After numerous outbursts that served as evidence of reaching a climax between the couples, Zeidan finally rolled back to his bed, kissing Lyne who hasn't had enough of him but they needed to rest as this was the third time. 

"Oh my god! I haven't felt this way since I left."

Lyne turned to look at him as he confessed, raising a brow.

"What about Luana?"

"Luana?" He laughed. "Really? Having sex with Luana was more of like consolation and I hardly feel what I'm doing. I mean, I can count how many times we have been intimate. Like," he looked up in a bid to remember. "Five? Six?"

"But you enjoyed each moment."

Zeidan looked at her from the corner of his eyes.

"You want me to mention how it all went? The first one, I happened to be drunk, so I don't know how it all went. The second one was in the chamber room. The third one was in the Kitchen..."

"Huh huh huh huh!" Lyne covered her ears. "Say no more! Say no more!"

"You...you wanted to hear." He stayed meekly but Lyne knew he wasn't at all innocent. He just liked to tease her.

"No, I don't. I won't blame you, Zeidan. You thought I was dead, so. But then, Luana?" 

Zeidan shifted on his side while propping himself on an elbow, and looked down at her as she lay on her back on the bed. 

"Look, Lyne, even though I was told that you were dead, I couldn't bring myself to believe it. I always waited until Luana...until I got drunk and I took advantage of Luana."

"More like she took advantage of you." She muttered and he smiled softly.

"Either way, you still are my top priority." He took a strand of hair off her face. "After my daughter."

Lyne opened her mouth in shock and Zeidan laughed. 

"Oh, so she has taken my place in your heart, right? I'm disowning Aurora right now."

"Well, get prepared to be divorced." Zeidan laughed and she did too, thinking of her daughter and how close she had been to her Father.

There was silence between the two and as Lyne's toes curled, she knew what he wanted. His gaze alone is melting her heart and she needed him to melt her soul with his body too. 

"Zeidan?" She called softly, pursing her lips and looking up at him innocently.

"What?" He asked, confused. "Are you okay?"

She raised her head to kiss him and his straight lips curved into a smile.

"I would have loved to, Lyne but I need to meet with the council members this evening. I wouldn't want to disappoint them."

"But I want you." She cooed wrapping her arms around his waist firmly like a kid not wanting to leave him. 

"Damn it, I want you too. More than you can ever imagine. You don't know how hard it has been for me, holding back since you came back." He held up her face and placed his forehead on hers.

"But I promise you, tonight will be for you alone."

"You promise?"

"Promise."

Lyne bit her lips sensually and eyed him. "You better do."

He laughed, rising from the bed and she admired his ass as he walked away. This man is beautiful in and out.

★★★★★★★★★★

The sun was setting by the time Zeidan would finish with his subjects, talking about restructuring the plan and reformatting. As well as checking out for spies and reconstructing the city rules that deals with punishing people who snitch on the city or be on the side of their enemies. 

One of the chamber men proposed that such a perpetrators should be hanged in public. After contemplating the matter, they concluded on meeting again and deciding on what punishment should be meted out to them. On people like Luana.

His heart skipped a beat. He had been living with a murderer and a traitor all these while, dying gradually without knowing. He had trusted her despite all she had done and now he regretted his actions. None of his reasons could justify why he trusted her. Again. He leaned back on his throne as he stared out at the orange sun setting beneath the flaky white clouds and blue sky. 

"Daddy." He heard a tiny voice call as he was going deep in thought.

He straightened on his throne and saw Aurora running towards him. Now, he knew how playful his daughter was and several times he had taught her to stop running around to avoid accidents.

He spread his arms to welcome her which she ran into, but she looked worried and kept pointing outside the palace.

"What's wrong, my Princess?"

"Daddy, Gabe." She pointed her index finger towards the entrance and much as he'd like to know what was in her head, it was impossible as he can only hear thoughts that are formulated. Aurora is too young to formulate accurate thoughts.

He rose, part of him hoping it was nothing bad. He carried Aurora in his arms and made for the entrance, leaving the palace and turning towards the corridor. He beckoned on two Vampire guards to follow him which they did and they got to the nursery which in turn was empty. 

"Where is Gabe?" He asked in a hushed tone. 

Luana couldn't have entered to take him without his knowledge. He had declared her wanted and coming back into the city would be deemed a suicide. His gaze darkened as he looked around the lemon-wall-painted room with several interior designs for kids. Two different cots lay aside in the room and several toys were scattered on the floor. Nothing unusual. 

"Gabe. He leaves." Aurora tried to form a sentence. 

"To where?"

"I...I don't know." She shook her small head with light brown hair and he frowned. 

His heart jumped at the thought of Gabe getting kidnapped. With what has been going on for a while, he knew there were several other inside men in his palace. Which was why he hired two hefty soldiers to help look after his kids. But now he can't even find those men. If they were to kidnap anyone to hurt him, it would be Aurora and not Gabe. Who could it be?

"Baby," he called at Aurora who put her finger into her mouth. "Do you know what the person looks like?"

"No." She shook her head again. "The person had a black cover. Took Gabe."

He sighed defeatedly, knowing he cannot get a correct picture of what happened but someone else can. Someone who had gone through a kid's head like he wished he could now. That kid was Brady. His heart squeezed as he remembered the kid. He remembered Lyne telling him he died during the war while trying to save her. He was a hero. The city's hero that they lost. 

His heart jumped with gladness. Lyne.