Chapter 44 : Painful Misunderstandings 1

Nathan

He was a hybrid, a rogue and also the descendant of a witch who had been allied with the darkness for a long time; he was also a dark lord who was obsessed with immortality and was contemplating his failure to achieve his goals. He was deeply disappointed that Uma had failed in her attempt to kill Carolina and Rylan. He stood in the quiet, dark room with Claire, his loyal follower, facing him while holding a magic mirror that showed the latest developments.

"Damn, that guy," he spat out the words, his frustration growing. He felt bewildered by Uma's inability to deal with her ever-living enemies. The failure fueled his anger and he cursed Uma inwardly.

"What a wasted effort."

He looked to the side, his eyes empty, lost in dark memories. He remembered his first encounter with Uma, a dark priestess who had become more and more insane over time. She was an attractive woman who could be used by him, or so he hoped. It was easy to make an obsession out of Uma and convince her that he needed an ageless mate and how to get a body that would never age.

But when he thought back on his unsuccessful attempts, he laughed hatefully. He stared at the poor lovebirds with complete satisfaction. He enjoyed seeing Carolina's devastation when she realized her resemblance to Uma's lifeless corpse. Similarly, Rylan's helpless expression at the sight of her suffering gave him great satisfaction. For him, seeing his enemies suffer was more satisfying than killing them.

In an improved mood, Nathan ordered Claire to show him the other two people he had targeted, "Show me the other man and the other woman," he said. Claire, expressionless, complied with his request. Through the magic mirror, he saw Mike and Selene, the other couple he had targeted. They were riding a large wolf across the twilight sky.

He smiled wickedly, a dark bloodlust filling him, "Let's see if they can survive my minions, hahahaha." A wicked grin graced his lips as the blood lust filled his crimson eyes. He planned to make Mike and Selene his next targets.

*****

Selene

Samuel, Mike and Selene move through the forest at a fast pace. Samuel ran as a wolf, while Mike and Selene rode a big wolf named Felix. They all had one common goal, which was to find Rylan and rejoin the hunt to save Carolina.

In the link of their minds, Samuel asked, "Where are we going to go?"

"Wherever Rylan is," Mike replied unhelpfully, sitting behind Selene on the wolf, his eyes glued to Selene's slender back, the beautiful curve that clung between her thighs as they leapt at super speed across the sky and forest on Felix's back. His hands itched to feel her muscular form. His mind was too preoccupied with her form to think about Samuel's words.

"Yes, but where is he? I can't even remember where we left him," Samuel complained. Ever since Rylan had left to go after Carolina, they had been looking for signs of him, but hadn't been able to find him yet. Staying with Elena was not an option, since she really couldn't control the fever while she was trying to kill them.

"Don't worry, Sam. We..." Selene started to reassure Samuel when she suddenly felt a hand on her thigh. "Pervert!" she screamed, reflexively jabbing back with her elbow to drive a stake through Mike's body. The air hissed out of him as he gasped for breath, clutching his battered midsection with the offending hand he had placed on the woman.

Samuel could only stare at the scene with a disgusted expression and commented, " Idiot."

"Aren't you being a little rude, Selene? I just wanted to see if you were okay..." Mike tried to defend himself, but Selene angrily cut him off.

"Save it, asshole! You're lucky I didn't beat you up!"

"You never learn, do you," Samuel said through the mind-link, shaking his head at Mike.

Mike was laughing cautiously, though he was still in pain from the stabbing, when Selene suddenly pointed up and exclaimed, "I see something overhead.

Mike looked up and saw a gap in the forest leading to a large clearing with a large, secluded house in the middle of it.

"Who could possibly live out here?" asked Samuel in a low tone, changing back to his human form and pulling his cloak tighter around his body.

"Shall we find out, Mike?" asked Selene seriously as tension and curiosity grew in their group. Perhaps this house could provide clues to the whereabouts of Rylan and Carolina.

Mike nodded in agreement with Selene's statement. "Maybe we'll find news about Rylan here." They realized that if Rylan and Carolina were nearby, then Uma and her army couldn't be too far away.

"Felix, land over there, but stay alert," Selene ordered as she pointed to the house. Her eyes were alert, ready to act if there was a threat.

They landed softly on the lawn of the dilapidated and abandoned house. The grass they stepped on was dead, the ground dry and cracked. The house they had seen from the air now looked even more dilapidated and abandoned. The roof had collapsed, the entrance was wide open, and the whole building looked dilapidated and worn. There was no sign of life, as if anyone had ever lived here.

"Creepy," Samuel muttered in a frightened tone, his grip on Mike's robe tightening.

Unconsciously, Mike reached out to stroke Samuel's blond hair, as if he felt responsible for his little brother's safety. "Don't worry, Sam. Everything seems calm here." But he remained cautious.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps, as if someone was walking inside the quiet house, shattered the peace for a moment, and Mike's words were wrong. Samuel let out an exaggerated scream of fear, his fur standing on end as he saw the dark, empty door that led into the house.

"There's something in there!" he yelped in panic.

"Who's in there?" Selene asked sharply, knees bent and ready to throw her weapon if necessary.

Suddenly, a small woman appeared from inside the house, clutching the doorknob in fear. "Wh-who are you?" her voice was weak and hesitant.

Tension radiated from Samuel and Selene as they stared at the woman who boldly stepped out of the door and into the afternoon light. The woman looked extremely beautiful, with a pale, flawless face, long black hair flowing over her shoulders, and she was wearing a simple, pretty purple and yellow dress.

Mike's eyes widened in amazement as he looked at the beautiful woman in front of him, while Samuel looked very surprised at her sudden appearance. Selene looked at the woman with suspicion and jealousy as Mike spoke so kindly. But she did not express her feelings.

"I'm afraid I heard some movement outside," the beautiful woman said in a soft voice, still worried about their presence.

Mike, a brave soldier in the pack, quickly stepped forward, ignoring the surprised-looking Samuel and stepped inside with a friendly smile. "Don't worry, dear lady. We were looking for our friend when we found your house."

As he approached Selene, Samuel asked in a low voice, "Does he call it home?"

Selene remained silent, her eyes glued to the scene unfolding before her. She felt hurt when she saw how Mike was playing around with that woman, even though she was trying not to show her feelings. Samuel looked at her worriedly.

"Selene?" Samuel asked again in a hesitant tone, but he still got no answer. He was beginning to worry about her feelings.

Mike, on the other hand, was completely distracted by the woman. He offered his hand politely. "And what is a suitable name for such a beautiful woman?"

The woman blushed and replied, "I'm Princess Amy, sir."

His smile widened even more, and he briskly climbed the stairs to the house, clasping Princess Amy's small hand. "A princess? I am your loyal servant, Princess Amy. I'm afraid there's some dark magic in your house, but don't worry, I'll banish it for you for free," he said politely, acting as if he would protect Princess Amy with everything he had if necessary. He seemed completely unaware of Selene's annoyed presence behind him.

Princess Amy, however, seemed impressed by Mike's attitude. "Mike, I'm not sure..." Selene tried to speak, but was stopped by Princess Amy's words.

"Oh, really, brave man? There are dark witches and rogues roaming around here," Princess Amy said with a frightened look on her face, grabbing his arm and looking at him with a request for protection.

Without hesitation, Mike replied, "You have nothing to worry about, Princess. I will protect you from all threats."

"Please come in, sir. I have much to tell you," Princess Amy said, taking his arm and leading him into the dark and gloomy house, ignoring Samuel and Selene who were standing in the courtyard. "Sir, please tell me your name."

Samuel tried to interrupt, "Hey! What about us?!"

He ran after Mike and Princess Amy, followed by Selene who fell silent behind him, feeling alienated and jealous.