Friendly A/N ahead of chapter:

I'm back, this book ends soon, and as bad as I feel about it, I'll write all chapters as soon as possible as apology for making you wait so long. No, hell that, I'm publishing them all in less than a week's time.

Sorry for being offline for so long, but we all go through that phase when growing up. I would say that I feel more mature, but meh. What would be a point if I grew up like other adults just because this world sucks, heck no - I'm staying a kid.

Plus, who'd want to be like grumpy grown-ups who only complain and want the world to abide to their rules? Not me, nu-huh. Even aliens avoid our planet when they see how they think.
Enjoy, I'm writing this at 03.30 am (I just wrote like 4k+ words worth chapter for dark mate and I'm on the next book. I plan to finish this first. I won't be writing Marcus' side story any time soon, but I'll publish a werewolf book called "Pack's Luna" I only have idea and cover of for now. Then is EWOB and MBNFH (billionaire 2 and 3, 10 chaps both min - nasty limits lol) and I'm left with Hybrid, Dark Mate and later MBNFH and... Wow, that's it? Well, I'm going with that next book after that :-)  enjoy now

Now, angry A/N for myself: FÙCK I MISSED TWO MONTHS OF MY SUMMER VACATION BECAUSE OVE BEEN DEPRESSED AND SLEPT 12-14/24 A DAY!! Fùck, kill me!!

P.S. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS STUFF OF MY BOOKS, I LOVE YA ALL, YOU'RE THE BEST!!!

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Chapter 29:
†Prelude to the Vampire War†

It's been an entire week since Azra gave birth to her and Caine's son and she found it oddly enough that Luke haven't made a single move to attack them, especially after an ambush like that when he got both her and Saphyr.

She was currently sitting on a rocking chair with her daughter, Charlotte as they chose to name her, that was sleeping restlessly in her embrace. She was humming a lullaby she thought of at the moment, not really caring if it had cut and disconnected parts everywhere for she made something altogether. Truth was, Azra didn't know if the lullaby was more for her daughter, of for herself.

Her wolf was unusually absent from her head ever since she gave birth, and after she got accustomed to her constant pacing in her head after all those months, the silence now was killing her. She was no longer able to focus on her surrounding, she wasn't paying attention on it, while patiently waiting for her wolf to give a signal of its presence - little even, just enough to make her sure that she's still there. With her.

But she was giving up.

Seven days, over one and a half hundred of hours since she opened her eyes, she didn't hear even a single whisper from her. And it was killing her, so slowly and painfully that she feared that she'll soon lose her sanity.

Across the room, in the most further corner from where she was sitting, stood Caine learning on the wall. His predatory gaze never left her for a moment wondering if she'll be able to notice his presence. He came and left for three times since sun rose in the sky and she failed to notice his presence every one of them. He bit his lip, what does he do to help her? When Azra told him that she couldn't sense her inner beast, he could only guess that her wolf was quiet because she realized that she could no longer produce pups and that effected her terribly, but it seems like Azra herself was still unaware of that fact.

He gulped, how could he tell her that, he was a coward. But a coward that loved her and feared that she'll abandon him at the same time. It all happened because he left her alone and made her go through all the stress alone that this happened in the first place, he hated himself for that. Love, self-hate and cowardice; his mind was in constant battle with himself for the previous few days, unable to move on and speak.

His and Azra's conversations mostly consisted of primary questions and answers. Just to make sure that they're both there and okay, put nothing more and for the last days, even that little of conversation they had decreased in words. Last night, they didn't even speak when they went to bed. And both were somewhat thinking that it was their own fault for it: Azra blamed herself for not focusing on him and Caine blamed himself for what happened to her.

He sighed, it was all helpless.

Just then, they heard a knock on the doors, and by the smell of that person, Caine knew that it was Saphyr.

"Um, excuse me, but... I, I've been wondering if you'd like to come with me for a walk in the garden... Well, if you could take me there actually because... Um, well, you know, I c-can't see where I'll be going and umm, yeah, that's it," she gently spoke as Caine smiled closing his eyes. That girl never once gave up on making Azra herself again and would always come around to be with her and not leave her alone. He knew that as well, that when she was alone, all kind of thoughts would come to her head twisting her mind until her human sense perished forever. She being without her wolf was no different than when werewolf lost mate and their wolf with them at the same time. They all eventually cracked, and unless something is done with the current situation, so will be with her.

Azra stood up thanks to the sense of responsibility for Saphyr seeing as it was her fault she lost her sight in the first place. Because she was with her, Luke's men got her, therefore she needed to at least serve as he eyes when Marcus couldn't.

"Sure..." she said before noticing Caine letting out a surprised yelp. She never sensed them, when did he come?

"I've been here for a while, I love watching you and listening to your improvisations," he chuckled and she almost blushed in shame. He was listening!

"Umm... Well, ugh... Can you take care of Lotte? I need... Well, you heard, Saph?!" she panicked to get away from him as soon as she could not to embarrass herself further in his eyes.

For the first time in a while, his face shone in excitement over getting his female worked up.

"Sure, sure, leave my princess with me and try to not get lost in our home, pup," her breathing stopped hearing that from him for two reasons: one is him calling his castle "our home" and other is "pup" that reminded her of her wolf once again. Not letting him realize the way his words effected her, she immediately got to him before handling him his daughter that woke up the same second he got her in his hands.

She didn't cry, she just patiently stared at him which made Azra leave them alone in their bonding moment. Perhaps, Saphyr's company was precisely what she needed at the moment. 

Company. Alone.

Opening the doors, she was met with a smiling face od her new best friend that patiently awaited for her arrival. Marcus was standing on the other side of the hall and when Azra and he crossed eyes, he nodded before leaving them alone. It was a sign that he's leaving his beloved in Azra's hands and that he won't observe them until she returns her to him. It always got her,  the trust he had in her with his soul-mate.

"I'm here, shall we?" she asked before taking Saphyr's hand to guide her around.

"Yes, I'll be in your care," she replied with a bright smile making Azra's heart melt. The way that girl could smile so pure despite everything that happened to far gave her hope. If only she was as easy going as her.

Then maybe, she could truly smile when alone with Caine.

"You do realize I suck at explanations, right? Heaven help if I manage to describe a single tree here," Azra spoke the moment they reached the  forest.

"It will do. I can think of it as long as you help me," was Saphyr's reply as she weakly smiled.

"Alright then. Oddly enough, seeing as we are in Russia, there is no snow. Not a single snowflake. Muddy. Everything looks so muddy instead," she glanced back at Saphyr who had closed her eyes savouring her words. Encouraged by the facts that she sill haven't gotten complaints about that poor excuse for description, she continued.

"Um, there are lot of trees, I don't know what their name is, but even though it's so muddy, they are still standing proud with their greenery," she said getting closed to one.

"They have no leaves nor flowers," she frowned.

"Huh, how are they green then?" Saphyr asked in confusion as Azra shrugged before remembering that she couldn't hear her.

"No idea, there are green needles pooping out of the branches. I've never seen something like this. They even have something really strange that looks like a broken egg, only the dark brownish color. What the hell is this, is it even a tree?" she mumbled as Saphyr giggled behind her.

"I know of those, although I can't remember their name. Did you know that because of those needles, those trees don't need leaves and are green during the entire year?" she remebered, when she was at her old Master who was a nice woman, she saw a photo of them. It was nostalgic, she could almost see the painting she looked at back then.

"Really? You're lying. I never saw something like this, we didn't have those at out old country!" Azra protested. She recalled learning in biology that leaves called the sun energy and use it to make food for themself. That's why, when winter comes and there is no sun around, the leaves fall and trees enter some type of the hibernation.

"We didn't. I recall my master bringing one for the event Christmas. She said that those trees now exists only in North parts because the war devastating all our land. I know how if looks like, thank you for explaining what they looked like to me. I really appreciate it," she said with a biggest smile she could make as Azra rubbed her forehead.

"It's okay, I didn't do much anyway."

"No, you did more than plenty," Saph shook her head, she truly did help her a lot. Since she can't use her eyes anymore, she only has her other four senses to rely on, but there are some things you won't be able to understand unless you can see. There were too many things in the world whose appearance couldn't be put into the words.

"Ha, a rabbit!" Azra suddenly spoke and felt as if the wolf inside of her perked her ears at it out of curiosity.

There was still hope. However, as soon as that feeling came, it was gone making her spirit go down.

She sighed, atleast now she knows that she wasn't gone forever.

"I... Don't know, can we go back now?" Saph suddenly said looking afraid.

"What's wrong, what's going on?" she asked coming closer to her.

"I... I have a bad feeling. Please, let's go!" she urged and grabbed Saphyr's hand. Sure enough, there was a dreading silence around them and she understood that something was wrong.

"Just follow my lead. Run," that whisper was all it took those two before Azra pulled Saphyr behind her as they both started running towards the castle with Azriela in lead.

"We're almost there, keep going!" she yelled as she continued going forward. Castle was just half a mile away from them but it looked like it was way too longer.

'Leech! Hurry up. I think we're under attack!', she mind-linked Caine as soon as she could and in the next second, she noticed few shadows closing into them from both sides.

"Fùck!" she cursed before pushing Saphyr ahead and letting go of her head.

"Keep running forward, castle is right ahead of us. Don't stop! Run! Run!" she yelled before stopping as the shadows followed after her. Just as Saph was about to stop, Azriela noticed and screamed again.

"Run god-dammit!!" that was enough to keep her moving as one of the shadows lunged at Azra pinning her to the ground. She cursed, she was way weaker than before, she couldn't defeat them alone.

"Ruuuuuu-", her vision suddenly started blacking as she kept staring at the running form of her friend. She was glad.

This time she didn't drag her in her war.

'Azra! Whats going on! I'm on my way, stay with me. Kee..  talki...' it was too late now. Even Caine's words started losing their sense as she slowly faded to nothingness.

Damn it. And she just had her hopes up. Damn those Luke's minions.
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I think it's only two more chapters left and epilogue.

Vote and comment :3