Part 37

Sunlight slowly creeps in from the glass wall that is not covered by curtains. Warmth and glare hit Lalita's face simultaneously. Lalita's eyelids felt so heavy to just open. Her body felt crushed and her face and clothes around Her shoulders were splattered with blood.

Lalita tries to sit up. Her body was incredibly numb with added fatigue and weakness without power. The medicine that Erik injected yesterday really had a very big effect. Rione even had to sleep long inside Lalita's subconscious to recover.

The door was knocked open to reveal a maid carrying a trolley of food. Lalita wonders why Alin doesn't deliver food for her.

"Miss, the food is ready. Is there any other task for me?"asked the maid with a fake smile that Lalita could easily notice.

"Where's Allin?"asked Lalita flatly.

"Oh that cute maid,"Lalita narrowed her eyes at the maid in front of her.

"Master is hunting him for not putting potions-" the maid stopped talking. Judging by his expression it seemed he had said something that he shouldn't have said.

"For not putting?"asked Lalita repeating the maid's words earlier.

"Sorry miss I can't tell you because if Mr. Big finds out not only me, but also my whole family will be slaughtered overnight."

Lalita only smiled at the Vampire maid's narrative. With one wave of her hand Lalita ordered the maid to leave. The maid insisted on staying there to make sure Lalita really ate her breakfast which made Lalita's smile even wider which was more like a grin. Without warning Lalita threw the maid away with her magic until she coughed up blood from hitting the wall too hard.

"Go!"ordered Lalita who had stood in front of the maid who was still sitting and coughing coughing.

The maid rose to glare at Lalita while silently chanting a spell. Realizing what the maid was doing Lalita glared at the maid while feeling the magic around her harmoniously. The maid coughed up blood again with her whole body numb and difficult to move, coupled with a sharp pain that pierced almost her entire body. Lalita smiled crookedly. That vampire was one of Lalita's experiments in using bloodbending instead of just Elements.

"Go or die?"offered Lalita for the second time.

Not daring to argue, the maid limped away immediately holding her chest which looked tight.Left Lalita alone in the spacious room. Lalita wanted to cry but couldn't. Crying is a sign of weakness, and Lalita is not a weak werewolf. With suppressed emotions Lalita approached the food that was served on the table. Not to eat them but to destroy them. With the element Lalita summons the wind to make all food float, including soup and drinks. After all the food was lifted Lalita blew out a fire so hot and smoldering from her anger that the food was scorched then shattered leaving bits of dust which vanished in the wind. Lalita fell to her knees due to the effects of the remaining potions.

"Anathema potion!"she growled.

With full of hard work, Lalita sat on a chair at the dining table to neutralize her breath that had been panting with a crazy heartbeat. When she accidentally put away the empty plate on the table, Lalita found a piece of paper stuck to one of the bottom of the plate. There are two folded sheets of paper, namely a map and a letter. The handwritten paper that was barely legible but Lalita could still read because she knew very well that the writing on the paper was Helen's writing in disguise.

Lalita sorry because I can not help you more than this. Erik hunts Alin, my pseudonym. So I won't be able to visit you. But I have important information that will be a loophole for you to escape from here. The king forces Erik to come to the western border at sunset. Ita is your biggest chance because Erik is neither in the mansion nor in the palace.

I'm sure you already had a sneak plan in place to get away before I showed up, right? The map will make it easier for you to find a way out. Every gate in Vampire Empire is heavily guarded, steal the identity of one of the maids so you can make your way out intact without injuries and pursuit.

Good luck

Lalita smiled contentedly. All she has to do today is rest and gather strength because tonight he will really need more energy.

***

"Miss, your dinner is ready,"said the waiter who delivered breakfast this morning.

Lalita coded with her hand for the maid to come closer. The maid obediently followed Lalita's instructions so she wouldn't have the same fate as this morning.

"Can I help you?"asked the waitress kindly and a little timidly.

"Yeah, I just want you to sleep for a bit,"

For some reason, after looking at Lalita's gray beads, an extraordinary feeling of sleepiness attacked the maid. Powerless, the maid fell asleep on the floor very soundly.

Lalita breathed a sigh of relief. The magic worked. Without wasting time Lalita immediately moved the maid to the bed. Do not forget that Lalita changed her clothes to maid clothes. When looking at himself in the mirror there is still a little flaw. The color of his eyes and hair is a bit striking from most of the Vampire race. Lalita touched her hair and then picked a little then her faded blonde hair turned reddish brown. She did the same with her irises. Looking directly into the mirror her gray irises turned dark black. His werewolf scent would also be obscured by the scent of the Vampire maids. Lalita was lucky because the maid always carried a flat jade as her identification everywhere so that Lalita could escape without being noticed in a short time.Now it's the waiter's turn. Lalita took a strand of her almost white hair that she had prepared earlier then cast a magic so that several strands of her hair turned into a wig that was as long as her real hair then put it on the maid. Now one would think she was asleep under the covers with a bit of hair sticking out.

The next step is to get out of the mansion. With one breath, Lalita left the prison room and headed for the hallway. How surprised Lalita was when she found dozens of guard Vampires neatly lined up around the room. While trying to neutralize her adrenaline pressure, Lalita tried to walk as quietly as possible while lowering her head, remembering that she was disguised as a maid to escap.

"Mia!"snapped a Vampire wearing a different maid outfit with a bit of a frown on her unfriendly face.

"Have you fed Mr. Big's pet?"asked the butler curtly.

"Already,"answered Lalita almost trembling.

"Good now back to work!"

"Good."

Lalita breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the butler's back move away and then disappear. The trip out of Erik's mansion at the palace went smoothly without a hitch but Lalita was a little late when trying to pass through the east gate.

"Where are you going?"asked one of the guards who blocked Lalita's path.

"Looking for rare medicinal plants,"Lalita replied coldly.

"For?"

"Prince Erik's pet,"Lalita almost roared but what other reason could be more logical than that so that the stupid guards would not suspect her.

"Show me your ID?"Lalita took out a flat jade that she took from the maid.

"This is real?"

"Of course!"Lalita pretended to be annoyed after taking the ID from the guard's hand.

"His Highness Erik's servant is indeed arrogant. Go and have a safe return, that is if you don't die,"the guard's sneer was answered by a sharp glance from Lalita.

Lalita calmly walked away so no one would suspect anything. Not forgetting the black robe she wore to make her journey more convincing as well as body warmers at night.

After walking quite a distance from Vampire Empire Lalita ran. So fast that the wind had to yield to its speed no matter how weak his physical condition was as well as his magic. Slowly her hair returned to its original color. With a breath that began to pant Lalita kept running. The most important thing was that he should be able to get as far away from the Vampire Empire as possible. Due to her lack of vigilance and being too hasty, Lalita tripped over a wooden branch and then fell to the ground which was overgrown with grass and a few small stones. Lalita winced feeling that her knee was scratched and bleeding a little.

Even more panicked, Lalita felt her magic on the maid released. Soon there will be many Vampire troops who will hunt him. With a little trembling Lalita stood up to continue her escape. But something seemed to choke her when she was about to run. Her cloak caught on a thorn bush.

"Just let go!"Rione screamed.

'Since when did you wake up?'

'Ask again another time. What is clear is that we must go far from here.'

Without wasting much time, Lalita unbuttoned her robe then ran and jumped while doing shift with Rione. The white-maned wolf's clear blue eyes glistened beautifully in the moonlight. Immediately, Rione ran through the forest to the place he missed so much, home.

***

I don't know how many nights Stefan has spent awake. No longer countless lives floating under its claws. Rogue and Demontur are all the same. Those he met must have disappeared in such a terrible state. The devil from hell is like a figure possessing a black wolf with bright gold eyes that are now dark. His eyes were still as sharp as an eagle's but his heart was empty. Like a gaping hole too dark to explore. There is no mercy as long as what is in his hurry has not been found.

Stefan howled desperately looking at the moon shining brightly above him. After resting for a while with the million requests he made to the moon goddess, Stefan stood up straight preparing to go on his hunt until he could smell the scent he missed so much.

The scent of vanilla, apple and rose that has always made him addicted. The scent that made him go crazy when he was away from him, also the scent that made him happy when he was always with him.

With great impatience Stefan ran in the right direction guided by the intoxicating scent that he always missed. Stefan hopes that his biggest wish will come true tonight. So is the search. Everything has to end tonight.

***

Running away from Vampire Empire for a long time completely drained all of Rione's energy. But they are still in the territory of the Vampire nation. The strength suppression potion was no longer working but the effect was still very great for Rione. Rione limped trying to keep moving before finally collapsing and letting Lalita take over.

'Sorry, I can't take it anymore,'Rione growled low letting his body fall down preparing to sleep in Lalita's subconscious.

'It's fine, henceforth let me take over.'

Lalita stood with uncertain footing. Her body was still weak but he still forced herself. The sound of water getting closer made Lalita sure she would meet a water source. If I'm not mistaken the sound of water that he heard was the roar of the Harmony waterfall, the border between the Vampire and Werewolf territories.

Lalita fell back down because of exhaustion not far from the river flowing from the waterfall. His whole body felt cold from the night wind. Lalita doesn't want to spend the night. As soon as possible Lalita has to find the nearest pack or someplace safe as long as it's not here. Because Erik first found it here.

Lalita stiffened when she heard a long howl that was so sad. For some reason Lalita seemed to recognize that howl. Lalita was even more convinced after smelling a scent that never failed to bring peace to her. The scent of rain, dew, and pine that was so masculine faintly penetrated his senses. As seconds passed, the scent grew thicker.

Across the river appeared a large jet-black wolf with bright gold eyes that stared at him intensely. There was a look of longing in her sad eyes looking at Lalita so deeply. The wolf jumped over the river and arrived at the same side as Lalita. The wolf kept getting closer to leaving a distance that was not too far from Lalita.

Slowly the wolf turned into a handsome man with blue beads that Lalita missed so much. His ocean-deep blue eyes dimmed but darkened slightly. His jet-black hair was a mess, combined with pale lips and black eye circles, a sign that he had been awake for days.Lalita's eyes heated up, the next second was completely unexpected. Lalita was in Sean's arms which was so tight and warm. While rubbing his nose against the crook of Lalita's neck, Sean took a deep breath enjoying the opium aroma that he had been missing all this time. The girl is fine and that's more than enough. Slowly their embrace separated.

"Let it continue like this, if possible forever,"she whispered.

"I've finally found you," Lalita's tears fell uncontrollably.

"Excuse me,"there are no other words that Lalita can say other than sorry.

"Sorry that I was away for too long."

"Don't apologize, it's my fault. I shouldn't have yelled at you, I should have trusted you," Sean took Lalita's hands and kissed them gently. Then a kiss landed on Lalita's forehead followed by an unexpected sweet whisper.

"I love you Lita."

Lalita was still crying. Happy because the person he hopes for also expects it.

"Why are you crying?"asked Sean who put his hand on Lalita's cheek.

"I lost my first kiss,"muttered Lalita subconsciously.

Lalita was taken aback by what Sean spontaneously did. Their lips intertwined. Sean put his lips very soft and fit on Lalita's juicy thin lips. A short kiss that feels so sweet and sweeping away.

"Now I steal your second kiss and I give you my first kiss,"Sean pressed his forehead against Lalita's.

"I believe you. You always love me. Just me."ll," whispered Sean with his face so close to Lalita that they could feel each other's breath.

The silver crescent-shaped necklace still hangs around Lalita's neck. She was in exactly the same state as the last time Sean had seen her.

"I'm glad you still have the necklace in good condition,"Sean said softly.

"Luna Lyra gave this necklace to me,"Lalita touched her necklace while staring at the glint of light reflected meaningfully.

"Wrong,"Sean showed the same neckly hanging around his neck.

"This necklace is a pair. I asked my mother to give it to you because my ego is too big. Now I regret it,"Sean kissed the necklace around his neck before hiding it under his shirt.

"Thank you, this necklace means a lot to me," clear grains again just slipped away.

"Don't cry,"Sean gently wiped Lalita's tears and then leaned her head against his chest. Sean gently kissed the top of Lalita's head again while enjoying the smell of opium that made him addicted.

"Let us go home,"whispered Sean after putting on his jacket to warm Lalita.

Lalita tried to stand up but soon her body shook if only Sean didn't swiftly support her body. Without a word, Sean immediately carried Lalita in his arms, which instantly made Lalita almost scream. A tinge of red began to color her cheeks which were still slightly wet.

"Why are you not pleased?"Sean asked, which made Lalita almost uncomfortable. Without answering of course Lalita felt happy. Plus a smile that desperately held back so as not to crack,"I will not let my girl fall sick from exhaustion. And I swear I will repay those who dare to hide my girl especially the presumptuous Vampire who stole her first kiss that was supposed to be for me,"there was a muffled growl between the sweet words that Sean spoke. But his tone softened when he looked at Lalita.

"Okay, I don't want to talk about it,"it is undeniable that Lalita feels guilty because of her actions to run away. She was too naive to believe in the Delmonte Agreement. In fact the agreement was violated. Elie is dead and what will Lalita say when she meets Rin?

"Go to sleep,"Sean said, letting Lalita's head rest on his broad chest. Lalita could feel Sean's heartbeat, which was as fast as her own.

"There's still a long way to go, are you able to walk that far while holding me like this?"asked Lalita worriedly looking at Sean who kept walking straight.

"I am Alpha remember? Alpha of all Alphas," said Sean firmly and authoritatively but very friendly to listen to.

The smell of rain, dew and pine lulls Lalita. Slowly her eyelids began to feel heavy with the addition of Sean's warm body temperature which made Lalita more comfortable. Giving up Lalita let the comfort lull her to sleep. Faintly Lalita heard a sweet whisper followed by a light kiss on her forehead.

"Goodnight, my queen."