The Taste of Seduction

Austin's tone was smug, and his eyes glinted with triumph as he gestured to the destruction around them.

Gwen's face contorted with anger and pain as she remembered the past, the time when she had chosen another man over Austin. She clenched her fists, feeling the urge to lash out at him for what he had done.

"You did all of this just to get revenge on me, didn't you?" Gwen's voice was low, but it carried a hint of anger.

Austin chuckled, a sound that grated on their nerves. "Oh, Gwen… you always were perceptive. Yes, I did all of this to show you what you lost when you chose him over me. But now, it's time for me to take what's rightfully mine."

Austin dismounted his dragon, his army of soldiers behind him. Meredith, Atlas, and Marcus took their battle stances, ready to fight, but Gwen's mind was elsewhere.

She couldn't help but feel responsible for all of this. If only she had chosen Austin instead, maybe none of this would have happened. The guilt and pain weighed heavily on her heart, and it was all she could do to keep from breaking down.

Austin took a step forward, a wicked smile on his face. "Come on, Gwen, I know you want to fight me. You want to prove that you're better than me, don't you?"

Gwen took a deep breath, her eyes narrowed with determination. "I don't want to fight you, Austin. I want to stop you."

Austin's smile faltered, and he took a step back, surprised by her response.

"What? Why? You have the power to rule the world with me by your side."

Gwen shook her head, her voice firm. "I don't want to rule the world with you. I want to make it a better place, and you're not going to stop me from doing that."

He laughed and then showed them the four crystals that he had in his hands. The gems illuminated brightly as they levitated above his hand.

"Join me, Gwen… or you'll forever regret not doing so."

Gwen glared at him. If looks could kill, she would have already done so in a blink of an eye. She shook her head, declining his invite in a heartbeat.

"Who'd be insane to ever join you and rule the continents?"

"Well…" The smile on Austin's face disappeared as he locked eyes with the woman he still loves until now. "Don't ever say that I never warned you," he added, the dragon continuing to fly so that they could still be afloat on the sky.

"Stop this, Austin," Gwen said, her voice softer this time as she hoped he'd change his mind at the last minute. "You don't have to do this."

"I do," he replied, swallowing his own saliva as he noticed that he was about to soften to her the moment he heard his sweet voice, and the moment he laid his eyes on her after not seeing her conscious for so long. "If you don't join me… I'll harm your daughter… and everyone as well."

He taunted them, saying that Gwen would regret it if she didn't join him to rule the continents and that he would forever threaten not only Meredith's life but everyone's life as well.

"Please! You're not like this! You were different, Austin!" Gwen cried out with angry tears, saying that he was not the Austin she knew. She shook her head, wanting to beat him out of his senses. "We were friends! We were all great friends!

How could you do this!?"

She remembered how they had met and how they had become friends. Austin had been a kind and gentle person, and they had shared many happy moments together.

But Austin had changed, and he was now consumed by his lust for power—originating from his jealousy and love for Gwen. He would stop at nothing to get what he wanted, even if it meant destroying everything and everyone in his path.

Austin's eyes softened for a moment as he looked at Gwen, remembering the good times they had shared. But then, his expression turned cold once again as he remembered why he was there.

"I had to become like this because of you, Gwen," Austin said, his voice laced with bitterness. "You were the one who rejected me, who chose someone else over me. You broke my heart and shattered my dreams, and I had to rebuild myself from the ground up."

Gwen shook her head, tears streaming down her face. "I'm sorry, Austin, but that doesn't justify what you're doing now. You can't keep hurting people because of what happened in the past. You need to let it go and move on."

Austin laughed bitterly. "Move on? How can I move on when you're still the love of my life? You're the one who got away, and I'll never be able to forget you."

Gwen's heart ached at his words, knowing that there was nothing she could say or do to change his mind. But she refused to give up and kept trying to reason with him.

"You don't have to do this, Austin. You can choose a different path. You can choose to be better."

Austin shook his head, his eyes hardening once again. "It's too late for that, Gwen. This is who I am now, and I won't stop until I get what I want."

The tension in the air was palpable, and everyone was on edge, waiting for the next move. Meredith looked at her mother, a determined look on her face. "We can't let him win, Mom. We have to fight."

Gwen nodded, taking a deep breath. "You're right, Meredith. It's time to end this."

Austin's gaze fell on Meredith, who looked a lot like her father Luscious. The man she had chosen over him.

Anger filled him; she had that man's blood. He lunged forward to attack her, but Gwen created a protective shell around them all, shielding them from harm.