Cross to Bear Universe: The Poisonous Butterfly 1

AZRIEL

I took a sip from my glass of blood, a growl escaping my lips.

“Are you planning on standing there and watching me all day?” I snapped, the glass shattering in my grip. The shards dug into my skin, blood seeping out.

I rose from my seat, leaving the shards behind. Today, my anger was at its peak, fueled by the constant presence of my new pet dog.

I could sense her trailing behind me, so I spun around, pinning her to the nearest wall with my hand around her throat.

My grip tightened around her neck as I bared my fangs, sending a few servants fleeing in terror.

“STOP. FUCKING. FOLLOWING. ME!”

To my surprise, her dark-blue eyes met mine unflinchingly, even as I barked the order at her. She didn’t even attempt to push me away.

I released her, irritated, and continued my walk. What was it about this woman?

Amari had assigned her as my guardian and introduced her to me two days ago. For the past forty-eight hours, she’d been trailing me like a shadow, and I was nearing my breaking point.

“Goddess!” I yelled, spinning around to face her. She halted, maintaining her composure. I furrowed my brows in confusion. Why wasn’t she afraid of me?

Was it because she was a hybrid of a witch and a human? Or was there another reason?

“I don’t know what Amari told you, but if you keep following me, I’ll kill you!” I hissed, but she didn’t even flinch.

I clicked my tongue in annoyance and headed in the opposite direction, making a beeline for the training field instead of my room. It had been a while since I’d let off steam in a good fight.

I muttered under my breath as I stepped out into the blinding heat, seeking refuge in the shadows. I recoiled from the scorching heat like a bat.

I made my way toward the training fields, where several guards were engaged in combat. My eyes scanned the area until they landed on Alastair, standing with his arms crossed at the edge of a platform.

“Hey,” I called out, causing him to turn and wave back. I quickly ascended the steps and clapped him on the shoulder. “Finally, I get to see you.”

“It’s been a while, idiot,” Alastair replied, his gaze shifting behind me. “Is she the one?”

I groaned loudly and rolled my eyes.

“Unfortunately,” I grumbled. Alastair gave her a once-over.

“She smells nice,” Alastair whispered, catching my attention.

“Smells nice?” I asked, frowning.

“Yes, can’t you smell the cinnamon?” Alastair asked. I was taken aback; I hadn’t noticed any scent from her.

“You seem confused. I don’t smell anything on her.” I gestured dismissively and turned my attention back to the fighters. Alastair returned my frown.

“Oh,” Alastair said, turning away. I glanced over my shoulder curiously.

Luna was busy ogling other men and wasn’t even looking at me. I shrugged and resumed my conversation with Alastair.

***

“Damn!” Alastair clutched his nose and groaned.

“Just like old times, brother,” I laughed, rolling my shoulders.

For the past hour, Alastair and I had been sparring, drawing a crowd of cheering guards.

I shot Alastair a devilish grin, and he swung at me. I ducked and landed a punch under his chin, dodging his attacks. A cracking sound caught my attention, causing Alastair to lose his balance and tumble to the ground.

I paused and shot him a stern look. Alastair glared back at me.

“It was a fair hit,” I said, taking a step back and raising my hands in surrender.

“Looks like you two are having fun,” Lorcan commented, appearing behind us. “Are you okay?” he asked.

I chuckled. “Alastair seems to have lost his voice.” Lorcan knelt beside him and, with a swift movement, snapped Alastair’s jaw back into place.

“You’ll be fine.” Lorcan grinned, standing up. He straightened his clothes and shot me another smile. There was something unsettling about that smile.

I watched as Lorcan scanned the crowd, searching for someone. I stood there, puzzled, following his gaze, but I saw nothing.

Lorcan suddenly called out to someone in the crowd, raising his arm and pointing. “You.”

I tensed as the crowd parted, revealing Luna.

“What are you doing?” I growled. Lorcan shot me a stern look, signaling me to be quiet.

“Come,” Lorcan commanded, and Luna obeyed. I clenched my jaw and glared at Lorcan. “Luna.”

“Yes, Your Highness?” she responded, bowing slightly.

Lorcan grinned. “I want you to spar with my brother here.”

Luna looked as surprised as I felt.

“What the fuck?” I exclaimed, reaching for Lorcan’s collar.

Lorcan glanced at me, causing the crowd to recoil in fear.

“You’re not showing your best side,” Lorcan muttered, pushing my hand away forcefully.

“I’m leaving,” I announced, turning to gather my things.

“I swear, I’ll chain you up and starve you of blood for a week if you step off this platform.”

“You can’t!” I protested, clutching my shirt.

“I can,” Lorcan replied calmly.

“He’s right,” Alastair chimed in, standing next to Lorcan and massaging his jaw.

“You—”

“Amari gave the order,” Lorcan interrupted, his gray eyes locked on mine.

“Amari would never do that!” I yelled, but Alastair just laughed.

“Amari left instructions to take good care of you in her absence.” Alastair smirked.

“What do you mean she’s not here?” I asked, confused.

“Oh, didn’t Amari tell you? Maximus is taking her on vacation. She won’t be back for a few months,” Alastair said, grinning smugly.

What the fuck? Why was I the last to know?

Lorcan approached me. “Now, you will spar with Luna. Just do as we say. I think you’ll be surprised.”

I glared at Lorcan, who gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before stepping off the platform.

I sighed in resignation, tossed my shirt aside, and took my position. Luna was watching me, her gaze never leaving me.

Why was she always staring at me? It was getting on my nerves.

“Are you just going to stand there?” I asked.

She simply set her bag aside and took her position.

How was I supposed to spar with a woman like her? She seemed so frail that I was sure one hit would knock her out for days.

I took a deep breath and waited. Finally, Luna sighed and raised her arms.

One thing that struck me as odd was her choice of attire. Since Amari had introduced her, she’d only worn pants and white shirts. Her boots and gloves gave her a masculine edge. It was surprising, considering most women preferred to dress in short shorts, heavy makeup, and jewelry.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t notice Luna move out of my line of sight. I was momentarily disoriented and took a couple of seconds to react.

I stumbled back, coughing.

What the hell was that?

I looked at her, confused. What just happened?

I was completely taken aback. When did she move? Where did that strength come from?

“Don’t let your guard down, brother.” Alastair smirked.

I shot him a glare, but it was a mistake.

This time, a kick landed on my face, sending me flying off the platform. I looked up in surprise at the woman standing on the platform.

“Excellent!” Lorcan clapped, grinning. “Surprising, isn’t it?”

I glanced between my brothers and Luna.

What just happened?

***

I closed my eyes, letting the warm water wash over me.

I scowled, the events of earlier replaying in my mind.

Where did that woman get her strength?

The question nagged at me, giving me a headache.

I turned off the water, wrapped a towel around my waist, and headed for the stands to grab another towel for my hair.

“Annoying,” I muttered, running my fingers through my long, dark hair. I was so frustrated that I felt like I was about to explode.

I stopped in my tracks, rolling my eyes at the figure lounging on the sofa. “What are you doing here?” I asked.

Lorcan simply sipped his blood in silence, ignoring me.

“Just checking on your ego,” Lorcan said, a grin playing on his lips. “I hope you didn’t leave it behind in the training field.”

“Enough!” I snapped, but he seemed unfazed.

“Did she surprise you?” Lorcan asked as I rummaged through some clothes. “She’s quite remarkable.”

“Then you can have her,” I retorted coldly. “You could do me a favor.”

“Come on, don’t be like that. You know it’s a good thing,” Lorcan said, his grin widening.

“Can you just leave?” I asked, my patience wearing thin.

“Does her presence bother you that much?” Lorcan asked.

I took a deep breath. My patience was at its breaking point.

“If you really want to know, yes. She annoys me!” I snapped.

Lorcan traced the rim of his cup with his finger, humming in response, his eyes darkening.

“If you were smart, you’d use her to your advantage.”

“My advantage?” I echoed.

“You’re not seeing it from my perspective,” Lorcan continued. “She’s a human with a tantalizing scent. If I were you, I’d turn her into a tasty blood bag. She’s not just any human, either. She’s a powerful witch on top of that.”

I sat down next to Lorcan, listening to his words.

“Who is Luna, really?” I asked my brother. “She doesn’t seem like the other survivors, even though she was in the mansion.”

“Well,” Lorcan began, “that’s where Amari comes in.”

“What do you mean?” I asked, frustration creeping into my voice.

“Yes, Luna was in the mansion. But unlike the others, she wasn’t there to be sold. She was a feeder,” he explained.

I furrowed my brows.

“A feeder? That law was abolished ages ago, wasn’t it?” I asked.

“Yes,” Lorcan replied, nodding, and picking up his glass of blood again.

My gaze shifted to the dark liquid. I was starting to feel thirsty again.

Lorcan noticed and downed the entire glass. I scoffed at his audacity. He didn’t need to do that. I could handle my thirst.

“She’s also a woman. One that could satisfy your needs,” Lorcan blurted out.

“What?” I asked, taken aback. What was he implying?

“You heard me. You might find Luna attractive. Why not quench your thirst with her instead of blood?” he suggested.

With a growl, I grabbed his neck. Lorcan quickly grabbed my arm, trying to break free, but I pinned him to the couch.

“Watch your mouth, Lorcan. Don’t think I’m beneath you just because I act this way,” I growled in his face. “I’m still the king.”

Lorcan was so angry he was shaking.

“I don’t need you to remind me,” he hissed, his hand gripping my wrist tightly.

I hissed back, slashing at him with my nails.

I landed on the table, breaking it in half. Lorcan was on me before I could react, and we ended up a tangle of swearing and hissing.

By the time we stopped, Alastair was standing in the middle of the room, arms crossed, with guards separating us.

“WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU TWO?” Alastair yelled. “Lilith or Maximus will fucking banish you two if they find out! Stop it now and tell me what happened.”

“It’s none of your business,” I growled at him. “Now let me go!”

The fight had turned my room into a disaster. I couldn’t even sleep here tonight.

Alastair rubbed his forehead, signaling the guard to release us. I stood up, stretching my neck, and shot Lorcan a glare as his eyes lingered on me.

“You’ll pay for this!”

I scoffed at Lorcan’s threat. He had a deep cut on his neck, and his arm was dislocated.

I gathered my hair and tied it up as I stumbled out of the room. Alastair just watched me.

“Are you going to say something?” I asked, turning to face him. I glanced around at the mess. “I’m sleeping somewhere else tonight.”

“No, you’ll stay in the room next to Luna’s,” Alastair said.

“No!” I snapped. “Why should I?”

Alastair closed the gap between us and said, “I’m giving you an order.” He then called Luna over and noticed her blank expression. “My brother will be staying in your room tonight, Luna.”

Luna shook her head.

“I apologize, Your Highness, but…”

“Don’t worry about it. Let him sleep on the couch or the floor. Just keep an eye on him,” Alastair said, his tone bitter.

Luna closed her mouth and nodded.

“See you tomorrow.” He smirked, squeezing my shoulder.

I growled and grabbed my pillow once he left.

“Let’s go,” I said, causing Luna to flinch.

What was her problem with me? Sometimes she would flinch, other times she would be emotionless and stoic.

We silently made our way to the room next to mine. I opened the doors and quickly surveyed the room. It was similar to mine, but it lacked a bookshelf and a walk-in closet.

I tossed my pillow onto the bed and moved the sheets to make room. I lay down to sleep, but Luna stood stiffly in the corner. I sat up, feeling her gaze on me.

“Is there a problem?” I asked.

Luna gave me a stern look.

“Then turn off the light and go to sleep,” I said.

But Luna stayed where she was. I gave her a frustrated look, but she kept her head down. “Is something wrong?”

“You’re in my bed,” Luna mumbled.

“So?” I said, unconcerned.

“That’s my bed,” Luna said. “King Alastair ordered you to sleep on the floor or the couch.”

A smile tugged at my lips.

“Well, you can see where you sleep. I’m not sleeping on the floor or the couch,” I scoffed, lying back down.

Suddenly, Luna pulled back the bed sheets.

“Get off my bed!” Luna demanded, hands on her hips. “NOW!”

“Excuse me?” I growled.

“Off my bed and onto the couch, you heard me!” Luna pointed to the sofa. “You have sheets and pillows if you need them.”

“No,” I shot back. “Watch your tone; I’m staying here.”

I was taken aback when Luna scoffed.

“Fine, then!” Luna said, circling the bed. I watched her, confused, until she stopped on the left side of the bed and started undressing.

As she unbuttoned her shirt, my eyes nearly bulged out of my head. I quickly looked away, feeling my face heat up.

What the hell was she doing?

I heard some rustling before the bed dipped and the lights went out.

I swallowed hard as I caught a glimpse of Luna lying with her back to me. I looked down at her bare back. Wasn’t she embarrassed?

I tried to clear my mind and lay down without saying a word. I closed my eyes and turned away from her. My dead heart fluttered in a strange way. It was unsettling. Why did she make me feel so conflicted?

I sighed and pushed all thoughts aside. Tonight was going to be quite the night.