77

77

Lucian's POV

Although I was the one inflicting physical pain on Derrick, he was the one laughing. He was right, and what she said about emotional pains cutting deeper than physical pains was absolutely true.

The anger flowed through me, leading me to a state of near madness. Eventually, Alpha Derrick and I were once again caught up in a flurry of punches thrown at each other. And just then, I suddenly remembered a memory from my past.

I was under serious drilling against an officer in the pack. Normally, he would have been superior to me in everything, but at the time, I had already awoken the powers of an alpha and was able to match his prowess.

The only thing he had against me was his experience, which he capitalized on and maximized. Under his fierce assault, I began to cave in, but my father's strict voice rang out from beside me.

"Lucian, you need to know exactly who you are if you are going to wield the power within you. Alphas are built differently and are vastly superior to any other type of werewolf. Don't you ever give in to any opponent and admit to being weaker, even if that opponent is a fellow Alpha. And when the opponent is not an Alpha, make sure that you never lose. You must always remember that you are not only stronger, faster, and sharper than a regular werewolf, you are also superior when it comes to anything else. This man may have more experience than you, but you will not lose to him because you are an Alpha. Now I want you to channel the rage you are feeling into strength and rip him apart," my father had said in a loud, scolding tone.

Immediately, I grew so angry that the bright red in my eyes grew even brighter, and my fists tightened. I sent a punch at this experienced soldier, and before I knew it, he was smashed into a nearby rock. The strike I wielded at that moment was unfathomable, and gradually, my father taught me how to control it and use it at will.

Slowly, he began to show me the difference between a regular werewolf and an Alpha. He got some of the pack's strongest men and had them strike a device used for measuring strength. When they struck the device, the number 57 was shown on the screen. It was said that strength levels varied from one to 100, and that whoever could cross 90 wielded god-level strength. And it was said that whoever could reach 100 was probably a God in disguise.

These five men, who were hefty and ridiculously strong and capable of punching holes in wide trees, all struck this machine at the same time. Their combined force only got them to 57, and I was amazed.

As soon as they struck the device and the number was shown, they left, and my father stepped up. He rolled up his sleeve and got into a stance. This time, he alone struck forward with his eyes shining bright red, and he used what I believe was the entirety of his strength.

The punch was heavy, and the sound was loud. After a while, the number 73 was displayed on the screen, and I was flabbergasted. The thing that five hefty men struck at the same time, and yet their combined force was only 57. And yet my father, who had struck it alone, reached the outstanding number of 73.

"Lucian, would you like to know the difference between myself and those men?" my father had asked as soon as he punched.

"No, father," I responded, still completely shocked at how awesome the strength my father wielded was.

"The difference between the two of us is that they are regular werewolves and I am an Alpha. An alpha is blessed with far more strength than any other werewolf, and because of that, we are superior beings. But even on the alpha level, strength differs, and although training can increase one's physical strength, the most effective factor in bringing out the strength of an alpha is none other than deep emotion. It is said in legends that an alpha chief who ruled his kingdom quite fairly and was loved by everyone was suddenly attacked by a rival pack. Every single member of his village was murdered, including his wife and children. He unlocked a side of him he did not know he possessed and slaughtered the entirety of the other village. In the fight between the two alphas, it ended in a matter of seconds with the village chief striking out simply. They both were alphas, and yet there was such a vast difference between them. The more negative emotions you feel, Lucian, and how deeply they hit you, the stronger you will get. You may hate me now, but one day you will see a reason for all this training and all the pain you are currently experiencing," my father said, and his voice slowly trailed off...

The barrage of punches Alpha Derrick was throwing at me resembled those that my father used in drilling me back in the day. The equipment and people he used in training me were things that could easily kill me. He did that to unlock the reflexive side of me and maximize just how quick my reflexes were. If I were to make any slight miscalculation, I would be faced with death, and therefore I had no choice but to evade each attack.

Under the barrage of Alpha Derrick's vicious punches now, the training was coming back to me, and it was actually paying off.

I maneuvered my way in response to his punches and actually managed to evade each one. And eventually, when I saw an opening, I released a punch and smashed his face really hard with my fist. After which, I attacked relentlessly, giving it my all and venting out the emotions that were welled up within me when Elena disappeared.

"Eventually, Elena would have been mine, you know. There was nothing stopping me. Because as soon as she lost that troublesome child of yours, she would no longer have a reason to fight me. But then... things just had to go terribly wrong," Alpha Derrick said in anger.

I was enraged and lunged at him with all I had and smashed him into another wall. "Are you actually expressing empathy for Elena right now?" I asked, surprised at the strong emotions Alpha Derrick was showing for Elena.

"It doesn't matter the emotions I feel toward her. But what does matter is that after today, both our packs may go under. The thing is, in the end, after all this fighting and bloodshed over one particular woman, she won't even get to survive the ordeal. Fate can be cruel," Alpha Derrick said, shaking his head in disappointment.

"Stop saying that. Elena is going to live; there's no way she's dying," I said and attacked madly with all I had. I swung punches from left to right, and Alpha Derrick seemed to be able to block all of it. He didn't seem like a man that had much to live for, but he wasn't willing to die.

"Elena changed both of us, Lucian. She was so special. All along, I used to believe I was a man without any emotion whatsoever. But when I saw Elena, she changed everything. I could finally see why Edwina was so jealous of her and wanted to possess her for myself. We may be enemies, Lucian, but I have to say I'm jealous of you," Alpha Derrick said, with eyes that weren't simply red because he was an alpha.

We were in intense battle, and yet he could convey such deep emotions. It was mind-blowing. "Why are you even fighting this much? You haven't got much to live for. You are the leader of a motley crew of rejects. Why do you fight with so much conviction?" I asked.

"I am this emotionally attached because of Elena. She changed me in more ways than one. My life has been one very fucked up story since I was born. But when I saw Elena and touched her... I knew that there was more to life and wanted her with all I had. But I guess we just weren't meant to be. But that doesn't mean that there isn't someone out there that isn't for me. And I'm going to find that person," Alpha Derrick said.

"So you are just going to leave your pack behind? That's not the characteristic of a good leader," I said in shock.

"Trust me when I say that after today, there won't be much left here for me. It won't even be considered a pack anymore, and their numbers will be too few to be called a group. And therefore, I'm going for personal happiness, and that's all there is to it. But right now, you are the obstacle for that to be true, and that is why I am going to remove you from my way," Alpha Derrick said, and his attacks became more fearsome.

I responded with similar enthusiasm and didn't hesitate to strike at him with all my might.

Eventually, as the battle grew more and more heated, I was slipping deeper into the primal side of me, and I was certain my eyes were growing brighter. Eventually, I couldn't see anymore; I could only see red. Through this red haze, the city of Port Angeles fighting somehow became clearer to me. I was able to exploit this flaw in him, or at least this quirk I had just gotten.

It was now time for me to stop holding back, and I attacked viciously. It was as though his movements became slower, and I was much faster. I dodged each and every one of his attacks, but every single one of mine landed directly on his body. When he had too many injuries to keep on fighting at the same pace, he fell to his knees, defeated.

"I won't be ashamed if I went like this," Alpha Derrick said, with his face down.

"Maybe, just maybe, if we had been born brothers, things would have been way different. There are characteristics to you that aren't all that bad, and I think the events in my life shaped me into becoming the villain in many people's story. But you should know that I acknowledge you, and me killing you is no longer out of hatred, but I wish to free you," I said and raised my hand.

Alpha Derrick no longer resisted and simply left himself wide open for me to strike. I didn't hesitate, and I reached right for his heart and removed it from his chest. It was warm and beating until the beatings grew slower and slower until it was still. His eyes rolled back, and he fell to the ground with blood flowing everywhere. I had won. The battle was over.