Heart of Pains

Chapter Forty-eight

Hannah's POV

After Harry made his escape with Owen as a captive, I growled in frustration. I wanted to chase after them, and retrieve Owen. But I could not do it with Damien.

"I don't want to fight you, Damien. Just stay safe," I implored my stubborn husband as we set off. We got into the car and began driving towards our destination.

"I love you," he said after a prolonged silence.

"I love you too," I replied, squeezing his hand. "Can you swim?"

He seemed puzzled by my question.

"Yes, I can. But why are you asking?" he inquired further.

I didn't respond and we settled back into our seats in the car. The rest of the ride was silent as we soon arrived at our destination, one of my black sites. I saw that my team was waiting on us.

As we exited the car, the first person I saw was Carson. He was standing in the middle of everything, looking as composed as ever. He would only be here temporarily, he wasn't my type of person.

"How's everything going?" I asked Carson as my husband placed his hand on my waist, offering me his calming presence.

"All is in readiness. You know, you can let me restrain you. I don't want you losing control," Carson suggested.

I shook my head.

"No, this is my fight, Carson. All I need is your support. Besides, as you've said, I am of Royal blood. So what could possibly go wrong?" I asked confidently, although I had a nagging feeling that those words would come back to haunt me.

As we entered the building, my team members looked at me and bowed in respect. The sheer number of them made me feel proud and grateful. I looked around for Kenneth.

"Are you looking for me?" he asked, appearing at my side.

"Yes," I replied with a smile before my gaze went to my team. "Alright, everyone here has a choice to leave. This is my fight, but I'm grateful that you all chose to stand by me. I promise not to let any of you down."

"To our Queen!" they all roared in unison. I felt pride and happiness swell within me.

"Alright, everyone, buckle up. Let's go," my underboss commanded.

Since it was nighttime, we decided not to use cars to maintain a low profile. The werewolves could then shift without being seen and run on foot, the vampires could use their speed, and the humans, including my husband, could travel by car. My underboss led the way, reassuring me that everyone would be fine.

I, of course joined my husband in the car, and leaned my head on his chest. The night passed by us as a blur through the car window. But all I could think was how everyone I had come to love would be able to emerge from this war unscathed.

Then, suddenly, the car crashed. We all were screaming in shock, assuming it was an accident, but we found ourselves on a deck surrounded by water.

"What happened?" I exclaimed.

"Your highness. All we heard was a crash. Everyone is here, and they're transforming," he continued.

I noticed that my husband, Damien, was safe beside me, thanks to my heightened senses.

"What's going on?" Carson asked, bewildered.

"It's a powerful backup plan," I told him before glaring at Harry, who had approached us and had caused our predicament.

He was looking oddly triumphant.

"You don't need to play the hero, Hannah. It's not necessary. All you need to do is hand over the throne to me, and we can all walk away unscathed. No lives need to be lost," he suggested.

My team members roared in disagreement, but I remained silent, observing the situation.

"What do you truly want from me, Walker?" I inquired again.

"Fame, power, and revenge," he answered, claiming that my father had betrayed his own.

"For the last time, her father never betrayed yours. You've gotten it all wrong," my underboss retorted, raking a hand over his face in exasperation.

"You can manipulate perceptions," Harry said, gesturing to his men.

Suddenly, a dehydrated and malnourished woman who looked like my mother, Monica, emerged from the crevices of the boat. She moved slowly and weakly. It was evident that she had been Harry's prisoner for many years.

"Give her water," I commanded and a person close to Harry complied.

"You didn't have to obey," he chastised the innocent person before me.

I knew my team members were already shaking their heads in disapproval. I would never treat them like slaves, but the man looked dehydrated and in need of a meal.

"Did you know that the Monica you knew was a fake? And that you were probably wondering how and why she treated you horribly, Hannah?" Harry asked, a sick smile crossing his face as he gestured to the woman, who was now glaring at him weakly. "Well, that's because she wasn't your mother. This is your real mother. The real Monica."

He was doing this to try to rattle me, but I didn't fall for it.

"That's all you've got? Morning will soon arrive, don't you think?" I replied, feigning boredom. I knew what he was doing, but it wouldn't work. I was the master of these mind games.

"Kill her! Kill that bitch!" Harry ordered, and all his army charged towards me.

I held my underboss and whispered, instructing him to have my team members escape. He relayed my message, and they too rushed towards our enemies, grabbing someone and jumping into the water. A submarine was concealed beneath the surface, one of our prepared contingencies.

The demons also flew towards me while Carson decided to confront them. It was just me, Damien, Harry Walker, and my supposed mother. He should have used Owen, whom I was sure Kenneth had managed to release. But I knew this was just the beginning.

"What's your motive, greed or revenge?" I asked Harry.

"Both, Hannah. And I'll make sure I kill everyone, including you," he declared, releasing his wings.

Damien's jaw dropped in surprise and horror.

"Oh my God, I KNEW you weren't human," he muttered, seemingly to himself, but it was loud enough for Harry to hear.

I cursed him silently for not keeping his mouth shut. Harry charged toward Damien, and I released my wings to block his path. He was taken aback.

"You're—"

"Bow!" I commanded, and he immediately complied, realizing he couldn't defy me. "You're a fool!" I laughed, temporarily distracted from the action behind me.

Harry took advantage of my momentary lapse and punched me. I felt the blow, but my husband rushed to my side.

"You're a fool. Bow!" I repeated, and Harry dropped to his knees.

"Die, Harry Walker!" a woman from the other side of the ship screamed, but it was too late.