The Crown's Seduction
Chapter 239: I Won’t Give Up

Chapter 239: I Won’t Give Up

Dahlia stared up at the full moon from the window of her balcony. She couldn’t help but think of those memories she had when she used to feed Nikolai her blood. Unknowingly, she touched her neck where Nikolai’s fang marks were still present.

Every full moon, she would always ready herself for him but that was no longer the case now. Just a while ago, Dani told her that Nikolai would feed on his wife, which truly meant that she was no longer needed. Not that it mattered...

She had a faint smile on her face as her eyes darted toward the bangle she wore. She lovingly caressed it as she let out a sigh. She got the closure she needed when she met Nikolai, and now, she couldn’t wait to be with Zoran again.

"I hope you’re doing well and safe out there," Dahlia murmured.

She closed her eyes as she tried to sleep, only for her worry about him to keep her awake. She knew she had to rest and prepare herself for tomorrow. According to Queen Mineah, the Seer of Ebodia would arrive soon to see her. Hopefully, she could bring them good news so that they would finally be able to connect with Zoran and locate him.

"I should be sleeping right now," she reminded herself as she lay down on the bed again.

Dahlia closed her eyes as she tried her best to sleep, but she failed yet again. In the end, she ended up sitting back up on the bed and letting out a frustrated sigh. Her eyes started welling up as she tried not to cry, but it failed as she quietly sobbed and grabbed a pillow to bury her face in.

"I can’t believe he just let me go like that. And he’s a powerful warlock too, so how come he can’t see and visit me here?" she mumbled out to herself. "That bastard..."

What else could she think? She knew Zoran could easily sneak in to see her whenever he wanted, so she didn’t know why he wasn’t doing just that.

Queen Mineah said that they needed a sample of his blood to see what they could do with the bond he had with Devon, but she didn’t know where to find him or even how to contact him. And yet, she knew that Zoran could easily meet her if he wanted to. Of that she was sure of.

"Am I the only one missing him?" she grumbled. "Did he not miss me at all? That annoying bastard!"

"Dahlia..."

Her body stiffened when she suddenly heard his familiar voice. Was she missing him so much that she was starting to hallucinate him now?

"Dahlia, I’m here."

She jolted up from the bed, her eyes wide as she saw Zoran standing there before her. Without a thought, she instantly pounced at him and hugged him tightly. It was then that she knew that it was indeed him; that his familiar warmth and scent was right there with her.

After a while, she gently pushed him away and held him by the cheeks as she stared at his face closely. She still couldn’t believe that he came for her. "You’re really here?!"

"You’ve been cursing me..." Zoran replied with a grin.

Dahlia’s brows snapped. "How did you know?"

Zoran held her by the wrist and raised it. "The bangle. I’m able to hear you through this whenever I want to."

Dahlia blinked at the bangle. "Ah... No wonder, Her Majesty returned it to me," she realized. "She said that it has a strong energy signature and a protective spell around it."

She then turned her gaze back at him, but she suddenly felt conscious and timid at how intense Zoran was staring at her. She also only now noticed how close they were together with his arm wrapped around her waist.

"You said you were missing me..." Zoran muttered.

Dahlia gulped. "I do. I was worried too," she remarked with a smack of her lips. "I don’t just miss you, Zoran. I... I love you too."

Time was very important, and she didn’t want to hold back in expressing herself around him now. She didn’t know when the two of them could be together like this, or if it was even possible.

A beat later, a beautiful smile carved itself onto his handsome face, and Dahlia couldn’t help but be utterly mesmerized by it.

Recalling her previous memories, there was a time when she already recognized Zoran. To be honest, she first felt the feeling of having butterflies inside her stomach when they first met. However, their relationship had already blossomed into a good friendship by then, and she didn’t want to lose that by risking her feelings for him.

Besides, Zoran didn’t give her a hint of liking her romantically at all. And then she met Nikolai who instantly swept her off her feet.

"You’re in deep thought," Zoran muttered before planting a gentle kiss on her lips.

Dahlia was caught off guard by his actions, but she liked how he was being more expressive now through his actions. Maybe it was because, like her, he knew that both of them should at least make the best of what they had while it lasted.

Still, that didn’t stop her face from burning as she felt a chill run through her spine with that chaste kiss.

"You were distracted, so I did that to get your attention back," Zoran bashfully commented.

She chuckled at such a response. Zoran wasn’t very good with alibis, and she could already see how his face was turning red in the bright moonlight seeping into her bedchamber.

And then she remembered something.

"Oh right! I should call for Lady Jayra to get a sample of your blood!"

"It’s fine, I’ll give you the sample before I leave. In truth, I’m not sure how they are planning to break my bond with Devon, but my bond with him is for life, so he practically owns me now," he sighed as he began explaining himself, his arms pulling her closer to his chest as he gently kissed her head. "I’m only still alive because I’m still useful to him. I tried finding a solution to break the bond, but from what I can, the only option is to kill Devon."

He let out another sigh as he added, "I’ll try visiting you whenever I can, Dahlia, but it’ll be hard with Devon having someone tail me. It’s not easy for me to sneak away from him."

"I understand... Stall for more time until we all figure out how we can pull you out of Devon’s grasp," Dahlia encouraged him. "I’m sure Nikolai will do everything in his power to get you back, Zoran."

"I don’t doubt that, knowing Nikolai... Also, you must tell him that he must refrain from trying to contact me again, or Devon will become suspicious of me," Zoran informed her. "Don’t try tracking me from now on. I’ll just come to you whenever I can." He then looked out at the sky and said, "I can’t stay too long. Take this..."

From there Dahlia watched as he took a sample of his own blood and gave the bottle to her. With the bottle in hand, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately. "You have to stay alive for me..." she whispered onto his lips. "Don’t lose hope. I won’t stop trying to get you back safe and sound. I won’t give up on you."

That was her promise. She would never give up on him like how Zoran never gave up on her...