Dark Warrior: Gods of Rome

Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The words that just spilled from Jupiter's mouth stunned Naledi to no end. Titus Nero was no doubt a monster. This can't be what fate had decided to stow upon her. Her mate is a man that could never love her. The fact broke her heart, but her logic told her that it was in her best interest. How could she ever love such a vile man?

"Why do you look so upset?" Jupiter asked, looking her over cautiously and worriedly.

"I-I just can't believe that happened to you. I am terribly sorry for your loss." She confessed. Well she sort of confessed. Her honesty wasn't exactly reliable at the moment.

"Please do not feel sorry for me. I have accepted this fate of mine." He comforted her. His demeanor drew Naledi in, in way she could not decipher.

Her thoughts traced back to her childhood. Her father had always told her that one day she would find her place in the world. She had hoped and dreamed of her ideal life. Simple, accepted, and loved. That was all she wanted, but life decided to give her a big slap in the face. Her father was wrong.

"Your Majesty! We are sorry to disturb you, but there has been an incident!" Two Olympian guards rushed into the chamber.

A scared look was etched into their once poised features. Jupiter became alert and on guard. At the moment, he was very intimidating. Naledi had a bad feeling about the unknown situation.

"What is it?" Jupiter asked with a deeper voice than usual. It sent shivers down her spine. The guards glanced at one another, before returning their attention to their supreme ruler.

"Sir, it is Titus Nero." Jupiter's demeanor became cold and distant. Naledi backed away a few feet from him, unsure of his mental stability. "Your Majesty, Titus Nero has escaped."

At this point in time, all hell broke loose. Pure fear coursed through Naledi has Jupiter's fury escalated to unimaginable heights. At this moments, seeing him in his leadership state, reminded her of a Roman statue she saw once at a Vatican Museum in Rome. The Augustus of Prima Porta. Except Jupiter didn't have the little cherub beside his right calf.

"I want him found! Now!" Jupiter's voice rumbled through the Pantheon. It felt like a small tectonic plate shift, causing a seismic earthquake.

Naledi felt a sting of pain in her chest. She grasped part of her toga with her petite hands as the pain became unbearable. She gasped for air, feeling her throat constrict. Her breathing became shallow, like she was drowning in a pool of water. Her heart pumped for dear life. She had never felt such agony overtake her before.

She dropped to her knees, panicking. She desperately tried to inhale for some oxygen, but was failing miserably. Her vision became blurred and a sharp ringing filled her ears. What was happening to her?

"Naledi!" she heard the voices of Klaudia and Maverick echo through the room. A sense of familiarity helped calm her, but her body was still turning against her in an unknown battle for control.

She felt Klaudia rush to her side, as she fell to the marble floor. Her muscles and limbs ached like a thousand knives stabbing her. Her eyes watered from the intense sensations.

"Oh no. Naledi, listen to me. You're shifting into your wolf. You need to stay calm and relax. You must let the process happen." She heard Klaudia tell her. "I know you've shifted before, but it's hurting because this is your wolf taking control."

Naledi couldn't believe what she was hearing. She thought that the control over her wolf had been successful, but now that she found her mate, she could no longer maintain her. She was ready to make an unwanted appearance. She was ready for her mate. Titus Nero.