The Vampire King's Pet-Chapter 364: Grief (2)

Still, tears ran down her face as she raised her hands to try and cover them, almost like it would somehow help, even as her shoulders rocked back and forth with quiet, broken sobs. Zyren raised his hands to pat her back and comfort her as they made their way back to the mansion, only for his hands to freeze midair.

Aware that Aira would only hate his touch—since the one thing she would remember was the words her sister had kept on uttering right before he sliced her head off.

"He killed me!! Aria... he killed me!!"

The memory of Liora’s shrill, panicked screams echoed relentlessly in his mind, and it pissed Zyren off more than he cared to admit. He wished he had silenced her much faster than he did. The words had been unnecessary. Troublesome. He clenched his jaw as he pulled Aira closer instead, holding her tighter as he headed into the carriage that would drive them back to the mansion.

Placing Aria on his lap, even as she buried her face into his chest and continued to sob uncontrollably, her fingers clutching at his clothes as if letting go would cause her to shatter entirely. Zyren rested his chin lightly atop her head, staring straight ahead, hoping—no, expecting—that she would mourn and, just like her mother’s death, she would eventually be able to put the grief behind her.

But it wasn’t long before he found out that even he could be wrong.

Very wrong...

By the time they got back to the mansion, Aria was quiet.

Which would have seemed better than her weeping, but Zyren knew it wasn’t.

Her head still rested on his chest, but her grip had loosened. The tears had already stopped, drying uselessly on her cheeks. There was a haunted, distant look in her eyes, one that made Zyren’s chest tighten in a way he didn’t like, even as he carried her gently through the silent halls and over to the bedroom.

It was almost like her body was there, warm and breathing against him, but her soul had been taken and swept off to somewhere far away—somewhere he couldn’t reach no matter how powerful he was.

Zyren carefully laid her on the bed, as if she were made of glass that might crack beneath even the slightest pressure. He settled beside her with a rare, deeply concerned expression on his face as he gently patted her hair, his fingers moving slowly and hesitantly through the soft strands.

Half hoping she would fall asleep.

But Aria didn’t even blink.

She fixed her gaze on the wall closest to her, unseeing, treating Zyren like he was nothing more than empty air even as he began to speak to her.

"Would you like something to drink or eat?" he gently asked, his voice lower than usual, uncertain. He truly didn’t know what else to say. Worried that if he said what was actually on his mind—that Liora had been a danger, that it had been necessary—it would only incense Aria even more.

Aira didn’t respond.

She didn’t move.

She didn’t even acknowledge that he existed.

Zyren swallowed and didn’t ask again. He simply continued to sit there beside her, watching her chest rise and fall faintly, right until her eyes finally began to glisten once more and tears slipped out silently. Her lips trembled as a broken sound escaped her throat, her shoulders shaking again as the sobs returned, softer but far more painful.

A few moments later, exhaustion finally claimed her.

Her breathing evened out slowly, her lashes fluttering as she drifted off to sleep, still crying even in her dreams. Zyren remained where he was, unmoving, until he was certain she was asleep.

Only then did he take off his clothes and lie beside her, pulling her gently into his arms.

His eyes stayed wide open.

He simply held her, staring up at the ceiling, worried that her sister’s death might have scarred her more deeply than usual—especially since Liora had been the only family she had left out of four others.

Two of whom he had already gone ahead and killed.

Worried about what that would mean for their relationship even as his red gaze darkened as he looked at her sleeping face.

Even if you try to leave, I won’t let you!

************

"Did you see what happened?"

King Jared asked the question in a tone still laced with shock more than anything else, his eyes wide as he recalled the scene burned into his memory—Zyren killing that massive Zygon beast, something that should have cost him his life.

Falson stood beside him with the same astonished expression etched across his face, still struggling to comprehend what he had witnessed. Clara stood closest to the wall, arms folded tightly around her chest, her posture stiff and guarded, her expression serious and grim.

If before there had been even the slightest doubt in her mind that Zyren was far stronger than they had given him credit for, then the battle had erased it entirely.

He’s a monster.

That was all she could think as she glanced at King Jared, waiting for him to say the words any sane ruler would have said in that moment.

King Zyren wasn’t someone they could defeat.

Even if they managed to retrieve the black vial, Zyren had made it. Who was to say it would even have a negative effect on him? What if it only strengthened him further?

Her thoughts spiraled—only for her eyes to widen when she heard the words that spilled from Jared’s lips the very next moment.

"He’s powerful!" King Jared exclaimed, his voice rising with manic intensity. "All the more reason we have to kill him! What if he decides to wipe out the entire werewolf realm!"

He looked around wildly as he spoke, his remaining viable arm balling into a fist, veins bulging beneath his skin.

Falson and Gregory, who stood together near the back, couldn’t help the shocked expressions that flashed across their faces as they fixed their eyes on their king.

If King Zyren cared enough to do that, he would have already done so, Falson thought with a deep frown. Considering the strength we just witnessed... the Zygon beast army didn’t stand a chance.

Still, there was no way he could openly oppose King Jared. Slowly, reluctantly, he nodded his head to show agreement.

Gregory did the same, lowering his head to hide the astonishment in his eyes. He was loyal to his alpha—but he was also logical enough to know when a battle was already lost.

Something Jared refused to see.

But who could blame him?

An alpha with only one arm—something unheard of. His weakened state would invite mockery from rivals, and his werewolf form would be handicapped as well.

There was a reason their bodies healed all grievous wounds. It ensured their werewolf forms would remain whole.

Jared, completely unaware of the thoughts of everyone around him, continued to speak with fervor.

"The hunters can get Lady Aria to get the—"

But this time, Clara didn’t let him finish.

She interrupted in a soft, trembling tone that sounded dangerously close to tears, causing everyone in the room to turn toward her.

"Her sister Liora turned into a monster," Clara said quietly. "She’s mourning right now."

Jared paused only briefly before slowly nodding his head, a grin spreading across his face—cold, sharp, and unsettling.

"Zyren killed her, didn’t he?" he said with thinly veiled delight. "He set green fire on her, right? She’s bound to hate him even more than she already does."

The grin widened as he continued.

"We’ll give it a couple of days," Jared declared confidently. "Then, together with the hunters, we’ll reach out to her and get the vial. Zyren will be crushed... and I will rule the realms!"

He lifted his chin triumphantly.

Everyone bowed low at the waist.

"Yes, Alpha!" they chorused in unison.

Clara turned around and left first the moment Jared made it clear the conversation was over.

There was no doubt in her mind now.

Even if Zyren were dead, Jared wouldn’t be strong enough to rule in his place. He was someone who chose obsession over wisdom, vengeance over survival. Instead of focusing on a cure, he was focused on defeating an enemy he couldn’t hope to overcome.

And that obsession would doom them all.

I need to kill him, she thought grimly as she walked away. If I’m going to protect the werewolf realm... I have to do it before he gets us all killed.