CHAPTER 56

Kavi’s POV:

'Our mate is coming,' my wolf yipped happily.

Akhilan!

My senses focused on the paw thuds a few miles ago, and his racing heartbeat only made me anxious. I had just learned everything about my past. I was not ready to face him yet. I should have visited him earlier, but I was too busy trying to find a solution to save Maayan's life. When the sound of his paw thuds increased, my heart started racing, and I did the only thing that my panicked mind could think of.

I teleported back to the realm of darkness, ignoring my wolf’s pleading cries. I understood she wanted to meet him, but I couldn't face him now. I didn't even know what I would feel if I saw his face now. Maayan occupied my mind totally but Akhilan...

I was just…avoiding him for my own sake. Even after knowing my past, I could feel the same love for Akhilan in my heart. The confusion and the feel of betraying one for another had been eating at my heart.

I wanted to understand this whole soul connection thing. Maayan had a connection with my soul, and my death didn't affect him because the connection was severed recently, and my mistrust did minimal damage to him. But his love for me kept our connection alive, and when I said I trusted him to release him from Qywesir, the connection was rejuvenated. But our souls weren't fully bonded as they had been once.

Akhilan was chosen by nature as the most compatible partner for me. But Chandran used his divine powers to break our bond even after Akhilan marked me. My wolf and I were in love with him. I didn’t question the sincerity of my love for him because I knew it was pure. The destined relationship gave me the hope to live whenever hard times struck me. He made my life so beautiful and gave me hope for love. I misunderstood him and stayed away from him, but he held onto his love and won me.

There was no question of choice. I couldn't choose between them. I loved them both!

But…was it too greedy to ask for both of these ripened hunks of handsomeness?

A perverted vision flashed before me, making me smile. I shook my head and sighed, realizing Chandran would be cooking up a plan while I was leisurely pondering the confusion in my heart. I should think and act regarding Akhilan's matter before something irrevocable happened. My heart wouldn't bear his loss. He was near Chandran now. Maybe I should bring him back here. Would he really want me? Obviously, yes! Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to the Blood Warriors. Why did I behave like a coward and run back here? He would have understood why I hadn't come to see him.

A hand on my shoulder pulled me out of my thoughts. I looked up at Aadhira in the dark room where my beloved was lying peacefully, leaving me in agony. I gave her a small smile and stood up, walking along with her.

We walked in silence until we came near the place where we usually met in the evening to discuss the affairs of the realm and souls. I opened the door, and it was so dark and dusty. I imagined the place being clean and snapped my fingers, which instantly made it clean. I turned around and noticed Aadhira's eyes were glossy—she was thinking about her brother. That's why she left the place unattended. It was too painful to recall the demise of her loved one.

I walked in and saw the three seats. A pang of ache made my heart clench to recall the brave soul who sacrificed his life to save me, but I let his sacrifice go to waste by killing myself. My focus had been on the unbearable pain in my heart created by the false proclamation about my love.

"I know this place gives you pain. And I made his sacrifice go to waste without thinking properly. He wouldn't want you to be sad. Kathir loved you very much, and he would want his sister to be happy. I can feel that his loss changed you. You shouldn't blame his death on yourself, Aadhira. You have been carrying the guilt for the past seven millennia. Your cold exterior is trying to cover your kind heart. I am so grateful to you for taking responsibility for the realm. But there is one more thing you should know."

She let go of her tears, dissolving the guilt and releasing the pain with my words. I held her hand and used my mind-link power with darkness to enlighten her about Maayan. She hated him, thinking he had left me for another woman like Chandran narrated to me in front of my wounded warriors. She should know the truth about why I had died and how Maayan was also trapped in a sick game.

She gasped with wide eyes and fell to her knees, crying her heart out. I hugged her and patted her head.

"You are a brave woman, Aadhira. You did what your heart told you was the best, and you have been giving your best all these days and maintaining your top position, and leading our people on the right path. With the increased sins and population, I knew how hard it would be to do the purification, and you have done everything without divine powers. Everything is going to be alright. I will decorate our purification pit with Chandran's head. That bastard will pay for every drop of blood shed by my people. I promise you, Aadhira."

A tear of anger and determination rolled down my cheek and evaporated midway down my skin, which was burning for revenge. She was consoled after a few minutes, and I teleported Aadhira to her room to let her rest a little.

I looked at Kathir’s empty seat. My fingers itched to be drenched in that dustball's blood. It would happen soon.

I spoke with Jasmine and went to the library to think about any useful solution for the antidote. I had an unsettled feeling in my heart. I massaged the area over my heart to get rid of the feeling, but suddenly my stomach ached a little while the nape of my neck burned. Could it be true?

Was there any chance our mate bond was still attached? Did Maayan still have a string to my soul?

What were you up to, Teddy?

This pain and burning sensation were a reflection of a mate being with another partner. I took in a deep breath and teleported to Akhilan's home. I was right outside his door, and the female voice my wolf would always desire to kill reached my ears.

"…Calm down, Sugarcup. That whore doesn't deserve you. You clearly know her scent changed because she’s so busy sleeping with her lover from the past! She hasn’t even had time to visit you once and ran away when she sensed you coming. Here, have this…Don't worry. I will take care of you. I will make you forget all your pain..."

Her scratchy voice reached my ears, and it was repulsively seductive at the end.

My wolf pushed past my barriers and broke down the door. I scrunched my nose at the smell of strong alcohol. I fisted my palm when I saw that bitch sitting next to Akhilan in a flimsy nightgown, exposing the outline of her body clearly. She withdrew her hand from his bare chest and looked at me with her golden eyes, annoyed. Akhilan snapped his head towards me, but his eyes narrowed, and he turned away. Her hormones made the place suffocating, which made my wolf go crazy as this female was lusting after what was ours. I used my power to break the windows, letting fresh air in. I turned toward that bitch.

"Pooja! I warn you to run away before my wolf plucks your heart out." I controlled my wolf and gave her a chance for the sake of the divinity I had. But that bitch smirked and took a bottle from the table next to her.

"The Moon God warned me you would come. You are a traitor for going with that dark creature. I am going to erase the taint of our werewolf race by killing you," she said with the same dirty smirk. So, this was one of his plans to lure me out of my realm. She threw the contents of the bottle in my direction. I smelled it before it touched me.

Bright ash liquid!

I moved sideways and blocked the venom from making any contact with my face with my palm reflexively. Similar to my memory, it stung, but to my surprise, my wolf healed me. She was furious and wanted the blood of this woman for pawing at her man. A smirk adorned my face, and I looked at her with a sweet smile while inching towards her.

"So sad! He lied to you because the man I was with wasn't the dark creature. I am!"

I let the darkness seep through my pores and flared it. I got a satisfying response as her golden eyes turned back to normal while she shook with fear of seeing my true form. I took a few more steps but halted when Akhilan came in between us with a furious look and stood in a fighting stance.

"Stop there. What's your problem? Leave me alone and go back to him!" he shouted in a slurred voice. His scent mixed with something else along with the alcohol.

What was that bitch giving him?

My wolf whimpered at his harsh words. I cringed and looked at his face, which had no emotion, except for anger. He not only let another she-wolf touch him but was also defending her from me.

"Teddy! You are not in your right mind. Get out of my way!" I said to him in a calm tone. He smirked with a careless look and pulled Pooja’s wrist, making her body crash into his.

"I was planning to have a nice time with Pooja. Why do you have to spoil that? Isn't our bond broken already? There is no connection between us anymore. Let me live my life! At last, now I am trying to be happy."

He pressed her body to his. She purred and hugged him. I stood still. I couldn't believe my ears and eyes. No! I shouldn't believe this! My Akhilan wouldn't speak to me like this. Was that bastard making history repeat? Yeah! That might be his plan. My wolf broke down at his hateful words and was howling and sobbing inside me.

"Our bond might be broken, but..."

"Yeah! That's right! End of the discussion! Get out of my home or stay here and watch me find pleasure with this willing female."

He shakily walked to the bed, laid down, and pulled her to his chest. She smirked at me, turned her head, and looked at Akhilan lovingly.

Patience like a Goddess, my foot!

Willing female, huh?

I let a thread of darkness enter that bitch's body. She cried out in agony and shifted to her wolf as her body tried to push out the venomous pain my darkness inflicted on her. Her nerves would feel like they were carrying volcanic lava instead of blood. Akhilan shot up and tried to go to her, but her wolf growled at him because her mind wasn't thinking straight. Her wolf howled her sorry and begged me to stop the pain.

"If I ever see you near a male other than your mate, I will not hesitate to rip your head from your neck. Just because I've forgiven you over and over doesn't mean you can continue all your crazy deeds. Run away, now!" I darkly warned her. Her wolf fell to the floor and coughed up some blood. I raised my hand, withdrawing the dark thread back.

Her wolf jumped through the broken window and her paw thuds slowly disappeared into the distance. The fuming fury in me turned to the man looking at me with equal fire in his eyes. I took the time to look at him. I understood he was broken and very drunk, covered in the mask of anger. His eyes were bloodshot, and his hair was disheveled. I want to calm him down, but he was defensive, and his eyes revealed that his mind was processing many things right now.

"Why are you always spoiling my happiness? Don't I deserve some good times in my life? We are not mates anymore. Why are you still torturing me?" he asked almost sadly in a loud, hateful voice. His words added fuel to my fury. How could he say that?

"Teddy…I thought we were together because of the love we had for each other. You even proposed to me before you had a chance to recognize me as your mate. Was that all a lie? You have been asking me to leave you because that bastard broke the bond! How can I—"

"Stop this bullshit, Kavithanjali. Oh! Or should I call you Layla or Goddess? If your words were true and if you really loved me, where have you been for the past few days? Was it so hard for the Goddess of Darkness to pay a visit to a broken, wounded wolf on earth? Or was your lover taking all your time, not even letting you think of anything else? I don't give a fuck about who you are sleeping with. Just leave me alone! I’ve had enough of you. All I want is some peace in my life now. Can't you give that to me? You spoiled the night!" he spoke clearly out of frustration, and his beautiful grey eyes displayed repulsion.

Maybe it wasn't all Chandran's trap. Destiny was testing me! It had put my beloved on his death bed and made my soulmate repel me. I failed my duty by killing myself once because of love. Now destiny was slapping me for that! I closed my eyes and blinked back my tears. They were precious and shouldn't be wasted over meaningless things. I should be strong. I should keep myself strong for those who trust me. Like the sixteen-year-old Kavithanjali, I should focus on revenge and stay away from love. I sighed out with a new determination and smiled at him—a smile that a Goddess would give to a man she had just met.

"If that is what you want, I will never interfere with your life again, Akhilan. I wish you all the best for your peaceful future. Take care of your wolf! The divine power in me tells me he is trying to get out of your barrier. And you have no idea what I am going through. Don't blame yourself when one day you learn the truth. Life gave me a chance to be in love…I ran away from that, but you held onto me and made me believe in love. You gave me hope that love is a beautiful feeling to have, and I really believed that. But at the same time, you taught me that it was all just a made-up lie, and the ugly truth is love can only bring ultimate pain. And as a Goddess, I shouldn't be distracted. Thank you for enlightening me, Akhilan."

I snapped my fingers, but instead of teleporting, I made myself invisible. He looked at the space where I had stood with wide eyes and fell to his knees, crying loudly. A ray of hope for love sprouted in my heart. But I had had enough pain from this fucking love. I didn't want anyone near me anymore.

I should find a way to save Maayan, but I should keep my heart to myself. No one knows what will happen in the future. I would not let my people down again. The duties from the realm of darkness were waiting for me. I teleported back to my room. Maayan was in bed in the same position. I sensed Jasmine groaning in the next room, trying to find a way to bring him back to consciousness.

I walked towards the window and sat in the place I used for meditation. I wanted to connect with the celestial once again. It had been a while, but my mind was now crystal clear. I sat down in a lotus posture and closed my eyes. Within a few seconds, my soul was connected to the celestial. Unlike last time, I felt warm and safe. The peace in the place made me calm down, and the soul of my wolf was there in a sleeping position. She needed some healing too. This place would heal her broken heart. My wolf managed to heal the bright ashes as she was also immune to silver. It might not have been possible if she wasn't so furious and worked up over Pooja’s dirty behavior.

The light had the power to eliminate the darkness. But a candle could only illuminate a room and not the dark sky. I should find a way to increase my dark powers. Then the bright ash wouldn't hurt any of the people under the influence of my darkness. But Maayan was dying. I didn't know if I had enough time to build my strength before something bad happened to him. I didn't want another soul to make a sacrifice for me. My mind could think more properly while connected with celestial, Suddenly Aadhavan’s words rang through my ears:

"...There is nothing we can do now. The bright ash is a thing that came here from outside the Solar System. We can't find the antidote to it here..."

So, if I left the Solar System, maybe I could find a way to save his life. If these were the ashes of a Sun, there was a possibility for divine darkness there. That darkness could help me.

That's it!

I should have known that I would find my answer through meditation rather than searching on the earth and in my library. I wasted a week! I should go immediately. I thanked the celestial for giving me a solution and opened my eyes happily, determined to save the man who loved me like no one in this universe. I felt like the happiness strengthened my powers. But that didn't last long as panic engulfed my heart.

I blinked and rubbed my eyes, staring at the empty bed...

I gulped and stood up, walking to the bed slowly with a racing heart, and traced my hand where he had been lying a few moments ago. The bed was still warm...

Did he wake up?