Chapter 108.

Chapter 108.
Adrian.

“If you hurt her… “ The line goes dead. “Hello? Hello? Jerome? Andria?” I yell.

Everyone turns to look at me.

“Shit!” I curse as I throw the phone against a rock. Cassius rushes to me. 

“What is it?” Cassius asks, concerned.

I palm my face, frustrated. Angry. Panic swirls inside of me.

When I manage to form words, I speak. 

“Andria... Jerome has Andria.” I mutter, under my breath.

Cassius pales in horror. 

“What? Then what are we doing here? Let’s go.” He moves, but I hold his arm. 

“No, Cassius. He’s asked I come alone to finish this. The old fashioned way. He doesn’t want us involving our own.” I tightly disclose.

Cassius pulls his hand away, like he’s being slapped. 

“Like I would listen to you. It's Andria we’re talking about. Any harm to her is to me.” Cassius says. 

“And you think I don’t worry about her, Cassius. But if I don’t do as he says, she would be harmed, either way.” I rake my hand through my hair, cursing under my breath. 

“Do you think he would play by the rules?” Cassius observably says. “He’s already broken the rules of engagement. Once a challenge is issued, you follow through. You don’t go behind everyone and back down. And you want to play by his rules?” Cassius' voice has a tremor.

I level a hard gaze on him. 

“I care about my wife, more than you do. She’s my wife. She belongs to me. My own mate. And never forget that, do you understand.” I don’t wait for his response.

I don’t glance at them. I walk away from all of them. 

I march until I’m away from everyone, before I release the pent up growl that has being building in my throat. I punch stones and trees. They give easily at my frustration. When I know that I’ve calmed down, I allow my pants to ease my troubled heart. 

Andria is in danger and it’s all because of me. I should have done something to save her. Perhaps I should have followed protocols. Anything would have been an option than this. I wonder if he’s hurt her. Although he admitted he wouldn’t hurt her. But Cassius is right, he’s unpredictable. He’s already altered the rules of engagement, he can do it again. 

I check my watch on my wrist. Silently watching as the time slowly goes by. Pleading that night would come soon. Because if any harm comes to Andria, I would be devastated forever.

 
Andria.

It’s dusk already from the sun’s descent in the sky. The orange glow, filters inside the broken down cabin, where Jerome has brought us. 

He brought us here, hours ago, after that call to Adrian. And since then, we’ve been here.

Actually he transformed to his lycan self and carried me in his arms, as he jumped every tree and hill, until we got here.  It was exhilarating, travelling air lycan. I’ve never been transported by a lycan before. Actually he’s the first I’ve ever encountered.

When he travelled with me in his arms, I couldn’t help but inwardly admire every muscle he incorporated to ensure he transported us here. The strength in him. And the way his animalistic growls sounded in my ears, breaking the still air in the forest.

And when we got here, he didn’t say a word, he only gazed at me intensely for a few seconds, before he wordlessly lay me on the bed. And I’ve lain like that since. When the effect of the nerve paralysis wore off a little, I was able to sleep.

Now I’m awake, I  can only stare and speak in my head. My nerves are still too frozen to act. At least I can breathe easily now.

A fire burns low in the fire place, warming the cabin. I just lay flat on my side, watching him. My side hurts.

“I paralyzed your nerves. It’s a thing with lycans.” He fluidly discloses.

I listen. 

“I know you would think me cruel. But I had to do this. I had to punish Adrian for what he did to me years ago.” He releases a bitter chuckle as he puts some wood into the fire.

He sits down and is speaking directly to the fire.

“A long time ago, Adrian took the woman I loved from me. You know, the one I told you loved someone else.” He turns to me now.

I recall he told me that. 

“Anaya was her name. She was betrothed to me, a lycan from the most powerful lycan family. We were to marry and she chose to go pursue her dreams as a singer. I didn’t object. I wanted her to see the world. So I followed her, as she progressed. I was in the States, keeping an eye on her.” His tone holds sadness. 

“And then she met Adrian, a vampire, and fell in love with him. She was already bonded to me. But she bonded twice. We can do that as lycans. And I wouldn’t have minded if it had been with another lycan. But a vampire? An enemy?” He sighs heavily. 

“I know you can’t even respond to me now. But it would have been a consolation if you could.” He confesses.

His words stun me. But I can’t even react. I only watch.

“The paralysis should wear off in a few minutes. At least your darling husband would hear you scream, when I kill you.” He faces me. 

“Yes, I would kill you. Just like I had Anaya killed. Yes. I had them followed all the time and I knew  they had travelled on a trip to meet Adrian’s family. I knew they had grown serious. So I took my jet and went after them. I arrived Bran a couple of hours later and I met Lord Bran sometime in the middle of the night. I threatened to kill Adrian if he didn’t kill Anaya.” Jerome laughs darkly.