Betrayed By My Mate, Claimed By His Lycan King Uncle-Chapter 176: Burn down the praying ground!

Meanwhile, back to Anaya and Rhys ~

The two had just finished an intimate session, now wrapped in each other’s arms beneath a soft, warm blanket. Their bodies were still entangled, their breaths slow and steady, filled with the kind of peace only love could offer.

"We better go out soon before Kisha starts complaining," Rhys said with a light chuckle, brushing a kiss against Anaya’s forehead. "She’s been the one working since morning. If we stay too long in here, she’ll definitely come knocking."

Anaya pouted, her eyes narrowing as she tightened her hold around Rhys’s waist. "Does that mean I can’t spend a little more time with my husband?" she murmured, her voice tinged with playful irritation. "Our twins want their father with them, you know."

Rhys smiled, brushing a tender hand across her belly before planting a kiss on the curve of it. "I know, love. But they’ve always had their father’s attention....every moment, every breath," he replied softly. "Let’s get dressed. I’m sure Kisha is done preparing dinner by now. And before she comes storming in to drag us out by force, we’d better go meet her ourselves."

Just then, a frantic voice rang out from beyond the bedroom door, high-pitched and filled with urgency.

"My lady....!"

It was Kisha.

The sheer panic in her voice sent a jolt of terror down both Rhys and Anaya’s spines. Instinctively, they bolted upright and got dressed.

Without hesitation, Rhys reached for his sword, which hung ready on the wall. He pulled it down in one swift motion, stepping in front of Anaya protectively. "Stay behind me," he whispered, his voice firm and low.

He carefully opened the door to peer outside....only for a blade to slash across the air, barely missing his head by inches.

"Rhys!" Anaya screamed, her voice laced with fear as she clutched his arm. Her heart pounded violently in her chest, her entire body shaking.

"Assassins," Rhys muttered under his breath, eyes narrowing as he stepped out fully into the hall, sword raised. "They’ve found us. No doubt they were sent by my aunt. She must have finally discovered our location."

Just then, Anaya’s gaze swept the compound only to land on Kisha’s body collapsed on the floor, motionless.

Her heart stopped.

"Kisha!" she cried, breaking away from Rhys and rushing to her fallen handmaid’s side. She dropped to her knees, trembling as she gently shook her. "Kisha, no... please, stay with me!"

Behind her, Rhys fought with everything he had, slashing and parrying as more cloaked figures rushed toward them.

"Anaya....please, go!" he shouted over the clash of steel and the cries of battle. "Leave now! Take the escape route through the hidden door. Protect yourself! I’ll come after you the moment I finish off these bastards!" 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"But Rhys..." Anaya sobbed, her arms cradling Kisha’s lifeless form on her lap. Tears poured down her cheeks, her voice barely holding together. "Kisha is dead... How am I supposed to leave you behind too?"

"Just go, please!" Rhys shouted, his voice sharp and filled with urgency as he clashed swords with another assassin. "I’ll come for you immediately....I swear it! I’ll keep them away. But you have to leave now, Anaya! Go!"

As if her body finally obeyed the command her mind resisted, Anaya stood up suddenly, her legs trembling beneath her. She dashed out of the house compound into the night. Her heart pounded in her chest as her eyes fell upon the horrifying sight of bodies. Lifeless bodies of the villagers littered the ground.

That explained why no one had come to their aid. They were all already dead.

Fear gripped her heart, her breathing ragged as she instinctively placed a protective hand over her swollen belly. She kept running, ignoring the pain and dread surging through her veins.

Then...thud!

She tripped over a corpse she hadn’t seen, crashing hard to the ground. Her body hit with a sickening thump, and her belly slammed into the earth. A wave of excruciating pain tore through her spine and abdomen.

"Aaaaah..." Anaya whimpered, clutching her stomach with both hands as tears of agony spilled down her face. But she couldn’t stop. Not now.

With tremendous effort, she pushed herself up from the ground, legs trembling, her body soaked from sweat, tears, and dirt. She resumed running, stumbling into the thickness of the forest. She knew better than to let herself be captured especially now that it was clear the assassins were after her, not Rhys.

The night sky darkened. Clouds gathered and the wind grew colder. Without warning, the skies opened up and rain began to pour....harsh and unrelenting. Droplets beat down on her head and shoulders, drenching her gown, making each step heavier than the last.

Eventually, Anaya collapsed beside a massive tree, her back slumping against the damp trunk. Her arms wrapped instinctively around her belly.

"I’ll protect you, babies," she whispered through trembling lips, tears streaming down her face. "I promise you... Then we’ll go find your father..."

Suddenly, a flash of lightning split the sky.....illuminating her gown.

Blood.

Her gown was stained in blood. The fall, the stress, the terror....her body was succumbing. She was bleeding heavily now. Her breath came in short gasps, panic setting in anew.

"Find her! We must kill her. She no longer has any blood ties to Her Highness."

The cold, chilling voice cut through the storm.

Anaya’s eyes widened as she turned her head in the direction of the voice. Through the trees, she could see them....cloaked men moving swiftly and silently. The assassins. They were closing in.

"Oh no..." she gasped, struggling to her feet despite the pain in her abdomen and the weakness in her limbs. Blood continued to seep from between her legs, yet she kept moving, stumbling deeper into the forest.

She ran. And ran. The pain grew worse with each step, but she refused to stop....until, finally, she spotted a dark crevice in the distance.

A cave.

She rushed inside without hesitation.

Inside the cold, damp shelter, Anaya collapsed to her knees. She was already having contractions. The bleeding hadn’t stopped. Her strength was failing her, but she had no time to despair.

She tore the inner lining of her gown, stuffed it into her mouth to muffle her screams, and began to push.

The pain was unbearable... far worse than anything she had ever experienced. Her body was drenched in sweat despite the cold air. It felt like death was already upon her, yet she clung to life with everything she had left....for them.

For her babies.

After a torturous stretch of time, a small cry pierced the cave’s silence.

A girl.

Anaya gasped with joy and sorrow all at once. She ripped more of her gown to wrap the baby tightly, shielding her from the cold before turning to push again. Her body screamed for rest, her face ghostly pale, her heartbeat unsteady.

But she pushed.

She screamed into the cloth as another baby slipped into the world.

A boy.

She cradled them both to her chest, placing their tiny mouths to her breasts. Their cries were muffled by the relentless rainfall outside and the pounding thunder overhead, but they were alive. That was all that mattered.

"She couldn’t have gone far! Search the area... kill her on sight!"

Anaya’s heart froze at the sound of the voice outside. The assassins had found the area.

Her body, fragile and bloodied, trembled as she rose to her feet once again. She knew she wouldn’t last much longer but she would die only after ensuring her children’s safety.

"Even if I’m to die tonight," she whispered fiercely, "I’ll make sure my babies live."

Driven by sheer willpower and maternal instinct, Anaya left the cave and pressed forward. She moved as quickly as her shattered body could manage, deeper and deeper into the forest until she reached a massive, stone building that rose up like a divine fortress in the night.

A praying ground.

The gates stood open. She stumbled inside.

"There she is!" a voice shouted behind her.

Anaya didn’t hesitate. She ran into the main hall of the temple, where she gently laid her two newborns behind a curtain, hidden safely among some old prayer scrolls and linen.

She stepped back into the open, her body broken, her soul burning with resolve.

"There’s nowhere left to run!" one of the assassins barked. "So you’re not blind after all, huh?"

The rain had finally stopped, but the air was heavy with tension. An eerie stillness settled over the ground.

"What is happening here?" one of the temple priests asked, emerging from the side hall only for one of the assassins to slice his throat in a single, swift motion.

Anaya gasped in horror. They were even killing the priests...

"It’s me you came for!" she screamed, her voice shaking but strong. "Then kill me. But leave the others alone. Spare the innocent lives!"

"Oh, we’ll kill you alright," one assassin sneered, stepping forward with his sword gleaming.

Before she could react, the blade pierced her stomach.. going clean through and emerging from the other side. Blood spurted from her lips as she staggered in place.

"Go to hell," the assassin hissed, shoving her backward. "For all the stress you caused us."

Anaya collapsed to the temple floor, her hands clutching the hilt of the sword buried in her abdomen. The pain was indescribable but her only thought was of her babies.

At least they’ll be safe now... she thought weakly as her vision dimmed. Live well, Rhys... And come find our children.

"Burn down the praying ground!" one of the assassins commanded, his voice ringing with finality.

Anaya’s eyes widened in horror. No... The babies...

But she could no longer speak. No longer move. She lay still, blood pooling beneath her as flames began to rise and terrified screams of priests filled the air.

"My babies..." was her final thought, before her eyes closed in death.