Victor caught her limp body as she collapsed and sat on the ground-hugging her. He couldn't believe that he made her consume the soul crystal that he gained after killing his father. He pulled back and observed her bewitching face which made him lose his mind, he admitted that he was attracted to her beauty, but the fact that made him want to have her to himself was her heart which helped a stranger during his crisis. Maybe she did it out of sympathy but it was not that simple for him to receive someone's genuine care. He laughed at himself realizing how pathetic he must have come out to her, but he didn't regret it, he fed her soul crystal so that she could live with him for more time. It worked just like immortality making her not age.
He caressed her face and kissed her lips, she was his now, the only thing that scared him now was her possibility of hating him, his pupils shook by just the mere thought of it, he hugged her tightly, her warmth soothed his damaged soul, filling gaps inside his empty heart.
Victor pleaded with a longing tone "Please don't leave me, love, I don't want to return to my past self"
For the first time in his life tears rolled on his chin "I will go insane if you leave me, I don't understand my thoughts, the only thing I know is I must stay with you"
Victor's mind was in chaos, the warmth that he never experienced made him weak, his years-long of loneliness made him take drastic steps to save the only happiness he found, he also thought about killing her other male so that she could only belong to him, desperation made him think all sorts of things.
As he was struggling with his thoughts, a subtle disturbance outside the cave caught his attention. He laid Lyra on the ground and got up from his place to check it. When he reached the entrance he saw the figures of eagle beastmen who were trying to kill him, this was bad, he was not alone now and didn't want them to find Lyra inside the cave, so deliberately he moved away from the cave to mislead the enemies. The eagle beastmen heard the sound of someone moving and followed after that. After they reached it they started searching the area. Victor concealed himself behind the tree and attacked them one by one and killed five eagle beastmen.
Then surveyed the surroundings before going to the cave. As he entered the cave, he froze in his steps realizing that his love was not there anymore. His eyes turned into slits emitting a dangerous aura in the cave. He touched the place where she was sleeping and narrowed his eyes when he caught the scent of a wolf beastman. "He dares separate her from me?"
He clenched his fists "My love, Wait for me, I'll return to you"
Then he turned into his vulture form and soared the sky flying in the direction of stray beasts' territory.
.
.
.
.
Lyra frowned and opened her eyes and felt her hand squeezing "Ly, how are you feeling?"
She clasped Lucas's hand and got up, Lucas supported her with his chest making her lean towards him, and he kissed her cheeks "Do you know how worried I was? I felt like dying when I found you unconscious inside that cave"
Lyra was not able to hear his words, her mind was muddled with the things that occurred today, her sympathy caused her to face a frightening dilemma. The man she faced was not someone with a sane mind, his choice of words and actions proved them, she understood that he was interested in her to go as far as to keep her as a captive, that was not how a normal mind worked, the more she spent time in the beast world, the more she came across intense males. She hated to admit it but including both her mates the males in this world were overly emotional and attached to their loved ones, even Bella's mates were extremely possessive towards her but made sure to cover it up. While Blake and Lucas tried to show a pure image in front of her when they fought behind her back.
She could almost visualize the troubled mind Blake was having currently to stay away from her, back then he was even willing to risk his children suggesting incubating in the house, but because of her pestering did he finally go to the snake valley. Then she glanced at Lucas's handsome face, this fellow showed his emotions more but she knew that he was not all cheerful when alone, and she remembered Noah, that guy didn't mind being her guard if it meant that he could stay near her. She held her forehead and sighed.
Lucas looked at her furrowed brows and touched her forehead "What happened Ly? Do you have a headache?"
Lyra shook her head "No, I was just thinking what ensued in the forest" she looked up to his eyes and explained everything to him from how she found an injured beastman and treated his injury but instead of just thanking her that man wanted to keep her by his side and fed her soul crystal.
Lucas's frown deepened as he continued listening to her, but widened his eyes when he heard about soul crystal "Did he truly feed you soul crystal?"
Lyra nodded her head "Blake once said that he would give me soul crystal but I scolded him when he informed me that it was inside his chest" she paused and continued "But the man who fed it to me didn't take it out from his chest, he was completely fine even after feeding it to me"
Lucas clenched his jaw, by her words, he understood that the one she came across was an immortal beastman and that too the one powerful enough to kill another immortal beastman and gain the soul crystal. He didn't want to tell that gruesome thing to his Ly and lied "We can also find it in the highest mountain peaks, I think he came across by one like that"
Lyra frowned "What does that do to my body now that I consumed it?"
"You don't age from now on" Lucas replied
"What?" 'Do you think I'm dumb?' was written on her face
He chuckled and explained "It is true Ly, the soul crystal can bring someone back from death if it is used at an appropriate time, and it can stop the aging of a living person when consumed"
Lyra pouted "But isn't that like a curse? I have to watch my loved ones as they pass away"
Lucas studied her face and replied "Did you not think about Blake? He is also an immortal beastman, do you think he would continue living if something happens to you?" he paused and continued "It is good that you consumed it, that snake was thinking about getting you one after his return"
Lyra's eyes were filled with tears "What about you? How can I continue living without you?"
Lucas's heart was filled with warmth hearing her words, he kissed her forehead "Don't worry Ly, I'll try my best to cross the five marks, I'm almost confident in becoming king after my father. I will live with you for a long time"
Lyra nodded her head and hugged him. After their sweet moment together she started talking "Now that I have heard your words, I know that the beastman I met today is a powerful one, what if he returns to take me away?"
"I'll never allow him" came the quick reply from Lucas
"But...." Lyra stopped talking about it but deep inside she still couldn't shake off the chilling look of that man. His clear silver eyes seem to be lost, she could only grasp desperation and madness when he communicated with her. She was initially terrified because of it but now she wanted to understand him in a better way that is if he properly talked before doing something irreversible.