|XANTHOS|

I stared at my mate as she struggled to breath and keep her eyes open. Trying my best in using all the sorcery I know, I attempted to bring her to her healthy self.

I should have seen this coming. I should have known what that fucker would have done as soon as he said those words. I should have been prepared for this and not for what I, along with the others thought it'll have been.

I assumed this entire fight of 'love or greed' was going to end by a war. By the bloodsheds of thousands in which half of them would have been a victim for nothing. I formulated plans after plans on what will I do to save my mate from this situation. But, I failed. I awfully failed.

'Again...' Luciano whispered brokenly in my mind.

I couldn't feel Vlaxin as his feelings weren't mixed along with the sadness that coursed through me.

My name was weakly whispered by my Bella. I continued my effort of opposing Draco's sorcery in her body. Draco was one of the powerful wizard present in supernatural beings. I too have the power of sorcery but my sorcery side is nothing in front of Draco's.

"T-this can't be happening again," I brokenly whispered. "This shouldn't have."

My strategy for ending this chaos was by gathering everyone's support and oppose Draco. And if that wasn't easy to go along then I planned for challenging him in front of everyone in the middle of Ball for the king's position.

A sudden buzz in my head made me almost wince.

'I feel our bond with mate slipping. I feel drained.' Luciano whimpered.

"Xan-Xanthos," My mate stuttered and deeply breathed.

I felt her body go limp against me. I no longer was able to hear her slow heartbeats.

She was gone. Gone far away from me, taking my hope and light along with her.

I howled as I couldn't digest the fact of my mate dying in front of me.

I closed my eyes and let the tears free from them. My hands trembled as I realized that my mate, my Bella was lying motionlessly.

This can't happen.

No. It's just a dream. I thought to open my eyes again and saw her plainly looking at me with her dead wide open orbs. The bluish-green looked lifeless; void of any light.

I can't reicarnate us again, it'll just be against the laws of nature. 

My heart contracted in pain and my body shook in distress with tears rolling down my cheeks. I gazed around myself to see people witnessing me with horror-filled eyes.

The entire area was silent. No one dared to move from where they were standing. My eyes drifted towards the fucker who has killed my mate again by using his bare hands and skilled brain.

That motherfucker has planned almost every aspect of her life since she was born. He controlled my love's life.

That selfish bastard of motherfucker called Draco had no other work to do except for playing with Bella's life.

And now, my love, my beloved, my other half was gone. She was taken away from me and the reason behind was him, The Draco.

I didn't attempt to close my mate's eye with my palm. Instead, I got up from my crouched position and softly laid Bella on the ground. I stumbled back as my body felt numb. I had no control over the agonies that sparked in me both physically and mentally.

I wobbly reached where Draco was standing with that so-called Queen beside him.

I didn't care about me feeling weak in front of others as my other half slipped away. I just wanted revenge. Revenge for taking everything away from. Revenge for stealing half of my soul.

Draco's face was right in front of me.

The face that I dreaded the most. The ugliest face that my eyes as ever captured in its life.

Noticing my condition, he shook his head. "Pathetic. Really pathetic. Just because the human died, you feel like dying too?" He tutted and glared at me. I matched his glare back and held him by the collar of his shirt that he was wearing underneath a long coat.

"You motherfucker!" I weakly yelled and felt my heart contract with pain again when Bella's innocent face flashed in my mind.

Anger, Sadness and grief. They were the feeling that streamed in my blood. Her broken whisper of my name ricocheted in my head. My mate was no longer there by my side. She was no longer alive. My head turned to the place where Bella's body was lying before but got shocked when I noticed her body was not there.

"Where's she?!" I yelled and tried hitting the fucker straight on his face but with the stability and stamina that was left in me, I couldn't cause any damage.

He smirked and lifted his hand before throwing a strong punch on my face. I staggered back and almost fell to the ground. However, I caught my balance.

"This is how you punch a person." He continued. "I don't know 'bout your mate. The air might have taken her along with it."

I couldn't stand at one place properly and felt myself shaking lightly from one side to another with sweat dripping from my hair down my face. Ragged breaths came out from my nose while I tried stabilising myself.

I felt someone touching my arms, helping me. I struggled to see who it was through my blurred vision and saw Mason and the Omega whose name I remember it to be Teddy, were holding my arms. I weakly pushed them away and shook my head. "It's my battle and I shall fight it." They, however, disobeyed and tried to pull me back. "No! My mate is dead! He'll die too! That fucker will die." I growled and pushed them.

"Come on, Leo--Xanthos don't be stubborn and hide like a coward," Draco said it in a sing-song tone.

I snarled. "That won't happen." I glared at Mason. "Leave. Me." He shook his head. "I. Said. Leave. Me." I strongly ordered him. "Tonight, I'll either die or he'll as it's my fight." Mason hesitantly nodded and signalled the other guy to let me go.

As soon as their hold were no longer there, Draco kicked my legs making me fall to the ground in my knees. He pulled my hair and made me face him. "Ah! Remember, I used to always tell you that you'll one day kneel down for me and my Queen? And see, now what's happening. You're not on your knees just in front of me but in front of the supernaturals." He pushed my head down with a jerk.

I didn't care whether I was getting humiliated or not. All I need was my mate back in my arms. But I know that won't happen. She was gone. Her body--where was it?

"Where's she...?" I breathed out my question but didn't get any reply except for screeching laughter.

I glared at the bitchy Queen, Kathy whose orifices were shamelessly roaming up and down my body. She smirked when she noticed my glare on her. "Such an asset going waste." She sighed. "If you would have agreed to be with me. You wouldn't have been in this situation." Draco tried to encircle his hand around my neck; to snap it. But Kathy stopped him. "Don't be in a hurry, Dracy. We can use him for something?"

Draco rolled his eyes and raised an eyebrow. "Use him? He'll be terribly weak because of lacking his other half. Darling Kathy, you sometimes use your brain more than needed."

Kathy kissed his cheek. "You are right."

Reckless energy ignited in me. The ache in my heart and my body slowly drained away and got replaced by sparks of power. I began to sense myself getting strengthened again. I started feeling complete, I felt fresh. I felt alive.

Slowly lifting my head up, I looked at Draco who was staring at me with a smug smirk with his arm snaked around Kathy's waist.

'Mate is alive! I feel mate!' My wolf yelled in my head joyously.

Bella was alive. She was breathing soundly. But how? I thought back to when her heartbeats stopped.

'Xanthos?' Her sweet, melodic voice passed through my head.

'Bella? You're alive?' I asked her back happily. My body was now beyond repair. The strength that replenished me was more than what I have ever felt. 

'Yea--'

I felt a strong blow in my abdomen but I didn't stumble or fall. Instead, I got up from my knees and stood straight with my head held up and broadening my shoulders. I cracked my knuckles and stretched my body whilst bending my head from one side to another. My hair fell on my eyes making me move it away.

Draco stood there with Kathy, shell-shocked.

It was my time to smirk at them. So, that's what I did. I smirked and winked at both of them.

"What? How? Your skin is glistening more than before. All the wounds--where are they?" Draco asked questions after questions in confusion. He sounded just like how I asked him where Bella's body was when she wasn't there at the place I left.

I didn't break the fact that my mate was alive but instead, I replied, "magic." I wriggled my fingers up and down.

My right hand curled into a fist. I lifted my arm and hit his jaw causing a sound breaking similar to breaking of a bone reaching my ears. The fucker hissed in pain and fell to the ground whilst glaring at me. I walked over to him and pulled him up, to stand on his feet by his hair.

I felt water like a touch on my arm. I turned my head and saw a neon blue ball floating in the air.

'Luciano? Did you stop that orb?'

He hummed in response. All he could feel was bloodthirst.

I knew I can't simply kill an Alpha King. So, I did what I did. I felt that with the strength I had right now, I'll be able to fight him off easily.

"I challenge you, King Perino, for your position."