CHAPTER 172 — SAFETY FINALLY

BRIELLE.

Brielle's eyes opened and shut as she slipped into and out of consciousness.

Her entire body hurt; her head ached, and her chest was on fire. Her eyes were open, but she couldn't see anything, and her eyesight was fuzzy.

She could only hear noises, low whispering voices that appeared to come from all directions simultaneously. She could also feel soft wisps of cool breeze on her skin, confirming that she was outside.

She wasn't in that terrible cell anymore, being tortured by those evil men.

But if she wasn't present, where was she? She remembered sprinting through the palace hallways, looking for a way out, but then...She slowly began to recollect what happened after that.

Her memories were returning slowly.

Brielle had planned to flee once the guards left, with the cell door open and the key having fallen out of their pocket by accident.

She remembered scanning left and right to ensure she didn't knock into anyone. It seemed strange how empty the hallways were.

She remembered asking herself whether this was some bait for her.

What if it was all a trap, and they had purposely left the keys there so she could try to escape? What if she was wandering unquestioningly to her deathbed? Well, if that was the case, so be it.

She was exhausted anyway. She was tired of living a life over which she had no control, a life in which she was continually mocked and mistreated, treated as an object rather than a human being.

So, despite her fear of death and losing everything she had ever known and cared about, she ran. Her legs felt weak and sluggish, and she could barely walk, but she didn't give up.

Then she came to a crossroad, an intersection of left and right hallways, and she became puzzled.

It had taken her a lot of guesswork to figure out which direction to go, and she eventually opted to go left.

Brielle began walking gently while flexing her legs. But as she approached the corner, she heard footsteps and saw a humanoid-looking wolf!

Its golden fur glistened in the faint light, and its red eyes looked back at her, appearing to pierce straight through her heart. Brielle automatically began backing away from the creature as parts of the wolf's fur were coated in blood, sending shivers down her spine.

She intended to die, but she didn't expect to be eaten by an animal.

"Nooo…" She'd shouted in terror, and the hairy animal let out a howl. Brielle froze on her feet when she heard this.

Why did that sound familiar?

The wolf howled repeatedly as if trying to communicate with Brielle, but she didn't understand.

However, at the same time, she felt a splitting pain in her skull and fell to her knees. Her entire world went dark as she lost consciousness and faded into nothingness. That was what she remembered, till now…

As the breeze brushed against her cheek, Brielle realized something. She was not alone. The animal was with her.

She was on top of it, resting across its back, and she could feel its warm fur between her fingers. It was breathing heavily and moving as it ran.

Brielle opened her mouth to speak, but her throat was coarse and dry. She already had an idea who this animal was, and she wanted to confirm it, but she couldn't speak.

Darius. The wolf was Darius.

Even if her wolf had barely spoken anything to her, the gnawing feeling in her chest confirmed it unequivocally. It would also make sense if he were the one.

He'd been at the mansion, and as the guards departed, she overheard them talking about a fight between him and Draken Havix.

He’d probably defeated Draken and the guards before coming to help her. This was a reasonable answer, and Brielle hoped it was correct.

She'd only seen him in his wolf form once, that night at the auction ring, and the memory was fuzzy still. In actuality, she had no idea what his lycan form looked like.

"D…Dar…" She coughed, cringing at the pain it caused down her throat.

"Dar… Darius." She tried again and managed to say a few words. "Darius, can you hear me?"

She didn't get an answer, so she tried again with a slightly higher voice, "Darius, can you hear me?"

This time, she got an immediate reaction—a mighty growl, followed by a replying bark.

Brielle shed a tear, and her chest filled with emotion.

Oh, thank goodness. "Thank the Moon Goddess." She sniffed back tears and let out a weak laugh. "I believed I would die. I had lost all hope. Despite this, you still came for me.” She muttered, her voice breaking.

She was weak and tired. Nonetheless, she managed to say something before slipping into another state of unconsciousness.

"Thank you for coming here. Thank you so much for saving me again." She proceeded. "I've always wanted a hero since I was a child. Thank you for becoming one. Thank you, my hero."

She closed her eyes and let exhaustion claim her. Finally, she'd found solace. Eventually, she’d been saved.

***

DARIUS.

Darius did not use a car.

He'd exited Draken's estate in wolf shape, screaming at his men to take care of the area, and then left them there.

With lightning speed, he'd carried an unconscious Brielle through the streets, past trees and woodlands, with one goal in mind.

Home.

He needed to get her to his fortress and immediately call for medical assistance.

He couldn't get the sight of her in that state out of his mind.

She appeared thin and hungry as if she hadn't eaten in weeks, which made his blood boil.

But that wasn't all.

There were marks all over her body—on her face, back, and legs. He could see line welts on her hands and ankles, indicating that she had been chained.

She looked exactly like the photographs. Hell, she looked awful.

His lovely Brielle... How dare they do such things to her? Darius was furious towards the moon goddess.

Even though he killed most of them today, it wasn't enough.

He should have dragged them back to the castle and tormented them until they begged for death. Until their bones collapsed, marrow drained from their bodies, and flesh peeled off their skin. Until they bled from every pore, leaving nothing but dried husks while screaming and weeping in anguish.

Unfortunately, he had simply snapped their necks. They'd had it too easy. Most especially Draken. The bastard. He deserved better than death.

And no matter what, he did not deserve any mercy. Darius could only pray that the old motherfucker rotted in hell after putting Brielle through so much.

As he hurried through the deep woodland, Darius felt a warm liquid fall from his neck. He was bleeding, but he wasn't sure if it belonged to them.

In any case, it dampened his fur, which he didn't mind. This would not stop him.

Darius groaned, a loud sound departing his lips, and felt Brielle move on his back.

"Dar….Darius…" Her voice broke from lack of usage, and he slowed his pace somewhat.

How did she know he was the one?

"Darius…" She called out again, and the next words nearly crushed his heart. "Thank god. Thank the Moon Goddess. I believed I would die. I had lost all hope. But you still came for me."

'I will always come for you.' He wanted to speak but couldn't, so he let out a loud howl.

She said nothing else after that. Darius increased his speed, running faster than his paws could carry him.

He concentrated all of his efforts on jogging. His claws ripping into the grassy land, he leaped from tree to tree, his senses allowing him to discover familiar territory and his wolf instincts leading him to the castle.

Soon, the structure came into view, and he felt a rush of exhilaration run through him. Running directly to the locked gates, Darius let out a loud growl and barred his fangs. A few seconds later, the door swung open, and he went inside.

The guards hurried to encircle him, their eyes widening at the gruesome scene in front of them, their mouths hanging open.

Darius, however, ignored them and ran past. The moment he entered the throne room, he gently laid an unconscious Brielle on the floor. Then, without waiting any longer, he transformed into his human form.

"Arghhhhh…" He groaned, pain rushing through him as he shifted.

His bones cracked, muscles tightened, and tendons stretched and twisted until they were utterly distinct from the rest of his body. He inhaled sharply, his spine and shoulders lengthening and thickening. He stopped after a few minutes, panting and swearing excessively.

His guards had gathered around him, providing cover as he became naked. He heard some commands and was quickly thrown a towel, which he refused to accept.

He felt weak, and his limbs were tight and heavy.

Looking helplessly at Brielle and then back at his guards, Darius opened his lips to speak, but nothing came out. He instantly fell to his knees with a thump.

"Master, is everything alright?" The guards inquired, their tone indicating panic as they pushed forward, but Darius waved them off.

"Br…Brielle…" he stuttered, his words failing him, as he struggled furiously to sit up, but his limbs refused to obey him, and he sank to the ground.

Wheels began to spin inside his mind as anguish surged through his body, and he struggled for air.

"Brielle…" he spoke again, managing to say something with all of his strength. "Take care of Brielle first. Call the Royal doctor and get him to work immediately."

"We have already sent for him."

"Good, good," Darius muttered. "That would be all for now." He finished breathlessly, and as the pain intensified, his head went blank, and darkness took over.