Taming Her Beastly Mate
Chapter 76

Erebus teleported to the clouds right above the cloaked army. This way he could watch their movement and be ready.

Da.mn that witch. What did she know… she knew nothing! She had no idea how it felt for the person you admired to never look your way. And when he did it was nothing special. You were the bud of his jokes.

No one could ever understand how it felt. An eternity of wanting someone you couldn’t have because they didn’t want you. It is enough to make someone jaded over a lifetime. But this… was infinite. This pain…it would never stop.

In the beginning, his feelings were sweet, and he treasured them. He told himself that he was content just being close to the Kraken. At least this was how he felt at first. Then he told him to call him Aken. It was another level of closeness and he found himself wanting more. The years would roll by, and nothing changed between them. Aken liked to tease him, but he never closed the gap. Still even Aken’s teasing was attention… and he didn’t mind it. At first.

You can’t imagine what it is like to always be watching someone who never looks back at you. Not once. Erebus wasn’t who he wanted… completely overlooked. As if Aken was too good for him. In Erebus’ eyes, Aken was too good for him, but he hoped they could have something together. That maybe Aken would turn around and really see him.

One day though Aken gave him a gift. It was a special shampoo. He remembered being so happy. Aken had finally noticed him. He had given him a present… he remembered how it made him feel. How his heartbeat was faster… How just looking up at Aken made him blush. He was so excited he couldn’t wait to try it out.

He recalled how stupid he had been. How he excitedly was showering getting ready to see Aken. Like the lovesick fool he was. But his heart broke that day.

He had finished getting ready after the shower. His heart skipped in anticipation to go see Aken. He walked up to the mirror to make sure his hair was perfect. He remembered looking at his reflection and just staring in shock. His hair… his hair had been dyed completely white. He reached up and touched his locks running his fingers between them… wet streaks began to drip down from his face. It was a prank. A cruel joke that played on his affections. Did Aken know how he felt and used it to manipulate him?

He remembered frantically trying to redye his hair. But the effects of the magic were permanent. Even with new hair growth, the color remained white. And Aken laughed…

It was all a joke to him. Couldn’t he see? Did he really not know how he felt? It was then Erebus began to drown in the cruel reality that Aken would never want him. He had put Aken up on a pedestal and no one could bring him down or replace him. Sure, there were others but they weren’t Aken. Erebus couldn’t bring himself to tell Aken of his feelings after that incident. Would it even matter? It would be another thing for him to tease him over.

The pain of knowing he couldn’t have Aken was indescribable. At first, he tried to fight it. But as time passed, he became bitter. He couldn’t stand that he couldn’t have who he wanted. When he caught Aken talking to a dryad named Ivory, he immediately claimed her. He took on a harem that could never really satisfy him. But they were women that Aken couldn’t have now.

But Ivory was starting to make him feel again. This beautiful dryad was his and not Aken’s. And for once he started to feel like he had worth. Maybe with Ivory, he could replace a path to healing. Of course… it wasn’t to be.

He found Ivory visiting Aken late one night. She was completely naked just standing in front of him. Aken’s eyes traveled over her in a way that he would never look at him. Ivory had betrayed him by going to another man… but not just any man, Aken! He was furious and, in his rage, killed Ivory. It was never about Ivory… it was about Aken. She was now dead because of Aken. A poison began to spread inside of him that he couldn’t stop. This was the moment he began to turn evil. He became a twisted monster of envy. And he vowed one day Aken would see his worth.

He felt the contempt radiating over him and he vowed he would destroy Aken. He wanted him to know what despair felt like. He wanted him to know what it was like to want someone so bad and not be able to have them.

This was why he wanted Alexis. He wanted her to look at him and desire him. Because he knew it would hurt Aken even more. But she refused him too. But that didn’t matter. So long as Aken couldn’t have her…

Erebus looked down at the cloaked army as they began to march towards Elysium. It was finally time. Alexis needed to choose him. Because he wanted Aken to know the pain. For eternity Aken would never have the person he wanted. His brows furrowed as his lips thinned. The only way he could accomplish this was with the nembrant glass.

Of course… there was always another way. Erebus’s lips curled upwards as he pondered over what he was thinking. Aken would never be able to be with Alexis… if he killed her.

__

Elysium was chaos. People were running everywhere and seeking shelter. Warriors were coming towards the front where they held their positions inside of the barrier. At the front of the assembling army were Tyler, Lilly, and Tristan.

“Mom!” Rhea ran through the army with Cody and Kelsie at her heels. “I heard the cloaked army is almost here.”

“Yes. We don’t know what to expect. We will wait inside of the barrier where we can divide the army. Only those of fairy b***d will be able to enter freely.” Lilly looked up as more of her friends and family took their positions among the crowd.

“The guardians have the power to handle the dark fairies.” Tristan looked up as Wyatt, Freya, and Jason walked up.

“Justice is staying behind with Lucy, Derek, Destiny, and Harley.” Jason watched as Tyler nodded his head.

“Good. Lucy, Destiny, and Raine shouldn’t be anywhere near here. Where is Raine?” Tyler looked over at Cody who shook his head.

“She was with Alexis right before the chaos broke out.” Cody turned and looked at Rhea. “How is she doing?”

“She is doing just fine.” A commanding voice echoed out as a body parted the army. Alexis walked through with a powerful aura swirling around her. Not far behind her was Nita.

Who dared to pick a fight with Elysium?! With the mood, Alexis was in she was ready to bring her strength to full force. Her mother had told her about Micah and about him being a titan. Though she could feel her mother was still holding something back. It didn’t matter. She didn’t care what they wanted to call Micah. He was her guardian. End of discussion. If Micah had gone dark, she was certain she could pull him out of it. She needed to handle this cloaked army so she could go to Micah.

“Where is Raine?” Kelsie asked and Alexis smiled at her.

“She said she was going to check on Lucy and Destiny.” Alexis felt a strong breeze swirl around them. She glanced up seeing the green hair of her Aunt Jin swirling in the breeze over top of them. She landed next to Jason and looked over at Wyatt and Freya.

“The shadow is upon us,” Jin said as everyone turned their attention forward.

“Rhea!”

Rhea turned her head to Titus running over next to her. He placed his arm around her shoulder and winked down at her.

“It’s better for your Gemini twin to be beside you. We learned this after the last crazy war.” Titus beamed down at her.

“Hopefully this won’t be as intense as last time.” Rhea gave him a weak smile and he squeezed her shoulder lightly.

“The dragon army is here as a backup. And not just any army.” His lips curled upwards as he motioned over in the distance with his head. “The royals from all the kingdoms have come to answer the fairy’s call. We are bonded for life.”

“Thank you, Titus,” Rhea answered. “There will always be a safe place here in Elysium for all of the dragon kind.”

Titus studied her and leaned his head down to her ear. In a barely audible voice, he asked, “What is it?”

Rhea looked up at him and chew on her inner l*p. “I can’t reach Lee. It’s like… well it feels like before when he was locked away from me by the deities.” She whispered back to him in a quiet breath.

“I’m sure he is just fine. Don’t worry about him. After we settle things with this cloaked army we will try to reach out to Levi.” Titus watched as Rhea nodded her head. Inwardly though he didn’t like the sounds of that. Levi would never block his link with Rhea. Whatever was going on he would leave communication open to Rhea… no wonder she was anxious.

Tristan growled lowly as his eyes fixated on the barrier. A few shadows crept closer and then suddenly took form. In the center was a tall man who stared at them with his dark obsidian eyes. He had black transparent wings on his back and his skin was the same color. His black hair shined as the sun’s rays touched it.

He wore a black trench coat with gold buttons. He had on black gloves and heavy combat boots. The back of the coat flowed behind him as he looked over everyone in front of him. A blue flame showed in his dark eyes as he stared at the fairy royals.

“An Unblessed Wisp,” Tristan snarled quietly. A wisp was a type of elemental fairy spirit. It was one that was associated with blue or red fire, depending on its strength. There were both Blessed and Unblessed Wisps. And among them, the blue flame was the strongest.

“State your business!” Lilly commanded as her eyes narrowed on the Unblessed wisp.

“I am here to represent the Unseelie court. The Unblessed fairies. You call us kin and yet there isn’t a section of Elysium that is a suitable home for us. You clearly only favor the light. And we have had enough!” The wisp flapped his wings slightly as small affirmations were heard from behind him by his peers.

“You’ve had enough?!” Alexis scoffed as she stepped forward. “And how have you ever been mistreated? You haven’t. If there isn’t a suitable home for you here in Elysium it is because you haven’t created one for yourself. You know better. Elysium is magical. It adapts for those who live here. We have kelpies here who have made Elysium their home. Are they not fairies that belong to the Unblessed court?” She watched as the wisp eyed her curiously. But she just wasn’t in the mood. Because of them, she wasn’t able to go look for Micah. Her aura pushed out and she blanketed the area. A warm yellow light with cool black streaks covered the sky as it intertwined together.

“The fairy princess… is also a dark fairy?”

“She is a dark fairy too!”

“She is the one we’ve been waiting for.”

“Cal, we can’t go on with the plan.”

The murmuring of voices rose from the dark fairies behind the wisp. The wisp slowly lowered down to one knee and the rest of them followed suit.

“Forgive us. You are the one we have been waiting for. There is a prophecy about you among the Unseelie court…” The wisp paused and cursed under his breath. “I am Cal. I’m sorry. Please take your anger out on me…” He glanced up at Alexis. “There is a demonic army under the cloak. Mixed with creatures… that should not exist. There are wrathens, shrieks, dranvors, faceless… but they can’t enter here. You will be safe behind the barrier. The only ones you need to worry about are the demonic fairies. They are the only ones who can enter Elysium.”

Alexis looked over at her grandmother and mother. They had been waiting for her? It was prophesized that she would also have dark powers? She was curious about what this prophecy said. But there wasn’t time for that. A high pitched scream shrieked from behind them.

“What is going on?!” Jin raised herself higher so she could see better. She noticed Destiny and Lucy on the patio. With Harley, Derek, and Justice. Jasper and Terra were sprinting towards them, and she flew herself over with her wind.

“It took her!” Lucy looked around.

“Something just sucked her into the ground.” Destiny was beside herself.

“What happened?” Jin asked as she hovered above them.

“Something took Raine,” Justice growled looking up at Jin.

“But what could have…” Jin looked around moving higher up. She looked around frantically, but she couldn’t see anything. She quickly returned back to the front of the army. “Something took Raine!” She listened as Cody growled menacingly.

“Dam.nit. It had to of been the shadow serpent. It has fairy b***d… I didn’t think it was enough to get entry.” Cal watched as Alexis stared at him.

“Who sent you here?!” Alexis asked already knowing the answer. But Cal didn’t have a chance to reply. A sinister laugh chuckled above them. They all looked up. In the clouds was a figure who was dangling Raine in the air.

“I’m simply heartbroken you won’t invite me in, so I brought a friend out to be with me. Of course… I am willing to trade—” Erebus grinned as he stared at the ground below him.

“Alexis you can’t!” Lilly instantly grabbed onto her granddaughter’s arm. “The premonition—”

“Fu.ck the premonition! I am not going to let something happen to Raine.” Alexis glared up at Erebus. What was the point if keeping her alive would mean she had to watch a family member die? Besides, Alexis was the only one there who had a chance against Erebus. No one else would be able to save Raine.

And maybe… maybe the premonition couldn’t be avoided. Maybe the purpose of it was so they could all be prepared.