“Where is she?”
Waking up in extreme pain around his neck like it was sliced in half, and the strong scent of drugs and herbs surrounding the place. What he first noticed was the beta’s son, Cedric.
“She’s still under captive,” he replied while chewing a piece of sliced apple.
Diego could only move his hand and place it on his face, covering his eyes.
“Hey don’t ask me what happened, Diego.” Cedric’s constantly shaking his head with his chewing became faster like he’s afraid of something. “We found you covered with blood, not to mention you’re also pleading in pain. You look horrible. And then the lady vampire ravishing you, she’s a monster. She’s not listening and she was unstoppably drinking blood from you. Wasn’t she a friend of yours?”
Cedric turned to Diego but he didn’t talk. Not until a loud sound banged the door open, revealing a female vampire with her eyes glowing crimson red and her fangs still out. But on her cheeks were trails of tears that shone the second the light from the lit lamp approached her face.
Diego got up from lying down and instantly crawled back. But the fear consuming him suddenly disappeared when he heard her speak.
“Diego, who am I to you?” her voice breaking, and tears began to stream down her face. “Do you know who am I to you?”
Her steps became slower and gradually. The room they’re in has only a tiny lamp to make close things visible. Her terrifying red eyes slowly fades back to her normal brown ones, and it was exhausted and troubled.
Every inch it takes for her to step closer to him was the typical smile she used to wear every time she was with Diego. Emanated clusters of words that thundered across the room even if it was so soft and nearly inaudible.
“T-They say w-we are f-for—bidden to be t-together.”
Then her body fell down drained and weary. It was too late for Diego to realize the blood flowing uncontrollably from Larina. A Series of brutal marks of blades and buried daggers all over her back was clearly seen.
Her torn clothes and the long wounds and cuts look like it was done multiple times. But the most critical injury she had was the rasa sword buried straight to her heart from behind.
The first time he witnessed her fall down with a pool of blood around her… lifeless.
*****
A couple of years passed, but not enough for him to forget everything that happened that night. After that incident, no one talked about it. Not even a word or a name that includes the lady from Daghum. Everything about her disappears like she never existed.
From that, Diego kept his mouth shut. Even Cedric chose to be silent. When Larina died that night, men in strange white clothing came and cleaned up the area. Not leaving even a single drop of blood was left behind.
What lingers in his head was the phrase she leaved. The confirmation and the clear understanding of what they are. Of what lies between them. That they were mates under a forbidden bond. That he is destined to be a vampire’s mate.
“Alfarro, time to go,” commands a man covered with thick beard. The feared high-rank inside Laxon University whose identity was still unknown, the cadets call him Sarjao.
Like always, Diego only nodded in reply as he grabbed the rapier from Sarjao. He became more silent and spend most of his time staring at the vast rows of mountains from the usual place He and Larina meet after every shifts in classes and trainings.
Others call him weird and controlled because of he always returns and stay at the place where he nearly lost his life. Other also assumes he’s enchanted by the lady vampire that he’s constantly summoned back to that place. They talk much but no one even dared to know what happens.
“I’m expecting good remarks from Sanguine, Alfarro. Don’t do anything unnecessary.”
He’s given the task of temporarily taking Sanguine pack’s beta position. Almost all of the same year as him was sent out to the entire Claveria Haltera to take over minor positions temporarily. And this Beta position was the highest a cadet could hold for quite some time.
“And also, the Alpha instructs you to use a name you weren’t.”
*****
“I’m giving you three rounds for a day,” started Marco, the Sanguine pack’s newly appointed Alpha. “I still haven’t designated someone for that position. Come to think of it, would you mind being my beta forever?” the Alpha smiled with both of his brows raising up and down.
But Diego just looked at him and nodded carelessly.
“Oi, why are you like that? You know since you came here, I have never seen something alive in you.”
“Excuse my behavior, Alpha.” He forced a smile out but it failed to convince the Alpha in front of him.
“It must be Laxon again,” Marco pronounced. He paced backward and tossed a golden coin that Diego quickly caught. “That place hides so many secrets. So as the council, and of course the Senate. To have the position you wanted, you have to pass ten years of stay inside. But do you know not all of the cadets entering Laxon has been able to get out alive?”
Those words swiftly caught Diego’s attention.
“It’s torture, that place is a living chess game. If it was not physically, then it’s mentally. In your case, I guess they’re targeting you mentally. I advise you to stay tough if you still want to pass and get out of there.”
*****
“Beta Gavin, I think you have to see this.”
Diego stood up weary. He walked behind and followed one of the warriors to the deep forest of the pack borders. Located at the end of Sanguine’s southern borders was a vampire territory, Daghum, and another pack, Nightshade.
Aside from the territory just a few miles ahead reminds him of someone. He no longer knows how to interact with vampires, especially since they’re now out of Laxon. The feuds between wolves and vampires now exist and in his eyes, they’re nothing but a threat and an enemy he should eliminate.
“She’s a vampire, Beta,” introduced someone who holds the chains surrounding the lady.
Diego’s eyes narrowed, scanning the woman’s figure. She wears a long and thick blue dress surrounded by distinct embroideries and small sequins of jewelry. Her hair was dripping water and so were her clothes.
“Why are you here?”
Her hair was down, covering her face which Diego ordered the warriors to brush aside.
“Answer us or you’ll find yourself being killed?” the beta threatened.
He stretched out his hands to the other side and one of the warriors handed him a dagger. But the moment the woman raised her head, his eyes widened in disbelief.
“I’d rather die than tell you who I am.”
*****
“Do you know who she is?” the Alpha asked, keeping his eyes attached to the vampire hostage chained from her shoulders down to her feet and was unable to move.
“No,” Diego simply answered and diverted his eyes away from the woman.
Having her every move eyed and restricted for two days, it was only this day that the Sanguine’s Alpha decided to visit the vampire hostage. Even though Diego recognized who the woman is from the first time he saw her, he couldn’t convince himself to believe it.
“Liar,” asserted a voice from the woman, the first word she uttered after being shackled and confined. She lifted her head and struck a glare towards Diego. “Why are you denying who am I?”
But Diego retained his innocent stony emotion, “I have not known who you are, Lady.” He turned towards the Alpha and lowered his head, “I will be at the balcony if you need something, Alpha Marco.”
No, he saw his mate dead right before his sight. He couldn’t just fool himself by seeing this girl who looked a lot like Larina saying she was his mate. A thing so impossible to be true.
“Do you still not know who I am to you?”
He didn’t dare look back and just stopped to answer the lady, “I do not.” With every tread he took was as rapier’s shank penetrating his chest. Too heavy and hard to walk further away from her even if it’s only a few meters the distance to the exit.
“Why?” the lady drawled, keeping those chestnut eyes of hers focused towards Diego. Painted on her lip was a bitter smile. On her head disturbs a question she long wants to ask him.
“Is it because we’re different, Diego?”

“I do not know who you are.”
*****
“You didn’t tell me you let her go.”
“Because I know you’ll chase her,” Marco replied while pouring wine on his glass.
The rain was pouring heavily and thunders roared across the forest. The sky was dark that only as lightning paints and slashes makes the surroundings visible.
“She’s the princess of Daghum. In any way, we can use her to control the vampires.”
But the Alpha only chuckled at Diego’s suggestion. “Is that really the reason?” He picks up another glass and passed it to his beta. “There was something in your eyes stating she’s not just an enemy. She’s something else you can’t let go of.”
Marco directed his sight towards the dark forest and stood up to walk further to the balcony. “Her name was Larina Deltran, am I right? And she was once inside Laxon—”
“Larina is dead,” Diego suddenly cut in. His voice was still in a cold emotionless tone, and his eyes were so deep and emptied. “I witnessed her death right in front of me. She’s not her.”
“But seeing her alive once again, you should be glad.” The Alpha tilted his head and aimed up the gloomy sky. “Mate links don’t lie.” A melancholic, tragic smile beamed on his face. “The moon goddess can only give limited chances. And you’re lucky to have one.”