, I have come to ask a favor.” A woman with auburn hair kneeled before the goddess, her head bowed.
“Speak, Rhea.”
Rhea was Fitia’s best friend while she was still a mortal thousand of years ago, so when Rhea died, Fitia did not let her soul cross to the world beyond. She wanted Rhea by her side—just like old times.
“Please do not let Mavros kill werewolves. Ask him to return home, I beg you.”
“I cannot do that.” Fitia stated, “Werewolves disobeyed me, Rhea. I cannot forgive them. Even the elder gods cannot make me change my mind.”
The Elder gods were gods who had once ruled over supernaturals. The elder gods who watched over werewolves were twelve, and if Fitia was to kill werewolves, they would be divided in groups of three. The first group would join the council of blood (Vampires); Second, the council of brew (Witches); third, the council of fire (Dragons); last, the council of thieves (Griffins).
The council of thieves got their name because of the ability Griffins possessed. They could steal a person’s form and make it their own.
“But as your friend, great goddess, I plead with you. Spare their lives.”
Fitia looked away from her friend. “They disobeyed me.”
Rhea looked up. “That is where you keep getting it wrong, Fitia. One she-wolf disobeyed you, not all. Why must you punish innocent people?”
“My brother will not come home even if I ask. Unless Valeria proves to be something more, Mavros will destroy everyone and everything in his path.”
“Then send me to the mortal realm. I will help Valeria prove to you she’s something more. Remember, you are a mother to them.”
“I know my role in their lives, which is why I’m going to give them a chance.”
Rhea’s eyes twinkled with happiness. “Thank you, Fitia.”
“But, if you cannot make me see reasons I should ask Mavros to come home, you’ll die with them.”
Rhea looked up at her friend with a gasp escaping her lips at the same time. She knew Fitia could make really hard decisions, but she never thought it would come to this.
“If it’s the price, then I’m willing to pay.”
Fitia nodded. She had come to terms with the fact that Rhea was bent on going to the mortal realm. “You have a limited time, Rhea.” She said, looking over her shoulder and towards her friend.
“How long?”
“Seven days.”