Cora was under this impression that because no one could ever find Pierre, he was alive. She had constantly sent people to find him but even after so many years, all search led to nothing. She refused to believe that he was dead.

After going out, Ed had felt cathartic. He went to a solitary place in the garden where he couldn't see anyone and sat on a bench. As soon as he shed his first tear, the flowery bush around circled him in a way that he was now not visible to the outer world.

​​

Ed couldn't stop himself and he cried loudly, thinking about Pierre, about all the incidents that happened between him and Dmitri, about the time when he almost dissuaded Adrianna not to marry Dmitri and about his shortcomings as Adrianna's grandfather. He cried for a very long time and wanted to stop but the tears weren't listening to him. They just kept coming out unbridled. He left the place after an hour when his mind felt lighter. His hunched shoulders were broad with pride, he was filled with satisfaction when he thought that Adrianna was marked by none other than the best ruler the werewolf kingdom had ever seen.

Back in Adrianna's bedroom, Dmitri had carried his wife all the way to the bed. His search had ended right beside him. He didn't want anything else. Everything was clear and his love was with him. There was no guilt left.

He kissed Adrianna as they walked inside the bedroom, as she circled her hands around his neck. When he finished it, they had reached the bedroom. "Adri, I can't tell you how nice I am feeling. I feel as if I have got full marks in my class."

Adrianna started laughing at the comparison. "I have something to tell you husband," she said as he put her on the bed.

"Hmm…"

He stood in front of her as she stood on the bed in front of him. "I believe you were going to give a huge bounty to the girl who your father had promised you to marry."

"Hmm…"

"So where's my reward?" she asked extending her hand in front of him. "Give it to me!"

"Dmitri smiled and holding her hand said, "I am your reward. You can treat me as your prize. I am your prized possession. You can gift wrap me and then untie me slowly." As Dmitri said that he could think of a thousand ways how Adrianna would untie him. He imagined himself to be tied in a red ribbon around the neck wearing no clothes and lying right next to her. The next moment he thought of white ribbon tied all around his body like they tie a gift and Adrianna opening that gift. Or maybe he would just wear a red ribbon on his member and hold a flower in his mouth, which Adrianna would grab with her mouth, as she would touch his member. All those possibilities excited him to the extent that his face split in an ear to ear grin.

Suddenly, Dmitri heard fingers snapping and the next moment he found himself inside a huge white box made from cardboard. He was buried in a pool of red and white ribbons. "Adrianna!" he shouted from within. "You brat! Open me now!"

"You are my gift? Huh? You cheat you said you would give bounty to that girl. I am only demanding my share of gifts. Are you going to give it to me or not?" asked Adrianna as she stood on the bed with her hands on her waist.

"This is what you get when you marry a witch! She doesn't understand the love and affection. I am presenting myself as a gift to you. What else would you want?" Dmitri shouted. It took a minute for him to tear the box and come out of it and the moment he escaped, he lunged at Adrianna.

Adrianna ran to the other side of the bed shouting, "Eeeeeee" but he was quick enough to catch her. Now they were both standing on the bed with Adrianna strongly held in his clutches. He was almost squeezing her. "I am your gift woman."

She shook her head, "No, if that is the case I would rather look at more muscular men in the human realm. Even my cousin Zephyr is more handsome than you!"

Dmitri was angered and extremely jealous now. He threw her on the bed, pinned her hands on the top of her head and straddled her. "Zephyr is on my hit list now. He will be dead the day I met him. No other man in any realm is allowed to be better than me!"

"Shoo, shoo!" Adrianna challenged him.

Dmitri narrowed his eyes and then took out her shirt. He tied her hands with the shirt and then tied her to the bedpost. Then he took her pants out and tied her legs with that. Then without doing anything, he sat right next to her. "That is your punishment for crossing me and thinking of another man." He smiled and made circles on her flawless skin.

"You know that I can open these ties anytime," Adrianna said. Then she snapped her fingers. But nothing happened. She pulled her hands, tried to take her legs apart, but nothing happened. Her magic failed completely. She was stunned. How could that be? She looked at Dmitri who was also wondering the same. It was as if the wizard kingdom was working in collusion with Dmitri.

And that was the true case. The moment the atmosphere around them sensed that Dmitri was the rightful owner of Adrianna, it protected Dmitri, even from Adrianna. So now along with her wand, even her magic or her magical powers were all useless against him. She was raw in front of him, just like any other werewolf.

So many changes occurred that day that Dmitri was shocked. He untied Adrianna and said, "Adri, what was that?"

"I think this world knows what to do with the king…"

"But you just packed me in a box…"

"Maybe, it sensed that I was joking and now it sensed that I was trying to go against you…"

Dmitri stared at her. "I can't understand…"

"Neither can I Dmitri… let's just not think about it… let's take things slowly because there are so many things that are irrational for now…"

"Hmm…"

"So about your gift, when will you tie me darling?" he asked with a grin coming back to the existing crisis.

"I would like to wipe that grin off your face!" she turned to the other side and covered herself with the blanket.

"Baby…" he whined.

"Good night dear hubby! No gift, no Adri!"

"Since when have you become so greedy?" he asked gritting his teeth.

"Since the moment you decided not to give me anything!"

"Okay, what is it that you want?"

"Bring me the stars and the moon!"

Adrianna turned the light off. Dmitri sulked and slid next to her. Five minutes later, the canopy of flowers had surrounded the couple who couldn't keep their hands off each other.

---

In Vikra's cave, Cy and his men surrounded a rock on which Reese had carved a map. She had been surveying the periphery of the wizard kingdom from a long time.

Cy looked at her and pointed to a dot, "Where is this place?"