Chapter 2 21 years later

The dark forest echoed numerous footsteps. The chase was long, but they needed to hunt them down, "Disperse and find them." One vampire commanded.

"We don't follow your orders," One of the werewolves growled in response.

The little creatures on the way crawled inside their house and had their doors shut.

"There's no time to complain, we must find them!" growled another one.

Groups were formed and sent in different directions.

One vampire ran ahead of the werewolves, the other one paced by their side mocking them for their slow pace, and then zoomed ahead.

"How dare they?" The werewolf growled and was about to move to hunt them down for their audacity.

"Stop," one of them transformed into his human form, "ignore them and focus on finding that bitch. It's all because of her, she has disgraced us. Find her and kill her along with her child."

"Haah... haah.." Gabriella ran with all her might but she couldn't lose the vampires and werewolves behind her, she was weak because of the childbirth, the labor was a hard one and soon after they were being chased, if she could turn into her wolf form, she thought as she hid behind a large stone.

She then heard hundreds of footsteps coming closer to them, "This is no good. I'll have to distract them," She placed her newborn baby on the ground. "Be a good girl and wait here. Mama will come for you," She whispered to her child as she took out a necklace that had a small bottle tied on it. She sprinkled the water from it on her child, "this will mask your scent," She whispered.

She then transformed into her wolf form and ran towards her enemies. She bit them, tearing them into pieces. Several vampires surrounded her, she heard wolves howling from a distance, "damn they're near! There are too many of them," she clicked her tongue but by the time she became aware of her surroundings, a vampire lunged at her, just as she was about to be bitten a powerful force threw all the vampires away.

"Adrian!" She shouted the name of her beloved, the only one who had the power to throw them off without even touching them.

"Sorry, I was late," She heard him inside her mind.

"Where're you?"

"Hide somewhere safe, I'll come after handling them."

"Come back to us safe," She whispered as she dashed back to her child.

"Hush, everything's going to be fine now. Papa is here, he'll come to us soon," She kissed her baby and held her close, "Let's get you somewhere safe."

Just as she was about to move she heard someone move swiftly towards them, one... two... five of them, three vampires, and two werewolves, her senses told her.

"It's the dead-end, Gabe." One of the wolves scoffed at her as he walked towards them.

"Stay away, Bran!" She shouted.

"Guess what? We don't take your orders anymore, Luna," another wolf appeared right beside her.

"Let us go."

"Hand over that child and I swear you'll be spared," He said slowly approaching her.

"Over my dead body!"

"As you wish then," He lunged at her. She rolled down on the ground, avoiding the attack. She placed her child under the tree and transformed into her wolf self.

The two werewolves encircled her, but she immediately leaped at them, she threw them off on the ground and stepped on their chest with her paws, "You're million years too early to think you guys can defeat me," She growled, "It's you guys who deserted the clan and teamed up with the vampires. You guys better have learned your lesson. Don't you dare follow us!" She stepped down and turned around to go but one of them attacked her, but she immediately pulled him off her and tore him into pieces. Glaring at the other wolf lying on the ground, "Run away!" She growled. He immediately fled.

She then dropped on the ground, wincing in pain. She was injured. Her ears perked up as few more footsteps were approaching them.

"We gotta get out of here," She held her baby close to her chest and ran from there.

"Gabrielle!" She heard her mate.

"We're here, Adrian." She called out to him.

"I'm so glad you guys are fine." He smiled weakly.

"What's wrong?" She frowned.

"Nothing. Let's get out of here," He tried to move, but he fell on the ground. His face was pale and he was severely injured, his wounds were gaping.

"Adrian?!" She shouted she had never seen him like that, his injury always healed on its own, her mate was invincible.

"They injected me with something," He winced in pain, sensing the danger lurking around he whispered, "listen, you need to get out of here."

"We, we need to get out of here." She cupped his cheeks.

Just then one vampire appeared, "Your majesty," He knelt in front of his King.

"Listen, Gabrielle, he'll take you somewhere safe where vampires and werewolves won't be able to reach you guys," Adrian assured his mate.

"I'm not leaving you behind!" She shouted tears filled her eyes, "I'm not!"

"It's not the time to be stubborn, you guys aren't safe here." He scolded her.

"You're not either." She argued.

"I'm the Vampire King, remember?" He cupped her cheeks and rested his forehead against hers, "Please listen to me once in a while."

"Fine, we'll send our child with him but I'm staying with you." She told him.

"You know that's not possible, she won't be able to survive alone, she has a tremendous amount of powers, she'll need you to guide her," Adrian argued.

He took their daughter in his arms. Finally, he could look at her face, "My princess!" He planted a soft kiss on her forehead. He took her little hands into his and kissed them. "She'll do what we couldn't," He whispered as he looked at his mate. She was the child of prophecy, destined to bring the 2 clans together, destined to rule over them, his gaze shifted back at his daughter, "Sorry that papa can't come with you but I promise to return to you both soon."

Handing her over to his mother, he held his tears back, "Now go," He stood up, turning his back to them.

"No, please don't do this to me." She begged.

He turned to her and pulled her in a hug, "After this ends, I swear I'll come back to you," He kissed her tears away.

"Promise me."

"I promise," He sealed it with the kiss on her lips, "Now go."

She refused to let go.

"I love you," he whispered before he teleported them to the end of the forest.

21 years later

"Mom! I'm getting late!" A girl shouted as she tied her black long hair into a pony, "Where's my lucky jacket?" She shouted, throwing the clothes out of the wardrobe.

"On the bed!" She heard her mom shout from downstairs.

"Where are my lucky shoes?" She shouted again as she put on her jacket.

"Right at your doorstep." Her mother replied.

She opened the door to find them, putting them on, she shouted again, "And my keys?" She asked, looking down from the first floor.

"Here," Her mother threw the keys at her.

"Got it," She caught the key and hurried over to the window, "Start the car," She shouted, throwing the keys at her friends, who were waiting for her outside.

She hurried down the stairs picking her bag, "Okay bye mom, love ya," she gave her a flying kiss and rushed to the door, but before she could open the door, she felt a tug on her arm. "Hang on a minute!" Her mother pulled her from behind.

"What?" She raised her brows at her.

"Have your breakfast before you go." Her mother pulled her into the kitchen.

"No way! I'm already late," She tried to run off, but in vain.

"I always listen to you, now it's your turn. I'm not letting you go with an empty stomach," her mother grabbed her by her shoulder and made her sit on the chair.

"Okay, here," She stuffed one sandwich in her mouth and grabbed another one in her hands. She got up from her chair and made her way to the door, "Now bye" She turned around to look at her mother.

"Is it really necessary for you to go?" Her mother heaved a deep sigh.

"My dear overprotective mother! I'm not a 5-year-old kid that'll get lost, I'm turning 21 tomorrow and I'm not going to mars, it's just 2 hours by car, I'm just going on a trip with my friends, I promise I'll take care of myself and return home before the clock strikes 8, happy?"

"Tch," She clicked her tongue as she saw her mom's face clouded with worry.

"I've also got your favorite bodyguards with me, remember?" She tried to pacify her by mentioning her three reliable male friends. Just then they heard the honking of the car, "Now, can I go before they wake up the entire neighborhood with that sound?" She cupped her mother's face.

"Alexa!" She heard her friends shout her name.

"Fine," Her mom heaved a sigh in defeat, a small smile played on her lips, "But please be careful," She added.

"Of course," Alexa nodded, "Bye, love ya," She kissed her mother's cheek.

After her daughter left, she looked at a photo frame, "Can't blame me for being overprotective, right? I've been keeping my promise, Adrian. When are you going to keep yours?" Her eyes teared. "I can't even reach you. Are you okay? Are you still fighting there to protect us?" She sobbed, clutching the frame against her chest.