Wolf Blood | ✔

Chapter Twenty-Three

"This is all the great cause behind this? A girl?" I wailed, frantically waving my hands to and fro. My eyes twitched in irritation, knowing that I was put through all this for a stupid love triangle. I made myself more comfortable on the soft zebra skin that covered the large boulder I sat on.

"Sadly, yes," Ales sighed in solemnity. I would have been angry if I was in his body. I would have gone and wiped out each and everyone of those mythical creatures. "But some wolves and vampires don't know the full story, they just use this opportunity to get at each other."

I sighed in fatigue, resting my head against the cold cave walls, enjoying the silence for a moment before a question popped into mind.

"Is she still alive by any chance? Because if she is, maybe this 'war' could be ceased for good." Leus grunted from his corner with an evil smirk.

"We already hate all of them, so why do you think we'd help them conquer their stupid beliefs. I'd rather relax and let them kill off each other." I frowned at his apathetic behavior wondering how he was even the son of Ales. There had to be some sort of mistake.

"Well, unlike you, I have a friend to worry about."

"A friend who did nothing when they threw you out?" he raised a perfectly shaped brow. I clenched my jaw in anger, my eyes blazing at him. "What? You said it yourself." Instead of entertaining him any further, I turned my head to Ales and resumed our earlier topic.

"Where can I find this girl?" I asked again. I'd asked earlier, but each time he brushed it aside, changing the subject in a cunning manner.

"You can't find her Ashe," he sighed.

"It's Ashley."

"Whatever. Akmar cannot be dealt with anyhow. As her name suggests, she's been 'lit by the moon', her mother."

"Would you come with me then?" I asked desperately. He merely shrugged, turning his back to me with a groan.

"These hunting days were over for me a long time ago," he stated. I sighed in disappointment, but soon gained hope. I frowned at the last resort that came to my head and soon realized it wasn't the best at all. I peeked under my eyelashes to gaze at Leus, wondering if we would at least make it to Akmar before yelling at each other over fury.

"How about Leus?" I suggested, knowing I'd regret it later. I shut my eyes tightly, hoping for a yes, and at the same time, a no.

"Leus?" Ales looked puzzled but agreed nonetheless. "Hmmm...."

"We leave at night tomorrow," Leus stated before exiting the cave.

***

We waded through shallow ponds, and stumbled through the sky high grass until we tripped over many twigs of the dry forest floor. We it wasn't both of us, it was only me, and Leus didn't bother to hep me up, like the good person he was.

Eventually, there came into view, a large clearing in the middle of the forest where the moonlight broke through the leaves with its white mystical glow. Leus leaned against a tree, sharpening his pocket knife, creating the only noise present. I, however, stood near the edge of the clearing, avoiding the light as much as I could, remembering the dreadful effects it had on me.

Soon, I grew weary and slumped into a pile near Leus' feet.

"What exactly are we doing here?" I asked, my head in my hands. He smirked down at me before averting his attention to his knife.

"I knew you didn't have the patience you claimed you had," he pitied, shaking his head in fake compassion. I rolled my eyes before gazing into the dark forest until something caught my eyes.

"Could that be her?" I asked tugging unto the hem of his long robe. His eyes followed the direction of mine, squinting into the darkness in confusion.

"No."

"Then who is it?"

"I don't-"

"Ashley?" I cringed at the familiar voice until more than twenty of them assembled in the clearing, a few metres from us. "I thought you were gone for good."

"Who is he and how does he know you?" Leus asked, already standing on guard.

"Oh look," another voice laughed. "The omega's already found herself a new bodyguard." I stepped closer to Leus, almost hiding myself in his shadow.

"I'm guessing the first one's Damian and the other's Liam?" Leus whispered to me with hatred, his nostrils flaring. He hated wolves, although he was one himself, only of a higher class. I nodded quietly, feeling fear develop within me. Maybe this was a bad idea.

"Ashley," Damian called, stepping a bit closer until Leus growled at him to stop. "Ashley, it's not safe for you to be here."

"Why do you care?" Leus seethed. His fangs were soon visible and his eyes were a concentrated orange, quite more vivid than Damian's eyes when he shifted.

"It might get a bit messy here," he began to explain.

"Enough!" Liam called, his eyes locked on Leus and me. "We don't need to tell her anything." Just then, we heard rustling in the far off bushes, causing everyone's head to snap in its direction.

"They're here," Damian whispered, all the blood draining from his face. I frowned at his comment, waiting for the creatures to show themselves. Suddenly, there was an eerie silence dawning on everyone. Even I was afraid to make the slightest movement.

Then without warning, pallid bodies flew from the bushes, snarls emitted from them as they soared through the sky, each landing a good distance from us. I knew immediately what they were, remembering from my first encounter with them.

"It's not Nisus," she replied quickly, shaking her head. I frowned even deeper, puzzled by her frantic behavior. "It's Gina Stiles." It was only I realized why she was panicking. Gina Stiles was one of the top spectators know for succeeding in shutting down firms

Vampires...