Crimson Shadow
Mate!
He got his fated mate after centuries and in this situation. He kept looking at her face keenly with stupefaction. He smelled her scent just now which meant she had put a magical shield on her crux which had now been pulled out by her unknowingly, perhaps being taken back by his sudden attack.
But He smelled something fishy there.
Why was she not acknowledging him as her mate? She should also feel the mate bond, right? She looked the age of surpassing her essence then why?
Alora's eyes widened when out of blue He attacked her. And now seeing his dark gaze assessing her soul through her eyes, She tried to attack him with her sorcery again but in a swift motion He turned her around and slammed her body back into his front before whispering in her ear.
"So this little bird is a little witch, hmm!" He whispered near her ear in his rich velvety voice. Alora bent her head to the side feeling ticklish on her skin where his hot breath caressed her.
"But you need to learn one thing, Lora. In my place, nothing will function according to you. You can penetrate to my realm with your wish but you can only leave at my wish. And if you dare to play smart…."
He squeezed her neck in warning, halting her thrashing to get free, "I won't regret choking you to death. I am done playing with you. Now state your purpose before I give into the desire to turn you into ashes." He snapped in utter annoyance and pushed her off his body.
Something was off about this girl. He had never heard about this vampire princess before in any realm. How come she suddenly appeared out of nowhere to see him. But now He needed to know about her real motive.
Alora stumbled ahead and turned around astonished. "You.. You are the guardian?"
He chuckled darkly while stepping back. Alora saw the white mist arouse from behind his huge frame.
He raised his chin with an indifferent look and removed the cloak hood from his head before leveling his electric blue eyes on her. Alora was stunned, staring at his silver hair before looking at his exquisite face formed into a fierce look. He gave her a humorless smirk while his eyeballs swirled with white waves.
"Yes! I am the 'Crimson Shadow'."
Alora blinked twice, thrice and cursed herself inwardly when she realized She offended the moon guardian. She should have kept her anger in check.
"Why, You…didn't tell me?" She asked in a low tone. He regarded her with his signature smirk and answered, "Then how would I have known that my little guest is a witch or let's say, A bloodsucker!"
Alora inhaled a deep breath. She understood that He indeed was a powerful man who managed to smell her hidden identity. If He was aware of her essence, if He could evade her magic then she was sure that He could just kill her simply. But she didn't come here just to go back empty-handed. She would do anything to convince him.
"I need your help." She said bluntly.
"And she has the audacity to demand too!" Crimson muttered under his breath and chuckled before snapping his fingers. The two white wolves emerged again on either side of him.
"I need you to help me to find someone!"
Alora said again, urgently.
"Ahan! Now we are talking! Who is that someone?" Crimson smirked, crossed his arms over his wide chest and leveled his eyes on her.
"Erix Hartshorn!"
The Crimson Shadow tilted his head in curiosity and gave her another suspicious look. "Erix?"
"Yes, Erix Hartshorn, the Lycan prince from the Snow Spell dynasty. You are the moon guardian who knows everything and can help me trace him. So I came here to ask for your help. In return, I will help you with anything." Alora said in one breath.
Crimson lowered the corner of his lips, nodding slowly and turned to Sky, one of the wolves, 'Isn't she interesting?' Crimson asked in a mind-link.
'And Are you sure she is your mate? Who knows she used artificial scent to enchant you.' The wolf growled softly while baring canines at Alora who came to separate their master from them.
'Yes, She is asking for another man, it's a trap!' Star, another wolf, shook his snout and howled in dismay. Crimson smirked. No one had ever been born till now to trap Crimson into anything. And sure enough, no one would ever be able to create his fated mate's scent on her. So she indeed was his mate.
'But she has everything I want, kids!' He replied to them. 'Let's test her!'
"You are asking for something big, Lora. But I won't disappoint you. I would like to bargain for something in return." His eyes shone with something intense which shook Alora with a hint of knowing.
"What is it?" She asked slowly, looking into his electric blue eyes. He looked at her from head to toe, she was covered in a long trench coat with high boots. If they were to meet in some other situation, He could have marked her right away but no, His mate seemed mysterious, smart and schemy to him but He knew how to deal with her.
"I want the thing with which you teleported here, and invaded my place. I want the golden dagger!" He demanded firmly. Alora parted her lips, so He knew it and now demanded it directly.
"Nobody and no witch could reach here without it, it doesn't matter how powerful and experienced you are. My place is highly secured and incantated with a powerful barrier that no other spell could break. Only the moon goddess can permit anyone here or…" He leveled his eyes into her, "The broken piece of golden dagger of the previous Guard!"
'Never tell anyone about this. Especially the 'Crimson Shadow'.'
Her father's words kept ringing in her ears and Alora could give her life but would never defy him.
"You are taking too much of my time! Give me your answer. I need to go to my gates." Crimson said and nodded at her curtly seeing her silence.
"Alright! But I have a condition."
"You! Ain't you demanding for the second time? Is it fair I only ask for one thing and you demand two things?" He twisted the corners of his lips down and gave her a fake disappointed look.
"You asked for something big and precious!" She retorted back with the same words, with a raise of her brows. Crimson chuckled.
"Go on, Little bird!" He waved his hand at her before snapping his fingers and a big throne-like chair appeared near him. He took his seat on it and his wolves crouched on either side like good dogs in his feet.
Alora thinned her lips seeing how comfortable He made himself like she was going to present him some show. The man seemed too witty and swanky to her liking.
He beckoned her with his hand to speak of her plan. "Tell me everything about the Prince, every little thing?" She asked.
Crimson leaned back on his chair and kept his finger on his chin, staring at her. Why was his mate interested in Prince? But He knew she had something planned for this prince and he was so ready to be a part of her game.
"The Lycan prince was punished by the mood goddess for a mistake he made in his childhood days which caused all of us a heavy loss and destruction. So he was given an exile period to be disciplined in other realms and comes to his kingdom occasionally." He informed her.
"Does he have any weakness!" Alora asked him. Crimson gave her a snort, his mate looked desperate. Poor girl doesn't know that the Lycans were not weak to the vampires.
"Do you know I can just slaughter you right here for constructing conspiracy against the Lycans? The children of the Moon goddess! I am her servant and was appointed to safeguard the gates of the lavender Sky and the future of all the communities and kinds. And you are planning to hurt him?" He growled slightly.