46- The Price of Defilement
POV Edric Eldoria:
I ran my nose down the side of her face, her neck, and her chest. His scent was on her breast. I continued my inspection, feeling the odor fade in a place that absolutely no one, except me, should ever touch.
When I stood up, I knew my eyes weren't blue or silver; they were taken over by gold. My wolf was offended, feeling it had been violated in some way.
"Where is he?" I asked.
She kept crying, nonstop, sobbing. I could feel her pain. It wasn't physical; it was a raw, deep, emotional pain. Lunara was mourning Ruda's death.
"He ran away," she said, between sobs. "He took off as soon as you arrived and killed the other one."
I picked her up in my arms, lifting her from the ground. Lunara was so sensitive she didn't even object, which she normally would have. She clung to my neck and hid her face in my chest.
I turned with her, facing Anton and Andrei, who watched the scene, disturbed.
Andrei was trying to comfort his sister, while Anton stared at Ruda's body, unable to bring himself to hold the pup. I approached him and extended Lunara in his direction.
"Hold her," I ordered. He looked at me, hesitating. He could feel my wolf lurking, dominant, and he knew that could only mean one thing: chaos. "I'm going after the bastard who ran."
Anton knew the she-wolf belonged to me, that she was a part of me since we had mated, just as he knew how territorial we males are with our females. Hence the fear and doubt about taking her.
He finally gave in and held Lunara, who went into his lap without protest, too focused on her grief and her pain.
"Andrei, come with me!" I shouted the order.
I raised my face and sniffed the air, sensing his scent miles away, moving further and further away. I started to run, letting my wolf dominate my body and command everything that would follow.
It wasn't hard to find him, even though he was far from the borders of my territory; he was in the forest where I grew up. After three hundred years, I knew every tree, every small patch of land.
He was running in despair, without stopping and without looking back. I launched myself into the air onto his back, knocking him to the ground.
"Let me go, fuck!" he shouted, trying to break free from my grip.
I stood up, pulling him with me, and held him by the neck, turning him to face me. His eyes trembled as they met mine.
"I'm sorry, I was just following orders. I need to take the girl to my alpha, or he'll kill me," he stammered. "Others will come, and more after them. He won't rest until he gets her back."
I inhaled, smelling Ruda on him, as well as Lunara's scent.
I tilted my head to the side, analyzing him.
"I'm going to quarter you," I growled.
He was a bit different from the other wolves who had come before. He had more muscles, seemed smarter and more skilled.
Alessio was sending trained men. There were two sides to that. One, which made Alessio a little smarter than I thought he would be. And the other, which made me even angrier and made me plan a long, painful death for him.
"I swear I'll never set foot in your territory again if you let me go," he pleaded, casting a glance at Andrei over my shoulder. "I can go back and tell Alessio that Lunara is dead. I'll do whatever you want, as long as you let me live."
A smile lifted my lips. I pushed him, releasing him. Andrei circled around, stopping behind the intruder. He looked around, desperation screaming from him. I took pleasure in tormenting him with fear. I released pheromones, forcing him to kneel before me. The fear intensified, turning into terror.
That's what I wanted, for him to feel the same as he made Lunara, Ruda, and Lyris feel.
"Please," he insisted, falling to his knees before me.
I took his hands with mine, placing palm against palm, and forced them backward. He screamed, growling and baring his fangs.
"There's something about wolves you don't know, or choose to ignore," I murmured, pushing his hands back a little more.
I could hear the faint cracking of bones breaking.
"W-what is it?" he stammered.
I forced harder. He screamed. A genuine laugh escaped me.
"You touched what is mine." He blinked, confused. Sweat glistened on his forehead.
"You should know a wolf doesn't allow another male to touch his female."
"Your female? Are you talking about Lunara? She belongs to Alessio; she was given to him by her own father."
I laughed again and pushed the palms. Another bone cracked.
"She has been mine since I marked her," I confessed.
The color drained from his face as he absorbed the information. I exerted more force. The palms turned completely, taking on an irregular shape, sticking to the wrists. The wrist bone broke and pierced the skin, pointing downward; blood streamed through it and dripped onto the ground, bathing the dry leaves. He screamed so loudly that the ringing of his cry tickled my ears.
The smell of rust impregnated the air.
"I said I would quarter you, but first, I'll teach you a lesson."
"I turned the hands downward." "You touched her. And I do not forgive this affront."
I grabbed the softened limbs and pulled them, tearing them off easily. He roared in pain, and tears streamed from the corners of his eyes.
I released the hands, which fell to the ground with a soft thud on the earth. He swayed his arms while blood gushed from the severed wounds.
I stared at the bloody flesh, the muscles, joints, and bones visible through the opening of the torn body, and I felt... satisfied, with my conscience cleansed. He touched what belonged to me, and I tore off his hands—nothing less than fair.
I took a step back, dodging a jet of blood.
"Tear off the legs, the arms, and the head," I ordered Andrei. "Put his head and the other male's head on stakes at the territory borders, so the next ones who come see what awaits them."
"Edric..." murmured Andrei, hesitant. An involuntary growl crossed my lips. I raised my face, fixing him with a stare. He realized I was, at that moment, more animal than man. He swallowed dryly and took a shaky step back. "Alright," he added. "I think you'd better go check on Lunara and prepare for the village funeral."