Chapter 3
PAYMENT FIRST
ZARYA’S POV
He touched the peak of my nose, going down to my lips. “Okay, you don’t want to. I’m easy to talk to. By that, I can’t help you.”
He let me face his back and then walked away from me. I reminded myself what had happened to my family.
Does my body matter? If I had the favor of King Water, I would not just be a Beta, but a fighter who would have an agreement with him. That means, no matter what I have been through he would be there beside me.
“King Water!” I walked faster. When I reached him, I held his arm. His eyes looked at my face down to my hand that was holding him. “Apology, your majesty.”
“No, go on.”
I tried to read what was running into his head, but what I got was only a cold look. He forced himself to smile. “Don’t be afraid of me.”
“I agreed,” I said with a low tone. The fear and embarrassment were consuming me. “I’ll do everything. Just help me to be strong. I want to do the same thing to them.”
He shook his head, held my shoulder, and glanced at my face intensely. “Don’t do the same, do worse than that.” He emphasized every word he said.
I brought my head down, viewing the ground, but he held my chin again and dragged it up. “If you really want vengeance, don’t lower your head. They should bend their knee to you.”
I nodded. He took off his cloak and put it to me. “We have an agreement. Since you’re mine now. Men are prohibited to see your body.” He winked with a smirk on his lips.
I had no idea what to think. I heard the 5 kings from different packs. King Water is one of the naughtiest aside from King Wind.
“Your name, Baby?” He covered my body with his cloak.
“Zarya,” I answered without emotion.
“Hali. That’s my name.”
My eyes widened as he told me his name. It was a big deal for the world of royals. Their identity must not be known by anyone who was not special in the kingdom. It could be used by the enemy, hence, they called them King plus the element that they had.
I watched him changing into a wolf form. He was one of the big wolves that I saw. His fang was so sharp, his brown fur was thick and his claws were scary. It would cut the enemy into pieces.
“Shift to your wolf. We’ll go to the place,” He ordered me with his black horror-caused eyes.
I moved my head up and down, leaned my knee and hand on the soil, howled as loud as I could. In an instant, my human body became a wolf.
“Bring me to the site.” I could hear what he was saying without opening his mouth.
I guided him to the way where I ran before I went here. During our travels, I was peeping on him at times. He was serious, even his wolf form was handsome. When he looked at me, I immediately removed my eyes from him.
***
When my feet stomped on the front of our house, I was broken into pieces. They were not here, the only view was our home, burning in fire and some parts were already dust.
“Did you know who they are?” Hali went to the right and then to the left, peeking on the possible way they walked. He was also smelling the ground.
“They’re the Black Wolves Pack.” I looked around. Every portion of our house caused pain in my heart.
“You gotta be kidding me! They have no exact territory. They tour around, invade the pack they see, and kill them. They’re not an ordinary pack, Zarya.”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .
So he knew them? Hence, I need to gather all the courage and strength that I possibly have.
Jace…
My teeth gritted as his name popped inside my head. Maybe 5 years from now we will meet again.
“What’s your plan?” King Water stood next to me, joining me watching the flame. It was getting low.
“I’m planning to train myself to be good at handling different tools like archers and swords.”
His wolf form waved his tail. “It’s not all about strength. You should practice enduring various kinds of pain.”
“Teach me, then.”
My jaw tightened. I memorized the image of our home. It once became the foundation of happiness and a complete perfect family, but now it turned into dust.
The figure of my mom cooking in the kitchen while having a wonderful smile filled my head. My father was on the couch, leaning his feet on the center table while watching TV. My brother Zaiden was playing basketball on the stairs. Our house was not that big, but I could say that the love for each other was huge.
I let the tears burst out once again. For now, I had to do nothing but feel the grief. This madness inside me would be my strength and motivation to be as powerful; To be heartless, ruthless and numb.
We stayed there for about a minute, trying to figure out if there was someone left. However, they were already gone. I decided to sit on the branch of a tree that was lying on the ground while cherishing the moment when my family was still alive. At the same time, marking my head about the mission.
I promise I’ll get back to this place again. That time, the victory is in my hands. The satisfaction is in my heart. The power is in me.
The new Zarya will be born.
Hali sat next to me. “I honestly can’t feel you. Yet accompanying you is the only thing I can do.”
“I never ask you to feel me, Your Majesty.” I sounded like a devastated wolf.
“I need to know what you feel, so I’ll have knowledge of the first step we must take for vengeance.”
“Why? Don’t you have a family?” The confusion was written on my face.
“I have brothers.”
I was aware that he had a father, the higher king, and a mother, the queen of the Water Pack.
What happened to him?
“Let’s go back to the Elemental Kingdom.” He moved his body, walking forward. “I’ll make you feel the first pain that you need to bear.”
The anxiety covered my whole system. “What do you mean?”
“You’ll know when we got there. Something to do with pleasuring a man.” He winked at me.
My body trembled as I watched him running away.
“Do I need to fulfill the offer immediately?”
“Of course. How will I know that you’re gonna pay me? Payment first.”