Adrianna looked at her father and held onto the prison's iron bars. There were tears in her eyes. "Father… I am sorry…"

"Sorry? Really?" he scoffed. "If that is the case, why don't you free me from this hell?"

​​

Adrianna shook her head. He was the same as ever, even on his deathbed. "Father, why do you hate me so much?" she asked, wiping away her tears.

"You remind me of a woman whom I should have never been with. I only loved one woman in my life and that my first wife whom I had marked. Your mother had fallen in love with me and I had made it clear to her that I could never be her man, yet she still came after me. She was disgusting in a way." Kuro started laughing sloppily.

"You didn't respect her even once?"

"No! She was a joke! The queen of the wizard kingdom? Falling in love with an ordinary werewolf?" Kuro started laughing again. "But when I look back at it, perhaps the spirits wanted you to be born, or else Dmitri wouldn't have found his soul mate," he mused.

"Adrianna, it is true that I never liked you. If I had killed you as I had wished, my children would still be alive. All I wanted was more land for my sons. I just wanted my daughter, Kayla, to live happily, but you had come into our lives and ruin everything. I hate you Adrianna. Now go away and let me die in peace. Go away!" he said with all the might he could muster in his drugged state.

Adrianna stepped back a little and then turned towards the exit. She ran outside the prison. She kept running until she reached the forest and shape shifted. She had so much anger in her that she wanted to vent it out. Dmitri ran after her to stop her. He communicated with her mentally, but she blocked him. All he could do was to keep up with her pace.

There was so much pain in her heart. It wasn't sharp like a knife, but it burned throughout her body. It was as if someone had poured boiling water over her. She was in more pain than she could have ever imagined was possible. She ran up a steep hill for an hour and then came down. Finally, she threw herself onto the ground before she shape shifted, clutching her arms and rolling down the hill in agony. The pain was deep. It was stinging her and burning her. Dmitri had to stop her. He ran after her and then stopped right in front of her, stopping her downhill fall. However, the force with which she was rolling down was so strong that he tumbled down with her and they rolled downhill together for some distance.

"Ah! Ah!" cried Adrianna as her throat choked and she stopped the tears that were coming out of her eyes.

Dmitri saw that was beginning to lose control and get into a state of misery. He slapped her hard across the face. She looked at him, stunned, and then started crying loudly. She had to cry to release all her backed up angst - the anger and the pain which Kuro had given her every time they had met.

The sky above roared and sounds of thunder could be heard. It started pouring and the both of them became drenched. Adrianna's cries turned to desolate sobbing. She was on her knees, her face resting on Dmitri's shoulders, not caring about the damp mud that dirtied them. Her tears mingled with the rain and her gasping wails echoed throughout the hills. Dmitri struggled to keep his own tears contained. He looked above at the rainy skies and then slowly helped her to stand.

The next day, Kuro was executed as the dawn broke.

Adrianna was down with a very high fever and couldn't attend the academy. The healer from the academy was sent to take care of her, but he couldn't do much. As a matter of fact, none of the healers could do anything. It was a pain she had to overcome herself. Her body ached and she became delirious with her high temperature. She started babbling in her sleep.

The maidservants had to keep placing a wet cloth on her forehead for the temperature to come down.

It was evening when Adrianna recovered. She woke up to find Dmitri sitting next to her and reading his father's diary.

"How are you, my darling?" he asked as soon he sensed her movement.

"Is Kuro dead?" she asked.

"Yes," he answered stoically.

"What about my brothers?"

"They have been found."

"Dmitri, my eldest brother has found his soulmate. Please spare him…"

Dmitri looked away. "That's not a reason for me to spare him."

"What will happen to her when he is gone?" Adrianna asked as she got up to sit.

Dmitri up propped the pillows for her and said, "Adri, stay away from all this. There are thousands of eyes on you right now. The day they decided to wage war against me was the day they had invited their doom. Now, if you don't want to make yourself a joke in front of the werewolf kingdom, lay low."

"When are you going to kill them?" she asked,unable to understand how cruel he was being.

He looked at her and then replied with anger. "Tomorrow at dawn." He stood and started walking towards the door.

"You ruthless bastard!"