Chapter 66 - Wrestle with the Priest

Chapter 66 - Wrestle with the Priest
Chapter 66 - Wrestle with the Priest

He slammed right into Veris, his claws around his neck as Veris hit the floor.

He growled in pain beneath his, his eyes flashing with shock and fear.

He moved swiftly too, his lasso of moonlight twisting quickly around the neck of his best friend whose eyes were now fully blown red.

Ikrus growled loudly in pain, staggering off Veris, as his hands tried to pull away the lasso, the veins in his neck bulging, his eyes flashing.

He yanked it off his neck, and tossed it away to a side of the room with fury. Veris staggered back, a co chant already at the tip of his tongue, the sign of the crescent moon on his forehead glowing slightly.

Ikrus stayed a distant away, looking from the slightly glowing lasso that was on the floor away from them, to the determined and terrified face of his best friend.

Everything was red, everything.

He frowned, and shook his head. His hands holding his head as he tried to calm down.

What was wrong with him?

Why had he— he had never fought Veris like that before. Never with the intention to kill him. Not even for a slight moment like he had just experienced.

What was wrong—-

His emotions. They were not his? He couldn’t be certain. Yes, his feelings towards Aniya had now been intensified but he feared that she was likely angry wherever she was, and that was why this was happening.

Or maybe this was all him.

He didn’t know!

This was too much.

He needed to get out of here.

He didn’t want to hurt anyone, especially Veris.

Something laughed in his mind. This was all him. With the bond completed, the thought of anyone hurting Aniya drove him insane.

He did not have to lie to himself.

“What is wrong with you?!” Veris snapped.

His eyes were probably back to normal again. Everything was no longer red. With his admission, the wolf had settled back into his mind.

“Where is the child?” He asked, with his back turned to him.

“Exactly where you wanted him to be. The process has started already.”

He whirled around in his direction. “Then stop it and give me my son.”

Silence fell across the hall as Veris watched him intently.

“You did not kill her.” His words were imbedded with anger.

“Give. Me. Arlo.” He gritted the words through his teeth.

Veris frowned. “The human child is where you wanted him to be.”

Anger flashed in Ikrus’s eyes. “His name is Arlo.”

Veris clenched and unclenched his fists. He looked asked over to his lasso and picked it up. The glimmering light died as he tucked it into his robe.

“The cleansing has already began,” he set his gaze on Ikrus, “for Arlo.” He said the name with a bitter taste at the end of it.

“Stop it and give my son to me.” Ikrus folded his arms across him. “I am running out of patience.”

It was Veris’s turn to feel rage. “What is wrong with you? This wasn’t the plan.”

“I changed the plan.”

“No. You can’t change the—- did she not poison you?”

“Veris.” There was a dangerous edge in his voice.

“Did she not?”

“She poisoned me. Your antidote came in handy.”

Veris’s frown deepened, as he looked over Ikrus. “Then where is the rest of it? You know you did not have to drink the entire gallon, right? I told you—-“

“I will pay for it in gold.” Ikrus said hurriedly.

He had drenched Aniya in that antidote and licked it off her.

There was no way he was telling Veris about that. About the strange madness that had gripped him lately.

A feeling course through him.

Need.

By the Moon, he just needed his son. Then he would get out of here and think!

“And you killed her, right?” Veris voice cut through his thought and by the accusation laced on it, Ikrus knew that he already knew. Somehow the weight of his judgement felt heavy, and in another way, he simply didn’t care.

Veris moved closer and closer to him as he spoke, his anger and confusion mounting. Ikrus stood his ground. Starting squarely at him.

“She is dead because you are not a fool— because you would never make such a—-“ he went still when he came close enough, his nose flaring.

“You completed the process?! Have you gone mad?!”

“She is my mate.”

“You know the call for the North border is coming.”

“It has been three months! The North Border call isn't here yet, maybe it will never come. The Hunt is here and we learnt of the North Border before it. Maybe the Moon Goddess is having mercy on me.”

“You are foolish. You know it will come.”

“Then fine, let it come.” Ikrus walked past him, his emotions feeling hard to contain. “Why must I die at the North Border when I can die for her here?”

Even the words stunned him, but he knew that he meant it. Perhaps in the entirety of tonight, that emotion was the only one that had been untangled fr
om his confusion and became clear to him.

“I much rather prefer to die for her and my son, so they can live.”