Fated Enemies

Chapter 11 - Werewolves

Trying to fall asleep, pretending not to feel Edwin's eyes on her back, she began to feel a mental itch, an emptiness she had forgotten to check and tried to connect with the minds of her fellow pack members, but she quickly pulled herself into other fields, she still felt his strong cold hands squatting around her waist, she could not forget the feeling no matter how much she wanted it, though she didn't want to for once no one could not even admit that a werewolf was friendly with a vampire, let alone that she enjoyed the company of one, and despite the what always had been done and Edwin's bickering she was beginning to like his company, even more so after learning that the Night Soldiers were active again, it would be good not to have to face one alone, even in her Wolf.

She tried to remember what else was in the stories, but her tired mind took her into pre-war history before the war. At a time when Vampires and Werewolves lived in harmony, with nothing but a small dispute or misunderstanding, as if there were no difference of races, it was only after Leonidas had come to power that the real battles began and that rivalry settled. It was because of Leonidas that everything began that the sacrifices began, but what would have happened to trigger a war history had no memory.

Then Leonidas was killed in battle and his sister Simia took over, she tried to bargain for peace, but the evil was done and continued for a hundred years, causing the Council of Merchants to enter and compel them to sign a peace treaty, as it was because of the werewolves that the war had begun, they were the most harmed, but Alexa had doubts as to what History wrote in its books after all only the victorious ones dictate history. She also doubted that the fraternization of the two races was impossible, as they had already said. If it happened once then it could happen again.

She entered a semi-alert state, a typical state of werewolves when they were in nature, did not sleep deeply, but allowed a certain rest, however, what her subconscious caught up passed into a livid dream that carried her to the past that night as if it would try to show her something. Although not giving any news, it was interesting to see the unfolding of events and she was upset with the sun when it woke her up.

- Let's get us on the way! - Edwin said, just loud enough for her to hear.

- I know! - Alexa replied patronizing Edwin's humor.

Her thoughts still rattled over her dreams when she finally saddled Jax and jumped on it. Edwin went on going up and down, jumping from branch to branch, and she was stuck with her thoughts and talking to Jax, not that she was upset with it.

It was late evening when Edwin suggested that they stop at camp, despite being uncomfortable with everything they had said the night before, she had no choice but to accept the suggestion, he had not spoken to her all day and remained in the same gloomy mood of the last days. When the fire finally grew, he looked into her eyes, and before she opened her mouth, Alexa realized the suffering that was passing through his flesh, she saw through his brown hazel eyes the pain that was going through his bones and when he deigned to speak, did it in a low tone:

- I have to go hunting for me! - He announced, pressing the last words to her to realize what he wanted, without having to explain it. Alexa did not take long to realize that he needed blood and nodded, he did not need more incentive to leave, disappearing like a shadow in the night, leaving Alexa alone for the first time in years.

She did not feel her pack, at least not so much as when she was in the castle and knew that they did not feel her, but if she had to, she could send a message, she could tell by the tenuous feeling that there was no danger or complication with her kingdom and that left her rested.

She concentrated to hear the others' minds from the pack and she could hear them, she laughed at their's thoughts and frustrations, feeling the familiarity settle in, missing it, something she did not know she felt until tonight.

She was intoxicated by the feeling that when she heard the rustling of the dry leaves, she did not care until she heard the characteristic crackle of dry branches. She cut off the call and concentrated on her surroundings just in time to see a Night Soldier behind her in the wind direction, so she had not smelled it, nor had Jax alarmed her.

Panic filled her chest, the creature was even more horrible from the front, green and rotten branches were his body, eagle claws as nails, a black cloak hid the back, but in front, it was possible to see a spike like the one of a scorpion, something that had never been mentioned in the stories, his face made of dirt and rotten flesh with blood-red eyes, black fangs sprang out of his mouth, almost like a saber-tooth tiger, and glittered in the moonlight. The sword flew from its scabbard to her hand in a flowing gesture of years of training, a dagger came to her left hand to help and she stood there staring at the creature, praying that Edwin had not strayed so far and realized what was passing and come back fast, or she would have a sentence of long and painful death.

The creature attacked with the spike, Alexa defended himself with a blow from the sword, but nothing damaged the creature, not even a scratch, it was like trying to attack a wall with a butter-knife. It was then that Alexa realized that this would not go far and another prayer came to her lips:

- Please, Edwin, stay away! - She demanded, throwing her sword away, and opening the cloak.

As soon as the cloak was on the ground, Alexa's huge white as snow wolf was in place, her violet eyes marked her alpha and the creature seemed to laugh, with the sounds of snakes.

The spike was the weapon of choice for the second time, but it failed its target and hit the ground, but quickly it was against Alexa's side-firing her against a tree, yanking a whimper of the ain out of her. As soon as she recovered, the creature attempted to strike with the spike, Alexa jumped to avoid it and moved forward in the direction of the creature, she jumped going straight for the creature's neck, her jaws closing around its flesh, which looked like soft ground and trees while sinking her teeth she felt a sharp pain in her right flank, and the creature fell to the ground, she had succeeded in killing the creature, but not before it had succeeded in stabbing its spike on her flank.

She felt the paralyzing poison begin to act like fire, a pain she could not escape, a howl escaped her as if it were her last as if even her inner wolf knew she was doomed to death and did not want to do it in silence, rebelling against the world around it. She could not turn herself back to human, she knew she could not, the poison action was the same, in the form of the wolf it would act much faster, she should have two or three hours at the most, before finally moving to the world of the dead, leaving Zulcan without an heir or protector. The pain was indescribably entangled in her gut in a way that could not be possible, never in her life did Alexa think there was such pain, without being able to scream to relieve her, she could only whine small whimpers.

It was in a moment of desperation when a howl rang louder that she saw a form way too fast approaching and felt cold hands on her fur:

- What did you do Alexa? - Asked the male voice, full of grief and worry.

She looked into his eyes, how the wolf could distinguish the wrinkles of concern, he could make out the same gleam of the prey of the creature he had just hunted, though they were smaller so that within the rosy lips he looked like a normal human. Those lips, thin, closed in concern when she let out a yelp, he pulled the collar off one of the pockets, would not be a bad idea, if it did not kill her in the process, would delay the action of the poison for days instead of hours. Alexa tried to move her head, but unsuccessfully, he spoke to her calmly and gently:

- I don't know if this is going to work, but it does not hurt to try, does it?

Alexa should have been delirious, for she would swear she'd notice a touch of panic in his voice.

- Everything will work out! You will see it! It has to be okay! - He said, putting the collar around her massive neck.

She helped him by lifting her head to pass the collar, she whined with pain what made him say:

- Calm down, just a little! It will be over soon! - He said, with hope in the voice.

As soon as he closed the collar around her neck, she began to turn up, but the pain also became worse ten times worse which made her whine and howl and scream, until already in human form she surrenders to darkness and lost consciousness.