Chapter 37: Chapter 37

TRISTAN:

“Dahlia, don’t leave me… Don’t leave me please!”

My wolves and I reached inwardly to the core of our power – our spirit stone. I felt the pain in Albus’ forehead intensify as my spirit stone took form physically, making the diamond-shaped rune in my wolf’s head apparent. This was an indication that I was using my powers to the extreme.

I was once told by my dad that the power of the sprit stone was dangerous, so I must always exercise caution. However, that does not apply at this moment. My mate was losing her life! I won’t permit it! I can’t let anyone else die because of me!

‘Tristan…’ I heard Dahlia’s voice speak inside my head.

‘Dahlia,’ I said back. I was trying to contain the relief I had felt when she uttered my name. ‘Dahlia, forgive me! Don’t die on me…’

‘Why,’ she whispered back through our mind link. ‘How could you?’

The pained way she uttered her accusation pierced my heart so painfully that I wanted to break down in front of her at that moment. Nonetheless, I needed to be a bit stronger. She was still in the brink of death. I cannot give up and let her die!

‘Dahlly, I’m sorry… I am so sorry! I know you hate me so much at this point, but please help me… Help me just this once. Lend me your powers, so I could heal you…’

My heart throbbed in nervousness. Despite the enormous power that I was using, it seemed that the force could only bounce off Dahlia’s small and weak frame.

‘Dahlly, you’ve got to help me! I can’t lose you! I can’t lose you like I had lost them!’

Dahlia, in her wolf form, moved weakly in my arms. She lifted her head and opened her eyes on me before closing them again.

Before I could say another word, I sensed a golden glow emanate from Dahlia’s body. It mingled with the purplish glow that poured out of my spirit stone. At first, it created fierce yellow fringes of light until gradually, their glow mixed together entirely, producing a force with an intense color or magenta.

I wept as I saw Dahlia’s body start to heal, starting with the light scratches she got when she ran away in the woods. I felt the bleeding in her intimate area stop, and her breathing and heart beat gradually return back to normal.

After exhausting almost all of the powers inside of me, I slumped to the ground with Dahlia, now gradually returning to her human form, still in my arms.

I brushed wet wisps of her golden brown hair away from her face. “You did well, love… You did very well,” I whispered.

I wanted to hold her tighter in my arms. I wanted to say I am sorry to her a million times over, but she needed rest, and this cave wasn’t a good enough place to recuperate. Most of all, she needed to get away from the monster that was me…

After a few minutes of struggling with my wolves, my conscience, and my desires, I arrived at a difficult decision. I put my Dahlia gently down and went towards the other person in the cave to awaken him.

Every bit of this wolf was truly detestable, but I realized that if there was someone I’d trust Dahlia with, it’ll be him. I strode towards him and tapped his shoulder.

He must have passed out due to the amount of power Dahlia and I had unleashed early on. I tapped harder once more when the first one didn’t wake him up effectively.

“Hey, get up,” I said. “Get up. Didn’t you want to take my Dahlia with you?”

Upon hearing my mate’s name, he immediately opened his eyes, but he gave a look of disdain when he saw that it was me.

He immediately grabbed me by the hair and held my face fiercely closer to him.

“You – what did you do to Dahlly just now?”

“I didn’t do anything. Dahlly healed herself,” I lied.

“That’s not true! Just now, I saw you glow… Dahlly’s powers were of a golden light, but you – you had a purple light on you! Tell me what you did to her!”

I was utterly surprised. Many wolves would never be able to sense the powers of a Shadow Rune’s spirit stone, much less see its force, but based on what he just said, he was able to see the aura emanating from my body as I tried to heal Dahlly. I wondered what kind of wolf he was…

As I deliberated whether I should wipe out this wolf’s memory or not due to what he saw, we heard Dahlly stir in a distance.

The prince and I both scampered to come closer to her side, all of our animosity for each other dissipating at the moment. He was about to get closer to Dahlly, but I held a hand against his face.

“Give me your cape. She’s shivering.”

The young prince didn’t seem to comprehend what I just said. He shoved his arm against me, but I did not budge, and instead, I thumped at his chest, forcing him against the wall.

“Damn it, give me your cape! She has no clothes on!”

As the fact sunk into him, he turned red with embarrassment. I turned red too but with rage.

When he had recovered enough, he instantly removed part of his cape. I tore it away from his hand as soon as he managed to unfasten it and walked towards my wife.

“Dahlia, are you awake? Are you cold,” I asked. The midday summer sun was rising fiercely up in the sky, but my poor Dahlia was still trembling.

She nodded towards me. I draped the cape around her as gently as I could.

As soon as I finished, the prince knelt beside Dahlia patting her gently at the side.

“Are you hungry? It’s already lunch time. Let’s go and eat,” he said in a sweet and tender voice that made me want to punch him right there and then.

Dahlia shook her head weakly. “I… I’m coming home with Tristan,” she mumbled.

I was beyond shocked at what I heard, and the blasted prince beside me was utterly surprised as well, seeing how low his jaw had just dropped.

“Dahlly,” I immediately said, stroking back her head that was still covered in cold sweats. “Dahlly, I think it’s better for you to come away with him today. The palace has many nice doctors… They can help you recover faster…”

The truth was I didn’t want to send my wife away, but after what had just happened, I don’t trust myself that well… I don’t know how I had lost control earlier, and I couldn’t guarantee that it’ll never happen. What if I hurt her more the next time?

My head was also in a jumbled mess. Just looking at Dahlia like this was making me feel positively confused and crazy! I hated her, but at the same time I cannot bear for her to get hurt!

“No,” she shook her head weekly again. “I… I don’t want to run away… I don’t want to go… Take me home…”

Hearing her voice say that she still wanted to be with me despite the monstrosity I had displayed earlier made my knees go weak. How can she say that? How can she trust me again after that? All I could do was to look at her with an unbearable amount of guilt and pain in my chest.

It was the prince beside me who spoke after a period of utter silence.

“We understand, Dahlia… You can go back home for now and take some rest. I will visit you in two days’ time after you have sufficiently recovered.”

The man gave me a hard, disproving look, but he bent over Dahlia’s still weak and sleepy form and whispered. “Sleep away… I’ll see you again after two days.” He then kissed her eyes as she closed them. I didn’t stop this shameless action lest I aggravate Dahlia further.

“Don’t tell anyone about this please… especially papa,” Dahlia whispered, to which the prince nodded.

He stood away from Dahlia’s side and walked towards the mouth of the cave. He spoke in a hard voice that was meant for me.

“I’m letting you off this time because of her request. If you do anything to Dahlia again, I swear I’ll f*cking kill you! Keep the gates open for me after two days!”

And with that, the prince of Talandor left as if nothing has ever happened.

I sighed. I still did not think that it was a good idea to take Dahlia back home with me. I slipped my arms underneath her back and legs, and just as I was about to lift her up, Dahlia whispered.

“When I get better, let’s talk…”

I nodded. It will probably be a long talk. She’ll surely have a lot of questions. I need to prepare myself…