CHAPTER 109: _REMIND YOU OF HIS EXISTENCE

Elian’s POV

*****

’You’re telling me I still haven’t completed the mission after all that?’

[I said survive your first night outside the royal palace. You still have approximately nine hours before the first break of dawn.]

’I can’t wait that long! Come on, I want my reward.’

[Why not deal with the elephant in the room first?]

The "elephant" in question was definitely Lucian.

After the umbra beast was defeated in the bar and the mark on his ankle was dissipated, he thought he had completed the survival mission from the system.

But alas, Axel had to leave the room to moon knows where and Lucian walked in talking about feelings.

The Alpha Prince. Prince Douchebag himself... Was talking about FEELINGS.

Elian hadn’t realised he would see the day that happened.

But just when he was about to share a kiss with the Alpha Prince... Axel barged into the hotel room bearing unsettling news.

"What do you mean, Estella is here with news from the Dark Lands?" Lucian asked with a growl, stepping away from Elian and walking toward Axel. "Also, why haven’t we stuck a knife in her back so she understands how backstabbing is? Where is she?"

Axel’s face twitched with frustration. "She’s still my sister, Lucian."

"And she kidnapped and tortured my sister and OUR mate, Beta!" Lucian snapped, his fists curled with barely contained rage. "Don’t you dare try defending her."

Elian stood at the side with a conflicted expression while running through some analysis from the system.

[Yeah, Axel is right. My scanners have pinpointed Estella in one of the hotel rooms on this very floor.]

’Should we go pay her a little visit?’ Elian asked the system mentally, thinking of so many ways to get back at that deranged bitch.

She made one of her guards make a move on him. He was almost sexually assaulted!

He might’ve been high on his heat symptoms then but he sure as hell hadn’t forgotten.

[Whoa... Slow down there lightweight. What do you hope to do if you see her? Punch her in front of Axel?]

’Maybe.’

[Well, instead of doing that and seeming like an absolute moron... You could use the defenceless mate card. Sell your story on how Estella treated you and Aurora during your captivity. With a fake tear or two.]

Oh, that could work...

It was shameless... But it could work.

Elian raised his head, focusing his gaze now on Lucian and Axel who were still arguing.

"Lucian, she’s barely able to think properly," Axel revealed with a calm tone. "If she truly ended up in the Dark Lands... Whatever she encountered there messed up with her head."

Lucian scoffed with disdain. "Whatever, Axel. Just keep your deranged sister far away from Elian and Aurora. I can’t promise her head being intact if she does anything—"

Just when Elian parted his lips to say something, a loud scream tore through the night in the hotel, sending a chill down his spine.

Lucian and Axel froze, the latter glancing at Elian with confusion in his golden eyes.

That scream... Was from a female.

"Estella..." Axel rasped with dread, turning around and heading for the door.

He opened it and ran out, leaving Lucian standing for only a couple of seconds. The Alpha Prince glanced back at Elian, his silver eyes seemingly telling him "our moment earlier isn’t over".

Then he ran after Axel, leaving Elian alone in the room... Again.

[Bitch, if you don’t step out of this room right now...]

Elian snapped out of his reverie, running out of the room as well, closing the door behind him.

He turned his head to the right side of the corridor and spotted Lucian and Axel barging into a room.

What sort of crazy were they going to face tonight?

[I don’t know... But let’s hope it doesn’t endanger your life in any way. Knowing your luck, that might be a pipe dream...]

.

.

"Aurora, what are you doing?"

"Stop!"

"You two better back off!"

Elian furrowed his eyebrows when he heard these screams coming from the room in question.

He stepped inside slowly, his eyes widening when he saw the scene within it.

The room was dimly lit, as expected from a room containing one of the most evil women he’s ever interacted with.

And at the other end of the room stood Aurora... But she wasn’t standing there alone.

Aurora had Estella held by her hair, pressing the Beta’s sister against her chest. Aside from that, she had a silver dagger against Estella’s neck.

One wrong move and the blade would definitely cut into Estella with ease.

Meanwhile, Lucian and Axel stood cautiously at the left and right corners of the room, trying to get through to Aurora.

"Aurora, please just drop the weapon and let her go." Axel had his arms raised, taking a step closer.

But Aurora’s silver eyes glinted with a cold light as she shook her head. "This bitch kidnapped me. Colluded with my mate all this time. And now he’s dead and she’s alive?"

Her eyes flicked to Elian, who still stood at the entrance of the room, not knowing how to insert himself in any of this. He felt a shiver run down his spine when her icy gaze focused on him.

It was like being looked down on by a vengeful goddess.

[On the plus side, at least someone’s going to help you deal with Estella.]

’Not like this! Aurora’s definitely still acting from the pain of losing Magnus.’

As if Magnus hadn’t been an asshole himself.

[Someone’s gotta talk some sense into her... You want to do the honours?]

’And get my tongue cut out? You really do hate me!’

"Aurora, listen to Beta Axel." Lucian was the one who spoke this time, taking a couple of steps forward. "Yes, Estella deserves everything that’s coming to her and more. But this isn’t the way to get justice."

Aurora’s eyes flickered with hesitation, her hands trembling.

Elian, regretting his life choices, managed to chime in. "Aurora, I want to stick a dagger into her throat more than anyone. But let’s at least hear what she has to say about the dark lands."

Aurora glanced at him and in that moment, he saw the murderous light in her eyes dim.

She grunted with frustration, shoving Estella forward. The latter fell to the ground, panting heavily, her messy blonde hair covering her face.

Elian gave Aurora a smile as she lowered her dagger, before bringing his gaze to Estella.

"What news did you bring from the Dark Lands?" Elian asked coldly, closing the door behind him and stepping further into the room until his shadow loomed like death’s cloak on her.

Estella shook with fear, raising her head slowly. When her hazel eyes met his... Elian had an instant bad feeling.

"You..." Estella croaked, shaking her head with disbelief. "You’re the Rogue king’s mate."

Those words made Elian’s stomach coil with surprise and dread. The sudden realisation that one of his major secrets had been revealed so easily hit him in the gut.

He could feel Lucian, Axel’s and even Aurora’s confused gazes on him but didn’t glance at them, waiting for Estella to continue.

"What the heck do you mean?" Lucian growled, sounding like he’d slit her throat himself.

Elian held his breath as Estella continued.

"He... He had his people capture Magnus and me somehow. Brought us to the Dark Lands. Then he killed Magnus before my eyes... And told me..." Estella closed her eyes, as if she was terrified merely thinking about all of it. "He told me I should tell all of you he’s coming... And that he wouldn’t stop until Elian is his."

Elian’s chest tightened with dread and an odd sense of longing.

Shit...

[Shit indeed. Looks like the craziest among your mates decided to remind you of his existence in the grandest way possible.]