Chapter 28

“You took my Family." The Lycan growled with eyes glowering like brimstone fire.

“And now you dare to wage war against my land, all for an artifact that will never be yours!" He yelled and the birds in the forest flew haphazardly in the air. But I smiled, admiring the little courage beaming in his eyes.

I glanced at his Werewolves, they were about four hundred or so. Flashing their golden yellow eyes, ready to lurch at me. But deep in their hearts, they knew they were no match for my elite army of hundred.

I took a few steps towards him, closing the meters separating us.

“All this could have been averted if you had simply given me what I want beforehand." I smirked.

“Not while I'm alive will the Werewolf Hide be yours,” he swore, and I wriggled my head.

“So, you've decided to lead these weaklings against me. All this innocent blood shed for nothing." I glared at the few my eyes could catch and the only thing I could sense beneath their bravery facade was fear.

“And do you think this meagre group of Vampires you arrange before me are enough to stop us?" He toned sarcastically. I turned backwards, admiring the cold stare on their faces. Just one order, this calmness of theirs would burn into anger and a deadly craving for blood.

“They're too much, to be honest." I chuckled and he frowned. "I mean, look at your puppies. They smell of weakness." I gestured.

“You only have Quantity but I," I pursed. "I have Quality."

“Have you forgotten? Werewolves bite are lethal to Vampires,” he retorted.

“Don't forget who I am too Damian, I'm not your regular Vampire. So why don't we skip this chit chat and let's get down to business, shall we?" I smirked and his teeth gritted.

“Give me the Werewolf Hide, I'll let go of your miserable family and be on my merry way." I announced but he took a step.

“Why don't we rephrase this deal. Release my family unharmed and I'll be merciful enough to let you off the hook,” he growled.

I heaved a light sigh.

“I guess I have to do this the fun way then." I toned sinisterly. My eyes instantly morphed into bright green, and claws protruded while my canines elongated. His guards took offensive positions while his eyes changed into threatening shade of Golden yellow. His clothes ripped of his body as his muscles expanded. Brown fur covered his skin and in the next second, Damian was already a tall wolf standing on its hind legs. Wolves like this were extraordinarily powerful but not enough to put me down.

We held our glances for a while waiting for who to lead the charge. Suddenly, he let out a powerful roar and his Werewolves charged at us.

“Kill them all!" I proclaimed as I flipped my fingers. I took in deep breaths before charging alongside my Vampires towards Damian.

We focused squarely on each other and in a split second, we had already neared each other. He threw a powerful punch to my face, but I dodged. I jumped midair to his side and in a bid to land a lethal kick to his head, he caught my leg. Yanking me to the ground repeatedly while the ground quaked. With every smack against the ground, my injuries were healing in an instant. And then he flung me, I crashed against several trees before finally getting my stance.

I hadn't even had time to think, Damian was already before me. My eyes exclaimed as I felt his punch tumble my stomach. I exhaled while blood sputtered out of my mouth. He grabbed my neck in a jiffy, his claws piercing my skin without mercy. He smashed me to the ground causing it to quake again.

Pain scorched throughout my body, and I smiled. For the first time, Damian was fighting with so much valor, for the first time he made me bleed. He grabbed my leg again and flung me again. I broke several trees in half again till I found my stance. Surprisingly, he wasn't before me like I expected. I gasped as his breaths graced my neck, how he had gotten behind me so fast I didn't know. But what I did know is, he bit me. I screamed whilst struggling to break free from his agonizing teeth. He threw me away and before I could even stand, he bit my ankle. I screamed again and he repeated the same cycle all over.

And after few minutes of bearings and bites, he stopped. Panting heavily with growls still protruding. I managed to rise again; my body drenched in blood from my own injuries. My uniform ripped by his claws.

“Is that all you got?" I started laughing, He snarled. "It's only been few minutes and you're already panting!" I continued. "Don't be a weakling, come at me Damian!" I yelled but when he still remained like a statue gasping for his breaths, my anger I had kept at bay exploded. I let my blood lust take control, my body ignited in green flames while he retreated few steps.

“You see, I hate weaklings and I also hate you, Damian," I said in a devilish voice as my flames increased.

“This is your last chance, hit me all you've got. Fight for your family!" I bellowed and he roared before trotting towards me with a blow aimed at me. But I caught it with my right palm, his eyes exclaimed, I smirked before tossing him to the ground.

“Even your best isn't enough." I blurted while he arose, growling at me. My flames began to spread haphazardly as I decided to go top notch. I let my wings out and his growls stopped, his eyes in horrific awe at my mighty green and black wings.

“My turn," I said. I rose few inches above the ground before lurching at him in a blink. I grabbed his right arm and with profound joy, I tore his arm off. He howled causing every attention to be directed at us. I grabbed his neck next before launching into the sky. I threw him father to the clouds, smashing his face with several lethal blows till he reverted to his human form.

As he almost crashed to the ground, I held his ankle while my wings flapped in a powerful stride. Letting him have a view over the forest and his Pack lands.

“Look. Look at your puppies dying miserably in the hands of my Vampires. See their hopelessness, hear their cries, see their blood raining over the leaves." I blurted, enjoying the view of scattered guts, the smell of blood and their helpless cries. I enjoyed every bit of it.

“This is what you get for daring me boy." I continued, admiring his disfigured face.

“Is this the same thing you want for your family, for the innocent members of your Pack?" I mocked.

“Please..." His voice could barely he head as he cried.

“Don't hurt them. Please."

“So, now you can cry, now you can beg." I laughed.

“G-green, have mercy. Please let my family go."

“And you know, right now I'm really hungry. Perhaps I could use your remaining members for lunch. Werewolves blood are one of the best meals you know."

“F-forgive me Lady Green. You've won. Just spare them, I beg you."

I heaved a light sigh, enjoying the soft breeze blowing across my face.

“Give me the Werewolf Hide and maybe I could spare their lives."

“It's in the Pack House, guarded by my Beta and a few guards,” he answered almost immediately.

“Good boy. You see, if you had simply listened to me in the first place perhaps you wouldn't be one handed with more than half of your army wiped out." I mocked. "Either way, I have no use of you anymore."

“Green, please don't let me go!" He screamed.

“Don't worry, you're just few meters in the sky. You won't die, maybe." I smirked before letting his leg slip away from my bloody hand. I reveled in his screams till he crashed to the ground. I took another deep breath and then flew swiftly towards the Pack House. As I landed before the magnificent building, my wings retracted, and I shape shifted into Damian.

I walked briskly into the building ignoring the guards that bowed their heads. I let my sense of smell lead me till I stopped before a door leading to my prize.

I grinned devilishly before smashing the door open.

“Alpha!" One of them yelled, one I presumed to be the beta.

“Where is it?!" I bellowed and he pointed to the archaic wooden box behind him, guarded by two heavy looking guards. I opened the box slowly till my eyes caught glimpse of the object.

“What happened to Green? Did you kill her? Did we win?! What are our casualties?" The Beta asked but I couldn't help but gawk at the shiny black Hide in the box. The anger in me were easily replaced with joy and satisfaction.

“Damian." The beta called again and then I heaved a sigh.

“Green can't be killed by your pathetic Alpha, you lost, and your casualties are uncountable,” I said to his face. They all stared confusingly at each other and then I reverted back to myself.

“Oh no." One the guards gasped.

“G-green," the Beta stammered, petrified to the core. Their breath ceased and they couldn't even dare to make a move.

“W-what did y-you do to our Alpha?" he managed to ask.

“You don't wanna know." I grinned. "So, if you know you want to die now, give me your best fight but if you know you still value your life," I pursed my lips.

“Be good boys and carry the Werewolf Hide to City of Marr." They glanced at each other for a while before nodding in agreement.

“Good." I chirped with a bright smile but deep inside, my body were already aching from Damian's poisonous bite. I needed to get home as soon as possible before the little ounce of strength in me exhausts.

***

“So, all that's left is the Dragon Stone." Zeus mumbled beside me as my guards carefully dropped the box at the beside the shelf.

I nodded unable to comprehend how to feel. He wasn't happy and, in a way, it bothered me. Perhaps he wasn't happy with the fact, lives were lost today or that I almost killed the Lycan. But it was because of him I refused to go further to attack helpless members of the Pack.

I sighed and then glanced at him.

“What's wrong?" I asked in a concerned tone. "You're cold."

He remained mute regardless, his gaze still fixated to the box.

“You need to rest so your injuries can heal up quickly."

That was all he could say before planning to walk away but I held him back.

“You need to rest Green,” he quoted again without even a glance.

“How can I rest when you're like this." My tone expressed my displeasure before I realized it. He finally looked me in the eye, his lips devoid of his beautiful smile.

“Every action I take, there's always a reason behind it. But today," his voice trailed off. "Today was different." My brows arched in concerns.

“Luna Isabel asked something today. Why was I doing this to their family? And I just couldn't answer." He pursed his lips, his pain clearly expressing on his face.

“I couldn't give an exact reason why I was doing this. Green, I don't know why you're fighting for these artifacts, I don't know what you need them for, but I hope your reason is worth the blood you're shedding."

I gulped down the saliva retaining on my tongue. My heartbeat started to pick pace and I knew he could hear it. I feared how he was going to react to the truth, I feared what he would think of me. At the same time, keeping him in the dark about my goals was eating him up. I didn't want him like this.

My lips parted and as the truth was about to reveal itself, Celine sauntered in. Our attention easily drifted to her, something I was thankful for.

“The Dragon Lord sent his invitation." She handed me a black letter. "He wants to have a talk with you at his home tomorrow evening."

My eyes briskly scaled through the writings just to affirm. I heaved a sigh and then glanced at Zeus.

“I'm coming along,” he said almost immediately.

“No, you can't." I disagreed, returning the letter back to Celine who then took her leave.

“We both know it's definitely for the last artifact, the Dragon stone. He might be planning to do something disastrous. This might be a trap for you,” he protested but I didn't want this to lead to an argument that would surely hurt both of us.

“It's not. I know Eren, he wouldn't." I wriggled my head while my head raced for countless possibilities.

“I have to be there, just to be on the safe side."

“Zeus, I'm going to do just fine. Sit this one out."

“And I said no. You can't just go to the Dragon Lands for an unknown cause, I have to be there for you."

“No, you shouldn't! You have a reputation with Eren remember?"

“And so, I can outsmart him again."

“If he finds you, he's go—”

“I need to protect you,” he cut me off.

“And since when did I need protection?" I frowned.

“You're my mate."

“And who says you're my mate?" I blurted and immediately regretted it. He took deep breaths, trying to hide the pain which he failed at.

He nodded.

“You're right. I forgot you only see me as a means to satisfy your gains,” he mumbled before easing through the door.

I heaved a heavy sigh. If only he could understand I was only doing this to protect him. If only he knew.