Chapter 31 The Clash Under the Twin Moons
Klishei’s eyes flew open. Standing at the edge of the clearing, bathed in the ethereal glow of the twin moons, was Yeseus.
His dark hair, usually meticulously styled, was slightly disheveled, framing a face etched with grim determination. His clothes, a simple dark tunic and trousers, seemed to absorb the moonlight rather than reflect it. But it was his eyes that held her captive—a fierce, blazing blue that pulsed with an otherworldly light. They were fixed on Daevar, a promise of violence simmering beneath their surface.
Daevar’s snarl deepened, a guttural challenge. “The Alpha who slaughters his own kind. You dare show your face here?”
Yeseus took a step forward, his movements fluid and precise, like a predator stalking its prey. “I dare to protect what is mine.” His gaze flickered to Klishei, a flash of concern, then hardened again on Daevar.
“Yours?” Daevar scoffed, a sneer twisting his features. He held Klishei tighter, pulling her against his massive frame, his arm a bruising band around her waist. “She bears my mark. She chose me.”
Klishei flinched, the bite wound on her neck throbbing. She tried to pull away, but Daevar’s grip was unyielding.
Yeseus’s blue eyes blazed brighter, an inferno of rage. “Her choice, or your coercion?” His voice was a low, dangerous growl, each word laced with menace. “Release her.”
Daevar laughed, a harsh, mocking sound. “Or what, Alpha? You’ll kill me? You’ll risk her life in the process?” He pressed his lips to Klishei’s temple, a possessive gesture designed to provoke. “She’s mine now. My Phoenix. My mate.”
A primal roar tore from Yeseus’s throat, a sound that shook the very ground. He moved, not with the stealth of a wolf, but with the raw, untamed power of a hurricane. The air around him shimmered, charged with an invisible force.
Daevar shoved Klishei away, sending her sprawling onto the ground near her grandparents. The world spun for a moment, then righted itself. Her neck throbbed, a dull ache spreading.
“Klishei, wait for me there, okay?” Yeseus softly said, his eyes still locked on Daevar.
White light enveloped both of them. Two beasts now stood on opposite ends, one black and the other white. There was a roar and the two figures collided. A flurry of claws, fangs, and fists erupted in the center of the clearing. The night filled with the sounds of snarls, grunts, and the sickening thud of flesh against flesh.
Klishei scrambled back, crawling towards her grandparents. Lo Garyan was stirring, groaning softly. La Meiphi remained still, her face pale in the moonlight.
The battle raged. Yeseus moved with a controlled ferocity, his blows precise and devastating. Daevar, a brute force, relied on his sheer size and raw power, his claws tearing at Yeseus’s skin, leaving shallow gashes on his arms.
A sharp crack echoed through the clearing as Yeseus delivered a powerful kick to Daevar’s ribs. The werewolf staggered back, a pained grunt escaping him, but he quickly recovered, lunging again.
Klishei watched, her heart in her throat, a strange mix of fear and a desperate hope churning within her. Yeseus had come for her.
Daevar, enraged, caught Yeseus in a crushing bear hug, his massive arms squeezing, trying to break his opponent’s bones. Yeseus struggled, his face contorted in effort, but Daevar’s strength was immense.
“You cannot win, Alpha,” Daevar snarled, his breath hot on Yeseus’s ear. “She is marked. Our essences are already intertwined. The kiss would have sealed it, but the bite… the bite is enough to begin the process.”
Yeseus’s eyes, still glowing blue, widened slightly. His gaze flickered to Klishei’s neck, then back to Daevar. A fresh wave of fury, cold and deadly, washed over his features.
With a sudden surge of strength, Yeseus twisted, landing a bite on Daevar's leg. The werewolf howled, releasing his grip, and Yeseus broke free. He landed a quick succession of bites on Daevar’s neck.
Daevar stumbled, blood trickling from his nose, his amber eyes now swirling with confusion and pain. “This is not over, Alpha!” he roared, his voice losing some of its earlier confidence.
He turned, not towards Yeseus, but towards Klishei, his eyes burning with a desperate hunger. He lunged, a desperate attempt to complete what he had started.
“No!” Klishei screamed, but it was too late.
Just as Daevar reached her, a flash of dark hair and sharp teeth erupted from the side. Yeseus' fangs were deeply buried on Daevar's neck.
Klishei screamed at the sudden burst of blood. Some of them splattered on her.
Before Daevar's body went limp, he released a faint growl. His eyes never left Klishei, even after his irises went totally white. Yeseus tossed the unmoving body away, blood flowing out of him like a river.
A chorus of snarls filled the air as several figures, smaller but equally feral, burst into the clearing.
“Retrieve your leader,” Yeseus commanded, his voice ringing with authority, cutting through the chaos. He addressed the other werewolves that had emerged from the shadows. "And don't you ever attempt to show your presence in front of me or else I will really wipe you out."