Chapter 38: 37. Please, find me.

**EROS**

The King left his mate sleeping and left the castle around midnight. He had one goal in mind, and even if it took him a thousand nights, he'd reach his goal.

Eros travelled alone- the guards were needed at the castle as the rebellion could strike any moment. Besides, his son returned from the training early, and he was sure of Adonis abilities.

Walking deeper into the woods, he thought of anything he could recall from early childhood, yet no memories appeared. If only there were words he could use to find her- his task would be easier.

Eros wandered around the woods for hours, doing his best to find anything that could appear to be out of place, yet nothing. A part of him believed that it would be better if he tried to look for her during the day because he would quickly notice any imperfection, yet the other part knew that his grandmother appeared during the night.

If this woman left her hideout at night once, she might do the same thing again.

Eros noticed a nice place to sit down and rest. He brought a bottle of water which seemed to be enough for a moment of rest.

Only when the King sat down and scanned the forest did he understand how much he'd been missing because of everyday responsibilities. It's been ages since the last time he sat down and just watched nature before him.

The moon illuminated the forest, making it look like a place from fairytales. Small animals ran back and forth, searching for food, probably to feed their younglings. And nature itself provided a perfect picture for the King to enjoy a rare moment of alone time and silence.

Eros looked up at the moon and spoke up. "Grandmother, it's me, Eros. If you are anywhere near, hear me out! I need you! Whoever you are, it doesn't matter- your family needs you. Now more than ever. Please, find me."

He didn't believe that his words would bring anything until a shadow appeared near a tree. Eros quickly jumped up his feet, awaiting whatever might come.

Yet, what he didn't expect was a young woman, dressed in a long dress, covered with a black cloak. She stood aside for a good while until she finally took a step forward.

"Eros, finally," her voice broke as she spoke.

"Did I call out for you? Are you the woman I've been looking for? Would you mind telling me because I find this far too weird? You're too young to be my grandmother." Eros sounded like he was rambling, but the woman just kept smiling at him.

There was something about her aura and that incredibly loving smile. Perhaps that woman was his grandmother, but it still didn't make any sense. How could someone so young-looking be way older than him?

"I might look so young because I've lived for centuries. Eros, I am a vampire; you and your children are the last descendants of my coven. I've been watching you for a long time, but I've been far too scared to approach you. I didn't want you to hate me for what I am without getting to know how I am." Her voice was calm, somewhat silent, yet soothing. Each word leaving her lips felt like a spell.

"Alright, that makes sense. But then, tell me, why did you take my daughter?" Eros restrained himself from wrapping his arms around the strange woman and holding her to make sure she was real. If a word that left her lips was the truth- she was the last blood-relative he had.

"Because I had to protect her. Your daughter was cursed centuries ago, and someone had to hide her. Unfortunately, her mate found her and I couldn't keep her in safety anymore. I wanted to tell you, I swear, I did, but I was too scared. I couldn't live with myself if I got a chance to have you in my life and lose you minutes after. I've lost everyone that was once so dear to me; I couldn't bear the thought of losing the last thread I have." Eros could see that she wanted to get closer but held herself back.

The King walked up to the woman and pulled her into a tight hug without a second thought. If she were a fraud, he'd risk more than just being fooled- a vampire could suck him dry. Yet, as the minutes passed, she didn't bother to bite him; all she did was return the hug.

Once they parted, Eros looked into her eyes and noticed that they were so similar to his, no one could mistake them as friends. They did share blood.

"I had no idea anyone, from my relatives were alive. River told me that I'd find Bea if I found my grandmother, and only after that, I decide to step into the woods and look for you. I'm glad to meet you, but I still don't understand why. Why did you take Bea? Why did you need to hide her? And what the Hell is that curse you mentioned? Please, explain everything so I can think of how to deal with this crap." Eros stood before his grandmother, and while all he wanted was to catch up, get to know her- there were many more important things to discuss. He couldn't let her go before she shared the answers.

"It's not important, but my name is Lillith," the vampiress chuckled. "Before I explain more about the things I mentioned, there are some more you should know. I'm on the dark side of life while you, my darling, spend your days surrounded by light. You'll have to overcome many obstacles now. It's not only the rebellion or curse but also some other deadly sins. Two of your children are mated to them, it's dangerous as it is, but there's more danger lurking in the darkness." Lillith seemed to speak in riddles rather than state facts.

Eros let out a deep breath and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Let's start with the easiest thing- the rebellion."

"They are going to attack in two days. Prepare yourself. They think that they're ready, but I beg to differ. There are about two hundred troops. Half of them don't know how to hold a spoon, let alone a weapon. This will be the least of your problems." Lillith explains as she stares into the distance.

Eros didn't think she might have the answers in such details, but he'd take whatever she could share. At least now, he knew what he was going against and how many of his warriors might be needed.

Before he could part his lips to move to the next topic, Lillith spoke up again. "They will send small forces from the South, but the main attack will come from North. The rebellion knows they can't defeat you, so they'll try to trick you. Don't give in to their games, and you'll win, darling." She smiled as the last words passed her lips.

"Alright, thank you, the information will help us to defeat them. Could you tell me more about that curse or at least anything you know about the deadly sins? My mate is quite worried about everything that's been happening to our children. As any parent would be."

Lillith kept quiet a moment, but then, she grabbed his hand and dragged the King deeper into the woods. Taken aback, Eros followed her without any attempts to resist.

"We must get away from here; someone might be listening. It's too dangerous." Lillith whispered under her breath.

Once they reached a small waterfall, she stooped, let go of Eros' hand and turned around. "One of the sins has his eye on someone what's yours. Your mate. He wants your Queen, and he thinks he could get her if he kills your youngest daughter. He already asked his brothers for help, and so far, everyone said no out of pure respect for River and Darius. That's as much as I know about the situation, but everyone must be careful." Lillith scanned their surroundings and placed a finger over her lips to remind Eros to stay quiet.

She took another step closer and leaned to his neck. "Stand still; they're watching," she warned her grandson as she pretended to pierce his skin with her fangs. Lillith closed her eyes as if she was too busy feeding. After a minute or two, she opened her eyes to check if anyone watched them.

When the vampiress was sure that no one tried to listen to their conversation, she stepped away from Eros. "Sorry, even the woods have ears," she quickly explained herself.

Eros nodded his head. It wasn't like he had something to be angry for. Lillith didn't bite him, and the only reason why she was so close was to distract those who might have tried to get some information out of their secret meeting. "Now, the curse," he whispered to remind the vampiress of the one thing that worried him the most.

"It's a bloodline curse. I won't go into details as this isn't where we should discuss such things. It's too dangerous to say too much and believe that the information won't be used against us. Anyway, the bloodline curse- it's been connected to my coven for centuries. When I just became a vampire, something happened, and though many fell from both sides, those with witch blood cursed our bloodline. For centuries only boys were born, but the curse would affect only girls. Ally got away fairly quickly because she met and mated Darius on time. So, Bea's the one who's cursed. Once the thread disappears, so does the curse." That much Eros could figure out on his own. Obviously, curses weren't anything good or anything people looked forward to, but he needed to figure out other details.

Eros scanned their surroundings to check if there weren't anyone around. Then, he stepped closer to Lillith and asked: "Alright, I get there is the curse, but what is supposed to happen now?"

Lillith turned her face to avoid her grandson's gaze. "Bea must die."

"Never! I won't let that happen. My child won't die!" At this point, Eros was too angry to hold back. He screamed at the top of his lungs.

"From the hand of the one who loves her beyond any limits. River must kill her to break the curse."