Taming Her Beastly Mate
Chapter 73

Levi sighed in annoyance as Aken knelt down on the ground quietly.

“You weren’t made the fairy prince yet. How many times do I have to tell you he isn’t your guardian yet?” Levi snorted in agitation. Aken had been dragging him all over the place on a hunch. Aken felt he was connected to Micah and that he could replace him.

“Flipper shut your bottlenose mouth so I can concentrate!” Aken growled as he dug his fingers slightly into the earth below him. Every once in a while, there was a glimmer of light. A small flicker of Micah he felt inside of him. He didn’t know the meaning of this but maybe it was because of Alexis’ connection with Micah. He was certain Alexis would still be able to feel it too. But he wasn’t going to drag her into danger. He would replace Micah and bring him back to her.

“Micah might have cut off his connection, but Alexis didn’t cut off hers. I’m certain there is still a link there.” Aken turned and watched as Levi shook his head.

“It doesn’t work that way.” Levi said and Aken stood up angrily.

“Then what is this? You tell me how can I still feel Micah’s energy? I’m feeling it through Alexis… so how is it there? Even in this small amount, I shouldn’t be able to feel a severed connection.” Aken glared at Levi who looked down in deep thought.

Aken and Levi suddenly looked at each other at the same time as they both came to the same realization.

“Primordial!”

“Primordial!”

“Could that be it?” Levi asked as Aken nodded his head.

“That must be it… damn.it.” Aken whispered out. “We have to replace Micah.”

Levi began to pace back and forth. He was shaking his head and his body movements were erratic.

“What is it?” Aken asked as he watched Levi looking distressed.

“Talia…” Levi said in a harsh breath. “The primordial beast Talia… what happened when she died…”

“I know what you are thinking. Remember she was the beast. Even still…” Aken frowned as he tried to scan his memories. “I never paid much attention to those things. I don’t know what happened…”

“A primordial beast chooses a master. And they become connected. The beast is linked to the master. But that link affects them both. When Talia was killed what happened to her master? She had to have one, right? Gaia would know…” Levi watched as Aken’s lips tightened together.

“Micah may have subconsciously chosen Alexis as his master… Okay. We replace Micah first. Then we need to replace out more about this bond. Honestly, Levi, I am a bit disappointed. Isn’t this supposed to be your thing? The nerdy deity council member that knows everything?” Aken watched as Levi lifted his brows up at him.

“You haven’t even been to one of the council meetings.” Levi snorted in his defense.

“Right. Did you miss the part where I said nerdy deities?” Aken shrugged. “There is nothing geek about me.”

Levi chuckled and glared at Aken. “Are you calling me…”

“A geek.” Aken grinned at him widely. “Though you did land in the timeout corner, so I guess your position has changed.”

Levi pursed his lips together and his eyes turned dark. “I’ll never forgive them for that. Make no mistake. I go to the meetings to be aware of what is going on. But there is a rift that will never be repaired.”

Aken nodded his head. “The council should never be a thing. A bunch of deities with too much time on their hands that think they can make the rules for everyone else. That is a problem we need to solve.”

Levi nodded his head. It was a problem. And he experienced firsthand how much of a problem it actually was. It took him replaceing his mate before he really felt the strain of the council. But now he saw them in a different light. The problem was how to fix it.

“He is further to the south.” Aken straightened up and looked in the distance. “Let’s keep moving.”

__

Micah opened his eyes feeling his cheek resting on the cold stone floor. Cold. Just like how it felt inside of him without Alexis’ light. And it hurt. It really hurt. For the first time since he was a child, he felt the bitter loneliness again. Back when he constantly yearned for a loving family. Now, he was plagued with the memories of his princess.

His princess… she would be given a new guardian now. She probably already had one. He had been here for two days now. Two days of excruciating hell. He thought he would be struggling to fight off the dark inside of him. He was afraid it would take over immediately without Alexis’ light. But it turned out that without Alexis he just didn’t have a reason to care. He felt empty. At times… numb. But when the nycrops tried to provoke the darkness, he was able to hold it off… on his own.

He rolled over to his back and winced at the pain that wracked through his body. He had been injected with a serum that slowed his healing. It also poisoned his thoughts. It was mixed with demon b***d to feed the dark sprite inside of him. But it didn’t feel like it was getting stronger…

He glanced over at the enchanted door. It wasn’t just a magical door. It acted like a seal of sorts. One that may even be able to seal a deity if it surrounded the whole room. But since he couldn’t teleport, the door was sufficient enough to keep him prisoner. He wasn’t sure if there would be a means of escape for him. Sometimes… it seemed futile to resist his darkest urges and yet he fought anyway. He always resisted. Whatever they did to him, he pushed through it. He fought because Alexis would expect him to fight. She always believed in him. That he was stronger than he realized. And maybe she was right.

He thought that the only thing keeping him from going dark was Alexis’ light. He was so certain that without it he would be lost to himself. He finally understood something. He used her light as a crutch to control his dark. Once her light was gone a different power from deep inside of him stirred. One that had remained dormant. It awoke and put a stranglehold on the darkness. Yet, it was still there.

In the distance, he heard the soft sounds of footsteps descending down the stairs. Meryl was coming to try to break him again. He was going to be tortured and plagued with disturbing mental images. He had to fight. He couldn’t break. She wasn’t doing this for no reason. If she was doing this, she planned to use him. Maybe even against Alexis. He couldn’t allow it. He had to resist. He knew he couldn’t last forever…

He listened as the sound of her feet as they shuffled to a stop. He turned his head to look at her as he stayed laying on the ground.

“You aren’t looking so well.” Meryl’s lips curled up into an evil smile.

“Must be something in the air because you look like someone who has died… oh wait…” Micah snorted with a smirk. He shifted up and into a sitting position. Making sure he hid his pain.

Meryl glared at Micah. She felt annoyed at the bear’s attitude. He still had too much fighting spirit. She needed to remedy that.

“Maybe if you die again you can request to be cremated. That way at least for one moment in your life you can have a smoking hot body.”

“You are in such a good mood today. Perhaps I shouldn’t spoil it…” Meryl shrugged. “But I can’t help myself. Do you know what I just realized? The fairy princess is the niece of someone I loathe.” She watched as the smile faded from Micah’s face as her poisonous grin twisted. “I made sure to do my proper research. After all… she will be staying with me while I give her a new nembrant glass. Specially made with love from Erebus.” She could see the darkness filling Micah’s eyes. “Oh, now not to worry… I don’t plan to hurt her. Taking her away and hurting her family is enough for me. In fact, it has fueled me.”

“Don’t. You. Dare. Touch. Her.” Micah’s voice echoed off the stone walls as he growled standing to his feet.

Meryl cackled and stepped towards the barred door. “I wonder what sort of things Erebus will do to her…” She lifted her finger, sending out a dark purple cloud at Micah.

Instantly visions began popping in Micah’s head. Cruel images… disturbing scenes that nauseated him… and angered him. He knew she was playing against his weakness, but the graphic visions had his veins bulging. Had his jaw clenched as his lips curled up baring his fangs. A dark liquid traveled up his protruding veins as he struggled to remain in control. Micah squinted his eyes at her as he felt his legs wobble. His eyes darted around in his head as the dark liquid traveled up his neck and into his head.

Meryl watched him with amusement as he was struggling to remain in control. Finally, she would break him. She just needed to keep pushing. If he wasn’t so valuable, she would have just killed him. If the nembrant glass was actually ready they would have inserted one in him already. He would be a useful pawn to have. So even if she couldn’t break him this way, they would still be able to use him eventually. And until the glass was ready, she would enjoy making him suffer. Her eyes looked him over… maybe they wouldn’t need the glass after all.

Micah felt like he was drowning with no air. His lungs were constricting as his emotions raged inside of him. The visions were too much for him. The scenes of Erebus abusing Alexis curdled his stomach. He had to keep watching powerless to stop it. The screams cut through his ears. All reminding him he was powerless right now to help her. No other guardian could protect Alexis as he could. But he wasn’t her guardian anymore. He was trapped here.

The negative power seeped into Micha’s pores and plagued his mind. He thought he was strong. But was he? Was Alexis his source of strength? She was the first one he loved. He would gladly sacrifice everything for her. But without her, he felt like he was at the bottom of an abyss. He was screaming but no one could hear him. At the top, he watched as Alexis walked away and he reached his hand up in vain to her.

“Don’t leave me alone,” Micah whispered out in his madness. He was losing his mind. Everything was blurring together. He was being tormented and no longer knew how to fight.

The feeling of emptiness was consuming him. He was tired of fighting this battle with himself. He didn’t want to endure anymore pain or suffering. He just wanted to give up. He didn’t want to feel anymore. He lost Alexis and now he was losing himself. His vision began to tunnel as he was wrapped in a black embrace. It was shutting out the pain. It was shutting out the light. But in the darkness, he could feel something stronger. Something that was hidden in it.

“Nycrops!”

Meryl clicked her tongue angrily and stopped her assault on Micah. She turned her head to see a demon standing before her.

“How dare you interrupt me!” Meryl hissed out.

“The army is now in position and waiting like you have commanded. I’m here for further instructions.”

“Wait. Just have them wait. Timing with these things is everything.” Meryl glared at the demon who just stood there staring at her.

“You just want them to wait?”

Meryl glared at him not saying another word. She watched him until he finally turned and left. She sighed and clicked her tongue. “Well what do you want?!”

A man appeared with white hair neatly pulled back in a ponytail. He was wearing a black leather jacket and dark leather pants.

“Wait?! That wasn’t part of our agreement.” Erebus snarled as he glared at Meryl.

“You think too small. There is much more at stake.” Meryl’s white eyes focused on Erebus in disgust.

“Much more at stake? The Leviathan and the Kraken are looking for him!” Erebus whipped his hand out pointing at Micah harshly. “Do you think they are just going to ask you to hand him over?”

Meryl cackled and pointed over at Micah. “I want them to replace him.” She tilted her head to look at the bear trembling on the ground. “Because he is going to kill them.”

Erebus looked at Micah and noticed his dark eyes. Black b***d was running through his veins. His fangs were elongated as he panted in growling gasps. He looked feral. A thundering roar ripped from his chest as he turned his dark gaze to look at Erebus and Meryl.

“What the hell… what is that?!” Erebus gasped as he felt terror race over his body. That creature was not a regular werebear. It was emitted a dangerous power. One that frightened him.

“That,” Meryl said with smug satisfaction. “Is our dark titan.”