499- The Heart of the Hunt
POV Thalyndra Moonclaw:
Strange as it was, he didn't need to do absolutely anything to prove himself to me, nor to show me. Because I knew the truth, I was certain that no matter what happened, he would always be by my side. It was a very deep feeling, rooted within me. I couldn't explain how, I just... knew.
"I like the sound of your own voice, do you? You talk, and talk..." Anton snorted. "You're making me waste time, and I don't like that. Besides, your... clients are eager for the auction."
Emil produced a rough, contained sound, straightened his posture, adjusted the knot of his tie, pulling it away from his neck.
"A shame it has to be this way. My orders were not to engage the Eldoria, but to do whatever it takes to bring Moonclaw with us, therefore, I have no choice." He extended his arm and snapped his fingers. "Don't kill anyone, just disarm Mr. Eldoria and take Miss Moonclaw," he ordered, and then chaos erupted.
Some people stepped back, trying to get out of the fray. Several men lunged at us, ready to follow Emil's orders. Anton released me, without leaving my side.
The first alpha approached. Anton elongated his nails, transforming them into claws, and thrust his hand into the man's chest, making him groan and tremble, then he pulled his arm back, holding the man's heart in his palm. Blood sprayed everywhere and the metallic smell spread around. He fell backward, dead.
I leaned down and pulled out the dagger, holding it in one hand. I wouldn't stand by watching Anton kill all those wretches and keep the fun all to himself.
One of them came at me, ready and confident. He tried to grab me by the arms to pull me away. I attacked without a second thought, sinking the blade into his abdomen. I felt the skin break, as well as the muscles, until hitting some organs. When I stabbed someone, I could feel all the vibrations the body emitted with the blow, and I loved every second.
I pulled the dagger and, with a swift movement, passed the blade across his neck, opening a crater in the skin. Blood flowed like a waterfall. He fell to his knees, placing his hands on the wound, but his time was calculated. I kicked him, knocking him down, before moving on to a second one coming my way.
A head flew right in front of my face, startling me, and hit the wall. Eyes wide, I looked at Anton. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising and falling in rapid succession, there were blood marks on his face and clothes. His eyes glowed gold and green.
He nodded at me. I returned the gesture, answering the silent question. "Are you okay?" "Yes, I am."
I watched Emil through my peripheral vision. He was a bit farther off, analyzing the scene with a furrowed brow. Some people were trying to run, banging against the closed doors in a failed attempt to escape the massacre.
I kept the knife firmly in hand. I plunged the blade into the neck of an idiot who tried to grab me, before walking with hard, determined steps away from Anton, toward the Merchant.
Anton was, without a doubt, the center of attention. Being the strongest, they tried to attack him in a group, in a frustrated attempt to contain the Eldoria alpha, while a few others tried to pull me away from him.
I would kill that Merchant for having spoken my father's name when he shouldn't have, for auctioning something that didn't belong to them, but mainly, I would kill to show that no matter what they thought, I would never belong to them.
Anton snarled when he saw me moving away, a very explicit threat to everyone.
An alpha came up behind me. I spun my body and hit him with the dagger right in the chest, over his heart. He stared wide-eyed, shocked, before falling dead.
There was no more perfume scent in the air; the entire environment had been dominated by the pungent aroma of blood.
My dress was ruined, as was my hair and makeup. The young, pretty, well-behaved girl who had walked through the front door moments before no longer existed.
Another made to run toward me, but stopped when Emil gestured for him, ordering him to stay where he was.
"Well, well, Miss Moonclaw, I was informed you were a... somewhat peculiar female, I just didn't imagine how much." He smiled, running his eyes over me. "All I can say is that there's someone very important who is eager to meet you, and will be immensely satisfied with this."
"Too bad I'm not so eager to meet him either, whoever he is," I replied, my heart buzzing in my ears due to repressed anger.
I couldn't stand looking at him long enough. Everything he did, said, and even the way he smelled, reminded me of what they did, of how they ruined my life by murdering my parents.
"Ah, but you will be soon." He widened his smile and I felt it was to provoke me. "I'm glad you had the decency to come to me; now, we can go our way without anyone interfering with the plans," he said, throwing a glance at Anton, beyond my shoulder.
I smiled back.
"Of course."
Faster than a blink, I thrust the hand holding the dagger forward. He was smarter, leaning back, dodging the blade that would have cut his neck.
"Oh, don't do that, I'm trying to be friendly with you," he murmured, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
"How great, because I am too. As friendly as they were with my parents," I hissed.
I bent my knee and kicked him, hitting him between the legs, catching him off guard that time, not expecting the blow. He placed his hands over his groin and groaned, murmuring curses.
"You're not giving me a choice..." He fell silent when my elbow hit his temple with a thud, cutting the skin of his brow. He staggered back.
"The choice was already made, you wretched Merchant. You will die, just like all the others I killed with such pleasure."
Something changed in his face as soon as I closed my mouth, as if knowing that information made him see me with new eyes.
"It's you who's been killing our people?" he whispered, so low I only heard due to my sharp hearing.