Half-Blooded | The Dark Child Prophecy Series [✔️]

Chapter 67: New Blood [M]

I went skidding across the ground as I tried to roll from the harsh shove. When I got to my knees, I had to leap up and backward as a pair of jaws snapped at me. I recoiled, backpedaling as fast as possible to get away from the hulking, black mass of fur and teeth that reached for me with its jaws.

"Oh, god," I breathed. My blood went cold when I realized what I had come face-to-face with. They were hybrids.

Lycans.

"Do you like them?" Killian laughed from behind me. "They're perfect, aren't they?"

The largest was chained by his front paws and around the neck, leaping up and down against his metal restraints. It was just like the beast of my nightmares: long arms and broad shoulders with shaggy black fur and massive clawed hands. His face was square unlike a wolf's, the snout shorter, but his ears were taller than the average wolf's. Elongated fangs served as his canines that flashed in the dim light of the ballroom.

My eyes shot over to the other one: a large, red wolf that was bigger than the average werewolf, his fur shorter and coarser. His legs were almost too long for a wolf's body and his neck was too short, reminding me of maned wolves in Africa. One look at his cold hazel eyes and I felt sick.

"I thought you would be the perfect specimen to give our latest soldiers a test run, Miss Mezdor. You have two minutes before their shackles release and you become doggie chow. You might want to start saying your prayers," Page announced from behind me, a laugh in his voice. "If you think your half-blooded abilities can match theirs, by all means, please try to fight your way out. We would love the entertainment. But I don't think you're going to kill Hellmuth's favorite employees."

"No, not you, Tom," I breathed softly, recognition rebounding through me as I was able to see the man within the red lycan. He was the least humanoid of the two; but the differences were there. He wasn't the same Wolf I had known before. He moved against his own metal chain with quick movements, giving away the vampire gene buried in his new DNA.

I turned to glare at Page, my anger flaring to cover my fear. "You dared to hurt Thomas? The king alpha will have your head for this," I snapped.

Killian Page laughed, his hands settling on his hips. "I don't think the king alpha will be the official king alpha for much longer. He's done enough damage to the crown and the Alphahood by choosing you. This is just payback from those of us who refuse to see Wolves fall to vampires. I'm introducing new blood into our forces to make us a formidable opponent to all supernatural enemies. Hybrids will be nothing more than soldiers. They will never stray so far as a mistress alpha title or breed more half-bloods that could hold the Alphahood over those who are purebred."

I bristled, my own aggression rising as I listened to him.

"One minute," Killian announced.

I turned my attention back to the two hybrids. I couldn't feel the influence of the man within the black lycan, but he seemed familiar. I prayed to the gods it wasn't any of the other guards. How am I going to keep them from eating me alive?

I got to my feet and started to walk around the black lycan towards Thomas. My alpha dominance had been able to influence him before. I hoped I could do it again. "Tom," I said slowly, locking eyes with him.

He continued to growl at me, tiny drops of drool trickling out of his mouth.

"C'mon, it's me...your favorite pain-in-the-ass," I said again. I met his eyes and held them. My dominance built in my chest, and Thomas slowed his movements. "Calm down, Tom."

The red lycan paused, his eyes still meeting mine for another moment before he lowered them to the floor. Relief filled my heart.

"Good," I said softly. I turned my attention to the black monster that was still snarling and snapping at me.