The Reminder of What Hopeless Love Was

[GRANT]

"It's his failsafe," Ulrike said.

"What?" Grant asked the hound, Ulrike.

"Someone triggered Alanor's failsafe. That's why no one can get in; because the magic in there was created by the creature who shouldn't even exist naturally," Ulrike said as he fist-bumped the air. This was the product of what Alanor had done but then with that came other pressing issues.

"I'm confused," Grant spoke again as he looked at the werewolves who were worried about their safety. They had the high priest in there with them, but then nothing had happened. They had been trying to get out and were failing desperately because Heide had long fainted from fatigue.

"It is the one thing that could get, or should have already alerted the young Wynter. Okay, here's the thing," Ulrike said as he sat on the ground next to their horses and Grant joined him, waiting for something that could clear the air and solve the desperation in the eyes of the wolves.

It was like they had all the time in the world, but they didn't exactly have a lot of time left. The longer Heide stayed there with the wolves, the more dangerous the forest would be, not just for the high priest, but also for the werewolves and the midlands as a whole.

"Ten years ago, Alanor realized that his parents' grave was probably going to wither away with time, and he was worried that he would forget the one spot that meant the world to him, the one place that started all that he's been doing since the Udrad Saturdays.

"So he planted a tree and a wildflower. Two creatures of nature that would remind him that he was still a human. He had bound his parents' grave with magic, one so potent that anyone who dared to so much as pluck a leaf of the wildflower, would get the whole of the forest on a lockdown.

"It was a strong barrier of magic that could slowly eat up the lives of those inside, and serve as punishment for anyone who tried to remind the young Wynter of his everlasting pain after a while. That was Alanor's way of making sure his parents were not disturbed.

"He also did that to make sure innocent people were not caught up in his desire for revenge. Alanor had made it such that only Heide, Criselda, Zelina, and I knew it. He had warned us that if ever we tried going there, then he wouldn't be responsible for what his lycan would do to us.

"His lycan, is the beast of the midlands. Not just a regular lycan. He made us master the forest because he didn't want to get to the point where he had to kill us.

"He trusted us with the information about his parents and made sure we wouldn't be harmed because of him," Ulrike said before adding, "I think Heide triggered the curse Alanor put in there, and it's just a matter of time before h,e and everyone in there fall and die."

Ulrike looked at Grant, then at the wolves in there. He was worried that Heide was probably too weak to fend for himself and even if the barrier was opened, then Heide wouldn't be able to break free of the barrier on time.

As he watched the chaos that was slowly forming, Ulrike wondered if he needed to go to Criselda and tell her of what was happening. He didn't want Heide to die, but he also didn't want the two women going berserk from worry.

Both of the women were busy with their responsibilities and their people. He couldn't do that to them so Ulrike thought about the possible options at hand.

"Let's go to Acrod," Ulrike said to Grant who looked confused as he was still trying to process the fact that Alanor was THAT powerful. He had never met a man with such insane power, but then Alanor seemed to be introducing him to a different aspect of magic and the midlands.

It was safe to say that Alanor was worse than all the Greroth warlocks combined. Grant wasn't sure if that was a good thing, or it was just a subscription to death.

"This will be hard to explain to the king for sure," Grant said to Ulrike who just sighed as they hopped on their horses and started the journey to Acrod, ignoring the whimpering wolves who were still too weak because of the war they had waged against Zelina.

"Tell me about it. Anyway, let's just hope king Cassius listens, because if he doesn't, then we might as well dig holes and reside in there, forever," Ulrike said and Grant felt chills down his spine. 

Grant thought about what Ulrike had said and then the reason Alanor had rejected him.

From what he could see, Alanor was way too powerful, and could protect him so why the fuck had the young Wynter rejected him in the first palace? Grant knew holding onto Alanor was an insult to his mate, but he couldn't help it.

It was almost like the universe was trying to put him in a situation where he would be forced to fight with Alanor's real mate, and that too, for the young Wynter.

"Don't think of what you're thinking of, Grant. You have a mate now, respect him," Ulrike said and Grant paused, looking at the hound, like he was reading his mind. There were so many things in Ulrike's head, but it was quite interesting that he could read Grant's mind.

"I'm sorry," Grant whimpered, before he saddled ahead of Ulrike, knowing that this was a dangerous path he was treading on.

"Oh, the things that love makes us do," Ulrike said as he followed him.

The ride to Acrod was expectedly short, considering how fast Ulrike and Grant were going on their horses.

They both hoped to save Heide, even more than they hoped to see Alanor. Alanor would without doubt take care of himself, but a weak Heide in a magical barrier that slowly ate away life, was more important at the moment.

"Hello sire," Delbert greeted Grant respectfully as they walked through the Acrod gates.

It had been a while since they had seen each other and frankly, Delbert was happy for them, but Grant couldn't help but notice that Delbert was looking outside the gates, like he was expecting someone else to have come with Ulrike and Grant.

Grant didn't pay too much attention to it, because maybe, just maybe, Delbert was thinking that the psychotic vampire had tagged along. Zelina always walked her pace and never gave a damn about time, so maybe this was just about her.

However, what if Delbert was waiting for someone else?

"Hello Delbert, is the king in the palace, or did he go hunting?" Grant asked, knowing so well that Cassius loved the hunting grounds, especially on these occasions because they helped him think straight.

It was more like a shooting ground, but that didn't matter, because as the werewolf warrior and the hound walked into Acrod, they knew they could only hope for so much for the king.

The chaos that was in the midlands may have been nothing new to Cassius, but even he knew that danger was looming. He knew that something was about to happen that would change all their lives and that he needed to ready his people. But would he be on time though?

"Yes, sire, he is in the palace."