-HER-

It felt like the canines of a wild animal. He continued to increase the pressure until I could feel the pain. A small moan left my mouth. I should be feeling uncomfortable with the pain, but I was feeling something else... the pressure between my legs was increasing. I could feel something trickle down my thigh.

I was feeling hot all over my body as he kept pressing. The voice inside me now had turned into screams. With the pain and the turmoil inside me, it felt like I was on the verge of losing my sanity.

"AHHH, stop!" I cried when I couldn't take the pain anymore. He stopped instantly, freezing above me. His lips were still over my neck, giving me the sparks. I tried to collect myself as his hot breath passionately caressed my neck. "What were you doing?" I asked, pushing him back slightly until I could see his face.

My heart was in my mouth when I saw the feral look on his face. His eyes were entirely black; no hints of white left in them. I was at a loss for words as I watched his eyes gradually return to their regular state.

He blinked several times, speeding his transformation back to normal. The wild expression on his face was soon replaced with confusion and something else that I couldn't name.

"I...I'm sorry," He stuttered, leaving me more perplexed than ever. I had never seen him so vulnerable and out of control before. "I didn't mean to," He grumbled, getting off of me before helping me up. "Are you alright?" He asked next, scanning me with his eyes until they fell on my neck.

Without warning, he stepped closer and gently brushed his fingers over the spot where his teeth were just a few moments ago. That place hurt a bit. I studied his face carefully as he studied my neck for a good moment, rubbing his finger on that particular place over my neck.

"What happened to you?" I asked. He sighed deeply, looking a bit disappointed...

...but with that?

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you like that," He spoke sincerely. I could see on his face that he meant no harm, but I was still puzzled by the rapid change in his behaviour.

"Erm...it's okay?" I said, not knowing what to say. "But what happened to your eyes?" I asked.

"That was just nothing," He brushed it off quickly. "We've been here for a while. We should keep moving," He spoke, collecting our things.

"Where?" I asked. He shrugged.

"The place where you live?" He suggested.

"And why would I take you there?" I scoffed.

"So we could finish what we started," He suggested darkly with that amusing look on his face.

"I have a husband!" I reminded him. In response, he chuckled.

"Sure, my wife and kids must be waiting for me as well," He dug back, making me glare harder at him.

What did he mean by his wife and kids waiting for him? Was he trying to get back at me?

"Then get lost!" I spat at him, "and give me my things back," He laughed as he handed me that bag of stones. I looked for the gem in it as soon as he handed it to me, but it wasn't there.

"I said, give me my things back!" I demanded.

"I just did,"

"Give me my gem!" I hissed, reaching for his hand.

"I thought you were selling it,"

"I have changed my mind. Now, give it back to me!" I demanded. He didn't say anything for a few moments but stood there, studying me pensively.

"I will give it to you on one condition," He stated.

"And what is that?" I asked impatiently. He was about to speak when the sound of a horse heading our way interrupted our conversation. Immediately, Nico pushed me behind him, standing tall to guard me with his whole body. From his shoulder, I peeked to see who was riding toward us.

"NICO!" A voice called out for him before I saw his friend appear. He looked disturbed and in a hurry. As soon as his eyes fell on the two of us, he seemed to calm down a bit. "You need to come with me now!"

"What's the matter?" Nico asked grimly.

"You just need to come with me to see it. I cannot explain it in words... it's... it's..." He trailed off, but the fear in his eyes said it all. Nico laced our fingers together before he followed his friend through the woods.

We were quiet all the while, following the man on the horse leading us somewhere away from the town. In the back of my mind, I was preparing for something.

What if this was some trap by them to catch me off guard? What if they were leading me to somewhere more secluded where they could do terrible things to me? But I was alone with Nico all this time, and I didn't feel anything like that. Then what was making me think this way now?

I shook my head. Soon, my fears turned out to be false because I saw people. We were nearby a village, and there was a strange kind of commotion there. I didn't know why but the air seemed odd.

It felt dense... it had a thing about death to itself. At one point, I thought I smelled blood in the air. Nico's friend kept leading us to the edge of the village. The roads were filled with anxious-looking people who were talking about the incident.

But what had happened?

It didn't take long to get the answer to my question. As we passed the last few houses of the village, we saw a massive crowd of people lining around something. Nico pushed them out of our way, and I followed him through the crowd. Abruptly Nico froze in front of me. I could feel how his whole body had turned tense because I was still holding his hand. The people are us sounded terrified. I pushed my way to the front to find a lake.

A lake full of blood and dead bodies of royal troops.

_