Zane stared at Dimitri in disbelief, resentment overcoming him. He didn't attack him, though. He did nothing but stand motionless, leveling his ferocious glare.
He held grudges against him. He would occasionally say that he would love to fight him. It was simply his dissatisfaction and anger towards him for his experience.
He would never be able to hurt him, no matter how much he despised him.
A look of bitterness spread across his face. "You are protecting him who was about to kill me a while ago."
"I am preventing the future alpha of the pack from murdering a pack member," Dimitri retorted sternly, keeping his steady gaze on him. "Go back to your room. If not, brace yourself for a fight." His fists trembled, indicating his reluctance.
Connor sneered in his mind, looking at the father and son arguing. He desired Zane to fight Dimitri. Zane's wounds were bleeding so badly that he wouldn't be able to fight for long.
Connor wanted to see him defeated. It would only increase the difference between father and son. However, his wish didn't come true. Zane fled instead of lunging at Dimitri.
'Damn it,' he cursed inwardly, slamming his fist on the ground.
"Connor…" Helena rushed over and crouched down beside him. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. "Are you all right?" She reached out to hold his shoulders.
Connor leaped to his feet and dashed into the house.
"Connor," Helena also rushed after him.
Zane ran into the woods. The boiling fury swelled within him, ready to burn him from the inside out. Rage would not go away until he vented his frustrations on someone or something.
He balled his fingers and drove them through a tree trunk.
The tree shook violently as its base was lifted out of the soil. It fell to the ground with a roar when another punch landed on it. It pressed down several small trees, bushes, and shrubs. The birds nesting in the tree flew away in an instant.
Zane had a lacerating pain in his shoulder. His hand felt like falling out of his body. His entire right side became numb due to the pain and blood loss. But his anger was yet to subside.
He knocked on another tree. His punch was not as hard as it was earlier. Only the leaves rustled because of the sudden jolt.
"Ah…" He used his last bit of energy to slam his fist against the trunk again.
He then collapsed on the ground, panting heavily. His entire body hurt. His legs, arms, back hurt. Even the clothes he was wearing seemed to prick him. It felt like there was no end to this pain.
He was dizzy. His thoughts were disoriented, and his vision was blurry. The surroundings seemed to be spinning like a top.
'Don't fall asleep,' a voice from inside warned him. It was asking him to get up and go home.
Zane could hardly open his eyes. It was difficult for him to flex a muscle, not to mention get up and walk back home.
The pain soon consumed him and drew him into the darkness.
Eleanor looked for Zane in the woods. She had come after him but couldn't keep up with his speed. She eventually fell behind and lost him.
She had been looking for him for fifteen minutes. To her disappointment, she couldn't find him. She didn't call out to him either because she was afraid the guards searching for Zane would hear her.
She grew anxious as the scene of his blood-stained shirt crossed her mind. She was worried that he would fall into danger if other ferocious animals or enemies attacked him. Furthermore, excessive blood loss could cause him to lose consciousness.
At this point, she truly desired the wolf's ability to detect smells from a distance. She would have spotted him in seconds.
Just as she was lamenting her inability to track him down, she heard the rumble of a massive tree collapsing. She rushed over there.
"Zane…" she murmured his name. Her hair sprang on her back when she saw him lying motionless on the ground.
She hurried over and crouched down beside him. The thick red blood oozing from his shoulder shook her heart.
With her shaky hands, she removed his shirt.
The wounds were deep and ugly. It would be life-threatening if the bleeding was not stopped.
She jumped to her feet and dashed off to gather some herbs. She returned after some time. Then she crushed the green leaves between her palms and applied them to the wounds. She tore the bottom of her gown and bandaged the wounds.
"Zane…"
"Zane…"
She could hear distant voices. She thought of going away since she knew guards were here to find him. Part of her refused to leave Zane in this condition. She wouldn't be able to remain calm if she went back home. She wanted to stay with him until he regained consciousness. At the same time, she wouldn't want to get caught with him.
Eleanor didn't have much time to think as the voices got closer. She closed her eyes and opened her palms to the sky. Her palms started to glow. The light grew brighter with every passing minute. She then moved her hands in a circular motion in the air, creating an invisible bubble around them.
That bubble would keep them hidden from the rest of the world. No one would be able to find them until she broke the spell or one of them stepped outside of the perimeter of the bubble.
She didn't hesitate to use her power. She didn't care about Valeria's warning. She didn't even consider Ursa tracking her down. All she wanted was to be with Zane and take care of him.
"Zane…" She drew him into her lap. She closed her eyes and placed her hand on his brow, light starting to shine from her palm.
In the kingdom of Crotia…
It was a human kingdom in a faraway land. Ursa, the most powerful witch, was the ruler of this kingdom. After killing the king, she became queen and expanded the kingdom.
Ursa grew in power through the use of black magic and human sacrifices. As she grew in power, she became crueler and snatched the resources from the neighboring kingdoms. Hence, Crotia became the mightiest and most prosperous kingdom among the human lands.
Her hunger for power, however, had not subsided yet. She desired to be the most powerful witch and rule the world. She knew it was not possible until she found her… the little witch, Marian's daughter.
She had been looking for her everywhere for a long time. She even tried to locate her using her magic. All she got was a disappointment. It seemed as if that little witch had vanished into thin air. But something happened tonight.
She had seen the bright light in her talisman. She also sensed strong magic that ordinary witches were incapable of performing. To her disappointment, she couldn't track down the source of the magic. However, she was sure it was her.
"Hihihi…" She laughed with joy and ran across her room. She was moving so quickly that her feet didn't appear to touch the ground.
Dalila, her chambermaid, was surprised to see her so delighted. She respectfully bowed and asked, "Your Majesty, may I ask you what makes you so happy?"
"I can feel her. I can feel her now." Ursa's eyes glowed purple. "She is in the north, away from the human lands. North… in the north, on the other side of the Alps. She is hiding in the werewolf lands. Our enemy lands. Find her. Find her. Send someone to find her. I want her." She blurted it out in one breath.
A sinister smile crossed her face. "Oh, I've been waiting for her for thirteen years. She has grown up. Uh… Her powers…" Her purple eyes glowed even brighter. Excitement was all that was visible on her face. "She is undeniably stronger than Marian. I will sacrifice her and take all her powers. And that sacred stone… Hihihi… Eleanor, we will meet soon."