My Most Precious Human

"No..." I mumbled in panic, looking at Sariel and Draven.

For a while, I could hear nothing but the sound of my overwhelmingly pounding heart. I kept staring at them, petrified. I think they argued... violently. Leo and Ari had to step in to separate them before their outburst escalated to an actual fight. I couldn't breathe. I had to get out of there. I had to get out of there now!

I ran towards the door, struggling to push air into my lungs. Then I rushed towards the corridor, ignoring Patrick, who probably ran after me. I couldn't tell if he did or not. I kept running. I ran outside, and before I knew it, I found myself in the hedge maze, taking turn after turn as if I wished to get lost in there. I stopped when I found myself at a dead-end. I leaned my back against the green hedge wall and slipped down to sit on the ground. I panted heavily. My whole body trembled. Did Draven just say that I was his mate? I loved to hear about the wolves finding their one true love, the one they meant to spend their whole life together, their destined mate, but if Draven's words were true, staying with Sariel meant going against destiny. If they were true, then I was never meant to be happy with Sariel. If they were true, then I was holding more than just my happiness in my hands... The problem was, I loved Sariel, and I was certain that I did, whereas I had nothing to give but kindness to Draven.

I looked up. The sky above me was clouded and gloomy, like it was about to rain. I guess the heavens tried to imitate my mood because I felt like I was about to cry.

"Why does it have to be like this?! I don't feel any kind of bond! This isn't fair! I don't want this!" I shouted, hoping to relieve my frustration.

"You can't feel it, because you are not a wolf." I heard Draven's voice coming from a few feet away.

A second later, he appeared in front of me. His face showed a painful expression, as if he reflected my despair.

"Only I can feel the bond between us. Isn't that cruel?" he smiled bitterly.

"Is that what you meant at the ball... when you mentioned opposing my... destiny?" I muttered, feeling the salty wetness of tears painting my cheeks.

He crouched beside me and looked into my eyes. "I didn't want to hurt you. I don't want to see your pain, but you cannot stay with Sariel. You belong to me and my pack."

"It might be something obvious to you, but I don't feel that way... I love Sariel, and he loves me-"

"Are you sure about that?" The bitterness of Draven's question quickly hit my heart.

"I..." The words got stuck in my throat.

I hesitated. I didn't know when it happened, but I was no longer certain of anything. I placed my hand on my chest, trying to soothe my aching heart. Draven placed his big hand on mine. "Come with me, and I promise that I will never hurt you," he swore, looking into my eyes.

I flinched. I didn't want to accept the fact that he moved something within me. My heart was too tired of feeling pain and began confusing me. The destined love was something that I had been dreaming of since I was a kid, who listened to Ezra's tales about werewolves finding their mates, but I had never thought that there was a mate waiting for me as well.

Draven leaned over and gently wiped away my tears. "Join my pack. You don't belong here, Lilith."

What he said was equally enticing and painful. One part of me wanted to leave the Palace and run away as far as possible, yet the rest of me wanted to keep fighting. I had sacrificed a lot already, and I had accomplished a lot, and I couldn't just quit halfway.

"No," I said, pushing Draven's hand away. "I'm sorry, but going with you doesn't feel right. Not to mention that we have only just met, and I have no feelings for you-"

"Feelings will come in time," Draven convinced me.

"Don't you get it?! I love someone else! And I am his marked one!" I burst out, standing up off the ground.

I glared at Draven, then I walked past him and started heading back to the Palace.

"The vampire's mark can be erased, but not the fact that you are my mate!" Draven called out.

I stopped but didn't turn around. I was too afraid to look into his eyes. I heard his footsteps. He stood right behind me.

"How..." I mumbled, "How... can the mark be erased?" I asked, my voice trembling.

"It's simple. It is about an honest declaration. All the marked one needs to do is to say that she or he is breaking the blood bond."

Draven's statement was emotionless and harsh. The empty sound of his words vibrated across my heart, making my chest squeeze.

"You say it like there is nothing between Sariel and me, but you are wrong," I hissed, "If it is like you say that you don't want to hurt me, then don't make it sound like my relationship with him is a joke." I started walking again, anger fueling my steps.

"He's going to make you suffer again, Lilith..." he said coldly.

"You don't know that," I tossed and kept walking.

"Yes, I do!" I heard his voice further behind my back, and then I heard him running after me.

I stopped and turned around, "Stop! Whatever it is you are doing, just stop!"

"Lilith..." Draven put his hand on my shoulder, locking his eyes on me. "We are leaving in two days, and I am not going to sign a treaty unless you come with me."

"This is blackmail!" I yelled, angrily slapping his hand, pushing it away from my shoulder.

"I am doing this for your own good!" Draven's roar spread across the garden.

I stepped back away from him, gazing at him fearfully.

"I'm sorry..." he sighed, "I just don't want to leave without you... Think it through."

He walked past me and quickly disappeared behind another hedge wall. My heart was pounding, and my hands were shaking. I was confused and scared. I swayed on my feet, moving towards the east wing on the auto-pilot. There must have been something wrong with my face since those who passed me by on my way kept giving me worried gazes. Then I thought that I might have looked like a walking corpse because I was definitely paler than usual and the tears I cried most likely spoiled all my make-up, yet I couldn't care less. I only wanted to lock myself in my chamber and continue crying. I turned the door handle with my trembling hands, and the next thing I knew, the door shut, and I was in Sariel's arms.

He was there, waiting for me in my room. He hugged me close, and then lifted me and carried me to bed. I looked at him, wondering if I was dreaming. I had to touch his face to make sure he was real. "You are here..." I mumbled, "You are really here..."

"I never wanted to leave you for so long." Sariel's gentle kisses marked my forehead, my cheeks, and my lips. "Forgive me."

I wanted to. I could forgive him almost anything, but this wasn't about forgiveness.

"What if... I am truly his mate?" I asked, lowering my voice.

"Do you feel like you belong to him?" Sariel tried to sound calm, but his voice seemed to be trembling with anxiety.

"No. I don't feel anything towards Draven."

Sariel exhaled with a faint smile. It looked like my words took a huge weight off his shoulders.

"I won't let you go, Lilith. You can't leave me." His arms tightened around me while his lips desperately caressed the skin on my neck.

"But... what about the peace treaty?" I asked.

He raised his head to look straight into my eyes. "You are much more important to me than signing any kind of agreement," he stated confidently.

What he said turned the butterflies in my stomach to life again. They began fluttering more agitatedly than ever. I smiled while tears covered my slightly blushed cheeks.

"B-but this is about peace..." I muttered, trying to sound rational.

"We can find other solutions to get what we want," he stated, pulling me closer against his chest, "but no one is going to take away the woman I love."