Chapter 24

“You're seriously going to do this." Martha voiced while my shackles sounded as I pounded leaves in a small mortal.

“I don't have a say in this Martha." I replied.

“But you have a choice Zeus,” she insisted.

I paused in my work.

“If I don't make this potion Green won't rest and she might do something drastic." I explained even though every part of my body hated the nonsense I was sputtering out.

“So, it's better this way." I continued pounding.

“And you're fine with this?" She queried as she sat on the floor opposite me. "For how long are you going to keep yielding to her?"

My teeth gritted for a while and my body stiffened.

“I'm not fine with it but I'm hoping one day she'll realize something," I said whilst my mind was busy playing my mate's heart wrenching words.

“Zeus if you don't take charge at one point or the other, Green will keep on repeating her love hate cycle for you."

I sighed.

“That's the thing, Green doesn't like to be taken charge of. She likes to be in control, and you know that."

“Let me help,” she mumbled as she retrieved the mortal from my hand. Pounding it gently. I suddenly recalled Peter and the last conversation we shared. And now we were alone, this was my chance.

“It's only been two weeks Martha. It's not going to be easy for a cold-hearted person to open up you know."

“I know,” she smiled sadly. "Believe me, I'm still amazed at how you can keep up with her attitude."

I smiled.

“But look at you, you've been friends with her for centuries now. Why? Isn't it because you love her? That regardless of her flaws you still see the good in her." I pursed my lips. "It's the same thing that applies for me too. I love her and that's why I'm just going through all this." Silence reigned between us for minutes before I decided to talk again.

“You know I've been wondering, Why does Green want the artifacts?" I asked and her eyes immediately lowered to the leaves.

“I can't tell you. You have to hear from her instead,” she quoted.

“Is it related to her dreams, the goals you told me she wants to achieve?"

“Like I said Zeus, I'm in no position to tell."

“I know." I pursed my lips. "But can you at least tell me this one thing."

“What?" Our eyes met again.

“This goal of hers, is it for something that will benefit us all?" I asked dearly hoping she would smile and just confirm positively but she hesitated.

“At this point, I don't know if it's right or wrong." I could pick the heavy dose of sincerity booming in her voice. "But if anyone can stop her or support her towards this goal, then it's you."

I sighed.

“But it will be too late. By the time she would think of opening up to me, she must have probably destroyed things."

“You know you're lucky. Her hatred for men knows no bounds but with you, well she's different,” she remarked.

“I guess this hatred has to do with her Father." I mumbled in despair.

“She told you about him already,” she exhaled. I nodded.

“Green was a completely different person seven hundred years ago,” she continued.

“She was sweet, innocent and unique. Her father was just an ordinary man before he met her mother. Marr came from the far descendants of royalty in the clan. She was a pure soul; her life was beautiful before she met that bastard.

Her father loved one thing more than his mate, power. He craved power like his life depended on it. He successfully wiped out Marr's family just to become the second in command. Yet Marr still loved him," she pursed her lips as the sadness in her tone dosed. "Perhaps due to the mate bond or because she was simply not strong enough to stand against her mate. Nobody knows."

My brows arched in a frown.

“And then they had their first child together, Green. The name Green wasn't just a random name they gave to your mate. It was because she was unique. She was different from the other vampires. Her Vampire eyes were green instead of the usual reddish black, she had other powers that only ancient royal vampires of our clan had. She could grow wings, shape shift, compel, curse and occasionally change the color of her hair at will,” she chuckled for a brief moment.

“But even with all this assortment of power, Green was weak compared to her father and the Vampire King. Her father maltreated them for years, one could say he hated them. And so did the Vampire King." She pursed her lips again, staring at the floor as if she were reliving those moments all over again.

“One day, her father tortured her little sister to death just because she refused to be part of the Vampire King's sex dolls. And another, he hunted down Marr publicly just for sports." Her gaze reverted to me as tiny hints of tears graced them.

“You should have seen the way he killed her mother. Tearing her to pieces as if they were enemies from the start." Her lips failed to move for a while. "That was Green's final straw. And all of a sudden, she just vanished. For hundred years completely but then she came back. And the Green we all knew had changed drastically. She was no longer the innocent, sweet and warm person we knew. She was completely cold hearted, monstrous, and overwhelmingly powerful. She challenged the Vampire King and trust me she killed him and his heir like chickens. And then her father, she did to him the same thing he had done to her mother." She smiled but it wasn't happy nor sad, it was one that carried so many emotions.

“Green is eight hundred years old this year." A tiny part of me celebrated hearing those words, at least I was hundred years older and there was still enough time for us to have children. But a major part of me was filled with sorrows, I couldn't even begin to imagine the amount of pain, rejection, and traumas she went through. Or how she recovered from them in the first place.

“Throughout the years, she only kept up to this principle." Her lips stopped again, hesitating on spilling those words. “Power corrupts men."

My frown deepened. I was about to spill a word but then I suddenly felt a burning sensation scourge my insides. My bones started cracking. I was losing control of my muscles, and Impulse was taking over, this time more aggressively than usual.

“Zeus," Martha called. "Zeus are you okay?"

I screamed as another bone cracked. I was transforming and then realization struck me tonight was full moon.

“Zeus!" She tried to touch me, but I snarled.

“Get away from here!" I yelled.

“I'm not leaving you, What's happening?" She pitched against my voice.

“I'm going to hurt you, leave!!" I screamed again as my right ankle broke free from its shackles.

“Zeus…"

“Go!!" I let out a powerful roar and my eyes morphed into bright blue. She shrieked, petrified with horror as my skin gradually morphed into black furs, claws and canines protruding. She immediately took to her heels, but I knew within myself, Impulse was going to hunt down every Vampire he smelt.

“Impulse, no!!" I groaned but my pain only worsened, my transformation quickened. And as the next second came, I blacked out. It was like I was tossed to the back seat while Impulse took control of the steering. With pain and regrets, I watched my Wolf howl, and then hotly chasing after Martha. Eventually, I caught up with her, but she failed to prevail against Impulse. His canines dug deep into her stomach; his claws decorated her spotless skins with long slashes. And just as he was about to give the killing blow, other Vampire guards came to the rescue.

I could feel Impulse anger uprising, his sadistic tendencies also heightened. He loved things like this, hunting, mercilessly killing his prey. I cried, I was becoming that monster again, one I had managed to keep at bay for years had finally been let loose. I barked at them, baring my canines to the cold air, enjoying the moon's beam gracing my shiny black furs. I studied each of them, calculating on who to tear first. It didn't even take a split second that Impulse decided, he lurched towards one and their formation scattered.

I kept on the fierce chase with my paws almost silent to the ground. They might be fast, but Impulse's speed was none like any other. As I almost pounced on one, I felt that familiar excitement, I felt that powerful aura that coming from the opposite direction.

“Green!" I screamed fighting for control back, but Impulse yet again overpowered me. He launched like a rocket towards her direction while I kept fidgeting, praying to the moon goddess my Wolf doesn't do something disastrous to my mate.

Surprisingly, he came to an abrupt halt few meters away from her. There she was with her skin glowing under the moonlight grace. In a simple ash top and a jean, she kept her gaze on me, but it didn't express hatred nor fear.

“Impulse,” she muttered in her soft voice. Admiration and worry gleaming in those grey irises. My Wolf stopped his incessant growls, his blood thirst died, rather, he became lovestruck just like the first time I met her.

She lowered towards us, beckoning us to come and like a good puppy Impulse was, he trailed towards her.

She ran her fingers along my fur, and I won't lie, my paws shuddered. The same Impulse who was on a killing hunt now became a playful Wolf dancing around my mate. Hearing her laugh, seeing her smile, it allayed all my fears. I decided to rest completely, assured my mate could keep Impulse in control.

***

My eyes faintly awoke to darkness, the darkness of my room. My furs had disappeared, my claws and canines were retracted. I was back to normal, bare chested and comforted by my king size bed. But the sparks were still there, and I could feel her endearing cold breath swarm my neck. My head tilted to my right sharply and there she was. Staring at me with a tiny smile, still in her clothes. And then I recalled everything that transpired, I gasped.

“Martha!" I exclaimed.

“She's fine, she's taken the antidote to your poison." Green soothed but it didn't stop the guilt from haunting me. I almost killed her. I wasn't even sure if I could face her after this.

“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to, but the pressure just seemed to overwhelm me." I muttered, sincerely hoping she wouldn't yell or orchestrate another type of punishment for me.

“You know, for a strong Werewolf like you, I can't believe you can't control your transformation on a full moon. You almost killed her, and you severely injured a few of the guards too," she said in a worried tone.

I heaved a sigh.

“I can control him actually." I paused whilst trying to find the right way to express myself.

“Then what happened?" She asked almost in a whisper.

“Remember that monstrous life I lived?" She nodded. "Well, it was basically due to the fact that Impulse was in control most of the time. My grandfather trained my Wolf to be a killing machine. Every time I transformed, Impulse always had this blood thirst and soon I had to stop transforming. I've kept him at bay until this night, I totally forgot the full moon and that's why he outsmarted me." I paused.

“I messed up tonight. I was a monster and I'm willing to accept whatever punishment for my actions." I whispered. She closed the gap between us, our eyes bonded while she placed her right hand on my cheek gently.

“It's not your fault Impulse is like that,” she said with heavy dose of sincerity.

“How did you even know his name?" I asked in disbelief.

“I just knew. I guess through our mate bond,” she answered.

“I'm sure you despise me for what I've done tonight, you must be disappointed you have a killing machine as a mate." I mumbled in a weakened tone. "I'm sorry Green, I'm so sor—”

She cut me off with a tender kiss on my lips.

“You're not a killing machine Zeus. Your Wolf is just as beautiful and strong as you are. With time, I believe he'll get better." She paused as her eyes focused on my lips. "So don't call my adorable Impulse a killing machine," she whispered and then our lips found their way to each other.

Once again, our lust and passion took over. My only prayer as I kept fondling her was that neither of us would regret this action when the morning dawned.