Luna Of The North

Chapter 2: The Mysterious Swordsman

Maybelle’s POV

Those dreams I was having every night was driving me insane! All those people. They all looked so familiar. And that king with silver hair was in my every single dream. Was he that man who saved me on another day? I did not have an answer. It had been weeks since then, and my father could find nothing about him. As if he disappeared into thin air. Zura also did not know anything about him. I had not told about my dreams to anyone yet. But I thought I should talk to Zura. After all, she was a witch, and she might know if it had any hidden meanings.

“Maybelle,” Zura’s voice brought me back to reality.

I was waiting for her near the waterfall where we usually meet. I had dressed like a commoner today. I was wearing a plain yellow dress that stops just a few inches above my heel. My hair was tied up in a French braid, leaving some loose strands around my face. A brown cloak was attached around my shoulder, in case I had to hide my face. Zura suggested that.

Zura was taking me to a nearby town today and hence there was a possibility that we might come across a few nobles who could recognize me. After the last incident, my parents made some special arrangements for me. I was never left alone. I had been tired by following all those protocols, and to the addition, a bunch of personal guards was following me all day around. Hence, I sneaked out almost every day for at least an hour or so to see Zura. I did not tell her the truth at first before, but a witch, as clever as her, suspected me. And I ended up telling her about everything.

 “Zura!” I smiled at her.

“No matter what you wear, May, you always look like a princess,” she complimented with another smile.

She led the way, and I followed her. Once we reached the village, she called for a carriage. Our carriage ran through the valley, leaving the little village behind. After a long carriage ride, we finally reached where Zura meant to take me. Zura was right. The town was big, and it was being decorated for the festival. I wore my cloak, hiding my face behind the hood once we got down from the carriage. I could see several nobles walking around from store to store. We avoided them from a distance so that my disguise did not get exposed. After all, they were werewolves and they could smell me as well.

Zura and I walked around the entire town, buying sweets for ourselves. In the end, we were sitting near a fountain. I was about to talk to Zura about my dreams when a very familiar smell hit my nostrils. I turned around. I could tell that Zura also sensed the same.

I saw a man walking towards an alley. We both stood up and followed him. He was wearing a cloak as well, just like me. After a few more minutes, he finally stopped. He probably had realized that we were behind him. I could hardly believe how far more careless he was.

“Nick”, I called him. My younger brother, Nicholas. What was he doing here in a commoner’s attire?

“Maybelle!”, he rushed towards me.

“What are you doing here? You are supposed to be in the castle,” he asked me.

“So are you! You are the Crowned Prince of Werewolf Empire!” I replied sarcastically. He let go a chuckle.

“Promise me, you will not say a thing to mother?” He spoke nervously.

“It depends,” I replied again. He sighed.

“I heard a mysterious swordsman is in the town who has defeated every single warrior around this area. I came here to see if that is true,” Nicholas explained awkwardly.

“Are you just here to watch, Nick?” I asked him with a sharp gaze. I could sense that he was lying. 

“Of course, my dear sister”, he answered me nervously. An unknown fear surrounded my mind.

“Very well! I am coming with you”, I told him back. I could not let him go alone. 

“What! No! You need to go back to the castle,” He shouted this time.

“So, do you, Prince Nicholas Augustus Jackson,” I spoke again sarcastically. His face was telling me he was not going there just to watch. I knew he was strong and capable enough, despite that, he was just a minor werewolf and my little brother.

Nick agreed finally. We three headed towards the arena where the fight was supposed to take place. We crossed alley after alley and after walking for a few more minutes, we finally reached the arena. It looked like an abandoned arena. Some commoners were sitting on the wooden benches around in a circle. Nick led us to a bench. The people around were looking at us curiously. Their gaze was making me uncomfortable and something was telling me they were not just ‘Commoners’.

“Zura! These people around…”, I whisper, but she stops me.

“I know! There are witches and werewolves. Some of them are criminals,” Zura whispered back. I am unsure why Nick brought us here. Did he have any idea what dangers he could be in? My wolf was not at peace either. But I felt like she was not panicked, rather she was worried. I knew the area was filled with danger, nevertheless, I felt a different kind of assurance in my heart. An assurance that nothing could touch me here.

I gave Nick a glare, but he seemed not to care much about anything. An anchorman announced the names of the warriors as the game began. As soon as the mysterious swordsman arrived, time froze again around me. It was him! The man who saved me. His back was facing me, but I could never forget those silver hairs. And his scent of pinewoods!

‘Mate! Mate!’ My wolf repeated in joy.

I saw a broad, muscular back in front of me. He was wearing a navy blue coat with matching trousers with golden embroidery. His silver hair was combed backward. Everything about him was showing his elegance. But his left hand was curled against someone’s waist and his right hand was holding hers. They were dancing so intimately. That lady was no doubt some royalty. Where was I? Why did this hall seem so familiar? How did I get here? I was in the arena just a few moments ago with Zura and Nick. Was I under some kind of spell? I could not help but think.

I looked around. Everyone seemed to be overjoyed watching them dance. I kept looking at the back of my mate. I could feel a heavy stone crushing my heart. How could he do that to me? Suddenly he stopped dancing and left the hall. Then I only saw her again. She looked pale as always, but she did not have any bruises. Her gown was pale regarding others, even so, she looked beautiful and innocent. She left the room and followed him.

As soon as I left the hall, I recognized the castle. It was the western castle, my home! But it appeared a little different. The decors on the walls were different as well. That lady followed him until he reached the main door of the castle. Then he stopped there, without turning. I again could not hear what they were saying, but it seemed like that lady was pleading for something. She was on her knees. She was in pain. I could feel that. It was breaking my heart!

“Let me tell you, young lady. Neither do I want any mate, nor will I ever accept you as my Luna.” That alpha king said in a bitter voice. He rejected her! She was his mate! Was that me? Did he reject me? Was that going to be my future? My heart stopped for a moment.

Suddenly someone squeezed my hand, and that brings me back to my senses. I saw Zura looking at me blankly. What happened just now? Was I dreaming again?

“It is him,” she said. I looked at her for a moment, puzzled. Then I realized she was talking about my mate.

“Yes! And he is the one,” I whispered while looking towards him. But the vision! Would he reject me?

The fight started. He defeated his opponents one after another. But I could hardly concentrate on any of them. My eyes were glued to him. He was wearing black trousers and a white shirt. With each fight, his shirt was getting torn apart, showing off his perfectly toned chest and belly. With his every movement, his muscles were dancing elegantly. But his back and chest was wearing chain like scars around his body. All those gigantic wolves were attacking him, but he was still winning every time, cornering them at the end against the ground. He was surprisingly strong. Would he accept me as his mate? Or the same thing would happen as what I saw just now?

“May! Can you sense that?” Zura calls me suddenly. I looked towards her.

“Sense what Zura?” I ask her in confusion.

“His aura! He has an aura of a werewolf. His aura is as strong as your father’s. But it is the purest among all the auras I have seen till date,” she explained. No, I had sensed none of these. I could only see the aura in my visions or in my dreams.

“No, I can’t,” I shook my head with a small sigh. The way she described his aura, was the same as what I felt in my dream. It was definitely him!

“But May, he is not a werewolf. He is a human!”, Zura spoke again.

A human mate! For a princess! Was that the reason my wolf was so weak? Probably because she did not have the other half of her soul. But he was still my mate! Mother must have known that. Was that the reason mother was worried? But why could I not realize that earlier? Why I felt like something was there in front of our eyes, but I could not see it?

Suddenly I sensed something. Nick! He was gone. I looked towards Zura and she looked puzzled as well. Nick was going into the arena. My mate had fought at least twenty wolves till now. None of those wolves could walk out from the arena on their own, but he did not look tired at all.

No! They should not be fighting! No matter who won, I would be the loser. I became very anxious and stood up instantly.

“Go home, little wolf,” I heard my mate speaking.

“I don’t fight amateurs,” he said again in irritation.

No! He should not have said that! Nick was royalty, an alpha by blood. His wolf would take it as an insult. And he proved me right.

“I will show you what an amateur can do,” Nick said back. His eyes were flickering between black and dark blue. With that, I heard bone cracking. In a blink, a huge pitch-black wolf was standing in front of my mate. He launched himself towards the mysterious swordsman, but he missed him.

I could not let them fight and get hurt. I dashed towards the arena.

“Maybelle! What are you doing?” Zura yelled from behind, gripping my wrist.

“I cannot watch them fighting,” I said to her.

“They are barbaric! You will get hurt,” Zura said again. And that was the reason I wanted to stop them.

Meanwhile, I saw my mate had grabbed Nick’s leg from behind and then he slammed him against the hard stone ground. Then he grabbed his ears and hit him again. To my wonder, he was fighting bare hand and Nick was panting just after a few minutes. 

“Zura! Stop them!” I shouted, not knowing what to do.

Zura chanted something. But after a few moments, she stopped. Her eyes look disappointed.

“May! I cannot. Something about that man is repulsing my spells,” Zura replied.

And with her words, I saw him slamming my brother again. Nick was badly hurt and panting, but my mate was preparing for his next move. I rushed inside the arena and guarded my brother against him.

“Stop it, please!” I yelled. My mate was ready to throw a punch. I closed my eyes in fear. I was waiting for the pain, but it never came. I opened my eyes slowly.

The mysterious swordsman had stopped. His face was inches away from mine. His silver hair was disheveled. He was so handsome. Sweat was all over his body, making him more charming. The scars on his torso were showing his abilities. How could a face like this have such demonic strength? Nick’s wolf was twice as big as him, and he had the wolf of Marchosias. But this devilishly handsome man hardly cared about any of these. 

His eyes were looking into my face, such as he was searching for something. It felt like I had faced the same situation before. Then my ears found out the sound of bone cracking. I was so lost in him I almost forget about my brother.

“Nick!” I turned back and rushed to him. Zura was also standing by my side. She gave him a piece of cloth to wear. I looked at the mysterious swordsman again. His light brown eyes! They looked so sad! They looked like they were in pain. He turned back and walked away. My heart clenched. He could not feel the bond! How could he? He was a human, after all! 

“How are you?” I asked Nick again.

“I am fine, May! Look, I am almost healed.” He replied, but his wounds said otherwise. He was still bleeding.

“You said you were only going to watch,” I spoke again in fury. I could hardly hold back my tears. My mate! He could not feel the bond and above all, he hurt my brother in front of my eyes.

“May! I am healed, see. Please do not cry! But that man has some real stre….” Nick halted.

He was looking behind us. I followed his gaze, only to find the royal warriors. I looked around. They have already surrounded the area and the mysterious swordsman.

“Princess Maybelle, Prince Nicholas,” the head of the warriors greeted us.

“Are you unharmed?” He asked this time.

“Why are you here?” Nick asked back. I was also surprised to see them.

I looked towards my mate again. He still looked so calm. How could he stand still in such a situation? Didn't he know the warriors could imprison him if they learned about what happened a few minutes back?

“Both of you were missing from the castle. The Alpha King ordered us to find you,” the head warrior explained.

“Did that man trouble you, my Lord?” He asked us again, showing my mate.

“No, he didn’t. Let him go,” I said before Nick could say anything. I could not let them imprison my mate. I could not see him being tortured in the dungeons. Nick looked at me with confused eyes.

“But my lady…”

“Listen to the princess. I asked for it,” Nick said, cutting him in middle.

“Do you think you can imprison me?” My mate blurted. There was a different smirk on his lips like he was humiliating them. Suddenly he ran at the speed of lightning and appeared in front of the head warrior. How could he do that? Speed was a gift for werewolves only.

'Who are you?' I asked in my mind.

“I do things how I please. No one can order me around.” He said in a threatening tone, sending chills down our spines. I could sense he was overpowering the royal warriors. None said anything after hearing his voice. They all stood there like a statue.

Then he said playfully, looking at Nick, “Learn self-control, you little wolf”. After that, he turned towards me.

“And something says we will meet again, Princess,” he muttered, looking into my eyes before leaving the arena.