Chapter 235: PRIZE OF VICTORY

~CAMILLE

Death was coming for me.

My heart was pounding hard as Cassius and Vladimir held me down.

I was struck between shock and horror. I didn’t know how to act.

My whole life, I never thought death would come for me like this… I never thought this would be the end…

And my daughters…

My eyes slowly went to Odette and I saw that the calm she was trying to portray just moments ago was gone. It was replaced with fear.

She was trembling in Orion's strong grip, unable to break free.

“Camille!” She snarled, trying one last time to kick out of his hold.

“My child…” I mouthed, my tears masking my voice. “My poor child!”

“You need to run, Camille! Run!” She screamed.

The pain in her voice made the moment stand still. And somehow, it was no longer  Odette, the Old priestess… but my Dahlia.

Tears streamed down her eyes as she fought Orion's hold. “Mother, you need to run!”

Her screams jolted me back to the moment and adrenaline pumped through me like a drug.

I jumped to my feet, the sudden movement catching Cassius and Vladimir off guard.

I slipped off their hold and ran.

But where could I go? What about my child? How could I run and leave her behind?

Azarel would surely hurt Odette if I escaped… and then Dahlia was on the inside working hard to set the boys free…

How could I leave all of that behind me?

What sort of mother would I be?

“No!” I breathed, my legs suddenly turning around.

Rather than head for the exit, I started going around in circles.

“Camille, what are you doing?” I heard Odette scream at me.

But I was their mother. I couldn't leave them! No! I wouldn't.

Besides, I still had a task to complete.

With the beasts chasing after me, I used the advantage of my small human body to pass through obstacles.

And then, my eyes landed on the vial on the ground.

It was on the ground— completely open. And dangerous for me to try and retrieve.

But it was our only hope.

Pushing my fears aside, I ran hard.

I could literally hear the beasts coming for me. I could feel their heavy breaths on the back of my neck as they got closer, but I didn't stop. I didn't turn around.

With my eyes fixed on the prize, I went for it.

But just as my fingers grabbed the vial, Cassius beast caught up with me.

I tried to escape but his large form filled up every exit I could see. Before long, he grabbed me off the ground in a loud roar.

“No!” Odette screamed. “Cassius! Don't you dare do this!”

But her cries fell on deaf ears. Cassius slammed me hard to the ground and his claws came down at me.

Time stopped as I saw his eyes at that moment.

This wasn't the boy who called me Mama Dahlia… he wasn't the boy who always saw through my schemes…

This was the monster who was destined to kill me…

Tears left my eyes as my soul gave in to the impending claws…

The seconds slowly trickled and I anticipated the pain when suddenly, Viktor's roar filled the space.

Before I could tell what was happening, his body crashed against Cassius’ beast, forcing him to release me.

My brain shut down in the avalanche of emotions that crashed into me. But my body knew how to stay alive.

Somehow, I crawled away from them as they toppled over one another in a violent fight.

Vladimir's beast was coming to join in when suddenly Kalista cried out;

“TEHLEEMAH WANAH!”

Immediately, all the boys froze.

My eyes scanned for her and I saw her. She was holding her hands out in a tight stance that probably held the spell too.

Because she was trembling and blood seeped down the corners of her mouth, yet she didn't break off.

She stood there and held her ground.

“What is this?” Azarel growled.

His dark eyes began to glow red flickers in them as he took a dangerous step towards the boys.

“Yo pe… Tehleemah!” Odette suddenly yelled, throwing the same spell at him.

She took Kalista's stance. But while she wasn't spitting blood, I could see the strain in her popped veins.

My heart shattered. My body shook from where I remained on the ground, looking from one to the other…

“Viktor… she can't hold him for long— they can't hold them for long…” I cried out.

Viktor gave one look at me and then turned to Azarel with a determined glare;

“I am going to wear him down. When you get the chance, inject him!”

My heart resumed pounding hard. It felt like my whole world was coming undone as I watched Viktor descend on Azarel.

The moment he gave the first attack, Azarel broke out of the spell— and Odette collapsed to the ground holding her head.

I wanted to run to her. I wanted to hold her… protect her…

But I knew that the best protection I could give her was to complete my part of the mission.

I got to my feet and tightened my hold on the vial. Then I kept my eyes on the fight ahead.

My goal was simple. I needed an opening to inject Azarel—

But this was no small fight. It was a clash between the greatest Vampire Elder and Beast I have ever known.

Azarel was faster and more ruthless with his attacks. But Viktor still found a way to adapt to every move.

His body morphed into his full wolf and the balance seemed to become normal.

His assaults increased and Azarel's speed was standing to drop.

The gods seemed to be on our side and I was starting to prepare to come in…

But suddenly, Azarel switched cause Rather than attacking Viktor, he ran towards me with a speed I couldn't counter.

“You fools!” He roared as his claws flashed before me.

My blood turned cold but I refused to be helpless. He might have been close to a god, but I was a mother!

I raised the injection ready to strike…but he moved like a speeding car on the highway.

One minute he was far away, the next he was right in front of me with claws of death.

My eyes widened as once again death came for me.

But the gods played a trick on me.

Time seemed to stop as I saw something that shouldn't have been possible.

“Camille…” Viktor groaned right in front of me.

It echoed in my head over and over. My wide eyes almost popped out as I realised what was happening.

Azarel had his whole clawed hand digging into Viktor's chest!

“No…” I gasped, refusing to believe my eyes. “No, Viktor… no…”

“It's over, fools!” Azarel roared, ready to claw out Viktor's heart.

But Viktor held his hand in place with strength that I couldn't even muster.

“No, it's not over… Camille, now is your chance!” Viktor choked, blood spilling from his mouth.

Somehow, my body recovered and I stabbed Azarel on the neck with the vial injection.

Immediately his eyes darkened and he let out a roar of pain;

“NO!”

The poison turned his veins dark and I watched in shock as it spread through him in seconds.

His body started to violently tremble and he fell to the ground.

Only then did my body snap out of shock because even Viktor’s body dropped too.

“Viktor!” I cried, holding him in my arms. “Viktor, please stay with me…”

His lips stretched into a smile and he was about to speak when heavy gasps filled the air.

Our eyes turned to find the boys awake in their real state. Their eyes looked wide with disorientation.

But as soon as they saw their father on the ground, they ran to us.

“Father!” They chorused as they took all sides of him.

“My boys…” Viktor winced as he held them one after the other. “My boys…”

Tears trickled down his face, mixing with the blood on him and shattering my heart as I watched on in silence.

“Father, you will be fine okay…” Vladimir started to get up. “I’ll go find the healer—”

Viktor held him back, the smile on his face stretching further. “My Vlad… my brave Vlad… I am sorry…”

Vladimir froze.

“I am sorry for— for torturing you. Please, forgive me… all of you…”

He tightened his hold on Orion and Cassius too.

“I am sorry for not being the best father…”

The tears in my eyes became too much for me to hold. And my chest felt like it would explode as I held him tight.

“Viktor please… stay for your children…” I cried, even if I knew that his heart couldn't beat more than a few more minutes.

And from the ghostly smile on his face, he knew too.

“Camille… beautiful Camille… thank you for everything…”

“Viktor…” I whimpered, refusing to hear those painful final goodbyes.

“Camille…” he whispered, in a softer tone that made my heart stop. “For the record, you didn't need the charm because… I ended up falling for you, even without it…”

The air stood with those words as my heart sank and then, I helplessly watched his smile fade away as life slowly left him…

And I felt it, a pain so familiar it threatened to rip my heart out. Shocked tears filled my eyes as I stared at his lifeless body.

The greatest Lycan King— Viktor Ravenwood… was dead.