The Love of a Lycan

It had been two months since Kace stayed with the centaurs, after spending a few months tracking them down. To be fair, it was not an easy job to find them, even for an excellent lycan like him. It was especially hard when practically, he didn't have a single clue about their whereabouts. 

Meanwhile, though Hope's condition was progressing slower than they expected, she looked better than a couple months ago when the first time Kace found the centaurs, along with the people in the village who travelled together with them. 

"What are you thinking?" Hope was holding Kace's face with both of her hands, imploring for his eyes to meet hers. He couldn't hide it, nor could she ever miss to notice if ever there was something the matter with him. This time, she knew for sure that there was indeed something bothering her mate. And it had been going on since days ago. They were inside their tent.

They kept on moving to avoid Beelzebub and her minions, the dark witches, and the vampires. But unfortunately, it turned out to be one of the reasons why it was so hard to track the centaurs.

"Nothing," Kace murmured. But his voice sounded odd. It couldn't hide the lie that he just told. Not even convincing enough to his own ears. 

"If you want to be a liar, then you should learn it better." Hope frowned. She was laying her head back to her pillow while Kace covered her with a blanket. He got to her side to lay down.

"I'm just wondering about the future. When can we stop running, and live peacefully? Would that ever happen? How long do we have to do this?" He put his arms behind his head. Hope crept closer to him. The night was colder than the nights before.

"Well then, I guess we should just stop running, and face it." Hope tilted her head to look at him. It was clear to see that there was a disagreement in his expression. "I don't know about this war between your kind, and the devils. But I don't think that running away is the answer to it." Hope blinked her eyes sleepily, she was easily exhausted due to her weak condition. "Maybe Serefina can help me."

"But she already said that she can't." Kace wouldn't run away from the witch, if she could do something about Hope's condition. But it turned out that she couldn't. And instead of helping to solve Raine's condition, Serefina kept on blabbering about the upcoming war. The upcoming war was the kind of topic that really irritated him the most. In fact it was the last thing that he would want to talk about right now.

"Maybe she could come up with something else?" Hope yawned. Her eyelids started to drop, and she knew this argument wouldn't last for long. Thus, between her drowsiness she said, "I want to go back home, and meet my friends."

Hope didn't have a lot of friends here. Worse, in Kace's opinion, he could say that she didn't have anyone who could be considered a friend. Most of the time she would play with Bree. Because it was either the other villagers were way older than her, or way too young to be her friends.

"Can I come in? I have her medicine." Lidya's voice travelled into the tent. The witch had been staying with the centaurs, and the villagers ever since they were separated. It was all because of Serefina's order. 

Kace made sure, and made it perfectly clear to Lidya, that she should never contact Serefina in any circumstances, and she must never reveal his, and Hope's whereabouts especially to Serefina. Although he couldn't do anything if ever she ended up doing it. However, it seemed that even until now, Serefina was still far from finding them. This could only mean that Lidya had kept her promise. 

"Sure," Kace said softly. He glanced at Hope, who was sleeping now. 

There was a rustling sound of the cloth being raised when Lydia entered the tent. She brought a bowl of black liquid in her hand, and she glanced at the sleeping girl. 

"I'll give it to her when she's awake." Kace readjusted Hope's blanket, and stood up. "I have something to discuss with you."

Kace took another glance at Hope before he let Lydia step out of the tent first. 

"Are you sure about going back to mount Uzu? Is it safe for us to go back there?" said the lycan, he was now standing in front of his tent. The wind blew, brushing against his face. It was indeed a chilly night.

"I don't know about mount Uzu, but I can assure you one thing though... There is something happening right now in the other realms. And Beelzebub is no longer there." Despite being stuck here for quite some time, as expected from an excellent witch, Lydia had another way to gain information. 

"What? What is happening?" Kace frowned. He had been really reluctant when Chiron decided to go back to mount Uzu. All in order to retrieve the remains of the priestess, and the other children who died because of the devil.

However, he realized that it must be done one way or another. It was done because their way to give their respect towards the priestess, and all the things she had done for them. After all, it was thanks to her spirit who helped Kace, and the other during that time when the sudden confrontation with the vampires and witches broke out. 

Lydia crossed her arms in front of her chest, lowering her head. She was in deep thought. "I don't know if this is possible."

"What is it?" From the way Lydia was hesitating the thing that she intended to tell him, he could feel it immediately, there was something unpleasant about it. 

Lydia raised her head. Her eyes met Kace's. "I think the gate to Tartarus is already open."

"What?" Kace furrowed his brows. "But that's impossible! It can't be happening!" he objected strongly. 

"I do think the same," Lydia said. "But, that's what I heard."

This news could only mean one thing for Kace. And it was the last thing that he wanted to be bothered about right now. It could only mean that Serefina would look for him relentlessly. She absolutely would never stop until she got him, and Hope. 

At that point, suddenly something struck his mind, making it clearer. Somehow Kace realized how foolish of him to run away from this fate. Just like what Hope said before, if they couldn't run from it, the only option left for them was to face it. 

When Kace was in deep thought, he felt someone tugging on his clothes. And there he found Bree. She was staring at him with her bright eyes. 

"I want to see Hope, can I see her?" she said childishly. 

"Sure, but she's sleeping now. Just don't wake her up, okay?" said Kace while tousling the girl's hair. 

"I will be quiet," she whispered before running into the tent. 

============== 

"Do you think she will like me?" Raine was crouching down in front of her backpack, tomorrow they would leave to the Northern Coven. They were going to look for Torak's younger brother, and his mate, another guardian angel. 

"No one is going to hate you my love." Torak kissed her temple, as he helped her to pack her stuff.

"Coming from you, it doesn't sound convincing." Raine pouted her lips. "Oh you don't know how excited I am to meet the other guardian angel!"

Torak chuckled. He would handle this matter with his brothers, and wouldn't spoil his mate's joy. Because he knew that Kace wouldn't be easy to talk to.