Chapter 119 - Who am I?
Kaiden POV.
How? Why? When? Even standing in front of me I don't want to believe it, it can't be real, Melvin would never become what I'm seeing. The boy that I knew that I lived with, that was my best friend! That boy would never have chosen to become this creature so... so... I can't even find a word.
Everything seems to be slowing down, and it really was, one second stretched into so much more and as I hear and see what my beloved is suffering and how the future could have been my disbelief turned to anger.
'We will avenge her!'
I heard my wolf speak, and I shuddered, I don't just want to avenge my beloved, I want to destroy that creature because that being was not my friend and never would be! Melvin, the warrior within the Silver Rage pack had died and that was an aberration!
I don't fight this pressure that is around. I don't want to, because I know that when I get free, I will turn, and I don't know if I will want to control myself.
I let Lestat and Erick keep that bubble of time and gravity. I know I can't turn my face to look at Lestat, because his glow starts to overshadow the darkness and shadows that are in front of us. The heat of his body could burn others, but never those or me who share the bond.
I took a deep breath and closed my eyes, focusing on the images I have of my friend, of our childhood games, every time we were grounded because we had broken something or missed classes.
That boy full of life who fell in love with Hope, afraid to propose, asking me for advice on how to get close to her, the first bouquet we picked together, the new t-shirt and jeans for the perfect date, a silly smile and the nervousness exuding from him.
Their first kiss by the lake, our slumber parties, the antics inside the practice and out, the hunting and the teasing and that day he came to tell me he had finally spent the night with Hope...
The two of them were happy that day and of course, we made jokes, but they didn't even care about the way they looked at each other. Hope couldn't see anyone else but Melvin and neither could Melvin see anyone else. The two of them were in love with each other and that was fine.
How had that boy turned into the creature in front of me? What twisted path did he take to get to this state?
I opened my eyes again the moment that bubble broke and the smell of Hope's blood spread, my wolf wanted to force the transformation.
'He still dares to hurt her?'
My wolf is clawing and wanting to tear at my mental wall, it's not like I don't want to release him, but I know this isn't the time, not yet and I take a deep breath, closing my fists tightly, feeling my nails lengthen and tear at my flesh, drops of blood begin to trickle between my fingers.
'Trust Erick.'
I warned my wolf, and I felt him calm down, but he was still pacing back and forth and through the bond, I felt something different. Hope had just bowed and accepted Erick as her King and that was almost like breaking the oath we have with the Crown.
If Erick had been banished, that would have meant betraying the King and making us traitors. I turn my face slightly, and I can see the desperation in Kendrick and Dylan's eyes, they know what that means. Betraying the crown wasn't just about us being considered Rogues...
Kendrick had sworn an Oath of Blood and Soul to the King when he became his personal guard, he could reject the oath and then we would be Rogues, but to betray the oath...
Before we could say anything, a scream echoed and the chains that are on my feet undo and I see that darkness advance, I barely manage to dodge and not let that tentacle surround me.
As a counterattack, my body transformed.
'As one.'
I said to my wolf.
'As one.'
My wolf agreed with me.
Our claws managed to cling to that darkness and began to climb, the corruption that should affect me has almost no effect because what we are is very close to what this creature would be, but we chose the right side to fight, the side that it should have chosen!
"Mine! I will kill it!"
Those words reach my ears before I can get close to where that being's neck would be and my body shudders, again I don't want to believe it, but I know who is talking.
I turn my face, and I can see a female body very close to Hope, while Erick is fighting his brother. Those blonde hair now with a kind of black liquid dripping from the ends, her curves so voluptuous but corrupted at the edges, I don't need to see her face to know exactly who it was.
Hope answers something that doesn't reach my ears, but I jump towards that woman, before Erick can do anything, using the force of the fall to hit my enemy harder, I hit her back and Hope takes a step to the side and lands next to her.
That woman turns around, her once perfect face now covered in anger.
"He's MINE!"
She screams, and I let out a growl that makes her flinch.
"I am no one's and at the same time I am in everything!"
My voice along with my wolf's came out, and I see the woman struggle to look at me.
"You rejected me to be with her! I am your other half!"
That woman spoke and I can smell her hurt and sadness, but it doesn't affect me, maybe it would have affected me before if I hadn't seen her attack the one, I swore to protect!
"You brought this on yourself. You did not accept my rejection!"
I spoke again and lunged forward, but that woman dodged, only instead of attacking me I saw her attack Hope with a kind of black dagger.
Hope held the blade; her gaze was cold, and I bowed to her presence.
"You're just a poor thing. You would never be worthy of someone like him!"
My beloved's voice echoed so loudly that everyone inside the capital heard it.
"You don't even know who he is."
This time Hope whispered and pushed the woman towards me, and I took the opportunity to bite her shoulder and rip off a chunk.
"I am the inevitable, as long as there is still any energy left, I will still be there..."
My eyes met Hope's and I saw her smile.
"You can call him by name... Because it will be the last thing you do."
My beloved's voice echoed low enough for only the three of us to hear.
In response, the woman who had once been my Mate shifted.
"Who am I?"