He had seen her.
At first, he had sensed a presence in the basement before the person could even come near. He wasn't in control of his second form but he knew, saw and felt everything that was going on around him.
He had discarded it, thinking it was one of the guys and hoped they wouldn't come anywhere near him since they knew of his condition.
That was, until he recognized her scent. It was intoxicating and too impossible to ignore. He didn't believe it. He had chosen not to believe that his mate had found her way down here.
It wasn't impossible, it was just unthinkable. Then his beast had turned around and he saw her. He couldn't believe it. How the hell did she come here? That was the first thing that came to his mind.
No. He should've known. His mate was... one of a kind. He also should've listened to his guts when it told him not to come home that night with Kakashi. Maybe he thought she could save him from his plight, he didn't know, but here she was, in his arms, bleeding profusely from the neck, unconscious and losing life by the minute, and he was alright. The heat had gone away from his body and weirdly, he felt hundred times better than before, like he hadn't gone through a terrible ordeal in his life at all. There's a reason Lucifer, himself, needed her blood.
He stood up, putting his hands under her legs and behind her back, carrying her in bridal style. Ignoring how the pouring blood stained his clothes and the pool it made on the floor, he adjusted his arms, clasping a hand over her neck in a vain attempt to stop the bloodstream and lolling her head to face his chest.
He walked out of the dungeon, past his men and up the stony walls, but he'd only crossed two steps when he stopped.
There was silence in the basement, a deep, disturbing silence that no one dared to break.
"Bring Masashi over." His voice was hard and coarse and his face was as stoic and emotionless as ever, even with the dark hood cast over it.
Naruto, seeming to go through a conflict of his own, tried to speak up but choked on words. Shikamaru kept looking at the dark pool of blood in the cell, which reflected the incomplete moon above, in the sky. Only Jugo seemed to have a stable outlook.
The orange haired lycan straightened like a soldier in salute. "Yes, Alpha."
No, maybe he was going through disturbing thoughts on his own.
Three days passed and Sakura was not waking up. Sasuke sat like a log in his room, watching his mate with an emotionless expression as she laid on the bed, possibly not breathing, possibly not going to wake up, and he was possibly not thinking at the moment. His beast had also gone silent after everything. He probably decided to take a break, but it wasn't his fault, it was the system integrated in him.
Selene, screw you and the mate bond. Sasuke gripped the couch cushion as he watched his mate. It was an unconscious act but he gripped it until veins popped up on his hands, and they went pale. Masashi. Is late.
I was wrong. Naruto thought as he vaguely focused on the pattern on the table in the living room. He was seated on the couch, Shikamaru with him.
The whole house had gone lifeless. They gave the Alpha space, they knew he needed it. One wrong move, with the way he was silent and more stoic than before, could fuel the anger he's trying to bound within him and things could go south. He could be angry at himself or anything, but that wouldn't matter if he loses it. The humans might even get the shorter end of the stick.
Naruto sighed shakily. What was he thinking? He had thought... he believed that... He had thought the Luna could save Sasuke and then herself because if she had the king of devils after her and so many dangers in her life, she could endure it. He was stupid, he knew. He should've been more cautious. He hung his head. Three days, the Luna is still unconscious and her breathing has reduced. Bringing a human doctor would be harmful, to the human at most, and they couldn't tell Kakashi, not yet, so Masashi was the only option here now, even though leaving Isekai as a priest would be risky.
He looked to the side, at the stairs. He wondered how Sasuke was doing. That royal Alpha was reserved before but now, it seemed like he doesn't even say anything, also, he hasn't left the Luna's side in days.
Another thing is... where the heck is that old la... His thoughts were interrupted when a rapid knock came at the door. He and Shikamaru stood up and approached it. He frowned as he pushed down the knob. Who could it be at this hour? Then he opened it.
Standing before the dark crescent moon park's Beta and Gamma was a short, small statured but agile looking woman. She had wrinkles on her face and long hair, which was as white as snow, tied up at the back in a French bun. Her left eye was blue while the right was green, they looked shriveled with age and wisdom. She was wearing a lengthy tanned shawl and on her feet were simple sanders, one she always wore for the moon goddess shrine.
Naruto looked from Jugo, who was behind her, to the woman. "Old lady, you're late." He began as he ushered her in.
She eyed him, sucking her tongue in irritatedly. "Don't blame me. Danzo has his eyes on me for some reason. I could not leave that easily. I had to place a clown in my place. That said, I have to get back quickly or that rat will have the opportunity to do something he's wanted for a long time." She shot her head at Naruto. "Where's the girl?!" Despite her age and outlook, she still had that charge and fire in her than most old people.
"Right this way, Masashi." Shikamaru said, leading her up the stairs.
As they walked up, Masashi studied him. "You've grown so much since I last saw you, unlike someone." She tilted her head at the spiky blonde behind her.
Seriously, what do you have against me, old lady? Naruto sighed unbelievably and turned to Jugo. "How was the journey?"
Jugo thought for a second. "The roads were dangerous. Lycan guards have been placed at the entrances of Raikanrando. Danzo must've set them up for future motives. We had to proceed slowly. They almost didn't let me in." Then he got silent.
Naruto understood the silence. "You killed them?"
"Not all, some of them wanted to kill me first. Masashi couldn't use her projection prowess to transport us here. Something was blocking her power flow. I suspected something was also in the atmosphere when I fought them off. It messed with our abilities. We had to come in through the door here because we're afraid that if we used any of our abilities, we might get detected and followed, and caught."
The Beta sighed. "I understand." So, if they were to go back to Raikanrando, after Jugo has caused trouble, it's either they capture them and lock them up or they over look it. No one could tell for sure. No one knew what was on the Supreme Alpha's mind and why Danzo was the one leading the guards under the King's command. Just what do you have up your sleeves, Danzo?
The door to the Alpha's room opened and Masashi walked in. She stopped when she laid her eyes on the figure on the bed. That was the first thing she saw when she walked in. She didn't know Sasuke was right on the couch beside her but it looked like she didn't want to care.
Carefully, she walked over to the bed to take a closer look at the woman on the bed. When she saw her, herr eyebrows pulled together worriedly which enhanced the wrinkles on her forehead.
Poor girl. She thought as she ran her eyes over the figure. Her pink hair was sprawled out on the pillow below her head, it was dull, really dull. Her face was pale and it looked shrunken. Her lips were white and chapped. She did not look good. The old woman sat at the edge of the bed as she observed the pink haired girl before her. She reached up a hand and used her fingers to open her eyelids. There she saw pools of emerald greens, which were losing their light. She withdrew her hand and looked at her chest. Her heart beat was getting fainter by the second. She's a beauty. Masashi assessed. I can see it. She's also strong. To think she'd still have a heartbeat after three days even though it's faint.
"Why are you just sitting there, my lord?" Masashi asked in a casual way, not taking her eyes off the girl before her.
Sasuke didn't answer, his eyes just followed her every move.
"Don't try to beat yourself up." The old woman told him. "Try to blame yourself and it really will be your fault she's like this. You must've tried to keep her out of harm's way, I'm sure of it."
"No, actually it's my fau..." Naruto tried saying but he was cut off by Masashi.
"Aren't you going to ask me why I'm late, my lord?"
"Try to save her." Sasuke finally spoke. If he didn't know anything in life anymore, he knew that hope was something to hang onto. His mother taught him that, never to let go even when all seems lost and everything's hard. Not only that, he had a feeling Sakura will live.
"That's not my specialty." Masashi began as she took both Sakura's hands in hers. "The Luna will have to be the one who saves herself because only she can..." Then she stopped, mid sentence.
Naruto, Shikamaru and Jugo watched as the old woman began to shake. Sasuke studied them, his face still betraying no emotions.
What's this? Masashi's eyes widened, the hands she was using to hold the unconscious Luna's were shaking. Her head threw back suddenly. She swallowed. What's this great vast of power flowing through my bones? It was electrifying, terrible, but she couldn't let go. This power was familiar. All her life, she's been a priest but she's only experienced it once. Selene had showed it to her one time, made her to know how it felt, so she'll be able to figure out the girl in the prophecy when the time comes.
With a sharp sigh, she withdrew her hands away from Sakura's and her head was lowered. She stared at her with widened, teary eyes. Can it be? Her heart throbbed. The goddess of life and death? Life, as in healing, and death, as in destruction. She's finally here? She really is... Masashi broke down in silent sobs as she stretched her hand upwards to smoothen the pale lines on the girl's cheekbones. She's finally here.
Naruto's voice came through. "Uh, Old lady? Are you okay?" Sasuke leaned forward and squinted his eyes at her.
Masashi hiccuped through her sobs as her eyes went wide. "She's not breathing." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
"What do you mean she's not breathing?" Naruto swallowed hard. "She was barely breathing before."
Masashi's heart pounded. "She's... her heartbeat. It's gone."
Sasuke was by her side in seconds. "Masashi."
She turned her head around swiftly. "My lord, we have to get her to Isekai immediately. To the shrine. That's the only place we'll be able help her now. We'll go through the barrier which separates this world from ours."
Sasuke scrunched up his face in displeasure and glanced at his mate on the bed. Just seeing her poor state made him go crazy, but he was able to handle it, and now... Clenching his fists, he turned around. "Prepare. We leave for Isekai immediately." That was all he grinded out before moving out of the room, the others following after him.
Masashi looked from his retreating back to Sakura. He shouldn't keep all his emotions bottled up. He might explode. That's why people like him are the most dangerous people to come across. She sighed and took the the girl's hands in hers again, patting them gently. But to think that he'd care this way for his 'mate'. She remembered when he'd vowed to abandon whomever his mate would be. Being subject to the mate bond was one thing, but he had all the power to oppose it.
Which means that right from the start, he's been acting on his own free will.
I never would've imagined that he'll be capable of loving someone in his life. I'm pretty sure he doesn't realize he's not bound to the mate bond as he thinks he is. He'll probably keep being in denial of his feelings for you, thinking you're a victim of the false emotions the mate bond emanates.
She patted Sakura's hand and pulled up a small smile as she watched her face. He doesn't want to go to Isekai, probably because of his mission here, I mean he had to call me over, but it seems like he's ready to throw all that away for you. And he's not likely to come back here, given Danzo's unpredictable judgment and the fact that you're human. You might not know this but going back to your homeland without accomplishing your mission is disgraceful, especially when you're an Alpha and of royal blood. You'll be ridiculed, your pride will be stumped on and you can't do anything about it. I'm pretty sure a whole lot is going on in that mind of his.
I wonder. Does he know you're the girl in the prophecy?
Meanwhile, in the dungeon, a chill air brushed in through the small window, past Lilith, who was bent on one knee before the pool of blood on the ground with a small bottle filled with the blood in her hand.
She laughed, watching her dull reflection in the dark substance. "Just my luck. Who would've thought that the Lycan Alpha would kill his mate? I should thank him at least. He made my job easier." She looked upwards. "They would be going back to where they crawled out from to figure out a way to help her. I wouldn't get a chance to attack her if they're all around her." She giggled. "You got lucky, Sacrifice. There is a high chance you might survive since you have the ability and all but if not," she grinned evily, "then everything works in our favor, and the Alpha will live in guilt for the rest of his life."
She looked down, ran a finger over the blood, raised it towards her mouth and licked it. Her eyes instantly went wide and she dropped her hand. It's so good.
"Oi, Lilith." An annoyed voice came from behind her, followed by approaching footsteps before someone grapped her by the collar. "What are you still doing?"
"Wait, wait wait, Beelzebub." Lilith protested. "I need to taste more. Her blood is really good."
The Sin groaned angrily. "Show some dignity." He told her, dragging her towards the dark portal before him.
"Such a shame we'll waste everything on Death." She mumbled as she was thrown into the portal, gripping the bottle in her hand.
The moon was high and bright tonight. The woman noted on it as she looked out of the window in her chambers. Her hair was dark and long and her onyx eyes, which reflected the moon shone like cheerful bright rare gems. She wore a long glamorous night garment and around her arms was a warm silk scarf, embroidered in flowery patterns.
She coughed, raising the kerchief in her hand to cover her mouth with it, and when she pulled it out, blood was smeared on it.
She sighed, looking up again. My time is drawing near.