Alpha Vaughan

Chapter 48

Before we arrived at the huge clearing the next day, trackers were sent to the venue to scope it out and ensure there were no traces of Vladimir's men or pitfalls.

The air bit into my tight skin, making chills that weren't entirely from the cold slide down my spine. I sucked in a breath, looking around me. We were all set.

At one section of our large, formidable assembly were werewolves that had shifted into their beasts. Protective armors were strapped around their intimidating forms, and so were the ones of the werewolves that had yet to shift. I flexed my gauntlet, feeling the leather abrade my hands.

Vaughan had stationed numerous werewolves around me, so much so that I couldn't look straight ahead without rising on my toes. A low murmur rose in the crowd and I rose on my toes now to see what had incited it.

The fey had arrived. They seemed to step out of an invisible portal, until there was a whole army of them.

Their pristine blue robes were offseted by their gleaming white hair. It cascaded down the shoulders of both their men and women. In quick, uniform movements they marched down to the last regiment of warriors led by the Alpha of the Lupine pack, taking their positions.

For a while we waited. Then at the first sighting of the vampires breaking into the horizon, the air instantly charged, werewolves straightening, hands flying to the weapons at their sides.

Numerous covens trailed behind Vladimir's smug form, followed up by human hunters in battle tanks and other machineries. Then a few gasps sounded around when their rear was brought up by legions of demons.

They were all transformed. Their huge, molten black bodies gleaming under the sun, their large horns catching the rays of it. I swallowed, feeling a breath leave my lungs.

As they walked, the heavy hoop earrings hanging down their ears moved, somewhat adding to their formidable physiques. Their faces were distorted; a cross between human and beast.

From the front, Vaughan started to speak, his tone strong and assuring.

I lost track of what he was saying when the crowd behind Vladimir parted to let a little figure through. My throat dried up when I saw Ines's trembling form. They would do this to her?! Put her at the war front?

My anger cooled into horror when a sharp sound cut through the air. The war had begun. An army of hunters crouched down and pointed their large guns at us, spraying bullets everywhere.

Roaring, screaming and bellowing, either forces instantly began to run forward, colliding into each other with a mindless ferocity, fighting with the intent to destroy and overthrow.

A good bunch of werewolves jumped on a large tank, wrecking the machinery by biting off large parts and ferociously swiping lethal claws over the huge contraption, killing the flailing mortal in the process.

A missile got launched by another tank, landing in the mist of some fey and blowing them all up. When the smoke cleared, I saw a demon sever the head of a fey with his claws, and another fey blast him from behind with white magic, crumbling his monstrous form into black ashes.

Screaming bloody murder, a male hunter shot at a bunch of shifted werewolves, spinning in circles so bullets dotted their bloody coats. He continued to shoot until he clicked on an empty barrel.

His face paled and he turned and ran. He didn't get very far before a werewolf jumped him, digging bloody canines into his neck.

Werewolves still surrounded me, probably given orders by Vaughan. I was tempted to break free of them and run away, that way they could actually go and join the fight, help win the fight.

Another set of vampires approached my circle, fangs bared. When the werewolves around me started to fight them, I took the chance and slipped away, running to Goddess knows where. I was soon intercepted by a demon. Two more demons approached me from both directions, their septum rings shaking as they barrelled towards me.

Outstretching my arms, I forcefully slammed both demons into the one before me, blood instantly spurting out their large noses and foreheads.

When one furious demon rose again and advanced towards me, I levitated a boulder not far off, and bashed his head with it. A horn broke off as he toppled down to the ground, landing on a forest mound.

My head whipped around as I searched for Vaughan. I soon spotted him at a distance fighting off six demons.

I froze when I realized he was in a half-state. He'd grown bigger and more beastly, standing taller than most demons. His animalistic face was dotted with sprays of blood, his corded arms decorated with several open wounds.

He roared as he broke off an arm of a demon, digging his large canines into his neck and tearing off his head in the process. A vampire traced to appear behind him, raking black claws down his back. My breath hitched when his roar carried over the noise of the chaos.

I started to run towards him but was flung back by a vampire. I felt my breath get knocked out of me when my back hit a tree.

In this position, I could see a great deal of the field. I spotted Ines drawing out water from a near stream until it turned into a giant whip, then she used it to strike at a bunch of werewolves, sending them flying.

She's an elemental then, was my last thought before I heard twigs snap underneath boots. The skinny vampire that'd thrown me approached my direction now, his dark eyes locked on me with cruel determination.

"You die now," came his guttural voice.

"No," I said, raising him level with me. "You do." His neck bent with a loud crack, then he crumbled to the floor, lifeless.

One of the werewolves Vaughan had given orders to came running towards me now, his face drawn in worry. "Are you ok--"

A loud gunshot sounded and his head blew up, particles of his brain splashing on my face.

My heart sped. On opening my eyes, I saw a man with familiar brown hair and baby blue eyes. "Jim," I called, wiping my face with shaky hands.

He pointed the gun at me. "All this ends now," came his crazed voice. "With you dead, Alpha Vaughan would be too. With Alpha Vaughan gone, the vampires will wipe out the entire race of werewolves."

Raising my hands, I said, "Jim... this isn't you. What would Eunice think o--"

"Shut up!" he yelled. "Shut up, you, bitch! Shut up!"

My heart spiked and I did, watching him cautiously. I couldn't imagine myself killing him, and I had a suspicion I wouldn't even do it if he held the gun to my head.

But then I remembered I made a promise to Vaughan, and I would try to keep it this time. "Why are you doing this?" I needed to know.

"You don't know anything, do you? But of course you don't. When your f*cking father launched an attack on my former pack to overthrow it, my mother, my father, my sisters, they all died. And I was taken into captivity, forced to work for the very person who murdered my family."

"I want to say that I'm sorry on behalf of my father. But one person's actions alone does not define who an entire--"

"Shut up! You're just like Eunice. Trying to reason with me won't work, and she knew that." A humorless laugh. "You don't know how it feels, watching your own family die."

My heart clenched and I felt a tear slip down my face. "Look, Jim. I know... I know how you feel right now, but this isn't the best way to avenge them, believe me. You're just doing exactly what my father did to your family; you're killing innocent people. You don't have to do this, J--"

He cocked the gun and made to pull the trigger but suddenly jerked violently. After a split second he fell, the butt of an arrow protruding from his back. I raised my gaze to see a tall fey archer slinging back his bow. His granite face held no hint of emotion as he bowed slightly, turning to go.

Releasing a breath, I looked down at Jim's lifeless body and felt my throat clog. Blinking back the burn at the backs of my eyes, I turned and ran off into the fray.