Chapter 10: Live or Die
I stumbled out of the vehicle as Kieran pushed me out, while stopping the massive Black Wolf on top of the car from tearing the roof off. He punched through the roof, then grabbed the Black Wolf’s ankle and tried to throw him off-balance.
“Hestia! Take Lind and find shelter!” Kieran commanded, before leaving the car to face the other Black Wolves as they poured from different directions.
My father, Alpha Heron, was second only to Augustus in owning a massive army of Black Wolves loyal to him and the Locke family. My fingers and toes were not even enough to count all of them.
The bounty over our heads must’ve been delicious enough to tempt these bastards.
“Are you out of your goddamn mind, Kieran? I can’t possibly leave you alone!”
Kieran did not answer right away. Instead, he made his way towards the front of the car, peeled the trembling Lind off of the driver’s seat, and pushed him towards me. He brandished two silver axes from underneath his coat, which he often carried wherever he went. “What, afraid your Vassal won’t live?”
“No, I’m afraid you’re outnumbered!” I countered, as my claws bared, decorated with my mother’s golden nail guards. I lifted the hem of my gown and took out a silver dagger, before pushing it to Lind’s chest. “We don’t run away. We fight.”
A smirk played at the corner of Kieran’s lips. However, before he could say another, another massive Black Wolf leapt through the window, lunging at him.
He did not even bat an eye as he swung his twin axes in one fluid motion. Kieran’s ruby eyes were calm and calculated.
He did not survive being a Rogue for nothing.
“Your Majesty, why don’t we make a bet? Highest kill count gets a reward,” he offered before storming towards the charging Black Wolves from the east. I took that as a sign and met the Black Wolves from the western portion of the woods, with Fluke taking over my body.
“You all have the nerve to go after a Queen candidate,” I growled as I tore off another Black Wolf’s neck. “Are you not afraid of retribution?”
One of them smirked and leapt towards me, his fangs bared. “I’m sorry, Miss Hestia, but your father offered the Heart of the Goddess in exchange for your head!”
I scoffed before countering his attack with my claws. I felt nothing as my claws buried deep in his face, the golden material of the nail guards melting his skin.
The Heart of the Goddess. A rare, antique necklace adorned with mana stones, believed to grant immense powers to whoever wields it.
It has been with the Locke family for generations, but none have ever been capable of taming the immense power of the necklace. Not even Medea, or me.
No wonder a lot of them would risk their life just to—
“Hestia, watch out!”
I blinked as soon as I heard Kieran’s voice, only to realize that one of the Black Wolves fired a rifle at me. I hissed as it grazed my shoulder. Wolfsbane and silver!
I retreated as soon as I realized that the new wave of Black Wolves carried ammunition, each fully loaded with the special kind of bullet that hit me earlier. While they caused minimal damage, there were too many that it was harder for me to heal immediately. I dragged Lind back to the car as bullets rained down on us, every graze and hit felt as if it was raining acid from the sky.
“Kieran!” I screamed as I saw Kieran get hit by a bullet in the left shoulder. I pushed Lind inside the car and locked the door as I tried to shift back to Fluke; however, the bullets grew in number as they rained down on me.
I dropped to my knees as I crawled towards Kieran. Fluke created a barrier around us as soon as I grabbed onto Kieran’s arm, but a shrapnel cracked the barrier and pierced the ground near my feet.
“It’s over, Miss Hestia. I suggest you drop out of the competition, give yourself to us, and just let Miss Medea be. It’ll be safer for you and this impure hound to…” The Black Wolf chuckled as he pointed his rifle at me, “become slaves to Her Highness and her Vassal.”
I gritted my teeth. Not only were we outnumbered, it was also evident that my father funded them well with weapons that could rival the ones the Kingdom owned. As if he had been preparing for something…
My eyes widened as a lone bullet hit the Black Wolf’s neck. He stood still for a few seconds before he fell and bled out, barely making any coherent sounds. I scanned the trees and saw a familiar figure emerging from the shadows.
He was still wearing the clothes he was in earlier at the banquet. Even his mask remained on, but how could I not recognize him?
His immense scent as a Red and the strong mate bond between us were both impossible to ignore.
“You…”
The stranger smiled as he cocked his gun once again. “Hello, trouble. Need help?”
Each bullet from his gun struck every Black Wolf he set his eyes on with deadly precision, so that for a split second, I could not help but watch in awe as he hit vital points that seemed impossible from that distance, even from an excellent marksman.
My blood ran cold as I heard a click from his gun. He buried his hand deep in his pocket, only to find it empty. Unfazed, the stranger threw the gun at an injured Black Wolf who was trying to charge at us, and hit him on the head. He stretched his neck as his sharp claws grew.
“My darling trouble, I appreciate you gawking at me, but you wouldn’t want to see what I’m going to do next. So… can you please drag that injured puppy away from here, as I handle these dirty mutts for you?”
He didn’t give me time to answer. Because as soon as I dragged Kieran’s heavy body away from him, the stench of his scent as a Red grew stronger and stronger, so that I could almost see the wave of his power around his body.
Black mist rolled from the woods, towards where the remaining Black Wolves were. And before long, the first blood-curdling scream from a distance from us echoed, as if warning me to move faster or this stranger’s power would claim my second chance in life too.
“Run, my little trouble…” he sang as he glanced at me, his dark eyes glinting through the mist. “Run for me.”