Ch. 141..150

Chapter 141

A pack warrior came to check up on the two, and found Koan holding a frail woman to his chest.

Once Koan noticed a prescence, he turned, and the warrior stiffened as his dark metallic blue eyes was fixed In his startled ones .

"Get us out of here, now." Koan ordered and with with fidgeting fingers, the warrior rushed to open the lock, pulling open the cell gates.

"Can you walk?" Koan softly asked, and Nancy nods, quickly standing, avoiding his eyes.

She left, walking ahead of him without his help to find her friends and father, well aware of who the Kitsunes target was right now.

Koan barely acknowledge the warrior as he skidded past the gates, running after Nancy.

*

Jephthah slowly detached himself from Talia’s hold, slowly getting off the bed and leaving her to sleep alone.

As he got up, he put on a shirt before leaving the room, shutting the door behind him quietly.

The first person he bumped Into, unfortunately, happened to be Alpha Cardin- Infront of the room.

"Um... Alpha Cardin. What a surprise! When did you arrive?" He was genuinely surprised.

"Where’s Talia?"

"She’s in," He barred the way when he noticed Cardin hurriedly step forward to push the door open. "But she’s fast asleep... she’s tired." He was tongue tied after, seeing the dark look shot in his way when he stammered.

"Are you saying I can’t enter if i want to."

So arrogant. Jephthah thought, almost clicking his tongue. Fortunately, but surprisingly, Koan and Nancy appeared down the corridor, and made their way towards them.

"Nancy." She smiled as he uttered her name enthusiastically. Cardin barely glanced at her, not aware of Koan’s prescence until,

"Alpha Koan." Jephthah respectfully greeted, and the young Alpha turned with a stunned expression.

"Al.. alpha Koan?"

Koan barely cast him a glance before turning to Jephthah again.

"My Beta informed me that my cousin, Liliana would be here?"

"Ah yes. She was here some minutes ago, but she left with my twin brother."

Koan’s brows twitched.

"You’re uh... Jephthah, huh?"

"Yes Alpha."

Koan sighed, running his palm across his face, aware of the other twin’s escapades and his reputation amongst women.

He wouldn’t hesitate to kill him if he dared lay a hand or her, he smirked inwardly, or better yet Raiden would break his fingers himself.

"I’m going to check on Liliana, are you coming?"

Cardin and Jephthah shared weird surprised looks before turning to Koan who had his eyes on Nancy, all the icy stern glaciers seemed to have melted to a puddle as he stared at her.

Nancy blushed, seeing the men stare at her in disbelief before stiffly replying,

"You— can go without me."

Koan turns to the men, and they were quick enough to look away, acting nonchalant, as if they weren’t in complete disbelief about who the grouchy stern Alpha just transformed into a minute ago.

"I’ll leave her in your care." Koan sternly told Jephthah and Cardin before leaving, not giving Jephthah a chance to protest while Cardin’s lips twitched.

"Where’s Talia?" Nancy asked immediately

"She’s in... "

"What are you and Koan?" Cardin suddenly cut in. "Are you two dating, or just f**king?"

"Why would you think that?" She was annoyed at his presumption. "What If we’re mates?"

Jephthah chokes on his saliva, before apologizing, making an abrupt entrance back into the room to get a glass of water.

Nancy’s frown deepened especially when Cardin added.

"I highly doubt that, and even if it was true, you don’t actually think he’d make you his Luna, would you?"

They follow Jephthah into the room, exchanging murderous looks, and at their abrupt entrance, Talia sat up with a jerk on the bed, reflexively grabbing onto Jephthah who was at the side of the bed, and pinning him down with her body over his.

"Whoa! Talia." Jephthah yelled in panic, eyes widening at the sudden man-handlimg from her. He didn’t even have time to wince from the pain of her lower body pressed down on his stomach.

"Oh my gosh!" She leaned back, whispering apologetically, not aware of the two people standing in the room, behind her. "I’m so sorry," She leaned close to lovingly cup his cheeks. "It was a reflex. Did I hurt you? Are you okay?"

Cardin’s brows twitched at the public display of affection before he said out loud,

"Lya." He called out by his special nickname for her which Jephthah slightly grimaced at.

When Talia turned, her jaw dropped seeing Cardin, before her eyes widened tremendously meeting with the eyes of the person next to her.

"Cardin... Nancy!!" She yelled, bouncing up from the bed, and jumping into their arms, hugging them at the same time.

The two were happy, seeing the genuine shock and excitement in her eyes, but they stiffened when she hugged them bother together, obvious that they didn’t like each other. They have never gotten along, and it didn’t look like they’d never.

The breath of relief they released was amusing to watch by Jephthah as Talia pulled away to look at them.

"Where’s Royce?" She asked Cardin.

"He’s currently being treated to heal faster. He got wounded badly," he cupped his hand over cheeks. "How are you?"

"I’m fine Cardin." Talia coyly leaned back, avoiding his soft grip before grabbing Nancy’s hand. "Can you take me to him please?"

He casually buried his hands deep in his pockets before he replied, concealing the embarassment and fury he felt when she obviously backed away from his touch.

"Sure. Let’s go." He left the room immediately while Talia and Nancy raced behind him, trying to keep up with his strides while chattering in small, excited voices, Jephthah behind them.

When they arrived in a room, they see Dora and Barton In the room casually talking to Royce who was on the bed, bandage wrapped around his stomach. It looked like he was relaying his sympathy to Dors for her loss.

"Royce!" Talia fell across the bed and hugged him close, feeling her eyes well up with tears on having a close scent up of his signature cologne accompany with a slight hint of blood.

Royce winced, but hugged her back. "F**k, You’re so clingy."

"I missed you." She whispered, her voice shaky.

"Guys everyone is needed in... " Daniel chose to burst in at that moment, freezing on seeing everyone in the room.

"Nancy?" He turned to the other side of the room. "Guys... you... you’re all here."

"I tried to tell you, but I figured out you and Alpha Joseph had important things to talk about." Dora said with a small smile and Talia turned to her in shock.

"Daniel." Nancy hugged him, and he hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her, burying his nose In her hair.

When he pulled back, he met Talia’s eyes.

"Talia. Royce. Jephthah. Alpha Cardin." He acknowledged with raised brows.

"Daniel." She nodded along with her brother while Cardin curtly tilted his chin upwards. Jephthah just waved with a small smile which Daniel returned.

"Everyone is needed outside right now. Luna Luan arrived with a witch, and she wants to make an announcement."

Everyone exchanged glances before they moved out the room, leaving Talia and Jephthah to help Royce up, while Nancy latched onto Daniel’s arm like a leech.

They were almost out the door when Talia’s voice froze Daniel In his steps.

"Where’s Naomi?"

"We’ll talk later okay?" He gruffly told her, not wanting to meet the eyes of Royce and Jephthah as she asked.

With that, they all went out.

Everyone had formed a huge circle around Luna Luan who stood beside a witch strangely twirling her hands around a crystal ball while the Luna had her eyes in the crowd, searching.

Nancy scanned the crowd for Koan, but only saw Liliana, Raiden and John standing side by side with Raiden In between them glaring at John at time intervals.

There were so many people, so some people had to shout at the top of their voice to be heard.

"Guys!" Nancy yelled, excitedly running towards them, waving up so that they could see her.

"Nancy?!" Liliana was in disbelief, yet a tinge of hope was in her heart as Nancy approached them.

"Hey guys," She smiled brightly. "I was looking for Koan."

Raiden and Liliana exchanged looks before Liliana cautiously went close.

"Nancy? Is it... really you?" Her eyes lingered in her pink eyes briefly before settling back on her face. "H- How. How is it possible?"

Nancy sighed with a smile and hugged her tightly before pulling away.

"Yes it me Liliana. I’m not going to kill you this time." She chuckled to herself while Liliana smiled.

"I’m relieved." Raiden said, coming close to give her a brief hug before pulling away.

"Won’t you give me a hug too?" John coyly asked, already enveloping her in his arms before she said anything while Liliana and Raiden rolled their eyes simultaneously. However, when they locked gazes, they glanced away from each other like they were strangers.

When Nancy pulled back, flushed from being hugged and hugging so much people, John said while tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Koan met Liliana and I some minutes ago before reprimanding us to head out. I don’t know where he is... "

"I think he went to find you." Liliana added.

The only place Nancy could think of was the cell where they were locked up in when she realized Koan was not in the crowd.

As she ran into the Alpha’s domain, she ran into Liliana?

"Hey. Where are you going?" She asked with a smile plastered on her face.

Nancy felt her pulse quicken as she asked rather than reply.

"Where are you coming from?"

"I was looking for Koan inside. Did you see him?"

That’s when Nancy backed away into a hard solid wall. Turning with a gasp, she sees Koan, but her heart still skipped a beat, not sure who was who anymore.

But Koan had a deep dark gaze fixed on the impostor Liliana whose smile had faltered on seeing him.

"Koan!" Nancy gasped when Koan wound his arm protectively around her waist.

"I just met you outside. How come you’re here?" Koan stiffly asked but the impostor did the unpredictable.

She to her knees and bowed to Koan.

"P— prince Koan!"

 

Chapter 142

The entire crowd, including Luna Luan, Alpha Joseph who was standing next to her, and the witch turned in time to see Nancy fly backwards into a building, the Omega quarters precisely, before crashing down to the floor, feeling the air leave her lungs as she hit the wall before landing, debris falling on her body.

"Nancy!" Alpha Henry yelled, trying to move past the chain of pack warriors, but they only seemed to grow bigger as more warriors joined them including Royce, the twins, Barton and Dora. The others formed the outer circle while Liliana and Talia ran after Nancy.

Nancy was breathing hard as she slowly rose, small debris falling down her hair and body, the moonlight had begun struggling amongst the dark clouds hovering above to cast a pale light on her face.

Once she heard footsteps, she weakly glanced up, but her loud shrill scream was in contrast to her pale fragile stance.

"No! Don’t come any close!" At that moment, a beam of light flashed towards her, and Nancy flew through the wall she had slammed on previously, going through it like a wide open door and slamming onto another wall, falling on her knees before weakly dropping to the floor, peeling off the wall.

This time, she did not rise.

"Nancy!" Talia gasped, but the next second the same flash of light approached her, and she was thrown backwards, this time Jephthah caught her and the two fell crashing, with him breaking her fall.

Liliana was standing in-between the crowd and whatever unseen flash of light that had tossed Talia and Nancy like Ragdolls.

As it approached her, she saw the glint of a blue-crimson glow in her cousin’s eyes before she was thrown up In the air.

"Koan!" She screamed as she was flung In the air, But he caught her before she fell.

A blow landed right at the side of her face and she staggered back. Everyone could clearly see Koan as he approached Liliana again.

However, before he could land another blow, Daniel cornered him, shielding Liliana with his wrist, taking the blow for her.

Koan attacked him this time, but he attacked back, and soon the men were involved in a hot fist fight while Raiden pulled her roughly to the back.

"Stay here!" He spat.

"But... Koan.. Nancy..."

He didn’t reply, but just left her standing there, wondering what had happened. Hadn’t Nancy just gone to look for Koan, what exactly went wrong? How come the Kitsunes got to him this fast. Why him?

As the men clashed together again, holding their fists in each others’ grip, their entire weight on both their legs as they were pushed back simultaneously, their grips not letting go until Daniel thrust out his leg and Koan went flying back.

Before he crashed into a wall, a blinding light enveloped him, and he was helped to his feet before he flew back into the demolished building.

Daniel wiped the side of his lips running with blood, as he glanced up, his mouth dropping in shock just as everyone.

Above them, flying down with menace and blood lust was a whole crowd of Kitsunes. Blue, red, pink, orange, yellow bright colors emanated from the dark clouds as they sped down towards them.

"Protect the Alpha!" The witch amongst them yelled, and an uproar was heard as the Kitsunes dropped down, the first one releasing fire from her mouth wide open.

Koan took his chance to go after Nancy who was still in the building, half-conscious. He needed her that way because the ritual needed to free the king wouldn’t be complete without her and she would be bothersome if she fought back.

Amongst the bloodshed and clashing of swords accompanied with guns banging from specific areas of the battle ground, Liliana who had been cowering where Raiden had left her, waiting for the right chance to rise, saw Koan head into the almost demolished building and sped after him, dodging a huge corpse being thrown in her direction.

*Previously*

"P- prince Koan." The Kitsunes fell onto her knees, leaving the couple before her to stare at each other in disbelief and confusion.

Suddenly the Kitsunes rose and came after the two who tensed and backed away reflexively, especial when her face began moulding, Liliana’s feature slowly disappearing and being replaced with different feauters as she said,

"We’ve been looking all over for you, your highness... for so many years now. Your... the King... your father have been searching for decades now. You have to meet him... you have... "

"Stop talking bullshit. Did you hit your head somewhere or did something hit you on the head?" Koan coldly asked, finding her words rather ridiculous. But the next minute, his face broke into one of exasperation, his brows falling apart on standing face to face with Nancy.

He turned to his side to see Nancy standing next to him. She stared at him in anger, seeing the confusion on his eyes.

"You saw her just shift. How can you still look so confused?"

"I’m not," he denied betore grabbing her wrist and glaring at the impostor. "Just what are you up to now?"

The next minute he was thrown off-balance as the impostor dashed after Nancy, and the two toppled to the ground, rolling amongst each other.

"No!" He yelled and stepped back, not daring to move a single muscle anymore when the two stood apart and stared at him.

Their expression, the clothes, the blood stains... everything was so accurate that it’d take a miracle for anyone to decifer who was who.

"Kaon." The one on the left approached him, and he backed away, biting his tongue on seeing her hurt expression.

The other one pushed the first one aside, coming closer to him.

"Koan. That’s the impostor. I’m the real Nancy."

The other one pulled her hair and drew her back.

"No. I’m the real Nancy. She’s the impostor. We saw her shift Koan. Didn’t we?" Her expression was innocent and her voice was soft.

He didn’t fall for it though, and chose not to even believe anything they said. He planned on shifting when...

"You asshole! Don’t you know me even amongst a million others. I am your mate, aren’t I?" One yelled so loudly that he was stunned for a few minutes.

Not until he finally spoke up, pointing to the other woman.

"That’s MY Nancy," He glared at the impostor. "The real Nancy would never call me an ’asshole’".

The real Nancy smiled, tears welling in her eyes as she stared lovingly at him.

However, it was not the same as her look alike as she suddenly raised her hand and punched. her, sending Nancy flying backwards.

"Nancy!" Koan yelled, rushing forward to attck the impostor, but he suddenly went right through her like she was a spirit.

Before he could turn to her, shock written all over his feautres, the impostor held up a necklace and passed through him, this time when she went through the other side to stand behind him, he was putting on the necklace which had a weird glass pendant glowing blue-crimson.

"Get the female Alpha, and follow me." She ordered him from behind and smiled in satisfaction when Koan opened his eyes. They were the same color as his pendant, fiercer and brighter, and he dashed forward as per her command like a flash of light.

*Back to the present*

Liliana picked up a stray gun buried in a pool of blood as she ran into the building, loading the gun, unnoticed by Raiden.

Once she arrived, she rushed into a room, debris falling to the ground, in time to see Koan bending to grab Nancy.

She fired and stepped back once the bullet grazed his shoulder.

Her breath hitched up to her throat which had ran dry of any liquid, her heart slamming in the confinement of her chest, almost falling off her mouth through her throat as Koan slowly turned, the wound on his shoulder healing in mere seconds, the bullet dropping to the floor.

"How’s that possible." She yelled, more to herself than him.

The bloody opening from the gunshot would eventually heal, but not at this rate.

She fired again, this time in his chest as he approached her, each step towards her like a ticking bomb about to go off.

She fired and fired, but it kept healing in seconds, the bullets falling to the ground, being crushed under the weight of his shoe as he got closer.

When he did, she dropped the gun and went after him, spinning 180° to land a kick at the side of his face, but without breaking the gaze in her eyes, he grabbed her ankle with one leg and drew her close to him. She threw a flexible spin again, using her other leg to kick him at the side of his head.

Bang!

He dropped on the floor after staggering for a few seconds, and she went after him again, grabbing his hair and pulling him down to the ground with so much force that the building shook, debris falling all over them.

Hearing the loud revebarating sound, Nancy’s eyes slowly opened, her pupils dilating when she saw herself in an unfamiliar building.

Liliana gasped when Koan grab her ankle as she side stepped him to pull off the necklace with the obvious enchanting pendant.

She groaned once her back slammed on the floor, but her eyes widened when Koan landed a fist towards her. She moved her head to the left, and gulped at the smothering deep hole at the side of her head where it previously was.

"Koan!"

The cousins turned to see Nancy staggering slightly on her two feet, trying to place her weight back on her two legs, half of her face shielded with her roughed hair.

Kaon side-kicked Liliana at the side of her stomach nonchalantly, and she groaned as she rolled to the side, tasting dirt and blood.

He turned to Nancy, slowly approaching her, his chin low, down to his chest, his eyes bright evil and piercing, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"It’s me you want, right?" She whispered, feeling her throat run dry as she held her fist Infront of her face, the other Infront of her chest, pushing her weight on her left leg, her knee up, her right leg behind her, stretched out.

"Nancy. No. Please don’t fight him." Liliana stammered out in a hushed whisper before she slowly fainted.

"... Come." Nancy finished off before Koan sped after her like a flash of light.

 

Chapter 143

Nancy felt her feet leave the air as he swung his arm across her waist, trying to bend her over to fall onto her back, but she securely fastened her grip on the air and flipped forward so that he was the one who fell to the floor.

Bam!

He fell, raising dust in the air.

Boom!

A loud resounding noise reverberated outside the Battle ground, almost causing an earthquake.

The sound of Koan groaning as he slowly recovered from the floor was drowned out by another bang. Nancy forgot all about him immediately as she was reminded by the noise outside that her father’s life was at stake here.

Rushing forward, limping midway, she grabbed Liliana and threw her over her shoulders with difficulty, since her legs were still adjusting to walking after being tossed around, before leaving the demolished building with such a speed that Koan didn’t have time to go after them.

Once she reached the bloodbath vicinity, Luna Luan shot something behind her with her gun, and Nancy turned reflectively to see a Kitsune drop at her side with a fresh stream of warm blood running at the side of her head.

Without speaking, the Luna fearlessly dashed forward, and with a dagger, shredded off her tails before turning to Nancy.

"Where’s Koan?"

"Luna Luan," Nancy unceremoniously placed Liliana’s stiff body in Luan’s arms, the Luna staring up at her In shock and confusion. "Please I need to see my father, where is he?"

"He’s not here. He’s been taken away by my husband and several pack warriors. I don’t know where, but they headed south."

"What?" She yelled in frustration, turning to run into the crowd before Luan could ask about Koan again.

"What am I going to do with you?" She asked Liliana, but the woman remained still.

"Hakura." She suddenly said, and the witch appeared before her, dutifully taking Liliana into her arms.

"Tell me, witch," she grabbed a stray sword which had fallen from the ground. Kitsunes bearing only one to 50 tails used weapons like this, since they weren’t mastered In the arts of using their specialized powers. "How do I find the other heir of Foxtune."

She moved forward and with brisk movements decapitated three unarmed Kitsunes who had lost their weapons in a fight, titling her head to the side, swiftly dodging a Kitsune flying awkwardly in the air, a werewolf onto her neck, digging deep its claws,. drawing blood.

"I don’t know, but so far, I saw the late Queen’s vision, Luna. She had named her female child, Fiona."

Luna Luan pursed her lips in worry, her face covered in gruesome blood.

"I don’t see her amongst us. I fear she may have been held captive by her people already, and like Koan, they must have brainwashed her."

"Luna," the witch didn’t show a single sign of tiredness even as they moved through the crowd, Liliana in her arms. "We can’t let Alpha Koan nor Alpha Nancy out of our sight. If they have princess Fiona with them, the ritual is still incomplete without these two."

"Nancy won’t be a problem" The Luna sneered, watching in amusement as Nancy grabbed a Kitsune by the head, slamming her into ground, burying her skull three feet down without much effort. "It’s Koan. That necklace... did you see it."

"We need to destroy it," The witch seriously pointed out, stopping to Barr Luan’s way. "I saw it in my vision. The entire Kitsune and werewolf clan... they were bowing to the two heirs of Foxtune, and around their necks, were the enchanted necklaces. They must be destroyed, and the siblings must not meet before then."

Saying that, the witch disappeared.

Before Luan could react, a heavy weight landed at her back, and her entire body was flung forwards. She grunted as she crashed into a pack of warriors, and was already up on her feet, her cat like eyes glancing around the vicinity with the fervency of a warrior, only to meet with the eyes of ...

Her blood stained lips curled into a sneering smile as she twirled her sword in the air before bringing it down sharply, the tip of the blade pointed to the ground.

"I’ve been looking for you." She smirked and went after him with a incredible speed, cutting down Kitsunes in her way as she lunged forward. She was aiming to tear that cursed necklace off his neck.

Nancy ran inside the Alpha’s domain. Not much was left of the house as everything had destroyed beyond repair, but she didn’t mind that now. She needed a new pair of clothes. The ones she wore were uncomfortable to move in, and strenuous to work with.

Raiden ran after her.

"What... Why are you... how are... " he was breathless as he reloaded his gun. "Where’s Liliana?"

"She’s safe." Was all she said, still moving forward.

"Nancy you know you shouldn’t be alone!" He yelled in panic, closely following her, his eyes darting around. The entire roof was blown off the building, so he was well aware of Kitsunes roaming about the skies like birds, raining fire and brimstones on his kind.

She turned to him In confusion.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed, running his hands through his hair matted with sweat, dirt and blood, his expression hardening.

"Why do you think the Kitsunes are here?"

"I," She pursed her lips. "I never really... "

"They’re out for the only female Alpha of the werewolf territory, and the two heirs of Foxtune. Along with the three Alpha’s they’ve killed so far,"

"Excluding my father." Nancy snapped but urged him to go on,

"Yes that’s two... for now," he avoided her dark gaze "But if they get their hands on you three... " he said nothing else but let the aftermath of his chilling unfinished sentence settle in the pit of her stomach like an unsatisfied gnawing hunger.

"What will happen Raiden?" She asked in a whisper, grabbing his hand, trying to get him to look at her.

"I don’t know. But Luna Luna said it... we might all be wiped out of existence."

"Who are they? The heirs of Foxtune. Who are they then," When she didn’t get a reply, she paced around, raking her hands through her hair. "Why did they make Koan wear that... that thing around his neck. Why do they want him to hurt us... to hurt me? What will they gain?"

"I think I know why." Liliana suddenly said, appearing in the room, followed closely through the entrance by the witch, Hakura holding her glassball.

Nancy and Raiden simultaneously turned to the two.

 

Chapter 144

Daniel was running, his feet almost as light as a feather, as he treaded the path to an almost-death experience. In his arms was Dora, blood gushing through her head like a stream of water, down below.

At the side of her head was a silver dagger.

He got to a lake, in a forest quite far from Ruby Stone’s pack. The stars up ahead twinkled on the surface of the water, the surface turning to ripples as his feet sent small pebbles Into them.

Talia, the twins, Royce, Cardin and Barton arrived lastly, all panting, not able to keep up with Daniel’s pace. They all wore solemn looks as they slowly approached Daniel who was kneeling, dropping Dora onto the ground just close to the running lake.

However, Barton ran forward just as Daniel placed Dora at the side of the lake, roughly pulling out the dagger, another fresh stream of blood running from the other side of her head. Just as he expected, Barton fell to his knees beside him, and he dutifully rose, joining the others, watching as Barton held Dora, cradling her to his chest— his embrace.

The tears which had been welling up in his eyes finally fell. They fell rolled down like the lake of water, streaming down his cheeks and dropping onto her face.

Dora narrowed her eyes, her entire vision slowly fading, turning darker and darker as she weakly pushed her hand up to touch his face, slowly wiping his tears from rolling down his chin again.

"Why?" Barton whispered, closing his eyes and leaning into her touch, tears rolling down his cheeks still. "Why did you do it Dora? Why did you take the dagger for me?! Why?!"

"Barton." Her voice was a hushed whisper, heavy with emotions. She was dying— and she was not going to make it. Everyone knew that.

Talia placed her hands over her mouth, her eyes rimmed with tears. She had never really liked Dora, but seeing her lie there, about to take her last breath, her heart dropped to her stomach, leaving it unsettled in there with a painful feeling in her chest, forcing tears down her cheeks no matter how hard she tried not to cry.

"Why did you so it?" He asked again.

"Because... " She chuckled painfully. "I don’t know Barton... I’m not really good at this."

"Good at what?" His heart was clenching and unclenching in pain seeing her cough up blood on his shirt.

"Expressing my feelings." She weakly uttered, and her eyes slowly drooped, threatening to close shut.

Barton wailed like a child.

"Dora. Don’t! Please don’t! Don’t you f**king die on me Dora." He yelled.

"I don’t want to," Dora whispered, tears finally running down her cheeks, her green eyes misty with unshed tears still as she forced her them open. "I don’t want to... I really don’t want to die Barton, but I didn’t want to see you hurt, to see you die... I... " her voice was slurred, her eyes glassy from the tears. "I love you Barton."

Barton chuckled, smiling genuinely but painfully, his heart swelling as he cradled her face in his hands.

She tried to smile but ended up crying again, her heart was slowly beating, the awaited time for it to stop getting close by the second.

"I guess I was too proud, and too stupid to realize just how much I did."

"Dora," it wasn’t him calling her to stay alive for him, he was begging, but there was nothing he could do.

"Can you... " She began to say something, but slowly retreated her head into the crook of his arms, turning mute.

"What?" He softly asked her, pushing her hair back from her face, grimacing painfully at how pale she had turned.

"I just... " for the second time, since she heard about her father’s death, he saw a vunerable side of her. "Before I... I just wanted you to kiss me," she smiled weakly at the slightly shocked expression on his face. "It’s okay... you don’t have... mm!"

Her words were quickly cut off, as he leaned down to crash his lips against hers, tasting blood and dirt, but he didn’t care. He didn’t give a d**k about how she tasted now. It was the firy passion, the emotions he felt all at once just pressing his lips against hers.

His embrace tightened as he drew in her lips, sucking it softly, running his hand through her hair so lovingly, you wouldn’t know she had died in his arms.

When he didn’t feel her kiss him back, he leaned back slowly. She was lying back into his arms, head thrown back, lips slowly parted, her eyes closed with a stray tear running down her cheek.

Painfully, he got up, leaving her at the side of the lake, staring ahead, not saying a single thing .

No one dared say a single word as they looked on, basking In the silence of her death.

Talia turned and hugged Jephthah, burying her face in his chest and sobbing softly.

John’s head was slowly bowed, but he and Royce simultaneously looked up to catch Cardin sneaking murderous glares at Jephthah who raised his hand, stroking her hair.

Everyone still had their heads respectfully bowed after, but Daniel couldn’t take it anymore.

He turned away from everyone, fisting his hands in his hair, tears rolling down his cheeks in several streams, his heart hurting— hurting from everything that was happening, everyone he was loosing, the change of situations...

He had lost Dora, many of his pack warriors, his pack members...

Why was all these happening? When will it all end? It had only begun, but he was so ashamed, ashamed that he was already wishing it was all over.

He was f**king tired.

He held his chest and fell on his knees, feeling so hurt and exhausted.

In Foxtune, in one of the numerous rooms in the king’s domain, Naomi sat up on the bed like she was electrocuted, stunning the two Kitsunes who were by her side all these while.

The next second l, she bent down, holding her chest with her two hands, groaning in pain, attracting the attention of her father who heard her cries all the way from the throne room.

Chapter 145

"What you’re trying to say is... " Nancy’s words were slow as she got to say the last sentence, forcing her voice not to crack at the bombshell she was about to drop.

"Koan a- and Naomi are... siblings?"

Hakura stopped waving her hands over the crystal ball, and the image, the vision which she had explained to them about, vanished.

Another bang was heard, the smell of syrup and blood was still in the air, but they didn’t mind and continued about their discussion like it was a normal daily activity in the pack.

Koan was still on her mind, but she kept brushing it off, because her heart clenched painfully when she saw the look of hate and evilness in his eyes as he hurt her earlier.

"What did you call her?" The witch carefully asked, turning to Nancy with shock written all over her expressions.

"Naomi." Nancy casually replied, but on seeing the probing look In their eyes, she continued In a hurried voice, turning to Raiden.

"When we all went for Daniel’s Alpha Naming ceremony... you know... the girl that made me that birthday cake."

"The one that sang the birthday song? The Omega." Raiden innocently said, scrunching up his face as he tried to visualize the image of the girl in a mask.

Liliana stared blankly at them. She didn’t know who they were talking about, but she was relieved that they were getting somewhere at least.

A light of hope shone in Hakura’s eyes, almost out of desperation, she ventured forward and grabbed Nancy’s hand.

"T- then you must know where she is, right?" She stammered, out of excitement and anxious.

Excitement, because she was going to meet the legendary Queen Moana’s daughter, a PURE breed Kitsune. A female ruler of Foxtune. It was an honor, and she was a very rare specie.

Anxious, because if Nancy didn’t know where she was at the moment, it only meant the Kitsunes could have taken her captive. Who knows what they might try to do to her?

Nancy pursed her lips, recalling when Talia had asked about her, and how Daniel had avoided answering.

"Daniel might know ... but," she sighed. "I don’t know where he is. He might be in the warzone or... "

"Or maybe he went south, along with Alpha Joseph and your dad." Liliana pointed out.

There was a loud growl outside, and they rushed out to see four werewolves with chains in each of their hands, strongly holding down Koan In the middle, who was trying to break free of the hot clutches of the chains biting into his skin.

Nancy didn’t know what exactly turned her legs to mushy jellies.

The fact that her shoes made loud splash sounds on puddles of blood, or that her mate was being chained down like a wild untamed animal.

Liliana, Raiden and Hakura followed suit, glancing around the vicinity with mouths parted, eyes wide as saucers.

It was a bloodbath.

But surprisingly, the entire area was- empty.

There were corpses and blood, and several body parts of both parties lying around, and the entire area looked like there was a bloody hurricane to witness along side an earthquake, the previous battle. How come it ended so quickly?

Nancy walked forward, hands fisted by her side, her sensual hips swaying, almost exposed due to her shrewd clothes, distracting the werewolves for a bit before they finally realized they were trying to hold down a beast, and turned away from her.

Luan almost choked on her saliva seeing Nancy, but she just cleared her throat and averted her gaze while replying to the confused glances shot her way.

"They just left," She managed to face Nancy who still had a probing look. "It was like there was something calling out to them. Alpha Henry is still not safe, but right now, I think the Kitsunes are the least of our worries now," She turned to Koan. "It’s him."

Nancy’s eyes welled up with tears seeing the state Koan was in, and Liliana couldn’t feel any worse as well, but they all avoided looking in his direction as he was dragged off somewhere.

"Where are they," Nancy paused and cleared her throat when she realized her voice had sounded a bit croaky from the tears she was holding in. "Where are they taking him?"

"We just need to suppress and weaken him to be able to take off that necklace. We can’t go close to him yet even if he’s still In that state."

"Why would the Kitsunes just leave...

without him?" Nancy was curious. "And me."

"It was like they were enchanted. Believe me, I don’t think they would have cared if you had offered yourself to them, but I’m sure they’ll be back. It’s just a matter of time. I just wish we had the other heir within close range."

"You mean Naomi."

"What." Luan irritably looked her way again.

Hakura stepped in.

"That’s what they call her. Apparently, she’s an Omega In Dark Risers’s pack."

Luan blinked In confusion, a hint of surprise and awe In her eyes.

"Where is she now?"

"We don’t know. I was thinking we could head south and search for Daniel... maybe he can tell us where she is."

"She could be at Dark Risers’s. I mean he couldn’t have known she was any more than that. I will go to Dark Risers’s."

"We’ll look for Daniel then." Raiden announced.

Luan twirled her sword before planting it behind her.

"Hakura. Take care of things here along with the rest of the pack warriors. I will be back." With that, she went away, Into Ruby Stone’s pack to get a car from one of the pack members, and drive down to Dark Risers’s.

Hakura bowed till the Luna was out of eye sight.

"Witches can teleport, right?"

Hakura’s eyes twitched as she stared at Raiden.

"I’m afraid I’m currently too weak to teleport more than a yard, so I can’t help you now." With that, she left.

"Come on guys. If Daniel hadn’t joined Alpha Joseph and my Dad previously, then he hadn’t gone too far as they had." Nancy sighed after Raiden announced again, and the three turned to leave.

Nancy’s heart pounded painfully against her rib cage as she forced herself not to look at Koan. But she did, and a stray tear rolled down her cheek, when she saw him being forced down to his knees.

"I’ll come back for you," she whispered, her grip on the dagger by her waist tightening. "I promise."

*

Daniel groggily opened his eyes, and the first sight that greeted him was someone’s face hovering above his.

"Barton?" He whispered in a croaked voice, leaning away to feel the rough bark of a tree against his back. This person definitely looked like Barton but when did Barton’s hair grow so long to graze his shoulders, and where did his muscular hands go?

"He’s finally awake. Thank goodness, I thought he’d never." The person said, and Daniel’s blurry vision finally cleared as he saw the person close up.

"Brittany?!"

She gave him a sad toothy grin before ruffling his hair, earning her an annoyed but confused look from him.

"Am I dreaming or... "

"Wish I could wake up from this too, but we’re all stuck living this terrible nightmare." Someone said, and Daniel leaned further back into the tree, sitting up and stretching out his knees to see Talia throwing in a few logs into a fire someone had made before moving to sit on the floor in-between Cardin and John, just opposite where he sat, the fire between the circle everyone had made while sitting down.

He turned back to Brittany as if questining her about something which she replied naturally.

"Talia called me a while ago asking about Royce, and when I said he had left for Ruby Stone’s a couple hours ago, I found out that he hadn’t arrived here yet, so I figured out he might have run into trouble as usual," she turned to Royce who gave her a small smile before turning to Daniel again. "So I came here to see what was really up. I tracked him using the mate bond, and I used a short cut which led me straight here."

"That’s some powerful mate bond by the way." John chipped in, and Jephthah elbowed him to shut up.

Daniel sighed before leaning forward, pulling Brittany close Into his embrace, burying his nose in her hair.

"I never thought I’d say this, but I’m so happy seeing you here... "

"Yeah Yeah. Your favorite cousin in the whole world. Of course you’d be happy."

Daniel didn’t even counter her annoying words as usual, his grip on her just tightened and Brittany hugged him back In the same fervor.

"Where’s Barton?" Daniel asked as he pulled back.

Brittany’s expression finally paled, and she sat next to Daniel, hunching up her knees and wounding her arms around them.

"He’s still at the lake... I heard everything," she sniffed, and Daniel realized she had been crying. "I don’t even know what’s going on anymore... I feel so bad for him. Really. And... He also told me about Naomi... "

Talia narrowed her eyes at the two before blurting out.

"What. About. Naomi?"

Daniel didn’t want to reply, and Brittany wasn’t willing to too If her cousin didn’t want to talk.

"The Kitsunes have her don’t they?" Talia asked, getting up from the floor In a flash, everyone staring at Daniel in confusion now.

When Daniel and Brittany didn’t reply, she just rolled her eyes, and paced around, fisting her hands in her hair.

"You let Naomi go??? You let the Kitsunes take her?"

"What?!" Someone snapped from behind, and a chilling aura suddenly traveled around the entire fireplace, a cold uneasy sensation running down everyone’s spine as they all turned to see Nancy dash forward with

brimstones and storm In her eyes.

 

Chapter 146

"Nancy?" Brittany spluttered, clearly the only one able to say a word since everyone else was rendered completely speechless, almost mortified.

But all her attention was fixed on Daniel.

"I don’t understand... Why? Why would you let them take her? She wasn’t one of us, but was she willing to join them? Was that what she wanted, or did she have no choice?"

Daniel rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to act nonchalant, but he was vibrating with so much emotions inside, it was clear he was desperate to know what was going on, why was Nancy overreacting so much to her disappearance? Yet he didn’t want to admit it was his fault.

"Why wouldn’t you say anything?" Talia lashed out at him, and everyone was silent as they all looked up him, the fire crackling, sending small sparks drifting up, towards the sky.

"What do I say? That my mate was a Kitsune? And no matter how much I tried to make things work between us, I guess I was just too proud to actually do anything?"

Everyone’s reaction was different in speculation to what he just said. Some jaws dropped, John choked on his own saliva, and Nancy’s eyes widened.

If not for the fact that they were In a serious situation, a smirk would have crawled up her lips. How unpredictable fate was! Alpha Daniel in a way was related to Alpha Koan as a brother-in-law, while she... well the masked Omega who made her the birthday cake, was her sister-in-law.

Sighing, she went over and sat down next to Daniel, sandwiching him between she and Brittany while Liliana and Raiden fixed themselves somewhere around the fire.

Another silence followed as everyone stared into the crackling fire, their faces and hair peppered and matted with blood and dirt.

"I guess that makes us two of us." Nancy whispered, trying to smile, but it ended up as a pained one, and Danile glanced at her just like everyone else did, Cardin staring blankly at her.

"But Koan’s a hybrid, I wouldn’t hate him, I wouldn’t love him less, because it’s not his fault he’s that way."

If shocked was a previous reaction to everyone’s action, their next reaction was unexplainable. John couldn’t handle three shocking news at once, and collapsed over

Talia who stared down at his limp body lying over her legs in shock and amusement.

"I don’t understand." Daniel shakily whispered.

"Yeah, the news was shocking to me as well, but if it’s anything I’ve learnt since this commotion started, it’s that you have to go with the flow," Liliana began, and everyone focused on her this time around.

"A witch rolls her hand over a crystal ball, and tells us whatever she sees in her vision. If you think she’s being ridiculous, then you might as well think every other thing that’s been happening is a joke. We already lost two Alphas, and by tomorrow, who knows? We might loose half the werewolves’ existence or all."

She took a deep breath and picked a stick, absentmindedly drawing lines next to the fire, but looking closely, you’d see she was actually writing something.

"When I was unconscious, and alone with Hakura, after she must have healed me, I wanted to know why she was amongst us, and she told me that her kind were being wiped out by the Kitsunes and she pleaded help from Alpha Joseph and Luna Luan, I asked her about the vision she saw because she was about to make an announcement about it before Koan happened."

"So what did you see?" Jephthah asked.

"I’m getting to that," Liliana calmly replied before finally drawing small lines, only to write six names which everyone except the ones sitting on the other side, saw.

"The Kitsunes have never been extinct, just that something drove them to do these things. They’ve been living just like any ordinary werewolf would, but suddenly they’re out in the open causing trouble, why?" She glanced around before lowering her head.

"There’s someone remoting them, controlling their movements, every single action they take, one person is responsible for it, and the irony is," she chuckled painfully, visibly shaking with anger. "The person can barely stand."

"Who?" Danile asked, his voice deep, resonating over the crackling fire.

"It’s their king," she didn’t raise her eyes again, but her grip on the stick tightened, and it broke. "Koan and Naomi’s father... "

"But I don’t understand. Kitsunes are all females. The queen reproduces asexually. She’s the only one who can reproduce and that’s why she’s queen. How come there’s a king?" Royce asked.

"That’s what makes Naomi and Koan very special. They’re the only two species who was birthed from the late Queen Moana of Foxtune from sexual intercourse."

"And Koan’s a hybrid because... his," John who had been forcefully tapped up to consciousness by Talia a minute ago chipped in. "Um... the queen mated with his father, the previous Alpha?"

"Yes." Liliana replied and everyone was thrown into another state of shock, silence reigning amongst them again.

"I knew Koan’s father," Raiden said this time, "Though Koan ALWAYS hated the fact that I usually bring up the topic of his mother, he never seemed to talk about her. Like ever. Just mentioning her keeps him in a bad mood for the rest of the day."

Nancy caught Liliana’s eyes and thought back to their conversation previously in her room when she had asked why Koan was so grouchy and emotionally stiff, and she had told her to ask him about his ’mother’.

"Could Koan have known who his mother was? Who... he really is?"

"I don’t know." Liliana replied this time.

There was an unsettling silence again as Nancy fell back against Daniels legs, covering her face with her hands, sighing loudly.

Talia and Liliana stared at her pitifully, but they could only. They couldn’t change or bend the fate or the reality of the truth.

 

Chapter 147

"So you’re saying," Daniel crossed his legs and leaned further. "That... the King’s sick? and is making his subjects do all the dirty work? Is it related to killing the Alphas and abducting my mate?"

The way he said ’mate’ so casually got Nancy, Brittany and Talia bowing a bit to smile to themselves.

"He’s not sick... he was cursed by the late Queen before she died. He is immobile and cannot move from his throne. But after decades of research, they finally made a bucket list. Prior, the things they’ll need to free him from the bondage."

As she said that, she looked back down on the floor, where she had written down some names.

"We have the heart of three mated Alpha’s, which are Alpha Drake, Alpha Justin, and Alpha Henry. Then the prescence of a female Alpha, which is Nancy, and the two heirs of Foxtune," she raised her eyss to meet with Daniel’s. "Koan and Naomi."

Another shuddering silence.

"They’ve gotten two Alphas, and they have Naomi. We don’t know when they’re coming again... but if we all want to stay alive, and probably save humanity too... the King must not stand up from that throne. He mustn’t be released."

"So where’s Koan?"

"He’s back at Ruby Stone’s," Nancy held her face. "I feel so guilty leaving him there, but it’s really hard staying and seeing him chained up like a criminal... seeing the bloodlust and hate in his eyes."

Daniel stroked her hair.

"Hey hey hey," he cooed. "You know he’s not in his right mind... "

"Yes," Cardin hauntingly replied. "It’s that necklace."

Liliana nods.

"It’s unbreakable, but once it’s removed, I hope, he’ll be back to his senses."

"You know... I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that Naomi’s... a princess." Daniel suddenly said after another round of silence had passed.

Nancy was lying on his legs, while he absentmindedly stroked her hair, staring ahead.

Brittany elbowed him.

"I’ve always had my doubts about her just being a commoner. I mean, Naomi was so special In every way, and I knew it when she found my mum years ago. I’m just a bit surprised that she happens to be ... " she didn’t know the word to use.

"An enemy?" Cardin bluntly said, and received a glare from Talia, but he shrugged and added. "Maybe she’s not like that, right? You all think she would never hurt a fly. But after being abducted by them, you all know she would never be the same. Just like Koan."

"She would obviously come back to get her .... brother." John said, and added after grimacing. "This is so weird."

"What’s so weird?"

"Koan, and that Omega chic being related as siblings... or Daniel being related to Koan as his brother-in-law, or Nancy being related to ..."

"Naomi." Talia said, grimacing at him.

"Yeah... to Naomi as her sister-in-law."

Royce managed a grin.

"No way, I just realized that now."

"It’s not weird," Danile frowned and smiled at the same time. "I like it."

"You suddenly like the fact that you’re related to a hybrid, and you’re already missing your mate. What a bad timing." Brittany said, and everyone laughed as he flushed red.

"I don’t know why I’m craving to see a mini female version of Daniel and Naomi right now." Talia dauntily said, with humor in her eyes.

Almost Everyone yelled ’yes’ in excitement, especially Nancy, and Daniel rolled his eyes with a playful smile.

"This is the second time someone’s already assuming that the gender of our first child will be a female."

"Really? Who was the first?"

"Where’s Barton and Dora?" Nancy suddenly asked, simultaneous to when Danile replied, "Barton."

*

At the lake, only a young man sat there quietly, staring out into the open, his knees stretched out in front of him, the night breeze tussling his hair back and forth, his eyes closed.

All was peaceful and quiet, until he heard several footsteps and the rustling of bushes before he opened his eyes only to see that everyone was sitting side by side around the lake, sitting in the same posture as him. But they were all staring at him.

"What?" he asked with furrowed brows. "Why are you all looking at me like that."

Everyone turned away from him, but he felt the scorching gaze of someone beside him and turned, his frown suddenly disappearing, a look of awe and relief flashed across his eyes as he said,

"Nancy? When did you get here?"

"A while ago," she managed a small sad smile at him.

He looked away, seeing the sympathetic look in her eyes .

"I can see you’re sad," she whispered, but everyone clearly heard her. "But I can also see the longing regret in your eyes" She placed her hand over his.

Barton sighed, and wiped his eyes, stopping the tears from rolling down his cheeks again. He had cried so much like a baby today.

"I regret not telling her I loved her... and she must have had her regrets too. We acted so dumb and stubborn around each other... we thought... Well, I thought I had enough time to express my feelings to her, but life’s short," As he said those words, Liliana caught Raiden’s eyes, and she glanced down, feeling her eyes burn with tears. " Especially now when we don’t know when those f**kers are going to strike. I should have told my mum I loved her. This is the time we express our love and care for our loved ones no matter how shitty they behaved. Because life is short and really unpredictable" He repeated at the end and sighed painfully.

He turned to Brittany who was sitting beside him, and happened to catch Daniel’s misty eyes as well..

"I... " he saw them painfully smile In mockery when they realized what he wanted to say was going to be difficult for him. "I l- love you guys. Even though you’re the most narcissistic person I’ve ever encountered, you’re still my best twin sister in the world," he took her hand and the two smiled as their tears fell in union. "And I appreciate that about you, for understanding me when no one ever did... for always being the one apologizing after a fight because you know I’d never," Daniel chuckled because he knew it was true, but stiffened when Barton turned to him.

 

Chapter 148

"And I love you cuz. I never say it, but I do. You’re an annoying brute, and you seem to always get on my nerves, but there’s a good side of you, there’s a side of you which wouldn’t care to risk his life trying to protect the ones he loves the most. I don’t know if we’d ever have the chance to do this, but I just want to let you know. I wish I could let my mum know too. I wish... I could let Dora know. I wish I had."

With they, the three got up and hugged each other, and Liliana finally left the gathering, running off somewhere on her own, wiping her hand across her face.

Nancy noticed Raiden’s reluctancy- the debate battling within himself to go or stay, and with those words uttered to him, he moved.

"Go after her." She said.

And he left, just like she had ordered, he left to go find her.

Talia turned to Jephthah, about to say something when Cardin slightly held her hand, and pulled her up with him.

"Lya, can we talk," his eyes were buried deep in hers, and his pupils shifted to the far end as he added. "Alone."

"Oh... Um... " She turned to Jephthah who just stood there, and turned the other way like he didn’t just see them, and she turned back to Cardin and said, loud enough for him to hear as well .

"Sure. Let’s go."

Royce and Nancy exchanged glances, being the only two who had seen the whole ordeal.

They both got up and barged ln between them.

"Hey. I want to tell my sister how much I love her too," Talia gasped as Royce dragged her into his embrace. "Who knows? She may loose her head tomorrow."

"Royce." Talia hit his chest with a mock gasp of hurt, but smiled as she hugged him, knowing he would never say he loved her outloud, even if he did.

"I love you too Royce."

"How about we also make up Cardin," Cardin frowned, and slowly backed away as Nancy approached him. "Since we might never get the chance to."

He frowned again, looking past her shoulders for Talia.

"Not now, okay?"

He made to move past her, but she dragged him back, and crashed into him so violently that the two fell to the ground, while she starts crying.

"What if something happens to you tomorrow. I’d never get the chance."

He stiffened in her embrace, and struggled to escape, but her grip was like a vice- a koala’s.

While he was distracted, Royce pulled Talia and Jephthah together, making them entwine their hands together.

The love birds stared at their entwined hands before staring at each other, immediately avoiding eye contact.

John frowned slightly on seeing the reaction but said nothing.

"You two should leave before Nancy’s done with him," When they didn’t budge, his eyes darkened. "Now!"

With that, the two turned away and reluctantly left, releasing their hands simultaneously with Talia folding her hands and walking ahead of him.

After Nancy was done crying and soaking his colar with her tears, Cardin was forced to pat her head, stroking her hair until she really fell asleep on him, giving him no chance to move.

"What’s going on?" John asked Royce.

"They just need to sort a few things out," then he smirked. "Who will you be telling your final goodbyes before the night ends."

John stared straight ahead, lips twitching in annoyance, sure he wanted to make fun of him, but the next moment, he said.

"Brittany."

Royce’s smirk fell, and John left his side like a bullet, laughing cunningly.

Suddenly, just as Barton, Brittany, and Daniel parted, and Royce was just placing his arms protectively around his mate’s waist and sharing a long, passionate kiss with her, the bush rustled, alongside the wind tussling everyone’s hair about, and out of the bushes appeared two people.

Hakura and Koan.

Everyone was visibly surprised to see him, but his eyes scanned the entire area immediately, and Cardin felt his entire body go into freeze mode when their eyes met, and he realized Nancy was sleeping in his embrace.

Fortunately for him, Koan was in his right senses, and they could see the cursed necklace hanging off Hakura’s hand, but unfortunately, Koan met the two In this position, and must have misunderstood what had happened .

He growled, his eyes bloodshot with anger, as he moved towards the pair .

"Mine!" Another deep throaty growl resonates, reveberrating from his throat, past his lips.

"Whoa. Whoa. Before you go crazy on him, try to understand the situation, okay?" Daniel budged in, barring his way, giving Cardin enough time to scramble up, while Brittany carried Nancy in her arms, since no other male was willing to touch her.

Koan turned to him with a dark gaze, and Daniel almost fell to his side. If he was an ice-cream, he’d have melted from his gaze.

"Okay Brother-in-law?" He tried to confirm everything was okay, and he wouldn’t try to decapitate Cardin, this time using the name, ’brother-in-law’.

Koan blinked for some minutes before turning to Hakura for an explanation. The witch stared at Daniel in shock, raking her eyes over him.

"You’re princess Fiona’s mate?"

"Yes. NAOMI and I are mates." He casually replied before smiling at a speechless Koan who had so many emotions swelling in his eyes as he asked,

"You know who... my sister is?"

"You’ve met her," Daniel carelessly said, and on seeing Koan’s brows furrowing, he reconstructs his words. "You’ve not actually met her , met her, but you’ve seen her. During Nancy’s birthday... when Talia woke every single one of us up, and wanted us all to surprise Nancy? The Ome... the woman in a mask who made that cake."

Koan’s eyes spaced out as he recalled the woman he had barely acknowledged but had taken a little interest in after hearing her voice.

She was his sister?

He glanced at Daniel?

She was his mate?

 

Chapter 149:

"Isn’t she a bit older than you?"

Barton stiffled a chuckle from behind, and Daniel held his chest his mock hurt, hiding a smirk.

"Brother-in-law?!" He gasped in mock shock.

"Okay. Okay. We’re related. It doesn’t mean, you’ve forgotten my name, little brother-in-law," he ruffled Daniel’s hair like he was a child. "Now, move."

Daniel raised his arms in surrender before moving aside to stand beside Hakura.

Cardin found something next to Royce very interesting to behold as he went to stand next to him, avoiding Koan’s gaze.

He turned and carefully carried Nancy out of Brittany’s embrace, Brittany almost welling up on seeing how cautious and loving Koan was to her, carrying her carefully like she was a fragile glass doll.

"I’ll be back." He announced before walking away.

Daniel turned to Hakura In panic.

"What?" She glanced irritably at him.

"You’re sure what caused him to act like a psychopath was because of that necklace and nothing else?"

She sighed.

"Yes Alpha Daniel."

"Because I wouldn’t want Another tongue lashing from Talia." Daniel said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I’m cold." Brittany muttered with a pout just as Royce stood beside her, wrapping her arms around her again.

Royce suddenly carried her, and with a gasp she wrapped her hands around his neck.

"I know how I can warm you up." He replied and Brittany slowly bit her lower lip as she said.

"How?"

With that, the two ended up in their own world as they left the others.

"Lucky." John muttered. "We could have just gone back to the fireplace, but nooooo, they just had to warm up themselves the interesting way."

Daniel suddenly planted him hand on his shoulder.

"What do you say we... "

"What are you suggesting?!" John stepped away from him like his hand was a hot scorching iron.

"That we go back to the fireplace." Daniel frowned. "What did you think I was going to say?"

"Nothing" John quickly said, and Daniel narrowed his eyes at him, heading for the fireplace with Barton who shot him a knowing look, before joining his cousin.

Cardin joined John and Hakura, sandwiching the witch in-between them who didn’t look like she cared.

"Werewolves and witches can mate right?" John suddenly asked.

But Hakura simply muttered a curse word and teleported away from her position, reappearing at the fire place, leaving the two men alone.

"You ask the most stupid questions." Cardin bluntly cautioned.

"Everyone’s probably on it right now before tomorrow, Even Jephthah... I might never have the chance again."

"Jephthah? Jephthah is with who?"

"Talia of course. Don’t you know, they’re an official couple."

He failed to see the way Cardin’s eyes darkened as they made their way towards the fire place, Daniel and Barton ahead of them.

*

Naomi was led into throne room after being washed up and dressed up by who she was made know to as her chamber maids.

She had always received exclusive treatment in Dark Risers’s pack despite her reputation in the werewolf territory, but this was just too much.

She was being treated like a baby, and dressed in a royal attire like a princess.

She wore the normal two side slit gown with a ’V’ neck cut, revealing her cleavage, just like the other Kitsunes, but looking at hers, you’d know she was a royal. The sides were embroidered in gold, down to the slit. There was a belt around her waist with a sheath bearing a huge sword with the pointy end facing the ground.

Her hair was held up in a ponytail, away from her face, and her expression was meek and nervous as she glanced around the unfamiliar surroundings until she got to the throne room.

Something or someone suddenly came at her, and she gasped, almost turning breathless to the point that she couldn’t breath for a full minute on seeing who stood before her.

This woman...

"Are you... my mother?" She asked, her voice shaky.

Sakuarr laughed, her eyes wide open with those crazy glints in them, her canniness sharp and intimidating.

"I’m your sister, Moana. It’s been so long, you’ve forgetten this much huh?"

Moana? Wasn’t she Fiona?

She was getting confused by the minute.

This woman looked younger compared to the woman she had seen in her dreams, but had almost similar features to her, and Naomi could see a bit of herself in her too.

If this was her sister, then where was her mother?

She looked past Sakuarr’s shoulders and caught the eyes of someone sitting on a throne several feet from the two of them.

Once they locked eyes, the man smirked and her heart stilled again as she subconsciously side stepped Sakuarr to behold the god of a man staring back at her.

This was undoubtedly her father. She had seen him in her dreams, and that resemblance was there. The chestnut hair drawn to his nape by a band, the intimidating blue eyes.

Only his presence demanded everyone to their knees, and his aura could make even the most strongest of all creatures bow at his feet.

A king.

Undoubtedly.

She released a shaky breath as they seemed to be stuck in what seemed to be an eye staring contest, not until Sakuarr said,

"But you must have recognized your husband, Jacob, hm?"

Naomi was flushed hearing her words.

Husband?

King Jacob just waved his hand and the woman vanished from his prescence, causing another cold chilling sensation to run down her spine.

With horrific eyes, she glanced at the spot where Sakuarr had once stood which was now empty.

"Don’t mind her words, dear daughter. That woman is your crazy aunt." He explained in his bored baritone voice, but her stare was still horrifying.

"She’s been sent back to her room. No harm’s been done." He smirked when he realized her expression was like that because she had probably thought he had killed her. "Do you think I would kill, Fiona?"

Her name rolling off his lips in his deep voice got her heart pounding against her rib cage as she stilled, unable to move.

"Come." The man suddenly said, and patted a small throne next to him.

 

Chapter 150

With fearful, slow steps she moved towards the raised platform where the thrones were, taking note of the other small thrones sculpted on his left side.

Was that her mother’s?

She also didn’t fail to notice how difficult it was for the king to move his hands, and other parts of his body. It was like he was glued to the throne.

Once she got close to the levated platform, she paused, taking deep breaths before she asked,

"I have so many questions... " She blinked, tears falling bitterly down her face. "How am I still alive to begin with?"

The man’s heart clenched in pain seeing his beloved daughter cry. He wanted to embrace her and wipe her tears, but he couldn’t, and that made his seething anger amplify.

"You’re in pain... I not only see that Fiona. I can feel it. You’ve been betrayed by the one you thought would never harm you."

She scoffed.

"Really? Then if that’s that... how come I’m meeting my father for the first time since I was born," She glared up at him in a defiant boldness that surprised even him. "If you really could feel my pain... then why," her tears rolled down her cheeks in thin streams of water. "Why did you let me live my entire life based on a lie."

The man tried to lift his hands, and she saw how difficult it was for him to fulfill such a simple task as lifting his own hands.

"You think I wouldn’t have found you and brought you here to live amongst us if I had the slightest chance?"

Her voice turned to a whisper.

"What happened... What happened to you?"

"I was cursed," His expression saddened, and Naomi’s heart clenched in pain seeing her father in a Pitiful state. She hadn’t known him for so long, but it was rare seeing a man of power in such a helpless state.

"I would answer whatever questions you may have Naomi, but please, just sit down. You don’t know just how long I’ve always wanted you in my arms... I’ve always wanted you close to me alongside your brother."

Another bombshell dropped.

But rather than ask questions, she shakily made her way up to sit down, driving all other thoughts off her mind, trying to not burst into tears again, recalling Daniele.

If he had done this to her, then she couldn’t trust any other person. He had said he would kill her, but she never actually thought he’d do it. She just wanted to give him time and space, but she never for once actually imagined in her entire existence that her dreams would come to a reality. That someone would actually push her off that cliff. Someone with metallic piercing blue eyes. Someone. She never believed that that someone would be Daniel.

Right now, she wanted to focus on the present, and that was her father, and her new identity which she would embrace, because Naomi was dead.

Daniel had finally gotten what he wanted. He had killed Naomi.

She was Fiona now, a pure breed Kitsune.

As she sat on the throne, she felt some sense of power travel upwards, from where she sat, spreading a tingling sensation all over her body.

She stretched her hands out Infront of her and stared at it in awe before turning to her father who had been staring at her with pride and admiration, the usual cold glaciers which he directed at his subjects had melted into a puddle.

"I felt something." She said to him, staring back at her hands.

"That’s just the taste of the power you possess daughter. And you can have more if... "

"I’m not interested in that." She said, looking away, missing the disappointed frown on her father’s face.

"I want to know what happened to my mother. How come I was suddenly in a werewolf pack? Who is my brother? and where is he? And ... why is my aunt crazy? How come my mate’s a werewolf? And ... what type of Kitsune am I ? Why do I always have these weird dreams where I can see the future... Father... I don’t know but for now... these are the questions I can remember."

The man only smirked, balancing his chin on his fist to look at her. They had only met less than an hour ago and she was already playing her role of the last child, sulking and asking so many questions.

If only she knew what he really was and capable of doing, and what he was already doing, she won’t even be sitting right here, next to him, so casually talking and asking him so many questions to make a vein pop at the side of someone’s head.

"Your mother... " he refused to mention her name as it would leave a lingering bad taste of anger in his mouth. "... committed suicide."

She stared at him in shock.

"W- Why?"

"Why?" he chuckled hauntingly. "I guess she was tired of searching for her children, so she couldn’t take the guilt of loosing them and killed herself." He lied.

Her heart clenched in pain again, and she blinked back the tears of hurt as she slowly asked.

"How did she loose us."

"She actually betrayed us Fiona. She didn’t think I’d be able to care for the two rare breeds of the Foxtune clan, so she gave you all away to separate packs... "

"Why would she think that?"

"Look around Fiona... look at my subjects..

what do you notice?" He ordered her, his gaze not leaving her face even as she slowly raised her face, scanning below them at the subjects in the throne room, standing with their heads bowed.

Her face was scrunched up as she stared at all of them for five minutes, twisting her fingers around the arm of her throne.

"They... ," she turned to her father, startled at first on seeing he had been staring at her all these while. "They are... all females."

Her eyes suddenly widened as she subconsciously raked her eyss over the king.

"You... "

"I’m just as rare as you my beloved," he tilted her face up with his fingers. "I’m the only male pure breed Kitsune ever in existence, " he boringly glanced at his subjects. "They were birthed from your mother asexually, but you," he turned back to her with a glint in his eyes. "You and your brother were birthed through sexual intercourse between your mother and I... "

She glanced at him, trailing her eyss over his face again before shuddering, her lips parting.

"Why couldn’t she trust us with you?" Was all she asked.