Alinta Devereaux
A POOL OF BLOOD, and dismembered bodies--- I ran and ran and ran but stopped when I realized something. I am in total darkness; not even a light from the moon and stars shone, yet I can see blood and bodies around me. But as soon as I stopped, I suddenly found myself standing on a mountain, and not far away from me were a battalion of women and men, growling, howling, and gnarling. Then, all of a sudden, the men shifted into werewolves, and the women uttered spells. They charged towards me with a relentless speed, determined to reach me or kill me.
But before I could react, my eyes opened, and I jolted awake. I sat down, feeling my heart beating rapidly as I tried to catch my breath.
A nightmare. I let out a deep breath as it sank into my mind that it was the first time I had one. At the same time, I was feeling disappointed and angry at myself. I hated weakness, especially if it was related to me.
I took a moment to gather my emotions. And just as I was about to fall asleep, I heard a rushing sound: several men running down the corridor, and there were a few shouting outside. I tried to ignore the noise, but it was too loud for me to do so. Feeling irritated, I got out of bed, lit a ball of fire to see the surrounding, and finally opened the door.
I looked from left to right and saw no one, so I left the castle. As soon as I stepped outside, I noticed my mate's broad back. He gave me a sidelong glance before returning his attention to one of the warriors, who I assumed was reporting to him.
How many of them died?" I overheard Severino ask.
Died? Did someone die? Did I kill anyone when I was out of the woods? I tried to recall and was certain I hadn't killed anyone. Otherwise, I would have felt my blood start to boil. And I am not yet a dark witch.
I wonder where did Cross go. I would love to talk to him right now and find out what was going on.
"Three pack warriors died two days ago, and now there are five more deaths," the warrior reported emotionlessly.
Suddenly, the temperature dropped. I couldn't help but put on another layer of clothing.
"Why is it being reported to me now?" Severino asked, his voice chilly. I had the impression he would freeze everyone to death if he received a particularly unpleasant response.
The warrior trembled but mustered the courage to respond. "I— I informed Beta Parviz about it and—-" he couldn't finish what he was saying as I saw him fly ten metres away from where he was just standing.
"I think I'm going to have to clean this pack," Severino grumbled. Then he turned to face the three remaining warriors in front of him. They appeared stiff. I almost think of them as statues. "Bring those bodies into the castle," Severino ordered, "I need them in ten minutes."
"Yes, alpha!" they exclaimed, quickly leaving the area.
Now, only Severino and I remained outside. I couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.
"What happened?" I asked after considering what to say. After some deliberation, I decided to speak with him.
He did not immediately respond. Instead, he turned to face me and motioned for me to stand beside him. Surprisingly, I found myself following his orders. Now I'm standing next to him, waiting for his response.
"I want you to examine their bodies," he began, "this curse cannot continue; otherwise, it will destroy every pack in this realm."
I gave a quick blink. "I'm afraid I can't," I admitted regretfully. "I already examined the elders," I explained, "aside from knowing that their powers were continuously sucked out of their bodies, I found nothing else. The only good news we have is the elders are still alive. If I manage to awaken them, we may be able to find the cause of the plague by interrogating them."
"All right," he said, nodding. "Then wake them up."
When I heard those words, I stiffened. After that, I sneered. "Why should I?" I asked while indignantly looking at him. "I'm done with you, werewolves; you keep pushing me to my absolute limit, betraying my trust and forcing me into something I didn't want. I think the plague might as well stay and take your lives for all I care!"
I crossed my arms above my chest and looked at him with arrogance. At the same time, he locked his gaze on me, but his eyes were cold and deep, seemingly detached from anything or anyone. He appeared unconcerned and uncaring. I'm curious if he felt the same way deep down.
"You are strong," he said abruptly, "the strongest female I ever met." I almost blushed at those words if he hadn't added, "You are the best female to carry the Blood Clad Pack's blood. With your blood, the pack's future will be more promising, so I took you with me. Our child will be the best alpha, and your children with the others would be the strongest warriors."
My expression darkened. I opened my mouth to lecture him, but he quickly cut me off.
"But you seemed to dislike that idea," he grumbled. He had a frown on his face and was no longer looking at me. "Women from the past to the present always offer themselves to me. They are eager to become my luna, to become the mother of this pack. Yet, you," he stared at me, "didn't seem like a woman who will do the same."
I went blank for a brief moment. Is he explaining to me?
"You took me by force because you thought I wouldn't mind? Like I would love it as any other woman in this realm has ever dreamed?" I asked, my tone hesitant.
Severino averted his gaze and stared into the distance before nodding.
My eyes twitched.
Why?
Why did I feel my heart soften a little?
I tapped my chest. I should be a cold-hearted jerk! Regardless of the reason, I should despise him for claiming me so forcefully! But, despite my best efforts, I couldn't stop my heart from softening. Freaking damn it!
I couldn't even understand why I was accepting such an explanation. As I know, it was neither reasonable nor valid!
I took a deep breath. I would just think of it as the mark influencing my mood and emotions.
"You shouldn't force a woman," I fumed. "Whether they like you or not, you should still ask their opinion."
"Is that so?" he asked, but there was no change in his tone of voice. He appeared to respond simply for the sake of responding.
"And I only want one man in this life and the next," I added. I couldn't help but notice him stiffening. "So, don't talk about me becoming this pack's mother, or I'll kill everyone in this pack!"
I immediately left him standing outside like a statue after saying those words. I hope he understands what I said and won't think of pushing me to whomever. And I couldn't help but notice that he, too, seemed to dislike sharing with someone. Correct me if I'm wrong, but that's what I figured after he killed Parviz knowing I was almost humiliated by that bastard.