Chapter 134 Fear His Name

Chapter 134 Fear His Name
A man mounted on a majestic dark horse rode out from the back of the rogue group. Judging by his aura, he was their leader. "In exchange for your precious peace, you will hand over half of your territory."

Yorick and his father exchanged a brief, quiet look.

Leader Austin cleared his throat. "I apologize, but our territory is already barely enough to sustain our own people—"

"Peace or war!" The Rebel Leader drew a long, gleaming sword, pointing it straight at Leader Austin’s throat. "Choose between the two! I know we are outnumbered by your guards, but if a fight breaks out... innocent blood will spill on both sides."

"You have no right to point a blade at Leader Austin!" Yorick’s eyes flashed a dangerous crimson. "I will count to three—"

"Yorick..." Leader Austin interrupted, holding a hand up to restrain his son. "Please. No."

"But Father—"

"I will be the one counting to three..." The Rebel Leader sneered, a cruel grin spreading across his face. "If you haven't made up your minds by then, I will take it as your choice to choose war over peace."

Anxious murmurs broke out among the Vlanchard guards.

Shit. This is going downhill fast.

"One..." The Rebel Leader began his countdown. "Two..."

"Man, this flower smells incredible."

Out of nowhere, a tall figure casually stepped right into the tense clearing separating the two armed factions. He was holding a small, vibrant purple bloom, entirely absorbed in its scent.

Azi...

"Max?!" Yorick gasped, his jaw dropping in sheer disbelief. "What are you doing out here?! Get back inside right now! This is dangerous!"

Azi casually glanced up from the flower, looking at Yorick with a mild, almost bored expression. "What? You guys are blocking the main path. How am I supposed to get back inside? Wait... why are you all standing out here like this?"

The Rebel Leader narrowed his eyes, staring at the back of Azi’s head. Since Azi hadn't turned around to face them yet, they couldn't see his face.

"What's going on here?" Azi finally turned around completely, his gaze drifting lazily over the rogue vampires.

The instant the rebels caught a clear look at his face, every single one of them stumbled back a step in collective horror. The arrogant, imposing swagger they held moments ago vanished into thin air, replaced by absolute, paralyzing dread. Even the Rebel Leader atop the horse froze, his face draining of all color.

"Rebels?" Azi asked, taking one slow step forward. The rebels instantly took another hasty step back. "What are filthy rogues doing at the clan where I'm staying?"

Confusion washed over the Vlanchard guards as they watched the terrifying raiders cower.

"Are you the leader?" In the blink of an eye, so fast the human eye couldn't track it, Azi was standing right beside the horse, staring up at the frozen Rebel Leader. "What brings you here? Mind sharing?"

The Rebel Leader swallowed hard, his hands trembling against the reins. "W-we were just passing through... We aren't looking for trouble! Our apologies, Az—"

Before he could finish the name, Azi reached up, grabbed the Rebel Leader by his collar, and yanked him off his horse effortlessly. He dragged him close, leaning in until his lips were inches from the man's ear.

"I'm going to count to three..." Azi whispered softly.

Azi didn't even get to say "one." The moment the other rebels saw their leader grabbed, they turned and scattered into the forest like terrified rats. When Azi casually let go of the leader's collar, the man scrambled frantically on all fours back onto his horse, digging his heels in and galloping away as fast as the beast could carry him.

Azi brought the purple flower back to his nose, taking a calm, deep breath. "Mmm... so fragrant..."

A stunned, absolute silence fell over the Vlanchard Clan.

Azekiel Vancourt...

"Nice view up here?"

I froze as Azi suddenly materialized on the tree branch right beside me. "Did you sleep well, Kina? Sorry I couldn't make it back sooner."

I stared at him, my throat tight, unable to utter a single word.

He held up the delicate purple flower toward me. "This is called a Hyacinth. It smells much better and looks way prettier than that red rose you were holding last night."

I remained completely silent, my heart hammering against my chest from a cocktail of anger, relief, and sheer exhaustion.

"Wait... are you okay? Did those bastard rogues scare you?" His brows furrowed when he got no reaction from me. "Hold on. I'll go hunt those fuckers down. Who gave them permission to scare my wife—"

I reached out, grabbed his shirt collar, pulled him in, and slammed my lips against his.

In my sheer, overwhelming frustration, I bit down hard on his lower lip. Instead of pulling away or complaining, he let out a low, breathless laugh against my mouth.

"You're such an asshole,Azi," I sobbed against his lips. "You are the absolute worst man I have ever met."