“Alpha, what are we doing here?” I questioned in a puzzled voice; trotting to catch up with my father. Being the Alpha of the Moonmist Pack, he never went anywhere without sending a message. He continued walking without giving me a response; if anything his pace increased.
“Wouldn’t it be rude to go unannounced so late in the night?” I couldn’t quell the urge to prod again.
My second question was met with silence too. My father’s eyebrows twitched. He was getting annoyed but I had to find out what was going on.
I ran a bit to catch up with him. Matching his pace, I urged, “Alpha, why won’t you tell me anything? Is there any reason we are going like this?”
“You will find out the reason soon,” his reply was curt and conclusive. He wouldn’t tell me anything even if I kept nagging eternally. A sigh left his lips and I followed him silently.
My father had always been like this; cryptic, mysterious. He expected me to follow his commands without question.
I didn’t want to go against him either; given that he was the only family I had. It was difficult but I tried. That is what I have been doing since mom passed away. A rueful gust of air left my lips, blending with the cold breeze.
The night had cast her blanket over this small town in Woodland. The thick cover of the clouds hid the moon plunging the world into an endless sea of darkness. However, we padded along the stony path with perfect ease. We could see even in the pitch darkness; courtesy of our keen werewolf senses.
A sudden course change made my steps falter. “Alpha, I think we took the wrong turn. The main gate is on the other side.”
“We are not entering through the main gate.”
“Then?” A deep frown settled on my forehead. “Are we just going to take a stroll around the Bloodhound Packhouse?”
I hadn’t even finished his statement when father climbed onto the boundary wall with a leap. Then, landed with a thud on the other side.
“Shit!” I cursed softly before following his lead. What was wrong with him?
The leaves crunched under my feet as I rushed to catch up with my father who was peeking in through a window by now.
The frown on my forehead deepened and my face flushed. Drawing closer to my father, I whispered in a flustered voice, “I don’t think it is appropriate to peek into somebody’s house like this. What if they are changing? What if they are ummm…. Doing other unspeakable things?”
“Is your mind always in the gutter?” He snapped as he grabbed the back of my neck and pressed my face against the glass, “Just watch.”
I closed my eyes more out of modesty than anything else. The whooshing winds howled through the branches as if singing an erratic tune. A wolf howled at a distance piercing through the soft melancholy. Once I had calmed down, I realized how stupid I was being. If my father wanted me to watch something, it had to be important.
I cracked open my eyes slowly. A soft gasp left my lips and I stood there gaping; my heart brimming with a mixture of wonder and amusement.
There on a red couch was seated the most gorgeous girl I had seen in my life; long brown hair, large doe-like eyes, and velvety pink lips. Her features were so soft that they reminded one of a freshly bloomed flower on an early morning.
She was dressed completely in leather. With her legs crossed and her shoulders slumped, she gave off a vibe of something carefree nonchalance.
“So beautiful,” the words left my lips inadvertently.
Alpha Hades responded with a mocking snort. Patting my back, he stated, “Today, you are going to find out how dangerous beauty can be.”
I forced myself to look away from the girl and raised my eyebrows, “How can someone this gorgeous be dangerous? She doesn’t look like she can hurt even a fly.”
My father’s expression hardened as he replied, “I wish that were true, my son….” He stopped abruptly, his gaze shifted restlessly. His lips opened and closed as if he wanted to say something.
“Ahhhh!!!” A scream sounded from the house. My heart skipped a beat and an instant sense of dread gripped me. The first thought that formed in my mind was that I couldn’t let anything happen to that gorgeous girl. I had to save her.
I had barely taken a few steps towards the entrance when my father grabbed my hand and dragged me back to the window, “Just stand here and watch. You are not allowed to intervene.”
I so hated being on the side lines like this. It made me feel incapable, helpless; utterly useless. But, I didn’t want to defy his orders. With a frustrated sigh, I looked inside again.
The sight that met my eyes shook me to the core. The pretty girl wasn’t the prey here, she was the predator.
Her white teeth gleamed in the light of the lantern as she barred them. Then, without any warning, she bit into the guard’s neck who had attacked her.
Her eyes dazzled with menace; as if she were reveling in the taste of blood. The guard’s eyes widened in horror and his jaws hung open. His face turned pale and within moments his body went limp in her arms. She dropped him like a rag doll and wiped her lips with the back of her hand.
I hadn’t even recovered from this when Twang! An arrow zipped through the air and hit the girl on her chest. I sucked in my breath and gripped the edge of the window sill. Ouch! That must have hurt.
I felt my heart ache for her but the girl, she didn’t even wince. She merely grabbed its hilt and pulled it out. Blood gushed out of her wound. She didn’t seem bothered by it. I don’t know if I just imagined it but her eyes turned a shade darker from soft golden to a darker honeyed brown.
Her expression took on a sinister edge as she snapped the arrow into two. She cocked her head to one side and sneered, “Is that all you got Alpha Azarel?”
A tall muscular man with a short beard stepped inside; pointing a gun at the girl. The girl’s lips curved in a mocking smile, “I was wondering when you will bring out that automatic gun, Alpha.”
Alpha Azarel’s eyes turned bloodshot and he warned, “I…If you don’t surrender, I will shoot….” His voice shook, betraying his arrogant, cocky demeanor.
The girl took a step towards him; her eyes glinting with something so dark that it made me shudder, “Go ahead, try your luck. I have been wondering what those silver bullets laced with wolfsbane feel like.”
No Joke; this girl was shit crazy. Alpha Azarel had an automatic gun pointed at her. But, instead of trying to escape, she was asking him to shoot her. My jaws hung open and I held my head with both my hands, “Is she insane?”
“You can say that….” Father’s expression was one of extreme hatred but his flitting eyes revealed his anxiousness.
With each step the girl took, Alpha Azarel backed away more and more; until there was no room left at all. He was backed against the wall now. The girl took one more step closer so that the nuzzle of the automatic rifle was grazing her chest.
To my horror, she reached over and pulled the trigger. I gulped; my mouth had become so dry that even the air seemed to scorch my insides.
Clank! The shell of the rifle dropped on the floor and a spurt of blood landed on Alpha’s face. She took a step back revealing the small hollow on her shoulder where the bullet had pierced through her.Alpha Azarel’s face turned pale and his body went limp. The automatic rifle slipped through his hand and landed on the floor with a thud.The girl pulled out a dagger from her belt and dug out the bullet, “I must say that this goes deep; how inconvenient.” She looked at the bullet with a condescending expression before throwing it away; the way you would if a small thorn had pricked you.She stood there, cocking her head to the side, rubbing her chin as if deep in thought. All of a sudden, her eyes flashed with a devilish glint, “I am getting bored of this play now. Shall we put an end to this?”It was shocking to see that the girl could talk so easily even after being shot. What was more, Alpha Azarel lowered his neck in submission; just like that.He was one of the most powerful Alpha
“Wereheretic? What is that?”“She is a werewolf turned vampire who has magical abilities.”“You gotta be kidding me. How is that possible? To be turned into a vampire, you need to be bitten at least thrice. No werewolf can survive that kind of venom. She should have died the first time she was bitten.”“She should have but she didn’t. She comes from a rare witch lineage that made it possible for her to survive the venom despite being a werewolf.”“Fucking hell! Doesn’t that mean she is invincible?”“You are right. She is indeed invincible. Vampires, witches, and werewolves have been trying alike to kill her but she just doesn’t die.”He paused for a moment before holding my hand and leading me out of the house, “Come with me. We need to be somewhere.”He led me to what seemed like the ruins of an old mansion. The faded charred walls peeking out through overgrown vines indicated that it was burned to the ground; probably long ago.My gaze shifted from the ruins to my father to find tha
One week later…My father and I arrived at the Lycan Palace. Stepping out of the coach, my father adjusted my collar, “This meeting is very confidential, Justin. There will be many high-profile guests and some of our rivals too. You must keep your temper under check. Don’t speak unless they address you specifically. You think you can manage that?”Drawing in a deep breath, I nodded, “Don’t worry, father. I will remain as cool as cucumber.”His eyes flashed with a warning, “This is your only chance, Justin. If you lose your cool, you will never get another opportunity to avenge your mother’s death.”My expression turned serious and I nodded, “You can trust me, father. I will proceed with utmost caution.”He pursed his lips and patted my back, “Very well then. Let us go inside.” He kept his hand on my shoulder as we walked inside. This gesture wasn’t driven by intimacy but fear; fear that I would break and start acting out at some crucial moment. His gaze drifted to mine restlessly ever
I was still wallowing in self-doubt when a sweet voice sounded, “Are you Justin, Alpha Hades's son?”I raised my head slightly and nodded curtly. She held my hand and quietly led me out of the meeting hall. Her face remained expressionless while we wove our way through the hall. But, once we were outside, she smiled at me, “I am Ana, The Lycan King’s daughter. I will take you to the back courtyard.”I stopped walking and looked at her with a bewildered expression, “I am not sure I follow you.”Her eyebrows twitched and her eyes widened, “Don’t tell me your father forgot to give you 101 on what you are supposed to do.”My lips pressed in a thin line and I shook my head, “I think he was too stressed to talk to me about it.”She burst into a peal of a musical giggle, “Never mind, I will help you out.”“Thank you, Miss.” My reply came out a little stiff as I didn’t know how to address her properly.“Hey, don’t be so nervous. My father forgets to tell me stuff all the time.” Her carefree r
We had finally managed to locate the wereheretic. She was moving towards the Barrenwoods. Now, it was time to put the plan into action.“Remember this Justin, You cannot afford to make mistakes. The plan has to proceed flawlessly. If we fail, we will lose the element of surprise and it will be impossible to carry out a similar plan in the future,” Melinda said in a hushed whisper as she crouched beside me. She was to be the point of contact between me and the Lycan King throughout the plan.“Don’t worry, We had finally managed to locate the wereheretic. She was moving towards the Barrenwoods. Now, it was time to put the plan into action.“Remember this Justin, You cannot afford to make mistakes. The plan has to proceed flawlessly. If we fail, we will lose the element of surprise and it will be impossible to carry out a similar plan in the future,” Melinda said in a hushed whisper as she crouched beside me. She was to be the point of contact between me and the Lycan King throughout th
I trudged behind the wereheretic bound by invisible threads of magic. We had been walking for about an hour and she wasn’t showing any signs of stopping. Normally, I wouldn’t have minded but every time I took a step, a sharp pang of pain seared through me. My gaze shifted to the young boy accompanying us. He had been walking at a constant pace the entire time; exactly two steps behind the wereheretic. I wondered if he was bound by magic just like me. He had to be. Why would anyone in the right state of mind follow a sadist maniac? My steps must have faltered because I felt a sharp tug causing me to stagger forward. I stumbled but another wisp of magic stabilized me before I hit the ground. The wereheretic slowed down to match my steps. With a condescending sideward glance, she snapped, “Can’t you walk faster? At this pace, it will be days before we reach our destination.” I glared right back at her and crossed my arms over my chest, “I am wounded and not as powerful as you. What d
She grabbed my hair and spun me around; her eyes dancing with menace, “I can see that your complex has still not kicked in. A little bit of motivation might help.”With a wave of her hand, she sent me slamming against the gate. It opened up with a creak and I stumbled inside. Screeches and piercing shouts echoed in the playground as everyone tried to get out of the playground.I was shoved and tossed around like a play doll by the crowd until I finally managed to grab the edge of a slide and ducked under it. Shielded from the frenzied crowd, I watched Hera as she jumped right in front of the monster. It towered over her by a good ten meters but she didn’t seem perturbed by its size.She looked at it right in the eyes, her gaze fixed on his movements. The monster lunged at her but she dodged it swiftly. The monster let o
I sat up with a start, panting heavily. The scene from the playground lingered in my eyes for a couple of moments before fading. My hand flew to my chest as a gust of air escaped my lips; deflating the tension.Hera had decided to spend the night at a tavern and I was alone in my room. My gaze drifted to the open window. It was still dark. I crossed my legs and straightened my back. I took long deep breaths; recollecting and composing my thoughts.I had fared terribly the previous day, getting all flustered and jeopardizing the mission. I had to do better if I wanted to achieve my objective. I had seven days to find Hera’s weakness; seven days before she would pretend to test me and probably kill me.I had to retain my focus, attaining one objective at a time. The first step was to obtain her blood for research. I had to do that be