Behind the Mask

21. Coming for you

Mel

After the inaugural fight was over, Nema took my hand and led me outdoors. Soon, I could see the Archery grounds.

“Nema,” I complained, trying to understand the meaning of her actions.

“I know you want to see him, you don’t have to deny. And it’s not because you are looking that you are letting him off the hook, right?” she asked with a lopsided smile.

“You are right,” I sighed.

I could soothe this clenching sensation in my heart by looking at him, at least a little bit. Goddess, I was thinking like a teenage witch, but it would help.

He was standing together with other tall elves, as they lined up to practice archery. It was a group competition and apparently they were competing against another group of elves and a team of vampires.

Nema and I watched the game intently, she did it much more intensely than I did. She was ogling them and even whistled a couple of times. I turned to look at her, and to ask her to stop... She was treating these poor men as if they were mere entertainment. To my surprise I noticed that she was even drooling at them.

Oh, Goddess!

“Nema, please....try to contain yourself,” I muttered.

“I am controlling myself, what do you think I am doing now, Mel?” she asked matter-of-factly, making me realise that what I was seeing was her controlled-version.

Nema scared me sometimes.

It was Maximus' turn, my breath hitched in my throat and my eyes were fixed on him, in the gracious way he moved, with precision. He reached his target with ease, and released a beautiful, solar smile.

I think he was so focused on the game that he hadn't noticed Nema and me. Of course he hasn’t, and he shouldn’t.

“Do you know what you want to do about you both? About him?” Nema asked, bringing me back to reality. Her eyes were still fixed on the couple of shirtless males in front of us.

“No, I don’t. But I know I can continue living the way I am right now, I feel like I am hanging on some sort of bridge, of needing him., Hhaving our bond makesing me long for him and not being able or willing to answer to the call of my soul. I have to make a decision, if there is any hope for us or if I should try to break our bond,” I told her with a deep sigh.

“It shouldn’t be easy,” Nema gave me a look of sympathy. I knew that apart from all her jokes and Nympho ways, she was a thoughtful and loyal friend.

“Let’s go back inside,” I muttered.

Seeing him was my relief, but also my pain.

~ * ~

Lea

I was walking back from the nursery with my sleeping baby in my arms and Alexus by my side. We wanted to step outdoors a bit and take a walk with Alexander in the stroller. He loved it, even when he was asleep. I couldn’t flash away or open portals, as a security measure, in case of a fight between competitors or even in the audience, the kings put a powerful spell in place to prevent any kind of teleportation.

“I’m so thirsty, can you get me some water, Baby?” I asked Alexus. Breastfeeding always made me feel like this, but I was very happy to share this moment with my little love and give him the nutrients and the love he needed.

“Sure,” Alexus replied, placing a kiss on the top of my head and heading to the kitchen.

The Olympic Castle was very well-planned by Elric and Liv, to serve all our needs. On top of that, it was planned to make beings of different species feel at home. They did a great job, they were a great team as queen and king. I knew that they loved to work together and shared many ideals and goals.

What Elric did was very bad, but I knew that my sister loved him and she was feeling horrible without him. There are times that love feels like a curse and the mate bond hurts, but it was up to us to pave our way towards healing, seeking redemption and never making those mistakes again, like what happened to me and Alexus and to me and My Wolf.

We were finally happy, we were finally a family.

I only wished my sister could have it again and my mom could have the same, for the very first time. But I couldn’t tell her anything, when I, myself, couldn’t fully forgive my father yet. I sighed at this thought.

I adjusted Alexander in my arms, and walked through the upper bridge that crossed the main hall. It was a good way to cross it without having to pass by a crowd and disturb Alexander’s peaceful sleep. Here it was more silent and there was no one around, even though I could see everything that was happening down in the competition grounds.

Something unexpected attracted my gaze, and a gasp left my lips as I saw Laius and Valentin fighting. Laius almost got my Sun with a lash of hellfire.

“Oh, Goddess!” I muttered underneath my breath.

What were they doing? Have they lost their minds? I had to go down there and stop this madness before any of them got hurt.

I was heading there when I saw a flash of light being sent in my direction, I dodged it as fast as I could and tried to find the source of the attack. I tried to flash away inadvertently, and failed, in the moment of desperation I forgot about the blockage spell.

“No!!!” I screamed as another ball of energy was launched at me and this time Alexander and I escaped for a matter of a few inches. Alexander woke up scared, crying a lot.

“Baby, flash to your dad Alexus,” I told Alexander, as I combined my elf and witch powers to summon a protective shield reinforced by vines. Once again I looked around, trying to find my attacker.

I knew that I couldn’t flash, but maybe my baby could. He was more powerful than me and hopefully more powerful than the blockage.

To my utter relief my little one flashed away leaving behind a glow of purple light.

“Alexus, is Alexander okay?” I mind-linked him immediately.

“Lea, baby, what is happening?” I could feel the fear and anxiety flowing from his side of the bond.

“I’m at the bridge, being attacked. Send someone here, but please don’t come here yourself, stay with our baby, instead,” I pleaded. I cut the mind-link, I had to reach Richard and ask him for help, I didn’t have any time to lose.

I knew that I was in a very bad position myself, but the first thing in my mind was to keep my little baby safe.

“Richard, please come to the bridge, someone is attacking me,” I asked my Wolf.

In the meanwhile, some balls of energy met my vines-shield. I had to find the perpetrator, to direct my attacks.

I swallowed the lump that had just formed in my throat and looked around again. I clenched my eyes shut and formed a magnetic camp trying to reach anyone near, I heard the noise of something, or rather someone being dragged.

“You disgusting hybrid! You and your offspring shouldn’t exist! The triad is coming for you!” A man shouted at me.

I could see the face, the face of the one who tried to attack my infant and I. He had a hard and rigid expression, a look of pure hatred.

From his aura I could feel that he was a wizard, not a weak one but also not especially powerful.

Once again he launched another silver ball of energy towards me, but my shield of vines took the impact. I could feel the adrenaline pumping into my veins, as I waved my hands and once again called for the Earth energy, summoning thick vines.

My vines moved in his direction fast, he tried to fight them, and even destroyed some branches with his obliterating energy.

“You are abnormal!” he yelled breathlessly, while fighting against four different vines. His voice was laced with bitterness, this man hated me and I didn’t even know why.

Soon enough, one of my vines curled around his leg making him fall to the ground and restricting his movements. My vines have grown stronger, and so have I.

Before he could launch another attack at me, I hit him using my magnetic force, making him lose his balance further.

My vines were now around him. In a matter of moments he was immobilized, tied by thick vines in some sort of cocoon, but when I thought that I could breathe in relief another energy ball came in my direction, penetrating my protection shield. To my luck, physical combat training with Richard gave me good reflexes and the only thing he managed to obliterate was a piece of my hair.

I narrowed my eyes at him, as I expanded my magnetic field and hit him with it, sending him a few feet away.

Before I could act further, a huge grey wolf jumped on him and blood was spilled. Richard.

My mate shifted back to his human form and ran in my direction, taking me in his arms.

“Luna Mine, are you hurt?” his voice was even deeper than normally and thick with worry.

“No, I am fine,” I replied looking up at his forest green eyes.

My Richard pressed me tightly against his chest, and cupped my head with his large hand, his breath was still heavy with fear.

“Where is our pup?” he asked, a new wave of desperation darkening his green irises.

“He is fine and safe, he flashed to Alexus,” I told him.

His gaze traveled to the man wrapped in the cocoon of vines.

“Luna, I will...” he growled softly, and I could feel the deep vibration in his chest.

I knew he was fighting to keep Titan’s instincts at bay. His beast only wanted one thing, eliminate the one that represented a threat to Alexander and me.

“You can’t kill him,” I told my mate.

“Lea, we have to! He represents a risk to you and our baby!” His voice carried the undertone of the growl he could hardly contain, and his eyes glowed dangerously. “Above anything, we need answers, Richard! He was talking about something that was coming for me, a triad,” I explained, running my hands over his arms, trying to soothe him, and help him to regain control.

Richard huffed, “Fine,” he replied.

I had to know what was happening, why I was attacked and why they hated me so much. Was it because I was a hybrid?

*

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