37

"Lavana, are you feeling discomfort anywhere?" he asked in worry.

She nodded with gritted teeth. He quickly had her sit on the chair again.

"Ahh!" she yelped. A sharper pain had erupted this time. She opened her mouth, gasping for air.

"Lavana..." he called out in distress.

"Take me to the water." she managed to say.

"Water?" Phoenix asked in confusion. Why was his mate requesting this when she felt this much pain? No, he can't let her go on a second longer like this.

His left thumb ring lit up and a golden table made of oak wood appeared. Atop it was several bottles containing liquids of various colors. They each had a cork as their lids.

Phoenix quickly picked out one that contained a green liquid.

A glass appeared in his hand and he poured the liquid into the glass. It was filled to the brim.

"Mate, have this. It works well."

"What's this?" she asked.

"It's a painkiller. It also has other effects good for the body. Here, drink it." he encouraged.

She took the glass and had a taste of the liquid. Surprisingly, it tasted good and in no time, she finished the contents of the glass. The pain she felt in her body was immediately reduced by a lot. Now what she felt was just a dull pain in her belly. It was tolerable. By the time she returned the glass to her mate, the pain was totally gone.

Her face became rosy again and she grinned.

"Thank you so much, Phoenix. It really works. I don't feel any pain now."

"As long as you are fine, mate." seeing that his mate was now okay, he sighed in relief.

"I have something to tell you."

His ring lit again and another majestic chair appeared behind him. He sat on it. Now they were opposite each other, face-to-face.

"I'm all ears, Lavana."

“Please promise you won’t get mad.”

“I won’t. Say it. I’m listening.”

“Okay.” She sighed and rubbed her palms together.

"Phoenix, I can't accept you as my mate yet."

Hearing this, he couldn’t believe his ears. She didn’t want to accept him. So she wanted to reject him? What in him did she not like? He can change for her!

"What? Why?"

"You are my second chance mate, Phoenix. You are a rejection pro, so you must know that both sides need to reject each other. My first chance mate was the son of the one who ruined my life. He rejected me and I escaped from there not long after. I will reject him during the competition."

"The one that was postponed?"

"Yes. After that, I must avenge my parents and clansmen who died unjustly. Only then, can I complete the bond with you," Lavana's head hung on her shoulders and she played with her hair strands, biting her lower lip.

Phoenix sighed.

"Lavana, it's alright. I will wait.”

“You’re not mad at me?”

“Nope. I can’t be mad at you.”

“Really?” she could not believe it. Phoenix wasn’t unhappy?

“Yeah. I’m not mad. Besides, who's that bastard who hurt you from childhood and who is his son?"

"It's the ex-Alpha, Blake."

"The second-ranked ex-Alpha? Then the current Alpha is your ex-mate?" Phoenix asked.

She nodded, struggling to stop a tear from escaping her eyelid but still failed.

"Mate, it's alright. I will help you take revenge on those two."

"Not just them. I want every single one of them dead. Not even their newborns will be spared."

Her tears now flowed freely.

"Lavana..."

"I will take revenge on them myself. That's why I need to get stronger."

"Mate..."

"Phoenix, I was so young but I had to see many of my kin dead. My favorite playmate, Austin... he was alongside his mom. She was pregnant. Do you know these bastards ripped her belly open? Her foetus was squashed to death. My parents could not even reach each other in their death. Austin had his heart pulled out. I was the only one left. I was taken to Ralton and served as a punching bag for over a decade. If I didn't shift, I was destined to die there. Phoenix... do you know how often I had nightmares? I only saw my dead clansmen begging for revenge. I am alive. I must take revenge." her shoulders were trembling at this point and her mate placed his hands on them.

"Lavana, calm down. You will take revenge but I'll be by your side. I want to rip off Anita's head with my bare hands. The crime she committed I will never forget it." Phoenix's eyes had changed to red and started glowing as he clenched his hands into fists.

"Are you saying she hurt you before?"

"Lavana, I'm a hybrid just like you. A perfect hybrid!"

"What?" Lavana was bewildered at his revelation.

"I am a perfect hybrid myself. That's another reason I'm happy you're my mate. I'm an Alpha wolf too."

"Alpha?” she asked in shock.

“Yeah. But I’m a lone Alpha.”

“You’re a werewolf and wizard," she muttered.

"I'm not a wizard. I'm a sorcerer."

"Sorcerer?"

"I do hold the title of a wizard but I'm a sorcerer in truth. Wizards become warlocks after years of practising. Not all become one in their lifetime. But I’m a sorcerer, a rank higher than both and sorcerers isn’t something a wizard achieves. They are born. A warlock has to bow before a low-ranked sorcerer even.”

“So you’re a high-ranked sorcerer. Your family knows right?”

“ Only the Wiz king knows. Besides, the fewer people know, the better. Sorcerers are as rare as perfect hybrids. According to the records, the last sorcerer appeared in the 14th century."

"That's..."

"We have a lot to talk about each other. We at least know that we have the same enemies. We are perfect hybrids and had a bad childhood.”

“What did that Blake’s wife do to you?” Lavana couldn’t help but ask.

“She destroyed my pack and sold the survivors to the human butchers. They ended up being killed for meat as they are weak and unable to return to their human form. Lavana, I witnessed her kill my mum and r*pe my dad while stabbing him in many places.

When she c*mmed, she stabbed my father’s heart. She forced me to watch everything and then she… she wanted to crush me down south but I was able to trick her and escape. I was hunted down for days until I accidentally met the Wiz king. He took me in and made me his prince.”

“That’s terrible. I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

“Could that mean, Chase isn’t Blake’s son?”

“He is. They have resemblance don’t they?” he asked and she nodded.

“How old are you, Phoenix.”

“Would you believe me if I said I’m 40?”

“Nope. You don’t look like it.”

“Ok. I’m 28.”

“9 years difference,” she exclaimed.

“You’re 19.”

She nodded with a smile then he continued:

“My late dad was Anita’s ex-mate. He rejected her because he caught her cheating with someone two days after accepting her as his mate. She accepted his rejection and not long after, she found Alpha Blake her second chance mate. My dad then found my mum. She was a witch but he didn’t mind and neither did she care about people’s opinions.

But Anita didn’t have any kids after five years of marriage to Alpha Blake. Whereas my dad already had me. Out of spite, she came back to destroy my pack without warning. I and my uncle Robin were able to escape but he sacrificed his life to save me. I want to take revenge so bad but she has a black sorcerer behind her.”

“Black sorcerer?” she gasped.

“A black sorcerer’s just like a black wizard but more powerful. I don’t know how they came to ally but I can’t attack her without alerting that sorcerer. So just like you, I want to get stronger. You handle the ones who hurt you, I’ll handle that Anita.”

Lavana nodded. His eyes had stopped glowing the moment she touched his shoulders.

“Do the other two know you’re not their blood sibling?”

“Of course. My hair sticks out like a sore thumb and I won’t dye it. I’ve never. I told Peter and Beatrix myself at different times. They’d been thinking I was dying my hair.” he chuckled after saying this.

“But you’re so close. At least you met a family. And at least I also met the little angel. I’ve smiled with her a lot than all the time I stayed in that Ralton.”

“We’ll take revenge together and complete the mate bond. Don’t worry, the day is sooner than we think. We just need to get stronger.”

“Yeah. And by the way, someone says you should…” she couldn’t say the rest.

“Who’s that?”

“Pamela.. she says ‘prepare your waist.’” her face had turned red.

“Pamela? That’s the name of your wolf spirit? If that’s her wish, then I’ll work very hard for the awaited night.” he chuckled.

She blushed even more and managed to muster the strength to speak.

“I think you and your wolf spirit should talk to them for a while. I’ll be back”

She quickly closed her eyes and re-opened them after a few seconds. They had changed color now and were glowing.

“Hello, mate. Nice to meet you. I’m Pamela.”

“Nice to meet you too, Pamela. You must be Lavana’s wolf spirit?”

“Yeah. I’ll let you meet with the others. They are super anxious for this chance.”

“Okay. Take care.”

“Mmm!”

Lavana’s eyes closed again and then re-opened.

This time her eyes were glowing orange.

“Hello, Phoenix.”

He saw the voice had changed too.

“Hello. What’s your name?”

“I’m named Oceana.”

“Oceana. You’ve got a beautiful name. You are her other spirit?”

“Yeah. I’m her mermaid spirit.”

“Oh, so Lavana can shift into both a beautiful wolf and a sexy mermaid. Wow!” he gave a thumbs up while smiling.

“Hehe. You’ve got a sweet mouth. We all liked you from the moment you appeared. I like that instant you swore to the moon goddess and accepted us. Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. It’s what I ought to do. I finally found my ideal mate, of course, I’ll do the right thing.”

“Okay. I’m retreating. Someone else is itching to speak too.” Lavana closed her eyes.

Phoenix thought he was about to hear Lavana’s angelic voice soon only for her eye to open and glow a different color. He was tongue-tied.

“Another eye color change?” he exclaimed, standing from his seat with an expression of disbelief.

Didn’t that mean that his mate was a…

“Hello, boy. Sit back down. I like talking to people eye to eye. Sit down.”

The voice this time was like that of a child but it held so much power. Subconsciously, he sat back down.

“Are you surprised? You don’t know all the facts and you just concluded Lavana’s a ‘perfect hybrid’. How dare you exclude me and not acknowledge my existence?”

“I… I…” he stuttered.

“Did I ask you to speak, Mr man?”

“Sorry.”

“Shut it. You know how fortunate you are?”

He nodded and then shook his head. He was confused. He wasn’t at all prepared for this.

“Lavana, is it fun? Why didn’t you tell me you had 3 spirits and that the third one is this eccentric?” he thought. He had no tears to shed.

“If you’d forsaken Lavana, do you know what would have occurred to you?”

He shook his head.

“Oceana intended to beat the vitality out of you. Pamela would cook you for dinner if she took over. And guess what I designed?”

“You’ll just kill me with one slap?” he said with a meek voice.

“Boy, you’re wrong. I intended to rid you of that third leg.”

Hearing this, he shuddered.

“I’m glad I made the right decision. Thank you for thinking so favourably of me.” he managed to say.

“Who thinks highly of you? Boy, don’t get ahead of yourself.”

“Yes, yes. What may I call you?”

“Thora. Call me Boss Thora.”

“Boss Thora.”

“Good boy. I’m withdrawing. Just know if you upset Lavana, you’ll hear from me. Am I clear?”

“Yes! Yes, Boss Thora.” he nodded vigorously.

“You are more compliant than Lavana herself. Come closer, boy,”

Phoenix obeyed.

“Get on your knees!”

Phoenix did not argue and just did as this Thora desired. He saw Lavana’s fingers turn into long claws. Thora told him to close his eyes and he did so.

The next thing he felt was pain in his forehead and under his eyelids. He gritted his teeth. Thora must have used one of the long sharp claws on his face.

After a short while, the pain subsided until it was completely gone. But his face felt a little hot.

“All done. Now open your eyes.”

He did so and saw her smiling with satisfaction.

“Take a look at yourself in the mirror, boy.”

Lavana’s eyes closed and when they re-opened, it was normal human eyes. Lavana was now in control. Seeing Phoenix’s face, she gasped and blood flowed from her nose.

“What happened?” Phoenix quickly rose in concern.

“No, nothing.” she turned to look away from him.

“Mate, you are bleeding.”

“It’s not a big deal. You should do as Thora said.”

Phoenix sighed and his ring glowed. A mirror appeared in his hand.

What he saw shocked him. Who was looking back at him? Is that him or maybe the mirror itself was playing pranks? His ring shone again and another mirror appeared in his hand after placing the first mirror on the table.

But he got the same result. The face looking back at him had a red moon mark on his forehead and four small circular purple marks each under his eyelids. He looked ten times more handsome than before.

“Lavana, what’s your third spirit?”

“You’re not mad at me for not telling you I’m actually a perfect tribrid?”

“A little but I’m not now. What’s Thora, I mean Boss Thora?”

“She’s a Millennium-old Dragon spirit,” Lavana replied with a sigh. She’d already cleaned off the blood that escaped her nostrils. Phoenix already knew why she had a nosebleed.

He had a face that would even make men turn gay!

“Okay, so you can shapeshift into a wolf, a mermaid and a dragon.” he remarked and she nodded.

“Okay. You only surpass me with one. Besides, having her means it’ll be easier to take vengeance.”

“Each comes with powers,” she disclosed.

A fireball appeared in her right hand.

“This is from Pamela.”

“Okay. Then I guess Pamela should be water?” he tried to speculate.

An ice chain appeared in Lavana’s left hand.

“Oh, ice. But you can still work with water.”

“Yeah, in a water body, I can launch many ice chains,” Lavana replied.

Both the ice chain and fireball were extinguished. She opened her mouth and spat out a ball of lightning. Phoenix dodged, somersaulting before landing again.

“Hey, you could have cautioned me!”

“Sorry.” she apologized.

“Fire, Ice, Lightning, that’s amazing. We make the best couple.” he smiled and brought her into a warm hug.

“We have a long way ahead of us. There’s still time to discover about each other.” he whispered while petting her hair.

“Mmm!” was her only reply as she enjoyed his petting.

“Do you think my siblings will still recognize me?”

“They should. We’d better go back before they worry to the point of illness.” She suggested.

“Yeah. But gimme a kiss first.”

“I don’t know how to.”

Phoenix broke the hug.

“I’m not saying you should kiss my lips though I know you very much want to.”

“Don’t assume the wrong things.” she turned away with heated cheeks.

“Okay, okay. If you don’t have the courage, you can let me kiss you.”

“I’ll do it myself.” she turned to look at him. He’s wearing that annoying smile this time.

“What? You don’t have the courage?”

“Who says so?” she tip-toed and planted a kiss on his forehead.

“Ah, I didn’t feel that.”

“You…”

“Are you yourself satisfied with it?”

“I…”

“Permit me to kiss you.”

“I…” she looked at his lips and it reminded her of strawberries. Of course, she wanted a taste but…

“Enjoy,” he said.

“W-What?” she asked in puzzlement.

The next thing, he put his hands around her waist and crashed his lips on hers. Lavana wanted to resist but soon stopped, wrapping her hands around him. They stopped minutes later to catch some air.

“How was it?” he asked.

“Amazing!” she replied without thinking but then turned away.

“You’re blushing harder. I don’t need to see your face to know that.”

“You meanie.” she turned around to point at him but this time his eyes had changed color to gold.

“Hello, little mate. I’m River, Phoenix’s wolf spirit.”

“Hello. You have a nice voice.” She commented.

“Thanks. I’m flattered, mate. Until the bond is complete, I won’t speak too much. And one piece of advice, add a little more meat. Coz on that special night, you’re gonna be thankful you had it. See ya sometime.”

Phoenix’s eyes closed and re-opened. His normal eyes could now be seen.

“Your wolf is a flirt.”

“So are all your spirits. Besides, Boss Thora is so terrifying.”

“She can hear you.” Lavana reminded.

“I know. But don’t let her take control unless it’s crucial. I nearly pissed my pants.” Phoenix confessed, causing her to laugh.

“Hey! Don’t laugh, this is a serious matter.”

“I know. It’s funny too. Okay, I heard you. Phoenix, while waiting for the day I can accept you officially, you know you have some work to do right?”

“Not just me. You do too. Just like the humans, courtship, dating. The marriage comes before the special night.”

“Must you think about that night?”

“It’s the day we become closest to one another.”

“You men only think with your crotch.” Lavana kicked him off the mountain. He flew back up with messy hair.

“Lavana, catch up with me if you can.”

“You…”

Dragon wings sprouted from her back and she started flying after Phoenix.

“If you win, I’ll play dress up but if I win…”

“You wanna beat this dragon?”

He heard a childish voice and knew he just shot himself in the foot. In a minute, she was ahead of him by a lot of metres. He suddenly turned around and yelled:

“I’m racing back to the mountain.”

Then he flew with all his might back to the mountain, only to find Lavana already seated on the chair she sat on earlier, with legs crossed.

“Dress up beautifully tomorrow when you visit. Remember, you must be beautiful.” she laughed.

"So I should look beautiful, uh? Noted, mate!" he nodded.

Earlier when he yelled he was going back, Thora who was in control suddenly stopped flying and used teleportation. In no time, she was already seated on this chair.

“Cheaters never win!” she giggled as she rose.

“I know. I was doomed to play dress up, the moment Boss Thora took control.” he soughed and his right index finger’s ring glowed. The chairs, table and mirrors disappeared.

“Let’s go back,” he said, taking hold of her right hand.

She nodded with a smile and both vanished from the mountain.