Chapter 10: Heavy Heart

Edited: December 31, 2012

His silent farewell caused her chest to ache with longing, for Leah wanted to see her mate once more. She stood up uneasily and stalked in a daze toward Leyna, who grabbed her hand and faintly beamed at her. Her eyes darted to Nye and his father before wandering toward Leyna again; she noticed the gloom behind her defenses and the lingering tenderness as she peered at her friend, Nye. Lips twitching downward, Leah realized Leyna's hand quivered slightly, but it ceased to quake when Nye glanced at her for a moment. His serious expression warned Leah of the loss everyone would feel — even her. She did not know Nye as well as Leyna, but he had protected her and proved to care deeply above everyone he met. Just by staring at him, she realized he was debating on whether or not to stay with his father.

His shoulders were raised along with his chin, which caused his eyes to become fierce with determination and a profound essence of sadness. King Emerson whirled around and carefully approached them with his son, whose fists were loosely clenched beside his nervous figure. He gnawed on his bottom lip before sighing and standing up to the two girls he loved more than anything; his best friend's mate was finally going to meet her mate, and he had developed a strong bond with her even though he had just met her. Leyna was a girl he would always love because of her affectionate ways and her innocence, but she wasn't his; he had to let go before he became a problem and before she realized his heart belonged to her. Nye could still remember the days where she would ask him about the girl he dreamed about mating with, and he would always shrug, making her scrunch her nose and claim she would find him the right one. She never knew about his love, but that was fine. He would not allow her to look at him with pity and guilt.

"I will bring you back, but I must return to this realm. This is my home," he started. "I have neglected my duties as the rightful guardian of the borders and realms, which allowed chaos to reign. My presence is required here in my home, where I can finally see my family again. I hope you both understand and bid your parents a farewell on my behalf."

Tears ascended inside Leyna's eyes, but she bravely nodded and hid her tears from him. Leah's grip on her hand grew firm so she could reassure her brother's mate that everything would be fine.

"Will you visit?" she inquired fearfully and she peered up at him with her large eyes, making him nod and embrace her. He hugged Leah and exhaled curtly when he realized this would be the last time in a while that he would see them. His body threatened to quiver from the sobs that entered his body, but he merely grinned sadly at them and clutched them firmly.

"I promise I will visit after the chaos has been destroyed," he amended quietly before gripping them tighter. King Emerson bid them farewell before permitting his son to bring them back to their realm. Before Leah could even close her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the darkness engulfing them from behind while throwing them forward. Everything blurred in her eyesight, but she could still see the darkness creeping on top of them. She heard Nye curse under his breath before bellowing in anger. His essence quickened until he was finally where they had started. Lucent light attacked her eyes for a moment before receding. Angry murmurs were produced from Nye, and she flinched when she saw scorch marks on his clothes. The glow from the lights in the basement floated toward her once more, attracted to her essence and innocence. Leyna embraced Nye once more, and her shoulders racked with her sobs. He hugged Leah and tried to ignore the anguish that revolved around him. Guards bid him goodbye, and a few of his personal friends embraced him for the last time.

"I must leave before the borders are opened again," he stated with such sorrow that Leyna cried out. She grabbed Leah and cried on her shoulders when he became a shadow once more. The light ceased to reside in the room as he slinked into the shadows, where only his eyes could be seen. Sniffles ascended from Leyna's throat as she waved and watched him leave. A brilliant splendor enveloped the basement once more, making Leyna grab Leah's hand and force her up the stairs.

"We should visit Dieter," she suggested while she wiped the tears from her eyes and focused on her brother, who was alive and cured. Immediately, her spirit was lifted at the mention of her brother, which made her bounce in step with Leah, who looked at her curiously while trying not to giggle. A nervous laugh bubbled in her lips before it burst out, and she doubled over in a fit; she didn't know why she was laughing, but it felt as if the heavy weight that had been on shoulders disappeared from the lightness that overwhelmed her body. A mirthful grin twitched the corners of Leyna's lips, but she did not say anything because she knew Leah was nervous of seeing her mate.

Hesitantly, Leah pushed the door open and was faintly surprised to see Dieter sitting on top of his bed with syringes on his skin, with Carabella healing his wounds, and with his eyes boring holes onto her forehead. His eyes softened when he noticed Leah was standing in front of him nervously, shyly inspecting his appearance, which was ragged and ghastly. She could see punctures on his chest, which was exposed and revealed his healthy heart beats. His muscles constricted when he beckoned her forward, which she did with the help of Leyna. She dashed forward and Dieter immediately clutched her close while pulling her onto his lap. His soft lips trailed the side of her face before kissing her forehead in a tender manner, making tears brim in her eyes. Instinctively, she burrowed her head on his chest and shuddered when his cool touch gingerly rolled down her back and then to her arms.

"I apologize for not protecting both of you," he apologized, glancing at his sister with brotherly love. She gingerly touched the wounds on his face before gravely smiling at him with an easiness that made him grin back. Carabella beamed at the sight before unlatching the syringe from his arm and leaving them so they could have more privacy. A breath escaped his nose when his flesh painfully stretched back together and licked away the malignant fluids from his skin.

"How much do you know?" Dieter inquired, raising an eyebrow at his sister and his mate, who snuggled with him and refused to detach herself from him. He did not seem to mind either, especially when she peered up at him tenderly.

"I know everything about your species from Leyna," Leah started quietly. "I also know about the Populus Fusca and some of the history of your species."

"I know you lied," Leyna responded softly, accusing him with her intense stare. Leah looked at them curiously, peeking intently at them as Dieter leaned forward, stroked his sister's hair reassuringly while looking into her eyes, and then settled beside Leah with a quick sigh. Her intense gaze wavered when she saw him flinch slightly and clutch his sides before glancing at the window, where a minuscule crack could be seen over the darkness of the night. They're having a silent conversation, Leah realized with a slight pang at not having been included.

"What are you talking about?" Leah inquired, raising an eyebrow tiredly. Exhaustion threatened to overwhelm her, but she stifled her yawns and narrowed her eyes at Dieter, who merely stared at her, mentally debating on whether or not to tell her about the deceit that revolved around his kingdom, which was on the verge of being destroyed. His steely eyes wandered toward Leyna, whose head moved from side-to-side while her eyes peered at the closed door behind her petty shoulders; he knew she was wondering about her mate, Embry.

"How do you expect us to form a bond when you're hiding information from me?" she questioned as she shook off his arms from her body, mentally shivering at the loss of his body wrapped around hers, at the warmth and protection he offered her willingly. Furrowing his eyebrows, he gingerly touched her shoulder and pulled her back into his grasp while stuffing his head near her shoulder; she stifled her sigh of relief when he nodded and gazed at him sister uncertainly. The secrets were about to be unveiled, but he needed her permission first.

"Leah, you must understand our family first to understand our kingdom. As a family, we have been tortured by our enemies for taking what is ours. As a kingdom, we are bond together to defeat and protect our people first; however, each ties together at a point and everything is forgotten in a moment of desperation. The secrets are mine to share as well as my family's, but without my sister's consent or her part of the story, I cannot tell you anything. If Leyna agrees, I will tell you our history, and hopefully, you will understanding our reasoning and why we have the troubles we have now. Leyna, are you fine with confining your story with Leah?"

Uncertainty swirled around Leyna's eyes along with fear and gloom, which was usually hidden behind her eyes by her defenses but was now exposed lucidly to each of them. Gradually, almost as if it pained her a bit, she nodded and stood from her position on the platform. Her forehead creased while her shoulders slumped, releasing an abrupt sigh from her lips. Determined, she whirled around and nodded once more with a greater purpose.

"I will share my story with you, Leah, but Embry must also be present for this. It will help you both...understand," she said, trailing off slightly while internally wincing at her greatest fears. Her brother raised an eyebrow at the mention of her mate's name, but he didn't say anything. Leisurely, she sauntered out of the room, quietly sealed the door behind her, and tried to mask the sorrow that was clear on her face.

"She is afraid but I have faith this will help her realize she does not have to fear her past anymore," he murmured hopefully, trying to convince himself this was for the best. His sister could not suffer anymore, but that fact was inevitable. Leyna suffered the instant she was brought into the world and perhaps even when she was in his mother's womb.

Guilt enveloped Leah but his silent reassurance assured her she had the right to know. She could not stand in the dark anymore and be protected by lies. As Dieter's mate and future queen, she deserved to know everything about him — even his greatest fears. Swift footsteps along with soft murmurs floated inside her ears, alarming her beforehand of their presence, making her stiffen yet gradually relax on Dieter, whose hands firmly gripped her waist as he leaned on the headboard. A tender kiss was placed on her forehead before the door opened and revealed Leyna and Embry.

Embry situated himself near the platform but on the recliner, where he could easily reach out and grab his mate; however, he restrained himself when he noticed the grave smile that contorted her face and marred her angelic appearance. His heart clenched violently when he realized his angel was suffering, but he did not know why. She had awakened him in the middle of the night, claiming she needed to tell him the truth. Behind the gloom, he could faintly see defiance blossoming into something much larger, influencing her to take a profound breath and lick her lips. She paced around the room, but promptly stopped when she felt their eyes scorching her back.

"I realize that in order to understand and accept us, you must know our past. My past is heavily tied in with the chaos that is occurring now, so I believe I must start at the beginning — at the start of my existence. I hope you will both understand our kingdom better, our reasons, and learn to accept both of us despite our mistakes. We have all learned from our mistakes. With a heavy heart, I will begin now. If at any point you wish to leave, you may and I will not hold anything against any of you."

With a heavy heart, she closed her eyes, sat on the ground, and began her tale — starting at her very existence. Everything blurred around her until she was finally lost in the past, lost in the nightmares that tortured her at night, and lost in the screams that had started because of her.


Hello! There will be two and a half flashback chapters about her previous life. Thank you for reading! I have a Wattpad account DannyDeAngelus, so please check that out! Thanks! Have a great New Years!