40. May the Goddess lead you.
**Kieran**
We blow up one of the walls without resistance from the guards. No one is guarding the necessary posts, and the city looks a little more dead than it usually does. I know how the Elite sends out their guards to ensure both the safety of the city and the obedience of humans, but today, there are none, as if they're expecting us.
I turn to the Alpha and tilt my head towards the empty street. "Is it possible that someone among your people could have warned the Elite?" I ask and instantly understand my mistake. To fix it, I glance over my shoulder and face the men who followed their Alpha. "I'm not talking about warriors; it's more believable that someone with information about pack plans could have sold them to the vampires."
"Rodrigo," one of the warriors snarls the name as if it makes him sick. I raise an eyebrow but don't talk, aware he will explain. "There's this guy, Rodrigo; he knows everything about our plans and draws up the maps for us. I know he has some money shit going on, so if anyone tells the leeches anything about our plans, it's him."
I nod but don't dare to utter a word. It's not my place to order them around or give my opinion if it's not asked for. I will follow the Alpha's commands and focus on important parts of this mission- Ocean and Octavius. For all I care, the wolves can burn this damned city to ashes, but not before I get my family out.
I turn my gaze back to the Alpha and nod. "I'm going after her; remember, my brother is untouchable; you know where to find him. Once they are safe, I will personally kill every single vampire you point your finger at."
The Alpha motions to his men to leave in different directions, just as we planned back at their base. The warriors know everything I could tell about the possible traps in the streets and how to notice them, so I'm not worried about them.
The Alpha places his hand on the back of my neck, pulls me close until our foreheads rest against each other, and whispers, "Stay safe, brother, may the Goddess lead you."
With those words, he leaves and disappears into the shadows. Now, off to my purpose- Ocean. I can feel her, so locating her won't be that hard. What worries me is that she's not in the mansion; she's extremely close to the wall, so I need to prepare myself. Someone tried to take her from me, and this someone is about to suffer the worst consequences the vampires have seen.
As the thought crosses my mind, I let my senses take over, and my mind fades for good. All I can see is red, and even when I break down a metal door to fuck knows what kind of building, barge in and break through masses of guards, I still see nothing but red. Now, it might be the blood that blinds me, but I don't give a shit because once I walk down the hall, claw through another line of defence and kick the door open, my breath hitches.
In the middle of a vast room, Ocean sits chained to a chair; not a single soul stands near her. Whoever is the fucker who took her, he's gone.
My eyes scan the surroundings and stop on a corpse near Ocean's feet. It's a woman, and I'm pretty sure she's a part of Elite, but once my eyes notice the blood near the corners of her lips, I smile. "That's my girl," I praise Ocean as I step closer.
The bitch who decided to feed on my woman brought her death upon herself. The greed she felt for prime blood was more she could take. Just because I didn't die because I fed on Ocean doesn't mean others could be half as lucky as me. I'm not like them, hence the reason why her blood doesn't harm me.
As soon as I break every single chain on her, I frown at the bruises on her skin. My woman is perfect, and she is supposed to stay that way; no fucker has the right to change her in any way.
Carefully, I scoop Ocean in my arms, and she instantly wraps her arms around my neck. The last thing I expect is a kiss, but when her lips press against mine, I don't try to stop her.
I missed this. I missed holding her in my arms, feeling her lips against mine, and even more, I'm dying to be buried inside her again. Soon, that's something I'm getting as soon as we get some privacy, but until then, I need to get her out of here.
I break the kiss far too soon, even for my liking, but I can't allow myself to get carried away. "Later, first, I need to get you to safety. We're leaving this God-forsaken place for good," I whisper against her lips and press the last, quick peck to them.
Ocean nods and rests her head on my shoulder. I'm so used to her smart mouth and remarks that the silence catches me off guard.
But that's okay because later, I will question her about everything that happened in that fucking place, and as soon as she tells me every single detail about what those sickos did, I will hunt them down.
Even if it's the last goddamn thing I do before I die, I will kill every fucker who dared to wrong the woman I love.
As I carry Ocean over the piles of bodies I left behind, she doesn't look in the direction of blood and corpses. I'm glad she doesn't because views as such are the last things women as gentle and fragile in spirit as her should witness.
Just because of my fear of what she might think of me now, I hurry out of the underground premises and carry Ocean up the stairs. When we get on the street, I notice some of the wolves guiding humans out of the ruins of the city. Others slash vampires as if it's the only thing they know how to do, but I can't notice the Alpha anywhere near us.
"Are we really leaving?" Ocean finally speaks up. Her voice is a mere whisper, and if it weren't for my heightened senses, I doubt I would catch on to her words.
"Yes. It's a long story, but we're on the werewolf side now. We might live within a pack now since they accepted me as one of theirs. But don't jump to conclusions just yet; we still need to get Octavius out of here. That's the part of our deal- wolves do whatever the fuck they want, but you and my brother are untouchable." I explain as my eyes frantically scan the streets.
The Alpha should be here by now, but the more I try to notice him, the less I can notice in the dust and remains of the buildings. I have no idea how this tiny army managed to do such damage while I got Ocean back, but one thing is clear- they don't play around.
Right as a warrior passes us, I stop him, "Has Alpha returned?"
The man looks between Ocean and me a couple of times and then shakes his head. Though I couldn't fully trust anyone with my woman, I trusted the wolves more than I ever trusted the vampires.
I step closer to him and clear my throat, "Do you think you could take her to the camp and ensure she's safe while I check on Alpha? I need to make sure he and my brother are safe."
"That's her?" A grin appears on his lips, and his eyes sparkle a little. The look suits him and shows off how genuinely kind the man is, unlike most vampires I've met.
Even though I have no idea what might be his name or anything about his past, I still have a feeling I can put way more trust in this guy than anyone else.
It's odd how the goofy grin on his face makes me smile as I reply. "Yes."
"Sure, man, everything you ask for. Should I carry her there and get someone from the pack to come to the camp? I could get a nurse to check on her." He offers.
I let the idea play in my mind for a brief moment before I settle on the best course of action in our position. "That would be greatly appreciated, but I'm pretty sure that aside from a few bruises, she is alright, just frightened. I don't know how much time she spent locked down there, so it would be better if you carried her. I owe you," I add the last part to emphasise how much I appreciate the help these men are giving me.
I know they don't ask anything in return, but I still don't want to be the guy who uses someone's kindness just because they can. Besides, I am more or less a vampire, and I want to prove that I didn't lie when I claimed there are good vampires. Every barrow of apples can have some bad ones, but that doesn't mean you have to throw out the entire content before you can check if some aren't good.
As I think of the odd wording my brain produces in such a tense situation, the warrior shakes his head and opens his arms for Ocean. "No, you don't. We're family now, and family takes care of their family."
Ocean tightens her hold around my neck, so I draw a few circles on her back to calm her down. "Listen to me, love. This man is one of the werewolf warriors from the pack I was just accepted. These men, all of them, are trustworthy and hold your best interest at heart. You don't need to be afraid because they are here to help. I need to get Octavius and the Alpha of the pack back to safety, but I'll be back at your side in no time. Trust me, okay?"
Reluctantly, she nods and allows the warrior to hold her. I stand aside and watch how a stranger carries away the only reason for me to stay alive, and for a brief moment, I doubt if I'm making the right decision. If anything were to happen to her because of a poor decision I made, I couldn't live with myself.
As much as I would like to stay at her side, I shake my head and remind myself why I had to let her go: Octavius and the Alpha.
"The sooner I get them, the sooner I get to hold Ocean," I mutter, encouraging my body and mind to focus on what is important.
While I stand aside like a fool, werewolves and vampires clash in a battle till death, and the entire city slowly becomes a carnage.
My eyes scan the mess, and before I know it, I'm moving toward the mansion. If Octavius isn't there, I can call my brother a traitor. He isn't one to escape a battle or fight if it breaks out, but if he did, it means he chose to follow the Elite.
Just thinking about possibly losing him after all these years hurts, but if that's something he chose for himself, I can't stop him, no matter how much I wish he's still there.
When I reach the building I once called home, I barely recognise it. Whatever is left can't be called a building anymore, just piles of brick and broken furniture. It can't be that my brother is still here; Octavius wouldn't stay around destruction like this.
However, just as I give up and turn my back to the ruins, a sound catches my attention. I spin around faster than ever before and move closer. The sound, or should I say sounds, becomes louder.
Aside from the pile of bricks, some rooms on the first floor seem to be intact, and once I get over the obstacles, I'm beyond surprised to see the Alpha and Octavius fighting.
Before they can create actual damage, I growl, "What the fuck is going on here?"
Both men snap their heads in my direction, and while my brother looks Royally pissed, the Alpha grins at me like a fool. I focus on the one who appears in a better mood and look at him, expecting an answer, anything. He huffs, glances at Octavius, and then back at me, "It's his fault. He refuses to believe he is my second chance mate. I swear, my friend, the Moon Goddess, that woman is taking a piss out of me these days, and I can't do shit about it. At this point, even I don't know what pisses the pretty leech more, the fact that a dog is fated to him or that for once, he's second, not first."