chapter 1

Chapter 1

Third-person POV

18 years ago

"Peter, my water just broke," Lisa said, using her left hand to hold her lower abdomen as Peter kept pulling her as they ran together, trying to hide away from the warriors chasing them.

"Could you please just hold on a little?" Peter replied, stopping to check on Lisa. They are being chased, and this is not the right time for her to be in labour. They heard footsteps coming from behind them and Peter quickly took her in his arms, running as fast as he could.

"Check there. I'm sure they have not gone far. The lady is with a child," Cain, the vampire warrior said, commanded one guard beside him.

"I don't think I can hold it any longer; it's coming already," Lisa said amidst tears. She felt weak and helpless and Peter didn't have strength with her anymore. It was now getting dark in the woods as the couple tried getting on their feet to run when the guard sent by Cain saw them. Quickly, he turned around to report to Cain.

Before he could leave, Peter pulled out his dagger and slit his throat, killing him instantly. Peter and Lisa continued running as fast as they could. But Lisa was already losing her breath.

"Stay with me, Lisa; please stay with me," Peter said, looking at Lisa as she was sweating profusely.

"I can't do it, I can…." she trailed off, almost collapsing in his arms. Peter looked at her pale face. He knew she couldn't go on, so he stopped by a tree hiding her beside the enormous tree. They just have to hide here until the warriors go. Hopefully, she could hold on.

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

It has been half an hour and the guard Cain sent was not here.

"Master, don't you think they have killed Adam?" a guard said, bothered. Cain faced him.

"Is that why you are here? Is he your brother or family? The last time I checked, you are not to talk until I talk to you," Cain said, glaring at the guard. Then he turned around.

"Keep searching; we need to find them. The woman is with a child and she could have not gotten too far," Cain said, as they all moved forward, their booths making loud noises as the sky grumbled.

Lisa could hear footsteps approaching, and her heart started beating loudly.

"They are coming," she said, trying to sit up. He looked back at the tree and he could hear the faded footsteps, but he was not sure she can go on any longer, she is too weak.

"Master, this is Adam's body," a warrior said.

"It seems we are close to our prey, or, let me say, captive." Cain grins happily as they continue searching. He loves when the king appoints him to fish out betrayals, and Peter has always been his rival. Now he can finally put an end to him.

"Lisa, I don't think they would leave easily. I would hold them and make way for you. Please keep yourself and our angel safe," He said, rubbing her cheeks while trying to keep his tears in. He never thought this was how things would end.

"I can't do this alone," Lisa said, amidst tears.

"Lisa, I will always be with you, and our angel just makes sure you both are safe. I will always be there. When you close your eyes, you will always see me, I promise," Peter said, like he was saying his last words.

"Close your eyes. I can't leave while you are looking at me," Peter said, looking into Lisa's eyes. She whimpered as the baby kicked, looking at Peter with teary eyes.

"Please be safe," she whimpered.

"I will," he said, giving a short but sensual kiss. Lisa kept her eyes closed and when she opened it, her mate was no longer with her. A tear dropped down her eyes as she worriedly looked through the dark night, the sky grumbling. She knows Peter won't escape this, so with all the strength she has, she stood up, holding her stomach as she ran through the dark night.

Peter ran to Cain with his sword out. He knows he is dying tonight, but he has to keep them safe. It's only their life that matters to him right now. Cain smiled as he saw Peter. The bastard was still standing strong even when he knew he was cornered. But he wasn't worried. He knew he was going to breathe his last today.

"Where is your whore?" he said, as the guards surrounded peter.

"Fight me, you bastard, and quit the chit chat," Peter said.

"You find her," he commands the guard, looking at the fear in Peter's eyes.

"She is gone. You can't find her," Peter said, trying to keep a straight face as two guards ran in the direction where she was staying. The rain was already falling, so he hoped at least it would block their steps.

"I finally get to kill you, traitor," Cain said, moving close to Peter. They both circled themselves with their swords out.

"I am no traitor," Peter hissed, running to Cain and swiping at his face. Cain dodged it, kicking him in the knee.

"I am not the one that mated with a smelly rogue wolf," he hissed, kicking him in the jaw harshly. The loud sound of the thunderclaps blocked out his groans as his mouth bled, but he stood up, still glaring at Cain.

"I am not the one that killed my mate in cold blood just because of what she is. You will live your entire life without a beloved just because you want to be loyal to a selfish king who has his beloved beside him. How long are we going to be used for? We keep killing our innocent beloved just because of a stupid rule. Aren't you tired?" Peter spat, disgusted.

"Shut your mouth you traitor, do you know what is destroying people's lives? It's the inability to obey simple rules," he hissed back, swiping his sword at his leg. Peter groaned, falling down at his knees as his leg bled out. But he smiled at Cain, his bloody teeth flashing at him.

"You all have been brainwashed. You can't even live peacefully after killing your mate and you still support such a vile king," he said, not bothering to fight anymore. He was tired of living such a wasted life with selfish kings.

"You are still a coward," Cain spat, punching him in the face. Peter fell to the floor, looking at the black angry sky as the downpour fell on his face. He wanted to scream out and ask why he was being punished like this. He wanted to be with his beloved and their child, but faith was playing a trick on him, keeping him away from his family. Cain continued punching him, leaving bruises all over his face and ribs, but Peter could only groan out weakly, not fighting him. Cain carried his sword, pointing it at his neck.

"Your last word," he said, smirking. Peter looked up at him with one eye open, an ugly laugh coming out of his weak body.

"Y.you are still a c.c.coward," he hissed out, looking at him dead in the eyes. Cain, angry and irritated at the word coward as he remembered what his beloved told him just before he killed her. She told him the exact word, and he hated hearing it since that day. He raised his sword up, swiping his head clean from his body.

Lisa, still running, fell to the floor as she felt the bond break. Her heart pinged painfully as tears fell down her eyes.

"Oh, Peter," she cried, holding her stomach as the pain became unbearable, but she knew she had to go on. She can't let anything happen to their child. She stood up again, running through the dark woods as the rain fell heavily.

She couldn't see where she was running as she collided with someone. She fell to the floor, protecting her stomach as she looked up to see an old woman. The woman was wearing a white cloth which was drenched, carrying a bag filled with herbs.

"Please, help me," Lisa cried, holding her stomach. Hazel looked at the pregnant lady in pain. She just went for her usual stroll in the woods to get some herbs, then the rain caught up with her. She didn't know she would come across a pregnant woman who seemed to be in great pain. She bent down, realising she was in labour.

"Gently dear, gently it's going to be fine," Hazel says as she drops her bag on the floor and looks for some herbs to help with the baby.

Hazel spread a mixed coloured linen on the floor, helped Lisa to lie on it. She examined her stomach and saw that she was ready to push.

"Push dear," she said, pressing on her stomach softly, but Lisa had no strength to push. She quickly missed some herbs and fed it to her to strengthen her a bit.

"Push," she said again.

"Argh," Lisa groaned through her pain, the rain blocking out her sounds. This went on for minutes with Hazel continually giving her the herbs. After long, painful minutes, the sounds of a baby crying ring out in the woods. Lisa looked up weakly as the old woman wrapped her up in a wet cloth.

"It's a girl," Hazel says, handling the baby to Lisa. Tears fall from her eyes as she looks at her baby. She looks so much like Peter. She smiled, kissing her forehead as she squirmed in her arms.

"Please keep her safe, keep her away," she said weakly while giving her to the stranger. Hazel carried the baby, looking at the young woman as she smiled softly, rubbing the baby's hair. The child cried hard like she knew something was wrong, then her hard dropped softly, her eyes closing as she breathed her last.

Hazel looked at the woman in pity, wondering what had happened to her. Then she turned to the baby. She was screaming with her eyes closed and the rain became heavier. She heard footsteps approaching, and she quickly packed her stuff. As she was packing her herbs, she felt warm, and she looked at the child. Her eyes were open, and they were yellow. She jumped up, startled as the lady's body was light on fire.

The rain fell heavily, but the fire only increased. Hazel looked at the child and she knew she was doing it. She was burying her mother.

"Phoenix," she whispered, rubbing her head. She looked up and saw the warriors were near. Hazel disappeared out of the woods, taking the child away with her. The fire never stopped burning. The fire continued burning, spreading out and burning all the warriors and the trees. Nobody knew what started the fire, but they knew it was a powerful being.