The Blood King's Bride
Chapter Forty Nine

"W-What are you doing?" Elena asked, stuttering.

"Removing my clothes, of course." Calhoun looked back at Elena with a smirk. "You

don't expect me to go to bed with these clothes, do you?"

"You're sleeping here?" Elena asked, breathing fast.

"We have agreed already on this. I told you that I want to spend much time as I have left

with you, and yes, that includes sharing a room with you." He shrugged off his coat, then his inner shirt, leaving only flimsy inner-wear.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, passing her a teasing glance.

"N-Nothing!" Elena quickly said, her face flushing red. Calhoun chuckled.

"Don't worry. I told you I won't do anything to you. Not anything that you don't want, anyway." He said, teasing her. Elena's face flushed more crimson, and she quickly covered it with her hands. She heard the shrugging of clothes, couldn't stop her curiosity and peeked from between her eyes. She instantly regretted that she had done that.

"C-Can't you sleep with the inner shirt?" She asked, her heart beating loudly as she took

in the magnificence of his skin. He had scars over every part of his body, scars she only had a glimpse of when they were in training, but to see them in full, did things to her. She wanted to run her hands through all of them. She wanted to know how he got them; they were beautiful on him as they were brutal. His abdomen was ripped, having bars of steel. There was a deep slash that ran across his chest. He was a warrior in every sense of the word.

"No. I like to sleep naked."

"What?!" Elena screeched. At that, Calhoun laughed.

"Don't worry. I won't sleep naked with you. Don't want to cause your poor heart to fail. I would just be shirtless, and nothing else. Hope I am not making you uncomfortable." Oh, he was making her feel other things alright.

"N-No, I'm fine. You can sleep in what you're comfortable with."

"Thank you." He replied with a smile. He folded the clothes he had shrugged off and

placed them by the seat next to her bed. Then he removed his shoes and slowly sat on the bed. They remained like that, just staring at each other.

"Can I hold you?" He asked quietly. Elena nodded her head, blushing furiously. She

moved closer to Calhoun, who surrounded her immediately and enveloped her with a hug. She

sat between his legs, his arms crowding her waist. He used his legs to cover hers and placed his

head in the junction between her neck and shoulder, inhaling her scent.

"I wish I could hold you like this forever." He nuzzled her neck and placed a kiss there.

Elena's cheeks went aflame, and she was struggling to breathe.

"Me too." She whispered. Calhoun hugged her tighter, and they remained that way. She

didn't know how long they were like that, with Calhoun placing small kisses all around her,

dragging his hands through her hair, and caressing her. She ran her hands across the scars that were on his skin.

"How did you get all these scars? There are so many of them."

He placed another kiss on her face. "I am a warrior. Most of them are from the battles I

had when training."

"They are beautiful." She replied, running her hands across one on his arm. Calhoun chuckled.

"If I had known you would be this intrigued I would have stripped a long time ago."

Elena's face went up in flames again.

"Stop it." She said, hiding her face.

"Stop what?"

"Stop teasing me." Calhoun placed another kiss at the back of her head.

"But I love doing it." He placed another kiss on her shoulder. He pushed her gently, signalling for her to turn around. She did slowly, her face aflame. Her legs crossed over his and

stayed behind his waist, and he did the same, causing them to be even closer than before. He studied her intensely, moving his gaze around every part of her face as if inputting it to memory. He dragged his hands gently across her face, removing a tendril of hair that had fallen there. He placed his hand on her cheek and caressed it.

Just as he did, Elena also studied his face. This was the first man who liked her seriously without reason or any condition. Yes, she was grateful for Mac, Forest, and Wazir, but they didn't make her heart beat fast as this man did.

"I would miss you." She whispered, looking at him with longing.

"I already do." He replied, caressing her cheeks. His eyes darted to her lips, then back to her eyes, then her lips. Then he moved closer, slowly, glancing at her from time to time, moving so slowly she felt she would combust. She closed her eyes before he could come close enough and finally felt his breath fanning her lips. They remained like that for a painfully long while, and just when she was about to open her eyes, he finally swooped down and claimed her lips. Calhoun couldn't stop the groan that escaped him as he kissed Elena. He would never get tired of her. Every kiss they shared seemed like a new experience. He couldn't get enough of it. He put his hand behind her head and dragged her closer, deepening the kiss. Elena released a moan that caused his blood to heat. He didn't know what to do without her. He had finally found his Bride, only to get rid of her. He slid his hands down till he reached her back, drawing her closer. He ran his tongue against her lips, pressing against them, which caused her to open up. At that, he immediately swooped in with his tongue, raging and clashing with hers, trying to find dominance. He had never felt this possessive, this passionate. Only Elena was capable of bringing out this side of him. Only Elena could make the famous Blood king feel like a youthful lad.

They continued kissing, their breaths mingling together and their souls intertwining. Something had changed between them. They didn't know what it was yet, but the feeling was etched even in their bones. Calhoun broke the kiss and leaned his forehead on Elena's, their breath coming out fast.

"Let's just remain like this," Calhoun whispered, his heart thudding heavily in his chest. Elena nodded her head, too lost in the memory of the kiss to be able to understand anything. They remained like that for a while, and Elena started feeling sleepy. Seeing that she was battling with sleep, Calhoun pushed her down and lay beside her, spooning her from behind. "Aren't you-"

"Shush. Go to bed." Calhoun commanded, gently caressing her head. His touch

immediately sent her deep into slumber, and Calhoun watched her for a long while before joining her to rest.

*****

Morning came, and Elena and her friends were ready for her journey. Calhoun had woken her up earlier and told her that with the old man's help, he would try to reach her when he returned. Then he would take her to his family. Before Calhoun left her room, they spoke for a long while, giving her privacy to prepare for the day. Elena did just that, and once she was done, she went out of her room, her luggage slung over her back, and went to inquire about Forest and Elion. They both were ready, even though Forest still looked drowsy. They made their way out of their part of the house and entered the first part. As they walked down the passage, they didn't come across anybody. They finally made it to the entrance and saw Calhoun, his men, and Old Porv waiting outside. She released a sigh of relief when she noticed that Firoza wasn't there with her. She looked at Calhoun and was immediately hit with longing. She sauntered towards him. He couldn't take his eyes off her, and Elena did not doubt that if she just said the word, he would carry her back inside and lock her up, never to leave him again. She didn't know how it happened or why their relationship lasted as long as it had, but faith had brought them together. They

would still end up together if they were meant to be, and nothing can change that. She reached Calhoun and placed both her hands on each side of his face. Then she rose on her toes and kissed him.

"I would miss you." She whispered, breaking their kiss. Calhoun pulled her towards him and hugged her tighter before she could finally separate from him. He hugged her like a desperate man, and Elena almost shed tears at the depth of emotion he had for her. They remained like that for a while before someone cleared their throat.

Slowly, they released each other, staring into their eyes with intense longing and determination.

"I'll come for you." He told her, his declaration a vow. Elena smiled sadly.

"I know. And I would wait." Calhoun kissed her one more time and dragged himself

back, forcing him to be several feet away from her. He was afraid that he would not be able to stop himself from preventing Elena from leaving.

Elena jumped atop her horse, saddling him and getting comfortable. Forest and Elion had done the same.

"Greet Wazir for me." The old man called out. "And that old father of yours. Tell him that no matter what, he still couldn't compare to me." Elena chuckled, facing the old man.

"I would make sure your message is passed across. Thanks so much for all your support

and training. I would use your teachings well." The old man nodded, approving her words. With

a final look at Calhoun, she kicked her horse by the sides, causing it to gallop out of the place she had come to know and love, along with her lover, who was still standing as he watched her go, his face a mixture of longing and pain, like a part of his body had been detached from him. Once Elena finally left the environment, Calhoun's face settled into the hard mask everyone knew him with. He would find out his target, know Firoza's real identity, and get his Bride back.

*****

Elena and her friends remained on the road for days before finally reaching the final stop, where the border of the southern part of Tush was. They leaped down from their horses, the night sky dark, and walked into the inn they had occupied when they first arrived at the kingdom. There was no notable change at the inn; night, men and women still stood at every corner of the room, even the rotund woman who had a crush on Forest. People were still rowdy, making noise and drinking to stupor. The bartender had changed, though, as it was not the same man they had met at first. They placed orders for their room for that night, and when they got it, they headed up straight to their respective rooms, not willing to spend another second in the rowdy environment. A group of men were looking at them as they made their way to their room, their expression filled with evil mirth. Elena avoided their gaze and focused on the path to her room, not looking at anyone else.

They arrived at the inn's passage and went straight to their rooms, each tired and drowsy. Once Elena entered hers, she quickly took her bath, dressed for the night, and went to bed. She was so tired, she slumped right on it and slept off immediately. Her dreams were filled with visions of Calhoun, an occurrence that had been happening ever since she left him. She embraced the vision, smiling in her sleep, as that was the only thing that brought her joy these past few days. She had made up her mind already. Once she had seen her grandparents and friends and had made sure they were okay, she would return to old man Porv's house and wait for him. About her decision to defeat her father, Calhoun could help her with that. He was a powerful person who came from a strong background, one which relied on strength, as told by the numerous scars etched all over his body. She would tell him about her plan, and she was sure that he would help her. With that thought in place, she drifted off, continuing her sweet dreams of the man she was starting to love.

The morning came fast enough, but Elena was already prepared, along with Forest and Elion. Throughout their journey, they felt some kind of tension in the land, with people constantly looking over their shoulders. She heard whispers of some group of men who had raided nearby towns, destroying everything they touched. Elena didn't know if the rumors were true or false, but she didn't want to get caught in what was possibly the beginning of a rebellion. They made their way out of the inn, paid the bartender a tip for their horses, and walked out, not glancing at anyone. The rotund woman saw Forest, and her eyes lit up, but before she could make any move, the three left the inn. They walked over to where they kept their horses and released them. Just as they were about to climb atop it, Elena heard several feet surrounding them. The aura wasn't one of curiosity but menace. She looked at Elion, and obviously, she felt the same as she reached for her sword without sparing a backward glance. Elena did the same, too, then slowly turned around to see their visitors. Ten men stood at their front, their features covered in dirt and their smiles evil. She recognized them immediately as the men from the bar the previous night.

"Wonderful! It's been a long time since we have seen warrior ladies! Especially in this

part of the world." Elena scrunched her brows, not understanding what they were talking about. "What do you want?" She called out. "We do not want any trouble."

"Oh but we do. You lot with your beautiful looks are going to fetch us a lot of money. Now, just simply put down the sword. You know nothing is going to happen right?" Elena and

Elion resumed a fighting stance, Forest standing behind them and watching their backs.

"We would see about that." Immediately, Elena and Elion ran towards the men and

started attacking them without a hint of hesitation. But despite everything, they were only able to bring down two of them. The rest just stood back and laughed.

"Raul, I can't believe you got jested by a little girl." One of them called out. Elena gaped

as she watched the man who she had just defeated rise.

"Of course not. It's just fun fighting with her." He said, chuckling malevolently. Elena

didn't know what was going on, but she wouldn't give up without a fight.

"Give up girls, you can't defeat us."

"And why is that?" Elion called out. Even though her face was blank, Elena could feel

her weariness.

"We have been trained for war since birth. You can't defeat us with this puny talent you have." Elena couldn't stop the growing dread in her.

"Just who are you guys?"

"Oh my, we forgot to introduce ourselves." The one who she had defeated smiled her

way.

"We are warriors of the Blood Kingdom, little girl, born from the same generation of warriors who caused the world to be what it is today."

Oh no. Heavens! Elena thought. This wasn't happening. She couldn't let this happen. She

had just found the man she loved and new friends who genuinely liked her. She couldn't let these men take it away from her.

"You, my friends, would make beautiful slaves. And don't worry, we will treat you right.

But before that, it's my turn to give the striking blow isn't it?" The man gave a smile so evil and made his move. She could barely see how he did it, but suddenly, Elion was on her back, unconscious. Forest ran towards her, trying to protect his sister, but even he was knocked out. Finally, she was the only one left.

"Now, why don't we get this over with?" The man said, approaching her slowly. Elena

held her sword and made a move to attack. But before she could strike a blow, she felt something

hit her neck, and she fell unconscious.

The last thing she thought before she was enveloped by darkness was,

Not again.