Chapter 66: .•28•.

There was a slow and romantic tune playing into her ears. A song that she'd heard before. It sounded so nice and sweet. And she happened to like it so much. It reminded her of something. Someone that she used to know. She continued to listen to it, drifting further away into that space of nothingness. There was no light. No air. Only that song. That beautiful piano song.

"Diana...come to me, sweetheart..."

Yes. She wanted to. She could recognize that voice. But she couldn't remember whom it belonged to.

"Diana...don't go, my moon..."

No. She wasn't going anywhere. She was right there. Where are you, she wanted to ask. But she found that she couldn't speak. Because there was no mouth that she could use. No body. She was just a thought. A small wisp of existence.

"Come to me, my love...follow the sound of my voice..."

Yes. She had to. It was him. That familiar voice that she couldn't pinpoint where she knew it from. She had to get there. She had to get to him. She couldn't even tell why, but she knew that she had to. It called out to her. She wanted to be close to it. It belonged to her. And she belonged to it. It was a part of her. So she focused on following it. Tracing its source. She had to get there, wherever he was.

Nicholas pushed his body further and further up until he reached that surface, holding Diana's limp body against him. He then swam with strength and ease all the way to the closest bank, using only one arm to get out of the water as the other was still busy holding her. The little mortal's body. The little dead mortal's body. Or more like dying anyway. Fuck.

He rushed to pull her out of the water completely and then place her over the soft grass, proceeding to listen to any signs of life into her feeble body.

There were none. Fuck. No no no, no, no.

He desperately gripped at her chin, opening her mouth and holding her nose with his other hand before he started to blow air into her lungs like he'd seen other humans do in similar situations. He then placed his palm against the middle of her chest with gentleness, careful not to crush her frail bones as he started to push at it. Coaxing her heart to work. Her lungs to push out all that water. Fucking shit. This was the moment where he wished that he had his god given powers. He could've pulled her back to life so easily with his shadows. Fucking hell. Why did she had to be so frail? So damned fucking human?

He paused to blow some air into her lungs again, peering down at her still features. That paleness coloring her skin. That bluish tint in her usually rosy lips. He pressed at her chest again, refusing to give up. No. He refused to let her die. He couldn't.

But she was just not waking up.

He let out a loud and despondent growl, tightly grabbing at that wet hair at the back of her head before he pressed his lips against hers, caught between trying to blow air into her mouth or just kiss her. Desperately trying to breathe some life into her somehow.

Come on. Come on, work!

"Don't you dare leave me, you dumb little creature," he spat between gritted teeth whilst massaging her chest again, that angst only growing inside of him upon noticing her refusal to move. To just wake the fuck up.

"Come on, Diana. Open your eyes. You're not getting away from me that easily," he swore under his breath, stubbornly continuing to push at her still chest. Pausing only to blow air into her mouth from time to time.

"No. I am not giving up on you, Diana. I am not losing you too to that asshole, so just wake the fuck up!" He snarled with aggravation, diving in for another try to breathe life into her. To bring her back.

"Come on, you puny little human! Fight! Come back to me and fight me again! Slap me, bite me or whatever you need to do but just please come back..."

"Please..." he softly added, his anger and frustration gradually dying out. Slowly getting replaced by that echoing hollowness. That growing despair. Fuck. He wanted to roar out loud so badly. Tear something down. He wanted to scream at the sky. March right down to Hades himself and demand that he give her back. Or Zeus. Fuck knew where she was right now. Trapped between whichever of those realms. Maybe she was still flowing down Lethe.

Fuck. No. He couldn't just let her go. He wouldn't. So he resumed to performing those human life-saving techniques, determined to have her back. Bring her back to life. She was his. His feeble little mortal. She was made for him and all gods be damned if he would let her go. The fates would have to forcefully pry her body from between his cold and dead corporeal fingers before he would let her go. She was his gift. They couldn't just take her away from him. His bride, crafted by the fates themselves for him and only him. His little moon rose.

He abruptly jerked to a stop as soon as the small sound of a stifled cough came out of her, followed by another. And another. And soon, she was shooting upwards with another cough, this time sputtering out all that water that was blocking her airways.

She violently coughed and he rushed to position her on a side, carefully holding her as she desperately struggled to breathe and gather her bearings.

Shit. That was close. So fucking close. He grimly thought, gathering her closer to his chest as she started to shiver now. Trembling from the cold and exhaustion.

Diana's body hurt so much. It hurt. Everything hurt. And she felt so weak and tired. She just wanted to die right then and there. Why did it hurt so much? Her bones, her muscles. Her head, her lungs. Damn. Even her heart ached. And she was so cold. She could feel her teeth chattering into her mouth. Her body tremble so violently. But at least there was this warm blanket enveloping her. This powerful heat pressing against her back. She just wanted to sink herself even further into it. Have it wrapped around her. It felt so safe and comforting. And it smelled so good. She could just bask into it forever. Rest there, in that cradle created by those two strong arms, and...

Wait.

Her shoulders stiffened as realization dawned upon her. Feeling her heart beating faster and faster with apprehension. And before she could even try and control herself she was already squirming in his arms, desperately trying to get away. No! He was going to-

She let out a breathless sound as he suddenly gripped her arms instead and turned her around, forcing her to face him. And before she could even say anything he abruptly yelled in her face,

"You stupid fucking human! What the hell were you even thinking?"

She could only blink in return. Momentarily stunned by the sight of him bare-faced. Finally free of all that smeared paint. His inky black hair still dripping with water, those droplets trailing over his smooth skin so enticingly. She quickly shook her head, struggling to remain focused on the issue at hand.

"You were about to kill me!" She accused with disbelief, making him express a frown as he stared back at her.

"No, I wasn't! And if I recall correctly, you're the one who keeps attacking me out of the blue!" He pushed back with vexation. Now it was her turn to stare at him weirdly.

"Yeah, you slapped me, you bit me and now you even went and punched me in the balls! What kind of sick little psycho does that?" He spat with incredulity, that last part however making her cheeks heat up a little for some reason.

"The kind that wants to get away from you!" She cried back nonetheless, mildly shoving at his chest for emphasis. His slippery and still very wet chest.

"You're constantly trying to hurt me one way or another! And you keep threatening to murder me! Or course I will try to defend myself, in every way that I can! I can't just sit around and wait for you to bite my head off or suck me dry!" She spat in his face, her chin trembling a little as that freezing sensation in her body only increased now in the absence of his warmth wrapped around her.

Nicholas simply regarded her for a moment, his expression turning rather conflicted as he quietly replied,

"That doesn't mean that you should try and kill yourself though,"

Diana stared back at him, lips parting a little with surprise.

"I wasn't..."

She blinked, cheeks pinching up with heat.

"I was just trying to escape from you by reaching that portal, okay? And I didn't realize that I would have to swim to get there," she explained with uneasiness, trying to contain that chatter of her teeth. She was feeling so incredibly cold again, embarrassment aside. She just wanted for him to hold her again. Help her warm up a little.

But he was staring at her so angrily now. His brows were furrowed, his chiseled features expressing only displeasure as he gazed at her with those blood-red eyes of his. She didn't like this. She was already feeling so tired. And her whole body was aching, that dull pain in her muscles inevitably increasing with every tremor that wracked throughout her. She would've loved to have a change of clothes. Trade those wet garments that were clinging to her body for a nice set of sweatpants and a sweatshirt, accompanied by a warm cup of coffee perhaps.

Oh no. Dan! She mentally started to panic as realization suddenly dawned upon her. She hadn't spoken to him in god-knows how long! She was even willing to bet that her phone was still in her purse back at the manor, probably dead for a long time now. They surely must be freaking out by now! They've probably already alerted the police as well!

"What? What's going on?" Nicholas asked upon noticing that visibly alarmed look on her face, his expression shifting from anger and vexation to mild concern.

"I haven't talked to my mom or Dan in a while! They surely must be worried sick by now!" She blurted out with growing anxiety, her eyes so wide as she stared up between Nicholas'.

"I'm sure it's all fine. Niraxis has it all under control. She will come up with a credible and fancy excuse if they come looking for you," he so dismissively said, making Diana's brows furrow with confusion in exchange.

"Who?"

He blew out a sigh, quickly remembering that she had no clue about his guardian's true identity.

"Miss Nancy," he rectified, earning himself another weird look from her.

He didn't bother trying to explain all those tedious details to her, having already grown so tired and irritated with all this nonsense. And instead he pulled her closer to him by wrapping his arm around her waist, his other hand already pressed against his mouth as he let his fangs descend and prickle his skin.

He then shoved that bleeding part of his hand against her lips, firmly commanding,

"Drink,"

Diana's eyes grew wide again, staring up at him with nothing but confusion now.

"But I just-"

"Just fucking drink, Diana!" He growled out with impatience, making her startle in his hold and latch onto him immediately, like a child that had just been scolded into behaving by their parent.

He couldn't contain that tortured groan that escaped him as soon as he felt her warm and wet tongue on his skin, that shiver that crawled up his spine and that zing in his pants ever so present.

"You're going to fucking drain me at this rate," he rather breathlessly complained, his fingers twitching as they continued to hold onto her waist so possessively.

But she surprised him by suddenly detaching her sweet little mouth from his palm, only so that she could venomously spit back at him,

"Well good. Maybe then I can finally get rid of you!"

He stared down at her. A sudden and unbridled bout of fury gripping at him. Making him yearn to just turn her around and push her into the grass, forcing her to sit with her ass up in the air just so that he could spank it raw. Tear those tiny panties to shreds. Making her scream and beg for him to stop as he fucked her fast and mercilessly.

His hand suddenly went up and buried itself into those wet curls at the back of her head, forcing her face closer to his. He let his gaze roam over her features, noticing that evidently scared look into her eyes. The tiniest hint of excitement however hiding in them. He could hear her heart beating so fast now. Body trembling with an array of different emotions. But she didn't dare move. She remained stiff as a stone. Eyes darting between his so attentively. Her bloodied lips slightly parted. They looked so fucking inviting now. So incredibly delicious with that blood painting them. His blood.

His sweet little moon. All his and only his.

So fucking beautiful... he wanted to murmur out loud, letting her know how fucking beautiful she was right now. How incredibly tempting for her god.

He could ravage her right now. Make her cry and tremble from all that pleasure that he could offer her. Wring out every single last drop of cum or tear from her feeble body. That was how much he wanted her right now. How much he craved to have her. Not even death would be able to separate him from her body. He would bring her back to life and force-feed her his blood, just so that he could fuck her again and again. Feast into her like a thirsted man in the desert.

Fuck.

He licked at his lips, thickly swallowing. Not failing to notice the way that her gaze immediately darted downwards. Closely following that action.

Damn. Fuck this shit. Fuck everything else. His head tilted as he leaned over and brought himself closer to her, just about to kiss her when that grating voice suddenly cut in between, rudely interrupting them.

"Holy fates. Well look what the cat dragged in today. And she brought a nice little snack on the side,"

Diana suddenly jolted as if she'd been dunked into freezing water all over again, instinctually pressing her hands against Nicholas' chest into an evident attempt to distance herself from him.

He easily let go of her without any protests, allowing her to move aside and peer in the direction where that voice had come from.

Her eyes immediately rounded with surprise. Even a little bit of fear.

There was a male standing before them. A huge mountain of a male. All covered up into a shiny and pristine golden armor. A soldier of sorts.

"Wolf," the vampire sitting right next to her acknowledged into a rather bored and unimpressed tone.

"Long time no see, Shadow wielder," the mountain of a soldier uttered in reply, his tone however slightly more enthusiastic.

"And you brought a friend, I see," golden soldier's covered head slightly turned in her direction, making her momentarily wonder how good he could actually see through that thin line in his visor serving as a peephole rather than anything else.

"Oh trust me, I can see perfectly fine, young lady," he suddenly said out of nowhere, making her blink with utter astonishment. Even a little bit of horror.

Had he just-

"Yes, I can read people's thoughts. That is the sole reason why I was assigned to guard this portal," he easily explained, answering her unsaid and unfinished question.

What? Wait a minute. Had they actually crossed to the other side? Was this the realm that Nicholas had been talking about? The gods' realm?

She couldn't help but take an inquisitive look around at the thought of that, so surprised to notice that indeed the scenery around them had changed. No more it was simple, and green, and repetitive. Instead there was a vast and majestic world around them, spreading as far as the eye could see. There were colours. So many colours. Flowers. And trees. And bugs. And stones. And pieces of raised land. So much greenery. So much nature. So much variety. However the thing that drew her attention the most now, was that monstrously large palace that stood on a hill so far away from them. It was beautiful. Magnificent. Looking like the gods themselves had taken their time to craft it. There were tall and thick greek-styled columns guarding it. Holding the heavy weight of a thick and wide ledge. Thick stone walls. Dream-like balconies. It looked amazing. Like pulled out of a fantasy story. A fantasy story that she was apparently currently living in. Dragged into by none other than the vicious vampire sitting right next to her. The very same vampire that was just about to kiss her only moments ago, and the very same one that she found herself yearning to be kissed by.

"Welcome to Olympus, little mortal. May your stay here be as pleasant as you are,"