Chapter 220
Darius pov
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I raced through the forest as fast as I could, my paws skimming the ground, heart hammering with adrenaline as Zayn’s words echoed in my mind over and over,
“Hey, little Darius. I have your mate. She’s safe… for now. But if you want her alive, follow her scent and meet us in fifteen minutes. One minute late, and she dies.”
He had Nyssa. He had my mate. All of it was my fault. I should have stayed with her, protected her but I didn’t, and now she was in danger.
Not even thirty minutes later, I reached the place he had indicated. I skidded to a halt, scanning the area, but before I could fully turn, a low, amused voice sounded behind me. I froze and jerked my head to the side and everything inside me went cold.
There she was, Nyssa, unconscious against a tree, her chest rising and falling slowly. Blood streaked the corner of her lips, tears marked her face. Beside her stood the bastard, a grin plastered on his face, hand raised in a mocking greeting.
“Hey, little Darius. Wow, you really love this woman. You came before fifteen minutes, impressive,” he joked.
I didn’t take my eyes off Nyssa. Rage surged through me, tightening my chest, and a low growl rumbled from deep within as I stared at her.
“How dare you touch her?” I hissed through mindlink, my voice a snarl. “How dare you hurt her?!”
Even without speaking aloud, the forest seemed to tremble under the weight of my anger, and birds scattered into the sky.
I watched as Zayn’s eyes widened and he lifted his hands, wearing an almost mocking, apologetic smile.
“Ahh, you’re angry, aren’t you, brother? I can explain, it’s not really my fault, you know. She was resisting so much and I had to knock her out before she slashed my neck and ended me. Haha.”
He laughed and I growled, ready to launch myself at him. But before I could move an inch, Zayn’s voice cut through, stopping me in my tracks as claws sprouted and he aimed them at her throat.
“Woow, don’t even think about it, brother. If you don’t want your mate to die again, be wise and listen to me because even if you’re fast enough to attack me, you won’t be fast enough to stop my claws from reaching her
neck.”
He tilted his head as he continued, smirking.
“So be good and stop right there, okay?”
My eyes narrowed at his words; my lips pulled into a hard frown. I knew he was right. From this distance I wouldn’t reach her in time. After a brief, charged moment, I clicked my tongue and stepped back, every muscle ready, my gaze pinned to him.
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Chapter 220
His smile widened and he coord.
“Aww, that’s a good boy. You listen so well, Darius.
His tone and that name, “little Darius” made my eyes darken, but I forced myself not to think about it. Nothing was more important than keeping her safe. I couldn’t let anything happen to her. No.
I answered through the mindlink, my voice cold.
“What do you want, Zayn?”
As soon as I did, he chuckled and shook his head in amusement.
“You wound me, Darius. I thought you would’ve figured out my identity by now. You still don’t know who I am? Have you forgotten me after all these years?”
He asked it while standing up, one hand pressed to his chest in mock hurt. My frown deepened at his words.
Recognize him?
What was he trying to pull?
I narrowed my gaze, and he only laughed harder before shrugging and speaking again.
“Don’t worry. You’ll recognize me soon enough. But for now, why don’t you shift back to your human form? You know, your wolf form is terrifying, especially with all that blood on your fur. Change for me, okay?”
For a moment I didn’t respond. I just watched him, searching for any opening where I could move without him hurting her. But there wasn’t one. I wasn’t close enough.
For now, I had to listen. Her safety came first.
A low growl slipped from me as I slowly began to shift back. Bones cracked and melded as my body transformed from wolf to man, until I was standing there in nothing but trousers, the blood gone from my
skin.
As soon as I finished transforming, Zayn nodded in satisfaction, then clapped his hands and commented,
“Oh brother, you’ve actually gotten more handsome over the years… and more ripped too. That’s really good. You were such a lanky kid back then, didn’t even like to train or do anything.”
My gaze darkened at his words, and I took a step closer, fists curling at my sides.
“Who are you, Zayn? Why do you act like you know me?” I asked.
He smirked, replying,
“Because I do know you, brother. Why haven’t you realized it yet? If your mate Liana can be reborn and retain her memory, why can’t I, your brother Dalton, do the same?”
As soon as those words left his mouth, a gasp escaped me. I stumbled back a step, my eyes wide as I processed
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Chapter 220
what he had just said.
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“W–what did you just say?” I asked, my voice barely audible. He heard me loud and clear, and when he did, his smile widened even more. He waved his hand casually and said,
“Long time no see, little Darius. I would’ve said it’s nice meeting you, but you ripped my head apart in the previous life.. so it isn’t such a good meeting, is it?”
I took a step back, almost stumbling to the ground.
It was him. Dalton, my older brother, the one who should have been king instead of me, who should have ruled but was rejected by the goddess. Afterward, I had felt guilty toward him, tried to make it up, but no matter what I did, he still hated me.
He still blamed me. And now, blinded by rage, he had plotted, killed my mate, and here he stood before me, reborn with his memory, undoub
tedly here to fight for the throne again.
田
