Chapter 33

“Green!"

“Green!"

“Green!" Lilith's voice kept pitching throughout the hallway as she trailed behind my back, but I kept ignoring her.

“Green!" She called again as I almost reached for my room doorknob.

“Green you're pregnant!"

I gasped, and my heart skipped a beat as my body shuddered in faint excitement. I turned to her just to confirm she wasn't playing tricks with me. And indeed, her countenance confirmed it.

My eyes widened and I couldn't even phantom how to feel. On one hand, there was fear and on the other, was joy and excitement.

“You're pregnant Green,” she quoted again. This time on a relatively calmer note.

“I don't believe you." I whispered but she inched closer, flashing a tiny smile of admiration. She held my left palm; the same one she had cut before.

“I found out during the ritual. You're carrying another life inside of you Green. Your blood says it all,” she explained, and I just remained dumbfounded.

“The Mark on your neck says it all. This child definitely belongs to your mate."

“Zeus..." I uttered in oblivion while my mind travelled to our time in York. Where he had clamored about having a child, having a proper family. In the end, his wish came true. I was carrying his child. He was going to be a father, and I…I was going to be a mother. A monster like me.

“Who's Zeus?" Lilith's voice jerked me back to reality. And then her eyes shot up. "Wait, the same Zeus we all know?!" She exclaimed and I nodded slowly.

“My goodness! And you never told me..."

I heaved a sigh as she continued to rant. All that toured my mind was my child. In a divine way, I could feel. I could feel that tiny warmth in my stomach. I must have been so drowned in my worries that it skipped my observation. Normally, I would have started thinking of an abortion, but I was different. I wanted this child. I wanted Zeus back, I wanted us to have a family.

And in a way, I felt my dream didn't matter as much this baby's life. Whether it was my mother's instincts kicking in or the mate bond, I felt the need to protect my child.

“Green…Green! Green!!"

“Yes?" I whispered as Lilith's voice jolted me back to reality again.

“What are you thinking? You're not planning on doing something sinister are you?" She queried with a skeptical look. I frowned before placing my hand gently on my stomach.

“I need to find Zeus…” I said in oblivion again. "I need to find my mate..." I mumbled as I toured into my room without a specific aim. I didn't even know what to wear or how I would even spill the news to him. But I did know one thing, he was going to forgive me. I was going to see his beautiful smile again. I was going to be in his warm embrace again.

“Lady Green!" Celine pitched as she stormed into my room. Lilith and I turned to her direction. I couldn't help but frown at her worried expression.

“I just received words from Eren's messenger..." Her voice trailed off causing my frown to deepen.

“What happened?" I asked.

“Zeus has been captured." My jaw almost dropped, it felt like my heart was being ripped to shreds. Fear began to take charge within me while my body trembled.

“They're at the Miraelon Caves and he says you should bring the artifacts before the sun sets if you want to save your mate."

I felt a cold haunting sensation chill across my spines as those words phased through me. I started to imagine the several torture he must be going through. The pain and suffering all because of me.

Anger struck in me, increasing by the second.

“He says..." Her voice trailed off. "He says you should come alone."

My teeth gritted. He was definitely going to have himself surrounded with his pathetic dragons. But I couldn't risk Zeus's life either. I wasn't going to let the father of my child be in danger because of some artifacts.

I stared at the seed in my right hand, at the same time, I thought about my child. I took deep breaths before heading for my wardrobe.

“Green don't tell me you're going to that place alone?" Lilith sharply asked while I pulled my uniform.

“That's exactly what I'm going to do." I confirmed.

“It's a trap! What if he didn't catch Zeus? What if he's just lying?" She pitched.

“I know Eren,” I said as I undressed myself. "He's not lying."

“So, you're going to give him the seed?"

“Yes." I blurted without thinking.

“Green, you've been chasing these artifacts for centuries now. And all of a sudden you just want to give them up?" I paused.

“This is not you,” she added, and in that moment, I realized why Martha left me. She had to choose between me and her mate. And I was exactly in the same situation.

“You're right," I said as I wore my dashing green and black uniform. "This is not me. My priorities have changed now. Whether I like it or not..." My voice trailed off as I glanced between the two.

“I love Zeus. Very much. I want him to be there for our child, I want to be in his comfort always, I want to see his smile every day, I want to be loved by him for eternity and I don't care if it means sacrificing my dreams." I pursed my lips. "At least not anymore." I whispered as I stared at the seed. Both of them remained quiet but deep inside, I believed they agreed with me.

“No one dares to torture my mate." I quoted icily before marching out. I walked briskly across the hallways and downstairs before reaching outside were the sun graced me.

“Green..." Lilith sounded behind me. "Stay safe."

I glanced at the both of them with a tiny smile before spreading my wings. I didn't mind if flying was energy consuming, I needed to save my mate as fast as possible. And so, without further thoughts, I flapped my wings before dashing into the skies.

And after an hour of flight, I finally reached the Miraelon Caves. One of the coldest highlands of our world. As I landed on the snowy grounds, I could easily tell the eyes that were boring holes at me. They were hiding amongst these caves, but I still felt them regardless. I could pick their scent, Dragons and Werewolves alike. Truth be told, I wasn't in any shape to fight hundreds of these creatures alone, so I focused on the small wooden house before me, which was the only place I could pick Zeus's scent from. My nose also sensed his blood, and it made my anger and fear dose on a heavier note.

I didn't even want to imagine the kind of pain he was going through behind those doors. My wings retracted and I began to stride towards the building. With every step I took against the cold winds, the scent of his blood got thicker. I could pick out Eren’s and Damian's too. My palms curled, and my pace increased till I reached the doors. I exhaled before pushing the twin doors open.

“Zeus..." I mumbled in a broken voice seeing my mate chained to the ground. Short silver rods were inserted throughout his stretched arms. And across his neck. I froze in horror as drop silently toured out of his wounds, he was barely even conscious. I wasn't even sure if he noticed my presence. It hurt. I wasn't sure my heart was beating, my insides burned like brimstone fire. And then I finally noticed the elephants in the room.

The one-handed Damian stood beside my mate, Eren, and six other dragons. They all had one thing in common, Predatory eyes. Eyes that told they were ready to make me suffer.

“How dare you Eren..." I growled, trying hard to hide the pain in my voice.

“No one. Absolutely no one has the right to touch my mate like this."

“It shouldn't have come to this Green, but you left us no choice,” he replied. "Just return our artifacts and we'll let your mate go."

I gulped down my saliva.

“It's gone."

He frowned.

“What do you mean it's gone?"

“I combined them together and all it gave me was this." I raised my hand left hand revealing the black seed. But rather than believe me they stared in confusion.

“You think we're here for your silly tricks! Give us the artifacts or he goes!" Damian growled, pulling a stake towards Zeus's heart.

“I'm not playing any tricks either! This is all that's left of the artifacts." I argued, fear dominating my voice.

“Green, don't you care about your mate? Give us the artifacts."

Eren toned too.

I stepped closer but they all took fierce stances.

“Believe me."

“Green, I will ask for last time. Give us our artifacts!" Eren blared.

“And this is it!" I raised my voice.

“Do you think we're stupid. You're carrying a cashew seed or whatever and you tell us it's the artifacts?" He retorted.

“I swear on my mother's grave, this is all that's left of them." I replied before tossing it to the ground towards them but none of them even bothered to pick it.

“Green..." Eren growled.

“Let him go." I ordered.

“Green!" He warned again.

“I've given you what you wanted now let him go!" I yelled.

“Then you leave us no choice!" Damian barked, and in an instant, he struck Zeus.

“No!!!" I screamed but it was already hopeless. Tears graced my mate's eyes, blood streamed out of his mouth as he looked up to me. I could see his life fading out swiftly in those Hazel eyes of his. Those eyes that once beheld so many beautiful emotions were turning lifeless before me. And as the next second came, those eyes closed, his body relapsed into lifelessness.

“Zeus?" I called in a weak voice, tears gracing my eyes too. "Zeus..." I called again as I walked towards him. I didn't even care Damian and the others stylishly ran for the exit.

“Zeus!!" I screamed as I fell on my knees, tapping his lifeless face. I quickly released him from his chains and rods, but I couldn't bring myself to pull out his stake.

“Zeus!!" I cried, cold tears rushing across my cheeks. I felt magnanimous pain, one that consumed me. One that burned. I wished this was a nightmare, but it wasn't. It wasn't.

I failed my mate.

I failed Zeus. I felt that cold, that familiar haunting sensation. One I had long tossed away flooded throughout my body like the ocean.

My tough wall crumbled, my body shivered, and my breath barely escaped as tears profusely soaked my eyes. Trickling across my cheeks and down to my mate's lifeless face.

“Don't do this to me Zeus." I pitched but my silky voice came out in a tiny whisper. Broken and filled with guilt as my palms curled around his perfect face.

“Zeus!" I pleaded and for the first time that word didn't sound like an abomination for me. For the first time in years, I was begging for mercy.

“Zeus!" I pressured again tapping his face repeatedly.

“I love you," I mumbled without hesitation. "I love you Zeus!" I affirmed again, this time leaning against his blood coated shirt as I sobbed.

I had become weak. I had fallen to the chains of love. A feeling I had spent centuries hiding from. It finally caught up with me and just when I was about to accept it, to accept him, he faded. Like a dream, he was. A good man. A perfect Mate.

“Zeus!!!" I screamed my lungs out as I hugged him tightly. He was always there for me, in my bad and good. And just when he needed me, I failed. I failed him!

“You can't leave me! You can't, you can't leave your child!" I muttered. "What happened to the family you wanted? What happened to always being there for me?

Don't do this to me Zeus! Please..."

I kept grasping him like my life depended on it but deep down I knew it was hopeless.

He was gone. I never even got to tell him the good news, I never got to say goodbye, I never got to say it to his face, that I love him. And it was all my fault, my stubbornness, my ego, my darkness. They kept shrouding me from the right path.

The twin doors smashed open from the winds storming outside. With my teary vision, I stared at the light—the light my mate tried to bring me to.

“Zeus..." I whispered his name hopelessly, and then my eyes darted to the seed that toured towards us.

As I kept staring at it, all I could see was Damian and Eren. How those two monsters had taken my joy away from me. I picked the seed.

This time I wasn't going to hesitate, this time I wasn't going to spare them even if it meant chasing them till the end of the World. I was going to avenge my mate. And so, without further thoughts, I swallowed it.

I screamed as I felt every bone in my muscle wrench and rebuild again. My body ignited in flames. But they weren't green. I felt power on an infinite scale. I could feel a wolf inside of me, I could sense the magic running through my veins and my vampire nature was more blood thirsty than ever before.

My grey irises morphed into another color, but they weren't green. My blonde hair gradually changed colour too and my wings bared out of my back. Larger than before. But they weren't green and black.

Everything was different, I was different.

My flames, eyes, my hair, my wings, they were all a dashing shade of red. I was no longer Green.

I was, Red.