PHYSIENTS WILL ALWAYS OFFER BEST STORIES AND LIVE STREAMING ALL TIME
Chapter 391 Opposite
Silence enveloped the room as Zeke just stared at her for a long while.
"I can't tell you," was his reply and he turned his back from her. "You will eventually find out in the near future."
"Wait," she called out but Zeke still left, not giving her any chance to stop him. What did he mean by that?
Abi could only close her eyes and shake her head. There was no use thinking about why Zeke had done things that way. Only he knew the reasons and if he wasn't willing to explain anything, then she would just have to wait. He was just too complicated for her and she didn't want to waste any more brain cells on him. She would concentrate instead on Alex, even if she was curious.
Letting out a sigh, she stared at Alex's unconscious figure. She sat right next to him. As she looked at him, she couldn't help but touch his face and push his hair back away from his face until she finally laid herself down next to him.
Her mind was filled with thoughts about what she should do, about what the best way was for her to tell him the truth. She needed to tell him the truth. She didn't know if it would bring his memories back but it was worth a try because right then, she really had no other ideas. She didn't know what else to do. She had given herself to him, she had made love to him and told him she loved him. She had pushed him, tortured him in her own way and he had even gone berserk to the point that he nearly strangled her but none of that seemed to work.
She closed her eyes and thought of all the experiences she had gone through with Alex, of everything he had done for her, like she was watching their very own movie, and she was reminded yet again of how he always went above and beyond for her.
Time passed and Abigail eventually rose from the bed suddenly. She looked like a light bulb had appeared above her head and the look in her eyes changed. Determination burned fiercely in them and she grabbed her phone, sending Zeke a message.
After a while, she heard the ping she was waiting for. She grabbed her phone and the moment she read it, she kissed Alex's forehead softly before she left the room.
Abi was then approached by a tall vampire with dark chocolate brown hair. He had the air of a powerful man but not to the same extent as Alex and Zeke seemed to emit. If Alex was a majestic king and Zeke was a powerful prince, this man was a strong general. Although he wasn't wearing a royal guard uniform, he was wearing an all black shirt and moss colored military inspired pants with lots of pockets which reminded her of the army.
She had been expecting a butler to escort her so she hadn't expected that Zeke would send a man like this instead.
"Nice to meet you, Miss Abigail. My name is Raven and I will be the one to escort you today," he politely introduced himself. He was polite and despite his deep voice and somewhat somber appearance, she didn't feel intimidated. Well, to anyone else he might seem scary and tough but having spent enough time around the two most powerful and intense men in the world, Abi had become immune to being affected by other powerful men's presence.
"Nice to meet you, Raven," was all she could reply and the man led her to a room where she had requested to be brought.
…
The sky was starting to be painted with different shades of red but Alex still hadn't woken up yet. Abi was back in his room to check up on him and she was surprised to see that he was still asleep. She remembered that he only slept for a few hours last time and Abi instantly felt a little worried. However, she forced herself to stop thinking those negative thoughts.
She also didn't see Zeke again after he left earlier and she was curious about what he was up to. She also wanted to check on Alicia but the dungeon was quite far from Alex's room and she didn't want to leave Alex's side in case something else happened.
Thus, she decided to have a bath while Alex was still asleep. She spent quite a while inside the bathroom to soothe her tensed muscles and to just let her mind relax, even if it was only for a little while.
She emerged from the bathroom, already dressed. Her hair was damp and her cheeks pinkish for the heat of the bath water and she was using a towel to dry her hair.
The moment she looked towards the bed, their eyes met. Alex was already awake and he was sitting there, leaning his elbow on top of his folded knee. His hair was disheveled but that didn't make him even a little less attractive. It did the complete opposite.
"You're awake!" Abi quickly approached him, leaning down to cup his face. "Are you okay? Feeling better?"
A smile curved on Alex's lips as his forefinger tapped the skin between her brows as if to flatten the deep lines that appeared between them.
"Stop frowning like an old granny, little lamb. I am feeling extremely fine," he said. "I just need a shower to wake up my still hibernating nerves," he added and he got up off the bed.
He grabbed her waist and pulled her close to him. "You should've waited for me, little lamb, so we could've taken a bath together," he whispered before he let go of her with a mischievous smile. "How about you join me again?"
"I have already had my relaxing bath, thank you. I will wait here for you instead, Alex," she refused him and gladly, the man didn't tease her anymore.
He just suddenly planted a kiss on her lips before he walked towards the bathroom.
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Chapter 392 Sweet and slow
As soon as the bathroom door closed, Abi immediately moved and fixed her hair. She also put on some light make up and made sure she looked great.
It didn't take long before Alex stepped out and as she expected, he came out wearing his bathrobe and drying his hair with a towel. He always looked like he was trying to seduce her senseless every time he stepped out of the bathroom like that.
But Abi was determined not to be seduced this time, because she had much more important things to do like complete 'Mission Almost Impossible'.
"Let me dry your hair Alex," she offered but Alex didn't respond. His eyes just surveyed her from her head down to her toes and back again and a meaningful smile peeked out from his gorgeous face.
"Are you… dressing up for me, Abigail?" he asked, his head slightly tilted to one side, unable to look away from her. But Abi ignored his words and she took his hand and made him sit on the bed.
She turned the blow dryer on and dried his hair without responding to him.
Alex, loving the pampering treatment he was getting from her, just closed his eyes, and just let himself feel how nice it felt whenever she touched his hair so gently like that. This was one of the little, simple moments with her that he loved the most; her drying his hair.
When the blow dryer was turned off, the blissful moment came to the end. He opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Please go and get changed, Alex. I want to take you somewhere," she told him.
Alex raised a brow but curiosity and anticipation were quick to swallow him. So he stood up, almost immediately, and got changed as instructed. He was curious as to why his Abigail actually dressed up so nicely like that.
He went with his usual Alex style. A plain white shirt paired with elegant, black pants. His sleeves were folded making him look fresh and casual, as godly handsome as ever.
"So? Where are you bringing me?" His hands were in his pockets as he leaned in on her. He seemed to be doing that so that he wouldn't end up grabbing her again. He was trying very hard to be good.
Abi didn't answer. She instead just grabbed his hand and led him out of the room.
"Now you're making me curious, little lamb," he muttered as he smiled, letting her do what she wanted with him.
The two of them walked down the corridor and then up the stairs.
"Why don't you just tell me where we are going and I'll bring you there with one jump, Abigail?" he said. Abigail's breathing had started to quicken, not from his words - well, maybe a little bit from that - but from the fact that they have been climbing up the stairs for a while now.
"I'm fine Alex. Don't worry," she assured him, even grinning at him.
"Let me carry you then."
She shook her head and looked at him with a warm and gentle gaze.
"No, Alex. I'll walk. We will walk together, okay?"
The way she looked at him that moment made Alex fall speechless. He didn't know why but his little lamb looked a little different tonight.
Finally, they were about to reach the palace's highest watchtower. Alex had already figured out where they were heading since a while ago but as per her request, he didn't offer to carry her again and just enjoyed climbing up the stairs with her hand and hand. Besides, she said nothing about how they would get down from the tower. That was when he would make his move. He smiled inwardly at the thought.
She stopped before him when they almost reached the top and looked back at him. She smiled at him so sweetly, eyes glimmering as the soft wind blew on her hair. Oh damn, she looked so beautiful. She always looked beautiful to him but why did it seem that she was getting more beautiful by the day?
Alex almost gaped but she pulled him again. Once they stood at the top, Alex's eyes fell on a small round table for two with a candle sitting in the middle of it. The setting was simple yet damn romantic.
Abigail let go of his hand and Alex's attention returned to her, retracting his hand that felt a little lonely now because her warm hand let it go.
He watched her walk, not towards the table but to… a piano?
Deep lines formed on Alex's forehead for a moment, but he didn't wonder anymore about why a piano was there on top of a watchtower when he saw her sit on its small chair.
She looked at him and smiled while Alex walked closer and leaned on the wall, facing her. He was curious about what she was about to do. Was she going to just play? Was this what she wanted to show him?
He didn't really mind if she was just going to play for him as long as she was close. He watched her keenly and paid close attention because it seemed that she had gone through a bit of effort to set this whole thing up.
Abi's fingers then started to gently tap on the keyboard. A sweet, slow melody echoed in his ears. It was a very familiar song.
Abigail gazed deeply into his eyes before she finally opened her lips.
"Wise me say…
only fools rush in…"
She poured all her emotions on it and world began to cease as white petals seemed to start falling on them. The world they were in began to become brighter, and they were alone in it.
"But I can't stop falling in love with you…"
Her voice, this song, this music… were like tiny hands of an angel reaching out inside him to caress his heart. His heart thudded against his chest as he listened to her song, as their gazes locked into each other.
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Chapter 393 Remember me
"Take my hand…
Take my whole life, too…"
Her voice rolled over him like smooth, velvety waves caressing his skin. The words coming out of her lips weren't merely words to a song. They were laced with pure, unmasked feeling and raw emotion, encasing him in a cocoon of bliss. Thousands of stars seemed to have settled in her eyes and they shone so brightly, glimmering, sparkling, lighting him up as she held his gaze.
At that moment, she was like the sun shining brightly that night. His very own sun.
Alex could tell that she was declaring her love for him but at the same time, he could see her eyes pleading with him for something.
His heart was in chaos and so was his mind. This strong feeling of déjà vu struck him again. Images of a woman sitting on the piano, wearing a beautiful white dress, began to appear in his head, but he couldn't make out her face, and like Abigail, she was playing this song.
Confusion enveloped his mind while his heart swelled because of the love and sweetness she portrayed through her song. Her voice, her song, was the most beautiful melody he had ever heard in his life. He couldn't find the right words to explain what he was feeling anymore as he listened to her.
"For I can't help falling in love with you…"
She tapped the last note on the piano and as it faded into the night, she rose, not tearing her eyes off him. Slowly, she walked towards Alex and stopped only a few inches away. She lifted her hand and caressed his cheek lovingly as the last line of the song rolled out from her lips, pouring every emotion from her heart into it; the ache she felt in her heart, her need to bring his memories back, her want to reminisce with him and most of all her pure, endless love for him.
"For I can't help falling in love with… you." She ended as her eyes welled with unrestrained tears.
They stared at each other as the silence took over. The last of the flying petals rained over them, settling down softly on the ground.
"Alex… I love you… I love you so much… When I first met you, I thought it would be hard for me to fall for you but I was wrong. Even though you were so cold that time, you came and saved me. Now that I think about it, I may have already fallen in love with you since that moment you saved me from that man in that bar. And then you agreed to be my boyfriend and fulfilled all of my wishes, going above and beyond what I asked you to do." She smiled at him as she reminisced about the past, narrating them all to him.
"I could never forget how you gave me my first kiss. That was a very magical moment for me and I am so happy that the first ever man I ever kissed was you." She lifted her other hand and caressed his lips, as gently as she could.
"And I have never forgotten all the things you showed me and taught me. That time I confessed to you on the night of my birthday, singing that same song to you, I was so afraid. I was scared because I thought you would be angry at me. But then…" She looked down and showed him the jade ring. "You proposed to me, using a white dove to deliver this through my bedroom window." She chuckled as she remembered. "Just when I thought you would run away from me, you completely surprised me by giving me this ring instead. You gave me the most amazing gift I never expected. This was the best present I ever received in my life, before you..." she paused before she looked up at him and tears of joy flowed from her eyes. "Before you gave yourself to me and married me," she continued, wiping her tears with the back of her hand as she opened her hand and showed him the rings.
She took one of the rings, her ring, and showed him the two letters that were engraved inside it on either side of a heart. "The letters stand for Alex and Abigail and that date is the date of our wedding," she explained. She then showed him his wedding ring which had the same thing engraved on it. She grabbed Alex's hand and without a word, she slid the ring on his wedding finger, pushing it all the way in.
"Do you remember how nervous you were that day?" she asked him with a smile before she showed him his own hand, wearing the ring that exactly fit his finger.
She then placed her wedding ring into his palm and she held her hand out, silently telling him to put it on her. He mimicked her and slid the ring on her wedding finger, where it settled in a perfect fit.
She then held her hand right next to his to show him the matching wedding rings that were finally back in their rightful places.
And then, fireworks blew up in the sky, pulling both their attention. They watched it silently, until letters began to appear in the sky.
'REMEMBER ME' were the words written in them.
…
Alex stood frozen in his spot. All the things she said were like pieces of a huge jigsaw puzzle. She could see them happening in his head, the scenes that accompanied her words. He saw the rings, a woman in a white dress, the falling water inside the house, a yellow scarf, a horse, the snow and the northern lights.
And now this. He was utterly dumbstruck. He could see another set of words in his head; the words 'Marry me', not 'remember me'.
When the tiny lights disappeared and he looked at her, she smiled at him sweetly, so innocently, so lovingly.
"You were the best thing that ever happened to me, Alex. You still are. Even though you left me and forgot about me, I will always love you. I will never leave you because you are my husband and I am your wife. No matter what happens, I choose to stay beside you until my last breath. Forever..." she said as her tears continued flowing down. "All I want from you is… please, Alex… remember me. Remember me…" she begged as she clutched his shirt. "Come back to me, Alex.. I need you. I need my husband back. I want you back, Alex. Please remember me."
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Chapter 394 Shade of red
Alex lifted his hands, ran his fingers through his hair and tugged at them. His brows pulled together in a hard knot. He was trying. Trying his best to remember because he couldn't stand it. Seeing her cry and beg like this was unbearable.
It all started to make sense now. He finally understood the reason behind all these feelings of déjà vu, all those familiar feelings he felt since that night she appeared before him. This all made sense to him finally after hearing her words, her confession. It seemed like the images he had been seeing were fragments of his memories that he had forgotten. There was no other way to explain all this because he could see scenes that she had described perfectly in his head. They were exactly as she had narrated. Even though he couldn't make out any of the faces nor hear any voices, he was certain of it - that the woman in his head was none other than Abigail.
Tugging his hair, he shut his eyes, his face showing intense concentration. He tried to force himself to remember, to try and put all those jigsaw pieces together. His jaws clenched and his teeth gnashed together as he tried pulling all those images to the surface again, to put a face of the blurry shapes he saw in his head, to connect the disjointed scenes into a timeline. But the pieces were too few for him to even start. The void was too huge. He needed more. More pieces to bring together so that he could finally see the full, clear picture.
…
Abi watched his expressions closely and her heart sank. She had given this moment everything she had. She had opened her heart so that he could feel all the love she felt for him, so that he would understand just how much she loved him. She had spoken of the previous memories they shared together but even one of the most special memories she had of them couldn't bring back his memories. God! What was it going to take for him to remember?!
She couldn't take it anymore. Her heart had been filled with so much hope, so much belief that her plan would work, so when she saw the result, she couldn't stop herself from breaking down in tears.
She couldn't stop the tears that flowed like an endless river down her cheeks. She didn't try to as she looked back at him again. She wanted to see if he at least finally remembered something. She tried to calm her trembling body, to take some deep breaths, but it didn't work and all she could do was bury her face in his chest.
Gladly, she felt his arms move and embrace her. She settled into his arms as she poured her heart out through her tears. She felt his arms tighten around her before one of his hands started to caress her hair.
"Shhh, little lamb…" she heard him say. That immediately surprised her and she pulled her face back from his chest to look at him. Her eyes wide and expectant. Did he finally remember her?
She stared into his eyes, waiting, watching his face for any sign of recognition, waiting for him to say that he remembered her, waiting for those two words - 'my wife' - to come out of his lips again.
But he didn't say a word. His fingers just wiped her tears away and his lips captured hers. His eyes were closed as he kissed her, gently bumping his forehead against hers afterwards.
Abi wanted to speak but Alex's silence made her choose to stay silent because it was as if Alex's spirit was troubled. She could tell that he was thinking about what she had done, what she had confessed and she subconsciously held her breath.
Was it finally working? Even if he regained just a little piece of his memory, Abi would be very happy. All she wanted was progress, a positive result, a sign that what she was doing wasn't futile.
He pulled away and she saw that his jaws were clenched hard and deep lines formed on his forehead. His eyes burned golden as he gazed at her. No, it was more of an orange-red this time. Abi had seen the color of his eyes change quite a few times now, but she never once had she seen them turn into this reddish shade; they were almost the same colour as Zeke's eyes.
"Alex?" she called his name when suddenly, Alex leapt back away from her, as fast as a lightning. In a blink of an eye, he was suddenly at the other end of the watchtower's wall, across her. Abi's hand was stuck mid-air as she looked at him in both confusion and surprise.
"Is something wrong, Alex? Are you okay?" Abi asked as she moved to approach him. His orange-red eyes looked to be becoming a deeper shade of red as time went by and looking at them made Abi feel nervous. His eye color was what set him apart from all other vampires. His eye color was supposed to be gold, not red. What was going on?
"Stop!" he said, stopping her, as he covered his mouth with the back of his hand. "Don't come closer for now, Abigail," he added as his eyes continued to burn red.
Abigail pressed her lips tight, unable to accept what he said. She knew something was wrong with him again but why was he stopping her from approaching him? She didn't know what the hell was happening and he wasn't explaining anything, so she put his warning aside and she continued moving, faster this time, so she could jump on him. But Alex disappeared before she could touch him. She turned around and he was now standing on the other side of the roof, with the table between them.
"Please… don't come for now. Let me calm down first," he pleaded, causing Abi to frown hard at him.
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Chapter 395 Hunger
Abigail ran after him again but Alex continued to leap away not letting her come even within a meter of him.
"Listen to me, Abigail! I am dangerous to you right now! Please," his voice thundered.
She stopped. She could tell that he was serious but she could also see that his body was trembling. She couldn't help it. All she wanted was to go to him and hug the pain away, like she had done for him so many times before.
Abi bit her lips hard. She felt like crying again as she clenched her fists tight and despite his serious warning, she charged towards him again. However, someone suddenly appeared right before her, blocking her way.
"Move away, Zeke," Abi told Zeke, anger mixed with pain burning in her throat.
"Calm down, Abigail. This is serious." Zeke's gaze was sharp as he glanced at her. "You don't want to add to his guilt if he somehow hurts you again."
Abi was silenced, utterly confused. She was about to ask when Zeke turned to Alex. "When was the last time you drank blood, Alex?"
Zeke's question made Abi realize one thing. Alex was a half vampire but she never saw him drink blood even once. She had seen him eat a very little amount of human food before he left her but since she met him again she hadn't seen him eat, not even a little. What had he been eating until now? Was he drinking blood in secret?
"Don't tell me you haven't had a meal since that ball?" Zeke added when Alex didn't respond. His question shocked Abi. Since that ball? Since the night they saw each other again?!
Shocked, Abi finally looked more closely at him and she finally realized that it wasn't just the color in his eyes that changed. She saw that scorching hunger and it was different from the hunger he showed her when he wanted to make love to her. This was different. And it seemed that it took most of his strength to stop himself from acting on it and that was why his body trembled.
Zeke sighed and flicked his fingers.
A man landed on the edge of the watchtower - that Raven guy she met earlier that day. "Get him something to drink," Zeke ordered and the man bowed before he jumped away.
It didn't take long before Raven came back, only a few minutes. He brought with him a fine, silver glass and a larger, silver bottle, and gave it to Zeke.
Zeke took them from the man and poured some blood out into the glass. If she didn't know any better, she could have easily mistaken it for rich, velvety, red wine.
As soon as Zeke brought it to him, Alex grabbed it and gulped it down, eyes closed, like a parched man. Abi stood there, frozen, as she watched him drink. She had gotten used to his powers, having seen him in action a few times now, but seeing him drink blood was something she had never seen before.
Alex licked his lips and when he opened his eyes, the red in them slowly dissipated but still, he didn't look satisfied.
The first thing he looked at was Abigail as he put the empty glass down.
Their eyes locked for a long while before Alex finally moved and approached her. Abi didn't move from her spot and just waited for him. Alex's hand touched her face, resting his hand below her ear as he bent down.
"That song and your voice…" he started. "… were lovely. I'd like you to sing that for me again," he whispered as he smiled.
Abi held his hand and looked up at him with a worried face. "Are you okay now?" she asked.
"Very." His eyes glimmered and then his smile faded. His face became serious but his eyes were still gentle. "Can you wait for me in our room?"
Abi glanced at Zeke, who was still standing right there, and she suddenly remembered Zeke's order to tell Alex to go to him once he woke up. She actually forgot all about it. She was very glad this prince didn't interrupt them in the middle of her executing her plans.
"We are going to talk once you come, right?" she asked him and Alex nodded. That made Abi feel reassured.
"Okay. I will wait for you." She gave him a quick smile, tiptoed and kissed him before she finally turned to leave. Raven immediately followed her, maintaining a four step distance away behind her.
Alex didn't move or say a thing even when Abi had long gone, while Zeke just leaned against the wall waiting for him to react. Zeke could only deduce that he was waiting for Abi to be far enough to not hear what he was going to say or do next.
Abi and Alex's room was quite far from the watchtower. It would be harder for Abigail to listen once she reached their room without her focusing her powers. Of course, they knew she could still hear them if she wanted to but knowing Abigail, she wasn't likely to do that since it was clear that Alex sent her away because he didn't want her to hear their conversation.
Once he was certain she was far enough, Alex abruptly moved and grabbed the bottle, surprising Zeke. Was that not enough?
Alex was not like any of the other vampires in existence. While his vampire half needed blood, he would be fine to go for a long period of time without it because of his immortal body. He could function just fine even If he didn't eat anything, even if he starved himself. But like other vampires, there would come a time when his body craved for it. The difference was that he craved for it not because of hunger but for satisfaction.
However, since the day he was stabbed in the heart, Alex's need for blood had drastically increased. Zeke thought it was because he was not able to find something to satisfy his thirst but it seemed he was wrong.
"Alex…" Zeke narrowed his eyes as he looked at him. "Don't tell me you're starting to feel hunger now as well?"
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Chapter 396 The difference
Alex smashed the bottle on the floor before he charged towards Zeke, grabbing his collar.
"Tell me, Zeke… what the hell is going on with me?" he hissed. His fangs lengthened and his eyes were back to being red again. It almost looked like he was just one of them, a normal, pure blooded vampire. "And about Abigail… is she really my wife? Am I the husband who left her? How? Why? Why did I forget her?!"
He was raging, hissing at Zeke, looking so lost and utterly confused.
"Answer me, Zeke!!"
"Yes, you're right. You are her husband who left her and then you forgot about her," Zeke finally told him, causing Alex to freeze, as if he was unsure how to react.
He just stared at Zeke for a while, wide-eyed, shaking his head in disbelief as he mumbled. "So I… already loved her before and even married her… since when? How long ago did I leave her?"
"Alex, isn't it better if you ask her all these questions of yours?"
"I can't stand it!!!"
Alex dropped his head as his grip on Zeke's collar tightened. "I can't stand seeing her cry. She's been begging, crying, even doing all these things to… She's trying so hard… and yet… I still don't remember a thing!" he exploded. "All I have are tiny fragments of memories flashing in my head but they aren't coming together, even after all this!"
Zeke sighed, pulling Alex's hands off him. "Tell her about those tiny flashes you remember. I'm certain hearing those would be enough to make her happy. And that is a good sign, Alex, that you might be able to remember more soon."
Those words made Alex's face look a little better and he closed his eyes, stepped back until he hit the wall and let himself slide down on the floor. His elbow rested on his folded knee as his fingers ran through his hair.
"Tell me… I want to know what happened. Don't leave anything out," he ordered and Zeke could only give in.
"Abigail is the girl in prophecy, Alex. The woman who would be born with the power to end your life. Somehow, fate drew you together and you started a thirty day contract with her. During that time, you started to fall in love with her and she with you. She was dying from a tumor in her brain and you asked me to save her, so I did. But before that, Xavier kidnapped her and used her to blackmail you into making her stab you. You let her stab you in order to save her life." Zeke explained, as straightforward as ever, causing Alex to look up at him with lips parted in shock. "After that night that you were stabbed, your body began to change. You didn't die but you lost your memories of her and as I deduced before, it seems you are slowly dying. You're even beginning to feel the hunger you never experienced since you became immortal. This is one solid proof that you are losing your immortality. You are a half-blooded vampire but ever since that night, there was almost no sign of the traits that made you different from us. You used to be able to eat vegetables before but since that night, you became exactly like us, who could only eat meat."
"Are you saying that I'm no longer a half-blood?"
"I am still unsure but my theory is that perhaps what died or is dying right now is the human part of yourself. That's why you're now craving blood, like us. I believe your vampire blood has now fully taken over as self-preservation. It is trying to keep you alive."
A throaty chuckle escaped from Alex's lips. "That's some complicated sh*t, Zeke." Alex shook his head.
"Not really. The only thing complicated are the things happening in your body. Alicia has already explained that you are still alive now because of a spell. And that spell is running out. Abigail knows this, too. That's why she's desperate to bring your memories back. The witch queen said that bringing your memories back is the key to save you, though that might be close to impossible," he explained. "But we might get some answers soon. Alicia has found some places where we think the witch queen might be held in. She said that the queen knew one person who managed to bring his memories back. If we find her, we can get more information on how to bring your memories back."
Alex threw his head back as he let out a sigh as he stared up at the sky, a small smile playing on his lips.
"So in the end, I, of all creatures, ended up actually desperately trying to stay alive, huh…" Alex shook his head in disbelief. "This is funny," he added as his smile faded.
Zeke glanced down at him. "Indeed. Just because of one woman, you accepted death just to crawl back out and search for life again."
Alex also looked at him but this time, a playful smirk played on his lips. "I accepted death, huh… I'm not really sure about that Zeke. Because I've never felt so alive like I feel right now. Before she came, I didn't even know what the difference between life and death was. It felt the same to me. I felt like I was dead for thousands of years. But now I understand what it feels like to really be alive. I only started living when she came into my life because that's when my heart finally started to beat again."
A short silence followed his words before Zeke murmured to himself.
"That's good then. If I'd known you felt like you were dead all this time, I would've buried you for all those years and kept you underground."
"Too late for you to think about that, Zeke," he smirked and Zeke finally moved to leave.
"We will leave the country tomorrow. Of all the places Alicia detected, I am certain that queen is being captive in that place."
"Where?"
"Frost town."
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Chapter 397 Thirst
"Frost town, huh?" Alex mumbled. He wasn't surprised about that town being the lair of whoever the mastermind was because that was one of the few places outside of Country V that was ideal for vampires and witches to live. In fact, Alex still remembered that that town was where an old leisure city had been thousands of years ago.
It was a familiar place to him but, once again, Alex felt like there was more to that town than what he remembered. Something niggled at the back of his mind when he heard its name. Were there memories that he forgot from that place, too? That was the only explanation because the snow and northern lights that appeared in his head looked to have happened in that general area.
Thinking about it, Alex thought that maybe going there would trigger some of his memories.
"I want to go to that place as soon as possible, Zeke," Alex suddenly uttered, causing Zeke to halt for a second right before he leapt onto the edge of the tower.
"Don't be in too much of a hurry, Alex. We still don't know what is waiting for us there," Zeke told him, but Alex simply smirked.
"Oh yeah, I almost forgot that we still need to catch that troublesome mastermind. But, I'm certain you already have your meticulous plans laid out. I will leave that part to you because I don't have time to think about that damn person."
Zeke sighed. It seemed Alex's head was truly occupied by trying to regain his forgotten memories which Zeke thought was such a relief and was a very good thing.
"You should go now. Stop sitting there like a problematic peasant. She's waiting for you," was what Zeke told him but Alex still didn't move. He just looked away as the deep lines appeared again on his forehead.
"What is it?" Zeke asked, now facing him. He could tell Alex was still troubled because if he was alright, he would definitely have left by now to eagerly be with his woman. So what was wrong?
Alex threw his head back, closed his eyes and pinched the skin between his brows. "I'm still not satisfied," he admitted. "I think I need to bite someone and drink their blood directly to quench this thirst. I can't go to Abigail like this."
"Are you saying you want me to bring you a woman?"
Zeke's words made Alex grit his teeth. In the last three months, he had been constantly craving for blood. He wasn't used to drinking blood from a glass. Every time he craved for blood, he would just ask for a woman to come to offer him her blood. That was how it had always been for countless years but as Zeke said, his body kept changing during that time. The change was so rapid that, considering it only took three months compared to the thousands of years he had been alive, he didn't have time to ponder what these changes really meant.
This thirst had always been around but he had not felt this kind of hunger. He used to feel satisfied with a woman's offering, of him biting them and drinking their blood. That used to be enough. But now, something was still missing. It wasn't as satisfying as before. He even tried to drink human blood to quench this thirst but it didn't work. He always felt like he needed something more.
It was dangerous for vampires if their thirst couldn't be quenched. They would go mad and go on a rampage like a mad dog. Every vampire who had it needed to deal with it, or they would face the consequences if they were to create chaos and murdered someone during their rampage. That was why the law of vampires even required the vampire to immediately submit themselves to authorities where they would be confined in a facility when they start to feel this unquenchable thirst. The authorities then confine them in a secure place where they could go on a rampage freely and they would be freed again when their rampage episode was over.
The good thing was that this thirst syndrome was rare and only a few normal vampires suffered from this. The rampage also is only triggered during a full moon. Once the night was over, they would return to their usual self and the thirst would be gone after the overnight rampage.
In Alex's case, he was able to quench his thirst by drinking a woman's blood while having sex. That was in fact the only reason why he was bedding women in the past three months. Alex had been wondering why he seemed to have lost interest in women since that night he woke up in that burnt down palace, but now, he finally understood why. Although, he still didn't understand why he was suddenly unable to really feel satisfied by anyone's blood anymore, but at least doing that meant he avoided going on a rampage - everyone knew how bad that would be - and it still made him calm down and be rational.
But it still wasn't enough
and so that was why he was still going out hunting rogue vampires for half of the night; to seek more blood and spill them to finally fully satisfy himself.
Letting out a sigh, Alex shook his head. Zeke's words made him want to hit himself. He hated that idea now even though that was what he had been doing for a very long time.
"Never mind…" he finally replied but Zeke didn't look convinced.
"No, Alex. You can't go on a rampage at this point and I don't think there are any rogue vampires left in this country for you to kill. You have killed them all in the past three months and the facility will definitely be unable to restrain you," Zeke told him. "I can't use my men or myself to entertain you. We have more important things to deal with tomorrow. We need those men to be at their best. Besides, you know as well as I do that you would not stop until you spilled some blood."
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Chapter 398 Falling dominoes
Alex's lips twitched, definitely not wanting to agree with Zeke even though he understood what Zeke was trying to say.
"F*ck!" Alex cursed. Troublesome things just kept coming like falling dominoes. They were all coming at him at once! They were not giving him a moment to solve one problem before another one came tumbling down on him. What the hell was going on? Was the world so damn against him?! It was like all the gods who used to favor him were against him now!
"Abigail would cry again if I did that. She ran away and I only talked about the possibility of marrying someone else. What would she do if I did this too?" Alex shook his head.
"Then, how about you ask for her blood instead? The reason why none of the women can satisfy you anymore might be because of her."
Alex's gaze at him turned sharp. He looked shocked at this suggestion and his face became hard.
"She's not a meal, Zeke," Alex told him, firm and serious. He was even glaring at Zeke like he would attack him if he ever mentioned that again.
But Zeke wasn't bothered. "It's not like she'll die from it, Alex. Just a taste might do. Besides I'm pretty sure she would rather let you drink her blood than go through with the other options," he explained. "If you don't do anything and you end up going on a rampage, you know she will be the first to come to stop you. Don't forget what she did in the forest and what you did to her."
"How did you even know about that?"
"Alicia told me."
Alex bit his lips, looking down again. His hands started trembling. He knew this feeling all too well. It was starting.
"Stop being stubborn, Alex. You will regret it if –"
"Shut up, Zeke. Leave," he ordered, not looking at him.
Zeke sighed. Although he didn't look surprised anymore. He had been dealing with this troublesome creature for a long time now, after all.
"Fine. Do what you want. I am not going to waste my energy on you this time, Alex," Zeke countered and he finally left, leaving Alex sitting by himself, seemingly in deep contemplation.
Zeke landed on a slanted roof, away from the watchtower, and glanced back once more when someone spoke from the shadows.
"Are you sure about this, Your Highness? What if he destroys the palace?" One of his men was also on the roof, scratching the back of his head.
"He won't. Abigail is in there. He will most likely go to the forest so make sure not to lose him, Riev."
"Oh, you're not coming? Are we just going to watch him?"
"Yes. Don't do anything. Let him do what he wants. I will stay here and watch over Abigail."
"What if he goes to the city and kills people?"
"He won't."
"But Your Highness… Are we really just going to watch? Won't it better if we at least entertain him? We could at least distract him so that he doesn't end up going to the city?" Riev's eyes were sparkling, like a child excited to fight the superhero he had always looked up to.
But Zeke immediately killed those sparkles with just one glance and Riev was quick to drop his head. "I understand your highness. We will not do anything. We will just watch," he said like a good soldier and Zeke finally leapt away, leaving the poor Riev sighing in despair.
"Idiot. When will you learn? When did anyone ever manage to negotiate with His Highness other than Alexander?" someone piped up behind him and Riev could only sigh again.
…
Back on the watchtower, Alex was aware that he was being watched. Zeke's men were not just anyone. They were even stronger than Kai or Xavier because those men have been trained by Zeke since they were young boys. The final test for them to actually make it to Zeke's elite force was to survive a fight against Alex himself.
Alex had fought with those men and since they already knew everything about him, his moves, his speed and even the extent of his power, somehow, they actually managed to survive. Since then, they have also become one of Alex's entertainments. They were formidable and strong like their master, Zeke, after all, when they all came at him at once.
Letting out a sigh, Alex smirked and lifted his hand in front of his face. He stared at the ring on his finger. It fit him really well and he couldn't find any signs that it wasn't made for him. A soft sigh escaped his lips and he stood up.
He didn't know what to do but what Zeke said bugged him. He never once imagined drinking Abigail's blood. That never ever crossed his mind. But when she was with him a while ago, he stepped away from her because… because he had looked at her with that intense hunger. He couldn't believe it but a new kind of desire had awakened inside him, one that wanted to taste her blood. And that was something he could never accept. How could he do that? To his Abigail?
He felt like he was going mad. None of this ever bothered him before. He never once even thought about this thirst. It was just something inevitable to him before, just a natural craving. But now it suddenly became complicated as hell.
Was this thing called karma finally catching up to him? Were all the things he did in the past now coming back to haunt him in these forms?
The thought of it made him want to laugh out loud. But he didn't because his thoughts returned to Abigail as he lit up the candle sitting on the table.
He smiled, knowing that she had made all this for him while he was unconscious. His eyes turned red again, but he remained unmoving and his gaze just focused on the fire of the burning candle.
The tiny fire reflected in his red eyes and they burned along with it. The next moment, Alex saw himself in the middle of a burning place, holding two toys in his hand as he smiled before he threw the toys away.
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Chapter 399 Syndrome
The men who were standing by watching Alex, all rose the moment they saw him stand up. They were all prepared to go after him. They could see his eyes burning red with hunger. He was supposed to be going on a rampage by now but he still looked calm despite his fangs and nails now fully lengthened.
"Get ready, he's going to leap now," one of the men said.
"Hmm… where do you think he will go? City or forest?"
"City," Riev answered while the rest said, "forest."
Before Riev could complain that none of his comrades actually thought the same as him, Alexander leapt away like lightning and everyone immediately followed suit. Like dark shadows under the moonlight, they all headed towards the forest.
…
Meanwhile, Abigail was on her way back to the watchtower when she saw blurry shadows leaping away. She had heard Zeke talking to a man called Riev because they were closer to her than Alex was. She heard it while she was anxiously waiting for him inside the room. She didn't mean to eavesdrop. She just wanted to find out if they were still out there talking and if that was why Alex wasn't back yet. But what she heard was Zeke giving out orders to his men.
She could only deduce from that conversation that Alex was going to go on a rampage again, so she quickly left the room and ran as fast as she could to the watchtower. That guy who escorted her, Raven, was not there anymore. She had looked for him hoping to ask him for a lift to get there as fast as possible.
"No! Alex! Did they leave already?" Her shoulders dropped as she looked up at the sky. Her heart was beating wildly. She shouldn't have left him. Why was he going on a rampage again? Was he alright? And why did Zeke not stop him?
As she continued running, someone landed from above in front of her. She was startled but the moment she saw who it was, she breathed out in relief.
"Zeke! What's going on? Why is Alex on a rampage again?" she asked, utterly worried as she panted.
"He needs blood."
"H-huh? Blood? Didn't he already…"
"That didn't satisfy his thirst so he is going to go and kill to make up for it. Maybe then his thirst will subside."
"M-maybe?"
"Yes. Even if he kills something, that might not be enough. The only way for this to stop is for him to stay in the forest and go on a rampage overnight until the sun rises. Of course, we hope that he still keeps some of his rationality and not go to any villages and kill innocent people."
Abi swallowed. "Zeke, why are you not stopping him? Please, let's help him."
"I can't do anything about it," he said as his gaze at her intensified. "But you can."
"How? Please tell me. I will do anything," Abi didn't hesitate.
Zeke stared at her for a long while before he suddenly gathered her into his arms without any prior warning. He landed on a roof on one of the watchtowers near the large gate.
He put her down and faced her.
"Listen, Alex's situation is supposed to be normal for vampires but because he is too powerful to restrain, going through this episode can be dangerous for everyone else. The usual methods that used to work on him are no longer effective since the day you stabbed him. No, actually, I noticed it started since the day he met you," Zeke explained. "Alex never went through an episode since you came and lived with him. In fact, he hadn't consumed blood since you appeared in his life. He originally didn't need blood this badly and he used to be able to quench the thirst by his usual method easily.
But it's different now. It seems his body is starting to take on the same traits as a pure blooded vampire. Most of the vampires who experience this kind of thirst are vampires who have lost their mates. Once a vampire finds the person that is for him, and that person dies or disappears, the vampire will start to thirst for that person. Nothing can quench the thirst except for that person's blood. The vampire who develops this thirst will be forced to go on a rampage every full moon. Sometimes, these vampires never get cured and they eventually die. I would say, it's the same as the 'broken heart syndrome'* for humans."
"Are you saying that my blood might cure him?"
"Yes. That's what I believe. Although, I don't know when this thirst started for Alex. He already had this thirst since I first met him."
Abi was silent for a moment. When she gazed at him again, her eyes intensified. "Zeke, please bring me to him."
"Are you willing to give your blood to him?"
"Yes."
Zeke looked like he already saw this coming.
Without saying a word, Zeke swooped her up again, causing Abi to gasp in surprise. He carried her, princess-like, as he finally leapt into the darkness at lightning speed.
"Uhm… Zeke… can you just carry me piggy back style?" she asked him and Zeke landed on top of a tree and looked at her, displeased.
"I am a prince and I carry women like princesses. I don't do piggybacks," he answered haughtily before he leapt again. Abi could only hold on to him.
As they went deeper into the forest, Abi started to feel nervous. She was worried about Alex. She didn't like it when he went on a rampage because he acted like someone else. That was why she would do everything she could for him.
And as they travelled, a thought arose: what if her blood was the key for her to save him? He had spilled his blood to save her back then so maybe this was what it took for his memories to return?
Abi bit her lips. She knew Alex wouldn't like her spilling her blood for him but she really didn't mind. Her giving him her blood was nothing compared to all the suffering he went through for her.
Finally, Zeke halted. Abi opened her eyes and Zeke put her down.
She looked around, searching for Alex. "Where is he?" she asked but before Zeke replied, Abi's eyes widened from recognition. This looked like the ruin of that palace where Alex was burned alive.
.
*Dying of a "broken heart" is possible. This is known as "broken heart syndrome." It is brought on by stressful circumstances, like the death of a loved one.
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Chapter 400 Dark lake
Abigail’s lips parted in shock as she looked at Zeke with wide eyes.
"This place... isn’t this the palace where Alex... where Alex was..."
"Yes. This is the palace that he burned that night he left you," Zeke responded, causing Abi’s heart to pound harder against her chest.
She looked around again, looking for Alex. Did he remember? He must have, right? That was why he came here!
Hope surged inside Abi as she walked towards the debris. She was glad the moon was shining down so brightly that night and she was able to clearly see everything. There was almost nothing left of the once formidable looking castle. It was desolate and empty and Abigail knew that many bodies had been burned here that night because the scene that she saw was vividly flashing in her mind again.
But Abigail was not afraid. She didn’t have time to think about ghosts in this haunted looking ruin because she was busy thinking about Alex and looking for him.
"Where is he?" Abi turned to Zeke who didn’t move from his spot when she still couldn’t find Alex. "He came here, right?"
Zeke didn’t respond, his gaze just zeroed down the lake. The ruined palace was situated by the legendary Dark lake which was the black dragon’s favorite place.
Abi followed Zeke’s line of sight, thinking that he had spotted Alex, but she saw nothing there but a calm body of water reflecting the moonlight.
Thinking that Zeke must be still trying to spot him, Abi decided to find Alex by activating her hearing power but what she heard first were a number of vampire’s heartbeats. Her heart thumped even faster inside her chest but the panic subsided when she remembered the shadows of the vampires that left the palace.
"Your highness, he jumped into the lake," a voice echoed and Abi snapped her head back to Zeke. That Raven guy was standing right next to Zeke and both men were looking in the direction of the lake.
"What? He jumped in the lake?!" Abi’s eyes stretched. "W-why?!" The worry and fear in her eyes burned as she approached them, seeking answers.
Raven looked at her and politely nodded at her. "We followed him all the way here when all of a sudden, he jumped into the water."
"Don’t worry, even if he stays underwater for years, he will not drown," Zeke butted in, casually walking towards a tree and leaning on it, seemingly ready to wait for who knew how long it took for Alex to appear again. "Vampires that went through that type of craving reportedly described that what they felt was akin to burning. He must have just wanted to quench the heat."
"Are you saying we are just doing to stand here and wait for him to come out?"
"Yes, Abigail, that’s what we are going to do."
Abi swallowed as she silently clenched her fists. How could she just stand there and wait when Alex must be suffering underwater?
She turned her back from them and ran towards the lake.
The water looked calm, so calm that no one would think there was somebody underwater. Not even a ripple could be seen. There definitely was no sign of anyone having actually jumped into it. Did this mean that Alex had been underwater for quite a long while now? For a quick second, her mind reminded her of that time in the snow where she had looked for Alex in the pool and she saw no ripples or movement in the water. She had thought then that it was strange and had even briefly wondered how long he had been underwater for. She didn’t really stop to think about it in more detail but now it all made sense.
However, it didn’t stop the worry that cloaked her heart. She started to call out his name.
"Alex!! Come out!! I’m here!" she called out as she walked along the edge of the lake. "Alex! It’s fine. I’m right here. I can help you."
She stopped and waited for a response but there was none. The water remained still like an untouched well.
"Please, come out now! Alex?"
She continued calling out, her voice echoing in the dead silent and eerie forest.
Time went by and Abi couldn’t handle it anymore. Even though Zeke said he couldn’t drown, Abi couldn’t help but think about those moments where he suddenly lost his strength. What if something like that happened while he was underwater?
She turned towards Zeke and his men who were standing around just meters away from her. They remained there, unmoving. They looked like they really planned to just wait for Alex even if it took the entire night!
Biting her lips, Abi didn’t call for them anymore. Instead, she started to remove her shoes and socks and placed them neatly on the grass.
Seeing her preparing herself to jump in the water, Zeke just sighed while Raven looked at him with a troubled face.
"Your highness," Raven spoke, his head darting back and forth between Zeke and the woman by the lake. "I think she is actually going to really jump in there. We should stop her."
"Tch!" Zeke’s lips twitched. "This troublesome creature," he mumbled lazily before he finally leapt towards Abigail, causing Raven to sigh in relief.
He landed right next to her, grabbing her arm just before her feet could reach the water.
"Don’t even dare. You’ll just hurt yourself," Zeke told as he pulled her back, still holding on to her arm.
Abi grimaced at him. "Please let go. I can’t just wait here. He might be unconscious down there!"
"You can’t just go and jump in there. This lake is dangerous, not just for you. It is even dangerous for us. Add in the fact that it is dark and the lake is extremely cold, you would be seeking certain death. Don’t believe me?" Zeke squatted down, dipped his hand into the dark water and when he lifted it back up, a human skull was in his hand.
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