Chapter 40 40
Third Person POV
"What..." Adrian said a few seconds too late. He turned around to see Draven standing at the door. He stood there unmoving, unbothered, and domineering.
Adrian staggered back for a few steps. He wondered how much he had heard and the things he had said; he wasn't sure. "Is that what you said?”
“Are you going to take responsibility for that, Adrian?" Draven asked him uncharacteristically; Adrian couldn't find his voice. He knew what he wanted to say; he wanted to scream yes, that he would take back his woman.
Protect her even at the risk of him losing his life; he would burn the world if need be, just to please her. "What do you mean?" He found himself saying he regretted that he didn't feel confident enough to oppose his own uncle.
He had to admit that this situation was a precarious one where no one could be held at fault, but that didn't mean he was going to get down and not do what he really wanted.
"You? Adrian?" His uncle asked, "Would you carry the burden of her revenge for her?" He continued with a low chuckle. Adrian felt embarrassed but stood his ground.
“You were no where to be found when Zac attacked our pack and killed few of our men. So how would you help her get revenge?”
"I'm not stupid; I know what I'm saying," he spoke in defense. "Foolish," Alpha Draven said.
"You who had built the company of the family in affiliation to theirs, and now you tell me you wouldn't risk destroying the family company to ease the distress of a woman who wants nothing to do with you?" He asked calmly.
As Adrian listened to those words, the more foolish he felt he was, he hadn't considered how that would affect the future of the pack and its company.
"It seems you still have a lot to learn before becoming an adult; although you may look like one, you don't think like one," Draven said without care or affection.
Adrian gritted his teeth at these words; his rage was like a river that had been blocked; slowly it seeped through him, following through the cracks. He pointed at his uncle.
"Alpha," he shouted, "Are you really going to love her, cherish her, and be there for her? Will you protect her and be there for her like you were for me?" He asked furiously.
"Or do you intend to use her for whatever means you deem necessary?" He added, Draven didn't give much of a reaction; he simply looked into empty space, as if lost in thought.
"I intend to use her for whatever means I deem necessary," he replied. Adrian smiled at that; he knew his uncle enough and the replies he would most likely give.
"And after she has served her purpose, what next? What will you do with her, Alpha Draven?" He asked in a rush.
"Do you intend to discard her, leave her to herself in this house with no care, leaving her for another ten years? Dumping your responsibilities on her? And come back whenever you wish for her life, pretending like you never left."
The questions flowed out of his heart—all the thoughts he had, worries, everything. "What will you do then?" He asked, breathing a bit more than usual, but nothing changed Alpha about Draven.
He didn't seem fazed by his questions, nor did he look like he had heard all of what Adrian had just said. He looked at Hazel, who sat in her bed; her expression was blank.
Looking at the both of them, he didn't know what to make of this situation, but he knew in his heart that he wanted Hazel; his uncle didn't deserve her; he would do all he could to keep her to himself.
"I will do as I wish with my woman, Adrian." Draven's voice suddenly sounded, bringing Adrian out of his thoughts.
"It is my marriage, is it not, chosen by the moon goddess; unless she decides to leave, she will accept all that I give her," he said calmly.
Adrian looked at his uncle in complete shock. His anger that he had been holding in, suppressing for his uncle all these years, burst forth. "Damn the consequences!" Adrian shouted.
He drew out his claws and fangs and dashed towards Draven. Alpha Draven saw the attack coming and sidestepped, catching Adrian's right hand, but Adrian was fast enough to slash at Draven's chest with his left hand.
Adrian growled furiously as his uncle stumbled back, blood dripping down his chest. Adrian looked at his claws and smiled at his uncle, licking the blood of his claws.
"Stop this, the both of you just stop," Hazel shouted. She didn't believe it would escalate into something like this. She stood up from her bed, unsure of what to do.
She saw Adrian in his half-wolf form, standing with red eyes, fangs, and claws out, hair growing on different parts of his body.
"It's been a while since I played with my nephew, hasn't it?" Alpha Draven said as he stood up, the wound he had in his chest had stopped bleeding. "I'll give you Handicap Adrian, no enchantments," he said.
Draven burst forth, grabbing Adrian by his neck, and smashed him into the wall. The entire mansion shook at the force. Adrian coughed blood, but he held on relentlessly.
"Good, you're strong," Alpha Draven said, his eyes turning red as blood as he opened his fangs to bite Adrian, but Adrian kicked his jaw with his knee pushing his father backwards.
He grunted in pain; he couldn't believe his father was this strong. He heard Hazel screaming at the both of them, but he didn't care; it was a matter to settle between uncle and nephew, two men.
He watched his uncle as blood flowed down his jaw; he had broken his jaw with that kick, but Draven didn't seem bothered. Draven took a step, but before Adrian could react, a powerful kick sent him smashing through the windows.
He found himself in the air and changed trajectory to land safely on the ground. He looked up at the window where he had been; he stepped back a bit in fear.
What he saw wasn't his uncle but a huge black wolf, with eyes as red as blood, fur darker than the night sky. "Adrian stop," he heard, but he ignored the voice of Hazel.
"You're going to die; your uncle isn't himself right now," she screamed, but he deafened her words and changed into a wolf completely. His uncle was much bigger and stronger, but he was faster.
Adrian watched as his uncle jumped down to the ground, the both of them face to face. He looked at his uncle and wasn't sure what was wrong; he didn't seem like himself.
"Adrian, run now!" Hazel shouted once more. He looked at her at the windows up the mansion, and that was his mistake. His uncle smacked his right cheek with enough strength to bend steel.
Adrian cushioned the impact with his legs and back and immediately began running towards the trees. His uncle followed behind him, saliva dripping from his mouth as he looked at Adrian hungrily.
Adrian could feel his uncle’s intense bloodlust; it was unlike anything he had ever experienced before. He turned around and jumped to a tree, using his feet as support.
He dashed back to his uncle and bit as hard as he could into the neck of his uncle. He sunk his fangs into his back. Adrian tasted blood, his own blood, as he pulled away, realizing he had broken two of his teeth and lost a claw from his left hand.
He looked up at his uncle; he was unfazed, like he hadn't felt the attack. He finally understood what Hazel had been saying; right now he wasn't looking at his uncle; he was looking at a feral beast that would kill him.
Adrian immediately dashed away in fear, but as soon as he landed on his left paw, he slipped and fell; his left hand had broken from the attack earlier.
His uncle dashed at him, slashing at his back with iron claws. Adrian screamed in pain as blood dripped down his body. He tried limping away, but his father attacked him even more.
His uncle bit at his left hand, pulling at it. Adrian felt his elbow joint snap, then he felt irm sharp claws digging into his neck, tearing at his fur, leaving bloody scratches and wounds.
Adrian knew he was going to die; there was no way he would escape this fate. He felt the pain run through his body as he tried fending off attacks, but it was useless. Alpha Draven was too strong.
He felt a blow to his right cheeks and felt dazed immediately; he couldn't see properly; he felt the night grow darker and colder; he felt his life slowly leaving him, the continuous attacks from his uncle, unable to recognise his own nephew.
The last thought on his mind was the face of his mother as the darkness completely swallowed him.