The Devil's Warrior Queen
Chapter 405: "She’s Mine"

Chapter 405: "She’s Mine"

Ares quipped with a sarcastic smirk curving his lips up. He leaned against a tree trunk, arms crossed over his chest as he watched them.

Ari took quick steps back, her face turning red with mortification as she gulped.

"W-what are you doing here?" Ari exclaimed in shock.

"I apologize, I’m supposed to go fetch more wood and give you both more alone time." Ares remarked in a sarcastic tone.

"That’s not it...It’s not what you think." Ari stuttered as she darted her eyes around.

"There’s no need to feel shy, it’s only nature that you find your mate." Ares said casually with a shrug.

"That’s what I’ve been trying to tell her." Vlad intoned as he flashed her a glance.

"You don’t know that. None of you know that. You’re both just assuming on something that might not be." Ari implied.

"Fine then, just so you know, I eavesdropped on your little conversation. I feel a bit hurt that you couldn’t confide in me as your friend, instead chose Vlad, you know I give better advices." Ares remarked as he stood up straight.

"It’s not that at all." Ari said defensively.

"I understand you can confide in him because he’s your mate, no grudges held." Ares quipped.

Ari rolled her eyes as she asked "So what did you hear anyway you eavesdropper?"

"I heard about your death prophecy and Vlad is right, you should inform your mother. She’s a powerful hybrid and she’ll know exactly what to do." Ares mentioned.

"She’s not a hybrid, she only took the powers of a relic, doesn’t mean she’s any different." Ari corrected.

"But more powerful. Anyways, you should get your beauty sleep." Ares said as he moved out of the shadows, the moonlight basking him as he sat in front of the fire.

"Goodnight then." Ari said as she waved at them.

"Goodnight, Ari." Vlad said and her eyes sparkled with unsaid emotions, but instead she said "goodnight, V."

Facing Ares, she quipped "Keep watch while your princess sleep my humble protectors." Ari intoned as she walked toward her tent.

Ares scoffed while Vlad’s eyes followed her movement like a hawk until she disappeared into the tent, but he still stood unmoving as he watched the tent.

"Stop boring holes into her tent." Ares said as he threw a rock at Vlad.

Vlad turned to face him and then he walked toward him as he sat beside the fire also.

"Join her if you want, I’m sure she’ll appreciate it." Ares spurted out.

Vlad shot him a glare without saying anything.

"If she’s your mate, then she probably needs your heat." Ares remarked again with a low chuckle.

"Shut up, Ares. I need to give her time, she’s still in doubt. She doesn’t want to get hurt." Vlad explained.

"She’ll get hurt either way if she tries to resist, it’s best to fall into temptation and let nature take it’s lead. You both are mates anyway." Ares said casually.

"And how do you know that she’s my mate, can you sense it or something?" Vlad asked in curiosity.

"Perhaps, it’s kind of perceptible, like an invisible string that I can feel." Ares mentioned in a serious tone.

"Then you can try to convince her for me, she’ll listen if you explain to her." Vlad said with enthusiasm in his hopeful eyes.

"I was only being sarcastic, I can’t feel a damn thing. I only thought you both would make quite a couple." Ares spouted out as he let out a laughter.

Vlad sighed in exasperation "You’re a fucking moron."

"Try not to force it, if you can, then wait until your eighteenth birthday and nature will take it’s lead. Clear your mind, we have bigger problems. The death prophecy is one, Lucifer is another and more to come." Ares said as he lay down on the wood trunk, looking up at the clouds.

"You are right, barely." Vlad murmured.

At the first rays of dawn, the trio set out on their journey to East Ravka. Two days passed and finally, they arrived at the borders of the kingdom.

Crossing the great mountain which served as a border, they journeyed further and when they reached a certain distance in the forest, Ari halted.

"I can sense the barrier, it’s close." Ari announced

"Let’s keep our horses here." Ares suggested as he climbed down from his horse swiftly and they followed.

Tying their horses securely, they proceeded further into the forest. As they walked, Vlad tried to engage Ari in a conversation but she knew exactly what he wanted.

She had been avoiding him since that night he kissed her. She wanted to avoid making a mistake and she figured it was the best decision for her. Ari had learned from her mother that hope was a lethal poison, not only did it dissapoint, it left behind a lingering sense of your infinite mistake.

Meanwhile, Ares walked behind them, scrutinising the vicinity for any signs of danger but it was rather tranquil.

"It’s quite confusing." Ari murmured with furrowed brows as she looked around.

"What’s confusing?" Ares immediately asked.

"The forest is imbued with the magic of illusion." Ari mentioned and their faces dropped.

"They’ve gotten smarter over the years. Since my mother easily broke through the barrier, I think they must have fortified their kingdom in a more secure manner by making it impossible for outsiders to find the barrier in the first place." Ari pointed out.

"But you’re a strong witch, you can easily revoke it or something, right?" Ares stated out more than he questioned.

"Uhm, well. This is the kingdom of magical secrets, even if I was strong, it wouldn’t be easy to break through the illusion and if I were to revoke the spell, they would immediately be alerted and then, we’ll get caught immediately before even stepping a foot inside the kingdom." Ari implied.

"Do it anyway, I was hoping we’d get caught." Ares said in a lazy tone.

"Right." Ari scoffed, but before she could proceed to chant a spell breaking incantation, Vlad interrupted.

"Wait!" He exclaimed as he squinted his eyes observantly.

"I hear something." Ares added, his brows twisted.

"What is it?" Ari asked as she had no heightened senses to hear what they were both hearing.

"It’s a someone." Vlad corrected.

"Screaming." Ares added.

"Let’s check it out then, it’s unusual for someone to start screaming in an enchanted forest. Something is wrong." Ari remarked but without waiting for their response, she started marching to the direction, until Vlad pulled her back.

"Be careful, besides that’s not where the scream is from. Stay behind me, please." Vlad said in a serious demeanor and she nodded, but he could see a flicker of defiance in her eyes.

With a quick pace, they moved toward the direction of the scream and in no time, they arrived at the vicinity only to see something quite unexpected.

Across them, a horse of men in leather outfits with swords in their scabbards strapped to their waist encircled a girl as they dragged her up from the floor.

From the encrusted insignia embedded into their similar uniforms, the trio could tell they were from the kingdom’s military, but what they couldn’t understand was why they sent out so much of their soldiers just to get one fragile looking girl.

Coincidentally, the girl had striking red hair that cascaded in wild waves down her back and when they caught a glimpse of her sun kissed eyes, the trio immediately realized who she was or perhaps, who she might be.

"That’s...That’s your mate, Ares!" Ari gasped with enlarged eyes, but Ares didn’t seem to budge.

"It could be, but just because she has red hair doesn’t mean she is." Vlad pointed out while Ares continued watching as the scene unfolded before him, as if waiting for something to happen.

"It all connects perfectly. Why on earth would a horde of soldiers come for just one girl and she happens to fit into the perfect description of who we’re looking for." Ari said while they watched as she struggled relentlessly in the iron grip of her captors.

"Yes, maybe you’re right, but right now, we have to help her." Vlad said impatiently as the soldiers started dragging her away.

"Ari is right, she’s mine. She’s my mate." Ares suddenly spouted out.

Immediately Ares caught sight of her, there was a magnetic pull towards her that defied reason. His heart throbbed with an intensity that left him gaping at her in a trance like state, but he tried to force himself to snap out of it, but he was left mesmerized by every breath she took.

Ares was rather in surprise with himself as he realized just how much effect his mate had on him, despite the fact that he was a good distance away from her.

As he struggled to look away, suddenly her head snapped toward his direction and their eyes locked in a moment that made time freeze.