Chapter 22: Luke Meets The Crow

"Damn it! That Axel is as stupid as he could get! What a fucking cunt!" A red-haired man, bloodied and wounded, leaned against a Wisteria Tree. His white-as-pearl canines flashed when he grinned. The predatory glint within his golden eyes shone like embers of insanity amid the darkness that surrounded him like a cloak.

He was ambushed. Just as he was on his way to the Blood Claws Pack after years of absence, his dear ‘friend’ decided to surprise him with a very 'warm' welcome.

And now, he, Luke Cain, was wounded by the loyal mutts of his beloved friend. His claws that retracted just now throbbed upon remembering what happened to the foolish subordinates of Axel Crescent – the vindictive and petty son of a bitch.

They were all dismembered. Not a single limb was attached to their bodies, not even their heads. Luke looked forward to the moment that his beloved friend would match make the severed body parts together. Imagining Axel's grim expression was like a douse of medicine to his wounds.

Luke Cain touched his chest. Blood stained his palm. His cruel grin did not vanish even after seeing his own blood flowing from his torn chest. One more centimeter and his heart would have been pulled out from his body. "My beloved friend finally decides to show his canines."

Closing his eyes as he leaned on the tree trunk, Luke did not lose the grin plastered on his face.

The pain from his torn flesh could not be seen in Luke's expression. But the pale face and cold sweat did not hide the sorry state he was in. It was only a pity that he did not bring a pill that would heal him instantly simply because he was too complacent.

He was too complacent this time that his beloved friend managed to hurt him to this extent. Who could blame him? The last time Luke saw his former classmate, that pathetic fool was still a coward hiding from his gentle facade. Who would have thought that Axel Crescent would shred the cordiality and ambush Luke this time?

'That friend of mine is desperate. Something must have happened and he is venting his anger to me. What a sick fucker.' Luke thought. This was the only reason that Luke could come up with why Axel Crescent had done this thing which was not the typical style of that two-faced son of a bitch.

Sliding down his body, Luke decided to rest under the Wisteria Tree until he would be able to regenerate. Though shifters were inferior to vampires in terms of regenerating wounds, Luke was still part of the alpha bloodline of the Blood Claws Pack and that counted something.

Awooo!

A howl shattered Luke's plan of regenerating slowly under the Wisteria Tree!

As a pair of golden eyes opened immediately, a flash of savageness flickered within it for a fraction of a second. After a blink of an eye, it disappeared as if it was never there; replaced by the usual mischievous gleam.

Sighing loudly, Luke tugged his shoulder-length red hair as he stood up slowly. His grin widened. "The mutts are back. But why are they coming from the direction of the Blood Claws Pack?"

Luke glanced in the direction where the sound of howls was coming from before he turned around to leave immediately. He knew that he could not rest here anymore, not when the ones from the other end were Axel’s subordinates — the elite among the elite of the Crescent Pack.

Unfortunately, Axel forgot one important thing and that was Luke Cain was already an official member of the Werewolf Committee’s scouts. He had passed the rigorous training while Axel did not.

'I need to hide my tracks.' As someone from the Werewolf Committee, it was basic knowledge for Luke to cover his tracks.

Though wounded, Luke's back did not lose its imposing stance when he walked away as if he did not sustain any serious injury at all. His pace was fast yet calm and his back was straight and proud yet fully on alert.

As he left the ground of the ancient Wisteria Tree, not a single trace of blood or scent could be sensed as the imposing predatory man disappeared into the darkness.

---

"Fuck you, Axel," Luke growled as he staggered to the nearest tree trunk. "I will teach you a damn lesson the moment I see you, fucker."

 A series of profanity escaped from the pale-looking Luke. He had walked a good distance from the Wisteria Tree yet the sound of howls did not leave the parameter of his safe zone.

As time floated, Luke could feel the strain from his wound. Though it was indeed regenerating on its own slow pace, his energy was almost depleted already! This was bad! Very bad!

'I cannot let that fucking friend of mine have his way on my precious body! No way!' Luke could only whine at the back of his mind.

His pace was greatly reduced and the howls became louder and closer to him. His breathing became rapid. And his vision started to become blurry!

The fucking trees around him were practically dancing! It hurt his eyes that he wanted to close his eyes! But he could not dare to close his eyes, not when the thought of sleep was lulling.

This was getting bad. So bad that he could not manage to pull a grin on his pale face anymore.

"Just you wait, Ax –"

"Are you Alpha Dylan’s younger cousin?"

A sweet lark-like voice interrupted Luke from his frantic frenzy of venting his anger. On instinct, Luke snapped his gaze to his east where the sweet voice came from.

The moment his golden eyes met a pair of obsidian ones, a hint of primal savagery flashed from the depths of the beast-like orbs.

Her face was small and exquisite. It was like a plum in the midst of snow, so delicate and serene. The moonlight sheen that glowed behind the delicate creature revealed slowly her mesmerizing features. It was as if the creators of the world took their sweet time crafting this being in front of him.

For Luke, whose mind went static, could only come up with one word to describe the enchanting being in front of him.

Ethereal

His gaze was predatory. He looked at her like how a beast stared at its prey.

"You..." Stumbling from his words for being at a loss to what to say first, Luke's primal need threatened to unleash. The control that he was once proud of crumbled in front of her. "Be my woman."

This was the only way how he could describe the need that was etched in his bones, no, to his soul.

She was his mate.

Lucien momentarily forgot his wound, or the werewolves chasing him, or even his friend. His thought was filled with how to make the ethereal being stay.

The arrogant red-furred beast whined at the back of Luke's soul, asking for a release from its control.

Before Luke could even take a step forward, his mate morphed into a black crow in front of him before flying in the direction where the Blood Claws Pack was located.

“A shifter?”