“Find Kiara,” She demanded. After a prolonged silence between them, he spoke, “Very well. If I find her, you’ll be mine.” He growled the last part and with that the lust was back in her but she didn’t show it.

“Very well,” She didn’t miss a beat as she said that. It only increased the possessive look in his eyes but she was soon to add, “Till then, you wouldn’t touch me.” It earned her another growl from him. She didn’t realize that she just gave him a task that he’d gladly do, provided such an amazing prize. He’d gladly do anything if it meant getting to keep her forever in return.

“Very well,” He said with determination as he leaned back before adding, “I’ll have my wolves look for her tonight,” She nodded at him, sitting straight with her arms crossed on her chest.

“Why don’t you finish eating before you give me her details?” He offered. She let her arms drop before turning to the table and continuing to eat. He sat beside her but now, there was a healthy distance between them which was lacking previously.

After they were done, Haestus guided her back to the room she woke up in.

“Is this your room?” She asked even though she knew the answer to her question already.

“Yes,” He answered curtly.

“I’d like to stay in a separate room for now,” She demanded. It had him stopping in his tracks and turning towards her to give her a questioning look but the determination that decorated her face had him saying, “Very well… for now,” before he led her to one of the small guest rooms in his wing.

“How about this?” He asked as he opened the door for her and let her in. The room was smaller than the one she woke up in and so was the bed but it was still lavish. She nodded.

“Now, tell me about her.” He demanded as soon as she had seen her room.

“Kiara…” She trailed off, “She looks like…” and she gave Haestus all the details of her friend. She knew that he’d find her. She had challenged a wolf and she knew that he’d gladly prove himself. He had found her; he’ll find Kiara too. She just wished that he is not too late to reach to her.

“Anything else you have to tell?” He asked, looking serious. He wanted to find Kiara as soon as possible. He couldn’t wait to have Orabelle. After such a hard time, he deserved her. It wouldn’t be fair to him if after working so hard, he didn’t get her.

“What if some witch hunters got to her before you?” She questioned. She wanted to know the level of commitment that he was ready to attain to get the work done successfully. Her question only increased the sternness on his face.

“My men will find her,” He said looking her in the eyes, without missing a beat.

“Anything else?” He inquired but Orabelle simply shook her head at him.

“What’s your favorite color?” His next question was totally irrelevant to the topic and didn’t match the sternness that decorated his face. It took her some time to realize that he had actually asked her that but why?

She couldn’t find any reason why he’d need to know that.

“Why?” She voiced the question that floated in her head.

“You don’t want to be wearing that all the time, would you?” He asked while nodding to the oversized shirt that was threatening to slip off her body. She wasn’t aware of how he could see her through the fabric. It only made him want her more.

She looked down and suddenly, she noticed the faint outline of her breasts that was clearly visible through the shirt. A small gasp left her lips. How come she didn’t notice it sooner?

Her head quickly snapped at him to find his eyes trained on her assets. Blood rushed to her cheeks as her hands flew up to fold themselves on her chest to hide the sight of her assets from him but it didn’t matter to him because he had seen her already. It was he who had changed her clothes when she was passed out. It took a vicious amount of self-control on his part while he changed her clothes.

She had the most beautiful body he had ever seen. It was made all made for him.

Suddenly, the realization dawned upon her that she hadn’t been wearing those clothes when she ran from the bar. Someone had changed her clothes and judging by the look on his face, it was… him. Her face reddened even more while the corner of Haestus’ lips turned up into a mischievous smile.

She glared at him while her face continued to turn redder.

“Leave me alone,” She gritted at him. The embarrassment that she felt couldn’t be conveyed in words.

“Okay…” He trailed off while rising from his seat, “I’ll bring you some decent clothes that you could choose from.” And with that, he left her alone. She covered her face with a groan and fell back on the small bed.

On the other hand, Haestus left the wing after walking out of her room. But he was careful enough to lock the place so that she couldn’t come out or no one else could go in. If anyone found her then it would be a great mess.

“Where have you been?” Arles asked him as soon as he had entered the courtroom. Haestus froze before he picked his words carefully and answered, “I was in my wing, resting.”

“And what’s with this witch-hunting thing that you’ve been involved in lately?” Arles’ question had everyone in the room holding their breath and looking at Haestus for an answer. He clenched his hands before answering with a calm and composed tone, “Just making sure that they stay away from here,”

It had Arles raising an eyebrow at him.

“Are you hiding something from me?” He asked suspiciously. It took everything in Haestus to not show any sign of distress upon being asked that question. Heastus was his second in command and he was supposed to be the most loyal to his king. It wasn’t as if he wasn’t loyal to Arles. He was ready to lay his life down for Arles if it was ever needed but Orabelle… she was the one who breathed life in him. He knew that he couldn’t keep her hidden long and it would be against his morals to lie to Arles so, he had decided to tell him about her soon.

“No,” Haestus answered. His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he gulped. Arles’ eyes were fixed on him before he nodded, “Very well,”

After the meetings, Haestus gathered his men and instructed them to find the witch named Kiara. It was somewhat a hard task but he had to do it if he wanted his Orabelle. It was her command and he’d do anything to obey it.

While Haestus was busy with work, Orabelle fiddled in the kitchen in his wing. She was looking for some herbs to make some potions that would come in handy later. Even though she knew that she was in some sort of captivity, she felt a different kind of independence to practice her witchcraft there. She had the feeling that no one would find her there and Haestus won’t question her actions as far as they were not related to her running away.

Haestus’ feet carried him to his wing quicker, unlike other days. The reason was waiting for him in his wing. As he walked through the long corridors, he couldn’t help thinking about her. She was on his mind all the time ever since he had been away from her. He was excited to go to his wing for the first time because finally, there was someone there who’d greet him after a long day at work. Instead of spending time with loneliness, he’d be spending time with his mate - something he had always wanted to do.

With a blinding smile on his face, he arranged the symbols on the large door of his wing before it opened and he slipped in. He almost ran to her room but found the place empty. A tinge of fear sprouted inside him as the thoughts of her running away invaded his mind. He shook his head and tried to catch her scent in the air.

He found a very faint trace of her scent lingering in the air. With utmost concentration, he followed it. It led him to the kitchen. There, it was strongest and he sighed in relief as he heard a low hum of her voice echo in the room he was about to enter. The clanking of utensils confirmed her presence in the room even more.

He was curious as he stepped inside the kitchen very quietly. She didn’t hear him enter and was so busy with her work that the change of air when he was around her went unnoticed by her.

“What are you doing?” He whispered when he was standing very close to her. It made her jump and she muttered a spell that’d throw anyone off across the room but it added to her perplexity when he didn’t move an inch.

“Ah, yes… I forgot to tell you. Your spells won’t work on me.” Haestus said while chuckling lowly. He was amused by the look on her face. She looked as if someone just told her that fishes grew on trees.

Orabelle was still recovering from the fright that he just gave her. One of her hands were placed on her chest as she waited for her racing heart to slow down but the way the butterflies fluttered in her stomach told her that it would take her a while to calm down. She wasn’t done with the embarrassment of him dressing her yet. It felt like she was getting too much to handle in a day.

“And why’s that?” She asked as she carefully stepped away from him so that they weren’t touching each other in any way. The last thing she wanted was to feel those goddamn sparks that interfered with her ability to think clearly.

“You know why.” He said as he leaned on the kitchen counter and fixed his fervent gaze on her. It made the butterflies in her stomach turn into angry vultures fighting for a small piece of flesh but she just shook her head at him and turned towards the pot that sat on the stove.

She heard him sigh beside her but made no effort to gift him some of her attention.

“What are you doing?” Curiosity dripped off his voice as he leaned in to have a look at the contents of the pot resting on the stove.

“Nothing,” She said dismissingly. He cocked an eyebrow at her as she got busy into stirring the contents of the pot.

“Is it dinner?” He asked with enthusiasm. There was something about the way he had asked the question that made Orabelle throw her head back and laugh. He watched her with fascination as she laughed. Her laugh was sweet and musical. It made him want to move closer to her more but he knew he couldn’t until he completed the task given by her. He was a man of his words and he was going to prove it to her.

“What?” He asked, perplexed, as she continued to laugh. Her laugh was contagious. It didn’t take long for it to spread to his lips too.

“Here… tas..te it,” Orabelle said between her laughs as she took a spoonful of the simmering potion from the pot and held it up for Haestus to taste. He cocked an eyebrow at her before sipping from the spoon.

As she saw him taste the potion, she broke off into another fit of laughter. She couldn’t believe that it was so easy to trick him. He narrowed his eyes at her as he nodded his head.

“Honey, you need to put more of Hubus roots if you really want to make a good forgetting potion,” Haestus commented as he took the spoon from her hand and stirred the potion cooking into the pot.

His comment had her stop laughing at once and looking at him in horror. How did he know that she was preparing a forgetting potion?

She was perplexed as she saw him put more herbs into the pot and give it a good stir.

“There you go,” He said as he took a spoonful of the potion and held it in front of her to eat. “This is strong enough to make you forget the last two days,” He said with a huge grin on his face while she stood glaring at him.

It was his turn to burst into a fit of laughter. Meanwhile, she stood by the kitchen counter with her hands folded on her chest. She had her lips pressed in a thin line to stop herself from laughing but at the same time, she continued to glare at him.

She had never been so confused in her life. She couldn’t decide if she should join him in his laughing fit or throw a tantrum because her powers were not working on him.

“Ughh!” She groaned as she turned the stove off. He laughed like he had never before.