The Duke's Passion

All I could do was watch Klaus yell as he dash towards us. I held my hand out, but this man jumped off the hill. My breath hitched as we fell down and at that moment, the world felt like it revolved slower. I couldn't act or retaliate for a second as I tried to absorb everything that had happened. 

"Hold tight, my wife." The impostor's voice snapped me out of my trance and the world returned to its normal pace. "We will have a long… ah! Wait! Stop biting me!" 

His feet crashed on the slope, but I kept biting his shoulder as hard as I could. My eyes glistened with intense rage, biting him, but that only made him tighten his grip around my legs.

"Ah, crap!" he struggled, and I let him go upon realizing he wouldn't let me go even if I bit off his shoulder. Instead, I gazed up to where he jumped off.

"Follow me," I whispered, reaching everyone who had a link with me. To give them more clues, I bit my hand until it bled, leaving a trail of blood.

"I said, stop hurting yourself!" the man grumbled while sliding down the slope. 

I cast him a glare, grinding my teeth. "You are so dead."

"Cool! Kill me, but let's talk first!"

My eyes constricted as I struggled under his grip. He had Lakresha, and I couldn't deny that he was strong. If he wasn't strong and fast, I wouldn't be in this ordeal. I played too much, and I regretted it. Although my regret was not because I was afraid he would kill me. What terrified me the most was I would start believing that he was my Sam. 

'I couldn't let that happen.' I thought, alarmed as I started pounding my fist against his back. "Let me go! Let me go! I will kill you!" I kept yelling the same thing over and over and over, going hysterical to buy my people some time.

"Love, stop! Calm down!" 

I didn't listen to him and continued on struggling. If he tossed me away, that would be my perfect opportunity to end him. 

"Ahh…" Finally, he seemed he had enough as he planted his hand on my hips and threw me away like a doll. As I flew down, watching him hovering over me with his cloak flowing behind, he ruffled his dark hair. I just noticed the color of his hair… he looked like Sam, but his hair color was different. It was also longer.

"Lexx…" my voice shook, seeing him reach his hand towards me once again. However, I wouldn't let him get his hands on me again. So, I looked down to where we were falling. 

Once I looked back at him, I was within his reach. The side of my lips curled into a smirk, planting my palm on his chest and pushed him back. 

"Not a chance." I clicked my tongue as pushing him also gave me a boost to land earlier than him. 

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! Ah, shiii!"

I turned around midair so I could choose where to land. My eyes searched for a tree for a better landing. It was foolish of me to underestimate that person, but once we landed, no more playing. 

'Stop thinking he is your husband. No matter how he resembled him, he is not Sam! You saw him die that day!' My mind reminded me, making me grit my teeth.

"He is not Sam. No matter how he acts and looks like him…" and that made me recall when Stefan imposed as Sam back in Cunningham. That memory only solidified my resolution that that man was not Sam.

Soon, a tree was within my reach, so I held my hand out to avoid landing in the wrong foot. I'd surely get bruises and maybe, have some minor injuries and broken bones —  not that I had no injuries, to begin with. Using darkfield and lose control over it had already taken a toll on my body. 

"Just for now," I told myself. "I can still shrug him o…"

"Caught you!" My mind buzzed, feeling his firm arm around my waist as he pulled me against his body. "It's a mistake to let you go."

And in a blink of an eye, we crashed on some trees while some small branches grazed me. After our crash, we were both hanging on a tree branch with his hand holding the branch while the other carrying me.

"How did he…" I slowly turned my head back to him only to see the aggravating smug grin on his face. Only then I realized his cloak was gone and his upper shirt, revealing his muscular and a top full of wounds.

Without notice, he loosened his grip on the branch and landed on the ground. "I'm sorry, my love. You can punish me all you want later, but your people are too fast. I won't hand you over to anyone." That was what he said before he unhesitatingly knocked me unconscious.

******

Samael smacked his lips as he bent over, checking Lilou to see if she was unconscious. A deep sigh slipped past his lips, realizing he was making bad decisions one after another.

"I forgot she had evolved to a tigress and not just an angry cat anymore." He clicked his tongue, recalling he had tossed her previously so as to divert her attention. But instead of getting scared, she saw it as an opportunity. 

"Anyway, we have to get moving, my wife." He pulled her up, carrying her in a bridal style while he jogged. "I will apologize later, heh."

With a big smile on his face, Samael's jogs grew faster like a wind. He could feel that people — a lot of people — were coming after him to kill him. This amused him as it seemed Lilou's people would slaughter anyone who would touch her. 

"You really did it, wife… Grimsbanne is no longer mine." His smile grew gentler as this place felt unfamiliar to him. "You had unified this place… you made me so proud of you, wife."

When he blinked ever so slowly, his eyes glinted menacingly as he increased his speed out of Grimsbanne.

"Rufus, Fabian, retreat." Samael suddenly halted, turning around as he narrowed his eyes. "They are so annoying." He remained silent for a moment, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes. 

"Have an early good night, Grimsbanne," he murmured before a largely invisible barrier expanded across the entire Grimsbanne.