Alpha Vaughan

Chapter 49

Breaking out of the forest, I ran into a hunter. When he rose his pistol to strike me, I grabbed his hand and twisted, flipping him over. Still holding onto him, I kneed his face multiple times until I felt his hand go slack in mine.

Breaths heaving, I continued on, tearing another hunter away from a bleeding werewolf and punching her with the heel of my palm. She staggered backwards and when she regained her footing, she feinted right and threw a punch at me, catching me off guard

It landed square on my face, knocking me down on my butt. She drew her arm back again, but I caught it in my grip, headbutting her so she staggered away, falling.

When yet another hunter came at me, I focused my gaze on him, twisting his arm backwards until I heard a snap and he toppled down, landing on the werewolf the female hunter had been attacking.

The werewolf shifted into its human form now and I saw it was Tabitha. Throwing the mortal's weight off her, she rose to her feet. She nodded at me thankfully. After I nodded back, she limped off, fiercely clashing into a horned demon.

At a distance, I saw a vampire come at a werewolf with lightning speed, lifting him up like he weighed nothing, and then threw him into a distance until a loud crash sounded.

A female demon drew back her claws and sliced off the arm of a weakened fey, then dug her fist into his chest. When next it came out, it held a bloody heart.

My blood ran cold when I saw that the ground was littered with injured fey and mostly dead werewolves.

Spotting Vaughan again, I wiped my bleeding nose and ran towards him, my heart pounding. When he saw me approaching, his wild eyes flared, almost halting me. Shaking my head, I focused on the vampire he was fighting with and was just about to tear him away when a blow landed on my back. An enraged roar sounded as I crashed into a cluster of rose bushes.

Expelling a breath, I struggled to my feet, then faced my attacker.

My eyes connected with forest green ones. "Ines," I called gently.

She reached out a hand towards the area behind a boulder, drawing out water. It swirled towards her, rounding up into a globe.

Eyes never leaving mine, she sharply splayed out her arms, splitting the water to countless sections that froze into jagged knives. They all pointed at me, remaining suspended.

"Ines, darling, listen to me. These people are using y--"

The ice knives instantly came at me, and with a swipe of my arm they flew towards the opposite direction, digging into the huge back of a demon.

"Ines!" I called.

She hurriedly crouched down, placing open palms on the ground. When next she rose, the earth shuddered and lifted, forming giant rocks that levitated beneath her hands. One sharply came flying towards me.

I threw my body away from the first one, then sent the other flying into a distance.

Heart skipping, I rushed out, "Listen to me, I know what it feels like to suffer. I know what it feels like to want approval from the ones you know don't even love you." A gale whipped around her, lifting her up and sending her flying towards me. Her arms moved in quick successions and I felt the air around me shift to hold me down.

Struggling against the bond, I gritted out, "I know what it feels like to be locked up."

The air around her stilled and her feet slowly touched the ground. There was a long pause before a conflicting emotion infiltrated her eyes. "You... know?"

Feeling the restricting weight leave me, I exhaled both in relief and surprise, then said gently, "Yes. You see, I'm latent. I don't have a wolf. So my father would inject a medicine into me that he believed could make my wolf come out, then he would put me in a cell and wait for the medicine to work its magic."

Her gaze went to the ground and her small palms fisted. "Did you feel... scared?"

My heart clenched. "Yes. Yes, I felt very scared."

When she remained quiet, I continued softly, "If you'll let me, I'll take you away from all this. I'll give you what Vladimir will never be able to give you. With me, you'll never feel scared gain."

After a while, she asked quietly, "Promise?"

My throat clogged. Blinking rapidly, I tried to lessen the sting in my eyes. "Yes. Yes, I promise, Ines."

She gave a nod, then lifted her gaze to meet mine, holding it for a long while. Then she slowly smiled at me, her green eyes lighting.

She turned away from me, and my hair forcefully flitted around my face when she whipped a violent breeze around her, lifting her slight form off the ground.

She drew a large stream of water from the riverine, then turned them once again into sharp knives. Her arms moved and instantly they whizzed into the air, embedding themselves into the chests of three vampires.

I saw Vladimir whip his head around, and on his face was a look I'd describe as pure horror. He didn't plan for this to happen; didn't plan for Ines to seize from being his little puppet anymore.

His face contorted into anger and he charged towards Vaughan, trying to kill him off immediately now one of his plans had gone south.

My heart lept into my throat and I was running. More demons and vampires left the people they were attacking and swarmed into Vaughan, attacking ferociously.

"No!" A long shriek tearing out of my throat. "No!!" Lifting my arms I sent a bunch of demons flying. About to come at them again, I felt a debilitating pain radiate through my chest.

As I crumbled to my knees, I prayed to the moongoddess with all my might that it wasn't what I thought it was. A triumphant yell suddenly sounded, followed by screams and roars of horror. I lifted my head to see Vladimir's beaming face.

He rose his hand above him, and in them was Vaughan's head.

My heart stopped beating for a horrific second. And at that moment, I wished it stopped beating forever.

A power unlike anything I've ever felt before pulsed in my veins, consuming me. A red haze fell over my vision.

When Vladimir's men came towards our diminishing army, loudly cheering, to finish it off. I rose to my feet quietly, then focused my gaze, crushing half his army to the ground until they flattened out, organs spilling out.

Blood drained out of Vladimir's face. A bunch of demons in his army barrelled towards me, yelling. Before they got to where I stood, they sharply rose into the air, and began folding into themselves, blood coating the earth. The remainder of his army turned and fled.

When they dropped down, Vladimir took a step back, Vaughan's head dropping to the ground.

My eyes never leaving his, I rose him into the air.

"Now, listen," came his rushed voice. "I can... I can--" blood spurted out of his mouth until he was choking out the red liquid, his neck thinning.

When he gave a final cough, I dropped him, staggering.

Through the tears falling down my face, I saw the vampires that had been in his army still, feeling the power their master held being delegated to someone else.

A moment passed before all around, they dropped down to their knees, bowing.

Dragging in a breath, I hefted myself up with what little strength I had left.

I didn't want this. I didn't want any of this.

Werewolves approached me while the fey stayed back, looking on through stoic eyes.

As they neared me, I stumbled away, tears blinding my vision. Pain and understanding lit their gazes, but that didn't stop them from continuing to draw closer to me. Their concerned faces were the last things I saw before I fell and my world went black.

But before it did, one thought lingered in my mind; I would never get to tell him I loved him.